Saw movement!

That's right, I saw it!  I was resting on my bed for a few minutes and I could see my belly move when he kicked!  It was the neatest moment.  I called R over but of course baby had stopped the higher up kicks.  Poor guy.  One of these days we'll time things right so he can feel/see them.

21 weeks

I got my first stranger comment today!  In the elevator at work I was asked when I was due and then told I look great for someone due in July!  That totally made my day.  So I guess I am really starting to look pregnant to everyone now, hello belly:

I still think I am a bit on the small side belly-wise, but I'm pretty sure baby is well ahead of the curve.  My baby books say my uterus is now 3/4 of an inch above my belly button.  I assume they mean the top of the uterus, but this little guy is kicking me a few inches above it, or at least it feels that way.  Once or twice when I've been sitting a little hunched over I swear he's gotten a rib.  This afternoon I was able to feel a few outside kicks while resting my hand on top of my belly.  It was the coolest feeling.  I'm hoping R can feel him soon. 

And an all things shopping update.  I tried on my Victoria's Secret tankini top from last summer...that was a sad mistake and made me feel like a flabby fat guy with a beer gut.  So I took a chance and ordered a maternity suit online.  I searched everywhere for something that wasn't frumpy or a blinding pattern and finally found this site.  Here is my suit, which actually looks pretty cute on!

The top may not last me through the summer, but the next size up would have left the bottoms falling off me.   I also discovered that ebay is quite helpful when looking for summer maternity clothes in February.  I bought  a cute sundress brand new from Motherhood maternity for only $14 including shipping.  We'll see if my sizing luck continues.

And finally, I ordered our first pack of diapers from Amazon.  While at the dentist the other day, I managed to score two 20% off coupons out of the Feb. and Mar issues of Parenting mag. they had.  Though they say only one per customer, if the codes start with YT and YJ you can combine both on one order.  Also, if you sign up for subscribe & save through Amazon Mom, you save another 30%.  So I got a pack of Pampers that was originally $41 for $12.  Score!

Bought our crib!

Since we were both too sick to make it out shopping this past weekend, we went out last night and took advantage of the last day of a President's Day sale.  Good thing we did too, because aside from saving some money, delivery time can be up to 4 months!  Thats about all I've got left.

We went with the Munire Bristol crib that I originally fell in love with.  R had some doubts about it being suitable for a boy, but we have decided that this crib will move on to the next baby, so buying one with just this child in mind didn't make much sense.  We did debate going with a Ragazzi set though that was on the floor.
From the Pompei collection:

Ultimately I decided I liked the rounded corners of the Munire one better, so this is our crib.

We also bought the toddler rails and adult conversion kits, as well as a 6 drawer dresser.  Of course, on the drive home it occurred to me that we forgot to order a mattress, but I'm pretty sure I can find a better deal for one online somewhere.

Being sick sucks.

And it really sucks when you are pregnant, for a multitude of reasons.  Lets go over a few

1. You can't take any of the good meds, not that the over the counter crap works anyway.

2. You can't sleep on your back so you can breathe at night...instead you wake up contantly with a severly dry and painful throat.

3. You pee yourself when you sneeze, despite doing a ton of kegels.  Not every time, but when your on sneeze #5 in a row or are in an odd postion (like sleeping on your side w/ a pillow between your legs) you're done.

4.  Both coughing and sneezing make your already stretched out abdominal muscles hurt more, adding injury to insult after you've just peed yourself a little.

5.  You have be on top of your temperature like white on rice, because if it gets over 101, its off to the doctor/L&D.


So yeah, that horrid cold I had is turning into a force to be reckoned with, and R has it too.  So far my temperature hasn't gone above 99.5, but I've been taking Tylenol when it gets up there.  R's is up over 100, even with the "good" meds/Tylenol.  Needless to say, we will both be calling our doctors tomorrow.

20 weeks - halfway there!

We are halfway through the pregnancy!!  Possible even more since this little one was measuring a week and a half ahead at the anatomy scan.  Can you believe I only have 7 weeks left until 3rd tri?  I sure can't.  I'd like to say that the next few weeks will go nice and slow, but I have a feeling they will be gone in a flash too.  R is likely traveling to Texas for week long work trip in April...right before we leave for St. Thomas, so we are shortening our nursery prep timeframe.  Not sure that is even possible, but hopefully we can take advantage of some President's Day sales and get our crib ordered this weekend.

Aside from a nasty cold that is currently kicking my ass, I've been feeling pretty good.  My sciatica pain is much, much better, so now I'm just left with normal pregnancy pains.  I'm hoping to start some easy yoga and prenatal workouts soon.

My sleep is gone again.

