Full Force

Last night while trying to get my brain to shut off, I laid in bed finishing my book.  Chad was watching the last of the Saints v Falcons game on TV.  The little one in the belly decided that was a good time to start doing cart wheels and somersaults.  I wasn’t sure if Chad would be able to feel her moving yet, but thought I’d ask anyway.  He put his hand on my belly and in a matter of seconds his eyes went  really wide.  “What is she doing in there?”

“Not sure, but apparently it’s not bed time.”  I’m sure she was restless from the flight back to ATL and the car ride home, we didn’t get to move around as much as the flight to WA.  Or maybe it was the blackened chicken salad I had for dinner?

Then he pulls his hand away and starts flopping around on the bed like a fish, legs and arms going every which direction.  “Feels like she’s doing this,” he says with grunting breaths.

All I could do was laugh.  One thing is for sure, this little girl will have one heck of a silly side and a great sense of humor.

Skipping The Flutters

They say the first movements feel like little butterfly flutters or little gas bubbles in your tummy.  This could be true.  However, I have always been aware of my tummy’s activities and could not tell the difference between “flutters” and what is normal for me.  A couple of weekends ago, while trying to stay in bed as long as Tootsie would let me, I felt a few knocks.  We completely skipped the “flutter” stage and went directly to jabs and kicks.  Nugget was telling me it was time to get up and eat something.  Apparently, no matter what the air temperature is outside, she’s still toasty warm on the inside.  And as we all know, I don’t count anymore, it’s all about her.

I’ve been able to feel the same little pokes and prods while sitting at work, and when I get home and can relax.  I even learned a valuable lesson about my little Nugget and Wendy’s frosty – it makes her bounce off the walls – literally.  About 30 minutes after satisfying my craving, she just would not be still.  Have you seen the movie Alien?  I swear that’s what it felt like (without the painful and gory busting through).  TONS of movement and no control over it.

Last weekend, after wearing myself out running around town, I had planned on going to bed early.  As I was laying there letting my brain unwind, little Nugget decided it was time to do a little dancing.  I called to Chad, who thus far then had been unsuccessful at feeling anything but his own pulse in his fingers.  He came upstairs and put his hand on the belly bump.  After maybe 4 little pokes, she really let loose and must have kicked.  His eyes got pretty big, and he said he was pretty sure he felt that one, I had been trying to point them out to make it a little easier to distinguish.

So, after almost 5 months, we are finally getting distinguishable movements.  I was a little worried for a while, kept reading posts about all these other bumpies (mommies-to-be) already feeling the movement.  I know the doctor tells us she’s doing very well and growing on schedule, but we go for weeks without knowing anything.  Now I can at least have a little more piece of mind, knowing that she’s moving like she’s supposed to.

One more milestone accomplished.  Looking forward to the next…

Valerie - 0; Madame Zaritska -1

Wednesday, we went to the doctor for the anatomy scan - a sonogram that takes multiple measurements and checks the growth of all the organs.  We were told that everything is right on schedule, little Nugget is growing healthy and everything is is perfectly normal.  Nugget was asleep when we got there, so we had to poke around for a bit before we could get the measurements.  Then it came time to find out if we were having a mini-Chad or a mini-Val.

Nugget's legs were firmly closed.  "In my experience, it's usually the girls that are modest," said the doctor.

"But can you see anything?"  We both wanted to know for sure.

"See those little lines?"  To be honest, we couldn't.  It all just looked like a bunch of different, indistinguishable white and black.  "Well, that's what it looks like to me."  What does she mean that's what it looks like to her?  She's the expert.  Is it a boy or girl?  Is there outdoor plumbing or not? We asked her if she was sure.  "Yep.  That's it."  This whole time I've been thinking we were going to have a little boy.  Looks like my maternal instinct is not on track yet.

We were both in a little bit of shock.  In fact, Chad's response was, "Oh, crap.  Now I have to buy a shotgun."  I just couldn't speak.  They finished with the few print outs of the pictures and sent us into the waiting room again to wait for our regular check up.  We both just sat there with goofy grins.  I couldn't stop giggling.  "I thought for sure it was a boy!"

Looks like Madame Zaritska is one up on me.  We'll see about the other predictions she made.  We'll find out in 20 more weeks, give or take.

