Little Visitor

After going months and months at full speed, I told myself that this weekend was officially the beginning of my do-nothing phase of pregnancy.  Isn't that nice, giving myself 10 whole days before my due date to just BE?  Well. Turns out we had a little excitement this weekend that changed that "non-plan" a bit!

If you follow me on FaceBook, you'll know we had an adorable little visitor come to our house on Saturday morning...and it WASN'T the one we've been planning and hoping for!

Name one thing an allergic couple on the verge of  becoming first-time parents needs 10 days before their due date.  GO!

I'm gonna guess you didn't think "kitten,' right?  Well, that's what we got!   

Could you just faint from the cuteness?  Believe me, Mark and I are not typically "cat people" (although we certainly don't have anything against them), but I'm pretty sure he'd be staying if we didn't have a baby coming into our lives in just a matter of single-digit days.  He has been a blast and I already know I'm going to cry when we have to give him away.  We're working hard to find a good home for him right now, so if you know of anyone, PLEASE let me know!  To add to this story, our neighbors came to our house last night with another surprise - two more matching orange kitties in a cage.  Turns out this little guy wasn't alone when he found us!  They are going to keep one, so now it looks as though we have more than one home to find for these sweet fellas.  Keep your fingers crossed that we don't need to resort to bringing them to the (NO KILL) shelter.  Sniff.

As an aside, I keep meaning to Google "Is it a sign when you are 38.5 weeks pregnant and a kitten shows up at your house?"  I mean, really...what are the chances?

On the pregnancy front, we had another doctor's appointment this morning.  When my midwife went to listen for the baby's heartbeat, she said, "Oh, you're having a contraction right now!'  She called them "rehearsal contractions" and said it's a good - but not ALARMING - sign that my uterus is getting its act together for the real thing.  Funny thing is that I've been feeling plenty of them lately, but this one I couldn't feel at all.  It's good to know I'm getting that practice even when I don't know it - Lord knows I'm going to feel them on a much more....OUCHIE level soon enough.  We opted out of an exam to see how far along I'm dilated because that wouldn't change anything and might just cause anxiety or anticipation we don't need. 

So that's about it.  A surprise kitty and a surprise contraction.  Just nine days and counting...we cannot WAIT to meet our precious little person and finally get to know him/her!

Mother's Day Came Early for Me

Today we had our 20-week ultrasound and appointment.  This was the one I was equally excited and nervous about.  You see, after the bleeding scare, we had a visit with the doctor to talk things over.  She suggested we opt for the round of blood tests that look for abnormalities.  We were originally going to skip this, since no matter what the results were, we would have kept the baby anyway, but she made a great point that it would enable us to secure a 12-week ultrasound scan that insurance otherwise wouldn't cover.  Naturally, we jumped at the chance to see the baby earlier as additional proof that things were OK despite the bleeding.  Today was the day we were to not only get our second - and last, as long as everything continues to progress well - ultrasound, but also the results from the multiple blood tests.

When you are carrying a baby, it's impossible not to worry and wonder if things are going well.  I try not to dwell on the things I can't change or control, but this is our baby! You can imagine my mind occasionally goes to "What If" Land.  But...today, we not only got to see Chickpea again, we also got a perfect report card for all of the tests - the results honestly couldn't have been any better.  WHEW!  I was practically walking on air on the way out, thinking to myself that this was the best possible Mother's Day gift anyone could ever ask for.

That, and these pictures of our wriggling, stubborn Chickpea (it took them a LONG time to get pictures of the face, and when the baby finally moved in place, the little one wouldn't stop moving!):

Profile 1 (head to left, looking up)

Profile 2 (look at the little arm up over the side of the head...at least I think it's the arm!?)

FOOT! Nom nom.

My personal favorite - side profile of a little hiney (to the right) with a curled-up frog leg!

  Thigh/Leg/Foot

This is of the face from straight-on.  Does anyone else think this looks a little like the button-eyed kids in Coraline? Hee!  We saw the baby in this position waving it's arms in the air like s/he just didn't care, too, and it was quite hilarious!  So far we know that Chickpea is very active, stubborn, and a comedian - who said you can't learn about your baby from ultrasounds? ;o)

The baby was measured at just over 14 ounces and 10 inches long.  Now we know why my belly popped so much in the last month.  Grow, baby, GROW!  20 weeks down, 20 (give or take) to go.  Also, they moved our due date up one day from September 23 to September 22!  My dad will be happy to know this, because he called that as our delivery day using the lunar calendar (a trick my grandma used that led to an uncanny record of correct birthday guesses).

