It should have been next Friday. NEXT FRIDAY.

Not 19 weeks from now, but a week and two days.

Next Friday.

Next Friday...

Next Friday.

Ultrasound Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the "big, formal ultrasound," as my OB calls it. The one where we might possibly be able to see/determine gender (although Asher doesn't want to know, meaning I can't know because I would inevitably slip and refer to the baby by gender-specific pronoun, but we're going to have the doctor write it down to send to Mom). I can't wait to see the baby again, and Asher's going to see our child moving around for the first time!! :oD

The appointment yesterday was uneventful. HR = 160bpm, normal. I LOVE hearing that little heart beating!! It's very reassuring, particularly on days like yesterday, where baby's hanging out in the deepest, darkest recesses of my uterus and I can't feel any movements. Some days, I feel the baby 2 or 3 times a day, but sometimes I'll go two or three days straight without feeling anything, and I can't help but wonder if everything's still going as it should. I enjoy the comfort of hearing a steady heartbeat to ease my worries.

My diastolic blood pressure is hovering near borderline high, so we're going to have to keep an eye on that, but it's really not at all unexpected, given my family history. My uterus is measuring 19", which indicates 19 weeks, so we're dead-on for where I am in my pregnancy (19 weeks today!).

Hopefully, the genetic screening I did over the weekend will be processed and results will be at the OB's office by tomorrow's appointment. Hopefully! Then we can discuss what came up, the possibility of further screenings and possibly eventual invasive diagnostics tests s/a amniocentesis (which I'm hoping to avoid at all costs!), etc.

I'm planning on working 8-10 tomorrow, then heading down to Norman for my 11:05am appointment. Whether I return to work after the appointment will depend upon how long/late the appointment runs, if there were any "red flags" on the ultrasound or screening results, and if we have to do further lab work or discuss diagnostic options. Or I might just take off the rest of the afternoon because it'll be a nice excuse to take a nap. ;o)

I'm blaming work for my elevated blood pressure readings. Stress and whatnot, ya know. I think it's a sign I should just stay in bed and relax for the next 20 weeks. ;o) And take a yoga class!! :oD

I'm restless and excited about holding Asher's hand during this ultrasound tomorrow. I just can't wait!! :oD

Breaking the Silence

I know, it's only been 8 days since the last post... But I feel like I haven't written anything here in ages! Which makes me feel guilty, since this is sort of a tribute to my baby, and I'd hate to think that my child might grow up, read this, and think, "Sheesh, Mom was hardly even thinking about me!" Actually, that couldn't be further from the truth.

I am now 18 full weeks into my pregnancy (18w, 2d to be exact), and my next OB appointment is Monday (4 days!!), at which point we schedule the next ultrasound (!!) for a week or two after. I'm feeling the baby fairly often, but we haven't yet reached the point where I can expect to feel something on a daily basis. Most of the pregnancy-related sensations these days are the twinges and aches associated with an expanding uterus pulling on the surrounding ligaments. Occasionally, there's a fairly significant bout of dizziness, but nothing too spectacular. I just feel like I'm drifting along, waiting for signs of anything new or exciting...

I can't wait to hold Asher's hand and watch our baby squirm and kick and wriggle again. I can't wait to see his face when he sees our little one for the first time! And I'm VERY curious to see if I'll be able to identify gender based on my limited knowledge of ultrasound images... :oD

I've started going to Wal-Mart and Babies R Us on my lunch breaks to scout out baby stuff and get a general idea of pricing on cribs, car seats, strollers... All the good stuff. ;o) Of course, we won't be buying any of that stuff until we get into our new place in Nevada (we have enough to move already! :) ), but it might make more sense from a budget standpoint to start buying things one at a time pretty soon so we don't have a whole pile of things we need all at once when the baby arrives.

I cannot keep my hands off my stomach anymore! If they're not specifically occupied elsewhere, they're irresistably drawn to my belly, as if there were a giant magnet installed... I've read that the baby can hear and will respond to sounds now, and that the baby can also feel touches through the abdomen, so I've been talking and petting the baby a lot when I think no one's watching. It's incredible how deeply in love I have fallen with this little person I've never even met! :o)