32 weeks

The highlight of this week:

Holy swelling! It happened so quickly! I was fine and then it got bad really fast.  This was Friday after a day at work and then walking around Walmart.  It's so strange to look down and my feet don't look like they belong to me!

I also went to the doctor for my 32 week check-up.  The other highlight is that my intuition was right and the baby moved head down on Tuesday night!  I was feeling a lot of strange movements and kicks on Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday there was a definite difference in my breathing.  The doctor did an ultrasound to confirm it (!!) and also pointed out the other body parts.  I also also right on where the baby's feet are because I can feel them kicking me in the ribs.  I also asked the doctor to make sure she's a girl since I was started to freak out a little and wanted confirmation.  And yes, she's still a girl!  She's measuring right on schedule too.

Baby room progress is happening! I washed all the bedding (good thing she's confirmed to be a girl) and Daddy finished the valances on the blinds.  I should be getting the wall banner this week and then we can start to put things where we want them.

It's really starting to get down to the end with 7 weeks left!  So little, but so long to go!

20 weeks

Half baked!

Baby girl's head

3-D view of baby girl

I'm so tired of trying to find something to eat that sounds good, is accessible, and somewhat healthy.  Friday morning was a bit of an indulgence with a Diet Coke and hashbrowns from McDonalds.

I could have used a beer so badly over the weekend, so I had to settle for the Red Robin freckled lemonade.  I've never had it before, and I'm SO glad I finally tried it!  Amazing!  3 glasses later and I could hardly move, but that stuff was awesome.

Still feeling sick every morning around 10 am.  It gets better when I eat something, but it sucks to be at work for those couple hours when I feel like crap.  I might be going through a small nesting phase, but I think it's more about making money selling boy clothes and buying new baby girl clothes!

It's a girl!

A couple days late, but I am so excited!  The whole drive to the doctor, I kept telling myself it was a boy so I wouldn't be disappointed.  But something inside just made me think it was a girl.  (I may or may not have bought girl clothes even before the ultrasound)  The husband forgot to show up :(  and they asked if I wanted to reschedule...ummm, no! I was already laying on the table and ready to go!  The ultrasound tech spent about 5 minutes showing me all the baby parts and I kept squinting to try to see something between the legs.  Finally, she said, "And this is your baby's labia!"  A few tiny tears came out as I realized it was a girl!

I'm so, so excited! Of course, a boy would be great too, but I love that I will have a baby girl in our family.  I didn't even want to go back to work because shopping was all that was on my mind!  After many hours of analyzing, two bedding choices have been ordered and are arriving next week.  I've picked up a few girly pieces of clothing for great prices this week too.  The kid is going to have SO much stuff by the time she's born at this rate. 

It feels so good to know the gender and now we can really get started preparing and envisioning our lives.  I feel so fulfilled and happy!

13 weeks

Our little baby at the NT scan this week!  This picture isn't very good, but I was able to see a lot on the screen during the test.  The tech said everything looked perfect and the baby was measuring just right.  I'll get results from the blood test late next week with the holiday delay.

As for me, I've been feeling better this week and I'm down to one Zofran every morning.  I'm still throwing up occasionally, but it's still much better.  I went to the doctor because my coughing was starting to hurt my chest and she told me I didn't have pneumonia (yay!), but she gave me an inhaler to help with the spastic coughing.  Even after only 24 hours, I noticed a big difference and that's been really great.  Unfortunately, the chest/rib pain is worse and I may have bruised a rib or pulled some muscles from all my coughing.  I'm hanging in there with the pain, but it's hard to move around especially in bed.

Connor is starting to understand that there's a baby in my tummy now!  We have him give the baby kisses and we remind him that the baby will be coming out soon.

Scary morning...

The weekend and this morning did not go well.  I haven't been able to keep most food down and my meds just come back out as well.  I started feeling very dry and dehydrated and then started worrying that this could be hurting the baby.

I called my doctor this morning and talked to her nurse.  She's so awesome.  She told me to come in for an ultrasound just to make me feel better and then had me double up on the Zofran meds while I waited to come in.  After a long wait in the nasty perfume-infused waiting room, the ultrasound tech called me in.  She saw I had previous losses so she was extra sweet with me and went over some of the details on the ultrasound and pointed out the baby parts on the screen.  She showed me that the baby is measuring perfectly and the heartbeat sounds good.  I feel better emotionally and mentally knowing that everything is fine with the baby.