Hmmmm....

I still think it's a boy, but I'm not sure why, just because of the dream I had.  All I did was answer questions online about my favorite things, the weather today, the last animal I saw, and other random things.  Nothing that had to do with due date or birthdays or conception estimates.  Thought I would post this just as a fun thing to do to compare to what happens in the future. 

Madame Zaritska, using her mystical powers, has the following prediction:
The day you deliver, outside will be cold. Your baby will arrive in the evening. After a labor lasting approximately 20 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and will be 17-1/2 inches long. This child will have dark green eyes and a little patch of blonde hair.

The Waiting Game

It seems as though the first few months, if not the first 2 full trimesters, are all about waiting.  Waiting to see the first sonogram, waiting to hear the heart beat, waiting to feel the first movement.  Always waiting for that next appointment to see that truly incredible miracle again. 

Chad and I are currently waiting for our next appointment, which will be the day before Thanksgiving, to see our little Nugget again.  This is the day we (hopefully) find out which half of the name book we should concentrate on.  Then we can start the real registering process that Sunday, if it’s not a complete zoo after Black Friday.  (I plan on going early and only staying out a couple of hours, if Chad’s lucky.)

The Holiday festivities will start to close out the slow “waiting period” of the pregnancy and usher in the “hectic, hurry and get it done before the baby gets here” time period: baby showers, birthing classes, “nesting,” etc.  It doesn’t sound like much of a list, but then throw in a diminishing energy level, increased number of appointments, working all week, Prenatal Yoga (and other random workouts), Tootsie Roll and her needs, as well as anything extra life wants to throw in.  We’ve got a LOT to do in 3 little months, if the baby gives us the full amount of time.

I’m both excited and apprehensive to hit that last trimester.  I’m enjoying the relaxing “wait” time I have from day to day as well as all the little changes and discoveries.  But at the same time, I want it to get here so I can start all the fun stuff and see my to-do list get smaller.

For now, we’re focusing on each next milestone and we look forward to sharing them with our family and friends as they occur.

Bothersome Stupidity

I guess part of the pregnancy/parenthood journey is self-discovery.  I learn more about myself and our little miracle each day.  As with all things studied, we find some aspects are good and some are not-so-good; some that are permanent and some temporary.  I can only hope that the not-so-good aspects of my pregnancy are the temporary kind.  Make no mistake, I have no illusions that once Nugget is born, everything will go back to normal.  I have seen too much to know that won’t be the way.

That being said, I’ve noticed one of my symptoms of pregnancy is a lower tolerance level for B.S. (Bothersome Stupidity).  Some might even venture to call me a little bitchy sometimes, but I think they’re just being irrational.  How could I be bitchy?

Before I give an example of my lower BS tolerance, let me first give a quick definition/explanation… Halloween Hoedown is one of two annual gatherings of family and friends in Royston, GA, generally consisting of camping, pumpkin carving, cake walks, costume contests, music and dancing, a lot of food, and a little drinking around a massive bonfire.  Halloween Hoedown is clearly meant to entertain families and children.  Whereas the “Adults Only” Hoedown in the Spring is just that – Adults Only, and geared more toward a laid back atmosphere.  That's it in a nutshell.

Back to my example and Halloween Hoedown this past weekend.  This year for Halloween the weather was beautiful!  Sunny, but not too hot during the day, and just cool enough at night to sit by the fire without freezing when you step away.  The family is always enjoyable as are most of the friends – there’s always “that one” in every crowd.  There should have been very little to complain about.  This year there seemed to be a few more vocal participants than in the past.  More complaints that the music was what the “kids” wanted to listen to and not enough music for “old people.”  I don’t really remember seeing old people, but I guess it’s all relative.  Overheard remarks as to “I’ll jam where I want to jam, I don’t care.  I’ll march right down there and start playing.”  Then after the band (invited as guests and not entertainment) started playing, we were told to applaud.  That by itself left a bad taste in my mouth – I just don’t like people telling me what to do (which I think is amplified during pregnancy).  The next morning, when a guitar came out to play while the radio was on some mellow music that everybody could enjoy (Eagles, Tom Petty, etc) I had to really fight the urge to stare directly at the guitar player while walking to the stereo and cranking up the volume.  That may have been borderline bitchy, but I could still hear the complaints and comments from the night before.  I’m proud to say that I kept my mouth (mostly) shut, at least to the people in question.   

So, I’m taking the good with the bad.  I’m taking the lower tolerance and trying to use it to become a bit more patient with stupid people.  Maybe my next lesson will be the use of subtlety and tact.  Although, I fear I may never actually master that one.  Wish me luck!

Love Him To Pieces!

First a little bragging…  I have always known I had a good guy, even before he knew I had him.  It was always funny to me when people told me “how lucky” I was to have found him and “what a great catch” he was.  Do people say this to women because we are the “better” sex and it’s easier to find a good woman than it is to find a good man?  Are they trying to “sell” the idea to me that I’ve got a good one?  Hello, people, I’m a very smart woman.  I knew almost from the beginning that I had found my match, my balance.  That being said, Chad does things now and then to reinforce that knowledge.  At the risk of giving him a big head, or at least larger than it is now, I feel the need to brag just a little.

At 13w5d (last Monday), we had our NT scan with the Perinatologist and got the incredible ultra sound pictures that were posted in the last entry.  That same week on Friday (14w2d), I was scheduled for a regular check up.  Nothing new, nothing exciting, just a check up with my regular doctor.  Chad had worked out of town (Alabama actually) on Thursday and got home around 2 AM Friday morning.  Earlier Thursday when we discussed it, he didn’t know if he was going to come with me for the check up because he was going to get in so late.  When I woke him up (as discussed) to give him the chance to go (after only 6 hours of sleep), he laid in bed for a few minutes then got up happily to go with me.  I had told him numerous times, that he didn’t have to go, there wouldn’t be anything new, he could stay in bed.  (And yes, I only say that when I mean it.)  He just wanted to go and see The Nugget.  I know it’s not a big thing, but it’s the little things that make me love him all the more.

Ok, now that I’ve given him an ego boost, here’s a little funny…  He came in one night this week from grilling burgers and was really excited and had a huge smile.  When I asked him what was up, he responded with, “Now I can get Father’s Day presents...like new grill plates!”  That’s one of the funniest things I’ve heard so far.

Reality Check

It's been weeks since my last doctor's appointment, and that long since I've seen the Nugget.  I'm sure it's a normal feeling to start doubting oneself or the miracle that is continuously growing inside.  I can't feel anything moving yet and I can't hear any heart beat.  I've been trying to keep myself from getting too excited for fear that something may happen and I would fall that much farther.


Today, my reality was again confirmed at the Perinatologist.  We went for the First Trimester Screening at 13 weeks and 5 days - fully elective at this point, but the only non-invasive test we could do to make sure everything was good.  This is what we saw...

The Nugget's length is now 7.56 cm (approx 2.9 inches) from crown to rump.  And yes, his crown is the size it should be, although it looks large (Chad's kid for sure).  The doc said we're right on target for the April 20 due date.  You can also make out a leg and arm.

Nugget's profile - nose and forehead look great (one of the indicator's of a higher chance for Down's Syndrome).  [Sorry about the funny angle.  The photo scanner flipped out after the first, so I resorted to taking pictures of the last 2 print outs.]

Nugget's profile - with little ear.  We also saw fingers, 2 hands, 2 legs, 2 feet.  Nugget's heartbeat is around 150 bpm, which is nice and healthy.

The little booger is deinitely my child.  Kept putting it's arms up in the way and wouldn't turn the correct direction to get the scan of the spcae at the back of the neck.  Stubborn little thing.  The tech did ask if we wanted her to make a guess at the gender.  "Only if you're 90% sure."  So, we still don't know if we're having a Nugget or a Nuggette.  The gender scan should be around Dec 1.  I'm hoping to talk them into letting me come in the day before Thanksgiving.

We should have the actual results of the measurements and finger prick test next week.  I just wanted to share the most recent pics of our little Nugget.

Nugget

Just a quick entry for today, lots to do and so little time.

I had my first dream of the baby last night - a little blond and blue boy (bigger than a newborn, but WAY too adorable).  People were coming by to see him and I intoduced him as "my little nugget."  I think that's going to stick for a while, with either a boy or a girl.

A quick funny part of the dream that may be TMI...
Stop reading now if you're easily grossed out...
He woke up crying, so I picked him up and started rocking him.  He pooted, smiled, then went back to sleep.  Just like his daddy - likes to poot on / around me and laugh.

Bump, Bloat, or Just Plain Belly?

I can’t say I’m surprised that I hadn’t really noticed it was coming.  During the first 6 months of this year, I embarked on a journey to lose 30 lbs and never saw the changes in the mirror, only in my clothing and the scale.  I’m not sure if that means I have a funky mirror that lies to me A LOT, or if I just don’t really pay attention to the way my body looks.

Recently, I’ve been trying to hide my tummy area because I couldn’t really tell if I was getting Baby Bump, or if it was pregnancy bloat, or just my belly expanding from the constant eating I’ve been doing.  This morning, however, I woke up with no feelings of bloat, checked the scale when I got out of the shower, and got dressed for work in a skirt and sweater.  ‘Holy Goodness, where did that come from?!?”  I know my pants have been fitting a bit tighter, in fact I had to unbutton them a couple of days this week at work (go ahead, you can laugh, it’s pretty funny).  But I really did not see this before, it just snuck up on me.  Now that it’s here, I think it’s time to embrace the bump.  I’d rather people know that I’m pregnant (even though I’m not a huge fan of the spotlight) than have people just think all that hard work I put in has gone to the dumps.  So, the next question is, where do I find inexpensive, cute maternity clothes that I’m only going to wear for a few months?

Holy Bottles, Batman!

I’ve never realized how many things are out there for babies.  Not only just types of things, but brands and styles as well.  How does one pick an appropriate stroller, car seat, high chair, or crib for the registry?  Chad and I are both too big to “test” each item to make sure they’re comfortable, so how do we know what Baby will like or be most comfy in?

Then there’s the question of, what do we really NEED as opposed to WANT?  There are MILLIONS of items that seem unnecessary, but may make life with an infant a little easier.  [Even though life with Baby will be a breeze.  We fully expect Baby to be the most quiet, well behaved, unfussy, immediate pleasure ever, who, of course, sleeps through the night.  Ok, who am I kidding, have you met us?  Chad may be somewhat quiet (until he has his adult beverage and the stereo automatically becomes too soft), but I’m not sure I can be fully recognized as a quiet person.  When I have something to say, I like to be heard.  And if Baby is anything like mommy, we may be in a bit of trouble.]

Back to the questions at hand, what do we register for?  And how do we know if we’re getting the best, safest, most comfy model for Baby?  With a little research by Daddy, and Mommy’s good sense of what’s cute, I’m sure we’ll be ok finding things.  Now to figure out what’s actually needed...

The First Few Questions

A couple of the first questions I get asked is "how do I feel" and "do I get morning sickness".  Most days I feel pretty good.  At first I was a bit tired, now it comes and goes.  As for morning sickness, I've only had a few bouts of nausea, mostly triggered by stress.  It really doesn't surprise me, though.  Since at least high school, I've had a bad habit of working myself into a fit of anxiety, sometimes to the point of being physically ill.  The fact that I've always had issues with motion sickness hasn't helped either ("they" say both are related).  Luckily, the prenatal vitamins don't bother my stomach, but the DHA pill I take right before I go to sleep, they taste disgusting on their way back up.  ;o)

These days when somebody asks me how I feel, I pretty much always answer, "hungry."  I haven't had any real food aversions or cravings, but I LOVE me some Mexican food.  I could pretty much eat tacos 5 times a day (and that's mostly before 3 PM).  I am constantly hungry, which worries me a little, but the scale says I'm still doing pretty well.

Other than that, everything seems pretty good.  We'll see how the next 2 trimesters go...

A New Beginning

As you must have heard by now (or you wouldn't be reading this), Chad and I are expecting our first 2-legged child in April!  It's been an interesting road over the past 11 weeks and we couldn't be more excited to share the news with our family and friends.  We've decided to keep a separate blog to update those who would like to follow along voluntarily instead of my bombarding FB friends with all things pregnancy.

Until then, here is the first pic of our little alien.  The little arrowhead shaped blob next to the perfectly round circle is our soon-to-be munchkin. 

Please stay tuned as I hope to update again soon when I have some quiet time.  For now, its time to eat.... Again.