Possible GD & Baby Showers

I had my 20/21 week usual appointment on Tuesday. I ate like crap all day because the sciatic nerve pain had been AWFUL. It was making me nauseated it hurt so bad...so my food intake before my appointment was deplorable (McD's bagel and sweet tea for breakfast, granola bars for snack, and another granola bar and some milk before the appointment...pretty much no lunch to speak of). Mom went with me since DH went last week and I hate going alone (just in case of bad news; I should really get over that by now). Anyway, the nurse got my weight (141) and I'm up 12 lbs. total so far. My blood pressure was fine at 120/82. While we waited for the doc, baby boy was kicking like crazy. I laid back and had mom put her hand on my belly. She was shocked when she was able to feel him. She just couldn't get enough and keep egging him on to keep kicking!

Finally doc comes in and says I'm spilling a ton of sugar in my urine (3+; whatever that means) and he suspects I may have gestational diabetes. He doesn't want to wait another 3-4 weeks to have me do the one hour glucose test, so he gave me a slip to go have it done...and an appt. in 2 weeks as a follow-up to go over results. He's pretty sure I had it, but now I'm wondering if the junk I ate that day could've made a difference. Then I started feeling guilty, as if it was my fault even though he said it wasn't. I felt like a bad mom...and that it was something I could've controlled. Everything I've read says otherwise, but I still went home and cried to DH!

I also requested an appt. with a nutritionist to get pointers of what I can and can't eat if I do in fact have GD. Regardless, I need to eat better. And also an appt. with a physical therapist to help with the sciatic pain. However, the receptionist was new and promised to call me Wednesday with that info, which of course, she didn't. Since my sciatic pain is gone (for now) and I don't know for sure if it's GD just yet, I'm going to just wait to follow-up on those at my next appt. on March 6th.

In other news, I have dates for all 3 of my baby showers already! Everyone is seriously on the ball. The out of state (Indiana) shower will be April 13, my work shower will be April 17 after work, and the BIG shower close to home will be May 5. DH & I got a list together of our friends and his dad's side of the family last weekend (about 50 people) and gave it to his mom, who said she needed to buy more invites. She had only bought 40. That list of 50 didn't include any of DH's mom's side or his step dad's side (and his step dad has no kids of his own; so this will be his first/only way to have a grandchild). Needless to say, it's going to be quite a large shower I think!

I'm starting to get excited! March is almost here...my dad and step mom are coming up with the crib March 22, so we can finish setting up the nursery that weekend...then 3 weeks later is my first shower. Time is just going to FLY soon!!

Oh yes and I found this and want it!

http://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=93098930210&MasterCategory_Id=MC21?MULTI

Over Halfway & Updates

It's official...I'm terrible at keeping up with this blog right now!

So much is going on and so much to update, but I just haven't made it here. Work is so busy right now and the next month or so is going to be crazy before it slows down a bit right before my leave.

We are slowly getting stuff for Brady. My dad and step mom are buying the crib and bringing it up the weekend of March 22nd to help us put it together.

Crib we're getting!

We originally had the dark espresso version of the same crib picked out, but have decided to switch which room we are going to put him in. We are leaving the guest room as the guest room, but turning the bed the opposite way to make a bit more room to move the computer desk in there. The currently computer room (which is already pained a dark dusty blue color) will become Brady's room.

We decided to do this after buying the dresser and nightstand at an antique shop. I've been fretting over this whole dresser thing for a few weeks now. The one that matches the crib at Babies R Us is $550. No one in the family had mentioned buying it or pitching in, and I didn't want to wait until the shower(s) to see if someone would...and if they didn't, have to worry about getting one at 32 weeks+. I'm a planner, for sure, and waiting that long for something so unsure was stressing me out. Plus DH hated the thought at spending anything other $300 for a dresser, which I agree, seems crazy when we have so much other stuff to buy/worry about/pay off.

