16 Weeks: Monthly Checkup

Just got back from the doctor, and wanted to record this before I forget! Went pretty fast this time! Woohoo! Here's the summary:

• I gained about 4 lbs. since last visit (making a grand total of weight gained so far in this pregnancy... 4 lbs!). Blood pressure was normal: 116/68.

• I heard the baby's heartbeat which was fluctuating between 147-150 bpm.

• My fundal height (measurement in cm from top of uterus to pubic bone) is 17 cm, which is supposed to be equal to the # of weeks along... looks we're a week ahead! Plus or minus 1-2 week variance is normal, though. Can't tell positioning at this time yet.
  

• Had the second blood draw for the sequential screening tests. I should know the results at the next appt. Also finally found out my blood type: A positive. Next blood work should be between 20-24 weeks for glucose screening.

Paid for the delivery in full today! So we don't have to worry about that. Scheduled next appointment with Doc and THE ultrasound for Friday, July 24th (when we find out the sex... if he or she decides to reveal!). We will also have 2 special visitors that day/weekend!!! I'm so excited!!!! :D And we will head to Diana's (she's about 27 weeks pregnant with a baby girl) baby shower the following Sunday in Cary, NC! Busy weeks ahead!

Now to continue with the house cleaning and junk clearing!

As requested: Belly shot

I took this photo this morning when I woke up, hence the "strategically placed" camera and me having to hold up my boobs since I wasn't wearing a bra...ok, that might have been too much information, but whatever! LOL

So I'm at 15 weeks and 5 days today. Man, I just look severely bloated, huh? Definitely gained some poundage. I sure can't wait to find out how much I've gained at the doctor on Monday! (not)

More again next week!

15 Weeks: Bump?

I got my first set of baby clothes! These are from Tracy and Eric (parents of Kaylan, who was born May 7 - see entry from May 11). They got a set for a boy and one for a girl, since we don't know what we're having just yet! Tracy also gave me a box of her old maternity clothes as well! Yay! Thanks so much! Who needs to go shopping! :)

In other news, we signed up for Childbirthing classes with the hospital (Candler) for October 10th. And my next appt is next Monday. I'm only seeing the nurse this time and getting my blood drawn again for the 2nd part of the sequential screening. And hopefully I will be able to figure out when I can do the next ultrasound which would be the one where we find out the sex! woohoo!

I've been having daily headaches since I started the 2nd trimester. And they say this trimester is supposed to be the "easiest". Not sure what triggers them, as they happen at random parts of the day. They are mild migraines... hurting on only one side of my head. And it's always the left side. I've had to work at the computer with sunglasses on. This sucks. I really miss my excederin. Even though the doc says it's ok to take, it just doesn't feel right. So I'm just taking the pain like a (wo)man!

Also, I've been told that I have a belly now. I've also gained a couple pounds according to our bathroom scale. Every morning I wake up and look at and feel my belly to see any changes. There's definitely something popping up there. It's firm if I relax my ab muscles. It's still really weird to me, but cool. I will have to take a pic soon.

14 Weeks: Prenatal Conditioning

I bought this DVD online called Prenatal Conditioning with Teddi Bryant. I decided that my speedwalking wasn't cutting it for being my only exercise. I picked this one out of all other preggo-DVDs because the description said something about "not wasting time going through the motions of an easy workout." There's a 1.5 hour long workout and a shorter 50 minute workout that I tried this morning before starting work.

Overall I thought it was good. Pretty challenging for me since I haven't really done much exercise since finding out I was pregnant (other than running). I thought I could handle this after doing P90X for a few months prior. It deals with balance, core strengthening, stretching and tummy work (to prepare you for the contractions and pushing motions of labor). I found myself breathing heavily through the warm ups!

Other than that, I think I am starting to feel stuff, not really showing yet, but I think I can feel my growing uterus when I press on my belly. I can also feel a bump down there if I lay on my stomach.

BIG THANK YOUs go out to Bonnie C. and Clarice (my friends/past coworkers) for providing me with a plethora of preggo books and maternity clothes! They both had baby boys earlier this year.

13 Weeks: The first 1/3rd is OVER!

The first part of this pregnancy is over!

Now to make it through the 2nd trimester, which everyone and all the books say is the "easiest" of the three. We'll see about that. The first was pretty easy for the most part, and as in easy I mean I didn't hurl (thank goodness... I have a fear of vomiting), I didn't gain weight from having weird food cravings, I didn't have to drastically change my diet or other habits (I don't really miss drinking -- other than the social part, didn't smoke, didn't drink sodas or coffee - just changed to decaf tea, didn't eat much fish to begin with, and well, I would like to say I exercised regularly), and I didn't have any mood swings. I could barely tell I was pregnant most of the time. So now I can't really wait until I start showing.

I picked out paint colors for the baby's room. I'm sticking with blues. I don't care that blue is a "boy" color, blue is my favorite color. Whoever came up with blue for boys and pink for girls is crazy and it's sad that baby companies still promote that idea. Yes, I don't know the sex of the baby yet and I'm going to paint the room blue! So keep in mind, if I have a girl and I get tons of pink stuff from people, I will be upset. LOL ...Seriously.

Anyway!!!! Here is the color scheme! Pallavi and I have a great idea planned and I can't wait to execute it! These are Freshaire choice colors which have no VOCs. The screen colors are probably off, but the main walls will be the "Still Moment" color wich is supposed to be more of a light blue/gray color, and the accents are in the other 3 colors. Can't wait! It'll be the first room I've ever painted.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who is following me on this blog. Please also feel free to visit my art blog www.divinefrenzy.blogspot.com which needs more readers :)

12 Weeks: Ultrasound and Appt.

This morning I had my 12 week appointment and another ultrasound (for the sequential screening). Also had more bloodwork done (also for the screening). This time it was really uncomfortable because my vein was "rolling all over the place" and the technician was moving the needle around to find it... owie! Last time I bruised really badly from the spot of the needle entry, so I'm sure I will have a pretty bad one again this time around!

The ultrasounds were done the regular way this time, or abdominally not vaginally. The lady that did this one didn't seem too personable as the last lady. But she did make a joke: "Well, it doesn't look like it's a boy becuase it has a brain and a heart!" You can't tell much from these right now as to what the sex is anyway.

The top photo is the best view in my opinion. The one that doesn't look like anything is there is where she tried to show us his toes. It's cool to see how much bigger he's gotten already and how much more human-looking he is. He's about 6 cm long (from head to butt, not including legs). The profile is pretty distinct and so is his big head (takes after me!). You can also see the umbilical cord (faint, above the head).

The rest of the appointment was just the doc asking how I've been feeling, nothing new really, just to keep exercising and eating well. I gained zero pounds since the last appointment, which she said is fine, but at my next appointment (on June 29), if I suddenly jump in weight, I shouldn't freak out! haha I feel heavier and rounder, but like I think I said before, I think I just lost all my muscle and gained more fat. Oh, and she also said that if I get a migraine, it is OK to take Excederin Migraine, but I haven't really had one since the beginning, which she said pregnancy can either make them worse or make them better. I guess I got the better!

Next appointment is June 29th. I'll have the second blooddraw for the screening (hooray) at that point. They also told us the amount it would be for a vaginal birth, minus our insurance coverage, which we can pay in full next visit too. Well, they gave us a choice to pay in monthly installments, but we have the money put aside for it already, so we're going to pay it all at once. Is that normal to pay for it this early? Seems wierd, but whatever. I guess it's better to get it over with before hand than later.

Now I've got a headache! But no drugs this time, I'll just rest it out.