Our Baby Adventures

3 Years?!

2011-08-30T10:19:00.004-04:00

I cannot believe it has been three years since I have posted here!!

So much time gone by, so many updates. Where to even begin?

First and foremost, Sienna is doing wonderfully. My baby turned three on the fourth of July. THREE! I can't believe how quickly time is passing us by. Here is a picture of my Nugget:

And in other fabulous news:

That's right! We are expecting again! I am due in 5 weeks with another precious baby girl.

I will try and provide some updates prior to her birth. In the meantime, here are a few more pictures of Sienna:

STOKKE XPLORY!!!

2008-09-20T22:50:00.004-04:00

I am a very happy mommy!

Looky what Norman bought for Sienna and me today!!!!!

The COMPLETE Stokke Xplory!

We are so chic!

Seriously I am loving this new pram.

A proper update to follow soon...

The Things We Learn Along The Way

2008-09-11T22:49:00.009-04:00

Baby and Daddy are asleep and I am wide awake so I find myself with some ME TIME!

Our Nugget is doing well even though her GERD is such a royal pain. We feel so bad for her. Honestly there is not much we can do but try and keep her as comfortable as possible and hope she outgrows it soon. She cries a lot because of it and it makes things very complicated - as if having a baby isn't already complicated enough as it is. Almost every feeding is an ordeal and taking her out is usually risky business - though she usually does well out because she tends to sleep the entire time, thus she eats less. At the end of the day, our lives are forever changed and despite the difficulties, I wouldn't have it any other way.

That being said, here are some things I would like to share with you about GERD babies (and I suppose all babies in general), things they don't teach you in your prenatal classes. Trust me, you will thank me later:

1. When preparing formula, warm the water first, THEN add the powder - and for the love of God, anticipate your baby's need to feed. I never realized how loud a 2 month old could shriek

2. Drop Mylicon directly into your baby's bottle to eliminate all foam and bubbles

3. DO NOT burp your GERD baby in between ounces - unless you are wearing a poncho while you feed your little one. Speaking of which, invest in at least 20 really great quality bibs and burp cloths

4. Possibly even more important than keeping your baby upright for 30 minutes after she eats is not moving her much at all after she has started to feed. This means a commitment on your part to not trade her off to your partner, grandma and so on

5. Whoever is feeding the baby rules the universe (Can you get me: the remote, water, make it cooler, turn on the light, turn off the fan...?)

6. Be prepared to do a full load of baby laundry every 4 days

7. Be prepared to explain to people why you put the bib on your baby AFTER she finishes eating

8. Always change your baby before her feedings - even non-GERD babies always spit up during and after being changed, this I find at least minimizes the amount expelled

9. Before you change your baby have her new diaper ready to go - NEVER LEAVE HER PRIVATES EXPOSED!! Otherwise you will have pee/poop all over your hands, face, changing table, changing pad, your pretty changing pad cover, etc.

10. Save your money, as well as time and aggravation - do not buy button-up footsie sleepers. What a nightmare! Middle of the night feedings are difficult to say the least. I can hardly button the 3 buttons of a regular onesie after a 4AM diaper change, let alone the 6-8 buttons of a footsie sleeper. Zipper sleepers are the way to go

11. Carry a few extra onesies and an extra shirt for yourself in your diaper bag

12. As for the diaper bag itself - buy it for function, not looks. Believe me on this one! You want to be able to access your things in a pinch

13. Start your babe on a bedtime routine ASAP. Ours is a warm bath at 9PM followed by a warm bottle while being rocked to sleep by lullabies. Works like a charm

14. Wearable blankets rock

15. So do swaddle blankets

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

16. Accept help! This is the hardest part for me - I know how hard it can be to handle my Nugget because of her GERD. But the truth is, grandma and grandpa are extremely capable to handle her if we need a break

Now take a look at how lucky I am :)

2 Months Old Today!

2008-09-04T21:20:00.010-04:00

Where has the time gone?

I honestly do not even know where to begin. I have a million thoughts I just want to spill out but they are so jumbled up in my brain that I...just don't know where to begin!

If I had to describe the last 2 months in a few words I'd have to say: UNBELIEVABLY WONDERFUL YET UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT.
I had no idea what having Nugget would be like. I knew it would be hard (or so everyone said), I just had no freaking idea.

My daughter is so amazing; now I know all mommys think their children are the cutest in the world - but truly, mine is. She is so adorable. She is beyond cute. She is a gerber baby.

Behold:

I will try to hilight the last few months in a nice and concise post, but it's gonna be hard. I need to be better at posting regularly.

Nugget was a breast fed baby - initially. She wanted to nurse 24x7, even as a teeny weeny newborn. She needed booby constantly. And I mean constantly. Norman couldn't hold her. I could barely even pull her off long enough for a trip to the potty, much less a shower. She wasn't sleeping either. So neither were we...we couldn't leave the house, I couldn't eat, I couldn't do anything. She as on my breast constantly. No breaks. I would pull her off and she'd scream her head off. I can't even begin to explain it. She wouldn't take a pacifier either. This went on for a full 5 weeks. I was so concerned that she wasn't getting enough to eat. But she was because she was gaining weight, albeit very slowly. And I honestly do not have a clue how she was gaining weight because she was spiting up EVERYTHING she ate. Nightmarish. She was like the girl from The Exorcist. Anyhow, It got to the point where I had to start supplementing with formula because I just simply could not keep up. I cried the day I gave her her first bottle. I truly never imagined I would ever feed my baby formula. But her doctor told me to not be a hero and I was so thankful she was so supportive. She is the best doctor ever.

The spit up and colic (did I not mention she had colic? She had her first colic episode on our last night at the hospital) got so bad that we took her to the ER when she was a mere 9 days old. Her daddy and I cried like babies that entire night. The brutality. They gave her a catheter, drew blood from her tiny veins and kept a port in - just in case they needed more blood later, took X-rays, an ultrasound...only to tell us she has severe infant GERD. They gave us Zantac and sent us on our way.

The long and short of it is that the breastfeeding was getting us nowhere. She was tossing everything - projectile vomiting, and I was desperate to find food that my baby could tolerate since my boobies weren't cutting it. The doctor recommended a hypoallergenic formula and so we tried it when she was 5 weeks old. It smelled gross but seemed to do the trick...for a while. She then started getting sick again and the colic was a nightmare. I switched to fancy shmancy bottles and the doctor took her off the Zantac (since it seemed to make her worse) and put her on Prevacid. She hated the Prevacid. She hated the formula. She hated my boobie milk. She hated EVERYTHING. She was sooooo cranky. She never smiled, she was always mean mugging Norman and me. I was so sad, I would DREAD feeding time. I would dread it every second of the day. I would feed her, she would throw it all up, cry, scream, fuss, arch her back, scream, cry, scream, etc, etc, right up until the next feeding. She would never sleep because she was always hungry. Oh my God I can hardly write this. It's making my blood curl just remembering those God awful days.

Once I officially decided to stop breastfeeding her (the guilt was awful - especially since everywhere I searched online would practically degrade women for not breastfeeding. Norman spent a good 2 weeks trying to get me to stop thinking about the panel of faceless judges I swore were taking notes on how bad of a mother I was), we decided to get her off the expensive hypoallergenic stuff and find something that actually worked. We tried EVERYTHING. At the end of the day the only thing she could tolerate was the cheapest formula on the market with no added DHA or ARA. Go figure.

Her GERD got so much better after that. The doctor prescribed Carafate but we have decided to not give her any medicine at all. Oh, and our sleepless nights of taking turns holding her upright (yes we did that for weeks) ended the day we bought the amazing Amby Baby. I swear by this thing. Google it and take a look. It is amazing. That and the Snuggle Nest we bought to put her to sleep on her belly in bed with us. GERD babies love tummy time and love to be on their bellies. Poor thing. But she is slowly making progress. She has her good and bad days - she still gets reflux but it is considerably less. She is getting silent reflux more now, which is worse apparently because the acids come up and then she will instinctively swallow it back down. She was 11.15 lbs at her 2 month appointment, which brings her up to the 50th percentile, yeah! She is actually sleeping through the night now, she goes to bed at around 11PM and is up just before 6AM for her feeding. Then she wants to party all day long :) Which is of course fine by me since it means she sleeps better at night. Though it is hard since I am trying to work from home and all.

She is happy now. She smiles and loves to be in her crib (even though she doesn't sleep in it) looking at her pretty new mobile. She loves to be out, especially the mall. She's already a fashionista! And she is so sweet. My cousin Allie thinks she is an old soul. And Norman? He is head over heels ga-ga over her. He is so overprotective, it's the sweetest thing ever. His love for her makes me love him more than ever - which I didn't think was possible since I have always loved him so much.

But I have never in my entire life known a love like this. It is so overwhelming. It is so all consuming. Sienna is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She has already taught me so much about myself. She has made me a stronger person, a better person. She is perfection. I look forward to every day with her.

She completes me.

Labor Story

2008-07-23T19:07:00.007-04:00

Life has been a whirlwind! Nugget is doing great, Norm and I are exhausted because she honestly doesn't sleep. But we could not be happier. More about all of that later...I want to document the labor process before I forget. I am already losing my memory of it.

Here goes...

I hadn't been feeling very peachy for the few days leading up to my 39 week OB visit. It actually went beyond the bad contractions. I wasn't sleeping at all because of the belly pain and vaginal and rectal pressure and Norman was staying up with me all night since the beginning of July. He decided to begin his leave on July 2. My 39 week OB visit was on Thursday, July 3. Norman drove me over to the doctor early that morning and I was seeing fireflies - you know, those odd little lights you sometimes get in your line of sight when you are nauseated. Once we got there, I was weighed and peed in the cup as usual. When my BP was taken it was high, 150/90. My doctor checked my reflexes and they were a bit more jumpy than normal. My doctor told me that I had spilled protein in my urine, and that, combined with the elevated BP, hyper reflexes and fireflies, indicated preeclampsia. He called the hospital and notified them I would be heading over for induction and that if all progressed normally that he would come to the hospital and rupture my membranes at lunch time.

Oh.My.God.

I couldn't even believe it. Honestly.

I got my papers from the nurse and Norman and I were off. When we pulled into the hospital parking lot I started cry. I was so overwhelmed with emotion. I couldn't believe I would be meeting our daughter in a very short while.

We checked into the hospital and we were taken straight to a L&D room. As soon as I was connected to the monitors, Norman went home to pick up our bags and infant car seat. After my intake, I was hooked up to the IV and was given Penicillin for Group B Strep (I was told I was negative but turns out I was actually positive). I was then checked for dilation and was only 1CM and my cervix was posterior. The induction began at 11AM: Cytotec tablets were inserted and I was on bed rest for 2 hours while we waited for the medicine to start dilating me.

Norman got back at around 1PM and brought my mom with him. I was laying on my left side and Nugget's heartrate dropped to 80. Those L&D beds are so uncomfortable as it is, now I had to be on my right side only. I was so uncomfortable and panicked at this point, staring at the baby's heartrate monitor the rest of the night. My dad came a short while later. By this time, my contractions were about 5 minutes apart. My doctor came to check on me shortly thereafter and I was still only 1CM dilated. He couldn't break my water since I wasn't making progress. We all thought that since my cervix was very ripe my induction would progress rapidly. This was not the case. My doctor said he would come back at the end of the workday to check on me.

Things didn't start getting very painful until about 4PM. I was contracting strong and I was so uncomfortable. The nurse shift changed and my new nurse, Joanie, who was so awesome during the whole ordeal, told me that as soon as I needed pain medicine she would call the doctor. I love her so much I have to remember to send her flowers or something.

I was able to hold out on the pain meds until my doctor came back to see me at about 8PM. I was checked and again and was only TWO CM DILATED. Bad in terms of progress. If it wasn't for Joanie, my doctor would have performed a C-section at that time. She asked him to give me some more time to progress and he agreed. I got Nubain. It made me giggly and giddy and it helped a little bit. I still felt the contractions and I was in pain, moaning through the contractions. At some point I managed to doze off and when I woke up it was about 11PM. I was in so much pain at this point. I mean really bad contractions. What was going on? Turns out that while I was sleeping, Joanie started me on a Pitocin drip. Holy shit I was shocked at how intense the Pitocin made my contractions. Turns out the Pitocin causes much more intense contractions than natural contractions. At some point I started getting the shakes and they didn't stop until the day after I delivered. My dad left to get some sleep.

I got my epidural at about 2AM and managed to stop shaking long enough for the needle to go in my back. Joanie inserted a catheter shortly thereafter. I was given an oxygen mask and almost passed out because it was recycling my CO2 but we'll forgive Joanie for that lol. I couldn't sleep at all. I was afraid I would die. Literally. I felt so drowsy and my pressure was so low alarms were sounding. My doctor called and asked Joanie to check me for dilation. I wasn't even 3CM yet. I had been laboring for 15 hours at this point.

My doctor decided to perform the C-section right away. I couldn't believe I was haing a C-Section. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I was prepped and Norman was given scrubs. My doctor was at the hospital in less than 45 minutes. My dad came back to be there for the birth. I was wheeled into the operating room and was shaking so much I thought I would roll off the table.

The surgery began and I heard them say "Dad's in the bathroom" and I remember thinking Norman is in the bathroom? I couldn't comprehend. Norman finally came in and sat by my head. He had a mask over his mouth and he was trying to talk to me and I couldn't hear. I was so pumped with morphine and drugs I actually passed out. I woke up when I heard the baby cry. I heard My doctor say Nugget's Apgar was a 9. I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Norman came to me to show me the baby's feet prints. Then they finally brought me my Nugget and she was crying and so beautiful and when they put her near my head I told her I loved her and kissed her and she stopped crying briefly. My heart just melted and my adrenaline kicked in and I was DESPERATE to get off the table to hold my baby. Everyone in the OR said she was the cutest baby ever. It seemed to take forever for them to be finished with me. The tugging and pulling was an odd sensation. Norman had gone with the baby to the nursery. I was finally wheeled to triage and Norman came to me to say the baby was perfect and adorable and ready to eat. He went off to take my parents to the nursery and I waited for them to bring the baby to me. They finally did and it was so surreal. Sienna is AMAZING. So beautiful and perfect and lovely and delicate and tiny. She latched on to my breast right away and ate like a pro. They took her back to the nursery and I told Norman to follow her so I stayed in triage alone drifting in and out of sleep. Norman came back to tell me my parents were going home for a shower and breakfast and would be back later.

After what seemed like forever, I was wheeled to my recovery room which is where we stayed for the next 3 days. Joanie situated me and they finally brought Nugget to us. She had her first bowel movement shortly thereafter and Norman was a champ and a natural. My C-Section was unplanned and I was so emotional because honestly I wanted to get up and help change her diaper and carry her but I couldn't. It was hard to adjust to the idea that Norman had to not only take care of me but also the baby. I felt helpless. But the baby was born at 3:33AM on the 4th and I was up and walking by 6PM that same evening. My recovery, albeit painful, was thankfully very smooth and wonderful thanks to Norman, my parents and the AMAZING nurses at the hospital.

I celebrated my birthday at the hospital on Saturday.

Nugget is the most perfect gift I have ever received.

Welcome Sienna Sofia!

