Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3....4,5,6...

Being preggo means lots of testing.  Especially in California.  California health organizations now strongly recommend that all preggos undergo the same tests that were once only ordered for high-risk pregnancies.  

On top of the multiple blood tests, monthly appointments, glucose testing, genetic testing, and anomaly scans, I have also had to recently begin twice-weekly fetal stress tests.  These tests aren't actually a part of the every-preg repertoire.  At about 26 weeks along I started noticing Braxton Hicks contractions - a tightening in the uterus just above my pelvic bone.  These are 100% completely normal.  But then I started noticing that I was having multiple - about 1 every 15-20 mins for about 2 hrs at a time.  And they were hardening my belly.  I shared this with my doctor and she suggested I come in and get some (more) tests done.  The first was the fetal stress test.  These are to monitor the baby's heart beat for a period of about 20/25 minutes - enough elapsed time to monitor her while I contract.  Heart beat great.  We also ran a quick sonogram to look for fibroids.  Sonogram clear.  Then we swabbed for a fetal-blah-blah-blah test *I swear I have heard them say the test about  4 times now and still only come up with 'fetal-blah-blah-blah'.  This test is a bit pointless - even my doctor says so.  The fbbb test can only tell you if you have a 16% chance of delivering in the next 2 weeks.  Yep, thats it.  And my test - negativo.  The diagnosis?  My baby's big head is right behind my belly button and she's not exactly  in an up-down position.  That is good news.  Despite my discomfort at her position, she is healthy.  And even though I still have to do fetal stress tests twice a week, it means I get to relax for 20 minutes to the sound of baby girl's heartbeat.  AND at 31 weeks I am at the point of getting a sonogram, etc appointment every two weeks to measure her growth.  She is now 3 lbs, 7 oz and about 16 inches head-to-foot!  It's estimated that at this point babies will top out at about 1/2 lb gain a week...meaning she could get huge! 

AND, because of all of these medical advancements and requirements, we can be sure that our little girl is healthy and safe.  I guess I can't complain.  :-)

Roundin' third and headed for home!

Roundin' third and headed for home!

That's right!  At 28 weeks along, we are now in the third trimester!  This is a pivotal point in the development.  Her eyes open and close, rounding out all her sense development - touch, taste (we have more tastebuds in the womb than any other point in our lives), smell (though I am not sure how this works in-womb), sound and sight - yep, she can even recognize bright and dark light from in there!

Even more importantly, baby girl's lungs are learning and preparing to breathe on their own.  During this prep, she coughs, sucks in and sucks her thumb - she may even hiccup!  At this point we shart measuring her head-to-toe, and at this point the general baby estimate is 15-16 inches and 2.5 lbs.  Though, that will change each week as she starts to gain 6 ounces as each week passes.  This is also the time when most preggos start to gain weight as well, so it's an important time for me to eat healthy and keep up my lil exercises.  Whenever I have a free minute, at home that is, I do squat-knees (I may have made this up).  I squat down and then stand up lifting one knee up and crunching down to the side (behind my hip) with that elbow.  I feel this move helps my lower body as well as my core.  I also do door-frame push-ups and lots of stretching.  Every now and then I attempt the plank - or the kneeling plank...though I am such a wuss, I hardly stay up very long.

All these little things will hopefully keep me in shape enough to be in my best form when she decides to greet us...in roughly 12 weeks away!  :-)

We (the Hubs, actually) painted the baby room!



Olympic Paints "Pitter Patter"

 Though the color is a little brighter once all over, I still love it and think it will accent the other items nicely...I have a habit of assuming the painted walls will look exactly like the swatch...and being wrong.
Anyway - still excited!  Hoping to get the crib and changing table put together by this weekend.  Maybe put up some sheer white curtains too or some little white shelves too.  Don't have anything else - the hubs was convinced we should put it all on the registry and see what's left after the baby shower(s).   I sure hope that works out to our advantage - we will have the 'registry completion' discount at the end, so that will help.  I will post pictures later!

26 weeks down, only 14 to go!

