Friday, January 28, 2011

New Doctor

Wednesday we went for our 14 week appointment with our new doctor. I was nervous. There is always that fear that something will be wrong but on top of that, I was afraid I might not like the new doctor (considering how much I loved Dr. Wheeler).

When we arrived, we had to pay to park and then drive around a while to find a spot. Once in the office, we waited for close to an hour. (All things Dr. Wheeler had warned us about). So it didn't seem to be starting off well. Luckily, the important stuff (the staff, the nurse, and the doctor) all turned out to be great.

When we finally got to the room, the nurse used a fetal dopler to listen to Jelly Bean's heartbeat. Besides just the heartbeat, there were all these swishing and sloshing sounds. She chuckled and said it was the most interaction she has ever heard. I inquired what she meant by this (thinking my stomach was growling or something) and basically it meant Jelly Bean was having a party in there, moving around like crazy! The nurse remarked that we must have a little gymnast in there! Very cool. Also so weird that I can't feel it! (I can't wait for that!)

Dr. Schnider met with us in his office and then performed the exam. To our disappointment, we did not get an ultrasound. He explained that insurance only covers so many so he wouldn't be doing one until 20 weeks! Ugh. He met with us again in his office to go over some details and give us our "parent kit." (for lack of a better term. It had all the info of what I can and can't do, a month to month pregnancy book, info on hospital classes, and sample formula and baby butt cream.) Since I have been on such restriction with lifting and working out, I of course inquired if he agreed... and he did. (I was kind of hoping he would say it wasn't that big of a deal but nope.) He informed us that he delivers all his own babies whether he's on call or not (as long as he's not out of town). Very good news. He was explanatory and allowed us time to ask questions. So all in all, we are very happy with our new doctor. (It didn't hurt that Jeff noticed multiple "best doctor in America" plaques.)

We left happy with the new doctor, but not happy about waiting 6 more weeks to find out what Jelly Bean is! So being the impatient people we are, we scheduled an appointment on February 9th for a 3D ultrasound. So in less than two weeks we should know, boy or girl!!! Can't wait!

3 Months!

Praise God the first trimester is over! There's no guarantee I will start feeling better but at least I'm in the "safe zone." After your first trimester, chances of miscarriage are drastically reduced.


Thanks Kels for taking my pic ;)


Scale: has gone up a total of 2.5 lbs. (Really just in the last week)

Belly growth: Gained 4 inches total (2 in the third month)

Jonesin' for: Shipley's sausage and cheese kolaches and glazed donuts; chips; french fries (you know, the real healthy stuff); milk; I've been really craving a bacon sandwich (yes, I said bacon sandwich, not BLT... I don't like the L or the T so just bacon, mayo, and toast :) My mom used to make them for me but I haven't had one in years! So I bought the bacon and made one... and soon realized we always put Miracle Whip on it growing up and Mayo was just not the same. Plus I put it on wheat bread and we always used white. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed. But mom to the rescue because I went over for dinner the other night and she made me the perfect bacon sandwich... white bread, Miracle Whip, and perfectly microwaved bacon (the way I like it!).

Repulsed by: Still probably meat cooking... problem solved, I don't cook :) But at least I'm doing a little better eating meat. I've noticed some fragrances bother me like air fresheners.

Symptoms: Still dealing with nausea, exhaustion, and frequent urination. A new symptom appeared this month when I started getting extreme migraines every other day for at least two weeks! (It felt like torture!) I haven't had one in at least a few days so I'm hoping they are stopping. I'm also starting to notice some back pain as well as in other areas that has been described as round ligament pain (basically because of all the stretching and moving around of your insides preparing for the baby). Oh, and I'm pretty much starving every 2 hours so I feel like I'm eating constantly!

Clothes: Just getting to the point where my pants are tight in the waist. Yesterday was the first day I had to unbutton my pants in order to sit down (Real classy). I ended up having to put on my belly band.

Bedtime: Still like to go to bed early. But I think I've been getting better sleep again.

Jelly Bean is: The size of my fist (3 1/4 to 4 inches from crown to rump) and weighs around 1.5 ounces. Jelly Bean is developing hair and can now move just like a baby (they even start sucking their thumbs at this stage).

Fun Fact: I have ordered and received the main fabric for the nursery. We picked out a crib (plan to order it soon) and we bought a dresser off Craigslist for only $140 and I LOVE it! (I plan on painting it and changing the hardware so I'll be sure to post before and after pics) Daddy's protective instincts have kicked in and somehow he talked me into a new (pre-owned) suv/truck. (Don't get me wrong, I love the new car, it has all the bells and whistles. I just don't love the idea of having a car payment.) So I think the nesting is beginning!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Boy or Girl? That is the Question

I added a poll on the side of my blog for you to vote whether you think Jelly Bean is a boy or a girl. I'm curious to know what you think so vote! I'll close the poll before we find out the real answer in about a month. We'll see how good of guessers you are!