2008-07-10T16:28:00.002-04:00

Our Nugget arrived on July 4 at 3:33AM.

She weighed 6lbs 9oz, 18 in.

We are so in love.

38w5d

2008-07-01T12:13:00.001-04:00

9 days to go until I am officially due. I can’t even believe it. I just want to burst out crying I am so overwhelmed with emotion.

Last night was beyond awful. I was having the worst contractions, lower back pain, upper thigh pain, cervical pain, anal pain, every pain you can imagine. I didn’t time them but when I would get up out of bed they would actually ease up so I knew it was false labor. That or the baby dropping even lower, I’m just not sure. All I know is that I felt like I could have died. Sitting on the toilet gave me some relief, but if I actually tried to pee or have a bowel movement I felt like I would pass out. The baby was active the entire time, pressing down on my cervix for good measure. And I was just trying to sleep through it. I was so exhausted and worn out by the time things had settled down that I couldn’t even get out of bed for a Tylenol. I imagine I am dilating. I better be. I also imagine this is what labor pains will feel like. If it happens again tonight I may start timing the contractions just to get a feel for how far apart they are. I may even wake Norman up. I could have used some serious counter pressure on my back last night. The pain was atrocious. I just feel bad because he still has to go to work every day and besides, I need him rested for when real labor begins.

I am going to take it easy today because last night while in the shower before bed I worked myself into a frenzied state and started cleaning the tub on all fours. When Norman saw me he started cracking up and so did I – it must have been quite the sight. I wanted to take the shower doors down but he refused to help me because it was so late already. I was in there for an entire hour just scrubbing away. Talk about wacky. I just had that sudden burst of energy I’ve read so much about. I could have gone on all night. I wanted to clean the floors too but Norman wanted to go to bed and needed the bathroom so I quit.

I see my doctor Thursday. As you can imagine I am already dreading tonight. Everything always happens to me at night! I called Norman this morning and told him about last night a little while ago. I told him if it happened again I want to go to L&D. He said they’d likely just send me home and he’s probably right. Ugh!

So we continue waiting…

38w4d

2008-06-30T05:18:00.003-04:00

Yes, I'm pregnant.

I'm due in 10 days.

It's a girl.

Her name is Sienna.

No, not Diana, SI-EN-NA.

Yes, that is a pretty name.

Yes, it's our first.

YES, WE'RE VERY HAPPY.

Why can't strangers just congratulate me and be on their merry ways? I am so over telling strangers how happy I am or how anxious and excited I am. I mean honestly, strangers. Leave me alone!

I can't sleep. I've been up for a while now with insomnia. It's a combination of discomfort and hunger and discomfort and anxiety and discomfort and hot flashes. I ate a granola bar and am trying to digest it before attempting to get into bed again. Thankfully I am working from home (have been since the L&D incident last Monday - have I mentioned that yet?) so at least I can nap briefly during the day or sleep in a bit if I need to.

My contractions last night were bad to the point where I actually started getting nervous, like O-M-G I could have this baby at any time and what if it's now? I started fearing labor and getting all irrational. This after having prided myself so much on the fact that I have been able to maintain my cool throughout the entire process. Obviously, no baby yet :) But I am calm again and will remain calm during the next scare.

I suppose that's it for now. I am still hungry. Maybe I'll eat some more.

I LOVE YOU, NUGGET!

38w3d

2008-06-29T10:36:00.004-04:00

Still pregnant...

I am so uncomfortable now. I am not sleeping well at all. The cervical pain is intense and my contractions are bad. Just not bad enough. And not regular enough to be labor. I want her to come when she's ready, of course. But I guess now that I am almost at the end of the road, I am desperately wanting to meet her. I think I will be in a complete state of shock once labor actually begins - be it my water breaking or regular contractions. I am beginning to think that if it were up to her she'd stay inside until she was 18 years old...and who can blame her?? She's comfy! I am also convinced that nothing will naturally induce labor unless she is ready to come out. Not walking, or sex or squats or spicy food lol

My mom says she'll be here before or on my birthday. My dad says she'll come after. Norman doesn't really have an opinion.

I think she'll come when she is coaxed out.

EIther way though, Norman and I will be parents in no more than 11 days! We're almost into single digits!

38w1d

2008-06-27T19:53:00.006-04:00

Happy 5 Year Anniversary to Norm and me!

My OB appointment today was unfortunately very uneventful. I got an internal exam and was given the news that there have been no change since Monday's L&D exam.

However, the baby did drop, my Doctor said she was definitely lower. I should have asked the baby's station but I forgot.

He said "She's getting ready for take off" lol

I also passed my Group B Strep swab, yaaayyyy. One less thing to worry about.

I could have sworn I would have been more dilated at this point, especially after the terrible night I had last night. The menstrual camp-like pain I was having along with the contractions woke me up at 3AM and kept me up for over an hour. But no luck.

Soooooo, I made my next appointment for Thursday, July 3 (since Friday is a holiday).

I am frustrated and want her to come already!

Fingers crossed that my Nugget arrives before my July 3rd appointment!

38w0d

2008-06-26T10:32:00.004-04:00

THIRTY EIGHT WEEKS TODAY!!

I am officially considered FULL TERM!

Here are 2 belly pictures, one from 36w5d:

And one from yesterday, 37w6d (yesterday):

As you can see, I am exhausted. I am really feeling the weight of my belly.

I don't think I have mentioned that after last Monday's L&D incident, I decided to start working from home...I really don't want to go into labor at the office.

Not much to report on otherwise.

I am definitely having an increase of discharge as well as continued contractions, pelvic pressure and especially intense menstrual cramp pains. I have been walking and trying to see if hopefully Nugget cooperates and comes out within the week.

I have my OB appointment tomorrow morning and am desperately hoping for another internal exam in order to track my progress. I am guessing we’ll schedule an induction date, too.

My birthday is coming up on July 5. I wonder if she’ll be here before or after that day?!!

37w5d

2008-06-24T10:49:00.001-04:00

I don’t even know where to begin this post! Life has been very interesting these days.

I suppose I’ll start with last Friday’s OB appointment – everything was well. I had my first internal exam and got the great news that my cervix is 100% effaced. So ripe in fact that my Doctor asked if I had my hospital bag packed. He said we’d set an induction date if I haven’t gone into labor by next Friday (OMGGGG).

I had been having contractions already but they have gotten bad since Friday. I spent all weekend with the worst pains. I knew they were irregular but that doesn’t mean labor isn’t rapidly approaching. Yesterday I felt bad enough that I called my Doctor and he sent me L&D for a checkup. I went and had a NST done – Nugget is active and well, and my contractions are real but irregular. I had another internal exam (good GOD it was the most painful internal exam I have ever had), but the good news is that I had dilated 1cm since Friday! So the contractions are working! The L&D nurse said my cervix is VERY ripe and thin and short. She says it’s rare for first time moms but that I am lucky because I will likely be in labor within a week assuming I continue dilating and labor should be quick once it begins due to how ripe my cervix is. Yesterday the baby still hadn’t dropped into my pelvis but she said it’ll happen very soon. Obviously none of this is scientific fact; we all know how it goes. Labor is a crap shoot! But it was good to hear nonetheless.

The nurse said to start having sex. I am honestly not in the mood for sex. I know for a fact poor Norman isn’t either. But she said that besides the sperm bringing on natural contractions and speeding up dilation, that sex stretches the perineum and can avoid unnecessary tearing/cutting. So we’ll give it a go today lol

Last night was a heinous night for me. I KNOW Nugget dropped last night. I was in excruciating pain. My pelvis and lower back were on fire, not to mention the RLP I have been having. It's worse than ever. Anyhow, I knew what was happening but couldn’t believe that just about 12 hours earlier the L&D nurse had predicted this. I could feel the difference right away. My belly is a lot lower and I can no longer use it as a shelf (I used to jokingly set my water bottle on it for shits and giggles). I don’t know just how low she is but I am guessing my Doctor will tell me on Friday.

So this is where we stand!

We are ready for Nugget to arrive. We installed the car seat and I am packed and ready to go.

So now we wait…

36w6d

2008-06-18T15:57:00.001-04:00

I was just surprised with a Baby Shower here at work!!! I was in total shock. There was food, friends, cake and a great time was had by all! Honestly, I have the best boss and co-workers a girl could ask for.

My grandmother is out of the hospital and back in the ALF. She is doing SO MUCH BETTER. I can’t believe it. Honestly. I went to the hospital on Sunday and was sad to see she wasn’t doing very well, still disoriented and not able to sleep. Today I had a 15 minute conversation with her over the phone! She was asking me about the baby, about Ace, about work, about everything. I wanted to cry. I am so thankful. I can’t wait to go see her.

Our life-long friends from Spain arrived last Saturday and they have been staying with us. I didn’t realize how much I had missed them! Elena is 28 years old so we have everything in common (except for her not being pregnant and all). I am so glad she is here. Her parents are here too and it is wonderful to see them all! Norman and I were supposed to go to Spain this summer because Elena is getting married on August 2, but obviously with our precious Nugget arriving that didn’t exactly pan out. But we are beginning to plan a trip to Spain for Christmas 2009 with my parents and my brother and his family. Sienna and Ace will be about a year and a half by then. Amazing.

As you can imagine I have been doing non-stop shopping with them and lots of eating out and sightseeing and WALKING. I have been so active this week. It’s great. Hopefully it’s moving things along down there. I’ll know more on Friday; I have my 37 week appointment.

I have been having a ton of contractions lately. They have been getting stronger and stronger, bordering painful. Nothing too painful and nothing regular, but definite contractions. I think they are bordering on false labor. I wonder if my water will beak soon? Will I loose my plug? How will I go into labor? All I do know is that I am ready. All we have left to do is install the car seat and we are golden.

And as far as what people say about babies’ movements slowing down towards the end of pregnancy – well not my Nugget. She is non-stop kicking, punching, elbowing, the works. You name it she does it and she doesn’t care at all that she is out of room. Which make for painful situations! I love it though I have to admit. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

36w1d

2008-06-13T21:14:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update to say my grandmother is in the hospital but doing SO much better. One pill she was taking caused her blood levels to be wacky and apparently now she is doing better. She is now speaking coherently and you can understand everything she is saying. I haven't gone to the hospital - my mom is forbidding me. She says my abuela should be back at the ALF by Monday and I will go visit her then.

Thank you all for your thoughts and well wishes. I love you!

Here is a picture Norm and I just took now...I got back from getting my hair cut yaaayyyy. Though it sucks how fat I look, boooo. Those 30-some odd pounds I have gained are UNFORGIVING

A proper update to follow soon

36w0d

2008-06-12T10:02:00.001-04:00

I am really down to the wire at this point and am more giddy and anxious than anything else. You know the feeling…it’s similar to counting down the weeks before a long awaited vacation or big event. I feel so overwhelmed and impatient. I want Nugget to be here now now now, happy and healthy.

Emotionally I am a wreck. My grandmother is very ill and I am crying almost every day. My mom had to place her in an Assisted Living Facility 2 weeks ago because she was in serious need of help with day to day activities. The deterioration she has experienced in these past 2 weeks has been mind blowing. She has Alzheimer’s so severe that it’s a wonder it has only recently been diagnosed. Any fool with access to the internet could tell me that she’s had mild Alzheimer’s for years now. I find it so ridiculous that her doctor never officially diagnosed her, despite my mother continually questioning whether she could have the disease or not.

Last Saturday, Norman and I went to visit her while my parents were out of town with my brother and his new baby and I freaked out when I saw her. I started to cry uncontrollably and got pains in my belly. I had never seen her look so terrible before. I said I though she was dying. I called my mom from the ALF house and told her. She said she knew how bad it was. I had no idea. She got bad so quickly. I visit her on Saturdays and the week before she was so much better. She is now to the point of being unrecognizable.

I had nightmares all last Saturday night and have been so distraught. I was supposed to visit her yesterday so that my mom could have the day off but they called her and told her she was so bad they were considering taking her to the hospital. My mom left work and visited her and thinks she is dying. She needs hospice. This is so awful. I just want to crawl into a hole and wither away. My mother is beside herself.

The thought of death and mortality overwhelms me. I want my grandmother to meet Sienna so desperately. I know she likely won’t even recognize her as her great granddaughter but I don’t care. I need her to hold on. She was always telling me how all she was doing was praying to God that he would give her life to meet her great grandchildren. Now she can’t walk or feed herself, much less form coherent words. Worst of all, I find myself staying away because I am too weak and afraid and get so affected when I see her this way and I feel so guilty about it.

So that’s what’s going on. I am still working every day and exhaustion settles in quickly. Last night I took a long nap when I got home from work. I bet I could have slept straight through the night if I let myself.

I am buying the last few things I need for my hospital bag this afternoon. Other than that I am pretty much set I think. My mind is mushy now.

35w5d

2008-06-10T16:01:00.000-04:00

I had a scary hypoglycemic incident this afternoon before lunch. At first I thought it was a drop in blood pressure but after I called my OB and spoke to the nurse she confirmed it was hypoglycemia.

I started to feel really clammy; I felt a cold sweat. I immediately got dizzy and felt my heart rate speed up. My hands were shaking and I realized that I didn’t have the strength in my legs to stand up. I thought I would pass out and started to worry but not too much since I could feel Nugget squirming and kicking and punching. As long as I know she’s OK nothing can be that bad.

Anyhow, I reached for the candy dish I have on my desk here at work and shoved 3 jolly ranchers in my mouth all at once. I started to feel a tiny bit better. I finished the water in my water bottle and realized I could now likely stand up and walk. So that’s what I did. I got more water, ate a bunch more candy, used the bathroom and headed out to meet Norman for lunch (he picked me up). I started to feel so much better after all that candy and water. I ate a salad for lunch and some chips and guacamole. YUM. But I was a bottomless pit. When I got back from lunch – now feeling 100% better – I went to the vending machine and bought a Snickers Bar and Reeses Pieces (fruit would have done the trick but I didn’t have any on me). I swallowed them both practically without chewing. I am still not full if you can believe it. I mean, I’m not hungry, but I’m not full either. Goes to show you how starved I was.

So this is when I called my mom to tell her what had happened. She suggested (read: panicked and urgently pleaded) for me to call the doctor. So I did. And my wonderful nurse Lisa asked what I had eaten…a bowl of cereal at 7AM. OK, and what else…ummmm nothing. OK. REBECA YOU HAVE TO EAT. I was like I know I know I know – and the truth of the matter is that I normally do, I graze all day long. But today I got caught up at work and I just forgot.

As soon as I get home I am going to pack a large bag of fruit, belly bars and snacks to keep at my desk.

No more scares!

35w4d

2008-06-09T15:40:00.002-04:00

Introducing Ace Carter, my beautiful nephew!

Mom, Dad and Ace

Ace

Dad and Ace

My Brother, the Proud Daddy and Ace

35w1d

2008-06-06T22:05:00.010-04:00

I am having trouble uploading Baby Shower pictures so I will upload belly pics instead.

They go back to 16w2d up to today.

16w2d

21w0d

25w0d

30w0d

35w1d

I went to my OB appointment today and all is well. Nugget's heart rate was 146 and she is measuring 1 week ahead based on fundal height. NO WEIGHT GAIN wooooohoooo!

