Posted by Me
Sun, 31 Dec 2006 17:28:00 GMT
Today we are 36 weeks. :) I can’t believe we are about a month away. Yesterday was a tough day since I didn’t sleep well at all the night before so I was dragging that day. Today is a little better since I did manage to get some sleep.
Now that I am the size of a house I am getting more and more people coming up to me inquiring about my humongous belly and its special cargo. I even had the Starbucks lady ask to rub my belly – a phenomenon I still find a bit strange. It’s one thing when people you know ask to touch your belly – but strangers – it’s just a bit odd. Also, LOML and I are getting more and more advice about our impending launch into parenthood – the main one being “Get as much rest and sleep as you can now!” I know that’s what everyone says and I nod and smile – but really how is that possible when my bladder has been reduced to the size of a pea and sleeping on one’s side makes getting comfortable next to impossible. I am trying to get as much sleep as possible but at the same I think my body is trying to prepare me for sleepless nights! :) It’s a push and pull. Last night though I didn’t feel the need to get up at 4am due to discomfort my left hip felt sore and made it impossible to drift off to sleep comfortably. However, at least I was able to sleep some and feel less groggy today. :)
I actually have enough energy to run some errands this morning which is always a good thing. As far as a New Year’s is concerned, LOML and I plan to make it a mellow one. Grab some dinner and stay home. As it is, I won’t make it past midnight and even if I do I’d like to do so in my comfy PJ’s and Slippers. Besides, Vegas is so nuts on New Year’s I’d like to avoid all the hoopla if possible.
As we are reaching the end of 2006, I can’t help but reflect on this past year. 2005 was rough. It ended pretty horribly with my grandfather’s sudden passing, my failed IVF cyle, and a case of pretty bad strep throat. 2006 was a rollercoaster that brought a lot of changes. Some trying – but some extraordinary. I am grateful to be where we are at. We are far from being out of the woods, but I just want to take a moment and be thankful for this precious cargo squirming inside my belly. With every kick, every hiccup, I am thankful for the opportunity. I keep praying that he remains healthy and beg him to stay that way until we meet him which shouldn’t be too long from now. I still worry (probably more as of late than normal), but I hope that all turns out ok.
Thanks to all who have commented on my journey thus far. We’ve had our ups and downs and your encouraging words have made all the difference. I am glad I started this blog even if it started as a way for me to record my thoughts. I hope 2007 will be a great year for everyone.
Be Safe this New Year’s Eve!
Posted in Hello, my name is Infertile, 'Tis The Season, Everyday Livin', Relating, Baby G | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Me
Thu, 07 Dec 2006 21:42:00 GMT
The last few days have just whizzed by. I had my Baby Shower last Saturday and that was a lot of fun. My MIL & SIL did a wonderful job organizing it and Jack got a lot of cool stuff. That kid will be styled out when he arrives. :) I am touched by everyone’s excitement. Some of the nurses from the Fertility Center came to the Shower and that was really great. They were so nice to me while we were going through all the IVF stuff and it was nice to catch up with them.
The rest of the weekend was spent organizing things for the nursery and doing a few loads of laundry. Monday I freaked out a little since I woke up more swollen than I was used to. I took my blood pressure which seemed all well and the swelling did go down after I took a shower and such. I did gain more weight which wasn’t all that great to see on the scale but nothing to write home about I guess.
On Wednesday, we had another appointment with Dr. H. My blood pressure was a little high (well, high for me) but I think I was particularly nervous and I didn’t like the nurse who took it. I wasn’t used to her. Also, right before, I had to step on the scale and it was confirmed that I gained 4 lbs since the last appointment! Yowzers! Considering my high blood pressure reading, they had me pee in a cup to check that no protein was in there. Luckily, there wasn’t so all was ok. Dr. H came in and said though my blood pressure reading was high for me – it wasn’t high enough to be of concern. Overall, I measured right on target and currently in line with an average baby. Jack’s heartbeat was nice and strong at 138 bpm.
Dr. H took his time to answer all of my questions. I have felt more bruised around areas near my belly button and wanted to mention it. He said that that is normal since a lot of stretching is going on and that can cause the aches and pains. Also, I wanted to check that my weight gain is in check and he said it was. As long I haven’t drastically changed my diet, they aren’t too concerned about the weight gain. He said that the main thing they are concerned about is that baby is moving appropriately. He gave me a Kick Count Flow Sheet to record my checks and told us that if we notice any decrease or changes to give the office a call or go straight to L&D at the hospital. So far, Jack has been thumping away and I sure hope he continues that way. :)
Tonight we have a Basic Infant Care class at the hospital. Hopefully, it will be interesting and informative. We have a Breastfeeding class next Tuesday and that should be it as far as any classes we signed up for.
Other than baby, I have been busy working and getting the stuff set for X-mas. I am nearly there with all the gift stuff and slowly but surely getting ready for Jack’s arrival. I have to admit it’s been harder to get around or sleep for that matter now that there is more of me. Jack has not dropped yet so breathing is still tough and the heartburn is at an all-time high!
I need to get back into my walking regiment. I have been a bit neglectful of all that since I get so tired at the end of the day. I get up about 2-3 times a night just to pee and then tossing & turning the rest of the night. It’s all good though – as I have been saying before – I don’t care how uncomfortable I am as long as Jack is healthy and happy. Nothing (and I mean NOTHING) else matters. :)
We go back to Dr H’s in about 2 weeks for another check-up. I hope everything checks out ok and my blood pressure stays ok that time. Maybe I’ll get used to the new nurse and won’t freak out. :) Once can only hope. Hopefully, I won’t break the scale either! LOL :)
Anyways, that’s the update. I have some things to return at Babies R Us this weekend and a few more things to organize this weekend – in addition to all the regular household chores that have been neglected. Never-ending stuff, I tell you! :)
I hope everyone is staying happy and safe during this crazy month filled with holiday stuff! It’s weird to think that we have about 8 weeks more to go before Jack could potentially makes his debut! Crazy! I am still worried which I know will never stop – I just hope all goes ok and Jack makes it into the world safely.
Posted in Hello, my name is Infertile, 'Tis The Season, Everyday Livin', Baby G, Dr. H | 1 comment | no trackbacks
Posted by Me
Sun, 24 Sep 2006 16:49:00 GMT
I am 22 weeks today. Baby G has been making himself more known by kicking up a storm. It’s still pretty subtle and usually only more apparent in the middle of the night and early morning, but I love it. :) LOML was able to feel a couple of kicks the other night but as said they are still pretty subtle and you kind of have to concentrate to really feel them. Either way it’s nice to feel those little thumps once in a while. I hope he keeps it up.
Life has been busy. My work contract got extended until whenever I decide to stop due to Baby. As of right now, I plan to work until beginning of January and then take some time to get ready for when baby comes. Work has been supportive but really busy. The project I am on is taking a beating so all the powers that be are slightly freaking out. Oh well, luckily I work remotely and don’t get the full onslaught of the chaos that seems to be running rampant over there. The beauty of being a contractor in a different state. :)
When not muddling through test cases and excel spreadsheets, we’ve been busy preparing the nursery. We finally cleared the room out and LOML even put a few fresh coats of pain in there – a pale yellow on the walls and a light blue on the ceiling (official names: Convivial Yellow & Byte Blue). I guess you could say it is coming along slowly but surely. We were also able to finally clear out and organize the garage which we had been putting off for 3 years. Now, there is actually room in there. I still have to clear out stuff from the guest room, but figure that’ll have to wait until we get back from our vacation.
Yes, vacation! We are leaving Oct 4th for our long-awaited trip to Hawaii. We are so looking forward to it. :) It’ll be nice to get a little break and enjoy some time together before the baby arrives. I still have to do a bunch of stuff before we go but that’s to be expected. I am a planner by heart afterall so procrastinating is not a word in my vocabulary.
In any case, today we have a lunch scheduled with LOML’s grandparents to look at cribs. They generously offered to pay for it so hence we are making a trip to our local Babies R Us and show them the one we like.
Health-wise, I am feeling better though only if I take my B6 vitamin concoction in the morning. My belly is getting bigger but still have that ridge at my belly button. It hasn’t smoothed out yet. I haven’t taken any belly shots though people have asked to see some. I don’t know – haven’t really felt like it. I am sure we’ll take some pics when we are out in Hawaii so those will have to do. I don’t know…I have never been one to just pose each week with my belly exposed. Oh well.
I have another Doctor’s Appointment on Oct 2nd. Hopefully, all is well. It should just be a general check-up. On Nov 2nd, we have our second u/s where we check on the marginal placenta previa and the cysts in our boy’s brain. Those two things are on my mind, but I am not spending my days worrying on it. I try to focus on the kicks and all the other stuff that is going on…praying all is well with baby.
As a whole I am doing good at keeping my natural worrying at a minimum, I was stupid enough to watch the Season Premiere of ER the other night and couldn’t help but freak out a little at Abby’s predicament … delivering her baby 2 1/2 months early and then undergoing a hysterectomy! Yikes! Now that I am this far along I do occasionally worry about the “preterm labor” risks and all that jazz. I know it can happen and since I haven’t gone through pregnancy before all those things are things that pop into my mind. I know it doesn’t mean that it’ll happen to me, but well with my history you can’t blame a girl for wondering and/or worrying.
