Belly Picture: 21.5 weeks

Well, it was about this time in my pregnancy with Andrea that I took my first pregnancy picture to show off the belly. So, to be fair, I have to put my insecurities aside and step in front of the camera to get a 5-month belly picture for this baby, too:

I am definitely showing a lot more, a lot earlier in this pregnancy than my first one, but I've heard that's not uncommon. In general, I'm finding my pregnancy is less noticeable to others this time, because I'm not wearing maternity clothes yet (well, except in this picture)--just over-sized clothes. I'm sure when I give in to the maternity clothes in a few weeks, people will realize that I'm not just large, I'm pregnant, too! ;p

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Here's a picture of Andrea posing with my belly and I. I put it in her blog, as well, but I thought it went with the entry here, too.

I think Andrea and her sibling will get a kick out of this picture some day. :))

5 months/20 weeks: Half Way There!

Today is a bit of a milestone in the pregnancy--we're half way there! :))

I went for my 5-month OB visit today, and Dr. P. said everything looks fine. My blood pressure was good; I've only gained 1 pound in the last month; the baby's heart rate was around 160 bpm today.

We will be getting another opportunity to see the baby in a few weeks. Dr. P. said not to worry, that all the info. they got from the last ultrasound said the baby was fine, it's just they weren't able to get all the measurements she wanted, because the baby wouldn't cooperate. So, I get to go for another ultrasound on April 5th.

Dr. Patel thinks the baby is a boy, because it's stubborn and won't cooperate--even when she was trying to measure the heartbeat with the fetal doppler, it kept kicking at the probe, and swimming away, again!

I think it's a girl, because everyone I know who has had a boy says that their boy "let it all hang out" on the ultrasound, and that's so typically male! Plus, I remember Andrea was also an "uncooperative" baby who required about three ultrasounds over a two-week period when I was at the same stage of pregnancy, with her.

Dr. P said she's also still planning on booking the echo-cardiogram with Dr. M. (specialist). I saw Dr. M. a few times when I was pregnant with Andrea, because of our Spina Bifida scare (which, thank goodness, turned out to be nothing). Again, Dr. P. said the baby's heart looked fine on the regular ultrasound, but Dr. M.'s echo-cardiogram is much more specialized and detailed, and that way we will be reassured that the baby has no hidden heart problems.

Oh, and I have definitely felt the baby moving around this week. I think I may have felt movement as early as 14 weeks this time, but this week it's definitely the baby. I usually notice it at night, when I'm relaxing. It's funny, I feel the movement most in the exact same spot I felt it with Andrea--on my lower left-hand side of my belly. These two seem to have a lot in common. :))

It's a . . . BABY!

Well, there you have it. Bud wouldn't cooperate with us today.

I have decided that I am so irritated with Bud, that Bud is now going to be referred to as "it," until such a time as "it" decides to reveal what sex "it" is. I hate calling babies "it," and that's why I want to know the sex, but Bud wouldn't cooperate--so "it," or "the baby," it is!

The good news is that it looks fine. We saw the baby's heart beating. It was also waving its hand, stretching out its legs (although not when we wanted it to!), and opening and closing its mouth. We saw a really clear picture of its footprint. The baby is measuring 18 weeks exactly.

The technician tried, two separate times, to determine the baby's sex--but it kept both legs curled up, right against its bum, even when she tried to jiggle it a bit!

Anyway, here are the ultrasound pictures of the baby:

For a bigger view, click this link: http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=4894002 . This picture is labeled, with stuff like: head, hand, spine, shin, thigh, etc.

I'm sorry I sound so bitter just because we didn't find out if it's a boy or a girl. I am TRULY grateful that the baby appears to be healthy and happy in there. :))

OB Appointment: 4 Months

Everything went great at our 16 week appointment with Dr. P. (OB/Gyn).

My weight is good (lost 1 pound); my blood pressure is good; my urine tests were good. Dr. P. had the results from my 12 week ultrasound, and all the measurements were fine there.

It took her a few tries, but she found Bud's heartbeat. It was measuring in the 150s, exactly like it had the night before on the home doppler. And, exactly like the night before, Bud kept whooshing away every time we found the heartbeat for a few seconds! So, I guess it's not just Mom annoying Bud. :))

Bud's Heartbeat :))

Tomorrow we will reach 16 weeks, or 4 months, in the pregnancy. I will have my monthly appointment with Dr. Patel. But I just couldn't wait to hear Bud's heartbeat.

In fact, I still have my heartbeat doppler from when I was pregnant with Andrea. I have been so anxious to check on Bud that I've been trying to check the heartbeat, with my home doppler, since week 12. I hadn't heard anything yet, but I wasn't really worried, because I couldn't hear anything until about 16 and a half weeks with Andrea. Also, I'm 90% sure I've already felt the occasional flutter/twitch for a week or so now.

