38 Weeks: No More Rings :-(

I've never been a patient person, I'm not gonna lie.  It's definitely showing these days as well.  At 38 weeks we pretty much have everything ready, we're just waiting on her and waiting sucks!  haha.  That's not true - we're still waiting for our nursery letters which JUST finally got shipped on Monday so we should have those this week - remind me never to order from THAT GUY again - it took him like 6 weeks to get these done and in the mail!!!  They're not even custom painted!  Just white!!!  ugh.  Anyway, maybe that's what she's waiting for - she feels like her nursery is 'incomplete' without her little name letters over the crib!  lol..

But the latest and greatest as far as things go is that I had to take my rings off yesterday.  I'd been wearing them on my pinky finger since the end of March/beginning of April (and sadly they actually FIT my pinky right away so clearly I should have been doing that long before I actually did it!), but yesterday I woke up and realized that they were tight and THEN realized I couldn't get them off and had to run my hand under cold water to loosen them and slide them off.  I almost made it!  Close but no cigar.  :-(  But my hands have definitely joined the 'swelling party' in the last week.  Not cool if you ask me.  Especially because now they hurt - like grasping things and bending my fingers and wrists.  Basically movement of the skin the way my feet hurt from the swelling.  Next appointment is tomorrow so hopefully my stats will still be good.

I got the results of the GBS screen that was done at my last appointment - and it's negative!!  I'm sooo glad.  I know that being positive for the bacteria is, in actuality, no big deal really, but in today's world of modern medicine it guarantees a heplock and antibiotics in labor on the very very slight chance that the baby might have a problem because of it (1-2% is what we're talking about here).  And so my jubilation is less for the lack of the bacteria and more for the lack of IV that it means for my labor.

I also have an anesthesiologist consult scheduled just before my appt tomorrow.  They thought it would be a good idea considering my lack of response to conscious sedation meds in the past, just to be prepared for worst case scenario.  She also told me that it's one of those things where if I go it practically guarantees that I won't need to use it because that's generally how it works and I agree.  Life is crazy like that - if I don't go, I'll wind up needing the anesthesiologist, but if I go through the trouble of meeting with and talking over my options and making a plan, I won't need it.  And that's a plan I'm a fan of.  :-)  I expect to walk in there and be like "Hi - I hope to never see you again but..."  lol.

Beyond all that, I've been trying to do some walking - which typically I do in stores since we live on a giant hill and especially at this point I'd die trying to get back up it.  I've actually gone to target, not gotten a cart or basket with no intention of buying anything, and spent like 45 mins just browsing.  This is something I can do easily and Jeff's LEAST FAVORITE skill of mine.  hahaha..  He thinks it sounds torturous - I don't even notice.  Walking is definitely not comfortable for any real stretch of time (think like 3+ mins here!) but I know it's good for me and the potential of labor.  I've also started drinking Third Trimester Tea by Earth Mama Angel Baby - which is the closest thing I can find to red raspberry leaf tea locally.  It's listed as the first ingredient which works for me.  I do tire of mint teas quickly though and this one is no exception.  Spearmint is the second ingredient.  But I know that red raspberry leaf is supposed to help ripen the cervix and provide tone to the uterine muscles so drink it I shall.

Come on baby girl - we can't wait to meet you!!

17 Weeks - First Stranger Comment!

17 weeks and baby is about 5 inches from head to bum now.  About the size of my stretched out hand.  I'm definitely showing now and even had my first 'stranger' comment - one of the guys down in the shipping department at work that I see from time to time asked me how I was feeling.  And since I wasn't sick nor have been sick - it was pretty obvious that he was referring to my growing tum.  :-)  I got a big ol' goofy smile on my face after that.  I guess I like knowing that other people can tell.  Granted the recruiting agency *still* hadn't gotten in touch with HR to officially 'tell' them at that point so it also let me know that people were obviously figuring it out on their own.  Which is fine - I have many doubts that they'll wind up hiring me in the end anyway so what difference does it make?  I'm not a real 'employee' there so technically don't really owe them any explanation or anything anyway.

One of the best things I have to report is that I haven't gotten sick once since my last update.  It's been more than 2 weeks at this point which is fantastic.  I almost don't even struggle with it at all in the mornings now - just once in a great while I'll feel a bit icky but have been able to get past it even then.  Other mornings I don't even think about it anymore.  WOO!!  hahaha.

One thing that I've noticed though is other people's insistence on telling you their horror stories when they find out you're pregnant.  Apparently a lot of people hate being pregnant.  Despite getting sick for a while - and also knowing I was not as sick as many others are for sure - I have to say that so far, I love being pregnant.  I miss things (like a glass of wine after a frustrating day at work!!) that I don't have anymore - but really it's not a big deal.  And then there are all the people that tell you how they wound up being induced and/or wound up with emergency c-sections etc etc or were in labor for like 30+ hours.. The stories go on and on.  My mom always likes to tell pregnant women how she gave birth 2 hours after getting to the hospital - and only that long because they had to turn me - because she knows that people like to share the horror stories.  Now THAT is a story I like to hear!

