braxton hicks already??!

So this past week has been basically uneventful but I did get some questions answered. I had my appointment w/ the midwives on the 16th which went over my ultrasound results. I was concerned that they werent going to order another ultrasound (which I wanted one just for piece of mind about the size of the baby) but when we got there they already had the paperwork faxed in for us to schedule another ultrasound, so we have our next ultrasound on Dec 3rd. They are going to be checking to make sure that the baby had the correct amount of growth (it will have been 1 month between the ultrasounds) and to check for any type of growth restriction.

Best case scenario: little one is right on track and had a growth spurt which caught him up, worst case scenario: they arent seeing the growth they want and in that case they would schedule a more specific, detailed ultrasound to look at the flow of blood and nutrition from the placenta to the baby to make sure there isnt any problems...I am not too worried, I figure even if he is a little small maybe he will just stay in there an extra week to catch up before he comes out OR maybe I wont have the 15lb baby I'm expecting to have per family history haha

As far as other ultrasound results go, everything looked normal. They couldnt get a good shot of his face or his hands because he was moving so much so that is another reason they want the 2nd ultrasound. I'm excited because its more pics for us!! They didnt give us any profile shots the first time and the pics we got were pretty blurry so hopefully they are more clear this time. At my appointment I did get a little concerned when I told the midwife, Cheyenne, that I still hadnt felt any movement at 22 weeks. So she went to check the heartbeat with the doppler and couldnt find it for a good 10 minutes!

Of course I'm worried the whole time but then she checked the ultrasound results and found out I have an anterior placenta which makes sense of me not feeling anything and having a hard time finding the heartbeat but once she found him he was moving like crazy and punching the doppler and wouldnt you know, this past week I have been feeling him move daily and often. Usually in the early morning, early afternoon and right before bed when I lay on my side :-) It definitely doesnt feel like what I thought it would feel like and it feels really far away if that makes any sense

I also had a consultation with another OB, Dr. Bowen, well actually it was w/ his nurse practitioner. I had been debating whether or not I wanted to switch. The midwives are great, one on one, at my appointments (like Cheyenne sat and talked w/ us for a good hour about all my worries about the baby's size and stuff) but in between the appt's they stink...like really bad. They are bad about answering questions, bad about calling me back, kinda condescending, and a few receptionist/office manager people are kinda er, witchy, if you get what I mean. But the midwives themselves are really nice but the practice's patient care stinks in my opinion. So I talked w/ some other moms and decided that Bowen's practice would be the closest fit so I decided to check them out. The consultation went well, I think if I went w/ them I would get the birth experience I want but I couldnt find enough things about the actual dr that differed enough from the midwives to make the switch (which would mean a farther drive up to Glendale for the appointments and delivering at a hospital farther away)

I think when it comes to my birth plan the midwives will be able to give me what I am looking for, I just wish their practice was better in the meantime. I am already praying that I get a specific midwife for my delivery that I really like and am comfortable w/. There are about 9 in the practice and I have no guarantee who I will get but I have met most of them and they all seem nice enough. Plus I know that in reality it is alot about what nurses I get and since Ive already got dibs on the BEST nurse I know-- thanks Kate! I am confident that things will go smoothly. (Kate, I apologize in advance for wanting the birthing tub, I know it is heavy and annoying haha)

While I was at my consultation though, they went ahead and set it up like a normal appointment with checking my weight, urine, blood pressure, etc. They checked the heartbeat and my fundal height, etc. Well Ive been having really bad cramping so I asked about that and come to find out Ive been having Braxton-Hicks contractions already. I thought that when my belly got really hard like that that I was feeling like maybe the baby's head pushed up or something like his butt pushing up but after describing how it feels the nurse practitioner confirmed Braxton Hicks. Very surprising! Well that is all the excitement from the past week or so--here is the weekly survey :-)

