Ally’s Pregnancy Journal

Well I hope this weekend is a sign of happy times for this pregnancy…

Friday night after work I took the train into Cambridge to meet up with Bryan for dinner and walk about a bit. We went out for dinner and I ate almost as much as he did! After we walked around a bit since I really had been experiencing a lot of ligament pain around my whole belly, Bryan even got to feel where a part of the baby was really pushing, though it was impossible to identify what part though we figure it was a leg or arm but could have been a foot or something. Before heading back on the train to the car we stopped at LA Burdick Chocolate for a mocha.

Saturday we slept till almost 10am and when I woke up I was in the mood for an egg mcmuffin and told Bryan to pick me up 2 of them and 2 hashbrowns with a large OJ - it took me a little while but I ended up eating the whole thing! I was amazed since I have never eaten that much in one sitting ever never mind one sitting - guess that’s what I get for sleeping in! I spent some time in that lounging on the couch and relaxing, then spent some time organizing some of my scrapbook supplies. When Bryan came home we decided to have an early dinner and reheated our leftover Indian which was more than enough for the both of us! We spent some time cleaning then spent some quality cuddle time on the couch watching TV.

Sunday Bryan was up before me and next thing I knew I could smell bacon…mmmm I hadn’t had bacon in soo long and we didn’t even wait for the french toast he made, we would eat the pieces not long after he finished cooking them! After we went to my dad’s for Chris’ birthday party - he’s now 11, stopped at Bryan’s mom so he could help his brother work on the deck some more and headed to the Wrentham Outlets where I was able to grab 2 more maternity sweaters, a skirt and farmer jeans on big time sale! On our way home I returned a sweater at Target and we picked up some bath items we needed there. By the time we got home we were both exhausted!

The next couple of nights we have to rearrange the office since we will be having 4 kids sleep over on Thursday night and possibly Friday night as well and just 2 of them on Saturday night.

I realized I never got back here to show the ultrasound photos from November 3rd so here they are…

OK I’m feeling brave today so here are my belly shots, I will have to take another one at week 25 since I am growing soo big lately!!

Here is week 14 side shot and week 20 side shot

Here is week 14 belly shot and week 20 belly shot

The weeks have been flying! No major milestones but LP is really kicking and moving around quite a bit - the only time LP seems to stay still is not long after I have eaten a meal. Bryan has yet to feel the baby but I think that will come soon. My appetite has not changed, I’m still eating about half the amount I did before I was pregnant but I find I am able to snack now. No cravings and I haven’t really been in the mood for sweet things other than fruit and naturally sweet things like banana bread and fruit leather (like a fruit rollup but all natural ingredients - soo good).

Saturday my mother-in-law took me maternity clothes shopping and it was perfect timing as I was having trouble fitting into most of my regular clothes last week. I have pretty much enough clothes to last me through the pregnancy and much of it I could continue to wear after if I wanted or needed to. We also went over to Babies ‘R Us so I could show her the items we registered for.

This Thursday I have a doctor’s appointment to get a flu shot, I’m hoping they don’t reschedule since I am hearing that the supplies of flu shots have been delayed so hopefully that does not include my doctor’s office!

At work, those I had not told that I am pregnant started noticing last week and a few asked me if I was expecting. One of them thought I was only 3 months along and was amazed that I was 5 months along. She also insisted after that I am having a boy since only my belly is noticeable. I have only had 3 people so far guess a girl, everyone else thinks boy and my instincts say boy. Either way though Bryan and I both agree - we don’t care as long as it is healthy! I think if we had really cared we may have found out what LP is.

Well I finally felt the baby move last night just after 6pm. It was funny because I had been talking to some other women who had babies and they kept saying it felt like bubbles or flutters and I really hadn’t thought I felt anything till I talked to a co-workers wife and she said some of these fantom cramps I have been having have most likely been kicks from the kid. Well last night all of a sudden I felt this wierd thing in my lower belly. I can only describe it as a bubble reaching the surface of the water and popping if you could feel it pop. It was really neet. I also felt the baby again tonight but it was more moving around guess thats what I get for having icecream with carmel - got LP on a sugar high

Well it has been soo busy lately I have had a hard time updating, I was also a little unsure of last weeks update since it was so vague I decided to post when I found out more information.