Updates on what's going on with baby right now are pretty slim.  Baby starts developing fat stores this week - which means that baby will start getting cuter to the outside world and less skeletal.  Always nice.  :-)  I had my AFP blood draw as planned - it was totally just a come in, get on the scale, and let us stick you with a needle type appt so nothing exciting to report there.  We find out genders on Monday 12/21 at the 18 week scan.  Can.Not.Wait!!!!  Sooooo excited for the big gender reveal.  Then we'll really be able to start planning things like the nursery and bedding and I'll be able to stop buying gender neutral diapers (WOOO!! hahaha) and actually pick up things now and again when I see a good deal or something too cute to pass up.  :-)

So next week's update should have u/s pictures and more interesting things to reveal.  Sit tight till then and I'll be over here incubating.  :-)

Week 15: First Full Week Without Morning Sickness!

Week 15.  Hello baby bump.  How do people at work not know yet?  Don't ask me!  Hahahaha..  It's funny - when I was younger I used to worry about having to get a "big fat belly" when I got pregnant.  But I love my growing tummy.  And I'm not fat, I'm growing a baby, and each little change is so awesome.

I've also begun feeling itty bitty twitches and flutters from the baby.  I think I've been feeling them for over a week now and didn't believe they could be the baby yet, but have been assured that they can and probably are.  Nothing consistent yet, and not even every day.  But I've definitely felt little 'somethings' that are not normal going on down there.  :-)

So to get to the post title - I've officially gone 7 whole days IN A ROW without getting sick.  It's some kind of miracle.  But (jumping ahead slightly because this was yesterday so halfway through week 15 already) on day 8 the trend was broken so I guess I'm not out of the woods entirely yet.  Too bad, but I'm sure that would have been too good to be true.  Oh well, hahaha..

I've also finished knitting my first baby project!  These are newborn sized knitted wool longies - essentially wool pants.  Longies, shorties (shorts), and soakers (covers) can be used as a diaper cover because of the properties of wool.  When properly lanolized wool is essentially waterproof and can hold up to 30% of its weight before feeling wet.  Wool is pretty miraculous when you think about it.  It's also a breathable natural fiber as opposed to PUL which is what most diaper covers are.  The contrast is like wrapping your baby's bum in saran wrap - doesn't sound all that comfy, right?  So one of the benefits of wool is also aiding in the prevention of diaper rash.  Used in both winter and summer months in the seasonally appropriate lengths, wool is a great aid to cloth diaper users!  The added bonus?  It's sooooo cute!  Look at the little bum!!  :-D  They are definitely far from being perfect - but for a first attempt they are more than functional and I definitely learned some things to do (and not to do!) for the next pair.  I will be making a variety of lengths since we'll have a late May/early June baby.  And here in New England - who knows what the weather will be!!

We also got our results from the ERA testing we had done a week and change ago.  This wasn't a diagnostic testing so you don't get a 'yes/no' answer - it's a risk assessment.  They base the initial risk level off the mother's age, then use the data gathered from the measurements at the ultrasound with the results of the bloodwork to make a final risk determination.  For Down's Syndrome, our risk was assessed at 1 in >10,000 and so was our risk for the two Trisomy chromosomal defects they're assessing for.  This brought my risk down from what it was based purely on my age and she said was a result they'd see in a 20 year old woman so it was very excellent news!  Next Friday I'm having MORE blood drawn at my regular midwife office where they check a protein level - alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) - and depending on the level of the protein they can gather information that points to possible chromosomal or neural tube defects.  Then our next regular appointment will include the 'big' ultrasound on the 21st!  Woohoo!!  Can't wait to find out gender 'for sure'!

Baby is getting bigger!  The size of a naval orange or softball now.  Fingernails and toenails are growing, and baby is now able to make a fist!  Mommy hopes that baby doesn't use this new-found ability on her insides too often!!  hahaha..  The middle-ear is also developing this week, but the auditory sensors in the brain are not yet, so baby won't really 'understand' what its hearing, but the hearing capabilities are growing.  Soon baby will be able to hear all the crazy little songs I sing to the cats and hear mommy and daddy planning our lives once baby arrives.  :-)  We still have plenty to do to prepare for baby's arrival, but still have plenty of time to do it.  Once we're sure on gender we'll begin looking at nursery furniture and bedding, thinking about nursery colors and paint, and planning out how the room will actually look.  Fun stuff!! 

Happy Thanksgiving! 14 Weeks and First Doppler Heartbeat!

Not the greatest picture but Jeff starts to get cranky after taking so many one after another so this is what you get.  :-)

14 weeks!  First full week of 2nd trimester.  And I'm still sick most mornings.  Hoping this will end soon.  We had a midwife appointment on Monday and she seemed surprised that I was still getting sick and said it usually lets up for most people between 12-16 weeks.  So hopefully soon.  I've been saying that for a few weeks now though, lol.  But I am having more days here and there that I don't get sick rather than literally every.single.day so that's....something, right?  A step in the right direction anyway.

