Week 18

Week 18 and the sleep deprivation continues!  

The word of the week is STRETCHED!

I feel day in and day out like someone is blowing up a balloon in my belly.  Things are stretching and aching and moving around.  This is what is making sleep tough.  Couple that with my allergies and nights get rough.  I've popped a couple benadryl here and there on the nights where I am very sniffly and that helps a lot and allows me to sleep through the night.

We bought a fetal doppler and while it took me a few minutes to find the heartbeat the first time, it took hubs all of 1 second the next time we played with it.

This week I also came to the sad realization that riding Pongo is getting much more uncomfortable.  On Saturday (Sad-urday) I started to feel achy at the trot.  Like a grapefruit was using my insides as a trampoline.  Walking under saddle I'm completely fine and cantering is sort of OK, but not great.  We've been looking at new barns to get him out in a pasture for the time being until baby comes and I figure out what happens next with the spotty horse.  

Week 18 pic - there's finally a belly!

Oh The Places You'll Go...or Have Gone Already

Baby, you've been going places!

By land, by air and by sea!  You've been on planes, trains and cruise ships all before you were even born...

So far we've been to:

Tampa, FL
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Grand Cayman
Ochos Rios Jamaica
Costa Maya, Mexico
Kona, Hawaii
Hilo, Hawaii 

and in a few weeks you'll be heading to the mid-west for your 2nd cousin's wedding!

Week 17

Week 17!

This week can be described in one word as...

INSOMNIA!

Shockingly though, even with the lack of sleep I am almost functioning during the day at full capacity.  I guess the body just adapts.

Fortunately I was battling my insomnia here...

Big Island of Hawaii

But, as I've come back home I've still been dealing with sleepless nights.  Mainly because I cannot get comfortable to save my life.  Our mattress is very soft and I am sinking in all the wrong places.

So I ordered one of these...at 3:30am a few nights ago.  Here's hoping it helps!

The Snoogle Pillow

Week 17 also brought with it the realization that I needed maternity pants.  My shirts all fit fine, but my pants are getting too snug in the waist.  I have one thing to say about buying maternity pants...DON'T WAIT AS LONG AS I DID!  I think it was a pride thing, like, how long can I still say I fit in my normal clothes.  I was happy my shorts from last summer still (kinda) fit while I was in Hawaii, but maternity pants...those are phenomenal.  I only wish I'd caved around Week 15 (although I fill them out better now than I would have a couple weeks ago, so 

Nuchal Translucency Scan and 1st Trimester Bloodwork Screen

Tests, tests and more tests...

For better and worse there is a lot of info you can get about your little one from a very early stage of their development.

On the for better side, it allows you to prepare a bit should something not be ok and on the other side of that also gives you peace of mind that things are all good assuming your results show the baby is within the normal developments limits or showing low risk for certain abnormalities.

On the for worse side, you're constantly scared that one of the many many tests you'll have will come back with results that you don't want to hear.   Which makes you wonder if not knowing is better.

At 13 weeks we went for another ultrasound, this time to check in on the baby's nuchal translucency (NT) which I talked about briefly a couple of posts ago...

"This test assesses the quantity of fluid collecting within the nape of the baby's neck.  Increased fluid can be an indication of Downs Syndrome. 

Baby Bruce passed the test with flying colors and is developing normally.  Measuring exactly the same length as his or her due date at 13 weeks and 4 days old."

Along with the NT test was (ANOTHER) round of blood tests.  

We reviewed the results of everything with our OB a couple of weeks later and got the good news that Baby B is doing great.  

Here are the scans!

Healthy little Baby B!

Based on the scan on the left I am convinced Baby B is a boy.  The U/S technician wouldn't tell us either way, said it was too early to know...but...

Here's the low down on this testing/appointment...

• 7 vials of blood.
• 1 ultrasound.  This is done on your tummy and takes about 10 minutes or so.  It doesn't hurt at all and is really fun to watch.  There is some pressure as they push down to get a good image of the baby, my bladder was full since I had to wait so long in the waiting room, I think that contributed to feeling more pressure than I would have otherwise.  A tech did the u/s and then the doctor came in and talked to us briefly about it.
• For us, covered by insurance, the cost of this visit was a little under $300.