Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Bunny's Growth

Ok, so I actually almost decided to spreadsheet this data so I could graph it, and then I decided that even I'm not that Type A! But, since this is the kind of analytics I love studying, here's a look at Bunny's growth, tracking the last three sonograms.

BPD = Biparietal Diameter (head, side-to-side)
HC = Head Circumference
AC = Abdominal Circumference
FL = Femur Length
EFW = Estimated Fetal Weight

Gestational Age: 26w6d
BPD: 28w5d (+13 days)
HC: 28w3d (+11 days)
AC: 27w1d (+2 days)
FL: 27w0d (+1 day)
EFW: 28w2d (+10 days)
Weight: 2 pounds 5 ounces
Average: +7.4 days
Computer EDC: 10/18/2008

Gestational Age: 23w2d
BPD: 24w0d (+5 days)
HC: 23w0d (-2 days)
AC: 23w6d (+4 days)
FL: 24w1d (+6 days)
EFW: 23w0d (-2 days)
Weight: 1 pound 7 ounces
Average: +2.2 days
Computer EDC: 10/22/2008

Gestational Age: 18w3d
BPD: 19w1d (+5 days)
HC: 19w0d (+4 days)
AC: 19w1d (+5 days)
FL: 19w0d (+4 days)
EWF: not calculated
Weight: 11 ounces
Average: +4.5 days
Computer EDC: 10/22/2008

Interestingly enough, the 1st and 3rd ultrasounds were the same technician...the results that are a bit different in the 2nd ultrasound was a different technician. I'm curious at what the progression would have been with the same tech all three times.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

27 - er - 28 Week Ultrasound

Well, the title of this post should give away the gist of this past Friday's appointment!

During our monthly ultrasound, we found that not only was baby continuing to be just a couple days ahead, but is now far enough ahead on all measurements that we are officially changing the due date.

Hope no one was too attached to October 25th! The computer model from the U/S now shows October 18th as the 40-week point. The only measurement in which Bunny was not significantly ahead is her leg length - her other measurements range from almost a week to almost two weeks ahead.

AND SHE HAS A FULL HEAD OF HAIR! Jeez! The tech looked at her head, and then looked again, and I was like "WHAT'S WRONG?!?!" But turns out that she was just making sure she'd actually seen hair - she said that to see a full head of hair at this point was pretty unusual.

When the doctor came in, he said "So, we're at 28 weeks now." I said, "Well, not really. Tomorrow marks 27 weeks." He paused, looked at me, and said "So, we're at 28 weeks now."

Ok, point taken! It's official - we're moving ahead a week. It's kinda like the TV show Quantum Leap - pick a date and we'll go forward to it!

So now we're not at all convinced that this baby won't beat me to my birthday, which is October 8th. If the plan, which we'll discuss at our next OB/GYN appointment, is still to plan for baby to come out around two weeks early, that now puts us around October 4th - and my birthday isn't until October 8th!

We discussed my endo results at the appointment and the peri was quite calm - his opinion was that as long as there are no weird symptoms and baby continues to look good, we're not going to worry about those odd results. He did make me promise, though, that the second that I feel anything like a thyroid flare, I'll call him and get my butt in to check on Bunny immediately.

So that's my update on Bunny! My baby shower was also this weekend - I'll post more on that soon!! :-) And I have a new toy - a new camera - so belly shots are about to get MUCH more clear! I'll post this weekend's belly shot tomorrow morning or afternoon.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Hugs,

~FM~

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

We're MAKING PROGRESS!

Yes, I know from some comments and emails that most (all?) of you think I'm certifiably insane for what all my list covers. I get it. Thanks.

But seriously, it's me. Would you expect anything else?

But we're MAKING PROGRESS!

In updated my master excel file this morning (on my brand new copy of Excel 2007), the total stats told me the following:

Completed: 53
In Progress: 22
Remaining: 39

As of Monday, we were at:

Completed: 44
In Progress: 20
Remaining: 50

We're really getting there! Tons more planned for tonight. FD is taking our niece to the movies, so while they're gone, I'm going to get down and dirty with finishing off organizing closets I've already started attacking, plus I'm thinking that tonight's the night that I conquer the 35 (I'm not kidding...that's how many there are...and we're kitchen gadget freaks so they're all full) cabinets in my kitchen for the grand re-org. Wish me luck!

Deep Breath,

~FM~

Playing Footsie

Bunny has been doing the CUTEST thing for the past two days.

