Pregnancy Tumor

Isn't this selfie awesome? Haha. I took this after my dentist appointment where I had to have a weird thing called a pregnancy tumor removed! Yep, a pregnancy tumor! Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds.

A pregnancy tumor is something some women get (of course I am so lucky) when they are between 2-8 months pregnant. When our bodies are producing all these extra hormones they also attract bacterias that like to torture us. They can show up in all sorts of nasty ways, but mine was on my gums between my two back teeth. At first I just thought something was stuck up there and causing an infection, but then it kept growing! It got so swollen that it was painful to brush that area and hard to eat. I decided I had to get this thing checked out.

The doctor knew right away after looking at it that it was a pregnancy tumor. I had to have it removed for further analysis and now I have a big hole in my gums! At this point I don't even care, I'm just glad it is gone. I had my follow up appointment yesterday and found out my lab results.

Turns out this thing gets even weirder. There are three kinds of pregnancy tumors and the kind I got is the reoccurring kind and the rarest kind (seriously?). They found fragments of connective tissue and webbed bone in mine! I was so grossed out when the doctor told me I felt like a little alien was growing in my mouth. Let's hope this nasty bugger doesn't make a come back! By the way, DON'T GOOGLE IT!

Bumpdate!

So I haven't been as good at documenting my pregnancy the second time around. These pictures were taken when my baby bump finally decided to pop around 17 weeks. Now I am 20 weeks and growing!

This pregnancy has been different than my pregnancy with Van. I had similar symptoms, tiredness and nausea, only worse! I didn't have any appetite in the first trimester when last time I remember craving certain things. The first month I was pregnant I didn't know yet and I was working out a lot and feeling good, but as soon as I missed my period I started to feel pregnant. Once I entered my second trimester I started feeling better and now I am ready to get moving again!

With my first pregnancy several "high risk" things came up along with my abnormal uterus issue. This time I had what they call a subchorionic hemorrhage in-between my placenta and uterus. This caused heavy bleeding during my first trimester so I was hesitant to announce it until the bleeding stopped. Luckily, baby is just fine and here we are halfway through my pregnancy already! Now my Doctor is keeping an extra eye on me since the umbilical cord is attached to the placenta near the cervix instead of in the middle where Doctor's like it to be, which can affect baby's growth. So let's hope everything smooths itself out and I continue to be blessed with a healthy baby.

This week we got our "gender reveal" ultrasound, but we decided to wait to find out until Christmas. My mom is going to wrap it in a present so we can open it on Christmas Eve. I have been so certain I am going to have another boy, but lately I feel like it might be a girl. Can't wait to find out next week! Wahoo!

hello, baby peach

my baby is a peach! i remember when i first found out i was pregnant it was the size of a cinnamon gummy bear. i went to the store that day and bought a bag of them to celebrate! i don't really have a baby bump yet, rather i look like i ate too much.

i have this handy iphone app that tells me which fruit my baby size is. it even tells me daily actions like buy fancy lotion for stretch marks and a pregnancy pillow for sleeping. today i was told to book a luxury pamper day with a girlfriend! yea, i like this app! it's called pregnancy if you're wondering. i think a "pregnancy must haves" post is in the making, friends!

i am currently 13 weeks in my second trimester. so far i've been feeling pretty good! i've seen my baby wiggle (ultrasound) and heard its little heart beat. this may all start sounding boring to you, but when it's your own baby- man everything is so amazing!

and let me tell you, i plan on being real here with this whole pregnancy thing. if something weird happens like i poop my pants- i'll tell you about it! don't worry, i won't get too personal. (wink!)

Bumpdate

^ 20 weeks

^ 22 weeks

^ 24 weeks

I'm slacking on the baby bump pics, so Instagram photos will have to do! It seems most of my days are spent either in sweats or work out clothes. The days I do get "ready" I usually don't have the daylight or time to take quality photos. I'll keep bugging that Drew boy!

Once 20 weeks rolled around I've been feeling great! No more nausea, sleepiness, dizziness, or any of that pregnancy stuff. I got my energy back and am feeling motivated after a holiday vacation of sugar overload. I'm doing some simple at home prenatal workouts to feel better about myself. It doesn't always work, but hopefully after the baby I will be able to whip back into shape faster.

My baby bump is steadily growing and I feel like it is getting uncomfortable already! This girl is kicking up a storm and we even caught her with the hiccups a few times. She is laying much lower than Van was, so it feels like I am holding a beach ball in my lap when I sit down. Already best friends with my pregnancy pillow (poor Drew, haha) and the nesting has officially begun!

Drew and I can't seem to agree on any girl names. Boy names come much easier to us! It is a constant, "what about ____?" My list is long and I haven't fallen completely in love with any one name in particular. However, I think me and Drew have come up with a first and middle name we like together, but that will have to wait until she comes! I'm sure we'll know what feels right when we meet her. 

