Just a quick update

Checked my blood sugar 1 hour after dinner as I was told to, it's now down to 132! So, maybe it just takes a bit for the better diet to work?

Yay! Found my diet soda!

In the order of preference.

Love me some diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Pepsi isn't bad either. Diet Coke... tastes like diet coke... I am quitting sugar first, then I'll work down the caffeine more than I already have. <3

Day One of GD tracking...

My numbers are horrible. :( I woke up at 114, it should be less than 95. I had a totally diabetic friendly breakfast... my numbers 1 hour after were 177, my highest reading yet.

Tracking my blood sugar levels.

I thought the finger sticks would be horrible, but they're not and I'd do anything for this Peanut... now if only I could get this blood sugar level under control. I've just started though, so I am not going to judge myself, only try harder.

12 week belly pic...

Nothing to exciting. Just my fat butt. :p

Gestational Diabetes

So I had my 12 week OB appointment today, everything went great.. aside from the early Glucose Tolerance Test. Apparently mommies to be who have PCOS are at a much higher risk of developing GD (Gestational Diabetes) and are routinely tested early. In my case at 12 weeks. I failed. :(

However, this is just a bump in the road and I plan to get over it with finesse. More doctor visits, daily glucose monitoring. (Sticking my finger 4 times a day.) and possibly insulin if I cannot control it with diet alone. It's all okay though, because it is going to be SO worth it come July. Mommy loves you so much Peanut!

I found this blinkie, it's perfect.

Oh! And of course the doctor listened with the doppler and found Peanut's little heart beating away at 160 bpm. <3

Oh and here is a pic of the "fantastic" *gag* stuff I had to drink for the test today...

Ish!

12 weeks!

I can't believe I am officially 3 months pregnant! Only one more week until I am officially in my second trimester... amazing. I really thought that time was going to crawl, since I found out so early, but it seems to be flying by.

Here is what FF has to say about Peanut this week...

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby is about the size of a peach and is growing rapidly. Crown to rump, your baby measures 2.6 to 3.1 inches (6.5 to 7.8cm) and weighs 0.5 to 0.7 ounces (14 to 20g). Your baby's legs are longer than her arms and her skin is red and transparent. Her eyelids are fused together and won't open for about four more months. Her arms are long enough to reach her mouth and she may begin to place her thumb in her mouth. Her sucking reflex, however, is not yet developed. The tissue that will become your baby's bones is being laid out, especially around her head and her arms and legs. Some ribs may be distinguished at this time. The nose and chin are more prominent now. Your baby will begin to practice breathing in the next few weeks as her chest rises and falls in mock breathing motions. She will also swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid which will be passed as urine. Your placenta is providing all of your baby's needs for nutrition, oxygen and waste disposal, though the amniotic fluid will become more important later on. All major components of the body are formed and now must grow and mature. From now on, your baby's development will consist primarily of organ maturity and growth and body refinement.

Merry Christmas!

Peanut and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Peanut even got his/her first Christmas gift, or any gift, ever today! Nana Whipps bought an adorable unisex sleeper for Peanut and it should fit right away too!

Thank you Nana Whipps!

Peanut and I stayed up late together last night.

We watched the solstice lunar eclipse together. I made sure Peanut was paying attention by listening to that sweet little heart beating away at now 160 bpm. Anyhow, I found an awesome video of the eclipse and thought I'd share it here for those of you who might have missed it, and because it's something Peanut and I did together. Granted, we do *everything* together right now :P.

Anyhow, here is the awesome time lapsed video I found on the interwebs today.




 Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman

A new-ish baby belly pic.

I took this a few days ago and forgot to post.

11 weeks!

Another week down, another milestone marked. Every week Peanut gets bigger, stronger and closer to joining our lives.  Here is what FertilityFriend has to say about Peanut this week.

