Random...

I am now the proud owner of a VHS copy of the movie Return to Oz, hooray! One of the other teachers was getting rid of it, so I grabbed it. Why is this so exciting?? Because I hadn't thought of the movie in about a million years until recently, when I met my doctor for the first time (see this blog entry). Since then, I've kind of wanted to see it again. And then poof, it magically appeared today. I think I must be psychic!!

(Oh, and I also snagged a hardcover copy of the book The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. That one's for the baby's library! Yay!)

Halfway Point

Today I am 20 weeks pregnant, which means that I am officially halfway through this pregnancy! Woohoo!! It's hard to believe how quickly things have gone... and how quickly my belly is starting to expand! Just in the past few weeks, I've gone from looking slightly bloated/frumpy to definitely having a little pregnant belly. As a matter of fact, today a stranger (the checker at Albertson's) actually asked me how far along I was-- for the first time! So other people are starting to see it, too! Every day, I feel his little kicks and jumps more strongly, and today I got to hear his heartbeat again at my doctor's appointment. It really is a miracle. The Nurse Practitioner (who, by the way, rocks!) told me that every single measurement taken at my big ultrasound last week is just perfect, and that he has a really strong, healthy heartbeat. While we were listening to it today (using the Doppler), the little guy started kicking like crazy-- I was able to feel the kicks AND hear the movement, which was so weird!
Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that this part of pregnancy is really cool. I actually get to "look" pregnant, I get to feel the baby's movements, I get to see him on the ultrasound, and I'm past all that first trimester yuckiness. And in four-and-a-half months, I get to squeeze out a baby. I have a feeling it'll be here before we know it!

(P.S. Our changing table arrived today, and the crib will probably be here in a few weeks... So this kid already has furniture! CRAZY!)

"Quickening"

There is definitely a baby in my belly!! I first thought that I might be feeling movement in there right around Mother's Day. It felt almost like gas bubbles, but then I didn't have gas (sorry, TMI!). I still wasn't 100% sure. But in the past couple of days, I have DEFINITELY been feeling him moving! Even right now, I can feel him squirming around in there. It is the coolest and most bizarre thing ever! It's difficult to describe the sensation, because there's really nothing else like it. It feels like something is moving around in my lower abdomen, making little thuds and thumps inside as it goes. It doesn't hurt or anything- it just sort of tickles. There is no doubt in my mind now that it's the baby moving. I have been feeling him a lot today, and he seems to be really active right now (probably because I just ate, so he's getting a little burst of food power!). It's so unreal! I can't wait for Gus to be able to feel this, too!!

(By the way, quickening is defined as "the stage of pregnancy at which the mother first feels the movements of the fetus." I think it's an awful word for something so cool, but what can I do? Oh, and another "by the way": I've felt him move probably 15 times while typing this. Hooray!!)

Our Son, Skeletor

So we had another ultrasound today, and got some more pictures. They looked really similar to the ones we got last time, with the exception of this (kinda scary) one. Doesn't he look like Skeletor here?? The good thing is that we know (from seeing his profile) that he does, in fact, have a nose and lips and whatnot. And at least he appears to be a friendly little skeleton! (he's waving hello!)

Anyway... Long story short, he is still measuring right on target for my adjusted due date of October 16th, and he weighs around 12 ounces now. That's as much as a can of soda! Hooray for our little soda-can-sized Skeletor! :)

Amnio Results...

So the results are in, and it's good news all around! He is perfectly normal, with 46 well-formed chromosomes. And he's definitely a "he!" Not that I really doubted it after seeing the ultrasound (it was pretty clear), but it's nice to know that he definitely has one X and one Y chromosome. I've been feeling more movement in there today, too, so he must be celebrating the good news. Hooray!!

Old Wives' Tales

This is really weird... Last night, Gus' parents met us for dinner (since it was Gus' name day). That's not the weird part. The weird part is that, once we got there, Nick sized up my belly and told me, point blank, that I was having a boy. Sure, I already knew that, but he didn't!!! Ever since I found out I was pregnant, he told me not to tell him the sex so that he could have his chance to work his magic. I couldn't believe it! I know he had a 50-50 chance of being right, but he said it right away and was so confident about it... It was unnerving! When I asked him to explain how he did that, he said that he goes by an old wives' tale that says that if a pregnant woman's belly is higher up and rounder, then it's a boy (lower and not as round means a girl). And apparently (according to both him and Fofo), he has never once been wrong in his predictions! That is so weird! I need to tell my coworker about this... she swears by this Chinese calendar that she has, but she's been wrong the last 3 out of 4 pregnancies. Maybe it's time for her to go Greek?? :)

Misc. Stuff...

