Massive update - with nothing massive happening.

It's our half way mark!!! I'm hoping to be induced at week 38 (and for other reasons* mentioned below) I think now at week 19 we are officially half-way there!!

**Tada dum, tada dum, tada dum**

That's the sound of me drumming my fingers in boredom. It's true what they say about the second trimester -- nothing much happens! One exciting bit - we saw another sonogram. This little girl is growing rapidly and appears to be super healthy. She's got a great heartbeat; we saw all four chambers of the heart. That was cute, it's nice to know that's working as it should be. We also got a great shot of her face. I didn't really notice it at the time (we got a still photo/printout of it) but the more I've studied it, the more surreal it seems --- that's her face! She has eye sockets and nasal bones and I can even see her whole jaw. It's like a little skull. And as creepy as that sounds, I can see her face shape. It's like it gives her a "look" like an appearance that I can already discern. She has high cheek bones that we can already see. It's very cool, particularly since those are mine! I have high cheek bones too. And so that's been exciting. In a very abstract way, we're kind of able to put a "name with a face."

Second order of business, we took a vacation. It was wonderful - so relaxing. Everything went so smoothly. It was on this trip that I was finally able to recognize baby movement. We had lots of down time, Josh did a ton of reading and I did a ton of crossword and Sodoku puzzles. This relaxed lounge time, I guess, was just what I needed to fully evaluate the ubiquitous bubbles I'd been feeling for weeks (I really thought I had some serious "tummy grumbles" that never came to, uh, fruition...) But I've been watching for her to make some clear movement for me lately and while it's faint, I can feel something going on in there. She's supposedly pretty big right now (actually bigger than she should be, so they informally *moved my due date up a week). She's 14 cm long and weighs 10 ounces. This was more consistent with a 19th week of pregnancy (which is where I am now, but then I was only at 18). It's amazing to think that there is something this big living in me and I rarely feel it. It seems like the plot of some bizarre extra terrestrial film.

Another minimal piece of info that I should make note of at this point as well: we had a "triple screening" done last week. It's an optional series of blood tests that test for many birth defects, primarily Downs Syndrome, Spina Bifida, etc. Ugly side of pregnancy, but I'm sure we'll get a clean bill. I'm not too worried. Everything about this pregnancy seems so healthy - I've been fine, the baby is fine, her pictures reflect nothing but good health. So I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. The catch to these tests are that they have a high rate of false positives - like 1 out of 10 comes back positive, even though the reality of these defects happening is statistically much lower. So it really sends a lot of worried parents to specialists for no reason. So I'm braced for this to happen, but I'm confident that everything will be fine.

And finally -- wow, and I thought I had nothing to write -- the subject of names just keeps coming up over and over again. I know I have been exactly like this when I've had girlfriends expecting - it's an obvious question for people to ask. But when you're not sure of names yet and you make the mistake early on of mentioning it, you hear it come back to you through the grapevine. It's just funny, by the time it gets back to you, you could be, like SO over that name. So we've just decided to keep mum on the subject. We've also learned that the reactions aren't always so favorable when you rattle off a list of names - you get input. The unsolicited feedback forever taints that name and you feel prematurely bad for your ill-named child. So, we have a few ideas we keep playing around with, but I think we'll wait till we actually see her to make this indelible mark on her!

Okay, I think that's it. Oh and for my own recording purposes - I've gained 14 pounds and according to many sources that's right where I should be at this point in the pregnancy. Now, if I could just maintain this pace I think I'll be okay! For anyone who knows me, I'm 100% neurotic about my weight so this is the most "under control" it's ever been - so ironic!!

*GROWL* Whoa, I hear ya, baby! Time to go feed the tiny bubbles some lunch!

josh the silent partner

This is Joshua. A Girl, I can't believe it. I hope she loves Motorcycles, Skateboards, and a father who wears a gorilla suit. This Girl will be very spoiled.
Keeping it real.
Joshua
P.S. Niki is a real trooper. She hasn't had any of the pregnancy side effects that most women have. very good for me. I'm very lucky that she is a superhero. She should get a medal.

It's a GIRL!!!

