17 weeks

So here I am at 17 weeks, now officially more pregnant than I've ever been and to be honest I am very happy and excited to be here. I feel like I'm on the verge of experiencing so many new and wonderful things and I can't wait.

I was talking to Jeremy this morning about what it actually feels like to be pregnant, something that I never gave much thought to before it happened to me last year. It is very strange. My body doesn't truly feel like it's mine anymore, weird things happen to me that I have no control over. It's not necessarily a bad thing, some of it is uncomfortable, but some of it is amazingly wonderful, like feeling the baby move and watching my belly growing knowing that it's because Teddy graham is getting bigger too. To be honest I hate the physical parts of being pregnant right now, like my dry throat every evening, the aches and pains that come along with this, the food aversions, and the nausea that still pops up from time to time, but I wouldn't trade this in for the world because the awesome part, the amazing part is that I am caring for a human life in my tummy. I am protecting the child that Jeremy and I made because we love each other and wanted the chance to share our love with a new member in our family. The connection I feel to this baby is so special, it really does feel magical sometimes. I thank God for the opportunity he has given me to nurture and care for Teddy Graham and I truly cherish every moment.

This week Teddy Graham is starting to be able to hear things outside the womb, I read that if there is a loud noise the baby will jump. So I've started talking out loud a lot more to the baby and I've been singing to the baby, mostly while I'm in the shower and no one is listening ;) and for his part every night before we go to bed Jeremy has started the tradition of reading a bedtime story to Teddy Graham. Baby is also getting bigger at almost 5 inches and starts to put on some fat this week.

I've got lots of symptoms to report on this week;

The dry throat and mouth is still happening in the evenings, but we've been keeping the humidifier running all day and it seems to help some.

This past week I've started to feel my uterus more, and what I mean by that is I feel something heavy and just "there" in my lower abdomen. Sometimes it feels a bit uncomfortable which I'm sure is the ligaments stretching, and yesterday when I was walking around it felt like I could feel my uterus bouncing with each step, but if I put my hand on my lower abdomen kind of firmly while I walked the feeling went away, so weird huh?

Also the last two weeks have been stretchy weeks for me which basically means I've been feeling like my abdomen is tighter and my insides are trying to find new places to situate themselves. It's crazy because right now it is actually painful to yawn because it feels like there is not enough room for my breath to go, and it feels like it is stretching my tummy too much and it might just burst form all the extra air.

I've also been getting some heart palpitations. I'm going to ask the dr about it because it freaks me out a bit. It doesn't happen every day but a few times this week and I do not like how it feels at all. I wonder if it is normal during pregnancy. Also if I stand up to fast from a laying down position I get a head rush, and I can feel the blood pounding in my head, so I've been having to make a conscious effort to take things a little slower. I know my body is making extra blood because of the pregnancy and I can sure tell because my veins are just getting more and more pronounced.

Speaking of veins, remember the bruise on my hand from the ER and how I re-bruised it on the doorknob last week, well this week I re-bruised it again by hitting it on the wall on my way out our door into the garage, Jeremy told me I need to strap a pillow to my wrist if I ever want it to heal lol. Despite the many set backs the bruise is much smaller and I'm hoping it will be gone by next week.

Teddy Graham has still been wiggling around in my tummy. I still don't feel him everyday but more days than not I do. One day this last week I hadn't felt him all day and I was sitting at my desk by my computer when I sneezed and then suddenly there he was kicking me. I thought that was so funny, either he was saying "hey I was sleeping in here, cut it out" or he was saying "that was fun do it again!" . Also yesterday the baby was VERY active, I felt him on 4 separate occasions and the last one was the best. Most of the time it feels very light like a butterfly in my tummy, or kind of like a quivering sort of feeling, but the last one yesterday REALLY felt like kicks, it was like 4-5 pokes to the left side of my tummy right in a row. I was reading a book and it almost made me drop it, but it was AWESOME!

Other than that nothing else new, we are just taking everyday as it comes and praying for many more (23 weeks more) of Teddy Graham in my tummy :)

Here is my 17 week tummy picture

So Here I am at 15 weeks. This has been a HARD one. I'm glad to be at the begining of a new week (in the pregnancy) and hope this one goes smoother than the last few. Let me just say that being sick is SOOOO not fun, and it's worse when you're pregnant because you can't take the medication you normally would, you're worried about the baby, and your immune system is not as strong as it would normally be so you stay sick longer!

The sore throat continued to be a struggle for most of the week. I lost alot of sleep because the pain of swallowing in my sleep would actually wake me up and then I wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep. I finally called my OB and went in to be tested for strep throat. It came back negative so I was basically given some over the counter medications I could use and told to rest and wait for my body to fight off the Virus. One of the meds I got was a throat spray that was supposed to numb your throat, but it didn't go well, the second I sprayed it in my throat I knew it was bad idea, and out came all of my lunch UGHH.

