Boy Vs. Girl

Last Friday Mike and I went in for our very first ultrasound. I was 19 weeks to the day, so I knew we'd be able to find out what we are having. I was so anxious to know. I scheduled my appointment nice and early in the morning. We arrived around 9:45 and were quickly wisked into see the ultrasound technician.

I hopped up on the table, she put a ton of cold jelly on belly and before I knew it, we were looking at our little baby. It was so sweet, we saw the baby moving it's arms and legs. The technician was very ncie as she pointed out everything we were looking at. She then started all the measurements. The head being one of the first, I think the only think I asked was "Is the head big". If you don't already know, my biggest fear is a big headed baby, as my husband let's just say has a larger than average size head :) Plus I thought if she said it had a big head, I'd know right then and there it is boy. She said it's measuring right on track.

Finally, the tech confirmed that we did want to find out the gender. Yes!

Before I knew it, she said... well I think you have a little girl. I teared up just a tiny bit. Then Mike proceeded to question the tech on the accuracy of this because the last thing he wants is to tell all his brothers he's having a girl, then find out it's a boy with a small p* :) She assured him that if this is a boy she is in the wrong profession. That was good enough for him!

So it's a girl!!! I'm so excited.

I was prepping myself for boy, blue, rough and tumble. But now that I know it's a girl I'm getting my mind wrapped around girl and pink :)

Baby Bump on Campus

Ha... sounds like I'm a preggie college student... we all know that is not true :) Actually the title of this post makes no sense because I don't have a bump yet either :(. Funny enough because I needed new work clothes anyway I am now officially wearing maternity clothes, although admittedly I look pretty ridiculous, mostly because the tops are SO huge. I do find it hard to believe that I'll one day soon have a very large belly...

Reason for this post...
I am currently traveling for work. I'll be on the road basically non stop visiting Big Ten campuses along with some "top tier" schools, such as MIT and Stanford (hopefully they don't research my SAT score before I arrive, or I think they might block my entry :) recruiting. It's pretty fun, but VERY exhausting. All day on my feet is rough!
Unfortunately, I am still experiencing some leftover morning sickness... I thought I already had my most embarrassing public puking session, but today tops the last one. So I arrive on a campus ready to get set up and be on my feet all day. I couldn't find a parking spot ANYWHERE. Thousands of students were hiking the sidewalks and walking in front of cars like they weren't there... I forgot how dumb people are on college campuses. I guess when the majority doesn't have a car though... pedestrians rule the world :) Anyways, so it's taking forever, someone gave me bad directions to the nearest parking garage and before I know it. I HAVE to puke... oh no.. this is no good. I pull my car over... get out and in front of my car and thousands of passing students puke 10x of what I ate for breakfast. Although the college kids, probably think nothing of this as they see sights like this I would imagine quite frequently... I was still pretty embarrassed praying that no one that saw me puke, would walk by my booth later in the day.

Being pregnant is so odd and I have determined, although it is a short term medical condition, it is a temporary disability, mostly because I have the disability to be normal :)

News Flash....

I am so excited. When I was at lunch today I felt the baby move for the first time!
It was like someone tapped me from the inside!
I read all about how people confuse the first movements with gas bubbles, there is no confusing this. Someone tapped me :) Hi baby!!!

Today I'm officially 16 weeks. I did a quick fact check and my book says most first time pregnant women can feel the first movements anywhere from 14-25 weeks, at the rate I am showing I thought I'd be in the 25 week group!

Week 15- Dr.'s Appointment

Went to the Dr. last week for my usual 4 week check up.

I brought my list of concerns with me to which my dr just said "oh that's normal" after each one. Each time she said that I responded with: Really? Are you sure? I said I'm sorry I'm being neurotic, but I just can't believe this is normal stuff. She laughed and said I bet if someone REALLY told you about being pregnant you probably wouldn't be here now. I agreed ;)

She checked for a heartbeat. Check. Then I asked her to check for two- just in case. She did and said she only found one.

I asked for an ultrasound, she said that nothing indicates any problems so I don't need one now.

However, I did get to schedule my first ultrasound for September 26th! Whoohoo! I can't wait.... hopefully we'll be able to find out what we are having! I'm so excited.

Week 14 Update

Today is the last day of being 14 weeks pregnant....

Here is what happened this week:

1. (-)I still feel sick if I don't take my meds
2. (-/+)I am working on getting my "system" back on track
3.(+) I eat food three meals a day plus snacks
4. (+/-)I haven't gained any weight... yet...
5. (-)I am still not "showing"... I think in the next month I will pop. My lower tummy feels hard.
6. (+)I notice my brain has enough energy to actually start thinking about the future.
7. (-)The future is freaking me out
8. (-)I realize this baby is going to cost us ALOT of money
9. (+) I am one week closer to getting to "see" the baby via ultrasound. Only 5 weeks to go!
10. (+) I learned about a super secret high end baby outlet store... maybe I'll find a good deal on a crib :)

Tomorrow is another dr.'s appointment. I am building a case for them to give me an ultrasound now and at 20 weeks, but we'll see how I do at negotiating this :)

Week 13- I ate lunch today!!!

