3D / 4D Ultrasound

Today, I had a 3D / 4D Ultrasound!  It was seriously the coolest thing EVER!  Mike, my parents and Mike's mom Joyce all came and everyone had such a great time.  The tech confirmed that Sea Monkey is in fact (still) a boy.  It was the best 15 minutes of my life watching our little guy move around.  We got a TON of photos and the entire ultrasound on video.

I'll have to let the photos speak for themselves - I'm probably pretty biased but I think Sea Monkey is the most perfect little thing I've ever seen in my whole life.  

Warning: Photo Overload!

The tech let us listen to Sea Monkey's heartbeat - it was within perfect range!

Here's a profile shot:  

Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?!  His right hand is tucked under his chin and the left hand is up by his cheek.  

Our super sweet boy ..... 

Here he's got his foot up by his cheek!

And I saved the best for last ... this is my favorite photo of our little guy.  He looks so sweet.  I can't wait to meet him!

I'm honestly amazed at the power of technology today.  I feel so lucky that I had the opportunity to see Sea Monkey before he's born.  Now I have a sweet face to associate with all the punches and jabs I feel!  

If you're interested, the entire ultrasound session is on a video here:

Listen to Your Mother

No, this isn't a post where I'll be imparting wisdom for Sea Monkey one day.  It's an honest to God admission that I need to listen to my mother more often.  Sure, I'll ask her for advice, but more often than not I still do whatever I want and I don't actually take her advice.  I need to learn from past mistakes .... and LISTEN TO MY MOTHER.

A few days ago, we were talking about swelling during pregnancy.  My very wise mother suggested I take off my wedding rings now before I had a problem getting them off.  "Oh no, I'm fine" I insisted.  Yeah right.  I should have listened to her.  The past few days I noticed my wedding rings getting a little tighter.  I tried a few times to pull them off and couldn't.  Each day I thought that the swelling might go away on it's own and I'd be able to slide the rings off no problem.  Last night I hit the turning point where I realized there was no hope of them coming off on their own, or the swelling going down.  I was up half the night because of the pain in my finger - one of my rings was actually cutting off the circulation in my finger. 

This morning, I tried to get the rings off.  I ran my hand under cold water for a few minutes, lathered my finger with a ton of soap and pulled.  HARD.  I got nowhere.  I decided I'd try to TWIST the ring off.  I made a little progress but no way in hell was that ring going over the knuckle.  So of course when soapy water didn't cut it, I resorted to google for advice.  Because of course, google always has the right answer - or it tells you you're going to die.  Fortunately, for me, Google said I could try Windex.  I was desperate.  I quickly looked under the sink in the bathroom for Windex.  I found "glass cleaner" (because I'm too cheap to buy the real stuff).  Hopefully Windex doesn't have some super special ingredient in it and glass cleaner would be a good alternative.  So I'm sitting on the side of the tub, spraying my finger with windex-substitute, praying it's going to work.  FAIL.  Stupid Google. 

At this point, I'm going to be late for work.  Good thing I work at a hospital - the only other thing I could think of was going to the emergency department and asking them to cut the ring off my finger.  In a last, desperate attempt, I fill a ziplock bag with ice and ice my hand / finger the whole way to work hoping it will reduce the swelling and I won't need to take a trip to the ER.  Another FAIL. 
As I walk into the office, I run into a co-worker - Sue.  I ask her if I go to the Emergency Room, will they be able to cut my wedding ring off.  She immediately tells me don't go there - she's on her way to a meeting with some people from the Operating Room and they should be able to help me.  Hang tight and she will be back in about an hour.  Ok, cool - someone's going to help me.

When Sue got back from her meeting, she had with her Dr. Josephs who promised he'd be able to get my rings off ... but it was going to hurt.  A lot.  Wonderful.  Thinking I have a high tolerance for pain, and I'm in a professional setting in front of all my co-workers at this point, I think I"ll be just fine.  Dr. Josephs proceeds to take out a silk string - it kind of looks like dental floss.  He then starts to wrap it around my finger - TIGHTLY.  I was in no mood to take pictures at this point, but basically what he was trying to do was force the fluid in my finger down towards the tip of my finger.  As he wraps the string around and around, he's able to compress my finger and slowly start sliding the ring off.  The pain wasn't too bad until he got to the knuckle.  Imagine wrapping a string around your knuckle as tight as possible, and then slide a ring over it.  I wanted to punch Dr. Josephs in the face - and in my pain and suffering, I actually blurted this out.  Of course, I've established a small audience at this point - about 5 of my co-workers are hovering around watching the action.  A few times Dr. Josephs offers to give me a break ... and I said yes, but I noticed he kept going.  You damn liar.  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I could tell we had passed the knuckle - which was the worst part.  I wasn't really watching what was going on.  I was trying to breathe and not punch this poor man - who is doing me a favor - in the face.  Meanwhile, my co-workers are trying to get me to laugh - making jokes about the pain of childbirth compared to the pain of a string being wrapped around my finger.  I know they were only trying to help, and I may have laughed a few times but I honestly can't remember.   