?????????

Jelly Bean at 11.5 Weeks

Jeff and I went to the doctor on Friday. We were both so excited and anxious (as we always are when we are about to get an ultrasound). There is always that hint of fear that something could be wrong, that the doctor won't be able to find the heartbeat, or something won't look right. I think it's normal. We also had extra nerves with the hope that there was a slight chance the doctor would be able to tell us what he thought the sex was (he had told us the time before that he would be looking to see if he could tell at this visit).

Of course, the ultrasound went great and as far as the doctor could tell, everything looked good. Jelly Bean was going crazy in there! At one point, he/she was slapping his/her knee like some hilarious joke had just been told. So cute! As much as Jelly Bean was moving, I find it so weird that I can't feel a thing. The doctor said I probably wouldn't feel anything until around 20 weeks. I can't wait until I can actually feel movement! I know this is real and that I'm really pregnant, but since I'm barely showing and I can't feel anything, it just doesn't always seem real to me. It's such an amazing miracle that my mind has a hard time grasping it!

During the ultrasound we could actually see hands and feet but the pic doesn't show it.





This is like one of those crazy pics you have to stare at to see the image... If you turned your computer counter clockwise, the cross-hairs are on it's forehead and the two dark spots are it's eyes. Yes, Jelly Bean looks a little like an alien but we still love him/her!


But there was no guessing at the sex. We got a great shot of the "goods" but it wasn't distinguishable yet. I know it can only be one of two options but we are still dying to know! The funny thing is, neither of us care either way, we just want to know. Jeff is so funny because he has always wanted a boy. Then when we got pregnant, he said he was kind of wanting a girl. The week of the appointment, he went back to wanting a boy... but the next day, he said he was kind of wanting a girl! Ha! He is cracking me up! I think we would both like to experience having at least one of each so with the first baby, it's just exciting either way! (Of course healthy is the most important thing... and it's not like we have control over the sex anyways!)

The "goods" are right below the cross-hairs. Any guesses?





This one looks kind of weird but you can actually see Jelly  Bean's spine and some of the organs.


The bitter sweet part of this appointment is that it was my last one with Dr. Wheeler. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but Dr. Wheeler doesn't deliver anymore due to having a pacemaker. So he helps get you pregnant, sees you through the first trimester, and then recommends another doctor for the remainder of the pregnancy. It's kind of sad for us. Dr. Wheeler is an amazing doctor and we have such a good relationship with him that we wish he could be there all the way. Plus, it's a little scary to start all over with a brand new doctor. The good part is, Dr. Wheeler HIGHLY recommends this doctor (he actually delivered his youngest babies). So today I will be calling to make my first appointment with Dr. Schnider.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year!

So this is when we're suppose to set a bunch of unrealistic goals for ourselves and in a months time completely forget what they were. Well, considering the hellish end of year we've had (I'll hopefully be able to share more at a later time) and the fact that my body is growing a living being inside of it which is sucking the life out of me (not complaining... I refuse to sound like I'm complaining... it's just tough... especially when I open my big fat mouth and say how I'm starting to feel better and the nausea comes back with a vengeance) I'm going to be realistic. I want to set goals that I can attain... or at least I'm pretty sure I can attain. So here they are:

1. Do a better job at taking pictures and documenting our life. Jeff bought us a fancy new camera to help with that. It's a Cannon EOS Rebel. It takes amazing pictures! I think the combo of the new camera and this blog will really help me with this goal.

2. Get the should be nursery turned into a nursery. This is obvious, but it has to be done and it will take a lot of time and effort so I think it's fair to set as a goal.

I'm really picky (surprise, surprise) so I was really disappointed in the baby bedding selection (in my price range) that is out there. But luckily, I have an amazing mom that can sew and she offered to make the bedding. We bought a pattern and I found fabric that I'm in love with. The great thing about this print is the multitude of colors in it (which you can see so much better in person). It gives so many options for coordinating fabrics and painting the walls and furniture. (I will be sure to share the final product)


3. Make at least 5 growth charts and sell at least a couple. Since I've never mentioned the growth charts before I'll fill you in. I like crafts and with all this extra time I thought I would have on my hands since I quit my job, I decided I would attempt to make canvas growth charts and hopefully make a little money doing it. They are so adorable and looked like something I could do so I bought the materials. I already have my first order for one so I will post a pic when I finish it.

4. Enjoy this year. Take time to enjoy this pregnancy and the time that Jeff and I have pre-baby. And once this baby is born, savor every moment because I know how very quickly they go by.

So those are my 2011 goals. Sure, I would love to say eat healthier and lose the baby weight post pregnancy but at this point, I eat what doesn't make me throw up and I have no idea what it will be like to try to recover from delivery or have a baby and try to work out. So I think my goals are realistic for this year.

Happy New Year! I'm ready for you, 2011!