So last Wednesday Bryan and I went to my Dr’s office where we had our 18-20week ultrasound (it fell one day shy of me being 19 weeks) The ultrasound took about 45 minutes and we thought that was a rather long time but definitely did not express this since we so loved seeing our little one again and we knew this would be the last scheduled ultrasound so could be the last time we see LP (Little Pike - our nickname that has kind of stuck) before it arrives. She gave us photos as the other visits did as well and she pointed out certain things like the legs and stomach and the heart was quite obvious as we could see it beating. She also told us that the baby was measuring 19weeks3days - so a little ahead size wise, nothing to worry about but it definitely assured me that though I still have been eating half of what I normally do and have had a few occasional vomiting sessions even after my morning sickness passed, that our child was still progressing fine and getting everything it needed. Though I was told that could be why I’m still always so tired, cause LP is taking everything I eat not leaving a lot for me. Hopefully this will get better but Bryan has been great about cooking and doing the dishes since he knows my energy level is soo low.

ok I digress…. back to the dr visit……

Well after the ultrasound they had me do the normal pee on the dip stix to test for protein and glucose, beautiful as usual and the weight measurement - it still didn’t move!! I have been at the same weight since week 12 which is 4lbs less than week 7 and 10lbs less from before I was pregnant. I’m lucky the Dr’s office only knows about 4 so they have me marked at -4lbs for this pregnancy so far and with my expanding belly already and the fact that my Dr wants me to gain 10lbs total for this pregnancy minimum I some how have to gain 14lbs. Here is another place where Bryan really has been great, he is constantly trying to find something I am willing to drink or eat since he knows I have not gained and of all times where I though I would be worried about gaining too much and pigging out! Where are those cravings everyone talks about where they feel guilty because they have been gorging on food and junk, I would just love a few days of that!!

So when we got in to see the doctor she went right into it - the reason my ultrasound was so long is because they think they saw a shadow in the heart. My AFP tests came back and look great so either way she said that I would not be having an amnio (oh like I was just going to ok that?) but she wanted me to go down to Radiology in Women’s Imaging for a Level II Ultrasound to have them take another look. She said not to worry since my AFP assures her that it could be nothing but they like to have a second opinion to make sure. So on our way out we had them call down and schedule me for the first open appointment and schedule my next OB appointment for 6 weeks later.

Fast Forward to yesterday - Thursday…

Since Bryan had already taken a few days off for the other appointments we decided I would go this one alone. I got into the Women’s Imaging Center at 2:45 since my appointment was at 3 and they were very quick to bring me in to get changed. (Pre-registering over the phone really saved some time!!)

It was kind of funny having to put on a hospital gown (thank god they let you put 2 on - one as a robe) for an ultrasound but I didn’t mind since I knew arguing does not help, they do it for a reason. I had only waited a few minutes before they brought me in. The woman was really nice and I loved that the gel was heated there as well. She started the ultrasound and went over every bit very precisely, she even measured the nose bone (I warned her right away that we were not finding out the sex of LP). Some things just seemed so much clearer this week than last week so I asked if she could print me a few shots, she was quick to reply that she had already printed out a few! I asked her if she could tell me if she saw anything out of the normal but she said when the Dr came in he would go into more detail and have another look himself. LP was moving around like crazy as it did in the last ultrasound as well and it was just too funny to watch, she had to do this little pouncing thing on my belly in order to get LP to move into a better position for some of the measurements and to move it’s hands away from it’s face. I found it funny when she called LP stubborn since when she wanted it to move that would be when LP stayed still!! After about 30 minutes she was done and said the doctor would come in a few minutes. She then handed me a long strip of printouts - about 8 photos total of LP - some of the best shots we have seen, she even got some that showed most of the body! I kept looking at them while I waited for the doctor.

Dr. Lerner (who is the Clinical Director of Radiology) came in (actually kind of cute and really nice) and he started looking at the heart, that is when I started pounding on the questions - I asked him what exactly was this shadow on the heart. The look on his face was priceless, he said he didn’t mean to be rude but the word “shadow” is a garbage term used by some doctors to explain anything that appears that should not. He then showed me that we were really looking at what could possibly be a calcification of the myocardium and showed me this bright spot that showed up almost right in the center of the hart on the muscle. He also informed me that most down syndrome babies have this abnormality and 50% of all Asian babies have it. It does not effect anything with the baby but because most down syndrome babies have this they like to make sure there are no other signs pointing to down syndrome. When looking at the heart from a different angle though he did not see it, nor did I. He really felt it was just the way light was hitting it causing it to be seen. He said that it’s most likely nothing to be worried about and that my doctor should have a number from my AFP with what my % chances are for having a down syndrome baby - and when I asked he was very clear that there is only one way to ever rule out downs is by having an amnio but sometimes even downs babies have normal ultrasounds and don’t show these things. I guess I will wait and see what my Dr says.

This week the belly has gotten even more obvious, I really should have Bryan take a few photos this week since I am now at the half way mark, only 20 more weeks to go! Boy does time fly!

We have been having scanner issues lately and I hope to fix it this weekend so I can get the ultrasound photos from last week and this week posted. We are also hoping to be able to go see a house that is for sale that is the perfect size for us and is in a great location, though why it has been on the market for soo long is the mystery.

Next weekend I will be going shopping for maternity clothes since I really am showing and it is just going to keep going!