17 weeks

Okay, this is not our typical belly picture. I haven't put too much thought into posting another aside from this one, I'm rather partial to this one.

This is my baby girl EmmaLeigh (6) posing with her sister to be after decorating my baby bump.

I love it! Oh and if you look closely, there is a give away for the baby name too. ;)

On a less exciting note, I begin the 17p shots this week to help prevent PTL. Emma was born at just about 35 weeks. <3

Just another short heartbeat clip.

It never gets old for me, but I'm the mommy. At any rate, I thought I'd share since she didn't move away so much this morning and I got a good kick out of her as well. I love this little Peanut!

You can hear the kick like a little thump right

around 10 seconds in. : ) I love that I 

can feel them now!

I feel like such a lucky mommy.

It fell off!

Well at least the tech doing the ultrasound today thinks it did. Peanut is no longer a boy... but a girl. It went from 80% boy to 90% girl and I did see the 3 little lines. I'm still shocked. The boy pic was pretty convincing but the girl view with the hamburger and lack of boy parts...just might be a little more so. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of that.

16 weeks!

Once again a day early but Sunday is just so much easier to be all, accomplishment oriented, than Monday. 16 weeks... seems well, I don't know, it seems like a milestone. Although I am still counting down the days to 20 weeks and then to having Peanut.::sigh::

So here is this weeks baby belly pic

Like a deer caught in headlights... lol

I can't believe how big I am, I feel so much further along than 16 weeks... lol I seem torn today. I'll get another recording of Peanut's heartbeat soon and post that, but right now, it's feeling like nap time.

Did I mention I can't wait to meet this little one?

This pregnancy is kicking my bum.

I don't think I've ever had such an eventful pregnancy. Gestational Diabetes, early contractions, insulin injections, 17p shots starting Tuesday. Misdiagnosed with a tubal pregnancy, then told they thought I miscarried at 14 weeks and for the last 3 weeks I have had a head cold that will NOT stop. Other things and checks that I wont mention that are far TMI turning out to be nothing. Blah.

Right now though, the head cold is first and foremost in my mind. It's driving me nuts. I can take Tylenol... and Benedryl. They don't even help. Okay, I think I am done whining. Because other than these things, I am terribly excited to meet this little peanut.

Oh and I am working on a gender neutral blanket for tummy time and general baby on the floor needs that I started before finding out that he's likely a he. Then again I don't know that I want to bank on that too much before the 20 week ultrasound.

Okay, yes, this was a whiny update. Sorry! lol I just feel so crappy. But, as far as I know, I have a happy little peanut bouncing off the walls in there! I am even feeling it now.

A day early... but

15 weeks! Yay!

I can't believe how the time is flying by. They wont let me carry past 38 weeks with the GD, so we will be greeting this precious little baby in 22 or 23 weeks. (Assuming I carry to term, which will be the purpose of the 17P shots they plan to start next week.)  Unbelievable.

With my schedule being as crazy as it is, I thought I'd take the photo and heartbeat today knowing one day shouldn't make that big a difference. The HB is going along at a steady 138 bpm and I seemingly never stop growing. lol

The adventures of mommy and Peanut... Oh and it's a...

I was having some decent contractions yesterday. We're not totally sure why, neither are the docs. Annnyhow.

After the nurse, trying for 20 minutes and the doctor trying for 10 minutes couldn't find the baby's heartbeat with the doppler... he ordered an Ultrasound A.S.A.P., he also asked if I had ever miscarried before. I freaked the heck out. I was already in so much pain, but the emotional pain of losing Peanut was just too much, so they got me in to Ultrasound.

The tech prepped quickly, but it seemed to take forever from my position. I was sobbing at this point, but she was finally ready. She placed the transducer on my stomach and immediately my wriggling little Peanut popped up on the screen. Talk about a breakdown, I went from sobbing with worry and fear to sobbing with happiness and relief. The poor tech had to get me to calm down so she could get to taking measurements.

Peanut's heartbeat is now going along at 135 BPM, she said it should stop slowing at this point, and the measurements put Peanut 3 days ahead... again. Although we're sticking with the current due date. Peanut's little head is measuring in the 83rd percentile! The rest of Peanut's body is between the 25th and 50th percentile lol.

Then we got to the best part... She wouldn't give me 100%, only a guess of 80% but... Peanut is a BOY! (Assuming his penis doesn't fall off before he's born :p) We'll know for certain at the 20 weeks level 2 ultrasound, but for now, I am going with it.

I didn't care if Peanut would be a boy or a girl, but now that I know he's a boy, it just seems fitting and it is. Boy, girl, boy, girl... boy. It's amazing how much I can love someone I haven't even met yet, despite doing this four times before, that rush of love seeing your baby just never gets old.

