Doctors appointment update...although I have lost two pounds in the last two weeks, my uterus is now measuring 5 weeks ahead...I have the belly of someone who is 36 weeks pregnant! :) My uterus is all the way up to my ribcage now. The doctor said we'll definitely have another ultrasound in a few weeks to check on her size and growth.
I have been having really yucky contractions, so the doctor checked me out and said that my cervix is okay. My pee-in-a-cup test showed that I am very dehydrated, so that is probably the cause of the contractions. It all started with being so sick last week, and it has been difficult to get used to drinking fluids again. I'm trying to drink as much as I can so that hopefully the contractions will stop. Some of them are pretty painful, making me seriously doubt how long I'll be able to make it in actual labor without an epidural!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Merry Christmas!
Alyssa had a great first Christmas!!! We got to spend time with all of her grandparents and had a lot of fun. We went to the traditional Christmas Eve movie and had lots of laughs with the Cook gang, had a really nice Christmas dinner and fun family time with Grandma and Grandpa Scheck, and then had Christmas with Mammaw. Alyssa got lots of Christmas gifts. She got clothes (including Colts, IU, and Pacers socks) and lots of awesome nursery things. And I got my official going-to-the-hospital bag complete with all the essentials!
I'm enjoying my time home on Christmas break. I'm almost recovered from being sick. Some days, I have lots of contractions, but Alyssa seems to be doing well. She's definitely growing!!! :)
I'm enjoying my time home on Christmas break. I'm almost recovered from being sick. Some days, I have lots of contractions, but Alyssa seems to be doing well. She's definitely growing!!! :)
Thursday, December 22, 2005
30 Weeks
30 weeks today, 3/4 of the way there! I feel like the last couple of weeks have gone slowly, so it's nice to finally be at the 30 week landmark.
That "miserable cold" I thought I was getting turned out to be much more than I bargained for. It was some sort of nasty flu bug plus a sinus infection and the worst cough I can ever remember having in my life. I was off work Monday and Tuesday and saw my family practice doctor. I am still having some bad coughing/asthma episodes and am very short of breath and wheezy. It's very unnerving that I'm being told very different things by my OB and my family practice doctor regarding which medicines I should be taking. The OB pretty much tells me to take anything I need because it's important to make sure that the baby gets enough oxygen and nutrition. The family practice doctor doesn't want me taking anything at all, and he said the only safe antibiotic is Amoxicillin. (I have already taken other antibiotics prescribed by my OB earlier in this pregnancy.) The OB has also been very concerned about dehydration (I wasn't able to swallow fluids for a few days because of the cough and choking), but the family practice doctor shrugged his shoulders and said if I don't drink anything, I'll just pee less. The family practice doctor delivered babies for 30 years (He would have delivered Jeff if he hadn't been on vacation). I don't know who I should believe, and it makes me worry a lot that I have done something to hurt Alyssa. Thankfully, I'm getting better now that I have figured out that the biggest problem is asthma, so the only things I am taking now are my inhaler and Afrin.
That "miserable cold" I thought I was getting turned out to be much more than I bargained for. It was some sort of nasty flu bug plus a sinus infection and the worst cough I can ever remember having in my life. I was off work Monday and Tuesday and saw my family practice doctor. I am still having some bad coughing/asthma episodes and am very short of breath and wheezy. It's very unnerving that I'm being told very different things by my OB and my family practice doctor regarding which medicines I should be taking. The OB pretty much tells me to take anything I need because it's important to make sure that the baby gets enough oxygen and nutrition. The family practice doctor doesn't want me taking anything at all, and he said the only safe antibiotic is Amoxicillin. (I have already taken other antibiotics prescribed by my OB earlier in this pregnancy.) The OB has also been very concerned about dehydration (I wasn't able to swallow fluids for a few days because of the cough and choking), but the family practice doctor shrugged his shoulders and said if I don't drink anything, I'll just pee less. The family practice doctor delivered babies for 30 years (He would have delivered Jeff if he hadn't been on vacation). I don't know who I should believe, and it makes me worry a lot that I have done something to hurt Alyssa. Thankfully, I'm getting better now that I have figured out that the biggest problem is asthma, so the only things I am taking now are my inhaler and Afrin.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Healthy Girl
The ultrasound showed that Alyssa is very healthy and a perfect size. She's measuring about a week ahead, which is fine. The reason my uterus is measuring so far ahead is because I am carrying her up so high. It is not a problem at all. (In fact, it's sort of nice that she's not sitting on my bladder so hard anymore!) :) And Alyssa turned around head-down and then transverse (side to side) during the ultrasound, so we know that she can still turn herself around. She still likes to be breech a lot, but her position won't be an issue for another 4 or 5 weeks.
New pictures should be on the website and in the photo gallery. I LOVE her cute little cheeks. They look chubby to me after seeing her looking like a skeleton early on. :) And the ultrasound tech commented on her nice long legs just like Dr. Dungy-Poythress did. So Jeff and I are hoping that means that there are some taller genes in our family somewhere that just happened to pass us up. We also confirmed once again that Alyssa is most definitely a girl. Jeff was a little embarassed at that picture. She's getting so big that it almost looks inappropriate! I am totally comfortable now that we won't get any big surprises in the delivery room. :) Her heart rate was 156, and the weight estimate was 3lb6oz, which is very healthy but not huge. I think that's all of Alyssa's news for now.
As for me, I am very suddenly coming down with an especially miserable cold, and I'm hoping that I feel well enough to enjoy our VERY busy weekend ahead. We have two family Christmas get-togethers, plus church things, plus shopping, plus lots of cooking (but, thankfully for all of us, that last one is Jeff's department). :) Next time you see me, be sure to ask me about my first experience teaching Kindergarten! :)
New pictures should be on the website and in the photo gallery. I LOVE her cute little cheeks. They look chubby to me after seeing her looking like a skeleton early on. :) And the ultrasound tech commented on her nice long legs just like Dr. Dungy-Poythress did. So Jeff and I are hoping that means that there are some taller genes in our family somewhere that just happened to pass us up. We also confirmed once again that Alyssa is most definitely a girl. Jeff was a little embarassed at that picture. She's getting so big that it almost looks inappropriate! I am totally comfortable now that we won't get any big surprises in the delivery room. :) Her heart rate was 156, and the weight estimate was 3lb6oz, which is very healthy but not huge. I think that's all of Alyssa's news for now.
As for me, I am very suddenly coming down with an especially miserable cold, and I'm hoping that I feel well enough to enjoy our VERY busy weekend ahead. We have two family Christmas get-togethers, plus church things, plus shopping, plus lots of cooking (but, thankfully for all of us, that last one is Jeff's department). :) Next time you see me, be sure to ask me about my first experience teaching Kindergarten! :)
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Graduation
We have officially graduated form chilbirth class. We got to learn all about the drugs at the last class, so I think we're as prepared as anyone could be. I'm excited and ready to start packing a suitcase, but I'll try to resist that urge for a little while longer-don't want to give Alyssa any ideas. :)
As my doctor suggested, I got one of those maternity support belts that holds your belly up (the ones that we have been laughing at for months). As promised, it really does help with the aches and pains, and I think it keeps Alyssa's weight off of my bladder too, which is really nice!
