Here's a little behind the scenes look as our star gets ready to make his holiday video for the family in California:



The boy has a weird thing for the Lions, probably because he sleeps in a jungle room, he bet on them before and I only had to give him a three point spread... It was, you guessed it, like taking candy from a baby.

He's NEVER Coming Out!

We had our last normal doctor's appointment today. The big news is that there is no news -- NO progress to speak of in four weeks. So after a brief exam, the doctor had the conversation with us about induction. So next Monday, November 17, will be the big day, unless The Intruder (his name changes as I become more hostile towards his presence) decides to exit his cocoon early (which is doubtful). Boooooooooooooooooo............. Send labor vibes our way!

Into the Home Stretch

I saw my doctor for my 36 week appointment today. I now am seeing her every week, which is killing my schedule (and my wallet -- stupid hospital parking fees!). While I was hoping for a, "He's ready! Let's go to labor & delivery!", I also realized that I'm not quite ready for him to show up (actually having a crib would be helpful).

Well, my subconscious won -- While I was convinced that my baby HAD to weigh at least 9 lbs (to compensate for my sudden weight surge), he's only 6 1/2 lbs. I was concerned that since I have gestational diabetes, he would be super-big, causing me to have a difficult or perhaps premature delivery. He's measuring a little big (about 10 days ahead) and is in the 70th percentile for weight and size. The size is most likely just due to the fact that Ted and I are big people; I have my diabetes under control enough that it's not affecting bambino.

As for the TMI section of the post -- I'm 1 cm dilated! Which means..... absolutely nothing..... I can walk around for weeks this dilated, so it could be two days or five weeks.

There is a lousy part of the diabetes that I have to deal with (in addition to the 4 times daily finger sticks and daily insulin injections) -- starting next week, I have to go in for twice weekly fetal monitoring and ultrasounds. They check for the shrimp's heart rate and movement (TRUST ME, he's moving.....), and also for the level of amniotic fluid, which can drop low in diabetics at this point and cause complications. I'm waiting for the time when I spend more time at the hospital than I do at home.

Is it possible to buy stock in a hospital? If so, I recommend GBMC stock.

Boy oh Boy!

Houston, we have a penis! Last Friday (sorry for the slow post, it's been a crazy week), we found out that we're having a baby boy. While he was generally being uncooperative (refusing to uncurl long enough for the tech to get a good picture of him), he did manage to flash her pretty quickly, giving us a good shot of his, um, package. So Gilman School may have a new member of the class of 2027!

The ultrasound came back normal -- they couldn't see everything because of his position, so I have to have a repeat ultrasound in a few weeks. Everything they could see looks normal though -- pfew.

Now that the gender is known, we're down to figuring out names (we have some in mind, no, we're not telling), and decorating the nursery (again, we have ideas, but we're still figuring it out). Any theme suggestions are welcome!

Bend It Like Beckham and the End of the Innie

We are beginning to think that the child takes after its grandfather, the former college soccer star. On a daily basis, I'm feeling consistent kicking and moving that I can't blame on indigestion. It's not strong enough for other people to feel, but it certainly can be startling to me. I think the cat can feel it, because he's stopped sleeping on it. That, or the fact that my belly is definitely convex now, and it's making it harder for him to keep his balance.

I have read and heard that by the end of the 5th month, your belly button changes from an innie to an outie. For some reason, contrary to all logic, I just assumed I would suddenly wake up and my belly button would be sticking the wrong way -- kind of like a turkey thermometer. But it's a much slower process. Suddenly I'm noticing that the depth is decreasing on a daily basis -- it's almost even with the rest of my abdomen now. It's kind of creepy...

And some other news that I never thought I'd be able to share -- I have not gained enough weight during pregnancy! I'm still in a normal range, but at the low end. It's probably due to the fact that I had such bad morning sickness, and that junk food (with the exception of my much-beloved chocolate malts) grosses me out. I'm actually eating healthier now than I did before I was pregnant. So they're going to be keeping a close eye on me to make sure the baby is developing normally and is at a healthy weight.

Other news: Cystic fibrosis test negative, spina bifida negative. Pfew.

Next step: 20-week ultrasound this Friday -- checks for abnormalities, plus we can find out the gender! (Bets anyone?)

Flutters

They're not real kicks, but there have been several times recently where Gretchen has stopped suddenly, and said "its moving..."

On a related note, things proceed apace. Gretchen is getting more noticeable and thinks she has heard the kids speculating about what to expect if she is expanding. This last charming phrase, is of course, the name of my primary reference guide for the pregnancy. Like many of my literary choices, Gretchen is most displeased with my reading preference.

First Baby Pics!

We had our first trimester genetic screening today. This test is designed to screen for Down's Syndrome, Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18. It's pretty much a big probability game, but by combining family history, blood work, and ultrasound results, they can determine the probability of the baby having a chromosomal/genetic abnormality.

The good news is that the preliminary tests have come back "negative", meaning I have a very low risk of genetic abnormality. The better news is that we got a bunch of super pictures from the ultrasound! For comparison purposes, we also have the 6-week ultrasound pictures.

Week 6 Ultrasounds -- It looks like a blob. It's the little lima bean looking thing at the bottom of the black mass.

Week 12 Ultrasound -- It actually looks like a baby!!! You can see its profile. The little bump on its face is the hand, and the leg and foot are on the far right.

It's waving hello!


No gender news yet; we'll find that out in mid-June.

Current cravings: Anything I can keep down -- everyone says the morning sickness ends after 12 weeks. They lied. I truly think it will never end....

That and dried cherries.

Next step: Doctor's appointment on May 21st.

A Heartbeat!

Today we met with our OB/GYN, Dr. Debbie Hebb, for the first pre-natal appointment. After getting through a pile of paperwork (seriously, you need my insurance information how many times???), we actually got to do things related to the baby. The exam was normal (and Ted looked thoroughly awkward), but the best part came last -- we got to hear the heartbeat. Considering we discovered our miscarriage in January because we could not find a heartbeat, this was the moment of the most anxiety for me. But as soon as she placed the machine on my stomach, we could hear the heartbeat, strong and clear. Ted and I both think it sounded like a washing machine (which my mom says means it's a girl), and the heart rate was 170 beats per minute, perfectly normal for the age.

We also got the official due date of November 15, 2008.

Currently, I'm sick to my stomach, and looking forward to the fabled health and energy that comes with the second trimester.

Weird craving: Limes and deviled eggs.

Next step: Genetic counseling and screening on May 5th.