How far along? 22 weeks
Total weight gain? -10lbs...I think?
Maternity clothes? still loving the comfy pants
Sleep? I was sleeping okay until the last couple nights my stupid round ligament pain has been keeping me up all night
Best moment this week? Knowing for sure that I was feeling the baby move
Food cravings? Thanksgiving dinner...I usually am not a huge fan of turkey, stuffing, etc. but I am big time craving it this year and I am PUMPED I get to have it twice
Labor signs? I dont think Braxton Hicks fit in this category b/c it is just contractions but...yea
Belly Button? still innie
What I miss most? Our group of friends usually has something called Ham Day every year, we do a faux Thanksgiving dinner but w/ ham (b/c us girls are too lazy to cook a turkey) It is really fun, everybody brings a side dish, usually there are about 15 of us or more and we do it the wed. before thanksgiving then go out to the bars after--well this year our friend Jen who usually organizes is living in Chicago and Meg and I are too tired/pregnant to organize and I am a sourpuss because I know I will be jealous when my friends are drinking and going out to the bar when I go home to go to bed haha needless to say we arent having it this year :-( Sadly, this tradition may be over now that I will have a kiddo
What I am looking forward to most? Our next ultrasound on Dec. 3rd, going to Cleveland for Thanksgiving and getting to see my family (and living vicariously through my cousin who is a freshman at OSU this year) and once again...Thanksgiving dinner....man, I dont think Ive ever been this excited about food before...but it stinks b/c my stomach is still so shrunken I wont even make it through 1 plate before I get full
Milestones? My baby is about the size of a papaya now--he can hear things on the outside and is starting to settle into sleep cycles (uhm..not so sure about that one) He is getting bigger and bigger and hopefully I will have some cute ultrasound pics to share soon!

the longest post ever

So I have been a horrible slacker in my blogging and havent posted anything in about 3 weeks so this post is going to be ridiculously long, but I added pictures to make it a little more interesting. So I havent done my survey since I was 18 weeks, so I will have surveys (for my own records mostly) for weeks 19, 20 and 21...see--complete slacker. So I will start w/ my 19th week:

How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain? This week I didnt weigh myself so I have no idea if I have gained or lost, I am always convinced I have gained a ton though

Maternity Clothes? I am wearing all maternity clothes and Ive decided I'm not going to want to go back to regular clothes after the baby is here...I like having shirts that are long enough and pants that are always comfy im being spoiled

Sleep? I am sleeping better, I still toss and turn all the time but I can usually stay asleep. I have been waking up consistently everyday at 7:30 am though

Best moment this week? We had alot of fun this week at the Halloween party out at Donnie's parents. I went as a "Bump in the Road" (see pics below) but the most ridiculous was when Dave and Megan arrived dressed as....Donnie and I! lol Earlier in the week I was talking w/ Meg and she said they were going to go as a dr. and a patient and she was wondering if she could borrow my IV pole for whoever was going to be the patient...I said sure, might as well get more use out of my pole (aka Ivy the IV pole). Well apparently they were using it to go dressed as Donnie and I, As you can see Meg is sporting her sexy IV pole and XU hoody and Dave (conviently) had been doing some computer work at Donnie's shop that week and had asked Donnie's boss to borrow an "official" Plumb Tite work shirt so he had the work shirt, long underwear, khakis and workboots and a creepy flesh colored skull cap to make him look bald (thankfully he wasnt wearing it in the pic below...it was weird). and he had a pipe because OBVIOUSLY all plumbers carry around a PVC pipe (go me knowing plumbing stuff haha) So it was a huge surprise and it was really funny to see them impersonating us

Food cravings? soup--any kind, for every meal...mmm

Labor signs? none so far thankfully

Belly button? Still innie, I dont think it will ever pop

What I miss most? Just having a little more energy to stay up a little later but since I have had a lack of energy and go to bed around 9 usually its been nice to have more cuddle time w/ Donnie. We used to go out more often in the evenings so by the time we got home (late usually) we would just go to bed now we spend more time watching movies together and just hanging out which is a nice change of pace

What I am looking forward to most? My ultrasound is next week...cant wait to find out the sex!

Milestones? This week our baby is the size of a mango and is 6 in. long and about 9 oz. and the baby is begininng to be covered in vernix. I am still waiting to feel movement and am really hoping to feel something soon!

"Bump in the Road"
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", Right?!

Onto the 20th week-- HALF WAY THERE!!! (well...approximately)

How far along? 20 weeks!

Total weight gain? I weighed myself this week (just so I wouldnt be shocked at my next appt.) and I sadly lost the 4 lbs I had gained. So I am back down to -15lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. I have been working on eating more since I still have no appetite and I thought I was doing better, but guess not...

Maternity clothes? Ive realized all the maternity pants I bought from gap outlet earlier in my pregnancy werent too big at the time b/c they still are baggy in the crotch even though my belly is bigger apparently they are just ill-fitting which isnt too much of a shocking revelation since they came from gap clearance outlet but whatever they fit well enough and were only $6/pair

Sleep? Sleeping fine still and still waking up like clockwork at the same time everyday which is fine w/ me and works out well since this week I have been babysitting a 2 year old everyday who comes over around 730 am