At this midwife appointment they listened for the heartbeat with the doppler for the first time.  SOOOO cool - whoosh whoosh whoosh.  It was kinda a crappy machine with tons of static which was annoying, but when she got the right spot there was definitely no mistaking it!

At 14 weeks baby is now the size of a large lemon or the size of an average fist!!  Close to 4 inches at this point - give or take.  Soft cartilage is turning into solid bone (as evidenced by the bright white spots shown in the u/s pictures from last week).  This week a fine hair begins to develop all over baby's body called lanugo.  This helps protect the delicate baby skin in all that water for so long but is shed (usually) before birth and replaced by thicker, coarser - more normal hairs.  Perhaps this is why I had that dream that I had a little girl and then she turned into a furry little kitten!!  Hahaha..  Another random interesting fact is that at this point baby has eyebrows but no eyelashes yet. 

So our next appointment is in 2 weeks - which is just a basic lab appointment.  They'll take blood (again) and test for proteins secreted by the baby that will indicate Downs, Spina Biffida, or other neural tube defects.  Then 4 weeks from now - on 12/21 we have our next real midwife appointment and most importantly the "big ultrasound"!  This is the 18 week one where they can definitively tell gender and do an anatomy scan to make sure all the bits are there and where they should be and there aren't any obvious problems.  Though we got a 'guess' at gender at the NT scan, this is where we'll find out if her guess was right or not.  What a wonderful Christmas present that will be!!  :-D

13 Weeks, 2nd Tri, and NT Ultrasound!

  I know I've totally gotten of schedule this time.  Trying to play catch-up here.  I normally post on weekends but was dealing with repercussions of my lovely tummy upset and didn't get to it, then Monday blogger wasn't letting me upload pictures.  So here we are.  A week late.  lol.  oh well.  I'm busy growin a baby over here, what do you want!  :-)

So 13 weeks - my itty bitty bump is growing.  This week was 'peach sized baby' week.  Still getting sick most mornings - but am skipping more days here and there which is something.  At 13w3d - last Friday - we had our Early Risk Assessment Test - ERA.  That included the NT Ultrasound scan where they measure the fluid at the base of the baby's neck to assess risk levels for Down's and two other chromosomal irregularities.  Our measurements looked great - nice and small which is good.  And the difference between the 13 week u/s and the 10 week u/s was huge!  It looked like a baby-ish critter before but it really looks like a baby now!  And the tech even felt that she could give us an 'early guess' at gender though she made us promise not to go shopping till our 18 week scan.  :-)  But the guess was that it's a girl!!

We got some great zoomed in facial profile pics.  You can see the jaw bone is developing, the nose, the spine, even all the itty bitty ribs were visible during the ultrasound.  So amazing.  I still can't feel any movement - I'm dying to feel something.  It's so crazy to watch the baby flip flop all over the place and not be able to feel it at all!

The first picture you can see baby sucking her thumb!!  Already!!  Little thumb sucker..  The last picture you can see the hand coming towards the face a bit.  DEFINITELY a mover and a shaker, this one!  :-D  But my mom actually was the one that noticed the thumb sucking in the last picture - I thought it was just a good full profile picture, ya know?  But it's doubly cool that you can see the thumb sucking too.

You can see all five fingers on the little hand in the second picture.  It was the very first picture the tech took - it was totally awesome.  Like baby was saying "hi mommy hi daddy!!!" as soon as we started looking!  So at least we have all 5 fingers on one hand accounted for!  Gotta get the other hand now.. lol.

The day of the scan was also my last day in the first trimester!  Being offically out of 1st tri is a huuuuge relief.  I have had more energy the last few weeks already - I think after the basic blueprints are laid down you get more energy back which is nice.  I'm only half a zombie now instead of a full-on zombie!  Woohoo!!  I'm still falling asleep on the couch most nights but function much better through the day now.

So that's the last week of 1st tri.  Updates on week one of 2nd tri to come along with the 14 week belly picture - sooner than a week from now I promise!

September 13, 2009

First Positive Pregnancy Test Day!!

We spent a week around Labor Day on Cape Cod, and it was our last day of vacation that we found out we were having a baby.  While trying to conceive, I was charting basal body temperatures to track ovulation and stay on top of my cycles.  When I took my temp on the 13th, it had jumped high when it normally would have dipped low as a signal of my period coming the next day.  Knowing this was typical of pregnancy I jumped up to head to the bathroom and test.

Here is a picture of my final chart resulting in pregnancy:

I took two tests before bringing them to Jeff who was still in bed.  They were light positives because I was only 11 days past ovulation, but they were clearly positive.  We were going to be parents!!  Jeff was in slight disbelief - not sure whether to trust the test, not wanting us to get excited and disappointed.  I took another test to be sure - still positive.  Still pregnant.  All smiles, we told our parents the good news.  Due date 5/26/10.

First positive test:

 

And the first digital test (there really is something in seeing it spelled out for you - I think this is really when Jeff finally started to believe it as well):