The Unlikely Life: November 2008

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Things I've learned.....

Wow, I know I just posted his birth story but this last week and half have been such a crazy experience. Nancy asked me last if motherhood was what I expected or was it different, and I honestly I have to say...both. I knew it would be hard, I knew I would be up all ungodly hours of the night, I knew I would need to recover from delivery, I knew there would be diapers galore, I knew I would worry and I knew I would love him, BUT I didn't know it would be like this......I didn't know the hard wouldn't matter when he needs me, I didn't know how thankful I would be for those little increments of sleep AND how quickly I would learn to adjust, I honestly didn't expect to recover so fast and feel the need to just get out of the house so soon because of cabin fever, I didn't realize how many times I would be pee'd on and a lot of the time diapers don't always guarantee what is supposed to stay in there (especially with a boy!), does....I didn't realize I would analyze every thing he does on a daily basis wondering if it's normal and how one change in his poop could panic me for the day (in my defense, I was concerned about CF because it seemed a bit oily....although all is well now) or I would pick his clothing for the night based on his chance of SIDS, but most of all I don't think I was prepared for the sheer emotion that comes from just looking at him because in my eyes he is the most perfect, precious, life-changing, heart-filling person I've ever met....his smiles (even if it's just gas or dreams right now, hehe) truly brightens my day....his cries make me hurt and I will do anything to comfort him, and he is the best thing my husband (who I love on such a deeper level now) have ever done.

So, in lieu of my mommy newness, I want to share some things I have learned....

~First of all, there is no shame in sending your baby to the nursery at night. I realized this on the second night in the hospital and actually got some MUCH NEEDED sleep (because as we all know hospitals are not places to sleep). Yes, they brought him back to me to eat, but I didn't have to change a single nighttime diaper the whole time I was there.....heaven I tell ya, heaven.
~Have someone else set up to do your housework....either your significant other, Mom, MIL, sister....someone.
~Take the medication! I don't care whether it's Colace, IV pain meds, Motrin or Tylenol...if they say you can have it in hospital, by all means....DO IT! Don't let your pain level get ahead of your pain meds, it can take awhile to catch up....which makes for a long, miserable day(s).
~Stock up on easy to eat-to-eat, easy-to-cook (or better yet, no cook!) foods for the first week or so, and eat little meals/snacks between feeds.
~Don't be too proud to take naps when you need it.
~Never regret your feeding choices....although I love breastfeeding, I can completely see why people opt to FF from the beginning. Breastfeeding can be hard (at first!)...it comes with sore nipples (possibly cracked and bleeding), a crazy learning process of attaching and positioning for both you and baby, engorgement that you have nurse through, increased hydration needs, etc, etc.....yeah, the first week or so does suck, but now I completely love it.
~Honestly, take care of yourself!!! You are not doing baby any favors by ignoring your own needs....eat when you are hungry, still take your vitamins, and never say you don't have enough time to take a shower (I promise it will make you feel 100% better). Oh, and don't forget to pee during the day (I know this sounds dumb, but there are time when I honestly can't remember the last time I went to the bathroom)
~Ask for help if you need it.....no one is super Mom, if you need someone else to change a diaper, let them, if you think you need professional help for anything....emotional or physical....don't be afraid to call your doc...phone calls are free. It's normal to feel a bit "off" but trust your instinct if things seem too strange. For example, I had GD during my pregnancy which is supposed to go away immediately after delivery (get rid of the placenta, get rid of the thing causing the transient diabetes). A few days after I came home I felt weird....I was weak, shaky and super exhausted so my Mom suggested I check my sugar. Sure enough it was high (think in the 200's) and as it turns out my diabetes didn't go away. I'm now labeled as a pre-diabetic and have to watch my carb intake from here on out.

My point is....everything is a learning process with this having a new baby thing, and there will be mistakes along the way BUT doing anything to make your life easier is worth doing and never feel like you let yourself (or anyone else....including your baby) down!

Lastly, this is my last post on this blog.....I will now be moving everything over to The Unlikely Life....feel free to join me there if you wish ;-)

Saturday, November 22, 2008

The much awaited birth story!!!

Oh, and by the way, this is my 100th post on this blog too =) But enough of that milestone, lets get to the important things....

Short: Cullen Rhys Major was born Tuesday, November 18th at 11:26 via planned (and as it turned out very much needed C-section) weighing 7 lbs 10oz and was 20 inches long.

Baby's first picture (well, after the super goopy one, lol)
Long: Thomas and I got to the hospital at 8 AM on Tuesday and got all checked in and into our L and D room (which is sort of funny because there really wasn't any labor involved). Anyways, I got all hooked up to my IV's and such and my parents came in around 9 since my C-section was scheduled at 10.

Getting set-up....

Mommy and Daddy together....

The Proud Grandparents....

At 10 o'clock my nurse comes in to tell me the OR was a little behind (seriously, no surprise there) and because I had mentioned I was contracting she hooked me up to the monitors (my very first time this entire pregnancy!!). As it turns out I was contracting about every 5-7 minutes (yes, I was feeling them), and probably reinforces the fact I was going to have him last week regardless of surgery. Finally around 11:00 my doctor and anesthesiologist come in to tell me everything is ready, give me all the details, and ask if I had any final questions. All was well so off we went!!!

I walked into the OR and got prepped onto the table while Thomas stayed in our room to get all "scrubbed" up.

After my spinal was administered (crazy feeling by the way), Thomas was allowed into the room and sat down at my head. The next thing I know I hear my anesthesiologist "the first cut has been made" and several minutes later at exactly 11:26, Cullen makes his appearance into the world, screaming like a champ. Right as he was pulled out the doctor lowered the sheet and I got my first glimpse of my sweet baby boy. After that, Cullen was taken to a side bed near my head to be checked and Thomas went over to take pictures of him.

In the meantime, my doctor proceeded with putting me back together and we discovered that Cullen had a true, double knotted umbilical cord, which was probably the reason he could never turn around head down in utero (and although I don't want to think about it, if he had turned he may have tightened the knots, and well.....I wouldn't be sitting here staring at the most precious thing I've ever seen).

First meeting....

Anyways, after he was cleaned up and such, Daddy and baby went to recovery to wait for me. My surgery was finished around noon, and then I got taken to recovery to hold my baby boy for the first time....it was completely magical.

First family photo (still in the OR)
Best doctor in the world.....

The next 3 days were pretty much spent recovering in the hospital and then we got discharged that Friday. Since then I've had some sugar issues and learned a lot of things as a new Mom, but I will leave that for the next installment ;-)

Oh, and I'm sorry this isn't extremely detailed. I can't quite find the words to describe it how I want, but I didn't want to wait any longer for everyone know how we are and how things went.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

And we're off! Now with pictures

Thomas and I are leaving in about 20 minutes for the hospital. I'm still contracting about every 5-7 minutes and lost more of my mucus plug this morning, so apparently this C-section couldn't have come at a better time.

The last belly shot....38w4d!

Daddy...
Mommy...

Will update more when I can =)

Oh P.S-We had our first snow dusting of the year this morning....kinda nifty huh?

Posted by KatieM at 7:10 AM 10 comments

Monday, November 17, 2008

Dear Baby Boy

Dear Cullen....

Mommy and Daddy are about 12 hours from meeting you and we couldn't be more excited. I can't believe tonight is the last night I will get to feel you move around in my belly. This time we have had together, just you and I, seems like it has gone by so fast. I know I will miss it. However, I know seeing your face will bring an entire new level of joy to my life. I can't wait to kiss your checks and touch your sweet fingers and toes. I'm not sure I will ever be able to fully describe how I feel right now....I'm anxious, I'm nervous, I'm so happy, and I'm more in love with your father than ever before. He loves you so much too, and I love him for that.

I have always been your Mommy, but very shortly we make it official. Good luck tomorrow my sweet boy, it's your birthday.

Ack! Things got busy

Well, my appt. was...well, interesting. As it turns out my fluid levels are wonderful (yay!) BUT as I suspected yesterday I am in early labor and dilated 2-3 centimeters. My doc decided I was not going to be able to hold out until Friday and scheduled my C-section for tomorrow morning.

Yup, you read it right.....TOMORROW morning at 10 AM. Actually, it's sort of funny because I have always said I thought he was coming on the 18th....=)

It's Monday

and I survived the weekend in all my water drinking glory. Although I will admit I called the doctor on call last night because of pretty bad back pressure and lack of movement on my son's part....however she said to stay put and see if things get worse. Probably sound advice given the the fact my wiggle worm is back to squirming today. Plus, I probably wouldn't have called if it wasn't for Thomas who started to freak out a bit every time I said my back hurt (think every 7-10 minutes). I honestly didn't think I was in labor....maybe the beginnings of pre-labor but definitely not LABOR, but because of his positioning and needing a C-sect I thought better safe than sorry, and besides, a phone call is free ;-)

I have an appt. this morning at 10:30 EST to measure his fluid and then we will know the exact date of surgery. If things have gotten lower...boom, probably tomorrow morning....if they are better, we are still looking at Friday, and if things are the same....well, I'm not really sure there but I'm guessing it will be a judgement call on my doc's part. Either way, I have at the most (not counting today) 4 days until I officially become a Mommy.

Now, if you will excuse me I am going to drink a liter of water before my appt.! (Although, confession here, I would be totally cool with having him tomorrow as long as he was safe and healthy, hehehe....I'm a bit anxious, can you tell?)

Friday, November 14, 2008

150 and counting....

150...that is how many oz of water I have drank today. Dehydrated no more!!!!

Now, if I can only keep doing this until Monday in hopes of helping my amniotic fluid levels, and if it works....keep it going until Friday morning. Honestly though, I'm on pins and needles this weekend about this low fluid thing....I just keep praying he stays his normal active self so I don't go into panic mode.

Oh, and Thomas and I realized this is our last weekend together as just husband and wife, I think we keep laughing at it in order to prevent from crying with all the emotions we both feel right now.

Will be updating frequently.....

Posted by KatieM at 7:05 PM 4 comments

Thursday, November 13, 2008

What a productive hour!

I had my 38 week D/A appt. today and it turned out to be a rather productive hour. Let's recap....

~Stubborn boy is still breech. He is presenting with his butt down, feet to lower left and head snuggled up tight near my lower right ribs. This has been his exact position for 20 weeks straight.
~I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced...up from 0 and nothing last week.
~Found out DH doesn't need the flu shot since I've already had mine thus protecting Cullen (this was wonderful news to Thomas because he has a true needle phobia)
~Talked about circumcision and learned that it was the neonatologist that does them at my hospital.
~Scheduled my C-section for next Friday the 21st
~Paid the rest.....wait, wait, did you see that last statement?!?!?!

Yes people, I am scheduled to have my precious baby boy in about 8 days from now at exactly 39 weeks (and until then I am instructed to take it easy and keep my legs crossed, haha). I will say that I was admittedly disappointed to hear Cullen was still breech as I really was hoping to try a vaginal delivery, but in the end, the C-sect. won. We (my doc and I) had several reasons...

1.) His exact type of breech, Frank breech, has the least success rate with external versions.
2.) Not only is he breech, but he is tucked and facing the wrong way.
3.) Versions are less successful with first time Moms because their uterus is still really tight and strong verses women who have had children before, so the tighter the muscle, the harder it can be to manipulate.
4.) She doesn't give you any anesthesia, and honestly my belly is so stretched it gets sore from the u/s wand thing so I can only imagine being pushed against!
5.) My own personal instinct. I've thought about this a lot and I truly have a feeling there is a reason he hasn't been able to turn. Oh, he moves around A LOT, but he has never been a flipper....in fact, I couldn't tell you what a flip feels like, even when he had plenty of room down there to move around. This could be anything to placenta blocking his way, short cord, super tight uterus, etc.....so I'm going with my gut here and say it may potentially be harmful to FORCE him to move.

