Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Our Story So Far: The 3rd Trimester

Dear Baby,

We're about 2 1/2 weeks into the third trimester! Daddy and I are getting very excited! We can't wait to meet you and bring you home, but that's still a while away obviously.

There's not a whole lot to say. I started seeing the OB/GYN instead of Dr. H (our family doctor), and she says everything is going fine. She saw me in the hospital the night the HG was the worst (the time mommy and daddy had to stay overnight), and when I went to our first appointment with her, she didn't even recognize me at first! She said I looked like a completely different person now that the Zofran is working.

We've been gaining weight steadily, but not too much (but mommy's a big girl anyway, so hopefully most of the weight is you and the amniotic fluid!). Our Gestational Diabetes test came back negative, and everytime the doctor checks your heart you're still at a perfect 150!

A funny story though: You've obviously inherited your mommy's attitude! You like to move around and hide a lot when the doctor tries to hear your heartbeat (you did the same thing to the nurses everytime mommy went to the hospital too). One time, when the doctor finally found you and started counting your heartbeats, you kicked the Doppler (the machine that listens to your heart) so hard, it almost fell out of the doctor's hand! Everytime you do something that shows you already have a strong personality it makes me even more excited for November!

So keep growing and keep working on that attitude. I'm sure mommy and daddy will wind up with lots of funny stories about you over the years!

*****

Daddy says: "Hi, Baby! Daddy loves you so much! I'm so excited for you to be born. We'll wear tiaras and have tea-parties together!"

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Our Story So Far: The 2nd Trimester

Dear Baby,

Apparently the second trimester is supposed to be the most enjoyable; your early pregnancy symptoms clear up, but the baby you're carrying isn't so big that he/she starts putting immense strain on your body. Well, our second trimester wasn't so awesome. I had boughts of Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Luckily the nurses at the Maternity ward at Abbotsford Hospital were great. Although it took awhile sometimes to find a proper vein, they put me on IV fluids and wouldn't let me leave until I was obviously improved. One night Daddy and I had to stay overnight! However, everytime they checked on you, your heartbeat was a perfect 150 beats/min.

Eventually the doctor wrote me a perscription for Zofran. Zofran is an antineausea medicine usually reserved for people in chemotherapy or with radiation poisoning, but it's being perscribed more and more often for HG and severe morning sickness in pregnant women. It has no side effects on the baby, and it's incredibly effective. The only bad side effect on me, was that I got painfully constipated after a few weeks, but it passed.

In the meantime, on my good days, everything was great. Everyone was getting over their surprise and were starting to get excited. Mommy and Daddy went shopping for all the stuff you'd need (I even kept the reciept from Walmart for your baby book), and we bought me some maternity pants. Nana and Nanny (my moms) bought me some maternity shirts. Daddy and I figured out how to set up the bedroom so your crib and change table could fit, and I even made us a little corner for breastfeeding at nights. It has a bookshelf with spit up cloths and soothers and stuff, an armchair that rocks, and a lamp that isn't too bright (so Daddy can still sleep while you and I feed).

Daddy wound up getting a really great job. He's part of a union (which means good job stability and great benefits), and he gets paid very well. He's thrilled, because now he knows he can provide for you. He's so excited about becoming a Daddy!

At 18 weeks, we had an ultrasound. You were being difficult and had your back to us for most of it, so the technician couldn't tell us what your gender is. However, when the technician turned the monitor so Daddy and I could see you, you waved to us then rolled over and flashed us with your legs wide open. We're pretty sure you're a girl, but we're not 100% sure. We got to have a repeat ultrasound though, because the technician couldn't get pictures of your heart that she was satisfied with. Daddy had to work when it was time for the repeat ultrasound, so your Uncle J (daddy's brother) came with me instead. You were much more cooperative this time, and the technician confirmed that definitely are a girl!

I told daddy that night that we're having a little princess, and a few weeks later Daddy picked out your first name. I liked it because it's not too common, and Daddy likes it because it's not too outrageous either. It was the perfect compromise, and it's a lovely name. About a week later, I suggested your middle name, and Daddy agreed that it was perfect.

