18 Weeks - and Pics of my Belly

Today I am 18 weeks pregnant (almost 1/2 way there)

I had a doctor's appointment this week and everything still looks good! I finally gained some weight - 2 lbs. I had another quick ultrasound and we tried to see if the baby is a boy or girl. We did not get a good look, but we did not see any boy parts. So it could be a girl or just a shy boy who doesn't want to show us the goods. haha! Either way the baby looked great and was moving around a lot, which is part of why we didnt see the sex very well.

I am scheduled to have a routine ultrasound with a radiologist on October 4th (a little over a week from now) since I will be 1/2 way through my pregnancy. They will look at the baby's development, skeletal structure, and organs. This will be a more extensive ultrasound, and it will probably be my last one for the whole pregnancy unless they want to check on the baby again later. We should be able to get a better look at the baby's gender too! So we will (hopefully) know for sure then.

Lately I am still feeling really good thankfully, aside from the fact I am pretty hungry most of the time. I can feel the baby move which is really fun! It is nothing too noticeable, but when I am still and quiet I feel little pokes here and there. As time goes by the pokes have become more noticeable and I think I can also feel when the baby rolls or moves from one side to the other. Arturo is excited for when the baby is bigger and he can feel it too, right now, he cannot feel it from the outside.

Here is a new belly picture. I played around and found a way to put 2 pictures side by side for you to compare and see the change between when I was 12 weeks pregnant and 18 weeks pregnant.

16 weeks

So I am 4 months pregnant now! Here is what we have been up to:
A few weeks ago we cleared out what used to be our home office to prepare to make it into the baby's room. We consolidated our guest room to function as both a guest room and office now. It worked out really well and I think the room turned out great. We will have our first guest in the new guest room next week when Arturo's brother comes into town to visit. I hope he likes it!

Last weekend we discovered that the crib we wanted for the baby went on SALE so call us crazy, but we bought it! We could not pass up the wonderful sale (and the store advised us we got the last one in stock!) Talk about good timing! Arturo was so excited about having the crib he insisted on putting it together that day (even though I think we should wait until we paint) but there was no stopping him! So now the crib and changing table are set up and ready. I have to admit I got excited once he was done putting it together. Something about having a crib made it hit me a bit more that we will have a baby in our house in a few short months. And it is one less thing we need to do later, you all know me, I like to be prepared rather than rushing in the end.

I am officially in my 2nd trimester and still feeling really good. I am lucky to be having a rather easy pregnancy, lets hope it stays that way! As of my last doctors appointment I have still not gained any weight (I am actually down 7lbs from when I first found out I was pregnant) My doctor said I have plenty of time to catch up though. I should start gaining anywhere from 3/4 to 1lb a week as the baby heads towards a big growth spurt in the coming weeks. My pregnancy guide advised in the next 3 weeks the baby will likely DOUBLE in weight and size! I can feel the growth spurt too! My appetite has been growing to feed him /or her. So I am preparing myself to finally see the number on the scale go up a little at my next Doctor's appointment on the 21st of this month.

Speaking of my next doctor's appointment. I am scheduled to have a routine ultrasound to examine the baby's growth, bones, and anatomy. During that ultrasound if the baby behaves we should be able to see if it is a Boy ir Girl. So stay tuned for that update!

Doctor's Appointment Yesterday

I visited the doctor again yesterday (just the regular doctor) for a check up. I actually saw the same doctor that helped my sister deliver my nephew 6 years ago! It was a pretty uneventful appointment other than the fact he had to leave in the middle to go deliver a baby at the hospital accross the street! That was funny! He asked me how my appointments at the specialist went and was happy that they do not need to see me anymore there. He answered some questions I had, and gave me a quick ultrasound just to measure the baby. The baby was VERY active that morning, squirming and wiggling all over the place! Once the baby held still long enough to be measured he said, the baby was measuring right on schedule for my February 28th due date. We listened to the heart beat (nice and strong 167 bpm)

I will go back in 4 weeks. By then I will be 17 weeks and 3 days. They plan to do a routine ultrasound to take a look at the baby's spine and bones to make sure everything is developing as it should AND........ Try to take a look at the gender!!!!!! He said by then the sex organs should be formed enough to tell what it is, but they will only tell me if they are sure they know what it is. So maybe in 4 weeks I will be able to tell you all if we will be having a little BOY or GIRL. Lets hope our little wiggle worm holds still long enough to get a look!

Wanna See My Belly?

Here is a picture of my belly as of 12 weeks.
As I mentioned in my previous entry, I do not look pregnant, just like I have been eating too many cheeseburgers! ha ha!
I will try to post some pictures as time goes on every once in a while so you can see it grow.

