22 Weeks and a trip to Labor and Delivery (TMI alert)

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Well, we certainly had an interesting week, to say the least. It started out great. I've been feeling lots of movement and I even saw the baby kick the other night. My belly twitched three times where he was kicking. It was truly cool. 

Last night when I got home, my back hurt so bad that I couldn't bend over to pick up my socks. I had to lay down in my bed for an hour before I could even change into sweatpants (for those of you that know me, you know the sweats come on as soon as I walk in the door). I dealt with it, and didn't take any Tylenol. I just went to bed as usual. 

This morning, I woke up fine. After my shower, around 7:30, things got scary. While drying off, I realized I was bleeding, you know, from there. So I lumbered into the living room to tell John. We called my OB and since I wasn't feeling any other symptoms, she said to call her office at 9 to schedule a time to come in to get checked. 

I called at 9, and by then I was having mild cramping. When the Dr. heard that I was cramping, she sent me straight over to the hospital, to Labor and Delivery. Once there, I was hooked up to a fetal monitor to check for contractions. Luckily, I wasn't having any, but Rambo decided that he didn't like the monitor. He kicked and punched it the entire time it was on my belly. He's such a brat. 

I had several more tests, including an internal exam and an ultrasound by a MFM Dr. In the end, it was decided that my placenta caused the bleeding. It could mean nothing (most likely), but needs to be monitored. I'll have to visit a high-risk specialist a few more times throughout my pregnancy in addition to my regular OB visits. I've been placed on strict bed rest until my follow-up appointment on Monday. Say a prayer for little Rambo and his freaked-out parents!

The Weekly Survey! 

How Far Along: 22 weeks, 3 days

 

Sex: boy

 
Size of baby: Not sure about the length (see above for estimates), but I found out today that he weighs 1 lb. 3 oz. 

Other things baby is up to: Rambo is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and my own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. Just like momma. Tooth buds have formed under the gums and there is lanugo hair covering the body. Eye brows and eye lashes have developed completely, but are probably white. Sweat glands have now developed. Oh, and his testicles are starting to descend into the scrotum. That is good news, huh?

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +5 (total)

 

Movement: Every day! And on Tuesday, 4/5, I SAW my belly move with a kick! Thank you Ben and Jerry's for supplying the baby with fuel for this feat!

Sleep: No problemo. Me likey.

Symptoms: Lots of nose bleeds, especially in the morning. Back pain. Bad back pain.

 

Cravings: Sweets, I guess. Although I don't think I can blame this on the baby.

Aversions: Organic tomato soup. Used to love it. John packed my lunch and put it in there and I wanted to throw it against the wall. Sorry, John. :)

Maternity Clothes: Yep. And some of my sweat pants feel uncomfortable now. Great!

Belly Button: Innie.

 

Milestones: We secured a place for daycare this week. It's a great place and we love it. I'm not happy about sending him to daycare in general, but we gots to do it. 

Also, the big milestone this week is the belly-shaking kick!

Looking forward to: Holding him when he is born healthy and full term. Gina offered to deliver Sunday dinner, so I'm pretty stoked for that. Oh and she might bring me cupcakes from Sugarush in Redbank tomorrow. If you haven't been there yet, you simply must. 

What I Miss:  Coffee. None of that decaf crap, the real deal. The first words out of my mouth Tuesday morning to John were, "Tell Murph that when he comes to visit the baby, he'd better stop at Java Girl and get me Some Blackberry Cream Coffee first." John just laughed and said he'd get right on it. I'M SERIOUS, MURPH! I also miss martinis and oysters. Mmmm...

Next appointment: Monday, 4/11 for a follow up to today's drama.

Times I used the doppler in the last week: 2. I had a dream earlier this week that the baby died. As soon as I woke up, I looked for his heartbeat. I also used it today when I realized I was bleeding. 

Weekly bump pic: None this week. Sorry, I'm on bed rest. I'll leave you with this one instead: 

I Had the Weirdest Dream Last Night...

Ever since I've can remember, I've had incredibly vivid, albeit weird and often disturbing, dreams while I sleep. I also tend to remember every detail of those weird dreams. John is both amazed and horrified by this ability at the same time. Sometimes they're so vivid, that I wake up angry or sad, or sometimes even crying.

Pregnancy has served to heighten this ability. My dreams are bat-shit crazy. I mean, cray-zay. Not too long ago, I had a dream that I cheated on John with the time-traveling ghost of John Ritter. WTF? Even I am laughing while writing this.

The dreams that I have about the baby can be the best or the most stressful, depending on what happens in them. About a month or so after my loss, I dreamed that I had a baby boy. I could smell his hair. Like, really smell it. And when he spit up, I could smell that too. I felt his weight when I held him and I actually felt his skin. When I woke up, I was equal parts happy and sad. Happy that I "met" my baby, but sad that that was the only way that I'd ever meet that one. Bittersweet, to say the least.

