carrie's first pregnancy

I had my monthly doctor's appointment today! I'm up 15lbs, which is still "ok" and slightly above normal, but not obscene :) Baby is doing GREAT... strong heartbeat at 154bpm, but he kept running away from the doppler machine so it took her a minute to get the measurement. I've heard the machine can be "loud" to the baby, but it was funny to see the nurse find it, and then hear it fade out as he moved away. No other complications, blood pressure looks good, and everything is growing as it should. Almost half way done!

I also asked the doctor about what she thought of Bradely Method classes, and natural (or unmedicated) childbirth in general. She said that she and the other doctors will offer advice, but that it will definitely be up to me to let them know how I would like to proceed during labor/delivery. So at least I know I will be asked when the time comes for epidurals, episiotomies, etc... and that they are not standard procedure :) Still not sure I'm going the all natural route, but it's good to know in case I do!

Thanks for all the suggestions on how to feel baby move. I've tried lying still at different parts of the day and evening, even drank orange juice and lied still for a bit to see if that would help me feel something. Nope! Not even a slight flutter that could me mistaken for gas ;) It's still normal (don't worry, I checked) for me NOT to feel movement at this stage... if I don't feel anything by 25 weeks, then I am allowed to start worrying. PLENTY of time, but I am getting impatient! ;)

I've also been scouring craigslist on a daily basis for cribs. I found in our area that there are at least 5 cribs per day for sale, and most of them in good condition! So I'm holding out for one that is in the style and color we like, and I hope to get it for significantly less than a new one would cost. I also found someone selling a NEW mattress for half price. The Colgate Classica was on my list of top rated mattresses, and instead of paying $100, I will pick ours up tomorrow for only $50 :) So our first big baby item will be in the baby's room tomorrow! Woohoo!

Now to find that crib...

19 weeks 5 days

Posted by carrie at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Only one more week and we're half way there! :) This week was eventful, and now that we know the sex, only a few more milestones left before the big delivery day! I still haven't felt any movement yet, but it's totally normal not to feel things until 20-22 weeks, so I'm keeping the hope alive that I start feeling something soon! Here is what is going on with baby this week:



I've started compiling baby's clothes together, and organizing them into sizes (newborn, 0-3 months, etc). Because I have such generous friends, we already have quite the pile going! I'm also scouting out cribs on craigslist, and have found multiple ones for sale that we picked out in the store, for less than half the price! The Pali Mia crib people are giving away for $200, and some for even less than that! So I have faith that we'll be able to get the crib we love, and not spend a fortune. Our family is also being very generous, and Joe's grandparents have already said they want to gift us our stroller that we picked out. I can't begin to say how thankful I am, and it's a big stress relief to have the two major purchases (crib and stroller) almost taken care of for a lot less than we were anticipating :)

Next doctor's appointment is on Wednesday, and I plan on discussing our birthing options with her, to see how she feels about unmedicated births, etc. We start our Bradley class next Sunday, and it will help me get a feel for how big of a challenge it will be in the hospital to go without meds! Now, this is assuming I don't have any major obstacles (like the placenta post below) to prevent me from going natural... but I'm sure gonna try my hardest!

19 weeks

Posted by carrie at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

So yesterday at my ultrasound, I was diagnosed with a "low lying placenta", and knew that it couldn't be a good thing. It means my placenta is not high where it should be, and the technician showed me how it is partially covering my cervix. Luckily, most of the time when this is diagnosed in the 2nd trimester, it moves where it should be as baby grows. Reading online at babycenter.com, it gives a little better explanation, and hopefully I'm one of the majority where things go to where they should be before delivery. Otherwise, it could mean early delivery and a possible c-section. But I'm thinking positive that things will improve over the next few weeks! If anything, I will get another ultrasound in a month or two, to see how it's going ;) Yay for seeing baby again!

Still no feelings of movement... come on baby... get stronger!! :)

UPDATE: My doctor called and said I am fine, that they will do another check at 32-34 weeks to make sure it moved, but that I can continue normal activities. So yay for good news!

