November 06 Mommies ~ The 2nd Trimester!!!

[November06Mommies]

We're in the 2nd Trimester!!!

http://www.annegeddes.com/images/leftFrame/14.jpg http://www.pregnancy.org/images/pregnancy/pregnancycalendar/18week125.jpg

36 Mommies-to-be
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/4kidzmom/Team_Blue.gif 18 Calla Lilly, catgirl1007, CityGirl, ellidew, kadee_29, lisainpink, lisariv, Lydia, mermccau, nic, Rubbersoul, scarlett74, Sinclair319, Lilo, Rancid13, roberta, civats, acrane
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/4kidzmom/Team_Pink.gif 11 bijouparvin, Franni, Ilovemygeek, katnbug, Kyrsten, mayham, Sare79, Lilla, mimieliza, brio96, Lizzie Beth
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/4kidzmom/Team_Green.gif 3 ausi2b, ppwgal, BethIrish
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/4kidzmom/Team_Yellow.gif 4 Ade, amyspike, cjci, Neenbean

Please list your stats in RED in your first post.

Username:
Me: Name, age
DH: Name, age
Married: Date
TTC: Date
BFP: Date
EDD: Date
Gender Prediction:
Any other children:

*Please posts all updates in RED.
*When posting, please put in the subject line how far along you are!
1st trimester pics (http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment1.php#week1) 2nd trimester pics (http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment2.php)

Images courtesy of www.annegeddes.com and www.pregnancy.org

Threadmistress' ~ kadee_29, mimieliza and nic
Please contact one of them if you have any problems with the thread.

[November06Mommies]

36 Moms to be

Username: acrane It's a BOY!!!
Me: Alison, 33
DH: Mike, 30
Married: 8-18-02
TTC: N/A
BFP: 3-14-06
EDD: 11-26-06
Gender Prediction: Girl
Any other children: DS Andrew, 02-03-04

Username: Ade
Me: Adrienne, 30
DH: Clay, 30
Married: 8/10/02
TTC: really weren't trying, just decided to stop "avoiding"
BFP: 3/4/06
EDD: 11/4/06
Gender Prediction: Boy
Any other children: 2 dogs and a cat

Username: amyspike
Me: amy, 32
DH: Steven, 28
Married: April 26, 2003
TTC: Since Feb 2006
BFP: February 15, 2006
EDD: November 22
Gender Prediction: Girl

Username: ausi2b It's a SURPRISE!!!
Me: ausi2b, 28
DH: 28
Married: 08/11/02
TTC: October 2005
BFP: 3/19/06
EDD: November 26
Gender Prediction: No idea
Any other children: None

Username: BethIrish It's a SURPRISE!!!
Me: Beth, 28
DH: Tim, 32
Married: 12/06/03
TTC: Dec 05
BFP: 3/11/06
EDD: 11/21/06
Gender Prediction: Boy
Any other children: Just our pets, Neala (dog) Frasier & Maddie (cats)

Username: bijouparvin It's a GIRL!!!
Me: 28
DH: 28
Married: 8/6/04
TTC: SWH since 1/06
BFP: 3/13/06
EDD: 11/17/06
Gender Prediction:???
Any other children:Only furbabies - 2 kitties

Username: brio96 It's a GIRL!!!
Me: Amy, 30
DH: Jim, 32
Married: 10/26/02
TTC: February 2006
BFP: 3/14/06
EDD: 11/18/2006
Gender Prediction: ?
Any other children: Sarah-12/1/04

Username: Calla Lilly It's a BOY!!!
Me: Name, Erin 31
DH: Name, Gary 36
Married: 8/31/05
TTC: 2/06
BFP: March 11 (very faint)
EDD: 11/23 (Thanksgiving)
Gender Prediction: No guesses
Any other children: None.

Username: catgirl1007 It's a BOY!!!
DC: Devin Patrick
Me: 36
DH: 36
Married: 10/25/03
TTC: 11/05
BFP: 2/28/06
EDD: 11/9/06
Gender Prediction: Girl
Any other children: DD 10/8/04

Username: CityGirl It's a BOY!!!
Me: Jen, 29
DH: 32
Married: 10.10.02
TTC: 11.04
BFP: 3.09.06
EDD: 11.17.06
Gender Prediction: either a boy or a girl ;)
Any other children: 2 furbabies

Username: civats It's a BOY!!!
Me: Stac, 33
DH: Vic, 45
Married: February 29, 2004
TTC: June 2005
BFP: February 22, 2006
EDD: Nov 11 - 16, 2006!!!!
Gender Prediction: Boy
Any other children:Nope. This is our first bundle of joy!

Username: cjci
Me: Christa, 32
DH: John, 32
Married: 9/7/02
TTC: Feb '06!
BFP: 3/24/06
EDD: 11/30/06
Gender Prediction: no idea!
Any other children: Isabella, DOB-2/11/04

Username: ellidew It's a BOY!!!
Me: ellidew, 25
DH: 27
Married: June 1, 2002
TTC: Jan 2005
BFP: February 25, 2006
EDD: November 7, 2006
Gender Prediction: Boy (don't know why just thought i'd always have boys)
Any other children: Any other children: Bogart (Poodle, Schnauzer, Shih Tzu mix)

Username: Franni It's a GIRL!!!
Me: Franni, 36
DH: G, 30
Married: 09/21/02
BFP: 03/24/06
EDD: November 25
Gender Prediction: Boy
Any other children: DD, 10/20/04

Username:Ilovemygeek It's a GIRL!!!
DC: Daria Lynn
Me: Rachel, 23
DH: Trevor, 23
Married: June 8, 2002
TTC: June 2005
BFP: March 5, 2006
EDD: November 13, 2006
Gender Prediction: I have a feeling it is a boy, but DH says girl.
Any other children: None

Username: kadee_29 It's a BOY!!!
Me: Kristen, 30
DH: B, 28
Married: June 8, 2001
TTC: Ummm....we thought we were done having kids :eek:
BFP: February 19
EDD: November 4, 2006
Gender Prediction: Well I started with Girl but now I think Boy
Any other children: Kaitlyn 1/3/98 and Noah 11/5/03

Username: Katnbug It's a GIRL!!!
DC: Hilary Ann
Me: 36
DH: 31
Married: 4/26/03
TTC: 1/06
BFP: 2/22/06
EDD: 11/3/06
Gender Prediction: Girl
Any other children: DS Grayson 9/30/04

Username: Kyrsten It's a GIRL!!!
DC: Anabella Chloe Layne ‘Ella’
Me: Kyrsten, 30
DH: John, 32
Married: September 22, 2001
TTC: January 28, 2006
BFP: February 21, 2006
EDD: November 2, 2006
Gender Prediction: girl
Any other children: just 2 dogs

Username: Lilla It's a GIRL!!!
Me: Kim, 30
DH: Tony, 33
Married: October 12, 2002
TTC: Jan 2006
BFP: February 23, 2006
EDD: November 4
Gender Prediction: Boy
Any other children: Nope, just 2 Golden Retrievers!

