Can't believe our Nova Bear will be one tomorrow! Where did the time go? Sucks that we will be in the hospital for her first birthday. But we will try to make it good regardless. Hopefully, Kymani behaves herself and stays inside at least for that (and hopefully longer).

Aww, a special  thanks to my mommy and kiddos for sending me these pics of Nova Bear while I'm in the hospital.

Visiting with a Nova Bear. <3 It's been hard being in here without her.

We have some more Kymani news and new ultrasound pics! This is Kymani Lyrique Rowell at 29 wks, 3 days gestation. So, we are obviously still pregnant and that's a good thing. She needs to cook a bit longer!

She's doing very good for a baby at this stage and is actually bigger than they thought she might be. She weighs in at 2 lbs and 14 oz, which is almost three pounds and a little ahead of the average weight at this stage. Everything looks good.

Ideally, we want her to stay put for as long as possible. But she has a high chance of survival if she decides to come early. Still no contractions, which is good. She only has a low amount of fluid surrounding her because of my water breaking.

But despite that, she is doing fine and it will be okay for her to stay in there longer. They'll just continue to monitor us both until labor starts and she comes. Keep sending positive thoughts that she stays inside until at least 34 weeks. It happens, but the usual in these instances is 1-10 days after the water breaks.

So it could be sooner. We want it to be later, but at least now we do know that if it's sooner, she is very likely to be okay. She will spend time in the NICU if early, which is normal. But they can't estimate how long until she's here and we just see how it goes then.

It's the same with the labor. There's no way to estimate an exact time it will happen. Better to just rest, hope she stays in longer, and just go with the flow. It's all a waiting game.

I'm still in the hospital, pregnant with Kymani. My water broke yesterday and we're hoping to make it to 34 weeks, even though we are 29 right now.

It's tough knowing Kymani could be born at any time from now until 34 weeks. When we named her "adventurous traveler," this is not what we meant at all. Even though the doctors and nurses have been comforting and feel she has a good chance, we are very scared about my water breaking this early.

Family members are being very supportive. Those close by are helping out immensely with Nova. My mom is the main one responsible for her while we are in here and the older kids are pitching in to help with Nova, as well as my mom's housework. I have awesome kiddos and an awesome mom. Gary (my mom's longtime boyfriend) has been awesome as well. Faraway relatives have been supportive with positive thoughts and in many other ways, too.

It's a really good thing we have such a great support system or it would be even harder to get through this than it already is. We are trying to keep our thoughts positive and only focus on  good to help give Kymani a better chance. 

Rich has been really helpful because I'm not supposed to be moving around too much. As depicted in the photo, he fell asleep on me last night. We were both so worn out. I'm having a little bit of difficulty sleeping because of the unknown. I did drift off with Rich shortly after that photo was taken.

Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!

Looks like Kymani is taking her name way too literally! Kymani is an East African name that means "adventurous traveler". My water has broken and we are only 29 weeks pregnant. Kymani is still moving and other than the water breaking, there have been no other labor symptoms yet.

The medical team says I am going to be in the hospital until we have Kymani. My water did break but I'm not in labor. So the goal is to keep me and baby comfortable and try to make her stay in as long as possible. She is head down so if she does come, she is in the correct position and she's​ doing well.

I got the steroids to make sure her lungs are okay. I'm also on antibiotics in case there's an infection. But so far, they haven't found one. We are probably actually more like 29 weeks and a day. So they will do what they can to try to get her to stay in until at least 34 weeks. But because the water is broken, if I go into labor, they have to let it happen.

They have had success keeping babies in for weeks after the water breaks since it does replenish itself. So let's hope that's the case.

They said her vitals are extremely good and she looks really good for a baby that's 29 weeks along.

We are both nervous but trying to stay calm for the baby.

One of the NICU doctors came and talked to us and he says at 29 weeks, they do have a 96% chance of survival.

Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!

UPDATE: We're NOT 25 Weeks? When The Heck Is Kymani Going To Be Born?

