Sunday, June 15, 2008

I'm not fat, I'm...

Kai, Gary and I are very happy to announce that there is another little Chapman on the way! We have known for about 6 weeks now and I just don't want to wait any longer to tell people:)
(My belly at 10 weeks...Kai says he wants to go in my belly to see the baby. By looking at me hopefully you could guess I was pregnant?).

Baby Chapman should arrive over our Christmas holidays (uh oh, middle of the basketball season!) and I'm so excited to be huge this time in COLD weather! Also, we are telling people now because my belly is pretty much giving it away. My doctor said that with the second one, you can look 8 weeks larger than your first and that is def. the case. Let's just hope it sticks to the belly and that's it.

This is a picture of me at just 9 weeks and look how huge I am! I am not even pushing it out or anything. It's pretty much the same size that I was at week 17 last time. I have gained 2lbs so far and this pregnancy is different in so many other ways. The biggest difference is that last time, I was sick for the first 3 months and could barely eat more than crackers and grapes. I vomited a couple times a week and felt very, very crappy. This time?! Bring on the food! I can eat meat!!! I still get queasy thinking about certain foods but am def. eating normal amounts. I get cravings like crazy and it's not just in my head. I want sushi, then guacamole, then grapes etc...it happens all day long. The other difference I have noticed is that I am extremely tired. It may be getting better now but while teaching, as soon as lunch hit, I was ready to curl up and nap. I did have one puking episode at school where I had to run all the way downstairs to the staff room but I made it...phew! I have to say that being pregnant without being sick is so amazing and a billion times easier!

(This was my 7 week picture, already feeling HUGE. Not sure if you have seen my stomach normally in real life but it was quite flat before! I'm excited to head downstairs and take some studio type pictures when i get bigger:))

I wish you could've experienced my excitement, disbelief and tears when we first found out, I was ecstatic. I told Kai there was a baby growing in my belly and he rubbed his belly and said `Kai doggy belly' (Kai has a doggy in his belly...silly guy). Since then, he grabs my belly and says `Kai go in it?' because he wants to go in there with the baby. Funny kid. Every morning when I take my prenatal vitamin he says `Medicine. Baby growing'. At first when we found out, I couldn't believe it and took several tests and visited the clinic and then my doctor. I still am very excited but I'm starting to get nervous. I found out through Kai that I am not really an infant person, I'm def. a lot better with toddlers. Although, the situation was very different last time so we will have to see. I am going to write out my expectations for everything soon so that I can look back on it and see if I had any idea of what I was getting into! I am def. going to ask for a lot more help and support this time around, no more `I can do this by myself' type attitude. No way Jose.

This may be a bit too much information now but if you are interested in our fertility journey over the past year (and perhaps a few tidbits on the female body), read on, but don't say I didn't warn you! For those of you who don't know, we got pregnant with Kai in our second month of trying. I assumed that the same would be true this time. Not the case. Gary and I started trying about a year ago and we weren't just kind of trying, we were really trying. Just like with Kai, I was charting my temperature every morning at 7 am as well as recording um, the main indicator of fertility which is your cervical fluid. Your body is amazing and I loved discovering more about it by learning about the changes that occur each month, in detail. Through charting, you know exactly when you ovulate (and just that fact that you are ovulating is indicated) and when you are most fertile. It may seem a little unnatural and controlish but I think its just the science in me that thinks it just awesome to know so much about your body. By six months, when nothing had happened, I talked to my doctor. Many people had said that they won't do anything until a year has passed. This is not true. He commended me on coming in and being so aware of my body (I love my doctor). I had some basic blood work done to check my hormones, blood sugar etc. and all came back well. A month later, Gary had `the test' that came back fine as well. I was scheduled to have an appt with the specialist right around the time we found out we were pregnant. I was pretty relaxed throughout the entire time, although month 9 of trying was a little more tough as it seemed like everyone was announcing a pregnancy! I was happy for all of them and just wanted to know what was going on with my body. I really do believe that it is all God's timing but I do like to think that it's important to put forth the best possible effort:) **Warning, could be too much info but may be interesting to some...***There was one thing we did differently in the month that we conceived but I'm not sure if it was what did it. I started taking Robitussin once a day as it contains an ingredient called guaifenesin which helps to increase the cervical fluid which is necessary for the sperm's survival. Regardless of whether that was it or not, it doesn't hurt to try it! My sisters will be so embarrassed/mortified that I shared that info and my dad never reads all the writing so I think I'm okay there:)

(This picture was taken May 7th, the 2nd year anniversary of my mom's passing. We had just found out a few days before that we were pregnant so Kai wore his new `I'm the Big Brother' shirt so we could `tell' her).
Well, this post is a lot longer than I thought it would be but that's where we are at! If you could remember us in our prayers, please pray that the baby would continue to grow and that the rest of the pregnancy goes well. Yippee!!!!!

