Peanut and I are safely back in California after a cold, but really good trip to Ohio. Today is my 32 week doctor visit, which I believe marks the beginning of the 2 week appointments. Hopefully, I will find out about the damn glucola test. You would assume that if I had failed it, they would have called me with the results to start their treatmennt or whatever asap. I guess we will see.
The baby shower went well! I loved seeing everyone and we got alot of great stuff. Peanut will not need any clothes for the first year of his life. He is stocked up. The Christmas theme worked out to be really pretty, and I think everyone liked their little trains. I will post pictures as soon as I can. Overally, the trip was great. I got a couple of warmer maternity-type shirts, and I made Peanut a build-a-bear koala. :) The flights....not so much.
I had a layover in Houston both ways. The flight from CA to Houston was fine. We boarded the plane on time in Houston and I fell asleep almost right away. I woke up and I looked around and we were on the ground. I thought it felt a little early to be in Detroit. I noticed we were still at the gate, so I figured I had only been asleep for 15 minutes or so. Then I heard someone behind me say "I can't believe we have just been sitting here for 2 hours..." Then a flight attendant walks by with water. Seriously, we had been at the gate for 2 hours. It had been snowing in Houston. And they had to de-ice all the planes. However, they only had one de-icer for each terminal. There were seriously about 200 Contine.ntal planes that were in need of this service. They said they were going to allow people off the plane as long as they had their boarding pass. An agent could rebook people if they wanted to fly the next day instead, however; since the flight was not cancelled, no hotel would be provided. You would have to sleep on a cot in the airport. Um...no thanks. I had the whole row to myself, so I just got off to get some food and more water. About 45 minutes later, we backed away from the gate and got in line to be de-iced. That line lasted for about 5 hours. I watched "Jin.gle All The W.ay" and "Fre.d Cla.us." I slept on and off. And then finally got into Detroit at 6 am the next day. 8 hours later.
The flight from Houston back to California was not as bad, but I was so, so, SO uncomfortable. The flight was packed. We took off an hour late (for no real reason, just a busy airport). It was a 4 hour flight. I had an aisle seat like my doctor suggested, but it didn't help except to frequently get up to go to the restroom, which was too small. Because of the duration and capacity of the flight, there were three times they served drinks and one meal, so there was constant traffic up and down the aisle. I was sooooo hot and just couldn't sit comfortably. Peanut had decided to sit high in my belly so that was not the best either. And my feet were so swollen, I could hardly tie my shoes when we landed.
We finished moving everything into the new house! When I was gone, my husband set up the living room and garage. Last night, we bought our new dressers (Christmas gifts from my parents and grandma). Almost everything is transferred to the new address, and the washer and dryer and the freezer arrived safely before I left. I still have to locate some rugs for the floors, and I have our walk-through at our old place today. It will be nice to just be done with the old apartment and just be able to focus on the new house and getting everything ready.
I sitll have not decided on the 3D ultrasound. Or a name.
I will get the pictures up, I swear.
Showing posts with label ultrasounds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ultrasounds. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A quick note
Just a quick update from yesterday's appointment.
I hate drinking all that water. I was in pain again. Why they needed more pictures of the placenta and my cervix again was beyond me. They were fine the last time.
Anyway, the baby boy was all curled up and asleep, making it somewhat difficult to get the pictures needed but it went ok. He kept kicking his feet out as if to say "leave me alone! I'm sleeping! Go away!" I did get some cute pictures of his little kicking feet.
His heart rate was good at 148 bpm. And he is definately growing on track.
Lamaze class went well too. We worked on breathing exercises and labor positions. Ben was really into it last night and actually asked alot of questions as well. I asked my normal 200 questions. :) I get my money's worth.
I will post the feet pictures soon. I had a meeting this morning that was supposed to take until early afternoon, but let out way early. That brought me back to the office instead of the short afternoon I was supposed to have. I figured it is better to work. :)
I hate drinking all that water. I was in pain again. Why they needed more pictures of the placenta and my cervix again was beyond me. They were fine the last time.
Anyway, the baby boy was all curled up and asleep, making it somewhat difficult to get the pictures needed but it went ok. He kept kicking his feet out as if to say "leave me alone! I'm sleeping! Go away!" I did get some cute pictures of his little kicking feet.
His heart rate was good at 148 bpm. And he is definately growing on track.
Lamaze class went well too. We worked on breathing exercises and labor positions. Ben was really into it last night and actually asked alot of questions as well. I asked my normal 200 questions. :) I get my money's worth.
I will post the feet pictures soon. I had a meeting this morning that was supposed to take until early afternoon, but let out way early. That brought me back to the office instead of the short afternoon I was supposed to have. I figured it is better to work. :)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Baby Day #7
Today is a busy day. Things have settle down a bit at work, and I finally feel caught up with work stuff. Now I just have to work on the home stuff.
I have my follow-up ultrasound today. My sheet ordering the ultrasound clarifies that it is to visualize the heart, kdineys, and diaphragm. I am just excited to see my little boy again and see how much he has grown in the past 6 weeks. I feel him move all the time now and it is stronger every day. I am getting pretty excited.
As the days fly by, it seems it is more and more about the baby with every one. The amount of baby stuff we are receiving in the mail increases every day. The countdown is now under 100 days. Wow.
The baby registeries are done. I think I said that before, but now I really mean it. I have edited and added and all that stuff. They only thing we are still out on is the bumbo. I can't decide if my baby needs one. It seems to me if we have a high chair, it is unnecesary. However, I am open to suggestion on this matter. My mother is doing the shower invites for Ohio this weekend. I have ordered the train kits and bought the necessary craft supplies. I may need to get some more stuff depending on what the actual pieces look like and such.