This is an incredibly busy week with all the Christmas programs at school. We were supposed to have a field trip to the Children's Museum today, but we had to reschedule because we're on a 2-hour fog delay. (There are probably first graders crying all over town this morning.) At first, I was really glad that I wouldn't have to walk around up and down those ramps with 7-year-olds for hours today...but then I started imagining how enormous I'll be in a month or two when we reschedule the trip. :0
Our ultrasound is at 2:00 tomorrow. They'll make sure everything is okay with Alyssa and see how big she is. I'll update as soon as I can.
As my doctor suggested, I got one of those maternity support belts that holds your belly up (the ones that we have been laughing at for months). As promised, it really does help with the aches and pains, and I think it keeps Alyssa's weight off of my bladder too, which is really nice!
This is an incredibly busy week with all the Christmas programs at school. We were supposed to have a field trip to the Children's Museum today, but we had to reschedule because we're on a 2-hour fog delay. (There are probably first graders crying all over town this morning.) At first, I was really glad that I wouldn't have to walk around up and down those ramps with 7-year-olds for hours today...but then I started imagining how enormous I'll be in a month or two when we reschedule the trip. :0
Our ultrasound is at 2:00 tomorrow. They'll make sure everything is okay with Alyssa and see how big she is. I'll update as soon as I can.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Strange Dream!
I had a REALLY strange pregnancy dream early this morning. I dreamed that Alyssa's two little legs and feet popped right out through my belly and kicked around. At first, I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and I was calling for Jeff to look. Then...I suddenly realized that that wasn't supposed to happen, and I got scared. (And, of course, no one answered at 911.) I was really freaked out for a while when I woke up, but now I think it's SO funny! :) (By the way, when I woke up, she was kicking me right in the place where her legs came out.) :)
Friday, December 9, 2005
Childbirth Class Humor
Today is Alyssa's first SNOW DAY! :) I thought I'd take the chance to add an update. It has been an eventful week! Last Saturday, we had the first half of our childbirth class. We're now qualified to have half of a baby. After tomorrow, we can have the whole thing. :) It was a fun time, and there are some funny moments that we'll always remember. We watched a video of a woman going through labor drug-free. About 2 minutes into the video, Jeff began looking very concerned and whispered to me, "You're not going to be that whiney, are you?" (To his credit, the woman really was extra-whiney.) I suggested that he share his question with the 15 other women in the room, but for some reason, he didn't want to do that. :)
The first thing we were asked to do was to introduce ourselves and share our biggest fear about childbirth. One mom said that her biggest fear was the poster on the wall with a diagram of a cervix dilated to ten centimeters. Toward the end of the morning, we practiced standing, sitting, kneeling, etc. in different positions to help cope with labor pains. Stations were set up around the room with pictures instructing us on what to do at each station, and we rotated to a new station about every minute. It was nice practice, however we quickly realized the difficulty of getting up and down off the floor with a rapidly-growing little person in our bellies! Every time we got to a new station, there would be quiet groans going up from the ladies looking at the pictures that required sitting on the floor. And a minute later, there would be groans from those same women as their poor husbands tried to pull them up off the floor. :) We must have looked hilarious!!!There are some things (probably most things) about childbirth that just can't be taught or learned in advance. For example, I can only imagine that it's a whole lot easier to exhale gradually for ten seconds while sitting in a comfortable chair perfectly relaxed than it is to hold your breath for ten seconds while trying with all your might to push a human being out of your body! But it was fun and exciting anyway! :)
Monday was our doctor appointment. The first thing the nurse practitioner did was to compliment me on limiting my weight gain, which was a big relief! She said she tells people 5 pounds is the limit, but no one can actually do that, and some women have gained 30 pounds by now. (I cannot imagine how uncomfortable that would be!!!) Alyssa's heart rate and my blood pressure were perfect. Then she measured my uterus...and I'm measuring a MONTH ahead! (My dates are definitely not off.) She said it's much more concerning to measure too small than too big, but it does buy us an ultrasound next Friday. I'm really excited to see Alyssa again!!! Measuring too big could mean too much fluid (which usually means nothing at all, or very rarely can be a sign of a problem with Alyssa), or it could just be because of Alyssa's position (We're pretty sure she is breech right now, but she has another month to turn around before we have to worry about that), or it could mean that Alyssa will be the world's first female sumo wrestler! :) She thought that Alyssa did feel big, although she didn't say she felt big enough to measure a month ahead. So we'll just have to wait for Friday to see what's going on in there. :)
The first thing we were asked to do was to introduce ourselves and share our biggest fear about childbirth. One mom said that her biggest fear was the poster on the wall with a diagram of a cervix dilated to ten centimeters. Toward the end of the morning, we practiced standing, sitting, kneeling, etc. in different positions to help cope with labor pains. Stations were set up around the room with pictures instructing us on what to do at each station, and we rotated to a new station about every minute. It was nice practice, however we quickly realized the difficulty of getting up and down off the floor with a rapidly-growing little person in our bellies! Every time we got to a new station, there would be quiet groans going up from the ladies looking at the pictures that required sitting on the floor. And a minute later, there would be groans from those same women as their poor husbands tried to pull them up off the floor. :) We must have looked hilarious!!!There are some things (probably most things) about childbirth that just can't be taught or learned in advance. For example, I can only imagine that it's a whole lot easier to exhale gradually for ten seconds while sitting in a comfortable chair perfectly relaxed than it is to hold your breath for ten seconds while trying with all your might to push a human being out of your body! But it was fun and exciting anyway! :)
Monday was our doctor appointment. The first thing the nurse practitioner did was to compliment me on limiting my weight gain, which was a big relief! She said she tells people 5 pounds is the limit, but no one can actually do that, and some women have gained 30 pounds by now. (I cannot imagine how uncomfortable that would be!!!) Alyssa's heart rate and my blood pressure were perfect. Then she measured my uterus...and I'm measuring a MONTH ahead! (My dates are definitely not off.) She said it's much more concerning to measure too small than too big, but it does buy us an ultrasound next Friday. I'm really excited to see Alyssa again!!! Measuring too big could mean too much fluid (which usually means nothing at all, or very rarely can be a sign of a problem with Alyssa), or it could just be because of Alyssa's position (We're pretty sure she is breech right now, but she has another month to turn around before we have to worry about that), or it could mean that Alyssa will be the world's first female sumo wrestler! :) She thought that Alyssa did feel big, although she didn't say she felt big enough to measure a month ahead. So we'll just have to wait for Friday to see what's going on in there. :)
Friday, December 2, 2005
Bonk!