But tonight, my persistence paid off. Believe me, it was really awkward trying to use the gel-covered doppler with one hand, hold the receiver on my knee, and the digital camera in my other hand! So, the video's not high quality, but I managed to get Bud's heartbeat so you could all hear it for the first time with me! The video is only a few seconds long, because you can hear Bud whoosh away soon after I capture the strongest heartbeat. But who can blame the poor little thing? I really had to jam the doppler into my stomach to find Bud! Bud's probably saying, "Geez, Mom, give me a break!"

Anyway, enjoy . . . :))

http://media.putfile.com/Buds-Heartbeat

Hello, Little Person :))

Today I went for my 12-week ultrasound, and it went great! I had a really nice ultrasound technician, and My Little Bud is doing well.

Bud is measuring 12 weeks, 4 days, which is right on track for my due date.

When we first saw Bud on the screen, the technician said, "Looks like baby is sleeping!" But within a couple of minutes, Bud was practically dancing on the screen! I saw arms and legs waving, and Bud kept turning towards and away from us. It also looked like Bud was trying to do somersaults! The technician said, "Your little person is definitely awake now!"

It was so awesome to see the baby moving around, and to actually see human features--face, arms, legs, feet, toes, fingers . . . It's astonishing how much they change in the first few weeks. At the start, all you can really distinguish is a beating heart; within a couple of weeks, you see a tiny person in there!

Bud was very cooperative for the camera, and put on quite a show for us. Unfortunately, the images never come out in print as well as they do on screen, but I put some labels on the pictures I've got to help you understand what you're looking at.

Say "Hi" to Bud--because Bud is waving hello to you!

So Many Appointments, So Little Time!

Today I had two important doctor's appointments: I saw my OB/Gyn., Dr. P., for the first time for this pregnancy; and I also went and faced Dr. S., my GD (Gestational Diabetes) doctor, for my second appointment with him.

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My appointment with Dr. P was long and involved, and there was a lot of conversation and planning going on. Most of it was good news, but a few other things came up. So, as much for myself as anyone else, I'm going to type out everything that I want to remember from today:

• Dr. P. is pleased with my weight and my blood pressure; we will keep an eye on the blood pressure, because it got dangerously high at the end of my first pregnancy, which led to hospitalization
• we booked an ultrasound for 18 weeks (March 2), which is the standard one to check baby's anatomy (MIGHT DETERMINE THE SEX THEN!)
• she said I could cancel the ultrasound for January 22 if I want to, but I don't want to--I like seeing the baby!
• she asked if I wanted Maternal Serum Screening and I said NO--remember the false positive for Spina Bifida I had with Andrea? SO not worth it
• she asked if I wanted a planned C-section this time and I said YES!--she gave me thumbs up, and was very pleased by my decision
• if all goes according to plan, will likely have the C-section in the last week of July
• because of the GD, will again be going for weekly ultrasounds and non-stress tests after about 28 weeks gestation
• CONCERN: new studies link mother's use of Paxil during pregnancy to heart defects in babies; therefore, will discuss options with Dr. R. (psychiatrist); ALSO going for a special echo-cardiogram to check out baby's heart at about 20 weeks (not yet booked); Dr. S. is not too worried because Andrea was carried under same circumstances and is fine, but we will check the baby just in case

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My appointment with Dr. S. was unbelievably pleasant. I went in expecting to do battle, because of last time, but he was in a good mood. I don't know if it was his new hairdo (cut way short), or his 3-week Christmas vacation that sweetened his temper, but it was like meeting with a totally different guy!

• I've lost 5 pounds, according to his scale, since I saw him 4 weeks ago
• when I showed him my high glucose readings from my journal, I said, "I really have been following my diet!" and he said, "I believe you!" (probably because he saw the 5-pound loss)
• he didn't yell at me for the readings I've missed, or for not recording my readings properly in the journal; he just smiled, and patiently explained his preference for how it should be done (Um, is this the same guy?!)
• he gave me a new insulin pen for the meal-time insulin which I will be taking now--with no comments whatsoever about past diabetic equipment not being returned to him (I just about fell off my chair!)
• I will be taking 8 units of rapid insulin just before breakfast, lunch, and dinner--as well as continuing the 36 units of NPH insulin at bedtime
• WOULD'VE BEEN GOOD TO KNOW: he finally received the results of the blood tests he complained about not having received last time; apparently, they show that I have been TYPE 2 DIABETIC since the summer; but, instead of making me feel bad about it, this time he just explained the results to me, wrote a note on my chart, and said we'd probably have to continue treating for Type 2 after this pregnancy is completed

So that was it! He was all smiles--no snide remarks, tirades, or complaints. He told me to "keep up the good work"! Gee, I sure like this Dr. S. a whole lot better!

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So, next event of interest: 12-week ultrasound on Monday . . . just because I want to see My Little Bud. :))