Drs Appointment Update

So, I am officially on a low sodium diet :( The past few days my ankles and fingers have been swelling so I've been taking it easy, drinking water, laying on my left side, propping my feet up, etc. I talked to my doctor and he told me to start now before it gets out of hand in another month or so. I have done some research and will start today with my lunch at Subway - salad, no dressing only vinegar and oil I assume.

My back is out of place and my doctor worked on it a little bit to help make it more comfortable. I am going to the prenatal chiropractor in their office on Tuesday so she can check it out and work with me. She is in the office once a month so I will most likely see her through the rest of the pregnancy.

I've gained 10 lbs so far and everything looks great. I go for my glucose testing in 2 week to check for gestational diabetes. When my doctor was measuring my belly the baby started kicking him. He told me he seemed to be feisty - great! He was also being a little booger when the nurse tried to listen to his heart beat with the doppler. He kept moving around then I'd hear a thud, he kicked at the doppler and then he'd move. It took about 5 minutes of hide and seek before she was finally able to get him to relax enough to listen to his heart.

My next appointment is at 28 weeks and I get to have another ultrasound before my appointment. Because I'm considered semi-high risk I get to have ultrasounds at 28, 32, 36 and one final one before my c-section to check my cervix. So I guess I'll be seeing our little man quite a bit over the next few months.

We have anywhere from 14-15 weeks left before we are able to welcome him to our home. :-D

Easter and more pictures

Zachary (and Mike) slept in until 8:30 Easter morning. I was happy because I was able to get up and get some breakfast started before he woke up. When he woke up he found his basket and started opening candy. I allowed him to eat 1 piece before breakfast, it was Easter! The boys set the table while I finished breakfast (eggs, sausage and pancakes) and we all sat at the table for a nice family breakfast. We don't get them often because of Mike's work schedule. After breakfast we were not in a rush to get anywhere so I read a book and Zachary and Mike played with his Easter gifts. The Easter bunny also left a little gift for the new baby (outfit, infant pacifiers and a baby bunny).

We went to my grandma's around 2 and spent time with my Mom's family and then to my dad and step mom's at 4:00 to do a large Easter Egg hunt with my nephew and my cousins two little boys. I think they had 200 plastic filled eggs for all of the boys. The Easter bunny left Zachary and the new little guy a basket at my parents house also. We visited with Mikes parents after we left my parents house and then got home around 8:30. It is Spring Break week for Zachary's preschool so I didn't have to worry about sticking to his bedtime schedule.

As far as pregnancy / baby updates. I've been feeling the little man move around a lot more the past few weeks. Some days he's very active while others I get a little nervous when I don't feel him as much. I have also been experiencing tightness in my stomach and back pains more frequent. I am a little worried just because I went into pre-term labor with Zachary at 32 weeks and that's not really that far away from now. I go to the doctor on Thursday, I am going to discuss it with him. I sleep on my left side at night, I only drink water or a glass of OJ in the mornings (I don't drink milk). I have been very good about watching what I eat and also watching my weight. Today I've been having really bad back pains, my co-worker told me they could be gas related (sorry for TMI). I have some tums I've taken to see if they help or not. I also have severe heart burn and acid reflux daily. The reflux started last week and sometimes it makes me throw up (again TMI). Other than what I've complained about above this pregnancy is going great. I keep trying to remember if I felt this way when I was pregnant with Zachary but that was about 6 years ago and I honestly forget much of what I experienced.

I'll leave with the pictures I promised:

Zachary and I coloring eggs at my parents house.














Zachary with his basket.














Me, Zachary and Mike at my grandma's on Easter.














Me, Mom, my brother and Zachary at grandma's on Easter.














Zachary posing with his "Thumbs Up".














Another belly picture of me at 23 weeks.














Zachary coloring Easter Eggs














One of his many funny faces!














Easter Basket and goodies.

My first belly shot - 5 1/2 months

Until now I haven't allowed any belly shots because I started this pregnancy over weight and because I was still in denial about actually being pregnant.