Physically, I still feel like crap and I'm not sure what to do.  I'm going to try the 2 Zofran in the mornings and maybe that will help.  I'm just too tired to deal with the throwing up all day!

8 Weeks & Ultrasound!

My Week:

Going through Tylenol like it's candy.

I've thrown up every day this week.

I've eaten about 5937 apple slices in the past 6 days.

Wishing I could be in bed all freaking day.

Wendy's chicken nuggets with honey mustard is awesome

On  good note, I got an ultrasound at my first appointment!  Everything is looking good and I cried a little when the ultrasound tech told me the baby was there with a heartbeat.

I told the doctor about my 24/7 crappy feeling and she told me I could take Unisom, B6 and Zofran to help.  I've been taking them for about 4 days now and I'm not seeing much difference, but I'm hoping maybe it will kick in soon.

I have to wear scarves every day at work to hide my baby bump.  It looks so small in this pic from early in the week, but I feel so much bigger!  I can't button any of my pants anymore and I started wearing the belly band to keep them up.

Overall, I'm just happy everything is good with the baby, but I could really use some relief health-wise.  I also just found out I have shingles, so that's an added headache to deal with during week 9 coming up.

Dear Baby...

Dear Baby,

I can't believe it's almost time for you to come out and meet your mommy and daddy. We've waited a long time for you to join us!

When I look back to about 3 years ago, I first think about how scared I was to even think about having a baby. I didn't think I was ready, I wanted to move to a bigger house, and I didn't think I could handle taking care of another little life. I knew I wanted a baby eventually, but I still felt 23 inside and not like a real adult that had to be responsible. Your daddy pushed me, but in a good way, that this was something he really wanted and I started to understand his feelings. I wanted to share in the experience of being pregnant, creating a new life, and sharing our lives with someone that we loved more than anything.

I was excited, but very scared to start this new chapter in our lives. In the back of my mind, for years before, I always felt like it wouldn't be a simple task to get pregnant. I always thought there would be some kind of challenge for us and I was right. When things started to get complicated and we were referred to a fertility clinic, I got scared and overwhelmed. We had no idea what we were getting into when we started working with the wonderful nurses and doctor there. The stress and anxiety of treatments taking over our lives was very hard for me to cope with. Your daddy was my knight in shining armor who kept me laughing and smiling during the difficult days when I would come home and cry.

After our first IUI, we had a little miracle and found out I was pregnant. I thought that we were so lucky to be in the minority that only needed one round of treatment and we'd be done forever. I will never forget that day when we went in for our 8 week ultrasound. I still remember what I was wearing and how I was laying on the exam table with the lights off and your daddy sitting in the chair next to me. When the ultrasound tech brought in the doctor, I started crying and I knew it was bad news. The baby's heart stopped beating and there was nothing they could do. I was numb for the next few days as I waited to have surgery. I'm still tearing up about it now as I write this. That was the most devastating thing your daddy and I ever had to go through together. It was a very sad time in our lives, but it brought us closer together and we had to rely on each other for comfort.

As we grieved, I was eager to move forward and start treatment again. Unfortunately, the next 3 IUIs were not successful and I started to get nervous about what the future would be for us. As we planned for the 5 IUI, the doctor started to suggest IVF. Just hearing that news made me so scared because I never thought it would get to that point. Why couldn't we be like everyone else who got pregnant without trying? How can so many people have children when we can't even have one? The jealousy and sadness ate at me continually.

On our 5th and final IUI, I tried not to get excited because I didn't want to be disappointed. Again, I will never forget the afternoon of December 14, 2011 when your daddy called me at work and told me that the nurse wanted me to come back for bloodwork later in the week. I knew exactly what that meant, but part of me didn't even believe it when I heard it. I ran to the stairway with my cell phone so I could call the nurse to confirm. Yep, my levels showed I was pregnant with you! Of course, it was not the typical celebration because we were so nervous about it. Every day that we got through was one day closer to it being real. Every little pain and discomfort I had made me scared that I would lose you. But every day that I was nauseous and feeling awful told me that you were still inside me growing.