Lately, my baby dreams are about little Rambo. Often, I'll dream that I leave him someplace in his car seat (like at the old Acme that used to be at the Yorktowne shopping center, for example), or forget to feed him. In one dream, I was in a shitty hospital--old and dirty, and had just given birth. The nurses forgot about me for two days and, for the life of me,  I couldn't figure out how to breastfeed. I was yelling, "Could someone teach me how to do this?!" When I woke up, I realized that if need be, I could figure that one out myself!

My favorite baby dreams are the ones that are calm. Where I can hold the baby and know that he is alright and feel how much I love him. And how very, very happy I am to have this blessing.

I also have been dreaming that I have a little girl lately. I'm not sure where this is coming from. I have no doubt that Rambo is a boy (and those of you that have seen the photographic ultrasound proof would agree). Maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something?

Eh, probably not. If so, what the hell would it have been trying to tell me about my affair with the ghost of John Ritter?

21 Weeks and a Kick for Daddy

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Great things that happened this week:


1. I felt movement everyday, and it's obvious that it is the baby! 
2. We've decided on baby furniture, but still have to go back to order. 
3. John felt the baby kick from the outside! It was one of the best moments of my life. 
4. I took 5 naps for a grand total of 12 hours of afternoon sleeping. 

The Weekly Survey! 

How Far Along: 21w3d

 

Sex: boy

 
Size of baby: According to the thebump.com, the average size for 21 weeks is 10.5 inches and 12.7 oz. Roughly the size of a banana. He's grown a lot! When I first found out I was pregnant, he was the size of a poppy seed!

Other things baby is up to: Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: + about 4-5 lbs total so far. 

 

Movement: I have felt him every day this week! His busiest times are after lunch and in the evening. It's the most amazing feeling. Last night during a particularly active stretch of time, I told John to put his hand near my belly button. The baby kicked his hand with the strongest kick yet! We were both amazed and so excited to meet our son.

Sleep: I'm thinking of changing my middle name to "Sleep" and my address to "The Couch".

Symptoms: Lower back pain at night. Weird dreams.

 

Cravings:  Fresh pineapple & sweets.

Maternity Clothes: Mostly wearing all maternity. My regular pants don't fit (except sweats and stretchy ones) and some of my regular shirts still look alright.

Belly Button: Still an innie, but it's shrinking and getting smaller.

 

Milestones: Feeling movement of the outside for the first time!

Looking forward to: Everything. I cannot wait to meet my son.

Next appointment: 4/27

Times I used the doppler in the last week: Once.

Other: We had our Dr. appointment this week. Rambo's heartbeat was about 145 and he looked so cute on the ultrasound (no pics :( ). His fists were near his ears and his knees were pulled up to his tummy, so he was in the fetal position. Guess that's why they call it that, huh? Everything looks great and the pregnancy is right on target. Next month, I have to take the Glucose Tolerance Test. Bleh. Wish me luck. 

Weekly bump pic: This one was taken on Tuesday before work. No, my hands don't really look like that. I swear. I'm standing in the baby's still unfinished nursery. 

20 Weeks and the Origins of Rambo

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We've had a pretty good week. Being halfway there is an amazing feeling. I truly never thought we'd make it this far into a pregnancy with the baby still doing so terrifically. We're half-baked. 50% complete. 20 weeks down, 20 to go. I just asked John how he feels about us being halfway there. 

 His response: (grumbles) "I feel like I was halfway asleep before you woke me up to ask me... It's scary. I thought we had so much more time. Let me go back to sleep. Jrfoidngoiehroarh"

I, on the other hand, am relishing the fact that time is starting to move quickly. The first 14 weeks or so were painfully slow. Especially before our First Trimester Screening (NT Scan). I was in a constant state of panic that a miscarriage would happen every minute. Every new feeling was scrutinized. Every symptom set off alarms. I don't think I will ever fully recover from my miscarriage in September. Something that no one else could see has done more damage to me than anything else could. We still miss that baby everyday. There's an ornament on our Christmas tree for him/her that we'll continue to hang every year. We call our angel baby Peanut and wish that we at least had a picture of an ultrasound to keep of him/her. We don't. Just the memory of him/her.

That kind of brings to mind the reason why we call this baby Rambo. It has to do with Peanut. Losing our first baby really knocked me down. I was in a bad, dark place for a little while. One night, while watching T.V., "First Blood" (aka Rambo I) came on. The plot revolves around a man named John Rambo, who, upon his arrival home from Vietnam, finds the country to be different than when he left. He no longer fits in. One day, while walking through a small, northwestern town, totally minding his own business, the police begin to harass him due to his vagrant-like appearance and the fact that he is a "stranger." 

