Major appointments last week

I forgot to weigh in on my ultrasound stuff! Here's pictures. By the way IT IS A BOY!!

He's was about 140z when these were done on 4/16/09. The ultrasound showed a strong heart, 2 working kidneys because there was pee in his bladder, and a tummy full of amniotic fluid so he's swallowing. For the first 45 minutes of the appointment he had his hands over his face and legs crossed tightly at the knee so we couldn't see anything! She kept going back to check and still, her was tightly clamped and wouldn't give up the goods. We did see that his lip is fully formed so no hair-lip. He was positioned with his head up and feet down which is why my belly is so high up right now. I knew he was like that because I was feeling a lot of movement down at my waist band and everytime I bent over his head was knocking the air out of me. He has lots of room to move around in there right now and I feel him all the time. I have an anterior placenta and our umbilical cord looks good.

He ended up falling over to the right side and the tech was having a hard time getting a good view of his kidneys so she had me roll to my left a little. She panned back over to the crossed legs and while hovering there he shift and opened them right up to reveal his penis! Yay!! The tech was like "there is it" and Man-Meat says "there what is?" So she circled it to make no mistake that he is definitely a boy. We were also then able to get the good profile shots after he moved. He was sucking his thumb then he moved his hand up to his forehead. He had his little thumb out the whole time, like thumbs-up! It was all amazing to see. I can't believe that that is inside my right now.

He moves around all the time. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and he's moving around. Most of the movement is still really far down at my waist band. Speaking of that, I was able to button my pants completely on Sunday. Weird! I haven't been able to do that for two weeks, then all of a sudden I could. He must have been way up there. It is weird how that can change daily.

I had a follow up appointment on Friday after the ultrasound. I weigh 134 now, so I've gained 7 lbs. That is about a pound a week since my last appointment so I'm right on schedule. My belly is measured from my belly button is the correct size. I didn't have to do any blood work this time so it was a quick trip. We listened to the heart beat again. All very standard and normal. I hope things keep going as smoothly as this!

I ordered a crib today. We ended up getting a mini crib because we are tight on space with the nursery in the bedroom. I would love to have T move out and use that second room. It is the perfect size to be a nursery. I could paint it and get a full size crib and toy bin and everything. Even a changing table! For now though I can't have any of that. As it is my good buds bought us a glider and ottoman so we had to find a spot in our room for that too. If I got a full sized crib it would come all the way up against our bed and I wouldn't be able to get around it. The mini is about half the width. T is going to be great to have in the house after he's born and she's said multiple times that she can be out by the time he's born, but I'm so at odds with that. I want her to be there, but I want some space too. I'm glad I finally just bought the crib, that is one load off. Now I'm still stressing about a stroller. Do I or don't I? I could just wait until spring. I don't really see myself pushing a stroller around in the snow. I'd rather carry him so he stays warm if I go out at all. Then there is the question of what to carry him around in. There are a ton of different kinds of slings, wraps, snugglies, and carriers. Times like this I wish I lived somewhere will more resources. I only have two places to shop, Fred Meyers and Walmart. Everything else has to be gotten online. I really wanted to have a dinosaur theme, but I can't find squat for dinosaurs! I think I'm going to bypass a themed nursery and get basic blue stuff since I have to get mini-crib sheets and all. They don't make themed mini-crib bedding. I'm going to have at least one quilt that I know of. So if I really want dinosaurs I can make a dinosaur quilt and use it with the regular blue bedding. FYI porta-crib bedding should fit my crib.

That's all for now!

Walking and running

It has been nice after work so I've been able to take Sister-pie for walks after work. The first time I actually did some running! It felt to good! I didn't get too winded and I could run for quite awhile. The only thing that slowed me down was my poor old chubby dog. She was practically begging me to stop. I was like, come on Sister if I can do it and I'm 5 months pregnant you can do it too! She's 10 and overweight so I don't want to push her too far. Besides, it kept me from over doing it too. I wasn't wearing my heart rate monitor. I hope it stays nice! It felt so good to get outside and get the stink blowed off.