As for how I am feeling....I am hungry all the time. All the time. The cravings are in full swing. I have not made my husband venture out for anything at this point, but he knows that those days are numbered. My belly shots will be coming, I promise. I have like 6 to post. I may need to poach some, as I was not so diligent in taking them while on vacation. The acne is clearing up on my face, for which I am thankful. I discovered that if I don't spray perfume on my neck/chest region, the acne stays at a minimum. My eyes are hella dry. I wake up with crusties every morning and have to put in drops several times a day. I have no real signs of strech marks (knock on wood). My hands and feet are quite swollen and I am thrilled if I can get my wedding band off in the morning. I have been sleeping much better and usually only wake up once or twice a night, usually to pee. However, I have been so tired lately, I opt to hold it and go back to sleep, which makes me wake up a bit earlier but has been working out ok.
Oh! and I am getting leg cramps. Man, oh man, do those suckers KILL. Just in one leg, I think my right. If my bladder doesn't wake me up, that will. I have been strecthing out my legs before I go to sleep like my yoga instructor suggested. She said it would make them less intense. If this is less intense, then I don't want to see what the full on one is. Lord, how am I going to handle contractions?
Speaking of which, we have our third Lamaze class this evening as well. We are starting to work on our birth plan. I have been reading up on different drugs and stuff. And I started watching "The Business of Being Born." This is what we have so far:
1. My husband is to be present with me at all times.
2. We want minimal/no staff in the room unless necessary to have more. We will call for the nurse in between if we need something.
3. I do not want to be offered drugs. I want to ask for them.
4. I want to avoid an epidural. If I ask for drugs I want a light narcotic (I have names but don't want to see like a druggie) to take the edge off only.
5. I do not want to be induced unless absolutely necessary.
6. Any exam done on the baby must be done in the presence of me or my husband.
7. I want every procedure suggested to be thoroughly explained to me. All windows of opportunity must be explained as well.
8. No bottles or pacifiers are to be given to the baby. Breastfed only.
It is going to be a busy few weeks. So much to get done. :)
I have my follow-up ultrasound today. My sheet ordering the ultrasound clarifies that it is to visualize the heart, kdineys, and diaphragm. I am just excited to see my little boy again and see how much he has grown in the past 6 weeks. I feel him move all the time now and it is stronger every day. I am getting pretty excited.
As the days fly by, it seems it is more and more about the baby with every one. The amount of baby stuff we are receiving in the mail increases every day. The countdown is now under 100 days. Wow.
The baby registeries are done. I think I said that before, but now I really mean it. I have edited and added and all that stuff. They only thing we are still out on is the bumbo. I can't decide if my baby needs one. It seems to me if we have a high chair, it is unnecesary. However, I am open to suggestion on this matter. My mother is doing the shower invites for Ohio this weekend. I have ordered the train kits and bought the necessary craft supplies. I may need to get some more stuff depending on what the actual pieces look like and such.
As for how I am feeling....I am hungry all the time. All the time. The cravings are in full swing. I have not made my husband venture out for anything at this point, but he knows that those days are numbered. My belly shots will be coming, I promise. I have like 6 to post. I may need to poach some, as I was not so diligent in taking them while on vacation. The acne is clearing up on my face, for which I am thankful. I discovered that if I don't spray perfume on my neck/chest region, the acne stays at a minimum. My eyes are hella dry. I wake up with crusties every morning and have to put in drops several times a day. I have no real signs of strech marks (knock on wood). My hands and feet are quite swollen and I am thrilled if I can get my wedding band off in the morning. I have been sleeping much better and usually only wake up once or twice a night, usually to pee. However, I have been so tired lately, I opt to hold it and go back to sleep, which makes me wake up a bit earlier but has been working out ok.
Oh! and I am getting leg cramps. Man, oh man, do those suckers KILL. Just in one leg, I think my right. If my bladder doesn't wake me up, that will. I have been strecthing out my legs before I go to sleep like my yoga instructor suggested. She said it would make them less intense. If this is less intense, then I don't want to see what the full on one is. Lord, how am I going to handle contractions?
Speaking of which, we have our third Lamaze class this evening as well. We are starting to work on our birth plan. I have been reading up on different drugs and stuff. And I started watching "The Business of Being Born." This is what we have so far:
1. My husband is to be present with me at all times.
2. We want minimal/no staff in the room unless necessary to have more. We will call for the nurse in between if we need something.
3. I do not want to be offered drugs. I want to ask for them.
4. I want to avoid an epidural. If I ask for drugs I want a light narcotic (I have names but don't want to see like a druggie) to take the edge off only.
5. I do not want to be induced unless absolutely necessary.
6. Any exam done on the baby must be done in the presence of me or my husband.
7. I want every procedure suggested to be thoroughly explained to me. All windows of opportunity must be explained as well.
8. No bottles or pacifiers are to be given to the baby. Breastfed only.
It is going to be a busy few weeks. So much to get done. :)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Bargain Baby
There is no questioning that a new baby costs moolah, and a lot of it at that. Since I really grabbed the reigns of our financial situation in the past few months, I have been all about looking for ways to save some dollars in anticipation of Peanut's arrival and for once Peanut gets here. I gave my husband a run-down, and he was quite impressed with what I have done.
1. I transferred our cell phone bills to automatic bill pay on our AmEx. This gave us 2 $25 statement credits. Our AmEx is paid off every month, and they give us triple points for automatic bill pay through our wireless carrier. It just made sense to do this. On Saturday, I will be transferring our separate plans into one family plan, and this will save us $75 a month. Since my husband is no longer using his phone number for work related calls, he can reduce his minutes way down. And I rarely use all mine. Plus with this new plan, there is a roll over option.
2. I transferred our credit card balances to other cards. I played the shuffle game, and we now only have about 1500 on a card that is above 10%. I am going to call that card this weekend, since I haven't had a balance transfer offer from them in quite some time. We will see what they can do. I have heard this is sometimes very effective, especially since this is the card that we use every month and have had for 10 years now. And when I say it is the only one that is above 10%, it is actually at 13%, and all the others are now less than 6%.
3. I have massive baby coupons. I created an email account just to filter online offers. I get about 5 coupons in the mail per day and get online offers. We have already talked about what kind of diapers and stuff we want to use so I have been prioritizing those coupons. Last night I totalled my coupon savings that can be used until next June and it is almost $100! We have also gotten free diapers (the brand I want), free samples of ointments and creams, free bottles, and free spoons.