So, here are some pics. While the live show was tremendous in comparison, these pics are kind of fun too.

Profile

Crossing his legs at the calves.

I don't know about you, but it looks like a penis to me.

Insulin... fun?

It's official. With my fasting blood sugar numbers being well above 95 each morning, I now I have to use insulin each night before bed. It's okay though, I'd do anything to make sure this Peanut is as healthy as I can help. I'd do it for any of my children if it would somehow help them.

So, not to bad, I made it two weeks before getting insulin and my Diabetic Dr is sure I'll have to up the dosage as we go. I start out at 8 units from my pre-filled pen and increase by 2 units every 2-3 days until my fasting blood sugar is below 95. Beginning tonight I will do my first dose and we'll see how it goes.

14 weeks on the nose!

It's amazing how often it seems that I am updating that I have survived yet another week of pregnancy. I am dying to know what I am having though! 42 days to the next Peri appointment which also happens to be our level 2 ultrasound and gender determination ultrasound. SOOO far away.

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby measures about 3.7 to 4.1 inches (about 9.3 to 10.3cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 1.75 ounces (50g). Your baby's bones still consist of soft cartilage but they are now beginning to harden and the development of the bones and the marrow continues. Her ears are developing into a more recognizable shape and any hair already on the head and brows will become thicker. Your baby may already be sucking her thumb. Her skin is thin and translucent and all her blood vessels can be seen through it. Her hair continues to grow on her head and her eyebrows. If her hair will be dark, the follicles will start to generate pigment to color her hair. Your baby is moving more now and is becoming increasingly flexible. She can bend her arms at the elbows and wrists and she can make tiny fists with her hands.

And for giggles... a new collage...

I know it's probably silly but...

I am really very proud of me. I have been sticking to the new diet with only one accidental flub, never hesitating to take my blood sugar or check my ketone level and making too many tweaks and adjustments to the diet as needed to keep my blood sugar levels in check. Granted, I only have so much control over this, but I am doing so much better than I thought I could.

I do think it's likely that I will end up on insulin in the future, either near or far. But I will do that without question too. While yes, this is all absolutely for the baby... it isn't something I ever thought I'd be able to do... not even for myself. Well, at least the needle parts.

Needless to say, I love my Peanut to no end and will do whatever it takes to ensure, as much as any mother can, that I am doing the best I can for my baby. I can't control what is up to the higher power(s), only hope and pray that they allow me yet another healthy and happy baby.

It's a challenge

To keep Peanut still long enough to even get a 30 second clip of his or her heart beat. But, I try. Here is the latest at 144 bpm.

Okay, it's kind of cheesy, but...

I made a collage of tummy pics so far. They certainly aren't uniform, I've had to take most of them myself, but they're getting there. Oh and the text that tells how far along I am seems to have disappeared on some of them once they were in the collage. (I need to find a better software.) They are in order, the first one was  5 days after the positive pregnancy test. I thought I'd have more time to get the "control" shot... but I was wrong.

Not great, but it's what I have so far.

I didn't think I was getting bigger, until I looked at this. I am a LOT bigger now than I was at even 8 weeks. Oh and obviously the 14 weeks and 15 weeks are only place holders. :)

Finally, the second trimester!

I can't believe we made it. I mean, I thought we would, but it just seemed to take forever... then again, looking back, it flew by. Amazing how that works. So, we are 1/3 of the way through this pregnancy. Okay, that's daunting, but doable.

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

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby measures about 3.2 to 3.5 inches (8 to 9cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 0.9 ounces (25g). Your baby is now nourished by the placenta. His face is developing and his cheeks and the bridge of his nose are appearing. His ears are moving from the sides of his neck to higher on his head and his eyes are moving closer together. Your baby's external genitals are now distinct and may be recognized on an ultrasound. Your baby will move away from stimuli near your tummy, such as noise and light. Your baby's eyebrows have formed and a small amount of hair, called lanugo, has appeared all over his body. Lanugo, which will be shed before birth and replaced with the hairs with which your baby will be born, is thought to have a protective function. Insulin is present in your baby's pancreas. Some bones may be well outlined. Your baby's thyroid gland, already developed by this week, begins to make hormones. Baby boys begin to develop the prostate gland at this time and the ovaries of baby girls descend from the abdomen into the pelvis.

It's amazing to me how the human body forms. An absolute miracle.

Oh, and then we have the belly pic. I don't know that there is much difference from last week, but I still look pregnant.

I can't believe how big I am.

Other than this milestone there isn't much to update. I am doing pretty darn good with the GD, and I have an Upper Respiratory Infection that is kicking my butt. But that's about it for now.

Happy New Year!

Peanut and I want to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year!