OK, so the image is a bit...creepy...but that is the estimated image of my baby at 26 weeks along.  Her development is is coming along and her lungs are beginning their final stages.  She even takes practics breaths. She is gaining 6 ounces a week and now just about tops 2 pounds and is about 12 or so inches in length.  I am feeling every inch of that, each time she kicks!  She is kicking a lot more internally now (a lot to the bladder) so I get the feelin, literally and figuretively that she is facing my spine.  Sometimes I think I can feel her back...but I could just be imagining things.  The belly feels very firm after I eat, so it could just be that.
I am rounding the corner and I can see the third trimester.  I am 'officially' 6 months along this coming Saturday.  Crazy, right?  I am now at the point where everyone is trying to make me sit in the back seat.  I also go a little bit of VIPreggo treatment at the airport when we got shuttled to the front of the security line when the woman saw that I was pregnant.  Unfortunately, we only got that the first flight, and the shortest security line.  Oh well, I will only get bigger, so I guess we will see where it goes from here. 

Diaper backward spells repaid.

Diaper backward spells repaid.  According to some of my online research, we will be 'repaid' somewhere between 8 and 15 times in the first 2 months.  Once the digestive system gets use to processing food through the mouth and out the other end, rather than through the umbilical cord, the number goes down.  We have decided (I have decided and have convinced the hubs) that we will use one-size all-in-one cloth diapers.  Because they are one-size, the range starts at about 7 or 8 lbs, however even big infants generally don't fit into them snugly until about 9lbs, so we will start the baby off with some eco-friendly Seventh Generation newborn dipes.  In the meantime, we will be stocking up on our BumGenius cloth diapers.
Once she's big enough, and needing to be changed less, I estimate that I can do laundry every other day, and survive with as few as 12 of the cloth ones. That estimate comes from my favorite blog, younghouselove.com , as well as a couple q/a's i've read about diaper changing in general. We will probably grab more than 12 to be safe. Though they are about $20 each, even if I spend $400 on my stock-pile, if we use them until she's potty-trained, or too big, I could still end up spending less than half what someone would on disposable. In two years it is estimated that the average couple spends $1000 on diapers. I can't imagine what that figure would be if that couple was spending the lil extra to get natural or eco-friendly dipes. I think it's a smart choice....and the colorful bumgenius diapers are just soo cute!

Happy Birthday and Uterversary!

This past Monday as I celebrated my 28th birthday (Woot! Woot!) my lil baby girl in utero turned 24 weeks (lets give her her own lil woot! woot!).  We celebrated with a nice pre-natal massage followed by some registry adding and I topped the night off with my Bears going undefeated!
At 24 weeks my beautiful angel's face is just about fully formed, complete with eyelashes and eyebrows...though, they are white now - so that is a little creepy.  Pigment develops in the coming weeks, and continues to change throughout the first few years out of the womb.  Out of the womb.  In 3.5 months we will have a baby girl!

Big kicks and little cravings

I am no longer confusing fetal movement with gas anymore.  She is kicking and punching like crazy.  And I am serious about the crazy - its often and with amazing accuracy - right to my bladder.  At first it seemed she only kicked around an hour after I ate, but now it seems a lot more often.  I really should start a kick journal to see if she is consistent, so at least I could anticipate the sudden needs to pee.
At this point in the pregnancy, she's not the only thing getting stronger and sudden.  The urge to eat is comes when you least expect it;  like when you've just finished eating breakfast.  What to eat is still tough.  I can't really survive on White Castle microwave cheeseburgers alone.  I also like turkey bacon and cup of noodles. :-)
Obviously these are not super good for the baby, so I have to eat them sparingly, or at least add in lots of healthy goodies.  Found a list of some 'super foods' for preggos and was happy to see some foods I really like on there:  green onions (chives), blueberries, hummus, avocados and you many other yummy healthy goodies.  Of course you can find many lists of healthy foods, but the most important lists are foods to avoid.  Check out my section on 'No-nos and things to (strongly) consider', or you can do your own research on some great websites like thebump.com or babycenter.com....and there many others.

Month 5: So much progress!

Only 4 more months to go - phew!  Although there is still so much to be done - inside and out - our baby girl has come a long way from her initial seahorse-looking state.  At 5 months, our baby's face is fully formed (if only I could get a better pic!) and she's even got little nipples!  She's starting to put on little baby weight and her muscles and neurons are formed enough to punch and kick the crap outta me while she's awake - approximately half the day (and night, from what I can tell).   She is quite the little boxing ninja in there.  Though she's moving up a storm, not all movements can be felt from the outside yet, though I have no doubt she will get stronger in the days and weeks to come.  Yay for my baby, bad for my bladder - she has good aim!