Username: Lilo It's a BOY!!!
Me: Nicole, 30
Married: 2002
TTC: January 2006
BFP: March 17th
EDD: November 24th
Gender Prediction: boy
Any other children: 1 dog

Username: lisainpink It's a BOY!!!
Me: 31
DH: 34
Married: 06/18/2005
TTC: SWH since June 05, Charting 01/06
BFP: 3/07/06
EDD: November 17
Gender Prediction: your guess is as good as mine
Any other children: furry- Jesse my jack russell- she is 10

Username: lisariv It's a BOY!!!
Me: Lisa, 29
DH: 29
Married: 4/28/2001
TTC: Just kind of SWH as of 2/06
BFP: 3/15/06
EDD: 11/17/06
Gender Prediction: not sure, but thinking boy.
Any other children: DD 6/12/04

Username: Lizzie Beth It's a GIRL!!!
Me: Beth, 31
DH: 32
Married: June 15, 2002
TTC: Was trying to avoid...
BFP: 3/16/06
EDD: 11/21/2006
Gender Prediction: Girl. I'd lay money on it.
Any other children: Susannah, b. 12/26/04

Username: Lydia It's a BOY!!!
Me: Lydia, 28
DH: Matt, 28
Married: 04/13/02
TTC: since my 6 week PP checkup and the "OK" from the OB
BFP: 3/7/06
EDD: 11/2/06
Any other children: A beautiful baby girl named Madison, born 04/24/05

Username: mayham It's a GIRL!!!
Me: 28
DH: 29
Married: 2002
TTC: 3/05
BFP: 3/16/06
EDD: 11/25/06
Gender Prediction: girl
Any other children: none

Username: mermccau It's a BOY!!!
DC: Conner Aramis
Me: Meredith, 35
DH: Sean, 31
Married: September 6, 2003
TTC: since June of 2005
BFP: March 13, 2006
EDD: November 11, 2006
Gender Prediction: Girl
Any other children: none

Username: mimieliza It's a GIRL!!!
DC: Miranda Kimie
Me: Michelle, 28
DH: Reid, 29
Married: August 9, 2003
TTC: 12/2005
BFP: 2/26/2006
EDD: November 10, 2006
Gender Prediction: boy
Any other children: 2 Australian Shepherds - Miles and Blue

Username: Neenbean
Me: Neen, 30
DH: 30
Married: 11~15~03
TTC: SWH since 9~05
BFP: 3~25~06
EDD: 11~30~06
Gender Prediction: boy, but I honestly am not sure at all
Any other children: DD, 3~19~05

Username: nic It's a BOY!!!
Me: Nicole, 31
DH: Larry, 33
Married: June 22, 2002
TTC: we were just seeing what happens
BFP: February 28, 2006
EDD: November 3, 2006
Gender Prediction: Girl-I've always thought we've have one child and she'd be a girl
Any other children: This is our first

Username: ppwgal It's a SURPRISE!!!
Me: Tracy, 29
DH: 32
Married: June 18, 2005
TTC: Wasn't trying
BFP: 3/4/06
EDD: 11/12/2006
Gender Prediction: ???
Any other children: Nope

Username: Rancid13 It's a BOY!!!
Me: Jennifer, 27
DH: Sonny, 30
Married: December 13, 2003
TTC: March 1, 2006
BFP: March 25, 2006 (2 HPT's); March 28, 2006 (doctor)
EDD: November 30, 2006
Gender Prediction: Hoping for a girl!!!
Any other children: No
First official obgyn appt: April 28, 2006

Username: roberta It's a BOY!!!
Me: Roberta, 27
DH: Zak, 29
Married: 11/15/03
TTC: 10/05
BFP: 3/16/06
EDD: 11/24/06
Gender Prediction:Girl
Any other children: 2 fur children, a pug and an Australian shepherd

Username: Rubbersoul It's a BOY!!!
DC: Ian Alexander
Me: Ann, 29
DH: Jack, 29
Married: October 22, 2005
TTC: Feb. 2006
BFP: March 3, 2006
EDD: November 13, 2006
Gender Prediction: Girl
Any other children: Just our Lab Hunter

Username: Sare79 It's a GIRL!!!
DC: Carys Kendra
Me: Sarah, 26
DH: Joel, 26
Married: Oct. 15/05
TTC: May 2005
BFP: March 16/06
EDD: Nov. 25/06
Gender Predictions: Girl (twins)
No other kids

Username: scarlett74 It's a BOY!!!
DC: Francesco Michele
Me: Rossella, 32
DH: Paolo, 33
Married: 22nd May 2004
TTC: we were just seeing what happens from October 2005
BFP: 21st March 2006
EDD: 22nd November 2006
Gender Prediction: I'd slightly prefer a boy
Any other children:none

Username: Sinclair319 It's a BOY!!!
DC: Corbin Sinclair
Me: Jen, 29 (on 3/19)
DH: C, 34
Married: 11.08.03
TTC: July 04
BFP: 2.25.06
EDD: 11.05.06
Gender Prediction: Girl
Any other children: our 2 furbabies, Sadie and Guinness

In Our Thoughts and Prayers:
LynzeyAHL, Jeggink and littlemia

[November06Mommies]

Due Dates and Dr./Midwife Appointments

Due Dates

November 2
Lydia, Kyrsten

November 3
katnbug, nic

November 4
Lilla, Ade, kadee_29

November 5
Sinclair319

November 7
ellidew

November 9
catgirl1007

November 10
mimieliza

November 11
civats, mermccau

November 12
ppwgal

November 13
Ilovemygeek, Rubbersoul

November 17
CityGirl, bijouparvin, lisariv, lisainpink

November 18
brio96

November 20
roberta

November 21
BethIrish, Lizzie Beth, Sare79

November 22
scarlett74, amyspike, neenbean

November 23
Calla Lilly

November 24
Lilo

November 25
mayham, Franni

November 26
acrane, ausi2b

November 30
Neenbean, cjci, Rancid13

Dr./Midwife Appointments

July
26~Rancid13 (u/s)
28~Lilla
31~ppwgal (u/s), acrane

August
2~Sare79
3~roberta
7~Rubbersoul, nic, scarlett74 (u/s), bijouparvin
11~ellidew (dr and u/s), katnbug
14~Sare79 (u/s), catgirl1007
17~neenbean (u/s)
24~mermccau

[November06Mommies]