Wow, what a productive weekend we had! On Saturday, something came over Gus, and he decided to go out and weed this one area of our front yard that desperately needed it (if you've been here before, it's the little strip along the bottom of the retaining wall that runs parallel to the side of the house). I'd been complaining about it for a while, and I thought we should just hire someone to rip out all the weeds. The strip itself is narrow, but it runs for at least 50 feet and was just overgrown with weeds. It was really bothering me!! Anyway, he spent the majority of the day out there, and got most of it cleared! He even had to make a trip to the dump, since we had nowhere to put the junk. I am really impressed. While he worked on that, I got some spring cleaning done inside the house, did the grocery shopping, and put my new license plates on my car (woohoo!). I still can't believe he pulled all those weeds.

Yesterday, I figured he'd want to sit on his butt and watch tv all day, since he worked so hard the day before... Instead, we went to our local nursery and picked out some nice plants for the small strip in front of the house (where the bushes used to be- he ripped them out a while ago). He planted them and laid down mulch, and I fixed up the drip system so they'd get enough water (I am the resident sprinkler expert around these parts). When I wasn't outside, I was giving our bedroom a makeover. Gus had been complaining about our overabundance of white pillows (with our white duvet, it was just too much white), and I didn't like the wall art we had up on my side of the bed. Anyway, I spent a grand total of about $22, and I have to admit that I am really proud of myself!

I got the two mocha-colored pillow shams using a gift card (so free for me!), I made the chocolate-colored pillow cover out of some silk I bought and a pillow we already had, and I bought the wall shelf for $16 at HomeGoods (I already had the glass votives). Hooray!! I don't have a great "before" picture, but this is definitely an improvement! YIPPEE!

So, that was our weekend... Today was not nearly as interesting, though my coworker sent me this funny email. I started the day really grumpy with my class, since it's the end of the year and they are acting like it (translation: they are turning from nice, sweet 5th-graders into rude pre-teens... lovely!). Now, I'm just waiting for Gus to call and update me on our dinner plans, since today is his name day (it's a Greek thing!) and his parents are in town. I hope he calls soon, because the baby and I are starving!

Changed My Due Date...

...grudgingly!! I'm still convinced that my dates are accurate. After all, I got my positive pregnancy test (and a very faint one at that!) one day after my period was due. Anyway, the first lady I saw (Nurse Practitioner) calculated my due date as October 18th, based on the first day of my last period. That's actually not a very reliable method, but whatever (it assumes everyone has an identical 28-day cycle and ovulates on day 14... which I don't!). Then, the next Nurse Practitioner I saw (different lady) did an ultrasound, and said I was right on track and was due October 16th. Ok... Then at the Perinatal Center this week, the ultrasound tech said the same thing, and also told me that the early ultrasound was the most reliable thing to determine the actual due date. So, one of two things must have happened: either my dates are off by an entire WEEK (which I don't believe), or else the baby is measuring about a week ahead in terms of growth (which is entirely possible). At any rate, I've finally given in and updated the little ticker over on the right with the new due date. sigh...

Cuteness

Now that we know it's a boy, all I want to do is go on a shopping spree and buy a zillion little baby boy outfits! Because of the amnio, though, I wasn't able to go out anywhere yesterday. Luckily, my friend Kori took care of that for me... When I got to work this morning, she gave me this onesie that she bought at BabyGap yesterday afternoon:



I think it is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen!!! It says "Swingin' Single and Lovin' It." I seriously LOVE it. We're also thinking of doing sort of a jungle-themed nursery, so it's just perfect. Yay for cute baby clothes (and cute babies to put in them)!! :)

IT'S A BOY!!!

Great profile shot of the little guy!


Left arm, as viewed from behind


The money shot! This view is from looking up at his bottom... You can see his two legs and a little something extra in between-- definitely a boy!