4. We started shopping with our online points through AmEx. We have been saving our points up for almost 4 years now, so we have tons. Originally we planned to use these points for airline tickets to Europe this fall. Once we learned about Peanut, we decided to postpone. Next summer is out, and it would only be feasible to go the following summer for our 5 year anniversary. We still may do this. However, last night we redeemed Ben's proshop points for our bouncer, an electric screwdriver (which we decided may be helpful in putting together furniture and hanging stuff, plus Ben has always wanted one), and a family size electric griddle (that I have always wanted)....so we each got something. I have been scouring the online AmEx catalogue and to my delight, the majority of our "big-ticket" items on our registery are available with our points. In theory, if no one bought them as gifts, we could get our crib, changing table, breast pump system, swing, and gym for free. I am still looking for other items. I have found alot of similar ones, so I have added those to our maybe list. I am also going to check for other stuff we need, like a new dresser for us and a surround sound system. :) Those things are very important for a baby, you know.
5. I finally got a hold of my dentist and discussed my "overpaid" root canal and office credit. It turns out that I overpaid by over $500! Since then I had one "emergency" visit when I broke my tooth and needed it filed (and we all know those visit are more $$$), one comprehensive exam including 4 x-rays, and one bacteria scan and purchase of a mouthwash treatment that tastes like sewage. My credit is down to $21.90, but they are issuing me a refund. I did tell the billing woman that I would have appreciated knowing about the credit in um, February when I had had the work done and was stressed about how to afford this massive root canal. She said nothing.
6. Yesterday at my doctor's appointment, the insurance billing woman told me that my current insurance plan would cover my labor and delivery costs 100% other than my co-pay of $20 per day for the o/p and hospital. It pained me not to be able to sign it since we may switch carriers. She also told me that the two potential carriers we are looking at would most likely cover the same amount, so I have a call into the new potential company to verfiy coverage and costs. If it doesn't meet the coverage we have now, my husband thinks we should swing the premium ourselves for 4 months, which is about $750 a month. Ouchie. I am learning lots about the healthcare system in this process though...I will spare you my soapbox for now. :)
7. We are getting massive hand me downs. We have already gotten a Baby Bjorn that was never used! The people that gave it to us got too many as gifts, so they passed it on. No objections from me! Those things are pretty pricey! I also told them that we don't mind hand me down clothes or anything. Ben's best friend had a baby boy about a year ago, and they have said they will be sending us tons of stuff too. :) Seriously, the baby will never know the difference. I have also scouted a few baby consignment stores to look for stuff we are going to be washing the heck out of anyway, like play yard sheets and bumper covers,etc. No need to buy everything full price. We have some stuff on our registery that we would like, but we really aren't expecting this baby to have all brand new stuff. Nor do we want him too.
I think that is pretty much it. We have also decided to make our own baby food. For our wedding we received an ultimate chopper and a magic bullet (the blender thing ;) ) and both make wicked purees. We are pretty stoked at the idea of being able to control what goes into our baby food. One of my friends did this and it worked really well. We just need to get a bunch of those itty bitty tupperware containers.
My doctor's appointment yesterday went well. He ok'd my change in prenatals. I have gained 4 pounds, which is about what they wanted. My next target is 2-3 for the next month. He says I am doing well with weight gain thus far. Peanut's heartrate is strong. And the doctor measured my belly! This is the first time he has done this. He said everything looks right on track and gave me the order for my follow up ultrasound, which I scheduled for next Friday. I also have to do my 28 week bloodwork, which includes the infamous glucola test....yum.
Thank goodness it is Friday! I am going to pick up my car tonight and drop off my husband's reimbursement requests and hopefully get a check for them. I am soooo looking forward to sleep tomorrow.
1. I transferred our cell phone bills to automatic bill pay on our AmEx. This gave us 2 $25 statement credits. Our AmEx is paid off every month, and they give us triple points for automatic bill pay through our wireless carrier. It just made sense to do this. On Saturday, I will be transferring our separate plans into one family plan, and this will save us $75 a month. Since my husband is no longer using his phone number for work related calls, he can reduce his minutes way down. And I rarely use all mine. Plus with this new plan, there is a roll over option.
2. I transferred our credit card balances to other cards. I played the shuffle game, and we now only have about 1500 on a card that is above 10%. I am going to call that card this weekend, since I haven't had a balance transfer offer from them in quite some time. We will see what they can do. I have heard this is sometimes very effective, especially since this is the card that we use every month and have had for 10 years now. And when I say it is the only one that is above 10%, it is actually at 13%, and all the others are now less than 6%.
3. I have massive baby coupons. I created an email account just to filter online offers. I get about 5 coupons in the mail per day and get online offers. We have already talked about what kind of diapers and stuff we want to use so I have been prioritizing those coupons. Last night I totalled my coupon savings that can be used until next June and it is almost $100! We have also gotten free diapers (the brand I want), free samples of ointments and creams, free bottles, and free spoons.
4. We started shopping with our online points through AmEx. We have been saving our points up for almost 4 years now, so we have tons. Originally we planned to use these points for airline tickets to Europe this fall. Once we learned about Peanut, we decided to postpone. Next summer is out, and it would only be feasible to go the following summer for our 5 year anniversary. We still may do this. However, last night we redeemed Ben's proshop points for our bouncer, an electric screwdriver (which we decided may be helpful in putting together furniture and hanging stuff, plus Ben has always wanted one), and a family size electric griddle (that I have always wanted)....so we each got something. I have been scouring the online AmEx catalogue and to my delight, the majority of our "big-ticket" items on our registery are available with our points. In theory, if no one bought them as gifts, we could get our crib, changing table, breast pump system, swing, and gym for free. I am still looking for other items. I have found alot of similar ones, so I have added those to our maybe list. I am also going to check for other stuff we need, like a new dresser for us and a surround sound system. :) Those things are very important for a baby, you know.
