Appointment News

All is wonderfully well! The appointment was short and sweet. Little One's heartbeat was found instantly this time, and the doctor said it sounded "loud, strong, and perfect." I was amazed at how easily it showed up this time.

The other good news was that I've finally gained weight! I should have, given the way that I've been eating, but I wasn't sure since the scale at our house was decidedly undecided on how much I actually weigh. I've gained exactly 5 pounds, though, which he was happy with. I, myself, was just thrilled that I didn't lose any more. Somehow that's not the idea. At any rate, I'm now officially heavier than I've ever been in my life. I have a feeling I'm about to see new records all over the place.

I also went today to get my quad screen for Downs Syndrome and the cystic fibrosis screen. Fun times. No news yet on that, but we'll know something in about 10 days. I'm not worried.

Our next appointment is August 28th. If all goes well, my birthday present this year will be finding out if we have a son or a daughter. (For those who are unaware, my birthday is August 29th. Easy to remember - it's the same day as Michael Jackson. Hurray.)

Guess how much there is?

Ashley told me at church yesterday morning that I needed to go on eBay to look for different "Guess How Much I Love You" items. She told me that she had already done so, and saw gobs of different things there.

I did it today.

And then started random searches on the internet.

And it's so good....and so frustrating.

I really, really thought I had picked an original theme for our baby's nursery. I really did.

And, well.....I was wrong.There's everything anyone could ever want for their baby's room, and it's all so, so precious. Blankets and diaper stackers and onesies and drawer pulls.... There are even matching mother/baby outfits.

I'm sticking to my guns, though. I won't buy the whole set, packaged and fancied all up. I want it special and unique, with our own special touches. This just gives me more options, that's all.

15 Weeks

I actually had a day this week that I did not feel bad at all. I felt normal. Not even pregnant. It was strange and a little (okay, quite) unnerving, because that feeling was accompanied by just a "bad feeling" when I woke up that morning. I just didn't feel like everything was okay, though I had no reason to think that way. However, by the time I went to bed that night I definitely felt pregnant. And since then....I've definitely felt pregnant. No cause for concern.

That said, it was a great week for baby and me. We're both growing leaps and bounds, as is evident to everyone. I'm getting lots of comments on my bump, especially at church, and a couple of people have actually asked if we're sure there aren't twins in there. Also, my toes have disappeared.

Symptoms this week?

Hunger. Big time. I'm not eating a lot at any one time, per se, but I'm eating often. A more appropriate word for that might be CONSTANTLY. By the end of the day I am so tired of eating that I can't stand the thought of chewing anything else....and then the gnawing hunger begins again and I reconsider.

Itching. Oh, my goodness. I'm going to buy stock in a lotion company. I think I, alone, am keeping the Vaseline Intensive Care people in business. I've discovered the real reason for pregnant women's crazy strong fingernails. It's purely a defense mechanism. (As I sit typing this, I'm scratching a spot on my leg raw.)

Weird dreams. I think my mind is somehow performing an inventory of every person I've ever known in my life. Random people I have known keep appearing in my dreams, every single night. My best friend from first grade was my cashier at Kroger. My 4th grade Sunday school teacher was the mailman. A guy I dated in college was this random annoying guy at the mall. Every night someone random appears amidst the normal cast of family and close (present-day) friends. Very strange. No baby dreams yet, though.

Eye swelling? I'm not sure, but I think my eyes are growing increasingly intolerant of my contact lenses. Because they're increasingly uncomfortable, I wear my glasses far more often than normal. That, unfortunately, might be contributing to the next symptom.

Headaches. Miserable pounding headaches.

I haven't felt any more movement, I don't think, but I'm not worried. That will come.

Mom and I did some shopping this week and found some incredible fabric that I plan on using to make curtains for the nursery. I love it! It matches the colors in the book perfectly, and will go well in either direction, boy or girl.


I also unearthed some fabric from my hope chest that I can put to good use one way or another. It, too, matches like it was made to go with my theme.


Also, Mom and Dad bought the first piece of baby furniture for us:

Our glider rocker! I'm really excited about this, because ever since these things made their first appearance on the market I've known I wanted one. Scott is excited, too, though probably to a lesser degree - it came in a box with "adult assembly required" written on it. Pictures of that process will follow.

You can expect a mid-week update this week, too. I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, so please pray for the lab work they'll do and that all is well with our little one.

Reset

If you don't hear from me as often for a little while, it will be due to a resetting of my priorities. And, because the Lord knows me so well, He is making it easier for me to resist my main temptation by making the internet inaccessible.

I have a bunch of pictures and things that I want to put on here, but they're all on the other computer......which for whatever reason will not connect to the internet. Alas. They were going to make for a bunch of great posts, but I guess they'll have to wait.

If it's not one thing, it's another.

I'm starting to get the feeling that I should be spending my time doing something more productive. And on that same note, I've been feeling that familiar tug toward spiritual renewal. I've been wandering for awhile, to one thing or another, one fickle interest or another, and it's time I came back.

14 Weeks

This was a good week. I'm counting it as a very good thing that I'm struggling a little to find things to write about now. There for a few weeks, the problem was more that I had too many things to talk about, symptom-wise, and now I'm kind of scrounging to come up with something. Since I'm using this as a sort of pregnancy journal, though, I'm still posting.

The main feature of my pregnancy this week was hunger. I'm eating nearly every hour, though I'm not eating a lot at any one sitting. I told Scott that I've become very aware of where my stomach actually sits in my abdomen because of the nearly constant nagging ache that rests there. Snacks are my friend - pudding cups, fruit, cheese and crackers, and baby carrots.

Maternity clothes have become a must, too. I've boxed up any and all clothes that have a zipper or buttons; the mere sight of them makes me uncomfortable. We went and bought me some comfortable pants the other night, and I fully intend to wear them until they are threadbare.

I think I'm getting some of my energy back, because I can now go to more than one store before feeling wiped out. That's definitely progress.

On one of my outings this week, I did some looking around and, with the help of my friend Liz, decided on the theme for our nursery! Scott, being the wonderfully easygoing man that he is, had no objections, though he did say that I would have to do some convincing to get him to go along with the color of the walls I'm wanting. Here is what our little one will be waking up to every morning:I found this print (of which the quality is, of course, better than that of this internet image) at Michael's and fell in love with it. It's from a book called Guess How Much I Love You, and it's just about the sweetest story ever. I'm going to keep it simple, but I want to make the wall hangings using pictures from the book and portions of the story (which you can read here). The color of the walls will be a taupe or tan, so we can keep it neutral and not guarantee that it will need to be repainted as soon as the baby grows some and has personal preferences of his or her own. Ashley has told me that there are other books in the series, too, which I'll probably incorporate. Those bunnies just melt my heart.

Probably (no, not probably - DEFINITELY) the biggest news this week is that I think I felt the baby move yesterday! It seems way too early, I know, but I did some reading and it's entirely possible. Everything I read says that if you're small (which I am) you may feel it much earlier than other moms, and I was also curled up on the loveseat when I felt it. That position, apparently, is more conducive to feeling things than, say, walking around or standing at the stove. It was a feeling unlike anything I've ever felt before, and even if it wasn't what I think it was, I'm reveling in this joy and loving it for now. (In other words, don't take this from me. It's all I've got!) =)

I can honestly say that at this point, I love being pregnant!

13 Weeks

I've officially turned a corner, I think. This week was a whole new adventure in pregnancy. I'm feeling good, but different.

For one thing, we officially have swelling.
Oh, yes. This was tonight at Dad's birthday celebration. My poor foot looked like a sausage in my little WalMart Croc knockoffs. When Scott poked it, there was serious tingling.

Also new this week was itching. Everywhere. Ashley says that means I'm stretching.

Another new experience was the feeling of being out. of. breath. after I did, well, anything at all. Completely and totally out of breath. I know some of this is normal, but we're hoping to combat any excess suffocation by adding some more exercise to my routine. We're taking frequent walks, since that's the only thing I'm cleared to do by my doctor.

