28 Weeks and the Flu

Well... life got in the way, folks! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Ok, it's been 10 weeks, but school and home have been super, super busy. I'm planning to post and get back on track every week until her sweet little arrival in 12 WEEKS!!

I can't believe we started the third trimester! It's been a journey, but it still doesn't seem like our sweet little girl will be in our arms in just a few short weeks. The 28th week started off with a bang: I was diagnosed with the flu on Thursday. After coming home from the doctor and the pharmacy, I had a fever of 102. I turned on the heater to try and warm up, and it set off the smoke alarms. I made a 911 call to Troy, and he immediately headed home. After Tamiflu, Tylenol, Phenergan, and lots of rest, I am finally able to hold my head up and breath normally. The cough is still persistent, but I have a feeling it will hang around for a while.

As for AHB, she's a trooper. She is moving and kicking everyday and doesn't seem to be phased by the coughing too much. She's a bit more subdued than normal because of the medicines, but she's still active.

We started appointments every two weeks at this last appointment. We'll do every 2 for 8 weeks, then it's once a week or more until her arrival. I can't believe it's almost time. I know I keep saying that, but it's truly surreal.

Ok... so in the past ten weeks, things have happened... here's the 28 week update:

How far along? 28 weeks and counting

Total weight gain? 23 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yep... all the way. I prefer pajamas, but they're not appropriate for all social scenarios or work.

Stretch marks? Nope... none yet.

Sleep? It's sporadic, but anything I can get, I'm thankful for.

Best moment this week? Setting and confirming all of our remaining appointments!

Movement? All the time... she's going to be a mover and a shaker!

Food cravings? Nothing specific... I am still craving salty.

Food aversions? Pasta sauce

Gender? GIRL!!

Labor signs? Nope... that's a good thing!

Symptoms? Runny nose... all the time. It won't stop.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody? Happy... Moody. It depends, but I try to stay on the happy side.

Looking forward to... going to Mississippi this weekend to see friends and family for Christmas! I can't wait for everyone to feel her kicking around.

18 Weeks and we have a baby...

GIRL!!

We are so excited to welcome a sweet baby girl in March! I had a feeling we'd get to see our daughter on the ultrasound, but as my OB continually reminded me, I had a 50/50 chance! :) 

I think Troy is in trouble... she seems to have my temperament. She was not happy to be poked around with the wand, and she would not let us see her face. We're going to try again on October 29 to see her sweet little nose and mouth! (I think Troy is going to be the best girl daddy ever... he is already smitten with our little bit!)

I don't think I've ever been as excited as I was on Friday when we started the ultrasound. It was, to date, the best day of my life... and I think Troy would agree.

It's been a big week: I felt her move for the first time on Sunday night, too! That was amazing... it felt like a fish swimming around. It was quick and sudden, and I almost missed it. I confirmed with a friend that it was what I thought! 

Here's the week 18 update!

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain? 11 pounds

Maternity clothes? Some... shirts for sure and some pants. We kinda have a love-hate relationship.

Stretch marks? Nope... none yet.

Sleep? It's good... sleep is good!

Best moment this week? Finding out the gender and feeling her move!

Movement? First time on Sunday... it was amazing!

Food cravings? I am a salty and fruit gal at this point.

Food aversions? Pasta sauce

Gender? GIRL!!

Labor signs? Nope... that's a good thing!

Symptoms? Just impatient, but I don't think that's a new pregnancy thing. :)

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody? Happy... I am on cloud 9!

Looking forward to... feeling more movement, and our appointment on October 25!

Week 17: I have a bump!

It's week 17!! We are almost half way there... I'm starting to show a little bit, and my pants don't fit. :) That seems to be the trend here lately! Not much new is happening. Tomorrow is our 4 month appointment. Hopefully, my uterus has grown to 1.5 inches below my belly button, and we get to hear baby's heartbeat again!! That is the most exciting sound I've ever heard... I love each little beat.

Next week is the big week! We'll find out if we will welcome a son or daughter in March! When I made the appointment in August, I told myself the story of the first grading period... "oh, we lose the first week, and before I know it, it'll be progress report time. Then the grading period just flies and October 5 will not seem too far away." I'm great a lying to myself... honestly, I'm truly gifted in this area. I DON'T THINK OCTOBER 4 WILL EVER COME AROUND! Nine days is such torture... complete and utter torture, but my mama will be here in 8 days, so that'll give me something to look forward to in the meantime.

Here's the week 17 breakdown:

Week: 17

Weight Gain: 7 lbs or so

Maternity Clothes: Not yet, but I'm getting close to needing something in the pants department. I'm holding out though!

Sleep: Depends on how thirsty I am before bed. 

Best Moment this Week: Tomorrow, we hear sweetpea's heartbeat!