Your Baby This Coming Week The end of the twelfth week of pregnancy marks the end of the first trimester. Your baby is now almost 2.5 inches long (6.1cm) when measured from crown to rump, and weighs between 0.3 and 0.5 ounces (9 to 13g). Your baby's fingers and toes have separated and are getting longer. Your baby can open and close its mouth and drinks amniotic fluid which it passes out as urine. Its head is becoming more rounded, though it is still large in proportion to its body. It has eyelids. You can now hear your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler Ultrasound device! Your baby continues to grow rapidly and has doubled in size in the last three weeks alone. The face is beginning to look more human, and all body structures are present with a few refinements still in progress. Fingernails and toenails begin to develop this week. Your baby's muscles are sufficiently developed to allow for involuntary movements at this time. The messages which control your baby's movements are sent from the spine, rather than the brain, which is not yet sufficiently developed.

Peanut plays hide and seeks!

So of course every few days I listen for the reassuring sounds that my little Peanut is thriving in there... but today Peanut thought it would be fun to play hide and go seek with mommy. I chased this little one all over my belly to try to get even one decent recording lol!

Peanut's first movie (sort of)

I used the most recent ultrasound pics and heart tones from the doppler to make a little video for Peanut.

 

I hope this isn't as choppy for people with better connections. :/

Latest ultrasound pics and Peri visit results.

My OB wanted me to see the peri for a few reasons. I am on a class D med, that I can't stop taking. All docs freak when we review my meds because of my Klonopin... however, the genetic counselor AND the peri said not to worry about it. That the studies on the meds are old, not controlled and outdated. If anything the more recent studies conflict with the original data making for the meds to be much safer. 

Second I had a LEEP in 2000, but again that isn't a worry as my cervix is 3.83 cm long. 

Third I am predisposed to preterm labor, but they said at this point they'd rather watch and see as needed than take the risk of preforming the cerclage in advance.

Anyhow, here are the pics of baby from today. My little peanut was stretching and bouncing and waving it's little arms and legs. It was a wonderful ultrasound and appointment all around.

Peanut's little legs were kicking about!

Arms on each side and chest in the middle.

Crown to rump length.

Heart beating away at 170 bpm.

Lounging on my back waving.

Showing off all my parts!

10 weeks!

I am so happy I could dance! I can't believe I've survived knowing I'm pregnant since October 25th! You're just not supposed to know that soon I tell you.

To my peanut: Mommy loves you so much! You're doing great, growing bigger and stronger every day! I can't wait to meet you in another 30 weeks. Although it'll most likely be closer to 27 weeks.

I had to tell your big sister Cheyenne that she couldn't be in the room when you're born, but she can come in right away after to meet you. She wants to be the first sibling to hold you! Can you believe it? I think we're going to have to draw straws to see which sibling gets to hold you when. You are so very, very loved. Keep growing and getting stronger. I don't even care if you are a boy or a girl, so no pressure there, just please be happy and healthy. Although I'll take you however I can get you and love you just as much no matter what!

Uhg lol

I can't believe I am posting this. But so many of the ladies on my pregnancy website think I am padding under my clothes! lol So, even though I am large and in charge, I took a bare belly photo. It'll likely be the only one, now that I have "proven" myself un-padded... at least by anything artificial.

Sorry about the jammies and such. I'm up, can't sleep and decided that I might as well prove I'm not padding my maternity wear. lol Another mom on my other pregnancy site suggested that those of us who are "showing" just have a lot of poo and water... if that was the case, I think my bum would  have exploded by now. lol

What FF has to say about Peanut this week.

Your Baby This Coming Week

The crown-to-rump length of your baby is about 1.25 to 1.68 inches (between 3.1 and 4.2cm). He weighs about 0.18 ounces (5g). The placenta is now producing progesterone which helps to make nutrients for your developing baby. Your baby has passed the stage when he is most susceptible to damage. By the end of this week, the danger zone for congenital abnormalities has passed. The plan for your baby's body has been completely laid down by now. Further growth and cell division will build on this plan.   Taste and tooth buds have appeared. Your baby has recently developed fingers and toes which are now well-formed. Ankles, wrists and the inner ear have formed. Your baby's nose is flat and his eyes are far apart. His eyes, ears, mouth and nose are all recognizable. The tail is disappearing. Your baby is moving around the amniotic sac, and moving his feet and ankles. You still will not be able to feel these movements but you may be able to see them on an ultrasound. Blood is circulating through the arteries and the vein of the umbilical cord. The brain of your baby is developing at a phenomenal rate. About one quarter of a million new neurons are produced every single minute at this stage in your pregnancy. If your baby is a boy, his testes, though they are not even clearly visible, are already producing testosterone. Your baby is no longer called an embryo, but rather a fetus.