18 weeks 5 days

Posted by carrie at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

My mom and I went to Babies R Us yesterday after the ultrasound, to see if they had any cute storage stuff for the nursery (since closet space for us in nilch). She wound up getting these really cute books for Joe to read to baby (since he can hear now), and also got some really cute clothes! Who says boy clothes aren't cute?? :) The baseball outfit says "Dad's Team" and has a baseball on the butt... and the sweater outfit has a hat that says "Play Ball". Too cute!! And yes, I realize our kid will probably hate hats, and now that we got him clothes be too big or small for all of them... but it was fun picking them out! :)







18 weeks 5 days

Posted by carrie at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments

No mistake, it's a boy :) So the tech at the 13 week ultrasound was right! She thought she saw "something", but since boys and girls can both have something around that time, I didn't want to say for sure. But yay, now we can concentrate on boy names, and start finding fun blue (my favorite color) things ;) So far for names, Anthony James is our top contender... but Joe also likes Alexander (I told him we'd call him Zander), and I like James as a first name instead of the middle name. We've got plenty of time to decide though :)

The ultrasound went great... baby is measuring at 19 weeks, so a few days ahead of schedule. But they don't change your due date for a few days, so 12/19 is still the big date. Every other measurement is right on target, and he's doing beautifully. The technician did say my placenta is slightly covering my cervix, but that it can move around, so not to worry. :)

My mom is still in town, so today we are going to stop by Babies R Us and see if we can find good nursery items. I need to find creative storage solutions since our closets are overflowing already, and we only have one dresser. Should be fun!

My next doctor's appointment is next week, so I'll talk over all my concerns with her then, but so far so good!

Yay for team BLUE!! :)

18 weeks 4 days

Posted by carrie at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

So Joe and I did some preliminary crib shopping today out at Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg, to give an idea on how much they were, and what types of styles we both liked. We decided that a drop side crib (and not a convertible one) would work best, so we narrowed our choices down to that. We also both liked the darker wood, and decided that we would paint the dresser upstairs (originally going to be white) another color, maybe blue or green (depending on what we paint the walls). So these are the styles we liked:


Capretti Toscana - $599



MDB Annabelle - $289


Pali Mia - $549


Sorelle Rita Bella - $249


Young America My Haven - $549


We are going to Babies R Us as well, to see if we like any over there. Fun stuff! Now I just need to find out how long it takes to order them, to know when we need to actually buy it :) We also tried out the strollers there, and discovered that the stroller I was set on was too short for Joe. So he tried out a couple others, and we both liked the Baby Jogger City Elite style. It has adjustable handlebars, and is rated just as well as the BOB Revolution :) So yay for trying out stuff in the store :)

My mom lands here in a few hours, and then it's countdown to appointment time!

18 weeks 1 day

Posted by carrie at 7:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

4 days until the big ultrasound, and I can't WAIT!! :) My mom flies in on Saturday night, and is going to come with us to the appointment. Hopefully baby cooperates and shows us the goods! ;) Look for an update after 8:30am on Tuesday! :)

I'm 18 weeks today, and yep, still feel the same. I'm a bit disappointed that I haven't felt the baby move yet, and it makes me all the more excited for Tuesday to make sure that he/she is still doing ok in there! I heard the heartbeat two weeks ago, but it's still unnerving when you have no idea how they are doing. Even though I can't feel baby move, my stomach has been stretching and pulling, and I'm having a hard time finding a comfortable position sitting on the couch. It doesn't hurt, just uncomfortable, like I'm pulling my muscles while stretching or something. I keep waiting to feel the "flutters" from baby that everyone keeps talking about that I should be able to feel at this point, but so far, I got nothin. Even after eating a sugar loaded brownie... nothin. So here's hoping this week it starts! Here is what is going on with baby for the 19th week:



So nothing crazy, but apparently he/she is growing hair :) In other news, if you haven't read my main blog, then you don't know that I announced that I am taking a new job next month. Nothing like a little excitement during pregnancy, right? :) I'm going to work for the Peace Corps downtown, which has a shorter commute, better hours, and is right around the corner from the daycare we hope to use. The biggest problem? No maternity leave. Yep, I'm leaving behind my 8 weeks of paid maternity leave here at Booz Allen to go work for the government, who gives you none. They expect you to save up your sick and vacation time... which by December I'll have a total of 10 days saved. Luckily, they also have a "leave donation" bank, where people can donate their leave to others who have exhausted theirs. I checked with HR, and I qualify for that program... so here's hoping I can get leave donated to me to take the 8 weeks off after baby is born! In the meantime, we are in save mode, and I believe we can safely save for me to take off that time, even if it's all unpaid.

But outside of the short term problem, in the long run, this seemed like the better fit for me, that would give me more time with baby. The Peace Corps environment (from what I hear) is motivated and fun, so I think I will enjoy the time I spend there. It also has a term limit... you can only work there for 5 years, and then you must leave. You then have to stay away for the time that you worked there (so if you worked there 3 years, you have to leave for 3 years before you can return). So the work force is constantly changing, which can be good (you are not working with people who have been stuck in their jobs for 20 years, and could care less) :) It's also apparently fairly easy to find work after your tour is through, and if you stay in government, your sick/vacation/benefits all follow you to your new job :)

So yeah, lots of changes going on, but thankfully this pregnancy has been great so far! I love being pregnant, and am so grateful that I can enjoy it, and not be fraught with worry all the time (well, I still worry, but not so much as I could be). I also gave up my scale to a friend who joined Weight Watchers, so no more weight obsession for me this pregnancy! If I gain, I gain, and now I can quit worrying about it ;) At least, until after baby gets here!