Here are the "tools" Dr. Josephs used to help me ....

And the "after" photo of my finger ....

It was almost an immediate release when I could feel him sliding it off the rest of my finger.  And as soon as he was done, I wanted to hug him.  The tears that were welling in my eyes started to dry out and I felt so much better.   

It's now several hours later and my finger is still swollen and hurts quite a bit.  I'll be retiring my rings to the jewelry box until Sea Monkey arrives, and I might even need to get the rings resized at some point.  Now, if I had only listened to my mother ....  

(yes Mom, you can gloat now) 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!  I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful mother who has been an amazing role model for me.  This is simply not enough, but .... THANK YOU MOM, for everything.  I only hope I can be half as good of a mom to Sea Monkey as you have been to me.  

  

Today, I celebrated my first Mother's (to be) Day.  Mike is so thoughtful.  He made me breakfast - bacon, scrambled eggs and croissants.  He even got me a gift - A charm for my pandora bracelet!  So many of my friends texted or called me to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.  It's been such a nice and relaxing day ... I hate to think about it all ending.  

To all the mothers out there - I hope you have had a wonderful day surrounded by friends and family.  

Non Stress Test

Over the last few days, Sea Monkey has been kind of lazy.  At first, I wasn't concerned.  We've had days before where he didn't move around a lot and then before I knew it, he was back to his active self. Well today I got concerned.  It was the first time since being able to feel him move around that I felt nothing.  So the nothingness combined with the last 3 days being lazy days for him started to get me a little worried.

Around 8:00 am I tried calling the doctor, but got the automated message that the office was closed and to stay on the line for the answering service.  I figured I'd wait.  They probably opened at 8:30.  So I tried again at 8:30.  Same message.  Ok, maybe they open at 9:00.  So I tried AGAIN at 9:00.  Same message!  This time I stayed on hold - "Is the office closed today or are they just not in yet?"  I guess I just wasn't patient enough because it was only 9:02 - and yes, the office was open.  I decided to call back later.  So finally just before 10 I got through.

I explained to the nurse what had been going on.  She advised me to drink some orange juice and see if I felt any movement within 20 minutes.  I rushed down to the cafeteria and got some juice and of course chugged it as fast as I could.  10 minutes passed.... nothing from Sea Monkey.  20 minutes passed.  Still nothing.  DAMN YOU SEA MONKEY!!!! MOVE!!!!  Finally, after 30 minutes I felt a kick.  Weak, but I felt it.  Then I felt another few kicks.  Again, not as strong as I would have liked but at least he moved a little bit for me.  

I ended up getting a little busy at work and didn't call the doctor back right away.  Just before lunch they called to check up on me.  I let her know I was able to feel a few movements but nothing again since drinking the juice.  The nurse wanted to discuss with the doctor if she wanted to do anything, and said she'd call me back in the afternoon.  Around 1:30, my doctor called me and said she'd like me to come into the office.  Ok, now I'm scared.  If the doctor wants me to come in, it must be bad right?  Ok, so now I totally can't concentrate at work and I just need to leave.  Good thing it's the end of the day on a Friday.

I got to the doctor's office around 2:30.  The secretary tells me Dr. Mahoney wants to do a NST.  "A what?".  "An NST.  You've never had one before?" "uhhhhh no."  So she tells me about the test a little and of course when I sit down to wait I immediately go to google.  Basically the test measures the fetal heart rate and to see if you're having contractions.

Here's the machine that does the test -

They strap these probes to your belly -

It took the nurse a while to find the heartbeat and I had to keep my hand on one of the monitors for a little while.  After a few minutes I was able to take my hand away.

Here's a video of the machine doing its thing.


And it prints all this fancy stuff on paper - the top line is Sea Monkey's heartbeat.  I have no idea what the second line measures.  I assume it's the strength of any contractions I was having .... which was none.... at least none that I could feel.

So all in all - EVERYTHING IS FINE!  My doctor is great though and said I did the right thing by calling and coming in.  She explained it like this - "It's like taking your car, that's been making a horrible noise for weeks, to the mechanic.  As soon as you get there, the noise goes away.  But better to be safe than sorry."  She made me feel so much better that I don't need to worry about Sea Monkey all weekend.

*phew*!

That's about all the excitement I can handle for a Friday night.  On deck tomorrow - Prenatal massage and a long overdue haircut.  One more week of 40 hours at work, then a long weekend to celebrate my graduation with my parents!  Oh, and I'm really excited about the 3D Ultrasound we scheduled for the 20th!

