Week 12: Guys, There's Really a Baby in There!

So here we are at week 12 y'all!

Sorry for not posting last week, but not a whole lotta new stuff was going down and I ran out of gifs to properly demonstrate my eternal struggle with nausea and my faithful relationship with dairy.  So let's talk week 12!  The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. The baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and the mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod my abdomen, the baby will squirm in response, although I won't be able to feel it (believe me, the ultrasound tech did it a lot). From crown to rump, the baby-to-be is just over two inches long (the size of a kiwi) and weighs half an ounce.

Today we went to have an early risk assessment test done.  It is a noninvasive test that combines blood work with an ultrasound of the baby to identify risk for specific chromosomal abnormalities, including Down Syndrome Trisomy-21 and Trisomy-18.  Another portion of the test (known as the nuchal translucency) can assist in identifying other significant fetal abnormalities, such as cardiac disorders. #googledit




We were able to see our baby!

On a big screen squirming, waving

and even giving the U-N-I-T-Y fist.

The baby looks good (all the limbs accounted for!), strong heartbeat (164) and both hemispheres of the brain even.  They were able to see a slight view of the nuchal translucency, but our little nugget wouldn't lay quite in the right position to get a clear picture  (thus the nurse pile driving my abdomen with the ultrasound wand) so they want to get a better pic, which means a return visit this Friday.  

Then we wait all the way until June 19th to find out the sex!

Checking your calendar for your next ultrasound

I opened some champagne for Meg and we celebrated our last Cinco de Mayo (Baby-o) sans-kiddo.

Pre-Pregnant Cinco de Mayos

Pregnant Cinco de Mayo

WE'RE HAVING A BABY Y'ALL!

Week 8: Pregnancy Nausea, Give Me All the Carbs

Week 8 y'all!  The babe is just over 1/2 inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from the hands and feet, eyelids practically cover the eyes, breathing tubes extend from the throat to the branches of the developing lungs, and the "tail" is gone. #science In the brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.  And the heart now has 2 chambers! #googledthis




I'm dealing with the nausea... and although I've been lucky enough that I'm not actually getting sick, it doesn't mean that I don't look like a "post-frat party freshman the morning after" every day.  So sorry in advance for that.  I just try to graze all day- mostly on carbs (thanks pregnancy).  I did a reading at a wedding this weekend and OF COURSE a wave of nausea hit me just as I was standing up in front of everyone.  Amidst a beautiful passage on love and devotion I was thinking "Would it be tacky to pop a Ritz"?

I'm also feeling exhausted, still, all the time.  Meg is super happy because I finally want to go to bed at 9pm, which is her preferred bedtime anyway! But I'm serious.  If I've just eaten, or it's 2pm (sorry job)...or 8pm... I'm gonna yawn all over you.  I may even "rest my eyes". #thanksforthatonegrandmamasselli  The interwebs say to not fight it, so please understand, at least for the first trimester, that I'm gonna party hard, but only like an 8 year old cause I'm gonna crash your party and not in the Lindsay Lohan way.

What I Feel Like Sitting On the Table In
The "Gown"

Yesterday I had my first appointment with my OB/GYN since being discharged from the reproductive clinic.  First of all, I have perfected standing in nothing but an ill-fitting tie-up gown  (I can NEVER remember whether the nurse told me to have the opening in the front or the back) and some footies.  There's really nothing quite like someone giving you a breast exam while they're asking about your regularity as you stare at the calendar images of kittens in a tiny hot air balloon.


After more blood work (how is it possible I have any blood left?) and some bathing suit area inspections I was told all is well.  I also received more paperwork than if we were signing a mortgage on a home and was informed about some future testing options that we can opt to have, or not have. We'll cover those another week.  Our next ultrasound is at the 12 week mark (which is where the miscarriage rate drops to 5%) where we should be able to hear the heartbeat. The ultrasound is scheduled, appropriately, on Cinco de Mayo. Party hard or go home, right?

Week 7: Morning Sickness, Mother Nature's Hazing Ritual

Hey team.  We are at the 7 week mark and our little nugget is the size of a blueberry.  It is producing brain cells at 100 cells a minute and developing arms, legs, and the mouth!




I'm still exhausted at all times of the day and have now successfully slept on all modes of transportation, in two time zones and through half of a conference call.



I'm also starting to feel things expanding and stretching.  It's like your uterus is tired of living in a studio and it has decided to flip this house into a duplex.  I struggle with the internal desire to start showing and I can't stop thinking about what I will look like.  For right now I'm just gonna say I'm carrying it in my ass.




The "crazies" are starting to surface a little more each day.  It feels like forever until you have your first ultrasound so there's nothing but blood work to calm the psycho within and remind me that yes, I'm still pregnant.  So I maaaaay have taken a couple more pregnancy tests through the past couple weeks. ( I know, I know).


I've been experiencing some food aversions this week and, sadly, nausea.  It's a weird thing to feel as I had gastric bypass when I was 18 and I think I've only gotten sick once since (tequila is a beast from hell).  So my body basically fights the urge to get sick- it's a vicious cycle.  The first real bout of "morning" sickness hit on my plane trip back from Virginia.  You don't know fear until you feel morning sickness at 33,000 feet.

Monday we went in for our first ultrasound at 7 weeks + 2 days.  It was both awkward and amazing at the same time.  The ultrasound tech located the baby quickly and, in all honesty, it looks like someone sneezed on the screen.  It's a little blip, but it's our little blip.  We were able to see the heartbeat and I really can't describe what that's like.  Imagine meeting Barbra Streisand, Idina Menzel and Bette Midler at a Nutella bar.  Then imagine your future child's beating heart.  That's all I got.  All things looked good- heart rate at 137bpm and is measuring out for its due date of November 15th.

Meg and I agreed not to buy any baby things until we're at least 3 months along, but man is it hard to resist! Since we graduated from the reproductive clinic (yay!), the next step is to see the OB next Monday. Stay tuned!