So this weekend we went to a few places (Big Lots, Target, Walmart, etc) only to find expensive stuff that you had to put together and would still be crappy :( We ended up at a big antique store hoping to get lucky...and I think we did. We found this dresser/changing table...and the top area is the perfect measurement for a changing pad. The nightstand is so cute and just what I wanted...just something to put a lamp and had some drawers to store diapers or other small items in. We might end up putting another coat of white on the dresser depending on how it matches the crib, and we'll have to paint the nightstand white. But we got both for $125 total, so we are happy! You can also see the blue on the walls of Brady's room...which just so happens to go great with the crib bedding mom bought...

$80 dresser/changing table we bought at antique mall. Will probably paint knobs.

Nightstand we will paint white.

Crib bedding mom bought. Comes with quilt, bumpers, sheets, valance and the 3 pieces of wall decor.
Registered for the blanket, lamp and mobile.

Oh yes, and I went ahead and bought the carseat. I wasn't going to, but it was no longer available on Babies R Us and went on sale on amazon for $135 with free shipping! I still want to get the matching stroller (Graco Urbanlite Stroller).

Graco Snugride 35 in Rittenhouse

Other than that, my cold/flu is better, but I am still congested a bit at night. The last couple days I've been dealing with horrible sciatic pain. In the past it has only lasted a day or two, then gone away...eventually to come back again. This time it's as bad as it's ever been. It's on the left side and so bad that I can barely walk to the bathroom at night. I pretty much need a cain or just hobble on one leg :( Then it's nearly impossible to get back to sleep!

Good stuff though...I feel him moving every day now and he's starting to fall into certain patterns of sleep and movement. He's quiet when I'm at work (for the most part), but wiggles a bit more after I eat something. He's a lot more active in the evenings between 7-10pm. And once the weekend hits, all bets are off. I swear he's practicing aerobics or karate in there 24/7. I've figured out that when I am talking, he's more active. He likes mommy's voice :)

Oh yes and DH finally got to feel him move. This Sunday (20w2d) morning he was moving a ton. DH was laying in the guest bed, so I ran in there to lay next to him and made him put his hand on my belly and told him to wait. About 5 minutes passed and I felt a kick. I didn't tell him, but I could tell he felt it when he turned towards me, smiled and his eyes got really wide :)

My belly is really getting out there and I'm pretty sure it's noticeable even to strangers now!
Here's my 20w2d pic:

Anatomy Ultrasound...

Everything is perfect! The scan only lasted about 15 minutes...way less than what I had planned from what I've heard from others. I was super nervous going to the appointment. We already knew it was a boy, so it was all about finding out if he was healthy. My hands were sweating all the way there. DH was meeting me there from work and told me he might be late. This frustrated me and I told him this might be the most important appointment we go to. My fears were unnecessary though, as he ended up getting there before me!

We got called back right away and the tech started by telling me to pull everything down to my knees, which I thought was odd. I guess I was being modest, so I pulled them down just below the pubic bone (she later had me pull them down because his head was really low). She asked if we wanted to know the sex, and I told her we had had an elective and were pretty sure we knew. She asked not to tell her. She went straight to between his legs and said "Yep, it's a boy!" She then moved to his head and started measuring. I was 19 weeks 1 day based on ovulation, 19 weeks 3 days based on LMP. I've been using the one based on ovulation since I knew I ovulated on CD17. Based on his head size, he was measuring 19.4 and 19.5. Anyway, still trying to decide what due date to use, even though I suppose 2 days doesn't really matter. OB is using July 5, so that's what I'm using now :)

She continued onto his heart (4 chambers all there, and HR ranged from 141 to 161 depending on when she checked it), checked his waist, kidneys, etc. Also bloodflow through the cord, the spine, brain stem, and length of femur bone. She also mentioned how active he was and asked what I had for lunch, which was macaroni and cheese and milk. I did have a couple sips of sweet tea on the way over, but not much. He was also very active at the elective ultrasounds. I think he's just an active baby! I feel him moving every day now :)

She tried to get a profile pic of him, but he wouldn't cooperate, so she got a straight on face shot...as well as a pic of him from the side showing his spine, and of course a pic of his boy parts :)

Boy parts, but he kept moving so this one isn't the best shot

Baby boy's spine

I think he has my chin ;)

And my 19 week bump shot (I've really popped out!):

Almost 19 Weeks & Pregnancy Survey

First off, can I just say that I can hardly believe I am going to 19 weeks on Sunday. Seriously?! Almost halfway! Where has the time gone.

