Bell Pepper

Monday, July 27, 2009
18 Weeks
Bell Pepper

So I have already updated as to the findings at our doctor's appointment today, but I wanted to continue the tradition of comparing our baby to a food item. According to those who measure babies in utero, our baby is now a bell pepper. This is a bit strange to me, as I am kind of partial to bell peppers (and all other yummy fresh vegetables and fruits) right now. I now think about the baby when I eat some of these things that I love. I comfort myself with the knowledge that, given the opportunity, I would not eat my baby.

Baby Feet

Monday, July 27, 2009
18 Weeks

This is ridiculous! I mean, look at those little feet. Tell me you don't want to nibble on those little piggies.

Baby Legs

Monday, July 27, 2009
18 Weeks

I thought this was very cool. You can actually see the bones of the legs, and you can see little toes! The baby was definitely moving those legs today, but I still don't feel anything.

All The Parts

Monday, July 27, 2009
18 weeks

We are very happy to say that all went well at Dr. Roussis' office today. We had "the biggie ultrasound," and everything looked great. The baby weighs about 10 ounces now and is growing bigger every day. They were able to visualize everything on the ultrasound. The brain is developing on target. We were able to see the nose and lips (no cleft lip for those who were nervous). We got to see the belly. They said that the baby is swallowing well, because they were able to visualize the stomach within the abdomen. The umbilical cord, which is currently connected to the placenta, has 3 vessels (2 arteries and 1 vein) just as it should. The baby has 2 kidneys, which is excellent. Although you can live with 1 kidney, it is always better to have two. We saw the legs, feet, arms, hands and spine. All looked totally normal. They were able to visualize the heart but could not see everything they wanted to see. So we have a more detailed ultrasound and a fetal echocardiogram (ultrasound of the baby's heart) in 5 weeks. We could have determined the sex of the baby today if we had been interested. Of course, you all know that Paul and I want to be surprised. I am uncertain whether or not the ultrasonographer now knows if the Miller Bean is a girl or a boy. We did not see anything telling while viewing the ultrasound, and if she knows, she respectfully kept it a secret. Dr. Roussis was pleased, which, in turn, is pleasing to us. This picture gives the best profile image. I am also going to post some of the baby's legs and feet!

Cravings and Aversions

So I will admit that this has not been a major problem for me, but people keep asking me what I have craved and what I have detested during pregnancy. In the first trimester I had very little appetite. When I was hungry, I wanted salt and cheese (e.g. cottage cheese, salt & vinegar potato chips, pizza). However, I have also been dying for fresh fruits and vegetables since the beginning and continue to want them every day. The fruit and vegetable cravings are not a deviation from my norm. Plus, it is summer, so everything is fresh and delicious. I was totally unable to eat or smell onions, fish or Asian food during the first trimester. Thankfully I am able to eat Asian food now. I love Thai and Vietnamese food. I am now iffy on the onions and fish. I have never been a huge egg fan, but since becoming pregnant, I have been totally unable to stomach them. So far, the second trimester has been kinder. My appetite is definitely back. I have had 2 weird cravings this month: peanuts and hearts of palm. Sadly, I have become averse to corn, but I am hoping it will go away soon. Ordinarily I eat corn 2 to 3 times per week in the summer. The smell 0f raw meat has and continues to disgust me. If we eat meat, Paul has to take it out of the packaging and grill it. Needless-to-say, we have been eating less meat!

Avocado

Monday, July 13, 2009

16 Weeks

Avocado

Phew! The baby is no longer a lemon. Today, at our doctor visit, we found out that the baby will double his/her weight over the next couple of weeks. That's a lot of growth! Also the baby's heart is already pumping over 20 quarts of blood each day! Everything looked great at our visit. They were able to detect the baby's heartbeat immediately with the doppler (ultrasonic sound but not picture). The baby's heart is so strong, they have never had any difficulty finding it. They also measured my belly for the first time today. It was 17 cm, which they said was right on target. I have no idea what that means but was glad to hear it was right. I might be able to feel the baby between now and the next visit, so I am trying to lie still at night to see if I detect anything. Some women don't feel anything until 25 weeks, though, so we'll see. I had lost 2 pounds since my last visit, which puts my weight below the weight at my very first visit. They were minimally concerned about this. I told them there was no need to worry, because I have plenty of extra weight, and I am definitely eating. As long as I continue to gain steadily, they do not think there will be a problem. The biggie ultrasound is next (July 27th) to check anatomy and heart function, so stay tuned, but there will be no news regarding the bean's gender. Keep the votes coming. I assure you we are not having a puppy, and we have so far only seen one baby.

Picking a Name

Picking a name is hard work. Not only is there the stress of knowing that you have labeled this child for life, but everyone else has a criticism for any name you have considered. We are hopeful to narrow the list to 2 girl and 2 boy names within the next 2 to 3 months (by 25 to 30 weeks). When the baby comes, we hope to be compelled by some type of baby naming spirit to choose the right one of the 2 choices. Or maybe the baby will somehow tell us what his or her name should be. A friend recently told me that Picabo Street named herself when she was old enough to talk. Is that true? Anyway, if you have suggestions, let us know in your comments. We will certainly consider them.

Girl or Boy

So we don't know now nor will we until the baby arrives. But lots of people have feelings about what couples might be having. I think it's a girl, but I don't know why. Just a hunch. Paul thinks it's a boy (but secretly wants a girl). Even though there is no validity to any of it, we are interested in what any of you think the baby might be. I have added a poll to the blog so you can vote if you're interested.

