Update -- 7 Weeks to Go!!

Hello, disregarded blog. I am here, once again.

My status for the day: Life is good. I have a man who loves me, a fun and loving daughter, a baby on the way, great friends and family, a good dog, a great job, a decent house and car, and pickled cauliflower in the fridge.

Physical update (Don't read if you don't want to know!!):

I have gained 43 lbs. to date. Not bad, considering that 3/4 of that was put on in the first 4 months . . . ! I am catching up to it. Or something.

I haven't measured my girth - let me do that right now. . . . ummmm . . . . 47 1/2 inches. I started at 30.

My hands, legs, and feet are swollen.

I have to pee every 30-45 minutes . . .

I get winded walking from my desk to the bathroom.

My hair is unmanageable.

My skin is crying out for less hormones.

It's hard to even roll over in bed.

I suffer from acid reflux.

My teeth hurt. So do my gums.

My boobs are finally getting bigger! But my belly trumps them still.

My belly button went from 2nd knuckle deep to half a fingernail shallow.

I can't reach my toes or get up easily from the floor (or the couch for that matter).
I get really hot when I am trying to sleep.

Cravings: carbonated mineral water, ice cream, strong flavors (pickle, spicy food, olives, mustard, citrus, etc.).

Emotional Update:

I still worry I will damage Peanut by resting something on my stomach, or bending too much, or sleeping on the "wrong" side, or eating the "wrong" food, or missing my vitamin, or whatever else my pea brain can come up with.

I am giggly over a Laffy Taffy joke one minute, and crying over a Hallmark ad the next.

I no longer have a filter when I speak.

I no longer have patience for stupidity.

Although I was never super careless with myself, I miss not having to worry so much about what I do to myself.

I am nervous about the baby room being done in time, even though she won't even use it right away. I am also nervous that we won't have the furniture in time.

I am starting to get the nesting instinct, which allows for me to overbuy, overcook, and overprepare.

I keep thinking that there really aren't 7 weeks to go, that she'll show up early, and that makes me worry more (see 2 lines above).

I get frustrated easier than ever before.

There is already an anticipation around doing everything perfectly (which I know is not an attainable goal).

Baby Update:

She is still breech.

I am feeling her kick a lot more than before, but I think it's because there is less fluid and more baby.

Natalie talked to her on the phone last night. :)

She likes to kick the dog.

She reacts to music and spicy food.

She is about 4 - 4 1/2 lbs. now.

Other:

My symptoms categorize me about 2 weeks farther along than the doctor estimated.

I got a promotion at work! With a raise! Just in time for babysitting fees. :)

We are starting to interview potential temps for me at work. First one is tomorrow. The goal is to start them next week, which will be nice, because I will have some help for at least a few weeks.

We bought an Envoy from a friend. He took very good care of it, and gave us a very good deal on it. It makes me feel safer and much more comfortable.

The latest check-up showed protein in my urine, a second sign of preeclampsia (the first being my swollen extremities). I was chided for not drinking enough fluid. Otherwise, everything looked good. Now I visit every two weeks, and the next visit may include a physical "look-see" to make sure I'm not dilated yet.

I continue to have strange dreams. Lately, there have been a lot that suggest she is a he.

People are finally speaking up about my pregnancy. When I say people, I mean strangers. When I say speaking up, I mean they are asking when I'm due, or if it's a girl or boy, or giving me a congratulations. I'm sure it was noticeable before, but now it must be so noticeable that they aren't afraid to make a remark.

A baby shower was held for Lorelai at work Friday. I will post some photos. It was spectacular.

My last shower will hopefully happen on May 22nd. I hate waiting until the last moment to plan, but that's how this one is ending up. I am trying not to stress over it, but I can't help myself. My blood pressure is actually really low, considering the frenzies into which I work myself.

A Baby Shower and a Flub

Okay, so I don't have a new photo to post . . . I'm so bad!

But, I've been quite busy. Last week was full of time spent in the hospital, getting poked for blood here and there . . . for them to tell me I have gestational diabetes. HOWEVER, when I called the doctor's office Monday, they said my sugar levels were within acceptable ranges.

