13 weeks

This is my last week in the 1st trimester - which I find hard to believe that I have even gotten to this point! These past couple of months have been so surreal & sometimes I feel like this isn't really happening to us. I'm hoping this feeling of being pregnant will start sinking in soon & I can get to a point where I can relax a bit. Still just taking it one day at a time... 

*remind me not to where plaid - or maybe just this dress?! I think the plaid makes my "baby bump" look way bigger than it actually is!

How far along? 13 weeks (baby is almost 3 inches long & the size of a medium shrimp) 

Symptoms: I think I have gained a cup size in my boobs & am going to need to buy some bigger bras soon. They are also SO very sore. Still feel a little nauseated in the morning & when I am feeling hungry. The fatigue & exhaustion are slowly starting to fade & I am starting to feel back to "normal" once again.

Weight gain/loss: + 1 lb (back at a total of 3 lbs gained from my starting weight which is right where I should be for the end of the 1st trimester)

Maternity clothes? not yet

Sleep: still easily falling asleep & can now make it to 4:30am without having to get up to pee. Still can't fall back asleep though once I have gotten up :(

Food cravings/aversions: Still loving the tomato, basil, mozzarella panini's. Still not wanting any coffee, mexican, or my absolute favorite snack: popcorn.

Movement? can't feel any yet

What I miss? I actually miss being able to wear all my cute shorts - especially since it has been so flippin' hot here!!

Best moment this week: last week in the 1st trimester

What I'm looking forward to: starting the 2nd trimester next week

Next Appointment: 14 week visit with the OB on August, 6th 

Milestones: Baby T's fingerprints have formed on the tiny fingertips, the veins & organs are clearly visible through the very thin skin, & the body is starting to catch up with the head — which makes up just a third of the body size now.

1st trimester screening

Today I had my 1st trimester screening ultrasound & even though it went well, it was not what I had expected. I guess you could say I was a bit disappointed with how it went. 

We first met with a genetics counselor who went over both our medical & family histories as well as what kinds of chromosomal abnormalities the tests will be able to tell us. We were told that just based on my age alone, we have a 1:74 chance of having a baby with Down's & a 1:96 chance of having a baby with a Trisomy abnormality. Then we discussed what the Perinatologist will look for during the ultrasound & whether or not I was going to do the blood test that goes along with the screening.

Next was the ultrasound. The tech took us back to the room & got me ready. Then the Dr walked in, introduced herself & she was ALL business. There was no small talk, no warmth in her personality, no questions...nothing. She didn't even say one word to Shane. All she said was that she was going to take a look & started up with the scan. The scan itself took all of 2 minutes. She looked at the baby at different angles, froze some images, measured the crown/rump length, showed us the head, face, arms & legs, printed off 3 pics & that was it. No nuchal translucency measurement. No indication if the nasal bone was present or not. All she said was that "everything here looks real good so I want to see you back in 8 weeks." 

I don't know if I was stunned or in shock or what but I forgot to ask about the measurements & before I could think to ask them she was out the door. I was left alone with Shane to gather my things & I looked at him & said "what the hell just happened? was that all there is to it?" He was as stunned as I was.

Before the scan, we had decided to do the blood test so I don't know if because we were doing that then there was no need to do a nuchal measurement & worry us or what but I just thought it was strange & not very comforting. I know she said everything looked real good but I just felt like she was hiding something from us & that we didn't get the entire screening. I was a bit disappointed & a little pissed at how she had treated us.

As of last Nov, they have a new blood test called the MaterniT21 test which detects fetal DNA in the mother’s blood & reveals whether the fetus has the extra copy of chromosome 21 that causes Down syndrome. It is 99% accurate. It also can detect Trisomy 18 with 99% accuracy & Trisomy 13 with 91% accuracy. If the test is negative then it is pretty safe to say the baby has no chromosomal abnormalities. If the test is positive the next step is an amniocentesis just to verify 100% what the abnormality is. 

I discussed it with Shane & we both agreed that if there is something wrong with the baby, we would both want to know so that we were more prepared so I went ahead & did the blood test. The results will be back in 8-10 business days. Yes I am nervous for the results but I've decided I'm not going to worry about it until I have proof of something to worry about.

