13w1d: Update from emergency U/S

Everything looks perfect! The baby is EVEN bigger (now measuring 14w1d instead of 13w1d per LMP). :) S/he was moving around and waving the little arms to us. No hiccups this time. The tech took a pick and we think it's... a boy! She said she was pretty confident (and I am too) but there is no guarantee until about 16 weeks. Our next appointment is on the 18th (closing on 16 weeks) but with a doctor, and they probably won't do u/s then. I will have an anatomy scan between 18 and 22 weeks and that's when we will find out for sure. But I am pretty darn sure it's a boy. :)

Oh, and we got another picture! :)

HELLO WORLD!

12w6d: Blood

Woke up at 4 AM to go to the bathroom and... I saw blood on my underwear. It wasn't much, perhaps an inch wide round spot, but it was bright red. You must be kidding me, I thought, as we waited for long 12 weeks and 5 days and a great NT scan to tell my parents. I called the doctor (answering service, actually) immediately, they said the doc will call me back ASAP. We checked the HB and it was as usual, which calmed me down. I tried to fall asleep but that wasn't really feasible in this situation, so we just kind of sat in bed and talked. We were fairly calm thanks to the Doppler and the fact that I wasn't really "bleeding" any more; it now was more like little pink when I wiped. We finally fell asleep around 8 or so. At 10 I woke up and decided to call again. This time the doc called back right away and said that if it's only a little then it's ok to wait till Monday for another U/S. We checked the HB again and it was still good. The spotting was less and less and is now more brown-ish, which indicates old blood. I have a good feeling but I am also looking forward to the U/S on Monday.

12w5d: NT Scan

The NT scan went very well! The baby measured 13w3d (yet another day farther than on the u/s three weeks ago), had a strong heart beat, and was very cute. The whole thing lasted about 20-30 minutes, which, with a full bladder being constantly pushed on, seemed like hours! The neck measured 1.8 mm, which is great (anything less than2.5 mm is considered normal), and the baby had a clearly visible nose bone. They also pricked my finger and squeezed blood onto four circles on a paper template. We will get combined results in about 10-14 days.

We also got a few pictures although both DH and I agree that this u/s tech is not a very good photographer. :) The baby waved his/her hand to us a couple of times but unfortunately she was unable to catch it. The baby also had a hiccup almost the whole time1 It was cute at first but then I felt very sorry seeing his/her tiny body being jerked like that! Supposedly it is good as that's how you know they are developing sucking and swallowing skills.

Here are the pics.



And our little alien:



We also told my parents. I implemented the photo plan; posted all the ski trip pics on Picasa and added the U/S pics as the last two. I sent them a link and was on the phone with them while they looked. They didn't notice the "all ten of us" comment under the first pic but I didn't want to draw attention to it. When they got to the last photos, my mom was all confused: "Ooo, baby?! Whose baby is this?" I knew she knew, she just couldn't believe it. :) I said, "Look, the name is on top of the pic!" And she read my name out loud (it sounds so cute how they pronounce my last name with the thick Polish accent!). :) They were so happy! She asked how far along I was. She said she suspected a couple of times when we were on the phone but didn't want to ask as she knew we wouldn't want to tell before the end of 1st trimester. She knows me so well. I love my parents!

I sent the same email to my little sister, as she was at the movies at the time and I couldn't talk to her. Then called my big sister and I got to implement my other plan, the one about not going to the beach! I mentioned to her a couple of weeks ago that we may have to move the beach trip as two of the families who usually go are not able to come in September. Today I said that one of the families is us. And I asked if she knows the reason. I am not sure if she suspected but just didn't want to say it in case it wasn't it, but she said no. I said "It's because in September there will be already three of us!" :) She was so happy! I love sharing good news!

12w2d: Back from the mountains

We had a great time at the mountains last weekend. Even though I didn't ski, I was exhausted just from walking around (went shopping on Sat and for a short hike on Sun). I officially can't fit in any of my pants and purchased a pair of work pants and a pair of jeans at Motherhood Maternity. I absolutely love them! It looks like I am showing less, actually, when I am wearing them, as they fit so nicely. It's good as I am not ready to tell at work just yet.

Decided to wait till Friday's NT scan before we tell our parents. Hopefully we will get some cute pictures and can use my plan of "telling" with the pictures. I am also thinking about posting the group pic from the trip of all of us tonight, with caption "All 10 of us" (while only 9 are "visible") and see who picks on it. :)

As for symptoms, it seems that I have developed a new one, and it's not fun. I started experiencing Restless Leg Syndrome the second night at the mountains. I woke up at night and couldn't go back to sleep, as my legs were tingling. I didn't make much of it until last night. I woke up and it was out of control! I had to get up, walk around, do squats, stretch etc., all while I am half asleep. Really not pleasant. I used to have it from time to time before I got pregnant but it went away on it's own.