She's playing footsie with me!

She'll kick...but instead of withdrawing her foot right away, she'll leave it pressed against my tummy for a bit.

And apparently she's ticklish...

If I just rest my hand on top of her foot, she'll leave it there.

If I run my finger along the impression, she'll jerk it back.

TOO CUTE!

She held a full gymnastics tournament this morning. My ENTIRE STOMACH was going from side to side. Actually, I think she was using my tummy as a mosh pit instead of a gym. Crash - crash - crash. My male cat, who sometimes sleeps draped across my stomach, was alternating between fascinated and alarmed.

Have a great Wednesday, ya'll!

Smiles,

~FM~

Monday, July 21, 2008

I'm a Freak

I just got off the phone with my endocrinologist, Dr. P. She'd left me a voicemail on Friday afternoon, but her office was closed by the time I got it and called back.

Apparently, I’m a freak show.

There are three thyroid tests…and so no diagnosis or determinations can be made without all three being run.

According to my TSH, I’m hyperthyroid right now.

According to my T4, I’m in stasis – as in normal and well-regulated.

According to my T3, I’m hypothyroid right now – meaning that I’m on too much medication.

She says she’s never seen this kind of result before. She can’t understand and/or explain it. I asked if missing an occasional dose here or there would affect this, and she said no…missing a dosage should cause them all to have the same results, not all different results.

So for right now, she’s most concerned about the test that shows me as hypothyroid, because that can be bad for baby, and so she’s dropping my dosage by 1/3. That’s the result I wanted…but not for the reason I wanted it.

And instead of 8 weeks, she wants to see me in 4.

Yahoo for being a freak. Eyeore was definitely Eyeore today. I think what upsets her most is that she can simply not explain why these tests would be so funky. For me, I'm going to go with the law of averages and call myself healthy! :-)

26w2d - Time is Flying!

Dear Bunny,

How are you doing, little one? You sure are kicking me a lot these days! And...as we talked last night, Mommy would REALLY appreciate not getting kicked in certain areas...dang, you can sometimes really hurt me! Ouch!

We got a lot of work done around the house this weekend, Bunny, in my quest to have as much settled as possible before you arrive. Here's a tally:

Completed items, as of Friday: 36
Completed items, as of Monday: 44

In progress items, as of Friday: 15
In progress items, as of Monday: 20

Items remaining, as of Friday: 63
Items remaining, as of Monday: 50

YAHOO! We're really making progress! We're almost at the halfway point...and the better news is that everything remaining untouched is minor - everything major is already done or in progress. YAHOO!!!!!

You keep doing your thing, baby, and we'll keep trucking away on our end. We love you so much!!

Love,

~FM~

Friday, July 18, 2008

Belly Shots

At long last...here is a post with nothing but belly shots!


36w2d*

35w3d*

34w2d*

33w2d*

32w0d*

31w1d*

30w1d*

29w1d*

28w1d*
*Based on adjusted due date

26w1d

25w2d

23w0d

21w1d

20w1d

18w6d

13w6d

7w4d

The PA Shipment

Several weeks ago, we traveled to PA for five days, and shipped back 350 pounds worth of stuff to our home in Texas. Most of this was baby-related, although some of it was beyond random. Included in the shipment was our crib, changing table, antique rocking chair, and other essentials for the nursery - so you can see why it was so heavy!

In any case, this is just another Google Docs to go visit if you're curious on how to compose a 350-pound shipment! You'll be pleased to know that FedEx treated us well and nothing was significantly damaged en route! I have a picture to post later of most of this stuff piled in my dining room...but thankfully, most has now been put away.

Mind you, much of this stuff is as old as I am...but because my mom so carefully preserved, it looks as good as new - even the crib's mattress! And fortunately, the crib meets today's safety standards for width of bar placement...yahoo!

PA Shipment List

Baby Needs New Shoes

I've gotten several emails from friends in the blogosphere as well as in real life asking me where we've registered for baby supplies. It's a big secret!

No, not really! I just really didn't want to post my registries and look like I was begging for presents for baby. But since the only people who have been told about those registries are the ladies my friends have invited to my baby shower, I guess I can't depend on mental telepathy to work for everyone else!

So...presenting Bunny's Baby Registries:

Target

Babies R Us

Wildflower Diapers

Please don't think terribly of me for posting this...it is NOT a request for presents. We have so much for baby already that I feel terrible about having even registered for anything at all...have I mentioned the 350-pound shipment o'stuff from PA???

