ultrasound this morning

As I mentioned in a previous post, at my doctor's appointment last week, the doc measured me at 29 weeks, instead of 24.5 weeks. So they scheduled me to have an ultrasound this morning. I was pretty nervous, because I was afraid something was wrong. I mean, my last U/S was just 4 weeks ago, and she was fine. But who knows what can happen in a month's time?


Anyway, she looked great! For every measurement the tech took, baby girl was measuring big, but not 4 weeks big. She was either measuring right on the money, or just over 26 weeks. She was in the 59th to 74th percentile, which is still considered within the average range. Now granted, that is on the high end, so we will just have to see how things develop.

One more thing.  She is in a breech position right now.  But it is way too early to worry about that right now.  She has plenty of time to turn!

Wanna see her? Well, you really don't have a choice! LOL! Ok, I guess if you don't scroll down any further, or if you close this page, I guess that is a choice. But how can you resist looking below???


Here she is! I love that she made sure to include Michael in her greeting!! (her hand was next to her face)










 The tech also caught a video of her yawning.  It was so stinking cute!  I hope you can see this video.  Her yawning is near the end of the video

 

So there is my update. The doctor didn't feel as if there was any rush to take the glucose test, so I will still be doing that at my next appointment on Oct. 23.

24 Weeks photo

I don't think I look that much bigger than I did at 20 weeks.  But maybe I am delusional too?  :D

25 Weeks

My weekly update from Baby Center:

"How your baby's growing:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight ? a pound and a half ? isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair ? and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing:

Your baby's not the only one with more hair ? your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can ? the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement."


Today, I sat back in my chair while I was at work, rested my hands on my belly, and baby girl gave me a thump!  It was the sweetest feeling!  I keep feeling her move around like crazy all day long, but usually I just feel it from the inside.  This was the first time I felt her from the outside.  I have tried so many times before to catch her kicking, but she seems to always stop every time I put my hand there.  Hopefully I can catch her doing this more often.  I want so desperately for Papa and MJ to feel her too!

Welcome Fall!

Today is officially the first day of Fall.  I love this season, and all that it brings.  Apple picking, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, decorating, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and ending with Michael's birthday!  So much fun to be had!!!  Most of these things we never used to do before Michael came along, so he has definitely allowed us to enjoy this season to the fullest!!

Aside from looking forward to fall festivities, we have been busy with other things.  Last Wednesday, we had a wonderful dinner with the Kooter's.  It had been so long since we have sat down and had a good chat, so it felt like we were talking a mile a minute, and never finished a story before we got off on some other tangent.  We really need to do that again!!!  Soon!

Thursday, Mike went on his usually golf outing, which always gives Michael and I some good quality time together.  That morning I saw an ad in the paper for a circus that was in town, so I decided at the last minute to take him to that.  Michael enjoyed it, especially the elephant ride at intermission.  Unfortunately, after intermission, he asked to leave.  I think he was getting hungry.  I could have bought him some junk food there, but I was fine with leaving!  After we ate, he asked to go back.  It broke my heart to tell him we couldn't go back!

On Friday, my Grandma underwent surgery to remove some areas where they have found cancer.  It was a successful procedure, that was done as an outpatient surgery, and she was home before lunch time! Great news!!

Also on Friday, it was our 5th wedding anniversary, so Mike and I went to the Vine for dinner.  Always yummy!  Since my Aunt Cindy and Cousin Amanda were in town for Grandma's surgery, my mom was going to dinner with them, and they were kind enough to let MJ tag along so that we could have some alone time together.  It was very nice for us, and MJ thrived on the extra attention!

Saturday, I had the opportunity to spend some more time with the Texas girls, and we went to the Apple Festival. Man, was it crowded!!  It has been quite a few years since I have been there for the festival, and I hope to go back again next year!  It really got me pumped for apple season!

Pizza and a movie night was moved to Saturday night, and this week's movie was All Dogs Go To Heaven. (In case I forgot to mention previous week's movies, they were Balto, and Atlantis: Lost Empire)

On Sunday, we took Michael to see "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs".  Cute movie!  We all enjoyed it, except Mike got a tummy ache from all the popcorn and 3D glasses!!  LOL!

That about does it for the weekend in review.  Next post is about my latest Dr. appointment!!

24 Weeks Dr. appt

On Monday, I had my 24 week appointment.  I will start with the good news.  My blood pressure was great!  I am always concerned about my blood pressure every visit, since this was what caused me to be induced early with Michael.  I don't expect to be induced THIS early, but I still worry about that potential.  Other good news was the baby's heart rate.  Nice and steady at around 150.

Here's the not so good news.  I gained 9 pounds since last visit, 4 weeks ago.  *blush*  I guess I am not surprised.  In the past 4 weeks, I have gone on a vacation, had a birthday, and an anniversary.  All of those equates to not eating so healthy!  I made a promise that I would not have that kind of gain again!

In other not so good news, I am measuring ahead.  Ok, so that doesn't sound so bad.  I was measuring at least 1 week ahead at every appointment when I was pregnant with Michael.  But this time....I am measuring over 4 weeks ahead!  Yes, that is a month!   I knew I was bigger than I should be, but I would have never guessed I was THAT big.  There is some reason for concern, but we will be doing another ultrasound next Monday to take a look at baby girl.  Hopefully we can rule out the really bad stuff, which I won't even bother to mention what they are.  Feel free to google if you are so moved.  But chances are more favorable that there is nothing wrong, or that I have developed gestational diabetes again.  Now, with GD comes some risks too, but they are ones that can be reduced with medical intervention, and diet.  I had GD with Michael, and he came out as healthy as can be!

My ultrasound appointment is at 9 am on the 28th, and I will be sure to update later that day!  I am looking forward to seeing my little princess again, and I will hopefully have more pics to share!!

As for how I am feeling, I am generally feeling great.  I am still feeling winded all the time, but I think I can improve that if I get my butt out and walk more.  I have been out of the habit of going for daily walks, and I really need to get back to that!!  I am also feeling lots of "kicks" really low, like in my pelvis area, versus in my ribs.  I am wondering if baby girl is breech right now.  Or maybe she is punching, and not kicking?  It's something that the U/S will reveal I am sure.  Even if she is breech, there is plenty of time for her to turn.  So, I am not concerned about that.  But I am not a fan of the low blows!  Keeps making me feel like I have to pee!  LOL!.

My next regular OB appointment is on Oct 23, and they will be testing for GD at that time.  Well, that is, unless they think I need to do it sooner, based on the results of the ultrasound.  Of course I will keep you all posted on all that develops.

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary

Today, we celebrate our 5th year of being husband and wife.  In those five years, a lot has happened!  One of the most important things has been the addition of MJ into our lives.  Although he gives us challenges from time to time, he is our world.  He fills our days with laughter, and we hope that he feels our love, and is just as happy to have us as his parents, as we are to have him as our son!  Soon we will be adding a little princess to our brood, and we can't wait to see how the two grow and interact with each other!

Each anniversary, I also look back at how Mike and I first met.  It was during a rocky time in my life, but I knew the second I met him that we would be married someday.  I fell for him instantly.  Heck, some people think I even stalked him, but that is a huge exaggeration. :) Admiring him while looking out of my apartment windows is not stalking!  Now, if I was peering inside HIS windows, that would be a whole different story!  Which I did not do, thankyouverymuch!

Thankfully, after almost a year, and well after he moved out of his apartment, we managed to randomly run into each other, and finally go out on a date!  From that point on, it was, as they say, HISTORY!

I cannot say that the past 5 years have been perfect.  We have had our fair share of arguments.  Some of them quite heated, actually.  But I chalk that up to both of us being bull-headed, stubborn, and determined that we are RIGHT!  It seems those arguments are few and far between now, thank goodness!  I think we have learned to better communicate with each other, and not hold things in for too long, and to make sure we tell each other "I love you" everyday. 

We enjoy spending time together as a family, but we do get the luxury of having the occasional date night too.  Though they could come more often, I am grateful for the moments we get to be alone, and just be Dawn and Mike, instead of always being Mom and Dad.  As much as we love our son, we need that special time for us too.  Thanks to all of you that have had a hand in giving us those moments!

I love you, Papa, and here's hoping we live to see our 50th!  Let's see, I think I will be 84 years old, and you'll be 79.  We can do it!!  Shoot let's go for 60 years!!  LOL!

24 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

How your life's changing:

In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.

Most women have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in his upper body. It also raises your baby's odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure.

My next appointment is on Monday, September 21.  They haven't mentioned giving me the GCT, but I am assuming it may happen at this appointment or the next!

Update on the Hercman

Hercules is doing much better.  Although he still wobbles when he walks, he is acting more and more like himself everyday.  He is now greeting us at the door when we come home, which he hasn't done in 2 weeks.  His appetite is also returning, and he is attempting to play with us outside, even if his legs don't cooperate.  We are only giving him Glucosamine, and some special dog biscuits for hip and joint improvement.  We will continue with this as long as we can, and hope he has a little more quality time with us.  We have already decided that if things get bad again, to the point where we have to take him to the vet again, chances are he won't be coming home.  It is just too traumatic for him, and for us.  But lets hope he is good to go for quite a while longer!

Vacation recap!

Well, I am back!!  It was an enjoyable week, and now I am back to the grind, and the heyday of everyday life.

I posted pics of our trip on Facebook, so I won't post any again here.  If you are not on Facebook, get an account now!!  :)

Here is a brief recap of our vacation:

Attending the "Girls Only Trip" were myself, my mom, my sister, my Aunt Cindy, and cousin Amanda.  Destination:  Sullivan, Missouri at Meramec State Park.  Cindy and Amanda drove up from Texas, and the rest of us drove from E-town.  At the last minute, I thought it would be cool to take the old historic Route 66 from Chicago to St. Louis, and managed to get mom and Connie on board with it.  I think we all were glad we did!  We saw so many cool things in quaint little towns.  There were places and sites to see that you would never know were there if you zoomed by on the Interstate.  Yes, it took us twice as long to get to our destination, but we couldn't pass us some of the cool stuff!

We left on Sunday morning, stayed the night in Springfield, IL, and arrived in Sullivan on Monday afternoon, which also happened to be my birthday.  We were greeted at our little cabin in the woods by Cindy and Amanda, whom had arrived a few hours earlier, and they had candles lit on a cheesecake, and sang "Happy Birthday" to me as I walked through the door.  So cool!!

On our vacation we visited wineries, and visited the small towns of Kimmswick and Ste. Genevieve.  We also spent a day in St. Louis where we went up in the arch, toured the Budweiser brewery, ate Imo's pizza, and shopped a little at Union Station.  On our last day, we floated down the Meramec River in a 6-man raft, and Connie & I went through Fishers Cave, while mom, Cindy, and Amanda explored the hiking trails.  Each night we spent time around the campfire, and played some mean games of cornhole, Yatzee, and dominos.

It was relaxing and fun!  I missed my boys so much though!  I called them everyday, and Michael kept asking if I was coming home "today."  He missed me, but I think he had fun with his daddy too!

I am not excited about being back to work, as it has been very stressful lately.  But I am grateful to have had a little time off, and keep my blood pressure in check!

23 Weeks

I am a little behind on this, since I was without internet last week.  So here it is!

"Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now ? such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner ? probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

You may notice that your ankles and feet start to swell a bit in the coming weeks or months, especially at the end of the day or during the heat of summer. Sluggish circulation in your legs ? coupled with changes in your blood chemistry that may cause some water retention ? may result in swelling, also known as edema. Your body will get rid of the extra fluid after you have your baby, which is why you'll pee frequently and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery. In the meantime, lie on your left side or put your feet up when you can, stretch out your legs when you sit, and avoid sitting ? or standing ? in one place for long periods. Also, try to exercise regularly to increase circulation, and wear support stockings (put them on first thing in the morning) and roomy, comfortable shoes. You may be tempted to skimp on liquids to combat swelling, but you need to drink plenty of water because staying hydrated actually helps prevent fluid retention. While a certain amount of edema in your lower extremities is normal during pregnancy, excessive swelling may be a sign of a serious condition called pre-eclampsia. Be sure to call your midwife or doctor if you have severe or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, swelling in your face, or puffiness around your eyes."

Boy!  Has this last part been true!!  My feet and hands took a beating last week!  I was on my feet a little more than normal, and I am sure I didn't get nearly enough of my water intake.  Both of those combined with being out in the heat, I was swelling like a balloon!!  Things to be better now, and I am propping my feet up whenever I can!

No, we still do not have a name picked out.  We will be sure to share it when we do!!

22 Weeks

"Baby this week:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

How your life's changing:
At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It's perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you'd rather they didn't. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate. What's important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby's growth is on track."

Yes, I look a lot bigger than I should at this point, and yes, I am very well aware of that!  Part of that is the fact that I started out 13 pounds heavier than I was when I became pregnant with MJ.  I have also been eating like a pig, thankyouverymuch.  I am well on my way to becoming whale-like, and I am just fine with that! :) At the ultrasound, baby was right on track, and that is what is important, right?  It just means I have to work harder to lose all this extra stuff after baby girl is born.  I can do it!

Still no official name.  We have at least 2 in the running right now, and it may end up being decided in the delivery room!  About the only thing we are sure of is that her middle name will be Marie.   If we for some reason make a concrete decision before then, we will let ya'll know!