20 weeks - Half baked!

Halfway there friends, wahoooooooooo!  We even have a timely post to celebrate.  :-)

Baby is now the size of a:  cantaloupe!  Almost seven inches long and ten and a half ounces, my big girl!  Apparently she swallows several ounces of amniotic fluid a day (lots of good practice for that little digestive system); taste buds are up and running; permanent teeth are forming behind baby teeth; and she can differentiate between morning, noon, and night.


How I'm feeling:  overwhelmed (haha).  Okay, fine...I'm feeling large; lots of shortness of breath; lots of bathroom breaks; I have a very hard time getting out of bed and bending down; and HUNGRY (yes, even now at 9:22...).  Really, its not bad though; I hope I haven't been too whiny about this pregnancy or the symptoms I've endured.  I hope that I haven't freaked anyone out; ya know, in a way that makes them nervous for their future pregnancy.  Let the record show that I really love being pregnant.  It is an amazing feeling to have a little person growing inside of you; I especially love feeling our baby's kicks and flutters.  It really just feels special, and like a privilege.   

Physical differences from last week:  welp, my uterus is now level with my belly button; it feels pretty weird.  From now on, the top of my uterus will grow toward my rib cage at a rate of one centimeter a week - oh my!  My veins are noticeably (and freakishly) big and blue.  Oh!  And my boobs are disgustingly huge (in my opinion); I am actually embarrassed to look in the mirror anymore.

What's been on my mind:  school, home improvements, IKEA purchases, birthing classes, touring the hospital's labor and delivery ward, and registering.  Really people, that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Each of those things leads into their own wild and never-ending to-do list and/or reminds me of something else that needs to be done.  Today, my day consisted of lots of accounting homework and lots of home improvement talk.  After almost a year in this house - a year full of DIY home improvement projects - we're talking about renovations we never imagined for this house, AND even redo-ing some of the things we've already finished.  Well, friends, as of today we have about four months until our sweet baby's debut.  NOT A LOT OF TIME PEOPLE.  The excitement of meeting our little one is quickly trampled by that three page to-do list that is burned in my brain.   

What I'm looking forward to:  our next ultrasound, duh!  We're thinking about canceling our current appointment and going to one of those ultrasound schools (we're all about cheap people).  The ultrasounds are free, because they are done by unlicensed students.  No need to worry though, there is a licensed teacher supervising and confirming all observations made by the student.  I'm also looking forward to all of the nursery purchases and home improvements coming to an end (ha!  Like that'll ever happen...)!

Random thoughts:  Nada.  Its way past my bedtime, good night my devoted followers!  

19 Weeks

I'm late, I know, I'm sorry friends.  Lets face it, I'm ALWAYS late. 


Baby is now the size of a: mango!  She is over six inches long and weighs almost nine ounces.  Go baby girl!!!  At this point she has developed her preference for her right or left hand; her brain is working on getting the five senses functional; she can hear us loud and clear; also, she can apparently feel my stress (so sorry for that, dear; Lord knows I'm constantly under stress).  She responds to my stress by becoming more active - which I'm feeling thank you very much - lots of kicking, rib grabbing, flutters, etc.  I swear this baby is having a love affair with my lower left rib. 


How I'm feeling:  Oh lets see...I officially have an itchy belly; my back hurts 99.9% of the time, and I cannot stay in the same position for more than fifteen minutes without shifting or stretching; and ravenous.  Also, my office had a fire drill on Wednesday...we had to walk down 19 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS; I am still in agony.  I know this has nothing to do with my pregnancy, but you asked how I'm feeling... 

Physical differences from last week:  Umm...9 pounds heavier...ya...that just happened.  Really its not that bad (I keep telling myself that), its perfectly normal for 19.5 weeks.  If I gain a pound a week for the rest of this pregnancy, I'll cap out at 29-30 pounds; which I'm allowing myself.  Casey made this wonderful side-by-side comparison to show you all how large and in charge I've become:

What's been on my mind:  Baby names.  Now that we're pretty sure its a girl, I kissed Gabe goodbye, and I am on a quest for the perfect girl name.  I always thought that I wanted Lucy to be my first daughter's name, and maybe I still do, but at the moment I am consulting baby name finders in my (non-existent) free time.  You will all, of course, know her name just as soon as I do.  :-)

What I'm looking forward to:  Getting our butt's in gear and finishing the darn house!  We're starting to slowly chip away at our three-page to-do list on the weekends.  In another month school will be out of the way, and we'll be able to devote all free time to getting ready for this baby!  Yayayay!