Hooray for sugar once again! I missed out on a lot of good-looking cake over the weekend, but I'm sure I've made up for it over the last couple of days.

Cake? Why cake? Well, in addition to my baby shower back home that my wonderful Stepmom and Aunt provided for me, I was present at my friend's wedding shower. She had a great tea party and great food (and tea) was consumed. The cake looked splendid -- I think it was lime-infused with lemony frosting and raspberry glaze . . . I'm hung up on this, can you tell?

My shower was wonderful. Again, no cake for me (strawberry this time), but I had great family and friends all around. And the gifts abounded. My grandmother (GiGi to Peanut) made a baby bonnet that will turn into a handkerchief for Peanut's wedding day (OMG I can't believe she's not even here yet and we talk of some man someday wanting to take her away from me!). Aunt Bev (Francie's side) quilted a blanket and crocheted a blanket. They are beautiful.

We also received some great stuff from the registry (car seat, crib, umbrella stroller, bathtub, etc.) and some great stuff I never thought of (gas relief medication for baby, hygiene items, potty training stuff and things, photo frames, some clothes for me, and so on and so on). The coolest thing was that we asked for books rather than cards. That way, the books were signed for Peanut, and the cost of a card is about the cost of a baby book, so it's a win-win situation. Peanut has at least 12 new books . . . I'm thinking about reading them to her now.

In addition to all of this, we received a TON of baby clothes. This child will never be able to use "lack of clothing" as an excuse for being nude (I know when I was little, I loved being nude, just because. So, she'll have to use the same excuse: just because.).

There are two best parts to the day, though, not heretofore mentioned: 1) Great Aunt Cheryl and Grandma Francie are spectacular people; and 2) My friends and family were there with me to celebrate Peanut. Aunt Cheryl and Francie fretted over this one day, wanting to make it perfect and memorable. They succeeded. Peanut is going to be welcomed into a very loving family and I am grateful that we can give her that. I am grateful for everyone who helped!! And my friends! They gave up an afternoon to be there with me, and I loved that I had a chance to talk with them all and catch up.

Now that we have the bedding (thanks to Aunt Beth and Aunt Christy!), we will be purchasing the paint and any other necessary materials to convert the empty bedroom into Lorelai's room. Because the original theme I picked out was discontinued, we went with a different Classic Pooh bedding. The colors will end up being easier to match, and I am so excited to get started. The walls will be a tan color (like Pooh), and there will be a rainbow of red, yellow, and blue up one side, on the ceiling, and down the other side. I am still considering having someone paint a mural for us, but at this point, it will be quite simple

Week 27! 91 Days to Go!

First, I will post week 26's photo by Monday . . . I've been slacking.

After a couple of weeks of pure pain (only in the ankles and back . . .), I took the glucose tolerance test that all pregnant women endure around week 24-26. I flunked it. (And I fainted -- I warned them to be gentle, but they didn't listen!!) I should hear back from the doctor today regarding my situation, but his nurse told me 2 nights ago that I can't have pop or ice cream or cake.

I am miserable.

I am miserable not only because I crave that stuff (not the pop so much, but all the rest seems yummy at all times of the day), but because since I've cut it out, I've felt light-headed and kinda sicky. Maybe I need that stuff!!

Otherwise, things are good. Peanut is still breeched, but from what I hear, that means less back pain. And I still have 13 weeks to go, so there's plenty of time for her to roll around.

And, I'm in my third trimester already!! It feels so good to say that, because now if anything should happen, we have an excellent chance of her being totally okay.

My ankles are literally twice their size, and have bruised a little, but I am cutting down on salt and upping the water intake. The diabetes probably has something to do with it too, so it's good to know that it will be taken care of shortly.

The new boss is female, and from what I had heard about her previous to me working for her, I thought she was going to be a bear to handle, especially through the pregnancy. Fortunately, the opposite has been true. She's had 3 children herself, so she understands what I'm going through, and has been very understanding about the time I have to take off for this and for that.

My first baby shower is this weekend, back home. I am soooo excited! Unfortunately, less than half of my friends are able to make it, but I think a large part of the family will be there. I keep having dreams that I go into labor on the way to Michigan. Yikes.

That's about it for now. . . I can't wait for her to get here!