Besides the bouts of HG, the second trimester was relatively uneventful. Nana and Nanny have started planning the baby shower for mommy's side of the family, and Gramma has started planning one for daddy's side of the family. We all would have loved to have just one big shower, so the family's can meet, but it's hard getting everyone together on the same day because everyone has such different schedules. The Nans are having our shower in September, and Gramma is going to have one shortly after you're born. You're going to be so spoiled, but in a good way!

Near the end of the second trimester, I set up all the stuff Daddy and I bought for you. All we're missing is your crib and change table, because the Nans want to buy that for you and they're going to wait until closer to the shower and your due date.

That's all there is to mention about our second trimester together, Baby. I'll let you know how our third trimester has been so far in a couple days.

*****

Daddy says: "Hi, Baby! I love you and I can't wait until you're here."

Saturday, August 20, 2011

A Million Questions...

Dear Baby,

It's getting rather close to the day you're born! I'm quickly approaching 7 months pregnant! Of course it would be at this late hour (and not before) that a bunch of baby-related questions would spring to my mind. Unfortunately I can't seem to find much information out there that gives me a straight forward answer to these questions. Most of my questions are about what to expect in regards to your physical development. I guess there's no straight forward answers, because each baby develops at his or her own pace, but there's got to be an average out there somewhere, right??

Anyway, here's some of the questions I want to ask:
  • When will you be able to support your own head?
  • When is the right time to start Tummy Time? I have a feeling that your muscles and stomach won't be ready if we try to start too soon!
  • When will you be able to start actually interacting with us (genuine smiles, genuine laughter, etc)?

That's all I can really think of at the moment, but for some reason those questions are really nagging on my mind! If I think of any others, I'll add them to this post.

I know I promised to write about our Second Trimester together soon. I'm still working on it! I haven't forgot, though, Baby! I'll try to get it posted asap!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Our Story So Far: The First Trimester

Dear Baby,

Everyone eventually wants to know the story about when their mom was pregnant with them. We all want to know what happened during the 9 months our moms were carrying us, what the delivery was like, and what it was like being our parents when we were brand new. I expect you'll be no different and will eventually want to hear "Your Baby Story"; and, when learning about ourselves; the more details, the better!! So, I figured I should start keeping a record about our life together as it's happening so I can mention all sorts of details that I might forget over time.

I am now officially, today, six months pregnant. We just started our third trimester, so I'm going to try really hard to remember as much as I can about the first and second trimesters, so I can tell you all about it. This post is all about our first three months together, including how I found out I was pregnant with you in the first place. We spent our first three months sleeping A LOT, so this won't be a very long post, but I'll do my best to tell you all about it.

*****

It was the middle of February, and I was sleeping a lot, and I mean a lot! I wasn't really worried at first; I figured maybe I needed to have a higher dosage of Synthroid (I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism about a year and a half before). Plus a lot of people get extra tired in the middle of winter, and I'm no different. I figured, at the most, I might be fighting off an impending cold. I decided to wait a few weeks and see if I felt any better. In the meantime, I had missed my period too; but my period has never been very regular, and having a period show up later than expected isn't uncommon for me. However, by the end of February, I was still sleeping more during the day than I was awake, and my period still hadn't shown up. By now, if a cold was coming on I would have had other symptoms. I figured it was the Hypothyroidism and decided to go to the clinic that week, so I could set up the blood test I'd need to take to figure out how much the doctors and I needed to bump up my medicine.

I went to the clinic on March 1st. I explained to the doctor what was going on, what I figured the reason was, and he seemed to agree. He was just about to fill out the forms for me to get my blood test done, when he said as a side note, "Just to be sure, there's no chance you're pregnant are you?"

Now, normally I would have laughed and said "no way!" Eight or nine years ago, I was told by a doctor that I would probably never have kids, even if I took fertility drugs. I don't why I hesitated that day; but, for whatever reason, that one day in particular what I wound up saying was, "well, nothing's impossible I suppose." We both shrugged our shoulders, and I went off to the bathroom to pee in a cup. When I was waiting for him to come back with the results, I remember thinking how odd it was that I hadn't just said "no, there's no way I'm pregnant." I decided I must have been more tired than I thought, and I felt a little guilty for wasting one of the clinic's pregnancy tests.

