Four months today!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

16 weeks pregnant!
FOUR MONTHS TODAY!
FOUR MONTHS TODAY!
FOUR MONTHS TODAY!
I can’t believe that four months ago, I wasn’t even pregnant. But in five months, Little Baby will be here.

Weekly re-cap

(Dec. 13 to Dec. 19)

Symptoms: The peeing (although I think it’s easing up, knock on wood), lots of baby-movement, crazy hunger, dizziness

Body changes: Still a slow, steady “pop” of my stomach, generally feeling heavier

Energy level: Good. Unfortunately, it was all spent on physical labour at the office (don’t ask), so our condo still looks like a bomb went off. Hoping to fix that in Week 17.
Cravings: Mom’s homemade Christmas candy (a.k.a. sugar, butter, chocolate, and more butter). Mmmm. Although I would have wanted it anyway, so I’m not sure if this counts?

High point: Having our second OBGYN appointment with Dr. L, and getting to hear Little Baby’s heartbeat for a second glorious time. Did I mention I really want one of those doppler-thingys???

Low point: A crippling headache that lasted all of Saturday … while I was at the OFFICE … (again, don’t ask). I took one regular-strength Tylenol, but it didn’t help, and I didn’t want to inflict any more drugs on the little bean. It was horrible, though.

Paranoid moment of the week: Walking to the bus stop every morning on very slippery, snowy/icy sidewalks. I was so afraid of taking a spill and hurting Little Baby. Being preggo during winter in Canada is rough … but then again, being hugely pregnant in the summer heat is something I’ll be glad to avoid. It was even built into my “plan” way back in February.

Weird moment of the week: I mentioned that my brain seems to have gone on hiatus, and I am sad to report that it’s even worse than I feared. Along with spacing out, aimlessly driving, and passing simple decisions onto Darling Husband (because I plead that his “brain is sharper right now!”), I have also started to lose my excellent, world-famous memory. I can just hear Mom and Little Sis snickering, because I have long been known as an elephant who remembers everything. Whatever — if they bug me about it, I’ll just roll over and crush them.
Emotional moment of the week: Feeling sad about how much Darling Husband works. Sometimes I’m strong about it, but other times it just feels so hard. I get so jealous of other couples who get to spend every evening together, when we usually have to wait two weeks just to spend part an evening together. I try to stay practical about it, but I just miss him so much.

I didn’t know they had BabyGaps in the womb …

Thursday, December 17, 2009

15 weeks, 4 days pregnant
Last night I dreamed I was having a boy.
How did I know this? Well, the ultrasound showed he was wearing a blue hat … you know, inside me.

The waiting game

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

15 weeks, 3 days pregnant
Second OBGYN appointment was great! There wasn’t much to the appointment itself, but there were many stages of waiting.
Here’s the breakdown so you preggos-to-be know what to expect …
  • Arrive at the hospital and take a number
  • Find a chair and wait
  • Register at the desk
  • Go back to your chair and wait
  • Get called in to be weighed and pee in a cup
  • Go back to your chair and wait
  • Get called into the appointment room
  • Wait … and wait
  • Go over your details with a nurse
  • Have the nurse take your blood pressure … and listen to baby’s heartbeat!
  • Wait in the office for the doctor
  • Meet quickly with the doctor, who tells you to make sure to book your next appointment before you leave
  • Go back to main reception area and take a number
  • Find a chair and wait
  • Book your next appointment at the desk
  • Head down to the blood collection area and take a number
  • Find a chair and wait
  • Register at blood collection
  • Go back to your chair and wait
  • Get blood taken, then … leave!
That’s a lot of please-take-a-number and a lot of waiting, huh? At first I was surprised that there were hardly any husbands/daddies there — just a lot of preggos, in various stages of hugeness. But by the time we left the hospital — a full three hours after we got there! — I kind of understood it.
I mean, you have these appointments every four weeks, and then every two weeks, and then once a week. And they seem to be the same every time — pee, weight, blood pressure, heartbeat, good-bye! I suppose they start to lose their specialness after a while, or maybe after the first child?
Repetitive appointments or not, I’m happy Darling Husband has accompanied me to everything so far. I want him to hear the heartbeat. I want him to get to know Dr. L. The nurse even showed him where to push down on my stomach to feel the top of the uterus — fundus, I think she said.
Maybe by the time Little Baby is getting a brother or sister, I’ll insist he go off to work and be fine going to the appointments alone. But for now, I’m glad we’re in every step of this together.

Hamburger or turtle?

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
15 weeks, 2 days pregnant

I have my second OBGYN appointment tomorrow morning, and I’m really excited. I had a great time at the last one, and everyone there was so nice. And we should get to hear the heartbeat again, which is awesome.
Now, I know I’m almost certainly not going to get another surprise ultrasound, since my real one is booked for Jan. 18, but …
… I couldn’t help but wonder, a la Carrie Bradshaw …
What if I did get another one tomorrow, for some reason? Maybe I would be able to tell the sex???
Unlikely, but I still want to be prepared! I did a little research and found lots of curious moms who have posted ways to tell if your baby is a boy or a girl.
Apparently, it’s quite standard:
Vaginas = hamburgers (sets of three white lines)
Penises = turtles (a little head sticking out of a rounded shell)
GIRL:

BOY:

I think the boy one is way more obvious (naturally), but I am still doubtful I would be able to pick anything out.
Either way, I’m prepared to hunt!