This is simply a way of putting info out there to family and friends who have asked for it...hope it helps! And Catherine Elizabeth would like to thank you in advance for thinking of her! She says "kick, kick, I'm a lucky baby!"

(And yes, I realize this puts my actual name and location out there...but heck, I'm a freelance writer...it's already out there, all over the place. So the least of my worries is someone "tracking me down.")

The Insane Pre-Baby To-Do List

I've alluded to it many times...my insane list o' things that I want to accomplish, specifically during July, prior to Bunny's arrival.

I developed this list by walking around my house, with husband and niece in tow, and taking a page of notes for each room or space on what I believed needed to be done to make the room or space perfect. Or, in other words, good enough to satisfy my bizarre craving for the picture-perfect household.

Well...here it is! I've tried valiantly to post it from Excel straight to Blogger, but it just isn't working out like that.

So, using the amazing technology of Google Docs, you can find it here: Baby To-Dos.



Isn't the screen shot pretty? C is FD, T is FM, and J is our niece.

Google Docs is pretty high tech, but can't handle some formulas/formatting, so I stripped it down to the basics to display. (I'm type A about my type A, and so the original document has a lot of formatting in it...but I'll spare you that, dear readers!)

I'll update this periodically as we make progress and stuck a tab for it at the top of the blog so you can check in on us. Right now (July 18th), we have 114 items, with 36 fully accomplished and 15 in progress. Many of the remaining are pretty simple...but that doesn't make them get done any faster! For the most part, we'd still like to accomplish a majority of all of these tasks prior to August 1st - CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!!

Eyeore Becomes Tigger

I had my endocrinologist check-up yesterday and it went exceedingly well!

Around my house, Dr. P, the endo, is often referred to as Eyeore. She's a terrific doctor - I wouldn't be still going to her after all these years and multiple times a year if she weren't. But she's kinda got an Eyeore vibe to her. Even after halfway good checkups, I sometimes come home upset because she makes sure to temper good news with cautions always, always, always and sometimes, Future Mommy would just like to hear the good news and screw the bad.

In any case, Eyeore was Tiggerific yesterday. My exam is only half of the story, of course - my blood work, not due back until Monday or Tuesday - will tell the real tale. But based on my exam, Future Mommy's Grave's Disease is actually easing up a bit due to this pregnancy. Apparently, my shifting hormones are shifting in my favor - yahoo!

The doctor recorded the lowest blood pressure that's she's ever seen from me in the years I've been her patient - 120/75. That's also lower than has been recorded by the OB and the specialists in the past few weeks, so that's good news. My heart rate is also holding it's own - it was 96 yesterday, which is much better than the 110 that was the norm just after I was taken off the beta blockers a few months ago.

The only scare of the appointment came when she delivered what should have been a good observation in such a grave voice that it freaked me out. "I can't feel your thyroid at all," she said. Well, that should be a good thing, because she usually can feel it, and that means that it's aggravated basically. The fact that she couldn't feel it means that it's well under control. But her tone of voice! I just stared at her. When she realized I was upset, she rushed to assure me that it was good and that she hadn't meant to scare me.

So now we wait for the blood work. This is very important stuff. Right now, my dosage of medication is one pill per day too high to safely breastfeed when Bunny gets here. And that's something I have my heart set on doing. But if my bloodwork shows that my numbers are all in good range - which they unfortunately weren't last time - then we can drop back down to two pills per day instead of three and have no concerns. Fingers crossed!!!!

One more visit with her before Bunny gets here and then she'll examine us both after the baby actually arrives. Boy, time is really flying now!

Hugs!

~FM~

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Smoky Klutz

What a title for a post, eh? But it fits how I feel. Here's my two stories for the day:

Story #1
I had a day trip from DFW to SJC on Tuesday. I go out there every month as a part of my job, sometimes for day trips and at other times overnight. This month, due to work scheduling, I just went for the day.

My day started out at the crack of dawn at the airport, watching some fool of a father not know how to fold his kid's stroller to put it through the x-ray machine. Are you kidding me? It was one of those full-size travel system strollers. Surely the dude has folded it before...if not, I'd love to know what kind of car he drives that doesn't require collapsing the dang thing before it's stowed. Mr. Genius finally figured it out and we all were thankful.

