Friday, January 29, 2010

19 weeks

I am 19 weeks pregnant today. We are quickly approaching the halfway point! WOOHOO! The baby is 6 inches long and 9 ounces heavy. Before we know it this baby will be a full pound! Baby is the size of a mango or a large heirloom tomato I read. I don't like either one of those. I need a better fruit to compare baby to. LOL The baby is starting to be covered in vernix. From now until the baby comes he/she will be covered in that white gooey stuff in order to protect the baby's skin and to keep the poor thing from looking like a prune at birth! Most of it will be gone by then but there is always a little goop left in the creases.

Baby is doing well and getting strong. The kicks have gotten very strong this week. Every once in a while they kind of hurt. Most of the kicks are down low and in either my bladder or my c-section scar. OUCH! Baby is very opinionated about just how much pee I have in my bladder and how often I should run to the bathroom. It makes for interesting sleep patterns.

I am very impatiently waiting for our ultrasound. Most of the woman in my expecting groups have had their ultrasounds by now and know if they are on the pink team or the blue team. And this is why is sucks to be due at the end of a month. I am always 2 steps behind these woman. I am tired of the he/she and him/her references to the baby. And of course the worst IT. I hate calling this baby IT. I don't mean to rush things but HURRY UP! I just want to get to the ultrasound and see that everything is ok and what we are having. Yes this is a baby ... no we don't think there is a puppy in there ... no more comments from the peanut gallery. HA HA HA

I am also looking forward to a bigger pregnancy belly. I want to look pregnant and not just really fat. LOL Cause some days I just feel really fat. The baby grew up this week instead of out. So now my belly had kind of flattened out a bit. LOL I just keep reminding myself before long I will be as big as a house and wishing for a smaller belly. But for now GROW BABY GROW!

Photobucket

Friday, January 22, 2010

18 weeks

I am 18 weeks pregnant this week. WOOHOO almost half way through! The baby is now the size of a sweet potato or a bell pepper. Depends on what I am reading at the time. Mmmmm ... I love peppers. The baby's reproductive organs are formed, in place and working now. If we had our ultrasound now we would most likely be able to see if this baby is a boy or a girl. But we still have a couple of weeks left before we get to take a looksy.

The baby is moving around more ever day. It tends to be an every other day kind of thing though. One day will be filled with strong kicks, punches and tumbling. Then other days it will be just a jab or a bubble here or there. A glass of orange juice and snuggling into bed usually gets me at least a couple good swings out of this kid.

I have discovered this week that baby likes deep male voices when listening to music. Trace Adkins and Jason Micheal Carol get some pretty big reactions. I read some where a long time ago that babies are better able to hear low and high tones. Hence the reason most people speak to a baby in a high pitched sing song voice. It's instinct to speak in a voice that the baby can hear well. So it makes sense that the deeper singers get a better response. And maybe the baby thinks it is daddy. LOL Babies love Ethan's voice and are always turning their heads in his direction. I guess we understand why now right!

I have been suffering from restless leg syndrome this week. It has been awful. I am exhausted from lack of sleep. But my legs will feel the desperate need to move and wiggle and RUN. It usually happens some time after midnight. I did some research on the internet and have tried some of the pregnancy friendly ideas. I started taking my prenatal vitamins before bed so that I get that rush of vitamins right before bed. Iron and calcium deficiencies can be a cause of RLS. So I am hoping the introduction of those vitamins right before trying to sleep will help my symptoms. Also dehydration can irritate symptoms. So I have been having a bottle of water with that vitamin before bed. It means I have to pee a lot during the night. But I do that anyway. And I can fall right back to sleep after a late night pee break. I can not fall right back to sleep while suffering from RLS. Also if things get really bad a warm bath or shower is recommended. The warmth is suppose to help relax the muscles so that you can sleep. I will have to try that next time I am really suffering. So far the other tips have helped.