I have a Dr. appt tomorrow for the big ultrasound! I'm excited and nervous. I'm so ready to have a boy now if it isn't a boy I will be dissappointed. I also found out that when Pop Pop found out it was a boy he cried. He wants a boy so badly.

Last night Man-Meat got to feel Gumgum moving a whole bunch. He put some lotion on my gummi tummi first then we were laying there watching Deadliest Catch and he put his hand on my tummi low underneath my belly button and pushed in a little...and Gum pushed back! He kicked about three times pretty hard. It was really cool for him. I've been feeling him for weeks so it was exciting for Man-Meat to finally get to feel him. Here's a couple pics of me at 19 weeks. I'm 20 weeks now and a bit bigger.

My mom is coming to visit from the 18th to the 5th. I'm so excited because I just saw her and now I get to see her again! Then again in July! I miss her and my family so much. We are going to have a baby shower while she's here. I think I've found all the big stuff that I need, like the car seat, crib, and stroller. I read that I can't jog with my baby until he's at least 6 months old because it is too jarring so I started looking at non-jog strollers and found some good ones. I still really want a jog stroller though because they are more maneuverable in snow and mud then regular strollers. We have a lot of that, especially also because it will be winter shortly after the baby's born. But I guess I could always walk with a snuggly instead of a stroller, that way baby stays warmer too. I guess they don't fold up as small either so it might not fit in the beamer while regular strollers would. But really I'd only take the jog stroller if Sister was with me and then I'd need the truck anyway. There are so many decisions to make it is overwhelming! Weigh in on any thoughts about strollers after you read this.

CO visit

I have just returned from visiting my wonder family in CO. Once again while I was gone all my clothes shrank! What is it about vacation that makes Gummi grow bigger? I've been really good about exercising in some way every day. I've been eating really healthy, except the yummy desserts my mom makes when I'm there. She has lost something like 30 lbs since the last time I saw her. She's weighs less then me!! Last time I stepped on the scale I was 130.5. I actually lost a couple pounds while I was down there. I think it has to do with my prenatal pilates DVD that I've been doing. I've been working the buns and thighs workout everyday so my butt has gotten smaller and tighter. I love that DVD! I think I've mentioned that before. It is perfect for me right now. When I do cardio it takes me like 20 minutes to warm up and be comfortable enough to actually get my heart rate up. So half my cardio work out is warming up! I haven't attempted to run in awhile. I have to get back to the actual gym and try that out. I feel bad paying for a memership then going home and doing the DVD because I love it so much. It is low impact, low stress for Gum and works all the muscles for labor. I love to walk too, but I can't make dinner and work out at the same time if I'm at the gym like I can at home. I have to make time for the cardio though. I have to maintain my heart health and endurance for labor.

I miss my lovely family so much! I was only with them for 4.5 days which is hardly long enough. I wish they didn't live so far away! I'm trying to get my mom to come visit at the end of the month and I will see them all again in July then a bunch in Sept and Aug. I think Wad is wanting to come in Aug sometime too. I feel like an addict! I got home and all I wanted to do was surround myself with my friends. I crave talking to Mank. After leaving my family is makes me miss her all the more. At least before I could come home and she'd be here. Thank God I have Man-Meat. I can't imagine going through pregnancy with out him. How do these women do it? I hope I never have to. I hope he's with me forever. After seeing the fam I always have anxiety that something is going to happen to them before I can see them again. I know it is completely irrational to worry about things that haven't and probably won't happen but still! They are all so important to me. Wow, I'm depressing myself right now ha ha!

I had some more tummy pics taken that I'll put up when I get them. I have a dr appt next Thurs to get an ultrasound then a consultation and regular appt with my doctor on Friday. I also have a dentist appt on Monday. I don't know how I managed to schedule all these appointments at the same time! I think I'll probably get in trouble for not gaining enough weight.