My hunger has been completely different, too. Before I even feel hungry, I begin to hiccup. Once I hiccup, I know I have approximately 1 minute before I feel absolutely famished. The good news, since I'm hungry so often, is that appealing foods are much easier to come by. Scott is very glad for that.

One exciting development, which you can probably see in the above weekly side view, is that my baby and its belly habitat are growing very quickly. This is exciting because the day has finally come that I am officially "showing." I actually thought it would take longer than it has, but since I'm little I don't think there are too many more places for the little one to hide. An interesting effect of this change is that dressing in the morning is quite the chore. (Eating gets better, and dressing gets worse. I think that makes quite a bit of sense, now that I think about it.) I've acquired some hand-me-down maternity clothes, though, which will be coming in handy soon. I'm actually really excited!

12 Weeks

I think I'm turning a corner! This week was a good one. My nausea is alleviating, and I might be starting to get some of my energy back. (Might.) There haven't been a lot of new developments, but:

~eating is getting easier. I can walk into the kitchen and find something to eat with much less trouble, and the mere suggestion of food (such as during commercials and everyday conversation) doesn't make me sick. I haven't even been wearing my trusty arm bands!

~I've been having wacky dreams. These aren't necessarily pregnancy-related dreams, like what I've heard I will have, but are mainly just weird and extremely realistic.

~sleeping on my stomach is officially uncomfortable. Over the past two nights, I've woken up probably a couple of dozen times, laying on my stomach, with the powerful realization that that hurts. I roll over (well, after getting up to use the bathroom) and all is well again....for a little while.

~pressure!

~Scott has been having what I believe to be lots of sympathy symptoms. He's having the weird dreams and craving for sweets, among other things I can't remember right this second. It's sweet.

Second trimester, here I come!

12 Week Appointment

I had my 12 week appointment on Wednesday, and all is wonderfully well. The delay in posting can be solely attributed to other engagements the past couple of says and the subsequent lethargy that has set in today. Since I'm, well, kind of lazy today, you get the long-awaited update! Here's how it went.

They weighed me. I asked what the verdict was (because I think I missed that class somewhere along the line that taught how to read one of those doctor's office scales) and waited with bated breath. She said......I lost half a pound. Thanks, nausea. You're helping me out a lot here. I feel like I'm eating constantly and am losing weight. This could prove to be a challenge, though my doctor wasn't concerned....yet. We shall see. And I shall eat. Or I shall try.

They brought in the Doppler. They gooed me up. And.......they heard no heartbeat. Scary stuff there, for about 15 minutes. They changed the battery and switched machines and still no heartbeat. (I should mention the plethora of comic relief that both my doctor and my sweet husband provided in those moments of fear. My doctor asked about, well, the condition of my breast area, and that led to some funny commentary. And Scott, in response to the feedback the dying Doppler batteries were causing, asked me if I had some metal in there somewhere.) Through it all, though, I was watching my doctor's face for any sign of concern. I never saw any, which eased my nerves. However, after 20 minutes of searching and no heartbeat, he announced that we'd go to Plan B, which I actually liked a lot.

They did a sonogram. Hurray! (As my doctor said, "Somehow I didn't think you'd object to that.") As soon as the sonogram began, the technician said, "Wow.....I've got a lot of movement here, so that's a really good thing." I actually thought that the movement I was seeing was her trying to get in position, but nope - that was our little one, dancing and bouncing about, seemingly in an effort to reassure Mommy and Daddy that everything was fine. He or she looked like a little jumping bean, ricocheting all around. The technician even had some trouble getting the measurements because he or she wouldn't be still. Needless to say, it was incredible and so much better than just hearing the heartbeat. God is good.

See? Little One is definitely waving at us. Mommy likes that, sweetheart. Keep doing that.

They changed my due date. I am now due January 13, 2009, which put me past 12 weeks instead of approaching 12 weeks. I think it's interesting how the dates change.

All in all, it was a great visit, with all good news (except the elusive weight gain) and much anticipation of what is to come.