As of Sunday 4/30/2017, we are 25 weeks pregnant with Kymani Lyrique. So, what's she doing in there? How are we feeling? What's next?

Is Kymani's Pregnancy As Scary As Nova's?

Those of you that followed along when we were pregnant with Nova Skye will know that her pregnancy was very eventful and high-risk. That's not the case with Kymani at all, which is part of why we haven't been posting much. We've also just been really busy chasing after an almost-walking ten and a half month old while also running our business and making money.

Why No Updates Until Now?

It's not that we don't want to keep people up-to-date. We definitely do! It's just that early on in the pregnancy, because it was so low-risk, there wasn't much to say, except for how far along we were.

What's Kymani Been Doing lately?

She has been doing so many cute things lately that we really should update everyone. A constant for Kymani is kicking vigorously whenever Nova is anywhere near me, especially near my tummy. We wonder if she knows that's her sister.

She also kicks a ton to daddy's voice, mommy's voice, and to Pinky's purr. Pinky is a kitty we recently decided to foster, as he had been through three families already. Kymani really enjoys his purr a lot.

How Am I Feeling?

I've been a bit fatigued and have had to slow down on some of my usual activities. But that's normal at this stage of pregnancy. This time, I am not having the same pains or pre-term labor issues as I did during our pregnancy with Nova. I'm tired for sure, but that's normal and to be expected.

I'm actually doing extremely well, considering this will be my 6th baby. I am still able to do my normal activities (with safety modifications any pregnant woman should make). Compared to 25 weeks gestation symptoms with Nova, this pregnancy is very mild at 25 weeks.

Key Developments At Or Around 25 Weeks

Every pregnancy is different, but here are some things that may be going on with Kymani and myself at 25 weeks gestation.

• Baby will be around 13.5 inches long
• Baby weighs about 1.5 lbs
• Wrinkles start to smooth out
• Baby fat starts to form
• Skin starts getting pinker, instead of transparent, due to capillaries forming
• Blood vessels also start forming in the baby's lungs
• Lungs start producing surfactant, but not yet enough to breathe on his/her own
• Baby's hair starts growing more
• Baby's nose starts working in practice for outside breathing
• Baby might smell various scents
• Baby is likely kicking frequently by 25 weeks

Mom's Possible Experiences At 25 Weeks Gestation

All pregnancies are different, but here are some possible symptoms you might experience as a pregnant mom at 25 weeks along.

• Your hair might change textures and look more full and shiny
• You may be getting more fatigued and/or less able to move as quickly
• More frequent urination
• Trouble sleeping
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Gas
• Bloating
• Heartburn
• Braxton-Hicks contractions (false/practice contractions)

What Might Doctor Appointments Involve?

This is around the time where your provider may check your blood for anemia. A glucose screening test should also be given somewhere between 24-28 weeks. Our tests for those are coming up very soon. We've already had screening done for Down's Syndrome, as well as many other defects earlier in the pregnancy. We've also had the more detailed ultrasound that happens between 20-24 weeks. So far, everything looks exactly as it should and there are no concerns.

Precautions For Moms At 25 Weeks Pregnant

• Rest if feeling tired and talk to doctor about approved exercises
• Avoid lying flat on back
• Avoid contact sports
• Avoid activities that may cause imbalance or increase chances of falling
• Rest if dizzy, in pain, or short of breath
• Drink lots of water
• Make sure to warm up before and cool down after any physical activities
• Track baby's movement patterns to help you notice if something seems wrong
• Warning signs: spotting or bleeding, dizziness, & abdominal or back pain

Braxton-Hicks are normal at this state, but if contractions get regular and more frequent, call your doctor immediately. This may be a sign of pre-term labor. Pre-term labor can be stopped if caught soon enough.

Never hesitate to talk to your doctor if you feel like something may be wrong. If you are correct, the earlier your doctor is aware, the better for you and baby. Call 911 in an emergency.

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