Flash forward a half hour, and I'm uncomfortable ensconced in my darn middle seat on the plane. The perils of working for the airline and not getting a seat assignment until the last minute. Plane door to gate area closed. F/As making opening announcements. Captain comes on the PA to make his own: seems we have a bit of a mechanical problem that needs checking out - our fuel gauge is busted. We'll be outta here in 20-30 minutes. Cool.

Twenty to thirty minutes later, Captain comes back on the PA. There aren't any spare fuel gauges to be found...so we'll either change equipment (aka new plane) or they'll take a gauge off a plane in the hangar and give it to us. We'll be outta here in 20-30 minutes. Cool.

Can someone turn on the damn air conditioning? Man, this plane is uncomfortable at 1750 degrees. And the unaccompanied minor sitting next to me, for whom I have somehow become somewhat responsible, is playing with his BlackBerry. He's like 11. And it's actually his own BlackBerry. I've investigated the situation. It's his, alright. Brat. I try to use my blanket as a pillow and lean over to catch a nap while waiting for the next update, but my compressed torso area screams at me that that's a bad idea. Dang it for having a very short torso that's being compressed by an increasingly larger belly.

Twenty to thirty lifetimes later, Captain comes back on the PA. No other planes available. Can't rob a gauge off a parked plane to get us going. But no worries! The safety folks and the mechanic and the Captain have all agreed that they don't really need a working fuel gauge for us to fly. Despite the fact that I have sat on grounded planes in the past waiting for lightbulbs to be replaced in lavatories or clean coffee pots to be delivered for the galley, a fuel gauge is apparently an optional item. We just need to fill out some paperwork to show what's going on and we'll be outta here in 20-30 minutes. Cool.

Finally taking off, we're off to CA. Cool. No, really. The A/C is finally on. Still can't sleep. My ribs hate me. The kid's sleeping. Brat.

So there's fires in northern California. Like an hour or so north of San Jose. And the pilot pops the equalization valve between 10k and 8k while descending. And that leaves smoke/ash available to come in the valve. And Future Mommy is instantly sick. Fun times! Apparently, this former smoker has zero tolerance now for any form of smoke or soot.

Finally arrive at SJC, 15 minutes late for my meeting. The GM has gotten started without me, which is good since we'll be able to stay on time targets. I get set up and launch into my part of facilitating the meeting. It's a great bunch of people in a great city and the meeting, as always, goes well. YAY for San Jose! Inside the airport, away from soot and ash and smoke, I start feeling better...nose stops running so much, at least.

But then...there's an employee barbecue after the meeting. Outside. Which I must attend, as the token Headquarters person there. Sick again. Lucky me.

Surviving lunch and a polish sausage (not my favorite thing in the world to get down), I am back on my plane headed back to DFW. Uneventful ride home marred only slightly by Mother Nature and a slight delay in landing due to rain.

Hop on the shuttle to get back to my car. Only one on the shuttle. Talkative driver. I'm on hour 14 of my travels...I haven't seen my car in a very, very long time and I just want to get back to it. He asks me when my baby is due, telling me his wife is expecting, too. Asks me when. Asks me her name.

And then spends the next 10 minutes of the ride to my car ACTIVELY trying to talk me out of the name we've chosen for Bunny. WTF!?! He told me that I was being very disrespectful of my husband by not incorporating his name into the baby's name. He also let me know that I shouldn't get too attached to the thought of having a girl because God sometimes changes His mind at the last minute and sends a boy. Again, WTF?! I was very disgruntled when we got to my car. No tip for driver. MY baby. Back the hell off, buddy.

So I took my grouchy self home where sweet Future Daddy had soup waiting for me along with a warm bath. Future Daddy rocks. A bowl of soup and my first bath in months (I've been kind of afraid of the bathtub...not sure why...so it's been only showers in my world) and I collapsed into bed. Stopped feeling super ill as soon as we cleared SJC airspace, thank God. Just a stuffy/runny nose left.

Story #2
So as you might have inferred from prior posts on the work going on in my house, nesting is going on in full force. Yeah, baby. So last night, it was organize the attic night. This involved dragging every single box OUT of the attic and into the back bedroom, investigating to see what was inside, and either taking out stuff we now deemed "necessary" or repackaging for storage. We even threw some stuff away! (We'd actually done this about six months ago, too, and threw a ton away then.) The big part of the evening was re-packing some of our holiday decoration stuff, since our shipment o'stuff from Mom's house included various holiday knickknacks. I'd really hate to tell you how many large plastic bins of Christmas stuff we have. Decorating takes a long time in my house. But we got it done.