Third Trimester

Well folks, it's official.  We made it to the third trimester!  It really feels like the countdown is on now.  Just about 3 months to go - or you could say 13 weeks, or 98 days.  It feels like it took forever to get here, and August 4th still seems so far away.  But before we know it, Sea Monkey will be joining our family! 

What to Expect in the Third Trimester
Right now, Sea Monkey weighs about 2 lbs.  We can expect to see him gain an additional 4 - 7 lbs in the next few months!  Dear GOD I hope he doesn't gain any more than that.  Sure, I want a healthy baby.  But YOU try to imagine giving birth to a 10 lb baby.  It's terrifying.  Plus, he won't fit in the cute newborn clothes I bought him if he's that big.  I might need to have a chat with him about all this weight gain.  Speaking of weight gain, I've put on (probably more) than my fair share of weight.  But don't think for a moment I'm disclosing the number I saw on the scale at my last appointment.   

New Skills - Sea Monkey will learn to blink, dream and regulate his own body temperature.  By 31 weeks, he will have use of all 5 senses.  Hopefully he doesn't get a 6th sense like that creepy kid in the movie.  Sea Monkey will be able to tell the difference between light and dark, will taste what I eat and can hear my voice.  Wow he's going to be busy learning all these things! 

By week 34 - 36 weeks he should be making his final turns to get in position to be born - head down and bottom up!

There sure are a lot of things happening in the next 13 weeks! 


What's going on with Mommy
Hmmmm..... Aside from feeling like a sausage, and being exhausted all the time, I'd say I'm doing pretty well.  Ask Mike though - he might give you a different answer.  I bet he'd tell you I'm crabby and moody.  But that's pretty much the "norm" for me anyway.  How that wonderful man fell in love with me I'll never know.  I've put on some serious weight in the last 27 weeks.  Here's my 10 week to 27 week photo: 

I know, I'm pregnant.  But I feel fat.  At 10 weeks I never thought I'd say I was skinny, but looking at how HUGE I am right now, and knowing there's still 3 months to go ..... OH DEAR GOD how big will I be in July?!

Ok - now that we all know how big I am.  I have other exciting news.  I've finished my Master's Degree program in Healthcare Administration!!!  And even though the school doesn't give out honors to graduate students, I would have graduated with honors.  Yup, that's right - my record includes all As or A-s.... Not a B in sight!  And I'm pretty damn proud of that.  Graduation is in just less than 2 weeks and I'll be enjoying my fancy diploma with a Dr. approved glass of REAL wine.  Yeah, I'm a rebel.  But imagine if I lived in France. I'd probably be celebrating with a bottle of wine. 



We continue to make progress on stocking up on things for Sea Monkey.  As you know, the nursery is furnished, and we've bought a lot of the bigger items like a swing, bouncer, stroller etc.  We struggle to not buy Sea Monkey clothes every time we go to the store because the stuff is so darn cute.  This weekend, we went to a consignment sale and scored a few more things.  The biggest score was the second base for the carseat.  It's in great condition, not expired and we paid half the retail price for it.  I was really psyched!  And I know, shoes are totally not practical for a child who can't walk, but I couldn't resist these. 

We also got a bunch of cute clothes - almost all still brand new with tags on them!  A bottle, and a book about baby sign language.  I was surprised at how well we made out - especially because the sale started Thursday night.  I figured by Saturday everything would have been picked through and all the good stuff would be gone, but I was wrong. 
Sea Monkey has been kicking and punching .... each day getting stronger and stronger.  You can even see my belly move now!  I was able to capture a good kick on video to share with my parents.  But I'm not posting it on here because it's of my bare belly and I don't really want the entire world to see that.  I'm sure you really don't want to see it either.  Maybe if I get a good video when my belly is covered by a shirt I'll share.  But until then, you'll just have to imagine what it looks like. 

Nothing exciting in the next week or so.  The next big event will be my graduation on the 19th, and the 3D / 4D ultrasound on the 20th!  As of May 20th, I'll only be working 4 days a week until I'm off full time for maternity leave.  I'm really looking forward to the extra day off to relax and get a few things accomplished.

Well that's about it ..... 13 weeks and counting!

Gestational Diabetes

Yesterday, I had my first glucose test to see if I had or was at risk for gestational diabetes.  I was honestly dreading the test, for several reasons.  First of all, who wants gestational diabetes?  Nobody.  So of course, I was terrified I'd fail.  Second, I wasn't looking forward to a morning without coffee or breakfast.  Expecting a 6 month pregnant woman to go all morning with nothing to eat or drink is like asking her to climb Mt. Washington.  Naked.  Nobody wants that either.