Cravings: Macaroni and Cheese--the gross, cheap kind that use the powdery yellow cheese. Ick, but oh my gosh, so yummy!

Turn-offs: Pasta sauce... still pasta sauce.

Gender: Still a surprise, but only for 9 more days!!!!!

Baby's Movement: I haven't felt the flutter yet, but I'm anxiously waiting!

Happy or Moody: Moody... this week, I've been rather moody.

Looking Forward to: October 5!!!

Week 16: Better Late Than Never

Sorry there's no cute little graphic on week 16, but it wasn't fun trying to sketch an avocado. Yep! Baby Black is the size of an avocado, or about the size of an open hand!!! He or she is growing like crazy... kinda like my appetite. :)

I officially look semi-pregnant and not just like I gained weight. This make me a little more confident in myself rather than trying to hide my lumps, bumps, and rolls. I went and tried on maternity pants... I'm not there yet, but I know I will soon be. I'm debating on whether or not I'm looking forward to that portion of pregnancy. So far, it's no, but one day, I'm certain I'll be more than happy to don the full elastic belly and set out on my way.

Here's this week's update. Week 17 is coming soon!!!

Week: 16

Weight Gain: 7 lbs or so

Maternity Clothes: Not yet!

Sleep: Better... lots of tossing and turning and getting hotter than normal.

Best Moment this Week: Finally looking pregnant! 

Cravings: Chips and Green Onion Dip

Turn-offs: Pasta sauce... still pasta sauce.

Gender: Still a surprise (but the Chinese Birth Calendar and wedding ring test both report girl!)

Happy or Moody: Moody... this week, I've been rather moody.

Looking Forward to: Hearing sweetpea's heartbeat on September 27! Only 3 days!!!

Here we are... week 15! We're getting closer. I'm getting antsy as the Ultrasound approaches and am thinking of turning unconventional methods of gender unveiling. We were in planning today talking about what we wanted and names, and truly, it doesn't matter. Our name is the same no matter what gender and all I wish and hope for is a healthy, happy baby; hooooooooowever, my CCIS is determined that I do the Drano test. I told her I'd comply, but such an experiment would require tried and true beakers... we'll see how that goes, but we only have 22 days 'til the ultrasound. ONLY 22 DAYS!!

Voting is open! What do you think??

Week: 15

Weight Gain: 5 lbs or so

Maternity Clothes: Not yet!

Sleep: Half of the week good; half of the week so-so

Best Moment this Week: My students figuring out the surprise! It was fun... they are now counting down.

Cravings: Fruit Juice

Turn-offs: Pasta sauce

Gender: Still a surprise (but the Chinese Birth Calendar and wedding ring test both report girl!)

Happy or Moody: Neither... tired. Very tired... thanks, ragweed.

Looking Forward to: Hearing sweetpea's heartbeat on September 27!

I Feel Like One of the Seven Dwarfs...

If I had to describe myself this weekend, I'd have to say I've developed the persona of each of the Seven Dwarfs. I'm happy, sleepy, dopey, sneezy, grumpy, bashful and doc. Let me explain.

Happy: I am happy that I am still having preggo symptoms, and my sweet little belly is growing!
Sleepy: I am sleepy because I am not sleeping at night thanks to congestion, headaches, not being able to get comfy, and simply feeling like my head might explode.
Dopey: I am taking the only meds available for those in my sensitive condition since the Johnson and Johnson recall, and I feel a little doped up.
Sneezy: I blame ragweed and 7th/8th grade germs.
Grumpy: I am grumpy because I just want to feel better and can't. It's miserable.
Bashful: I'm slightly embarrassed that I'm out of season: I completely skipped the wicked witch wart and moved straight to a Rudolph-esque nose.
Doc: I feel like Doc because I am treating myself, even after speaking to a nurse hotline, an on-call doctor, and seeing a doctor after paying an insurance copay.

On Friday afternoon while leaving the post office after mailing grandparent's day cards, I sneezed. It wasn't a regular sneeze: it was one of those sneezes that can only be described as violent. My whole body lurched forward (I was surprised, as my head hit the steering wheel, that my horn didn't blow); I let out a less than feminine achoo; and my eyes watered and nose ran like I was the Fountain of Youth. I knew what was to follow wasn't going to be pretty or fun.

At 3:30 AM, I woke up unable to breathewith very little feeling in my face due to swollen sinus cavities. I felt like I had taken up knife swallowing, and I found a long, lost friend, morning sickness. I called the nurse line, who felt the doctor on call should be summoned. He wasn't happy about his 4 AM wake-up call and proved his disgust with my concern by hanging up after rudely telling me, "you have a cold. Take Tylenol, use a humidifier, and call the Clinic on Monday." Click. Luckily, the nurse made me an appointment for Saturday clinic, which proved to be as worthless.