Random thoughts:  I'll use this section to tell you about my most recent prenatal visit.  Lemme tell ya, these visits really lose their glamor after the first visit or two.  I met the OB, and I hate her.  Now, I know I tend to hate A LOT of people, but I think its totally deserved in this case. Strike one: she INSISTED that I get a flu shot.  I have never gotten one before, and I didn't plan on starting while I was pregnant.  People, my arm still hurts!  Strike two: she has decided that even though my baby is measuring with a due date of March 28, she wants to use my phantom menstrual cycle/the first OB's estimate and stick with April 6.  I am thoroughly annoyed by this.  The April 6 due date was calculated by my first OB; if I hadn't told my current OB about that visit, she never would've come up with it on her own.  Her logic was full of holes and unclear.  So I'm still counting based on the March 28 due date, why the hell wouldn't I?!  Strike 3: her lousy sense of humor, assumption that Casey and I are Irish (because of our hair), and her uninterested behavior.  She made bad jokes incessantly, many of which were about Irish people, because you know, all people with red hair HAVE to be Irish.  When I finally got around to asking my questions, she directed her attention to the TV behind my head.  Bottom line, this is not the person I want at the foot of my vagina on D-Day.  I'm not going to change doctors, AGAIN, but damn, can't anything work out in this pregnancy?!  

18 weeks

Geez louise I am reallllllllllly late with this post; I'm now closer to 19 weeks than 18.  This week has been rather hectic.  Last night in my Statistics class I compiled a to-do list of all the little things Casey and I need to do between now and March.  The list is THREE pages long.  It makes me cry a little just thinking about it.  Alright, enough whining....

Baby is now the size of a: 7 ounce lobster tail - wow, I kind of want to eat my baby.  Her (maybe his) eye balls are becoming more sensitive to light and can detect light through my belly, especially if I shine a flashlight at my belly.  You know, because I do that a lot...perfectly normal.  There is still enough room in my belly for her/him to kick and twist like crazy.  At the ultrasound she was head up and very active (*cough, cough* NOT ideal for gender determination...)


How I'm feeling:  Tired, lots of lower back pain, and a new, unpleasant sensation:  crushed lungs!  Every few minutes my belly and chest get really fluttery and constrict, it gets hard to breathe, and I get light headed for about 30 seconds to a minute.  Me thinks ze bebe is encroaching on my lungs.  I'm also feeling a lot of baby kicks. Earlier today, I swear this kid was using my left rib as a monkey bar.  Omg, sore much?!  Oh ya, and I'm HUNGRY.  I'm hungry right now, and almost every half hour throughout the day. 

Physical differences from last week:  To me, the belly seems more round and hard.  This morning I was looking at my belly button and I think it looks wider.  Ya, ya kind of a weird observation.  Whatever.  Here's a pic at 18 weeks and two days:

What's been on my mind:  The baby's REAL gender.  A big part of me thinks its a girl; I think its unlikely that the technician was wrong.  The circumstances make it totally plausible that its actually a boy; afterall, they thought it was a boy for the first half hour.  But in the end, those techs are trained to determine gender and she probably knows what she's talking about.  That small part of me that recognizes the possibility that it may be a boy keeps me from fully committing to day dreams and plans for a little girl.  Casey doesn't want me to get attached to either gender until our next ultrasound, because he doesn't want me to be disappointed (again).  

What I'm looking forward to:  Our second opinion ultrasound.  Casey scheduled it for November 17 at 3:00.  Ugh, great another two week waiting game.  We wanted to wait until I'm at least 20 weeks along, so that the baby would be more developed and bigger, but geez that seems a long ways away.  Apparently the earlier the ultrasound, the more similar the two genders appear, as the baby is less developed.  I guess the optimal time to have the anatomy scan is 22-24 weeks; but, seriously, who the hell is going to wait that long?!  Especially in our situation!  So friends, mark your calendars.  We WILL get to the bottom of Baby Shelton's gender!!!

Random thoughts:  I need a lobster tail.  Stat!

Gender Updates

Hello friends.  I know you are all itching with curiosity about our baby's gender, after all...cookies are on the line.  I wish it were as easy as just saying, "Its a boy!" or "Its a girl!", but I don't do things the easy way. 