At 9 weeks, we "graduated" from the fertility clinic and I almost didn't even want to go. The nurses and support group there became my second family as they watched me go through the ups and downs. I was happy to be at the next step, but I almost didn't know what to do without them. As the weeks went by, my nerves still got the best of me, but I also wanted to tell the world the big news. On Valentine's Day, we made the announcement and celebrated the start of the second trimester.

As the weeks went by, it started to feel more and more real. The ultrasounds started to show little body parts and I couldn't believe there was a little person growing inside me. (Argh! Surprisingly, I haven't been emotional at all during the pregnancy and writing this is making me cry!) I was one of the "lucky" ones that continued to get morning sickness and was still very tired even during the second trimester. But I kept my mind off it by spending all my free time planning the nursery, reading pregnancy books, and getting excited about the future.

On March 31, we had a very exciting and shocking ultrasound when we found out you were a boy! Both daddy and I thought you were a girl for months because everyone we knew had a boy. I had a hard time with the news at first because you know I love little dresses and girly things, but I got excited as I thought about having a little mommy's boy (just like Kitty). Daddy was so excited about his future athletic son and I was thinking about how my little boy would be the best dressed and the best crayon coloring child in his class!

As the spring went by, my belly got bigger and we got more excited about the future ahead of us. I started to feel you moving around and it was the most amazing feeling! I would lay in bed at night and show Daddy where I could feel it. We'd see little lumps in my belly moving up and down and I loved seeing Daddy talk to you. "Hey Buddy!"

The closer we get to the end, the more blessed I feel that we've gotten this far. We've been so lucky that you've grown without any complications and we get more confident and excited each day as we get closer to your birth day. All we talk about is, "When baby comes..." and everything we're looking forward to doing with you as you grow up. Our lives will never be the same, but they'll be better and more fulfilling as we watch you grow and develop. You are the best thing we could ever ask for and we're so proud that you're going to be a part of our family any day now. We can't wait to meet you!

36 Week Update

Baby's the size of a crenshaw melon!
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

No idea what a crenshaw melon is, but I think they're running out of fruit that's big enough! I know the weight above isn't exactly accurate, but that's an average. At my 36 week appointment on Monday, the doctor measured my belly and said it was a little small. He's been perfect in size until this point. She didn't seem too worried about it, but she wanted me to have an ultrasound. On Friday we went for a growth scan with the ultrasound tech. She did a lot of measurements and showed us some of the body parts. I found out that the huge bulge that hurts me is his butt! As a surprise, she turned on the 3-D function and we got to see his face! Here's his face with a hand sticking up!
After the ultrasound, the more we thought about it, the more we thought the baby might have to come out early if he doesn't have a enough room to grow. Saturday was our awesome baby shower at Long Grove Cafe (upcoming post) and I was exhausted by the end of the day. As the night went on, I started to get lower back and hip pain which turned into some really painful cramping in my right thigh and pelvis. The more it hurt, the more scared I got. I was up half the night thinking that this might be it. After a few hours of being awake and using the heating pad, I was able to get back to sleep. The cramping has been kinda on and off since then, but nothing too bad.

That experience really shocked me and it all seemed so real. I was SO scared and I wondered how I would survive the pain of labor when these were just some cramps. I know so many women go through it, but I have no idea how they do it!

The pain has been better since then, but I've had some cramping and Braxton Hicks on and off. On Monday, I went back to the doctor to discuss the ultrasound from earlier. She recommended we go to the hospital for a second ultrasound where a high-risk doctor could look at the measurements. The high-risk doctor there said the baby was in the 19% percentile, but still in the normal range. His stomach is looking a little small, but everything else seemed to look good. So I think he should be fine, but I'm always a little worried about it.

On a good note, here's some pics of me before the baby shower over the weekend!

He's head down!

I feel bad that I didn't think he was!

Am I already a bad mom?

We had our 34 week ultrasound today and the tech confirmed it for us. Now I just have to know what the two huge lumps are that keep pushing on my skin like it's going to rip open!

It's a boy!

I have to admit we were a little surprised at first. We've been going around thinking it was a girl for 3 months and we were wrong! I couldn't believe it when the ultrasound tech told us!

