bub bubs.

so we finally got in to see the specialist...

the news wasnt terrible, but not exactly what i was hoping for either. i was truly expecting/hoping that when we had the ultrasound done that they would be telling me that the spot that they thought they had seen before was just due to the baby's position, but the spot is still there, and can apparently be one of two things. 1) pretty much nothing, or 2) a marker for down syndrome which is unlikely for us since we don't have any other signs pointing that way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echogenic_intracardiac_focus

of course we hope that the baby doesnt have down syndrome but we opted not to have the amniocentesis because there are risks associated with that and we would keep the baby either way so it doenst make much sense for us to risk it.

other than that the baby is doing well! he was just as stubborn throughout this ultrasound as he has been for the previous so i think we're definitely in for a treat! and hes still hanging out in his favorite breech position, but he has plenty of time to move himself around before the big day, so all that means is that we will have more ultrasounds to check him out which is fine by me. :)

in other news... we have started referring to the little man as 'bub bubs' all because of this silly video my sister (his namesake) made us watch...

make my bub bubs bounce

mom time.

i was told that once i hit 20 weeks, i would start feeling the baby move around, and every once in awhile, on a very rare occasion, i did.

but the day before my 21 week mark, i believe that avery realized that the time he has left on the inside is now shorter than the time he has currently spent on the inside... and he decided that it would be a great idea to choreograph a dance routine in which to wow and entertain us all upon his arrival. at least that is what i hope. i feel that can be the only reason that between the hours of 12-3, avery is kick, kick, kicking away.

seriously though, it is absolutely amazing to feel him moving around in there now. and yesterday, for the first time, i could feel him kick from the outside! it is so crazy to think that something so little can kick with so much force that it can be felt just by placing your hand on your tummy.

i have also begun what i can only describe as 'nesting.' for those of you that know me well, you know that i dont do things... i am not crafty in the slightest bit, and when i see something super cute for about $20 and my sister says 'oh, we can probably do that better for about $10,' i will promptly reply that 'i dont do things,' and i would much rather spend the extra $10.

but yesterday my mom needed to stop in michaels to pick some things up... first i see the tie dye kit and decide that i absolutely need to tie dye some onesies for my child. next i see the rows and rows of yarn and make another executive decision that i will be crowned mother of the year if i can successfully make ashely his own blanket.

im such a mom.

Avery Warren.

we have decided on a name. :) our baby boy is Avery Warren. so happy that we finally have a name for our little man.

perinatal specialist.

ok so... update.

i got a call from my dr last night which was a little weird because the ultrasound tech said my dr wouldnt receive my pictures for at least 3 days.

anyway, even after the 2 hours of rolling from side to side, the dr is not satisfied with the pictures of the heart. i was told that there was a shadow over the left ventricle which could be because of the various positions he was in, but i have to go see a perinatal specialist in a couple weeks to have him checked out again.

i wasnt too worried until i realized they want me to go to a specialist instead of just having another ultrasound done... hopefully im just overreacting.

bah. my happiness bubble from yesterday has been popped.

we got a penis!

ok, i was mistaken in thinking that yesterday was the longest day of my life... it was most definitely today.

i was told not to pee for an hour before my appointment... i was finally taken back into an exam room where the tech allowed me to urinate before doing anything. i think it was fun for them to torture the pregnant woman by telling her to hold it for over an hour...

after two hours of rolling from side to side in a futile effort to get the baby to change his position, we found out that we have a little man in there! the doctor said everything looked ok, but apparently my son is already very stubborn and absolutely refused to let anyone get a clear shot of his heart, so we will most likely have to go back soon for them to make sure everything is good to go...

so next we went to buy buy baby in springfield to start our first registry! woohoo! we spent no less than two and a half hours there... i had no idea that babies required so much stuff! we were scanning and scanning and 10 pages later we finally decided that we were done for the day. we didnt even register for any bottles, sleep positioners, a stroller, or furniture... i dont even know what we did register for!

i am exhausted.

longest day of my life...

in less than 24 hours is the big day, and in my opinion, its the biggest day of our lives so far... at least until the day the baby is actually born. and today is taking absolutely forever to get through. ugh!

so ive decided to blog to pass just a little more time. :)

i had an absolutely amazing first mother's day! my husband is so great, i am a very lucky girl. i got a wonderful card from wil and another card from stella and the baby, it was very sweet. i also got numerous mothers day wishes from family and friends. we spent the whole day working outside with the rest of the fam and ended it with an awesome dinner made by my baby daddy.

so check back tomorrow for the big announcement and a new name poll!!!

dorkdom at its finest.

so ive realized that since becoming pregnant, i have turned into a total dork.

