Week 23 -- A Scare Turns Into Some Good News

So apparently pregnancy has turned me into a huge klutz (although most of you know I was already a huge klutz). I was jogging on Saturday morning (read: waddling/shuffling), and I tripped over a brick sticking up in the sidewalk and fell. My arms caught the brunt of the fall (you do NOT want to see my elbow), but I did partially hit the left side of my belly. ::screams and tears out hair in fright!::

Of course, I spent the next half hour berating myself because I seemed to be under the false impression that I now have some sort of magical maternal instinct that would give me superhuman strength and allow me to contort my body such that my precious belly would not touch the ground. Um, yeah, that didn't happen. Anyway, it wasn't a hard fall by any means, but I called the doctor to be sure and she said she'd feel more comfortable if I came in for an ultrasound. So I spent half my July 4th in the hospital. Happy Independence Day!

First of all, everything is fine. Bagel is wonderfully perfect. The placenta didn't go anywhere, I have a ton of amniotic fluid, Bagel was moving and kicking around, and his heartbeat was steady. While this was an awful and scary experience, some good did come of it. I got to see the labor and delivery area of the hospital where I'll be delivering. The room was really big with a tv and big bathroom. The nurses were incredibly nice. I absolutely loved the ultrasound tech I had.

Most importantly, the cysts we found out about three weeks ago appear to be gone. I told the ultrasound tech about them and he took a look for me and couldn't find evidence of them. He said it's usually pretty easy to see them, and when I told him how small they had been (less than 4 mm), he wasn't surprised that they had disappeared. If nothing else, the hours in the hospital were worth it for the peace of mind on that subject. If you couldn't tell, I much preferred this ultrasound tech to the radiologist at my last ultrasound. This guy knew what he was talking about (e.g. actually knew the name for the cysts) and just generally made the experience a good one. So thumbs up for Sibley.

Oh, and if anyone was wondering, it's definitely a boy. No question. None at all. :)

I'm not going to stop running, if you were wondering. I could have done the same thing walking, or rushing to catch the bus, or going up the stairs. I will try to be more careful. But I don't want me or Bagel to miss out on all the benefits of staying healthy and active with weight bearing exercise. Plus, I only run once or twice a week. I'm still using the elliptical, swimming, and doing yoga, as well. On the other hand, I have decided that my bike riding days are over. Clearly, I'm not as smooth as I once was (ha!). If this fall had been off my bike, it could have been really bad, and I'm just not comfortable with risking that anymore. It's going to be tough. I love riding my bike, and I miss it already. But I'm looking forward to some trail rides with Bagel in a bike trailer over the next couple years.

This week Bagel weighs about a pound and is about 8 inches long. As I told you last week, the websites aren't giving me any more fruit comparisons. A couple websites say he now looks "like a perfect little doll." If you've finished with that vomit inducing comparison, you can go ahead and speculate what kind of foodstuffs he looks like now. Maybe a small butternut squash? I read that I can now hear Bagel's heartbeat with a regular stethoscope. Anyone have one I could borrow? That would be awesome.

I also just read that Bagel's weight is supposed to double over the next four weeks. Woah. I would like to take this opportunity to ask both my and Rob's families to not allow me to eat the entire cities of Charleston and Portland, respectively, in the next few weeks. Thanks.

I will leave you with something really cool. We've been feeling Bagel kicking and punching for several weeks now. Last night, I was laying on the couch with my hand on my belly, and I felt this mound pop up and move across my belly under my hand. I'm pretty sure it was a knee. It was the first time I could feel what could be an identifiable body part and it was pushing out and moving around rather than kicking or punching. It was bizarre and awesome all at the same time. Like Alien without all the screaming and death.

Week 22 -- Ok, I Get it, I'm Pregnant

I'm finally starting to feel really pregnant. I get now why I'm supposed to be sleeping on my side, rather than my back. On my back, I get a bit breathless and just feel bad. Of course, I wake up every morning with ridiculously sore hips. Side sleeping sucks. I'm dealing with it by using a mountain of pillows that Rob has to push me over so that I can get up to use the bathroom. It's getting somewhat more difficult to bend over. Also, I went on a great bike ride yesterday, and for the first time, noticed a bunch of people staring at me. That was interesting.

You might think that people would be jumping up on the bus and metro to offer me a seat in the mornings. Not today! So on behalf of all the pregnant women out there, I'd like to offer a round of applause to all the jerks in this city who either purposely don't look up to see if someone needs their seat or stare straight at my belly and then look away. You're awesome. Glad you can live with yourself. Of course, when anyone does actually offer me their seat, usually I think it's so nice that they even offered that I'll refuse. I'm still pretty stable on my feet on the metro.

