25w2d - Life is good!

Hi all!

Okay, just had to share what DH and I did this afternoon. After having a lovely brunch, we went to:



Now my little guys is kicking up a storm...hummm....wonder why? Couldn't be all that sugar mom just ate, could it? Ha-ha!

Oh, and my new favorite dessert: chocolate, chocolate, chocolate s'mores! You use chocolate graham crackers, chocolate marshmallows, with chocolate chips! Mmmmmmmm good!

And, here is my updated belly slide show. I'm getting bigger and bigger. Funny, even when I think I'm "huge" already, I'm still pretty little for being pregnant. 15 more weeks will definitely put on some more girth.

DH spoils me and we're going to start working on the nursery set up today. It will be a long process, but I'm very excited.

Oh, and I got a new job and started working last Friday! I work as a PTLA (physical therapist license applicant) and will take my board exams sometime in the beginning of October. I really need to get my butt studying! (I've started...a few girlfriends and I go the the library a few times per week for 4-5 hours.)

That's it for now. Life is good and I feel blessed.

xoxo Yo!

24w4d - What did you just say???

Hi all!

"Interesting" story that made me super mad...

DH and I were at a football game yesterday night, and our team was winning until the last play when the other team tied the game as time ran out. We sit in the same season-ticket seats every year, and kind of "know" the people around us. After the play, one of the older men in our area turns around to me and says, "This is HIS fault!" with a laugh and pointing towards my belly.

WHAT???

I said something dumb back to him about how my baby was screaming just like the rest of us for our team to block the play.

I can't tell you how protective/angry I felt that he would imply that my baby "cursed" the game. You would "blame" and unborn fetus even as a joke??? What is that about???

I know my hormones played a huge part in how I felt, and once I calmed down know that how I felt was an over-reaction, but don't ever say something like that about my child. It was the first time during the pregnancy that I felt like a lion protecting her cub. Don't you DARE ever say something like that about my little one.

I'm doing fine with it now, and know he just didn't realized that his "joke" was NOT funny, but was interesting to feel that kind of protective reaction about my little almost 25-week developing fetus.

Other than that, my "cankles" are doing okay after spending 9 hours at a football game, the left one has more swelling than the right. I'll put on some more kinesio tape to help it and keep them up when I can. I've also been very careful to stay away from salty items to not add to the problem.

Today, I'm sitting at home waiting for my possible employer to call me with an offer. I think the call should come before 11am, and am VERY excited at the possibility of working soon. I so want to be a financially contributing member of my household...oh yeah...and getting paid to do something I LOVE to do! Bonus!!!

That's it for now...thanks for letting me share my story.

xoxo Yo!

23w4d - cankles

Hi all,

Well, since I'm trying to make this a diary too, I wanted to report on what's happening with my body right now.

Well, on my trip to Santa Clara and San Francisco, I did pretty good. The little bean is becoming quite the kicker! It is fun to feel, but a little strange too. He'll usually have a bout of activity for a day or so, then a day or two of quiet, then back and active again. Even the quiet days I feel the little movements...and, I think the other night I felt him have the hiccups! It was regular light motion that wasn't like a kick...too cute.

The other side of pregnancy is the physical aspect. When I was away, I forgot to bring my spray-on Palmar's cocoa butter oil. With that and using hotel soap that dries you out, my belly felt so stretched! When I took a shower this am, I used it again and feel so much better. I also had a hot dog yesterday and I think the salt is making me swell as I now have cankles! (Calf Ankles!) I'll go and elevate them soon when I'm done posting!

Other than that, I am feeling pretty darn good and feel lucky so far. I am actually enjoying the pregnancy much more than in the 1st trimester and have some good energy. I was worried I was going to not like being pregnant, but for now, it's kind of fun. (I know, I know...just wait until the 3rd trimester...well, I'll just enjoy this while I can!)

