Week 18=Sweet Potato

I can't say that I'm wild about sweet potato week. What are those hairs growing out of it???!!! It is hard to believe that McBaby is almost 6 inches long though!

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

I also learned that the inner ear should be just about formed by now, which means baby can hear things going on out in the world, as well as my heartbeat:-)

Good news from the doctor...no UTI for me. I guess it is just "normal" frequent urination, but it is so annoying. And...a few days ago, minding my own business, walking Sierra...I sneezed...and peed at the same time:-( Took my a second to realize what happened, but yep. It happened. Fun times.

Last night brought an incredible nightmare, and not the Wizard of Oz kind like I was fearing. This was worse. I dreamt that 1) I wasn't pregnant, 2) had never been pregnant, and 3) was delivered the news of a negative beta from an IVF cycle. It was horrid. Worse than I can ever begin to explain to someone who has never dealt with this. In the dream, I was at the receptionist of RE office and she gave me the news. I broke down, inconsolable. I FELT those feelings in my dream. I felt the fear and the anger and the frustration and the desperation. It was so real that I woke up not realizing that I actually was/am pregnant. It was several minutes of me going through the old drill in my head...ok, what next, where's the money coming from, how am I going to keep going at this, etc. Then I finally realized I was pregnant. It's been haunting me all day. I never, EVER want to be in that position again.

Reassurance is wonderful...

I took a sick day today. The heat in STL right now is really unbearable, and it's finally taken a toll on me. That, combined with my overload of work right now was enough to make me say "I need a mental health day." It's not like I don't have a bazillion sick days. Really, a bazillion.

For the last few days, I've been thinking I might have a UTI. I had them chronically growing up, so I know the symptoms well. I called the nurse this morning and she wanted me to come in to give a urine specimin. I'll start antibiotics tonight, just in case, but we won't have the results until early next week.

While I was there, I talked my way into a chance to hear McBaby. The past few days have been so "normal" that it made me wonder if everything was ok. Since I was already at the dr office, I figured I'd ask. And they obliged. She gave me the typical intro "it may take me a few minutes, blah, blah" but the second she put the Doppler on my belly the h/b was loud and clear, woosh, whoosh whoosh:-) I cried. I'm pathetic. And then I cried more on the way home.

Now I think I can make it until my next appt in 13 days:-)

It's a good thing I like onions...

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

I had no idea that finger prints were actually formed by the baby waving its hands around in the amniotic fluid. Learn something new every day.

According to my pregnancy go-to guide, Ma.yo Cl.inic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, I should start feeling little flutters in the next few weeks. I guess that's my new goal, and I won't rest easy until I feel something. But then, I might not feel anything and that doesn't mean things aren't going well.

My book also said that baby will grow alot in the next 3 weeks, so I guess that means belly will be growing to keep up with it:-) I can't wait!

Not much else to report. It's kind of boring right now. McBaby is the first thing I think about in the morning, and the last thing I think about at night, so hopefully those good thoughts and vibes are being passed on to him/her.

Avocado week...

is almost history!!!

I've been so swamped at work that when I get home I have no desire to get online at all. So avocado week has come, and almost gone, and no report of it here. Tomorrow starts a new week, so stay tuned (I have no idea which fruit/veggie is next).

The good thing about being so busy is that I don't have time to obsess. Much. I've been feeling really great! Nauseau is gone, fatigue is all but gone, and the reflux is managable without meds. What's bad about all these "bad" things being gone, is that it's hard to realize I'm still pregnant. Feeling bad reassured me. I'm trying to just go with it, but it's hard. I feel normal.

My belly is starting to grow a teeny bit. I had my first "are you pregnant" question from someone yesterday, so that was fun. Although she spoiled it by following up with "or maybe you've just gained a few pounds." Smooth lady, real smooth.

Belly is definately bigger in the evening than the morning. I'm wearing mostly maternity pants, except for a few bigger pairs of regular pants I've pulled from the back of the closet. My tops are still mostly regular, just in bigger sizes. I SWIM in maternity tops. Just don't have the belly for it yet, I guess:-)

I made my FIRST trip to Babys RUs last weekend. How I've managed to avoid that place all these years is still being me. Thank goodness for online shopping. Anyhoo...it was ok, not too overwhelming. There are just so many THINGS, and so many STYLES of things. I don't understand how you decide what you need/want!

I'm also extremely happy to report that several of my internet/blog friends recently had their babies, and of course they are beautiful! How could they not be?? And a few others who have been struggling to get pregnant have finally made it. So YEAH for them!!!!!

A Navel Orange (a day late)

First things first. Yesterday was the start of navel orange week!

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

Yesterday was also our 15 week OB appt. Nothing too exciting. Although I would have loved an u/s, hearing the h/b with Doppler was almost as good. It was rockin' at 155 bpm. According to OB records, I have gained TEN pounds in the first 15 weeks. She then goes on to tell me the she prefers to see a gain of 2-7 at this point, but understands that I had a hard time eating healthier b/c of the naseau. Whatever. Yes, I will try to be better. With my newest symptom of reflux, it shouldn't be hard to not gain as much, or at least maintain. It's no fun (i.e. almost impossible) to eat when it feels like there is a golf ball in my throat. And she didn't re-run my iron, but looked at the results from my first appt and all was fine. The fatigue is starting to subside, A BIT.

I think I'm starting to see the beginning of a little bump! I noticed it a few days ago. Of course to everyone else it probably looks like fat, but I know better (well, let's pretend I do).

The most exciting moment of the week (aside from hearing a HEALTHY h/b of course) is that Dan and I were at a different dr appt earlier this week and I parked in the Expectant Mother parking spot, giggling like an idiot of course:-) Dan said it was for women in labor (since we were at a hospital). I said "the sign doesn't say 'women in labor parking spot', it says 'Expectant Mother parking spot', and that is me"! Is it a shame that I've always been bitter about those spots, and just the day before I was wondering when I was going to see one, and if I'd have the nerve to use it.

Next appt is in 4 weeks, BIG u/s in FIVE weeks!!!!!

Little lemon's test results...

14 weeks yesterday, which means McBaby miraculously turns into a new fruit or veggie. Fruit o' the week is lemon.

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

The best news of ALL is that we got the NT results yesterday. For my age and history alone, chance of Down's was 1/302. When adjusted for the NT scan, chances go down to 1/1388!!!! Chances of Trisomy 13/18 is even less than that.

As much as I (thought I) wasn't worried about it, it was definately a relief to see it in writing.

This little lemon seems to be sucking the life out of me (no pun intended). I cannot get enough sleep. And the headaches are excrutiating. I'm taking at least 6 Tylenol Xtra Strength each day, and still either wake up/go to bed with a headache. And these are migraines, not just your run of the mill headache...I have a history of migraines, so YES I can tell the difference. A little caffeine seems to help, but not greatly.

I seem to have about 2 good days for every 5 bad days. Again, last night, napped for 3 hours, woke up for an hour and attempted to do something productive (i.e. check Facebook and e-mail) and then back to bed at 10, only to FORCE myself up at 6:30. I really wonder if I have an iron deficiency. I'm going to ask Dr. S to check that next week.

SERIOUS clothes meltdown...

I will start by saying, my pants are fine. I'm either wearing regular pants in a larger size OR maternity pants/jean. No problem there.

But when it comes to tops I'm running out of options. Most of my regular shirts are getting too small, too tight, too short. Maternity tops just HANG there. It actually looks like I'm trying to look pregnant when I'm not, if that makes any sense.

I can't tell you how many shirts I tried on this morning. I was almost in tears. I mean, I have drawers full of clothes and NOTHING fits. Who would have thought this would ever be an issue?

Am I complaining? Yes I believe I am. I don't want to have to buy another set of tops that will fit for a few more weeks. And I'm tired of wearing the same thing, day after day after day...and I'm sure my co-workers are starting to wonder if I gave the rest of my clothes away.

This stinks.

PS.Still no NT scan results. Should be here anyday...