So that is how my appointment went. I guess all is good but for some reason I expected more. Regardless, we got to see Baby T again & that in itself made it all worth it!

12 weeks

*posted early just for you Cori :)

What a good feeling it is to be able to say I made it to 12 weeks! Only one more week to go & I will be moving on to 2nd trimester :)

How far along? 12 weeks (baby is just over 2 inches long & the size of a lime) 

Symptoms: The nausea is pretty much gone except when I first get up & still feeling pretty tired come mid-afternoon. Also this past week I have started getting heartburn more often which I have never had before. 

Weight gain/loss: Remember those 3 lbs I lost last week? Well, they quickly returned. Now I am back at 2 lbs above my starting weight. 

Maternity clothes? Not yet but I did buy a couple of knit "maxi dresses" this week for fall that are cute! I am loving how comfortable knit skirts & dresses are :)

Sleep: Still get up a couple of times to pee & still have trouble falling back to sleep after the 3am wake-up call. I am also a right-sided & back sleeper so I have started to consciously stop sleeping on my back but will end up waking up there :( I have read sleeping on the left side is best but I hate laying on my left - hopefully I get it figured out.

Food cravings: I have been on a "panini" kick this past week. I recently bought a panini press & will buy the ciabatta bread loaves at Panera Bread Co. I have been eating all kinds of different hot panini's & loving them. My favorite is the tomato, basil, mozzarella panini. So yummy!

Movement? no - too early to feel it but getting a sneak peek this week at Baby T I could see that he/she was moving all around in there.

What I miss? cold turkey sandwiches from Jimmy John's & Panera

Best moment this week: making it to my last week of the 1st trimester

What I'm looking forward to: another chance to see Baby T at our 1st trimester screening US this Friday

Next Appointment: 14 week visit with the OB on August, 6th 

Milestones: Baby T's fingers are beginning to open & close, toes can now curl, the eye muscles can clench, the mouth can make sucking movements, the kidneys will begin excreting urine into the bladder, the eyes have moved from the sides to the front of the head, & the ears are right where they should be.

Sneak peek

Yesterday I was at work & had some time to take a little "sneak peek" at Baby T with our portable US machine. It doesn't produce the best images since it is a cardiac ultrasound machine - or maybe it could be that the operator is trying to press a probe into her belly with her right hand while trying to record the image on her phone with the left hand?!? LOL

Regardless, I think you can get a good idea that there is definitely a baby in there :) The image of Baby T fades in & out due to the fact that I was trying to press hard with the probe & move it around while trying to get a good image - not the easiest thing to do.

When you watch it, you will see that Baby T is hanging out, upside down at the top of my uterus. Head is on the right, legs kicking & moving around on the left, arms waving around in the bottom middle & you can see it's little heart beating in the middle above the arms.

Pretty amazing, huh? 

We have our 1st trimester screening ultrasound this Friday, July 27th. This is the ultrasound where they identify risk for specific chromosomal abnormalities like Down Syndrome, Trisomy-21 & Trisomy-18. I am a bit nervous about this one but am trying to convince myself it is out of my control what the results will be & I have to trust in the "big man upstairs" that everything will turn out ok. If not, I guess we cross that bridge when we get there.

Coming up...12 week update :)

11 weeks

Earlier this past week I ordered a hand-held fetal doppler off of eBay & got it on Thursday. As soon as I saw that it had arrived, I checked to see if i could here Baby T's heartbeat & after a few minutes of searching, there it was beating away at around 140+ beats per minute :) Such an amazing sound! 

I am glad to have gotten the doppler as it will hopefully provide some reassurance on those days when I am needing to know if everything is still ok - especially after my symptoms go away!

How far along? 11 weeks (baby is just over 1 1/2 inches long & the size of a fig)

Symptoms: The nausea still comes & goes but is tolerable. Around 3pm I hit a brick wall & the exhaustion sets in. Lovin' me some afternoon naps!

Weight gain/loss: Not sure how but I lost 3 lbs this week so I am now 1lb under my starting weight

Maternity clothes? Not yet. Lovin' my knit skirts & dresses though!

