T-30 days

We have our hospital tour today. I'm excited to see the rooms, I've heard they're very nice, fully equipped with shower, tub, birth ball, and other "luxuries" to make labor and delivery more comfortable. I'm becoming less scared as the time draws nearer. I've gotten all the gory details from friends who've had babies and I'm okay with it. A couple people have even told me that the whole experience is a lot more calm than they expected it to be so I feel like I'm getting a well rounded picture of what it could be like. I think my last day of work will be in 3 weeks and then I'll take the week of Christmas off before baby comes. We started decorating the house but not doing too much because I don't want to have the chore of trying to take it all down with a newborn in arms.

We are getting so excited for our little baby, but also enjoying the last few mornings of laying around in bed on the weekends. I know those are going to be a distant memory soon. :)

34 weeks and Counting

I had my 34 week appointment today. Two weeks until my next appointment and then I go every week. Its going by pretty fast now. The baby is moving a lot still although, its becoming a little painful; definitely uncomfortable. I'm getting lots of kicks to the bladder and cervix and a few jabs to the ribs too, just for fun. Overall, I'm feeling okay, just the usual complaints at this stage in the game. I am thankful that I'm not on bedrest or having any other real problems. A little heartburn, swollen ankles and huffing and puffing is not so bad to deal with.

We were in hysterics this weekend as we sat at a coffee shop with our feet up on the ottoman. Jerry looked over at me and said, "look at your canks!" He was referring to my cankles. Yes, the run-on calf-ankles that have become my lower appendages provided us some good laughs. Jerry and I are very anxious to meet our little muffin, and I have to admit, I'm starting to think boy. I mean, there is no way a sweet little girl could be beating her mom up from the inside like this. Right?!?

31 week belly shots

Here are some belly shots at 31 weeks. Yikes!

Baby Shower

Its been a long time since I've posted. October's been a crazy month so far, throwing us a few curve balls but I won't go into that here. I think things should be calming down soon and the BOG will be here before we know it!

My baby shower was last weekend and it was so nice. Jessica, Wendy and Heather came up from Oregon to throw it for me and they did so much work and made it such a fun time. Jessica made all the food which was Asian themed heavy appetizers. There were little takeout containers of noodles, eggrolls, Chinese meatballs, chili-lime chicken, sushi rolls and then of course all the fabulous desserts. Chocolate decadance with carmelized bananas on top, plum jam butter cookies and a classic cake with cream cheese frosting. We were all stuffed!

Heather and Wendy made the long drive up from Eugene and Corvallis with a car full of hand me down baby stuff. I got a changing table, bassinet, high chair, backpack, bumbo seat, lots of blankets and some other goodies. The shower was an evening shower (7pm) so it was kind of fun and festive and there were lots of people there. I was really showered with gifts - people are too kind. Got lots of blankets, waterproof pads, bathtub(s), stuff for nursing, some outfits, diapers, a swing and a vibrating rocker seat. Jerry's mom also gave me his baby book which was so cool to look through! Oma and mom made the trip too of course and I was lucky enough to have them and Jess stay for a few nights. All in all, it was a great weekend. I did end up completely exhausted by Sunday night though and was having a lot of contractions and just didn't feel well. I think I let myself get dehydrated too which didn't help. Feeling better now though after some rest and water.

Learning to Function on No Sleep

My sleep patterns are completely erratic lately. I'm lucky if I get a good night's sleep every third night. My main problem is that I am so stuffed up I can hardly breathe. I've actually unintentionally forced poor Jerry to sleep on the sofa 3 times now with my horrible snoring. It was so bad the other night, it woke ME up!! And then there's the achy hips and back from laying on one side so long. I would switch more often but its quite an ordeal when you have 3 pillows to rearrange. I actually have to awaken to remake the "nest" and then try to get comfy again. Oh, and the 4 trips to the bathroom each night. Can't forget those. Oh well, trying to get used to it as I'm sure its just the start of MANY sleepless nights in my near future. Can't wait to get back to that full strength coffee though.....