Ultrasound Pictures

Kyrsten It's a GIRL!!
http://static.flickr.com/66/165804844_d2024e0306.jpg?v=0

kadee_29 It's a BOY!!
http://images1.snapfish.com/3475696%3B9%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3236%3E%3A%3A3%3E8%3B%3 A%3EWSNRCG%3D323385%3C9%3B%3B42%3Anu0mrj

ellidew It's a BOY!!
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/20weekbabyprofile.jpg

Lilla It's a GIRL!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/berlymc/Babyprofilecrop.jpg

bijouparvin It's a GIRL!!
http://images1.snapfish.com/3473%3A75%3A%3A%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D3244%3E393%3E462%3E WSNRCG%3D32338594%3A9%3B3%3Anu0mrj

acrane It's a BOY!!
http://images1.snapfish.com/34757%3B64%3B%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3236%3E%3A%3A3%3E8%3B %3A%3EWSNRCG%3D323392%3A7%3A8795nu0mrj

[November06Mommies]

U/S Pics Take 2

katnbug It's a GIRL!!
http://images1.snapfish.com/347388487%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D327%3B%3E663%3E47%3A%3EWS NRCG%3D323384%3B%3A33%3A57nu0mrj

mayham
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/lamki/us.jpg

scarlett74
http://rossy.zoto.com/img/45/a88ed74559f93669dd0495e790f8a815.jpg

RubberSoul
http://images.snapfish.com/34689534%3B%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3237%3E275%3E9%3C%3B%3E WSNRCG%3D32336757%3B857%3Bnu0mrj

mermccau It's a BOY!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/mermccau/scan2.jpg

[November06Mommies]

Sare79 It's a GIRL!!
http://images1.snapfish.com/347483%3B87%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D324%3A%3E8%3A8%3E659%3E WSNRCG%3D323387%3B354535nu0mrj

Sinclair319 It's a BOY!!
http://static.flickr.com/70/161713024_ae07bbb54a_m.jpg

Rancid13 It's a BOY!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/us003.jpg

roberta It's a BOY!!
http://static.flickr.com/57/186570604_3dc1eaaa14_m.jpg

[November06Mommies]

U/S Pics Take 4

[November06Mommies]

Belly Shots

Lydia
http://images1.snapfish.com/34753687%3A%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3238%3E%3B96%3E634%3EWS NRCG%3D323388633%3A%3A58nu0mrj

mermccau 20w
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/mermccau/Baby/20weeks.jpg

mimieliza 20w
http://mimieliza.smugmug.com/photos/80678762-M.jpg

Rubbersoul comparison 14w5d vs 19w6d
http://images1.snapfish.com/3474489%3B4%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3237%3E275%3E9%3C%3B%3E WSNRCG%3D323387496%3B%3B78nu0mrj

scarlett74 15w2d
http://rossy.zoto.com/img/45/bc2d85b72e8610406bb5bc59f09f724b.jpg

Sinclair319 21w
http://static.flickr.com/78/174589882_bccb078002_m.jpg

[November06Mommies]

Belly Shots Take 2

bijouparvin 20w
http://images1.snapfish.com/347536599%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3244%3E393%3E462%3EWSNRCG %3D32338%3A6437%3A66nu0mrj

Rancid 17w4d
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/rancid13/JenniferPictures010.jpg

lilla 21 weeks
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/berlymc/Belly/21weeks_share.jpg

Kyrsten
http://static.flickr.com/72/197187414_cebf16a42e.jpg?v=0

[November06Mommies]

Belly Shots Take 3

[November06Mommies]

Helpful Links
Please feel free to suggest others.

Weekly Pregnancy Updates:
American Baby (www.americanbaby.com)
Baby Center (www.babycenter.com)
BabyZone (www.babyzone.com)
iVillage (www.ivillage.com)
StorkNet (www.pregnancyguideonline.com)
Target (www.target.com)
Very Best Baby (www.verybestbaby.com)


Tickers:
Baby's First Site (www.babysfirstsite.com)
Baby Gaga (www.baby-gaga.com)
Lilypie (www.lilypie.com)
One In The Oven (www.oneintheoven.net)
Sure Baby (www.surebaby.com)
Ticker Central (www.tickercentral.com)
Ticker Factory (www.tickerfactory.com)


Miscellaneous Informative Sites:
American Baby (www.americanbaby.com)
American Pregnancy Association (www.americanpregnancy.org)
Baby Names (www.babynames.com)
Baby Net (www.babynet.com)
Baby Talk (www.babytalk.com)
BetaBase (www.betabase.info)
Dr. Sears (www.askdrsears.com)
iVillage (www.ivillage.com)
ePregnancy (www.epregnancy.com)
Daily Cycle Information & Calendar (www.cycledaily.com)
Fertility Awareness & Natural Family Planning UK (www.fertilityuk.org)
Fertility Friend (www.fertilityfriend.com)
Fit Pregnancy Magazine (www.fitpregnancy.com)
I Dream of Baby (www.idreamofbaby.com)
National Women’s Health Information Center (www.4women.com)
New York Online Access To Health: Pregnancy & Fertility (http://www.noah-health.org/en/pregnancy/)
Parent Stages (http://www.noah-health.org/en/pregnancy/)
http://preconception.com
Safe Fetus (Tells you which drugs you can take during pregnancy) (www.safefetus.com)
Very Best Baby (www.verybestbaby.com)


Maternity Shopping Sites:
A Pea In The Pod (http://www.apeainthepod.com/enter.asp?Media=&referer=http://www.constantchatter.com&EntryPoint=Home&YahooRedirect=True)
Baby Style (www.babystyle.com)
Belly Basics (www.bellybasics.com)
Bella Materna (www.bellamaterna.com)
Gap Maternity (http://www.gap.com/browse/subDivision.do?cid=5999)
JCPenney (www.jcpenney.com)
Mimi Maternity (http://www.mimimaternity.com/home.asp?Media=Motherhood)
Mom's The Word (www.momstheword.com)
Motherhood Maternity (http://www.motherhood.com/home.asp?Media=LinkShare|1xxcmpLMYS8-)
Old Navy (http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/division.do?cid=5758)
Target (www.target.com)
Lane Bryant (http://www.lbcatalog.com/lbcatalog/layout/layout.asp?referer=1&dept_id=7221&rootdept=600&)


Baby Registries:
Babies 'R Us (www.babiesrus.com)
Baby Center (www.babycenter.com)
Baby Depot (http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/IWStoreBCF.process?IWAction=Load&proc=IWCatSectionView&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1395)
BabyStyle (www.babystyle.com)
Buy Buy Baby (www.buybuybaby.com)
Sears (www.sears.com)
Target (www.target.com)
USA Baby (www.usababy.com)
Walmart (www.walmart.com)


Baby Shopping Sites:
Baby Age (www.babyage.com)
Baby Ant (http://store.yahoo.com/babyant/index.html)
Baby Bazaar (www.babybazaar.com)
BabyBox (www.babybox.com)
Baby Center's Store (www.store.babycenter.com)
Baby Depot (http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/IWStoreBCF.process?IWAction=Load&proc=IWCatSectionView&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1395)
Baby Dilly (www.babydilly.com)
Baby Dreams (www.babydreams.com)
Babies 'R Us (www.babiesrus.com)
Baby Style (www.babystyle.com)
Baby Universe (www.babyuniverse.com)
Carousel Designs (www.carouseldesigns.com)
Dimples & Dandelions (http://www.dimplesanddandelions.com/index.asp)
Disney Baby (http://disney.go.com/disneybaby/)
Dreamtime Baby (www.dreamtimebaby.com)
Elegant Baby (www.elegantbabygifts.com)
Fisher Price (http://www.fisher-price.com/us/default.asp)
Gap (www.gap.com)
Graco (http://www.gracobaby.com/default.aspx)
Gymboree (www.gymboree.com)
In The Treetop (http://www.inthetreetop.com/default.aspx)
JCPenney (www.jcpenney.com)
Land of Nod (www.landofnod.com)
Little Show Offs (www.littleshowoffs.com)
Net Kids Wear (www.netkidswear.com)
Nursery Depot (www.nurserydepot.com)
Old Navy (www.oldnavy.com)
One of a Kind (www.oneofakindkid.com)
One Step Ahead (http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.jsp?lGen=category&itemType=GATEWAY&itemID=117&iMainCat=117&change=117)
Pokkadots (www.pokkadots.com/index.cfm)
Pottery Barn Kids (www.potterybarnkids.com)
Signature Baby (www.signaturebaby.com)
Target Baby (http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=nav_t_spc_3_1/601-7181921-9687331?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=1038590)
The Baby Marketplace (www.thebabymarketplace.com)
The Children's Place (www.thechildrensplace.com)
Tutti Bella (www.tuttibella.com)
Wendy Bellissimo (http://www.wendybellissimo.com/home/index.php)
Overview Baby Skin Products (http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=ART&REFER=SKIN&ID=14)

[November06Mommies]

Helpful Links Cont.

Delivery/Birthing Options (OB, Midwives, Doulas, birthcenters, etc.)
birthcenters.org (www.birthcenters.org)
American College of Obstetrics & Gynocology (www.acog.org)
American College of Nurse-Midwives (www.acnm.org)
Maternitywise (www.maternitywise.org)
Lamaze (www.lamaze.org)
Bradley Birth (www.bradleybirth.com)
Birthing FromWithin (www.birthingfromwithin.com)
Birthworks (www.birthworks.com)
HypBirth (http://hypbirth.com)
HypnoBirthing (www.hypnobirthing.com)
Assn. of Labor Assts. & Childbirth Educators (www.alace.org)
International Childbirth Education Assn. (www.icea.org)
Water Birth (http://waterbirth.org/spa/index.php)
DONA Intl. (www.dona.org)


Breastfeeding:
Ameda (www.ameda.com)
Breastfeeding (www.breastfeeding.com)
Boppy (www.boppy.com)
KellyMom (www.kellymom.com)
La Leche League (www.lalecheleague.org)
Maternal Concepts (www.maternalconcepts.com)
Medela (www.medela.com)
Mothering (www.mothering.com)
ProMom (www.promom.org)
Whisper Wear (www.whisperwear.com)


Formula Feeding:
Bright Beginnings (www.brightbeginnings.com)
Enfamil (www.enfamil.com)
Similac (www.similac.com)
Very Best Baby (Nestle Good Start) (www.verybestbaby.com)


Diapering Info
Some have coupons & contests
Cloth Diapering (http://www.borntolove.com/404page.html)
Huggies (www.huggies.com)
Luvs (www.luvs.com)
Pampers (www.pampers.com)


Slings
The Hip Hugger (www.thehiphugger.com)
About Babies Inc. (www.aboutbabiesinc.com)
Maya Wrap (www.mayawrap.com)
New Native Baby (www.newnativebaby.com)
Prenatal Cradle (www.prenatalcradle.com)
Baby Bjorn (www.babybjorn.com)
Baby Wearer (www.babywearer.com)


Cord Blood/Stem Cell Info:
Secureacell (www.secureacell.com)
Viacord (www.viacord.com)
Cord Blood (www.cordblood.com)
Cryobank (www.cryobank.com)
www.lifebankusa.com
www.corcell.com
www.cryo-cell.com


Invitations/Announcements:
2Peas1Pod.com
5StarBaby.com
Baby Seeds (www.babyseeds.com)
BabyGrams (www.babygrams.com)
Baby J Cards (www.babyjcards.com)
Bella Baby (www.bellababy.com)
Celebration Cottage (www.celebrationcottage.com)
Classic Card Company (www.classiccard.com)
EitakDesign (www.eitak.com)
In A Baby Carriage (www.inababycarriage.com)
Invitation Box (www.invitationbox.com)
Inviting Smiles (www.invitingsmiles.com)
MetroBaby Cards (www.metrobabycards.com)
Mommy's Miracles (www.mommysmiracles.com)
My Gatsby (www.mygatsby.com)
Naptime Cards (www.naptimecards.com)
Photo Stamps (http://photo.stamps.com/PhotoStamps/?source=si10985886)
Purple Stork (www.purplestork.com)
Custom Craft (www.shopbirthannouncements.com)
Simply To Impress (www.simplytoimpress.com)
Stork Avenue (www.storkavenue.com)
Tiny Prints (www.tinyprints.com)


Monitors:
BabyBeat (www.babybeat.com)
Belly Beats (www.bellybeats.com)
Stork Radio (www.storkradio.com)


Fun Stuff
Jewel Kids Lifetime Mothers (www.lifetimemothers.com)
Baby Pool (Have friends compete in a baby due date contest) (www.expectnet.com)

[November06Mommies]

Books for the Expectant Mother

So THAT'S What They're For! The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide
By Janet Tamaro
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/159337285X.01._PE20_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

What to Expect When You're Expecting
By Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway, Arlene Eisenberg
http://images.barnesandnoble.com.edgesuite.net/images/5090000/5090602.gif

Your Pregnancy Week by Week: 5th Edition
By Dr. Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler
http://images.barnesandnoble.com.edgesuite.net/images/7210000/7219608.gif

Everything Pregnancy Fitness
By Robin Elise Weiss
http://images.barnesandnoble.com.edgesuite.net/images/6950000/6959852.gif

My Pregnancy Journal
By Ryland Peters & Small Staff
This is great for keepsakes and putting down your feelings and moods, etc.
http://images.barnesandnoble.com.edgesuite.net/images/7980000/7985227.gif

The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy
By Vicki Iovine
For fun!
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0671524313.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-

Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More! May 2005 Edition
By Alan and Denise Fields

Books for the Expectant Father

My Boys Can Swim! The Official Guy's Guide to Pregnancy
By Ian Davis

The Expectant Father
By Armin A. Brott & Jennifer Ash

Be Prepared : A Practical Handbook for New Dads
By Gary Greenberg, Jeannie Hayden

[November06Mommies]

WELCOME TO THE NEW THREAD!!!!

Please double check your stats on the first page.


HAPPY SECOND TRIMESTER!!!!!!!!!

[neenbean]

subscribing- even if I am not officially in the 2nd tri. ;)


Thanks Kadee! :)

[ellidew]

YAY! Thanks for the new thread! :D

I'm really looking forward to the 2nd trimester! I can officially say after 3 days of only minor occasional ms that i am happy to finally be almost out of the first trimester. Well, by some accounts i'm already in the 2nd trimester but by others i still have 4 days to go so it depends on how you look at it. ;) In any regards... only 187 days to go! lol.

Can you please make a change to my profile? It's been bothering me since the beginning...
Any other children: Bogart (Poodle, Schnauzer, Shih Tzu mix)
Also, my EDD was changed to November 7, 2006

Bogart will always be our first child! I think I was just so excited about an actual human baby that i totally left out our furbaby! I feel like such a horrible parent! He's been getting lots and lots of extra attention lately to make up for it. I really have felt terrible about leaving him out then not fixing it. Maybe it's hormones? lol.

Thanks!

[katnbug]

I'm here and subscribing!!

Yippee for the 2nd trimester!!

One change to my stats & not big deal...

Please change under "other children" DS is no longer 17 months. Since this will keep changing, could you please just remove his age and put DS Grayson 9/30/04. Thanks!!

[mayham]

kadee - thanks for the new thread!

I'm not in the 2nd trimester yet either. I can't wait until I reach that milestone, and am jealous of all of you that are already there!

[lilo]

So exciting that we have a 2nd trimester thread now! I'm not in the 2nd trimester yet either but it's definitely something to look foward to! :)

question: when does the 2nd trimester officially begin? 13 weeks?

[ellidew]

question: when does the 2nd trimester officially begin? 13 weeks?

From what i gathered it depends on who you ask or what book you read! lol. Some people/books say at the start of 13 weeks and others say the start of 14 weeks.

You can split the middle! lol. 13.5 weeks! That's my official answer :D

[mermccau]

Subscribing :)

[Toonces]

I'm going w/ the start of week 13 as 2nd tri, so I'm officially in 2nd tri today! :D

lisainpink ~ Congrats on the wonderful news!! You must be very relieved. Regarding the belly line... I'm not sure if the sun will make it darker. I'm fair skinned, light hair and mine got dark brown by the time I delivered my DD and I wasn't in the sun. If you BF, it'll take a little longer to fade. I'm still BF'ing DD and mine finally faded after 12 mos.

[Toonces]

Forgot to subscribe. :o

[RubberSoul]

lisainpink- happy to hear your cervix closed on its own! Congrats on your boy. I am not sure about the sun's effect on the tummy line. I imagine that it would make it darker, but doesn't the line go away after pregnancy?

neen- sorry I don't know the insurance code either.

citygirl- I don't know anything about massive ovarian edema. I hope that it doesn't affect anything.

Calla- I haven't really figured out any of the baby items yet. The car seat/stroller issue is one I have been thinking about too! I am not sure if I want to buy an infant car seat and a convertible car seat for when the kid gets bigger OR if I should just get the convertible car seat to save some money. I am so confused. Add a stroller into the mix and I am dizzy. I do know that I will probably buy a Britax since it seems they have a great safety rating. If we do buy an infant seat I have no idea what brand to get. Sometimes I feel like the decisions to make for baby items is more overwhelming than the decisions I had to make when planning my wedding. I can't believe I am going to say this, but planning the wedding seems much easier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay for the second trimester thread! I am going to consider myself in the 2nd Tri. when I hit 13w3d since that is what I get when I divide 40/3.

I am so happy to report I actually got 8 hours of sleep last night! I did wake a few times, but refused to get out of bed to pee and just went back to sleep. The only drawback is I was about to burst when I woke up this morning. I feel like a whole new person today. I just hope I can keep getting the sleep I need.

[Sinclair319]

Threadmistress--Thanks for the new thread! I noticed the link to 2nd trimester picts in the first post is off. Here is the correct link http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment2.php

[brio96]

Subscribing.

I'm still here, just not posting too much these days because I'm still exhausted and sick. DD turned into a full blown toddler almost overnight and I'm trying to keep up with her and her ever changing moods/needs/whims.

As far as strollers/car seats, we got the Metrolite Graco Travel System (with the Snug Ride car seat) for her infant days (through 10 months) and then got an Evenflo Triumph for her convertible seat. We were really happy with both options and especially liked the convenience of the Travel System. A few friends used the Snap and Go in conjunction with their snug ride and were thrilled with that because it was so light and easy to use. The only negative was that they then had to buy a separate stroller once the child outgrew the infant carrier. You'll find pros and cons on every kind of car seat/stroller out there, so it's really a personal choice. You just have to decide what kind of use it's going to get and choose accordingly. For example, if you take the subway/live in a big city, you'd likely want something light and easy to maneuver (the Travel System is not)

We registered for (and received) our travel system so we really only wound up having to buy the convertible seat for her. It's a good "big gift" that a few people can go in on.

If you haven't already, pick up a recent copy of "Baby Bargains" at your local bookstore/Amazon. They have unbiased reviews of every type of baby product out there...including car seats/strollers etc. We found that book to be so valuable in registering and figuring out what we wanted.

We're in the process of figuring out what double stroller we want, so even as a RO, I'm going through the same "gear issues". :D

[scarlett74]

Here I am!
It's exciting having already a thread on the second trimester, even if I'm not into it yet...
But I'm seeing it every day closer! ;)

[katnbug]

strollers/carseats- Someone asked about this in the previous thread, right?? Like brio we also got the Graco Travel System w/Snug Ride car seat. I really like it. We still use the stroller when I feel the need to pack a ton of stuff with us.
They do outgrow the infant carseats pretty quickly. Why not register for the convertible seat as well?? I didn't do that, but I have friends who did and they got them both.

[Toonces]

Car seats ~ Like Brio96, we have the Graco (http://www.gracobaby.com/) Travel System. The place where I used to work gave those to expectant parents as a company benefit. DD was only in the Graco Snugride car seat for 3-4 months. Most infant seats fit babies up to 26", but they recommend moving them out of them when their heads are 1.5" from the top. For our DD, that was at 3-4 months. We got the Britax (http://www.britaxusa.net/products/browse.aspx) Marathon for her convertible and love it. I know that the convertibles can be used with newborns, but I'd still recommend an infant car seat. They are so tiny right after they're born and their heads are really floppy. I just felt safer having the Snugride. We love the Britax and plan on buying another one.