5. I finally got a hold of my dentist and discussed my "overpaid" root canal and office credit. It turns out that I overpaid by over $500! Since then I had one "emergency" visit when I broke my tooth and needed it filed (and we all know those visit are more $$$), one comprehensive exam including 4 x-rays, and one bacteria scan and purchase of a mouthwash treatment that tastes like sewage. My credit is down to $21.90, but they are issuing me a refund. I did tell the billing woman that I would have appreciated knowing about the credit in um, February when I had had the work done and was stressed about how to afford this massive root canal. She said nothing.
6. Yesterday at my doctor's appointment, the insurance billing woman told me that my current insurance plan would cover my labor and delivery costs 100% other than my co-pay of $20 per day for the o/p and hospital. It pained me not to be able to sign it since we may switch carriers. She also told me that the two potential carriers we are looking at would most likely cover the same amount, so I have a call into the new potential company to verfiy coverage and costs. If it doesn't meet the coverage we have now, my husband thinks we should swing the premium ourselves for 4 months, which is about $750 a month. Ouchie. I am learning lots about the healthcare system in this process though...I will spare you my soapbox for now. :)
7. We are getting massive hand me downs. We have already gotten a Baby Bjorn that was never used! The people that gave it to us got too many as gifts, so they passed it on. No objections from me! Those things are pretty pricey! I also told them that we don't mind hand me down clothes or anything. Ben's best friend had a baby boy about a year ago, and they have said they will be sending us tons of stuff too. :) Seriously, the baby will never know the difference. I have also scouted a few baby consignment stores to look for stuff we are going to be washing the heck out of anyway, like play yard sheets and bumper covers,etc. No need to buy everything full price. We have some stuff on our registery that we would like, but we really aren't expecting this baby to have all brand new stuff. Nor do we want him too.
I think that is pretty much it. We have also decided to make our own baby food. For our wedding we received an ultimate chopper and a magic bullet (the blender thing ;) ) and both make wicked purees. We are pretty stoked at the idea of being able to control what goes into our baby food. One of my friends did this and it worked really well. We just need to get a bunch of those itty bitty tupperware containers.
My doctor's appointment yesterday went well. He ok'd my change in prenatals. I have gained 4 pounds, which is about what they wanted. My next target is 2-3 for the next month. He says I am doing well with weight gain thus far. Peanut's heartrate is strong. And the doctor measured my belly! This is the first time he has done this. He said everything looks right on track and gave me the order for my follow up ultrasound, which I scheduled for next Friday. I also have to do my 28 week bloodwork, which includes the infamous glucola test....yum.
Thank goodness it is Friday! I am going to pick up my car tonight and drop off my husband's reimbursement requests and hopefully get a check for them. I am soooo looking forward to sleep tomorrow.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Baby Day #6
First off, Happy 24 weeks to me! :) 24 weeks marks another important infant viability milestone. Not that you want a baby to be born at 24 weeks, but if it is, it has a greater chance at survival.
Today is also my monthly doctor's appointment. I have much to talk to him about and we have to go over my ultrasound results. Here's my topic list:
- Insurance: since my husband switched employers, we may be switching insurance plans. We agree that we like our doctor and want to stay with him, so we have to find out if he is covered in either of the new plans.
- I want to switch my prenatal vitamins. I pay a butt load for the ones I take now, and while organizing my coupons, I found an offer that covers almost the full cost of a different one. I checked online and they are basically the same. Now, given that my blood work has all come back normal and I am not anemic or anything, this should be feasible.
- I want to schedule my 3 and 4D ultrasound and I know his office gives a referral discount with a company in Santa Rosa.
- I want to make sure that my due date is not going to be adjust back at all, because my mother and Ben's mother are buying plane tickets soon.
- I want to start my maternity and disability leave paperwork so I can plan when my baby dedication and such will be.
I think that is all. :)
I also have to get another referral for another ultrasound because they couldn't get the picture of all four heart chambers together last time. Baby kept moving and such. :) Yay! I will get to see him again!
Ok, so last night was our first Lamaze class. I think it went really well, alot different than I expected. It was kinda long, and we were really tired from long work days. I was definately a talker...I asked any and every question that came to mind, which the instructor told us to do. I wanted my money's worth! :) There were just two other couples there, and they knew each other, but they were really nice. I was telling my husband that I felt more comfortable around these people because they are more like us. In my yoga class, there is only one other girl that I really mesh with. The others are all stay at home Sonoma type moms who took yoga all the time during the week and take the other prenatal yoga class during the day together and some pregnancy water aerobics class. They always come in all made-up and with perfect hair and yoga clothes. And they are all like perfect body types and the only place they are pregnant is their bump. They are really nice people, don't get me wrong. I just always come in ragged from a work day in my lounge pants and t-shirt.
Anyhoo, class went well. We talked alot about body changes through the different trimesters and preterm labor. We talked about signs of labor and watched a birth video. Let me tell you, I cried. Not out of fear or anything, but when the baby was born...I cried. And...I was the only one. Thank goodness it was dark. I was very interested in the shower that helps during labor. I had never heard about this before, a laboring woman getting a shower. The instructor said that alot of women who do the shower then feel they don't need an epidural. Interesting. We also learned some stretches and exercises to help during birth. Most of them were yoga positions, so I felt ahead of the game :) I was interesting to see Ben attempt a child's pose though. :)
Sidenotes: My car still is not done. It should be done tomorrow. Correction: It BETTER be done tomorrow.
And I had my first bizzarro craving last night. Grape jelly and Ruffles. No joke. I made a bagel with grape jelly and Ruffles. :)
Today is also my monthly doctor's appointment. I have much to talk to him about and we have to go over my ultrasound results. Here's my topic list:
- Insurance: since my husband switched employers, we may be switching insurance plans. We agree that we like our doctor and want to stay with him, so we have to find out if he is covered in either of the new plans.
- I want to switch my prenatal vitamins. I pay a butt load for the ones I take now, and while organizing my coupons, I found an offer that covers almost the full cost of a different one. I checked online and they are basically the same. Now, given that my blood work has all come back normal and I am not anemic or anything, this should be feasible.