As a side note, I must add this in....while I was in the middle of typing this paragraph I get a call from my doc and it goes a little something like this:

Me: Science department, this is Katie
Doc: Hi, Katie, this is Dr. Keene. I was just getting a chance to look over your pictures from today better and it appears your fluid levels are on the low end of normal.
Me: Oh?
Doc: So, I want you to come in on Monday for another u/s and if they have dropped any lower, we are going to take him earlier than we planned. Let me send you to Jenna (the nurse) to schedule an appt.
Me: Oh, Ok, see you Monday!

Um, Holy Cow!!! I find that just a bit eerie that was talking about a REASON he hasn't been able to turn well. Now, I will say that I have been super dehydrated today because normally right about now I have already had 2L of water, and today I've just bearly crossed the 16oz mark. So, my plans for this weekend: REST and chug water like no tomorrow!!! All in hopes we can keep in tucked until the 21st (which was already soon enough to begin with!).

Yeah....things are getting crazy around here folks.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Holy Crap....

My ticker scares me a little bit, but at the same time I can't stop smiling.....

There are some massive life changes around the corner.....

Friday, November 7, 2008

Full Term and Mr. Hicks

I am officially full term today!!!! =D and yes, I am very much a slacker because I haven't posted my 34 OR 36 pictures yet. However, I have my last pregnancy massage tomorrow which I couldn't be more thankful for because these braxton-hicks are kicking my butt lately. Yes, I am positive they are just BHC but they are definitely more frequent, longer and stronger these days which makes my back hurt most all the time, especially while trying to sleep.

Now, I know it sounds like I am complaining about this, BUT actually it makes me a little bit excited because I know my body is prepping itself for labor and these little extra aches and pains are physical proof I really am closer to holding my baby boy every day that goes by =)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

It's all in the numbers

Let's break it down.....

~24 days until my due date
~20 days until my induction or scheduled C-section
~17 days until my last day at work
~13 WORK days until my last day at work
~9 days until my next u/s where we pray he isn't breech anymore
~4 days until my last pregnancy massage
~3 days until "Full Term"
~1 day until my 2nd internal check for progress

Chance all of these numbers meaning squat, and Cullen throwing me a curve ball between now and the 28th: 100% ;-)

Actually, when it gets typed out like that I can't believe it is so close because I feel so unprepared, but at the same time I find myself noticing aches and pains and such more often wondering if they are "different" than normal (and maybe secretly hoping they might be in hopes of having a baby in the next two weeks). All I know is I bounce from being elated to terrified and anxious to nervous depending on the day, lol.

Oh, and Thomas has pretty much admitted he is scared out of his mind....especially with the possibility of a C-sect. delivery. Poor guy....

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

OK, I did it!

Since I have about a month to go before my due date I have created a guessing game for Cullen's arrival via the link on my sidebar. Take a guess if you wish!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Stone Soup

Remember that old tale of stone soup? And how everyone threw a little bit of everything into the pot....yup, this post is a little like that, hahaha.

1.) I do have 34 week pictures, but my house is in a total state of demolition so I can't find my cable to get them off my camera. At this rate, you will be able to see my 36 and 34 at the same time.

2.) My work shower was yesterday, and it was great! I knew we were having a small lunch within the department, but I didn't realize it was going to be so elaborate! My department is mostly men so I honestly didn't expect gifts, but everyone pitched in and the secretary went out and filled an entire baby bathtub with things we still needed like first-aid stuff, diapers, wipes, bibs, bottles, bath wash, lotion, etc, and then on top of that two other people bought me gifts so I got an outfit, two pairs of shoes and a buddy harness for when he starts running off, lol. I was so shocked!

3.) Speaking of shower, I was a bad girl yesterday and ate cake....THREE TIMES! LoL. Never too much at once, but still....I'm not even a huge cake person, but this just tasted so freaking good and the icing (which was whipped) was amazing. Maybe I was just in yummy shock from my inability to eat sweets lately, haha.

4.) I think I'm starting to drop. Although I realize it could just be a position thing (hmmm, head down maybe?) I actually have ribs again and it feels like I have a grapefruit in my crotch when I walk, but here's my question.....once a baby "drops" can he move back up if he wants? My assumption of dropping was baby moves into your pelvis to stay, but I could be wrong. Also, if he "dropped" into his breech position, does that mean he is destined to stay that way?

5.) Baby hiccups are strange creatures and we actually got to catch it on the last u/s...it was crazy!

6.) I really do enjoy being pregnant and can't believe it's almost over...if I have to have a C-sect I am only going to be pregnant for 3-4 more weeks!

7.) My next appt is at 36 weeks on the 30th.....I wonder if my doc will start internals then? (I forgot to ask at my last appt when/if she actually does those), plus that is the standard time to get my GBS swab so I figured she would just check while she's down there, but I have no idea.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Squishy baby

So, just as I suspected my little boy is growing fine. He is about 5 lbs at 34 weeks, which from what I hear is perfectly average, however in my tiny frame he is running out of space very quickly and the pictures we got today were very, very squishy, lol. Also, speaking of space....my son is also frank breech. Yup, his head is right under my ribs and his feet are right up there with it. I knew all along he wasn't head down, and sure enough my suspicions were confirmed today. I know he still has time to turn, but we my doc definitely talked C-section today and just to let me know it *may* be our only option if things don't change. I'm really really hoping little man flips around and already plan to place cold things on his head ;-) My doc also talked about a version if he hasn't flipped by 38 weeks (my next u/s), but she told me that with a frank breech it can be the most difficult and not yield as favorable results as other breech types. Although, something I am a bit confused about is I have always heard that an external version is best done between 35 and 37 weeks, so I don't understand why my doc would wait until 38 weeks. Maybe I will ask about this at my next appt in two weeks.

So, in lieu of all of this...does anyone know any other "natural" ways to get a breech baby to turn?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Active boy!

Goodness gracious my son is SO active!!! I know as he gets bigger and room quickly runs out over the next 6 weeks it will slow down, but man...he's a squirmer!!! Actually, I love this part of being pregnant, I love the movement, and I especially love the movement that makes other people stare at my belly in amazement (although I will admit he has had his "favorite" spot to kick and move just to the right of my belly button this ENTIRE pregnancy and it is starting to get sore).

In other news, speaking of belly button...it's official....my innie as as flat as a pancake =P

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Just call me Violet

As in shrinking violet because apparently that is what I am. I learned yesterday I was down another pound at my docs office...yeah, fun stuff, she wasn't exactly happy about it (heck, neither was I) and she wants me to eat more. This to me is insane because I really feel like I eat all the time, however now I have put myself on a strict "eat every two hours even if I'm hungry or not" plan. Today went well, but do you know how fast 2 hours goes by at work?! I swear every time someone walked into my office I was shoving more food into my mouth. This better pay off by the 17th (my next appt) because I swear on the life of my son I am not TRYING to lose weight here. However, I did find a protein shake with 260 calories and only 9 carbs so I am going to get my doc to look at the ingredients to make sure there isn't anything harmful in it, although I didn't see anything that stood out at first glance, and maybe start eating those WITH my lunch to add in calories but not a lot of carbs that would raise my blood sugar levels.

Oh, and for those who are wondering, Cullen seems to be growing right on target despite the weighty issue, but we will verify that with my u/s on the 17th as well. Oh, and if movements and kicks are any indication of how he is growing, he is definitely one strong little boy! =)

Monday, October 6, 2008

Perfect Moment Monday

My perfect moment happened tonight while my husband was doing laundry (no, THAT is not the perfect moment, lol) and he found a few of Cullen's footed nighties on the floor. Then Thomas told me to look over, and he was cradling one of outfits like a little baby in his arms just smiling away. I can't wait until what that represents truly becomes my reality.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

32 week picture

See that ripple in the middle? Yeah, little man decided to move around right as DH snapped the camera ;-P

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Shower, etc

So, my shower was this past weekend and everything went great! I still have a hard time believing it was actually MY shower, but sure enough, it was that time ;-) We had a really nice turn out with a lot of gifts and yummy food, oh and the cutest duck cake you've ever seen!....check it out....
This was also our ducky punch....courtesy of my Mom =)
Next, the buffet
The fruit arrangement, again courtesy of my Mom
As the guests walked in they were greeted with pictures of Cullen, a diaper cake and a game in which they had to guess the date and time that our little man would arrive (obviously winners will be announced later, lol).
More decorations
The gift table!
DH and I....yes, for those who are wondering I did get my hair cut ;-)
Cullen's bookcase. This was really cool and something I didn't know about...my SIL's who hosted the shower asked each guest to bring a storybook for Cullen, and then they had this made with his name on it =)
Me with my Mom and MIL
Just random gift opening shots.....

So, in other news, I apologize for not keeping up with this more than I do, but quite frankly I'm a pretty boring pregnant woman (which I guess is a good thing though). However, I am starting to get a bit uncomfortable now, especially at night, and I swear my belly isn't going to be able to stretch any further, lol. My GD is well controlled and I'm up about 10 lbs now. Right now my main focus is getting all of the things we still need for Cullen, getting the house remodel finished before the big day, and looking forward to my last day at work for at least 9 weeks.

Also, I wanted to add that there are several wonderful pregnant women that I follow (you know who you are!), and I just wanted to let you know that I have been reading and keeping everyone in my thoughts...LaLa, congrats on the birth of the wee ones! Sara and Meredith, I'm glad to see your roomies are staying put for the moment and seriously, God bless the both of you for putting up with all of that bed rest and PTL, Jen...gotta love being "boring" like me and I hope baby is a bit more cooperative later ;-), Jen (Carol) I honestly cannot believe Jillian will be here soon...congrats on making it this far! Cece...glad to see things are going well (even though you are entering uncomfortable territory too), Doc the belly looks wonderful (and I love how you rock it out!hehehe) and Nancy, I'm so glad to see you this far after everything that could have happened. Karl is truly your son, and you look absolutely radiant =) Oh and Jenn...I think you beat me in the tiny 12 week picture department ;-) Can't wait to see 14 weeks!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

A little behind....

Here is my 30 week picture, sorry for the slight delay ;-) Shower pictures and updates later =)

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Wow, I suck

So yeah, I haven't been blogging or commenting lately(although I swear I have been reading)....sorry about that. Let me give you the rundown....

~I still haven't gotten my u/s pictures scanned
~Cullen's room is moving along nicely....I painted the changing table today.
~We have our stroller put together (It's the Graco Metrolite in Metropolitan)
~My shower is next weekend (Holy Moly!)
~House is a wreck because of all the remodeling (kitchen and bath)
~As of my last appt. I have gained 8lbs
~I can tell little man is higher because I randomly get short of breath
~Sleeping comfortably is hit or miss
~I love feeling Cullen move, but sometimes it does hurt!
~I'm 3/4 of the way through this pregnancy and new belly pics will be posted soon.
~I'm 3/4 of the way through this pregnancy and can hardly believe it, everything seems like it is going so fast, but I am so excited to meet my son.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

28 weeks....Hello third tri!

Craziness I tell you, 2/3 down....1/3 to go. We had a growth scan on Friday that revealed our little man was 2 lbs 10oz which puts him between the 50 and 60 percentile for height and weight AND we got some really awesome 3D pics, which I will post once our scanner is up and running again, but until then I will leave you with my belly shots and more pics of the nursery =)

The normal shot...

Hey, you get to see my face! Yeah, sorry for the no make-up thing, haha....

Finished letters above his bed....
All of his shelving (eventually every tier on the small one will have a basket for holding things)

Oh and, as an update from my last post...I was weighed after my ultrasound and it was 130 again on two different scales. Everyone basically concluded last check-ups scale was off since it would be almost impossible for me to have lost almost 6 lbs in 2 weeks given how healthy little man is; I could have told them that ;-)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Something is fishy

I had my doctor appt. yesterday and all is well. The "best" news of the appt was the fact that I had gained weight....5 lbs to be exact in 3 weeks. Now, let me preface this by saying I am GLAD I gained weight, I NEEDED to gain weight and it was becoming a bit of a concern because I had plateaued at 130...I just truly didn't expect to see a 5 lb weight gain in such a short amount of time, but hey, it was totally cool. However, now I think it may have just been a difference in scales, which leads me to another whole conumdrum. Let me explain...

My doctor has 3 exam rooms. Now for unknown reasons I have always gone into exam room 2. Nothing special in there, it just happens to be the one open every time I have an appt. so my weight has been recorded on the scale in exam room two (my doc uses the old manual ones). I have also been keeping track of my weight based on the scale at my work gym (again, a manual one) and both my doc's scales and this scale have coincided the entire time so between visits I have kept a pretty accurate idea of what is going on BUT for outside reasons I haven't been to the gym since my last appt., thus not stepping on a scale.

Yesterday I was in exam room 3, using the scale in exam room 3. I will point out that I thought the scale looked off balance because it wasn't quite level on the floor, but anyways, lo and behold I had gained 5 lbs since my last visit. Now, fast forward until today when I got my tushie back into the gym at work (I only walk 1 mile 3x a week to keep up good lung function). Of course the first thing I did was step on the scale because honestly I was pretty amazed to see the number 135...it's new for me. However, did not make it to 135....I weighed exactly 131 lbs, which would only be an increase of .5-1 lbs since my appt. in the beginning of Aug.

So, which is true? Did I REALLY gain 5 lbs according to the new scale I had never been on before OR should I trust the scale I have been using since I became pregnant? See, it's not the actual amount of weight gain that matters because as long as I'm gaining SOME weight and not actual losing it my doc is happy. BUT one that same note, here is what I DON'T want to happen. What if at my next appt. (in about 2 weeks-3 weeks) I'm not in exam room 3. I step on the scale, and it doesn't register 135 like I "weighed" at this appt. Hypothetically, let's say it says 133 (assuming the scale at the gym is correct and I gain another 2 lbs until then). Then, my doc sees that and wants to talk about the fact I'm losing weight and she is concerned (I think a tiny bit of her brain thinks I'm purposely trying to NOT gain weight, but I swear on my baby's life that isn't true), but since I didn't REALLY gain 5lbs it wouldn't be true that if I don't weigh 135 again I had actually lost weight. Make sense? I'm sure if that comes up I could explain all of this to her, but it's sort of hard to argue the numbers, even if makes sense in my head the scale in exam room three is off.

So, best case scenerio....I miraculously make the true 135 mark before my next appt. and all is well OR I get put back into exam room three which is where this all started ;-)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Holy Cow!

Um, as Nancy pointed out in a comment to my last post I officially hit double digits!!! As of today I have 97 days to go and I didn't even notice it!!! Sheesh....it's sort of funny because I have been counting down to "double digits" since 114 days left, and here I go and forget my official transition.....so, Thank you Nancy for saying something. At the rate I'm going lately it would have been 80 some days left before I thought to look at my counter again.

However, I guess it seems fitting that my passing into near third trimester will be marked with a post containing my 26 week pictures AND pictures of the nursery that we started today (um, did ~I~ just say that?!??!)

First....my daily belly.....

Breathe In....

Breathe Out....

One window

Another view

His name I painted to go above the crib

My mom is coming back over tomorrow and we are going to refinish the floor and put the rug down. Now, all I need to do is actually FIND a crib.....

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Busy and tired

Actually, busy and tired don't even begin to describe what my life has been like this past two weeks....try exhausting, so please excuse the radio silence. I still don't have a lot of time to post this, but I came across a revelation today and I wanted to share.

I've decided I eat too much splenda.

For the past 1-2 weeks I have been having these weird "symptoms". I have been getting headaches more often, I have brief periods of what feels like heart palpitations and/or slight shortness of breath, then usually with that comes an almost nausea type feeling in my stomach as well or dizzy spells.

Now of course I was blaming this on work, becoming more pregnant, and simply all the stresses in my everyday life (there have been a lot lately, but anyways) however yesterday I noticed a pattern. I would always get a headache about 1-2 hours after I got to work and then again about 1 hour before I left....subsequently these are the roughly the same time I am about halfway through my 1 liter bottle of water flavored with a mix-in that has, you guessed it...splenda as the sweetner.

Now, I have always drank these so at first I didn't think it could really be THAT, and I didn't think that little amount of splenda in my two packets of stuff was really significant...plus my doc said splenda was the "good option". However, since all of you know I have GD (about 4 weeks into the serious carb counting and blood sugar testing) I have of course been trying to find things with lower carbs and sugar to eat and I just realized today how MUCH splenda I really eat. In a normal day:

~2 water flavor packets (each mixed into a 1 liter bottle)
~1-2 cans of diet right (always one, SOMETIMES two)
~My yogurt has splenda in it
~My jello has splenda in it
~My SF icecream has splenda in it too.

Now, I'm not exactly sure "how much splenda is too much splenda", but maybe this intake is just too much for ME and my body. I can easily cut out some of these things and see what happens....see if the headaches go away, etc. I am of course eating other things besides artificial sweetners....I eat lots of protein, whole grains, dairy and veggies too in a day's time span....but considering I have been using splenda more than normal (again, for me) now(with the GD and all) it just might have some merit.

Crap, I hope this doesn't affect Cullen either.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Pictures and a confession

Today's post is a two-fer.....TWO pictures...mainly because I didn't post my 22 week pic two weeks ago. So, here we go

22 weeks....

24 weeks....
Maybe it is just me, but I don't think I grew OUT a lot in two weeks, but the bump has definitely moved UP and is taking up much more of my midsection.

Also, my confession for today.....I've started to grunt, lol. It's official, I grunt when I bend over, I grunt when I roll over in bed and sometimes when I get off the couch. I'm not even that big yet, but somehow it just makes doing anything so much easier. Oh and if that isn't enough, DH finds it pretty funny as well.....

Friday, August 8, 2008

Dear Baby Boy....

Hello dear Cullen, do you know what today is? Today Mommy is 24 weeks pregnant, and you technically reach viability. Now, this means that if you were born now you would have about a 50% chance of making it. Obviously Mommy and Daddy are happy to reach this milestone seeing as it means we we are closer to actually meeting you, HOWEVER we really don't like these odds. So, in light of this we wanted to let you know it's perfectly OK to stay snuggled up inside Mommy for another 14 weeks or so. You have been such a good boy, and Mommy and Daddy are very much looking forward to your arrival in November. Did you hear that son...NOVEMBER... and right now it's only August. ;-)

Love,
Your wonderful and excited parents

Oh, and just to let everyone know since I didn't get around to posting my 22 week pic two weeks ago I am going to post my 22 and 24 week pic both tomorrow =)

Monday, July 28, 2008

Out of town!

I will be out of town for the next week at a work conference. When I come back I will post my 22 week pic. Have a great week everyone!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

It's been decided!

First I want to thank everyone for all of their wonderful feedback about DH's gift. After much thought (and DH mentioning again about photography last night), I have decided to get him a digital SLR camera. The cheapest one I have found is about 500.00, but I am going to look on ebay and such for the next month to see if I can come across a deal.

I made this decision for several reason.....one, of course is Cullen. We love taking pictures of our furbabies so I can only imagine the amount that will be taken when our actual CHILD is born. Two, and this was a big one, DH has always been into racing....as in, he loves the sport, and he has always wanted to get into it (like a grassroots type of thing) but now at 33 decided he is a bit to old to start AND he got rid of his prelude for our new Audi wagon. So last night he goes, well getting into photography is a way for me to stay in the action of racing, but not actually BE racing. Yeah, that chose it right there.....camera here I come.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Gift Idea

So, I have decided to get DH a nice gift to give to him at the shower (which yes, he will be attending) the last weekend in Sept. I'm looking to spend a decent amount on it, and yes, I know that there are things I should probably be spending this money on....like needed baby items....BUT, he really deserves this and I LOVE giving him things. I have my idea narrowed down to three items, but still can't make a final decision.

1.) Digital camera-We already have a decent digital camera (which was about 150.00), but I am talking about a FANCY one since DH has now mentioned an interest in photography and we will of course be taking more photos with Cullen entering out lives shortly.

2.) A video recorder-Again, for capturing all of life's moments with Cullen.

3.) A PS3-This one is truly just for DH. DH has never really been a "gamer" but he does have several racing games he LOVES and the new one is coming out for PS3. It's fun for him and gives him" his" time to just relax....PLUS it doubles as a blue-ray DVD player, which is why ~I~ would like this option. =) OR since it really is just one game DH likes, I could just give him the blue-ray player....

Hmmm, any thoughts on this? I think I may have to feel DH out a little more in the next month to see which one he REALLY wants.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Silly little bugger

So, in perfect compliance after my last movement post I don't think Cullen has STOPPED moving today except for maybe an hour (babies are supposed to sleep sometime right?, haha). He is having a field day with kicking the band on my pants and of course he has his favorite spots right under my belly button and off to my right side (which makes sense because my placenta is on my left).

OMG I love this so much.....

Monday, July 14, 2008

Movement....the double-edged sword

I love feeling Cullen move right now, and better yet I love the fact he is getting stronger and not only can I feel it inside but I can feel it outside and so can Thomas; however this movement thing can be quite tricky. When you are first pregnant, all you think about is the fact you really have nothing to indicate your baby is growing well except for the occasional doctor's appt. Then you finally hit about 12 weeks, and your doctor tries the doppler to listen to your little one's heart.....as soon as you hear that "woosh, woosh, woosh", you feel automatically better (at least for that moment). Then, between then and about 16-20ish weeks (depending on the person) all you are waiting for is for that first little flutter....that first new piece of evidence that your baby does actually exist down there....then it happens and BOOM, the universe is perfectly aligned yet again.

Then....then come the days when the flutters transform into specific movements, stretches, kicks and punches. You can tell if your baby is asleep or awake, and even which side of your belly the kid prefers during the day....it's a beautiful daily reminder that again, things are (in all likelyhood) going well. HOWEVER,with that comes the instances (or days!) that your little one just isn't moving as much, you notice they aren't following their regular pattern, and although they are moving *some*, it isn't enough to make you comfortable again (even though you know that at this stage of the game....middle of second tri....movements don't HAVE to be regular).

This is where I am as of yesterday and today. Saturday Cullen was moving and kicking like crazy (hmmm, maybe he wore himeself out, lol), and yesterday and now today, when he is usually active in the morning, I'm just getting these small movements here and there. My friend Nancy and I talked about this once, saying that now is one of those times having a doppler is great. Yes, it works wonders before you can feel your baby move, but even on the days afterwards when they just don't feel as active....you can hear the hb and all is well again. I never got around to renting a doppler, so for now I am just going to put my feet up for a minute and see if once I am still and quiet Cullen decides to give Mommy some reassuring movements.

If I don't feel him in the next 30 minutes or so I am going to go down to the PA class and see if they have a doppler in their skills lab for when they do their obstetric classes......apparently working in a college does have it's benefits sometimes ;-)

Friday, July 11, 2008

Halfway, halfway!!!! updated with pic

I am officially halfway today.....20 weeks!!!! This means that in another 20 short weeks my son will be here.....holy cow! Over 2.5 years of trying and over 3 years of waiting have all come down to just 4.5 "months" left....oh my god, this IS going to really happen.

P.S-Picture tomorrow =)

**Update**Now presenting.....
Do I look pregnant yet? ;-)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

A milestone for Thomas!!

Last night Thomas got to feel Cullen for the first time =D. We were laying in bed, and I told him I bet he could feel him if he put his hand on my belly and waited. Sure enough about 5 minutes later I felt him kick right where DH's palm was. I asked Thomas if he felt that, and he said yes but he didn't want to get excited because he said it "felt like one strong heartbeat"....as in he was feeling MY hb through my abdomen, and I told him, no that was your son!! Needless to say, he got really excited.... It was so cute, and I have a feeling this is going to become a regular thing =)

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Well, well

Although I won't get my official results until Friday, based on my meter readings I did fail the 3 hour GTT since 2 of my 4 draws were above the threshold. It isn't the best news, but I'm glad it was caught early and since my diet already consists of no sugar and monitored carbs and I already check my blood sugars, controlling it won't be a deviation from my norm.

Now, onto a bit more happy news. Here is the bedding DH and I finally chose. It isn't either one of the ones listed a few posts below (go figure!) but DH fell in love with it and I think the circles make it look pretty "contemporary". Plus it still matches the rug we like...so yay!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Please send your thoughts

Kelly, a friend of mine who I met through a community message board, just delivered her stillborn baby girl at 21 weeks. My heart cannot even comprehend what she has gone through and if you have a minute or two, could you post to her here, just to let her know she has many people praying to get her through this rough time.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

This is so cool!

Can I just say that I LOVE looking at bedding? DH and I have always been partial to more neutral beddings, but now that we know for sure this little one is a boy it is really fun to look at all our options out there!!

Now, we before we even found out we were pregnant I saw this great bright green and brown rug and told Thomas if we ever got pregnant I wanted it in the nursery (plus it was organic and super soft!). So, ever since them I have been on the hunt for a bedding to match. Here are the ones I've found so far:

Hmm...so many choices.....

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Some added tidbits

So, now I've had time to think a little bit past yesterday I wanted to share a few more things and answer some questions. First, questions....yup, the little man's heart rate was always high. It was 179 at 8 weeks and 167 yesterday. We actually talked about that yesterday because the tech laughed at how many times a day she has to explain to people it really is an old wives tale (although yes, obviously some babies they fall into the correct "category"). As for names right now our top three are:

Ethan Rhys
Peyton Rhys
Cullen Rhys

Most of you know our last name is Major, so which do you like better (or do you have any other suggestions)? I DO have a favorite (which is different from DH's btw), but I like them all so I certainly won't be offended with which one you choose.

I also wanted to share my story from yesterday. When Thomas and I went into the u/s room with the tech she (who was new, but really good so no complaints) asked how far along I was and I said "18, 3" as in 18 weeks 3 days. So she tells me to sit down and DH makes a joke about how relieved he is this is an abdominal u/s (although he called it topical so it was really cute) and not the inserted one. Then this is the conversation that followed:

Tech: "well, sorry to break the news but we will have to go inside this time to see the baby better"

Me (looking very confused): "Huh, really? That's odd"

Tech: "Yeah, we won't be able to go on top of your abdomen until 11 or so weeks for a NT scan"

Me (looking way more confused this time): "OK, but I am 18 weeks today"

Tech: "Oh....18! I thought you said 8, and there is no record of a previous u/s here with us so I assumed it was your first"

Me: "No, I had one done here at 8 weeks"

Tech (looking through my chart): "Oh, I see it, you had one at 10 weeks (btw, I immediately knew at this point at which part of my chart she was looking at)"

Me: "Well actually it was 8, but yeah"

Tech (finally getting up to speed): "Oh, I see now (obviously realizing she was looking TOO far back into my chart)...so this is your BIG u/s!!"

Me: "Yup, you got it!"

After that things proceeded as normal, so all is well, but she (and I very briefly) was very confused at what was actually supposed to be done yesterday! Lastly, based on the measurements yesterday (although we couldn't get a good CRL), little man weighs about 9 oz and my doc said based on estimation right now that puts him somewhere around 7 to 7.5 lbs full term (however I know u/s weight measurements can be off, so we will see) but the main point is...he's growing just fine for now =)

Monday, June 30, 2008

Something I thought I'd never say....

I have son. A healthy baby boy....and trust me, there is NO question...see:
Oh, and that light gray area in the middle on the right is his hand...yeah, he kept reaching down there, lol.

Honestly, I never really thought about the idea of raising a son; however I AM thrilled and am just so relieved he is healthy. I think this whole thing is really starting to sink in....the BFP, the first heartbeat, my growing belly, my son.....WOW. I think a boy will be fun =P

In other news...I'm good as well, except for the fact I've lost a pound in 2 weeks so my doc told me the only thing she wanted me to do was gain weight before I see her again in July, but regardless of my weight the baby's is great. So, on that note...I will leave you with the other two pictures we got to take home. I think he has my nose and DH's mouth/chin structure ;-)

You can really see the heart in this one, and his tiny little fist.

This is one of my favorites. You can really see a lot of the facial structures and both hands (again in fists).

Sunday, June 29, 2008

As the big day approaches...

So my big u/s is tomorrow, and I am starting to have a lot of thoughts about it. Of course, the first thought is "I hope everything is going to be OK"....brain, good heart, functioning kidneys, etc, etc. Then my thoughts drift to gender. DH and I want to try and find out the gender tomorrow (if the wee one cooperates that is) and everyone keeps asking if I think I know what I am having or if I want one or the other. My answers are no and no....but what if I am wrong. What if I do have a preference but don't realize it?....what if once I hear "It's a (fill in the blank)" my heart will secretly be disappointed because I wanted the other one but didn't know it? I know deep down DH wants a little girl....a daddy's girl....so will he be a little disappointed if it's not? I mean I know he already loves this baby and that won't change regardless, and I know he first and foremost wants a healthy baby...but still, will there be *that* moment if a little turtle pops up on the screen?

I think a lot of these thoughts (and some more I will share post u/s) are stemming from nerves and excitement because I AM excited and tomorrow is a BIG step in this whole pregnancy thing. We put together the bouncenette last night....just to see what it would look like in the living room and to see how the dog's responded. They sniffed it for a good 30 minutes and DH just smiled.....only 22 more weeks to go!!!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

As promised....updated

This picture is crazy to me. Although I do think I am actually starting to look *more* pregnant, when I look at myself I don't think I look like this (or at least it doesn't *feel* that way). My abdomen is definitely taking on a different shape ;-)

Update: Jewels asked if I thought I looked bigger or smaller than this picture portrays, and I said smaller (especially in clothes). So, to show this, I thought I would also post the 2nd picture we took this morning. One is on an inhale (below) and one is on an exhale (above). This will give you an idea of the range of sizes I go through on a daily basis now, lol.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Quick update....

18 weeks today! Things have been hectic, but I will have belly shots tomorrow (um yeah, can we say growth between 16 and 18 weeks?!?!) and u/s pics on Monday. Have a great weekend! =D

Posted by KatieM at 10:33 AM 3 comments

Sunday, June 22, 2008

My left side throbs....

Cyst anyone? Now I know I am going to start having RLP and pulls and tugs and things of that nature. I mean, dang, I'm almost halfway through this leg of my journey to baby (OMG, did ~I~ just say that?!?!) but anyways.....I know this throbbing most-of-the-day pain has to be because of my cyst. Plus, for those who don't know a lot about your digestive system, the left side of your body is also where your descending colon is.....and as many pregnant women can attest too (including myself) we sometimes have problems in this area. So, growing uterus + large intestine placement= an uncomfortable ovary.

Now, during my anatomy scan (in 8 days, yay!) Dr. wonderful also wants the tech to check out this cyst and my ovary to make sure it is going back to normal size, which it should be in the process of doing at this point since I definitely no longer need it for progesterone production. Hmmm, maybe my extra pain lately has been due to the cyst draining instead of growing....it's a thought. Anyways, does anyone know what they will do if the cyst hasn't gotten smaller or has in fact grown? Obviously I will ask my doc this when I see her that day should the issue arise, but has anyone out there experienced this? Did they leave yours alone or actually drain it to prevent it from growing any larger?

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I'm so proud of my pee (my appt. update)

Yes, it's true...I am very proud of my pee, lol. At my doc's office, to give your urine sample you just go to the bathroom in the private waiting room, pee in a plastic cup, and then set it out on a cart with your name for all to see. It's no biggie and it's quick and efficient. Well, the past two times I have gone MY pee has been the lightest...practically clear in fact! Everyone else's is super dark....now I'm not saying that they aren't drinking enough or anything, but I ~know~ I am =P

Anyways, I digress a bit. My appt. went great. I love prenatal appts. at this stage....they are so quick and easy. Pee, weight, BP, HB, any questions, here's when your next visit is, out the door. My weight was 129, like I expected, BP was 114/70, and the doc found the HB right away....on the left side as I suspected seeing as that is where I feel baby hanging out most of the time. I have my big scan in two weeks (so excited by the way!) and my next actual appt. isn't until July 22nd. Oh, and I also asked her about the 3D/4D ones that my doc's office offers if you pay out of pocket because we really wanted another u/s before the baby was born and my MIL wanted to come to one, and she said that it probably wouldn't be necessary to spend the money because I will be getting more frequent u/s due to CF (for those who don't know, sometimes women with CF have issues with IUGR, so although it isn't likely with my health it will happen, she wants to watch for it regardless). She said she could just order one of them 3D for no extra charge.......yippee!!! =D

Saturday, June 14, 2008

16 week picture!

From the side.....

And a little more front view.

Can you tell a difference? Check out here to see!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

OK, I'm calling it!

Remember those tickle sensations I was talking about yesterday? I had it again last night while laying on the couch with DH watching TV and I've decided it has to be baby. It isn't gas and it doesn't twitch like a muscle spasm would. I feel it once, maybe twice, a day (usually in the evening) and it is always that same feeling....it feels like someone is taking a feather and lightly touching the inside of my lower abdomen....like an itch, from the inside, lol. I've had a lot of pulls and tugs down there lately (from growing I'm sure) but this sensation is totally unique. Maybe I'm just being a naive first time, over excited, mom to be...but I really, really think thats what it is and it makes me giggle every time =D

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

OK, back to happy, haha

Although my below fears are still very valid, I feel the need to move on to more happy things...

~People are starting to notice I'm actually pregnant and haven't just gained some weight....so that's pretty cool; and I will be posting my next pic this weekend!
~Speaking of this weekend, my mom said she may take me shopping to get some summer maternity stuff since this past week has been insanely hot already. This all depends on whether she needs to go to C'ville to babysit my nephew...but we will see. Either way we are going in the next two weeks =)
~My next d/a is in one week and I'm hoping to hear the hb again, plus DH informed me today that we have 20 days until our big u/s...he's super excited!
~DH is talking to the baby more now, and tells him/her he loves them all the time. I think he is still in (happy!) shock sometimes because again last night he goes "wow, there really is a baby down there...my baby is having my baby!".
~I'm anxiously awaiting movement that I feel confident is baby. I know it's still really early and it could be several more weeks before anything noticeable, but each night before I go to sleep I lay very still and try to detect any "sensation" I don't associate with potential gas, lol. I get these tickle like things sometimes, but I'm not saying yes or no yet.

Other than that, I'm just continuing to enjoy all of this, eat when I'm hungry, stay hydrated (avoid the heat), work out about 4-5 times a week, and rest when I'm tired =)

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Nesting Meltdown (sorry, this got long)

I completely believe that once you get pregnant (assuming it's wanted) women start to nest immediately. I mean, you think about where the baby is going to go in your house/apt. etc, you start to gaze at different bedding options, will you put a bassinet in your room...things like that. For me it started with the cooking...I had a crazy urge to cook and make things I've never tried before....baked goods, side dishes, you name it...then came the cleaning (and it still goes on) my house just never seems clean enough or straighted up enough and I get very frustrated about it.

Now, I've never mentioned this here, but DH and I really don't like the house we live in. Yes, I know I'm lucky to have my own place, and better yet to own my place, but still....we despise it. When DH and I first started looking at houses (about 6 months prior to our lease being up in our previous location) we had this list of things we wanted. Obviously we were willing to compromise on some things, but none the less...our list was important. For example...DH wanted either a garage or basement space to have "his" area...I was totally cool with that. I wanted a functional kitchen...it didn't have to be huge, but I wanted a dishwasher and a layout I could easily cook in (read that as: counter space to chop, cut, dice, mix, etc). Ideally we wanted a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath house (like the rental we were moving out of) but were willing to adjust those slightly if we really liked the overall house and location. Now....I must say this first....for the first 5 months of house hunting, loan getting, etc....we worked with a TERRIBLE realtor. Being first time homebuyers, DH and I truly knew nothing about the details of the process....yes we knew we had to get a loan (obviously) but that was about it....this woman (who we used because she was a friend of my MIL) literally left us out to dry and wasted our time over and over again. About a month before our lease was up, we switched our realtor (who turned out to be wonderful) but were given a LIMITED amount of time to find a house (our landlord was willing to go month to month per our lease BUT she already had someone moving in immediately after us). Most of houses we had toured with our previous realtor were off the market, so we started from scratch....loan and all. But, due to that DH and I didn't get ANYTHING we wanted in this house.....no garage, no basement, only 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, crappy layout, crappy bathroom and worse kitchen...the ONLY thing it had going for it is the fact it is in a GREAT neighborhood in our town and all in all the previous owner had kept up with it nicely (new roof, new plumbing, new electric, new insulation, new windows) but the actual house as far as functionality...SUCKS. It isn't the smallest place we've ever lived (and it does have a fenced in yard) but coming from our previous place, this was a serious downgrade. BUT going back to the timing issue I said before, it was honestly the "best" house on the market in our price range that single month...so we bought it.

OK now you know the background, back to my nesting. I literally had a panic attack yesterday after work when I walked into my living room and realized that there was no way in hell we could fit any sort of baby things in there (and see, here is where us having two 50 lbs dogs is crazy...but then again, that's what crazy infertile people do....they find other things to love...however, they take up space AND so does their stuff so it adds to my small house panic). Now I know a baby doesn't "care" where it's swing is, or where it's bouncy seat is, but THIS MOMMA cares because when there is NO room to put any of these things (besides the nursery room, which surprisingly I'm not worried about except for the fact it is currently our office and now we have NO WHERE to put that and the room isn't big enough for both). So I make DH immediately re-arrange the living room to see if I can "make" more space....it helped a little, but I'm still freaking out over it...I think about it constantly! Our old house was perfect for a baby/child...and this house just isn't. I can't even imagine having a baby there....there are so many factors that aren't "baby friendly" or baby accommodating. In fact, out of all the places we have lived, this is the WORST one for a little one. This in turn makes me feel like a bad parent already because I bought a house that wasn't made for what I was purposely trying to achieve at the time....and it's stupid because with our "bad" realtor, we based a lot of our yes or no houses on the fact we whole heartedly believed a child was on the way. I want to move so bad I can't stand it, but we could only get what we paid for the house in the current market, which would leave us NO money for the next house, and honestly I'm totally cool with starting over from scratch and getting an 80/20 loan with PMI but the problem is getting someone to BUY our house now......

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Scales and kisses

I actually weighed in this morning.....129. So I'm up about 5 lbs...not to shabby, and I attribute at least one of those to my newly acquired beautiful D bosom ;-)

However, in Daddy-to-be news...he's getting more and more fascinated by the day (which I love!). Last night all he wanted to do was rub my belly and he kissed it before we went to sleep. I swear one of my favorite parts of this pregnancy is watching the transition in my husband.

Monday, June 2, 2008

I need to remember I'm pregnant.

Fortunately however, my body has taken over this task for me. Is it dumb to say I often forget I'm pregnant? Not as if I forget I have a baby down there, but I forget some of the things I'm not supposed to do. For example, Thomas and I worked in the yard on Saturday...he mowed the grass and I worked on the flower beds (weeding, raking, shoveling, etc). This worked out great at first until I kept getting light headed (although I was staying hydrated) and eventually got a headache so DH had to finish it for me. I simply got overheated (it was hot and humid that day), but what surprised me was how quickly I got overheated.....it didn't even cross my mind this would be an issue when I said "I want to work in the yard today". Then the following day, Sunday, I was home alone because DH was at work, and it just so happened that Buster my lovely fur-son jumped the shorter side of our fenced in yard into the neighbor's yard. So, what did I do? I promptly hopped the fence, picked this little butt up and put him back over the fence like I had done several times pre-pregnancy. Oh, and did I mention his "little butt" is a 50lbs bully breed?

Yeah, my abdomen and uterus quickly told me this was unacceptable (as did DH later when I told him) by immediately starting to cramp (although I think some of this was due to my cyst because it was concentrated on my left side) and remained sore and irritable for a few hours. Again, I just forget it may not be something I should do. I think I need to work on realizing my increasing limitations. No, I don't think pregnancy is a "disease" and pregnant people are made of glass, but everyone can agree it DOES warrant some caution from time to time, especially as the belly gets bigger and the muscles are stretched more and more.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

14 week pictures!

The growing pink pants picture! (14w1d)

14 weeks with clothes

Friday, May 30, 2008

Time to get real people....

I've looked back at my posts until now and realize that a lot of the stuff mentioned was "fluff" stuff....good stuff, but sort of fluff things like updates, how far along I am, what symptoms I am or am not having, and of course pictures. I think I did this for a few reasons....number one, it was the first tri afterall and except for symptom talk, first doc. appts and such there isn't A LOT to talk about. Yeah, I could have talked about how extremely nervous and scared I was before the first u/s to the point my hands were clammy (which did happen), or how I wasn't nervous for my 2nd ultrasound, just excited to see the bean again and I could have gone into detail about how my heart soared when we heard the hb that day or how it was a bit awkward when the tech asked if this was my first pregnancy and I say no it's the 2nd, then she proceeds to ask if the little one was at home.....but I didn't really because I didn't think it was necessary at the time.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit though that I didn't feel as attached to this pregnancy for the longest time....part of me thinks it was out of worry because of what happened before, but the large part of me thinks I was/am just more comfortable with this pregnancy....like I just knew the last one wasn't right. I talked to my babies everyday praying for them to be OK, and it's not that I haven't prayed for or talked to this one, I have....I just don't feel the need to constantly worry if something isn't right, because I just know it's OK.

However, I have decided to give each trimester a word after it is over and my word for the first trimester is SURREAL. I was in denial for the longest time that I was actually pregnant....DH would constantly look at me and go "I can't believe this is actually happening" and I felt the same way. The first trimester was a huge transition period for me for several reasons.....

~Number one, actually getting through it as relaxed as I did
~Two, realizing I had to let a little bit of my infertility go for awhile (which is harder than one thinks when it has been the thing you almost defined yourself by for so long)
~Three, simply getting used to the fact there is a person growing inside of me....an actual person with a heartbeat separate from my own depending on me for survival; and then realizing that in 6 short months this baby will be here....in my house, in my life. When we were TTC we always dreamed for holidays and vacations with a child, but then it was only a dream. I'm still working on grasping the sheer reality of it all.

So again, SURREAL.

This is what I want my blog to be about....the real things I am feeling, the emotion of actually being pregnant-the happiness, the excitement, the amazement, and of course the (occasional!) stories of my bitchy days ;-) However, I still love the fluff stuff too, so I'm hoping this "new" blog becomes a combination of that.

Now, shall I share the fluff stuff? Of course......Im 14 weeks today (pictures to be posted tomorrow), and I need to buy more work pants. Oh, and have I mentioned that my constipation has gotten WORSE since around 12 weeks. However, I'm thinking this makes sense because around that time the placenta fully takes over the progesterone production right? So, more P equals slower digestive system until my body adjusts to the higher level again.

Lastly, I will leave you with a funny this morning. I came across a message board the other day that was talking about feeling the baby move....how far along you were, where was it (high, low, left right, etc). Seemed like a normal conversation until this (paraphrased by me because I can't find the exact post again):

Person 1: "Well, I'm 12 weeks and I can feel my baby move right under my ribs. It feel like bubbles"

Person 2: "Actually person 1, it is highly unlikely that at 12 weeks you are feeling your baby move near your ribs, if at all for your first pregnancy. At 12 weeks, your uterus is just coming out of your pelvis and if you did feel anything it would be very low"

Person 3: "Whatever person 2, I'm 8 weeks along and I can feel my uterus just below my belly button so maybe you aren't as smart as you think you are!"

Person 1: "Yeah person 2, see...I COULD be feeling my baby under my ribs. Who are you to say it isn't the baby moving, I just know it is"

HAHAHA is all I have to say. The sane person 2 is simply in a losing battle with two idiots who are probably questioning how they got pregnant in the first place.....

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Last Day!

I'm going to be sending out my invite list tonight and going invite only...I have about 30-35 emails/request so far, so if you know you sent me a request and you don't get an invite for some reason....email me again, I swear I'm not excluding you. Also, I did want to reiterate that with blogger (although most of you know this), the posts/blog go invite only....not just password protected; so you HAVE to have a google/blogger log-in to read it. Your "password" is your own account....not simply a word I give you. I've just had a few emails from people I've never seen blogs for and I wanted to make sure that was understood....for those who got confused, I'm sorry.

Anyways....have a great day, and I will see you on the other side! =)

Monday, May 26, 2008

It's official....

I'm 13w3d today, which means....Happy Second Trimester to me!!!! =D

This will probably be my last post this week because I want to keep the invite only post below near the top to make sure everyone has the opportunity to see it. Speaking of....for all of those who have already emailed or commented me, I am going to send out a mass email on Thursday to everyone who responds with the invite, so don't worry if you don't/didn't get a reply right away...anyone who asks to be invited, will be =)

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Just to let everyone know....