Rob and I went and registered this weekend, which was fun. We ended up getting a bunch of frog themed things. This was for obvious reasons on my part (I was a frog in my last life), but Rob was really loving the froggy stuff too. Don't ask me what my nursery theme is or my colors. I am not a colors or theme kind of person. Bagel's room is going to look like a lived in kid's room with a bunch of kid's stuff in it. That's all I can tell you. Well, that and we've decided not to repaint, so the walls will remain purple. We won't be in this house long enough to want to bother with repainting. We've decided to get new windows instead. Something the whole family can enjoy!

I've got devastating news for all of you: the weekly fruit and vegetable comparisons are no more. Well, at least on the site I was using regularly. I may be able to find other comparisons here and there each week, but The Bump has moved on to only monthly fruit/vegetable comparisons, rather than weekly. But anyway, this month, Bagel is the size of a papaya. I'm actually not a huge fan of papaya. I also found another site that says he's the length of a box of sugar. I love sugar! He can now hear sounds outside the womb. So Rob, stop making that buzzing noise on my belly to try to make him kick. Maybe you can just ask nicely instead. His facial features are pretty much set and he's able to grip things, including the umbilical cord. He also is growing hair, but it has no pigment yet, so it's all white. Perhaps like the occasional hairs I find on my own head.

Also, he is now kicking up a storm. I feel him kicking around in there a lot of the day. Much of it can't be felt from the outside, as he's usually kicking my bladder or some other random internal organ. Thanks Bagel!

Update: I meant to include in this post a paragraph about how pregnancy brain has truly set in but, ironically, I forgot. Pregnancy brain is no joke, people. The other night, I went down to the kitchen to do something and then stood there for 2 minutes trying to remember what I had come down for before going back upstairs and finally remembering. I was typing in my sister's email address yesterday and her married name popped up and I thought, "who the hell is that?" It's a real problem.

Week 21 -- I am One Klassy Pregnant Chick

Wouldn't you agree? Ok, ok, it's a non-alcoholic beer, and it was really early, so Bungalow hadn't gotten smoky yet. But the visual is still great. This is an O'Doul's Amber, which is, so far, my favorite non-alcoholic option. Feel free to leave any other suggestions in the comments. Please note that if you say Becks NA, I will never trust your opinion on anything ever again.

I'm feeling pretty great this week. I'm sort of starting to feel uncomfortable now. I can't bend over as easily. I'm finally starting to get used to sleeping on my side, but long for a good belly sleep every night. I've had to cut down my jogs to only once or twice a week and they are agony. Don't worry, I'm not pushing myself past the point of comfort. I just spend every single minute of the run having to use the bathroom. EVERY. SINGLE. MINUTE. It doesn't matter whether I go right before I leave for my run. Fairlington needs more Starbuck's and the like with free bathrooms.

This week, Bagel is the size of a large banana. I eat at least one banana a day, so that works out nicely. Yay potassium! Bagel is swallowing a bunch of amniotic fluid each day, and it tastes different to his well-developed taste buds depending on what I eat. Apparently, babies exposed to certain tastes in utero are more likely to like to eat them once they're born. So I'm going to try to vary the kinds of food I'm eating as much as possible. I'd prefer to not have a picky eater on my hands, like, say, a certain father-to-be or, say, a certain aunt-to-be. Though, now that I think about it, a stubborn streak appears to a common trait among said picky eaters, so maybe this kid is just going to eat what he wants, no matter what I have to say about it.

Bagel has been kicking a lot more too, which is amazing. Rob felt like 10 kicks in a row the other night. He kept saying, "I felt that. And that. And that!" I gave Rob the youth sized Louisville Slugger that I got for Bagel in Louisville this weekend, and he keeps teasing me that it's so heavy, he won't be able to use it til he's 12 (he's actually right about that). But if this kid keeps doing calisthenics in there, he might be wielding this thing at age 7.

Rob and I have been talking over names and we have a list of maybes. Some people - *cough* Mom *cough* - have been whining like little babies over the names we've picked, so we've decided to do a poll. You guys can vote on which name you like the best. Isn't it so nice that we're including your thoughts on the matter? We're sure that you'll love all the names on our list. The poll is on the left hand side of the blog. Please vote. It's very important. You wouldn't want us to pick a name like Ohgoshidunno just because no one bothered to vote on the blog.

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.