Baby #2: 18 WEEKS

the miracle of life is such an incredible thing to try and grasp. i often wonder how our moms used to go an entire pregnancy WITHOUT ONE ultrasound.  there was no way to visualize the baby’s structure, to see their heart chambers, or to see their little fingers and toes.  they just trusted.  they trusted that there was a baby in there and that it was perfectly safe. having that kind of trust has been very difficult for me lately.  i feel my body changing a little bit every day, proving that this is real, but fear creeps up sometimes and i struggle… wondering if the baby’s fine and if he or she is healthy. and then i remember that “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (isaiah 23:6) and i begin to catch my breath again. i know that there’s no way to be 100% certain of what’s really going on inside your body, but if it were up to me, i’d check on that little creature every day (maybe twice a day)   just to make sure everything is going well.  needless to say, we have been looking forward to hearing good news from our doctor for a few weeks now.  last week, we had our 18 week checkup at the doctor’s office.

after all of the measuring and talking about what i should and should not do, ale and i listened to our babe’s heart beat for the first time. it was such an incredible moment for us.  we held hands and glanced at each other knowing we were both sharing the same joy. it was a good heartbeat. it was strong and steady just as we had hoped it would be, and that was just enough reassurance.

we should be finding out the sex of our babe soon. ale wants a boy and i’m pushing for another little lady (i had a dream we had 3 girls with long black hair!!!). regardless, we’re praying for a healthy baby with good lungs, mind, and with 10 little fingers and toes.

it has also been an interesting few weeks for me. i’m finally starting to look pregnant and not like i just had a massive burger for lunch (which i sometimes shamelessly do- thank God for stretchy pants!). it’s still a small bump, but it’s bringing about the sweetest smiles from random strangers. it’s almost like they’re genuinely happy for us- thank you random strangers! the nausea is gone and i am currently craving salty foods, which is weird and random because i rarely salt my food. the other day i asked ale to pass me a salt shaker and he looked at me with the most puzzled look.  i’ve also been downing pickles and olives and have a serious stash of both in my fridge… there’s no stoping me.

being a mom of a toddler while being pregnant has also been interesting. gracie is doing great with the pregnancy, but i think she forgets sometimes to be gentle with mama’s belly and karate kicks me right on my uterus. that hasn’t been fun, but watching her kiss my belly and say “cutie baby in mommy’s belly!” makes up for all of the unexpected kicks.

this week, we’re thankful for 18 weeks of pregnancy, for healthy heartbeats, for amazing obstetricians and for the peace that God gives us when fear and uncertainty creep in AND for motherhood blogs.