I'm starting to have some serious aches and pains. One side of my behind hurts a lot whenever I move. And it already feels like this kid could just drop right out of me at any moment. I can only hope that, in a few more months, it really does happen that easily! :)
Yesterday, a student was standing right in front of me, and out of the blue, he purposely bonked his head (gently, thank goodness) right into Alyssa. Of course, I had to tell him that it wasn't appropriate, but it was SO hard not to laugh! That big belly sticking out there was just too tempting for him! :) I wonder if any other kids have thought about doing the same thing.
Yesterday, a student was standing right in front of me, and out of the blue, he purposely bonked his head (gently, thank goodness) right into Alyssa. Of course, I had to tell him that it wasn't appropriate, but it was SO hard not to laugh! That big belly sticking out there was just too tempting for him! :) I wonder if any other kids have thought about doing the same thing.
Thursday, December 1, 2005
Dumbest Father in the Class?
Yesterday during first grade lunch duty, I had to point my finger and say to a student, "Alyssa...SIT!". I immediately started laughing, wondering how many more times in my life I will say those words. :)
Today marks 27 weeks down, 13 or so to go. We have childbirth classes this Saturday and next. Jeff and I are both really excited. Jeff asked the other day "What if I'm the dumbest father in the class?" I assured him that he will definitely not be. He has been SO wonderful this whole time, wanting to learn about what is going on with Alyssa and with me, and (usually) listening to me spout off information even when he wasn't interested. He went to breastfeeding class without complaining, and he has gone to nearly every doctors appointment with me. I think he's a pretty well-educated father. And he takes such good care of me. He gave me constant back rubs for months when I was cramping so badly, and again now that my back is getting sore. He made a trip to the store for me last night because he insisted that I should be home resting instead of out in the cold, he does most of the housework, and he has helped me through all the hormonal mood swings. He got a book for expectant dads as a gift, and once in a while, he makes a comment about something he read. A couple months ago, the day I had my minor breakdown over gaining weight and not fitting into my clothes, he calmly assured me that "the book said this day would happen." :) It backfired for him last weekend, though. On Sunday, when he was in big trouble for throwing a temper tantrum when I took too long browsing the clearance sale at Big Lots (one of his least favorite places to be), he made a big show of rubbing my belly and talking to Alyssa when we got home. It was very sweet. But unfortunately, he immediately followed up with, "The book said I get brownie points for touching your belly!" He's an awesome husband and dad, but he is definitely still male. ;)
Our next appointment is Monday with the nurse practitioner. I really like her, but I'm a bit nervous about what she'll say, because she is the one who told me that I should gain less than 5 pounds during my whole pregnancy. (The doctor basically said that's silly. The baby alone weighs more than that!) I've gained 8 or 9 so far, and he says I'm doing great. After this appointment, I'll have some more bloodwork, and I'll start being seen every two weeks.
Today marks 27 weeks down, 13 or so to go. We have childbirth classes this Saturday and next. Jeff and I are both really excited. Jeff asked the other day "What if I'm the dumbest father in the class?" I assured him that he will definitely not be. He has been SO wonderful this whole time, wanting to learn about what is going on with Alyssa and with me, and (usually) listening to me spout off information even when he wasn't interested. He went to breastfeeding class without complaining, and he has gone to nearly every doctors appointment with me. I think he's a pretty well-educated father. And he takes such good care of me. He gave me constant back rubs for months when I was cramping so badly, and again now that my back is getting sore. He made a trip to the store for me last night because he insisted that I should be home resting instead of out in the cold, he does most of the housework, and he has helped me through all the hormonal mood swings. He got a book for expectant dads as a gift, and once in a while, he makes a comment about something he read. A couple months ago, the day I had my minor breakdown over gaining weight and not fitting into my clothes, he calmly assured me that "the book said this day would happen." :) It backfired for him last weekend, though. On Sunday, when he was in big trouble for throwing a temper tantrum when I took too long browsing the clearance sale at Big Lots (one of his least favorite places to be), he made a big show of rubbing my belly and talking to Alyssa when we got home. It was very sweet. But unfortunately, he immediately followed up with, "The book said I get brownie points for touching your belly!" He's an awesome husband and dad, but he is definitely still male. ;)
Our next appointment is Monday with the nurse practitioner. I really like her, but I'm a bit nervous about what she'll say, because she is the one who told me that I should gain less than 5 pounds during my whole pregnancy. (The doctor basically said that's silly. The baby alone weighs more than that!) I've gained 8 or 9 so far, and he says I'm doing great. After this appointment, I'll have some more bloodwork, and I'll start being seen every two weeks.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
2/3 of the way!
Today begins our third trimester. The second trimester seemed to go a lot faster than the first. I'm starting to feel very huge, and running into things with my big belly is now a daily occurance. It's getting a lot more difficult to turn over in bed and bend down to pick things up off the ground. It's fascinating to watch my belly get bigger every day. Just when I get used to it being one size, it gets bigger. :) Jeff and I looked at some baby dolls in the store the other day that are about the size of Alyssa, and we were amazed at how big she's getting!!!
Alyssa and Kitten (our little siamese cat) seem to have a special relationship already. Kitten lays against my belly every night, and I think Alyssa knows she's there, especially when she purrs very loudly, because she kicks her a lot. I hope that they still like each other after Alyssa is born and Kitten's jealousy has set in. ;)
Alyssa woke up and started moving this morning when I talked to her. It's neat to know that she hears my voice and responds like that. She probably doesn't have a clue that I'm actually talking to her, but it's fun anyway. :)
Alyssa and Kitten (our little siamese cat) seem to have a special relationship already. Kitten lays against my belly every night, and I think Alyssa knows she's there, especially when she purrs very loudly, because she kicks her a lot. I hope that they still like each other after Alyssa is born and Kitten's jealousy has set in. ;)
Alyssa woke up and started moving this morning when I talked to her. It's neat to know that she hears my voice and responds like that. She probably doesn't have a clue that I'm actually talking to her, but it's fun anyway. :)
Monday, November 28, 2005
Hiccups
Alyssa keeps getting major hiccups this morning (beginning at 3:30a.m., of course), which is pretty amusing to feel and watch! :)
We had a great Thanksgiving, and Alyssa finally kicked/hiccupped for some grandparents and her Uncle Brian. She seems very happy and healthy in there. Alyssa also got to experience day-after-Thanksgiving shopping beginning at 4:00 a.m., her favorite time of the day. She didn't seem to mind at all. She was pretty lucky to shop in such comfort-she didn't even know how cold it was outside. :)
We made another visit to the doctor on the 17th to check out some possible problems, but everything checked out okay. My next visit is next week, and I'll get some more bloodwork done around that time.