Week 25 Starts Today!!

To start, here is a photo of week 24:

And to refresh your memories, here is week 22:

At the doctor's yesterday, I finally discovered that what I thought was possibly just a muscle spasm is actually Peanut kicking my bladder. I was able to watch her kick and feel it at the same time. She is breeched right now, but Doc said there is nothing to worry about -- we still have a lot of time for her to flip. I think she likes being upright, though, because I can feel her roll at night when I switch sides (laying on my left or right side). Doc also said that I shouldn't be surprised if I wet my pants now and again, as she is kicking my bladder constantly (She said it happened to her before!). Awesome.

I have to stop in at the hospital to get my glucose test done . . . that will hopefully happen next week. I also have to get registered there in the next couple of weeks. Classes start soon too. Woo WOO!!!

It's becoming more and more of a reality that there is an endpoint to this pregnancy. I have to face that I will be going into labor soon (hopefully in 3 months or so, not sooner or later). I haven't invested too much time into thinking about that part of all of this. Doc told me what to watch for and to go straight to Delivery if A, B, or C happens. Yikes!!

That's about it for now. I feel reassured that everything is okay. And now that I know what a kick feels like, I am super glad she's active. It gives me some kind of connection to her now.

21 Weeks!! Over the hump!

I went in for a checkup and an ultrasound last Thursday. After peeing in a cup, having gel slathered on my belly, and having my blood pressure taken, they told me everything looked good. At the ultrasound (photos posted below) the technician said everything looked good as well.

Yesterday morning I received a call from the office. Apparently, they did not get a good look at all the parts they were wanting to . . . I was scheduled to have another ultrasound with my next visit (March 4) . . .

At first, I freaked out. Did they only see 3 valves? Was there a toe missing? Does the head look funny?

Then I realized if they had seen something out of the ordinary, they would have had me come in much sooner than 4 weeks from now.

I even asked my forum friends on whattoexpect.com if they had ever been called back in for a follow-up ultrasound. They all told me not to worry.

So I'm not.

Otherwise, things are good. However, I did have a creepy dream the other night. I dreamt that all of my high school classmates were pregnant at the same time, and we all had blonde-haired babies, born on the same day. It was kind-of like that horror flick, Village of the Damned. Yikes. (Mine was the cutest baby though!)

March will bring a big weekend. The 20th will be a day of celebration for my friend, Sara, who is getting married in April. On the 21st, assuming all of my friends survive the previous night, will consist of a celebration for Lorelai Mosier (this is going to be a Michigan family and friends party -- Indiana party will come later!!). I am geeked.

Boppa Don and Grandma Francie will be visiting in a couple weekends -- I will be putting dad to work on the baby's room, where painting, sanding, and staining will be necessary. We will also have to remove all of the furniture in there . . . Goodbye, spare bedroom!!

It seems as though things are moving quickly now. I think with less symptoms, the days fly by faster. Really, the only symptoms I have are fatigue, backache, and having a hard time getting up from sitting or bending over . . . :)

I do love my belly though. It's fun. But since I haven't felt her move much, I am still having a hard time realizing that there is someone in there. I don't talk to my belly, or rub it, or play music for it . . . but I am trying not to yell (at the dogs or at Clint, for example) - I don't want her to hear my yelling and think that's how I talk.

That's about it for now . . . I will be posting a belly photo soon!

Doctor Visit Update

So, the visit wasn't super-exciting . . . wait. What am I talking about?? We found out that Peanut is doing well, and we heard the heartbeat again! Baby is still really low right now, but Doc's assistant (Doc was called out for a delivery) said that it will pop up in my belly in no time, so no worries.

She didn't say anything about the weight gain, so that's sweet, and my cankles are probably due to my extreme craving for salt . . . so, I just need to be better about my intake.

I asked about a blood screening test for congenital defects, and she almost acted as if it was totally unneccessary, but I will be doing one anyway. It's good to know a little early if there is something more we need to prepare for . . . and hopefully there are no surprises.

Next visit is February 4th, and if Peanut cooperates, we will find out if we will be having a Broderick or a Lorelai!!! At the very least, we will certainly get another sonogram to ooh and ahhh over. Can't wait.

My Second OB visit!

All good news here, the day after my 2nd visit. Heartbeat is at 150 (fluctuation is normal and will tend to decrease throughout the pregnancy); all tests were normal . . . but weight gain is a little high, according to doc. 5 pounds over 12 weeks! I'm sure he knows more than I do, but I was kind-of impressed it wasn't more (and it looks like more. About 15 more.).

I also received my H1N1 shot. Awesome.

Next appointment is January 7th, and I think I will be taking some screening tests during that visit (CP, CVS, etc. etc.).

So, we'll just keep on truckin'.

(8 weeks until we can find out the sex of the baby!)

By the way, the chinese gender calendar says it's going to be a girl. Hippocrates says it's going to be a boy.

Week 11 Update

So, dizziness has set in hard-core. All weekend, I sat on the couch as much as possible, just to keep my head from spinning. Trips to the bathroom to potty and the laundry room for washing clothes was about the extent of my activity Sunday . . .

The "Book" (What to Expect . . . ) tells me that I should put my head between my knees to relieve the dizziness - - apparently they think I can still do that! Not a chance.

The books also tell me that the urge to urinate should be subsiding soon . . . for a little bit. I'm having a hard time believing that, and I can't even drink as much as they tell me to. I can't imagine how much I'd be peeing if I was drinking 13 glasses of water!

My next visit to the OB is Thursday.  I don't know what they'll be doing, but hopefully we get to hear the heartbeat again!

Clint tried to tell everyone at Thanksgiving that I was using pregnancy as a crutch. He claims that my back started hurting as soon as I took the test. The girls all took my side, though! Alyssa: 1. Clinton: 0.

And, we've decided on a boy's middle name. I won't tell though. It's a secret. We'll have at least 8 more weeks to determine a girl's middle name . . . if we find out then it's a boy, we are off the hook!

Starting Week 10!

It's week 10, and I'm just starting this page...

We took our pregnancy test 3 weeks ago today. And I only took it to ease my mind. I was sure I wasn't preggo, because those 100 other tests I took were all negative . . . I actually had to have Clint read the test because I couldn't believe what I was seeing!

It's hard to believe that those 3 weeks have come and gone already, yet it seems like there is stiill such a long time to go before we get to meet the baby face to face!

Sure, I've met the baby. Peanut has been giving me indigestion for at least 3 weeks already, and has made me tired for at least 5. But I won't hold that against him/her . . . It's actually kind-of comforting to feel yucky -- that way, I know something's going on in there.

We saw the doctor 2 weeks ago. He seems pretty cool -- though I am breaking one of my rules by seeing a male doctor. It's just not my thing. But he came highly recommended, so we are giving it a go.

At first, we couldn't find a heartbeat -- we found out later that it was because Peanut was so small still! The ultrasound gave us chills and tears when it picked up the 171bpm!

What's the status now? Well, I am still tired. I fall asleep at 7 or 8, naturally wake up at 5, and get tired again around lunch time. They say that will wear off in the next 2 or 3 weeks . . .

I am just now starting to get cravings. Most of what I have been eating has been severely more healthy than my normal diet, but still the kinds of foods I like all the time. It seems like anything I have been eating though, I've wanted with a stronger demand (if we're eating Mexican, it needs to be really spicy, or if we're eating hot dogs, I need lots of ketchup and mustard) Over the weekend, though, I started wanting potato chips. I hate potato chips.

Aversions? I'm glad you asked. Several different smells are getting to me. The seafood area at the grocery store just makes me want to yak. I also can't stand cigarette smoke. And there is some cleaning solution that I can't handle -- I haven't deduced the ingredients yet. Also, the taste of peppermint toothpaste gets to me.

And then there's my body. It is doing some funky things. I haven't gained any weight, but it seems to have re-organized itself. My legs are slimmer, but my belly is bigger. I don't think I should be showing yet, but there is definitely a bump! Jeans do not zip and button, my friends! (I will start a bump album shortly.)

My mind races all day long, too . . . from what I should be eating, to if I'm taking good enough care of us, to how much I don't know about taking care of a baby, to what kind of furniture we should get for Peanut's room . . . I am trying to control my brain, but so far, it is winning.