These are the "boy parts" but it's pretty hard to see what's going on. The tech promised me it was there, so I'll have to take her word for it.

Heartbeat was 140 beats per minute and here is an image of the 4 chambers of the heart. Everything looks perfect!And the spine looked good as well.
And a cute little foot! Baby T had one leg down and one by his head! He's flexible!
I'm still in shock 2 days later, but it's starting to sink in.
I'm so excited for my little baby boy to come into our lives!

Can it be next week already?

I'm DYING to know the gender! And I'm dying to have another ultrasound to see the baby! I was way too spoiled at the fertility treatment center where an ultrasound was a bi-weekly occurrence.

I just wanna know!

13 Week Update

Baby's the size of a peach
Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy.

A new baby photo! This week we had our NT scan for genetic testing and we had to go to a different office to have the test done. The ultrasound machine was really high-tech so we were able to see a lot more detail on the baby. Ears, nose, arms, legs, even brain hemispheres! It was an amazing sight and I felt so much more confident seeing a full body in there. We played hooky a little bit from work and went to Noodles for lunch after to celebrate. As son as I got back to work, I scanned the photo and showed it off for everyone to see. Such a proud mommy : )

The bump is making some progress this week too. I know it's small, but I can see it. I'm feeling a little more confident about showing it off so I'm starting to wear tighter clothes again. STILL need more jeans so I'm suffocating myself in the tight ones until more sizes come in.
My nausea was back and almost worst than ever this week. I'm not sure what happened because I thought it was getting better. It's easier now that I can tell people why I'm sick, but it's hard to sit in meetings and hide my sickness. I had to take Zofran twice this week for the first time and I'm glad I had it with me. I also bought a new package of Preggie Pop Drops since those seemed to help a lot.

Food...let's see...Some good news! I'm finally craving something healthy! I'm into strawberries, kiwi and cucumber. I ate 3 kiwi in one sitting in about 2 minutes. Cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches are amazing! I really wanted a Wildfire chopped salad, but we ended up going to Cheesecake Factory instead. Hopefully, I can get one soon. Still the usual carbs and pasta are staples for me too.

I also went for my first pre-natal facial today. The "got that glow" facial was very nice and I even got a mini hand and foot massage. I don't think I'm glowing, but I'm sure my skin is looking a little better now after more than a year of hormones and zits. Next up is a massage as my back is starting to hurt.

So second trimester...can you believe it? I'm still pinching myself to make sure this is real. The reality of having a baby in our house at the end of the summer is becoming more and more real to me.

11 week update

Baby's the size of a lime!
Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.

This week we had our 11 week check-up with the doctor. As usual, I got more and more freaked out as the day approached. Luckily, everything went perfectly and the baby looks great! During the ultrasound, at first, the baby was all curled up in a ball (takes after Kitty). After hearing the heartbeat and printing out some pictures, the doctor noticed that the baby was wiggling and waving a hand! It was amazing to see! So happy : )
Could it be? Is my morning sickness starting to get better? I'm probably jinxing it! Friday was the first day I noticed that it wasn't as bad. I was all ready with my crackers and water and never needed them! Saturday and Sunday I was still sick, but not nearly as bad as it used to be!

Foods have not been fun this week. I'd been eating a yogurt every single day for about 2 months. On Monday, I was in the middle of eating one when I decided it looked absolutely disgusting and now I can't go near them. I don't have a taste for much of anything except carbs, but I did eat my protein-filled tofu and muffins as promised. Saturday I was dying for lox & bagels so we had to go out and get some for dinner. Mmmm...

Everything is going great this week and the countdown to second trimester has begun!

5 week update

Yesterday, Hubby and I went for our first ultrasound at what I thought was 5 weeks and 5 days. I was SO nervous and I must have peed about 12 times before the appointment at 11:15. They took my blood and then took me to a different ultrasound room than I'm normally in.

The tech showed us the "bean" image on the screen and said everything looked great! She thought I was about 5 weeks and 2 days, so my count was a little off. But who really knows, right?

I totally didn't expect to get pictures, but she printed out one for us and put it in a little paper frame.
Eeek! I'm SO happy everything is going well and we have our first baby pic! : )