Another development is that due to my pre-existing medical condition and the baby's size, I will be induced at 39 weeks. I will have the exact date two weeks from now. I will also have my internal exam 2 weeks from now.

This means 4 weeks left before Sienna Sofia enters the world.

We are so excited!

35w0d

2008-06-05T10:42:00.000-04:00

Wow. Well here I am at 35 weeks; our beautiful baby girl will be here in 5 weeks! I feel immensely pregnant and incredibly blessed.

And my nephew, Ace Carter, arrived this morning at 8:44AM, weighing 7.5 lbs, measuring 20.5 inches!! Both mom and baby are great and my brother is beyond thrilled!!! I cannot wait to meet him. I really wish I could have been there. I am anxiously awaiting photos and more news!

Last night I had the worst allergies. I had a rough time sleeping and now this morning I am having a hard time breathing. Nugget is likely compressing my lungs and the fact that I can’t breathe through my nose really doesn’t help! I feel completely breathless.

I have my OB appointment tomorrow and I believe I will be visiting him weekly going forward. I’m not sure when my internal exam will be – likely at 36 or 37 weeks. I will ask tomorrow.

We went to visit with the Pediatrician and I absolutely loved her. She addressed all of my concerns about vaccines and cord blood registry very thoroughly. She was so kind and genuine and patient. I think she’s perfect. I felt relieved. One item successfully checked off the to-do list!

I have all my baby shower photos on my computer at home and will be posting them this evening, so stay tuned!

34w4d

2008-06-02T14:54:00.002-04:00

I am so exhausted. I am dragging some serious ass these days. I know the majority of the exhaustion has to do with the fact that I am constantly doing something strenuous, but these last 5 weeks are going to be hard on me, I can just tell.

Norman and I were talking about the things we need to get done this month. They include meeting with the Pediatrician (the last one we went to visit was waaaayyy to far away from home and work), installing the base of the infant car seat and taking it to be inspected, packing my hospital bag, finishing up organizing the nursery closet, washing Nugget’s bedding and other things (this is a never ending job since I have and continue to receive an overabundance of things!!), sterilizing all bottles, nipples, binkies, attending our breastfeeding class on June 25 (assuming I have not given birth yet), reorganizing the bathroom and kitchen to make space for all of Nugget’s things, etc…

Plus we are still organizing the spare bedroom. We are having family over from Spain on June 14 – they’ll be with us for a week. This means we have to wait to assemble the Pack n Play and bouncer chair until after they leave.

I am having all kinds of symptoms. My BH contractions are turning vile; I actually “Owww” and “Ouch” out loud. Sometimes I even gasp or get a little breathless. I get really bad nausea, mostly in the evenings. I also get bad belly pain and menstrual cramp-like pain in my abdomen and lower back, but it goes away too quickly for me to be concerned about it. As I type I am having some mild cramping associated with BH contractions and it is not fun. I got a mild leg cramp that had me jumping out of bed early Saturday morning but thankfully I was able to ease it away quickly and relatively painlessly. If I get diarrhea for whatever reason, I worry it’s my body preparing for labor, even though I know it’s technically still too early for her to make her entrance.

Oh! And I am so excited to announce that my nephew, Ace Carter, will be born on Thursday, June 5th. My SIL is scheduled and my parents are driving up Wednesday to be there for the birth. I am so excited to be an Aunt! And I can’t wait to meet him and for Ace Carter to meet Sienna Sofia!

In other news, I finally wrote out all the Thank You cards for the wonderful baby shower gifts I received. I am going to be putting them in the mail today. Photos coming soon I PROMISE!

34w0d

2008-05-29T11:36:00.003-04:00

OK Seriously, where has the time gone???

Our bambina will be here in 6 weeks!

I went to my OB appointment last week and had gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks (YIKES). My doctor wasn’t thrilled. He wants me to be more careful, his only concern being my pre-existing heart condition. I am working on it. Otherwise, the baby is doing really well. I found out that if I reach my due date and have not delivered yet the doctor will induce me ASAP, so I definitely will not be having Nugget anytime in late July which is a relief. Playing the waiting game is bad enough as it is! I will be having my first internal exam on either my 36th or 37th week, at which point I will have more details to share.

…In the meantime I sit and wait for her - but not idly! I have been working like crazy trying to get everything in order. Nesting is in full force and I am exhausted so it proves difficult, but I can’t stop myself. We spent all afternoon yesterday painting the spare bedroom and today we will finish up by cleaning the floor and painting the new closet doors and trim. As soon as that’s done I can finally start organizing the nursery and the spare bedroom the way I want it. We bought a new desk since I’ll be working from home for 4 months. Norman is planning on putting it together for me this weekend.

I know I still need to post baby shower pictures and as soon as I complete the nursery I will post those pictures as well.

As far as how I am feeling…it depends. I am physically worn out. My back, neck and shoulders are killing me. I feel really tired almost all day long. My heartburn and acid reflux is under control – thank God for Protonix. I have begun getting 3rd trimester nausea which really sucks so bad. It’s as bad as the nausea I had in the beginning. Norman helps me through it by rubbing my back while I lean over our bed and let gravity pull Nugget forward and off my esophagus or whatever it is that is being compressed to cause the nausea. Sometimes that helps, but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the nausea won’t go away. The support hose I have been wearing has really helped me avoid leg cramps and I am so eternally thankful for that! I am getting up around 5 times a night to pee and it’s driving me crazy. I feel like I need a crane to lift my ass out of bed in the middle of the night.

The bottom line is these are small inconveniences in the large scheme of things. I would do anything for our baby. I love her so much; I can’t wait to meet her!!!! She is so rambunctious in my belly I can only imagine what she’d be like once she is born…probably as hyper as her mama. Even Norman is amazed by her acrobatics. She has no space left in there but she sure is constantly squirming about trying to make herself cozy :)

32w5d

2008-05-20T12:06:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday was my baby shower. I don’t even know where to begin! It was amazing; everything was so beautiful. I am so very thankful to my mom and cousins Karla and Alexandra for the wonderful party they threw for me. The hall was beyond perfect, pink and brown galore. My cake, flowers, everything, everything, everything just absolutely perfect! I don’t have the words to describe it. There were 60 people there, every single one of them someone who loves me and cares for me. I feel so warmed and humbled. I am still reeling from the entire experience. My daughter is going to be the most loved little girl in the world.

I will have to let the photos speak for themselves. I will be posting them soon.

I have been doing well. I took it very easy on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week and started to feel so much better. I worked from home and stayed in bed for the majority of the time with my lap top.

On Sunday after the baby shower I thought I would die from the back and foot ache I had from all the running around I did on Saturday. I was able to rest in between washing the tons of baby clothes, blankets, washcloths, towels and bedding I got. What? You thought I could just let all those things sit around unwashed? No way!

I managed to make it in to work Monday and will hopefully be able to work up until the end. It makes me proud to know that I am working and successfully balancing pregnancy with work and life. Granted, I do get tired…it just makes me a stronger person. It prepares me for the life I am eagerly looking forward to! I honestly cannot believe that life is a mere 7 weeks away.

7 WEEKS!!!!!!!

31w6d

2008-05-14T12:23:00.003-04:00

Last night marked hospital visit number 2 for me - I guess that's not so bad considering I'm 32 weeks along.

I was having a really rough day to begin with yesterday. Then when I was leaving work, I started feeling sharp pains in my belly. I couldn't walk to my car. I had to literally shuffle hunched over. When I got home I immediately laid down and drank water. I didn't get any better. FInally at 8PM I started to get more and more concerned so I called my doctor who told me to go straight to L&D. I was given a bed the minute I arrived and was hooked up to the contraction and fetal heart monitor. The baby was fine, active and has a healthy heat rate. I was having some contractions, though. My blood was drawn and I got an ultrasound. My blood work came back normal and the ultrasound showed a healthy, active, adorable baby girl. I even got a picture and everything. My placenta and amniotic fluid were perfect and everything looked great. YAY!

So to make a long story short, I was told to take it easy off my feet for a few days. I am already feeling so much better.

I am home from work today. Tonight we have our infant CPR class which we will definitely be attending, even if I need to go in a wheelchair!

Tomorrow I have my cardiologist appointment.

Updates soon.

31w5d

2008-05-13T15:33:00.003-04:00

Today is just one of those days.

I feel like shit.

I have acid reflux AND heartburn because my GI tract is squashed.

I am full beyond belief because my stomach is squashed.

I am having a hard time breathing because my lungs are squashed.

I am always thirsty, which means I am always drinking water, which means I am in the bathroom 2-3 times an hour because my bladder is squashed.

Oh, and I am so exhausted I fell asleep during my lunch break.

I love you, Nugget. I know you can’t help it. At least one of us is comfy – and I’d always much rather that someone be you instead of me…so I continue on! Only 8 weeks to go until we finally meet.

8 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!

31w4d

2008-05-12T10:20:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday was my OB appointment. Everything was great; my doctor was very pleased with me and the baby’s progress. Her heart rate was between 142 and 145. I remember back when it was in the 160s! Of course the bigger she gets, the more she slows down…less room for flipping and acrobatics :) (Though I do believe one of these days her foot is going to burst right through my belly. Nugget is STRONG). She was measuring about 2-3 weeks ahead. This is fine – as the doctor noted, she’s always been big. I see him again on May 23. Once I hit 36 weeks, I’ll start seeing him weekly. He didn’t see the need for an ultrasound just yet. I might get one in about a month, I might not. There’s a good chance that the next time we’ll see her is in the flesh.

We went to our 8-hour Childbirth Preparation class on Saturday. It was great. A little scary, but great. I’ll put it to you this way: no matter how hard I tried to stay focused on NO PAIN, I had nightmares about a bloody and painful childbirth all Saturday night. Some of the most important things I learned are to try and labor from home for as long as possible before rushing to the hospital. This makes perfect sense to me. The rule of thumb she gave is to wait for 4 contractions lasting 1 minute in duration for 1 entire hour. (4-1-1) For us it would be between 5 and 6 contractions since we live farther away from the hospital. We learned how to time contractions and to basically forget everything I just said if my water breaks. If my water breaks I need to head straight to the hospital right away. Apparently this only happens in 10% of pregnancies. It is way more typical for women to begin labor with contractions versus a ruptured bag of water. Another thing I learned is to make sure to wait until I am 4-5 centimeters dilated before requesting an epidural.

Something is to be said for the support your partner can give you. Norman was beyond awesome. He made me feel like he understood everything and would be in total control of the situation. I also feel empowered to find my center and channel the pain. I have no idea what it is going to feel like for me, but at least I am equipped with the knowledge that this pain will have a definite beginning, middle and end. In other words, there is an end in sight – and this gives me a tremendous amount of relief. Still a little scary, nonetheless.

I have my final Cardiology appointment before I give birth this Thursday. I have been feeling great so I don’t expect there to be any out of the ordinary results found during my Echo or EKG.

In other news, we have a lot of work still left to do as far as the second bedroom we are renovating is concerned. The contractor is coming today to finish up with the closet, floorboards and wall. Soon after, we will be able to paint and hopefully finish up before mid-week. My grandmother, who usually lives with my uncle, will be staying with us for 3 weeks or so while they are on vacation in Canada. She’ll be staying in said bedroom so we need to finish it ASAP – she’s coming on Wednesday.

And my BABY SHOWER is on SATURDAY!!!! I am so excited for it. I feel like a little kid. I can’t wait to see everyone and just relax and have a nice time with friends and family. I am also super excited to see how everything turns out. So many surprises for me! My cousins and mom have gone beyond all out for this party. It is turning out to be quite the extravaganza!!!!

31w0d

2008-05-08T09:44:00.001-04:00

When I got home from work yesterday I cleaned up a little and waited for the contractor to arrive. When I realized he wouldn’t be showing up, I decided to just relax and watch some TV. I started getting sleepy so I tried napping. Right before drifting off, I started getting the worst pains in my belly and upper thighs. They weren’t contractions – at least I don’t think they were. It was more of a really bad stomach ache mixed in with intense heartburn and sciatica. I felt panicky but decided to try and sleep through it. I woke up not too long after and began feeling nervous because I hadn’t felt the baby move since the pain started. Then I worked myself up into a slightly more intense panic. I called Norman into the room and started to cry. He comforted me and reassured me.

I know I overreacted but if I am honest with myself I can notice that I am in a state these days. Everything makes me nervous. Being pregnant is the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. I have this life inside me and she needs me to take care of her and I feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of keeping her safe. Sometimes all I want to do is just hide in bed under the covers for the remaining 9 weeks. My hormones are raging. I am an emotional wreck. I am crying a lot and know it’s natural so I am trudging through. Don’t get me wrong though – I am happy and tear-free waaaaaaaaaaaay more than I am crying and emotional. I just notice that I have somehow reverted back to my first trimester emotional state which is frustrating.

Anyhow, as I am sure you already deduced, my sweet Nugget started kicking up a storm shortly thereafter and all is well.

Oh, and my acid reflux is going to be the end of me.

30w6d

2008-05-07T14:59:00.005-04:00

The TV is up and the closet system is installed. The nursery is complete! Now I need to wash all the clothes and blankets and sterilize all pacifiers, nipples and teething toys.

On to the next room. The room that used to be our bedroom has been completely emptied out. The contractor is coming in today and installing floorboards, door and closet casings and the closet system. Then we’ll paint, install new blinds and change all electrical outlets and outlet covers. We are converting that room into a den/office where we’ll have our computers, baby swing, bouncy chair, playpen, etc. My idea was to have one room for sleeping and another room for play time.

Nesting set in long ago but I had no idea what it was. It started by me throwing out all our old sheets, pillows and comforter and quilt and buying new ones. Today I will buy towels and throw out all our old ones as well. I have this overwhelming need for everything to be clean and new. I want to wash and scrub and clean everything in sight but am usually too tired to do it. Norman is nesting too though he won’t admit it. He’s going through a phase where everything HAS to be ready and clean for the baby. I tried to explain to him that is what it means to nest, but he is in denial.

Along with new towels, I’ll be buying a dress for my Baby Shower. It’s right around the corner! I need to find something fast. I don’t know why I waited so long.

I have been feeling well overall. Still a lot of lower back pain and acid reflux, but nothing unbearable. I am having tons of BH contractions. I don’t know how much is normal but I know I’m getting them a lot – not back to back, but often throughout the day. Plus the baby is moving so much. I think she’s getting squashed in there!

Here’s a belly pic from today. I was sitting in the car when Norm took this picture so it’s an odd angle but you get the idea.

I can't believe how huge my boobs have gotten!!!!!!

30w4d

2008-05-05T14:32:00.001-04:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Norman and I had Mexican for lunch. Not that we ever need an occasion to do so.

I have good news; the nursery is officially complete – except for the installation of the closet system which we already purchased and the wall mounting of the flat screen TV. It looks beyond beautiful. I love being in there. I LOVE IT. Norman did an amazing job. I helped a lot and it made me exhausted but he did the majority of the work. As soon as the closet is completed I will start washing all of Nugget’s clothes and blankets. Now on to the second room we are renovating. It never ends!