Time is flying by and so is this pregnancy. Maybe it's because I'm chasing around a two year old this time, but we are preparing Van for a sissy and he knows she lives in my tummy. Then he'll point to his tummy and say, "sissy." Not quite Van, but he gets the idea!

a little update

on christmas eve i went to the doctor for an ultrasound to check on my baby's position. he is still breech and beautiful as ever, it was so awesome seeing him for christmas! he even has cute little hairs on his head. later that day i got a call back from the doctor to come back in for some lab work. i have had severe swelling in my hands and feet, but i thought this was a normal pregnancy thing. turns out i have some signs of something called preeclampsia.

preeclampsia indicates protein in your urine because the kidney isn't filtering right and high blood pressure. the only cure for it is to deliver the baby. thankfully, i am far enough into my pregnancy the baby will be fine and my symptoms aren't severe. we are keeping an eye on everything, but as of thursday i was put on bed rest. the doctor is predicting we will do the surgery next week, which means i may have a new years baby!

mr. eggplant

my baby size guide according to my iphone app is starting to get lazy and group three-four weeks at a time. week 22-24 baby measures to be about the size of an eggplant from crown to heel. i've looked at other growth charts and fruits aren't measuring up so i am confused. what will i do? well it doesn't really matter. what matters is that baby is healthy!

i broke 120 pounds, which is good news for the both of us. clothes are starting to feel tight and i have to walk around with my pants undone. hub noticed and quietly tied an elastic band around my top button to give me a couple extra inches of breathing room. apparently i have the pregnancy waddle down already. it will be a cozy winter in leggings and wool sockies i'm thinking.

we are starting to feel more in tune with baby boy, as we push he pushes back. we can even see his kicks from the outside! it is unreal. i still can't believe i will be a mama soon. there is so much to take in, and this is only the beginning.

ps- thanks for helping us fund our project! there are still 10 days to go if you haven't claimed your root case yet!

babymoon video

last year when we went on our babymoon we took some video footage to document our "last hoorah" trip before baby came. after getting home and looking at the footage i quickly realized how overwhelming putting together a fun video would be. needless to say this project sat on the shelf for a while. until i had the brilliant idea to ask my sister kylie (thanks ky!) to put it together in some sort of creative way. she works magic!

so here's a little family video of our last vanventure in our old bus, sunset. [i miss you, sunset] this was when i was about halfway through my pregnancy with van and treated jimmy like a baby. forgive my voice--i can't help it when i'm in love.

baby cantaloupe

21 weeks down, and my baby is kicking up a storm. He now looks very much like he will at birth, only smaller. I can't wait to see what kind of mix we made. I'm hoping he looks like mini Drew! I'm going a little crazy on Pinterest pinning ideas for baby boy. I'm dreamin' big people, and with the recent bad news of insurance not covering anything for my pregnancy, I am going to need to get creative.

My belly is more pronounced now, and somehow I was able to squeeze into these yellow jeans! I have found a recent liking for Drew's baggy shirts. They are easy on the belly. And, I am always hot! All this extra blood flow is making me crazy! Fall needs to hurry up so this baby mama can cool off.

Newport, Oregon

Over General Conference weekend we went to the Oregon Coast! We listened to talks from our hotel room and some in the car while driving, and inbetween sessions we explored downtown Newport and Drew went surfing. This was during the beginning of my pregnancy so I was feeling really sick most of the time and super tired. I took a lot of naps!

Van loved playing on the beach all day chasing frisbees and balls, and he especially loved splashing in the ocean. We spent most of our time at Otter Rock beach just relaxing and surfing. Our last night in Oregon we stayed in a cute little yurt for some fun camp vibes. It was in the 80s that weekend and we couldn't believe how warm it was! We weren't able to visit any more of the 7 Wonders of Oregon like we had hoped--so looks like we'll have to head back soon!

a grapefruit and overalls

at 19 weeks we found out we were having a baby boy! i cannot reveal names yet because the hub wants to wait until he is born, but i already have one picked out!

baby boy is now the size of a grapefruit. my belly is growing and i figured i better get use out of my overalls before they don't fit anymore. they remind me of my mama when she was my age.

in the beginning of my pregnancy i couldn't eat very much, but now i can easily eat 4 pieces of pizza- that's more than my hub! i am working on a 6 small healthy meal plan to keep my appetite on track so that should be coming soon. until then, baby hollenback says hello! (so magical)

baby honey dew

 33-36 weeks / baby size: honeydew

alright dudes, this baby is getting big! at my last appointment the doctor laughed when he saw my belly. not only is my baby bump lopsided, but baby is measuring 4 weeks bigger than normal! i am wondering if this is because of drew's genes or because i have a special uterus. baby only has one way to grow with the little room he has, and that is out. i can eat meals off this thing!