Other then the RLS I have been feeling well. My nose is still running non stop but I get the feeling that won't quit until after this baby comes out. Thursdays are exhausting because I have lab and lecture all day and then I work all night. I am pretty pooped out by the time I get home. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't just take the semester off. Why am I going to school and trying to grow a small human being ... AGAIN!?!?!?!?! But I really love anatomy and am having fun so far in the class. I am hoping it just doesn't get to difficult as my belly grows.

I went shopping at a local second hand store. I spent $45 but I got SO MUCH STUFF! And 95% of the stuff I got looked like brand new stuff and was from Carters. Which to me is one of the best baby clothing companies. I love their stuff. It is so cute and soft and just looks snuggly. I bought some pink things and some blue things. But most of what I got today and what I already had is green or yellow. I have a thing for the little yellow duckies! So I got a ton of clothes and burp clothes and even a really nice purple blanket for $1.99 ... TWO DOLLARS! And the onsies were ONE dollar a piece! How could I resist?! God knows I have spent more then that on the same types of onsies at a regular store. So I got some great deals and a whole stack of baby hangers for a buck. I had some from Bryan but figured a few more couldn't hurt. I know it is still a while off before this baby comes. But it makes me feel so much better when we are prepared. So far we are doing well and have a lot of things already bought. I think the only thing left that we NEED is a crib.

20 more days until we find out if this baby is a boy or girl! WOOHOO!

Friday, January 15, 2010

17 weeks

I am 17 weeks pregnant! The baby is now the size of an onion. The baby's bones are starting to harden and fat is starting to accumulate around the baby. The average baby is now 5 inches long and weighs 6 ounces.

All is well here. I have been feeling a lot of movement some days and not much others. You just never know when this baby will kick up his/her heels and start dancing! I am back in class for the semester and the baby likes to squirm during class. Which can be kind of distracting. But still fun anyway.

It is getting more and more difficult to bed over these days. I bend over to far and I play squish the baby. Either my uterus pushes into my bladder and makes me have to pee or the baby kicks back and nails me in the bladder and I have to pee. LOL So either way I end up having to pee. It has just become easier to squat down to work then to bend over. But I am sure it is just a matter of time before that because difficult too.

I am surprised and mildly annoyed by the insomnia. I can not sleep for more then a few hours. Day or night. It is frustrating. I hate feeling this tired all the time. Hopefully over my weekend off I can get more rest. But I doubt it with a "holiday" party coming up.

My appetite is up! I am hungry ... well pretty much all the time. Not good for the weight but it is nice to be able to really eat again. I just wish I could find the bottom to this stomach now. LOL

We are trucking along right into the 5th month now. I can't believe we are this far and so close to halfway through. I am working on the nursery little by little. I still have time so no rush. But it feels good to see that room slowly turn into a clean baby's room and not a messy spare bedroom/storage room. The doorway between our room and the nursery is clear now. The dresser moved over and the bookshelf is on the other side of the room. Now if I could just sell the treadmill and get the boys to move the twin bed and side table up stairs. We could really start pulling it together. No crib or changing table yet. But we will get there soon enough. Or not soon enough. Sometimes I feel like this is going to slow and then next time it seems to wiz right by. I am excited to have this baby here and in my arms.


Photobucket

Friday, January 8, 2010

16 weeks

I am 16 weeks pregnant today! The baby is about the size of an avocado this week. Roughly 4 1/2 inches long and 3 1/2 ounces heavy.

I am feeling pretty good. I am starting to have more energy and wanting to straighten and purge and fix the house up for the baby. I have months before this baby comes. But I am still starting to feel the urgent need to get everything worked out now. I can't wait for the desperate need of nesting that comes right before the baby is born. My house will be spot less then! LOL

I can feel my uterus right under my belly button. My belly is firming up and widening. I am not really rounding out much yet. But I am getting to the point where maternity clothes are just more comfortable. Plus the point to the fact that this is a baby bump not just some extra cheese on my burritos!