I got a ton of clothes from my good friend in SF, a stroller, a bumbo, a vibration seat, sheets and bumpers, a doorway bouncy seat, boppy pillow, infant tub, changing pad, and a restaurant travel seat. Some other friends are giving us a crib, high-chair and other items, so we're doing pretty good so far! I think I might get my SF friend's breast pump too, and I know it's a nice one. I know those can be super expensive, so I'm so happy about that!

Okay, I was going to make this short, but it's become a novel! Love to everyone and hope you're all doing great. Now to go prop my ankles up!

xoxo Yo!

22w5d - Happy Anniversary to DH and Me!

Quick post today!

Today is our 2nd wedding anniversary and we had a wonderful dinner, watched three episodes of Mad Men and snuggled a bit. I have the BEST DH ever and feel so lucky every day.

We're super excited about our little guy who continues to kick up a storm in my nether regions, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

I feel truly blessed.

xoxo Yo!

22w2d - Way Cool U/S!!!

Hi all!

Well, we did the 3D / 4D ultrasound yesterday to see if we could get a better look at our little guy's goods, and wow, it was sooooo cool! There was little doubt that this was a little guy:

And, here are some other cool photos in 3D:











We were soooo happy when the sonographer said (without prompting) that we were DEFINITELY having a boy - she showed us his parts multiple times! He was super cute and we got a nice video that I'll post when I figure out how to do it!

In other news, I finished my internship and my CI was very complimentary of my work. I am going in on Aug 27 to talk to them about being hired. He said that I had gone above and beyond the duty in my work, had good patient treatment and he really would like me to be a part of their clinic. Makes me soooo happy that I will finally be working again after 3 long (quick!) years!

That's it for now - I'll post more later but had to share our pictures. We are super happy and are really going to be enjoying the pregnancy as much as possible from now on. We definitely feel blessed in life.

Love to all!

xoxo Yo!

22w1d - New Belly Shot

Hi all!

Well, we're going in for an elective u/s today to see if we can see some of the "goods" on our little boy. This one will be higher resolution than my dr's office and will be in 3D/4D. I will post a video of it and pictures as well. I LOVE that we can do this type of thing nowadays!

Oh, and here's the slide show with my latest belly picture...I don't think the shirt I chose to do these shots in will work for to many more weeks! It's starting to creep up and might not cover my big ole belly soon!

Love to you all!

xoxo Yo!

21w5d - U/S Pics

Okay, just pics here:

Laying on left ear, you can see eye sockets, and the arrow is by the mouth:

Spine - laying face up, head on left

Arm - I have NO idea which arm this is!


Right lower leg (tibia and fibula) - the top blob is the left knee!


Love to you all!

xoxo Yo!

21w5d - surprise!

Just got back from our amnio and will post pics later, but we got GREAT news - our little fetus is normal and healthy. (Well, we think he's exceptional, not just normal!)



Yes, you heard right...we're having a

BOY

Unbelievable...but then again, I knew that dr's were wrong with girl predictions some times!

Love to you all!

xoxo Yo!

21w4d - One more day....

Hi all,

Well, I called my dr office today to see if they had the amnio results. They did. I asked if they would tell me them. They would not. See, I have a detailed u/s tomorrow with the dr, and he will tell me then. Don't they realized how important this is to me and DH? Knowing they have the results but not knowing what they are is so hard. Such is life, huh? I pray that this little girl growing inside of me is healthy. I feel her kick every day now and she has already become such a part of my life. I can't imagine how I would cope if something was horribly wrong.... But, I have to have faith that God has a plan for us and trust in his judgement. It's hard to do this, but I have accepted that I am powerless in the outcome of these results.

My appointment is at 3pm Pacific time tomorrow...I'll try to post after that to let everyone know.

On a lighter note, congrats to the men's USA gymnastics team for winning bronze and good luck tonight to the women's in their team final. I hope they hit all of their routines tonight!

Hope all is well with everyone!

xoxo Yo!

20w2d - oooohhh, I want caffeine sooo badly!

Hi All!

