The waiting continues...

I went in for my amnio yesterday. While it wasn't HORRIBLE, it also wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world. At least Ben made it for the big stick! He drove 1 hour and 10 minutes, was with me for a grand total of maybe 15 minutes, and then drove back to work. He also agreed with me that the Dr. that did it was...less than pleasant. She's the Dr. at that office that I really don't care for. I LOVE the other Dr.

I found it interesting that the site where she inserted the needle was sore the rest of the day...how can such a thin needle cause that much discomfort? Ben was also surprised at just how much fluid they take out. We had to explain to him that there is a lot of fluid in there, and that it would replenish itself within 12 hours.

I got the results of the amnio yesterday afternoon (I felt like I was at the Dr.'s long enough they probably could have run the test and given me the results before I left, but no dice). Monkey's lungs came back as "borderline mature," so now my induction has been moved from Jan 28th (aka tomorrow) to Jan 31st (aka this coming Monday). Dang. I had gotten my mind set with tomorrow as the day to start the process...how on earth am I going to fill 3 more days? I'm going to rot with all this waiting.

Two Weeks Left

Well, the appointment with my NP yesterday went better than I expected. Aside from the waiting. For the most part it was pretty routine...weight, blood pressure, monitoring (AKA Non-Stress Tests), Ultrasound to accompany the NST. I also had blood drawn for a CBC (Complete Blood Count) and RPR (to check for syphilis...yay), as well as an office visit with my NP to go over questions, have my Group B Strep test (not the most pleasant swab in the world), and check my cervix.

Everything up until waiting for the NP was pretty standard wait times. Then we got put in the exam room and waited for an HOUR for her to come in...that's not normal. Usually I'm waiting 20 minutes, tops. Ben and I spent our time determining if we had been forgotten, debating on whether ultrasound gel or hand sanitizing foam would squirt farther from it's bottle, then determining which would cling to the wall longer (AKA which is sticker...ultrasound gel won that debate), how we would escape if we were locked in, and trying to take naps to make the time pass faster, since we all know that the second you fall asleep the person you're waiting on will show up.

She did come in, and told us that because it was me (and my appointments usually don't take very long) she bumped me ahead of another patient who usually takes longer. Good for me. Did all the testing, and then we came to the discussion about Monkey's weight and what that means. After talking to my RE last week, I thought for sure they would want to deliver next week, at 36 weeks. The good news is that they're giving me a whole extra week to grow him myself! The bad news is that I still have to have an amnio. Yep, that's right folks...I avoided doing the amnio in the second trimester because a) I hate needles, and if I can avoid one I will and b) they can cause you to go into labor. At this point, though, the amnio will determine if I can induce or if we need to hold off to give his lungs more time to develop. So, that's scheduled for the 26th, which is 1.5 weeks away, and if all is OK on that, then we're inducing on Jan 28th, 2011, and Monkey will *probably* be born on Jan 29th, 2011, at 37w3d gestation.

Looks like we'll be meeting our little man sooner than February, but still within the accepted time frame that is considered "full term," so he won't technically be considered premature. Plus, we've set it up so that the Dr. I like will be the one delivering the baby, which is AWESOME!!! Now if the baby furniture would just get here so we can get it set up before his arrival, that would be perfect.

Still an example of the perfect human specimen...

That is what  Ben is calling himself these days. Great...now I have that ego to live with. Here is how that lovely quote came to be:

My fertility specialist has been insisting since we found out that I have the MTHFR homozygous mutation that Ben get tested as well. Needless to say, my endlessly procrastinating husband did not manage to get tested before he deployed, and now that he's been home almost 3 months and we just now got him tested (well, 2 weeks ago, but still). Today we got the results, which were: NEGATIVE!!! He does not have any form of the mutation. The last time we got him tested for something (sperm count/motility/etc.) everything came back at perfect or more...or as he likes to call it, "Super Sperm."

That's great, right? Yeah, except now I feel like even more of a fertility screw up. Every problem we have had with getting pregnant and during the pregnancy is because of my body. And now he's going around thinking he's got the perfect human form because he never has anything wrong, and his test results are pretty much always better than perfect. Then my mom brought up a great point: I have an amazing ability to choose right. Think about it. I could have ended up with someone who has just as many or more fertility/genetic issues as I do, but I managed to marry a man who has NO issues, thus making it as easy as possible for us to have a biological family with all of the issues that I do have. YAY!