So here's the story...

Casey and I could not have been more excited for the ultrasound on Monday.  We left work early, and arrived at the ultrasound facility way early.  We were lucky enough to be called back after only a mere 30 minutes of waiting, and before the ultrasound started, the tech offered us a DVD of the ultrasound.  I *thought* we were in good hands. 

Well after a half hour of heart and brain measurements, the tech decides to venture down south and says, "I think I see something hanging between the baby's legs; I think its a boy."  Casey and I look at each other, extremely excited, and just sort of squeeze each others hands to keep from screaming.  The ultrasound continues...for another 45 minutes...

For those of you who aren't terribly familiar with the anatomy scan ultrasound, the entire ultrasound is supposed to last 30 minutes tops.  This was one of several indicators that our ultrasound tech wasn't the brightest bulb.

The other indicator was the tech's unwillingness to answer any of my questions.  I lost all confidence in this broad when she finally stopped prodding and said, "I'm not sure I'm seeing what  I saw before, this might be a girl.  I'm going to go see if I can find another tech to help me with a few pictures."

She leaves and comes back with another tech.  The new tech begins prodding again, and says, "You'll have to excuse Rachel (the first tech), she isn't very familiar with this machine.  We've upgraded to all new machines, and Rachel hasn't trained on this one yet."

The second tech continues prodding, takes the necessary pictures, and then attempts to determine the gender.  She took a few snap shots of the pelvic region and pointed to a little bump, and said, "That's a lady bit, I think this is a girl." (alright, that's not a direct quote...but I'm not using any dirty words on my unborn child's blog)

Rachel later said, "That must have been a toe hanging between his legs."  Well friends, you tell me how one contorts their body to have a toe dangling between their buttcheeks!

Casey and I are still trying to understand how a little bump indicates that its a girl.  We're also still trying to understand how we got stuck with the new girl on the old, crappy ultrasound machine for such an important procedure.  Needless to say, we were not exactly thrilled with the experience.  We plan on having another ultrasound done in a few weeks to confirm the gender.  We are not comfortable shopping and planning a nursery based on yesterday; neither of the techs were confident. 

As I type this lovely blog post, Casey is reviewing our ultrasound DVD and comparing ultrasound shots with Google image.

So there you have it, those who guessed boy kinda won, and those who guessed girl kinda won.  I'll update you folks with something more concrete in a few weeks.  Also, sorry for the delayed weekly birthday post.  I'll try to post tomorrow night. 

17 weeks and a bet!

Baby is now the size of a:  Turnip!  He is just over 5 inches long, as wide as my palm, and weighs almost 6 ounces.  His bones continues to harden, and if an x-ray were taken today, you would be able to see his skeleton.  The baby's body is now covered in a thin hair called Lanugo, which he will shed later in third trimester.  Lastly, his eyes have begun to move side to side beneath his fused eye lids.  Oh, oh!  And....I felt the baby kick!  I was at work and I felt two little taps under my left rib; at first I thought, what the heck was that, and then I realized it was my little pumpkin.  :-) 


How I'm feeling:  Pretty good.  I started taking my thyroid supplement, and my energy has improved somewhat, but the weakness has not.  I've also developed a new, unpleasant sensation...round ligament pain (a.k.a.: growing pains).  In first tri I felt a few tugs here and there, but now it seems like my whole belly hurts all.the.time.   

Physical differences from last week:  I still refuse to weigh myself, unless in a doctor's office, but there was this development...Casey said, "Honey, you finally look pregnant!" 

What's been on my mind:  The baby's gender!  Only 8 days, geez louise its like waiting for Christmas!!!  Thinking about the baby's gender inevitably leads to daydreaming.  I visualize the nursery, and then I start thinking about our little family doing things like Disneyland, the beach, Zoo Lights, going to visit our family in Connecticut; and before you know it I've spent fifteen minutes zoned out at my desk...

What I'm looking forward to:  See above.

Random thoughts:  We have so much to do, ugh!  I have two friends that I reference for my pregnancy, and both had accomplished so much more by this time in their pregnancy.

 

The Bet:  I decided to start a bet with Casey, our families, our friends, and even some coworkers about the baby's gender.  Out of 17 peeps only two say its a girl (yes, this makes me very happy).  The winners will get a delicious blue or pink cookie, baked by yours truly.  Wanna bet?  You can email me or just comment below.     

