The Davis Pregnancies
Natalie vs. Luke
Monday, June 4, 2012
As my 2nd pregnancy begins to wrap up, I wanted to take time to reflect the similarities and differences I have seen in the 2. There have been some similarities along the way but the differences are what I seem to notice the most. Either way, they are both a blessing to me and I have so grateful for my 2 beautiful children!
1st Trimester
Natalie
While pregnant with Natalie as soon as week 9 arrived, I was SICK AS A DOG. I had morning sickness and nausea in the morning, midday, afternoon and evening. In fact, I could barely keep food or even water down. I would be really hungry and want to eat food but as soon as I tried to eat it, the smell, texture and overall taste of the food would send me to the toilet. Luckily this 21 day stretch happened to be while I was on Winter Vacation at school. The last 5 days of this 21 day sickness happened while I was teaching but since I knew these symptoms were coming I was prepared and had all means to take care of this around me at all times. Around week 12-13, this terrible morning sickness and nausea went away and I began to be able to eat real food and enjoy my pregnancy.
I was tired most of the time throughout the 1st trimester and I was constantly coming home from work or elsewhere and taking lots of naps. I could NOT get enough sleep and I felt weak 90% of the time.
Overall during the 1st trimester I LOST 9 pounds and felt miserable most of the time!
Luke
We learned I was pregnant around week 6-7 and I expected to be just as sick this time around as I was with Natalie. We had waited a few weeks to tell both sets of our parents but we knew eventually, Dan and Jackie would find out since I would be sick 24-7! That actually never happened. Every since seeing that PINK LINE, I have not really had any morning/ afternoon/ evening sickness of any kind. When I was about 12 weeks along, I got really nauseous one day but after drinking plenty of water and staying off my feet, I was able to feel much better and I had no vomiting or sickness of any kind. In fact, during most of the 6 weeks between finding out we were pregnant and the end of the 1st trimester, I was eating normally and even on the heavy side a little. Hahaha...I remember stopping at McDonald's on the way home for a "Happy Meal" snack after school!
For the greater part of the 1st trimester, I felt great and barely even knew I was pregnant. I felt energized and relaxed most of the time and I was able to come home and play with Natalie, go for walks and cook dinner almost every night.
During the 1st Trimester I gained 7 pounds and felt GREAT!
2nd Trimester
Natalie
It was around week 14 that I really began to feel like myself again and I was able to start eating like myself again and even start eating like a pregnant lady. I began to crave foods that I didn't usually like or eat on an every day occasion. I have never really been a red meat eater but Natalie Grace had different taste buds and she really wanted that meat. Almost every other night I was going down the street to get a SONIC cheeseburger and tots. I would call Chris and tell him to pick up Chili's "Big Mouth Bites" on his way home. I think after about 3 weeks, even Chris was tired of hamburgers. I also really, really craved Orange Juice. I think I drank about 2 gallons a week. I would take a tumbler full of Orange Juice with me to work everyday and then drink a glass or two once I got home at night. I also had various other cravings like fruit of all kinds, pizza and brownies. These seemed to be in our weekly rotation of menu options throughout the entire 2nd trimester.
At exactly week 20 we had our 1/2 way ultrasound which told us it was A GIRL! We were excited (I was a little disappointed but after a minute I was thrilled) and couldn't wait to pamper and spoil our new little one. At about 22 weeks Dr. Trotter called and said there was an abnormality of the heart on the ultrasound and we would have to wait until week 24 to get a second look. This was awful and was the worst 2 weeks of my life, I swear! At the 24 week ultrasound, we learned all was fine with Natalie's heart and all 4 chambers were visible and working. What a relief!
My beautiful Natalie Grace at 20 weeks Gestation!
It was during the end of the 2nd trimester that we began to notice Natalie's kicks and movements in the womb. She was never really a "Mover and Shaker" but she would typically always kick between 6-8pm each night. We could almost set our clocks to her. She would usually kick 10-15 times and then take 20 minutes off and then go right back at it. By 8pm or so, she was all worn out and stopped. She always kicked the recommended 20 times a day but it was always at a set time. She liked having a routine.
The 2nd trimester with Natalie Grace was fantastic and I loved being pregnant during these weeks! Overall, I gained 11 pounds and felt GREAT!
Luke
During most of the 2nd trimester I felt fabulous and again, barely even knew I was carrying a child. I was eating like normal and even eating like a someone who was "Eating for 2"! I had just lost about 60 pounds before getting pregnant so while I was hungry and wanted to eat and satisfy my cravings, I also did not want to gain too much weight! I usually ate SmartOnes frozen meals for lunch with the occasional Chick-fil-a but really watched what I ate during the day. I craved fruits almost every day and usually these were rare or random fruits that I would not usually like, eat or even be able to find. I remember one week I was craving a fresh peach so bad I drove to a Farmer's Market south of my school to get one (And it was February so it wasn't even RIPE)! I also really craved salads. I remember wanting to go to Sweet Tomatoes frequently and even ordering entree salads and restaurants like Chili's and Outback! Meat was not a craving for me but I made sure I was eating plenty each and every day.
At 17 weeks, Chris and I opted to do an elective ultrasound to get a gender check on our new bundle of joy! This was very interesting because once we got in the ultrasound room, the entire process only lasted about 7 minutes. The technician gave us a short disclaimer about only checking for gender purposes and then she whipped out her wand and found that IT IS A BOY! She took several pictures of his "boyhood" and then we were through. It was so quick that it wasn't until I got back in the waiting room that I fully comprehended I was HAVING A BOY! I remember calling my parents and telling them and literally having to pull the phone away from my ear from their excitement. My dad was so thrilled, Chris and Dr. Markos heard him say "YESSSSSS" from the other end of the phone. This was a big deal for me and my family! Chris seemed a little upset that is was not another little girl but again, he came around within a minute or two.