What an exciting day!!!! At around 9am, we had an appointment with the genetic counselor, a really nice lady who explained everything to us. It was really reassuring to me, because she pretty much said ALL of the same things I had outlined in my post below about why I should get the amnio-- including the fact that the "1 in 200" statistic was totally out of date. She said that at this particular clinic, the odds are more like 1 in 1,000. Anyway, I decided to have the procedure done. After we met with the counselor, we had to sit in the waiting room for a while before our ultrasound appointment. I chugged 16 ounces of water, thinking my appointment would be in about 10 minutes (my scheduled time). I didn't get called in until 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment time, and I thought I was going to DIE! During the wait, I went to the bathroom twice (trying to just go a little each time), and then forcing myself to drink more water. They wanted me to have a full bladder for the ultrasound, and they definitely got it! The ultrasound tech even stopped halfway through and told me I should go (I guess my bladder was REALLY full). After that, the experience was much more pleasant. She said that the baby looks perfectly normal, with none of the soft markers that might indicate Down Syndrome. She also said he weighs about 9 ounces right now. The whole time, he was wiggling around and putting on a little show for us. It was AWESOME! (OH, and they even recorded the entire ultrasound on a videotape for us! IT cost $5-- I think it's worth it!)

After the ultrasound, the doctor and another ultrasound tech came in to do the amnio. It took all of two minutes. First, they swabbed that brown medical disinfectant all over my belly. Then, the tech used the ultrasound to find a nice pocket of fluid, away from the baby and the placenta. Then the doctor inserted a needle (not as big as I thought!) into the pocket, and proceded to draw out about 3 tablespoons of amniotic fluid. It was so weird to see the needle on the ultrasound screen! At one point, the baby must have bumped it, because he started moving around like crazy (he has reflexes, yay!). Anyway, they got the fluid, pulled the needle out, cleaned up my belly as best they could (it's still stained slightly yellow in spots), and stuck a band-aid on the puncture spot. Now I just have to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon, which is no problem at all! I should get the results of the amnio in seven to ten days, but I would be really surprised if it is anything but normal. It will be nice to have the reassurance, though!

So, yes... that was our morning. I'm going to go rest on the couch for a bit, and maybe watch the ultrasound video. We're so excited for our little baby boy! :) :)

Mother's Day

Gus and I just walked in the door after a long day spent with our families. We actually left the house at 7am today to have breakfast with my mom (and dad and brother). Then, at around 11, we left to meet Gus' parents for lunch, then hung out with them at their house for a bit after that. It was great to see everyone, but I am completely exhausted right now (and have a splitting headache, to top it off!). The avocado-baby and I need to rest for a bit!

Anyway... Today got me thinking about what things will be like at this time next year. I'll get to be the mommy! It's been kind of interesting this week, chatting with various people about whether or not I "qualify" as a mother today. Some people (like, Gus, for one) think that you're not truly a mother until you can hold the baby in your arms. Meanwhile, I received a handful of Mother's Day cards and well-wishes from various people ("For the Mother-To-Be"), and I even got two gifts! One of my students brought me a little flower arrangement (awww!), and another student's mom gave me a 3-pack of sleepers for the baby. So... I don't know if Mother's Day is meant for pregnant people or not! Of course, I love all the presents and attention... but I have a feeling that next year will be VERY different, when there's an actual little baby to hold and love. But I guess I'll have to wait a year to find out for sure!

Speaking of the baby (like I speak of anything else!)... I *think* I've felt movement a few times now, though I'm still not 100% sure. It felt kind of like little bubbles-- almost like I had gas, but then I really didn't (I know, I know- too much information!). I am pretty positive I felt it move during the yoga class yesterday. It's hard to be sure, though! I guess I'll have to wait for the movements to become more obvious, so that I can look back and figure out if that's what I've been feeling. Boy, I feel like such a great mom already... I can't tell if my baby is moving or if I might need to use the restroom! Greeeaaat...

Oh, and one more thing! I had a dream last night that the baby was a little boy. I dreamt that I was at school on Wednesday, after my Tuesday ultrasound, and I was telling her how Santa was going to have a little buddy (we call her baby Santa for fun. Who doesn't love Santa??). I've been thinking it was a girl up until now-- and now I just have no idea. Anyway, it seemed pretty real, but who knows??? Less than 48 hours until we could possibly have some answers to that question!

P.S. For the record, my coworkers have named my baby Zeus- regardless of whether or not it's a boy. Zeus and Santa are fetus friends, hehehe! :)

OMMMMM....