Ultrasound results in Dr. speak.

Here is what they have to say about my last ultrasound. The part in bold is what I don't like and have gotten no instruction on.

Study Result

Early Pregnancy Ultrasound Date of exam: 12/2/2010 Indication for exam: viability Requesting Provider: Michael A Slama, MD TECHNIQUE: Transabdominal scan was performed. Transvaginal scan was performed. FINDINGS: The uterus is normal size. The myometrium is homogenous. There is no evidence of myomas. There is a single, living, intrauterine pregnancy. The crown-rump length is 1.9 cm, consistent with an ultrasound gestational age of 8 weeks 3 days. The yolk sac is not identified. Fetal heart activity is present with a rate of 178 beats per minute. Adnexal structures are normal. There is no free fluid in the cul de sac. A 0.8 x 0.4 x 0.4 cm anechoic area is seen adjacent to the placenta. This may represent a small hemorrhage versus normal placental formation. IMPRESSION: 1. Singleton, viable, intrauterine pregnancy. 2. Ultrasound EDD is 7/11/11 with a gestational age of 8 weeks 3 days. 3. No adnexal masses are seen. 4. A 0.8 x 0.4 x 0.4 cm anechoic area is seen adjacent to the placenta. This may represent a small hemorrhage versus normal placental formation. Follow-up as clinically indicated. CASEY N SPRAGUE, MD 12/2/2010 4:01 PM

I figure it's about time for another...

Bump picture. It hasn't changed much, maybe a bit bigger, but that's about it. I can't believe I am only 8 weeks 3 days...

Peanut's latest pics

We had a fabulous photo shoot today. Peanut posed and held it fairly well! We got 8 pictures this time!

Without further ado, here's Peanut!

And something a little less fun, it appears I have a subchorionic hemorrhage, which should most likely reabsorb, we hope. Either way the plan is to keep an eye on it.

A third ultrasound!

Ooh! And a new month! Happy December to everyone!

Due to increased cramping and Dr. Slama (Love his name lol!) being unable to find any sort of infection, bladder or otherwise. They scheduled me for another ultrasound Thursday to check on my little Peanut. Call it reassurance he said, and I will. It's hard not to worry when you experience more pain that usual in early pregnancy.

He was tremendously amazed that I was able to find the heart beat at home. Especially so early. Then again, so was I. Maybe to get me through until tomorrow I'll spend some time with the doppler this morning looking for Peanut. A full week later it should be a tiny bit easier to find. I mean sheesh, the baby had a growth spurt of at least 7mm! lol

8 weeks!

This is pregnancy week 8! It's my own little milestone, but one that I am thrilled about, from here on out every 4 weeks is a decent milestone but every week in and of itself is wonderful. The photo is of course not me, but too cute, especially for a gender neutral icon!

So, this week, here is what FertilityFriend has to say about Peanut.

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby measures about 0.9 to 1.2 inches (2.2 to 3cm) from crown to rump. Your baby's arms and legs are longer and her hands are flexed at the wrist. The head is growing more erect and the neck is more developed. On an ultrasound, you may see your baby moving, though you still can not feel this. The organs are forming. Ears are developed and the eyelids have begun to cover up your baby's eyes. Hands and feet appear as well as small buds which will become fingers and toes. The paddles of your baby's hands have clearly defined finger ridges now, with the tissue between them (which previously made them look webbed) reducing to leave separate fingers. Your baby's back has started to straighten slightly and the tail is now shrinking. The head still seems large and is curved forwards on her chest. Your baby is starting to look like a tiny person!