Creating the Nursery

Paul and I have been working very hard on the baby's room. I thought it would be so difficult to create a room for a person we haven't even met yet, particularly when we don't know if that person will be a boy or a girl. But it turns out it's not that hard. We decided to use light greens and blues for colors. I painted wide horizontal stripes on the walls in blue and green. Paul helped me with the tape. It was an arduous task but well worth it. We think it looks fantastic! I have finished making the baby's mobile - different types of birds cut out of contrasting fabrics, which hang from artificial tree limbs. It turned out a lot better than I thought it would. I also made a lamp shade and got new drawer pulls for the baby's dresser. I am hoping that Paul's sister, Melissa, will be able to paint a tree in the corner of the nursery overlooking the crib. My goal is to hang the mobile from the ceiling but for it to appear to be hanging from a limb of the painted tree. I have more and more ideas every day. At some point, I will have to stop, but I'm really enjoying all the preparation. It is very difficult to take pictures of a room from inside the room, but I promise I will upload some soon.

Lemon

Monday, June 29, 2009

14 Weeks

Lemon

Crap! Now the baby is a lemon! I spoke too soon. The visit today went pretty well. My blood sugar levels are still pretty erratic (high in the mornings and low in the afternoons), but they told me that things should start to smooth out around 18 weeks. We will be 15 weeks on Friday, so I'm looking forward to more even levels. Today is the first time I had actually gained weight, and I was up 0.6 pounds. I have been working very hard to manage my weight during the pregnancy, and I made it through the first trimester without gaining a pound (still safe for baby). My hope is to gain 15 pounds throughout the pregnancy, and the docotors think this is a good goal, too. The less weight I put on, the less stress to me and the baby.

The Acrobat

Monday, June 15, 2009

12 Weeks

So the picture is not very clear, because the baby was doing flips the entire time. Every time the ultrasonographer got a good view, the baby flipped. Then the ultrasonographer had to find her/him again. It made it very difficult for her to accurately check the heart rate. However, it's supposedly a good sign that the baby is that active. I was very surprised to see all the movement and be totally unaware that all of it was taking place in my own body. They said it will be another 4 to 8 weeks before I actually feel the baby moving. Paul and I were both amazed to see it. It makes it so much more real! We will have another ultrasound on July 27, 2009 to check anatomy (e.g. organ strucures, function of the heart). You can often find out the gender at this visit, but Paul and I want to be surprised. Sorry to all those who like to plan, but none of us will know until the little bean gets here.

Lime

Monday, June 15, 2009

12 Weeks

Lime

Well, at least the baby's not a lemon. I'm still amazed at the rapidity of growth. From a kumquat to a lime in 2 weeks? That seems crazy! We had another ultrasound today. The baby was moving around so much. She/he was actually doing somersaults, and we could see it! Totally amazing. The movement made it difficult to get good pictures, but I will post one anyway. Be patient. The pictures will get better as the baby gets bigger and begins to appear more human.

Kumquat

Monday, June 1, 2009

10 Weeks

Kumquat

So now the baby is the size of a kumquat. Why all the food references? No ultrasound today. More bloodwork. Good visit with the diabetes team. Everything continues to progress as expected. Do I really need to do this every 2 weeks? The answer is "yes."

Welcome Little Bean!

May 15, 2009
8 Weeks

This is our first ultrasound picture (only 8 weeks)!
We were able to both see and hear the baby's
heartbeat today - 167 beats/minute!
You can clearly see the baby's head, and there are little buds
that will soon become the arms and legs. Very cool!

Large Raspberry

Friday, May 15, 2009

8 Weeks
Large Raspberry

So now the baby is the size of a large raspberry. Seriously? From an orange seed to a raspberry in 19 days? That's some serious growth. No wonder I am so tired. Today was our second visit to Dr. Roussis. Everything continues to progress well. We had another ultrasound today, and it was amazing. We got to see and hear the baby's heartbeat. I hope to upload the picture for your viewing in the very near future. We have to go to the doctor every 2 weeks, so we are gearing up for the long haul!

First Doctor Visit

Monday, April 27, 2009

5 Weeks
Orange Seed

We had our first visit with our new doctor today. They say the baby is the size of an orange seed! Because I have Type 1 Diabetes, we have to see a high-risk OB/Gyn. Our doctor's name is Perry Roussis, and he is fantastic! He's very direct, which I like, and very kind, which Paul likes. The baby and I have to be super aware of what we eat (in fact, I have to write down every morsel of food I put into my mouth for the dietician and diabetes nurse educator to review). I also have to watch my blood sugar levels very carefully. Already I am seeing more fluctuations than normal. They say it's due to the hormones (by the way, every symptom you ever have during pregnancy is blamed on the hormones). They collected 9 tubes of blood, and we had an ultrasound, too. The baby was too tiny to see anything, so they are going to do another one in 2 weeks. So far things are looking good, and everyone expects both of us to well (as long as we take care of each other). Good news is Paul is taking great care of both of us!

When We Knew . . .

The original positive pregnancy test was
on Friday, April 17th, but we just couldn't believe it.
So . . . we took three more the next day.
I guess we're having a baby. Yay!

Hello World!

So that Mary and I can share this time with friends and family far and near... here is our baby's blog. I will start uploading some pics soon!