Our Baby Care class was good. We had a great instructor and even though we both knew the majority of what we were taught, it was informative nonetheless. We learned about basic baby care – we even practiced swaddling and diapering a baby. Next Saturday we’re attending the Labor class. It’s an all day class, 9AM-5PM. This is the class I am most looking forward to because I am scared of labor. I think that if I have a better understanding of what’s happening to me, I will be less afraid. Norman will not be a happy camper next weekend since he isn’t fond of watching births and I am sure that we will be shown videos and such.

My contractions can get really bad. I thought I was going in to labor on Saturday night. I laid on my left side and drank lots of water and they eased up. I don’t know if it’s because Nugget is moving around so much and she’s jamming herself into wacky positions or what, but her movements come fast, hard and strong enough to take my breath away. It’s been happening that way for as long as I can remember, actually. I am also soooooo tired. I know I mentioned that already :) It’s just amazing how worn out I feel. I am pooped all the time.

9 weeks left until I deliver (unless I go early), and 8 weeks left until my maternity leave, HA. I’ll be off until November 3 and then the Nugster will start school at a private, fancy-schmancy day care. I am happy about this. I am definitely NOT the stay-at-home-mom type (though I have a lot of respect for women who are) and am really relieved that we found such a great school so close to our offices. We can go visit the babe at lunch and I can breastfeed during the day.

My next OB appointment is this Friday. I am guessing he will want to send me in for an ultrasound. I hope so!

29w6d

2008-04-30T10:52:00.003-04:00

I slammed into the third trimester fast and furiously.

I am so exhausted. I’m talking beyond tired. I am so so so so so completely wiped out.

My tail bone is so bad it’s borderline unbearable. I bought an Invalid Ring a.k.a. Donut Pillow because I thought it would give me some relief but it has done absolutely nothing for me thus far.

My acid reflux is at an all time bad as well. I can’t choke down Tums anymore. I almost threw up the other day after trying to eat a few.

On the plus side, I am sleeping relatively well. I am only getting up 2-3 time a night to go to the bathroom which isn’t bad at all. Sometimes I am unable to get back to bed, but my pillows have been my lifesavers. I use the full body pillow, the wedge, a pillow between my legs and a few under my head.

This morning was the first morning I had a leg cramp since the terrible one I had on March 30th. Exactly one month, actually. God bless support hose. I am convinced that is what has alleviated my pain. This morning’s leg cramp was mild enough to go away with a quick jolt out of bed and stretch.

I am officially using nursing bras since they are soft cupped and have no underwire. My breasts are large to begin with and now with the added weight of the milk coming in they are ginormous. Plus last night I realized that the underwire of the bras I was wearing was causing a weird welt looking abrasion on the underside of my right boobie. I think I may have been blocking a milk duct or something. Who knows.

We are getting to that time where Norman had to put in his paperwork to request leave. It’s becoming so real. I am beginning to get a little nervous. I think once we get the nursery completed and take all our baby preparedness classes I should be better. I wonder when I should pack my hospital bag.

Speaking of baby classes, our first one is this Saturday at 9AM-12PM. It’s called Baby Care:
The Baby Care class provides you with the most current information about caring for a newborn. Teaches how “normal” babies look and act, and when to call the pediatrician with concerns. Class includes hands-on practice bathing, dressing and diapering a baby

I am hoping to have the nursery completed by this weekend, at least the majority of it. I promise to post all the stages of progress pics I took. The change has been amazing so far. We still need the closet completed (shelves and bars installed), blinds put up and electrical outlets switched to the new ones. Norman and I also need to finish painting all the moldings, trims, walls and inside the closet. We decided to put our bed in the nursery and use the room we are currently using as our bedroom as a den type room for the computers and baby swings and playpen. We need to make the most of what little space we have and this seems like the best way.

My Baby Shower is rapidly approaching. I can’t wait! I am really excited about it. I know that it is going to be so special. My mom and cousins are working hard to make it unforgettable and I am so thankful for that. I am going to find the time this weekend to buy a dress since if I don’t find one I’ll only have one weekend left before the shower. Maybe I’ll be able to squeeze my feet into some cute shoes, who knows?

29w3d

2008-04-27T15:17:00.009-04:00

It feels like so much has happened since I last posted!

I went to my 7 month appointment with my OB last Thursday and everything was fine. I didn't gain any weight - HOORAY! He thinks I am measuring ahead by 3-4 weeks based on my fundal height. He thought this was the case last time as well. I am now going to begin seeing him every two weeks (I can't believe I am at that stage already). At my next appointment he'll determine if I need an ultrasound to determine just how large the baby is - or if I have a little more amniotic fluid than normal. We shall see.

Speaking of ultrasounds, we had a 4D ultrasound done this past Saturday, here are a few of my favorite shots:

Nugget's Profile

Nugget's Face

Nugget's Foot

Nugget's Face and Hand

Nugget's Face and Hand again

Nugget's Face and Foot

The experience was amazing! I would highly recommend it to anyone who may be considering it and not too sure wether to sped the money or not. My parents come along with us and they loved it as well. I got 60 photos on a CD and a DVD with tons of footage. I am very pleased. Nugget was being a tad uncooperative seeing as how she wanted to show us the back of her head instead of her pretty face. I ended up having to drink a ton of water and eat a chocolate chip cookie to get her to turn around which she eventually did. Funny, I don't think I ever HAD to eat a cookie ever in my life lol

More updates soon.

28w4d

2008-04-21T14:43:00.002-04:00

I DO NOT HAVE GESTATIONAL DIABETES!!!!!!!!!!!

I just spoke to my doctor’s office and the nurse confirmed it!!! I am beyond thrilled. I am ecstatic. I am speechless. I am so relieved I feel like crying. I feel like I somehow dodged a bullet. I will work so hard at maintaining low blood sugar numbers anyways – although my stupid One Touch is miserably unreliable!

My nugget is hiccupping as I type. It is such an obvious feeling now – I now realize how many times she has hiccupped in the past and I didn’t put two and two together. It feels like a rhythmic tick…tick…tick…tick… so precious. I am feeling it way low, right on my pubic bone. I was already almost positive she had turned head down already because her kicks are so strong above my belly button, but now I am entirely convinced. I think there is still a chance for her to flip back around but at least for now I don’t think she’s breech.

Ahhhh!! No gestational diabetes!!!!!! Such good news!!! I can’t focus. I feel like I need to go out on the street and scream it as loud as I can to anyone who will listen!!!!!!

28w1d

2008-04-18T22:17:00.005-04:00

Today's test was awful. My dad was with me so at least it went by quickly, he was great company.

I was fasting; I arrived at 8:30AM and they took the first draw. I was then given the 100g of glucose and omg it was disgusting to choke down. Twice as much as before, YUCK.

Every hour for the next 3 hours I walked in to the back and the same very nice lady drew my blood. I had my blood drawn 4 times total and have nasty bruises to prove it:

RIght after each draw, I would take my own readings using my nifty One Touch device. According to my readings, I passed the first "fasting" draw, failed the second and third, and passed the fourth and final one with a very low number (yay). So what does this mean? I have no idea. It's my understanding that if you fail 2 of the 4 draws, you technically do have gestational diabetes. I don't see the doctor until next week Thursday and I won't know what the exact results are until then. I can only assume that the One Touch results are rough estimates of the lab's exact readings. My only concern is that according to my One Touch, my blood level after my second draw was slightly above 200...that's HIGH.

I'll have to wait and see.

28w0d

2008-04-17T10:37:00.004-04:00

28 weeks today!

Officially in my 3rd trimester today!

I am going to pick up the prescription for the 3 hour glucose tolerance screen this afternoon. I have an appointment for the screening tomorrow morning at 8:30AM so I need to begin fasting by at least 8:30PM tonight. I honestly don’t know how I’ll do. I have modified my eating and am hoping it’s enough, but the truth of the matter is that if I have gestational diabetes there is nothing I can do because drinking 100mg of glucose will send my sugars sky high. All that matters is that I have already begun making the necessary changes to my diet to ensure that my blood levels are always below 120 two hours after a meal.

I am feeling well, save for a huge pain in my ass – and I mean that literally. I can’t sit anywhere without getting the worst pain in my ass. I think it’s sciatica; it’s painful. I am wondering if one of those hemorrhoid donut pillows will help. I think it’s worth the money to find out.

Our contactor came yesterday and began installing the dry wall in the nursery. He’s coming back today to finish up and hopefully complete the plastering so that we can start priming and painting the room. We are going to be painting in these 2 colors:

The contractor will separate the colors by a molding. I can’t wait to see the finished product. It’s going to be beautiful!

I have my next OB appointment next week Thursday, after which I will need to start seeing him every 2 weeks. I can’t believe I’m at the every 2 weeks stage. Soon it’ll be every week…and before we know it our precious baby girl will be in our arms.

27w5d

2008-04-15T13:43:00.003-04:00

I felt Nugget hiccupping late last night! At first I thought she was poking me with her hands – I can definitely tell when she is kicking me versus punching me…her kicks are so much stronger than her punches. But then I realized that there was a rhythm to the movement; a little thump every 3-4 seconds or so.

I am getting a lot of cramping in my lower back and belly and can definitely feel when she’s laying lower than normal. I get a heavy sensation and feel like I have to walk hunched over to relieve the pressure. RLP is at its worst at night, especially if I try to switch positions too quickly (which is close to impossible these days). I literally feel as though I need a crane to get me out of bed sometimes I am feeling soooo heavy in my abdomen.

My leg cramps thankfully haven’t been an issue since I started wearing support hose. My feet and legs get a little swollen sometimes but nothing terrible.

Norman and I are going to meet with Nugget’s soon to be pediatrician this afternoon. She is so highly recommended and I have a feeling that I am going to love her. I am excited to speak with her and look forward to discussing my concerns, etc.

I found out that the contractor will be coming on Wednesday to finish installing the dry wall, moldings and closet doors and shelves. Norman and I will be buying the (non-toxic) paint very soon. I am excited to finally have a space for all of the baby’s things.

No news regarding the new house – we have a lawyer working for us and as soon as I have a resolution I will let you know. It’s sad because we were supposed to be closing April 30. Such is life.

27w4d

2008-04-14T16:15:00.002-04:00

Life is good I must say.

I have the occasional sleepless night, lower back pain and acid reflux but honestly I am doing really well. We are so excited!

Our precious Nugget is so active. Her kicks are so hard that Norman can finally actually SEE her kicking through all my clothes. It’s awesome.

Have I mentioned that my dad bought his granddaughter baby’s first bling?? Diamond studs set in platinum. She is the most loved, spoiled little girl in the world. Her clothes are already overflowing out of her dresser. I think I need a new armoire or something!

In nursery news, I will post before pictures and some progress pictures. We hope to have it done by this weekend but this of course depends on the contractor and when he will be able to actually complete the project.

In gestational diabetes news, I am dying to know for sure one way or the other. In the meantime I have been testing after every meal and I have been doing great. Always well below even what an avarage reading would be. I am trying to take it easy, but I am still being very cautious with regards to what I eat and will continue to do so until the very end.

In baby shower news, I can’t even begin to tell you how absolutely fabulous my cousins Karla and Alexandra have been. They have taken this party and spent so much time, effort and love in planning out every detail. It makes me feel so special I just want to cry. Truly. I am just so thankful for everything they have done for me. It’s going to be quite the bash thanks to them! I love you both so much, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

This was just a quick update, I'll be sure to post soon.

26w6d

2008-04-09T09:49:00.001-04:00

My Braxton Hicks contractions have officially begun.

It’s my first time pregnant but I immediately knew I was having a contraction. There is no denying the feeling. It starts off as mild cramping in my lower back and abdomen, then my belly gets as hard as a rock. I’ve never had rock-hard abs before so this in and of itself is a foreign sensation lol

I first noticed the contractions the other night after sex (hi mom) and thought it was just a result of the sex itself. But then last night I got it again and was able to confirm that what I felt the other night was definitely a contraction. Apparently sex can bring on Braxton Hicks. So can a really active baby, and she is so active all the time. Other triggers are if someone touches your belly, a full bladder and dehydration.

Anywhoo, they are more uncomfortable than painful and I only got one big one last night and it eased away after less than a minute. The rule of thumb is go to the hospital if you are having more than 4 Braxton Hicks in an hour.

Food wise I am now excessively paranoid over everything I put in my mouth. This morning I ate my Heritage Flakes, skim milk and a banana. Snack is a low moisture cheese stick. Lunch will be a turkey sandwich. I am on a mission to eat healthy. I haven’t been eating badly, but I have indulged in the occasional cookie and ice cream cone that before I got pregnant I wouldn’t have dreamed of eating. That’s it for that. Funny thing is that I am craving sugar. All I want is sweets and I have never in my life been a sweets person. But I am stronger than the cravings!

26w5d

2008-04-08T15:24:00.004-04:00

I am super bummed but for some reason I knew this would happen.

My glucose screen came back slightly high (146 – it should have been 140 or lower). Now I have to go for the 3 hour screen. I made an appointment for it for next Friday. My dad said he’d join me so at least I will be in good company. I made my appointment for 8:30AM and I have to be fasting. They draw my blood as soon as I get there, then they give me the nasty junk to drink and I have to have my blood drawn again once every 3 hours thereafter.

Here is what the 3 hour screen results should look like:

Interval - Abnormal reading
Fasting - 95 mg/dl or higher
One hour - 180 mg/dl or higher
Two hours - 155 mg/dl or higher
Three hours - 140 mg/dl or higher

Of course I am paranoid now and so I immediately went and bought a One Touch monitor and so far my readings have been perfect. I took my first reading about 3 hours after breakfast and got 80. I took my second reading about 1 hour after lunch and got 100. I had just eaten a banana and everything. These numbers are great. I don’t get it. Oh well.

The doctor did tell me that the one hour test provides a lot of false positives, especially when I am so close to the cutoff.

Fingers crossed that the results of my 3 hour screen are normal.

26w4d

2008-04-07T11:04:00.002-04:00

Time continues to fly by.

Nugget is so active. I’m talking non-stop kicking and punching. The minute I lay down she starts big time and I love it. It’s funny because sometimes it gets so intense that my stomach actually turns and I feel as though I’m on a roller coaster – I actually begin to feel nauseous. It’s hard to explain…it’s not a discomfort per se, just an odd sensation.

I am mailing out baby shower invitations tomorrow. I have been getting calls from people asking me when the shower is due to possible conflicts; I figure why wait any longer?

We picked out the colors for the nursery last Friday. We are going to be cleaning out our bedroom and re-painting it this weekend as well. So much to do still. I am going bonkers.

Just about 13 weeks left until D(elivery)-day and I just cannot believe it. THIRTEEN WEEKS!

We are meeting with a highly recommended pediatrician on April 15. I am also really looking forward to our 3D/4D ultrasound on April 26. Then May is a busy month with all of our Childbirth Preparedness classes and my BABY SHOWER on May 17! My nephew is due in early June and on June 14 our friends from Spain are coming to visit. July will be here in the blink of an eye.

In the meantime, I need to plan that mini-vacation I want to take soon and buy a maternity swimsuit.

26w1d

2008-04-04T11:10:00.004-04:00

Norman is officially able to feel Nugget move any time I can, yaaayyyy! Her flutters are now definite kicks all the time. So exciting!