I think I've seen the last of halfway decent nights of sleep.   This past weekend we were visiting friends, and though I have no shame and hauled my huge pregnancy pillow with me, I rarely sleep well when I'm not in my own bed.  I figured I'd catch up on sleep once we were home.  Yeah....not so much.  It would seem that I've passed that blissful window of time in pregnancy where you only have to get up to pee 2-3 times a night.  I swear I'm back to bathroom trips every hour.  Last night I was up at 11:15 (45 minutes after getting in bed), 12, 1am, 2am, and finally 3:30am.  I think I might have to take my one baby book's suggestion of stopping/reducing fluid intake after 6pm because this is just ridiculous.

We told both our parents this weekend that we are having a little boy.  MIL was the most excited I've seen her all pregnancy.  She said she'd been hoping it was a boy because R had always wanted a little brother growing up.   My parents were very happy too, but I think my mom may have wanted it to be a surprise.  Oh well.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I saw these shoes in a Nordstrom catalogue while at my parents last night and fell in love with them.  I rarely buy shoes online, but it didn't look like they were available in store anywhere near me, so I found a website with free shipping and free returns (http://www.endless.com/) and bought them on a whim.  I have been very good about not buying any shoes while pregnant in case my feet grow but I just had to take the risk.   I'm validating myself by saying they'll make the most perfect shoes to wear to a baby shower!

It would appear...

that some of my readers have much better intuition than R or I because.....

We were totally shocked because we were both so sure we were having a girl....and at no point during our u/s did we see anything that told us otherwise so that tech was really good at hiding it.   I really haven't even seriously looked at any boy names yet.  So exciting!

***Nothing on facebook please since we aren't sure if we will be telling everyone!***

anatomy scan is complete!

Everything looked great at our anatomy scan.  I was not prepared for how hard the tech had to push to get some of the right angles for measurement, but in the end she got everything except the fingers.  Little baby just didn't want to open up those little fists...so they will check them again at our fetal echo on March 8.  They checked the cord, the brain, did quite few heart measurements....all looked good.   There was one point when she measured the nuchal fold at 3.2 that I got a bit concerned, but logic told me there were different cut-offs for the NT vs. the anatomy scan and I was right.  The nurse said the cut-off for a 1st tri scan is 3, but the cut-off for 2nd tri is 6, so still well within normal.  Baby was head down, so I am guessing some of the movement I've been feeling are little punches, not kicks.  

After she did all the initial measurements, she left to check the pictures with the doctor and see if he wanted a cervical length check done.  The nurse said normally they only do this if there is a uterine abnormality, and since I had a septum removal, she'd have to ask.  I was glad they did decide to do one, even if it meant being re-united once more with the dildo cam, because it is one less thing to wonder/worry about.  Cervix length was nice and long and showed no signs of opening with pressure.  She then went back and remeasured the heart, which made R really nervous because he was worried that meant there was a problem, but all was good.

The nurse saw no sign of the hematoma, which was fantastic, but questionable.  When the doctor came in after the nurse was done, he did a quick scan himself and we did see the upper area that was sealed off.  It is thoroughly sealed off at this point though and poses no threat to the baby.  The lower part is gone, so aside from maybe some minor spotting/bleeding, I'm good to go for now.  I'll call my OB sometime this week to check about pelvic rest and restrictions.

And finally, I am afraid I must keep you all waiting a little bit longer on the sex of our baby.  We had the nurse write the sex down on a card they have just for that and seal it in an envelope.  We will open it either tonight or  tomorrow night at an early Valentine's Day dinner.  R suggested the idea, and since I was getting more and more nervous about the anatomy part, it seemed like a better way to find out than in a darkened scan room while possibly learning so much other info.  I promise to update tomorrow or Sunday!

19 weeks

T minus one week until I'm halfway there!  Tomorrow we will find out whether we are expecting a little boy or a little girl.  I am trying not to be nervous for the anatomy scan, but good lord, there is so much that can still be wrong.  I'm telling myself that since I had a fairly comprehensive scan at 15 weeks, I'm less likely to get shocking news than someone who hasn't had a scan since 11-12 weeks, but that evil little voice in the back of my mind is still rattling off the "what ifs".

Can't say I feel much different than last week, and I'm pretty sure I don't look different either.  Earlier this week I felt huge, and even my physical therapist commented that it looked like I'd popped.  But this morning I didn't feel any bigger at all, and if I sucked the belly in a stranger wouldn't even give it a second glance.  

