I had a rough couple weeks so i’m late posting my 22 week update so i am sharing this post for both 22 and 23 weeks.   My daughter and I have been so sick.  Madelyn started with a eye infection and ended up in the hospital last week and then it just progressed and then I got sick last Thursday and am slowly recovering now. Each day i feel a little bit better . I think the turning point was Thursday this week. I still dont have much of a voice while my throat recovers but I can eat again.  I am still coughing a lot and have this nasty taste in my throat when I wake up or when im coughing. I have coughed a couple times till I have puked .  Since i struggled with eating and getting in all the calories I needed my levels went up a bit on Monday to 2.6 but thats still a really fantastic level . Just to bad because if I hadn’t been sick they might have fallen under 2 and I could have had my tolerance bumped up again. I am currently sitting at 440 mg phe and 2100-2500 calories a day.  Alot of my daycare kids choose to stay home and im glad they could as i never would want them to get what we had. I cant remember the last time I was this sick or for this long. It has certainly been a bad one.  But hey im hopeful ill be back to 100 % any day. I have had a bit of energy so been cleaning up around the house. Finally got out on Thursday for the first time in a week to run errands and then again yesterday and today . So feeling good about getting stuff done.

I ordered some maternity dresses online yesterday from Old Navy so i am really excited for those to arrive. I love dresses so thats a bonus about expecting during the summer months.  I also ordered baby girl a baby beluga wrap in a very lovely blush color for while she is little. Baby wearing really helped me with Madelyn and now having a toddler and a daycare I know it something we will be doing a lot. Plus I am not getting a single stroller so I can baby wear baby girl while Madelyn walks or whatever.  I have realized this week there is still a lot of things I am going to need to purchase eventually before baby arrives and its a little daunting. I have not really bought much yet because i have some pretty amazing friends. I am totally regretting getting rid of all of madelyns baby stuff now lol. We have a lot of the big stuff like crib, cradle, change table, car seat, play pen, high chairs etc from the daycare and from friends.  I have madelyns diaper bag still and she dosent use it anymore so baby girl can use it.  We also have a ton of clothing so not worried there. I am keeping a list on amazon of things I will need to get.  Sort of a baby registry i guess but just for me to keep tabs since I dont have a baby shower.  Mostly its all small things like diapers which id like to try to do cloth again, wipes, diaper cream, bath stuff, receiving blankets, burp clothes, hooded towels, feeding supplies. I am really hopeful that I can breast feed this time but they needs supplies to. Because of my struggles i think this time i will invest in a pump.  I also still want a swing for baby but i am super picky about what kind, and id like to get a rocking chair and dresser for her room.

Pregnancy seems to be going much faster this time, I guess that is what happens when you have a toddler and life to focus on and work and a daycare to run!  With madelyn i was already off work on early medical leave at this point so it was just me most days and our dog.  I hope it does not go by to fast though and before I know it its summer cause i am so not ready lol.

Here are my social media posts for my weekly updates :

22 weeks :

#22weekspregnant #5monthspregnant #maternalpku #mpku#mpkumentor #pku #pheylketonuria #dietforlife #lowphe #wecanpku #canpku #pkuadult#pkuawareness

It’s been a hell of a week. Madelyn has been sick and even ended up in emergency. The daycare has been closed all week and now I’m sick to. The worst sore throat I think I have ever had. Was sure it was strep. Doctor said it’s a viral infection going around and Packs a bigger punch when your pregnant to. My head is pounding my ears , eyes and throat burn and I can’t take anything for it ,it just has to run it’s course. I can barely eat and have no voice today.

baby center update for 22 weeks :

*** #22weeks #5months #babygirlnumber2 #maternalpku #mpku

The baby now weighs almost one pound / 430 grams, measures nearly 11 inches/ just over 27 centimetres long from crown to heel, and is proportioned like a newborn, albeit a thinner version since her baby fat hasn’t yet developed. Although she’s getting heavier every day, her skin still appears wrinkled because she needs to gain more weight. The lips are distinct and the eyes are formed, though the iris (the coloured part of the eye) still lacks pigment. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily.

 

 

 

and then for today at 23 weeks!

#23weekspregnant #babygirlnumber2 #babykicks #maternalpku#mpku#mpkumentor #pku#pheylketonuria#pkuawarness

Finally starting feel better a bit more each day. That was the longest and worst sickness I’ve had in many years. I still don’t have much of a voice as my throat recovers and I still have some lingering mils cold symptoms but I can eat again so that’s fantastic. My levels did spike a little tiny bit from being so sick. I wasn’t able to get enough calories in some days no matter what I did. So my level went from 1.7 to 2.6 but that’s still a wicked awesome #phelevel. Considering range is 2 to 4 mg while pregnant. Had I not been sick I probably would have had a level below 2 and been able to bump up my intake some more but there is always next week. I’m starting to get my energy back a bit so looking forward to getting back in the pool and yoga soon. Baby girl is becoming stronger and making herself known through out the day. We are no wear near having any names picked out. We both agree we won’t name her untill we meet her but are trying to come up with 2 or 3 names we both like to make it easier. Madelyn is still stuck on Summer ! While it is a pretty name and has so much happy imagary and memories associated with it I’m not sure I like it for a baby name haha. I’m sure will come up with something. I sure through having to pick names for one gender would make things easier but nope lol. Still doing my blood phe levels twice a week and there still prefect in range. My current intake is 440 mg phe and 2100 to 2500 calories daily 

 

and what baby center says this week :

#23weekspregnant #babygirlnumber2

** Your baby now weighs a little over one pound/ 500 grams and measures about 11.4 inches/ 29 centimetres from crown to heel. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won’t bother your child when she hears them outside the womb.

Numerous studies seem to indicate that the unborn prefer classical music. Play Vivaldi’sThe Four Seasons for your child and pay attention to her movements. Does she quieten down during adagio sections and speed up for the allegro portions? You may have a budding conductor in your womb.

check back next week for another update. 24 weeks is a big one :)