16 Weeks Left!

Went to my monthly check-up yesterday and guess what. I gained 6 lbs in the last month! I was really surprised since I didn't remember having a growth spurt so early on in the pregnancy the last time. Then again, I don't really remember the timeline of my last pregnancy. I'm officially 117 lbs and I started at 107. For the last month we had to decide on a due date. Since I'm opting for c-section again I get to pick a date. In Chinese, the number 8 is a very lucky number. It's kind of a homonym of rich, wealth..something along that line. So I kind of was hoping that maybe the new baby's birth date would be 8-8-12. Then we started thinking about the convenience of what day to have the baby and we decided on the 9th. Just because the 9th is a Thursday, so we can still take Chase to school Thursday morning and have our friend Holly pick him up that day and keep him overnight and take him to school Friday. Have my parents pick him up and maybe stay at our house Friday til Saturday and we would be out of the hospital by then. When I told the doctor the 9th, he said oh I don't operate on a Thursday...so I guess it's fate that the 8th it is! (Unless I go into labor that is)

So it's been decided August 8, 2012 will be the day. It's very nerve wrecking I must admit to calmly check yourself into the hospital knowing you're going to have the baby. I did that with Chase as well. I went in on a Wednesday for my weekly check-up and my due date was Saturday, July 24th. My doctor casually said, I'm going to be in the hospital tomorrow did you want to come in and have the baby? That's how Chase was born on July 22nd. In a way I think I would've preferred to have my water break and rush into the hospital. I feel that in the frantic would make the situation less frightening because you have less time to think about the actual process and what's going on. You're just like go! go! go! When you know you're going to walk into the hospital the next day and have a baby or in this case get cut open, you feel like you are freaking out inside instead. 

Anyways, my belly has been itching more and more which worries me. Itching leads to stretch marks and I am trying my best to prevent that. It may be kind of shallow of me, but am terrified to not bounce back. I know most women thinks it's natural and beautiful to have the body of mother. Let's face it people, if you could, you would want to do without the flabby skin and stretch marks. I'm on a mission (mental for now) to get back into shape. Maybe even as good of shape as I was before baby #1. I know it's a little bit of a stretch but I'm gonna try. 

 Baby bump has now advanced from kicks to more smooth movements like waves. Sometimes, I feel like he sits real low and there's this hard lump right under my belly button and it's sooo uncomfortable. Or, is that a "braxton hick." I'm still not sure what a contraction really feels like. I mean I do since I was induced prior to epidural. But apparently I was 4 cm dilated last time and had no idea. I was so worried that I would go into labor and not even know!