We had a great Thanksgiving, and Alyssa finally kicked/hiccupped for some grandparents and her Uncle Brian. She seems very happy and healthy in there. Alyssa also got to experience day-after-Thanksgiving shopping beginning at 4:00 a.m., her favorite time of the day. She didn't seem to mind at all. She was pretty lucky to shop in such comfort-she didn't even know how cold it was outside. :)
We made another visit to the doctor on the 17th to check out some possible problems, but everything checked out okay. My next visit is next week, and I'll get some more bloodwork done around that time.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Getting closer
I ended up with a sinus infection this week but am doing better now. Alyssa got to experience her first "drug high" when I had to use my asthma inhaler Wednesday. I thought the poor girl was going to jump right out through my belly button! :) But thankfully she didn't, and we're both feeling better now.
Our doctors appointment went very well. It was fairly uneventful, which is what we hope for. After going for almost three months without gaining any weight, I gained three pounds in two weeks, which seemed like a lot to me, but the doctor said I'm doing great. Besides, I am still blaming part of it on the heavy shoes I was wearing. :) I got my official information sheet on pre-term labor, which is comforting in an odd way because it's a reminder that Alyssa is old enough to probably survive on her own now. (We're certainly praying that she stays put for a few more months, but it's nice to know that she is getting so big and strong.) The doctor sent some labwork away to make sure that my ten-minute bladder capacity is because of Alyssa sitting on my bladder and not because of a bladder infection. Since I haven't heard anything from his office about the results, I have a feeling that I had better get used to staying close to the bathroom for a while. :)
Jeff is really excited for Alyssa to come so he can see her. He is getting nervous about having a baby. He is already practicing his breathing techniques (just like Bill Cosby) for labor coaching. :) By the time we go to our childbrith classes in a few weeks, Jeff will probably be able to teach the class. :)
Our doctors appointment went very well. It was fairly uneventful, which is what we hope for. After going for almost three months without gaining any weight, I gained three pounds in two weeks, which seemed like a lot to me, but the doctor said I'm doing great. Besides, I am still blaming part of it on the heavy shoes I was wearing. :) I got my official information sheet on pre-term labor, which is comforting in an odd way because it's a reminder that Alyssa is old enough to probably survive on her own now. (We're certainly praying that she stays put for a few more months, but it's nice to know that she is getting so big and strong.) The doctor sent some labwork away to make sure that my ten-minute bladder capacity is because of Alyssa sitting on my bladder and not because of a bladder infection. Since I haven't heard anything from his office about the results, I have a feeling that I had better get used to staying close to the bathroom for a while. :)
Jeff is really excited for Alyssa to come so he can see her. He is getting nervous about having a baby. He is already practicing his breathing techniques (just like Bill Cosby) for labor coaching. :) By the time we go to our childbrith classes in a few weeks, Jeff will probably be able to teach the class. :)
Sunday, November 6, 2005
Kicking for Daddy
Alyssa is growing, and her daddy got to feel her kick yesterday!!! :)
I have a little sinus/throat bug, which is no fun since most cold and pain medicines are off-limits. But I'm so thankful to have this little girl growing inside me that it makes it not seem so bad to be sick. When I'm lying awake at night because I don't feel well, Alyssa keeps me company by kicking my belly. :)
We see the OB tomorrow afternoon. I'll post an update if there is any news to report.
I have a little sinus/throat bug, which is no fun since most cold and pain medicines are off-limits. But I'm so thankful to have this little girl growing inside me that it makes it not seem so bad to be sick. When I'm lying awake at night because I don't feel well, Alyssa keeps me company by kicking my belly. :)
We see the OB tomorrow afternoon. I'll post an update if there is any news to report.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Early contractions
We had a great appointment and ultrasound with the specialist yesterday. The doctor measured all sorts of bones and parts. Alyssa looks great and shows no signs of any problems with her head or any other part of her. She's growing like crazy! Her weight has doubled in 3 weeks. She now weighs 1lb 2oz. We could see her face better this time because of her growth and the better quality ultrasound. She looks more like a baby and less like a halloween skeleton. :) After a few minutes of poking, prodding, me drinking cold water, and a short lecture from her parents, Alyssa finally showed her stuff so the doctor could confirm that she hasn't grown any new "appendages" between the legs that we should know about. :) We got some really cute pictures of her face that I'll post as soon as I get done with house-cleaning this morning.
We found out yesterday that the doctor is Tony Dungy's sister! We had our suspicions but weren't sure if it was appropriate to ask her, so we confirmed it with a little research when we got home. That will be a fun thing to tell Alyssa when she's a football fan. :)
Now for the other events of the week...Monday was an eventful day for us also. I had contractions and lots of pain all weekend last weekend. So, at Jeff's prodding, I called the doctor Monday morning, and instead of getting the "it's all normal, stop worrying" response that we were hoping for, I was told to come in immediately. After some tests and exams and an extremely tense few minutes when the doctor said my cervix felt too short (it turned out to be fine), the conclusion was that I was dehydrated, which was making me have harmless (though uncomfortable) contractions, and that Alyssa is perfectly happy to stay right where she belongs right now. I got a talk from the doctor about staying hydrated. I questioned how in the world I'm supposed to drink that much water when I'm already peeing so much (sometimes every 10 minutes!). His response was basically "get used to it". :) Ahh, the joys of pregnancy! I came home and drank a ton, and the contractions have stopped and I'm feeling much better now.
Tuesday, we had breastfeeding class. (Jeff has other terms for it that can't be posted here.) :) There was an extremely graphic video that caused me pain just watching it, but the evening was very informative and it was fun to see all the other pregnant moms and dads. We have childbirth classes in December.
We found out yesterday that the doctor is Tony Dungy's sister! We had our suspicions but weren't sure if it was appropriate to ask her, so we confirmed it with a little research when we got home. That will be a fun thing to tell Alyssa when she's a football fan. :)
Now for the other events of the week...Monday was an eventful day for us also. I had contractions and lots of pain all weekend last weekend. So, at Jeff's prodding, I called the doctor Monday morning, and instead of getting the "it's all normal, stop worrying" response that we were hoping for, I was told to come in immediately. After some tests and exams and an extremely tense few minutes when the doctor said my cervix felt too short (it turned out to be fine), the conclusion was that I was dehydrated, which was making me have harmless (though uncomfortable) contractions, and that Alyssa is perfectly happy to stay right where she belongs right now. I got a talk from the doctor about staying hydrated. I questioned how in the world I'm supposed to drink that much water when I'm already peeing so much (sometimes every 10 minutes!). His response was basically "get used to it". :) Ahh, the joys of pregnancy! I came home and drank a ton, and the contractions have stopped and I'm feeling much better now.
Tuesday, we had breastfeeding class. (Jeff has other terms for it that can't be posted here.) :) There was an extremely graphic video that caused me pain just watching it, but the evening was very informative and it was fun to see all the other pregnant moms and dads. We have childbirth classes in December.