11w6d: Ski trip

We are in the mountains and most of our group is on the slopes. My one friend and I stayed in the cabin with her 6 mns old. We are going downtown for lunch soon, and then I am going maternity clothes shopping and/or getting a pedicure while she visits with her local friend. Fun time!

Our Friday appointment went well. The new doc (who is just as nice as the other doc) just did a super fast u/s EXTERNALLY! I am so glad I've graduated from the dildo cam! The baby looked so much bigger! DH was so cute, he said on the last few u/s you had to look for the baby. Now, as soon as the camera is on, BUM, there it is! :) The doc didn't measure anything but said the baby looked very healthy and had a healthy HB (which we know thanks to the Doppler). She also said that by the bare eye the neck looks very good, no extra fluid. We have the NT scan next Friday (yay for seeing the baby again!) and will get the exact info then. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture so I can't post it with my ski trip pictures for my family to find out. We may just try to hold off with all the pics till Friday until we have pics from the NT scan. :)

11w4d: The doppler adventures - cont.

We listen to the baby ever night now. Right when I walk in the door, I run up the stairs and get the Doppler out. After doing it for a week, I tend to find the HB really quickly, as I know where the baby likes to hang out. :) The HB has been usually between 150 and 160 bpm. Most of the times it's hard to get a consistent reading and the number just goes up and down between those brackets.

Last night though, I found it almost immediately, but I kept loosing it. The HB was a bit higher than the last few days, about 160-165 bpm. I usually wait to hear it for 10-15 seconds constantly and then turn off the Doppler. But yesterday it felt like I heard it for 5 sec and it went away, and I had to move the wand a bit to get it again, and it would move away again. I think the baby was swimming around and having fun in there!

U/S tomorrow; I can't wait to see the baby! I really hope we won't get a bad surprise. When I am so happy, I start to feel that it's too good to be true, and that my happiness has to be crushed. I am always very anxious when I am walking up the stairs to do the Doppler. Tonight I will be super anxious. If we hear the baby tonight, I really think we will see a healthy LO swimming in there tomorrow morning. And I will finally be able to tell my parents and sisters! God, please let this happen!

Now, I also would like to make an update on my symptoms. First of all, it's all much better now.
- M/S doesn't really bother me almost at all, it may pop in here and there when I get hungry, but it is easily neutralized by a snack.
- I still have the "full" feeling in my thought in the evening, which makes me want to lay down on the sofa quietly and not move, as it feels that speaking or moving will cause returning my dinner.
- I am much more energetic during the day and even in the afternoons. I can do stuff like fold the laundry, clean up etc. after work. I can stay up till 11 or so on good days, although it wears out and I crush at 8 once every 2-3 days.
- My boobs are still a size up from where they were but they are not growing any more and they are definitely not as heavy and therefore painful. They still are sensitive to touch though.

Oh! I almost forgot. Yesterday I broke down and made my first maternity purchase. I went to one of those one-day deal websites and saw great looking maternity pants for... $12!! And beautiful tunics (I love tunics) for $14! How could I have passed on that??!! I also got a black skirt and a blazer set that I intend to wear for work with colorful t-shirts under. That was whooping $25. All in all I spent over $100 including one non-maternity shirt that I got "just in case" (ugh, the paranoia). The clothes will not get here for another two weeks though, I hope this will be just in time. :)

10w4d: The doppler adventures

We heard it, we heard it! 169-170! Strong little baby!

I was pretty scared so I told DH to stay downstairs and that I'd call him when I hear it. I tried and tried and couldn't pick it up. DH wanted to come up but I told him not yet. Finally I yelled that the baby is hiding. He said he is coming no matter what. I gave him the stuff I found on how to search for the HB and he was laying next to me reading and suddenly we heard it, really quietly. DH goes "What is it?" I turned the volume up and he said "That's it, that's the heart!" He was so excited! One of those precious moments in life when you see someone you love 100% happy!

He needed to leave as he was going to play guitar with his buddies and said "Now I don't want to go." :) He is a very private person and doesn't show his feelings much. He also wants to protect me, and not worry me, so he never shows how nervous he is. It's so great to see his happiness. I love him so much. And I love our baby. When he was leaving, I called him "Daddy". :)

10w4d: The doppler is here!