We also accomplished getting randomly stored boxes out of the closets of the three upstairs bedrooms, consolidating and throwing away as necessary, and storing away in the attic. Yahoo for knocking several items off my to-do list at once.

But then...

I'm such a dang klutz. I was carrying a box of stuff into the attic. It's a walk-in attic, and a large one at that - covers half of the second floor of the house. In fact, the eventual plan is to finish it out (we have two other attics - one above the second floor and one above the garage) into a game room and office area. But for now, it's an attic. And like many attics, the floor is unfinished. Which means that boards can be, um, sporadically placed.

Well, my sporadically placed left foot missed a sporadically placed board. And I ended up getting my left foot and ankle wedged between two sporadically placed boards. Which caused me to fall. FD says I at least fell gracefully; I'm just thankful that I fell backwards onto my butt instead of forwards onto Bunny! But in the process of falling, I put a long scrape down the back of one knee, scraped a large portion of skin off the other knee, and got some other random scratches on the other leg. Can't really recreate how I feel, but I banged myself up pretty good. Ye-oww. FD had to shimmy a board around to get my foot unstuck. Ankle was already swollen from the prior day's travels...and now it's banged up besides.

Silly Future Mommy. I hate being a klutz. I don't know where it comes from...neither of my parents are klutzes. But me? Yeah, I'm awful.

So I'm mostly recovered from my smoky experience but now I have my banged up legs to deal with. Argh!!

So that's what's new with Future Mommy. I promise, pictures are coming. And a look at my insane to-do list. And various other stuff. All coming soon!!! Bear with me!!!

Hugs,

~FM~

Monday, July 14, 2008

A Diamond in the Rough

Many of the readers of my blog are already moms, moms-to-be, or women hoping and dreaming of becoming moms. I love you all dearly; I wouldn't be here if not for you coming by to visit me!! But this post is aimed at all of the dads and partners out there. Hey, Dads/Partners - LISTEN UP!

The special lady in your life who toils day after day to start or raise a family with you and maintain a good home - often while working either part- or full-time - needs to be reminded of how much you love her. And while dog may be a man's best friend, you know what they say is a woman's: diamonds!

Now I know...you're busy, you don't have a lot of money to spend, you don't have time to spend with annoying salespeople looking to trap you into a sale at the mall. That's why online jewelry stores are the perfect solution when you're looking for ways to pamper your special lady!

Does your wife or girlfriend or partner have a simple pair of diamond studs? These are a must in every jewelry box, if for no other reason than their everlasting style and ability to coordinate with any outfit and for any event. My Jewelry Box, a fabulous online store, has many earring options available, in various sizes and cuts, to suit any taste or budget.

Diamond rings are another great gift for Mother's Day, birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries - or just as a random way to say "I Love You." With options far beyond just engagement and promise rings, you're sure to find the perfect "fit" for the perfect lady! My favorites are eternity rings - there is just something so timeless about a band encrusted all the way around with perfect little diamonds!

It's hard to know who to trust when you shop online, so something that really impressed me about My Jewelry Box is their extensive list of customer comments - the feedback given was enough to convince me that this is a great stop for finding great jewelry.

Check it out! And when you surprise her with a fabulous gift, give her an extra hug from Future Mommy as well! :-)

Hugs,

~FM~

25 Week Update

Dear God, I can hardly believe that we're already at 25 weeks! Theoretically, if Bunny is still progressing ahead, we're really at 26 weeks. And according to my pregnancy book (also known in my current life as MY BIBLE!) your third trimester starts at 26 weeks.

This shocked me to read! I always thought it was at 27 weeks that the 3T started - for me, that's the day of my upcoming baby shower! But already now at 26 weeks? DANG!

Bunny is doing fabulously well. She kicks and kicks and kicks and kicks and kicks. I'm thinking that I have a future ballet dancer/karate star/kickboxer on my hands! And she's STRONG! Her little kicks wake me out of a sound sleep - in pain!

My belly is incredibly tight these days. That cracks me up. It's like I have my formerly-flat-and-toned belly back, but just with a basketball inserted inside. It was a bit flabby for awhile, but I think the little one has gained some weight and taken up some more room, while my own weight gain has finally stabilized. I'm having tons of those little contractions. Sometimes dozens each day!

