ultrasound results

So i went to the ultrasound today. i was really scared, and drinking 32 oz. of water in an hour really made me have to pee! But anyway, i went and saw my beautiful ultrasound technician, Tanya. We looked at baby Blueberry and her/his heartbeat was very strong and the baby looked fine.

My uterus had a weird pocket of blood, called a Subchorionic Hemorrhage, but my ultrasound tech and doctor said it's small enough that it's not a huge deal.

Oh, on the topic, i finally met my doctor today! He's very old. Plus, i think he came right to my appointment from a delivery, because i had to wait for him to arrive, and he seemed out of it. But guys, he's really old. The 30-something nurse i had at his clinic said that both her younger and older brothers were delivered by him! Anyway, i think he was distracted from the delivery he had come from, or was having a bad day, because he seemed kind of rushed and his bedside manner left a bit to be desired. He is very kind, but he seemed to forget with what gravity he should say things. Like when i asked him when i should get an ultrasound again, he said "Oh, i'll have you get one at the end of next week, just to make sure the baby's still alive." Very reassuring. Then he kind of finished up our appointment to go see his schedule for the week following the next ultrasound, and he kept popping his head in the door, asking weird questions, the weirdest one being:

Him: "How many children do you have? Two?"
Us: "Just one other one."
Him: "OK". (disappeared.) Kris and i spent quite a while wondering why he asked that, and could never figure out an answer.

The nurses i've talked to said they all love him, and he is usually very thorough, almost TOO thorough and caring about his patients, so i'm thinking he just had an off day.

Then the nurse came in and gave me a Rhogam shot, just in case. i wonder how much all of this will end up costing me. i just finished paying off the clinic for being pregnant with David, and we had no complications with him. Darned 80/20 insurance! Of course, the most important thing is the baby's and my safety. But sometimes i wish Kris worked at a place where we'd pay more monthly, or have a higher deductible, and have full coverage.

It's been a very long day. i'm going to bed. Thanks for caring, everyone! It was good news, in general. Good strong heartbeat and nothing too scary to worry about. i'm glad today is OVER!

Tiny worry

i started spotting again today. i called the on call doctor, and he said there was a good chance the spotting was simply related to intercourse, but as this was the second time of bleeding in a week, i should get an ultrasound. So i'll call the clinic tomorrow morning and schedule an ultrasound, which will hopefully be soon. i love the U/S tech, too. Her name is Tanya, and she'll be really excited that we're having a baby again. We like to joke and say she was David's first photographer:)

Anyway, it's not worry-worthy, but it's pray-worthy, so please pray if you find yourself with a minute and the inspiration.

Also, one of my best friends is in the hospital right now. She's 25 weeks pregnant, with placenta previa, having some spotting and lots of contractions, and her baby's heart rate has been dropping with the contractions. It's really scary. It's her third time in the hospital in the last month, but this is the first time they've ever used the words "possible pre-term labor." Please keep her, and her little tiny baby boy, Caedmon in your prayers, too. i'll hopefully know what's going on with her soon.

Baby blueberry

How your baby's growing:

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

Crazy new realizations

All of these things are going through my head about how life will be different once there are two kids. And all these new things keep coming up and i have no idea how i'll deal with them.

• Having an infant and a toddler in a cart and trying to grocery shop at the same time.
• Going to church and carrying in a diaper bag, an infant carrier, and a toddler at the same time.
• Having an infant screaming possibly all night for various reasons and trying to keep a toddler who already is a light sleeper sleeping through the racket.
• Trying to be physically active with David with a tiny baby, or even while very pregnant

Things i'm excited about learning to do:

• Learning how to hold them both in my lap at the same time
• Teaching them to love each other and to share
• Make up games and have family inside jokes
• Eventually, hear them make music together. i get the chills just thinking about it!
  

Yesterday's scary day

Yesterday wasn't a great day. At about 10 AM, David and i were at Target, and i felt a little bit like i had urinated myself. We went home and yes, i had kind of gushed blood. So of course, i started freaking out. My appointment was at 1 PM, and the nurse on call said i should wait till the appointment, especially since i stopped bleeding after the one initial time. So i went to the appointment and the nurse and i had our normal first prenatal visit. She said she thought i'd be fine since i had stopped bleeding, but she ordered a lot of blood tests and so if anything is wrong, i will hear from them soon. Since she figured the tests would be completed yesterday still, the fact i haven't heard anything is very good. i was shaky the rest of the day though!

When we got home, we put David down for a nap and then Kris and i also fell asleep, to wake up about 2 hours later. Our whole family was exhausted from the stress of David's birthday parties last weekend and the worry about the baby. We had a nice little evening at home, and then went to bed early and slept very well last night, too. i think we all needed the rest. Anyway, little baby should be fine, though the nurse said that i should stop going to Curves or doing super athletic activities for a while, until we've had an ultrasound.


Anyway, i'm glad yesterday is over!

Later today....

i've got my first prenatal appointment today. Hopefully i will get my official due date. i've gone online and gotten a few different due dates based on my last period, but since none of them agree, i will be looking forward to the one from the nurse. i'm not going to get to see the doctor today, because they like to wait till you're farther along to bother with you. i found with David, though, that the doctor doesn't matter as much as the nurse you see, anyway. Hopefully i get my regular nurse from David, because i'm going back to the same clinic because i loved her!

We announced the pregnancy last night at David's party. Everyone was so excited!!! And my mother-in-law, (who already knew) brought me a gift of this sweet little pink beanie baby "in hopes" that it's a girl. If it turns out to be a boy, i'll probably have to delete a lot of what i write in this blog so it doesn't scar him for life! But when everyone saw David's shirt, there was a good 5 seconds of silence, and then a "Really?!" and then congratulating. It was very nice and enough celebration to satisfy even me.

If it does turn out to be a girl, i have lots of people who are willing to loan me girl clothes.

Here's something i really like about motherhood. It is such an equalizer. You can talk to any woman with a child when you've got yours with you. You make friends in elevators, stores, anywhere. The mom can be wearing much more expensive clothes than you do, look completely different, be a different race, and it doesn't matter. The phrase "How old is yours?" is sure to bring out a good conversation and an empathetic ear. Moms also know that it sucks to have to buy clothes and toys and baby gear, so it's like we all have a free rental system. i had maternity clothes out to my friend Cassie until she had her baby. David is sleeping in his cousins' crib and is changed on their changing table. My friend Sarah's baby Macy is using David's swing. About half of David's whole wardrobe was given to us by people who are done having babies. It's this world of giving and generosity and sincere support that i didn't know existed until having David. You always see moms together, but when you become a parent, it's easy to understand why. Being a mother has brought me back to being close with friends i'd grown apart from, because we suddenly have this giant thing in common. It's a not-so-secret secret society:)

Anyway, i'll let you know what happens at the nurse prenatal appointment.

Baby Lentil

Your pregnancy: 6 weeks

Click to enlarge

How your baby's growing: This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean.

See what's going on in your uterus this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing: You may find yourself developing a bit of a split personality — feeling moody one day and joyful the next. Unsettling as this is (especially if you pride yourself on being in control), what you're going through is normal. Ricocheting emotions are caused partly by fluctuating hormones. But hormones aside, your life is about to change in a big way — and who wouldn't feel emotional about that?

(side note: those ricocheting emotions are definitely becoming a major part of my life! It's like this article was written about me!)