28 weeks.

as of wednesday i'm 28 weeks pregnant. and as of monday, bennett will be 18 months old. time goes by so quickly! originally i had hoped to do more regular pregnancy updates on the blog, but honestly my focus is so often on other things that i forget how far along i am. in some ways i feel badly that i don't pay as much attention to this pregnancy as i did to my first, but i can't help but think that's normal. i have an active toddler who needs me all the time, and that just doesn't allow a lot of mental energy to spare on things like what size fruit the baby is this week.

don't get me wrong, i'm so excited to be having another baby and to meet him, hold him, and watch him grow. in some ways it's more exciting the second time around because i know [mostly] what to expect and i don't have all this "i don't know what to do!" anxiety. i've experienced firsthand the sleepless nights and the different transitions, and have made it through them, so i feel i'm able to just look forward to the baby without all the first-time mom fear. i'm excited to watch bennett and the baby interact and see them form a bond that only the 2 of them will share.

yesterday i had my 28 week appointment. i passed the glucose test with flying colors, so no gestational diabetes concerns. i also had a growth ultrasound to check the baby's size because at my last appointment i was measuring ahead. they also needed to recheck the baby's kidney fluid to see if it had gone down to the level it should be.

unfortunately, not only has the fluid level in the left kidney gone up rather than down, the fluid level in the right kidney is now above the level they like to see too. also, there is a higher level of fluid around the baby in general than normal, which is why i'm measuring 3 weeks ahead. on the positive side, the baby's growth looks completely normal (59th percentile), so there aren't any concerns about that.

because of the higher levels of fluid in the kidneys and around the baby, i now have to go see a high-risk OB to have the situation evaluated. my doctor said that the common cause of the kidney fluid is a narrowing of the valves that drain the kidneys into the bladder. because they're narrow, fluid gets backed up. she didn't say (and, at the time, i didn't think to ask) whether or not the excess fluid around the baby in general is related to the kidney issues. i plan to clarify that when i see the high-risk OB.

i am obviously feeling anxious about all of this and will definitely be looking forward to meeting with the high-risk OB to see what he/she has to say is going on and to find out what's next. i should hear from them today to get my appointment scheduled. i'll keep you posted as i know more. in the meantime, we would appreciate prayer!