She looks perfect
We had a great appointment and ultrasound with the specialist yesterday. The doctor measured all sorts of bones and parts. Alyssa looks great and shows no signs of any problems with her head or any other part of her. She's growing like crazy! Her weight has doubled in 3 weeks. She now weighs 1lb 2oz. We could see her face better this time because of her growth and the better quality ultrasound. She looks more like a baby and less like a halloween skeleton. :) After a few minutes of poking, prodding, me drinking cold water, and a short lecture from her parents, Alyssa finally showed her stuff so the doctor could confirm that she hasn't grown any new "appendages" between the legs that we should know about. :) We got some really cute pictures of her face that I'll post as soon as I get done with house-cleaning this morning.
We found out yesterday that the doctor is Tony Dungy's sister! We had our suspicions but weren't sure if it was appropriate to ask her, so we confirmed it with a little research when we got home. That will be a fun thing to tell Alyssa when she's a football fan. :)
Now for the other events of the week...Monday was an eventful day for us also. I had contractions and lots of pain all weekend last weekend. So, at Jeff's prodding, I called the doctor Monday morning, and instead of getting the "it's all normal, stop worrying" response that we were hoping for, I was told to come in immediately. After some tests and exams and an extremely tense few minutes when the doctor said my cervix felt too short (it turned out to be fine), the conclusion was that I was dehydrated, which was making me have harmless (though uncomfortable) contractions, and that Alyssa is perfectly happy to stay right where she belongs right now. I got a talk from the doctor about staying hydrated. I questioned how in the world I'm supposed to drink that much water when I'm already peeing so much (sometimes every 10 minutes!). His response was basically "get used to it". :) Ahh, the joys of pregnancy! I came home and drank a ton, and the contractions have stopped and I'm feeling much better now.
Tuesday, we had breastfeeding class. (Jeff has other terms for it that can't be posted here.) :) There was an extremely graphic video that caused me pain just watching it, but the evening was very informative and it was fun to see all the other pregnant moms and dads. We have childbirth classes in December.
We found out yesterday that the doctor is Tony Dungy's sister! We had our suspicions but weren't sure if it was appropriate to ask her, so we confirmed it with a little research when we got home. That will be a fun thing to tell Alyssa when she's a football fan. :)
Now for the other events of the week...Monday was an eventful day for us also. I had contractions and lots of pain all weekend last weekend. So, at Jeff's prodding, I called the doctor Monday morning, and instead of getting the "it's all normal, stop worrying" response that we were hoping for, I was told to come in immediately. After some tests and exams and an extremely tense few minutes when the doctor said my cervix felt too short (it turned out to be fine), the conclusion was that I was dehydrated, which was making me have harmless (though uncomfortable) contractions, and that Alyssa is perfectly happy to stay right where she belongs right now. I got a talk from the doctor about staying hydrated. I questioned how in the world I'm supposed to drink that much water when I'm already peeing so much (sometimes every 10 minutes!). His response was basically "get used to it". :) Ahh, the joys of pregnancy! I came home and drank a ton, and the contractions have stopped and I'm feeling much better now.
Tuesday, we had breastfeeding class. (Jeff has other terms for it that can't be posted here.) :) There was an extremely graphic video that caused me pain just watching it, but the evening was very informative and it was fun to see all the other pregnant moms and dads. We have childbirth classes in December.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Best birthday ever!
Jeff and I went to Meijer this morning, and we looked at all the toys and thought about which ones Alyssa might want to play with someday. It will be fun if she plays with My Little Ponies like I did when I was little! We also pointed out some toys that we hope she never catches onto. :) We looked at all the cute girly bikes, and I said a quick prayer that she will choose the purple and green designs instead of the boring all-pink ones. :) Pink just isn't my favorite color. Pretty much everything for little baby girls is pink (probably to avoid that awkward supermarket comment, "What a cute little boy you have!"), but we will definitely make sure she has clothes in a variety of colors once she gets big enough. :)
This has been the best birthday time I have ever had. I honestly couldn't come up with any gifts to ask for last week. I have everything I could ever ask for! It's kind of funny how things change. Growing up, no one wants to get underwear for their birthday. But I think the birthday gift that excited me the most this year was a package of big (huge!) underwear. They make both Alyssa and me feel a whole lot more comfortable! :)
Tomorrow, we will take the traditional trip to the pumpkin patch with my dad and the gang. We'll let Alyssa out of the "You have to carry your own pumpkin" rule for this year at least. :)
This has been the best birthday time I have ever had. I honestly couldn't come up with any gifts to ask for last week. I have everything I could ever ask for! It's kind of funny how things change. Growing up, no one wants to get underwear for their birthday. But I think the birthday gift that excited me the most this year was a package of big (huge!) underwear. They make both Alyssa and me feel a whole lot more comfortable! :)
Tomorrow, we will take the traditional trip to the pumpkin patch with my dad and the gang. We'll let Alyssa out of the "You have to carry your own pumpkin" rule for this year at least. :)
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Alyssa Jane
Today, our little Alyssa Jane (yes, we finally decided!) is "half-baked"! 20 weeks down, 20 weeks to go! To celebrate the occasion, she has been extra-active today.
I got good news about my blood sugar. My glucose tolerance test was "very normal" (I think it was better than normal, because the nurse sounded really impressed!), so I don't have to go for the diabetic counseling. I'm still working on adjusting the times when I eat and trying to have just the right amount of carbohydrates. It doesn't make a big difference, but it does help a little with the faintness and headaches. Overall, the "morning sickness" is getting better. I don't have to take the Zofran to function anymore. I still get sick about once a day, but it's not nearly as bad as it was!
Assuming that the insurance company approves, we'll be having another ultrasound on the 27th, so we'll have more pictures to share soon!
I got good news about my blood sugar. My glucose tolerance test was "very normal" (I think it was better than normal, because the nurse sounded really impressed!), so I don't have to go for the diabetic counseling. I'm still working on adjusting the times when I eat and trying to have just the right amount of carbohydrates. It doesn't make a big difference, but it does help a little with the faintness and headaches. Overall, the "morning sickness" is getting better. I don't have to take the Zofran to function anymore. I still get sick about once a day, but it's not nearly as bad as it was!
Assuming that the insurance company approves, we'll be having another ultrasound on the 27th, so we'll have more pictures to share soon!
Saturday, October 8, 2005
Thursday, October 6, 2005
It's a GIRL!
It's a girl!!! There's no doubt...she was not modest at all! :) We're so excited, and the grandmothers are beside themselves! I tried to build the suspense and not tell John and Janis right away, but I'm not such a good secret-keeper...as I was showing them pictures, I said "...and here she's lying on her back with her arm up..." Oops! :) Janis then announced to the entire restaurant, "IT'S A GIRL!!! WE JUST FOUND OUT IT'S A GIRL!!!" :)
Jeff is thrilled to have the little girl he was really hoping for, although he says he hopes she likes Indiana Jones and Star Wars. :) I'm SO HAPPY too, although sometime before she is old enough to know the difference, I'm going to have to dress her (just once) in some blue puppy dog overalls. :) This does complicate the name selection process a little since we still have a few girl names we are thinking about, but we don't mind! The only complaint we have heard is from a certain uncle, who shall remain nameless. I believe his words were "Oh, crap, it's a girl!" :) I understand, because I remember that when my first brother was born (I was six years old), I threatened to throw him in the trash can because he was a boy. :) He will love his little niece when she is born!
