the bump pic!

The pregnant belly... week 21 day 1... on my birthday!

Survey time!

How far along? 21w 1d

Total weight gain/loss: Ugh I'm not 100% sure....

Maternity clothes? pants all the time! I need to actually go invest in some more!

Stretch marks? yep. :(

Sleep: Is ok. Not the greatest...

Best moment this week: The frequent movement!

Movement: Yes! I'm loving the little wiggles and punches. Usually I need to be sitting up or laying on my side, but every once in awhile I feel them standing up or laying on my back!

Gender: We won't be finding out!

Labor Signs: Thank god I have none.

Belly Button in or out? In--but it's migrating outward :/

What I miss: wine!

What I am looking forward to: Working on the baby's room!

Banana = baby.... really?

Your Baby: Week 21

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. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.


Squish is getting closer and closer to a pound and to being a foot long! Craziness! Movement has been so frequent, I'm loving every minute of it! I grab Seth's hand constantly to try to see if he can feel it outside, but it never works. :(

Meeting update: We had our meeting with the midwife on Thursday and it went so well! We met two of the three midwives in the practice and we both agreed that we liked her very much and already made plans for our next appointment to be at their practice! We have our anatomy scan scheduled for June 24th, but I'm going to be calling on Tuesday so see if we can get it moved up to a closer date. I just don't want to wait that long! I'll be 24 and a half weeks at that point and I desperately want to see Squishy and know that he/she has all the body parts that are supposed to be there and that all is healthy! Waiting that long just sucks!

Hopefully I can post a bump pic today... that's my plan at least....

Hotter than Hades.... and other news!

Holy Hannah it is hot here! I am currently parked on the couch with the fan on me and a giant glass of ice water next to me! Squishy must be enjoying his internal swimming pool because he/she is moving around like crazy in there tonight! I have been anxiously waiting for some outside movement so that Seth can experience this too, but so far no such luck!

In other news... we have our appointment tomorrow with the midwife at Robert Packer. I am dying with anticipation over this. I cannot wait to hear her philosophy and hope that it matches with mine! I have never been so disappointed with doctors before and I am sincerely hoping that this midwife thing is exactly what I'm looking for!

More to come tomorrow after our appointment!

There's a melon in there!

Week 20

Baby's 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!


I certainly feel like there's a cantaloupe in there that's for sure! I can't get over how much I've popped! And let me just tell you about how much movement I've been feeling lately, it's insane. Just little pops now and then until about Friday babe just discovered how much he/she can move and beat on mommy! I love every dang minute of it though. I could lay there all day and feel Squishy squirming around!

voting!

Looks like the boy votes are beating out the girl votes so far! Still have a long way to go since we're not finding out until October!! I also certainly hope that it's not an alligator!

Survey time!

Total weight gain/loss: Not entirely sure because the doc I had yesterday was a DB!

Next Appointment: May 27th

Maternity clothes? nothing new!

Stretch marks: The ones on my tummy seem to be multiplying like bunnies! :(

Sleep: Has gotten much much better thanks to my maternity pillow! It truly is a godsend!

Best moment this week: much more frequent movement!

Movement: see above

Food cravings: Still Ice Tea!

Food aversions: nothing lately.

Gender: It's hard to say. Some days I think girl and others I'm completely sure that it's a boy! Guess we'll find out when he or she comes out into the world!

Belly Button in or out: still in!

What I miss: The days when I only had to pee a couple times a day instead of a couple times an hour!

What I am looking forward to: Next appointment and some more movement!

Contractions: None. And it better stay that way for awhile!

Never going back again...

to my OB's office that is, and I couldn't be happier about it! I have my first appointment next week with a midwife but she suggested that I keep my already scheduled with my OB for this month.
When I went today I asked the doctor 4 questions about my ankles swelling, lots of pressure in my pelvic area, migraines, and numbness in my left leg. He instantly wrote me an RX for Norco (which is similar to Vicoden) without even talking things over with me, then moved the conversation quickly to how I should just get used to the numbness in my leg because it will only get worse once baby gets bigger. He then completely changed the subject and went about my normal visit. When I tried to ask again later about my ankles and pressure he acted like it was nothing and I was just being overreactive (great bedside manner huh?). When he did my abdominal exam he didn't say anything on whether or not my uterus was the right size or if the baby's hear rate was good until I asked. And I also had to bring up that I wanted to opt out of my quad screen because they told me they would be asking if I wanted it or not at this appointment, and he never brought it up.
Not that it matters because I have already made up my mind that I am so sick of that practice and some of the doctors in it that I'm never going back.... but they never even mentioned scheduling my anatomy scan. I am 19w5d now and I would think they would want to do it before when my next appointment would be at 23w5d. But who cares now right?
After you meet with the doctor at my practice you meet with a nutritionist and I have gotten along great with her so I talked to her about my plans to leave and told her about me appointment. She told me she could understand completely why I would want to leave and doesn't blame me one bit but is sad to see me leave because she thinks I'm a great person! (How nice is she?!) She also told me that she went to nursing school with the midwife that I'm meeting with and that I will love her!

I couldn't be happier that I made the decision to meet with and interview midwives to find someone who I feel more comfortable with and trust more, this visit definitely confirmed my feelings for me! Also for now I'm not filling that RX that he gave me. I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with taking that while I'm preggo!