Sleep: I sleep pretty good up until around 3am when I need to get up to pee. Still having a lot of trouble falling back to sleep :(

Food cravings : Any kind of "comfort food", still enjoying my BLT's & loving watermelon & grapes. My love for Mexican food is long gone & some days I can't even stomach the thought of it :( Weird, huh?

Movement? no - to early

What I miss? a glass (or two) of red wine

Best moment this week: finding the heartbeat with my own doppler

What I'm looking forward to: Making it out of 1st trimester

Next Appointment: 14 week visit with the OB on August, 6th

Milestones: Baby T is now almost fully formed. The hands will soon open & close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under the gums, some of the bones are beginning to harden & baby is already busy kicking & stretching.

10 weeks

Had my 10 week appointment today with my favorite OB & I am so happy to report that all is good so far :) After a very long minute (felt like 10 min) my Dr. was able to find the heartbeat using a fetal doppler. It was loud & strong & fast & the most beautiful sound ever! Even my Dr. said she didn't expect it to be that fast but that it was a great sign that things are going well!

I won't see her again until August 6th for my 14 week appt & will have my 1st screening US sometime in the next 2-3 weeks. A little nervous about that one as this is the US where they can detect markers for Down's Syndrome & Trisomy abnormalities. Praying that everything checks out ok!

How far along? 10 weeks (baby is the size of a small strawberry)

Symptoms: The nausea is getting better - as long as I keep eating every 2 hours but the fatigue/exhaustion has really set in this week. I left work early a couple times last week just so I could go home & nap. 

Weight gain/loss: up another 1 lb (total of 2lbs gained)

Maternity clothes? No - but don't think I haven't been looking at the maternity section at Target & Old Navy thinking how comfy some of that stuff looks!

Sleep: No trouble falling asleep. Still getting up a couple of times a night to pee & the last few nights my 3am "pee-fest" keeps me awake until about 5am :(

Food cravings : Still loving my potatoes but have also been on a Caesar salad & BLT kick with the awesome garden tomatoes the neighbor brought over & also loving watermelon.

Movement? no - to early

What I miss? still missing those turkey sandwiches :(

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat on the doppler!

What I'm looking forward to: Making it to 12 weeks

Next Appointment: 14 week visit with the OB on August, 6th

Milestones: Baby T was considered an embryo last week & a fetus this week, is almost 1.5 inches long, is constantly moving even though I don't feel anything yet, all of the organs, muscles, & nerves are in place & beginning to function & the touch pads on the fingers have formed & already have fingerprints - absolutely amazing!

9 weeks

I have struggled for the last few days on when would be a good time to start the baby bump pics & updates. I was going to wait until 12 weeks but figured since everything was going so well that I would go ahead & start today. I probably won't post pics every week at first, but will try & at least do the updates. 

I did an US check at work again today & saw a strong heartbeat so that helped make my decision also. It just might burn me in the ass later on but what the hell. Here goes nothing...

How far along? 9 weeks (baby is the size of a grape - however this bloat I am feeling makes me look 5 mos pregnant) 

Symptoms: Still feeling the waves of nausea from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. Eating every 2 hours seems to help as well as sucking on Jolly Ranchers throughout the day :) Also, my boobs really ache & are busting out of my bra - might be time to upsize!!

Weight gain/loss: up 1 lb

Maternity clothes? Not yet but this bloat I have is making it impossible to fit into any shorts/capri pants that zip or button. Went to Old Navy today & purchased a few knit dresses & knit skirts for a more comfortable fit around the waistline :)

Sleep: No trouble falling asleep or staying asleep yet but wake up at least 3 times a night to get up to pee.

Food cravings : Carbs - especially potatoes. They can be mashed, boiled, baked, roasted, fried - I don't care - they are all good!!

Movement? no - way to early for that

What I miss? Turkey sandwiches & an ice cold beer

Best moment this week: Getting to 9 weeks with a strong heartbeat - farthest I've ever gotten.

What I'm looking forward to: Making it to 12 weeks

Next Appointment: 10 week visit with the OB on Monday, July 9th

 
Milestones: Baby T is nearly an inch long. The heart has formed all 4 chambers & the valves start to form this week as do the little teeth. Eyes are fully formed & the baby has tiny earlobes. Amazing for being just one inch long!!