ETA: I agree with Kat, the Graco strollers do hold a lot in the bottom storage area. That is a drawback with the Combi (below).

Strollers/Carriers ~ I went crazy after DD was born and we have 4 strollers. :rolleyes: The one I like the most is the Combi (http://www.combi-intl.com/virtualshowroom/index.htm) and I'd highly recommend it. I'm getting a Combi double with a new infant carrier for the car. My very favorite baby carrier though is the Ergo Carrier (http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/). It holds children up to 65 lbs. and you can purchase an "infant insert" for newborns. We got another one for the new baby so that one of us can carry the baby, and one of us can carry our DD.

[Esq.]

YAY for the 2nd trimester thread!

threadmistress, my next appointments are 5/18 and 6/1

[kadee_29]

Sinclair ~ Thanks for the heads up on the link. I was having quite a time getting those links to go in correctly and obviously I still couldn’t get it right. I blame the pregnancy!!! LoL

I updated everything to this point. Just let me know if anything else needs to be changed.

Kyrsten ~ Since you are a mod can you lock the first thread?? Thanks!! :)

[Esq.]

Actually, I have no powers in this forum, but I can get it locked for us. :)

[Toonces]

I found some really cute t-shirts online at Mommy Loves (http://www.mommyloves.com/MaternityShirts1.html). I can't remember if we can post pics from web sites, so I'll err on the side of caution. I like the first one - "Do Not Open Until..."

[kadee_29]

Kyrsten ~ Thank you!!!

catgirl1007 ~ Those are cute. I just can't afford $35 a shirt. :(

[Rancid13]

Just a brief update needed on the first page:

My next doctor's appointment is May 26.

[lilo]

catgirl1007: thanks for posting that link for the t-shirts! They are super cute. I just ordered the one that says "We're due in September" for my girlfriend who is due in September. I might get the "Do Not Open Until..." for myself later on when I am showing. :)

And keep the recommendations coming on the car seats. I am really clueless when it comes to these things so it's great to hear first hand experiences of different products.

threadmistress, my next appointment is 5/8 for my 12 week appt. (nuchal translucency screening and AFP testing)

[Sinclair319]

Catgirl--What a perk at your former employer--we don't get anything where I work. Also thanks for the link to those shirts! I ordered this one
http://images.cafepress.com/product/46621741_240x240_F.jpg
from cafepress.com (http://www.cafepress.com)

It was pretty reasonably priced (only $18), my only complaint--it's just a large tshirt, it's not a maternity shirt. I think it will be cute to wear this summer, but when I get bigger, it'll be retired to the dresser drawers. :rolleyes:

[ellidew]

Just want to send a BIG THANK YOU to everyone that has discussed Gap maternity clothes. Without you I never would've found capri pants that i'm willing to wear! I also got a cute pair of shoes ;) Hey, the order had to be over $100 for free shipping. :D

Also, i LOVE LOVE LOVE that you can return maternity clothes to any Gap store or for FREE by mail! That's an awesome deal. Personally, i'm finding it hard to gauge sizes this early on.

Cute shirts catgirl1007! I like the shirt that has the definition of labor = epidural. It's cute.

[ausi2b]

LOVE gap maternity clothing. I just wish it weren't so darn expensive!! Ellidew show us your new goods! :)

[ellidew]

Well, if i must :D It's nothing exciting though...

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/375/375090/main/gp375090-00p01v01.jpg

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/375/375093/main/gp375093-00p01v01.jpg

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/372/372637/main/gp372637-10p01v01.jpg

I hear ya on the price. I much prefer JCPenneys, Target, Old Navy, and Motherhood for cheapies but... I was willing to pay a pretty penny for nice capri pants. I wear them all summer to work so they are a must have. The cheapies just weren't cutting it for work!

[ausi2b]

I agree. My favorite capris were almost $50 at Gap but I love them. I'm almost thinking about getting another pair. I'm so ready to tell work that I'm pregnant. I want to wear tshirts and I'm still hiding in long sleeve button downs that are big on me!!

[bijouparvin]

Subscribing (even though I'm weeks behind in the other thread!). I haven't been sick in two weeks (knock on desk) and am having random productive bouts of energy but I'm generally hitting the pillow as soon as I'm home from work and fed. Thus, I haven't been here (or accomplished much else on my to-do list) for the last several weeks. Should be popping in on Monday with the most recent pic of the babe, though.

Have we discussed the nuchal transparency test? Some mom at my work said that it's standard these days and helps you find out the sex and a lot of other important stuff between 12 and 14 weeks. Why doesn't everyone know that early, then? Is she crazy?

Just asking.

[Calla Lilly]

11W

Thanks for starting the new thread. Can't believe we are on a 2nd tri thread!

bijouparvin- I am scheduled for that next next Friday. You might want to check out the pregnancy forumn because there was a recent thread on it. My doctor told me I have about a 30% chance I'll find out the sex then, and I was told they would probably disclaim it (i.e. it looks like it may be a....).

Ellidew- very cute things from the Gap. I have been looking at the same capris. The shoes are cute too!

My problem with the whole carseat thing is do I want to do the infant seat. And if so, do I want one of the big infant seats that can be used up to 30 lbs (97% of babies can use the first year). My understanding is those seats are huge and heavy...but i don't know if i really want to use it outside of the car anyway.

[CityGirl]

bijouparvin - I just had the 1st tri screening today. It was a really detailed sonogram, and we had a view between the legs, so I asked the technician if she could tell the gender. She said that at this age they all look like boys. Other than that it was really cool to see the baby moving around, sucking its thumb, kicking its legs, etc. Our numbers came back 1 in 10,000 which is the best number they give. Good stuff.

[Ilovemygeek]

Subscribing. Thanks for the new thread!

[civats]

Subscribing! :)

[Lydia]

Checking in!

My belly shot from last week!
http://images1.snapfish.com/3469%3A6956%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3238%3E%3B96%3E634%3EWS NRCG%3D32336%3A99%3A8976nu0mrj

[mermccau]

You are adorable, Lydia. :)

[Toonces]

Calla Lilly ~ I don't know anything about the infant seats that hold up to 30 lbs. The only thing I'd check on is the height limitations. That's where the other infant seats get you... they hold up to 20 lbs. (I think), but the height limitation is so short, that most babies outgrow them before they're 6 months old.

CityGirl ~ Congrats!! That's an awesome number! :)

Lydia ~ You look so good! That's a great belly shot. :)

[Sinclair319]

Gap maternity--I've found some *awesome* deals on ebay for brand new (tags still on) Gap maternity. I've also found a few used things in great condition. Definitely worth checking it out!

I'm 13w5d and can feel a small bump--it's between my belly button and pubic bone and just to the right of the midline. I'm guessing it's part of my uterus??? I was hoping that I was able to feel part of the head or something. Is anyone else this far along able to feel anything? I'm not feeling movement or anything, just this bump externally.

Doppler--I ordered my doppler from heartbeatsathome.com, it should be here Monday. It was $60 for 3 months, but they threw in an extra month free--$15 a month is very reasonable to me and I can't wait to have the reassurance!

[ellidew]

Sinclair - I think i can feel a bump near the area you are discussing but honestly... i don't know if that bump was there before :p I'm going to check out ebay. Thanks for the heads up.

lydia- Great belly shot! I almost took one last night but decided i'd wait until 14w and then do it at the week mark every 2 weeks or so. Don't know if i'll be confident enough to share.

ausi2b- Yup, that's close to what i paid. I think one pair was $45 and the other was on sale for $35. I guess if i had to buy regular capris i would've spent about the same and i wear the crap out of them so they rarely make it 2 seasons.

bijouparvin- Here's hopin'! I posted something similar yesterday about having a couple days of only minor ms and not constantly. Then last night i had the lovely experience of spaghetti going down then back up. The down part wasn't bad ;) I sincerely hope we are both out of the woods!

Calla Lilly- Thanks. I can't wait to get them and try them on!

CityGirl- AWESOME numbers! I still haven't decided if i want to do the test or not. I have until the 19th to decide. Ugh.

Not much new on my end. Just couting down to 14 weeks! lol. I can't believe we are almost to the half way mark! Well... if 6 weeks counts as half way. In the grand scheme of things it's close. I can't believe 14 weeks have passed! It seems like it's going so slow then i look back on the weeks gone by and they just flew!

[Lilla]

Yay for the new thread! And I'm happy to report that as of today, I am officially considering myself in the second tri. :happydance:

Doc appt this morning was great. DH got to hear the h/b whooshing away for the first time and he actually teared up. Got my bloodwork results back from the blood I had drawn last time. Then she asked us when we wanted to have the big u/s - at 18 or 22 weeks (probably because that is how the timing of my appts fall). I was SOOOOOOO tempted to go with 18 weeks, but she said we would be able to see things much more clearly at 22, so we opted for 22. I don't want to wait an extra 4 weeks only because I'm not a patient person, but I'd rather be able to see things more clearly especially when the tech is checking the important anatomy stuff (heart, etc.)

Also, FYI on the sunless tanners - doc said they were ok. I know we were discussing this a while back. I plan to use some, but not go overboard with it.

babystyle dress A few of you were wondering about that dress I ordered last week from babystyle.com. I got it yesterday and it's really cute! It fits perfectly and will grow with me very nicely over the summer. Very happy with my purchase!

Sinclair I can feel a bump/my uterus. The top of it is about 3/4 up to my belly button from my pubic bone.

ellidewCute Gap clothes! I really need to start buying some pants/capris. I am all of a sudden really quickly growing out of my regular stuff. Yikes!

ETA: Threadmistriss, my next appt is June 2 and my big u/s is June 30

[nic]

Kadee, I'm sorry you had to set up this new thread by yourself, I would have helped you. Thank you!

I had a good appointment with the NP yesterday. DH and I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. I haven't gained any weight yet either. She wasn't too concerned since it's still early on, plus I've got a little extra padding anyway.


Lisainpink, that's great your cervix closed on its own, what a relief!

[November06Mommies]

Updated to here

[ellidew]

ARGH! I just did a search for a store near me that carries Gap Maternity and there isn't one! Not a single one in the entire city of Saint Louis! There is only ONE in the entire state in Kansas City. That just stinks!

[mayham]

Gap
I second the Gap for maternity clothes! I bought two pairs of khakis last week, with the demiband. I wore one for the first time yesterday, and they are SO comfortable. Hopefully they'll grow with me for a while. I got these in stone and camel:
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6026&pid=343744

It was still cold out when I bought them, but now it's warming up, so I may look into the capris too. Sinclair319 thanks for the ebay tip. I'll have to check that out!

Strollers, car seats, etc...
I haven't thought about this stuff at all yet... I'm in denial about the logistics on caring for a baby. I figure I'll give myself a little more time before I tackle those decisions.

[neenbean]

car seats/strollers~ for DD, we had the Graco Metrolite in Delancy (http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=7308DEL2&subCatId=50) travel system. To this day, I love it! The stroller weighs so little and the infant carrier held up well enough that we will most likely use it again for DC#2. :D

My only complaint was that the large warning lable on the inside of the carrier peeled off when I washed it. I emailed Graco and they mailed us a new liner as soon as they were available! GREAT customer service. :)

This time around, we will probably get the Graco DuoGlider in Metropolitan (http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=7951MTR&subCatId=26). I hate, hate, hate tandem strollers, but DD hates side by side strollers even more. She totally freaks out when you place her in one! It was awful. So, I am stuck with the tandem. At least this design matches our infant carrier. ;)

[katnbug]

I'm 14 weeks today!! :D

bijouparvin- A few of us have had the NT already (congrats CityGirl on your great numbers). I hadn't heard that it's standard anywhere, but some people say that it's going to become a standard test because of it's ease and accuracy. My test was done at 12 weeks 5 days and they couldn't tell the sex yet.

Lilla- I'm going to be in the same boat as you with the "BIG U/S". We're on an appt. schedule at 18 weeks and then 22 weeks... I don't know if I will be as patient as you if I get the choice!! :D

Gap Maternity- They really should sell this at more Gap stores. We have one pretty close to us luckily.. I guess the internet is the only option for many people.

Lydia- Nice belly shot!!!

********************************

I had my 2nd sleep study test last night and it wasn't nearly as bad as the first one. Still not good though. I am pretty confused though. I guess my apnea is really mild... I don't know if I should have to get the mask or not. I'm such a pessimist that I believe the dr. wants me to get it because of $$$.

Funny DS story... we were at Nordstrom yesterday picking up some pants for DH and I had DS in his stroller. He has a bit of a cold and a runny nose.. while we were waiting for the saleslady to get the pants I looked down at DS and he had the bottom of a nice $225 silk shirt held up to his face! :eek: I thought for sure he wiped his nose on it, but I didn't see any boogs... I tried to steer him away and he grabbed a different shirt and he licked it! What's up with this kid? At least he has nice taste, no pun intended. ;)

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO EVERYONE!!

[lilo]

Lydia: great belly shot! :)

CityGirl: that is great news!