Pregnancy Pillow = Gift from God!

I have been well rested and a much more pleasant person over the past week, thanks to the Sleeper Keeper! I think DH is a much happier man too now that I've cut out the two body pillows that were taking up space in our bed and since I'm not such a b!tch anymore! LOL

God bless you creator of the maternity pillow, I am forever grateful!

19 weeks!

It's late and I don't have much to update on... but wanted to do my weekly post on how big Squishy is!

Your Baby: Week 19

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

18w 4d

TaDa! 18 weeks and 4 days!
I actually remembered to post it on time this time! It's a miracle! It's definitely growing and there's some serious definition from the front (not that you can see that from this picture!). It's so exciting to know that I don't have a belly from extra weight I have a belly because I'm growing a baby in there!!





Finally figured out my head ache dilemma! It turns out it's sinus pressure from my allergies. I started taking Sudafed today and low and behold.... no headache! AND I can breathe through my nose for the fist time in months! It's another miracle! On the plus side, so far this season this is the only allergy symptoms that I have had and usually I am such a dang mess this time of year I hate stepping foot out the door!


I've been having a terrible time with sleeping the past week or so! My hips and pelvic area are so sore and they pop and crack like an old persons joints! I tell ya I think I'm falling apart some mornings because all I hear is "snap" "pop" "crack"! I'm guessing it's just my hips adjusting and getting ready to make room for baby! I am going to invest in one of those pregnancy pillows this week so that I can get some rest at night. Most of the pregnant women that I've talked to say they absolutely LOVE theirs... so I'll give it a whirl! There's a picture of what they look like off to the right, kinda funky looking but if it works, who cares?!

Weekly Survey

Total weight gain/loss: Still down a total of 7lbs from January (at least as far as I know!)

Next Appointment: May 20th

Maternity clothes? oh yes! I wish that I had bought some jeans though, it's been stinking cold around here lately!

Stretch marks: The ones on my tummy seem to be multiplying like bunnies! :(

Sleep:Has gotten terrible! I'm thinking I might have to invest in one of those pregnancy pillows! I don't know how much longer I can take this hip and back pain I have every morning, not to mention the restless sleep I get from not being able to get comfy!

Best moment this week: Getting the appointment with the midwife!

Movement: some here and there. Not as frequent as it was before :(
But I'm sure it will pick up soon!

Food cravings: Ice tea and maple/walnut ice cream!

Food aversions: eggs.

Gender: It's hard to say. Some days I think girl and others I'm completely sure that it's a boy! Guess we'll find out when he or she comes out into the world!

Belly Button in or out: still in!

What I miss: I miss alcohol sometimes. And of course the days when I only had to pee a couple times a day instead of a couple times an hour!

What I am looking forward to: Next appointment and some more movement!

Contractions: None. And it better stay that way for awhile!

Week 18

Your Baby: Week 18

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.







First day of week 18 and oh the fun things it has brought me. I woke up this morning with some soreness in my hips that changed to severe shooting pains down my left butt cheek and toward my knee. It lasted most of the day and has left a lingering stiffness and soreness in my left side! However there are some upsides... my bump feels harder and more pronounced than it has and my energy level is noticeably up!

Switching Practices

Called today and got an appointment with the midwife I wanted at Robert Packer and found out that it should all be covered on the insurance! WOOHOO! I meet with her on the 27th of this month and after that we transfer officially to her practice as long as all goes well. I am so excited!

Onions have layers!

Your Baby: Week 17

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints







Well since thebump widget that I had on here is being dumb and jumping a week ahead of where I really am, I figured I'd just go back to the old fashion way of posting it myself! It's so cool to think that Squishy has his/her very own set of fingerprints already!

Holy Ankles Batman!

So my newest symptom to add to the books is swollen ankles! They have been as big around as grapefruits at times over this past weekend and it's starting to scare me! Don't fret I will be calling doc tomorrow to discuss this! Man o man though are they huge! I've been doing my best to sit when I can and keep my feet elevated but it's not helping much.

In other news... I will be calling Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre tomorrow to see if I can get an appointment in their birthing center with one of their midwives. I am not to impressed with some of the Doc's in my practice and want to see about switching. Wish me luck that they will have an opening and take me on as a patient!

OK so I've been a terrible blogger this past week! However I think you will excuse me because I was a bridesmaid in a friends wedding on Saturday. So here's my catch-up!


Total weight gain/loss: Down a total of 7lbs from January

Next Appointment: May 20th

Maternity clothes? oh yes! I love them!

Stretch marks: more on my tummy :(

Sleep: I get about 8 hours of sleep a night, getting up about two times to pee before the alarm goes off.

Best moment this week: Feeling Squishy move and S being able to feel it too!

Movement: See above.

Food cravings: Ice tea!

Food aversions: nothing.

Gender: It's hard to say. Some days I think girl and others I'm completely sure that it's a boy! Guess we'll find out when he or she comes out into the world!

Belly Button in or out: still in!

What I miss: nothing at the moment.

What I am looking forward to: Next appointment!

Contractions: None. And it better stay that way for awhile!

Milestones: Movement!