On top of that, since all of my issues are genetic, I can blame my parents! And we now have sufficient reason for my sister to get tested for the MTHFR when she starts wanting a family, so she's actually ahead of the game...she will get to know of at least one issue before she even starts trying, so she'll be able to treat it (if she has it) from day one and have that much less to worry about. It still means she'll get to deal with blood thinners (if she does test positive) but that's part of the deal. Then she'll get to enjoy the belly pokes and bruises that I am dealing with on a daily basis.

Next appointment is on Friday...and we will probably have a conversation at that appointment about when Monkey will make his appearance, since based on my last growth scan he's still small. That means that he will quite probably make his debut before the end of the month!

I have my house back!

Don't get me wrong. I love the holiday season. I love getting the tree and setting it up, along with the household decorations. I even LOVE doing extravagant lights on the outside of the house (even though we have YET to do them to our house...I told  Ben that come hell or high water we're going to start going all out next year. We're talking mechanical penguins, deer, the whole shebang).

I also love it when it all comes down and I get my "normal" house back. After a while I start feeling like all of the holiday joviality is liable to swarm in and suffocate me. It's amazing how much more spacious my living room feels just by getting rid of a medium-sized piece of dead vegetation. Not to mention the needles that go with it!

So, now the house is pretty much back to normal. With the exception of aforementioned dead tree sitting out by the side of the house, waiting to be picked up/delivered to it's final resting place.

On another note...I finally ordered the bulk of majorly needed baby items. I say the bulk of it because I'm being cheap and waiting for my discounts to be effective for the last couple of places I'm ordering from. Especially because I ended up ordering the pack & play, even though I wasn't planning on doing so until we actually needed it. The reason I had to order it? Well...apparently the furniture we ordered for the nursery was out of stock, which they failed to mention when we ordered it. It isn't due to even SHIP until the end of March. Pardon?!?!?! My baby is due in mid-February, and will probably end up coming before then. I kind of need somewhere for my child to sleep!!! SO...hello pack & play!!! I guess I don't get that perfectly ready nursery that I had envisioned. Oh well...adaptation is a wonderful thing. Disappointment, not so much.

I'll admit it, I also changed my due date on the sites where I "registered" (I registered for the exact same things at 3 places so that I could get the completion discounts, and then buy from wherever ended up being cheapest. I only told people about one of them, however, so as to avoid getting multiples of things). I changed my due date to a full month and a half earlier than it actually is, because they don't give you the discount until after your due date. Hello? Common sense? Can you kick in for these registry places? I need the discount earlier than that, because I need to have the stuff before the baby arrives so I can be fully prepared. DUH!!!

And we're into single digits!

That's right...8 weeks and 6 days until Monkey's due! Of course, I may not make it that far, but it's really starting to sink in. That and the fact that we barely have anything for this kiddo. I already told the moms (my mom and  Ben's mom) that after January 1 we will be purchasing things that are left on the registry. That way there is time for shipping delays etc. There was some objection to that, because "people need time to get you gifts." I, for one, think that's great if they want to, but it is our responsibility to provide for this baby, and I can't wait because people might want to buy something for him...especially when it probably won't even be something we really need! That and the fact that a LOT of times people say they want to do something, but never do. No...better safe than sorry for us. We will be doing some major purchasing after the new year.

As for Monkey, he's still looking good. Moving great. As of yesterday, he's still in the 5th percentile for growth (3lbs 1oz at 31 weeks) but since it's a steady weight gain and he's not slowing down, everyone is confident that he'll probably just be a small baby and that there is, in all likelihood, nothing wrong. Of course there are no guarantees, but it's nice to know that there are no other indicators of an actual problem. I did have about 3 contractions during monitoring yesterday, but my nurse practitioner said that with my uterus and where I am in the pregnancy, that's to be expected. I actually didn't even feel the contractions enough to label them as such...it really just felt like Monkey was pushing against my stomach...but they were Braxton Hicks contractions. Nice to know.

