Blossoming Belly

Um, this is starting to scare me. Since finding out I've been pregnant, I've gone from 139.9 pounds, down to 128.0 pounds. I have LOST 11.9 pounds and yet I've gone from this:

To this!!!!

At our last OB visit, our doctor had mentioned that with my body style, small and petite, the baby really has no place to go, but up and out, which is why I may be showing so early, however, I am only 11 weeks and I have a feeling that by the time I make it to 30, I'm going to be the size of a moose.

If that's not scary enough, I haven't been able to gain ANY weight in these last 11 weeks. I'm still down 12 pounds and I've been eating full meals every 3 or so hours, and not one pound has been gained back. Everytime I get on the scale, it shows that I've lost more. NOT GOOD!

Dr. OB had mentioned at our last visit that she's worried that I'll be one of those people who have a hard time gaining enough weight for the baby, even though our "must-be-reached-but-MUST-not-go-over" goal is only 20 pounds, she's wondering if I'll even be able to hit that. I didn't get what she meant at the time, but I am understanding it now. My body is so small and tiny that all the nutrients that's being put in my body, is being eaten alive by the baby so there isn't much left for me in the end. Which is why I'm not gaining weight.

I have been eating very good foods, nothing too oily, sugary, greasy, etc. I've been trying to eat as healthy as I can, however sometimes those cravings can get to a girl. I've been eating my "normal" way, really, since finding out and even though I've been nauseas after each meal, I've still been chugging it down, hoping, that I may gain at least one pound.

I go back to see Dr. OB on May 18th, 2009, so if I get on the scale there and still haven't gained anything, then I'll talk to her then and see how she feels about it.

Regardless of my weight gain, (aka LOSS!) my belly is still blossoming better than ever! I've also started to feel the round ligament pains. They started the other night and have continued off and on. Not painful, just there. Kind of cool, actually.

Thumper's Pool

I've created an online place to guess Thumper's info. Such as, date of birth, time, weight, length, etc. If you'd like to participate and submit your guess, please feel free to head on over to the site and enter your data.

Thumper's Baby Pool

Yep, click that ^^^ link!

Thanks for playing!

17 Days & Preparations

Good news & even better news!!

17 days till I hit the glorified second trimester!! I can't believe how much time has passed and how quickly it has gone. It seems as if the days crawl by, but yet it seems the weeks have zoomed and it was just last week that we got married and started trying. It has been 4 years (about) since we started trying and we couldn't be any happier that it's happening now. We're (fairly!) settled and have quite a few debts paid off. We've re-negotiated our life and re-catagorized our priorities. We decided that now was the time that we stopped spending as if we were carefree, as we would eventually have to pay it back, and decided that now was the time to use our extra cash to pay off the things that needed to be paid off. We have been well on our way ever since and haven't looked back. Now couldn't be a more perfect time to bring a little one into the world, now that our debts have been paid off and we have less bills per month.

2nd Trimester: Things I look forward to!
(in no particular order, as I can't wait for ALL of them!)

• Hearing Thumper's heart beat for the very first time. We've seen our precious baby's heart beat 3 different times now, however, we have yet to hear it. Our next OB appointment is on Monday, May 18, 2009 and I'll be 13w5d. I am so excited that I may have the chance to listen to our babies heart beat then.
• Seeing our precious Thumper, again. Like I've said before, we've seen our baby 3 different times and yet every time it gets more and more exciting and I end up falling more and more in love with our precious little Bunny.
• Feeling our little Thumper kick, squirm, and bounce about in his warm, watery quarters. I have felt a few flutters here and there and we KNOW that this little one is moving as we've seen it on Ultrasound 2 different times now, however, I believe the flutters are due to gas and extra air bubbles and a slowed intestine, so we have yet to feel an actual movement.
• Watching our baby grow. Each day brings about new joys in pregnancy and it's so fun to read how your baby is growing each and every week. Being compared to a different sized fruit or vegetable in the produce section and learn or practicing a new task. It brings tears to my eyes knowing that ALL this is going on inside MY uterus (which happens to be the size of a large grapefruit, right now, if you were curious?!)
• Learning more about our little Thumper. We can't wait for our 20 week ultrasound. We just want to know that our baby is healthy and developing normally. Doing IVF can cause your risk for Down Syndrome to increase slightly, so we're looking forward to learning all we can about our little one and making sure that everything is okay. Also, just as importantly, we're excited to see if our little Bunny will be willing to show the goods for us at our 20 week ultrasound. We have names all picked out and can't wait to see if we're going to have a sweet baby boy "little J" or if we'll be having a precious little girl, "ami". However, whatever our baby is, we could care less, we love our baby regardless.