Also! Crazy stupid thing I did when I was in CO. I was walking in the pasture with the horse and cow and Twinkie was on the other side of the fence with her doggie. She yelled "Look out!" and I turned around to see the crazy cow running pel-mel at me swinging her head because she wanted to play. Not wanted to be smooshed by the cow I ran towards the fence and dove underneath of it executing a tuck-and-roll maneuver and coming back on my feet. It was fine, I didn't hit the grown hardly at all, it was very fluid and smooth, but when I stood up I thought, that was an idiotic thing to do! I'm pregnant for God's sakes! What the hell is wrong with me!? I can't be jumping and throwing myself around! Stupid. So I was scared for a little while that I had done something to Gummi, but he obviously didn't notice or care that I had done that. He was prefectly content and protected floating around in there. It was actually quite gracefully and non-jarring of a roll and probably looked pretty cool, but I need to remember that I'm pregnant. If I hadn't been I would have turned around and played with her. She's huge though!!

Forgot!

I forgot to post the belly pick my lovely RoRo took for me at work on Thurs (March 19th). Ignore the double chin, but notice the rockin hair. I also forgot to mention that when I was in Spokane I stopped into VS and had to buy a D-cup bra! Wowza! They are pretty heavy. I can feel the difference. I think all 3 lbs are in my bra. Gummi is going to be onion sized this week. These are the pants I could button before my sojourn to Spokane and after I couldn't.

Finally something new to report!

So far I've been really healthy. The headaches are still there all the time, but I got the ok from my doctor to take phenegren if the get really bad. That is an anti-nausea medicine they prescribe for morning sickness. It makes me pretty mellow and just feel good all around. So far I haven't had to take it.

We went to Spokane over the 12-17. It was the strangest thing. Before I left I had no gummi tummi bump and after I did! I went back to work on Wednesday and couldn't button my works pants. I was standing at the printer putting out the vibe when suddenly BV yells "Oh my gosh!" I look over and she's staring and pointing at my all-of-a-sudden belly. Now I am acutely away of it. By they way flying sucked. I was so effing motion sick the whole time I couldn't eat or drink. Next time when I fly to CO (by myself) I'm taking phenegren with me. Also, on Friday March 13 I really felt Gummi move for the first time in my lower right side. It felt like a little thump, like a heartbeat.

I had a Dr. appt on Friday March 20. We had Mr. Robot come and see the ultrasound with us. He enjoyed that since it will kind of be his little brother or sister.....and speaking of the we got the following picture from the ultrasound....

What is that? you may ask yourself. Allow me to explain. Dr. H would not conclusively say what that dangling object in the middle is, but she did say a girl looks like a hamburger. That does not look like a hamburger to me. She found the umbilical cord elsewhere so it isn't that either. She said "It looks like you have a boy" but then said she was only 50% sure of that and she wouldn't stake her license on it. We have a big ultrasound on April 16th at the hospital that will hopefully be more conclusive. Here's the other ultrasound. When she first stuck the wand on me the baby was laying perfectly in a fetal position and you could see the whole body, then the machine ran out of paper so we couldn't print the picture. This is the next best on that she could get.

If you can't tell what his going on here I outlined the baby part so you could see a little better. He's on his face with knees slightly tucked. His head isn't really Stewie-football head shaped. The ultrasound doens't always pick things up the right way. As I said before the picture that we had right off the bat was the best. Well, soon enough you will all see for yourself! I'm almost half way done!