I found this survey on another blog and decided it would be fun to fill out :) Fill free to fill it out for any current or past pregnancies!

About Me

Name? Michelle

Age? 30

Height? 5’2”

Hair color? dark brown

Eye color? blue

About the Father

Name? Doug

Age? 33...but turns 34 later this month

Height? 5’9” ish

Hair color? brown

Eye color? mixed...brown/green/hazel. i say poo colored :)

About My Pregnancy

Is this your first pregnancy? Third. But first one where I've made it THIS far!

When did you find out you were pregnant? October 22nd

Was it planned? Yes, we were on Femara (2nd round)!

What was your first reaction? Shock, disbelief, excitement, happiness, fear

Who was with you when you found out? Doug was on the phone. I wrote him a note saying "I think I see two lines but you might think I'm crazy <3"

Who was the first person you told? Doug...then my TTC after MC girls!

How did your parents react? They were all happy but VERY cautious! They got a bit more excited after we saw a heartbeat at 6 wks (and 5 days), and even more thrilled when we went to the 3d u/s and found out the sex!

How far along are you? 18 weeks, 5 days

What was your first symptom? 5 dpo crampy, 7dpo tingly boobs and indecisiveness, 8dpo slight nausea and weird cravings

What is your due date? July 7, 2013

Do you know the sex of the baby? Yes! A BOY!

Have you picked out names? Yes! Brady Scott. 

How much weight have you gained? About 10-11 lbs.

Do you have stretch marks? Nope

Have you felt the baby move? Oh yes! It’s so fun!

Have you heard the heartbeat? Yes, several times! It’s the best sound ever.

About the Baby

Will you keep the baby? This is a given… Absolutely!

Home or hospital birth? Hospital

Natural or medicated birth? I’ll most likely get an epidural, but we’ll see how it goes. 

Who will be in the delivery room with you? Doug...and probably the grandmas.

Will you breastfeed? I'm going to try.

Do you think you’ll need a c-section? I hope not.  Mom did, so if history repeats, then yes...

Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time? I know it!

What’s the first thing you might say to him? How much I LOVE him!

Would you let someone videotape the birth? Ehh probably not.

Are you excited or scared about the birth? At this moment, no. But I'm sure I will be when the time comes.

More Ultrasound Pics & Video

Went for 2nd 3d/4d ultrasound today and got lots more pics and a video!

Here's the link to the video:

http://youtu.be/zZ996HW_OWM

And just a few of the pics :)

Sucking his thumb

DH says he's flipping us off...I say he's picking his nose ;)

Still a boy!!

His feet :)

Tired of us looking at him!

Sleepy time now!

Sick

I have been sick...going on day 11 now. I feel like I've finally turned a corner, but honestly still feel like crap. I missed all last week at work. Luckily Monday was a holiday (paid), so that saved me from having to use a sick day on that day. But the rest of the week I missed, with the exception of 5 hours on Thursday because I felt like I HAD to make an appearance. I ended up going home early and my boss even said that he thought I needed to go home.

It started the Friday before last (the 18th) and I honestly thought it was just a cold. It even pissed me off when my mom told me I should call my OB right away. I insisted it was just a cold and they can't do anything for a cold anyway. Saturday and Sunday were miserable. And even though my elective u/s was on Sunday, I went anyway despite feeling like crap and hacking up a lung.

Two days later, on Tuesday, I had my 16 week appt...and I was praying he'd be able to DO something about how I was feeling. By that point, I was feeling even worse and I had a feeling it was a sinus infection or the flu. I had even tried to call my OB Monday night, but he wasn't on call so I talked to some other guy. He didn't give me much insight. Just said he thought it was the flu...told me to drink fluids, use a humidifer and take some Benedryl.

My 16 week appt. was at 4pm (last appt of the day) but we didn't end up leaving until 6pm. They were VERY behind, apparently. We spent an hour in the waiting room and another hour just waiting for him to get to our room. At which point I was red in the face from coughing, and miserable as all get out. He said I sounded like shit and I told him that's exactly how I felt. He prescribed z-pak and said it might be flu, but might have also turned into a secondary infection, hence the antibiotics. He had a student/intern with him who nervously measured my belly (uterus is at my belly button already), then tried to find the heartbeat with the doppler with no luck. OB took over and found the heartbeat very quickly. 152 bpm.