We also got our wooden letters for the nursery yesterday. They are white with a pink ribbon w/brown trim:

Her name is Sienna Sofia

26w0d

2008-04-03T09:32:00.003-04:00

Norman and I put together our new Graco SweetPeace swing last night, a gift from my brother and SIL. We love it! It is so adorable. The swing is definitely a pimped out swing. It has a vibrating feature and you can even hook up your ipod to it and play your own music. I'm sure Norman will have Nugget hooked on David Bowie before she can mumble her first words :)

We continued our work around the house yesterday. Norman has been working like a beast these days to try and get everything set for our extended stay with the baby at my parent’s house. I already officially cannot sit on the floor because I get bad lower back pain if I do. I also am getting some minor swelling in my legs again, especially my left one. Yesterday it became painful and I had to go lay down on my left side until the pain subsided.

I start my 3rd trimester in 2 weeks!

25w6d

2008-04-02T15:06:00.004-04:00

I just got back from my glucose screen. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but it wasn’t delightful either. The liquid they gave me to drink resembled a watered down orange syrup that tasted like overly sweet medicine. Yucky. The worst part wasn’t drinking the stuff; it was having to wait an hour for them to take my blood. I wasn’t prepared with a book or magazine or anything so I was bored out of my mind. I think I get the results tomorrow, I’m not sure.

I unpacked Nugget’s changing table last night and I LOVE IT!!! It is beautiful! So mod and chic. My baby girl is already a diva.

Here’s a picture of it:

It’s a side view but you get the idea. We also have the matching crib.

The Salvation Army is picking up all the old furniture in the soon-to-be-nursery tomorrow. We already called the contractor and he should be coming by sometime before the end of next week to start tearing down the panels and installing the dry wall. Norman and I need to go to Sherwin Williams to pick out the paint. It’s going to be another very long weekend filled with tons of work and exhaustion.

I am planning short beach vacation in May. By then we should have the laundry list of things that need to be done completed. I need a vacation.

25w5d

2008-04-01T12:02:00.000-04:00

Karla, I could kill you for your April fool’s prank. You almost gave me a heart attack! But I still love you :)

Today is April 1, 2008. I can’t even believe it. I feel like I just turned 26 a few days ago. My birthday is July 5 and I’ll be 27 this year. Will I be 26 or 27 when I give birth? Maybe I’ll give birth on my birthday, who knows?

Life is still stressful but I am doing well. We rented a pickup truck last night and picked up Nugget’s crib, mattress and changing table. Thankfully my dad has been able to help Norman with all the heavy lifting he’s been doing these days. I feel completely useless. I get tired very quickly and am trying not to exert myself too much. We’re keeping the furniture in their boxes until the nursery is completed. I’ll be sure to take some before pictures of the room we are renovating. It’s going to be quite the transformation.

I just finished buying a bunch of things for Nugget and me from babiesrus.com. I purchased anything on my registry that was under $10, along with a bunch of other miscellaneous items I’m sure I won’t be receiving at my Baby Shower…most folks don’t buy breast pads, nipple salve or breast milk storage bags as baby shower gifts lol

I’ll be sure to update after my glucose screen tomorrow.

25w4d

2008-03-31T09:26:00.001-04:00

My mind is cluttered with things I want to write here. Let’s see if I can get it all out.

My appointment last week went well. I did get the prescription to have the glucose gestational screen done and made the appointment for this Wednesday. I have to drink thick, sugary goop, wait an hour and get my blood drawn. If the results come back elevated (above 140mg), I have to go back for another test that will say for sure whether I have gestational diabetes or not. The second test is similar to the first but instead of waiting one hour, I have to wait 3. I don’t know if I’m worried about this test or not. I am feeling great. I’ve gained a lot of weight (30 pounds so far) even though you really wouldn’t be able to tell by just looking at me since it’s mostly all in my belly. Regardless, there is nothing I can do but wait for the results so I’m not going to start worrying until there is something to worry about.

For those of you who don’t know, Norman and I had been living with my parents while our house was being built. Given the situation with the new house, we will definitely be staying with my parents longer than expected. This means making a bunch of changes, including using a spare room in their house as a nursery. So much work needs to be done in that spare room. It used to be my brother’s old room. The room was being used as storage…and it has wood paneling on the walls, yuck! We cleared out the room and I called Salvation Army to come pick up the furniture next Saturday. We contacted a contractor who will be tearing out the panels and replacing them with sheet rock, as well as adding the new baseboards and fixing the closet. We’ll paint the walls ourselves. My parents ordered our crib, mattress and changing table a while back and I got a call that it was ready to be picked up from the store. I guess we’ll have to store the stuff in the Florida Room until the nursery is completed. We also need to make more room in our bedroom for the pack n’ play – or for a co-sleeper (which I am seriously considering adding to my registry now that we are staying with my parents and are extremely tight on space). We spent the entire weekend cleaning up the house and have so much left to do it’s making my head spin. I am exhausted. I mean it. Everything hurts. I am getting to a point where I am becoming useless when it comes to physical exertion and I can imagine it will only get worse.

I was jolted out of bed early Sunday morning with the mother of all leg cramps. They just keep getting worse and worse. This one on Sunday was so bad I was wailing and screaming and crying in agony. I couldn’t make it go away on my own. Norman had to get up and massage it away, and even then it took what seemed like a lifetime to go away. This cramp started in my calf and worked its way down so far that I couldn’t even bend my knee. I was hysterical. I remember hearing Norman saying something like calm down, labor is going to be way worse. That scared me too; although my mom said she had leg cramps during her pregnancy that caused her worse pain than labor (thank God for epidurals). My leg is still killing me now and I am paranoid all night long that I am going to get another. I wore support hose today and am trying to do lots of feet and leg exercises to hopefully slow down the recurrence.

My baby shower (being hosted by my cousins and mom) is on May 17. I have the invitations and will be sending them out in 2 weeks. I am really looking forward to it. I am excited to see everyone and have them celebrate our baby girl with me.

Our baby girl does have a name, by the way. A few people already know. I don’t know what I’m waiting for to share it with the world? I will soon.

25w0d

2008-03-27T07:57:00.002-04:00

Life has been stressful due to our new house and I can’t write about it because we now have an attorney working for us and I think it’s best to wait until things blow over before I give deets here (Heath, I will call you and tell you all about it). Needless to say, I have been a ball – literally – of nerves these days.

In pregnancy news, I have been doing well. My leg cramps are God AWFUL. I get them every night now. It’s driving me insane. I also still have bad acid reflux as well. I am always dying of thirst and peeing up a storm, too. I think I have visited every public bathroom in South Florida. Oh, and my left wrist kills me sometimes. The pain is so bad I can hardly move it. I did some research on that and discovered that pregnancy can actually cause carpal tunnel syndrome due to excessive fluid retention. This (along with everything else) should disappear after delivery. Go figure.

I was laying on the sofa yesterday and had the remote on my belly. All of a sudden it started bouncing around like crazy. It’s so funny how Norman always misses when the baby kicks hard enough for him to see or feel her! He’ll have just stepped out of the room or something, Nugget will start kicking up a storm, I yell for him to come back and he runs back in as fast as he can and misses it. He’ll feel her soon enough, hopefully sooner than later!

My 6 month appointment with my OB is tomorrow. I am assuming it will be the standard: weigh in, pee in a cup, blood pressure, listen to the baby’s heartbeat. I don’t know if he’ll make me have a glucose screen to check for gestational diabetes or not. They are usually given between 24 and 28 weeks.

15 weeks to go.

24w1d

2008-03-21T08:47:00.002-04:00

Well I ended up going to the hospital last night because the pain was making me nervous. It was my first trip to the ER while pregnant – I had been so proud of myself for not having gone. I hate feeling like a nervous, first-time mommy (even though that’s what I am!).

Anyhow, the minute we walked into the ER the lady at the desk told another ER worker get a wheelchair and take her to L&D (labor & delivery). I was like woooaaahhhh, no no no, I am not in labor. She asked how far along I was and I told her. They took me in ahead of everyone in the waiting room – I didn’t even stand there for 30 seconds. They registered me and took me straight to the L&D unit. We ended up waiting for a bed for only about 30 minutes or so. They took us into the L&D suites, told me to take off all my clothes, put on the hospital gown and get in bed.

The L&D suites are amazing. I was definitely reassured that I had made the right decision to have Nugget at this particular hospital. These rooms are like hotel rooms. They call them suites because you labor, deliver and recover all in the same place. The bathrooms are huge, stocked with lots of shampoo and soaps, as well as a ton of sanitary napkins (childbirth and its aftermath is bloody and messy). They never take the baby out of the room unless they are taking her to do lab work or if God forbid there is some sort of complication.

I had such a surreal feeling as I lay in that bed. I couldn’t stop thinking about how this is where I’d be in 3 short months from now, ready to deliver our little girl. It was overwhelming, really.

The nurses are wonderful. So patient and understanding. I felt reassured that I had done the right thing by coming to the hospital. They strapped a baby heart beat monitor and movement detector around my belly and some other device – who knows what it was.

All in all we were there for 5 hours and the entire time we were there, we got to hear the baby’s heart beats and her movements in surround sound. If I hadn’t been so desperate to get home and get to bed, I could have stayed listening to those sounds all night.

They discharged me telling me I was experiencing mild contractions and that it was perfectly normal. Make sure I get lots of rest, drink lots of water, etc. etc. The real kicker was when the nurse told me to call my OB if symptoms returned. Yeah, OK. Maybe next time I’ll be lucky enough for a call back.

24w0d

2008-03-20T14:52:00.003-04:00

At our last Level II, my Perinatologist noticed I had a very small cyst on my right ovary. A Corpus Luteum Cyst of Pregnancy she called it. She told me it usually meant that the ovary where the cyst formed is the egg that was fertilized. I always thought it was my left ovary that had been fertilized since that is where I always had the worst pain…but I digress.

So my cyst was apparently small and nothing to be concerned about. Fine. I truly never thought about it again. I don’t even think I mentioned it here.

Since last night, I have been having a sharp pain on my right side (very different from round ligament pain). I put 2 and 2 together and realized that the pain very well could be the cyst, right? I have had cysts before and just want to be sure everything is OK. I called my OB this morning and left a message with the front desk. They assured me he’d call me back. Three and a half hours later, no response. I call back and spoke to the nurse. She reassured me he’d call me back. Another three and a half hours later, still no response.

I am so frustrated.

The first time I discovered hemorrhoids I called the doctor twice and never got a call back either. I am beginning to lose my patience.

I told Norman I would go to the hospital if the pain persisted. How long am I supposed to wait before I call back and why in the world is it so damn hard for my OB to pick up the phone and CALL ME???????

23w6d

2008-03-19T18:57:00.007-04:00

24 weeks tomorrow!

Here is a picture I took of myself while we were in Orlando last Saturday.

I was 23w2d:

I am still a little sick but definitely on the mend. Lucky for me my immune system has always been awesome and now with the prenatals I am Wonder Woman.

I ended up calling my Perinatologist and my Cardiologist today because the tachycardia was getting to where I was having 5 or 6 skipped beats every hour. My Perinatologist said that according to my Cardiologist I was doing great and she definitely doesn't need to see me for now. I have been able to record 3 events on my Event monitor and when I spoke to my Cardiologist today, he reassured me that I was fine and the recordings he was looking at were almost perfectly normal. Ironically, I haven't had one more episode since speaking to him. Go figure. Tomorrow I'll call him and my Perinatologist and let them know I am doing fine. I think maybe the increase in tachycardia was from my head cold. My mom said that always happens to her, too.

In other news, the Baby Shower invitations are ready tomorrow. I can't wait to see how they came out!

Our registry is also complete (Babies R Us) and my parents are taking us to the store to buy our crib, changing table and dresser on Friday. I'm so excited!

Now all I ned is a house.

23w5d

2008-03-18T09:18:00.000-04:00

I am working from home today. I am not feeling well, my throat is swollen and getting sore and I have definite stuffiness and shortness of breath (while at rest). Plus last night I got my Event Monitor and was already able to record a tachycardia event. I called it in this morning and am going to wait a bit before calling the Cardiologist and seeing what he thinks. In the meantime, I am drinking an Odwalla Strawberry C Monster smoothie hoping the vitamins in there will nurse me to health…fat chance.

It’s a dreary day, dark and windy. I am fighting the urge to crawl back into bed just yet. I have work I need to get done. But I will definitely be resting though.

I need to get better so that I can start breathing through my nose again.

23w4d

2008-03-17T11:45:00.006-04:00

I’m getting sick, but I am fighting it.

I went to Orlando for one night this weekend with my parents because it was my mom’s birthday last Saturday. We met up with my brother and my SIL and had a very nice time. We ate dinner at the Latin Quarter in City Walk. There were soooo many people there; I guess it was a combination of Mardi Gras and Spring Break. The restaurant turned into a club at 11PM and Nugget was not happy with the racket. She was startled and was kicking like crazy.

Poor Norman ended up staying home because of how sick he was feeling. You know he’s been fighting a nasty ear infection and I guess that turned into a really bad head cold. He missed work on Friday because of it and I felt terrible leaving him at home knowing how sick he was. But he was able to rest up and managed to get himself well enough to go back to work today.

I barely slept on Saturday night (I woke up with an awful leg cramp) and was exhausted last night. I felt really sick as soon as we got back home yesterday – swollen throat with a stuffy nose and head. I drove over to Jamba Juice and bought us both smoothies with Immunity boosts then took a nap that left me feeling worse than before. Don’t you hate when that happens? And I have hemorrhoids again.

I saw my Cardiologist last Thursday and he feels I am doing well. He wants to continue to monitor me and is going to give me an Event Monitor so that I can record the tachycardia I have been having. I called my Perinatologist this morning to see if he had sent the report over to her. I wonder if she will want to keep seeing me or not. They told me they were going to call me back and let me know. At my Cardiology appointment I had an Echo and EKG done. Right after the Echo, the radiologist put the wand on my belly and gave my mom and me a peek at the baby. She was sucking her thumb looking as cute as ever.

I am 6 months already, the last month in my second trimester. I am so thankful that things are going well.

22w6d

2008-03-12T21:32:00.003-04:00

Today was our appointment with the Perinatologist. The appointment went very well. It was the first time I could actually feel the baby kicking while actually seeing her do it at the same time. She was kicking and punching harder than I have ever felt. It was making me laugh so hard because she was tickling me at the same time! Even the technician said she couldn’t believe how amped up she was and how hard she was kicking. She could feel the baby while she was scanning me.

It was a looooong scan. Right before we began the technician told me it was another Level II. This technician was awesome. She gathered all of the baby’s measurements and captured a bunch of great images for us:

Nugget is measuring 23 weeks, weighs 1 pound 5 ounces and her heart rate was 161 BPM.

She even stuck out her tongue! It was so cute. (We got 2 pictures of her doing this and although they are scary looking I think it’s adorable lol) She loves grabbing at her feet and is very squirmy. Every technician so far has noted how hyper the little rugrat is, this one was no different. She kept commenting how Nugget wouldn’t stay still.

I was basically discharged from the Perinatologist’s care. Since everything looks so good and I am doing so well, the Doctor felt that unless I begin feeling cardiac symptoms or if my Cardiologist notices a significant difference in my heart function, she no longer needs to monitor the baby.