Only 17 days, and counting!!

10 Things for Thumper

The other day, I was reading a friends blog, here, and LOVED the idea of looking toward the future. I would really like to think about this time next year and where we'll be. I stole this idea, so please head on over and read her's, too.

Ten Things I'd Like To Do With Thumper, This Time Next Year:

This time next year, we will have a 5 month old little one. Girl or boy, we don't yet know, however, regardless of the gender, we're going to have a fabulous time.

1. I would like to sit Thumper in the fresh spring grass, and watch our precious love explore the new surroundings.

2. I would like to hold Thumper on the front porch and wait for Daddy to come home from work, to be his special greeting committee.

3. I would like to hold Thumper on the back porch while Daddy lights up the barbecue and cooks us a fabulous dinner.

4. I would like to take Thumper on the first swimming trip of the season, to get our precious love acustomed to the water while Thumper is young.

5. I would like to take Thumper on the first camping trip of the season, either in the backyard, or somewhere far away, doesn't matter, where ever it is, we'll have fun.

6. I would like to take Thumper for evening walks with Daddy, while the temperature is moderate. Not freezing but not too warm.

7. I would like to take Thumper's Spring pictures, basking in the sunlight of the day.

8. I would like to start taking Thumper to a mommy&me class.

9. I would like to start having bbq's so friends and family can come over and see Thumper whenever they want, now that cold season will be over.

10. I would like to cuddle Thumper and have family time every evening before bed.

We're so stoked to meet our precious Thumper and have this bundle of joy join our family. We couldn't be any happier!!!

When's too early?!

So I will be 10 weeks on Wednesday, with this little Thumper, and so far, here's Thumper's closet:

(and I thought I'd add that the picture tends to make the cloths look blue, they're not, they're actually green. Odd how that happened)

We have over 43 items hanging in the closet, alone, not to mention some cloths in the dresser. The cloths in the bottom of the dresser are Annabelle's old cloths, so they are pink, but we're saving them incase this Thumper is a girl. We'll see in due time.

Would you say 10w is too early?!

I think this baby is going to be SPOILED, because this is only stuff we've gotten the baby. Noone else has gotten anything and everyone around us has already had their kids and haven't gotten to buy for any babies in a while, so everyone is on edge waiting to see what we're having.

This should be funny.

9w Ultrasound Pictures

Here's the latest of our little Thumper!

9 weeks 1 day along, although Thumper is measuring 9 weeks 4 days. That's okay. We may just have a tall baby. I wouldn't be surprised as my brother and most everyone else in my family is around 6 foot.

(below - heart rate is on the left, graphed out)

Isn't Thumper precious?!

Now, I thought I'd mention that these U/S pics aren't going to be as great as the last 2 sets because this U/S was transabdominal and the last two sets have been transvaginal, so it has to go through more tissue in the abdomen to get the picture. But still, that's our little baby and we love our little Thumper so much!

First OB visit - Update!

Thursday, April 16, 2009 - 9w1d - US
Baby Measuring: 9w4d - 3 days ahead!
Heart Rate: 169bpm
My Weight: 128lbs. (down 11 pounds, overall)

Q: I've been drinking Fat Free milk, is that okay or should I be drinking a milk with higher fat content (or SOME fat content)?
Nope, that milk is absolutely PERFECT! It may be a different story if we found out later on that I am having a hard time gaining weight, but for now, it's perfectly fine.

Q: We were told, during IVF, that once we have our egg retrieval, we shouldn't have sex till after we know the pregnancy test... is it safe now?
Yes, it is completely fine and completely safe as long as both parties are feeling comfortable.

Q: I am terrified (okay not terrified, but a little worried) that my body shape/size is too small to carry a baby. All the babies in our family are over 8 pounds and I am afraid that it will be too big for me to have vaginally, what do you think?
It doesn't matter how small you are, it depends on the size, shape and flexability of your pelvis. If your pelvis is very narrow and doesn't have much give, come labor time, then obviously you're not going to be delivering vaginally.*after checking my pelvis, internally, she thinks that my pelvis will be FINE, to have an 8 pound baby!*

Q: I have two spine issues (which I explained to her) and my neurologist recommended getting pain blockers (shots in my spine) and physical therapy to help toughen the muscles in my back. Do you think that's a good idea or should we wait till after the baby is born?
I think it's a great idea! The shots will NOT affect baby and the strengthened muscles will help immensly when it comes to the weight of the baby belly AND more importantly when it comes to labor and pushing. I would incourage you to do so.