Kicking and Screaming

So I am pretty sure by now that I am feeling her kick.  I wasn't sure at first. I am still not positive that everything I feel is her, but when the movement can be felt with my hand on the outside, I think it's safe to assume her lil twitches are turning into full-fledged punches and kicks.
I definitely don't hear her screaming; no, not her.  The screaming of 'kicking and screaming' refers to other people's children.  At 5 months I figured it's a good idea to start my registry.  I have done lots of research but still thought it a good idea to go into a couple Targets and the local Babies'r'us.  I still don't think it was a bad idea.  And for the most part, I still think most people's children are adorable - even crying babies.  However, there seems to be an abundance of inattentive and unmotivated parents who allow their children to scream, cry, kick, drag and run their way through stores.   I guess they will serve as a catalyst or an example for us, and hopefully the other soon-to-be parents, to be more responsible with our kids.  Thanks?

21 weeks (as of this past Monday)

At 21 weeks, baby girl sure has grown. I think I am even starting to feel her movements...though, it could just be gas bubbles.  Who knows - not me.

For baby, 21 weeks means she gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, my baby already knows what a White Castle microwaved cheeseburger tastes like. Lucky her!...I needed the protein at breakfast. :-)
For me, 21 weeks means more changes - daily - I am like a science experiment.  Though we can all pretend we know 'what to expect' it is still new to all of us first-timers.  Even the second go-around I can't imagine not being surprised by how much we go through.  Aside from the positives; larger breasts, longer/stronger hair and nails, and I am sure at some point I will feel 'positive' about more of the symptoms, there are just so many little not fun/negatives that we are supposed to 'expect'; weepiness, mood swings, bleeding gums, varicose veins, flatulence, back pain, joint pain, hemorrhoids, etc.  Luckily, I have yet to encounter all of those, but I still have to 'expect' them.
But, at 21 weeks, I am also more than half-way there.  Half way to meeting our little girl and starting our little family.   I have 19 weeks to prep her room, her life and her soon-to-be dad.  Though I will always wish men understood the craziness of this time more...at least I have yet to drive him (totally) crazy.  He's being a great husband, and I appreciate that...oh man...there goes the emotions...until next time...think about your bananas.

Out of the mommy closet...

A cute quote from one of my fave movies, "Baby Mama".   I am now out of the mommy closet.  I am big enough in the belly that strangers don't just see me as some girl who likes to rock a beer gut.  I am now someone they ask "how many months are you?" or "when are you due?"   I am also officially dressing from said mommy closet.  For me - mommy drawer.  I have a drawer in my dresser set aside for maternity clothes and have started wearing maternity pants and shirts.  Its a kick - much more comfortable on the belly.  That doesn't mean that I won't occasionally wear jerry-rigged jeans and stretched out juniors tops, it just means that I will be doing so less often...I think.  :-)

Baby girl fetus is 20 weeks along!

At 20 weeks, her digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth.  I think I will leave that diaper for the hubs - I hear it really freaks out the guys!
By now, she is sucking in and out and practicing breathing.  All these motions are very important little helpers for after she's born when she has to start feeding.

It's a girl!!!!!

We are very excited to announce that we will be having a little girl!  At 19.5 weeks, she is 15cm from crown to rump.  The pic is from the full anatomy scan so the resolution was such to see organs and bones clearly...as you can tell from the Alien-ish view of her spine.  Her head is in the bottom right-center of the shot and you can see her legs at the other end curled up to her belly.  It's kind of a creepy shot, but I still think she's cute!  Dr. says all looks very healthy.  We are very, very excited!!!

What baby is up to at 19 weeks

This week baby is building a protective layer of cheese on his or her skin; sorta. Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. This layer can resemble cottage cheese.  Soon the baby will start gaining more fat and weight...as will I, I assume.

We have an appt!

By next weekend we should know the sex of the baby!!!!  Then we (I) really get to start our nursery and registry!  Woot! Woot! 

What baby is up to at 17 weeks

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.
Soon, I will again be able to see our one-of-a-kind little gem...but not until the HMO finds the correct ultrasound facility...Stay tuned!