I tried something new today! Kori convinced me to go with her to this prenatal yoga class at a small studio in town, and I did! You have to understand... Not only have I never done yoga before in my LIFE, but I have also never gone to any sort of group-exercise-type-class. Seriously. So this was a huge deal! Anyway, it was actually pretty nice, and I think I did well (for a novice). I'm pretty flexible, but my balance isn't too great. The poses I had the most trouble with were Triangle pose, Warrior I pose, and King Dancer pose. With King Dancer, the instructor actually had us partner up and use our partners for stability-- haha, right! Kori and I were wobbling all over the place (oh, and giggling... did I mention that?). The instructor finally had to come over and hold onto us so we wouldn't fall down. :P We ended the session with like 10 minutes in the Goddess pose, and I was so comfortable I could've easily fallen asleep. The best part of the entire class was when the instructor came around and massaged our heads and necks while we were lying there. I think I'd consider going again just for that!

Anyway, I wanted to share, because I was proud of myself for getting out of my little box and trying something new. It was a little on the touchy-feely side (she went on and on about the goddesses we all are, how we are bringing forth sacred new life, etc.). It was hard to keep from giggling at certain points. Beyond that, though, it was very relaxing and the stretching felt pretty good. I think I might just go there again! :)

Amusement

So my book tells me that my baby is about the size of an avocado right now. A few days ago, one of my students was asking me how big it was (they like all the food comparisons), so I described it as "an avocado with legs." My student teacher thought it was funny, and drew this little illustration on the white board:



Now I can't bring myself to erase it! I had one kid ask me why there was a green peanut on the board, and another one asked me why "that pear has legs." hehe!! One girl thought my baby *actually looked like* an avocado, and asked me when it would grow arms. It took a while for her to understand that the baby actually looks like a baby right now, only smaller. But it cracked me up!

Anyway... I just wanted to share. That little avocado amuses me, especially after a stressful couple of days. :P

Update

My doctor finally called me back yesterday, and he was very reassuring. He basically said that this sort of thing is fairly common, and that it is almost certainly nothing to be worried about. Her referred me to a local clinic that specializes in perinatal services, and I'll be going there at 9:00 on Tuesday (5/15). First, Gus and I will meet with a genetic counselor, who will go over my test results in detail. I have a feeling that my scores were just barely outside the normal range, so this will be my chance to find out! (the reason I think this is because my friend, Kori, was told she had the exact same risk- 1 in 130- and her scores were actually within the margin of error for the test.) After we meet with the counselor, I'll be taken into a room for my Level II ultrasound. At that point, they will ask me if I want to get the amnio. If I do, they will perform the procedure right then and there (with the help of the ultrasound to guide the needle).

Which brings me to the one topic I keep returning to: Should I get the amnio or not? While I was definitely leaning towards "no" yesterday, doing some research and talking with my coworkers has changed my mind (many of them have had amnios). So, as of right now, I'm thinking I might get it... Here's why:

Amnios are at least 99% accurate in determining whether or not the baby has any sort of genetic abnormality Nearly half of all babies with Down Syndrome can't be identified by looking for soft markers on a Level II ultrasound If everything turns out fine, I can relax and not be a stress case for the rest of the pregnancy (no wondering "what if...?") If something IS wrong, I can prepare myself properly and/or make sure that the best people are on hand at delivery (for things like heart defects) While the posted rate of miscarriage after amniocentesis is 1 in 200, the odds are probably a lot better at a center that specializes in this sort of thing, where amnios are done on a daily basis by very skilled people. Women who get amnios are generally at high-risk-- most are "higher" risk than I am. That "1-in-200" number likely includes women who would have miscarried on their own, with or without the amnio. I read a few different places that the miscarriage statistics are based on a study that was completed in the 1970s, and techniques have certainly improved since then. I trust my doctor, and he thinks I should do it. And, a perk: With the amnio, I would be 100% certain of the baby's sex. No room for error!

Anyway... there are my thoughts for the day. If you have any advice, please share! At the very least, I will get to see the baby on Tuesday, and hopefully find out if it's a boy or a girl!

AFP Test... Ugh!