So my test was scheduled for 8:30 am.  It involved fasting all morning.  When I arrived at the lab, they took 2 vials of blood right away.  Then I had to drink a sugary drink that tasted like orange HI-C.  It really wasn't that bad even though everyone told me it was terrible.  I guess I have a sweet tooth.  So I chugged the drink and sat in the waiting room for an hour.  Then they drew my blood again, and sent it all off to the lab.  The phlebotomist was great, and she let me know that the results should be ready any time after 3:00 pm.  Immediately after the test, I had a doctor's appointment.  So I went across the hall, peed in the cup as usual (that's a whole different story) and sat and waited.  And waited, and waited and waited.  I started to not feel good - I got really hot and dizzy.  I tried having some water but it didn't help.  Afraid I'd pass out in my chair and cause a scene, I told the secretary I wasn't feeling well.  They immediately took me in the back and gave me some more water and a few crackers.  I started feeling much better right away.  I guess my body didn't enjoy trying to metabolize all that sugar on an empty stomach.  The lab really should offer food to people who have had to fast for a test .... Anyway, I really was fine after the crackers. 

My doctor's appointment was pretty uneventful.  Although, I did find out that my doctor is pregnant too!  She's due in November so hopefully she's still up to delivering babies in August when she's just about where I am right now.  She measured my belly, and listened to Sea Monkey's heartbeat and said everything was on track.  Good to know things are going well.  One more appointment in 4 weeks and then I'll be in the office every 2 weeks!  YIKES!  We're getting close! 

Back to the diabetes thing ... I went back to work and just didn't feel like myself all day.  Since the boss was offsite at a meeting, I slipped out around 2:45 and headed home.  Of course at exactly 3:00 I wanted to call the doctor to get my results, but I was patient and waited until 3:10.  You have no idea how agonizing those 10 minutes were.  Well, the results were in according to the secretary and she said she'd have me talk to a nurse.  Great. That probably means the results are bad and I need more information.  Not exactly what I was hoping for.  The nurse got on the phone and tells me, "The results were normal."  I responded, "I passed?"  "Yes, you passed."  "YAAAAAAY!"  Yes, I really said "yaaaaay!" on the phone.  She laughed and so did I.  I thanked her and was so happy to hear I didn't have gestational diabetes.  Really, it was a huge relief.  Because I like carbs. And sugar.  But it also means that Sea Monkey is healthy too.  And probably won't be 22 lbs like I keep dreaming he will be.  One more hurdle down .... not sure how many are left since this is all uncharted territory for me.

PHEW! 

(I'm tecnically 26 weeks pregnant, but *in* my 27th week of pregnancy.  This is what Sea Monkey might look like)

So what else is going on?  Well, Sea Monkey is getting busier and busier.  I feel him kicking a lot and now I can feel when he's rolling and flipping around too.  It's really neat but feels strange at the same time.  Sea Monkey is now being measured from head to toe (previously it was head to rump) and he should be about 15" long!  He's gaining weight and should weigh in around 2 lbs now.  He can hear and recognize our voices now.  And yes, sometimes I talk to him when he kicks me really hard I tell him to be nice to mommy.  I've read that if you press your ear to my belly you might be able to hear his heartbeat.  Obviously I can't do this, but I'll have to see if Mike's willing to try it out and let you know if he can hear it.   

I'm doing well - Feeling like a sausage, but I suppose that's to be expected.  My weight is creeping up but I'm told "it's all baby" and "you look so cute!" by co-workers and friends.  I'm sure they're just being nice, but it's better than hearing I look fat and disgusting - because that's how I feel.  I'm tired (newsflash, right?) and starting to get more swollen.  I couldn't take my wedding rings off now even if I wanted too.  Good thing they're not bothering me.  Oh, and my shoes still fit.   

Next week starts the 3rd trimester .... wow!  I can't believe we're almost there.  It's both exciting and terrifying at the same time.

In other news - I pass in my final paper for my Master's program tomorrow, and give a final presentation.  Then, GRADUATION!!!  I can't wait to be done with school.  I also only have 2 more "full time" weeks of work.  I am cutting down my hours to 4 days a week at work starting June 1st - but I also have a vacation day and a holiday the last 2 weeks of May, so my full time work ends soon!  My doctor had to fill out some Leave of Absence forms for me.  She said there's no medical reason I can't work full time so she's going to put down the reason for my reduced hours as "extreme discomfort due to pregnancy".  Works for me!  It will be nice to have an extra day off every week to get more things done around the house and to have some time to myself before Sea Monkey gets here.  Hopefully I can get things a little more clean and organized because I'm sure I won't have time after he arrives. 

Well that's it for now..... according to Mike, 102 days until Sea Monkey's anticipated date of arrival (August 4th in case you forgot.  But I'm hoping he comes a little early).