I can't wait for my next check up and the ultrasound. It will be so much fun! Hopefully the time will go quickly. Then we will not only be at the halfway point but also time to find out if this baby is a boy or a girl. I need to find something to keep me busy until then ...

Monday, January 4, 2010

4 month check up

I had my 4 month check up today. Every thing went very well. The nurse took me back and weighed me. I am down 3 pounds from my last appointment. That makes for a 13 pound loss total since I found out that I am pregnant. My doctor was very impressed with that considering we just got done with the holidays.

She took my blood pressure and it looked great. Right in the normal range. I am so happy that my blood pressure is staying down so far. Fingers crossed that I can keep it down and avoid any need for medication all 40 weeks.

That's when it got sucky. My appointment was scheduled for 3:05pm. The nurse left at 3:03pm and said the doctor will be in to see you in just a few minutes. My doctor didn't come in until 3:50pm. I was suppose to be back to work at 4pm. UGH! I text messaged the coworker who was covering my shift and let her know that I would be late. I was mad but in walked my doctor. He is so kind and sweet that my anger instantly melted. Sly little bugger isn't he?!?!?!

I got up on the exam table and he felt around for my uterus. He said the top of my uterus was right under my belly button. Which is exactly where it should be at 15 weeks. He pulled out the doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat. Now remember at this point I had been waiting 45 minutes for him to come in and see me. And I am pregnant ... and peeing all the time. Not to mention some terribly annoying amount of gas today. UGH! The things we endure during pregnancy. But at least they are well worth it. So anyway he starts running the doppler over my belly and I am not sure if I am going to pee on the table or fart in his general direction. Either one or even both were a dangerous possibility! Thankfully I did neither. He started down low on my belly and all he found was my heartbeat. UGH! So I am trying very hard not to freak out. But the longer it is taking him the more nervous I am becoming. So he switches and moves it to the top of my uterus right under my belly button. Sure enough there it was! The baby's heart rate was 140 bpm. He said that was fantastic and every thing was looking really good.

I asked about the position of the baby. Was he/she still in the breech position since he had to find the heart beat up top. He said yes most likely. I asked him due to my uterine malformation when would we know if the baby is head up or head down and if I need a c-section again or if I can try for a VBAC. He said for me the cut off date will be 30 weeks. If the baby is still head up by then there will be little to no chance of the baby flipping on his/her own and he/she can not be turned from the outside safely. *sigh* BUT it is still early and there is still time for the baby to flip around. He said to drink lots of water to help keep a good level of fluid in there. The more fluid there is the more room baby has to swim around and flip over. So I guess in another 15 weeks we will know if this baby has settled in with his/her head stuck in the right uterine horn like Bryan did or if they got their butt stuck in there. LOL

Over all everything went very well. My doctor is excited that I have been feeling some flutters and said it is a great sign of a healthy baby. Baby and I are both healthy and doing well and he told us to keep up the good work!

I scheduled the big ultrasound today after my appointment. We find out if this baby is a boy or a girl on February 11, 2010!!! I can't wait to see the baby on ultrasound again!!!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Gender Prediction

I thought it would be fun to play with the gender prediction wive's tales to guess at what we are having. The ultrasound that may tell us is still a few weeks away. But I thought it would be fun to see what happens in the mean time.

I did the wedding ring test. You dangle your wedding ring over your belly and see how it swings. In circles means girl and side to side means boy.
Result ~ BOY

Next I tried the needle test. It is the same as the ring test but with a needle instead.
Result ~ GIRL

I took the old wive's tale questionnaire. There were 15 yes or no questions that you answered and then they gave you a percentage of boy and girl.
Result ~ 60% GIRL & 40% BOY


The next test I took was the Chinese Gender prediction test. It is based on your age at conception and the month you conceived.

Result ~ Gender Prediction
Get your own gender prediction!


And last but not least is the Intelligender test. I bought it online. You are suppose to pee in a cup and then add your urine to the test crystals. After 10 minutes you read the results. Green means boy and orange means girl.

