27 week appointment

I had a doctors appointment yesterday and it went well.

I only gained 1 lb. since my last appointment 4 weeks ago! So I think I'm up 14 lbs. total. What a difference from when I was pregnant with Lukas and gained 40 lbs. total! I don't think Ill be getting to that weight with this pregnancy, or at least I hope not, with only 13 weeks left. GAH!
My starting weight was 140 lbs. and now I'm at 154 lbs.

My blood pressure was good.

Baby's heartbeat was good and steady. He didn't say what the rate was.

And belly measurement is right on.

I did mention the heartburn that I am having 2-3 times a day, pretty much after anything I eat. And he told me to take Mylanta or even Zantac. I think Ill be picking up some at the store today and hopefully that will keep it away.

I do have an appointment next Wednesday at the hospital lab for my Rhogam shot at 28 weeks. At that same time I will have my Glucose testing, CBC blood work, and urinalysis.

And then I start my frequent flyer visits here shortly. I go back every 2 weeks now! Thats when it hits me that its getting close! Yikes!

I better have Tony get the clothes down from upstairs in the attic, so I can go through them and wash them all. Ill select which clothes I want for Brady and the rest we will set aside for a (hopeful) garage sale this summer.

Im picking up a large letter 'B' at JoAnn's today to be painted dark brown and go in his room. Im also trying to decide how to incorporate some other artwork on his walls. As much as I love these large circles on his walls, its hard put things on his walls. I might have to paint over a couple of these yellow circles, not sure.

OB appointment @ 23 weeks pregnant

Todays appointment went really well. Dr. Vendola was actually out of the office today, so I got to meet Bobbi, his mid-wife. She was really nice and personable and I look forward to seeing more of her. She said she had already become familiar with my name in the charts as she has looked over all the lab results, ultrasounds and charts that go into Labor & Delivery at the hospital. She also works at the hospital too.

She ordered up another ultrasound to check the cervix one last time, to make sure it is still closed and stable. I originally had this done at 14 weeks and it was okay then. Hopefully it will still be okay. Although I would think its too late to have a cerclage put in if it abnormal. I'll probably have this ultrasound done on Friday morning at the end of my shift when the next tech comes into work.

She measured my belly and measured out right. We listened to the heartbeat at a steady 148 bpm. She was even so nice as to try to include Lukas in the appointment events. She asked him to hold the doppler while we listened to the heartbeat. Although he did decline.

So for now, things look good, my blood pressure is still good, even just a little lower than normal bp, but thats normal for me. :)

Weight is at 153 lbs.

Feeling baby movements quite often now, about 2-3 times a day, when im sitting or resting.

Heartburn is still there after every meal and I expect it to be till the end. Just have to keep 1 of my 3 bottles of Tums near me. :)

Dr's appointment

I went in for my doctors appointment on Wednesday and waited 45 minutes. Dr. was busy with a stat c-section, so who knows when he would be back. I ended up leaving and rescheduling it for Monday morning.

Finally... a belly pic.

A pic at 10 weeks again:


and now at 22 weeks:

20 week fetal survey ultrasound

Saturday I have my 20 week "official" ultrasound scheduled at noon.
Even though I am almost 22 weeks. LOL!

Thats okay though. It is worth the wait to be able to have Tony and both of our moms there to see the little guy.

I'll post some pics of that when I can. :)

Next Wednesday is my next OB appointment.

leg cramps

I got my first leg cramp while sleeping today. It woke me up out of my sleep. Fortunately I remembered to flex my foot, so it went away quickly.

I remember when I was pregnant with Lukas I would get 2-3 of them a night! And it was always hard for me to remember in the dead of sleep to point or flex my foot to make them go away.

Im gonna have to look up and see what causes them and what can prevent them.
So far Ive heard that calcium (milk) causes them and potassium (bananas) can help prevent them.
If you have any insight on this or recommendations on what has helped you, let me know. Ive got 20 weeks left and am not looking forward to already getting these leg cramps in the night.

Baby moving

Last night as I lay in bed, I could start to feel the baby move around a bit as usual. I grabbed Tony's hand and placed it on my pelvis, with a little bit of pressure. Waiting for the baby to move again in hopes that he would feel it on his hand. And he did! He said, " I felt something on my palm!" And I reassured him, yup, thats where it was at! He actually got to feel him move!! And at that moment, Tony leaned down to my belly and started talking to the little guy. :)
Its so neat that Tony could feel that. I think it wasn't until 24 weeks when Tony could feel it before. But now I think we both know what we are feeling and can pinpoint it more. How neat!

Update on Baby's Room

We've got the yellow circles on the walls. And though I wasn't that sure about it after they were up, I'm feeling better about it now there is more things in the room.





We also set up the crib, changing table, and picked up a tan microfiber glider/rocker off craigslist for $50 yesterday too!

Pretty sure on the name

and so it will be:

Brady Nikolas Howard

18w1d Dr's appointment

I had my monthly doctors appointment this past Wednesday and it went pretty good. I've gained 4 lbs. since my last appointment 5 weeks ago. So that puts me at 8 lbs. total.

He did a colposcopy on my cervix, meaning he just used a scope to take a look at it since I had an abnormal pap 2 months ago. He said everything looked good, and won't have to worry about that issue again until I'm 6 weeks postpartum when I get that pap done.

He gave me the lab slip for the Quad testing to be done at the hospital. And also the doctor's order for the 20 week fetal survey ultrasound that has to be done at the hospital as well.

Fetal heart beat was good and clear at 144 bpm. Although it always makes me nervous when it takes him about 30 seconds to actually find the heart beart. The longest 30 seconds ever.

I did mention to him that over the past couple weeks I started having some back pain, right in the tailbone region. Mostly in the late hours of the day before going to bed. Sometimes even feels like my legs would give out when I stand on one foot. Not that I stand on one foot a lot. Just when Im changing my clothes for bed and into loungepants. You've gotta lift one leg off the ground. I guess I'll have to remember to sit on the edge of the bed when doing this now, so I won't fall over. He said this is most likely my sciatic nerve that is bothering me and showed me some hip-menourvering sways to help it feel better. Also suggested laying with a pillow between my knees. Which I have been doing at night with this pillow.

Its called the Snoogle Total Body Pillow. And I love it! I bought this when I was pregnant with Lukas because I also had back soreness with that pregnany as well. And I used this every night. You don't even need your regular pillow when you have this. Just cuddle up right in it.

Early in the pregnancy, like now, I would use it this way with the pillow kinda helping hold my belly up. Then it doesn't feel like that little bump that is growing isnt without support under it when laying on your side.

And then I also love lying with the pillow behind your back, because later I tended to want to lay on my back sometimes to relieve the back pain, but having this pillow would stop me from doing that and gave a nice 45 degree angle of my body with the bed.

I remember when pregnant with Lukas and now its happening with this one as well. I wake up feeling so great in the morning after having this pillow, that I usually forget that I even had a sore back the night before.

So anyways, I think that was it for this appointment. I go back in another 5 weeks, instead of 4 since Dr. is on vacation in 4 weeks.

Official Ultrasound will be in the next 2 weeks as well. :)