"IT'S A BOY!" David Luke at 17 weeks Gestation!
We had another medically advised 1/2 way ultrasound at week 21 and this showed everything was in place and working properly. I remember specifically asking the technician to show me the four chambers of Luke's heart and they were all there and looked great!
It was sooner with Luke that I began to notice all of his movements. HE IS A "MOVER AND A SHAKER"! Wow... this kid really likes to move around. He could kick me hard several times a day and even in the middle of the night. I remember not being able to sleep frequently as he would just be moving and "swimming" around in there. He didn't really have a routine or set time he was active... pretty much ALL DAY! I will never forget the 1st time Natalie felt him kick when she was resting her head on my belly "Whoa... Mommy, what was that!" It was hilarious and I think that is when she actually realized Luke was IN THERE! From then on she said "I want to go get him!" From week 21-22 until right now (week 38) this kids is CONSTANTLY moving around and trying to get comfy!
Around week 25 or so I began to get really bad heartburn after most meals and sometimes even after all I had eaten or drank was WATER! This was a little annoying and even alarming since I have never really had heartburn like this and I didn't experience it with Natalie. I asked Dr. Markos and he said just keep TUMS on hand and ever since then, I have!
The 2nd trimester was Baby Luke was a joy and I didn't really feel pregnant most days. Overall, I gained 17 pounds and felt wonderful!
3rd Trimester
Natalie
I was continuing to crave red meat and beef alot and I was still drinking lots of juice everyday. It was during week 28 I took the mandatory Gestational Diabetes 1 hour glucose test and failed it by 1 point. I had to go back and do the 3 hour glucose test at week 31 and passed all 4 tests with flying colors.
During this trimester I was not really tired like most of the books said I would be but I did start to get headaches more frequently than usual. I also was hot most of the time. These weeks were in May, June and July in Oklahoma so that was just part of the gig I guess! My feet were swollen because of this and it was hard to wear summer clothes and still cover my feet from embarrassment!
At the 37 week ultrasound, Natalie weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was measuring at 37-39 weeks in all of the medical categories. Dr. Trotter predicted she would weigh 8+ pounds at birth! She ended up weighing 9 pounds 3 ounces but I carried her til 43 weeks so... it all measured out well
At 38 weeks I began to wake up every morning thinking "TODAY COULD BE THE DAY". I remember going to church and asking for prayer and having a quick and safe delivery EVERY SUNDAY for 5 Sundays. I was supposed to be induced on August 6th, just 2 days after my original due date but was sent home since I was not dilated or effaced. I then was told I would be checked again on August 11th (41 weeks). Again, I was 0 dilated and 0% effaced so they sent me home. Dr. Trotter went on vacation the following week but left me in good hands with another doctor on the rotation and I was sent to the hospital on August 20th to be induced. Still no progress so I was sent home again. Dr. Trotter called me that Friday, August 21 and told me would start the drugs to induce me on Monday morning, August 24th. I was pretty fed up at this point so I told him, "My family is coming in from out of town on this day and WE WILL LEAVE with a baby!" I was 43 weeks on that day and at 43 weeks and 1 day on August 25th my little angel, Natalie Grace, graced us with her presence. The birth story itself is just as insane as the last 3 weeks of this pregnancy but all in all it turned out well... I GOT MY BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL NATALIE GRACE and my life changed FOREVER!
At week 40, exactly on my due date, I had gained the recommended 25 pounds but by the time Natalie came out, I had gained 36.
LukeDuring this time of the pregnancy, I was not really craving any ONE THING. Each day it would vary from fruits, to veggies, to Cookies and cakes, to Smoothies! Each day was like a new adventure for my taste buds. I wanted to bake and eat fancy cakes and desserts from Pinterest EVERY WEEKEND! At week 28 I took my 1 hour glucose test and failed miserably! I had to go back at week 30 for the 3 hour glucose test and was told I failed it too. I felt terrible and I began to cry thinking I had gestational diabetes. Dr. Markos came in and said the nurse had read the chart wrong I had passed 3 out of 4 tests and only failed the 1 by a few points. I then had to have my finger pricked to check my blood sugar levels at weeks 32, 33 and 34. All of those turned out fine so at week 34 I was cleared from Gestational Diabetes and I was thrilled and started eating those sweet again!
It was during this trimester that I felt the MOST TIRED of all! It seemed like everyday when I got home I was really tired and just wanted to crash and take a nap! Usually, I was by myself with Natalie until Chris got home around 5-6pm from work so Natalie and I usually played and put her babies to sleep so it was quiet.
Just like with Natalie, I felt hot most everyday but this time it was a little different. It was about 2 months earlier in the calendar than with Natalie but I am now living in Houston with 70-80% humidity EVERYDAY! The after school walker-duty was really beginning to eat at me and my poor feet were as swollen as anything. In fact, I told my principal that I would just have to wear flip-flops until the end of school since my feet wouldn't fit in any other pair of shoes!
At the 36 week ultrasound, Luke weighed in at 5 pounds 14 ounces and measured 34-36 weeks in most medical categories. His head circumference measured at 38 weeks so he obviously has a BIG HEAD! I guess it is a good thing I am having a C-Section... YIKES!
His birth story will not be known until this time next week but I cannot wait to see how it is the same or different from Natalie's. I cannot believe how fast the past 38 weeks have flown by and I cannot wait to meet my little man.
The same or different, Natalie and Luke are both gifts from God and I know Chris and I will love them and parent them in as Godly of a way as possible. I just hope and pray for a smooth surgery and a beautiful healthy BABY BOY!
David Luke Davis, I cannot wait to meet you! Just 8 more days!
As always...
GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!