And since the ticker on the bottom is kind of tough to read I'll paste it here too. I'm not excited or anything... lol

Peanut's little ticker, the turtle is because it always seem to take forever to meet baby!

Awe!

Emma is so excited about Peanut that today flood of questions came spewing forth. It was a bit crazy... but, between videos of her as a baby and her baby dolls I was able to answer all of her questions. Although now she is that much more excited to meet our Peanut. So let's see... I am 7 weeks 6 days along at this point... only... 29 more weeks (and 1 day) until we could be having a sweet little Peanut joining us. Assuming I am able to carry Peanut to full term. If Peanut comes as early as Emma did... then only 27 more weeks. Eek!

Wow.... 29 weeks isn't so much time... wow. My gosh. That's like... 6 and a half months give or take. Wow.

I don't know if I am more excited to meet or worried about being ready in time for our little Peanut!

Peanut's Heartbeat!!

This is Peanut's precious little heartbeat at just 7 weeks and 1 day gestation!

I love this sound SO much! If you're curious Peanut's heart rate is now 148 b.p.m.

For anyone wondering I am using a BabyBeats doppler that we bought almost 7 years ago now when we were pregnant with little Miss Emma.

What FF has to say about Peanut this week.

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby's crown to rump measurement is about 0.56 to 0.8 inches (14 to 20mm). Your baby's face has a recognizable shape with eyelids and the tip of a nose with formed nostrils, though his head is still very large compared to the rest of his body. All major organs are now formed and in place, though they still need to mature. A tongue has already formed. The ears are forming both internally and externally. The arms and legs extend forward and shoulders, elbows, hips and knees are detectable. Knees and elbows have begun to form on the limbs. Tiny fingers and toes are starting to appear at the tips of your baby's developing limbs and the arms may be slightly flexed at the elbows and wrists. All major organs are in place. Your baby is moving around a lot, moving his legs and flexing his spine, but you are unable to feel it at this point. Your baby's genitals have begun development, though they are still difficult to identify.

An opportunity for input!

You know you want it. :p

On my pregnancy website I have a home page, on that home page I have a few polls that you can take about my little peanut! You can vote boy or girl and you can vote for both boy and girl names. The children give their input... so Peanut's name will begin with an A. Now it's a matter of which A name Peanut will have. :)

My pregnancy homepage, vote here.

Beanie turns to our little peanut!

After the latest ultrasound pics we think beanie now looks more like a peanut, so... Peanut is our new nickname for baby to be. <3

Without further ado, here is our most recent photo shoot with another to come in December at the perinatal appointment.

Beanies first pictures!

I went to have a dating ultrasound done on Thursday, however, Beanie is still to little to get a crown to rump measurement on. But as she looked around, we were able to see the yolk sac and a tiny "smudge" that is Beanie... we also saw Beanies little heart beating away at 102 beats per minute! The ultrasound tech said this is the earliest she's ever seen a heart beating on such a little bean, she was amazed, so was I!

She printed a couple of pics for Beanies baby book (when I pick one up) so of course I scanned them in for the blog too. :) I put a heart around the important parts. The top picture is the yolk sac, the second picture is the baby. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am right now. I can't wait to meet this little bean, but it will be so worth the wait.

Today's betas bring tomorrow's ultrasound.

So the OB wanted to monitor my beta hCG numbers until they hit at least 2000, at 2000 the goal is to do an ultrasound to make sure I am making a healthy baby. Today I had what should be my final beta hCG blood draw and got the results. I have an ultrasound scheduled for around 3 pm tomorrow. I can't wait to see my little bean. I just wish I didn't have to go with a full bladder. I hate that.

Beta draw date, time, result and doubling times:

Beta 11/2/10  -    296  (4 pm blood draw) 
Beta 11/4/10  -    588  (10 am blood draw - Doubling time: 40.99) 
Beta 11/10/10 - 2591 (2 pm blood draw Doubling time: 69.64)

Prenatal testing...

Got the results from all the prenatal blood draws, etc. back today. Everything is looking great! Such a relief. Now just to wait until Thursday for my final beta hCG and the ultrasound that should follow. I can't wait to see my little bean!