Q: I've heard of MANY MANY things in which I should not eat, or eat less of, because I am pregnant, are there any truths to this or what do you suggest?
The only thing you CAN'T eat is Polar Bear liver (YUCK!). There are other things that you SHOULDN'T have like alcohol, ciggerettes, etc, but they're not PROHIBITED. We strongly advise against them, but they won't kill you. Women have been having babies for thousands and thousands of years, crawling around in the dirt and the mud and eating raw decomposing animals that their husband's killed a few days before, if they can eat that, I think you'll be okay with salad bars, hot dogs and lunch meat.

Q: Due to my size and shape, how much weight are we shooting for gaining through this whole process?
With your back issues and the problems (major headaches) that you've been having because of your back, I don't want you gaining ANYTHING over 25 pounds. It would be best if you shot for 20. That would give the baby enough room & weight to grow but wouldn't be putting any unneeded strain on your back. If you go over it's going to KILL your back and it could cause problems during labor if your back is already shot.

So, I think we're good! We have our next few OB appointments set up for:
Monday, May 18, 2009 - 14(ish) weeks
Monday, June 15, 2009 - 18(ish) weeks
Monday, July 6, 2009 - 21(ish) weeks - GENDER ULTRASOUND!

Happy 4th Of july to us!

9 weeks & counting! *UPDATED*

Yesterday I hit 9 weeks. It's been 5 weeks since I found out I was pregnant and I do have to say it's been the best 5 weeks of my life. Even through all the MS (morning sickness) and all the headaches, it's still be the best and most wonderful experience.

My first OB appointment is today and I am so excited. I don't know what she's going to do, other than the normal 200 questions. I don't know if she's going to try to listen for the babies heart beat on doppler, as it could be too early, still. Or if she'll do an ultrasound just to see baby for herself. I would like both, if you asked me. I mean, how bad would it be to hear or see the baby again? Not bad at all!

I do feel very blessed already having 2 US and I am only 9w along, I know MANY people only get one at 20w and that's it, so believe me, I am very thankful. However, I won't turn another one down if asked. :)

The belly is growing quite a bit. It's funny when you think about it because this IS my first pregnancy and I shouldn't be "showing" this early, or as I call it, pudging out, however my dr said that it's absolutely fine. I am still down 8 pounds from when I first found out I was pregnant, so we're not worried at all. My body is still trying to heal from the IVF treatments and it's trying to figure out what the heck it's doing with the baby growing inside, so my body may be a bit weird for a while.

Here's my 4w picture:

And here is my 9w picture. Quite a difference if you ask me, but dr says it's normal.

And if you want to see the weekly progression, so far, please click here!

My weight has been doing great:

4w - 139lbs.
6w - 128lbs. (down 11 pounds, overall)
8w - 131lbs. (down 8 pounds, overall)
9w - 128lbs. (down 11 pounds, overall)

This has been the progression of the baby so far and I'll keep it updated with every appointment. I think I may also add it to my sidebar, somewhere.

Thursday, March 12, 2009 - 4w1d - Beta: 358!
Saturday, March 14, 2009 - 4w3d - Beta: 858!
Monday, March 16, 2009 - 4w5d - Beta: 2344!
******************************************
Friday, March 27, 2009 - 6w2d - US
Baby Measuring: 6w2d (0.63cm) - Perfect!
Heart Rate: 122bpm
My weight: 128lbs. (down 11 pounds, overall)
******************************************
Friday, April 10, 2009 - 8w2d - US
Baby Measuring: 8w3d - 1 day ahead!
Heart Rate: 165bpm
My weight: 131lbs. (down 8 pounds, overall)
******************************************

Now I have to go make up a list of questions that have been rolling around in my head, that I need to make sure to ask our OB. I'll update with those questions and answers, later as well, once we get back and get it all sorted out.

Have a good day my friends. I hope it's sunny where you are!

Ultrasounds

Friday, March 27th, 2009: we went for our 6 week ultrasound. I was nervous to find out how many I had growing in my belly. Not because I didn't think I could handle it, but because they transferred two beautiful embryo's and the chances of them both taking were very high. I just wanted them to be healthy and happy, however many there were.