18 weeks

Posted by carrie at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Well, I got my first "when are you due?" question from a stranger this weekend, which means I actually look pregnant now :) I took some photos of me in my maternity clothes, and it looks like my belly has finally "popped" :)







Excuse the hair mess, it was humid this morning :) One week from today for the big appointment!! :)

17 weeks 4 days

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Well, we made it to 17 weeks :) Last weekend was GREAT... my family is the best, and I always have a great time at our reunions. Makes me wish I lived closer so that we could get together more often! It was also fun talking pregnancy talk with my cousins who have been through it, and are expecting again :) I got a lot of great advice, and some useful hand-me-downs. It will really help!

For baby this week, there isn't a whole lot going on, other than I'm supposed to be able to feel the baby move any day now. Here's what babycenter lists for development for this week:



Only one more week til we find out what we are having!! My mom is flying in next weekend, and a week from Tuesday we'll know for sure (if he/she cooperates, that is) :) I go next week for blood tests (yay, needles), then the ultrasound, then my next monthly appointment is on the 30th.

I'm still feeling ok, but I've noticed the shortness of breath A LOT more lately. I mentioned it to my doctor at my last appointment, and she said it was normal, but to let them know if it becomes more frequent or unbearable. It's weird... I'll be walking the dog or going up the stairs (things I do every day, multiple times a day), and my chest will feel heavy, and I have to sit down for a second to catch my breath. It sucks, but so far, that's my only complaint. I've also felt lightheaded, which I read is another common symptom at this stage. Sleeping has become interesting... I wake up at least once to pee, and now can no longer sleep on my back. If I do, my hands or feet fall asleep, which I know can't be good for the baby. So I'm trying to make a conscious effort to sleep on my side, but I've always been a back sleeper, so it's not the most comfortable position for me. I have a "snoogle" body pillow (curved at both ends, to support head and hips) and it's heaven :)

All in all, I'm still doing great. Still up 11 pounds total, which isn't terrible. Especially considering how much crap I ate at our reunion over the weekend ;) Clothes are unbearable if they are not maternity, and I finally had to order some black suit pants for work, because the bella band is now becoming too tight and uncomfortable. I'll try to update with a belly picture this weekend, because I think I actually am starting to resemble a pregnant lady ;) I'll do another one with my maternity clothes on, and you can see the difference it makes.

So still waiting to feel my first kicks... any day now!

17 weeks

Posted by carrie at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Had my next doctor appointment this morning, and everything looks great! I got to hear baby's heartbeat again, 160 and goin' strong! :) So that's a relief. I found out I may have a UTI though, so they sent my stuff to the lab, and I'll know later today if that's the case. If I do, I just have a course of antibiotics to take, that won't affect the baby. I have noticed that I'm now waking up in the middle of the night (around 3-4am) to pee. It's annoying, but I know it's only the first of many, many sleepless nights to come. Lily wastes no time jumping in my spot on the bed while I'm gone, so then I have to wrestle her back to give me enough room. We seriously need a bigger bed! :)

I also confirmed our appointment for the big ultrasound on the 22nd. I have to go back in two weeks for bloodwork, then the ultrasound, and then the next follow up appointment on August 5th. By then, I'll be 20 weeks, and over the half way mark! Time is going by so fast!

Speaking of time, I'll update for this week, since I'll be out til Sunday in Michigan. So here is what is going on with baby this (next) week:



So yep, baby can hear now! Joe was excited to hear that, so now we need to get headphones to play music for him/her :) Supposedly I will start to be able to feel kicking soon, but that most 1st time moms don't feel it until week 20 or later. I'll keep hope that it's soon though! :)

I also read "What to Expect When You're Expecting", and for this month, they highlight how women perceive themselves as "fat" and have negative self image, now that the weight gain is getting higher. So that made me feel better, that it's not just me who goes through this. I've been getting better at just letting things go, and now that my stomach is popping out a little more each day, it's making me feel more "pregnant" :) They also discussed the shortness of breath I was describing, and how it's totally normal at this stage in pregnancy. So phew, nothing wrong, and good to hear all the fun stuff I'm going through is quite common :)

Now we're off to Michigan, and our annual family reunion! I can't wait to see our family, especially Joy, who lives in Hawaii, and who I haven't seen in years! :) Wish us luck with the drive!

15 weeks 4 days

Posted by carrie at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments