24 weeks 4 days.... (updated)...

24 weeks and 4 days today and had check up with peri. Baby looks good and is measuring right on for some measurements up to a week ahead. That was good news... However, my cervix has shortened from 4 at 12 weeks to 2.55 today, so I'm supposed to stay off my feet. I'm thinking that bed rest at some point will be inevitable, but at least for now, cervix remains closed. (yay!).

Ffn test today as well. Waiting for those results. Back to peri in two weeks for another cervix check and Ffn test.

Just hoping my body cooperates to keep little guy in place for many more weeks!

Update: The Ffn test was negative. Whew!

22 weeks and 3 days....

22 weeks and 3 days and nothing exciting to report (but... boring is kinda nice!) OB appt today with a sonogram and baby looks fine. He is estimated to weigh 1.4 lbs and is measuring about a week ahead. My cervix is holding in there at 3.2.

Baby was fairly inactive before the ultrasound early this afternoon, but since he has been moving like crazy. The ultrasound tech was awesome, although she had me in tears telling me about her sister's adoption of an infant. Adoption always touches my heart because of my son. In a strange coincidence, her sister decided to name the baby what will be our son's full name, Evan J____. Our last name is a first name so we had a hard time finding a name that didn't sound like a good-old-Southern-double-first-name. It is nice to have settled on a name.

Dh gave me a boxed set of classical music cd's this morning to listen to in the car on my way to work for the baby. Hopefully, the baby will like Beethoven and Mozart.

20 weeks, 4 days....

Appt. with the perinatologist today, although I only saw the sonographer. I'm pretty sure the peri's practice is rather a racket but since the racket provides reassurance that all is well, I'll play along... The sonographer explained that unless she sees something questionable, I likely won't see the perinatologist again. Here's hoping I never see the peri!

So, at 20 weeks, 4 days, all appears well. The measurements were mostly right on target for gestational age and the baby is estimated to weigh 15 oz. He gave a big yawn during the ultrasound. So cute! He kept his hands up toward his face almost the entire time so it made getting a good profile picture rather difficult, but at least we could see his head this time. The last time, the sonographer couldn't get any skull measurements because he was so low.

23 days to potential viability (but I'm not counting.... lol!)

My job as an attorney is mostly a desk occupation, with the occasional court appearance thrown in the mix.... and my back isn't liking all this sitting. I try to get up and move around periodically, but I'm still experiencing some cricks and icks. I've taken to switching desk chairs half way through the day and using the heating pad on my back through out the day. Fun stuff! (But I know the pain is worth the reward!)

I really still can't believe I'm expecting. Me! After 11 years of hoping, praying, wishing, crying, etc. Me.... baby... growing inside. Amazing!

On another note, my 6 year old son is apparently getting married today. We were at dinner (after laboring over selecting new carpet at Home Depot, which took forever and was a beating...) last night and he saw some girls from his school. One came over to our table and said she wanted to kiss him on the lips! Then she returned to our table and said she was going to marry him at school today! I figured he would forget the incident but this morning when getting ready for school he said, "So, I guess I'm getting married today". Lol. Boy, they grow up fast... I can't wait to hear how his wedding day went tonight when I get home from work. Kids are funny!

Those vibrations on my cervix....

Yep... Most likely baby said the labor and delivery nurse at 3 am this morning... I had some substantial cramping in the middle of the night and being as paranoid as I am, we headed to the ER. I am afraid of being haunted by what-if's if something happened and I hadn't done everything possible to prevent a bad outcome.

We lucked out because the ER dr used to be a practicing OB and was super-nice. I explained that this was a long journey to get to this place and as a first pregnancy, I have no idea what is normal to feel and what isn't.

Cervix is closed. No dilation. No UTI. No appearance of leaky amniotic fluid. Ultrasound looked perfect and my borderline placenta previa looks as if it has resolved itself (yay--- maybe no c-section for me!) Baby was measuring 18w5d, which is right on schedule. All reassuring news and the L&D nurse who came down to the ER to check me out said that the vibrations were likely the baby and that the movement can be felt on the cervix depending upon the position of the baby.

Reassurance is nice... even if it comes at 3 am in the ER......

Strange sensations....

I'm 19 weeks on Friday and having some strange sensations....

Anyone have strange sensations in the cervix/vagina location like a vibration or fluttering? Is that the baby moving around? (I know he is head down right now). I can't really tell if I can feel him yet. I mainly feel the vibrating/fluttering thing when I am sitting down. I thought if it were the baby, I would feel it a little higher up in my uterus instead of feeling like it is in my vagina....

Any ideas?

Blue....

I had a little scare last week feeling lots of pressure in my uterus/vagina. I called the dr. late last Friday afternoon when I decided that things were decidedly not normal (a hard determination never having been pg before!) I was instructed to go the ER to check things checked out. On the way to the hospital, the nurse called back and said that the pressure was likely due to a UTI and to go home, rest and drink lots of cranberry juice and if there was no improvement, to go to the ER. Otherwise, she made an appt for me for Monday morning. So, all weekend I drank the cranberry, hoping and praying the dr. diagnosed the problem accurately. I hardly moved off the couch. I literally counted down the hours until the Monday morning appt.
At yesterday’s check, it indeed appears that it is likely that I have a UTI. We won’t know for certain until the culture comes back tomorrow, but the OB prescribed antibiotics with lots of liquids. Otherwise, the internal exam appeared normal. That was a relief!
And… despite my loathing of the peri’s office, with its less than warm doctor and excruciatingly ridiculous long waits, I went to the peri appt yesterday. When I started having the pressure last week, I decided not to cancel the appt as was the plan as I knew the peri would do an ultrasound. So, detailed anatomy scan yesterday and all looks like we are growing a perfectly healthy baby boy.
My son was thrilled as this was his wish. He had told me the night before he didn’t want a sister because she would boss him around. I reminded him that he would be 7 years older than the baby. His response was that it wouldn’t matter, she would still boss him around. At least he has the way of the world figured out at the ripe old age of six!
I was not a bit surprised when the ultrasound tech said she saw boy parts. That was my guess and I’m just happy it appears the baby is healthy, even if I don’t get to shop for pink, girly stuff…. I get to shop for BLUE! :)

14 Week 6 day OB Appointment and G-day Delay

In the midst of an all-time record snow storm for Texas (seriously, we got 12.5 inches at my house, when two inches is a huge news story), I made it to my OB check up. Nothing earth shattering and all seems well. I laughed silently when the new OB did an internal to see if the baby could fit through my hips. Ummmm... small boned is something I have never been accused of being and Dr. D confirmed, there shouldn't be a concern there. :-)

The nurse dopplered the heartbeat, which was 160 and said the heartbeat sounded strong and regular. Yay! Dr. D was reassuring about the fibroids as was the old OB and didn't seem too concerned. With Dr. D's consent, I am cancelling the peri appt I have on Feb. 22. Although it means giving up an ultrasound, the "scare tactics" or worst case scenario presentation (without the disclaimer of the scenario being the worst case) caused me to struggle more emotionally so I am opting not to see Dr. WorstCaseScenario again.

The Dr. D asked about completing the second part of the sequential screen and I told her I didn't think I wanted that test based on the NT scan and the first part of the sequential screen coming back good, the 1st tri results being more accurate and a higher chance for a false positive with the quad screen. She said that was reasonable under the circumstances and that she was comfortable with my decision.

My bp was elevated at the OB's office (160/90). I have chronic high bp anyway. I was instructed to lie on my side and literally 2 minutes later my bp was 117/58. How is the medically possible? Baffling to me.

My next OB appt is March 4, where I will get an ultrasound. G-day was scheduled for Feb. 27, but since the next OB appt is only a few days later, I have cancelled the ultrasound center appointment, telling myself that I can be patient for a few more days. So, we are back where we were last week--- 16 days to G-day. Patience is a virtue, right??

I can't wait to see the baby again! It has been 3 weeks since my last u/s and will be over 5 weeks by the time G-day rolls around.

After the next OB appt, I calculate that I will have one more non-ultrasound appt and then will be on a "regular" ultrasound appt, which Dr. D said would start at 24 weeks. Only 59 more days. I think I have felt some fluttering of the baby, but gosh, at this point it has been hard to tell. I read that baby should be able to make a fist by the end of this week. I know I'll regret it later, but I'm hoping the baby works up to some good punches soon. I want to feel my little guy/girl moving around!