Well, things are going well so far and I've been a good girl with respect to no heavy lifting and resting as much as possible. Because of this, I decided to work on my presentations (I have 4 to do for our Regional Congress on Aug 22-24). Quite boring I must say and it's warm today with higher humidity than we are used to having. This makes it the perfect storm for me to be sleepy and unmotivated. I can't even express how much I want to drink caffeine right now...had no idea that giving up caffeine would be harder than giving up other stuff like sushi and wine...who knew! (I even cheated a bit...had some dark chocolate to get even the smallest amount of caffeine to get me going. But, dark chocolate is good for you, right?)

Okay, so this will be short and sweet today...just had to vent about my boredom! Hope everyone is doing great!

xoxo Yo!

20w1d - I can't imagine full bed rest...

Hi all,

Okay, so after the amnio, you have certain precautions you have to follow. For me, it meant complete rest the day of the amnio and next day (since mine was so late in the day), followed by no heavy lifting or working out for 5 days after. This meant I stayed home all day on Thursday. Since I had a bit of cramping on Thursday, I stayed home from my internship that day too (they knew this might happen). Then today, I've started getting out a bit again, but no heavy lifting!!! This means not pushing a heavy grocery cart, not carrying in groceries, not lifting my friend's 3-year old, not doing laundry...the list goes on! I am bored out of my mind! I can't even imagine the ladies who are given the order of strict bed rest. Yes, I would do it in a heartbeat if that's what my little one needs, but wow, I never imagined how tough it would be. I guess I generally like to be pretty active AND I love interpersonal communication with people. With bed rest, you just don't get that! Kudos to those that handle it well.

Here's the latest belly pic...don't know if there is much of a difference between this week and last week, but over all, I definitely look pregnant.

DH and I are going out to dinner tonight followed by a movie - The Dark Knight. I've heard it is really good. I just hope that my expectations aren't too high.

Oh, forgot - I'm definitely feeling more movement now. As I sit here typing, my little fetus is kicking away and it's so cool. I can't wait until DH can feel it outside of my skin. Still waiting for the amnio results...longest 2WW ever! 11 more days....

Sending love to all of you!

xoxo Yo!

19w6d - Amnio Completed and Another Type of 2WW

Hi All,

Okay, here are amnio details. I was more than a little nervous for this (and still am), but DH stayed with me the whole day, so that helped. We went out for breakfast and I felt a bit like I was still in the first trimester because I was pretty nauseous and sensitive to food smells. I think it was really related to nerves.

Our appt was at 1:30pm and we arrived 15 minutes early. We were taken in almost right away, but then waited for the dr for a few minutes. We then went to the room where he did and u/s to see the position of the baby. (He checked last week and said it would be easy and that there would be no problems, so we didn't realize this was a concern.) Well, our little girl has moved to a horizontal position across my tummy, so the dr said he could not do it now. To go walk around for about 1.5 hours and come back.

So we walked around (in a fun part of town known for having a lot of stars around!) and saw some paparazzi lurking outside a store to get a photo. We don't know who it was, but will look for the photo in next week's US magazine! We then went to Coffee Bean (my favorite place in the world!) and I got a decaf caramel ice blended and DH got one too with a donut. I figured the sugar and walking would jiggle this little one into position!

Got back at 3:15pm and checked again. She was now "sitting" in my tummy in a breech position with her head and body on my left side and her legs stretched out towards my right side. This made a nice open space for the amnio needle in the top right part of my uterus. So, they do this with continuous u/s, and the tech held the wand in place. The doc then used a stick to make red marks on my skin by poking it so he could have a marker - he could see where this was happening on the u/s pic. He found a good spot, then prepped my belly with beta dyne and alcohol. Then came the needle. The initial stick was expected, but not painful. Then he quickly inserted it in deeper to the uterine sac and that was a "surprising" pressure as it went through my stomach muscles. I flinched a bit, but it wasn't painful. (He did not use any Novocaine to numb the skin prior to the procedure.) Then, they pulled the fluid out of the sac. It was the color of urine. Then the needle came out and I was to lay there for about 5 minutes. He checked the baby again on the u/s, and all looked good. Then rest for the rest of the day and Thursday, and no heavy lifting until Tuesday.