19 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:32 PM

    Congratulations on the pregnancy!! I hope and pray that everything will go well for you in the coming months.

    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:43 PM

    CONGRATULATIONS!! That's such exciting news!

    ReplyDelete
  3. We are very excited for you guys and for our entire family and Gary's family. Annika now knows that Louise having a baby so kai can have a baby brother or sister like she has. Well worth the wait, so exciting. We are all glad that you are feeling better this pregnancy...I seem to remember a dinner around thanksgiving when you were preggo with kai...you cried cause you could not eat.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous9:05 PM

    yo ldog and gman. very excited. so loving kai and the belly!!! AWESOME!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Woohoo! Sneaky you, you've been saying "if we have another baby" and you knew you were preggers! So, when are you due? Sounds close to me, December 14. I totally know what you mean about popping out so much more. I think I just stayed popped out after my second, so I've got a big head start with the third! I can't believe you had the energy to do all that football playing in your first trimester. You rock, mama!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yippee is right! I'm definitely excited for you guys!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm thrilled for you! You look terrific. I love your beautiful blossomming belly. Praying for a healthy baby, peaceful and enjoyable pregnancy, safe and satisfying delivery. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
    i am SO EXCITED for you guys!!! such great news! i'm glad that you're not puking and stuff this time round so far :) looking forward to hearing updates!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congrats you guys!! Adding another addition to the family is always so exciting:) Praying for a smooth and enjoyable pregnancy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous8:43 PM

    so exciting! congratulations!!

    Lindsay

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats guys! I really am so happy for you! My girlfriend used the Robitusson method and it worked for them too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats, baby! I was wondering what was up...?! I popped that much this time around, too. But it's just on baby this time, not a single new stretch mark and no chance to pop one, since I'm smaller. So it is possible for you too! xo.
    Are you thinking of trialing another vaginal birth (totally not too much info regarding fertility stuff, btw; I'm all over knowing yourself and trying the tricks to see what works!)? 80% of women who try again manage a vag the 2nd time. Anyways, if you were Dana has some awesome books listed on her blog that have helped me a ton! I know you had a rough go last time, so if you opt not to it's totally understandable.
    So happy for you!!! I think you're great and I'm glad you're feeling much better this time! I think Kai's reactions are the sweetest thing! I love how he wants to go in your tummy too! Matthew "wuvs" my tummy and gives it hugs all the time, and Ayden bounces with impatience for the baby to COME OUT already!! The sibling reactions are really the best of all.
    xoxo

    You rock.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Found your blog a little while, this seemed like a good one to post a comment in..Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:09 AM

    Yay! I am so happy for you, Louise. It took us a while to get pregnant with this one after getting pregnant really quickly with Ayva. It was hard so I know a bit of what you went through. And I, too, am super tired this time too. But if that's all I have to complain about, life's not too bad! I'm actually glad to see that you've popped out there as I have too. :) I'm coming to grad - so I'll see you there when I can congratulate you guys in person!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Congratulations Chapman Family! Wow... that blog was incredible and really helpful for anyone who is trying... Thank you for the info.. I will use you (anonymously of course) as help for others I know who are trying!! What a special experience to have your son be so curious and adorable about the whole thing! I hope that everything goes well.. and that you have tons of energy in the coming months...

    Take Care!

    Christa

    ReplyDelete
  16. so incredibly exciting!! congrats Chapman family!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Are you sure that you don't have two in there? That's about what I looked like at 10 weeks! :) Twins and a 2 year old are tons of fun! Congratulations to both of you. I know how much you wanted this and I am thrilled for you.

    ReplyDelete
  18. such fantastic news!!! congratulations to you guys! amazing how the second pregnancy can make it's appearance in the mid-section so much sooner, hey? :)
    praying for an enjoyable and healthy pregnancy for you.
    YAY!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Awesome stuff, Louise. So happy for you guys. I love all the details. It sounds like Kai is talking a ton! So cute!

    ReplyDelete