It's a GIRL!!

After 4 days on bedrest, I had my appointment with the specialist Monday afternoon. Although he says my condition is rare and rather strange, he also says it will NOT effect the pregnancy or future pregnancies! It probably won't even effect my ability to undergo natural birth instead of C-section.

The doctor also decided to do an anatomy scan to check on GB. GB was kicking her feet and flailing her arms all around. I asked if the doctor could tell if GB was a boy or girl - and he said he sure could, but he wanted to hear my possible names first. If he didn't like my names he wasn't going to tell me!! So I told him Patrick Cullen for a boy and Abigail Marie for a girl. Apparently he thought both were good choices, because he told me that I'm having an ABIGAIL!!! I floated out of the office :) Let the planning begin!

I have another appointment with the specialist on the 18th to make sure the issue has not escalated, but right now he feels that I will not need any sort of intervention or bedrest. YAY!

Matt couldn't make it to this appointment, so when I met him for dinner I gave him a bag with two pink onseies in it and told him he has a daughter. He's really really excited :) Especially since he told me before we even got pregnant that he had a dream we would have a daughter soon.

Now for the bad news - I have seen a nasty return of morning sickness in the past week. Particularly at 3am. So, if you happen to be on facebook in the wee small hours of the morning and see me there too, you'll know why. Whatever. Even massive amounts of puking (this morning it was in the school parking lot, faculty bathroom, and student bathroom) can't get me down today !! :)

14 weeks

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

How far along? 14 weeks, 2 days!!
Total weight gain/loss: -2
Maternity clothes? In them.

Sleep: A lot more being on bedrest
Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat on the home doppler - 169!!

Movement: Not yet, although I keep feeling little flutters and wondering...
Food cravings: Greek salad, taco bell nachos, ice cream
Gender: Dunno - hoping to maybe find out Monday if GB cooperates
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In...of course...
What I miss: not worrying so much
What I am looking forward to: going to the specialist on Monday and seeing Gb on the screen again! Also, hopefully they will tell me everything is going swell and I can come off bedrest!

I have been taking it easy this weekend with bedrest per dr's orders. I can get up to use the bathroom, shower, and eat - but other than that I'm supposed to stay sitting or lying down. It hasn't been so bad so far. I've watched a few movies, caught up on my tv shows, and spent a lot of time online.

I have my appointment with the specialist on Monday afternoon. They're going to do an ultrasound to look at everything and hopefully figure out what's going on and what should be done about it. I'm checking for the heartbeat on the home doppler everyday - it makes me smile :) I'll probably stop when I can feel kicks, which should be in the next few weeks!!

Thanks for thinking about us this weekend. So far, nothing unusual to report. I hope to have a really great update on Monday night after the appointment - maybe, if GB will cooperate, we'll get to find out the sex!!

Please pray for our baby

Today I went in to the doctor for what I thought was an infection. Two hours later I left with my entire world turned upside down. As it turns out I do not have an infection. I have a condition called uterine prolapse. In a nutshell (TMI alert!), the muscles that hold up my uterus are too weak for some reason. Thus, my uterus is far too low and as it has grown has partially entered the canal. There are a few things they can do for this - mostly including stitching my cervix closed and absolute bed rest until the babe is born. The fear is that I will go into preterm labor.

This condition is very rare in pregnancy and EXTREMELY rare for a 27 year old who has not given birth before. The doctors today were really stunned and at a loss. And nervous. They looked really nervous.



My ob is referring me to a high risk doctor for an ultrasound and measurements. I should be able to get in for those by early next week. Until then, I've been placed on bedrest, so I'm taking it easy at home - and of course, I can't stop worrying. Google is not my friend!!!


As of right now, the baby is great and has no clue that it's home is under attack. The heartbeat today was 176bpm and the Gummybear was swooshing all around and doing flips! I'm so in love with this little person.


So things aren't necessarily doom and gloom, but until we know more, it certainly feels that way at 2am. I'll post again when I have more news.

Just "peachy"!

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

How far along? 13 weeks, 3 days!!!

Total weight gain/loss: -1

Maternity clothes? Doesn't matter what I wear - I always look like I just ate a bag of donuts:(

Sleep: Still getting up about 3 times a night, but starting to feel a lot more energized during the day!

Best moment this week: Seeing GB grabbing his/her toes and sucking his/her thumb!

Movement: Not yet

Food cravings: Green beans, Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs, waffles...

Gender: Thinking maybe a boy this week...

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? In...of course...

What I miss: blush wine!!

What I am looking forward to: getting my bump soon!

Weekly Wisdom: Taking a nap does not make you lazy when you're pregnant!

Our NT scan re-do went well! GB was hanging out upside down and wiggling his/her arms and legs all around. The tech kept trying to shake things up to get a better position, and GB would kick me as if to say "cut it out!" Of course, I can't feel it yet, but SOON!

I got 4 really great pictures, and everything is measuring well. I find out the results next week sometime. In other news, we got to see Graham win a t-ball game this weekend and celebrate Becca's birthday. Matt and I were so tired when we got home that we actually went to bed around 6pm. I'm pregnant - what's his excuse??

12 week update

How far along? 12 weeks, 5 days!!!
Total weight gain/loss: -3
Maternity clothes? Moving into them. Mom bought me a couple of cute shirts recently.
Stretch marks? blah - 'm now considering getting rid of this part of the poll :(
Sleep: Not so good for the past week. Too many thunderstorms, plus I'm getting up every 3 hours to pee
Best moment this week: Will be when I get to see GB again Friday for our re-take on the NT scan. Hopefully he'll be more awake this time around!
Movement: Not unless you count gas bubbles...
Food cravings: Bananas with peanut butter and greek salads
Gender: not sure = thinking about that old wive's tale about how a high heartbeat=girl
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In...of course...
What I misss: My brain!!
What I am looking forward to: Being officially in the 2nd trimester next week!!
Weekly Wisdom: One day at a time!
Milestones: 12 weeks!!

Updates!

As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

Today we had our regular 12 week appointment with the midwife. Basically she answered all of our questions and found the baby's heartbeat with the doppler. It was so easy for her to find! (as opposed to how long it takes me!) The heartbeat was loud and strong and 171 bpm.

We also found out that I have actually LOST 3 lbs throughout the first trimester due to severe morning sickness. Honestly, I just thought I had the regular amount of sickness, but apparently I didn't have to suffer nearly as much as I have! The midwife perscribed me phenergin, which will help me be able to eat again. I really liked this midwife MUCH better than the previous one we've seen. Brenda was so helpful and excited for us - she even gave us some tips on getting the heartbeat on our home doppler.

I made my 16 week appointment for the day of the AP Exam (May 8th). I am taking the diabetes test a little early on that date, so I will send my students off to their test around noon, then make my way to MY bloodwork test. Somehow, I think theirs will be less painful :(

After the appointment, Matt and I drove through downtown Fayetteville and ended up getting lunch at O'Charley's. Afterwards we went back to the same buidling to see Atlanta Maternal Fetal Medicine - an office that deals with high risk pregnancies - for our NT scan.

The NT scan is basically an ultrasound and blood test that is supposed to give you an overall percentage chance for the baby having certain abnormalities - in particular, down syndrome and trisomy 18. Although we would NEVER terminate, my insurance pays for the ultrasound, so we decided to go ahead and get it.

Apparently Gummybear had other plans! He/she stayed napping for pretty much the entire ultrasound - waking only in the end to hiccup a few times and move his arms around! He was in such a bad position that the doctor couldn't get ANY measurements (although she assured us the baby is fine - just sleepy) and I scheduled a repeat appointment for next Friday. Hopefully Gummybear will feel like being a little more cooperative then!

Another thing we learned today - I have a tipped or "backwards" uterus. Most people's uteruses (uteri?) face the front, but mine faces the back (toward my spine). The doctor assures me that this is not a problem and later in pregnancy it will move to the regular position. I hope so - I would hate to have a baby bump growing from my rear end....

Can you hear me now??

I've decided that Tuesdays will now become my belly picture/update day!

How far along? 11 weeks, 5 days!!!
Total weight gain/loss: 0 (I'm actually quite proud of myself!)
Maternity clothes? Just pants, really. I'm starting to wear some bigger shirts. I bought a new bra Monday!
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I'm sleeping like the DEAD! Although I have to get up about 3 times a night to pee. When I finally drag myself out of bed, I have that woozy, nyquil hangover feeling.
Best moment this week: I have TWO!!
1) Hearing Gummybear swooshing around and moving with the fetal doppler. That baby can GO!
2)Meeting with Kris and J while they were in town and praying together over GB's big ultrasound on Friday. I have awesome friends :)
Movement: Still can't feel it, but my goodness it's there!
Food cravings: Ice cream, green beans, pepperoni
Gender: Had a dream it was a girl...lizard....
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In...of course...
What I miss: Strawberry daqueris at La Parilla and Blue cheese
What I am looking forward to: Our NT ultrasound on Friday! Matt has the day off!!!
Weekly Wisdom: If you can't hear the heartbeat on the doppler after 5 minutes, walk away. Then try again later. But do not stress about it!
Milestones: Heard the heartbeat:)

Mom and Dad bought me a fetal heart doppler for my birthday and it came in this past weekend. I haven't gotten very good at it yet - the heartrates I get range anywhere from 125-180 - but hopefully as GB grows, i'll be able to get something consistent. It's the sweetest little sound ever :)

I had a dream last week that I woke up with a baby bump. Then, I reached into my belly button and pulled out one of those hamster-balls...with a tiny blue lizard inside! I set the ball down on the ground to let the lizard run around - then I kept telling people "That's my baby!" WEIRD.

I'm on spring break this week, and although I meant to bring home tons of papers to grade, playing on the internet is infinitely more entertaining. I hope this cold weather goes away soon so I can spend some time outside!