Overall, the procedure sounds so much worse than it really is. I didn't find it painful, but completely understand that it might be for some people. The most "painful" part is hoping this little girl stays super sticky in my uterus during the next few days. AND, now another kind of 2WW (2 week wait). 2 weeks until we find out the results. I just wish it was sooner...but that's how long it takes. We also have a level 2 u/s on Aug 13 (the same day we should find out results of the amnio), so we should know all that it going on with this little one by then. We're praying no horrible fatal abnormalities exist, but are glad we're checking now. I've been praying for this little one so much. But, I know God has a plan for me and have to trust it will all work out as it should.

That's my story. I'm not posting how far along anymore because I figured out (thanks Jen and Holly) how to post my ticker so you can know more easily at the top!

Love to all and thanks for every one's good thoughts for us.

xoxo Yo!

19w4d - Amnio and Earthquakes!

Hi all!

Well, I've been pretty nervous about the up-coming amnio, but know it's all going to be alright. Results take about 2 weeks, so I think that waiting might be the hardest part. On top of my nerves, we had a pretty big earthquake today! It was a 5.4 and I was in the 3rd level of an underground parking structure. The air ducts were swinging and the concrete around me was shaking! All I was praying for was that the building didn't collapse on me. But, everything turned out okay, and I drove out from under there ASAP! I was happy to be home with my kitties...they were scared too! This is the biggest one we've felt since the 1994 Northridge earthquake...that's a story for another day! DH was so cute, called and texted me right away to make sure I was okay. He's so protective and I just love it. He's the BEST DH ever. Not that all your DH's aren't great too, but I'm a bit biased! :-)

Other than that, feeling okay. I'll try to keep everyone posted about the amnio tomorrow - happens at 1:30pm on Wednesday, so keep me in your prayers please. Hugs to everyone!

xoxo Yo!

19w2d - Amnio Next Week & Belly Slideshow Updated

Hi all!

Just wanted to let you know that you can scroll down and the belly slideshow is updated to include 19 week photo. I continue to grow and grow and grow. And, I'm starting to have a pretty itchy tummy and bbs. Wondering how bad the stretch marks will get! Funny, I think I'm big now, but I'll get sooooooo much bigger in the months to come. Very interesting to be a human incubator! People are just starting to notice and comment. There is a worker at my local grocery store who I haven't seen in 3-4 months and he instantly said, "Congratulations!" So, that's the first real stranger who has commented without hesitating!

I'm still not feeling a ton of movement, but I think with wearing the looser maternity clothes now and being busier that I'm just not noticing as much. I do think when I feel kicks that it feels more like gas now, or like I have to pee and then a moment later I don't have to anymore. I can't wait until DH can feel it.

The amnio is next week and I'm glad we're having it but a bit nervous as well. Interesting, they say the m/c rate is 1/400 or so for this procedure, but from all I've researched, they don't really know if the m/c is from the procedure or from the fact that you would have m/c'd naturally anyway. The m/c rate for this trimester pregnancy is 1/100 anyway, so there is more of a chance that I'd m/c without the procedure. Nice to know all these facts going in.

Oh, I've been having super vivid dreams and bringing all parts of my life into one dream! This morning, I was cracking up because ONE dream was about 1) growing up as a gymnast, 2) PT school, 3) the gymnast/coach craziness that just happened about that book, and 4) panda being a bear (I like the animals at the zoo!) But, I slept sooooo great last night and got about 9 hours. I only got about 6 the night before, so it was nice to sleep.

That's it for now. Thanks in advance for any prayers or wishes for next Wednesday's appt at 1:30pm for me and my little one. I really believe in prayers and it's nice to know people are rooting for you. Hope you are all doing great and having a great weekend!

xoxo Yo!

18w6d - It's a GIRL!!!

Hi all,

I've been super busy last few weeks and haven't been able to post.

