Today I am 32 weeks and 6 days pregnant with our lovely Nora. I guess this is almost a 33 week update. My belly is getting so big people in public often ask if I’m having twins or if I’m due “any day now.” I love being pregnant. I’m thankful for all of the baby kicks and squirms that I feel throughout the day. I’m thankful for the stretched belly and the squished organs and all the discomfort that comes with the third trimester. I never thought I would make it to the third trimester. I never thought my baby would be big enough to make me this uncomfortable. All of it is a blessing. Liam was feeling concerned yesterday about how big Nora is getting. He said she’s taking up so much space in my body that he’s worried there won’t be any room left for my soul. Ha!

We were able to come home for one last visit to Alabama before Nora arrives in mid July. Now that I’m past 32 weeks, Dr. Moise wants me to have weekly non-stress tests and biophysical profiles done. These are just tests to check Nora for any signs of distress. If anything unusual shows up they will probably deliver early to get her out of danger. This week I went to my regular OBGYN in Tuscaloosa, AL for the NST and BPP since I am here for the week. He was very hesitant at first and didn’t even want me to come to Alabama because I’m so high risk. Eventually he agreed to see me. It was very surreal to be back there where I had my two boys, back when everything was “normal.” When I went in to have Nora checked I liked pretending that I was just a regular pregnant lady going in for a normal check up. Dr. Chwe was so excited to see me pregnant and swollen with my rainbow baby. He is the one who did my follow up care after I gave birth to Lucy. Over the past two years we have had many appointments discussing my birth control/conception options after losing Lucy. He has seen me completely emotionally broken on several occasions (going anywhere near babies/pregnant people is extremely stressful after losing a baby.) Like all other doctors, he previously encouraged me NOT to have anymore children naturally because the baby just wouldn’t survive, and if I did I was told to use a sperm donor. He was thrilled to be wrong and was so kind and gracious. We both agreed that Dr. Moise is doing amazing, ground breaking work with the IVIG and that Nora is a miracle.

Nora looked great on the ultrasound. It was the same ultrasound room I was in when I had to go back several weeks after Lucy died to make sure my womb was empty. I had been bleeding a lot so the doctor wanted to check and make sure there was nothing left causing the bleeding. That was such a terrible feeling, looking at the screen at my empty womb and listening to the silence where her heartbeat should have been. This ultrasound was so different. Nora’s heartbeat was strong and my womb was FULL of chubby baby legs and wiggly arms and cute little cheeks. We could still see the pocket of blood in her abdomen- the reserve they put in during the last IUT. She is slowly absorbing the blood over these three weeks and will run out right before her next transfusion. Nora is still measuring very big- in the 97th percentile for her gestation. She is now 5 pounds and 12 ounces. I love that she is measuring three weeks ahead because she will probably be delivered three weeks early. Hopefully she’ll be the size of a normal little newborn baby. I can’t wait! Here are some of her 3D ultrasound pictures at 32 weeks: