Week 20 -- What a Rollercoaster

Well, these last eight days have been a whirlwind of emotion. Last Monday, we were elated to learn that Bagel was more like a bagel dog (yes, I went there). Then, on Friday, we had quite a scare. I went in for the follow up to my anatomy scan because on Monday, Bagel wasn't cooperating and they couldn't get a good view of one side of the heart.

The heart was absolutely perfect. But when the radiologist came in, he started looking at the brain very intently. He was measuring things and saying absolutely nothing. It was terrifying. He then told me that he found something that was a "minor marker" for certain genetic problems. I basically had to drag out of him what that all meant, and some of the information he gave me was wrong. With what little information I dragged out of the radiologist, and with the use of google later, I was able to figure out that the Bagel has some tiny cysts in the area of the brain that produces cerebrospinal fluid. In and of themselves, this means nothing. They are not harmful, they almost always go away, and there is even the occasional adult walking around with them with no ill effects. However, they have also been corrolated with certain genetic defects, most often Trisomy 18. I won't go into how horrible this is or all the statistics. Needless to say, we spent the last three days worrying more than we should and longing for the days of blissful ignorance.

Today, I finally spoke with my ob/gyn and she told me that there is absolutely nothing to worry about, especially given my age and how small they are. These cysts are fairly common, and usually go away. We'll do a follow up ultrasound later in the pregnancy to monitor the situation. But I've decided to put this all out of my mind and focus on our perfectly healthy little guy.

In the midst of all those ups and downs, yesterday, Rob felt Bagel kick for the first time! It was amazing. We were lying in bed watching a movie, and I said he was kicking and Rob said, "I want to feel" and put his hand on my belly and there was this tiny little *thump*! I can't wait until the next one.

And with all that, let's celebrate the fact that I'm halfway to baby! This week, Bagel is the size of a small cantaloupe. His digestive system is now secreting meconium, a tarry black substance which one of the grandmas will get to see when they change the first diaper (I call not it).

Week 19 -- My Mother's Intuition ROCKS!

I've received several alarming reports of individuals repeatedly checking my blog for any news of the sex, but I think by now the phone tree and one well placed facebook status update have informed most people. If you hadn't yet heard, I'm growing a Mr! That's right, it's a boy! Here's the money shot:

I know what you're thinking. Um, I see a head, but what's all that other blobby junk? The ultrasounds don't scan so well. Here, I'll circle the important bits for you:



Here's my favorite shot of the day (out of about a dozen that we got to take home with us). It's of the bottom of his feet:
SO CUTE!

And I've got a whole new milestone that I've reached today. You might have noticed from the above, but I finally figured out how to crop and enlarge pics in irfanview so you can actually see something in these ultrasounds, even if it looks like big blobs.

I have to say, I had a feeling from early on that it was a boy. I never liked using "it" to refer to the baby, so I'd sometimes say "he" and sometimes "she." But saying "she" never felt right to me. I later started thinking it must be a girl because almost everyone I know having babies in the last couple of years had or is having a boy. I figured the universe was due for a girl. I guess not from us though. :)

This week, Bagel is the size of a large mango! I love mango. This gross stuff called vernix is now protecting Bagel from the amniotic fluid, so he doesn't turn into a giant prune in there.

Ok, I've gotta say something though, the info I'm reading says Bagel is about 8 ounces this week. But the technician says he's 11 ounces today. So maybe he's the size of a genetically altered humongous mango. The technician said that his weight indicates a due date of October 30th, rather than November 2nd. My "official" due date is still November 2nd, but I'm liking our chances for Halloween now. Pretty cool.

Finally, I'd just like to say how awesome it is to be able to say "he" and "him" rather than "it" or "s/he." It's just so much easier.

Week 18 -- All Kinds of Milestones

Guess what I just did? I took a NAP. That's definitely a new one for me. I am not a napper. But it was glorious. Apparently, Bagel was waiting until this week to make me sleepy because this week, Bagel has learned to yawn. Pretty cool.

This week, Bagel is the size of a sweet potato. I love sweet potatoes. Good as a side OR a dessert! Bagel spends his/her time yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking punching, sucking and swallowing. All that moving around has become quite evidence as I definitely felt some kicking today. I thought I felt some flutters before, but this was unmistakably kicking, though light. It was pretty awesome.

Another milestone is that I finally went maternity clothes shopping last weekend and wore them this week. Instead of feeling like I'm cutting my baby in half, I was oh so comfortable, and I got some decently cute stuff. Though I need more. Also, I did the belly band thing where I use a rubber band through the button hole to make my pants bigger and then fold this belly band thing over it.

All those maternity clothes are not only comfy, they also make me look pregnant. So pregnant, that I got my first stranger questions on Tuesday. In fact, I got three in one day! One guy in the elevator asked if I was expecting and I told him that was a dangerous question. People are apparently all about chatting you up when you look pregnant. I loved it on Tuesday, but I'm sure I'll get tired of it. Oh, well.

Monday is the big ultrasound! We can't wait.

Week 17 -- I Definitely FEEL Bigger!

But I don't look much bigger, do I? Please note that this is pre-dinner. After dinner, the belly was about twice this size. I keep feeling like my belly is getting so HUGE, and then everyone tells me, "but you're so tiny!" Our cleaning woman asked, "One month? Two?" She was shocked when I told her four. C'mon Bagel, grow!

Sorry for the late in the week posting, but I've had a lovely, and incredibly busy, week in Louisville. Everyone now knows all about Bagel. There were lots of smiles and hugs and "congratulations!" It's great to work for such supportive and caring people.

This week, Bagel is the size of an onion. It's because s/he's got so many layers. Parfaits also have layers, and who doesn't love a parfait? I have a very complex baby. Bagel's skeleton is hardening from cartilage into bone, and is putting on some fat, so s/he can be a cute little butterball. Bagel can now be startled by loud noises and his/her eyes can perceive some light. Bagel's fingerprints are now uniquely his/her own.

In other news, we bought our crib! It's crazy early, but it's only sold at Babies 'R Us and had been out of stock online and the manufacturer didn't even show the crib on its website, so I was worried they were discontinuing it. It was just about the only crib I found that wasn't either (a) a huge convertible or (b) a dropside. It's awesome. If you care, you can check it out here.

Week 16 -- Holy Heartburn Batman!

The intention of this blog is to inform, rather than whine and complain, but apparently this kid has pushed my intestines up into my throat. Every time I lay down to go to sleep, I feel like I swallowed a two liter of acid. The upside is that I've been eating better. Though I crave sweets like crazy, it's all the sugar that's giving me the heartburn, so I've laid off a bit.

Other than that, I'm feeling pretty fabulous. I've got a good amount of energy and really no aches and pains except the relaxin is giving me hip trouble when I run. So I'm trying to run less and bike and swim more. Given the now gorgeous weather, and the new Four Mile Run bike trail connector under 395, I'm having a blast on the bike. Don't worry Dad, I'm loading on the sunscreen. SPF 85. That's right. 85. But I'm already the color of caramel. Mmmmm...caramel....

This week we get to move onto vegetables. Bagel is the size of an avocado. This is perfect for the spawn of two lawyers because, as anyone on the infamous Tuscany Adventure of 2003 knows, "avvocato" means lawyer in Italian (and if either of my parental units could clue us in on how one would pronounce two v's, that'd be swell). Tiny bones forming in Bagel's ears mean s/he can now hear my voice. Taste buds are forming, which I believe are the most important part of the developing body. Bagel already has its own unique fingerprint pattern! So the time to commit gloveless crimes without leaving any evidence behind is now in the past, my friend.

The most amazing part of this week? I think I'm feeling the baby moving. It's veeeeeery faint, kind of a fluttery feeling. So awesome.

I thought I'd give you guys another belly pic. It's not much different from the last one. It looks more like a spare tire than a baby bump, though my clothes are starting to not fit. Grow Bagel, grow!

Week 15 -- Waiting is the Hardest Part

So I have news! Ok, not really. My news is that I went to the doctor today and she had me schedule my BIG ultrasound that's super specially detailed and we get to find out the sex! At week 19. So my news is that I have a set date for when I'll have some news. June 8th. We have to go to a radiology clinic for it, and it's downtown, so Rob should be able to give all those lame attorneys the slip and come see Bagel's nether region with me.

My doctor's visit went well. She didn't do an ultrasound this time, just listened to the heartbeat with the doppler. It was chugging along, whop, whop, whop, THUMP! The thump was apparently Bagel kicking me. S/he's gonna be a soccah playah! I can't feel the kicks yet, but I probably will in a few weeks.

My platelets were still low at last month's check up, although they were better than in March. So I got blood drawn again and we'll see the best out of three. It's obviously not a huge issue, or we wouldn't be waiting a month between each blood draw. I asked the doc if it might be because I was so sick in March and she said it's possible. I guess we'll see what happens at my next appointment, which is on June 10th. She also took some blood to test for spina bifida. She said she normally wouldn't even bother, but since they were sticking me anyway, we might as well. And the doc also said I'm right on track for my weight gain, so that made me feel good.

Drum roll please....

This week, Bagel is the size of a naval orange. We're into handheld fruits! This week, the legs are now longer than the arms, and the ears are properly positioned on the sides of the head (they used to be in the neck). The eyes are moving from the side of the head to the front of the face. Bagel may already be sucking his/her thumb, especially if it tastes like chocolate.

I feel great. Nausea is completely gone and, thanks to my prenatal yoga class, my sciatica is gone, as well. The only problem I'm really having is allergies, and that I can only blame on Mother Nature.

Week 14 -- This Week is Kinda Boring

Zzzzzzzz.... There is NOTHING interesting going on this week. Bagel even seems to have shrunk, as this week s/he is the size of a lemon and last week was, allegedly, the size of a peach (although the picture on the website is of a nectarine -- methinks someone doesn't know their fruits). This week, the Bagel is wiggling its toes and sucking its thumb and is growing downy hair all over to keep warm. It's like a little lemon-sized monkey.

I have my next doctor's appointment on Wednesday, so maybe I'll have some interesting news then. I think it'll still be too early for my doc to tell me the sex. I don't think I'll learn that until my next appointment, which will be around 19 weeks. Sigh.

Oh, well. To save you all from boredom, I've finally taken a belly shot. This is me today in front of my dirty bathroom mirror.




I know, I know. I keep telling everyone how HUGE I am. And I swear, I feel a lot bigger than this. It really pops out after I eat. I should do a before and after.