Tiny Bubbles

I think I felt it! I just had what felt like a little mouse scratching at a wall bubble up in my tummy! Now, I've had this plenty of times and I've been passing this off as gas, but this time I laughed out loud, it was like this was somehow different. And was not accompanied by any gurgling tummy or anything indicative of gas. And so I called Josh to tell him and then I said "it's either a little fart or our child!" And I'm sure you can see the obvious joke - many parents would say they eventually become one in the same. No, I would never insinuate such a thing... But anyway, we were very tickled by the experience, Josh was very amped.

Now, on a second note - we have an appointment on Thursday, just your average monthly appointment. HOWEVER, as we are now into Week 16 many reports say that we may be able to detect the sex of the baby at this time. But at our last appointment our midwife did not think we should rely on this appointment for the official sonogram. You see, insurance will pay for one, and it is technically supposed to be what's called an anatomy check - they are looking for the correct count of arms, legs, eyes, etc. You know, key parts. Now, if we go on record at this Thursday's appointment as having had our anatomy check sonogram, insurance will not pay for another one should we not get sufficient views of the "important parts". Hmph! So, I called the office today to see if they were at all booked on Thursday (this office is traditionally pretty cool about sneaking patients into a sonogram room if they're not busy and just not billing anyone)...and they are NOT booked, they're wide open that day!! Yippee! SO we might just be able to find out the sex of this little bug on Thursday! Oh, and an update on the gender vibes? Just as Josh was leaving this evening (going to a class) he looked at my high-waisted, drawstring pants all snuggly fit around my belly and said "Oh yea, it's definitely a girl." WHAT?! I thought we were both on a boy kick right now? Yeesh. This wait is excruciating! How do those with normal impulse behavior wait out the 40 weeks? Hopefully we only have to wait 4 days!!

I'll try to keep an eye on my tiny bubbles, too. I'm pretty sure our little mouse just made it's first communications to the world! :) Hellooo!

"...this line is for serious emergencies only..."

Okay, so when you're 3 and 1/2 months pregnant what constitutes an emergency? A mysterious pain? I should think so! Again, let me preface this by tooting my horn once more -- I'm really not a WUSS. In fact when it comes to being concerned about my health, my theory is, drink more water. That'll usually clear up just about anything. Headache? Drink more water! Cold/Sniffles? Drink more water! You get the idea. I'm just not a big advocate of seeking medical attention. The body is awfully resilient. Now, that said... I just made my first phone call to the "emergencies only" line at my doctors office.

I've been having a sharp pain today (currently it's a dull ache) right in the ol' baby basket. Right under my belly button, top of my pubic bone. That's like the front door to Babyville - an area I've clearly been keeping an eye on these days! So, after a few raised eyebrows (e.g. "ooh...what the hell was that?!"), a mention of the concern to the baby-daddy (who shared my concern), and a few more (higher now) raised eyebrows coupled with painful winces, I chose to use the emergency line. Well, first I looked up everything I could on line that I might use to self-diagnose/self-medicate (perhaps I'd stumble on an advocate for Cosmopolitans as a homeopathic remedy?!?) The internet generally said, when googling "stabbing" "pain" "sharp" "pregnancy", that these were not good things. I had had ligament pain in the first trimester where the ligaments that keep everything in place start stretching and it did not feel like this and it was more general acheyness. This was sharp, shooting, and like tooth-ache white hot pain - but for 1/2 a second. So it was like a "drive-by" as far as pain goes. And all of the info on the internet said "round ligament pain" was typically to the sides.

So this prompted me to use the emergency line. I had to leave a message on an answering service and I think I apologized 20 times just in case I was over-reacting and this was not a "real" emergency. Well, all this anticipation and the midwife on call called me back and confirmed that I was experiencing text-book, uber-classic, "round ligament pain". I guess my first trimester's tip-toe through round ligament pain was just an appetizer. Yum. So apparently today is the day our little guest has decided to roll out the ol' barcalounger and make him/herself at home. I hope s/he's comfy. I know I'm not - but thanks to my handy little emergency line, I can at least have some peace of mind (and from now on --- NO APOLOGIES, if it's urgent in my mind, I'm calling the damn emergency only line! I'm going to get my co-pay's worth on this ride!)