- I want to schedule my 3 and 4D ultrasound and I know his office gives a referral discount with a company in Santa Rosa.
- I want to make sure that my due date is not going to be adjust back at all, because my mother and Ben's mother are buying plane tickets soon.
- I want to start my maternity and disability leave paperwork so I can plan when my baby dedication and such will be.
I think that is all. :)
I also have to get another referral for another ultrasound because they couldn't get the picture of all four heart chambers together last time. Baby kept moving and such. :) Yay! I will get to see him again!
Ok, so last night was our first Lamaze class. I think it went really well, alot different than I expected. It was kinda long, and we were really tired from long work days. I was definately a talker...I asked any and every question that came to mind, which the instructor told us to do. I wanted my money's worth! :) There were just two other couples there, and they knew each other, but they were really nice. I was telling my husband that I felt more comfortable around these people because they are more like us. In my yoga class, there is only one other girl that I really mesh with. The others are all stay at home Sonoma type moms who took yoga all the time during the week and take the other prenatal yoga class during the day together and some pregnancy water aerobics class. They always come in all made-up and with perfect hair and yoga clothes. And they are all like perfect body types and the only place they are pregnant is their bump. They are really nice people, don't get me wrong. I just always come in ragged from a work day in my lounge pants and t-shirt.
Anyhoo, class went well. We talked alot about body changes through the different trimesters and preterm labor. We talked about signs of labor and watched a birth video. Let me tell you, I cried. Not out of fear or anything, but when the baby was born...I cried. And...I was the only one. Thank goodness it was dark. I was very interested in the shower that helps during labor. I had never heard about this before, a laboring woman getting a shower. The instructor said that alot of women who do the shower then feel they don't need an epidural. Interesting. We also learned some stretches and exercises to help during birth. Most of them were yoga positions, so I felt ahead of the game :) I was interesting to see Ben attempt a child's pose though. :)
Sidenotes: My car still is not done. It should be done tomorrow. Correction: It BETTER be done tomorrow.
And I had my first bizzarro craving last night. Grape jelly and Ruffles. No joke. I made a bagel with grape jelly and Ruffles. :)
Sunday, September 28, 2008
You Have Stolen My Heart...
Everyone hears the stories from mom's to be, but you just can't truly believe until it happens to you. On Friday afternoon, I fell head over heels in love...with my son. :) Baby Lahman is A BOY!
Ok, so I will start from the beginning. My ultrasound was supposed to be on Thursday afternoon. When I made this appointment, the receptionist told me to drink 16 oz of water 2 hours before and another 16 1 hour before. And I did. What she failed to mention, or I failed to grasp was that the whole 32 needed to be drank completely 1 hour before the appointment. I finished mine about 30 minutes before. Needless to say, my bladder was not as full as it needed to be. We barely got to see the baby before the tech said we would need to reschedule. Now, I have heard from several pregnant friends that this was BS and they could have done it anyway. But they got us in the very next day and I didn't want to raise a stink. It was my fault.
Well, the next day I had all the water down and I WAS IN PAIN, I had to pee soooo bad. Ben had to help me into the hospital and up onto the bed. The exam went very well and I was allowed to pee after about 10 minutes. Then the real fun started. :) We saw so much of our baby. We watched as the tech took phot after photo of the arms, legs, feet, organs, head...and then she said we were having a baby boy. I started bawling. I just laid there, and held Ben's hand and watched our son, crying. I wasn't just looking at my baby. I was looking at my baby boy, at my son. It was definately one of the best hours of my life. We saw him flip around and move his arms and legs. We saw him open his little mouth and touch his little face. And we did get some pictures. :)
I love this one because it is like you are looking down at the baby all curled up in your arms. 
Yep, it's a BOY! :)
I love this one too, because he is touching his little face and it was right before he opened his mouth. :)
And of course, here are the 19 week and 20 belly shots.
Ok, this was the 19 week. And I know it looks huge. I swear sometimes my husband figures out how to use the zoom and others he plays dumb. Like in the 20 week picture:
We do have to go back for another ultrasound when we get back from our trip. The tech couldn't get a good picture of all 4 heart chambers together. Thus far, baby boy Lahman is right on track. He is an estimated 10 inches and 12-13 ounces. He has long legs and a strong heartbeat. Keep growing baby boy! :)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Baby Day #5
Yay! Today is the big 20 week anatomy scan! I am so excited to see my baby again, and to find out if it's a boy or a girl! :)
I am not so excited about the 32 ounces of water I have to drink. Peanut is currently moving all around, and will hopefully continue to do so for the next 4 hours. I had a talk with Peanut this morning on my drive in and explained that he/she needed to be active today for the ultrasound.
I am also picking up my bridesmaid dress! Fingers crossed!
I am not so excited about the 32 ounces of water I have to drink. Peanut is currently moving all around, and will hopefully continue to do so for the next 4 hours. I had a talk with Peanut this morning on my drive in and explained that he/she needed to be active today for the ultrasound.
I am also picking up my bridesmaid dress! Fingers crossed!
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Monthly Sigh of Relief
Ok, I don't know if this is just me, or other pregnant first-time moms feel this way, but every month when I go into the doctor and hear the wonderful galloping heartbeat of my baby, I smile and feel an immediate rush of relief. Kinda like "Yes! I made it through another month and the baby is ok!"
Now I am probably just a teeny (or a ton) paranoid because this is my first baby, and I don't know what is normal and what isn't. My mother can tell me until she is blue in the face that everything is ok, and no, Guiliani using me as a trampoline in the middle of the night will not hurt the baby, but I still worry about things that are probably (and most often) perfectly fine. I am a worry wort and a control freak about certain things. I want to be a good mother, and that starts now, while Peanut is still flutter-kicking in my uterus.
It is just a big relief to me, to hear that I have kept my baby safe for another 4 weeks, like I want to be doing.
So yeah, my doctor's appointment was yesterday. And I was right in saying that it was going to be uneventful. We went over the results of my AFP screening, which were all negative. We talked about my ultrasound next week and what to expect. We talked about my evil dentist and why it was good to cancel the massive quantities of drilling she wanted to do. We listened to Peanut's heartbeat, which has gotten so much louder and so fast. :) Good little Peanut.