I talked to the nurse about my fainting (ish) episodes as well, since I had another one on my way to the Dr's yesterday. I was sent for blood tests to check iron, blood volume, and a couple of other things that I didn't recognize on the lab sheet. Then I was sent home with instructions to take it easy and drink even MORE fluids. Hopefully I will have the results of those tests tomorrow. In the meantime,  Ben and I have decided that I should not drive further than our town (very small town) for safety reasons. If I have to go anywhere further, he will take me since he starts holiday leave tomorrow.

Joy. No exercise, protein shakes, no driving. I really do feel like I'm becoming an invalid.

Sock Monkey Hat and Other Randomness!

Well, after finishing my initial sock monkey hat (as seen modeled by my puggle, Cloe) I was almost immediately asked to make another. I've got to watch it, though, because I have a quilt that is VERY time-consuming to finish before this baby gets here, and I'm procrastinating on it. I really think it's just the sheer magnitude of it that makes me so unwilling to work on it, but once I get started it will go right along!

We managed to get our Christmas Tree this weekend...and, despite a rather unnerving episode (see below) I was able to get all the decorations out, set up, and working. Now I begin the countdown until I can take it all down. It's weird...I love having them out, I love seeing seasons change through the house decor (part of why I love fall and winter), but I also love it when I "get my house back" and no longer have all the decorations taking up space on my surfaces. I also love not having Christmas Tree needles all over the ground.  Ben insisted that I wrap empty boxes so that it at least looks like we have presents under the tree. He's already got his gift (Ipad) and we're getting mine in the next week or so (blue tooth installed in my car...the stereo has the button but it's "not equipped").

I also got our Christmas Card picture taken. No, I'm not in it. I'm really not feeling up to tackling that monster...between  Ben, 2 dogs, and myself, it would be virtually impossible to get a shot where everyone looks good and is doing what they are supposed to. Especially when you throw in the fact that the dogs have "uniforms" that they HATE. Can't you see how happy they look? This took about an hour, a half a bag of dog treats, and a ton of "wardrobe adjustments" to get. If I had to add  Ben in, with his tendency to look like he's in pain when he smiles for pictures, plus myself (and my apparent inability to take pictures without a double chin and look halfway decent other than in my belly pictures) it just would not have worked. Can you say disaster?

OK, on to my "episode." I went to the pharmacy on Sunday to pick up a prescription refill. No biggie, right? Yeah, that's what I thought too. As I'm pulling into the parking lot, I start feeling...off. Then too hot, and then the distinctive feeling that I'm going to throw up. Wait, wait, no, that's not all. Then tunnel vision. Mind you I'm still driving. Then I realize that I KNOW this feeling. I'm about to pass out. All I could think was "Park the car, park the car, PARK THE G-D*&N CAR NOW!!!". I did manage to park the car. So far it's all happened in about 20 seconds. In the next 10 seconds my hearing gets VERY muffled, then the tunnel vision is compounded by my vision appearing pixelated and orange. Suddenly, I just KNOW that I'm going to throw up. I throw open the car door (car is in park, e-brake on, and key off) and proceed to dry heave. I sat in the car for probably 5 minutes before I could think of anything other than how awful I feel. And then I realize that I do not have my cell phone on me...I have to get home. Here's the weird thing. At that point Monkey started moving, and as soon as he did ALL of my symptoms went away. I felt fine. Oh...my prescription wasn't in yet. Oh joy.

I managed to get home...yay me. I called the nurse on Monday and she said it sounds like Vena Cava syndrome, where Monkey was resting on the main blood vessel that carries blood back to the heart...either that or he was on the vegus nerve. And if it happens again, it's off to a workup complete with EKG for me. Wonderful.

Up next week: another growth scan to see if Monkey is growing better, plus a standard office visit and 20 more minutes hooked up to a fetal monitor (I do this once a week, but after next week it will be twice weekly). Stay tuned.