However, as said, I am trying to keep those at a minimum. Working and thinking about the nursery and stuff is keeping me busy. Since we are going with a “Curious George” theme room, I got the Jack Johnson “Curious George” soundtrack as a motivator. LOML & I love Jack Johnson’s tunes so it was just perfect that he wrote the score for the movie. :) We’ll be listening to it on our way to Hawaii and hopefully our little Jack (name is not set yet – but in my opinion – still the front runner!) will be soothed by the tunes like we are. So far, I haven’t had any complaints so I think we are good. :)
As mentioned, no final name has been picked. We bought some more Baby Naming books and plan to bring them along to Hawaii where we will have some time to sort through them and see which names we like. So, we’ll see if we come to some agreement by the time we get back! :) My mom is constantly bugging me as to whether or not we have picked one out yet. I told her about Jack and I am not sure she likes it too much – but really it doesn’t matter. LOML & I will pick the name we like. I could just do without some of the snarky remarks people make when they ask about names you have thought of and they answer with “Really? – Oh ok, it’s your kid afterall so you can name him whatever!” Yeah – people and names are funny. EVERYONE has an opinion. Sometimes it seems like it would be easier to just not say anything since clearly when they ask at times they already have an opinion. As with my Mom, she’d say “Ok, Jack or James!” Let it be said that neither LOML or I have ever considered James as a name nor plan to. I just find it funny how she’ll get sneaky and throw that in there like that name has always been in the running! Oh well!
In other news, weather in Vegas has been perfect – long gone are the 100+ temps and we have now settled into the nice 80’s/70’s. Sunny and at times breezy. Fall & Spring are really nice here. Winter isn’t too bad but it does get pretty cold here since we do live in the desert and temps are pretty extreme. It makes being outdoors so much more pleasant.
I can’t believe the year is just whizzing by – before you know we’ll be starting a whole year! Where has the time gone. In Nov/Dec, LOML & I are scheduled for some classes at the hospital – the traditional childbirth education classes, a class on Basic Infact Care and Safety, and on Breastfeeding since I do plan to nurse. Hopefully, those will be entertaining.
Anyways, I have written a novel and need to get ready for our lunch date with the grandparents. Hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday! I hope the baby keeps growing and staying healthy. As Bekah mentioned in a comment, it’ll be good to make it past 24 weeks – viability stage – still dangerous but still a nice milestone to keep an eye out for. :)
All righty – hope everyone is well!
Posted in Hello, my name is Infertile, Healthy Livin', Everyday Livin', Relating, Baby G | 1 comment | no trackbacks
Posted by Me
Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:34:00 GMT
Yup – I am currently 16w2d and have been meaning to update my blog for eons. However, my days have been crazy busy with work and by the time I have some free time I am so tired all I want to do is crash.
To your question, Bekah, morning sickness is not completely gone, but seemingly has gotten better. I no longer throw up consistently. I still get the queasiness and difficulty finding things that are appetizing to eat, but at least I am no longer throwing up so I guess things are getting better. :) I am still waiting for that day my SIL told me about where I wake up and feel great. It hasn’t happened yet. Yesterday, I woke up and was so tired even though I got a good night’s rest. I was also sore and achey – I think I was way more active this past weekend than in the past. I am better today…at least my eyes aren’t drooping. I have a headache, but other than that am doing all right.
Baby G is taking up more room. Though I don’t think I look pregnant yet (just look like I got a serious beer gut), I have started to wear more maternity shorts to be more comfortable. I think it is starting to pop out more and up and hence give me more of the “pregnant” look rather than I just can’t control eating. ;)
We had our OB/GYN appointment a couple of Mondays ago. All was well. Measuring right on target. Despite all the crazy nausea in the first trimester, I managed to gain 6lbs! 6lbs!!! The nurse told me “Good job!” ;) Dr. H was as nice as always and answered all our questions. We listened to the heartbeat (a nice 156 bpm) and then ushered me to have 8 vials of blood taken for the prenatal check-up and the Triple Marker Screening test. Overall, the appointment was uneventful – which given my history – I gladly welcome. :)
This Thursday LOML and I are driving out to LA for my cousin’s debutante ball (fancy 18th birthday party). My parents are flying out from FL so it’ll be nice to spend some time with them. I also plan to see my Best Friend while we are out there. I pray that whatever lasting nausea I have gives me a break while I am out there. Though I miss food – eating freely, it’s all good as long as Baby G is healthy and happy and hangs out until January of next year. Nothing is more important than that! :)
We go back to Dr. H’s Sept 7th for the big ultrasound. Hopefully, Baby G will cooperate and we’ll be able to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. We’ll be happy with either as long as s/he is healthy. My Mom and I both have a feeling that it’s a girl. I don’t know…just an instinct I guess. :)
I still have my handy dandy Doppler and been occasionally listening to Baby G’s heart. So far so good. Dr. H said we could use it twice a day. I don’t use it that often but it is nice to have it. I haven’t felt Baby G yet, but I think it is still too early. I can’t wait til s/he kicks and it’ll all feel more real.