I still have a hard time describing the look on the doctor's face when he got back to the room. It was a mix of disbelief, amusement, worry, and many other emotions. He said, very casually, "Well, you're pregnant." At first I thought he was joking, and this was his way of telling me I should be using birth control; so I laughed and said "Are you serious?" I guess he realized that I thought he was joking, because he got very serious and told me that the test was positive.

I burst into tears (happy, ecstatic, shocked tears), and I guess I worried him because he asked what I wanted to do about being pregnant. I didn't understand what he meant at first, but then I realized he was trying to ask if I was going to give birth to you or have an abortion. I assured him that I'd absolutely be keeping you, and that the tears I was crying were of joy. I explained how I had been told I'd never have kids, but that all I wanted out of life was to be a mommy. He was very happy for me, and he wound up giving me three months worth of free samples of prenatal vitamins and sent me home. We didn't know at the time, but on the day I found out I was pregnant with you, we were already five and a half weeks along.

On the way home, I called Daddy to let him know that I was ok (he was very worried about my health). I remember him asking on the phone if I was pregnant. I do not lie to your Daddy about anything, except that once. Daddy had to leave for work in five minutes (which is why I called him about the clinic, instead of just talking to him when I got home), and I didn't think it would be good to send him off to work all day after just finding out that he's going to be a father.

When Daddy got home from work, I told him right away, and I explained why I had lied on the phone. Daddy actually thanked me for not telling him on the phone. He agreed that it would have been a bad day at work if he was distracted the whole time. Him and I were both very excited about you! We both worried that we wouldn't have enough money to provide for you, and we both worried if we were ready to be good parents for you; but mostly, we were all smiles and giggles and excitement!

A couple days later, I went to the Nan's to do some laundry. Nana was at work for the whole day, so I called her and told her I had some news, but I didn't know if I wanted to tell her on the phone or wait until I saw her in person. She asked if she was allowed to try to guess and I agreed. The very first thing she said was, "Hmmm. You're pregnant?" I said yes, and she got very excited. Nana has always, always, always wanted to be a Nana, and you are her first grandkid. She was very happy and said congratulations and that she and I could talk all about it when I saw her next. Later that day, Nanny came home from running errands, and I told her too. She was very surprised at first, but she was also very excited.

Over the next few days Daddy and I told all our family and everyone was excited and happy!

You gave us a scare though! When we were about eight weeks pregnant, I started bleeding a bit. I wasn't worried at first, because I had read that some women bleed a bit in the first trimester; but one night I felt the bleeding was a little too heavy. Daddy and I were worried, so we went to the hospital. The doctors there checked my blood work and booked me for an emergency ultrasound. We got to have our ultrasound a day or two after we went to the hospital.

The lady who did our ultrasound said you looked really good, especially your heart. She said you weren't in any distress, and that even though the bleeding might look a little heavy, it was just implantation bleeding and everything would be fine. She was right. A couple days after the ultrasound I stopped bleeding completely. I guess you just wanted to make sure you burrowed into the womb really well!

And that's why we have a photo of you when you were only 8 weeks and 6 days old!

The rest of the first trimester was normal. I slept a lot; your Daddy and I threw a few names around; I stopped smoking (obviously!) and started eating better; I didn't throw up during morning sickness like most women, but I did get very nauseous in the afternoon/evening. I didn't really have any other symptoms besides the nausea and the exhaustion. Oh, Baby, was I exhausted. We must have slept 18-20 hours out of the day, every day for those three months! We're lucky Daddy took time off work to care for us for a few months! He brought us food and drinks, and he took care of the pets and the apartment. Daddy did a lot for us the whole time I was pregnant! Daddy is our hero!

*****

That's all for the first trimester! I'll write all about the second trimester, including how incredibly sick I got, in a few days.