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Friday, October 28, 2011

16 weeks.

My 16 weeks post is a little late because I wanted to wait until I went in for my second breast ultra-sound before posting.  I wanted to be able to give an update about my office visit since many of you reached out in response to my post.  Fortunately, everything checked out OK, but my experience there was pretty traumatizing and deserves a post of its own.  Let’s just say that my experience was so bad because of the Dr.’s lack of bedside manners that I’m going to file a formal complaint against this woman.  Yes, it was that bad.


Not to be a tease with that, but I don’t want to post about it here and have it over-shadow my weekly baby update and updates about Anna.

16 Weeks:
— Girls my age have noticeably more jaw movement than boys.
   
— I am strong enough to get my mother's attention with a good kick!
   
— I turn toward something touching my mouth. Maybe its food!
— Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces.



The details…

How far along: 16 weeks

Total weight gain: 10 lbs. YIKES!  I went from zero lbs. to 10 lbs. overnight, it seems.  I’m so bummed!  10 lbs. seems like quite a bit this early in the game.  Then again, I’m almost halfway there, so maybe not.  If I think about it like that, I’m far less likely to curl into a ball and cry.

Sleep habits:
Sleep has been OK.  I’ve been waking up every few hours to pee which is a pain because it’s always a toss up whether I will fall back asleep or not.  If Joe’s snoring is manageable, I will fall back asleep quickly.  If he’s sawing logs or if my anxiety kicks in, I can kiss sleep goodbye.  I don’t remember having so may sleep issues with Anna, but I also didn’t have a toddler waking me up every once in a while.   

Maternity clothes: The bump is here.  I see people staring at me sideways and ready to comment but holding back just incase.  I always want to shout out and say, “Yes, I am pregnant.  No need to feel awkward.”

Here I am at 16w2d:
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I am a lot bigger at this stage than I was with Anna.  For comparison purposes, here is a 16 week bare belly shot of me when I was pregnant with Anna:

16w3d
16w
16 weeks with Anna - Where’s mah belleh?

And to show you that I was pretty much the same size at the beginning of both pregnancies, a photo (I’m even wearing the same jeans which is pretty pathetic and means that I need to shop more):

2-28-08 (5 weeks)
5 week photo with Anna

Week 5_081111
5 week photo with new baby and ratty looking jeans that need to be retired.  Gee, I’m even wearing a gray shirt both times.

So, what does this mean for me?  Will I be whale size by the time this  baby arrives?  Eh, who cares.  It’s all for a good cause, and if my stomach gets too heavy, I’ll just hire someone to hold it up for me. 

Best moment of the week: This week has been pretty crappy.  Car problems (over $1k to fix), a horrible experience at the Drs.  Wait, the best moment is that the baby started kicking!  How can I let that crap overshadow something so darn amazing? 

Food cravings: I basically crave…food.  Hot food, cold food, spicy food, mild food, salty food, sugary food – all food.  At this point, all foods are fair game, and if you leave your hand laying around, I may even eat that, too. 

Symptoms: Sleepy, moody, weepy – just a ball of pregnant fun!

Movement:  YES!  Little pings here and there.  It was so obvious the other day that I could almost *almost* see the baby’s movement from the outside while looking at my belly.  I just love the baby kicks. 
 
What I’m looking forward to:  FINDING OUT THE GENDER!  When I talked to my OB’s office, they told me that I may be able to get squeezed in for this Monday, but I highly doubt it will happen. 
  
What I miss: Not having to pee 2,000 times in the middle of the night.

Next appointment: My November 1 appointment was moved up to Halloween.  Spooky!  If the ultra-sound tech can squeeze me in, maybe I can find out if we’re having a ghost or a goblin – I guess the ghost would be the female in this scenario.

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A day at the pumpkin patch…
One of my absolute favorite fall activities is visiting a pumpkin patch.  This year, time was slipping away, so I didn’t know if we’d make it out there, but we managed to take a trip to a new place this past weekend, and it was seriously the most fantastic farm ever.  We missed the pumpkins, but Anna hardly noticed because of all of the other cool stuffs that were there.