The only thing of concern was my weight gain. I gained 1.5 pounds since my last visit. Now, I should say that in the beginning when I was nauseous, I lost 15 pounds. This was between my first and second visit. Then I had gained probably 10 or 12 of that back. Now I am almost at my original weight....but the belly is growing. The doctor was not overly concerned with this, and he said that he ideally wanted me to gain about 2 pounds per month in the upcoming months. That puts my total pregnancy weight gain at 20-25 pounds, with about 7 of that being baby (hopefully!). He said I am doing fine, just to make sure I am getting enough to eat. I told him that I haven't been hungry too often because I have been drinking so much. He said to drink more milk and that should help.
And Peanut is moving up a storm this afternoon. I have been stationary most of the day, becuase we had a big project meeting. Ever since I started typing this, I feel Peanut about 2 inches below my belly button and to the right. It feels so wonderful. :)
Only 6 more days till we find out Peanut's flavor! :)
Now I am probably just a teeny (or a ton) paranoid because this is my first baby, and I don't know what is normal and what isn't. My mother can tell me until she is blue in the face that everything is ok, and no, Guiliani using me as a trampoline in the middle of the night will not hurt the baby, but I still worry about things that are probably (and most often) perfectly fine. I am a worry wort and a control freak about certain things. I want to be a good mother, and that starts now, while Peanut is still flutter-kicking in my uterus.
It is just a big relief to me, to hear that I have kept my baby safe for another 4 weeks, like I want to be doing.
So yeah, my doctor's appointment was yesterday. And I was right in saying that it was going to be uneventful. We went over the results of my AFP screening, which were all negative. We talked about my ultrasound next week and what to expect. We talked about my evil dentist and why it was good to cancel the massive quantities of drilling she wanted to do. We listened to Peanut's heartbeat, which has gotten so much louder and so fast. :) Good little Peanut.
The only thing of concern was my weight gain. I gained 1.5 pounds since my last visit. Now, I should say that in the beginning when I was nauseous, I lost 15 pounds. This was between my first and second visit. Then I had gained probably 10 or 12 of that back. Now I am almost at my original weight....but the belly is growing. The doctor was not overly concerned with this, and he said that he ideally wanted me to gain about 2 pounds per month in the upcoming months. That puts my total pregnancy weight gain at 20-25 pounds, with about 7 of that being baby (hopefully!). He said I am doing fine, just to make sure I am getting enough to eat. I told him that I haven't been hungry too often because I have been drinking so much. He said to drink more milk and that should help.
And Peanut is moving up a storm this afternoon. I have been stationary most of the day, becuase we had a big project meeting. Ever since I started typing this, I feel Peanut about 2 inches below my belly button and to the right. It feels so wonderful. :)
Only 6 more days till we find out Peanut's flavor! :)
Friday, August 22, 2008
Irrational Anger
First things first: the appointment yesterday. This event started my irrational anger...well, provoked it at least. The receptionist who I called to find out if we were having an ultrasound big fat lied to me. I asked her point blank: Are we having an ultrasound? Receptionist: Yes, you are. And did I? NO! I was sooooo angry.
I should say that the appointment was otherwise great. My blood pressure and whatever test it is they do with the urine were perfect. I gained a little weight, but am still below my pre-pregnancy weight, thanks to the food aversion nausea. Peanut's heartrate is very good. I scheduled my 20 week ultrasound at the hospital. And I got all kinds of info for the next round of blood testing I need to do. God, I hate needles. Bleahk.
I was happy to hear the baby's galloping heartbeat though.
Anyhoo, it seems lately that I have irrational anger that comes on without warning. Example 1: on Sunday I was unable to access the traffic school website to do my online driving class. I wanted to smash the monitor. After calming myself down, I figured I would run errands. I drove all the way into Santa Rosa (which isn't actually that far, but whatevs) to the Sprint store so I could pay our cell phone bills. I do this because my husband is reimbursed for his phone bill by his work and I need an actual receipt for this. And they were freakin closed with a sign in the door saying they were closed all day for training purposes. I seriously wanted to throw a brick though the door.
Example 2: This morning my husband got a phone call from work, saying they needed him to go in. On his "day off." I use this term losely, as he never really has a day off because he gets about 200 phone calls a day and is constantly on the computer checking numbers. Now, we had a fight last night because he said he wanted to go into the Seb.astopol store to check up on it today. I threw a fit. Because the coffee wasnt' made, and there are seriously about 10 million things that need to get done in the apartment that wont' get done for yet another 1000 weeks. Plus, he wanted me to set his alarm for 5 am, the normal time he gets up. I am not stupid. If it is his day off, he will just hit the snooze button 10 million times and piss me off. So finally he agreed he wouldn't go in.
Anyhoo, when he got this phone call this morning, he didn't even seem that upset he had to go in. This angered me even more. I am sick of his job being his number 1 priority. I understand that his job is important and stressful, but for the love of god, train someone else to take care of stuff. I hate that if something needs to be done at work, he jumps on it, but I have to ask him 20 times to take out the trash. I have been asking him for a month to clean up the mold around the vent in his bathroom because it is f'n nasty. Is it done? Nope. I am seriously at my witts end. I went off about how when the baby is here he can't pull this crap. And the people at work are just going to have to deal. And that maybe, the problem with the business is that his boss doesn't know how to run it without my husband there. And that if he goes into work when he is on his paternity leave if he is not supposed to be in, the state will not pay his leave and it will end whether he has taken it or not. I was so damn angry that he would rather go into work than stay home and prioritize his pregnant wife.
Now, I know I can take care of myself. But seriously, I get really lonely all by myself. All my friends are in the City and all my family is in Ohi.o. It sucks. And it is no fun throwing up all evening, laying on the floor all by yourself in misery.
I just hate feeling this way. And the hormones are just increasing my anger beyond normal intensity.