Well finally my throat statred feeling better. Yesterday my throat was actually feeling pretty much normal. Something funny about being sick for so long is that, I would swallow and still be waiting for the pain, and then I'd be like ahhh I'm better now, big grin. It's wierd when swallowing without pain is wierd to you lol

Anyway, just when things were looking up they went downhill again. I had been dealing with some pretty bad diarrhea since tuesday. Then yesterday morning when I woke up I ran to the toilet with the runs again, half an hour of clutching my tummy in pain from the cramps and letting it all out ;) I felt a bit better. Jeremy woke up and got me some cereal, while I was eating pain in my upper abdomen started. Kept getting worse. I thought maybe its gas, so I took two gas x and laid down for about an hour. By the end of the hour the pain had only gotten worse and I was in tears. I know I got my gall bladder out, but it totally felt like a gall bladder atack.

I put a call into my OB and they told me to go to the ER. So when we got there they took my info. I told them I was only 14 wks + 6 days pregnant but my last menstral period was April 27 (I have polycystic ovary syndrome so you can't always predict my ovulation based on that for me) then a nurse came and got me, took me back to a room and took blood pressure ect, then someone came with a wheelchair and told me they were taking me up to labor and delivery to be checked out.

So they take me up there and have me get undressed ect, then leave me in the room for about 15 minutes, then a nurse comes in and says, sorry we have too take you back down to ER because youre not far enough along to be up here.

Apparently they didnt listen to me and looked at my last period date to determine how far along I was instead of listening to how many weeks I told them I was. So they take me back down to the Er.

Finally the ER Dr comes in to see me, he asks me questions and says they are going to do some labs and go from there. He said right away that my symptoms seem to be stomach and bowel related not baby related so I felt a bit better.

A few minutes later someone came in to draw blood and start an IV. I asked if they really needed to start an IV and he said that they always do it when they draw blood just in case. Ok... so he tries on my right arm near the crease by my elbow, and couldnt get the vein, dug around for a few minutes, nothing. Pretty uncomfortable but I was handling it. So he pulls it out and gets another needle, now he goes for the back of my right hand…. OUCH it felt like bee sting when he stuck it in there and again, he couldnt find the vein. Kept digging with me writhing in pain and saying ouch, ouch, ouch and eventually I started to cry… I couldnt help myself, it hurt so bad! I finally said PLEASE STOP, youre hurting me. So he finally pulled out the needle, and then my vein blew and my hand started getting this throbbing knot the size of a quarter and about 3/4 inches tall on it.

All this time he has said NOTHING! Not Im sorry Im hurting you, are you ok, nothing. So now Im thinking who is this guy and I glance at his name badge… and guess what it says? It says student paramedic!?!?! WHAT? No one told me he was a student or asked me if it would be ok for him to do this. I was so mad. He didnt even say anything about my hand and what was happening he just got up and started to walk out of the room. I had to stop him and say, is this normal for my hand to be swelling up like this? He said oh dont worry your vein just blew… So I said ok, now what. He said I'll go get your nurse.

I just bust into tears when he left. I was still in pain in my tummy, and this guys comes in and adds to my pain and injuries. I know they have to learn on someone, I just wish I had been told and given the opportunity to choose. I really hate needles and I would have preferred someone who knew what they were doing. Anyway, after that a new person (not a student) comes in to draw blood and put in the IV she did it on the first try with my other arm within 30 seconds. SO much better!

Then we basically waited about 1 1/2 hours for labs. By then I was feeling much better and wishing I had just stayed home. They came back and told me everything looked fine and they dont know why I was having pain. So they sent me home. I still don't have any clue what the pain was all about but I'm just glad it is GONE! I know Teddy Graham is still doing fine because his/her heartbeat is nice and strong on my doppler and no bleeding or cramping in my lower abdomen, but still yesterday was a rough day!

Other than that nothing too much new this week, I have just been trying to get better and rest as much as possible. Here's hoping for a healthier week with no pain or dramma.

right at the end of 15 weeks is when my water broke with Gabriel, so I'm a bit nervous this week. Please keep hoping and praying with Jeremy and I that this baby will be strong and healthy, have a strong and healthy amniotic sack and that this little one will make it home with us!

So here are my pics this week, my tummy continues to grow... I know some people worry about getting bigger while pregnant and gaining weight ect, but I just love the fact that my tummy getting bigger means the baby is getting bigger... HURRAY little Teddy Graham is growing leaps and bounds and is already about 4.5 inches from head to butt, then add arms and legs :) how quickly they grow ;)



Bare tummy pics... getting a bit rounder :)

Awesome Dr Apointment

So I don't think I have been this happy since I found out I was pregnant. Today was so emotional for me. We went in for our ultrasound and they couldn't find Teddy Graham's heartbeat with the doppler right away so she did a tummy ultrasound and I am so glad we got to see it! There he/she was waving hello to us, I couldn't believe it... then the baby did a little dance and jumped around for us. I felt like my heart would explode with happiness and I just burst into tears... I don't know why but seeing that little life in there doing well and growing (look how much bigger he/she looks) and MOVING! We never got to see that with Gabriel so it was a first. I am so happy and grateful, to God and to Jeremy for giving me this wonderful gift. I just can't explain how I feel, it's overwhelming. During the ultrasound Jeremy just had the biggest grin on his face and he got me some Kleenex for my big crocodile tears and gave me two big kisses... he's so cute!