DSCN0114DSCN0116DSCN0117DSCN0121DSCN0123DSCN0126DSCN0135DSCN0143DSCN0145DSCN0153DSCN0156DSCN0160DSCN0163DSCN0167DSCN0174DSCN0186DSCN0188DSCN0194DSCN0198DSCN0201DSCN0203DSCN0211DSCN0213DSCN0217DSCN0224DSCN0228DSCN0230DSCN0231DSCN0236DSCN0238DSCN0243DSCN0246DSCN0250
We will definitely be back next year.  We had a blast!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

15 weeks & Anna is THREE!

So, my little baby is now three years old.  I must say that this age is the most awesome and the most tiresome.  Her little personality is out in full-force.  She’s funny, smart, kind, caring, loving and just all around wonderful.  If you’re sick, she takes care of you by rubbing your head or giving you her Dot (lovey).  She can speak in full sentences now and is always saying the most hilarious things like, “I AM ROSE NYLUND!” or “Mommy, look I built the Castle of Grayskull (out of Legos)!”  She has an old little soul and will sit contently with me while I watch old sitcoms like Three’s Company, Good Times and Maude.  She’s a mini-me and typically follows me around wherever I go.  

Here’s her castle:


She’s a rough and tumble kid who likes to play in the dirt with the boys and run and jump like she’s an All Star Basketball player.  Then she’ll spend hours sitting at the table carefully applying her make-up, putting on jewelry, walking around with purses and pushing her baby dolls in strollers.  She’s a well-rounded kid, and I honestly have nothing to do with her coolness.  She did it all on her own!

Anna is also a fiery little girl.  She can go from  0 – 60 in 2 seconds and be happy one second and frothing at the mouth on the floor the next.  There have been times where I’ve contemplated having her exorcised, and Joe was convinced at one point that she was bi-polar, but the more I learn about three year olds, the more I learn that this is just par for the course.  You take the good with the bad.  And even at her baddest, Anna is pretty darn good.  We’re very blessed to have such a special child in our lives.

Anna’s favorites:
Color: Yellow or pink
Food: Hot dogs
TV Show: Dora or Wonder Pets
Movie: Tangled
Song: Anything by Katy Perry
Saying: “OHHHHHH, MANNNNNNN!” Like Swiper on Dora.
Toy: She loves her baby doll and her flower slap bracelet
Person: Mom
Animal: Chloe although she calls her White Harley.
Snack: Gold fish or Phineas and Ferb snacks.
Drink: Milk or sweet tea
Pastime: Playing on the playground, specifically slides
Height/Weight: 37 1/2”, 32/33

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Happy Birthday to Anna!
We celebrated Anna’s 3rd birthday on Saturday, October 15th.  For a while there, I thought Anna would be the only kid at the party since the day I chose conflicted with other family events, but the turnout was great, and Anna had a blast!

I was a bit disappointed with the gym party, overall, because I had to keep asking the girl to guide the kids in what to do, but I also worked at a gymnastics club (different club) for 6 years, and we ran our parties much differently (and better).  Maybe I was just expecting too much, but I shouldn’t have to ask the leader of the party to get the kids 15 minutes into the party (when they only had an hour of play time). 

Aside from the lack of direction from the staff there, the party room was decorated great, and everything turned out nicely.  The kids had fun, the parents had a good time chatting – it was a really good day. 

Here are some pics:
IMG_6816 - Copy She’s super happy the whole morning…until we get there.

IMG_6819 - CopyMy good friend Allison made this precious banner!

IMG_6821 - CopyIMG_6824IMG_6825IMG_6827IMG_6829 - Copy
That pile on the right is a bunch of hand-made super hero capes that I gave to the kids at her party.  It was such a fun project!  I wish I would’ve taken more photos, but this is what one of them looks like on:

IMG_6899

IMG_6830 - CopyIMG_6835IMG_6837IMG_6838IMG_6839IMG_6847 My nephew is the cutest Super Man ever!

IMG_6851 Joe missed his golden NBA opportunity.

IMG_6856IMG_6860IMG_6863IMG_6866 Shirley Temple reincarnated!

IMG_6868IMG_6869 Super mom and dad (and 15 week baby bump)

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The photos below are from later that night.  Anna was so exhausted, but she still wanted to open all 2,000 of her presents!
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Happy birthday, my sweet baby, we love you so much!
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15 week stats:

—  My glands are making more and more hormones all the time.
   
—  My whole body (except for parts of my scalp) responds to light touch.
   
—  My brand new teeth are under construction.
— Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple).

