Swimming Along: Getting a Gold Star From a Medical Professional

28 weeks down and 12 to go. My little head of cauliflower is growing every day!

My man is about 16 inches and 2.5 pounds. And at this point, his brain is so developed that it is now regulating his body temperature. Look at the brain on my boy! He's Harvard-bound for sure! And speaking of his brain, he now enters REM sleep so he might be dreaming. I hope his dreams aren't as bananas as mine. Besides dreaming, he's also coughing, sucking, and breathing in there. And speaking of breathing, his lungs have matured enough that if he was born today, he's have an excellent chance of survival. But I'd like to keep him cooking a while longer.

As for me, some of the things THEY say might be happening to me aren't...his movements aren't bugging me at night, my belly button hasn't popped, I don't have any stretch marks, and my feet and ankles aren't swollen. But some of the things THEY say might be happening ARE...my lower back is pretty sore (though last night I discovered Todd really does make a better body pillow and I woke up pain free) and he is no doubt nestled on my sciatic nerve so my right thigh goes numb. It's a bizarre sensation but if that's the worst that happens in the third trimester, I'll take it! Sure, I'm only a week in but I still feel pretty grrrrrreat!Pregnancy and I really mix. Who wudda thunk it?? Better odds for a second bun.

Yesterday I had an appointment  (and a CHILD in braces from the trade school did my BP and found the heartbeat...it was bizarre) and my doc gave me a big thumbs up all around! My blood pressure is pretty much the same as it was pre-pregnancy, Spencer's heartbeat was a nice 154 beats, I'm only measuring 1 week ahead (instead of 2) which she says is more than fine by her (so he's probably not breech), and my weight gain has been nice and steady. And since things are really "swimming along", she said I can come back in 4 weeks instead of 2! We'll start the every-two-weeks appointments in July.

We discussed whether or not I might want an epidural (DUH!), if Spencer will be circumcised (DUH!), and if we want to do cord-blood banking (which we decided today we will be doing). We also quickly went over what to do when I go into labor: I should wait to call until my contractions are 5 minutes apart for 1 hour. I should also call if I have any weird bleeding (for example, there might be some after an exam but there shouldn't be any 4 days after an exam). And if his movements slow down...of course they'll slow down as he runs out of room...I should do "kick counts" - eat and drink and then lay down and make sure he kicks at least 10 times in an hour. If he doesn't, repeat. If he STILL doesn't, come in for Fetal Non-Stress Test.

Applying mind-over-matter. I have to believe the next 12 weeks will continue to be hitch-free.

Speed Bump: The First Low After 24 Weeks of Highs.

Spencer is 24 weeks along and allegedly the size of an ear of corn, according to one website. Another still compares him to a papaya until he hits the 6 month mark next week. I really can't believe I've been pregnant for 6 months. The finish line seems closer and closer, which is fantastic. I had a dream about Spencer being in his crib last night and I'm just dying to see that vision in person!

Here's a vision for you...

 

Not too much of a change in my bod from 22 weeks, at least not from the outside (though the interwebs say my innie should be an outtie but it's tucked in where it should be). Inside, his facial features are filling in and he's getting some baby fat so he looks less like a beakless chicken. Still just gaining and growing. I'm growing, too, as I was up 4 more pounds at my appointment today. That puts the grand total to 10 pounds gained but due to some digestive issues I've been having, I'm guessing that number is going to drop. In fact, speaking of "drop", we've hit a little bump in the road...but I'll get to that momentarily.

For now, he's growing, he's squirming, and showing off. In fact, Todd shot a video of him showing off his moves while we were in NYC. It may be hard to see his ninja kicks-n-punches from this cell phone vid, but you can hear the happiness in our (and Aunt Sharon's) voices, which is equally as awesome!

And even though I posted this snapshot over at my day-to-day blog, it truly belongs here. Father and son in NYC. I was relaxing before we hit the town again and Todd came over to give my bump a sweet and comforting rub. Spencer knows when it's daddy's big, hot mitts on him and shows off. It's my favorite photo in the world officially.

Speaking of our NYC adventure, we had an amazing "Babymoon". I fell in love with Spencer's daddy all over again. We know each other so well that every time I had a sore muscle or achy back or just needed a little physical attention, he knew and gave me what I needed. I have to give myself a pat on the back (and the belly) for hoofing it miles and miles and miles every day and making the most of the time I had with my friends and that amazing city. It was fantastic and I can't wait to put Spencer in his I <3 NY onesie!

Now for something that's NEVER fun!

As I blathered earlier, I had an appointment today but it was an emergency stop off (our next appointment WAS scheduled for Monday). After 24 weeks of what I can only describe as a BAD ASS pregnancy, I had a little hiccup. I don't want to go into the details because they're uber-personal, but Tuesday and Wednesday were HORRIFIC days and took almost everything I had out of me. Hence the emergency trip to the doc.

I had to get an exam and was happy to hear that I have no bleeding and my cervix is shut tight. And my doc gave me some instructions on what to do to right the wrongs that my body has been going through. I'm to stay off my feet for a few days and then I can get back to business as usual!

But there was a tiny little concern about my fundal height (a.k.a. the measurement from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus which should be a centimeter for every week you are along). I'm measuring 2 weeks early, which my doctor wants to keep an eye on. It could just be because (oh the glamor of pregnancy) I'm "backed up", but it COULD be something more:

-Multiples (already ruled out)

-Error in conception date (since we were trying, we're confident in out date)

-Healthy but large fetus

-Gestational Diabetes

-Excess amniotic fluid

-Breech baby

I'll have a blood test in the next 2 weeks to test my sugar and hopefully rule out the Diabetes. And I'm just going to cross everything I have that if he IS breech, he takes his remaining time in utero to turn around. For now, there's no reason to worry. His heartbeat was perfect and he's busting moves like a maniac. We'll just see how my bump is measuring at the end of May. Then the appointments move to every two weeks...every milestone brings him closer to my lovin' arms!

And like me, he loves Lady Gaga's new song. Grooves whenever I jam "Judas".

That's my boy!