Best moment this week? For sure finding out that we are having a little boy!!!! I had secretly been suspecting girl so we were pretty surprised! Also, getting some energy back and being "forced" to go outside and be active. With watching J (the lil guy Ive been babysitting), I have been doing something outside the house everyday (as suggested by Devon to help break up the monotony of being home all day w/ a 2 year old). So its been nice to go to the library for story time, go run random errands, and go to the park--except for our lil chalk mishap. I took J to the park, then we walked to another park which was close by, at the other park there were a few kids playing and their parents were watching them. Well we brought chalk and a few balls in case J got board w/ the play equipment. Well we did chalk for a little and J wanted to play on the slide, well I saw another little girl eyeing our chalk so I left it sitting out if she wanted to play with it, eventually she shyly walked over and started playing w/ it and her dad asked if that was okay, of course I said fine, so I'm watching Jackson and the next thing I know I notice the little girl and her dad get up and leave kind of abruptly...Well after about 15 more minutes of playing I tell J it's time to leave and we go to pick up and the chalk and the little girl and her dad stole it!! All but 1 piece!! I mean it was from the dollar store but come on..seriously?! stealing chalk at the park?! What parent stealth like goes and steals something as cheap as chalk?? If they needed it that badly I would have happily sent them home with it...needless to say, it was weird.

Food cravings? I have been craving Tuna which stinks cuz I eat my 1 can a week in the beginning then I want more plus I have a hard time eating enough protein...it would be much easier if I could enjoy tuna whenever I wanted.

Labor signs? none

Belly Button? still innie

What I miss most? Not missing too much this week, I miss spending time w/ my friends--my old group has been busy so we havent gotten to spend time together lately

What I am looking forward to most? Strangely my next appointment w/ my midwives. Our ultrasound went fine and praise God they didnt see any major problems but he did measure a little behind where he should be. He was also moving so much that they couldnt get a good picture of his face to check for cleft lip, etc. As we were leaving we were all excited and happy and giddy but the ultrasound tech chased after us b/c she had forgotten to calculate his size to tell us so we get back in the room and she starts calculating his size tells us he is little small and something about wanting to make sure the placenta was passing nutrients correctly so she goes to talk w/ the dr. at the hospital, she comes back and says he is going to recommend that we come back for another ultrasound but it is ultimately up to our midwives...I immediately start crying because all I can think about is how my baby didnt have any nutrition for the first 14 weeks and how between not feeling any movement yet, the baby being small, me losing the little weight I had just gained and all the hyperemesis crap I'm basically terrified...so I am hoping that the midwives will schedule us for another U/S just so I can be calmed. I know ultrasounds are rough estimates, I know the size of the baby has more margin for error as the baby gets older and there is less of a "this is what your baby definitely should weigh", I know that I had no control over the hyperemesis and I did the best I could it just really makes me worried and I try and remember that God is sovereign, in control of this, and has determined the health and size of my baby already but it will be nice to see his little face again if we do get another ultrasound! We also start our Bradley method of childbirth classes this Sunday so we are excited about those too! It's a 12-week series which is why we are starting so early.

Milestones? This week our son is the size of a cantaloupe! All his "family jewels" are fully formed and his digestive system is making meconium. It is still weird to think that we are having a son!! Since finding out it has definitely made me feel closer to him and I feel like I can bond more now knowing what we are having so I am glad we made the decision to find out! He was moving all over the place during the ultrasound and I am really looking forward to being able to feel any and all of those movements (I know I say that now but will be whining in a few weeks when his kicks keep me up at night haha). But nonetheless we are overjoyed and there are so many thoughts that come with having a boy...I already am thinking about what fun things we are going to do and how fun it is going to be to watch the 2 guys in my life interact it really does just warm my heart thinking about him, I just want him here...now! But...patience patience I know...

Its a boy!!! (This was my 20 week "belly pic" and the night we found out!--fun fact you will notice my closet is almost finished! Such joy! haha)

Ok, last but not least (if you are still reading by this point you must really love me and my baby)

How far along? 21 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain? still down 15 lbs but I have an appointment today so we will see what the midwives scales say

Maternity clothes? still loving being comfy

Sleep? sleeping fine, Donnie was out of town this weekend so I slept two nights alone which is not fun :-( I dont know how women who have husbands who travel alot do it (Kris-you must be braver than me, I didnt even sleep in a bed alone in my own house I went up to my parents and then spent the night at a friends house haha)

Best moment this week? Going to our Bradley classes--we have really enjoyed them so far and it always brings up really good conversation between Donnie and I. I am looking forward to how close we will feel once the baby is finally here--I'm sure it will be a completely new level for our relationship.

Food cravings? This past week I have had a horrendous sore throat that just now is going away but I did endulge in a brownie covered in soft serve which was basically amazing...but even that was painful to eat I am glad I am finally feeling better and can enjoy food again--since we never did anything for our 1 year anniversary we are going to Jeff Rubys Steakhouse one night this week to celebrate! (Donnie bought a $100 gift card for $10 from our friend that works at one of the Jeff Ruby's restaurant) Though I still have a strong aversion for steak I know whatever I DO get will be wonderful!