baby boy is still breech so we are going to have to do a cesarian. whenever my body goes into labor we're going for it, and that time can be any day now. if things keep going normally we could make it through the new year to his due date, but it's not likely. i am starting to hit freaky mommy mode trying to get everything done. i have been so busy with my business and preparing for this baby, i only pray i can keep up with everything when he is actually here! i will have at least one month of down time after the surgery so things might get tricky. any experienced mamas out there that have gone through this?

i am hitting that point where i am ready for this baby to come out. my feet are swelling, my fingers are fat, i roll around and waddle like a penguin, and i can't put on my own shoes. pregnancy is getting pretty crazy and i am blown away by what a woman's body is capable of. miracle i tell you.

before i met you

my dearest van,

before i met you i had an itchy feeling for something new- a change of pace. the distant idea of starting a family suddenly started to sound appealing. i continued my life as usual. i worked, i traveled, i played, and i thought of you. somehow i knew you were going to be my very own little boy when the time was right.

mother's day rolled around and i had a hunch about you. i went to the store to pick up my first pregnancy test, secretly hoping i could call myself mama. the results were negative. this didn't surprise me, but my reaction did. i cried. it wasn't until that moment i realized how much i really wanted you. little did i know the test results were wrong, and i was your mama already.

before i met you i didn't know a love like this. so happy you're here. thank you for being mine. 

love,

mama 

29 weeks

at 29-32 weeks baby is the size of a squash. i wasn't sure what kind of squash, so i went with what i could find. baby is growing really fast now! he sticks straight out and sometimes moves from one side to the other, making my belly look like a wave pool. unfortunately, he doesn't have much room and is still breech, so i hope he's doing ok in there. sometimes he kicks so much i'm afraid he is going to break out!

the bigger baby gets, the more uncomfortable mama gets. i find sitting nice and straight helps me breath better and relieve some pain from my back. yoga positions really help with stretching too. i am trying to eat more bananas to avoid the morning leg cramps and am sleeping with my u shaped pregnancy pillow to stay on my left side. i am a back sleeper, so often hubby will whisper to me during the night to roll over.

it's getting to that point where i can't see below my belly anymore or bend over to paint my toe nails. hub offered to give me a special at home pedicure. it included a hot foot bath, chinese inspired massage, and painted nails. he even painted the ring toe a different color! now i get to peek down at green and orange toes and think of my sweet thoughtful hub. there are some great perks to being pregnant and i am one lucky girl!

i'm a yogee now

say hello to my 23 week bump. it's getting nice and round and my belly button truly looks like a button.

i recently started taking pregnancy yoga classes here in boise through st. luke's. my first day of class got me thinking about child birth. with each yoga pose the teacher talks about different birthing positions and breathing techniques. i'm not one who has a specific birth plan and i'm also not one who is very opinionated on the topic. i am open to whatever is best for my baby and my health. with this in mind, i don't see the point of stressing how the birth will go down. 

although i am quite terrified. i am a major loser when it comes to pain. a huge part of me is all about the epidural and not feeling the worse pain in the world (thank you modern medicine). but there is another small part of me that admires people like my mother and grandmother who pushed their babies out all natural. maybe i can do that? but then again, i might have to get cut open and not even get the choice. 

like any other mama, i just want a happy healthy baby. i also know unexpected things happen, so knowing my options sounds like a good birth plan to me. until then, i don't want to think about it. i know it'll be worth it when i get to hold my baby boy for the first time.

belly update

my belly is getting bigger, but the fruits seem to be getting smaller. week 25-28 is supposed to be a papaya. the papaya i found in the store looked small so i just went with an acorn squash. maybe i picked the wrong size fruits before, but i am trying to stick to my app. it's too late to change charts now!

it is officially obvious i am pregnant. i'm still not used to the attention the belly brings. it also brings some discomfort, but that doesn't stop me from touching my toes in yoga class... yet. i don't mind spandex waists either. maternity clothes are so comfortable!

baby and i are doing good. unfortunately, he is lying breech with little room to turn around due to my special small uterus. other than that and the actions it may entail, i am very thankful for my pleasant pregnancy and healthy baby. the hub has also returned home from his business trip in china and we are so happy to be together again. finally!

Boise River

Like usual, Drew strapped Van into the child carrier to go fishing with mom and dad. We were testing out some new rods and I was feeling rather pregnant this day, so I ended up sitting on the riverbank eating cadbury eggs in the sunshine. Sometimes you just gotta give in to those pregnancy cravings! 

Van has become quite the little explorer and I'm beginning to have to catch up to him. I miss the days of his "dog shoes". They were so cute while they lasted. He has since outgrown them and now they have become his "dog shoes ouch". I guess there's a season to everything, but why they gotta grow so fast?