Life at 21 Weeks.

Life is busy, always, but in the last week I've been trying to slow down.  Thank you crazy weird contractions.  I got them with the twins early too but I thought that the contractions would come later with this singleton.

Nope.  

What's the trigger - who knows.  For the first two weeks I had all kinds of theories.  Now I think they're completely random.

I had contractions on and off Wednesday night and all day Thursday.  When I say contractions, I need to clarify.  Some were run of the mill Braxton Hicks - short, not painful, etc.  But some were not.  Some were Olympic contractions that contracted and STAYED that way for two hours.  I want to be perfectly clear that this was not a case of multiple contractions happening for two hours.  This was one single, solitary, contraction that lasted for two hours.  And the next day I had a few more lasting for between 30 minutes and 1 hour.  What the what?

Gatorade to the rescue.  (Thanks Dr. McButler!)  I'm trying to keep a stock of Gatorade in the house but it's really hard with a sugar addicted DH and a 13 year old son.  Normally I don't buy it.  It's high in sugar and most of it is loaded with artificial color - which I try to avoid especially during pregnancy.  I've been getting the "frost" kinds - the ones that don't have artificial color added.  It helps.  It really does.  Besides, water tastes so gross to me right now.  

So I'm 21+ weeks.  Besides weird, super long contractions, nothing else remarkable is going on.  I'm not showing a great deal.  I still fit into non-maternity jeans - one size larger than my normal size.  I think I'm obviously pregnant but no one else seems to.  I get a lot of:

Are you always this small?

Is the baby healthy?

Even though I'm carrying small, I've gained 12 pounds so far, which is completely normal and healthy.  Everything measures normal.  

John has felt the baby kicking.  The kids haven't had much luck yet.  It's hard for them to be patient.  They say they've felt the baby but I think they just feel me breathing or coughing.  Maybe in a few more weeks....

A Different Kind of Pregnancy

This pregnancy has been so different than my other two.  It's been quieter.  There have been fewer obsessive Internet searches and baby name lists.  DH pointed out that it's likely because every child we've ever brought into our home up until this point was a first born of some sort.  Son #1 was our literal first.  Son #2 was my first pregnancy.  The twins... well, they were our first twins.  This baby, baby number five, is what normal people experience at pregnancy number two or three.

That's his theory.  I think it's decent.

Am I happy?  Yes.  So happy.  But also busy and distracted.  The upside, one that I never experienced with any of my other pregnancies, is that I'm just not that into it.  What I mean is that, I had assumed that I would really savor this pregnancy.  I would dwell on it, drink it in, remember every detail.
But I just don't have the time or the interest to savor, drink or dwell.  Parenting four kids doesn't leave a lot of time for mom extracurriculars.

I also don't have to plan for or decide on much.  I may or may not go "natural."  I've done it both ways and - meh - whatever.  The babies turn out awesome either way.

I've worked through a lot of stuff thanks to kids 1-4.  I'm not worried about Listeria, cloth diapers, what to do about vaccines or breast feeding.  I'm not worried we'll leave the hospital with an unnamed baby.  I'm not even worried that we gave away or sold all of our baby stuff except baby clothes.

We don't have a crib or a car seat or a high chair.  Worst case, DH has to buy a car seat while I'm at the hospital.  Boom.  Done.  In my mind's eye I saw DH alone at Babies R Us buying a car seat and I didn't even furrow my brow.  It's like I'm not even me anymore!  

Had that thought crossed my mind during my last pregnancy I would have cried and then ordered three car seats from Albee Baby right away.

The sum total of my worries are - is the baby going to be born today?  Any contractions?  Nope.  Great.  Then I'm not worried.

I know that it's going to be okay "stuff wise."  I know that our baby will, eventually, be named.

I guess this is what veteran moms experience.  It's pretty cool.  I like being in chill mom mode.

Peace out, yo.