And speaking of my dad, it's his birthday tomorrow!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, daddio!  We all love you so much -- Chickpea says s/he can't wait to meet you! (((HUGS)))

P.S.: One last thing...I know I'm rambling but I'm clearly on a high from having seen our sweet baby today.  When we walked into the scan room, they asked if we would be finding out the gender. We said no, and later were told that only about 10% of people these days don't want to find out if their baby is a boy or girl.  I was shocked!  C'mon, people...whatever happened to the element of surprise?!

Four Months!

Mark and I just got back from our 4-month (40% through the pregnancy!) doctor visit, and everything is great!  We got to hear the heartbeat using one of those doppler heartbeat monitors; it was so nice to get that additional reassurance that things are going well.  I actually broke down yesterday and ordered a doppler for us to use at home (I just couldn't resist; it was CHEAP) and can't wait for it to get here!  It has a cool feature where we can record the heartbeat to our computer, so stay tuned and we will upload it for you to hear soon.

In the meantime, I've been feeling really good.  Bloated (ha!) and a bit tired, with the now-routine morning stomach icks, but I honestly can't complain.  Unlike all those hangovers I once had in my partying days (JUST KIDDING, mom!), at the end of this journey, WE GET A BABY!!  So, you know, totally worth it.

Since I just sent the link to this blog out to our family and friends today, I hope to have lots of people joining us here soon.  If you've found us, WELCOME and thank you for stopping in to read about these foibles throughout our pregnancy.  Assume I'll be pretty schmoopy on here, as well as silly and sarcastic, but most of all, I hope you know how lucky Mark and I feel to have you all in our lives.  This wouldn't be nearly as exciting of a time for us if it weren't for your support and excitement.  Hugs!!

Relief

Yesterday we had our 12-week ultrasound.  I was naturally pretty nervous going there, since this was to be the first time seeing the baby since the bleeding scare.  I was also super excited!  Originally, we weren't going to do an early ultrasound (which includes a nucal screening to check for Down Syndrome and blood tests to look for other complications) since it wouldn't have mattered if the results showed problems - we are having this baby no matter what!  But when we went in after the E.R. visit, our doctor thought it might give us some added reassurance to see the baby earlier than the typical 19-20 week ultrasound, so we hopped at the chance to see Chickpea again.

I had to drink a TON of water beforehand, so by the time we got to the doctor's office, I was literally hopping from foot to foot, trying not to embarrass myself with a pants-wetting experience.  They brought us into the room and I said to the tech, "So, are you the one I'll be trying not to pee on?" She didn't think I was very funny.  Hrrrmp.  ANYWAY, she pulled my pants lower, squirted my stomach with warm ultrasound gel, and got to work.  Within seconds, we could see our baby moving around with a strong heartbeat.  Sweetest sound EVER!  It was such a relief to see and hear.  And this time, unlike the E.R. visit (protocol and such), we got to take home pictures to adorn our fridge!  Would you look at that sweetheart?

Judging from the size of the head, it's gonna be a smart one...don't you think*?  ;o)

*Juuuust kidding! At this stage, the babies head is supposed to be as big or bigger than the body.  But as the mom, it's in my nature to make these complimentary assumptions, right?

Scary Scare

This past Saturday, I started bleeding. Not spotting: bleeding. Mark and I were at home settling in to watch a movie - popcorn already popped - and I ran to the bathroom before the lights went low. I went to wipe and was greeted with pure blood, with more red drips in the toilet. There weren't any lumps or mucus, it was just blood. I had no idea what to think about it, but I was freaked. I called out to Mark to tell him, and he suggested I call our midwife. I talked to her and she said it was best to go to the emergency room just in case, because "bleeding of any kind during pregnancy isn't normal."  It was 9:20pm and we were headed for a long night.

We arrived at the E.R. and were the only ones there besides one other couple.  They got us in pretty quickly and we were greeted with the NICEST nurse and doctor- a blessing in and of itself! Honestly, they really made things a lot easier and more calming for us. It was determined that I would have an internal ultrasound, which would require a catheter. While waiting to be taken to have these procedures, I couldn't stop my mind from racing. I thought about how easy it had been for us to conceive, and how it would only seem fair that we would have to pay for that now. I spent some time playing a silly game on my phone to keep my mind off things because my anxiety was as high in those moments as it has ever been. Mark was such a sweetheart, rubbing my back and thinking positively. He never lost his cool (although he never does). Having him there to reassure me was exactly what I needed. At one point I looked down at my shirt and found a Molly hair (our dog who is like a fur-covered anxiety pill - she's The Awesome) and instantly felt this weird sense of comfort in it. It's funny the things you hold onto when you feel so scared and out of control.

The catheter? Well, let's just say it hurt like a mother. Getting a tube shoved up a tiny hole isn't something I would recommend to anyone. I instantly had this feeling like I was peeing my pants, and at one point, I said to Mark, "I think I just peed the bed! I hope I don't crap my pants...OH WAIT, I'M NOT WEARING ANY!" Hey, humor has always been my favorite crutch...