On a different note, LOML and I have booked our long overdue vacation for October. We thought we could both use one given all the IVF stuff. We will be heading to Hawaii for a nice 2 week vacation at the beginning of October. Dr H. thought it was a great idea and said he didn’t see any issues traveling during that time. It’ll be nice to get away for a bit and relax before Baby G arrives. :)
Other than that, life is going on as normal. Work has been insanely busy. I am going to tell work folks this week that we are expecting. It’s all a bit weird “coming out” to people. I still get worried, but am also excited. I cherish the journey we are on right now and feel grateful for every step we get to take and accomplish.
I hope the morning sickness goes away completely soon and I get my energy back – not to mention better appetite. After the LA trip, I hope to take some prenatal yoga classes at the hospital provided I feel better. I need to incorporate some exercise back into my life. We’ll see how things go. :)
I hope everyone is doing well out there in the vast Internet world! :)
Posted in Hello, my name is Infertile, Everyday Livin', Relating, Friends, Baby G, Dr. H | 2 comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Me
Tue, 18 Jul 2006 13:56:00 GMT
I know I have been horribly neglectful of my blog these days. Let me assure that it hasn’t been deliberate. I have been wanting to post more regularly, but alas the first trimester has been pretty rough on me. However, the news I guess is that I seem to have made it to the coveted 12 weeks. I’d like to say that I magically woke up and all nausea and feelings of throwing up left me as soon as I reached 12 weeks but not so. It’s still up in the air. Some days go ok – some days don’t. I don’t feel like I am at 100% and I am not sure if it is all in my head or still some crazy hormone mixture coursing through my body. :) Either way, it’s ok. I did say I’d do anything and everything to ensure that Baby G is well and if this makes him/her stick around for the long haul so be it. :)
I still have my freak-out moments though because of the general crappy feeling all-around they have been kept at bay. Really don’t have much time or energy to freak out. Our next appointment with Dr. H is still 3 weeks away! Yowsers! And of course I have my moments hoping all is still well. :) I decided not to rent or purchase a doppler for the time-being. I know it would just make me obsess and if I can’t find the heartbeat I’d be in a frenzy so for the time-being I am just trying to trust all is well. :) We’ll see how that goes.
Vegas has been insanely hot which hasn’t helped. I have been pretty much staying in and sending LOML out. When I do venture out, it’s for short trips since the heat (114-117 degrees) is just too much to bare…besides all the crazy smells out in the outside world is just a little much for my still sensitive stomache.
Fatigue hasn’t been too bad though I do end up going to bed so gosh darn early (8-ish). I end up going to bed then cuz usually I end up feeling crappier at night so it’s just easier to fall asleep and sleep remnant nausea off. :) It’s all gotten to be routine I guess.
I switched from my regular Prenatal Vitamin to some Flintstone ones per Dr. H’s recommendation. He said they would do the trick and probably would be easier to digest than my regular ones. He’s right so far they’ve been going down a lot better so yay! I am still not too keen on my nutitional intake. I still feel limited by what I can eat and am hoping that Baby G gets the proper nutrition. I hope to eventually feel that second trimester kick in and start being able to eat more comfortably. Ahh, I do miss food. I miss eating and enjoying it.
So, we are doing all right over here. Taking each day as it comes. I have ordered some Pregnancy Books finally from Amazon though at first I was hesitant – me superstitious and worried and all, but this past weekend I bit the bullet and went for it. They should arrive sometime this week and then I’ll be able to find out more about what’s happening right now with Baby G.
We’ve also told our respective families and close friends that we are expecting and everyone is very excited and happy. They are cautious since they know our history but everyone has been very supportive which has been great. It was wonderful to share the news. I haven’t told my clients yet and don’t know when the right time would be. I figured I’d wait until I am more entrenched in the second trimester and had my other appointment with Dr. H. (3 more weeks!!!)
Anyways, just wanted to take a quick moment and stick my head out and say I am still here and so is Baby G (at least I hope!) ;) We’re hanging in there and hope that the next few weeks bring us more good news. I hope everyone is well. Thank you so much for the “Congratulations” from my last post. I meant to post my gratitude sooner but Baby G had different plans. :)
Bekah, have you had your u/s yet? How are you feeling??? I hope all is well with your little bean! Keeping my fingers crossed it’s a girl! I know that’s what you want! :) Please let me know how you are doing!
Posted in Hello, my name is Infertile, Everyday Livin', Relating, Friends, Baby G, Dr. H | 3 comments | no trackbacks