The Doppler has arrived! I ordered it it on Sunday night (I think) and waited impatiently ever since. Today the status on USPS site said "out for delivery" and DH just called from home that the Doppler is there!

Here is what I found out about trying to use Doppler at the beginnings:

1. Start low aiming downward behind the pubic bone and work your way up.

2. Push hard. Don't worry, you are not going to squish the baby.

3. Place the probe directly on top of the gel and turn the unit on. Make sure you put enough gel on. The wand is not supposed to touch your skin, only the gel. Add more if you need to. If you hear static, you probably need more gel.

4. Start with full bladder. If you can't find the baby's HB, try with empty bladder.

5. Move the probe in a VERY SLOW circular motion moving side to side across your abdomen. Use a slight rocking motion as you move the probe around.

6. If your fetal Doppler has an LCD heart-rate readout, do not try to read the display until you can hear your baby's heartbeat.

7. A fetal doppler should never be used longer than 10 minutes. If you don't find the heartbeat in this period of time, take a break.

8. DO NOT FREAK OUT IF YOU CAN'T HEAR IT! Remember, you have tilted uterus so it may not be possible to detect it until you are 12 weeks!

Ok, it's time to wrap up, DH is here to pick me up! I will keep you updated on the Doppler adventure.

9w5d - 10w1d

I am long due for update from our Friday u/s so let's get right to it.

Friday, Feb 4, 9w5d.
The u/s was AWESOME. I told the tech that this is our third pregnancy and we have no babies yet, and if she could tell us asap. So as soon as something appeared on the monitor, she turned it to us It was a good sign. There were some settings tables blocking the view for the first few seconds, but I already could see the head of your baby! And it was a big one! lol. The baby was so much bigger than last time (measured 10w2d) I couldn't believe it! S/he had two distinct arms and two distinct legs and looked like a real person! We didn't hear the heartbeat but we could clearly see it blinking on the monitor. She measured the HB and it was 169 bpm, perfect. The baby waved his/her hands to us and kicked a few times trying to turn around. It was simply unbelievable, and I was crying for happiness. Two more weeks, baby, just be strong for two more weeks, and we will be (almost) out of the woods! :)

Symptoms:
- My m/s faded out almost entirely, yesterday I didn't feel any even in the evening. It might have been because we were at a Superbowl party and I was preoccupied with other things and constantly chewing on something. It came back slightly today in the morning (before I got up) and than again around noon when I was starting to get hungry for lunch.
- I also survived till after 11 pm yesterday without napping, even after a 50 min walk! I am paying for it today, as I am really tired. I am thinking about snicking out to take a nap in the car.
- Boobs have been as sore as usually; that's the one symptom I can always count on. :)
- I have been having some cramps today and read somewhere that it may be a sign of dehydration. The girl who mentioned it said that she was suggested to drink as much water as possible ("until you feel like you are going to throw up" were her exact words) and then lay down. She said it helped. I know I have no place to lay down so I better not make myself throw up, as it will cause even more dehydration. So I opened my last dreaded bottle of water found in my goodies drawer and I am pushing myself to take a few sips from time to time. I am about half-way done. The good thing is I was able to take my prenatal vitamin with it.

And now, what everyone has been waiting for: Our brand new 10-weeker! :)



I am in love!

9w4d

This entry will not be about pregnancy, although I am happy to report that today I started feeling nauseous in the morning and through early afternoon (it just went away a bit now). This entry will be about my husband.

We have been married for almost 6 years and he still amazes me once in a while. Like now, when he balances trying to get his PMP, training for Cherry Blossom 10 miler, going to music classes, and preparing for a job interview! And in addition to all this, he took over most of the household chores as I am useless those days (see my yesterday's post). He is so diligent in studying for his PMP and doing research about the new job, it simply amazes me. I am extremely proud of being his wife and I love him more and more every day.

It's 1.22 pm, he should be almost done with his interview. I am waiting impatiently for his call.

9w3d

I had this idea about documenting how my day looks like in the first trimester. My symptoms seem to be very different throughout a day and I want to write it down, to see if they really are or is it only an illusion. So here we go.

I wake up at 7.05 and hit snooze. At this point I am usually too sleepy to feel anything. I wake up a bit more 10 min later on a second alarm ring. I check the weather and my email on my iPhone, and check my boobs. They usually don't hurt much in the morning but are getting there. At this point I usually feel hungry, and sometimes a little bit nauseous. I get up on the third ring (7.25), brush my teeth, shower, and get dressed. By that time I already feel very tired and am ready to go back to bed. I lay down while I wait for my husband to come out of the shower. Then I go downstairs and get the kitchen straighten up a little before we leave. I have a banana or a bunch of grapes as I am really hungry. This kills the nausea if any. I also have a glass of orange juice and my pro-biotic pill. We leave the house about 8.15. On the way to work I have another banana and a mandarin orange. I have checked my boobs about 17 times by now, they are ok, i.e. nice and sore.