I have an appointment with my Cardiologist tomorrow. I’ll be getting an EKG & Echo and the Doctor will compare it to my last exams from early October, right before I got pregnant. I am feeling great. The only thing I occasionally get is mild tachycardia, which I have been told is very normal in pregnant women given the large increase in the blood volume.

Without any further ado, I present the Nugster at 22 weeks and 6 days old:

Profile picture

Another profile

With her tongue out

Another

It's a Girl!

22w4d

2008-03-10T12:16:00.003-04:00

Meet the Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow.

I’ll be receiving this bad boy sometime later this week or early next week. I have to say, I am in desperate need of lower back support. I am beginning to get bad lower back pain and it’s really uncomfortable. Plus I need to stay put on my sides, preferably my left side. I also need some kind of foot stool or something makeshift to keep my feet elevated throughout the day while I’m here at work.

I’m beginning to feel my pregnancy strongly affect me physically in other ways besides the nausea and heartburn. Don’t get me wrong, I can bend over and pick things up if I drop them on the floor, my wedding rings still fit, I can get in and out of bed relatively easily and I can still see my feet when standing (well sort of…I have to lean forward a little bit, but still!). These are just a few of the precious things I used to take for granted pre-pregnancy. They are now delicious treats because I know that given a month or 2 more I will be big(ger) and a lot more uncomfortable. Everything in perspective, right?

Nugget is a gymnast in the making. She kicked so hard on Friday afternoon that I almost jumped out of my skin (a cervix kick?) it was such a weird sensation! I can’t believe we still can’t see movement from the outside. They say that usually begins at 28 weeks and if that’s the case we have about 5 weeks to go before my belly comes to life. I am desperate for Norman to start feeling her. So far it feels as though it’s been my little secret because I don’t verbalize every single time I feel her since it is too constant now. He does talk to my belly, though. It’s the sweetest thing. She can hear now and react to loud noises. We are going to start playing music for her.

Our next scan is on Wednesday and I promise to ask for good pictures so that I can post them here. I actually have video of the Level 2, the only thing is that it’s on a VHS so I have to figure out a way to get it online.

Updates Wednesday!

22w0d

2008-03-06T09:23:00.002-05:00

I think I really do have more energy these days than I give myself credit for. Take yesterday for example:

Norman’s been sick with a nasty ear infection. I got him an appointment to see a specialist at 1PM. I took him to his appointment, drove him to the Design District for a meeting he was having afterwards, drove myself all the way back to my office to pick up my computer because I left it and had work I had to finish, drove back to the Design District to pick Norman up, dropped Norman’s prescriptions off at Walgreens, made dinner, went back to Walgreens to pick up the medicine, ETC, ETC.

If it weren’t for my aching boobs and huge belly with Nugget squirming around in there (and heartburn, acid reflux, forgetfulness, leg cramps, nausea, huge appetite, emotional instability, and fabulous nails and hair) I wouldn’t even remember I was pregnant!

In all honesty though, I have been feeling great.

Speaking of leg cramps, I have always been prone to getting them – even as a child. I would wake up screaming in the middle of the night because of the pain and my dad would have to run in and massage it away. In fact, I would get them so bad that I would literally walk with a limp for days. Well Norman wasn’t having any of that waking up in the middle of the night to my wailing. Soon after I got married I learned how to avoid them. Since I would always get them in the middle of the night, usually while lying in bed stretching, I would make sure to stretch with my toes pointing up and towards my head. This completely eliminated the cramping. I would only get them every once in a blue moon anyways, and after I discovered the secret I rarely every got them again.

Well as you know, leg cramps are one of the many joys of pregnancy and I have just recently begun to be affected. So of course now you know I already have a tendency to cramp up. I started getting them again in the beginning of my second trimester. But last night I got leg cramps in BOTH LEGS AT ONCE. oh.my.god. Seriously now. It happened so fast and was so intense. I jumped out of bed so fast I almost feel into my closet. I was able to stretch them out before they got really bad but I have never had such bad pain in my poor calves before. I wanted to scream. Thankfully I’m not limping today. I’ll do some research on how to maybe avoid them or ease them. I already know that one tip is to always sleep on your left side. Believe you me, I try to do this but somehow always end up on my back. People. I feel awful when I wake up after sleeping on my back. My heartburn kicks in to full force and I just feel bad overall. I am going to have to cave in and buy a humongo pregnancy pillow to keep me positioned properly.

My 5 month OB appointment went well last Friday. I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat and my Doctor changed my prenatals. He told me again he expected smooth sailing and that I was doing great. He also asked me if I could believe I was already 5 months. NO. I cannot believe it!

21w0d

2008-02-28T15:47:00.000-05:00

21 weeks today!

Today was a much better day for me. The event went well. We were much better organized after learning from yesterday’s mistakes and everything went off without a hitch. I am less tired but no less nauseated. I think the acid reflux contributes to that.

I have my monthly OB appointment tomorrow and am honestly dreading the weigh in. UGHHHHHHHH. I am trying not to think about it but it’s the only thing on my mind. That and trying to make a mental note of all the questions I have for the doctor: childbirth classes, medication for the acid reflux, changing of my prenatals…I’ll think of more.

Everyone is telling me how fantastic I look, how I really do have a glow. My parents say I look the prettiest I have ever looked. Today, a co-worked who hadn’t seen me in ages walked in and saw me sitting behind me desk and said I looked awesome and asked me what I was doing differently. LOL I stood up and she almost keeled over. We had a good laugh. I’ll be sure to post some pictures soon.

I am debating whether to have a 3D Ultrasound done or not. I will wait until after I have my Level I on March 12 to make the decision. I know they have the 3D Ultrasound machine at my Perinatologist’s office; I’ll ask and see if they can hook me up with some 3D pictures. Otherwise I’ll make the appointment and pay for it out of my own pocket. I think it will be way cool and worth it.

In other news, we’re having dinner tonight at my good friend and co-worker Marcia’s house. She had her baby girl almost 4 months ago and I still haven’t met her. I am really looking forward to it.

20w6d

2008-02-27T17:22:00.004-05:00

Today has been the most hectic and busy work day of my pregnant life so far. Thursday will be just as bad.

I have wretched acid reflux, am insanely fatigued and feel nauseated beyond belief.

Needless to say, I am not a happy camper. I have been in tears for most of the afternoon since I got home just feeling pathetically sorry for myself and dreading tomorrow.

I have been running around all day like a mad woman, playing host and trying to accommodate and charm almost 150 people. I have never had a harder time than I had today and am amazed at how well I did. For those of you who know me well, you know I am in a constant state of what Norman likes to call "A Social Frenzy". I just can't help myself. And now I'm paying the price.

I'm afraid to nap since I figure I'll either sleep until tomorrow or sleep until it's too late for me to wake up and get back to bed at a decent time.

And poor Nugget is not a happy camper either I can just tell. She is giving mommy lots of extra boob pain and lower back pain for good measure.

I plan on taking it very easy tonight and am guaranteeing you right now that I'll be siting with my feet up for most of tomorrow.

20w4d

2008-02-25T11:36:00.004-05:00

And so it begins…

We knew buying preconstruction would mean no guarantees as to when our move in date would be. We gave our down payment on December 1, 2006 and were given an estimated move in date of December 2007 – February 2008. I called in mid-January and asked when they thought we’d be moving in and they said 60 days. A few days later, Norman and I went to view the models which were finally up and furnished. Well, 60 days is almost here and I am too embarrassed to keep calling and asking when they think we’ll be moving in so my cousin Karla called them for me last week.

[Karla was the Maid of Honor at my wedding. She, along with my cousin Allie, has always been nothing but the very best to me. They are throwing my baby shower. They are both my sisters and I am sooooo thankful to have them in my life and by my side always!!!!!]

Guess what they told her? 60 days. Mind you, it had already been about 45 days since they had told me 60 days. I just about had an attack. Norman and I thought we’d have to rent a place in the meantime because we are busting out of my parents house as it is. My parents are so great. Instead, they suggested we start cleaning out my brother’s old room in order to make extra space (OMG that room was a disaster of a storage area). The last thing I wanted to have to do was start renting somewhere to just have to move very soon thereafter so this is a small relief. I am really hoping that we are moved into our new home before the baby arrives in July but it is good to know that if we aren't, we have a clean empty space for all the baby's stuff. I mentioned to Norman that I don't want to assemble anything we get at the baby shower until after the baby is born, just in case we can move into our house in June or closer to the baby’s due date.

It’s frustrating but we’ll survive it. In the meantime hopefully we can save some money!

20w1d

2008-02-22T14:35:00.001-05:00

We had the fetal echocardiogram this morning and everything looks awesome. Nugget’s heart and all of her valves are in tip top shape.

The doctor gave me a report and told me to pack in it my hospital bag so that I can give it to the doctor on call. (If my OB isn’t on call I will be so disappointed). The doctor told me he didn’t expect for the baby to have any heart problems whatsoever and he doesn’t need to see me again.

We couldn’t have asked for better news.

Happy Friday

20w0d

2008-02-21T10:02:00.002-05:00

20 weeks today!

5 year wedding anniversary today!

I am officially halfway through my pregnancy, I cannot even believe it. On a day to day basis time really seems to drag, but looking back it’s amazing how time flies.

As you can all see I am getting bigger by the day. Yesterday I asked my mom how it is humanly possible for my stomach to get any bigger than what it already is. I have been slathering the cocoa butter on because I am really beginning to feel the pull.

I feel the baby so much more these days. She especially likes to kick at night. Last night in the middle of the night I could swear I felt her when I put my hand over my belly. I was this.close to waking Norman up but I was in a haze and poor Norm has been sick with a chronic ear infection so I didn’t want to bother him with a false alarm. He has yet to feel Nugget and I am desperate for the day when he can!

I have bad nausea at the end of the day. I remember reading that fatigue exacerbates nausea. Believe me when I tell you I am drained by 4PM. Plus I get thirstier than I’ve ever felt in my entire life at night for some odd reason. So there I am, chugging a ton of water very close to bedtime. Not good, but kinda funny since I also read somewhere that needing too pee a hundred times a night is just my body’s way of getting used to needing to get up two hundred times a night once the baby arrives.

I am also really plumping up. My face, arms and legs look so chubby to me. I look so much…softer. I’m taking it all in stride while trying to really watch what I eat. Yesterday I had a horrible craving for a Snickers Bar. I haven’t had any cravings during my pregnancy and decided to indulge myself. Mind you, six months ago I wouldn’t have been caught dead with a Snickers Bar. But there I was in Walgreens buying one. A king sized one no less. I ate it and it was good – but then I remembered why it is that I can’t eat chocolate while pregnant: I got the worst heartburn. To make things worse, I somehow ended up sleeping on my back for the majority of last night. When I got up to pee, I could hardly move the heartburn was so bad and my back was killing me.

Tomorrow we go in for the fetal echocardiogram. Since everything looked great during my Level 2, this is just extra precautionary. I am so excited to see the baby again. When I first heard that Tom Cruise bought Katie Holmes an ultrasound machine when she was pregnant with Suri I just about feel over. But to be completely honest, if I were given the chance to see Nugget every day I would take it in a heartbeat!

I will post tomorrow with results from the fetal echocardiogram.

19w0d

2008-02-14T22:02:00.005-05:00

19w0d Belly Pic!

Norman just took this with his iphone. I seriously cannot even imagine how much bigger my belly can get in 21 weeks.

Notice the baby clothes on my bed, Nugget's grandparents are spoiling her already!!

19w0d

2008-02-14T13:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was one of the most emotionally exhilarating days of my life.

Our morning started bright and early and as you can imagine my tummy was in knots of anticipation. All I could force down was some OJ and off we went to see my Perinatologist.

They took me in right away and I was disappointed that it was a different technician who was going to perform my Level 2. I really liked the girl who did my Level 1 and was immediately turned off by this new lady’s off-putting attitude – but such is life. I am really good at first impressions and was not disappointed in my assessment of her, she was a heffer. This is our first child. I am emotional. I need compassion from people who are going to be dealing with me, my husband and child directly. But she did talk us through everything she was doing, explaining to us everything we were seeing.

As soon as the wand was pressed on my belly we got a perfect view of the baby’s bum, which gave us confirmation that Nugget is indeed a SHE! My eyes immediately began watering and Norman got a huge smile on his face. His little girl. The moment was truly priceless. I tried for the remainder of the scan to keep it together and did manage to do so. Norman and I were alone to wait for the Doctor and that’s when I really let it out. I was bawling tears of happiness. It is a feeling I will never be able to put into words. It is this complete and total unconditional love I have for this child that I never knew I could experience. It is a raw, primal love I have for our daughter. My daughter. I am so overwhelmed that sometimes I just can’t breathe. I am already a completely different person. My life and perspectives have changed entirely. I am a mother.

The doctor came to see me and said everything looks fantastic. The baby’s heart looks great and so do all of her other organs. I have a fetal echocardiogram scheduled for next week Friday, and then she wants to see me back on March 12. She told me that after the March 12 appointment she would no longer need to see me unless there is a complication. I am so thrilled. Of course I love having the scans done but parting ways with my Periniatologist is a good thing.

She is so cheeky. Waving at us and showing us her 10 fingers and 10 toes. She is very active. She likes to cover her face with her legs and feet. So adorable. We got to hear her heartbeat again yesterday; it’s the best sound ever. It was pumping strong at 158BPM.

I was floating in another world all day long yesterday. I couldn’t focus on anything. I am so happy and blessed and truly thankful for our daughter.

18w6d

2008-02-13T12:45:00.002-05:00

IT'S A GIRL!!!

We just got back from our Level 2 Ultrasound and we found out that we are expecting a baby girl!

She is feisty like her mama, wouldn't stay still for very long for the radiologist to get good shots!

Everything looks great, she weighs 10 ounces and is 19 weeks and 1 day old, 2 days ahead of what the doctor's initially thought - which is great!

We got to see the 4 chambers of her heart, her kidneys, bladder, EVERYTHING!

I will be sure to post some new ultrasound pictures and more details about today soon.

18w0d

2008-02-07T09:40:00.000-05:00

I just got off the phone with my Perinatologist’s office and all of my blood work from my combined first and second trimester screen came back negative for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18 & Spina Bifida. This is great news! Norman and I had decided we would only have an amniocentesis done if the blood test results came back positive or abnormal. I knew everything would be fine but I just want to cry in relief. Pregnancy is like a rollercoaster and it’s so reassuring to know that everything is looking great so far.

17w4d

2008-02-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

No word yet on whether we are expecting a bambina or bambino. My OB didn’t do an ultrasound last Thursday and we were left in the dark. It is going to be an agonizing 10 days but we have so much to look forward to!

My last appointment went well; the Doctor checked my weight, blood pressure and urine as usual. He checked the baby’s heart beat (154 BPM) and prodded my belly a bit. I was put on antibiotics for a UTI but other than that he said he expected smooth sailing and that I was doing very well. I, of course, never stop worrying about anything and everything. I know that this is normal seeing as how I am a first time mommy but I am looking forward to the day the baby comes out safe and sound!