This blog will be going invite only by the end of this week. This has nothing to do with Anons, in fact, all of my comments have been wonderful and helpful, and I am a bit sad I will be losing some of the random bloggers that stumble across my blog; however part of me feels the more this pregnancy progresses the more I wish to keep it between friends or people who have commented so far. I've just been so overwhelmingly saddened by all the "bad" things going on in the IF blogger world right now, I feel it's best to "hide" my happiness to only those who really wish to share it. I believe once an IFer, always an IFer (I've mentioned this before) but once you are actually going through a pregnancy or parenthood some of that bitterness goes away for the time being, and you walk such a fine line of being elated for yourself but trying to still share the pain of others who are still waiting for the "prize". In fact, I've had days or weeks that I didn't want to post anything happy for myself here because so many of my online friends were going through so much struggle and I didn't want them to subject them to my good fortune.

So, if you are a normal reader, or if you are a reader who just found me and wants to follow my story...feel free to email me at luvnlife0507@yahoo.com to get an invite. The only stipulation with blogger is that once a blog goes invite only you have to have a blogger or google reader account to read it (at least that is the way I understand it). So I realize I may lose a few readers, and I truly hate that, but this is what is best for me.

Thanks!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Thank you everyone!!!!

I was so amazed at the response I got from my cloth vs. disposable debate; all of the opinions and information was great! It is almost as important as the breastmilk vs. formula debate in my eyes. Once I actually tackled the subject in depth I was also surprised to see how much information there really is out there, and that cloth diapering seems to be making quite a comeback. In saying that, the more I read about it, the more I do wish to attempt it.....however DH isn't quite on board with the idea (he falls back on the "ick" factor, like many do). So, we have decided to do this: we are going to buy one of each type of cloth diaper I am interested in (bum.genius, g.diaper, and probably fuzzi.buns) so we can physically see them, handle them, look at the features, etc, and then we are going to try and get samples or small packs of the chemical free disposable diapers such as Sev.enth Gener.ation and Na.ture Baby.care that we may use as well. I definitely want to cover all my bases, and if I end up not liking the cloth or DH still doesn't agree with the idea (but I do) and we do half and half we will still be going the most baby and environmentally friendly possible. =)

Again, thanks for everything!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

12 week appt. update!

My 12 week appt. was today (I am 12w4d), and all is well. I've gained 3 lbs so far, BP was normal, and I got to hear the HB with a doppler for the first time, so that was pretty cool. Squirt is just minding his own business down there, and was very cooperative (the doc found it right away!). I declined to do the NT scan because my risk was so low, and it isn't something DH and I would terminate for. So, now we wait until my next appt. which is June 17th, and I'll be 16w4d then =)

Monday, May 19, 2008

Thoughts on this...all opinions welcome

So, I have been seeing and doing a lot of research on different versions of reusable (cloth) diaper lately, and wanted to see everyones opinion on it. See, I've always said that as a new mother the last thing I wanted to worry about was washing diapers so it was disposable all the way. However, I do like to be as earth-friendly as possible, and disposable diapers are HORRIBLE on the environment. I heard somewhere that a diaper can sit in a landfill for 500 years, and every MINUTE about 34,000 diapers around the world are being dumped. I truly hate those stats....So, what's a new Mom to do?

I have come across the g.Diaper and bum.Genius, and have been weighing the pro's and con's. For the g.Diaper, they are a mix of disposable and reusable because the actual diaper is reusable and washable, but you put inserts (think huge maxi pad) into the snap liners and THAT portion is what you dispose of, and this disposal can be done in several ways: Toss in the trash can (compared to normal diapers, these liners only take 50-150 days to degrade), flush, or compost (only the wet ones of course....dirty diapers have be flushed or tossed). Next, the bum.Genius has an option of the liner (like the g.Diaper) but their most popular is the all in one (AIO) true cloth diaper. This diaper is 100% washable and you aren't creating any waste at all.

Now, here are my issues: obviously these diapers are more expensive at first than just regular disposable. However, if you use the AIO cloth diapers you won't buy as many of those as you do disposable so in the long run, it's probably cheaper. However, with the liner versions you are changing the liner as often as you would a regular diaper so you will buy the exact same amount of liners (at a more expensive price). For example, the g.Diaper is 52.00 for a 160 ct. case of smalls (think newborn) and 52.00 for a 128 ct. of medium/large. The bum.Genius AIO diaper is about 18.00 dollars a pop depending on where you buy them, and you will probably need 24 (just to be safe) so that is around 400.00 for stage one (however as the poops/pees get less frequent as baby grows you can probably opt for less, but 24 seemed like a good number for a newborn IF you wash them everyday to EOD).

Also....I realize we are saving the landfills, but what about the amount of water you use for these diapers. For the liner ones, of course you need to flush the liners. This process takes on average about 2 flushes per diaper change because you need to dissolve the inside of the liner, flush, then flush the outside of it (now, obviously this problem would be alleviated by tossing them in the trash since they are environmentally friendly this way as well), but you still need to wash the outside reusable portion. This leads me to my next water question....for the AIO cloth diapers the directions say to dump solids into toilet (obviously), so you will flush that. Then it says to wash the cloth diaper, and then at least one more time in hot water (sans detergent). Thats at least 2 loads of water per each diaper batch (obviously you can wash a lot of them at once). Maybe an extra rinse cycle would suffice instead of an entire new load, I dunno.

So, is the extra money and more water better than the landfill? What is the happy medium? As everyone knows, babies are expensive enough AND the economy isn't the greatest (gas prices anyone?) so money does have to be a factor. I was leaning toward the liner ones, but then again....it is EXPENSIVE, especially when you can buy 184 bulk pack pampers for 40.00. Also, does anyone know of an all disposable diaper (sort of like the liner portion of the g.Diaper) that doesn't stay in the landfill so long?

Saturday, May 17, 2008

New picture

This is my last picture in 1st tri since I take them every two weeks. Now presenting 12w1d =)

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Did you see my sidebar?

I created a "names list" and you can vote on ones you like or don't like. You should give it a try ;-) Some names I like, some I'm not crazy for, but the list includes names DH likes as well. Of course the decision is totally up to us I just like to see what people think. Regardless of the first name, the middle names will be Renee for a girl and Rhys for a boy. Keep in mind that our last name is Major, and if you have a name you think would go well, feel free to leave it in the comments section and I will add it to the list for people to vote on =)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

199!

Today officially marks the "under 200" days left until squirt is due. My 2nd appt. is next week at 12w4d....absolutely crazy. Oh, and I will post a new picture on Saturday ;-)

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

My husband is so cute.

So I will admit that I have already bought a pair of small maternity pants, and I love them! I can get by fine in my normal clothes with a tummy sleeve but sometimes those get annoying at work so I wanted to have something I didn't have to use it with. These pants are great....they don't "look" like maternity clothes, and because they are designed smaller it gives me just that little extra comfort room around the waistline. Anyways, I decided to wear them today and DH looks at my funny and goes...."OK, I can definitely see a difference but when are you going to get an actually belly?" He loves the fact I am going to have no waistline, lol. I just laughed and told him soon enough (I'm already in my 3rd month....it's crazy). I just think it is super cute to see him actually want this change in my body. Even on days when I look bigger because of bloating or constipation or whatever he loves to rub what little extra bump there is. I've told him it isn't baby, but he doesn't care, it makes him feel good to do it =)

Monday, May 5, 2008

Sleepy no more!!

You know, it's funny how you don't realize how tired you are during the first trimester until all the sudden you aren't tired anymore. I actually have energy now! I don't feel like I need a nap in the middle of the day and when I get home I am ready to exercise, cook, and clean. This burst of energy was very apparent yesterday when I worked on my house non-stop and then took a walk around the neighborhood. My list of accomplishments include: sweeping and cleaning all of the hardwood floors in the house, dusting, cleaning the windows, vacuuming and washing the area rug, organizing the laundry room, doing 7 loads of laundry, scrubbing the bathroom including the floors, and cleaning the kitchen including dishes, counters and floors. Then later that night I had the urge to fix rice krispie treats...so I did. Yeah, I rock! LoL.

Now, I went to bed at 9:45 after that but still...I actually did it! heheh

Friday, May 2, 2008

New picture and my MIL

Here is my 10 week belly pic!

If you want to see the progression of belly, you can go to my babiesonline page and view my photo gallery. Oh, and btw, I swear I don't look like that in my clothes, haha.

So, moving on to my MIL. Last night she called DH and I to tell us we needed to go see this woman she heard of or worked with, or whatever, that can tell the sex of the baby right now just by looking at me. We of course rolled our eyes and declined. I have a feeling the next 6 months are going to be filled with a million OWTs and "well when I was pregnant with Eddie" stories. Sidenote:MIL calls Thomas Eddie because he went by that as a kid and it drives him crazy. Oh, and when she got our P.Buckley Moss wedding picture signed she had her make it out to "Eddie and Katie" even though I don't call him Eddie nor does anyone we know. Honestly,I've had people (who don't know his childhood nickname) look at that picture hanging in my living room ask me who "Eddie" is. It would be fine if it was her picture, but it was OUR picture and I call him Thomas!

Anyways, that's that. =)

Friday, April 25, 2008

One more week down.....

and as far as I know....still pregnant! The first tri is so weird because you really don't have definitive evidence of being pregnant....you just assume you are until notified otherwise (if such a thing was to occur).

And, speaking of 1st tri....I'm officially 2/3 of the way through it now! =) My symptoms have lightened up a bit now that I'm around 9 weeks. I'm not saying this as a "crap Im worried" it's more of a "I feel better now" statement. I'm definitely less bloated this week than last, AND I haven't had heartburn in two nights which is freaking amazing.

Oh, and does anyone have any thoughts on a doppler? Good idea? Bad idea? I know it is too early right now, but I thought it might be a nice reassurance in between appts until I can start feeling squirt move. However, one side of me says I may be a bit obsessed with it....because let's face it, that sound is absolutely awesome. Comments, experiences?

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Sweet Story

For all who have been following this blog thus far you guys know that in the beginning DH was very reluctant to talk about this baby because of what happened with our twins. There really was no mentioned of the "what if's" or "could be's" or "can you believes" in our household until the first ultrasound when we saw a hb. Ever since then however DH is slowly coming around to the fact this is now our reality (and especially after hearing it the other day). Well, last night for the first time, DH was sitting on the couch with me and we started talking about when the baby can hear and I told him that ears were forming now and before I could finish my sentence he goes "I love you little one". OMG, it was the sweetest thing. I then had to tell him that the baby won't be able to hear outside noises until 18-20 weeks or so, but around 25 to 27ish weeks he/she will probably be able to distinguish our voices from everyone else's. He thought that was so cool....I really am starting to see moments of an extremely proud papa lately ;-)

Monday, April 21, 2008

8 week appt.! updated

Can I just say that, that was amazing!!! Our little squirt has grown so much, and yes he/she looks like a little gummi bear ;-) . Baby is measuring at 8w4d so that puts my EDD at Nov. 27th (Thanksgiving!). We actually got to hear the hb today and it was going strong at 179 bpm. DH was absolutely beaming after seeing/hearing that hb again =D. Doc said everything looked great, cervix was tightly closed, uterus was firm, all that jazz. Oh, and can I take a minute here to say again how much I LOVE my doc. The nurse (J) goes "It is so nice to see you smiling around here, I'm glad today went so well (this was following my u/s)" and then my doc goes "I am so excited you got back here soon after all of your troubles in the Fall. Im really happy for you".