Everything looked GREAT on the ultrasound. She weighs around 9oz (the 69th percentile), and she's about 6-8 inches long. Her heart rate was 146. She was quite active the whole time. The tech had just finished telling me that she was in a breech position when she immediately did a complete flip to face the right way. :) She was hanging out on my left side as usual. (She is always there, and she hates it when I lay on my left side at night!)
Although my blood sugar is normal, my body doesn't seem to be tolerating the normal fluctuations when I eat, so I have to have a glucose tolerance test done Monday, and soon I will visit a diabetic center and start a diabetic diet where I eat six meals a day to hopefully keep my blood sugar more constant and help me not feel so sick when I'm hungry and right after I eat.
Assuming that we can get our insurance to cover it, I will also probably have a couple of high-resolution ultrasounds (one now and one later on) since the baby has an uncle who has hydrocephalus. It's VERY unlikely that the baby could develop it, especially since this ultrasound and my bloodwork were totally normal, but if the insurance will pay for it, we sure won't turn down any chance to see more pictures of our baby girl! :)
Jeff is thrilled to have the little girl he was really hoping for, although he says he hopes she likes Indiana Jones and Star Wars. :) I'm SO HAPPY too, although sometime before she is old enough to know the difference, I'm going to have to dress her (just once) in some blue puppy dog overalls. :) This does complicate the name selection process a little since we still have a few girl names we are thinking about, but we don't mind! The only complaint we have heard is from a certain uncle, who shall remain nameless. I believe his words were "Oh, crap, it's a girl!" :) I understand, because I remember that when my first brother was born (I was six years old), I threatened to throw him in the trash can because he was a boy. :) He will love his little niece when she is born!
Everything looked GREAT on the ultrasound. She weighs around 9oz (the 69th percentile), and she's about 6-8 inches long. Her heart rate was 146. She was quite active the whole time. The tech had just finished telling me that she was in a breech position when she immediately did a complete flip to face the right way. :) She was hanging out on my left side as usual. (She is always there, and she hates it when I lay on my left side at night!)
Although my blood sugar is normal, my body doesn't seem to be tolerating the normal fluctuations when I eat, so I have to have a glucose tolerance test done Monday, and soon I will visit a diabetic center and start a diabetic diet where I eat six meals a day to hopefully keep my blood sugar more constant and help me not feel so sick when I'm hungry and right after I eat.
Assuming that we can get our insurance to cover it, I will also probably have a couple of high-resolution ultrasounds (one now and one later on) since the baby has an uncle who has hydrocephalus. It's VERY unlikely that the baby could develop it, especially since this ultrasound and my bloodwork were totally normal, but if the insurance will pay for it, we sure won't turn down any chance to see more pictures of our baby girl! :)
Saturday, October 1, 2005
Fish in my belly
We're past 18 weeks now, and baby is moving around like crazy in there! Everyone says it is supposed to feel like butterflies, but I think it feels more like 3 or 4 big fish flopping around in my belly! :) I love to feel the baby move (although it's a little less exciting at 4:00 in the morning when I am trying to sleep). :) I hope that Jeff will be able to feel the movements soon.
We had an easy decision on a boy's name, but we're still playing with two or three choices for a girl's name. We should know in 5 days which one we will need!
We had an easy decision on a boy's name, but we're still playing with two or three choices for a girl's name. We should know in 5 days which one we will need!
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Getting ready
Sorry it has been so long since my last update! There hasn't been too much news to report. I think I may be feeling the baby flutter around in there, but it's really hard to tell what is the baby since my uterus is a little "hyperactive" to begin with. We now have our glider rocking chair compliments of the new Scheck grandparents. We put together the stroller and gave the cats a test ride, which didn't exactly thrill the little one. :) And I assembled the swing, which was quite an adventure because of all the packaging, tons of tape, and confusing directions. It must be a test to see if you have the patience for parenthood! :) So now we can sit in the nursery and rock in the chair and dream about our baby.
My bloodwork is scheduled for Monday, and we only have 15 days left to wait until our big ultrasound! I have decided that I like the boy baby clothes better than the girly pink ones, so I guess if this is a girl, she'll just have to wear lots of green, blue, and yellow. :)
My bloodwork is scheduled for Monday, and we only have 15 days left to wait until our big ultrasound! I have decided that I like the boy baby clothes better than the girly pink ones, so I guess if this is a girl, she'll just have to wear lots of green, blue, and yellow. :)
Sunday, September 11, 2005
"Just like you!"
We had our doctor's appointment on Friday, and everything went well! I'll get some bloodwork done in a couple of weeks, and our ultrasound and next appointment are on October 6th. The nurse seemed to feel pretty sorry for me that I'm still so sick, which was strangely comforting in a way because it makes me believe that this really isn't the norm and that chances are it will get better soon. She also said that she remembers what morning sickness was like, and now that she has a middle-schooler (who was attending her first school dance that evening) and a high-schooler, she is still nauseous-just for different reasons. :) So I guess I had better get used to it!
We went to a parents and grandparents seminar at Babies R Us this weekend with my dad and stepmom, and it was SO much fun! We played games, got free stuff, and looked at all of the crazy new baby items together. And the grandparents-to-be bought us a stroller and carseat! We now have a nice collection of baby supplies started, so Jeff cleaned out the baby's room this week to make a special place for all of it. It's so fun to go in there and imagine what it will look like in a few months.
My belly is really growing. Although I have only gained a few pounds, I look much farther along than I am. (If we hadn't had an ultrasound that showed only one baby, I'd be a little worried!) On Friday, I was reading a story about seasons with some first graders, and it said that the animals were getting "fat, fat, fat for the winter". One little boy was very excited as he exclaimed..."just like you!" :) What is he going to think in February?!
We went to a parents and grandparents seminar at Babies R Us this weekend with my dad and stepmom, and it was SO much fun! We played games, got free stuff, and looked at all of the crazy new baby items together. And the grandparents-to-be bought us a stroller and carseat! We now have a nice collection of baby supplies started, so Jeff cleaned out the baby's room this week to make a special place for all of it. It's so fun to go in there and imagine what it will look like in a few months.
My belly is really growing. Although I have only gained a few pounds, I look much farther along than I am. (If we hadn't had an ultrasound that showed only one baby, I'd be a little worried!) On Friday, I was reading a story about seasons with some first graders, and it said that the animals were getting "fat, fat, fat for the winter". One little boy was very excited as he exclaimed..."just like you!" :) What is he going to think in February?!