My friend Ja9 went boy shopping yesteday as soon as she found out. Man-Meat and I are going to be the Godparents for there little baby girl that was born on Feb 3. She is such a tiny little doll. It will be very official as we are going to the church when she is baptized and everything. I'm going to have to find something nice to wear. I should be starting to grow a while bunch now. I have a long way to go to actually look pregnant for reals. The tummi is hardish and I can feel its weight when I lay on my back and feel is pushing into my body when I lay on my stomach. Both of which I'm not supposed to do, but when I'm moving around in bed it happens from time to time. I've been really good about walking at the gym or doing my prenatal pilates video. I don't think I mentioned before but I've only gained 3 lbs since my first appointment. I have no idea what I weighed before that, maybe 25 or 26lbs at the most. At the first appt I was 27lbs, and at the last one I was 30lbs. I keep waiting for it to start piling on. Soon enought I guess! I just want to stay fit and healthy so my labor will go smoother and I won't have to lose a bunch after he's born. Now that I have to commit to a name I'm all mixed up as to what to call him! I know I want the name Grant in there somewhere, but first or middle I don't know. And what will the other half be? We had Lincoln Grant picked out, but now I can't commit to it. I've been leaning towards Grant Theodore. Theodore is my 93 going on 94 year old grandpa's name. I think he would feel honored if I named our baby after him. Then the baby's initials would be GTS vroom vroom! The nursery is going to be dinosaurs. Man-Meat wanted AVP but I think it will be impossible to find an AVP crib set and accessories! Besides, that is not cute, that is scary. At least dinosaurs can be cute too.

PS...

I just wanna thow it out there that I miss my Mank-a-licious so much! She will be in NC tonight pulling an all-nighter to get there. I love you!!! Drive safely!

Starting to show??

It has been awhile! I'm starting to get a little tummy that is more then just bloat. It is getting hard too. When I lay on my stomach it feels like I'm laying on a ball. Although I'm not supposed to lay on my stomach anymore, or my back. I guess when you lay on your back the weight of your uterus can pinch off a blood vessel that supplies the brain and the baby. I keep forgetting though because I love to lay on my back, be it watching TV or reading in bed. I'm supposed to lay on my left side primarily because that keeps pressure off my sciatic nerve. It is a good thing I generally fall asleep on my left side already.

I did prenatal pilates last night with my friend Trish. It was a lot of arm work since you aren't supposed to put a lot of strain on the lower body. My arms are sore today. It did make me do some squats and lunges also. I like the DVD because it had a core section, so I can do some ab works without killing myself. I kept wondering why she had her legs apart until I realized it was because she couldn't pull them up to her chest the traditional way because her belly was so big. The instructor was hugely pregnant. I was doing all the exercises like her with my knees apart, but my feet together and wondered what muscle group it was working. Duh! So I put my knees together...slut. I've done a lot of pilates in the past and was impressed with the modifications for pregnant women. I can see how down the line some things will become much more difficult. I will definitely be using this DVD a lot. My favorite part was during the ab section because as you get bigger you put pillows behind you so you don't have to go down to the floor all the way. It was awesome to lay back into the "crunch" and fall onto soft pillows instead of heard floor. I ended up not using the pillows this time because I don't need them yet. I think that's why I'm hardly showing, because my ab wall was pretty strong so Gummi has to be a body builder to break down that wall!

I've still been getting to the gym on a fairly regular basis. I can still run a little but not for very long. Everything feels all loose in the tummy area. I can feel it jiggling and bouncing. Not matter how hard I try to tighten it up there's still some that moves about in an uncomfortable manner. When I run for too long it feels like my uterus is going to fall out.

We are going to Spokane this weekend to see the inlaws, both regular and great. I have to definitely go by Victoria's Secret and get some new bras. I completely fill a C cup and they are only going to get bigger. I think I'm going to grab a coupld 34-C's and a 36-C for future growth. I read yesterday that when you go to by nursing bras by a whole size bigger then what you wear because once the milk comes in they get EVEN BIGGER. Momma!

Gummi is the size of a softball...but wear is it hiding? My stomach is no where near the size to accomodate a softball. Go ab wall! Hold back the dam! It will fall soon enough.