We were wheeled into the ultrasound room, which was dark and cool. The tech was steel-faced and didn't say anything as she began the internal ultrasound, filling up my bladder with fluid so she could have a "window" to look at my ovaries/tubes to make sure there wasn't blockage that could have caused the bleeding. She then took out the catheter (OUCH followed by sweet relief) and began to look at the baby. We couldn't see the screen, and it felt like an ETERNITY before she said, "Now...I can't tell you anything, but why don't you just take a look at the screen." She turned the screen toward us and we saw our little Chickpea wriggling about, heart beating fast. Mark and I squeezed each others hands tightly and just stared in awe, tears filling our eyes. The tech turned on the speaker and suddenly we heard the little stampede of a heartbeat rushing straight to my heart. 180 beats per minute, strong as it should be. Out loud, I said, "OHHH! What a RELIEF!!" When she left, Mark said to me, "That was the coolest thing I've even seen," and I had to agree. Our baby was O.K. Thank God!

The next day, I was still quite sore and felt like I had a bladder infection. On one of the many visits to the bathroom, I was greeted with more bleeding. My heart sank and I began to cry. Mark was out of town for work, so I called him. He was once again very reassuring, saying that we'd had bleeding once and the baby was fine, and it would be fine again. It was hard for me to believe in the moment, though. I called my sister, who is a nurse, and she talked me through it even more.

Today, we went for a follow-up and met with the O.B., who said that some unlucky woman bleed throughout their pregnancies, and that there is a new increase in blood flow and new arteries that could have caused a small burst in my case.  She was also honest and said that if I'm going to miscarry, there isn't much I can do to prevent it, so I should just go about life as normal.  I felt relieved hearing that from a professional.  It was the perspective I needed at that moment. 

For now, we've decided not to tell anyone else our good news - it's just too risky. I'm afraid, very anxious, and worried that we might not get to meet our Chickpea. But I'm also grateful for the glimpse we were able to have of him or her, to have seen with our own eyes that things are going just as they should. And for now, I can only pray...

Official

We had our first prenatal doctor yesterday morning, and it was really great to confirm that there is, in fact, a baby cooking in my belleh.  We met with the midwife, Sameerah, who was a totally calming and chill grandma with dreads down to her knees.  She had such a ‘mama bear’ quality to her; I instantly knew that when the time comes, she will totally fight for me and offer unwavering support, which is a great feeling.  She answered a lot of our questions and assured that I’m doing all the right things so far, such as my exercise routine, the supplements I’m taking, the foods I’m staying away from, etc.

Later, we entered the ’spelunking’ part of the visit.  Since I get laser hair removal done, I’m WAY past the point of feeling shy or embarrassed in these compromising situations (ahem).  Therefore, Mark and I decided he would stay in for this part, knowing he would be seeing a lot of me in this way soon enough.  He was so sweet, holding my hand and looking completely comfortable despite the fact that stirrups were being used as I sported THE HOTTEST front-tie sheet with my argyle knee-high socks.

One thing I thought was cool was when Sameerah announced that I have all the proper and healthy ‘blood vessels’ happening down there, which was just one more good sign.  It’s CRAZY how many things are happening to my body now that I don’t even know about – it just does what it needs to do without any help from me.  I love that I’m literally a baby factory while not having to put in much work at all.  The human body is simply amazing!

I’m 7 weeks and 1 day along today.   So far, I don’t have any “morning” sickness, nor do I feel super lethargic or dizzy.  I cannot believe my good fortune along these lines, as I always assumed I’d be praying to the Porcelain God day in and day out.  While it took some time for me to relinquish these preconceived notions, I’m beyond grateful to be spared so far.

Pregnancy Symptoms to Date:

• Boobies! Two words: OUCH and HALLO!
• Cravings! Know what you can’t do?  You can’t tell a pregnant woman she can’t eat what she craves. So far, my cravings include Mediterranean food, hot wings (both of which I’ve eaten a lot more of since I’ve become pregnant and even before I knew I was), and Mexican food.  I consumed the latter not once, but twice yesterday.  Two times: lunch at one place and dinner at another.  Told you it’s impossible to ignore!
• Thirsty! Each New Years Day, I always vow to drink more water and rarely ever stick with it past a month. Pregnancy has changed this, because I can’t get enough of the stuff!  Which leads me to…
• Excuse me, where I can find the bathroom? I have to pee about 20 times a day, including at least once during the night.  DANG.

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.  Which I do, obviously.  I’m happy this experience has been enjoyable so far, but I’m not unrealistic enough to assume it will continue in this vein – just hopeful.  Because, really? ME NO LIKIE THROW UP, thankyouverymuch.