Oma and Tante Jessie

My mom and Jess came for a girls' weekend visit last weekend while Jerry was out of town. We had a lot of fun! The weather was PERFECT and it was so great to spend some good quality time together. I'm so glad that we live close enough for weekend visits like that and that our little BOG will be able to grow up knowing both its grandparents and aunts and uncles.

Mom and Jess got to feel and see the baby moving around a few times and although I think it traumatized Jess at first, ultimately, she thought it was pretty cool.

22 Week Appointment

I had an appointment today and all looks well. It was a little traumatizing seeing the measuring tape out on the counter and realizing that was for me. But she said I'm measuring perfectly and the heartbeat sounds good and strong so all's well until next time. Only two more monthly appointments and then every two weeks and then weekly! Its going by so fast. Can't wait to meet our little bean!

Okay, fine, you asked for it

Here you go mom, here are some recent belly shots. I'm 21w1d today and I just ate almost a whole box of mac and cheese (don't worry, I added broccoli, cauliflower and carrots) so please go easy on the comments.

Half-baked and Other Updates

Its been a while since I've posted. Seems like end of July and the start of August brought a whirlwind of activity so I'll try to sum it all up. We had our big ultrasound on August 2nd (18 weeks at that point)and everything was measuring fine and looking good. I did finally convince Jerry to not find out the sex so all we know is we have a healthy little BOG (boy or girl). Yay! We got a great profile shot which I need to post.

We just got back from 10 days in Europe - a few in Spain, the rest in Portugal - which was a great last trip by ourselves. We traveled a lot in the first few days and had almost every travel snafu imaginable (except lost luggage, amazingly) so needless to say, I was a very exhausted mama. But once we got to Lisbon, we just stayed in the same hotel the whole time and we were able to really relax and enjoy the city, each other and some friends that we traveled with. We did a couple day trips from Lisbon to Cascais (the beach) and Sintra (a cute picturesque town with castles and palaces).

As much fun as we had, I have to admit the highlight of the trip was feeling the baby move! I felt it on the first day right as our plane was landing and continued to feel it every evening thereafter as I lay in bed. That was right at about 19w and now that I am 21 weeks, I'm feeling it quite often. I love it!! I kept waiting for that fluttering feeling that everyone describes, but to me, it felt more like a twitch. You know how you get an eye twitch sometimes? Like that, but not in the consistent spot so I knew it must be the baby. I'm obsessed with feeling it now. This is definitely the coolest part about pregnancy so far. :)

16 Week Appointment

I had my 16 week appt. today and all went well. Heard the heartbeat - nice and strong at about 163! I was worried about my weight gain which is 10 lbs. since my 8 week appt. but I swear I had gained about 4 or 5 before I ever went in to the doctor. She said it was nothing to worry about and that a lot of it can be hereditary and very likely extra water retention. I have noticed that my wedding ring is very tight these days and my feet fill up my shoes more than normal. She of course mentioned dietary changes (less sodium, more water) but also gave me a perscription for support hose for my upcoming trip to Europe. She said the plane flights are so long and if you start out swollen, they can be VERY uncomfortable by the end. I didn't even know you could have a perscription for support hose but seeing as how they are around $70, I guess its a good thing - hopefully insurance will cover part of it! My doctor also recommended I take a low dose baby aspirin on the day of the flight to help prevent blood clotting. I'm learning so much!

It was so great to hear baby again - I don't think I could ever tire of that!

Home Again, Home Again

Baby is getting ready for it's second plane ride this afternoon. After a great visit with all the family in Indiana, we are headed home today. We got to see grandma 3 times and each visit was better than the first. She was really alert today and was flirting with Jerry. It was cute! I wonder if this little great-grandchild of hers will ever meet her?