 
The details…

How far along: 15 weeks

Total weight gain: I have no idea, but based on the way my clothes are fitting, I’m probably up about 30 lbs.  Ick.  I’m scared to weigh myself. 

Sleep habits:
I’ve actually been sleeping a bit better.  If I wake up in the middle of the night, I haven’t been having as many problems falling back asleep – even with Joe snoring in the background.  My mind is also a lot more relaxed, less anxiety, so I don’t “think” too much when I wake up.  This allows me to just fall back asleep without many issues.  My dreams have been super intense and super vivid.  (SAME AS LAST WEEK)

Maternity clothes: It seems like my bump has made an official appearance because the little bump I have now is not really disappearing anymore.  I’m in that horrible stage where I look bloated, puffy, swollen, fat, like I’ve gained weight, and I’m sure people who don’t know I’m pregnant are just going to assume that I’m eating too many biscuits at Cracker Barrel.  Oh well!  My bump will be here soon enough, and I’ll miss this time when I can still see and paint my own toenails!

Best moment of the week: Anna’s birthday party was pretty great!

Food cravings: I’m still on a sushi kick, but at this point I have to keep my hands away for fear of eating them I’m so darn hungry all the time.  I guess my body is kicking into gear since I spent the first 13 weeks basically disgusted by food.  I knew I’d eventually catch up.  Here I am!

Aversions: I could still eat my arm. 

Symptoms: Exhaustion at night (I’m snoozing by 8 p.m.).  I’ve had a few hormonal flare-ups the past week but nothing to write home about.  My skin is kind of glowing which I’m digging.  It makes up for my ever-spreading ass. 

Movement:  I’m not sure if I’m psyching myself out, but I could swear I’ve been feeling little pops here and there the past week.  I know the baby is just above my pelvic bone, and since that’s where most of the pops are located, I’m going to assume it’s the baby and not gas.  It’s probably gas. 

What I’m looking forward to:  I’m actually contemplating going to a 4d prenatal pics place to get a gender read on my baby.  I just can’t wait until 20 weeks.  No way, no how. 

What I miss: Clothes that fit right.

Next appointment: November 1. I finally got my flu shot!  Joe and Anna got theirs as well, so we’re all covered!

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Something a little serious…

I’ve contemplated whether or not to blog about this, but since this is going on in my life right now, I feel like I should be honest and open with everyone on here since it’s an issue that is SO important.

Back in 2009 after I weaned Anna from breast-feeding, I developed lumps in my breasts (that word makes me cringe, but I know it’s better than saying boobies or teats).  I went in for an ultra-sound and MMG and learned that the lumps were actually dense scar tissue from over-pumping (I exclusively pumped for about 3 months). 

Fast-forward to now.  My very pro-active OB suggested that I get another u/s to compare to my scans from 2009 – just to be on the safe side.  So, I did. 

The lumps that I initially had issues with have all but vanished, but the tech did find another spot of concern.  When the Radiologist came in to check, he didn’t seem too concerned and kept saying words like “benign” and “cyst,” but unless you get an all clear from a breast u/s, you leave feeling like you’ve just been punched in the gut. 

This is basically what it looks like on the monitor (note - this is not my scan, this is just one I found online):

No one wants to see a black hole on a breast scan, right?  It’s a bit alarming, but I typed in “benign breast cyst” and found this image, so that’s a bit comforting. 

Anyway, the Dr. said that he didn’t think it warranted immediate action and to come back in 6 months.  The date they scheduled me for is actually my due date, so we pushed it up to four months from now. 

However, after Giuliana Rancic’s announcement yesterday, I feel compelled to get a biopsy.  She’s only 36.  She has no family history other than an aunt.  She’s me.  Well, she’s hotter, richer and a few years older, but you understand what I’m saying.

Even if it turns out to be nothing, it will be worth the peace of mind.  And, if it does turn out to be more than benign, then early detection is key.  I owe it to my daughter, my unborn child and myself to ensure that I’m here as long as I can be, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep myself healthy for my children.

I think the minimum age for a baseline MMG should be changed to 30.  Plenty of women younger than 40 have breast cancer.  We live in a rose-colored world where we think breast cancer can’t touch us because we’re young, our family has no history, we take care of our bodies, we exercise, we eat right.  Don’t fool yourselves.  Cancer can happen to anyone.  And it’s up to us to make sure we arm ourselves with knowledge and take the necessary steps to get checked. 

Take that step today.  I am. 

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