19 Week Update

Not a whole lot going on this week.  I think little one had a growth spurt because I have had stretching pain all week, and suddenly my bump seems much more noticeable.  Work has been really busy, and R is busy prepping for a show on Monday.  Other than that, same old, same old around here.

I have one more week until I am half-baked and only 5 more weeks until V-Day (viability day)!!

Weekly Check In:

• How far along?: 19 weeks

• Total weight gain: I am up 2 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight as of Monday.

• How big is baby?: Baby is the size of a mango this week. 

• Maternity clothes?: Fully in maternity clothes at this point.  They are so comfortable.

• Movement: Felt a couple of stronger kicks after eating a cinnamon roll the other day.  Other than that, still wiggles and little pokes here and there.

• Stretch marks?: Just the ones I already had.

• Sleep?: Still having a hard time sleeping.  I just got a second body pillow and that seems to be helping a little bit.

• Symptoms?: Heightened sense of smell, gassy, really vivid dreams, round ligamnet pain, and I really want to get started with cleaning and organizing everything.  I'm not really sure that last one is a symptom, but there you go.

• Food cravings: Sweets, burgers, other than that not a whole lot.

• Belly button in or out?: Still an innie.

• What I miss: Not a whole lot at this point.

• What I'm looking forward to: Still excited about my next OB appointment and our anatomy scan on 9/6!

• Best Moment this week: Getting definite kicks from little one.

• Milestone: Baby is getting very mobile.  Baby is now coated in vernix caseoa (waxy cheese-like stuff) to protect it's skin.  Last week was a much more exciting milestone!

- J

18 Week Update

Sorry for not updating last week.  Thursday I got slammed at work and then we had a busy weekend so I wasn't able to get online.  A good friend of ours had his birthday last week, so Friday we got together and caught up on So You Think You Can Dance and Saturday we hosted a BBQ for his birthday.

Monday, R had his big show at El Corazon with Diamond Head.  The show went really well.  I'm amazed that he was able to sleep that night, he was so jazzed.  He got to meet the guys in Diamond Head (as well as the other bands) and got the show poster autographed by all of the members of the band.

I did have a small scare on Monday, but we went into the Dr for a check up and everything is fine.  They are concerned about the possibility of incompetent cervix due to how I lost the twins, so I think they were being hyper-vigilant, which is okay with me.  The Dr I saw was the one I saw right before my D&C.  While he is an excellent Dr, he was not really the one I wanted to see, especially since they scared me by insisting I come in right away.  I did get a surprise ultrasound out of the deal.  Baby was moving around, heartbeat was nice and strong, and everything was just as it should be.  It took me a few days to stop being worried, but I'm getting there.

Tomorrow we have friends from Bellingham coming to spend the night and then Saturday we have game at our place.  I'm hoping it will be a nice relaxing weekend.

Weekly Check In:

• How far along?: 18 weeks

• Total weight gain: I am up 2 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight as of Monday.

• How big is baby?: Baby is the size of a sweet potato this week. 

• Maternity clothes?: Fully in maternity clothes at this point.  They are so comfortable.

• Movement: Still feeling some wiggles and a couple definite pokes here and there!

• Stretch marks?: Just the ones I already had.

• Sleep?: Sleep has not been my friend this week.  I have been waking up (mainly because of the dog) every night and then having a horrible time getting back to sleep.

• Symptoms?: Still having the heightened sense of smell, frequent urination, gassy, constipated, really vivid dreams, food aversions and round ligamnet pain. I have also had some back pain and I have been feeling movement!

• Food cravings: Carbs of any sort, Mexican food, strawberries, and melon.

• Belly button in or out?: Still an innie.

• What I miss: Not a whole lot at this point.

• What I'm looking forward to: My next OB appointment and our anatomy scan on 9/6!

• Best Moment this week: Getting a sneak peek of our sweet baby.

• Milestone: Baby is getting very mobile.  Little one is yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing!

- J

OB Appointment Update

R and I went in today for my 16 week appointment.  We were expecting to just have a quick chat, listen to Baby on the doppler, and then head out.  To my surprise, Dr J wanted me to have an ultrasound this week and another in 4 weeks.  She wanted the one this week specifically to make sure that there aren't any issues with my cervix, as I lost the twins in the second trimester and my cervix went from normal to way too short in less than a week.  Luckily, we were able to get in for that ultrasound today, so R was able to see little one as well. 

Baby was not being very cooperative during the scan and kept hiding it's face behind it's little hands.  The ultrasound tech did a great job and was very patient, but the whole thing took quite a while.  Baby was dancing on my bladder and hiding behind my belly button (which casts a shadow on the ultrasound).  Finally, she got what she needed and we were able to go.  If I didn't have to pee, I would have been fine with it taking all day.  I love watching little one move like that.  And I am so glad R got to be there as well. 

Next appointment is scheduled for Sept 6th.  We will go and have another ultrasound prior to the appointment and then go over the results with Dr J.  It seems so far away. 

- J

16 Week Update

I feel a little silly posting an update when I did one yesterday.  This will likely be a short update.

I did get my several test results back, which I am very excited about.  I passed my early Glucose Screening test with flying colors, found out I am not a carrier for cystic fibrosis, and I had excellent quad screen results (where they assess your risk for various chromosomal abnormalities).  Here are those results:

Down's Syndrome - My risk is 1:20,000
Neural Tube Defect - My risk is 1:5300
Trisomy 18 - My risk is 1:100 (the lowest risk possible on the test)

Weekly Check In:

• How far along?: 16 weeks

• Total weight gain: As of last week, I am down a pound from my pre-pregnancy weight. We'll find out where I stand now at my next appointment on Monday.

• How big is baby?: Baby is the size of a large avocado this week. 

• Maternity clothes?: Fully in maternity clothes at this point.  They are so comfortable.

• Movement: I have started to feel some little baby wiggles. I thought is was far too early, but it is definitely the baby moving around!

• Stretch marks?: Just the ones I already had.

• Sleep?: This week has been a little better. Still having a hard time getting comfortable, but I think I am getting used to it. At least, I don't seem to be waking up quite as much to change positions.

• Symptoms?: Still having the heightened sense of smell, frequent urination, gassy, constipated, really vivid dreams, food aversions and round ligamnet pain. I have also had some back pain and I have been feelin movement!

• Food cravings: Ham and potatoes are my new go to comfort food.

• Belly button in or out?: Still an innie.

• What I miss: Not a whole lot at this point.

• What I'm looking forward to: My next OB appointment (on 8/8/11) and hopefully have my anatomy scan soon!

• Best Moment this week: Getting my test results back.

• Milestone: Baby is starting to get bones in his/her ears, which means that s/he can start hearing me soon!

- J

15 Week Check In (a little late)

Okay, maybe more than a little late, considering that I'll be 16 weeks tomorrow.  We have been very busy this last week and I have been recovering from an inadvertent dairy allergy attack, which has left me sick for several days and with very little energy.  Here's our big news for the week:

R's band got booked to play El Corazon again.  On August 15th, they will be opening for Diamond Head (huge British Metal band here on their 1st ever US tour).  They are also going into the studio and recording their EP in a few days.  He has been very busy with increased practices and pre-production stuff.

On Sunday, we saw R's Dad's side of the family and shared our good news with them.  It turns out that baby is due on R's grandma's birthday, which is pretty cool.

Aside from all of that, we have the typical work drama going on (that's what happens with 3 company mergers).  I am not totally sure who my boss is right now, but the guy who is going to be my boss was so desperate to have me on his team that he didn't even blink when I told him I would need to work from home full time once Baby arrives, and I need a title change (which will hopefully lead to a pay increase).  I also told him that I would be working from home at least part time leading up to Baby's arrival.  This is one of the times it pays to be the only one in the company that can do my job.

Weekly Check In:

• How far along?: 15 weeks

• Total weight gain: I am down a pound from my pre-pregnancy weight.

• How big is baby?: Baby is the size of a navel orange this week. 

• Maternity clothes?: Fully in maternity clothes at this point.  They are so comfortable.