Not the greatest picture...R was on the phone when he took it and I had to run out the door to work.  This weekend we are heading down to DC to visit friends.  It will be my first trip of any sort since 6 weeks and it will be nice to get away for a bit.  Next weekend I think we are going to hope for some President's Day sales and go crib shopping!  We aren't planning on making any other major nursery decisions until late March (I've been staring at paint swatches for almost 2 weeks now though...that will get a special post later I'm sure) but I don't know how long some delivery times can take and we'd like the nursery basics done by the time we leave for St. Thomas in April.  That will leave May and June for organizing shower gifts, finding a pediatrician, and all the other stuff that I haven't thought about yet.

SCH:

We'll see what tomorrow shows, but *fingers crossed* I haven't had anything but tinged CM since Sunday.  That is longest I've gone since this all started without at least obvious spotting, so I'm really hoping it is a continuing trend.  The OB at my appt. on Monday said not to be surprised if it still wasn't resolved, but I had told I was still having spotting since I assumed this lull was short lived.  Either way, she didn't seem concerned and said she saw no reason why we couldn't travel to St. T in April. 



Super bowl sunday.

A year ago today, we had just completed the IUI part of our 2nd IUI cycle.  We attended a friend's super bowl party...where we talked about TTC, but totally skirted the trouble and IF parts.  Little did we know, the couple hosting had recently found out their 2nd IUI cycle had failed and were gearing up for their first IVF cycle...all at the same RE clinic we were going to. 

Today, we are having the neighbors come over for pizza.  I will probably go to bed half way through the game because being 18 weeks pregnant can be exhausting.  Our friends from last year's party will probably be calling it an early night too because they have a 1 month old little girl from that IVF cycle.  So much can change in a year.

And speaking of exciting changes, I went to the mall earlier with one of my best friends...and she told me she is pregnant!!!  She is about 6 weeks so they haven't told anyone other than their bosses yet, but I am so happy she told me.  It was so nice talking to someone else IRL who really seems to get pregnancy, and not take that nonchalant "whatever happens, happens" attitude.  Her first u/s is later week...everything crossed she gets to see that little heartbeat!

18 weeks.

Technically 18w2days...my 18 week bump pic attempt was a giant fail and then my camera battery died, so take two was this morning.  I think I've finally popped a little. 

My weight is still about the same, but my bump and boobs are growing in full force.  Every time R walks by when I'm changing or getting in and out the shower, he stares as though he has never seen breasts before.  Then, of course, he tries to play with them.  Hopefully we'll be off this pelvic rest soon.

I was supposed to have an OB appt yesterday, but my doctor was called into surgery, so my options were going to the office location that isn't very convenient, or waiting until Monday.  I chose to move it to Monday, so I'll ask my list of questions then.   I'm not too concerned about the SCH...I've barely had spotting the past week.  My latest issue, which actually has been going on periodically for a few weeks, is my digestive system's inability to perform its duties at a regular pace without causing all kinds of cramps and pains.  I started eating dried prunes and was good for about a week there, but yesterday I had cramping on my lower right side in the morning and later in the day.  Eating seemed to move/change it so I knew it was digestive related.  Last we ate dinner on the fly so we could meet up with friends for a bit....big mistake for both of us.  Around 1am, I woke up from a dream in which I thought I had to pee...to pretty bad stomach/abdominal cramps.  I thought maybe it was like sleep orgasms, where my body was just reacting to my subconscious, but getting up to pee didn't help.  The pain felt kind of like my bladder was too full, with a centralized burning in the lower center of my abs.  Not my normal indigestion pains.  So I went downstairs to get my cell and chug some water, to see if I could get the pain to move, and if not....make the call to L&D.  Upon returning to the bedroom I discovered R in the bathroom....clearly on the verge of throwing up.  Luckily for him, some Pepto kept his dinner in check.  Eventually my pains moved and subsided, but I lost over an hour of sleep and it still caused me some worry because it is really hard to tell what cramps I need to pay attention to.   So....a big fuck you to Pat's Pizzeria, we won't be eating your food for long time!



Movement!

For the past week or so I've been feeling what I thought could be movement, but couldn't say for sure until today that it wasn't just an odd case of indigestion.  Particularly since baby likes to move after I eat.  My first "was that a kick?" moment actually happened about 2 weeks ago, but then nothing for a while.  This happened a few other times too, but it was always just one little tap so I never had a second chance to concentrate and decide what it was I was feeling.   Tuesday night R and I went to Home Depot to look at paint colors and I felt some movement then, which I think must be the baby flipping around because it felt like water sloshing around in there, but no distinct kicks.  Now, as I sit at my desk...I am getting little prods, pokes and taps all across my abdomen in varying patterns.  It feels like they might be strong enough to feel from the outside, but sitting with my hands in my pants would probably be frowned upon.   And it looks like my late afternoon performance is over anyway....18 weeks tomorrow!