OK, this post was a little all over the place, but I'm just so happy that's how it sounds in my head, lol. Oh, and my BIG u/s is July 3th, along with an early 1 hour GTT (baby should be rocking and rolling for the u/s then, haha). Lastly, I will update this post tonight when I get home with a scan of the little one =D

Now presenting......8 week squirt!
Actually, the wee one wasn't very photogenic today (odd angles apparently) so it turned out a bit blurry. However, the head is up top with the last remaining tail laying against the side of my uterus.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

I'm thirsty

Which, by itself is no surprise. Since I have been pregnant it is nothing for me to drink 75-100 oz of fluids a day no problem (btw, a drastic change from pre-preg days). However today everything I drink seems like it is making me nauseous....My OJ tasted funny this morning, I couldn't finish my water, and even my beloved Cran.ergy is making my tummy turn. I am trying to force fluids because like I said....I AM thirsty....but I think if I force too much more I may start yakking. Sorry little one....you may have to make due with a little less water today =/

Saturday, April 19, 2008

New pictures!

Hey all! I updated my babiesonline (www.babiesonline.com/babies/m/majormiracle) page with an 8w1d belly picture, however I will post it here as well for all to see (along with the "before" pic). Although, you should still check out my page every now and then....in fact, I am going to put a link for it on my sidebar ;-)

4 weeks (the "before"...not my thinest picture, but it's self taken and it is what it is)

8 weeks 1 day!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Speaking of bloating....

I have decided that Ocean Spray Cranergy is the cure for it. Listen up all who suffer from this like I: This morning after I posted about my crazy bloat I drank a cup of this stuff (I keep it at work), before I was done with my cup...my tummy felt better, normal if you will. Then just now I had another bloat attack....got my juice, and before I could finish my cup....gone. Miracle worker I tell ya!

And yes, I talk about being bloated a lot, but really it is my only real preggo symptom so I must obsess, guess you will just have to deal with it for just a bit more ;-)

Friday, April 18, 2008

Holy Moly!

Mornings=bloating for me. You know how some people say they get more bloated throughout the day? Pas moi! I always feel much more bloated in the morning....as in it wasn't comfortable to button my jeans this morning....now an hour or so later, it's getting better. Although, I hear jeans are the first to go ;-)

However, I do think I could reduce this by lowering my sodium intake (I already drink 80-100oz of water a day, so that isn't the issue). Now, I don't actually put salt on anything, as in physically take the shaker and add it to food, BUT a lot of what I have been wanting/eating lately is full of sodium.....olives, pickles, processed-ready to make foods (simply because it's easier at night right now), pretzels, etc (btw, my bp is fine).....so I really should probably make a bigger effort to avoid some of that stuff. Even with all the fluid I drink I wait up thirsty....hence the bloating, but once I start drinking my water it subsides a bit. This morning I was complaining about said bloat and DH goes "You aren't bloated, you're pregnant" to which my response was "No, I'm bloated BECAUSE I'm pregnant!"

I'm starting to enter that "people notice I'm a bit thicker, but can't tell I'm pregnant" phase, lol, what fun! Soon enough though I think it will be obvious where I'm getting bigger and people will get a clue =P

Thursday, April 17, 2008

All quiet on the baby front

I'm just keeping on, keeping around here lately. I've had a few more cramps here and there lately, but that is totally normal around 8 weeks (which I will be tomorrow, yay!). I hear my uterus is now the size of a grapefruit, heheh.

I went to my pulmonologist this morning and all is fairly well there. I've had some allergies kick in lately and my FEV's were a little lower than last time, but he said given the pregnancy (extra progesterone) and allergies it was to be expected as long as I try to maintain next time. He wants me to stay on my abx 3 times a week, stay active, and have regular pulmonary PT via my husband "beating" me or a small device I breath in to. He completely expects everything to go back to "normal" once I deliver, but he is going to follow me more closely throughout the pregnancy. My next appt. is in 3 months, and then he said we will probably go to once a month from then on out to monitor my total volume since as time goes by I will have less space in there ;-)

Oh, and according to their scale (which was the last official doctor scale I was on back in Oct. before getting preggo) I went from 124.6 to 126.2 =)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

I just got excited.....

OK, I will admit that throughout this pregnancy so far, although I am so thrilled to actually BE pregnant and I know how lucky I am to be saying this right now, it hasn't quite felt REAL yet....up until now it was just getting through the various things to prove this pregnancy was viable....1st beta: check, 2nd doubling beta: check, little blob in my uterus with a hb: check, admiring my mommy boobs every time I get out of the shower: check ;-)

So, after all of that, I'm actually SO excited to see my BABY on Monday. I can actually call it that now right? I mean, lets face it, at 6 weeks it really was a little blimp on the screen....a beautifully existing blimp, but a blimp none the less. Even more I find myself getting excited about the BIG u/s....about knowing if we have a son or daughter growing down there. Excited about seeing DH's face when we find out the news.....excited about seriously talking about names that will actually have a person to go with it....excited about feeling the baby move, and better yet, excited about watching DH try to feel him or her kick.

I know I am getting a little ahead of myself here, but as I've said all along, I just have a great feeling about this one. I'm not the least bit worried about my u/s on Monday, I'm just super stoked to be seeing squirt again. It really is cool to feel like this.....to feel, EXCITED! Maybe I will start having that glow everyone talks about ;-)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

So tired today....

Didn't sleep well last night regardless of the fact I was exhausted....

Trying to not close my eyes at my desk, which would inevitably lead to me nodding off....

May lay down for a quick nap at lunch.

That is all.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Guess it pays to double check

I called my doc's nurse (J) today to ask if it is normal for them to not schedule a first OB appt. until after the first tri (especially given my history of m/c), and she calls me back and goes "absolutely not" and she has no idea why the scheduler made my appt. so far away. Actually, I will probably be seeing my doc again around the same time as the May 20th appt. given the timing, but J was like you NEED to be seen before then! So, NOW my next appt is next Monday (the 21st) at 11:30 with my doc, and I will be 8w3d. Yay....I can't wait to see the little squirt again! Although, since my u/s got moved up, it will be another wonderful visit with the love wand =P

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Gotta love my niece

Yesterday Thomas and I were invited to diner at my parents house along with the rest of the family. So, after we ate I was sitting a the table with my mom and SIL, and my niece comes in and sits down. A few minutes later she goes:

"Katie, are you fat yet?"

It was actually rather funny, and her mom goes: "Hmm, maybe we need to work on some pregnancy etiquette"

Then as I was leaving she goes:

"Next time I see you I hope you have a fat belly!".....She cracks me up.

In other news, speaking of being fat, I have been ridiculously bloated since yesterday and I ate a rather large breakfast (well, large compared to my normal before work breakfast) so I still feel rather full, bloated, and constipated (fun, right?). According to my Mom's scale last night I have gained 2 lbs so far. Do you think this is too much? I hear 3-5 lbs in the first trimester is normal, but sheesh I'm only 7w2d today. I know some of it is boobs though, so that makes me feel a little better. My goal is about 25-30 lbs for this whole pregnancy (which is plenty for my short frame, trust me). I do think I have the advantage of summer because I am much more active during those months (as is most everyone) and eat much better (garden season!) so I'm hoping it will help control the weight gain during my 2nd trimester.

Friday, April 11, 2008

7 weeks today!

Only 33 to go, lol. All is well.....symptoms normal, clothes still fitting, over halfway through 1rst tri! Yay! =)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Due to the nature of my job....

I told my boss I was pregnant today. Originally I was going to wait, but because I am occasionally exposed to chemistry fumes (and it was making me nervous) I wanted to talk with him about the best way of minimizing my exposure (other than not doing my job obviously) outside of the normal lab practices such as gloves, fume hoods, lab coats, etc. Surprisingly he was very excited about the pregnancy (he knew about the m/c in the fall) and offered to try and accommodate me in any way that would make me feel more comfortable. Right now, on top of all other safety precautions, we are going to buy two huge floor fans for the labs and keep them running to circulate any fumes or smells outside. The plan is to put one in chemistry and one in A and P or Biology when they are working on specimens. I'm comfortable with this right now, and I'm sure after I am out of my first tri and have another healthy, normal u/s on May 20th I will feel a *little* less concerned about being exposed to something that potentially affects early fetal development. Like I said, I do take ALL precautions necessary right now (mainly I have been having my assistants do the bulk of the "risky" lab work), but the nature of my job does have me occasionally "exposed" to a few more substances than someone who sits at a desk all day long.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Wow, my doc is a busy woman!

Since I was released from Dr. S (formally known as Dr. JA) on Friday I called this morning to get my first OB appt. set up with Dr. Wonderful. Apparently her first available new OB slot is May 20th! I could get in earlier with the NP, but I really want to see my doc because she was with me throughout my m/c so I said I would wait. I will be 13w4d then, and I get another u/s then too. Two questions...would this be considered an NT scan? and is this u/s transvaginal or would it be my first abdominal sonogram? Oh, and I bet I get to hear the HB then too....how cool!

All in all though I'm not worried about waiting another 6 weeks to be seen by a doc. My RE said if anything comes up before I got in with my OB to call his office and they would check me out. Plus I'm taking all my vitamins, exercising, eating right, avoiding "bad" stuff etc, etc...so really, I see no problems waiting since I know there is a HB down there. Yes, I know a million things could go wrong between now and then, but whats going to happen is going to happen regardless of if I'm seen at 8w or 13w. So for now, we enjoy it and wait =)

Friday, April 4, 2008

How do you know when your heart smiles?

When you see this on an u/s screen......

Thats right all....we actually have a baby down there (see it? see it?)!!! Better yet, we got to see the hb today, and it was pounding away at 116 bpm =D It was such a cool thing to actually SEE that. As soon as he started to scan my uterus I saw the flicker, and just knew it was going to be OK. I think it finally hit DH this morning that this really IS happening.... ;-)

In other not as important news, I got released to my regular OB today so I will have to make an appt. with her within the next month and I have two cysts on my left ovary (which explains the pinchy feeling when I cough).

Again, thanks for all the thoughts sent my way these past few days....I'm feeling much more relaxed =)

6 weeks and today is the day!

According to my time line I am 6 weeks today...yay! Just like 5 weeks made me feel better than 4wXdays, six makes me smile more than 5wXdays...I'm sure it only gets better from here on out. ;-)

So, in other related news.....today is the day! I am actually more anxious than nervous, which is nice, and I am excited to see my bean (because I do believe there is one down there!). My appt. is at 9:30 EST, and I will try to update by this afternoon. Thanks for all the well wishes! =D

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Please excuse me while I puke

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is what is going to be going through my head tomorrow at this time because I will be so freaking nervous about my u/s.....my appt. is in 25 hours and I'm already getting butterflies just thinking about it (maybe the grape gatorade wasn't such a great idea....). My heart says everything will be OK, it HAS to be OK, it WILL be OK.....I just wish my body felt a little more pregnant. Everyday I wake up and make sure my boobs still hurt =/ I also feel a little guilty because none of this seems real yet, and honestly even though I love my little "squirt" (DH's words) with all my heart and want more than anything to bring them home in the Fall, I am not letting myself become too "attached" at this point, at least until tomorrow....DH and I don't talk about it like it is real and everything we say has stipulations.

For example, last night we were talking about getting a loan to finish the basement and kitchen like we want before the baby comes, and DH always added "assuming Friday goes well". It was a perfectly logical statement because we both know this u/s may not go well because last time in this exact u/s we discovered our babies stopped growing, however my only saving grace is I have a feeling this little one is OK. Surprisingly enough I worried more with the twins, even though I had never had a m/c I always worried about one.....part of me knew walking into that appt. I wouldn't be walking out with happy news. You would think that because I've gone through a m/c prior I would be MORE concerned now than I was the first time around, and yes, although I do think about it some and I am nervous, that really isn't the case at all. Maybe I just *know* this is different.....or maybe I am just letting myself be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to me again.....