Hypothyroidism

I know it's not time for Gabe's weekly birthday, but I received some rather sucky news today and I thought I'd share it with my devoted followers.  My OB called me today with the results from my blood tests; turns out I have Hypothyroidism.


What does that mean, you ask?   My thyroid is less active than it should be, and the rest of my body is working overtime to try and compensate for it.  The thyroid regulates the metabolism, and during pregnancy my thyroid influences the baby's thyroid (uh oh).  Luckily this condition was detected sooner rather than later, and there are medications that can supplement my lazy thyroid - that are completely safe during pregnancy - and remedy the situation.  Oh ya, and those darn vampires at the lab get to draw my blood biweekly for the remainder of my pregnancy!  

Symptoms (that I've had the pleasure of experiencing):   Headaches, extreme fatigue, irritability, difficulty sleeping, weakness, and sensitivity to the cold.  This really explains why I haven't felt that Second Tri energy boost; why sometimes its hard to just walk, when my limbs feel as if they are just dead weight; and why I've been extremely irritable (sorry Casey and Mom).

Fun facts about Hypothyroidism:  This condition is most common in young pregnant women.  Here I thought my age would be an asset throughout this pregnancy, and maybe even guarantee a low-risk pregnancy.  Haha, nope!

I shall keep you posted my friends, I assure you this won't be the last time we talk about Hypothyroidism on the Growing Baby Shelton blog.   I'm not really the kind of person to suffer in silence, and I really, REALLY hate having my blood drawn.

16 weeks

That's right folks, we're skipping weeks 14 and 15.  I had a prenatal appointment last Monday with my new OB, and O-M-G I measured 15 weeks and 1 day!  Since I didn't get around to posting sooner, I'm now in my sixteenth week!!!

The moment the ultrasound probe hit my belly, the screen lit up with our baby.  The doctor looked at us and said, "My God that baby is HUGE!  And active..."  While he tried to measure Gabe's crown to rump length,  Gabe would not stay still.  He was bouncing around in my belly, swinging his arms, as if he were in a bounce house.  He even did a little flip and grabbed the placenta.  It took all my strength and concentration to keep from crying, so I ended up shaking and giggling like an idiot.  Every time I laughed, Gabe bounced or flailed in response.   

 It is a great feeling to be a whole week and 3 days further along than I thought, but there is a possibility that Gabe is just bigger than average and I'm not actually further along.  Regardless, I like the idea of being further along, and I like my new due date, March 27, so we are sticking with this new calculation until told otherwise. 

Baby is now the size of an:  avocado (or a small gerbil, but that is just creepy to think about)!  He is 4.5 inches long, and weighs about 3.5 ounces.  His ears and eyes have moved closer to their final position, his neck and legs are more developed and stronger, and his little heart is now pumping 25 quarts of blood each day.   


How I'm feeling:  significantly less nauseous, but still tired (still not the baby's fault).  I have been having a lot of back pain and a lot of cramps the past few days.   I also feel fat (see below).

Physical differences from last week:  Before my prenatal visit on Monday, I hadn't weighed in since July...well friends, I'm now four pounds heavier from when this wondrous journey began.  Boo!  It is rather sucky to see your weight go up after three years of counting calories compulsively and working to maintain your weight.  Here is my 16 week bump, sans makeup at 7:00 this morning:

What's been on my mind:  my bouncing baby.  That ultrasound image is burned into my brain.  I wish I could have had a DVD made of that ultrasound.  Just thinking about my little avocado bouncing around like that all.day.long, in MY belly, makes me cry (happy tears). 

What I'm looking forward to:  The big ultrasound is coming up in two weeks!  I cannot wait!!!  Thankfully our lives are so busy that time usually flies by.  I cannot imagine the moment of truth.  I cannot imagine my response or the feelings I will have at that moment.  I can, however, imagine heading straight to the Buy Buy Baby immediately afterward, and then to Home Depot to get pink or green color samples.  

Random thoughts:  Wanna know what Heaven tastes like? Chocolate covered Acai (and/or possibly Blueberries) berries.  I don't like chocolate.  And I don't like Acai berries or Blueberries.  Well the evil candy lady at work put out a bowl of chocolate covered things and wow.  They are magical; heavenly, if you will.  I suggest all peeps go try these wonderful things immediately.