I should say that the appointment was otherwise great. My blood pressure and whatever test it is they do with the urine were perfect. I gained a little weight, but am still below my pre-pregnancy weight, thanks to the food aversion nausea. Peanut's heartrate is very good. I scheduled my 20 week ultrasound at the hospital. And I got all kinds of info for the next round of blood testing I need to do. God, I hate needles. Bleahk.
I was happy to hear the baby's galloping heartbeat though.
Anyhoo, it seems lately that I have irrational anger that comes on without warning. Example 1: on Sunday I was unable to access the traffic school website to do my online driving class. I wanted to smash the monitor. After calming myself down, I figured I would run errands. I drove all the way into Santa Rosa (which isn't actually that far, but whatevs) to the Sprint store so I could pay our cell phone bills. I do this because my husband is reimbursed for his phone bill by his work and I need an actual receipt for this. And they were freakin closed with a sign in the door saying they were closed all day for training purposes. I seriously wanted to throw a brick though the door.
Example 2: This morning my husband got a phone call from work, saying they needed him to go in. On his "day off." I use this term losely, as he never really has a day off because he gets about 200 phone calls a day and is constantly on the computer checking numbers. Now, we had a fight last night because he said he wanted to go into the Seb.astopol store to check up on it today. I threw a fit. Because the coffee wasnt' made, and there are seriously about 10 million things that need to get done in the apartment that wont' get done for yet another 1000 weeks. Plus, he wanted me to set his alarm for 5 am, the normal time he gets up. I am not stupid. If it is his day off, he will just hit the snooze button 10 million times and piss me off. So finally he agreed he wouldn't go in.
Anyhoo, when he got this phone call this morning, he didn't even seem that upset he had to go in. This angered me even more. I am sick of his job being his number 1 priority. I understand that his job is important and stressful, but for the love of god, train someone else to take care of stuff. I hate that if something needs to be done at work, he jumps on it, but I have to ask him 20 times to take out the trash. I have been asking him for a month to clean up the mold around the vent in his bathroom because it is f'n nasty. Is it done? Nope. I am seriously at my witts end. I went off about how when the baby is here he can't pull this crap. And the people at work are just going to have to deal. And that maybe, the problem with the business is that his boss doesn't know how to run it without my husband there. And that if he goes into work when he is on his paternity leave if he is not supposed to be in, the state will not pay his leave and it will end whether he has taken it or not. I was so damn angry that he would rather go into work than stay home and prioritize his pregnant wife.
Now, I know I can take care of myself. But seriously, I get really lonely all by myself. All my friends are in the City and all my family is in Ohi.o. It sucks. And it is no fun throwing up all evening, laying on the floor all by yourself in misery.
I just hate feeling this way. And the hormones are just increasing my anger beyond normal intensity.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Baby Day #3
Today is my third prenatal appointment! I am very excited about this one, because I get an ultrasound. I know this, because the nurse freaked me out so bad last time, I called ahead to see if this appointment was with her or the doctor. The receptionist explained that I will have an appointment every month, but occassionally it will only be with the NP to check my bp, weight, glucose/protein levels, and the baby's heartbeat. I just really want to see my baby again.
It is also exciting because in theory, we could be able to tell the baby's sex if all goes well. It is still early in the timeframe that you can tell this, but 15 weeks is the start. I am so impatient, I really hope we don't have to wait until next month.
It has been a busy week so far, starting with a busy weekend. I have gotten alot done, which I feel good about. This includes scrubbing, and I mean scrubbing, the kitchen floor and baseboards on Saturday. This made me so tired, I had to take a nap. I also found a prenatal yoga class, which I am told will help with my lower back pain, and signed up for my Mar.ine Ma.mmal Cent.er training. It has also been really busy at work for me, which I don't get to say often.
Also, today my husband has his annual checkup with his doctor, and is hoping to be approved for one of the stop smoking pills. Fingers crossed. (No worries in the meantime...he has never been allowed to smoke in our apartment, and has been banned from smoking in the car when I am there.)
Fingers crossed for a good baby day! :)
It is also exciting because in theory, we could be able to tell the baby's sex if all goes well. It is still early in the timeframe that you can tell this, but 15 weeks is the start. I am so impatient, I really hope we don't have to wait until next month.
It has been a busy week so far, starting with a busy weekend. I have gotten alot done, which I feel good about. This includes scrubbing, and I mean scrubbing, the kitchen floor and baseboards on Saturday. This made me so tired, I had to take a nap. I also found a prenatal yoga class, which I am told will help with my lower back pain, and signed up for my Mar.ine Ma.mmal Cent.er training. It has also been really busy at work for me, which I don't get to say often.
Also, today my husband has his annual checkup with his doctor, and is hoping to be approved for one of the stop smoking pills. Fingers crossed. (No worries in the meantime...he has never been allowed to smoke in our apartment, and has been banned from smoking in the car when I am there.)
Fingers crossed for a good baby day! :)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Disappointed with Technology
So I got "In The Womb" from Netf.lix and I watched it over the course of a few days. It is not a long movie, I was just watching it in the interim of other things. If you have never heard of the Nation.al Geo.graphi.c series, there are a bunch of "In the Womb" movies that show the development of a baby in the uterus from conception all the way up to delivery. There are a bunch of different animals, but obviously I got the human one. :)
I have to say I was a little disappointed with it. I requested it because a recently pregnant friend raved about it. I mean, it was cool to see. The 3- and 4-D ultrasounds were very cool. However, I guess I was under the impression that the camera had somehow been inserted into the uterus and I would be seeing actual footage of an unborn baby. I know that seems kind of silly to expect, but hey. I expect high technology and cool stuff from the folks at NG. Anyhow, the actual movie was computer generated imaging based on what was seen in a 4-D ultrasound. It was pretty cool, but as soon as the narrator said it was computer generated, I was bummed.
I am starving. My appetite is definately skyrocketing. I have been eyeing the bag of tootsie pops sitting on my desk, trying to talk myself out of eating anymore sugar. What I really want is a chiliburger and fries from Me.l's Din.er in good ol' SF. Fingers crossed that the hubby took the hint.