Yep, beating strong

Yesterday, before we got on the plane to come to Indiana, we swung by the doctor's office to get a quick hearttone. The nurse kind of offended me by asking me "Now, why are you here, what are you fretting about?" But after I explained to her that Dr. Daniel advised me to come back in two weeks to hear the heart beat, she got the little doppler machine out and started poking around. She told me not to freak out if she couldn't find it so of course I was freaking out. But after a couple minutes (felt like an hour to me) she found it and it was the cutest thing I've ever heard. A quick, strong little heart beat. Tears were streaming down my face. I just couldn't help it. I was so relieved and so excited and so happy. And so glad Jerry was there with me to hear it too. :)

2nd Try on the Heartbeat

I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow to hopefully hear the heartbeat of my little one. I will be exactly 14 weeks tomorrow and the doc said usually at 13 or 14 weeks so keep your fingers crossed for me that I'll hear it! I want some good news before we get on a plane to go see all the family in Indiana. I've definitely gotten bigger in the last two weeks so there better be something growing in there! :)

Zippidy Doo-Da

I had forgotten what it felt like to have energy. Tonight I was reminded. I was so productive after coming home from work - did the dishes, straightened up, vacuumed, did laundry (including folding and putting away!) and cleaned one of the bathrooms. Granted, I have some motivation since mom and dad are coming this weekend but still, it was amazing to zip around the house and get all this stuff done without blinking an eye. It has literally been months since I have lifted more than a finger around here. I have to give props to my husband (and the housekeeper) for keeping it livable while I've been "adjusting" to this new thing taking over my life. I do think that I'm on my way to feeling better and getting back to my antsy, Oma-like, can't-sit-still self. I'm taking that as a good thing. :)

12 week belly

Do you think 2 weeks made a difference?

12 week appointment

I had my 2nd appointment today and got to meet my doctor. I really like her, she seems to have good bedside manner and welcomes my (many) questions. But at the same time she is a straight shooter and is confident in her answers. For instance, when she got out the doppler to hear the heartbeat today, she immediately asked me if I had a retroverted uterus and I said, yes, I'm pretty sure I do. Then she said that it wouldn't be surprising if we can't hear the heartbeat yet because of the way my uterus is positioned. We couldn't. I was kind of nervous but she assured me that you typically can't hear it until 13 or 14 weeks in that scenario. But she did offer to schedule me another ultrasound for peace of mind although, felt that since I just had one last week and everything was fine, that it would be for my stress level, not because she thinks I need one. I told her if she was okay without doing one then I am and then she offered to have me come in in two weeks to try the doppler thing again. Said I don't need an appointment, just tell the nurse and they can do one no problem. This all made me feel better and as mom pointed out, if she thought there was any concern, she would have just scheduled the ultrasound vs. asking me if I wanted one or not.

Other updates include part of the nuchal trans. results - well within normal range on the neck measurement. They won't do analysis on the bloodwork until they draw it a second time in 4 more weeks and then they combine the results of the two draws. I've also gained 3.5 lbs. since my last appointment a month ago. I guess that's normal. She also confirmed that my estimated due date is 1/1/08 despite the descrepancies among the several ultrasounds. Of course, its still a +/- 2 week range from Jan. 1st. Overall, I really like her and I'm glad I got a good referral on the first try.

Dare I say it?

I THINK I'm actually starting to feel better. I really haven't had that gaggy feeling in about 5 days and although I wouldn't go as far as saying that I feel GREAT or even "better than I did before I was pregnant" (as some have advised I would), I would say that I'm starting to at least feel like I can deal with the world. I've cooked dinner twice now in the last week and didn't gag while doing it. I have done laundry and other household chores. It really could be the light at the end of the tunnel for me and the morning sickness. Crossing my fingers.....

Ultrasound #3

Here is the picture from today's ultrasound. Its a profile with the head on the right, facing down. You can't see any arms or legs from this picture, only head and body. Kinda looks like the little countdown image on the top right, huh?