It only took the U/S tech a few minutes to discover that we had ONE beautiful baby growing in my belly. We were so happy, however, we were sad for the one we lost. Our baby was quickly dubbed, "thumper", for his/her strong heartbeat. Even at 6w2d, our baby already had a heart rate of 122bpm. Completely perfect. For only beating for a few days, our Dr was very impressed with the heart rate already. Perfect.

We could see Thumper's heart beating so strong and perfect in his/her little body. We couldn't make out much of a baby, just more of a blob, but it was our baby and we love it more than anything in the world.

Friday, April 10, 2009: A mere 2 weeks later and we were going in for our 8 week ultrasound. This was to be our last appointment at the infertility clinic for a while (a long while). We were sad to have to say goodbye to all of the people who helped us get to where we currently are. Pregnant with our beautiful, perfect Thumper. They've helped us through so much for so long that they've become like family.

I was VERY nervous going into the ultrasound because I feared that something bad had happened to our little one and that we wouldn't be parents after all. I tried my best not to think that way but it didn't happen like I wanted.

When the U/S tech came in to do the ultrasound, I was very nervous and just wanted to know that our baby was okay. Waiting to see our precious little Thumper seemed to take forever. Finally she inserted the ultrasound probe and I about panicked. I couldn't see anything on the screen and I was very close to starting to cry. She then inserted it the rest of the way and there was our precious baby, heart clearly visible on the screen and kicking away. Squirming and kicking, our beautiful, perfect baby.

The images were much clearer this time. We could most certainly make out the babies body. A perfect large head, a perfectly round little tummy, two gorgeous little arms and 2 perfect little legs. She measured the heart rate and it was a perfect 165bpm. A little girl, perhaps? We'll have to wait and see. She said that the baby looked absolutely perfect and they couldn't ask for anything more.

We spent the next 30 minutes, or so, saying goodbye to all of our friends at the infertility clinic. We were very sad to have to leave them but after all, it's what we've wanted for so long, so it was nice to have to leave them on such GREAT terms and under such GREAT circumstances.

I thought I should add that the belly is on the left and the head is on the right next to the hollow (looking) circle. The circle is the yolk sac that is feeding baby till the umbilical cord & placenta kick in at 12 weeks.

I couldn't be more happier with our outcome and our progress so far. We go to our first OB appointment (here in town - thank god!) on Thursday, April, 16th, 2009. I will update you more then.

Thumper - 2 Months!

Dear my beautiful Thumper,

You have been in my belly for 2 months, now. I have
loved everyday! I am often reminded of your presence
by being very nauseas and with all the little flutters
that I feel so very often. I can only imagine what life
must be like for you "on the inside".

We've seen you twice, so far, but get to see you again
very soon. We can't wait! We absolutely LOVE watching
your beautiful, perfect, strong heartbeat. Your name,
Thumper, fits you very well and daddy gave it to you
because of your strong little heartbeat. We've never
seen anything so beautiful, in all of our lives.

We've also come up with your name choices this month.
We love your daddy's name so much that we've decided
that if you are a BOY, you will take after your daddy
and your name will be:

Jeffrey Scott Jr.

It took us a bit longer to find a girl name that we liked.
We decided to use our 1st choice as a first name and our
2nd choice as a middle name. Your name will be:

Amaya Raylen

If you are a GIRL, that is.

We love you so much and can't wait to see you again, soon.
I love you with everything I have!

Love,
Your Mama!

I suck at updates!

I went to my 6 week ultrasound appointment last Friday. All is great. We have ONE little bun in the oven. Yes, one. I am just as shocked as you are. Still a week later, I am still shocked. I keep thinking to myself that there has to be one hiding in there somewhere and they're going to make their appearance at a later date.

Thumper's Stats:
Heartrate: 122bpm
Length: 0.63 inches

She quickly spotted the heartbeat as well as a beautiful yolk sack and a beautiful baby. We saw arm buds, leg buds, a head, a big ol belly, etc. We are very blessed and very thankful!

I go for my next U/S appointment on April 10th, just to review things and make sure the baby is continuing to grow as expected and that the heartrate increases, like it should. 122bpm is great especially when you think about the fact that it JUST started beating a few days before. My dr was very impressed.

We also have our first OB appointment on thursday April 16th.

I am excited that my OB is right across the street from the hospital where I will be giving birth and not only that but they're litterally right down the street from my house. I am so thankful.

I don't know this OB, but my primary care says she comes HIGHLY recommended. He said that she's just like him, VERY thorough yet she has a great sense of humor. What more could you ask for, right?

We're very excited to meet her!