I have still been really nauseated but fighting through it. I get really bad at night and think maybe I am just so fatigued by that time that the nausea starts to rear its ugly head. I truly haven’t felt that so-called burst of energy women feel in their second trimesters. I am so tired all the time. Hopefully soon!

Emotionally I have been a bit steadier…though I did have an episode recently triggered by Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. I sat down in a bookstore to read it because I was browsing children’s books and ended up in tears for the next 10 minutes. Norman says it’s because The Giving Tree is a reflection of life and parents and children. I used to love that book as a child but all I know is that now it’s the saddest book I have ever read.

I bought a Boppy pregnancy wedge last week and it has been a life saver. I am sleeping so much better now at night and even use it while laying watching T V for support under my belly. My belly is so big now that it pulls down to one side when I lay on my sides (which is the only way I can lay these days) and causes back pain and lots of discomfort. The wedge levels me off and takes a ton of pressure off my back. I don’t know how I lasted so long without it.

I can’t believe I am almost halfway through my pregnancy. I begin my 5th month in 3 days. Norman and I are so in love with our child and in about 20 weeks we’ll have Nugget in the flesh. It’s truly an amazing feeling and I am thankful every single day of my life.

More updates soon!

16w6d

2008-01-30T09:45:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow we have our next OB appointment. I am hoping to have an ultrasound done and maybe the Doctor can tell us Nugget’s sex. Right after that we are heading over to my Perinatologist’s office in order for them to draw some blood for part 2 of my prenatal screening. If I don’t have an ultrasound done tomorrow, we’ll have to wait until February 13 in order to find out. The anticipation is killing me!

I have flirted with the idea of getting back on the nausea medication but I’ve managed to somehow persevere through this morning, noon and night sickness. I feel a lot like I did when I first got pregnant; nothing too severe but a constant, nagging, low grade nausea at all times. But last night it got so bad I thought I would throw up…of course I didn’t. Most people would be thrilled to not have to throw up but in my case all I want is some relief!

I have been drinking a ton of water. I am so thirsty all the time. I try to stop by about 8PM otherwise I am in the bathroom all night. If I do wake up to go to the bathroom I usually need more water to get back to bed. I have thankfully been doing much better getting back to bed after waking up to pee.

Nugget’s kicks are getting stronger and I suspect that Norman will be able to feel them soon. Nugget likes to hang out on my left side, that’s always where I’ve been able to feel him/her. Now that Nugget is getting bigger it’s getting a bit uncomfortable at times, I guess depending on the position he/she is in. If you open your hand and stretch out your fingers you can see how big Nugget is now. About 5-7 inches long already (growth will continue at about an inch a week), Nugget weighs about 3-5 ounces.

15w6d

2008-01-23T12:17:00.001-05:00

I felt Nugget move for the first time Monday night!!!! I was lying on my left side in bed trying to get to sleep at about 10:30PM and it happened! I suddenly felt what I can only describe as large gas bubbles, the likes of which I’ve never felt before…but then I realized there was a rhythm to them and that it was the baby!!! The movement suddenly stopped and about 10 seconds later I felt intense butterflies and a tumbling in my belly. I felt as though I was on a roller coaster, it was intense! My reaction was to laugh because I couldn’t believe it. I felt Nugget again last night too. I thought the only time I could feel quickening was when I was lying in bed quietly, but I felt he baby at work this morning!

In other news, I am officially off my nausea medication. My last day was Saturday, January 19. I am really happy about this even though I am still feeling nauseated. Now my only problem is that the medication was also a sleep aid and now I can’t sleep to save my life. I toss and turn trying to get to bed and god forbid I wake up in the middle of the night to pee (which I do like 5 times a night) because I can’t get back to sleep. Early Tuesday morning I woke up at 3AM to potty and didn’t get back to sleep until well after 5AM. My tummy was grumbling and I was just trying to ignore it but finally got up and drank some OJ. I was able to go back to sleep after that so I am assuming the baby needed food? I can imagine what an infant feels like not being able to sleep without feeding.

The same thing happened to me last night; I woke up to use the bathroom and couldn’t get back to sleep. I finally got up and drank some more OJ and was able to fall asleep relatively quickly. I bought some light n’ fit smoothies and will have a sip or two of those when it happens again.

I am having dull headaches all day long as well as serious itchiness and pain in my boobies. I read that now is when my milk glands are starting production and that is what causes tenderness but OMG just like in my 2WW I can hardly lay on them…not that it matters because poor Nugget doesn’t like when I lay on my belly anyways.

15w5d

2008-01-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

Here Here are some highly requested belly shots :)

11w0d

14w4d

I am getting bigger by the day! My tummy and my BBs are getting huge and I am itchy all over due to the stretching.

I felt the baby move yesterday night (!!!!!) and will give a proper update tomorrow.

14w4d

2008-01-14T21:07:00.000-05:00

I just took some belly pics and can't believe how big I've gotten. My skin is getting itchy from the stretching already, especially my poor BBs.

I still have nausea, otherwise not much to report. I spend all day Sunday sleeping, I joked with Norman that I cooked the Nugget really well yesterday :)

I will leave you with some pictures of when my brother came to visit with my SIL for his birthday this past January 4th:

14w1d

2008-01-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

So today is when I start my second trimester. The second trimester proceeds from 14 to 28 weeks and the third trimester extends from 28 to 40 weeks.

I have been doing well overall (save for the heartburn, nausea and frequent urination). My main complaint is the weird abdominal pokes, pinches and tugs I feel in my belly, especially on my left side. It got so annoying yesterday that I called my OB. I spoke to the nurse and she told me that what I have is RLP. She says it can be really, really painful.

Yesterday before I called the Doctor I was concerned about the pain and told Norman I wanted to go to the hospital. He told me I was fine and to be honest in my heart I knew I was fine but I am just so worried that something will go wrong. I can’t help it. I want an ultrasound as often as possible to know everything is OK.

My SIL told me that she won’t be able to stop worrying until the baby reaches a point where it can be taken out if God forbid something does go wrong. I totally agree with her and understand where she’s coming from.

I already worry over my baby and Nugget hasn’t even been born yet. I can’t even imagine how it will be like once Nugget is actually here.

Norman and I are going to do a 3D/4D ultrasound. We are considering opting for a package that will document the baby at 16 weeks, 24 weeks and 32 weeks. It’s a bit pricey but sounds great.

TGIF

13w5d

2008-01-08T15:22:00.001-05:00

OK seriously now. Every time I pee and think I’ve emptied my bladder I have to pee again like 3 minutes later. Supposedly I am not emptying my bladder completely to begin with. This is so annoying, especially since I am peeing 10 times a day.

In other news, I took a fun little gender predictor quiz. Here are the results:

Congratulations!
You have a 80% chance of having a girl.
And you have a 20% chance of having a boy.
And Here's Why...
You are carrying the extra weight around the hips and bottom, so it's a girl.
The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your preganacy, so it's a girl.
Boys are carried low. You are going to have a boy.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy, so you are expecting a girl.
You are not looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a girl, because girls steal their mother's looks.
Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy.
A needle on a thread held over you belly moves from side-to-side, so it will be a girl.
Your urine is a dull yellow color, so you will have a girl.
You are craving sweets, which means that it is a girl.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.
Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.
You must have orange juice every day, so it's a girl.
You are having headaches, so it's a boy.
Your belly looks like a watermelon, so it's a girl.
You show them the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.
You use the body of the mug, so it's a girl.

We shall see soon enough! February 13th seems like light years away right about now.

13w4d

2008-01-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

We went to our OB appointment last Thursday and my Doctor used the Doppler on me. We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time and it was amazing. The heart rate was 158 beats per minute.

Our little Nugget!!!!

I am dying to know whether Nuggie is a boy or girl. I want to buy a baby names book this week. We have a few names in mind. Mind you they are NONE of the ones we originally thought of, we change our mind every day.

People at work are really starting to notice. Coworkers who didn’t know before are now asking me if I’m pregnant. It’s getting obvious! A few mornings ago I woke up with a full bladder and was actually able to feel the baby on my left side. I think that’s where Nugget likes to hang out because I always have some sensation there.

I should start feeling the baby moving within a few weeks. Exciting!

12w6d

2008-01-02T19:07:00.000-05:00

Without any further ado, I present you Nugget at 12 weeks and 6 days old:

Our sweet adorable baby!

Norman and I arrived at the perinatologist's office first thing this morning. I wasn't anxious at all about the NT scan, only excited to get to see Nugget again. The baby's big enough so that transvaginal ultrasounds aren't necessary anymore (yay), so they placed the gooey goop on my belly and used the abdominal ultrasound probe - Nugget appeared right away, looking as cute as can be all cozy in my uterus. I was amazed at how big and hyper the baby was. Heartrate was 158 beats per minute. SO ADORABLE, all wriggly and squirmy and giddy. Super active, somersaults and all. I'm talking non-stop headbanging, hand waving and leg kicking! In fact, the tech was having a had time getting the measurements from the back of the baby's neck because the baby wouldn't stay still, and then when the baby would stay still she couldn't get the angle she needed. We were there for about 25 minutes while she begged and coaxed my Nugget. Even though I was being poked and prodded I enjoyed every minute of it.

Finally Nugget caved and rested peacefully the way the tech needed in order to get the measurements. She told us that the measurements were perfectly in range. Afterwards, the doctor spoke to us and we discussed the second part of the diagnostic testing which was the blood work. They drew blood and I need to go back in in 4 weeks to draw some more.

In 6 weeks I go in for the Level 2 ultrasound when they'll (hopefully) tell us Nugget's gender, perform the fetal echocardiogram, check all the major organs, etc., etc.

I am looking forward to February 13 when we'll get to see Nugget again!

12w5d

2008-01-01T21:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

The only resolution I have this year is to be the best mommy I can be. This is going to be an amazing year for me and I am excited to see what I have in store.

I wish you all the very best this new year and always!

So I spent the entire day with intermittent, very mild, period-like cramping. Since it wasn't painful I didn't call the doctor (plus I'm seeing the perinatologist tomorrow and I'll be sure to mention it), but I did do some research: Round Ligament Pain.

I knew about this pain and have already experienced it, but it was more like an intense muscle pulling feeling in my lower abdomen. I was comforted to know that RLP can manifest itself as mild cramping. Before pregnancy, a woman's uterus is about the size of a lemon; at the beginning of the second trimester it's the size of a cantaloupe. Essentially, the uterus has a lot of growing to do and it is supported by 2 thin ligaments that stretch to accommodate the baby. That only means one thing: PAIN.

Morning sickness and breast tenderness are both still bad to the point where I wonder if I'll need my medication for the duration of my pregnancy. I am holding out hope.

I have also been having bad heartburn again. Heartburn was the first indication I had that I may be pregnant and I really haven't had it since my 2WW and a few weeks after that. But I guess it's back for now because I have had to take Tums and they are getting nasty, ewwww.

On that note, poor Norman is having sympathy pains but is in complete and total denial over it and will dent it every time I say it but I swear to you... he has acid reflux. He has never had acid reflux. We actually both reach for the giant Tums bottle at the same time. It's a race for the cherry flavored ones. I think it's cute lol

I should have new pictures of Nugget tomorrow. I can't wait to see him/her!

12w0d

2007-12-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

12 weeks today!

I had a wretched night last night and was positive I would throw up. I spent the majority of the evening whining about how nugget would be an only child and hugging the toilet bowl. Just a lot of saliva and dry heaving but no vomiting after all. I took my medication a little too late because it took forever to start working for me. I think I will ride out the last week of this first trimester on the medication and see how I feel come week 13. My next OB appointment is on January 3rd so I’ll have to talk to him about it then.

I am at work today even though my offices are closed. I just have so much work to do that I decided to come in and get it done. I could have worked from home but sometimes you just need to be in the office, you know?

In other news, I got a new pair of retainers yesterday and my teeth are killing me. Probably not the best idea seeing as how I am generally not feeling well and the sensation that my teeth are going to fall out of my head because of the pain is not a fun one. But I needed to start wearing them – the sooner the better.

I’ll check in soon, definitely before my next appointment with the perinatologist on January 2.

Jackie, we are hoping to close on our new house in late February *fingers crossed*

11w5d

2007-12-25T20:07:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!!!

I feel like a spoiled little girl this year. I got so many wonderful presents!
Norman gave me a Journey Diamond Necklace, an amazing Marc Jacobs wallet I have been eye balling for a few weeks now and the most adorable book on cupcake baking.

My parents had been up visiting my brother since he wasn't able to come down this year We stayed back partly because Norman had to work and partly because I have been so sick. We exchanged gifts this morning and got a ton more awesome gifts! I spent the majority of the day baking cupcakes and brownies, yuuuuum.

Here are some Christmas pictures for your viewing pleasure. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

11w2d

2007-12-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture from last night:

I am rocking a new maternity top my mom bought me for Christmas but decided to give to me early so that I would have something Christmas-y to wear.

We had a great time! We didn't leave until almost 11:30PM and I was tired but it was a blast. I laughed and talked so much my voice was hoarse when we left.

Heath, I promise to post belly pics soon....ooooh and you'd be so jealous because I had ham cachitos for breakfast this morning!!!! I wish I could ship you some :)

Have a great weekend!

11w1d

2007-12-21T11:11:00.001-05:00

Every time I say I am feeling better I jinx myself so I’m not doing it anymore. I ended up having to take my medication Tuesday night only so far this week which is really great, but Tuesday night I was completely non-functional and now this morning I am feeling very ill. Ill, weepy and exhausted.

I woke up at 2AM last night to use the bathroom and was unable to get back to sleep until 5AM. I was tossing and turning as much as my little baby belly would allow. I decided I was thirsty so I got up and drank a lot of water, went back to bed, tossed and turned some more, got up to eat something, watched a Wolfgang Puck cooking show on Food Network, went back to bed, went to the bathroom then finally fell back asleep only to be awoken at 7AM.

I have my Holiday Party tonight at Samba Room on Las Olas Boulevard. I am hoping to get some sleep before then because when I am well rested I start getting sleepy close to 8PM and the party starts at 7:30PM.

Here’s how I feel – you know when you’ve been crying really hard for longer than 5 minutes? You know that exhaustion? That stuttered breath when you breathe in? That’s how I feel except I haven’t been crying. At least not a lot or for very long. I did cry twice in 2 hours yesterday, once was when I heard Frosty the Snowman playing on the radio lol Norman was trying to cheer me up by singing along to the song and I burst into tears because I was reminded of my childhood and how wonderful it was and then I started thinking about how the man who was singing sounded old and it was an old song and how he was probably dead now. I feel so hormonal. I’ve never felt this way before and it is weird.

I read somewhere that mood swings should ease by the second trimester but never really go away. I’ll take that.

10w5d

2007-12-18T12:16:00.001-05:00

I was feeling so good last night that I decided to skip the Unisom all together…and guess what? I feel fine! Yay! Could it be I have kissed my morning sickness goodbye??? I hope so! My breasts are still very sore but I can live with that!