Results ~ ORANGE ~ GIRL

Ethan says maybe orange. LOL It was orange. From what I have heard it is usually pretty green if it is going to be green.


So far we are looking like a girl. Not that it matters. But it was fun to run these little tests anyway!

Friday, January 1, 2010

15 weeks

I am 15 weeks pregnant today. The baby is now the size of an orange or roughly 4-5 inches from crown to rump. The baby now has functional joints! All the better to kick me with. The baby has well formed fingernails and even has his or her own unique fingerprints now! I hear the baby can make faces like squinting and frowning. If this baby is a girl her ovaries are moving into position and are getting ready to start making the billions of eggs that will some day ... very far away ... become our grandbabies!

I have been keeping track of things like blood pressure and blood sugar lately. Hypertension and diabetes are both things that I am more prone to as a plus sized mama. So I do a little check in every week to make sure things are still looking good. That way if something does start to come up I have a chance to at least attempt to nip it in the butt. Hopefully I will be able to get it back under control before it escalates to an issue that requires medication. But so far so good! Blood pressure and blood sugar are both with in the normal range.

My weight is down another pound this week for a total of 13 pounds lost since the test came back positive. I am not trying to lose weight. I am trying to keep my weight from jumping sky high as that can cause some above mentioned health issues. I have been eating better and switched from pop, pop and more pop to water, water and did I mention WATER! I love ice cold water. It is like a pregnancy craving for me. And the good side effect is that I am losing a pound or so a week instead of putting on a pound a week like most women do in this trimester and beyond. No complaints there from me or my doctor. As long as I am eating well and the baby is growing then it is safe for me to continue to lose weight. But knowing my luck the pendulum will swing the other way before I know it and I will be packing on the pounds like every other pregnant woman. But for healths sake let's hope not.

My uterus is getting bigger and I can actually feel it now. I lean up against things and go OOOPS! It kinda hurts if I am not paying attention. Laying on my stomach is starting to get uncomfortable. I start out fine but then it becomes a nagging round ball in my lower abdomen that won't let me get comfortable. So I think pretty soon I will have to give up laying on my tummy and learn to fall asleep on my side. Good practice for when my belly is to big to do anything else.

Along with my uterus popping out has come the wonderful and more frequent flutters of the baby. I have felt the baby every day, a couple of times a day for the last few days. It has been great to feel movement. It makes me feel more safe and confident that every thing is ok down there. So keep on shaking baby!!!

I have been struck by the unfortunate last dribbles of morning sickness. I for the most part feel really good. But when I wake up first thing in the morning and start moving around I have been feeling very sick. I have still managed to only throw up 1 time during this pregnancy. But this last week has really tested that status. I am usually fine after 30 minutes or so. But for that first half hour and I am gagging and burping and drinking gallons of water in attempt to keep the early morning stomach bile down. UGH! Let's hope that goes away this week.

I have a doctors appointment on Monday. I will be 15 weeks 3 days then. I am hoping to get to hear the baby's heartbeat with a doppler. I have seen the baby's heartbeat on ultrasound 3 times now. But I am really looking forward to hearing it for the first time. Then I should be able to schedule the BIG ultrasound for 18-20 weeks. We will get to see if we have a hot dog or a hamburger in there! Most of you all know that I am pretty wary of determining the sex of the baby by ultrasound. Bryan is a BOY no matter how many times they told me he was a GIRL. So unless I specifically see a twig and berries or a very obvious clam and not just a black void, I am not buying pink or blue. But I am hoping that we do get a good view of what we got baking in there. I can't wait! I can't believe I am so close to being half way through this pregnancy and so close to the big ultrasound. Sometimes it feels like this pregnancy is just crawling along and other times it feels like it is zipping by! Before you know it we will have a healthy little spud to hold. I can't wait!!!!


Photobucket
15 weeks down and 25 weeks left to go!