Lucky Number 13

Helloooo second tri! Which, so far, is no different than first tri. Seriously this has been the easiest pregnancy known to man. No morning (or all day) sickness, no migraines, no food aversions. I've gained weight, but only a little. I've been tired, but I sleep when the kids sleep. It's been a cake walk. I can understand why someone would have 19 kids if their pregnancies were all this easy.

Things have been so uneventful this time around that we still haven't announced this pregnancy to anyone outside of our immediate family because I was convinced that the lack of concrete symptoms (i.e. the fact that I wasn't feeling like complete and utter shit) meant that something was wrong with the baby.

We had our first level genetic screening on Wednesday and the baby is, so far, 100% healthy and looking great. S/he also looked huge, even though s/he's measuring exactly on track. I think my perspective is skewed because by now the twins were so smooshed that we only saw bits and pieces of them on the ultrasound. Reese's hands and Ryan's head. Four sets of legs. I never got to see a baby splayed out playing with its hands with its feet crossed at the ankles.

I called my mother in law after the appointment and I was telling her how unreal it was that this kid was just lounging in there. (Well he was actually doing cartwheels, but seriously he had so.much.room.) I said the twins were in a studio apartment and the stretched me out so well that this baby is staying in a penthouse suite at the Ritz Carlton. I wouldn't be surprised if our next ultrasound showed him hosting after hours with a group of his friends in there. He had that much space.

Second pregnancies are kind of funny. Maybe it's because of BTDT, or maybe it's because this is #3 and numbers one and two are seriously running me into the ground lately, but I haven't focused on the act of being pregnant *at all*. Someone asked me how far along I was last week and I honestly couldn't remember. I just sat there with a blank stare on my face. With the twins I had an ultrasound every 2-4 weeks. I took pictures of my growing belly almost every week. This kid is going to come into the world and see the albums of me growing his sister and brother and want to know where his album is and all I'm going to have is a photo in a frame for him.

I've vowed to (try) to take weekly pics so that s/he knows how much s/he was wanted and loved, even amidst all of this crazy. But the days and weeks do seem to just meld together in a way I never thought possible.

Anyway, here's Trey at 12 weeks, 3 days looking cute and comfy. He was so active that our ultrasound technician asked me if I ate breakfast before coming in. Apparently whatever I ate that day (I think waffles and adirondack jack?) tickled his little fancy.

And here is the exterior view. I'm wondering when the fact that I'm having a singleton will start to be evident as I'm still bigger than I was with the twins by this point, even though I gained less than half as much so far. I mean at some point the baby has to fill up my belly without my belly doubling in size, right? Or will I just look like I'm carrying twins again? OMG. I really hope not.

Since we've waited so long to share the news of this little bundle already, we've decided to stay quiet for a few more weeks. My gender scan is on April 21 (an early elective ultrasound) and so we'll announce this new baby with a full identity then. Eleven days and counting.

On a complete side note, when my husband asked what I wanted for Christmas I said a tripod and shutter remote. He got me this crazy tripod that wraps around trees. My husband does a lot of fishing and hiking in the great outdoors and often cannot take pictures of himself holding his fish. Hmmm...I wonder who he got that tripod for really? Anyway, the thing is a hot mess. And now I'm shopping for a tripod. So if you have a recommendation that would be lovely. And if you have tips on taking self-portraits, that would be lovely too.