We scheduled our 20-week ultrasound (I'll be just past 19 weeks when I go) for Feb 11...and next OB appt on Feb 18. Picked up the z-pak on the way home and took the first two pills when I got home. An hour later, I nearly threw them back up...but figured it was because my stomach was still kind of empty...and vowed to take them with more food the next day.

Wednesday comes and I decide to miss work again. I take my z-pak in the evening with food and milk, and an hour later, like clockwork, the nausea hits. I'm laying in bed closing my eyes praying it will go away if I hold still. Eventually I decide to get up to get more food, thinking that will help. Nope. I only made it to the bathroom, where I threw it all up. I decided to call my OB after this and tell him it's not going to work if I'm puking it up. Luckily he was on call and called me in a different antibiotic (Ceftin).

I'm on day 6 of that now and it's much nicer on my tummy. I did end up going to urgent care Sunday night because I was miserable from coughing. Doc said lungs, ears and throat looked good. Said I just needed to give antibiotics more time, or, if it was a virus/flu, I'd just have to let it run its course. He did give me some phenergan syrup with codeine so I could sleep and Flonase for my nose. Wow...that cough syrup is a life-saver. An hour after taking it, my cough stops completely and it knocks me out for the night.

I went back to work yesterday still feeling somewhat miserable, but slightly better than before. My cough is still super junky and I'm blowing my nose like crazy, but at least I'm getting the stuff out! I honestly can't remember EVER feeling this sick in my entire life! Praying this thing is about over.

One other note, last night while laying in bed, I felt a twinge an inch below and an inch to the right of my belly button. Right after putting lotion on my belly. I looked down and saw the slightest movement. It freaked me out. It happened one more time, then I tried to go tell DH to see if Brady would do it again, but of course he didn't! I can't believe I'm SEEING him move already!

Oh, and my 17 week pic!

It's a...

Well, we went for our first of two appointments on Sunday at Baby Envision to hopefully find out gender early!

I took DH, my mom; DH's mom, dad and grandma! I had started getting sick a couple days beforehand but nothing could've stopped me from going. It was SO cold that morning (in the teens I think) but we all trekked down there (about an hour). The place was so nice and everyone was friendly. We all went into the room...there was a comfy twin bed for me, a chair right next to it for DH...and two comfy couches for the family. There were also two large flat screens on the walls to watch the ultrasound.

The tech got right to it and instantly went to find out the sex. She said she knew right away what it was and as soon as I looked at the screen, I could tell. But I looked at her anyway for confirmation and she said...

"It's a boy!"

I was already sort of teary-eyed as soon as baby showed up on screen, but once I knew it was a boy, the tears started to flow. I could see DH's mom from where I was at and she had the biggest smile on her face and was wiping her eyes. This really got me and tears streamed down my face even more. I reached over for DH's and we grabbed hands. I can't ever remember feeling such an overwhelming feeling of joy and happiness. I never knew I could love something so much.

The tech continued showing us everything. When she had first started, he had one hand by his eye and the other in his mouth sucking his thumb. But once she continued the ultrasound, he started moving around a lot. His little legs were kicking and his hands were all over the place. We saw all 10 fingers and all 10 toes. A beautiful spine. He even appeared to be smiling at us at one point, then waved.

When she showed us a frontal view of his face, DH said he looked like Achmed...and his dad instantly said "Douglas!" and laughed. I couldn't helped but laugh too because he kind of did!

The tech kept flipping back and forth between 2d and 3d, which was amazing. I could've stared at the screen all day long. The whole ultrasound lasted about 15-20 minutes and we left with a couple black and white 3d pics. We go back in 2 weeks for a longer session with 3d and 4d, more pics, a CD with the images from the first and second visit, and a DVD!



Yesterday DH asked me what is that little bump above his eye in the photo. I said, can't you see it...that's his hand reaching up to his eye :)

We've already chosen a name...Brady Scott! I can't believe how much I love this little person already!