Updated graphic stuffs...

With the uncertainty over my due date etc... I made a new positive pregnancy test collage for posting wherever. Thought I'd share it here since this will someday be a site/record for Beanie <3

It's been quiet

The past few days have been very worrisome for Beanie and I. I went in for a dating ultrasound and they couldn't find beanie at all. They ran a beta hCG test and it was apparently pretty low. 298,they had me half convinced that Beanie wasn't going to make it. However I had another appointment and a blood draw today to check the beta levels again and in less than 48 hours they doubled! That is great news and what you want from a healthy pregnancy.

So, now we wait, next week I have another beta and then another ultrasound. This one should show us a baby and give us a fairly accurate due date. Great news for the day.

So happy!

A comparison shot

Different bra and different shirt but it seems to be rounding out?

Mommy's Beanie Belly

It's like I am just popping out all of a sudden. I am going to need maternity clothes sooner than I thought I would.

I know I'm not exactly skinny.. but that is a definite "bump".

Beanie Baby, Week 5

Just thought I'd share what Fertility Friend has to stay about the baby from week to week.

Your Baby Week 5:

Implantation is complete. Your future baby has now reached beneath the lining of your uterus and growth is rapid. Your baby is now called an embryo. The embryo is still about 0.05 inches (1.25mm) long. It is deeply embedded in your uterus.

It is now possible to identify the fold of skin that will become your baby's head. A heart forming plate has developed and the central nervous system, muscles and bone are in the early stages of development. Your baby's heart has started beating. The brain, spine and beginnings of the nervous system are forming.

By the end of this month, your baby will resemble a tiny tadpole, barely the size of a grain of rice. A distinct organization, however, is becoming visible. There is a stripe down the back of the embryo which is curling over to form a groove which will seal up to form the neural tube. This will turn into the spinal cord and brain. The top of the tube is flattening out and expanding to form the front part of the brain.

The placenta, which will provide nourishment to your developing baby later in your pregnancy, is not yet formed. Right now your baby is nourished from you via hundreds of tiny "roots" that cover the amniotic sac. The nourishment is channeled from you to your baby from these roots through a stalk that will become the umbilical cord. The placenta will begin its development this week. It will form in the site that the fertilized egg attached to the lining of your uterus at the time of implantation. A bulge is developing where your baby's heart will be and the blood vessels are growing into place.

Wishlist fun!

Even pregnancy has it's requirements and helpful items. I figure it can't hurt to share the wishlist, even as it grows. (Pardon the pun. :p)

by jigsawgirl

The baby

It's so generic, right? That's what Emma thought, so she wanted to give the baby a nickname, something that is also special to her. Well, since we call her Emma-bean among other nicknames, she thought we'd call the baby beanie, or beanie baby. I agree, it's cute and I love that she wanted to have a special way to refer to her new sibling.

So, if you see mention of beanie or beanie baby here, that's who we mean. :)

Oh also, Emma would like me to tell you that Beanie attended their first parade today! Beanie and I went to watch Emma march in the annual Anoka Halloween Parade in her pirate costume, parrot and all. We had a lot of fun and Emma did a great job.

A big surprise

On October 25th, 2010 someone suggested I test for pregnancy, because I'd been so sleepy and a few other things. Trusting this person, I did. I went home and dug around for an old, but not outdated test.

Despite the signs and symptoms, I was quite shocked to find that the test showed a positive result. So surprised that I ran right back to the person who suggested I take the test and had her verify that I was seeing two lines, and that she did.

Since then, I have taken several more tests at home as well as one at the doctor they have all been all positive. I'm not supposed to be able to get pregnant without medical help! What a wonderful surprise and a miracle to say the least. I am still in shock, but I am however out of tests, so it's time to buckle down and believe it.

This is the beginning of what I hope is going to be a happy and healthy 9 month journey. One that ends with a sweet baby to join our family. I can't wait.

Here is the barrage of tests I took, I don't have the one from the doc, just a note on my discharge sheet.