• i rarely see friends anymore because if i leave a bar smelling like smoke, i instantly think of what a terrible mother i am and the baby isnt even here yet.
  
• i analyze everything i eat. i did not think i was going to be one of those women that reads every little thing and freaks out... but apparently i am one of those women.
• i truly and honestly got excited about a diaper bag. i really did... i almost got teary about it.

i am sure there are many other facts that would support my discovery but now i feel bad about myself so im done with that.

ok, new topic! we go in on tuesday for the BIG ultrasound and i cant wait... (ugh, dork fact #357) i know i should be much happier about the fact that with this ultrasound they will check out all the organs and make sure everything is developing properly with the baby, but i am honestly and selfishly more excited to find out if there is a penis or not! because really, the penis, or lack thereof dictates everything! we will finally be able to cut our name list in half, we can start registering for anything we might need, and we can totally focus on the nursery (#521) which is really what matters...

a letter.

dear pregnancy fairy,

while i was frustrated that it took nearly a year and a half of calls and broken appointments, i am pleased to say that when we finally worked our schedules out to discuss the situation at hand, i am very satisfied with our agreed upon arrangement. happy that i am finally pregnant, i must admit that i would like to again sit down with you to discuss future arrangements. i feel as though you unrightly took some advantage of my naievity.

i did not know that i was to negotiate things such as morning sickness and nausea, headaches, skin ailments, sciatica pain, hip pain, breast size, and mood swings. i happily agreed to all above mentioned items as you smiled with what i can only look back and call secret glee at my immature and unknowing happiness.

having almost reached the halfway point in my pregnancy, i am finally realizing that the past 19 weeks is not exactly what i had expected. of course like most women, i assumed i would experience some morning sickness and fatigue that would 'magically' disappear once i hit my 13 week mark. i had also heard that i may go through some slight aversions to food and smells, but in no way was i prepared to gag everytime i blew my nose.

i think that with my next pregnancy i will be more assertive in my requirements:

• i will require a guarantee that if i must experience morning sickness, it will last no longer than the standard first trimester assumption.
• i will also need some assurance that i can blow my nose without any negative side effects.
• i would like to request that since my hips are clearly preparing for baby with this first pregnancy, they will not go through nearly as much pain in any future pregnancies.
• i would love to completely avoid the entire possibility of placenta previa.

with these criticisms, i do not want to seem ungrateful in anyway. i could not be happier that i have a baby on the way that is, by all current standards, healthy. i am so anxious for may 12th when i get to find out whether you have blessed us with a boy or a girl, and we cannot wait for the last week of september to see what day you have chosen for our little one to make his or her grand entrance.

in short, i am happy with your work pregnancy fairy, but in the future i do have some minor suggestions. i will be in touch soon to discuss arrangements to come within the next couple years, and as proof of my satisfaction with the situation, i have passed along your information to quite a few other women that i hope will help in my future negotiations with you.

thank you,
krp

19 week survey...

How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: still haven't gained anything! woohoo!
Maternity clothes? still just sometimes
Stretch marks? the same two from a few weeks ago and two new tiny ones sneaking in there...
Sleep: ha ha!
Best moment this week: being told that i look 'fantastic'!!!
Movement: oh yes... the baby definitely lets me know if the position im in is not the best...
Food cravings: nope, when youre still throwing up nothing sounds good to eat
Gender: we find out in about 11 days!!!
Labor Signs: natta
Belly Button in or out? still chillin with an innie
What I miss: sleep!
What I am looking forward to: may 12th...
Weekly Wisdom: i have bump envy.
Milestones: the belly definitely looks bigger these days