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Sick
I came down with some sort of flu-like virus this weekend and got a little dehydrated, but the baby is fine and I'm feeling better now. I'm still pretty tired, though, so I'm going to get some rest.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Listening to the baby
Everything is going well. I'm still feeling really sick, but I was able to get through a day without the Zofran today. I listen to the baby's heartbeat every day when I get up in the morning, and Jeff and I listen every evening. It's a neat bonding experience. It's usually pumping away at about 160 beats per minute. Sometimes it's a really quiet patter, and other times, it sounds like a freight train chugging. It just depends on where the baby is. We can also hear him or her moving around in there. This is one very active baby already!
We started putting a few basic things on our registry (although we already know of some changes we need to make). It was so much fun to get that started! I can't wait until we know what color clothes we need! :)
We started putting a few basic things on our registry (although we already know of some changes we need to make). It was so much fun to get that started! I can't wait until we know what color clothes we need! :)
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Home doppler
We got our doppler yesterday, and we found the heartbeat on the first try last night! It was SO COOL! For the next 3 months, we can listen to the baby any time we want. It's so exciting!
Our next appointment with the nurse practitioner is in 2 weeks, and our big ultrasound is 6 weeks from today!
Our next appointment with the nurse practitioner is in 2 weeks, and our big ultrasound is 6 weeks from today!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
What a sweet husband!
It has been a while since I have had the time and energy to update this journal, but we're all still here and still healthy. :) I'm past the 12-week mark now, and contrary to what I was told would probably happen, I'm feeling sicker than ever. I think it's a conspiracy... Women who have had children all agree to lie and tell us that the morning sickness goes away after the first three months, because if they didn't, no one would get pregnant! :)
School is going well, and I appreciate my much more relaxed job this year.
I am waiting for two exciting packages from UPS. This evening, I will finally be receiving 90 Zofran pills (after many phone calls to the insurance company and pharmacies). And tomorrow or Thursday, we will be getting our rented home doppler so we can listen to and record the baby's heartbeat! I'll try to put a recording of the heartbeat on the website, but if I can't find a way to do it, I'll be sure to email it out. I told Jeff from the beginning that I wanted to rent one, but he told me that we didn't need it and it was too much money. I found out this week that he had planned to get one the whole time, he just wanted to surprise me. :) He's so sweet!
School is going well, and I appreciate my much more relaxed job this year.
I am waiting for two exciting packages from UPS. This evening, I will finally be receiving 90 Zofran pills (after many phone calls to the insurance company and pharmacies). And tomorrow or Thursday, we will be getting our rented home doppler so we can listen to and record the baby's heartbeat! I'll try to put a recording of the heartbeat on the website, but if I can't find a way to do it, I'll be sure to email it out. I told Jeff from the beginning that I wanted to rent one, but he told me that we didn't need it and it was too much money. I found out this week that he had planned to get one the whole time, he just wanted to surprise me. :) He's so sweet!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
What do you have in there?
This week has been a busy one with the start of school. I'm really enjoying being back. It's still sad not to have my old class all together (and not to have a class of my own at all), but I do get to see my former students a lot. It's fun getting to know the new first graders too. This morning, one of the girls poked my belly as she walked by and asked me "What do you have in there?" If I had had a few more seconds, I could have come up with some really clever response and told her it was a monkey or something, but she walked away too quickly. :)
P.S. As I write this, my loving husband is in the kitchen cooking me steak. :)
P.S. As I write this, my loving husband is in the kitchen cooking me steak. :)
Saturday, August 13, 2005
State Fair
We went to the state fair today. All that food...it's a pregnant woman's paradise! Thankfully I wasn't too sick to enjoy it thanks to my good "friend" Zofran. I made sure to eat some corn and drink some tomato juice for the baby, which of course cancelled out the junk food. :) During one of our visits to an air-conditioned building (it was SO HOT outside!), we sat next to a mom and her 5-month old baby. He was born March 10th, so he's the same age that our baby will be at next year's state fair. At one of the booths, we saw some cool pictures of babies in the womb and got a pin that has little feet that are exactly the size of our baby's feet right now. I also got a little plastic model of what the baby will look like in another week or so. Jeff thinks it looks kind of creepy, but I think it's cool! We rode the tractor train all the way around the fairgrounds so we could see everything without me losing consciousness from the heat (which nearly happened a couple of times anyway). So we had to make it a very short day, but it was a lot of fun.
It's funny how we are so constantly focused on the baby already. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are always thinking about how we will take the baby there someday and how different it will be and how much fun it will be. I resisted the temptation several times today to go up and ask moms about how they liked the strollers they were using and how easy they were to fold and unfold. And I am so amused by the temper tantrums that little kids throw and their parents' funny reactions to them. That will be us soon! And after over a year of trying to avoid looking at pregnant women so I wouldn't start crying, now it's so fun to see all the pregnant women and wonder what I'll look like in a few months. Despite all the less than pleasant symptoms, I really am enjoying being pregnant.
It's funny how we are so constantly focused on the baby already. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are always thinking about how we will take the baby there someday and how different it will be and how much fun it will be. I resisted the temptation several times today to go up and ask moms about how they liked the strollers they were using and how easy they were to fold and unfold. And I am so amused by the temper tantrums that little kids throw and their parents' funny reactions to them. That will be us soon! And after over a year of trying to avoid looking at pregnant women so I wouldn't start crying, now it's so fun to see all the pregnant women and wonder what I'll look like in a few months. Despite all the less than pleasant symptoms, I really am enjoying being pregnant.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Heartbeat!
Today was a big day! Our doctor's appointment went great, and we got to hear our little one's heartbeat! It was the most awesome thing I have ever heard! We had heard it using the ultrasound a month ago, but we had never heard it just through my belly like that with the little machine. The heart rate was 150, which the nurse said was great. I go back to the doctor in four weeks, and then four weeks after that (October 6th) we will get our ultrasound and find out whether the baby is a boy or girl! My birthday present this year will be getting to set up our gift registries. :) I'm so excited and relieved that things went well today.Today was our big back-to-school meeting and work day, and this evening was the ice cream social where the kids come to meet their new teachers. I went so I could see all my students from last year, and it was fun. But now I'm tired after such a long day, so I had better get some rest. :)
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Last day of summer break
My last day of summer break has been miserably sick. I thought for a couple of days that I might be feeling a little better, but today was just awful. Someday I'll have to share with this child just what I went through and how of course it was all worth it in the end. :) I'm praying that tomorrow will be better so I can have a good start to the school year and that our doctor's appointment will go well.
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
The dentist is safe
Just an update...the dentist and I both survived my appointment without incident. :)
Spoiled already?
I have developed a new craving over the last couple of days. Jeff has spent the last two evenings buying and cooking me steak. He's such a dedicated husband and dad! Last night, he finally resigned himself to the fact that this craving could stick around for a while and bought a package of steaks to keep in the freezer. He has pointed out that this is probably the most expensive craving that I could have. :) Does this qualify as spoiling the baby already?