5 1/2 months - picture taken by Zachary (above)

Zachary kissing his baby brother

Things are going well. We are starting to get our house ready and after much discussion last night we changed our remodeling plans to make it more affordable and less stressful. It will work for now and then next year we can do a more extensive remodeling project. We realized we need to get so many things for this little guy plus save some $$$ for when I'm off work that it would be easier to make a few smaller changes rather than a complete over haul. No matter what we do I am still going to hate our small, small, small house!

I go back to the doctor next Thursday, I'll be 23 1/2 weeks then. I can't believe how fast time is flying by this time. I am maintaining a good weight gain, 6 lbs so far (phew!!!) and starting waddle instead of walk. I've started getting shortness of breath very easily. My secret craving is a fresh fruit strawberry slushie from Sonic. YUMMY! I've also been craving Chinese foods but am scared to eat it because of the MSG and it's not supposed to be good for pregnancy. I don't want to do anything that could cause complications.

I got my Easter shopping finished early this year and I didn't go over board like I usually do. The only candy I bought was 1 chocolate bunny and a little package of nerds (because they are my favorite!). Mike was very impressed, usually he's rolling his eyes at my over spending. He requested this Sunday off from work so he could be home with us on Easer morning. He usually works every Sunday morning :( I'm glad he'll be home. I'm going to get up early hide eggs in the house (depending on the weather outside) and start making a big breakfast for my boys. Once breakfast is almost done I'll wake the boys up so we can eat and do our hunt. After breakfast we are going to visit with Mike's parents and then make a quick stop to my grandparents. At 2:00 we have a mid day lunch with my Mom's side of the family at my grandma's house and then at 4:00 we have dinner at my dad's house. Before dinner we will have a HUGE egg hunt. Holidays always wear me out (preggo or not) because of all of the family running we have to do. I shouldn't complain, we are blessed to have family to spend time with.

Happy Easter!

By the way, I think we have come up with a name...

Benjamin

For now at least. It might change. I have an issue with the middle name and what the initials would be. Mike and I are discussing it.

And I think I am going to choose July 16 or 17 for my scheduled c-section, unless there is a need for me to go earlier. :-) I want to let this little guy cook as long as he can before he joins us in the real world.

21 Weeks!

Sorry for the generic update - I promise to update on how things are going soon!

www.i-am-pregnant.com

Dates and numbers:
There are 132 days until your due date on July 21, 2008.
You are 148 days pregnant.
You are 4.9 months pregnant.
You are in your 5th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
Your 1st trimester: October 15, 2007 to January 13, 2008. (0 - 12 weeks)
Your 2nd trimester: January 14, 2008 to April 27, 2008. (13 - 27 weeks)
Your 3rd trimester: April 28, 2008 to July 21, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)

Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby.

Your baby will be getting much larger during the second half of your pregnancy. Your baby's crown-to-rump length at this time is 7.2 inches and she weighs approximately 10.5 ounces. Your growing baby is about the size of a large banana. You should be able to feel your uterus about a half of an inch above your navel. Your weight gain so far will be around 10 to 15 pounds.

As your baby begins to lay down more fat, your weight will also increase. During the next 10 weeks, you will gain about half of the total gain for your entire pregnancy. Strangers can now tell that you are pregnant! You might notice an increase in appetite because you need 500 more calories a day to support your charged up metabolism. It is best to avoid processed foods or foods high in fat, calories or sugar. Some women also get strong cravings for foods. If you notice a craving for something unhealthy, you should contact your doctor. Cravings unusal things is known as pica. Some women crave cigarette ashes, charcoal, beer and other non-food items during this time.

Your baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and your baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After your baby swallows the amniotic fluid, she is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid and then the waste is passed as far as the large bowel. Your baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare itslef for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. Your baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are begining to be produced. Taste buds are being formed on your baby's tongue this week also.

Don't be surprised if your legs and feet become swollen throughout the day. You should try to get off of your feet some throughout the day and prop your legs up. If you notice a substantial amount of swelling, you should contact your healthcare provider for evaluation.