Tuesday, February 28, 2006

It's a.....

GIRL!!!
I tried to scan the pictures when I got to work but can't figure out our new printer / scanner!
The tech said she is 98% certain of the gender which is good enough for me!
More importantly, she is perfect! Everything measured right on target and is working perfectly which is really all I care about!
We will get to see her again in 2 months when they check the placenta location again. It was sitting pretty low, but that must just be where palcentas attach on me since it seems to be in the exact same spot as it was with Ryan. It moved that time so I am optimistic that it will move this time as well!
The pictures aren't very good since Little Miss was clearly done being photographed by the time the tech got to our pictures. The midwife is getting some great ones though :) WE also didn't get a very good gender shot as she kept crossing her legs at the end. The tech said something along the lines of her not being a very good girl for us and my dear husband jumps in with "I think she is being a VERY good girl keeping those legs crossed!"
I think I freaked Rob out last night when I told him we better start saving for a wedding now!!!

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

FEED ME!!!

It appears that my appetite is back in full force!
All I have done today is eat!
Here is the breakdown:
8am - a slice of cold pizza, a baggie of Kix cereal, and a cut out cookie
9:30 - another cookie
12:00 - a turkey and cheese sandwich, a side of pasta, a cookie, and an apple
3:00 - a tangerine and a pumperknickel bagel

All that I have moved from my desk maybe 5 times....
I need to slow down!

Monday, February 20, 2006

Old Wives Tales

Since our big gender revealing ultrasound is a week from today, I have decided to play into the old wives tales for a little fun!
Here goes... I will highlight boy/girl with blue/pink font!

Morning Sickness? Heck Yea!!! But I also had it with Ryan, just not as bad
Extra Weight In your belly
Carrying Low
Cravings Sweets, juice and fruit (I am averaging 3-4 tangerines a day!!!)
Belly Shape Basketball
You look Worse than normal (my skin is all broken out and I have terrible bags under my eyes)
Hair on your legs Grows slower or same as normal
Dad-to-be
Doesn't gain weight with you (note: SO FAR!)
You hang a wedding ring over your belly It moves in circles
Your urine color is - ewwww, I have no idea, but I was told that I am well hydrated at my last appointment!
Your pillow faces North or South - ummm, West?
So that is 6 for girl, and 3 for boy. 2 for a puppy I guess!!!
Oh and the fetal heartbeat is in the 160s which I guess is girl. However, Ryan was always high too.
Honestly, gender makes no difference to us, but we really want to know so we can stop referring to the creature as an it!
I was asked in a comment if I was planning a homebirth. I am not. While I can see the appeal of it, it is just not for me. I am being cared for by a small group of Certified Nurse Midwives with a back up OB/Gyn practice. I met the one midwife while I was in labor with Ryan and found her presence in the room to be a calming one and she was more attentive than my own OB at the time. Since I had an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth (give or take) I figured this was the rout for me this time.
The midwives remain with mom throughout labor (once you are admitted) and then stay for a while after and help establish the first latch. They also make house calls for nursing / post partum issues (and only charge a co-pay!). I feel that my labor was rushed (and sped up unneccessarily) so that the doctor could take care of his other patients and go home. I have been assured that pitocin will only be used when absolutely neccessary and that while pain relivers are available, the midwife likes to exhaust her bag of tricks before giving them. This sounds good to me! Now it sounds good to me -- ask me at 6 centimeters when I am begging for drugs!
I also found out during my initial consultation with the chiropractor that I should NEVER have an epidural given the nature and placement of the curve in my spine. I was treated for Scoliosis in junior high, but it never completely corrected itself. This would explain why my entire epidural ended up on one side of my body and why my toes on that foot were numb for almost a year after I had it!!!

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

17 weeks

I had a midwife appointment on Monday. I got to meet my midwife's partner. She is very nice and I am comfortable with either of them at this point so I guess that is a good thing. I finally gained a little weight - so my total weight gain so far is a half a pound. She did say she would like to see me gain a few pounds by my next appoitnment - I don't think that will be a problem :)
Everything else was good. We had a difficult time finding the heartbeat again - they think the placenta is partially in the front of my uterus, but probably wrapping around the side since I am feeling significant baby movements on one side and nothing on the other!
I declined all genetic testing. Our reasoning is that there is no history of genetic disorders in either family and I am only 31 so I guess my odds are about 1 in 500. If someone told me I had a 1 in 500 chance of winning a drawing I would assume that I wouldn't win. That being said we have scheduled a level II ultrasound for February 27th! I can't wait to see the little one!!!
Only other thing from the appointment is that she would like me to start seeing a chiropractor since I am having quite a bit of siatic back pain. I got a referral and just need to call and set up an appointment!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

16 months (and 16 weeks)

Today Ryan turns 16 months old and I hit the 16th week of pregnancy. What a neat coincidence, huh?
So, Ryan is 16 months going on 3 years old! He looks like a 12 month old though! As of less than a month ago he was 21 pounds 7 ounces (10th percentile) and 31 inches (40th percentile). He's just a little kid, but what do you expect from a 4'11 mommy and a 5'5 daddy?
Being as milestone obessive as I am, I check every month to see where he is at, and I am very proud to report that he has surpassed all the 18 month milestones and a few of the 24 month ones! My little genius!
Verbal
I have stopped counting how many words the kid knows, but at last count it was over 2 dozen! In the past week he seems to learn and retain a new word (or 2) every day! Yesterday's words were bear (Breakfast with Bear was on) and grapes (when I asked him if he wanted an orange or grapes for snack). He is pretty good about communicating his needs and the whining has subsided drastically (thankfully). We are still working on a consistent "please" and "thank you" but I would say that he says them unprompted about 30% of the time and 100% when he wants something he can't have!
Body
As of last Friday, Ryan can identify his head, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands, belly, feet, and toes. I think this is in part due to some games we play at swim lessons, and the fact that we review body parts while getting dressed and undressed (that makes me sound like a pushy mom doesn't it?!?! Really we have fun with it!!).
Ryan will also tell us now when he has a poopy diaper and needs to be changed. At the sitter's he actually will hand her a new diaper - he can't reach them at home. He has, however, developed a fear of wipes. I am beginning to wonder if a wipe warmer is not such a bad idea?
I recently switched from my beloved Pampers to White Cloud diapers and they are not bad, but I think he knows more now when he is wet than with the Pampers. We are not even thinking about potty training, but he seems receptive to getting changed now and that is a good thing!
Motor skills
The kid used a fork at 11 months and suddenly stopped around 14 months. I am proud to report that he again will use a fork (sometimes) and equally well with both hands! We have also started coloring and playing with Play-Do which he really likes. Ryan can stack up to 6 blocks and, again, uses both hands for it. Walking and running are down pat. Climbing is fun apparently as is wedging himself in spaces way to small for him and hiding in corners. He can take his clothes off, but can't put them back on yet. This is not a problem for him though as he thoroughly enjoys being naked!

All in all the last month has been so enjoyable!!! The tantrums have returned, but they are easy enough to handle by ignoring them. I have relaxed on the television viewing. Ryan watches maybe 3 hours a week now. Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, Wiggles, and Little Einsteins are about all I will allow, although he seems to dig the Doodlebops!
He is sleeping fairly well, and goes down with a kiss and 2 stories each night.
His favorite toys are books, and the Little People horses - they are never far from him. Oh he also loves his stuffed kitty that lives in Mommy's car. We dance in the kitchen while I am making dinner and he helps me clean up after by putting things in the dishwasher! I am preparing him to be the perfect husband -- any takers?!?!

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Oh what a night....

I have been MIA from everything in life lately and not just this blog. I feel bad about it. My head is full of good intentions, but my body says "NO!!! Lay on the couch and eat kettle chips. That's what we need!". Sadly, the body wins out every time....
Ryan has been battling a slight cold for the last few days - nothing major, just enough to make him cranky. Lst night his little cold hit me HARD! HARD as in the way only a pregnant women can gte sick. I feel like death, but yet I am at work as I only get 5 sick days a year...
This morning I think Ryan felt as lousy as I did, and decided that 3:30 was time to be awake. He would NOT go back to sleep. He would sit quietly on my lap, but would he lay in bed with me? NOOOOO. Would he lay in his own bed? NOOOOO. Finally after Rob left for work at the ungodly hour of 4:45am I just let Ryan play. I shut all the doors except his and mine, and gated the stairs and let him go to town. After about an hour he climbed into bed with me and finally passed out in the pile of toys he brought to me. I attempted to take a picture, but couldn't find the camera and when I went back upstairs he was wandering around in a sleepy haze.
God I love toasty, sleepy babies in jammies. I could cuddle them all day.....
In other news this week, I am officially in maternity wear full time now! Scary, huh? Most of my shirts are to big, but my regular shirts are much to short. I am more confortable and definitely starting to look more pregnant! I love watching people at work check me out with the "is she or isn't she" looks! My friends and immediate co-workers know already but I am still getting some strange looks.
Oh, and I FINALLY downloaded pictures!
So, without further ado.....
PICTURES!

This is where I found Ryan after my shower one morning

Ryan with his Christmas loot!

Ryan always lays down and pretends to sleep when Baby Tad says "it's one minute to night-night"

The big boy hair cut!