I spent some time arranging my classroom yesterday, although between the sickness, the excitement, the pregnancy "stupidness", and my tendency to talk and talk, I'm not very focused or productive yet. I'm really happy to start the school year. I didn't realize how much I had missed the staff and the kids. I was able to get through the day only sharing my news with two new people. I guess that's not much of an accomplishment, considering that the people I see the most already know. It sounds like the news is spreading around to others though. :)
Today the baby and I will visit the dentist and the eye doctor. I'm a little scared that I might throw up on the dentist, so please pray for me...or better yet, pray for him! :)
My next OB appointment is Thursday at 3:00, right after my first official day of work. I am REALLY REALLY hoping that we get to hear the heartbeat! We are well past the time when we lost our first baby, and statistically, the chance that anything could go wrong at this point is really really low (I have read below 3 percent) since we have seen the heartbeat, but of course a mother still worries like crazy. This will be my first pregnancy visit with the actual doctor who (with the luck of timing) will probably be delivering the baby. Up to this point, I have seen the nurse practitioner, who is wonderful. My doctor is Dr. K, and according to our family friend, Sue, who works in labor and delivery at the hospital, he is the BEST.
I spent some time arranging my classroom yesterday, although between the sickness, the excitement, the pregnancy "stupidness", and my tendency to talk and talk, I'm not very focused or productive yet. I'm really happy to start the school year. I didn't realize how much I had missed the staff and the kids. I was able to get through the day only sharing my news with two new people. I guess that's not much of an accomplishment, considering that the people I see the most already know. It sounds like the news is spreading around to others though. :)
Today the baby and I will visit the dentist and the eye doctor. I'm a little scared that I might throw up on the dentist, so please pray for me...or better yet, pray for him! :)
My next OB appointment is Thursday at 3:00, right after my first official day of work. I am REALLY REALLY hoping that we get to hear the heartbeat! We are well past the time when we lost our first baby, and statistically, the chance that anything could go wrong at this point is really really low (I have read below 3 percent) since we have seen the heartbeat, but of course a mother still worries like crazy. This will be my first pregnancy visit with the actual doctor who (with the luck of timing) will probably be delivering the baby. Up to this point, I have seen the nurse practitioner, who is wonderful. My doctor is Dr. K, and according to our family friend, Sue, who works in labor and delivery at the hospital, he is the BEST.
Sunday, August 7, 2005
Maternity clothes already?
I have started wearing maternity clothes a little this weekend, not because they are totally necessary at this point, but more because they're much more comfortable than tight clothes! Maybe it's because of the big shirts, or maybe it's because of the baby, or maybe it's because of the two McDonalds cheeseburgers I ate the other day, but I'm definitely starting to look a little bit pregnant. A friend at church today asked to touch my belly. My first belly touch...a big moment! :) Everyone says that by the time the baby is born, I'll be sick of everyone touching my belly, but I don't think I will mind. It's just so exciting!Jeff is really excited too, and I love watching him get ready for the baby. He is itching to get started on the nursery. On the day that we found out about this baby, he was already saying "I want to have the baby now!" He has already been out pricing diapers and formula at Sam's Club. :)
Friday, August 5, 2005
Growing and growing...
Friday, August 05, 2005
Between the sickness and my cramped little bladder, I woke up every hour or so during the night last night, so I'm pretty tired today. It was so exciting to get onto the baby's website this morning and read about a new week of pregnancy...it's the 11th week now. All the baby's organ systems are up and running, and the most complicated work of development is done. Now it's just time to get bigger and bigger! (...and bigger and bigger and...and then it's supposed to come out how?!) :) The baby is probably a little over an inch long today and will grow to about two inches by the end of the week. That's amazing when you think that a month ago, he or she was the size of a grain of rice! I hate this he-or-she stuff, and I refuse to call my baby "it". Can't wait until we can call the baby by name! We have names pretty much set. We're sure about a boy's name, and just have a little more discussing to do to finalize a girl's name.
Between the sickness and my cramped little bladder, I woke up every hour or so during the night last night, so I'm pretty tired today. It was so exciting to get onto the baby's website this morning and read about a new week of pregnancy...it's the 11th week now. All the baby's organ systems are up and running, and the most complicated work of development is done. Now it's just time to get bigger and bigger! (...and bigger and bigger and...and then it's supposed to come out how?!) :) The baby is probably a little over an inch long today and will grow to about two inches by the end of the week. That's amazing when you think that a month ago, he or she was the size of a grain of rice! I hate this he-or-she stuff, and I refuse to call my baby "it". Can't wait until we can call the baby by name! We have names pretty much set. We're sure about a boy's name, and just have a little more discussing to do to finalize a girl's name.
Thursday, August 4, 2005
Our first post...10 weeks pregnant with Alyssa
Thursday, August 04, 2005
I am officially 10 weeks pregnant today! It seems like it has taken forever to get this far, but it's also hard to believe that it has already been over three weeks since we got to see the baby's heart beating on ultrasound. I'm sure once I get into the second trimester and start feeling better, things will begin to move faster.I have been fighting some really bad morning sickness. (Whoever said it just happens in the morning was sadly mistaken!) My doctor's office is helping me get coverage from my insurance company for some really good medicine, so I hope to be feeling much better very soon! My boss (and loving husband) has officially retired me from my summer job so I can get some extra rest before I start back to school next Thursday. I'll be working as a first grade tutor this year. I'm excited because I get to work in my old classroom with my old team, but I won't have all the responsiblity and time committment of teaching. Only a few people at work know about the baby, so it will be exciting to tell everyone next week! I still have trouble believing that this baby is really here! Jeff and I are SO excited and can't wait to see him or her! My next doctor's appointment is next Thursday, and I'm hoping that we will be able to hear the heartbeat with the doppler device, although it might be too soon because of the location of the baby. We should be able to find out whether this is a he or a she in late September or early October. We will be thrilled with either one, but we are really eager to find out!!! (So far, most friends and family are guessing that he's a little boy.)
I am officially 10 weeks pregnant today! It seems like it has taken forever to get this far, but it's also hard to believe that it has already been over three weeks since we got to see the baby's heart beating on ultrasound. I'm sure once I get into the second trimester and start feeling better, things will begin to move faster.I have been fighting some really bad morning sickness. (Whoever said it just happens in the morning was sadly mistaken!) My doctor's office is helping me get coverage from my insurance company for some really good medicine, so I hope to be feeling much better very soon! My boss (and loving husband) has officially retired me from my summer job so I can get some extra rest before I start back to school next Thursday. I'll be working as a first grade tutor this year. I'm excited because I get to work in my old classroom with my old team, but I won't have all the responsiblity and time committment of teaching. Only a few people at work know about the baby, so it will be exciting to tell everyone next week! I still have trouble believing that this baby is really here! Jeff and I are SO excited and can't wait to see him or her! My next doctor's appointment is next Thursday, and I'm hoping that we will be able to hear the heartbeat with the doppler device, although it might be too soon because of the location of the baby. We should be able to find out whether this is a he or a she in late September or early October. We will be thrilled with either one, but we are really eager to find out!!! (So far, most friends and family are guessing that he's a little boy.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