We get to work a bit before 9. I usually get a danish pastry, a croissant, or some yogurt with berries and granola for my second (third?) breakfast. I check my boobs. In the mornings I usually feel ok, not too nauseous, and in good mood (as long as the boobs are sore). I may have another mandarin orange around 11. I get hungry for lunch around noon. I check my boobs and head to Cosi for sandwich or soup/sandwich combination, or something similar. When I am back at work, I check my boobs again, even though I checked them again on the way to Cosi, in Cosi three times, and twice on the way back. I can't concentrate much (I have always been like this right after lunch so it's not pregnancy related) so I browse the web, read the news or my news groups, and keep checking my boobs every 10-15 min. At this point I have to unbutton my pants when I sit as they are very tight (partially from bloating, partially from baby, but mostly from all the food I consumed so far). I feel happy and pregnant.

The tiredness usually starts to hit me about 3-4. I yawn like crazy, even while checking boobs, and now can't concentrate even on the fun stuff any more. Sometimes I will close the door and catch a little cat nap. Sometimes I survive like this till 4, when I get hungry for a snack. After checking my boobs a few more times I have a fruit or two or three. :) Today, for example, I had another mandarin orange, then checked my boobs, and then had a large pear. After I eat, my belly gets super big like I was at least 7 months already, so I have to suck it in when I walk around simultaneously trying to pretend I squeezed my boobs only accidentally while straightening out my shirt. Sometimes I don't have to because my boobs are so sore they hurt while they bounce as I walk. I also start having that nasty feeling that the last piece of food is stuck in my throat. It's not heartburn (at least not at this time of a day); it's feels like I ate too much (duh!). This is accompanied by the second wave of exhaustion, especially if I didn't nap that day. I check my boobs few more times again. It's 5 pm now and they are nice and very sore.

Around 6.15 I am ready to leave. I am so sleepy and can't stop yawning. The only thing I am capable of doing now is checking the darn boobs. I am hungry but with this 'food stuck in my throat' feeling I can't even think of putting anything in my mouth. We leave around 6.30 and I start feeling even yuckier in the car (we drive 3-4 times a week those days). I don't have to check my boobs any more because they hurt when we go over the road imperfections. When we get home, I can barely make it upstairs to change. I am happy taking of my bra as my boobs are VERY sore then. I feel crappy, tired, nauseous, and all I can do is lay down on a couch. I watch DH cook; I don't even talk for the most part. Sometimes I will get a crying spell, just out of a blue, but, thank goodness, they don't last long. I check my boobs just to be sure.

When dinner is ready we usually go downstairs to the basement. Since I don't talk, DH puts on SVU or Lost. It's around 8 pm. I am hungry so I force myself to eat. After I eat, I feel even worse. From time to time I get heartburn in addition to everything else at this time. I usually snooze on the couch for 30 min to an hour before I actually fall asleep. DH wakes me up when he is ready to go to bed, that is around midnight. Half asleep I drag myself upstairs. On better days I make it to the bathroom to brush my teeth and put my retainer on, but sometimes I just crash on the bed and go back to sleep. I didn't mention checking my boobs in this paragraph as I do it in my sleep, so I am not able to assign a time stamp to it.

So there it, a day of a pregnant woman in her first trimester. :)

9w2d

I am nervous. It's only Tuesday and I am already nervous. I am really scared what's going to happen on Friday; the u/s isn't until 4.45! I feel positive in general. My clothes are getting tighter and tighter and apparently my uterus is supposed to be the size of a small cantaloupe. DH and I joke that our baby lives in a cantaloupe home. :) I also still have nausea, my boobs are hurting, especially in the evenings, I would sleep 14h/day if I could, and I do have food cravings. I went back to my old blog entries to see how I felt last two times around 9/10 weeks but I never was a very good blogger and there are no entries from around that time in the first pregnancy and not much about the symptoms from the second. That's why I've decided to write this one. Not that I have much to talk about but I want to document how I feel, in case I will have to be comparing this yet again in the future. Or maybe it will be with a second baby! That would be awesome! :)

I also decided to add how far along I am to the title of each post, like last two times. Looking back is the main reason I created this blog so I am not going to care that the readers (what readers??) may not like this. So I am going to modify all the titles of my other entries now. I may come back and write some more later.