On to every 2 weeks

Well, it's happened. I've reached the point in my pregnancy where I have to be at the Dr's every two weeks. It's not really that big of a deal, except for the fact that my next appointment is the week of Thanksgiving...when all of our family will be in town. That's a little inconvenient. "Hi family, great to see you, we have to leave for a few hours so...entertain yourselves." The really hard thing? It's landing on my MIL's birthday. Because the nature of this next appointment is a bit, well, personal, I don't want anyone but B with me. It just isn't appropriate. So, either he will go with me or I will go by myself.

Other than that, Monkey is doing great, and next time we will get a growth estimate--length, weight, etc. I also find out exactly when I have to start going in twice weekly for monitoring, so they can see if/how often I'm contracting. I haven't felt any thus far, and here's hoping that it continues that way.  Ben was super surprised last appointment to see Monkey's foot up by his face...he didn't know babies were that flexible!

OMG Where did my belly button go!?!

Well, it's officially happened. My belly button has disappeared. I had to break down and take out my naval ring last night...the piercing was too red and angry to leave it in. Once the ring was out, I realized that my belly button is almost completely flat. No wonder it didn't like being pulled for that extra bit of metal. I also looked back at the "before and after" shots of my belly...from about 4 weeks to 24 weeks (OK, technically 24 weeks is tomorrow, but there's no guarantee I'll want to do my hair and makeup when I don't have to). Here's the comparison:

 Wow...even though I don't see the difference day to day, it's definitely there!!! I also had an ultrasound today. I was just supposed to have my cervix checked (long and closed, nothing but good news there!) but I had an awesome technician who not only took regular 2D pictures of our little man, but a couple of 3D images as well! Of course, he didn't want to cooperate, so the pictures aren't great, but we have them!

So there you go! I'm sad that  Ben couldn't make it to the appointment with me (stupid "appointment line" never returns calls...what's the point of even having it?) but I have another appointment in 2 weeks that he will be able to come to and my nurse said that if they're not super busy she'll pop us over to the ultrasound to "play" for a little bit. I really want him to get to see his son moving on an ultrasound, it's so different from just looking at the pictures!

Time to Relax

Well, after all the ups and downs so far, I'm finally able to relax. I had my first visit with the Perinatologist office yesterday. I was expecting a consult with height/weight/blood pressure, family history, questions, and bloodwork. I came out with these:

Needless to say...YAY! So now that I'm over 11 weeks (Monkey measured 12 weeks 2 days) I am feeling much more confident and relaxed...I'm past where I lost the last pregnancy, and it just feels real now that it looks like a baby and not like a jumping bean! Of course, Monkey wouldn't cooperate...moving when we needed him/her to be still and going completely still when we needed him/her to move! Oh well...at least all is well and progressing like it should!

Woo Hoo!!! I Graduated!

From my RE that is! Today was bittersweet. My last official prenatal appointment with my RE before I go to the perinatologist on Aug. 4th. Speaking of that...getting that darned referral to go through was a pain in the butt!!! Talk about red tape! (OK, so I'm probably exaggerating, but these pregnancy hormones do not help my reactions to and perceptions of things LOL)

I don't have a primary care Dr. right now, (she moved and I haven't been assigned a new one, just learned that I have to find my own, which is a new thing for me...apparently here the military insurance works differently than every other duty station we've been at) so my RE was making the referral to the perinatologist for me. I even called my insurance company to make sure that it would work out and be approved and was told "yes, your specialist is approved to diagnose and treat you, so they can do the referral." Great! Two days later, my RE gets a fax saying that my primary care has to do the referral. Ummm...I DON'T HAVE ONE AND YOU KNOW THAT!!!! So, I call again and they say "who told you that your specialist could do the referral?" "You guys did" "No we didn't". Really? REALLY? So I'm the idiot client who imagined the entire phone call THAT YOU DOCUMENTED IN MY FILE? AAAARGH!!! In the end it all got worked out (after getting a little mad at them and being on hold for 10-15 minutes while the incompetent fool checked with his supervisor about everything).

OK, so that stress is gone, referral is approved, and today I got to see Monkey moving around like crazy!!! It took my RE 3 tries to get a heart rate because (s)he wouldn't stop wiggling around! I think this is the most excited I've been, it was so thrilling to see all that movement. Now I just can't wait for  Ben to be here so that he can see it too...and by the time he gets home it will really look like a baby!!!