We did find out some very fun news today...we're having a...

GIRL!!!

The dr showed us the labia and everthing. And, it was a really good shot - amazing. We're very excited. No u/s pics today, but we'll get more later.

We have decided (95% sure) that we will have an amnio next week on Wednesday. We had some test results that indicate to us that it is worthwhile to do. So, we'll know more about everything a couple of weeks after that. Chances are that it will all be fine either way, so that's comforting to know.

That's it for now! Sending everyone tons of love!

xoxo Yo!

PS - DH took this photo last Saturday and I kind of liked it, so I thought I'd share!

17w1d - belly slide show

Hi all,

Just stopping by quickly to update you with my belly slide show. I've edited it down so it's not so long, but I'm def starting grow! Everything is bigger! I'll be back for a full report. Love to all of you! (Sorry it's been so long since time since I posted.)

xoxo Yo!

Oh, remember, it sometimes takes a few minutes to load so if it cuts off at anything less than 17 weeks, you haven't seen the whole slide show...just let it cycle through a couple of times and it will load.

15w2d - let the games begin!

Hi all!

Well, it's been a while since I posted...I started a post a few days ago, but time was not my friend and, alas, I could not post. Well, lots to catch up on!

Well, I'm fairly certain that I've started feeling the little one kick and move. I've kind of felt these flutters sporadically for the past 2 weeks, but was not completely sure. I'm almost certain now and even think I felt the LO roll over on Saturday. Kind of felt like a little rolling pin in my belly. I really only feel it when I am sitting quietly and my elastic waste of my pants is pushing in on my belly. Today, I've felt a little different one - kind of feels like gas, but is a very minor sharp feeling on my right side every once in a while. Kind of cool...I'll keep you posted if it turns out I'm right!

I am feeling much better this past couple of weeks. My last really bad day was the last day I posted, and that was a doozy of a day. Saturday after that, we went driving in the mountains, and the turns kind of made me nauseous too. BUT, the GREAT news, is nothing since then! We even went camping this weekend and I took the turns on the same drive up the mountains with NO problem! YAY!

I do notice that my sacrum hurts when I walk a lot. The sacrum is a bone that is just at the base of your spine and is between your two hip bones. I've known for some time that this particular joint on my body has more movement than in most people. I think this is from my many years as a gymnast. But, when you're PG and you have a lot of hormones that relax all of your joints, it makes this movement larger. Because of this, my body is relying on my muscles to keep it all in place, and they get overworked easily...thus the pain! But, I'm not going to let that stop me! I'm going to keep walking and hiking as much as I can so that I'm in decent shape when this little being is born in December!

Must to a shout out to Jen who recently got her BFP after a long hard road of trying. She stayed patient and showed much perseverance. I am just jumping up and down for her. Please keep her in your prayers that this little bean of hers is super sticky and snuggles down for the next 8 months or so! Also to Monty who is now done with her Molar/chemo chapter and is now writing her waiting chapter! But, come December, she'll start writing her TTC chapter again and we'll be with her to support her all of the way. One to Mary, who just had her amnio - I know everything will work out perfectly, but sending my love and prayers to her! AND, one to Olivia and her little Adelaide who was just born and is premature. I pray that her little one stays healthy and is able to go home really soon to be with her mommy and family. She is just beautiful!

Okay, that was a long post...but there was much to report on. I'll be gone to the in-laws in Davis, CA starting on Thursday and am not sure when/if I'll be able to post when I'm there. I would try to post on Tuesday, but I'm going to the outlet malls to try to find some more cheap maternity clothes for my trip to Davis (it will be HOT) so I look cute for the first time the in-laws see me and my PG belly.

Love to everyone and have a safe and happy July 4th holiday!

xoxo Yo!

14w0d - insomnia and nausea...ugh

Hi all,

So, it's 3am and I'm having trouble sleeping. Partly because it's so hot, but mostly because of the pregnancy insomnia and waking with nausea. I wouldn't care so much but I have to work a 12-hour day tomorrow.... But, I know I can get through it and I know I'll be able to sleep this weekend to catch up.

