Rubber Bands. Ultrasound Countdown. First Kicks. Contractions. {18 Weeks}

(This lovely top was sent to me by Everly Grey Maternity...stay tuned for a review!!)

18 Weeks

Ah, yes...the rubber band jean trick is now my newest friend (with longer shirts of course)...keeping me in my favorite jeans for a bit longer anyway until the maternity jeans fit!! (Or it warms up so I can wear my new maxi dresses anyway...) It works pretty well, but I have to admit I'm a little scared that Shaun will pull my shirt up and expose my little secret...or a glimpse of my underwear in that small gap! Ha!

Our ultrasound is less than a week away! Is it Wednesday yet? We are excited to find out for sure if baby Finley is still looking like a girl. We're praying, crossing our fingers and everything else we can think to do that nothing has appeared since our last ultrasound (when we were told it was still early to tell for sure). It's not that we wouldn't be thrilled with another boy...Matt and I would be happy with either! Shaun on the other hand has his mind made up...girl or nothing! So let's just pray for his sake!! (Plus, we've bought a few really cute girl things that I really want to be able to use ourselves!!)

Sunday night, I felt baby Finley kick for the first time...and she's been moving like crazy ever since!! It seems this baby is just as active as big brother!! Daddy is enjoying feeling the movement, but Shaun is too impatient to sit around and wait. I think he'll take more interest when he can actually SEE the movement!

The biggest update from the week is the start of the contractions. During my pregnancy with Shaun, I started having contractions at just past 20 weeks or so. I was given a shot a few times to stop them, and was on and off bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy, until he came- full term- at 38 weeks. Bed rest is pretty easy when you have no other responsibilities (aside from a husband who can take care of himself if needed), but not so easy when you have an extremely hyper 5 year old who requires near constant supervision. Needless to say, we were hoping for a much easier pregnancy this time around. Unfortunately, I'm just not that lucky...or pregnancy just doesn't agree with me...something like that! Monday night, I started having a few contractions. I actually initially thought I was having some anxiety issues because my chest was tightening along with my stomach- something I didn't recall happening with Shaun. They were also less painful than I recalled with Shaun (though still not pain free, just less). It wasn't until they continued into the next day that I realized what was actually happening. I called my doctor and went in to be checked out, just in case. The good news: everything looked great with baby. She/he was doing well, moving like crazy, strong heartbeat...nothing to worry about there. And the contractions weren't causing anything to happen at this point, just annoying me more than anything else. I was advised to continue drinking lots of water, and to rest as much as possible with a Shaun running around, but no strict bed rest, thankfully! (We are extremely lucky that Matt's new schedule puts his home early, or I'd never be able to rest... I can't help but believe that worked out that way for a reason and for that I'm very thankful!) The contractions are still coming at times, but if I'm not up on my feet constantly, cleaning or picking up the little man, etc...it definitely seems to help. The next few weeks should be interesting, with Shaun not having school, but I'm sure we'll make it work somehow! In the meantime, I will just relax as much as I can and hope this passes...and takes the back pain with it too!!