I know you are probably thinking it is crazy that I find eating lunch a blog worthy event, but it is to me. For the past 13.5 weeks, I've been living off of very few and far between real foods. I listed them a few posts back so I won't bore you with repeating. Today at about 11:30am, I felt hungry for the first time in 13.5 weeks! I was shocked that I was actually feeling hungry. What did I want to eat? Something cheesy came to mind. So since Mike works downtown with me now, we met up and went to Q.doba for a Cheese Quesadilla. I ate half of it and felt great, then I had some chips :) How exciting! Hunger + Lunch= one happy pregnant girl :)

Also, over the past few days I can tell my lower tummy is changing. I can feel it getting kind of hard. No showing yet though. My pregnancy books seem to call it "skin thickening". Whatever you want to call it, I'm excited because soon I might actually feel pregnant!

Warning. Do not read if you have not been or ever plan on being pregnant!!!

Ok, you've been warned. Now comes the most horrific experience of my pregnancy to date. I can't even believe I am going to tell you about this, it is embarrasing, but I promised that I would share the details, so here goes....
Last week on Thursday I came home pretty late and went to the bathroom as one normally does before going to bed. I realized I had a VERY large poop that would not budge. I didn't want to stay up forever trying to force this thing out, so I went to bed.
The next day, I drank a ton of water, thinking that might help to slide it out...but it didn't work.
Everyday that passed I was getting more backed up... to the point that I was in pain when I sat down, so I did a ton of research and here are the steps that I took to "relieve" myself of this HUGE poop!
Step 1: Eat a Fiber Bar- these are always really helpful for me and tasty! Nothing.
Step 2: Looked up some home remedies online, found one I thought I could do. Mix 1/2 cup of oj, with 1/2 cup of olive oil. Disgusting... but if it worked I would be so happy!!! Nothing.
Step 3: Send Mike to get us Taco Bell for dinner. I had pintos and cheese and a soft taco, this was sure to do the trick! NOTHING!!! I couldn't believe it.
Step 4: Since the usual measures were not even beginning to help, I knew I needed a "real" solution. Looked up that I could take a "stool softener", such as Colace. Took it. It promised a BM in 12-72 hours... I didn't have 72 hours to wait, but I figured I'd give it a shot! 12-hours: nothing. 24 hours: nothing. 36 hours... OMG I can't wait anymore.
Step 5: Upgrade! I found out from my dr I could take Peri Colace, stool softner plus laxative, this will definately do the trick. I was so excited after I bought it, I didn't even wait to get home to take it, I took the daily dosage in the car, because at this point, every minute is critical!!! This promised I would have a "BM" overnight or in 6-12 hours! I could alsmost feel the freedom... I felt so close... 12 hours later... NOTHING!!! OMG I am DYING!!! I have a the worlds biggest and getting bigger poop in me. It is never going to come out. I am going to kill my baby from a toxic environment of poop!!! I am at the end of the line. I can't poop, and now I can't even sit comfortably because I am SO jammed packed with poop! This is so gross! I cry alot about this and continue to look online for another solution.
Step 6: I can't even believe I had to use this as a solution. I called around and got some input from one of my friends who is a nurse. I explained the situation and asked if she thought a solution I found would work? She assured me, that she had never not seen it work. I asked her if she was sure, because at this point I was thinking I needed surgery to remove this ROCK!!! She told me that there is no surgery to get poop out... :) So my last attempt was to try the dreaded fleet enema... oh my goodness... I have never had to use any sort of measures to help me in this deparment, now I've bought out the pregnant safe portion of the laxative section in the pharmacy... Who knew they were so cheap. Like $1.69! I think I spent about $50 on the other stuff... ok I prepped myself for the big moment. Read online about proper usage, positions and what can happen.
Needless to say, this didn't result in the explosion I thought it would... just a few big plops and still stuck. I cry and scream and tell Mike to never get me pregnant again, because I can't even poop, how am I expected to get a baby out?!?! So I kept working on it and somewho kept positive thoughts... I got enough out that I could at least sit without being in pain, that was a great advancement, but I was still very sad and disappointed.
Final step: Drink 1 million gallons of water. It has to come out... So I drank until I couldn't drink anymore, then I went on a nice long walk... and to my surprise without any more assitance 24 hrs post enema, I two not only 1, but 2 of the biggest poops I have ever seen in my life!

I'm pretty sure I"m all cleaned out. I couldn't be happpier or more proud that I actually got this taken care of!!!
Lesson learned: Keep the water and the fiber coming!!!