I've always been such a good sleeper that this is something new for me to deal with, but I'm doing the best I can. My PA gave me a suggestion of having a hot towel or some hot liquid to get back to sleep, but it's just too dang hot here tonight, so I just can't do that. I'll probably try some relaxation techniques once the nausea and gas settle down.

That's it for now...more later. Love and hugs to everyone!

xoxo Yo!

13w4d - Plans do change and WHERE is my energy?

Hi all!

Well, DH and I decided after getting our NT results (risk for Down's 1/1,781 and risk for trisomy 13 & 18 is 1/3021) that it really wasn't worth a risk of miscarriage as high as CVS, which is 1/200 - 1/250. We talked about it a lot and we feel good about our decision. We're still weighing the amnio option. CVS is a pretty invasive procedure and I would have been on bedrest for 24 hours and no heavy lifting for 4-5 days. AND, they said spotting is normal for 4-5 days. Boy, that would have really freaked me out. Decision made and done. YAY!

So, I felt very nauseous again this weekend, ugh. I really thought I was out of the woods when I had that WONDERFUL energy surge a week and a half ago. But, I have to remember it is NORMAL for it to faze out and to still have some bad days. My energy at my internship is still pretty good, but once I get home, I'm all tuckered out!

Internship is going great, and tomorrow will be a VERY busy day. I'll see many patients on my own and not have a ton of time for paperwork, so I might have to stay late. We'll see - I'll just do my best. I still really like my clinical instructor (CI). He now knows I'm PG, so it's pretty much out in the open now. Not everyone in the clinic knows, but I'm sure they'll know soon!

We told DH's parents this weekend and his older brother. They were super excited for us. They loved the u/s pics and videos. We'll be going up to Davis, CA to see them for the July Fourth weekend, and I know I'll be showing a lot more then. I'm already wearing some maternity pants, and some big, floofy tops. I think I might buy some more cute maternity stuff for the trip. Very exciting.

Other than that, just plodding along and I keep counting every day as a blessing. Sending special prayers to my bbc board for a nice BFP or 3.... Love to everyone!

xoxo Yo!

12w6d - Good OB Visit and CVS Settled

Hi all,

Boy, I was a little pissy on Tuesday. I guess I've calmed down about it since DH and I have a plan. There was no other dr who took our insurance who does CVS. (I'm not sure I really believe that, but I'm too exhausted to push the issue further.) We decided we're definitely going to do it and here is our plan:

1) DH to call on Mon am to dr that takes our insurance to try to get appt. This dr office told my OB office they would do everything possible to get us in, but that we had to call when the dr was back in the office on Mon.
2) If we can't get in, we're going to go ahead with the other dr and pay for the CVS. It will be expensive, but I'll be working again in October and we can start settling some bills then.
3) I am telling my clinical instructor on Mon about being PG. The has to happen because I'll need to be off the day of the CVS AND the next day on bed rest. The 4-5 days following the procedure, I cannot do ANY heavy lifting. They'll need to know my dr's restrictions and agree to let me work under modified conditions, or I'll just take the week off and make it up at the end of the internship.

I'm glad that's settled.

I has my 2nd OB appt today and it was amazing. My dr cancelled my visits twice, so I agreed to see the PA (physician's assistant). I've always had GREAT experiences with PAs and sometimes think they are better than the physicians themselves. She answered ALL of my questions thoughtfully and took the time to make me feel comfortable. The we turned on the Doppler to hear the heart beat. It took about 2 minutes, but then it was unmistakable. A strong, wonderful heartbeat. It was 168 beats a minute and lasted for about 10-15 seconds...then the little bean moved to start doing some other things. I was so happy and am smiling still. No, I don't have pictures to share, but feel lucky nonetheless. Thanks to God for blessing me with this little life.

Hope everyone else is doing great. Hugs and love to everyone!

xoxo Yo!