I have to say I was a little disappointed with it. I requested it because a recently pregnant friend raved about it. I mean, it was cool to see. The 3- and 4-D ultrasounds were very cool. However, I guess I was under the impression that the camera had somehow been inserted into the uterus and I would be seeing actual footage of an unborn baby. I know that seems kind of silly to expect, but hey. I expect high technology and cool stuff from the folks at NG. Anyhow, the actual movie was computer generated imaging based on what was seen in a 4-D ultrasound. It was pretty cool, but as soon as the narrator said it was computer generated, I was bummed.
I am starving. My appetite is definately skyrocketing. I have been eyeing the bag of tootsie pops sitting on my desk, trying to talk myself out of eating anymore sugar. What I really want is a chiliburger and fries from Me.l's Din.er in good ol' SF. Fingers crossed that the hubby took the hint.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The First Look at Baby Lahman
That's right! We got our first glimpse of Baby Lahman today at the doctor's appointment. Everything went really well, other than the fact that I had to pee the entire time because some receptionist told me to drink lots of water before the appointment...so I did. I was told that this would cause the bladder to expose the uterus more. (Sidenote: apparently this is not true. If any of you become pregnant, it is not necessary. A full bladder does not enhance the baby viewing process...it simply makes you uncomfortable through the exam.)
Anyway, the doctor was very nice, and Ben and I both liked him. He was very patient with us, and answered all our questions, including my husband's crusade against Tylenol PM. He took alot of measurements and said many things to the nurse practitioner that I did not understand, but said everything looks normal and very good. He pushed the due date back to February 13th. This is what we saw:
I know to anyone else, this is not extremely exciting. Baby Lahman is that teeny whitish peanut shape that and is about 6 mm in size. And at the bottom of that peanut shape, by the two black indentations is a teeny flicker that is the heartbeat. Baby Lahman is alive and kicking. :)
The next appointment is July 23rd. Before then I have to go into the hospital for bloodwork.
To end this entry, I will share the first two baby gifts that Baby Lahman has received. The book is from my mother, who insists on being called Nonnie, as Nana has been long claimed. (For those "Fri.ends" freaks out there, this is the book that Joey read out loud at Emma's first birthday...Again, it all comes back to "Frie.nds.") The little socks are from Kelly, and were mentioned in the previous post.
And in this picture, are the first two things that Ben and I have bought for the baby. Both coming from The Ma.rine Mam.mal Center, the book is about Chip.py, the wayward sea lion (who is discovered to have a hidden gunshot wound...I think Ben just wants to teach Baby Lahman about guns as soon as possible), and the bib says "Waddle I Eat Today?" :)
On my list of things to do:
1. Go to hospital for bloodwork
2. Buy previously mentioned mats and rug
3. Continue to look at adorable baby things and pester my mother for puffcorn.
Anyway, the doctor was very nice, and Ben and I both liked him. He was very patient with us, and answered all our questions, including my husband's crusade against Tylenol PM. He took alot of measurements and said many things to the nurse practitioner that I did not understand, but said everything looks normal and very good. He pushed the due date back to February 13th. This is what we saw:
I know to anyone else, this is not extremely exciting. Baby Lahman is that teeny whitish peanut shape that and is about 6 mm in size. And at the bottom of that peanut shape, by the two black indentations is a teeny flicker that is the heartbeat. Baby Lahman is alive and kicking. :)
The next appointment is July 23rd. Before then I have to go into the hospital for bloodwork.
To end this entry, I will share the first two baby gifts that Baby Lahman has received. The book is from my mother, who insists on being called Nonnie, as Nana has been long claimed. (For those "Fri.ends" freaks out there, this is the book that Joey read out loud at Emma's first birthday...Again, it all comes back to "Frie.nds.") The little socks are from Kelly, and were mentioned in the previous post.
And in this picture, are the first two things that Ben and I have bought for the baby. Both coming from The Ma.rine Mam.mal Center, the book is about Chip.py, the wayward sea lion (who is discovered to have a hidden gunshot wound...I think Ben just wants to teach Baby Lahman about guns as soon as possible), and the bib says "Waddle I Eat Today?" :)
On my list of things to do:
1. Go to hospital for bloodwork
2. Buy previously mentioned mats and rug
3. Continue to look at adorable baby things and pester my mother for puffcorn.
Baby Day #1
Today is my first ultrasound! I am so excited. I am told after this visit, you actually feel pregnant because you can see and hear the baby. And hopefully, today we will be able to tell if it is one baby or two... :)
I went shopping with Karen this weekend and we went in all the cute baby stores and squealed over all the small clothes and shoes. It is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that in February I will actually be putting those teeny tiny clothes on my baby. It just doesn't seem real to me yet, I guess. Kelly sent me the most adorable pair of little green socks with giraffes on them. I will try to figure out how to put up pictures one of these days. I have many cute baby things to show off ;) .
Even though we don't have to worry about it for quite some time, Ben and I have been looking at baby furniture and swings, etc. We have an idea of what we like. I like to give him sticker shock so he will stop wasting money. I guess the more pressing issue is figuring out where we are going to live and when we can actually move. I have also been scouting houses for rent in Pe.taluma, where it is a little cheaper than Sonom.a.
Anyway, fingers crossed for a great first doctor's appointment!
I went shopping with Karen this weekend and we went in all the cute baby stores and squealed over all the small clothes and shoes. It is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that in February I will actually be putting those teeny tiny clothes on my baby. It just doesn't seem real to me yet, I guess. Kelly sent me the most adorable pair of little green socks with giraffes on them. I will try to figure out how to put up pictures one of these days. I have many cute baby things to show off ;) .
Even though we don't have to worry about it for quite some time, Ben and I have been looking at baby furniture and swings, etc. We have an idea of what we like. I like to give him sticker shock so he will stop wasting money. I guess the more pressing issue is figuring out where we are going to live and when we can actually move. I have also been scouting houses for rent in Pe.taluma, where it is a little cheaper than Sonom.a.
Anyway, fingers crossed for a great first doctor's appointment!
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