Nuchal Translucency Screen

I just got back from having another ultrasound and bloodwork. This time for the nuchal translucency screen which is basically a non-invasive way to give you your chances of chromosomal abnormalities, primarily downs, spina bifida and a couple others. They measure the neck of the fetus and combine that with bloodwork to give you a % chance that you would have abnormalities and then you can decide if you want to do further testing. I won't have the results back until my actual appt. next week. But the ultrasound was again, breathtaking! I was really nervous that I was going to go in there and the baby would have not grown since the last time or something awful like that. I really seem to be worrying and having more anxiety than normal these days. Of course, everything is fine and the little stinker was measuring 2 whole inches which puts me at almost 12 weeks (per my calculations, I should be just barely over 11). But whatever, I know they are going to be +/- a week every time they measure. Just good to know that we are on track! The little arms were flailing around and the tech did a top-down look so I could see the little legs and the feet were together. So cute! Jerry wasn't able to make it to this appointment and I wish he could have seen how much bigger its gotten since our first ultrasound. More than doubled in size! I mean, you can definitely tell what it is now, no more blob! I will post the picture tonight. I can't believe the first trimester is literally almost over. Going by fast. Can't wait to meet you little one!

When is it going to end?

On Friday night I felt so horrible. I was just laying in bed, mouth full of saliva, tummy rumbling, sweating, ech! Probably would have thrown up had it not been for the fact that I was too lazy to get out of bed. Needless to say, not a fun night. Then I felt pretty good on Saturday and Sunday but not feeling so hot this morning. I guess it just comes and goes and I should really appreciate the times when I do feel good. Hopefully only a couple more weeks of this morning sickness. I can't believe tomorrow will be 11 weeks. We are going to see family in Indiana over the 4th of July and I just hope I feel well enough to enjoy myself.

10 Week Belly

Not super attractive, but this is just how it is these days. Looks at little bigger from the front than it actually is. Oh lordy!!!

2nd Ultrasound

So these pictures aren't the best, we don't have a scanner so I took a picture of the picture and then uploaded them here. But this is the 2nd Ultrasound that we had at about 8 weeks. Can you see the arm buds?? I'll help you out - the white blob at the top is the baby. Imagine its lying on its back, head is on the left. The little blob that sticks up is an arm!

Catch up

So....based on the date of my last post, you can see I'm not super good at the whole consistency thing. I think mainly, because all I want to do when I come home is either sleep, eat or both but be in bed. Thinking and typing is not high on the list. Here's a quick recap of the last few weeks: Had an ultrasound. Saw the heartbeat which was breathtaking - both Jerry and I shed a few tears upon realizing our little stinker was alive and kicking. Told our parents - they were super excited. Morning sickness kicks in - no barfing (yet) but definitely not feeling so hot. Told our friends - also very excited. Had our first official appointment and got another ultrasound. Can I say armbuds???? :) More morning sickness, actually, mostly night sickness at this point, combined with lack of sleep and growing belly! Bought my first pair of maternity pants - now have two. Bebe is growing! Our next appointment is June 19th although we'll likely have a nuchal translucancy screen (bloodwork and ultrasound to check for chromosomal abnormalities) between now and then. I just need to schedule it.

journaling

I'm pregnant. Again. Last time it didn't stick so I'm a little nervous this time around. I decided that I wanted to keep a journal so I'd have something to look back on. I also want a place where my friends and family can keep up with what's going on with me and this seemed like the perfect combination of the two. I intend to keep posting after the baby is born but since this is my first (kid and blog), I really have no idea if there will be time or energy for that. For now, I'm hopeful that I can keep it up. At the very least, I'm sure I'll post some pics.

I haven't been to the doctor yet. I've got an appointment on Friday to basically just confirm and check my hcg levels. I'm also going in so that I can get a recommendation for an OB - my doc doesn't do that anymore. Kind of irritated that they couldn't give me a referral over the phone. I've been going there for seven years and the receptionist suggested I call one of two women's clinics because "they have a ton of great doctors." Umm, yeah, picking an OB off a giant list is not really something I want to do...at least not with my first one. So, wish me luck in getting a good rec.