Knock on wood...

But I think the thrush is finally GONE!!!!!!

It only took 13 weeks, three different anti-fungals, and a bottle of gentian violet.  The anti-fungal medications worked for me, but did nothing for C's mouth.  Finally, my lactation consultant suggested and C's doctor approved us to use gentian violet.  That stuff is messy, but it seems to have worked!!!!!

Breastfeeding, thrush, and weight gain

Our first two months with C have been wonderful, with only a few minor hiccups.  As I've mentioned before, I am breastfeeding and that is generally going well.  However, we did have an issue where C wasn't gaining enough weight in the beginning.  First, she did not gain back up to her birth weight by two weeks like her pedi wanted.  This led to many tears and much worry from me as I frantically fed her for the next five days, trying to fatten her up before her next weight check.  She did make it back up to her birth weight for that appointment, but then had gained only two more ounces by the time of her one-month appointment two weeks later.  Cue more tears and panic and guilt from me that I was starving my baby without knowing it and therefore irreparably affecting her brain development.  (First-time mom + sleeping only 30-45 minutes at a time = over-reacting emotional disaster!)  At that time, her pedi recommended supplementing with formula, which was very difficult for me to swallow but was of course the right decision at the time.  I felt like I was failing my baby by not meeting even her most basic of needs.

We spent the next few weeks supplementing with formula and trying to increase my supply.  Her doctor thought it might be an issue with the fat content of my milk rather than a supply issue, so he had me add a DHA supplement to my diet to see if that would help.  (I couldn't tolerate the God-awful taste and smell of fish oil capsules, so I am now taking flax oil instead.)  Regardless of whether the supplement helped or not, I am happy to report that we are now exclusively breastfeeding again, and she is thriving and growing like a chubby, tubby weed.  :-)

In addition to the weight issues and breastmilk supply issue, C and I have also been fighting the worst case of thrush in the history of ever for the past 6 weeks.  I believe I actually had it for a week or two before seeking treatment, but I thought the burning and nipple pain were normal for a beginning breastfeeding mom.  It wasn't until she was a few weeks old, and I was literally sobbing from pain during her feedings, that I realized maybe there was a problem.  The amazing lactation consultant at my doctor's office diagnosed me as having not only thrush in my nipples, but also yeast growing in my milk ducts.  (Let me tell you, the pain from a breast yeast infection is worse than unmedicated labor.  I'm not joking.)  Then, after several weeks of no symptoms, C also developed thrush in her mouth. 

Thankfully, the thrush doesn't seem to be causing C too much discomfort, other than causing her to be extra gassy.  Unfortunately, we are both still fighting it.  I'm on my third round of Diflucan (fluconazole) and am using a prescription cream (terconazole) on my nipples as needed.  C was treated unsuccessfully with Nystatin and is now on her own course of fluconazole.  DH and I also sterilize all of her bottle parts, pacifiers, and my pump parts after every use.  I am hoping that since we are finally both being treated with fluconazole at the same time that we will finally be able to beat it, because I am so over this!

If any of you dealt with thrush, I would love to hear what worked for you!

10 weeks!

So I started writing this post a week and a half ago... when she really was 8 weeks old.  lol  I really want to try to post at least monthly updates to how we are doing, but we'll see how that goes!

C is now 10 weeks old... HOLY CRAP how did that happen?!  She had her two-month pedi appointment last Friday and took her first round of vaccinations like a champ.  She only cried for a minute while it was happening, and DH scooped her up afterward and she calmed right down.  She is such a good girl!  She is also becoming quite the chunky monkey, after some weight issues in the beginning (more on that in my next post).  At her appointment last week she was up to 11 pounds, 10 ounces and 23.5 inches!

C has also been hitting all of her milestones on time.  She has been holding her head up on her own since the day we brought her home from the hospital -- no joke, her pedi has commented on how strong she is since the very beginning! -- and keeps getting stronger and better at it every day.  She will also bear weight on her legs now every chance she gets.  She gave us her first real smile the day she turned 5 weeks old, and now smiles at us constantly.  My favorite thing she does is give me a huge, chubby-faced grin every time I come to her, whether I've been gone for 10 minutes or 10 seconds.  (Cue heart melting!)  She has also gone from screaming bloody murder every time we give her a bath to actually enjoying it; the same for diaper changes.  She just grins and coos the entire time we are changing her diaper, it is so adorable.  :-)

Speaking of diapers, she HATES being dirty or wet and will start fussing as soon as she realizes she's messed her diaper.  I don't know if its because we are using cloth or not, but she can tell as soon as she's wet and is not happy until she gets changed.  I'm hoping this carries over and makes for easy potty training down the road!

She also slept through the night for the first time two weeks ago.  The first night it happened I woke up to DH's alarm in a panic. My first thought was that she had stopped breathing, and I immediately reached over to check on her.  Thank goodness, she was fine and snoozing peacefully.  (My second thought was, OMG MY BOOBS OOOWWWWW!!!! haha)  Since then, she has slept at least 4-6 hours most nights, which is awesome, but of course I still have to get up to pump, which sucks.  (I would love to hear what you ladies do about this, if there is a better option.  I hate waking up every 3-4 hours to pump!)

Something else that is random, but I have to mention, is that C is absolutely mesmerized by our Christmas tree.  Yes, I said "is"... we haven't taken it down yet.  lol  (And yes, it is artificial. We don't have a rotting tree carcass in our house!)  It doesn't matter how upset and inconsolable she may be, if you carry her into our front room to look at the lights on the tree, she is instantly quiet and calm.  Amazing.  We are trying to find a good alternative to the tree, so that we can finally take it down some time before summer... Any ideas?

Looking back

I never got around to writing my 38 week post, and I hadn't taken a 39 week picture yet by the time C arrived, so I thought I would at least share the last belly photo I took with you all.  :-)

38 weeks, 0 days; covered and uncovered.

That t-shirt was definitely begging for mercy.

And for comparison, here is one of my first belly pics from 5 weeks, 0 days.

Crazy!!!!!!!

Postpartum Advice

Baby C is two weeks old today, I absolutely cannot believe it! They grow up so fast. lol

In honor of this milestone, I thought I'd share a few of the things I've learned as I recover from her birth and as DH and I adjust to being new parents. I swear this isn't a smug-new-mom post, just things other new moms had told me (that I'm so glad I listened to), or things I had to learn myself the hard way.  I know at least a few of you readers are about to have babies yourself, so maybe this advice will be helpful to you too. :-) 

1) Stock up on pads, witch hazel pads (Tucks), and Dermoplast before going into labor. It was so nice having these available when we got home from the hospital and not having to worry about immediately running out to buy them!

2) Use the Dermoplast and witch hazel pads every time you go to the bathroom. The nurse at the hospital showed me how to use the Dermoplast, then line my sanitary pad with the witch hazel pads, and it was SO nice. Just a suggestion. ;-)

3) Take as many pairs of the mesh granny panties from the hospital as you can. I even asked the nurse to bring me another pack because I loved them so much. And its nice that when they get bloody you can just throw them away, instead of ruining your own undies. ;-) I also recommend stealing as many of the crotch ice packs as you can, they were wonderful as well!

4) Fill the prescription they give you for stool softeners and TAKE THEM! Even if you don't take the narcotic pain killers, you will need the stool softeners.  Trust me.

5) Breastfeeding is hard and it HURTS, but it gets better. I was lucky that C figured it out right away, but it was still excruciatingly painful in the beginning, even when doing everything correctly. I also found it very mentally difficult at times, due to the anticipation of how much it would hurt when C latches on but knowing that I have to just suck it up and do it. Thankfully at two weeks it is finally starting to hurt less and is really only painful in the initial 5-10 seconds after she latches. I've been told it gets easier so I am hoping that is the case!  Also, I would ask to see a lactation consultant before leaving the hospital, just to make sure you are both doing it right (or to get any problems ironed out if you aren't).

6) Buy lanolin and use it liberally (if breastfeeding).  This goes along with #5, but I cannot imagine attempting to breastfeed without using lanolin.  A friend suggested requesting it at the hospital and using it from the beginning, and I am so so thankful that I did.  My hospital actually gave me the Medela kind which I used while there, but I had purchased Lansinoh which I began using at home and found that I preferred it over the Medela.  The Lansinoh is a thicker texture than the Medela, which I have heard some women think makes it difficult to apply, but its not that bad and I found it to be more protective of my sore, sore nipples.

7)  Take LOTS of pictures of your sweet new baby!  They grow and change so much, so quickly, and you don't want to miss a thing!  :-)

I think that's it for my list of advice... if any other moms want to weigh in or add things that worked for you too, feel free!

Baby C has arrived!

You may have guessed from my absence that Baby C is finally here!  And we are obviously no longer Team Green... ITS A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Baby C arrived at 3:37 am on 11/15/11 (39 weeks, 3 days) after only 4.5 hours of labor -- Yes you read that correctly!  She weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces and 21 inches long.  She is absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way.  :-)  DH and I are so beyond in love with her! 

____________________

And for those of you who are interested, the (med-free) birth story:

I had fallen asleep on the couch watching tv on the evening of the 14th. I woke up around 11:00 pm thinking maybe I was having contractions, but they weren't too painful.  DH and I started cleaning up the house a bit "just in case", although he wasn't convinced this wasn't a false alarm.  Soon I noticed the contractions were coming every 5-8 mins, and that I had started bleeding. The blood was more than I expected for (what I thought was) early labor, so around 12:30 am I called L&D to see if I should come in. The nurse assured me some bleeding was normal and to come in when my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart.

About 30 minutes after hanging up the phone, my contractions were consistently coming every 2-4 minutes and lasting a minute or more each. DH and I decided it was time to go. I had at least 3-4 contractions during the 10 minute drive to the hospital. By the time we arrived at the hospital, I was 7 cm with a bulging bag of waters. I don't think anyone (me and DH included) expected me to be that far along! The fact that I had already progressed that far without too much pain gave me a huge confidence boost that I could actually succeed with the med-free delivery I had hoped for.

The next bit of the story is kind of a blur. I met the on-call doctor (who was amazing by the way) and told him I wanted to do this naturally and asked if he was open to me trying different positions while pushing, instead of flat on my back. Thankfully he was super laid back and said I could do whatever I wanted. I remember having a LOT of pressure during this time and thinking the baby was about to fall out, but the rest is pretty much a blur. I remember joking with the doctors and nurses in between contractions and swearing under my breath (and then apologizing to everyone) during contractions. I also remember when my water broke because it was such a weird feeling. I was kind of squatting at the edge of the bed, trying not to push, and it just exploded like I'd been hit by a water balloon in the crotch. lol I know I finally told the nurse that the baby was coming and my body was pushing it out without me. She called for the doctor but I guess he was taking too long, because she decided to check me. She couldn't even find the other side of my cervix and called me complete around 2:45 am.

She must have successfully paged someone, because before I knew it the on-call doctor, a resident, and two other nurses appeared and started breaking down the bed. I used the squat bar for a little while and really liked it, but I was exhausted and my legs got too tired so I stopped. Then I got on all fours and that's where I stayed until Baby C was born. Pushing really wasn't that painful -- it was such a relief to be able to push against the pressure -- but it was really hard work. And it was very surreal, I could feel Baby C move down every time I pushed. After about 45 minutes of pushing she was finally out! DH is in medical school and the doctor let him "catch" and cut the cord, and he was the one to announce we had a baby girl. That was really really special for both of us that he got to do those things.  :-)

The only bit of drama is that Baby C apparently took a big gulp of fluid on her way out and was sounding a little gurgly when she was first born, so they took her to get checked out while I delivered the placenta and got cleaned up. I had a 2nd degree tear inside my vagina, but it was small and only took a few stitches to fix. By the time I was fixed up Baby C had checked out just fine (7/8 Apgars) and I finally got to meet my baby girl!

____________________

DH and I still can't believe she is here and are totally in love. I also still can't believe how lucky I was having such a fast and easy delivery. My recovery has been great and Baby C is breastfeeding like a champ.  I truly could not have asked for a better delivery or a more perfect baby.  :-)

I will do my best to keep posting on this blog, but it might be sporadic as Baby C eats (what feels like) constantly and I'm trying to get a little rest in between. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The waiting is the hardest part...

Apologies to Tom Petty for stealing his line, but I don't believe truer words have ever been spoken.  I am SO anxious and SO ready to meet Baby C!  I'm not even that physically uncomfortable now that s/he has dropped, I'm just mentally exhausted from playing the waiting game, and super excited to meet him or her!

I haven't blogged about this yet, but we've had quite a bit of excitement this past week.  DH and I made our first "baby could be here any time" trip to L&D on Friday morning.  I had woken up several times throughout the night Thursday night/Friday morning and was leaking quite a bit of fluid each time, so I called my doctor's office to see what I should do.  They wanted me to go get checked at L&D, so off we went.  Before hanging up the phone, the nurse said, "make sure you bring your hospital bag, we might be having a baby today!"

Cue holy-crap-reality-moment!

Of course, I understand that the logical outcome of pregnancy is usually a baby, but this entire time an actual baby seemed to be just an abstract idea for some time in the future.  DH and I hadn't even packed a hospital bag yet!  So I showered, we threw some stuff together, and off we went to the hospital.  After getting checked by the resident and being monitored for about an hour, we learned my water had not yet broken and we were sent home.  I also learned I was now 2 cms dilated, 80% effaced, and Baby C was at -2 station.  The resident said it could be any time, so of course DH and I have been even more excited and anxious -- especially since we just had an official dress rehearsal for the big day!  lol

_____________

Cut from Friday to this morning about 3:30 am.  I was jolted awake from a dead sleep with some quite painful contractions.  I literally couldn't even get up right away, I had to lay there for a minute to catch my breath.  Once I was finally able to get up, I used the restroom and walked around for 10-15 minutes... and then they stopped.  I was so bummed, of course I was hoping THIS time was the real deal!

Luckily, I had my 38 week appointment today so I didn't have to wait long to see if I was making any more progress.  Unfortunately, I hadn't really progressed much from last week.  :-(  I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed.  My doctor again told me he thought I was 1-2 cms, but now 90% effaced and with Baby C's head lower than it was last week.  I know that any progress is good news, but I was hoping for more.  *sigh*

So, that's where I am at now.  Stuck waiting for Baby C to make his/her appearance any day (or possibly weeks) from now.  DH and I went to the mall after my appointment and walked until I couldn't take it any more, and we plan to go do it again tomorrow.  I haven't gotten desperate enough to try any of the other old wives' tales yet, but I might cave soon if this baby doesn't come on his/her own! 

Here's hoping Baby C decides to make his/her appearance soon!

Progress!

Yesterday was my 37 week appointment. I mentioned in my 36 week post that as of last week, I hadn't made any progress yet. Well, I got checked again yesterday, and immediately my doctor said, "wow, definitely a change from last week!" Haha. I went from 0 cms and no effacement to 1-2 cms and 80% effaced in 5 days! I was super surprised and excited. I also was having contractions on and off all day yesterday, before and after my appointment. And (TMI alert!) according to Dr. Google and the ladies of PgAL, it sounds like I have also been losing pieces of my mucous plug. Eek!

I know that all of these things could mean that Baby C might arrive any day now, or that I could walk around dialated and dropping pieces of my mucous plug for weeks before s/he arrives. But I am encouraged that we are at least moving in the right direction! :-)

I am trying to focus on wrapping everything up at work, but my mind is torn between thoughts of finally meeting Baby C, and all of the stuff I still need to get done before s/he arrives (finish washing baby clothes, prep the cloth diapers, put away baby gifts, write thank you notes from our most recent shower...). AHHH! I feel like we have so much left to do! Things are definitely starting to feel VERY real!

Full Term!

Holy crap, as of yesterday, Baby C is full-term.  Creepy-floating-baby-ticker says 20 days until my due date... HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!

I'm spending today doing some baby laundry and putting away the rest of the gifts Baby C received at our last baby shower.  I'm kind of running out of time, lol. 

I can't believe he or she could theoretically be here any day now!

36 weeks

How far along?  36 weeks, 5 days.

Weight gain/loss:   25-30 pounds... again, depending on what mood my scale is in that day.  lol

Maternity clothes?  Yes.  I am actually running out of maternity clothes that fit!

Stretch marks?  Totally jinxed myself here.  Since my last post, I have sprouted a few stretch marks on the underside of my belly.  So far it looks like four on the right side, and one on the left. 

Sleep?  I was sleeping horribly for several weeks... waking up 3-5+ times per night just to roll over because my hips were hurting so bad.  However, the past few nights I have been doing much better and have only woken up 1-2 times! 

Best moment this week?  Realizing that Baby C will be here in one month (or less)!

Food cravings:  Nothing really.

Gender:   Team Green!

Belly button in or out?  Still about 90% flattie, but there is a tiny part that sticks out just a bit depending on where Baby C is laying.   

Movement?  Constantly!  I can't believe how strong Baby C is getting!

What I miss?  Being able to lean forwards without a human being in the way.  ;-)

What I'm looking forward to:  My next doctor's appointment -- hoping to have made some progress! 

Milestones:  I had my first weekly doctor's appointment yesterday... so surreal!  At the appointment I had my first cervical check (no big deal, and no progress yet), and my group B strep swab (OUCH!!!).  Also, the nursery is finally finished!  Now we just need a baby to put in it.  :-)

Coming out of slacking... 33 weeks

Wow, I am such a bad, bad blogger.  I swear I don't know where the last 8 weeks went!

Nothing too exciting going on with me and Baby C...  We are down to every-other-week doctor's appointments now, and at my appointment last week, my doctor told me if he can't determine Baby C's position at our next visit he will send us for another ultrasound (yay!).  I know 100% that Baby C is head down, because s/he has been at every ultrasound -- including since I've been able to feel movement -- and his/her feet have always been and continue to be right in my ribs (more on that in a minute).  There is NO WAY that what I'm feeling up there is anything but butt and feet, lol.  But, of course I hope my doctor can't tell so we can have another peek at the little guy or gal!  ;-)  DH and I also had our first baby shower a few weeks ago and it was a blast.  We were totally spoiled by family and friends and got a lot of useful stuff.  We have another baby shower coming up next weekend, and I'm pretty sure my office is planning a surprise shower the week after that, so we have all kinds of fun to look forward to.  Baby C is definitely one loved little baby already!

Now, on to my (not so) weekly post...

How far along?  33 weeks, 3 days.  (And for the record, I can't believe how huge my belly looks in photos these days!  I swear it doesn't look like that to me in my daily life... maybe my brain is just trying to protect me.  lol)

Weight gain/loss:   I think I'm about 20-22 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight...  honestly it is getting really difficult to keep track because I am retaining so much water (and rarely going to the bathroom), so my weight has been fluctuating quite a bit even day-to-day.

Maternity clothes?  Um, yes.  In fact, quite a few of my maternity clothes are even getting too tight/too short/too small.

Stretch marks?  So far, about 100 on my boobs and two on each inner thigh, but not one on my stomach... **furiously knocking on the biggest piece of wood ever**

Sleep?  I couldn't tell you the last time I slept through the night, lol.  (Probably some time before my last blog update!)  I have been waking up multiple times per night to pee, to change positions because of hip pain, or both.  But I figure its just good practice for when Baby C arrives.

Best moment this week?  Hearing Baby C's heartbeat again at my doctor's appointment, every time he or she moves, and every time DH talks to Baby C in my belly.  :-)

Food cravings:  One night last week I really, REALLY wanted a Sonic hot dog.  I don't even like hot dogs, but those "premium hot dog" commercials are killing me!  DH and I went to go get a "Kickin' Coney Dog" (chili, cheese, bbq sauce, and fried onion pieces) and it was SO AMAZING!

Gender:   Team Green!

Belly button in or out?  About 90% flattie, 10% innie.  But the amount of innie is getting smaller by the day.  I can't even fit the tip of my pinkie in there anymore, lol.  And sometimes, depending on how Baby C is laying, I can lean back and pooch my belly button so it sticks out just a bit, then I move forward and it sucks back in.  DH thinks this is endlessly amusing!

Movement?  Always.  I love how every week I can feel Baby C getting bigger and stronger.  He or she also started getting the hiccups a few weeks ago, and now gets them at least once or twice per day.  (I also always feel them down super low in my pelvis, which further leads me to believe that Baby C is still head down.)  I think the hiccups are completely adorable; DH thinks they are just hilarious!  He loves to feel them and laughs every time.  :-)  Baby C also seems to have chosen the left side of my ute as his/her home base.  His/her favorite position is with his/her butt wedged up against my ribs on the left side, and his/her little (getting bigger...) feet lodged inside my rib cage on the right side.  It doesn't really hurt, but sometimes Baby C's kicks take my breath away -- literally -- when s/he kicks my lungs! 

What I miss?  Sleeping through the night, laying on my back, and being able to lay on the couch with DH (I've been too fat for that for several months now, lol).

What I'm looking forward to:  Meeting Baby C!  I can't believe I will be full term in less than a month.  Insanity!

Milestones:  We finally have the nursery (almost) finished... I'm still waiting on a decal my aunt is making for the toy box, and I need to wash all of our baby clothes and diapers and put them away, but that is about it!

Belly self-portraits

I was having a lazy Saturday today and thought I'd take some belly photos.  I figure now is a pretty good time, since my belly is big enough that its obvious there's a baby in there, but I'm not so huge/swollen/stretchmarked yet that I would feel self-conscious.  ;-)

So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorites!

 

25 weeks

How far along?  25 weeks, 6 days. 

Weight gain/loss:   Up 1.2 pounds from last week; 12.2 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. 

Maternity clothes?  Oh yes.  In fact, some of my smaller maternity shirts are now becoming too short/too tight!

Stretch marks?  So far, still only on the boobs.  *knock on wood*

Sleep?  Still waking up at least once per night most nights.  Also, I've noticed I've started feeling more tired again lately... I was really hoping I could keep some of this energy for awhile longer!

Best moment this week?  Getting to spend most of the day on Wednesday at home with DH and Baby C... and seeing our first gifts purchased off of the baby registry!

Food cravings:  None really.  I am the most boring pregnant lady ever!  lol

Gender:   Team Green!

Belly button in or out?  Still about 2/3 innie, 1/3 flat.

Movement?  Constantly!  And this is hilarious, but Baby C really seems to hate any time I rest anything on my stomach.  Whenever I rest one or both of my arms across my belly, s/he kicks my arm(s) repeatedly until I move them away!  And last night, I was reading a book, with just the bottom of the spine resting on my stomach, and Baby C kicked it several times before I moved it.  Too funny!  It seems we have quite the feisty baby on our hands!  ;-)

What I miss?  Being able to take a full, deep breath.  It is getting more and more difficult to breathe.

What I'm looking forward to:  Working on Baby C's nursery a bit this weekend, and my first baby shower coming up here in a few weeks!

Milestones:  We are officially in the double-digits in counting down the days until Baby C's arrival!  Only 99 days from today is my due date... EEK!!!!  I can't wait to meet him or her!

24 weeks!

Whoo hoo, Baby C is officially viable!  I also think s/he has really moved "up and out" this past week or so.  Sometimes it feels like s/he is right in my lungs!  (I'm sure this will only become more frequent in the weeks to come, haha.)

How far along?  24 weeks, 6 days. 

Weight gain/loss:   Up 2.6 pounds since last week.  Although, I was happy to see this since I had lost weight at my last weigh-in.  Now officially 11.0 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. 

Maternity clothes?  Always.  And pretty much sweat pants and DH's t-shirts any time I'm at home.  (See photo above, lol)  I can barely fit into any of my regular t-shirts anymore!

Stretch marks?  So far, still only on the boobs. 

Sleep?  No real problems sleeping, but I have still been waking up at least once per night every night.  My newest thing are Charlie horses (also known as leg cramps in my calves... DH thinks I made that word up, but that's all I knew to call them growing up!).  I wake up with a Charlie horse every few nights and they are EXCRUCIATING!  Usually they jolt me awake and I just sob until they stop.  :-(  I know I'm getting enough vitamins and drinking enough liquids, so I'm not sure what else I can do to prevent them.  If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them!

Best moment this week?  Baby C kicking DH in the face last night while we were laying on the couch.  Hilarious, and proof that he or she is getting really strong!

Food cravings:  Nothing new really.  I've been feeling a little nauseated again this past week, so I've been back on the fruit and ramean noodles with peas... actually, I'm eating some right now!

Gender:  DH still says girl...  I have no clue.  Hooray Team Green!  ;-)

Belly button in or out?  Still about 2/3 innie, 1/3 flat.

Movement?  Yes, Baby C is moving ALL the time now! I love it!

What I miss?  Nothing really.

What I'm looking forward to:  Hitting some sales tomorrow to look for baby stuff.  I finally feel safe buying lots of baby things, and goodness knows we will be needing them soon!

Milestones:  Baby C is officially viable!

23 weeks

How far along?  23 weeks, 6 days. 

Weight gain/loss:   Down 0.2 pounds from last week.  Not really sure how or why this happened, but I've been trying to make up for it by eating even more ice cream this week.  ;-)  8.4 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight.

Maternity clothes?  Always.

Stretch marks?  Yup, definitely have some on my boobs.

Sleep?  Sleep is still pretty good, although I have been waking up multiple times per night to use the bathroom, due to having crazy dreams, etc.

Best moment this week?  Seeing Baby C kick from the outside!

Food cravings:  Nothing really.

Gender:  DH still says girl...  I don't know anymore.  lol 

Belly button in or out?  Actually, about 1/3 out now.  The top of my belly button is almost completely flat, while the lower part is still in.

Movement?  Yes, Baby C is moving ALL the time now! I love it!

What I miss?  Nothing really.

What I'm looking forward to:  Hitting the 24-week mark tomorrow... Hooray for viability!

Milestones:  Baby C will be considered viable outside of the womb as of tomorrow.  I'd say that's a pretty great milestone!

22 weeks - vacation bump and 3D baby edition!

 

This week is a super special blog post -- not only do you get to see my baby bump on vacation, but also an unexpected photo of Baby C in 3D!

(Disclaimer, I was too tired/busy/lazy this week to take and edit my own belly pic, so I am recycling one from our vacation.  lol)

Today was my next-scheduled ultrasound to try and get the heart measurements Baby C wouldn't cooperate with last month.  (Holy cow, can't believe it has been an entire month since then!)  The great news is that Baby C looks completely healthy and is doing fantastic!  His/her heart rate was 158 bpm, and s/he is still measuring ahead and in the 62nd percentile.  Other than this obviously wonderful news, the next-best part of our appointment was when the tech asked if she could turn on the 3D.  Apparently, she just loves using the 3D, so we got a ton of unexpected 3D views of our baby!  Here is the best one of Baby C's little face... I may be biased, but I think s/he is quite the little cutie!  ;-)

 

I can't believe we will be meeting Baby C in 17 short weeks (or less!!!!)
And now, the weekly post...

How far along?  22 weeks, 6 days. 

Weight gain/loss:   Up 2.2 pounds since my last post two weeks ago, which puts me at 8.6 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight.

Maternity clothes?  Of course.

Stretch marks?  Sadly, I think I have found my first ones... on my boobs.

Sleep?  Still feeling pretty good and not too tired.  No real difficulty sleeping yet.

Best moment this week?  Seeing Baby C's little face for the first time today!

Food cravings:  Nothing significant that I can think of this week.

Gender:  DH still says girl, but I might be starting to waver on the "its a boy" thing based on a few quick glimpses I saw on today's ultrasound.  (But we are still Team Green!)

Belly button in or out?  In, but definitely more shallow.

Movement?  All the time.  :-)

What I miss?  Nothing really!

What I'm looking forward to:  Baby C being viable (on the outside) in 8 days.  I will breathe a huge sigh of relief once we pass that milestone!

Milestones:  Seeing Baby C in 3D!

20 weeks!

How far along?  20 weeks, 5 days. 

Weight gain/loss:   Actually down 0.6 pounds from my last post two weeks ago.  However, upon further reflection, I think that week's weight gain (3.2 pounds!) was artificially high, due to DH and I going out with friends for dinner the night before and me eating waaaay too much.  I weighed in a full 1.6 pounds less than that at 19 weeks, and then gained one pound exactly from 19 weeks to 20 weeks.  (Confused by all of the numbers yet?  lol)  Long story short -- I am now up 6.4 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. 

Maternity clothes?  Yes, still. 

Stretch marks?  Not yet.

Sleep?  Finally feeling not so tired.  Thank goodness!

Best moment this week?  Last night, Baby C was going crazy in my ute, so I pushed my fingers into my belly where s/he was kicking... and Baby C kicked my hand!  It was so cool!

Food cravings:  Nothing significant that I can think of this week.

Gender:  I still say boy.  DH still thinks girl.

Belly button in or out?  In, but I think it is starting to get more shallow.  DH was actually the first to notice!

Movement?  I am feeling Baby C every day now (hooray!).  Usually s/he has a really active spell between 7:00-9:00 each morning, occasionally once in the afternoon, and pretty much every night after dinner.  I love it!

What I miss?  Nothing this week.

What I'm looking forward to:  Vacation!  DH and I are leaving tomorrow for 9 days, so I will probably miss next week's post.  Sorry, readers!  ;-)

Milestones:  Being half-baked!

A/S results

Great news!  The anatomy scan went well and DH and I are finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Everything the tech could see looks great.  Baby C was being pretty stubborn though and moving ALL over the place, so the tech couldn't get all of the heart measurements she needed.  We will be going back in a month to try the heart measurements again, but the tech said from what she saw she does not think there are any problems.  Everything else was measuring normally.  We are SO relieved!

Baby C weighs about 10 ounces, is head down (I told it to stay that way!), and his/her little feet are exactly where I've been feeling all of its little kicks!  It was nice to get validation that I wasn't hallucinating about feeling the movements.  Also, he or she is measuring FIVE days ahead from all of our other scans... so we may have a little porker on our hands!  haha  

Because s/he was moving so much, it was hard for the tech to get good photos.  But here is one of the better ones.  :-) 

 

 Thank you all for the good thoughts today!

18 weeks

How far along?  18 weeks, 5 days. 

Weight gain/loss:   Up 3.2 pounds from last week.  (I would be freaking out about that much in one week, but I know Baby C is still playing catch up from me being so sick.)  That puts me at 5.2 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight.

Maternity clothes?  Maternity everything... don't see that changing any time soon.  haha

Stretch marks?  Not yet.

Sleep?  Still pretty tired most of the time.

Best moment this week?  Every time I feel Baby C's little kicks and rolls.  :-)

Food cravings:  Still cheese and anything barbeque (not mixed together! haha).  I have had at least 5-6 barbeque sandwiches in the past week or so.  I can't get enough!

Gender:  I still say boy.  DH still thinks girl.

Belly button in or out?  In.

Movement?  I feel at least a little flutter every day now.  And at least once every other day, I have been feeling a few definite kicks/pokes all in a row.  I love it!

What I miss?  Beer.  I would love to have just a sip, but I'm way too paranoid!

What I'm looking forward to:  Our anatomy scan tomorrow. 

Milestones:  Not sure I have any "official" milestones this week.  But I'm definitely loving feeling so much movement!  :-)

Anatomy scan tomorrow

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm really really praying we get good news tomorrow. I feel like if we can just pass this hurdle, I will feel so much more secure about this pregnancy and might even *gasp* finally feel comfortable starting a registry. Please send good vibes our way for a healthy baby, with all of his/her crucial body parts, tomorrow!

And no, we still aren't finding out the sex. Despite several pretty good bribe offers from friends if we would cave. ;-) Haha!