Rambo winds up getting arrested for staying in town (not breaking any laws, mind you) and the police decide to "teach him" who is in charge in that town. They abuse him and humiliate him. They underestimated him too. Rambo escapes into the woods, where his Army Ranger training puts him at a great advantage. He then exacts the most revengiest revenge the world has ever seen. It was glorious. 

In the end, it was his pursuers that needed saving from him, not other way around. To quote Col. Troutman, the man who "made" Rambo what he was, "I don't think you understand. I didn't come to rescue Rambo from you. I came here to rescue you from him." Simply put: you don't mess with Rambo. He's tough and he's a total badass. 

So, after watching First Blood, I found that I really identified with Rambo after my miscarriage. I was hurt and blindsided. I was robbed. Just like John Rambo. Seeing that movie kind of revved me up and I decided to get "revenge", as corny as that sounds. I made it my business to get pregnant again, as soon as my body was healthy enough (don't worry, I followed all doctor's orders). And today, we have a little boy on the way who we affectionately call Rambo. He's tough. He's strong. He's going to persevere and get revenge for the little sibling that went to heaven before he was made. 

I still worry all the time and wait for the other shoe to drop. However, as time goes by, the realization that this just may be our take-home baby sinks in further. I am blessed.

Well, things got a little dramatic in here, didn't they?

On to the fun stuff! The weekly survey. 

How Far Along: 20w3d

  
Sex: boy

 
Size of baby: According to the thebump.com, the average size for 20 weeks is 6.5 in, 10.6 oz. Last week at our anatomy scan, he was already 11 oz, so he's a bit ahead of that.

Other things baby is up to: His digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed! Good to know, eh?

Total Weight Gain/Loss: + about 4lbs so far. Damn eggplant parm. 

Movement: I am just starting to feel a little bit of movement in there. The Drs. tell me I have what is called an anterior placenta. This means that the placenta has attached to the front of the uterus (the anterior), rather than the back (the posterior). This is fine and healthy, but it means that there is kind of a pillow between me and the baby. That's why I'm not feeling him so much yet. The last two days, though, I am feeling some gentle movements. The other day, I felt two, distinct, soft, kicks during lunch. It was awesome.

Sleep: I sleep like a champ. Napping is my middle name. I love sleep. I just woke up from a 3 hour nap.

Symptoms: Lower back pain at night. 

Cravings:  Still eggplant parm. Fresh pineapple is heavenly this week too.

Maternity Clothes: I grew out of my last pair of non-maternity work pants this week. My regular sweats still fit, but otherwise from now on, it's maternity bottoms. I've started wearing some maternity shirts, but most of my regular ones still fit.

Belly Button: Innie still.

Milestones: halfway there! 

Looking forward to: Feeling more movement from the little guy. 

Next appointment: Tuesday, 3/29

Times I used the doppler in the last week: I think just one. I got his heartbeat good and strong for about 3 minutes, and then he ran away and I lost him. Sometimes I can hear him kick it. I think he gets annoyed. Can't say I blame him. 

Other: We registered this week! Babies R Us and Pottery Barn kids. This is the bedding we picked. John really loves it (seriously). 

And here is the weekly bump pic. I look tremendous today and got quite a few comments at work. 

Have a great week!

19 weeks!

We had our anatomy scan this week  at 19w3d, aka the level II ultrasound. Happily, our baby is healthy and measuring right on time. He weighs about 11 ounces and is as cute as can be! Oh, and it's a BOY! We are over the moon right now and cannot wait to hold our son. As soon as we finished at the Dr.'s office, we went out and bought him a pair of OshKosh B'Gosh overalls (the blue and white pin striped ones that look like a train conductor would wear) and some cute pjs.

Here's a picture from the anatomy scan. You can see Jr. kissing the placenta, or as I prefer to think of it, he is kissing his mommy! His lips were really puckered and everything. I am so utterly in love! 

Each week, I'll complete this survey to document how things are going. Here's survey numero uno:

Weeks: 19. Almost half-baked!

Cravings: Eggplant Parm. Cannot.get.enough.

Aversions: Chicken, I guess. It doesn't gross me out, but there's no way I'd eat it. Well, maybe if it were from KFC and deep fried.

Sleep: A lot. I have no problem falling asleep, but I find I am more easily woken in the middle of the night. I also have a lot of nightmares.

Breakdowns: None this week. (husband breathes a sigh of relief)

Significant Events: The anatomy scan & finding out that I am going to have a SON!

What I Miss: Raw oysters. Cold cuts.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Getting a bigger belly. Setting up the nursery now that we know it's a boy.

What I’ve Learned: Water almost always will make me feel better.

Belly Pic: On the right is one from Friday at 19w3 days. On the left is a pic from 10 weeks, for a frame of reference.