I think I am still eating and gaining at a good rate (at least my doctor thinks so) but I am also doing more now to burn calories so maybe that's why the flab has gone fit. The down side of that is that the skin on my stomach feels like it's stretched to the breaking point. Seriously. I can't imagine it stretching much farther...but we still have quite a ways to go!

We got an incredible amount of work done on house projects over the weekend. I'll post more on that later. Including my insane 100+ item to-do list. My niece (age 15, staying with us for July - same one who visited last August) and my husband work well as a team and I help with whatever I can manage. Yesterday, that included spending 2.5 hours at the top of a taaaaaaaaaaalllll ladder, touching up paint near the ceiling line because I've decided that anything less than perfection makes my head hurt.

Here's this week's stats:

Weight: 133 pounds
Waist: 35"

Forgot to measure boobs and hips...sorry!

I promise that we've been taking belly shots...I just never seem to get them loaded. I'll make that a project for this week! Needless to say that I hate the ladies who say they've only gained 16 pounds or whose bellies at 30 weeks look the same as mine at 25/26. Argh! Doc, are you sure there's not twins in there?

Hugs,

~FM~

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Of Leg Cramps and Babies

I have been having a ridiculous amount of leg cramps over the past several months. I mean, I had leg cramps every so often before Bunny came into being, but now, they're both more often and far more severe.

I've noticed a definite correlation between when I stretch out in a horizontal position (aka in bed) and when they occur, so I've tried to stop myself from doing that. But sometimes, it's inevitable.

I thought this was just a "me" thing, but I finally got frustrated today and took to the internet to find out if other pregnant ladies have as many leg cramps as I do. I mean, not just an owie, but a MF'in OWIE.

Turns out, it's an actual pregnancy problem for many women. Who knew? Different theories are that they could be caused by carrying around extra weight or by the rerouting of your normal blood flow in order for baby to grow.

That's all good and well...but being impatient little Future Mommy me, I cared more about getting them to STOP than why they ever started.

Here's what I read about prevention:
  • No leg crossing
    Well, shoot. I do this unconsciously.
  • No prolonged standing
  • Stretch often and rotate your feet/ankles often
  • Exercise often
  • Walk, walk, walk
    Doesn't this violate the non-standing rule?
  • Try not to become overly tired while pregnant
    Was this advice written by a man?
  • Lots o'water
  • More water - warm baths
  • Get lots of potassium and calcium, but cut the phosphates
And here's what I read about relief:
  • My method of screaming, leaping from bed and hopping on one foot saying OW OW OW OW OW OW OW until it goes away is generally not recommended. Gee. Worked for me!
  • Stretch and flex
    Dude, have you ever TRIED stretching through a debilitating cramp?
Now here's the bad news. If the cramp doesn't go away or if pain stays behind after the cramp ends, it could mean a clot which means doctor time. For me, the cramp usually goes away after my hopping and screaming routine, as described above.

Here's where I got my advice:

BabyCenter
March of Dimes
eHow

Friday, July 4, 2008

Thursday, July 3, 2008

23/24 Week Sonogram

Sorry it's taken me so long to share - I had to edit the dang thing down so it was short enough for YouTube to accept!

Elementary, My Dear Braxton

For the past few weeks, I've been feeling my stomach suddenly contract, hold for a few seconds, and then release. Sometimes, it happens several times in a row. Sometimes, not even once a day.

I've done my best to ignore it. At first, I thought it was some kind of reaction to Bunny kicking me, since there seemed to be a correlation in timing. Then, I thought that my tummy was reacting to overeating. I never even considered that it might be Braxton Hicks contractions, quite honestly.

I'd always "heard" that Braxton Hicks contractions only occurred later in pregnancy - nearer towards the end. And unlike every other pregnancy topic I researched, I never looked into Braxton Hicks contractions, because I figured I wasn't yet at the point where it would be a concern.

Haha, silly Future Mommy. That's exactly what it is. But I'm not worried, for once!

See, my other misconception was that Braxton Hicks contractions are a bad thing and mean that you could go into labor early. Wrong, again! Apparently, they start occurring very near to the beginning of every single pregnancy and although some women never, ever feel them, many do. And unless early contractions are accompanied by signs like lower back pain, pelvic pressure and vaginal bleeding, there's no real concern for pre-term labor.

Ok, another pregnancy mystery solved. By the time I figure out this whole process, Bunny will be 5 years old!