Anxious

We had our 3 month appointment last week and although we got to hear the baby's heartbeat - Woot!, and had to give blood - blech, no new pictures. Now that I know all of the changes the baby has made, I am just dying to see him or her again! I am in line to have the 2nd trimester ultrasound - would love to do 3D or 4D - but it is done at a facility other than my doctor's office so I have to wait for the authorization and appt. contact info from my HMO/medical group. Last time I had to do something similar, 1st trimester blood test and ultrasound, it seemed as though I got the notice so quickly - of course, I wasn't as anxious then because I had just seen my baby at the 11 week appt. and who really gets anxious to give blood?

Anyway - I am very anxious. Authorization sent from Dr. to HMO/medical group last wednesday....and now I am waiting....waiting....not exactly patiently.

Oh, and did I mention we get to find out the baby's gender at this upcoming ultrasound????? Woot! Woot!!!!!!!!!!

My baby puts the P in Placenta...

...Literally. At 15 weeks, my baby has come a long way and one of the changes has been the movement of the organs through the umbilical and into the body. Around 13-14 weeks, the babies liver, kidneys and urinary tract have developed and the baby actually starts to pee in the placenta! This urine is actually a valuable part of the amniotic fluid. By now, the babies inner sex organs have developed into either ovaries or testes - which will drop later. Among other developments have been the babies glands that are now starting to produce its own hormones. This all means that soon (hopefully, please, soon!) my digestive system will have to do less work to produce food for the baby and my body won't be working as much overtime to create enough hormones. All of these developments also mean that the blood will be rushing to my abdomen and a rate strong enough to give me headaches and dizziness - and yes, I have already experienced this in full force too.
Not just the insides, the outside is changing too. The torso is catching up to the head and the head is now only 1/3 the length of the body. The legs are longer than their arms too. Also, the eyes and ears are in their (near) final positions. It is a crazy time. In 4 weeks, we should be able to know the gender! I can't believe all the changes! Woot! Woot!

Totally our future child...

4 Year Old Sings Rocks Out - watch more funny videos

13 weeks along...

So close....The ick should be subsiding soon...

11 Weeks Along

Had the 11 week ultrasound - isn't he or she cute!!!!

The ick should get better soon - at least the nausea and loss of appetite. I read that headaches and dizzyness actually get stronger - fabulous. The nausea lessens because as of right around now, the uterus/placenta are now producing their own hormones, so mine will be getting less and less crazy. Not sure why the headaches get stronger. My guess is that it has something to do with my blood workings. I will have to look into that.

Told my boss too. I thought it would be necessary having had one Dr appt on a Wed, another the following Friday, and another at the end of the month. She was very happy for us. She also let me know that I can take my pace and time in the morning, because I have been very good about always finishing my work on time. Phew!

The Ick

The ick started right after I began my 7th week. It started with increased indigestion, constipation and a little nausea, then slowly became full fledged indigestion, constipation and nausea, with a little bit of food aversion and appetite loss. You quickly figure out what you can and cannot stomach. In my 11th week now, the loss of appetite and overall aversion to most food is the worst. It leaves me hungry, but feeling like anything I put in my stomach will create a worse reaction. My Dr. says the worst is 7-10 weeks and that I should start feeling better soon; I hope she is right. She recommended eating small meals, anytime my stomach doesn't hurt. Also, she mentioned that watermelon is good for nausea, so we bought a giant one right after our appointment.

Lets hope I feel better soon, before I drive myself and the hubs (more) nuts!

Telling the fams

We would have loved to tell all of our family in person, but it just doesn't always work out that way. Plus I am way too impatient to wait for trips or visits, so the phone would have to suffice.

My mom and step-dad were already planning on making their way down to us to see our new home, so we planned on using that weekend to tell everyone.

Telling my sister was fun - she set it up nicely. We were talking on the phone and she asked what we had planned for mom's visit. I said casually, "they get in Saturday and we will probably just hang out at home to relax after their drive. Sunday morning should be fun; we're getting together with the hub's fam for breakfast so we can tell everyone I'm pregnant..." Screaming excitement and congratulations ensues...

Next were my mom, step dad, hub's parents, sister and brother-in-law. Like I told my sis, we all met up for breakfast Sunday morning. After we all ordered and were settled, the hubs and I tell the parents that we have a little something for them as a thank you for their help and support during the wedding and the home-buying process. "Just a little something". The moms open them at the same time and both immediately look at me in shock and hand the cards to the dads. My mom is tearing up, and so am I. Hub's mom is scooting around the table to give me a hug. Happy, excitement and congratulations ensues...