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Well, one down

So one of the things I noticed with both the twins and this pregnancy is my boobs grew fairly quickly however, I think they are bigger (or at least more sore) this time around because I have totally given up on one of my bras that I was still wearing at 6 weeks last time. I put it on this morning and ouch! Goodness that thing hurt! Luckily I have a bra that has always been slightly big on me (until now!) and is much more comfortable. However, if this keeps up I see myself buying a new bra or two in a few weeks.

In other news......2 days and counting.....two more sleeps until I find out if this pregnancy is viable. Some of my "symptoms" are gone(fatigue, food aversion) although the heartburn and aforementioned boobs remain, so I'm praying that is still a good thing.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Dreams

Since getting my BFP I have had several dreams about being pregnant, having children, etc. My first one was about trying to breastfeed my little girl. I think in the dream she was slightly premature so didn't have a great suck reflex. The next one consisted of me starting to spot (repressed m/c fears I'm sure). Nothing red, just brown and I don't recall finishing the dream or what happened afterwards. Now, the closer I get to my u/s I am having dreams about that as well. Last night I had a dream that I went in for my u/s with Dr. S and it was twins...baby B was measuring a day behind baby A, but they were both measuring on target and I saw two cardiac flickers on the screen. I don't in any way think this is a "prediction" or intuition for Friday, and I'm sure it has something to do with seeing two sacs on my last, first u/s back in Oct., but I remember being so happy (and shocked!).

Three days and counting.....

Monday, March 31, 2008

4 days left...

I have 4 days left until my u/s. I took the day off work afterwards in case something *does* go wrong again, and I won't have to walk back into my office like a blubbering fool to get my stuff. I'm feeling pretty good now though....I still have sore bbs but my fatigue has backed off a bit (mainly because I'm not sick anymore, which I am grateful for). My hunger comes and goes, and I haven't really had nausea per say however I hear this may not hit until 6 weeks-ish, which I will be on Friday.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Today is the day

Although we didn't find out until a week later, and I didn't m/c until 6 weeks later...today is the day my babies stopped growing last time....5 weeks exactly. I have to admit I haven't been *that* nervous about another m/c until now. So if you could, please send some ~*~stay strong and keep growing~*~ vibes to my little one(s) today I would greatly appreciate it.

I guess the good thing is I only have a week to wait until I know if everything continued on like it should this time around. Thanks!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Two things.....

One....My husband hasn't been that affectionate since we found out we were pregnant. He doesn't hug me in the morning, he rarely asks how I am, there has been no kissing in my household, he acts like anything I ask him to do is such a huge chore, and last night he told me I was sitting to close to him on the couch. This is a great contrast to his attitude last time and I don't appreciate it. He hasn't even commented on the bbs, which are already noticeably bigger and more full in my bra.

Two....My vanilla hand lotion now smells like baby powder (which honestly I don't really care for as far as smells go) and it is making me cough. I don't appreciate that either.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I may have to be careful

I think I may have to be very careful this pregnancy about developing GD. Due to the fact I have CF I'm already at risk for developing type I diabetes later in life because of my pancreatic function, and I just have a feeling I will need to watch it very closely during pregnancy as well. I took my blood sugar this morning two hours after I ate a small breakfast and it was still 148....it is now 119, so it is going down, but very, very slowly. I know I won't get tested until much later into pregnancy (however I may request to have it done during my first trimester given the situation), but maybe if I go ahead and start loosely following a proper GD diet now it won't be so bad down the road. Actually the little one seems to agree with me because she/he has already geared me away from sweets (although I still love my juice). However I will say I could eat rice at every meal these days.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Riddles for the day.....

Q: Do you know what happens when a very thirsty pregnant woman goes to the store?

A: She comes back with 6 different types of juice (apple, concord grape, white grape, pomegranate blueberry, limeade and lemonade), two different milks (chocolate and skim), and a case of waters.

Yeah. LoL.

Q: Can you cough out a baby?

A: No, you can't really cough out a baby (or even dislodge one)....trust me, I know, because if it *could* be done....I would have done it by now with the remaining hack I still have.

She called, she called!!!

Drumroll, please......my 2nd beta was 754 (at 17dpo or 4w3d)!!!! At least I think the last two numbers were 54, I sort of zoned out after the 7, lol.

Let's see....

So, he wants me to schedule my first u/s at exactly 6 weeks, which will be April 4th. I really wanted to wait until 7 weeks to be able to see a hb (considering it is a may or may not see at 6 weeks), but as long as I see a yolk sac AND a gestational sac that is measuring normally, I'm fine. Plus, if everything else is normal and we don't see a fetal pole yet, he will have me come back in between 7-8 weeks, so hey, at least I will get another u/s out of the deal. =P

Oh, and for those who are wondering, even with the number being higher than it was back in Oct. at this point in time, I'm still going with a healthy singleton ;-)

Crap, I missed the call

My nurse called while I was out of my office this morning to give me my 2nd beta results...poop. Of course she won't leave the number on my voicemail, so now I have to wait again. I called back and she was busy, so I left a message saying I will be in my office anytime after 1 today (which is only a half truth because I have class at 3) however, if I don't hear back from her before then I will walk over to the clinic and ask her in person because I don't want to her miss her call again. Here's to hoping for strong beta vibes....looking for at least 396, which would put me at a perfect 48 hour double since Wednesday. Ack....

Sunday, March 23, 2008

I'm exhausted....

Flat-out, sore exhausted. I'm not sure if its the whole getting used to growing a baby thing or the fact I have been sick since Tuesday (maybe a little bit of both) but I am wiped. All I want to do is sleep during the day even though I sleep fine at night. I actually tried to go out walking yesterday, and it was nice...just a short trip around the block, so I'm hoping I will get my energy back soon. If this IS pregnancy related, it is definitely different than last time.

Friday, March 21, 2008

4 weeks today!

Goodness that is early, but it makes me feel a little better than saying 3 weeks and such days. Only 36 to go....they are going to fly by, right? =P

Thursday, March 20, 2008

In comparison

With my first pregnancy I had some cramping, and although I didn't want it to happen I knew it was normal and tried to ignore it. Now that I have a miscarriage under my belt, cramping brings up a new anxiety. I still *know* it is normal and I know *most* people in their first tri get it....first, because the blasty is burrowing it's way into my uterine lining (which we want!) and two, because in a few weeks or so my uterus is going to start stretching, so yeah, that usually equals some sort of harmless cramping, but I still don't really like it and it leaves me dashing for the bathroom to check for spot or worse, some sort of red flowing AF.

Question: I wonder if my uterus will initially stretch faster because I was technically 6 weeks pregnant 6 months ago? Hmm.....

Next, this pregnancy is definitely different with food. With the twins, the day before I got my BFP I would have killed someone for something salty. I was ravenous by 10:00 in the morning, even after eating breakfast....this time though, I almost have to remind myself to eat. I really don't have any interest in food at all and you can kiss sweets goodbye because I can't stand them. With the twins I wanted to eat specific things (not cravings exactly, I just knew what I wanted) which for me is crazy because I'm usually indecisive about this stuff...for example, I wanted salty things, mamwiches, and hot subs from a local deli....this time, nada....food just doesn't seem appealing at all.

For those who have been pregnant more than once, what are/were your pregnancy differences?

"Morning has broken...."

And so has my fever! Yay!! I think I froze it out of me last night with the AC and the fan blowing on me, but whatever the reason my temp was normal today. I still have the sinus-y stuff and a minor cough, but I can deal with that.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Beta Update

Apparently the lab was quick today and I already have my beta results back. The number is 66, which is pretty good considering I am only 12dpiui =). He doesn't want me to do a repeat until Monday, so if I go on the standard doubling scale of every 48 hours Monday's results should be somewhere around 400 at 17dpiui. This doesn't really help my fever concerns any, but it is nice to know I do apparently have one little baby down there.

~Stick, baby, stick~ and grow properly, OK?

The digital, beta and my concern.

So, digital this morning said pregnant even though it was only after holding my pee for 2.5 hours....so yay! I called my doc and ordered my beta today which I just went over and did (although I probably won't hear the results until tomorrow), however I am a little concerned about my fever. I have been trying to control it with tylenol, but this morning it hit 101.2 despite my efforts....so I called my OB just to see if there was anything I can do that I'm not already (which includes: tylenol, plenty of water, trying to keep my office on the cooler side, and ice packs on my neck and face). I think it has gone down a bit since this morning, but honestly DH is freaking out on me and I *am* a bit concerned. I haven't run a fever in about 3 years so it royally sucks to get one at this exact moment, and of course Dr. Google has me freaked out over possible NTD although that usually doesn't start to form until day 20ish post conception I am only 12 days post conception.....I am just praying this fever breaks soon for sanity purposes. I can deal with the sore throat and headache, just please make this fever go away.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Thank you everyone....

I just wanted to say thank you everyone for the congrats and well wishes. I have of course peed on several different sticks since Sunday, and all are still positive (btw, the generic ones at my work rock!) so I am starting to feel a *little* more comfortable. I went out last night to get a CBE digital (just because I want to see the word "pregnant" although I have a hard time saying it right now), and am planning to take it tomorrow morning. 12dpiui is good for those, right? The sensitivity is supposed to be 50mIU, and I was showing up on a 25mIU on Sunday so I better have at least 50 by tomorrow! Hopefully, if that turns out I will call my RE's office and get my beta.

Oh, and did I mention I think I am trying to get whatever bug my husband has had since Saturday? He hasn't been able to kiss me since I told him I was pregnant, and he hates that. Luckily for me however I was already on abx (yes, safe for pregnancy) so I am not running a fever like he did (Thank God) but my throat is scratchy and I am starting to cough more than normal =/

Monday, March 17, 2008

New blog, new purpose

This blog is going to be specifically dedicated to my journey to parenthood and beyond, so basically all things pregnancy/baby related. My other blog (in my profile) is for the "rest" of my life....the everyday things. It was my original blog and accounts events and feelings of my miscarriage and infertility, and I want to keep that blog up and going because it was/is a huge part of my life. I am doing this for several reasons: one, if anyone finds my first blog while searching for things like IUI, infertility or miscarriage I don't want them to click my link and all the sudden be faced with a pregnancy blog they weren't expecting, and two, there are many people in my life that I want to keep up with and I hope keep up with me, but I don't want to force pregnancy or motherhood accounts and updates on them when I know it can be hard to see. So, for those who want to check up on my pregnancy....this is the place.....for those who want to just see how I am doing every now and then WITHOUT that aspect....please feel free to continue on my other blog.

So, obviously without really needing to be said I got my BFP yesterday. I am only 3w3d today, and you can check out my chart here. I have so many mixed feelings about this.....I am excited, scared, hopeful, nervous, all of the above. I *know* how much of a blessing this is, and I am so thankful it was able to come relatively soon after my m/c. I hurt for those women I know who want this so badly, and it hasn't happened yet. All of this doesn't seem quite real yet, and honestly until I actually SEE a baby on the u/s in about a month, I'm not sure I can convince myself otherwise. Until then I will just keep taking my vitamins, drinking my water and praying not to see spot every time I go to the bathroom.

And oh yeah....as of right now my EDD is Nov. 28th, 2008.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Thursday, November 27, 2008

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