• Movement: I have started to feel some little baby wiggles. I thought is was far too early, but it is definitely the baby moving around!

• Stretch marks?: Just the ones I already had.

• Sleep?: This week has been a little better. Still having a hard time getting comfortable, but I think I am getting used to it. At least, I don't feem to be waking up quite as much to change positions.

• Symptoms?: Still having the heightened sense of smell, frequent urination, gassy, constipated, really vivid dreams, food aversions and round ligamnet pain. I have also had some back pain and I have been feelin movement!

• Food cravings: Ham and potatoes are my new go to comfort food.

• Belly button in or out?: Still an innie.

• What I miss: Not a whole lot at this point.

• What I'm looking forward to: Hitting 16 weeks, my next OB appointment (on 8/8/11) and hopefully have my anatomy scan soon!

• Best Moment this week: It's a tie between feeling little one moving and hearing the baby's heart beat on the doppler for the first time.

• Milestone: Baby is taking practice breaths, and is also practicing swallowing and sucking starting this week!

- J

14 Week Update

Another big week!

Mom is doing much better.  She does have a tumor in her brain, but apparently it has been there since at least November (hard to see on her previous scan) and it hasn't changed appreciably since then.  The Dr doesn't think it is causing the stomach issues and doesn't think radiation or surgery is necessary at this point.  He wants her to go in for repeat scans every 3-6 months for now.  She goes back to talk to her oncologist again on 8/8, so we will see what he has to say.  And the steroids are helping.  Her appetite is getting better and she is keeping food down.  I am going to spend the weekend with her and Dad, so I am really happy about that. 

I met with my surgeon this week and we have a preliminary plan in place.  He wants me to see a hematologist 8 weeks after little one is born to discuss whether I need to be on blood thinners for surgery or not since I have had a post surgical blood clot before.  He also wants me evaluated for clotting/bleeding disorders.  We are tentatively scheduled for surgery March 27 or 28 depending on which surgeon does the operation and what the hematologist says.  And he also said that he won't know whether expansions are necessary or not until he gets in there, but either way, it will be an outpatient procedure.  Huge weight off my mind.

Weekly Check In:

• How far along?: 14 weeks

• Total weight gain: I am up 2 lb (3 from last week).

• How big is baby?: Baby is the size of a lemon this week. 

• Maternity clothes?: Fully in maternity clothes at this point.  They are so comfortable.

• Movement: Still way too early.  I have an anterior placenta, so it will likely be quite a while before I get to feel little one moving around.

• Stretch marks?: Just the ones I already had.

• Sleep?: This week has not been good.  I can no longer sleep comfortably on my stomach, and I am not supposed to sleep on my back anymore.  The left side is more comfortable, but triggers my sciatica and the right side is really uncomfortable.  If I am having a hard time sleeping now, I hate to see how it will be later.

• Symptoms?: Starting to be a little less exhausted and nauseous.  Heartburn, heightened sense of smell, frequent urination, gassy, constipated, really vivid dreams, food aversions and round ligament pain are all still there.  

• Food cravings:  Still wanting sweets, but I am also enjoying bacon and potatoes.  R likes to say that my Irish is coming out.  Other meats are not sitting well any more.

• Belly button in or out?: Still an innie.

• What I miss: I'm actually not missing too much at the moment.  I was missing coffee, but I have started having the occasional iced decaf coffee and am feeling much better now.

• What I'm looking forward to: Spending time with Mom and Dad this weekend.  And going to see Harry Potter with R on Sunday.

• Best Moment this week: Finding out that Mom doesn't have to have surgery or radiation and coming up with a plan for my surgery.

• Milestone: Baby is growing hair, eyebrows and eyelashes this week!

- J

More pregnant than I have ever been.

Finally, I can say that I am more pregnant than I have ever been before.  Yesterday was a hard day, but it was an important milestone.  I have gotten past all of the problems with my first two pregnancies, and so far, everything has been going splendidly. 

As a celebration, I bought Baby it's first stuffed animal; a blue corduroy elephant.  It is soft and cute and I am so happy to be able to celebrate this.  Here's a picture:

- J