Saturday's clinic diagnosis: "Mrs. Black, you are not going to be happy about this. It's viral, and we can't treat viral. Take medicines from your approved OB medicine list, drink lots of fluids, have some soup, and rest," said Dr. Guzman. I've never really wanted to tackle a doctor before, but I had to refrain. Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to tackle him because I was so weak and sick, but I did imagine him as a mole in the Whack-a-Mole game at the State Fair... and he was the only one that came up as I whacked away to win a giant stuffed penguin.

Let me tell you what you are not told in baby books. A cold, sneeze, cough, headache, and any other simple illness is magnified by 254 raised to the Nth degree with you are pregnant. Every time I sneeze, I wonder if my womb came with a little helmet for baby so that he/she can avoid intrauterine shaken baby syndrome. I have never had a general cold put me under the weather like I have this weekend. I am debating now if I will be able to teach tomorrow because my head spins as I write.

TB has been a gem this weekend going on Gatorade runs and helping me to narrow down what might taste good, as my taste buds are on strike. He even cleaned the kitchen the way I would clean the kitchen. I am a lucky girl. I'll keep you posted as I fight to become me again.

Today's Milestone: Week 14

Here we are at week 14! I can't believe the summer came and went, and we are starting our second trimester! Everyday is a new journey: will I be happy, sad, upset, frustrated? Wait... everyday is an understatement. It's more like every 5-10 minutes. :) Poor TB.

This week, I've developed a definite rotund shape and my regular clothes tend to scream when I try to button them. It's ok... that's why they make the belly band.

Funny o' the week: Max and Marlee are terrified of the stroller! Each had his/her own reaction, but both told us that it was not welcome. Once we secured it in the front bedroom, they were able to come out of hiding. This is sure to be a comical pregnancy with those two!

Week: 14

Weight Gain: 5 lbs or so

Maternity Clothes: Not yet!

Sleep: Better than last week... not as many bathroom trips.

Best Moment this Week: TB and I picked out the baby's furniture! I will never forget seeing his Daddy side for the first time. :)

Cravings: Cherry Laffy Taffy, Sweetarts, and Shocktarts

Turn-offs: Pasta sauce

Gender: Still a surprise!

Happy or Moody: Well... depends. Mostly happy. :)

Looking Forward to: Hearing sweetpea's heartbeat on September 27!

My Heart Smiles Every Time I Hear Yours

On Monday, I went to the doctor. I didn't know I would get to hear our precious cargo's heartbeat, but I did! The heartbeat measured at 166, and during the doppler, I was able to hear him or her move.

Every appointment is always a challenge: should I go in excited, or should I be realistic? I've decided that hopeful is the best way to look at our journey. We are hopeful for our baby and family and are hopeful for the best. We know God has a plan for this little one, and we can't wait to find out what it is!

Here we go again!

Our Announcement 
Well, after a long fall last year and a lot of soul searching, Troy and I are happy to announce that Max and Marlee will be a big brother and sister in the Spring! We found out on June 25 that our life would change forever. As soon as those two pink lines appeared, we weren't sure whether to cry from joy, fear, or both. We didn't tell anyone until we went to the doctor, and then, it was our parents. We couldn't keep the secret forever! We hope you all enjoy following the progress of our sweet baby as we blog our journey to parenthood. We're in love already.

The Journey: I have fertility issues? 
After finding out I have two chromosomal abnormalities and a Protein-S deficiency to go along with the hypothyroidism and PCOS, we knew that sustaining a pregnancy would be a difficult endeavor. We saw a specialist in June who reviewed my records, and she reported that, otherwise, I am a healthy young lady and chances were in our favor. We left her office with hope and anticipation of what was to come. During the first 10 weeks of Baby Black's life, I supplemented one of the abnormalities with additional progesterone to help maintain my uterine lining until the placenta took over, and I will continue to supplement the other abnormality with additional folic acid on top of the folic acid in the prenatal vitamins. To date, all is well. I am experiencing my first stretches and pulls of pregnancy, and although as strange as it is to feel my muscles pull and tug like never before, I am so excited to feel our baby move for the first time. If I were Troy, I'd be very jealous that I couldn't experience this!

When Will Baby Black Arrive? 
Our little bundle of joy is due on March 6, 2013, and we are so excited about preparing and the arrival of Little Baby Black! 

Points of Interest to Date 
Our first ultrasound was July 16. Our sweet little baby's heartbeat measured at 120. At that point, the heartbeat is normally 90-100, so our little sweetpea was strong and steady.

Our next baby encounter was August 16, and our sweet little bundle had a heartbeat of 173! What do you think: will we have a little baby girl or a little baby boy?