12 Weeks 4 Days

We went to see the Specialist again today. I had an ultrasound to check on the baby and take some measurements, had my blood drawn for some genetic testing, and had a consultation with the Doctor. He said the baby looks great and growing right on track. He also reviewed my blood work I had re-done to check my Hemoglobin levels. My hemoglobin on the new blood work was a little lower than the original blood work but still slightly high. But he said the levels are only A LITTLE high, and since I am not experiencing any symptoms, and the baby looks fine, he released me from "high risk" status. He fully expects that I will have a perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy. HORRAY!!!! So I will no longer need to see him. While this is great news I am honesly a little sad because I will not get all the extra ultrasounds like I have been anymore. I will only have one more ultrasoud when I am 21 weeks pregnant which is routine for all pregnancies, in that ultraosund they will just check the baby's growth and hopefully be able to tell if it is a BOY OR GIRL! So mark your calenders! October 19th is the big day!

As for how I am feeling. I am doing pretty good! My nausea is gone and I feel like the 2nd tirmester energy boost everyone talks about is about to kick in and just in time too! I was feeling like a zombie for a while! I am starting to notice my tummy looking a little more pronounced too. I definitely do not look pregnant yet, I think I look like I ate too many cheeseburgers! ha ha! The funny thing is I have actually lost 4 lbs since I found out I was pregnant. My doctor says this is normal because of all the nausea and food aversions in the beginning, but once you start feeling better and eating more you start to gain weight. I am still hooked on eating COLD foods lately too, maybe because it is summer, but a sno-cone sounds really good these days or some ICY COLD lemonade, the colder the better! Mmmm! Other than that, I have not had any "cravings" for anything in partigular.

Here are some pictures from the ultrasound today!

Ultrasound At The Specialist

10 Weeks 4 Days Pregnant:

Today was my appointment with the specialist to check on the baby and talk more about my hemoglobin counts and what it all means. They did my ultrasound first, the tech was awesome! She really made me comfortable and did a great job. You can actually tell it is a baby now! You can see the shapes of the head, body, arms, and legs. The funnest part was when the baby moved on the ultrasound. It was so amazing! It did a little jumping motion and then wiggled a bit. Oh my gosh, it was the best thing EVER! We got to hear the hear beat some more too, I was too excited to catch her say the exact count but I know it was in the 160 bpm range.

After the ultrasound was done the specialist reviewed the ultrasound and my blood work results and talked to us about it. He first said the baby looks PERFECT and HEALTHY! He then asked me about a few things that would justify the high hemoglobin levels on my bloodwork, but nothing he asked me about applied to me or any symptoms I have had. He then said he would like my hemoglobin levels checked again to see if the increased level may have been a false reading because he doesn't see any signs or symptoms that make sense with the high levels on my original bloodwork. He thinks it may have been a false high due to various factors the day my bloodwork was performed. I will go tomorrow to have my blood drawn and he will get back to me with the results. If they are still high, we will need to try and look into what is causing it on a deeper level. If they are normal then they will probably take no further action.

We are so happy and relieved right now since we got to see the baby and see that it is okay and obviously loving life in my belly (judging by the little wiggles and movements).
Here are a few pictures from today's ultrasound! Enjoy!

9 Weeks and an Update

Hey Everyone!
So I am about 9 1/2 weeks pregnant now. I am still feeling pretty good. I had a few weeks there that I felt nautious almost all the time this week the nausea has calmed down and I can actually tolerate eating. The foods that appeal to me right now is anything COLD popsicles, icecream, ice cubes, drinks with lots of ice, I also like nice cold salads. Another food I like is peanut butter, mmm, especially on hot toast so it melts and gets all gooey.
My pants are also starting to get tight on me. I had to buy a "Bella Band" last week. It's this spandex waist belt you can wear over unbuttoned or unzipped pants to hold them in place and help them fit better so you don't have to buy maternity pants. It is the greatest invention ever! I am too small to need maternity pants yet so I am so thankful for the Bella Band right now! I also stay comfortable by wearing sun dresses, they hide my tummy and allow me to breathe since I am not constricted by my pants.
I had a doctor's appointment last week, it was pretty uneventful, they just made sure I was feeling okay and let me hear the baby's heart beat on the doppler. They also reviewed my lab results with me from my initial blood work. They found that my hemoglobin levels were a bit high which in some cases can affect the baby. Hemoglobin is what makes your blood clot, which is normally good, but when you have too much your blood can be a little too thick to circulate properly throught he baby's tiny veins and could potentially clot in the placenta or cord. So I will have additional monitoring throughout the pregnancy to manage my hemoglobin levels and keep an eye on the baby. Because of the extra monitoring I will have another ultrasound this Tuesday August 3rd. I am excited to see how the baby has changed since the last ultrasound a few weeks ago. I am also hoping to get more information on my hemoglobin levels and what they will be keeping an eye on throughout the pregnancy. I will post an update after I see the specialist on Tuesday August 3rd (and probably more ultrasound pictures!)