If I had to tell my dad over the phone, I wanted him to have the sonogram surprise as well, but how could I insure that he'd get it in time, and that he wouldn't open it until I call? I couldn't. So I just bucked up and called. He was playing with my step-sister's (adorable!) baby, so I used that as the opener. I told him how happy I was he had so much recent baby experience,...since I was pregnant and due in January. Happiness, congratulations (and he wouldn't be my dad without giving advice) ensues...

I love our families and I am so happy that I can share this experience with them!!!

First Ultrasound

We had the first prenatal exam at 7 weeks; although until my dr. confirmed, I wasn't exactly sure how far along I was. I filled out some seemingly endless paperwork, peed on a strip of paper and then they took my blood - blech. Not a fan of the blood taking. Lucky me, I think I am going to be doing it often now. Oh well, what's good for the baby...

Then we prepped for the ultrasound. I was on the table and Erik stood behind to my left. She placed the probey thing (technical term?) inside me and aimed around until my uterus came into view on the screen. There it was. Our...baby...which looked more like a sea monkey or blob, but it was still very awesome. The dr. flipped a switch on the machinery and a little sound wave appeared at the bottom of the screen followed by a fast-paced 'ba-bump, ba-bump'. I had read that you may not hear the baby's heartbeat until 8 or even 10 weeks, but there it was. Or was it? I had to be sure. "Are you sure that's not my heartbeat?" Though my heart was certainly pounding with excitement, she assured me that the probe was honing in on our baby. And, that it was unlikely my heart was beating at around 130 beats per minute; a very normal rate for baby in womb. We heard the heartbeat. It was awesome. I can't stop thinking about it. I keep hoping I will find a spot on my tummy where I can feel it, but no luck yet. I can't wait to hear it again.

To be or not to be....pregnant, that is.

I think I knew I was pregnant very early on. I started feeling tired, bloated and crampy - and I wasn't quite near my period. Any of my early symptoms could have also been due to the fact that my body was adjusting to being off the pill, but what did I know? I haven't been off the pill in 8 years and I have never been pregnant before. I started to feel very aware of my uterus. Like all my annoyances were springing from that very point in my body.

By the end of April, I couldn't wait. I took a test. One of those 'one line = not pregnant, two lines = pregnant'. One line. Not pregnant. Right? I read the box and find that you should wait to take an HPT until you are 4-5 weeks pregnant, and you should also use held pee. They don't use that terminology, however they recommend peeing on it in the morning, or after a waiting period of 3 hrs since the last time you peed. I wasn't so sure about how long since I peed, but I was pretty sure there was no way that I was 4 or 5 weeks pregnant. I thought I should wait at least another three weeks before I took another one. I should wait until our anniversary.

I couldn't wait. I took another test May 12th. This time it was the kind with 'one line = not pregnant, crossing lines = pregnant'. Crossed lines. One line, one faint crossed line. It was faint. Pregnant? I think so. I tell Erik. Excitement ensues!

But it's a faint line. So I wait a week...ok, actually 5 days...and take another. Another (slightly less faint) crossed line. I double-check multiple sites and figure out that a non-pregnant woman would not have enough HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin - the hormone produced during pregnancy) to even produce a faint line.

I am pregnant!

Let's start from the beginning.

At 10 weeks pregnant, it's no surprise that I have known for a while now the circumstance of my uterus. However, since I only start this blog now, I still think it would be sensible to start from the beginning. So let's suspend disbelief as I take you back 11 weeks to when it all started.


It is the first week of April, and I am at my GYNs for my annual appt. I love my GYN - I have been going to her for the last 4 years and I think she is awesome, so I feel lucky having her be there for us in the time to come. I tell her that I am going to go off the pill (bcp), and that Erik and I are going to start trying next month. She reminds me that I don't have to wait after I go off the pill - that I can still conceive before my first non-pill period. But I don't want a Christmastime baby and I could use a month to get used to being without the pill's hormones as well as work on the little tire of fat around my waist. She laughs and writes me a prescription of prenatal vitamins, that I can start taking as soon as I please.

At home Erik and I start talking about the baby plan. He thinks my non-Christmastime and work-out plan/ logic is flawed. "Why don't we just start now?" he says. After some debate, I give in.
Within the next 2-3 weeks I get pregnant.