Also I had questions for the Dr today. We talked about the progesterone shots which she says I will be starting at week 17, I'll be going into the clinic for my shot once a week. Also I asked her about the gasping thing I've been doing and she said "it's just nerves" I told her "no it's not" so she said "well, do you catch your breath right away after you gasp?" I said "yes" she said "then don't worry about it" She is so matter of fact about everything it's funny. I also asked her about this weird pressure I've been feeling and she says she thinks it's normal. So that's good too.

My cervix is still looking good and everything is going well, I'm floating on cloud 9 tonight!

So here is our little one, who you will notice has left looking like a gummy bear behind and has now moved on to looking like a little alien! Still the cutest alien baby I've ever seen ;) In the first pic the baby is waving hello. The head and face are at the top and you can see the babies arms and big round tummy, isn't it cute?!?!?



Now in this one you can see the face again and the arms and legs. This picture has also sparked a debate...notice the little white spot between the legs... boy parts? or not? We'll be getting our anatomy scan at 20 weeks so sometime in October, we'll probably find out the sex then... but it's still fun to guess.

Strange Symptom

So a new symptom I am having this week is gasping. It may sound weird but for no reason as I am going about my normal business I'll just involuntarily gasp like I don't have enough air just once and then go back to breathing normally. It is so strange. It's been happening a handful of times a day since I hit 12 weeks. I didn't remember this off the top of my head but I mentioned this to my mom and she reminded me that I had this same thing around this time with Gabriel. After she told me I did remember it. It's nothing big just kind of weird!

Cravings

So My cravings seem to come and go, first was bananas, then green olives, which I haven't eaten in years. Mom was making me an omelet and I suddenly just NEEDED green olives, it was so funny! Next was Chinese food (which I satisfied last night) and WOW it was the best thing ever, Teddy Graham and I were VERY happy :) and now I am craving count chocula, that chocolate cereal with marshmellows.... Jeremy is going to have to run to the store!

Dr Apointment 11 weeks

This one was very short, just a quick ultrasound check, only got to peak at our baby for about 1 minute, and cervix is looking good. Biggest difference in how Teddy graham is looking is how LONG his/her arms and legs have gotten, I saw knees :) Finally got to hear the heartbeat on the doppler, 160 bpm, which I've been told means a boy, so we'll see. Unfortunataley the ultrasound picture of the baby was harder to see, the dr says this is because the baby is starting to move higher in my tummy, and they are doing transvaginal ultrasounds because the main reason for them is to check my cervix so it is going to get harder and harder to see the baby according to her. Oh well, It's still good to know that everything is going well, and baby is looking good!

11 weeks

So here we are at 11 weeks. Everything seems to be going really well,

morning sickness has still been manageable most of the time. Yesterday morning was an exception. I went to breakfast with Jeremy and his family and after eating I felt fine, so we walked out to the car and were waiting for everyone else to trickle out of the restaurant. A few minutes after walking outside I started to get hot, and then started to sweat, I could feel my gag reflex starting to act up, so I ran back into the restaurant and in a public bathroom (yuck) I threw up EVERYTHING in my tummy. I guess little Teddy graham was just reminding me that he/she is still there and kicking.

Also this week my tummy has been feeling very stretchy, just feeling bigger and I have been having a pulling painful sensation that seems to originate from my gallbladder scar that is right by my belly button. it mostly hurts if I sneeze, or move wrong, or for some reason when I am going to the bathroom. I'm going to ask the dr about it but the current theory is that maybe my stretching tummy is pulling on adhesions from my surgery.

Well when we took my picture this week and I compared it to week 9 where I was wearing the same tank top, it has definitely grown :) I've never been so excited to get fatter before... hahaha Well to me it just means the baby is growing and makes me feel more pregnant which is the fun part.

I'm now wearing mostly maternity clothes because I do not fit almost anything from before I got pregnant none of my pants, and most of my shirts look WAY too small. Jeremy's mom bought me a few new things too which is fun. I think I'm still in that stage where people look at me and think... "is she getting fatter? or is she pregnant?" hopefully that passes soon and everyone will be able to tell.

We go for another Dr apt today so we get another peak at Teddy Graham and make sure that my cervix is still looking good. I'll update with the new picture soon.

So here is my growing tummy, another interesting thing is that it is also rounding out more with each passing week. Oh and I can feel my uterus above my pelvic bone now which is fun, I can't wait till I start feeling this little one moving!