As I sit here waiting for Dr. Roly-Poly to call me back, I thought I'd share today's drama... Last Tuesday, at my appointment, I elected to have blood drawn for the AFP test. AFP (alpha fetoprotein) is a protein produced by the fetus and placenta that is also present in my bloodstream. By measuring the amount of AFP in my blood, doctors can determine my odds of having a child with various abnormalities, such as Down Syndrome or neural tube defects (spina bifida). Well, the doctor left me a message with my test results earlier. He said that my AFP numbers were low, putting me at a slightly higher risk of having a baby with Down Syndrome. Basically, my chances are 1 in 130 (0.8%), and the cutoff for "normal" is 1 in 190 (0.5%).

Normally, I think I'd be freaking out right about now... Luckily, I have a good friend who went through this same exact thing a few months ago. She's 32 weeks pregnant now, and her baby boy is just fine. So I was sort of prepared for the results, and I think I have a much better understanding of how to interpret them than I did before. I still have a 99.2% chance of having a perfectly healthy baby, and there is really no reason to get hung up on that teeny-tiny .8%.

The good news (and yes, there is some) is that I now qualify for expanded screening services! Like I mentioned above, I still need to talk to my doctor... But based on my conversations with my friend and my research on the internet, my doctor will either have me re-do the test (which I doubt), or he will refer me to a special clinic to get a Level II (detailed) ultrasound. At the ultrasound, the tech will look for any of the physical markers that indicate Down Syndrome. If everything appears normal, then my odds of having a baby with Downs will pretty much drop to 1 in 260, or .4%. No matter what the ultrasound shows, I will probably be given the option of having an amnio... and while amniocentesis is 99% accurate in identifying kids with Down Syndrome, it also comes with a 1% chance of spontaneous miscarriage. So, I don't know if I'd agree to that test, but we'll see (probably not). And no matter what the results, I will probably get a lot more ultrasounds than usual so that they can keep an eye on the baby. And any chance to see the baby is awesome, right??

At any rate, it's been a long afternoon, and I really do need to talk to my doctor. Kori (my pregnant friend) thinks they'll try to schedule my Level II ultrasound ASAP, which means we could be finding out the sex sooner than May 25th! That, at least, is exciting news!

More info on the AFP Screening Test: UCSD, About.com, Epinions.com, iVillage

Four Months

Doesn't this look like some sort of optical illusion? So do you see a vase, or two faces? :P Just kidding, it's my belly!!! I've decided to take belly pictures every four weeks (I started at 12 weeks), and tomorrow will be 16 weeks. The black-and-white version above is for the faint of heart. If you want to see the real, bare-bellied deal, click here! Don't worry, I'm not totally nekkid... just my belly! And yes, I do have one! No matter how much I try to "suck it in," I am hopelessly unable to button most of my old pants. I have yet to get a comment from someone who doesn't already know I'm pregnant, so I'm guessing that, for the moment, I just look like I've eaten too many Twinkies. sigh... Soon enough, though, the whole world will know my secret! mwahahahahaa!!

WhooshWhooshWhoosh

Well, no ultrasound today... But I got to hear the heartbeat!! The doctor used this fun little doppler device, which is about the size of a hand-held tape recorder:

My friend warned me not to worry if the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat right away, since the baby is still pretty small... but he found it on the first try! I couldn't believe it. I could hear my heartbeat on there, too, which sounded like you'd expect it to (lub-dub, lub-dub). The baby's heartbeat was a lot faster, and sounded like a series of swishing sounds (whoosh!whoosh!whoosh!). We even heard some garbled static noises that the doctor said were caused by the baby wiggling around. Hooray! I was so excited!!! The heartbeat measured pretty high, at 153 b.p.m (normal range is between 120 and 180). If you look at one of the old wive's tales about pregnancy, that supposedly means it's a girl (which is my guess, anyway!). So... we'll see in a few weeks! :P

It was interesting to meet my doctor, too. He's really nice, and answered all of my questions to my satisfaction (and I always have about a million questions, so that's a quality I really need in a doctor!). He is this completely round guy-- I nicknamed him Dr. Roly-Poly (not to his face, of course!). Everything about him is round-- completely spherical body, head, fingers... I was trying to think of who he reminded me of, and it just now hit me. Have you ever seen the movie "Return to Oz?" There's a character in it named Tik-Tok, and he looks just like Dr. Roly-Poly!!! Mustache and everything (except Dr. Roly-Poly is a human, not a robot... supposedly). Anyway, besides an eerie resemblance to Tik-Tok, he is a very nice guy. I'm officially happy with my Ob/Gyn team. :)