This morning I had quite an experience. (warning TMI) I normally have no issues moving my bowels. Even while pregnant I have never been constipated and have stayed very regular. I go once a day, sometimes even more. I think I can attribute this to my awesome prenatal vitamin that contains a stool softener. So anyhow, this morning I was unable to go at home which sucks because I knew I’d end up having to go at work. Sure enough that’s exactly what happened. Well, to make a long story short, I had a lot of blood when I wiped and in my stool. I freaked out. I am already so stressed out at work trying to wrap up the year by this Friday that the last thing I needed to see was blood. I was in complete hysterics when I called the doctor. This is no exaggeration: I was sure I had cancer. My doctor’s wife works with him in the office and is the kindest lady. She is the person who will sometimes answer the phone. She was so very patient with me and reassuring. After establishing that the blood was coming from the back region, she assured me that even though I felt no pain back there that it was most likely a hemorrhoid and that this is very common in pregnancy and that the doctor would get back to me and prescribe something for it.

No sooner than we hung up the phone did my butt catch fire. I have been super uncomfortable ever since. I have been going back to the bathroom frequently and checking for blood but there has been no more. Thankfully.

It’s just another day in the life, I suppose. Corny as it may sound, it is all very worth it in the end.

10w4d

2007-12-17T15:52:00.001-05:00

I must be having a girl. I have never craved sweets the way I am craving them now. In fact, I have never had much of a sweet tooth. Norman and I went to Dadeland Mall for lunch today because we were in the area. I ate Johnny Rockets and had to exercise serious self control to not order an extra large chocolate milk shake. I am getting tons of Christmas gifts consisting of Godiva chocolates and all types of sweet goodies. Evil. I think I am going to give them out here at work.

Speaking of having a girl, my dad is so sure I’m carrying a bambina that he has already bought me adorable girlie onesies and other girlie clothes. So sweet.

In other news, I think my morning sickness is subsiding (fingers crossed). I haven’t felt nauseous today or yesterday. I have been having bad acid reflux but no nausea. I am trying not to get too excited because I had 2 nausea-fee days right before week 9, but I am hoping that this is it. I have read that HCG levels peak at 10 weeks so this is the time when most women begin to feel some relief. We shall see. In the meantime, I am afraid to stop taking the Unisom/B6 just yet. Though I have been able to lessen the B6 dosage and am only taking 50mg at night. I think I will wait until Thursday. If I feel this good on Thursday I will quit the Unisom.

16 days until our next ultrasound. We will be seeing the perinatologist on January 2 and having the nuchal translucency screening test (NT) done. It feels as though the days are dragging by. I guess it’s because of the 4 weeks in between ultrasounds! I wish I could see the Nugget every day.

10w0d

2007-12-13T13:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday night was Norman’s holiday party at Novecento on South Beach. I was in an awful mood all day. Add to that the complete exhaustion and fatigue I have been feeling and you get a really cranky, edgy pregnant lady. Poor Norman.

We had a very nice time despite the fact that I thought I would pass out from exhaustion by the time nine o’clock rolled around. I ate well but got full so quickly I was hardly able to enjoy my main course, much less my dessert. This is most likely due to the fact that I stuffed my face with bread rolls and ate most of Norman’s steak quesadilla appetizer. Being pregnant is fun; people offer me the bread basket first lol. We ended up leaving at 10:15PM and I was ready to drop.

I slept awfully despite the Unisom. I was just so full. Ever since I got pregnant, my digestion has slowed to a snail’s pace. And the heartburn? OMG forget it. You don’t even want to know. I thought I was having a heart attack the first time it happened. What can I say? I was a heartburn virgin!

I plan on finishing up my Christmas shopping tomorrow. I need to sit down tonight and make a list. I already have Norman, my brother and his girlfriend Emina (who is pregnant, too!) covered. That leaves me with about a million other people including my parents. I just have to say, Norman is going to love his gift.

I’m ten weeks today!

9w6d

2007-12-12T16:55:00.000-05:00

2WW Symptoms

I was so positive I was pregnant practically the minute it happened. I just felt different. I know it must sound insane to some but to be honest I have always been very in tune with my body and have always been able to feel slight changes. Maybe that's also why I've always tended to be a hypochondriac of sorts.

Since I knew right away I was tortured because I couldn't test until at least 5 days before my period was due to arrive - and even then, sometimes results don't appear until after you period is scheduled to start.

So I surfed the web for anything I could find on what is infamously known as the two week wait. For you amateurs out there, the 2WW refers to two weeks between the the day you ovulate and the day your period may (or may not) arrive.

I found tons of sites where women posted their symptoms daily while anxiously awaiting their results. All I can say is that I know that we are extremely lucky to have gotten pregnant with Nugget as quickly as we did because some couples try for months, even years before they get their BFP. My 2WW was agonizing enough as it is. 336 hours is a long time to wait for results.

Here are my 2WW symptoms. I got my BFP at 11dpo, immediately after we began TTC.

Ovulation CD 15
Usual intense mittelschmerz
1dpo: Cramping in lower abdomen
2dpo: Very emotional and weepy, DH & I BD’d, cramping in abdomen and on left ovary
3dpo: Took HPT #1 (silly I know, but I "just knew") and obviously got a BFN, cramping and tightening in lower abdomen as though I had done 1,000 sit-ups, gassy, very hungry, napped in the late afternoon after work, woke up and my abdomen felt really, really, really full
4dpo: AF type intense cramps, gassy, napped in the afternoon after work, hungry in the mornings and nauseous in the evenings; I have that feeling in the back of my throat that I may toss my cookies at any moment, took Pepto for heartburn and nausea, frequent urination, BBs painful on the sides and nipples painful to the touch, BBs are veiny especially on my right breast around the areola leading to my nipple (DH says they are always like that but I disagree), BBs feel fuller but they are big already so I’m not sure!
5dpo: AF cramping in the AM and randomly throughout the day until the evening when they miraculously lessoned…they were so bad this morning that I thought AF was making an early visit, strong feelings of fatigue, mild dizziness and disorientation while shopping, nauseous but eating, craving sugary foods, BBs and nipples not as tender, more pronounced veins on BBs, veins on upper arms but less obvious, tried to nap in the early afternoon but couldn’t, some shooting pains in lower to mid back, FAMISHED in the evening
6dpo: I woke up at 1:30AM with the worst heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach and nausea I have ever had in my entire life, took 8 tablespoons of Pepto and tried to go back to bed but couldn’t, finally got to sleep and experienced mild cramping above my belly button (which could have been the heartburn, who knows?), woke up and took HPT #2 and got a BFN, famished and ate, more AWFUL heartburn, took 2 small glasses of soy milk instead or Pepto and it has helped a lot…now I am afraid to eat, feeling wet like AF has come early but sure enough no AF, cramping has calmed down a little but the cramps are still there, napped in the afternoon and awoke to sharp cramp like pains on left side, weepy, more mild heartburn, gassy, BBs still sore, less cramping in the evening, creamy CM
7dpo: I woke up at 2AM with bad heartburn but didn’t take anything for it instead I propped myself up on pillows and elevated my legs, experienced intense AF type cramps in my lower abdomen and back and was sure she had arrived this time…again…but nope, stayed up until about 4AM, mild heartburn throughout the day, indigestion, EWCM, dull low grade nausea almost all morning and afternoon, BBs hurt when I walk, I am noticing pronounced veins in my BBs, shoulders, arms & thighs but DH disagrees, I can also swear that my areola are darker and my right one is larger, I can’t lay on my BBs
8dpo: Symptom free all morning…almost like they disappeared overnight…doubting that I am PG…Heartburn less but noticeable, very mild AF cramping, extremely sore BBs and EXTREMELY painfully sore nipples poor DH can’t even touch them, broken blood vessel on my left BB, DH noticed enlarged vein in left BB and noticed darker areola and enlarger right areola, dull low grade nausea, felt fatigued, lightheaded, dizzy and shaky legged at the mall, a lot of EWCM, depressed and weepy, gassy,
9dpo: Woke up and took 2 HPT, FRER & CBED (test #3 & #4) and got 2 BFN - I will not be testing again until next Saturday, tingling in nipples first thing in the morning, bad AF cramping, very very minor heartburn, extremely sore BBs and nipples (hurts when I walk)
10dpo: Woke up at 2AM (I am noticing that I am always up between 1:30 and 2AM these days) sweaty and HOT with intense AF cramps, poking pain in my left side and tingling nipples, BBs are unbearable if I am not wearing a bra...a towel against my nipples hurts so badly, BBs look black and blue almost bruised from the pronounced veins, pain in lower back, constant nausea and cramping - I know I say it a million times but I swear AF is coming :(, bad nausea especially after I eat, pronounced stretch marks on my breasts, tummy and back, mild heartburn, BD'd and got bad cramping after orgasming in lower left abdomen and BBs are on fire they are the most agonizingly painful they have ever been I had to put a sports bra on because I wanted to cry every time my nipples touched my tank top, my nipples feel like they are on fire I am so uncomfortable, so incredibly fatigued, I feel really hot...not sweaty, but like I am running a fever, did I mention VERY SORE BBs?
11dpo: Woke up last night at around 1AM and I was drenched in sweat, my comforter was drenched in sweat, I had AF cramping, very sore BBs, and craving OJ. I couldn't go back to bed for hours and was constantly urinating, had vivid dreams of P-ingOAS and getting positives, also had vivid nightmares, woke up, caved and took HTP #5 with FRER and got a BFP!!!!!! It immediately turned positive albeit faint and got much darker as the minutes passed!!!!!!!!!!! Felt nauseous and crampy all the way to work and had slight heartburn after breakfast. Nauseous all day and more cramping, napped when I got home but was woken up (I'm sure I would have slept for hours), woke up and felt very flushed, hot pink cheeks, more cramping after orgasm, more cramping, hungry. Took HPT #6 with FRER last night before bed and got another BFP. No disappearing lines, BTW. They stayed nice and prominent :D
12dpo: Woke up at 4AM and took HPT #7 with FRER and HPT #8 with CBED. Got BFP on both with FRER's reading a significantly stronger BFP thank yesterday and CBED reading: PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!! Couldn't go back to bed and stayed up until it was time t o get ready for work, cramping especially on the left side, sore BBs - so sore that I've been having to sleep with my bra on, BBs are soooo heavy that I can't even walk without a bra on, constant low-grade nausea, mild heartburn after almost anything I eat, dizzy when I stand up after lying down, shooting pain in my right leg at bedtime, cloudy urine. Again, no disappearing lines. All my tests read the same way from when I took them and my CBED still reads PREGNANT. I constantly look at them for reassurance. I can't believe it! We are so excited!
13dpo: I woke up with more cloudy urine, cramping and sore heavy BBs, I think I have sciatica pains in my upper left leg and extreme lower back pain, feeling good otherwise.
14dpo: Bad crampy AF cramps and tender BBs, a lot of CM, some nausea, very hungry and tired and feeling warm
15dpo: More bad crampy AF cramps, sore BBs, a lot of CM, some nausea, very hungry and tired - napping almost every day now, feeling warm
16dpo: Woke up at 4AM with heartburn and awful AF cramps, BBs are so sore it feels like they were used as bags, have been urinating every 2 hours since 4AM

For the record, I didn't stop getting bad crampy feelings until I was almost 8 weeks along. Now I am getting round ligament pain, mostly on my left side. Tomorrow I am 10 weeks exactly and I feel fatigued, nauseated, and my breasts are sore as all hell (I am never without a bra). I am urinating like crazy, sometimes 5 times a night. Also, before getting pregnant I used to get chronic headaches but that has subsided. I do get the occasional headache but nothing like before...which is surprising since I quit caffeine and Excedrin cold turkey and never looked back. I also stopped eating anything with artificial sweeteners in it and I am really beginning to think that was the reason for all the headaches in the first place.

I'm off to get ready for Norman's holiday party.

Our Little Nugget

2007-12-11T10:37:00.001-05:00

Here is our Nugget at 9w0d

9w5d

2007-12-11T09:48:00.000-05:00

Last night I felt horrendous. When I got home from work all I wanted to do was go straight to bed. My mom was dying to go to Ross because she had gone during lunch and found some really cute maternity clothes at decent prices and insisted on taking me there. So since I’m always up for shopping being the fashionista that I am, my mom, my dad and I headed over and got busy. No sooner than I parked it in the car I started feeling like I may need a large brown paper bag.

Believe me when I tell you that nausea without vomiting is one of the most horrible experiences ever. I almost feel as though if I could only throw up then maybe, just maybe, I’d feel some relief. I have vomited once in the 9w5d I’ve been pregnant and it wasn’t even food so I doubt you could technically even call it vomiting - it was stomach acid and it made me feel even worse than before.

Another ailment that has suddenly materialized is motion sickness. The minute I get into a car I feel awful. Riding in the back seat aggravates it. Driving doesn’t help much either even though it’s suggested in order to minimize it. I bought those motion sickness relievers called Sea Bands at CVS and ooohhhh the irony of those black bands around my wrists as I hug the toilet bowl. I wear them in desperation when I think I have no choice but to try anything, anything for some salvation.

So back to Ross…I looked as pale as a ghost once we finally got there. My dad gave me a mint and some gum and that really helped. I was able to shop for tops and found 4 or 5 really cute ones, success!

Tomorrow is Norman’s holiday party and I worry that I’ll feel awful because the Unisom/B6 starts to wear off in the late afternoon and once I take the medicine I am passed out within the hour. I am hoping the nausea pattern holds true; I usually have a few really bad days then some decent ones. So far today I have been feeling much better than yesterday which is great. The days I feel good I don’t need to eat nearly as much. Having to eat every minute of the day to get some relief is so annoying, not to mention fattening!

9w4d

2007-12-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

I still need to scan the ultrasound of our precious Nugget; I keep forgetting to ask Norman to do it.

I have been doing well, albeit very, very nauseous. I am taking my Unisom & B6 every night and am looking forward to the day when I can stop. I don’t dare stop yet because even though I still occasionally feel awful I am feeling much better than when I wasn’t on the medication. The only thing that helps a little is eating. Crazy, isn’t it? I have heard that some women can lose up to 10 lbs in their first trimester. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that that hasn’t been the case for me.

I outgrew my pants weeks ago. Thankfully my tops still fit but I have to tell you, they’re getting snug around the bust area. My bras are beginning to leave marks so I think I will need to bra shop soon. I already bought a handful of pants and tops which I am hoping will get me through the next few months.

My cramps have all but disappeared. I occasionally get a random poking and pinching feeling in my abdomen but nothing painful or uncomfortable. I am an emotional rollercoaster most of the time; the silliest things can reduce me to a mess of tears…and baby commercials, forget it!

My next post will be the ultrasound photo. I’ll also post my 2ww symptoms which I took great pains to document accurately because I was positive I was pregnant right after conception even though Norman thought I was crazy :)

We're Pregnant!

2007-12-07T12:10:00.001-05:00

We started trying to conceive in mid October 2007. We got our BFP on October 30th, so as you can imagine we are so lucky and happy and blessed.

I didn’t want to start this blog until after our appointment on December 6th. On December 6th we had our very first ultrasound done and we got to see our baby for the first time, we even got to see the heart beat! He/she measured 9 weeks based on the crown to rump measurements. It was the most amazing experience. There are really no words that can describe what I felt. Norman put it best when he said there are three of us now.

I have many pictures to post and will do so soon, I just wanted to get this blog started!!!