Labor signs? thankfully none

Belly Button? still innie

What I miss most? I miss feeling like I can trust medical professionals. So let me just step up on my soapbox for a second now: mkay, so as I said earlier last saturday I woke up to a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE sore throat like I havent experienced in years (roughly 5 years since I had my tonsils and adenoids out) So I'm miserable but I dont have a fever, no coughing, etc. I decide to wait and see what to do well I wake up Sunday still feeling horrible so being the hypocondriac that I am I went ahead and went to Urgent care b/c I am not a fan of suffering and if there IS something wrong I want to start treating it sooner than later. So the urgent care (the one on 27 for anyone else living in this area--do not go there!) staff is horrible, I wait for a least an hour (I was the 1st patient there when it opened..how it still took an hour is beyond me) 1st weird happening: they ask when my last period was (sorry for any guy who reads this haha) and I say June they say okay and go on to the next question that is when I stop and say by the way I am 21 weeks pregnant they go OHHH that makes sense why your last period was in June..uhm yeah. Next weird happening: I wait for the dr. to come in he is creepy and weird and feels my throat, listens to my chest (which he was a little too touchy feely for my liking but thats another story) and then looks at my throat and says we will run a strep test and a flu test. Ok, good. So the nurse comes in to run the tests and is looking for stuff and notices a sheet on the table that had been there since I got in the room (which is cold and dirty) it is covering something up--he looks under it...oh its just a swab/culture from someone the day before--uhm gross...so they do the cultures and both are negative (I'm not too surprised since I havent had step since my tonsils were removed) but the dr. comes back and says he is still convinced its strep regardless of the negative test and gives me a prescription for zyrtec-you know the allergy medicine, mucinex- great, since I have no drainage or congestion, and some random antibiotic..so I remind him of my allergy to amoxicillan and of my pregnancy...is it still okay to take this antibiotic? "oh I dont know, you should probably ask the pharmacist" So I leave feeling--gross lol

So I call my midwives the next day just to check about the prescription before I fill it, I talk to a nurse she says I shouldnt take it w/ my amoxicillan allergy and she would talk to a midwive and see what I should take, they say they will defnitely call me back later that day--shockingly nobody calls me back so I call the next day--still no response and then finally the 3rd day they say to go ahead and fill the original prescription and to just watch for an allergic reaction..wow I feel so comforted! Thank goodness...basically I am annoyed w/ these midwives and feel very brushed aside by them (this is not my only problem w/ them so dont think I am some crazy demanding patient) so long story not so short-- I think I am switching dr's. But I have an appointment w/ them today and will see how they handle the whole ultrasound situation...

What I am looking forward to? my appointment today actually-- for above said reasons

Milestones? This week lil man is the size of banana! He is gulping down several oz. of amniotic fluid everyday for hydration and nutrition and is practicing swallowing and digestion. And, so cool, his tastebuds actually work! This is my last weekly fruit update...the next size will be for a few weeks at a time. I am really enjoying my little banana so far! Below are some pics I thought were fun, the first is from from around 14 weeks and the second is me at 21 weeks...I think ive grown a little :-)

14 weeks 21 weeks

Boy or girl??

So we get to find out the gender of our sweet little baby today!! We have our big ultrasound at 4pm and are SO excited!! We ask that everyone be praying for a healthy baby, and that Donnie and I can trust the Lord during this exciting time! We know it is all in God's hands and that He is perfect and has a perfect plan for our baby--I just want to keep that in mind today (and everyday obviously).

So, in light of the big ultrasound I thought it would be fun to use some old wives tales to help predict--so lets see how accurate these are:

I am carrying extra weight: out front or around the hips/bottom
The hair on my legs is growing: more quickly than before or the same as before
I am carrying my baby: high or low
I sleep with the pillow in my bed facing to the: north or south
My feet are: colder than before or the same as before
I: refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread or prefer the heel of bread
The dad to be is: gaining weight right along with me or not gaining weight
My mothers hair is: gray or not gray (natural or dyed)
I had morning sickness early in my pregnancy: yes or no
My skin is: particularly good during pregnancy or not so good
I have been craving: sweets or salty/sour foods
My nose has: spread during pregnancy or stayed the same
I have been craving: meats and cheese or fruit
The baby's heart rate is: above 140 beats per minute or below 140 beats per minute

Girl: 9 Boy: 5

Currently, I really am not leaning one way or another, neither is Donnie. Let me know what your guess is!!