For more information on Braxton Hicks contractions, here are the web sites I checked out:

BabyCenter
Pregnancy @ About.com
WebMD

Have a great day, ya'll!

Hugs,

~FM~

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

The Unquenchable Thirst

I'm not really a big fan of water. There, I said it. I'm a terrible person. I hate drinking water.

But I've been as mindful as possible to drink as much water or water-based products (aka flavored water) in the past few months for Bunny's sake.

Recently, it's been backfiring on me. For the past few weeks, the more water I drink, the thirstier I get. Can you explain to me how that's possible? I haven't increased my caffeine intake (2 sodas per day), my milk intake, my salt intake, nothing. But the more water I drink, the more parched I feel. In fact, if I drink water before bed, forget it! I wake up so dry in the morning that I have to unglue my tongue from my teeth!

What in the heck? In my travels through Dr. Google, I have found resources that simply say to drink more water. Apparently I haven't made myself clear. The more I drink, the thirstier I get. I'm serious. I had one day where I think I consumed 30 glasses of water. I was still thirsty. So drinking more water is not the solution.

Other resources say that an unquenchable thirst could be a symptom of gestational diabetes. Mmm. Don't know on that one. Haven't done my little glucose test yet. But haven't seen any other diabetic-like symptoms.

So what's the deal? Anyone else experience this? It's getting worse as time passes. I can't wait to see Dr. S. on Monday so I can ask her what's up!!

~FM~

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Of Weight Gain...And Weight Loss

Hi, everyone!

You know that I've been kind of throwing myself little pity parties recently over my pregnancy weight gain, starting early on in my pregnancy. But then, just like that, I hit week 22 and lost 5 pounds instead of gaining.

What the heck?

For me, my quick pregnancy weight gain was most likely due to the fact that I was underweight at the time that I became pregnant. At almost 5'5, I weighed just 100 pounds. Not grossly underweight - eating disorders need not apply here - but I've always been very skinny due to my hyperthyroidism.

So I'm now making peace with the fact that at least the first 10-15 pounds of my pregnancy weight gain were actually just to pad my scrawny body instead of really going to baby. Ok, cool. Got it. Have been trying to gain that weight for, oh, let's see, 10 years, so thanks to Bunny for making it possible.

So beyond that and up to week 22, that left 20 pounds gained. Yeesh. Still a bit much, don't you think? Taking away those first 15 pounds, that still leaves 20 pounds at just over halfway, whereas most "standard" medical advice advises gaining between 25 and 35 pounds. Oh, and that same "standard" medical advice tends to tell you that much of that weight is gained in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. So, um, my pregnancy weight gain was a bit early, wouldn'tyousay?

And then, just like that, POOF! Five pounds lost. That was lots easier to understand, actually. During the week that I lost five pounds, I was visiting my Mom in Pennsylvania. Mom owns a 4-story house. That's lots of stairs. And we worked on home improvements for her the entire time. That's lots of trips up and down lots of stairs. And Mom eats a bit erratically at times...Future Daddy had to ask her (nicely, of course) more than once to make some food for us to eat - or at least let us into her sanctus sanctorum (the kitchen) to make our own food, since Bunny was getting feisty from hunger. So DRASTIC increase in exercise due to stairs plus BIG decrease in food intake equaled the first time my pregnancy weight gain reversed into a loss.

We've been back from PA for five days now, and despite gorging due to my "all you can eat" ticket at a baseball game on Friday, I seem to have only gained a pound or possibly two since I got back. So perhaps, from here on out, we'll be more temperate in pace.

By the way, in case anyone is interested, here is the "standard" information on pregnancy weight gain:

Normal total gain: 25 to 35 pounds
1st Trimester: 2 to 5 pounds, total
2nd & 3rd trimesters: 1 pound per week, total

For us underweight folks, it's advised to gain between 28 and 40 pounds.
People who start with a few extra pounds should gain between 15 and 25.

All bets are off if you're expecting multiples. I'm still not convinced that Bunny isn't harboring a twin...seems like I'm on track to hit the 35 to 45 range predicted for twins. Haha!

Happy Eatin'!

~FM~

No Video Yet

The dang video was too long to load to YouTube and too large to load through Blogger and I didn't have enough time last night to play with editing it...so no video of Bunny's latest exploits at the perinatologist, yet! Perhaps tonight, most likely tomorrow.

Off to MSP for the day!

Hugs,

~FM~