Sinclair319: thanks for the heads up on the ebay finds for GAP materniity. I will definitely have to check that out.

elllidew: I'm so glad GAP maternity worked out for you! Their maternity line is by far my favorite for comfort and fit.

Lilla: congrats on the great appt. That's great that your DH got to hear the h/b. I know that was a special moment for my DH too. I hear ya on waiting so long for the 'big' u/s appt. I was thinking about trying to get an 18 or 19 week appt. but my girlfriend said that she'd really recommend waiting for the same reasons you stated. Good to know about the self-tanners. I definitely need to use some with the weather warming up.

katnbug: Happy 14 weeks! :) That is so funny about your DS. Glad to hear that your 2nd sleep test went well.

-------------------------------------------

11 weeks today! Almost at the 13.5 mark! :D

Had some more success with GAP maternity items that I bought online:

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/365/365548/main/gp365548-00p01v01.jpg
I've had the hardest time finding jeans that fit and look cute and these are perfect. Bonus is that they were only $30 on sale! :)

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/343/343744/main/gp343744-05p01v01.jpg
bought these in the color before and I love them! They are super comfortable and nice enough for work (we only have to wear business casual at work). I will probably buy a pair in the khaki color too.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[mayham]

Gap Maternity - I know the website lists the places that have maternity, but I wanted to add that, at least at the mall I was at, the maternity clothes were in the Baby Gap, not the regular Gap.

lilo - I have those same khakis, and LOVE them! I have a feeling I'll be living in them. I've only worn mine once, but I hope they hold up in the wash. Have you washed yours yet? I've heard from some that the waist bands can get twisted up in the wash.

[Sinclair319]

Ellidew--I sent you a private message, but thought I should share it here as well.


At the Galleria in St Louis, there is a small section of Gap maternity in the back of the Baby Gap store. They even have the cusions that you velcro around your waist to get an idea of how you'll look when you're about 6 months along--I wanted to buy it more than the clothes! ;)

Just a suggestion for the wash--you can put a couple of X thread marks in the band to keep it from twisting (one in front, back, each side). Just find thread about the color of the panel.

[nic]

Happy a Nice Weekend Everyone!

[ausi2b]

I did some internet shopping today too to de-stress. Here are my purchases :)

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/265/265709/main/gp265709-00p01v01.jpg

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/390/390281/main/gp390281-01p01v01.jpg

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/375/375204/main/gp375204-00p01v01.jpg

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/258/258788/main/gp258788-19p01v01.jpg

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/343/343613/main/gp343613-00p01v01.jpg

I'm hoping it arrives soon! Love GAP! Also, in my GAP stores, they don't have a maternity store, but since the returns can be done at regular stores, they also have a ton of returned clothes on a rack. I've found some GREAT deals there!

[Calla Lilly]

ausi2b- I also placed an order on gap yesterday, had totally meant to get the sweater...but then forgot! You'll have to let me know how you like it!

Didn't Gap just recently start selling maternity clothes at a few of their locations? I did find out there is a Gap maternity near me, which I want to check out. I wonder what the selection will be like though.

lilo- I bought leek capris. For me, I always find that color hard to match. Can you tell me what colors you wear with it?

katnbug- glad your sleep test went better!

Lilla- congrats on the good appointment and being in the 2nd tri!

Lydia- great picture!

Re car seats: The seat I was referring to with higher limits is the SafeSeat Infant Car Seat by Graco. The seat says it will accommodate a child rear-facing up to 30 lbs and 32 inches. SnugRide (also by Graco) says it fits up to 20lbs and 26 inches. I had heard SnugRide was raising their limits a bit, but I don't know if those are the raised limits or not.

So my question is, is there a reason I would want my baby in an infant seat for a year? While I haven't seen the SafeSeat in person, my understanding is it is heavy and huge. Anyway, I am trying to decide between the SnugRide, SafeSeat or just going straight to a Britax Marathon.

I should probably warn everyone, I am definately a planner. Yesterday, I harassed my husband with different middle school/high school choices...and my sil with 529 questions/college savings questions.

[brio96]

So my question is, is there a reason I would want my baby in an infant seat for a year? While I haven't seen the SafeSeat in person, my understanding is it is heavy and huge. Anyway, I am trying to decide between the SnugRide, SafeSeat or just going straight to a Britax Marathon.


IMO, the main difference is the level of convenience that the different seats provide in the early days. With the SnugRide/infant carrier, you have the option of not waking a sleeping baby by taking him/her in and out of a carseat if you have errands to run. They stay in the same place and aren't disturbed. You just pop the carseat out of the base, put it in the stroller (or carry it) and away you go. The negative of this is that you get really used to it and when they outgrow the SnugRide, you have to switch to a larger, more stationary carseat and you wind up disturbing them if they fall asleep anyways. But, the older they get, the less they sleep so if you plan your trips right, that usually isn't too big of an issue.

The benefit I see to the convertible seats is that you only spend the money once for a car seat that you'll likely use for close to two years (if not more).

Safety wise, I felt like the two options were comparable, so for us the issue was convenience and portability.

[neenbean]

Safety wise, I felt like the two options were comparable, so for us the issue was convenience and portability.

Agreed!!!

Part of me wishes the SafeSeat by Graco was available before DD was born (larger specs). It would make my life easier as she LOVES to sleep in the car, so I am often transporting a sleeping toddler to her crib.

I miss the SnugRide [often] for its convenience. To still have a seat that could have popped out of the car and just be brought into the house would be a dream! Also, this means that if she is sleeping in the car now, I cannot just stop anywhere to go shopping or into the post office without the strong chance of waking her as I transport her to the stroller. We "retired" our SnugRide when she was 5 months old as she was too tall (26+ inches)- but only passed the weight limit at ONE YEAR (20lbs)!

However, with that said, DD weighs about 21lbs, plus the weight of the seat (6lbs, I think) is super heavy! It would be a lot to carry around, but it would make life a little easier. ;)

[ellidew]

Sinclair Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you... i really can't say that enough. lol. I went to the baby gap at the galleria last night since we were meeting another couple for dinner at the cheesecake factory there anyway. They had an awesome selection but i didn't get much time to look since they had a table ready for us in under 15 minutes!!!

I did however pick up this shirt:

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/390/390269/quick/gp390269-01qlv01.jpg

and i just finished ordering these two:
http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/343/343613/main/gp343613-01p01v01.jpg
http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/375/375976/main/gp375976-01p01v01.jpg

I can't rave enough about the quality of Gap maternity clothes! They use great fabrics. Some of the things i've tried on at motherhood i thought would fall apart after 1 wash. Admittedly the prices at Gap are a little prohibitive but i'm happy to have 3 quality shirts and 2 quality capris for my maternity collection and i can add lots and lots of 'cheaper' shirts to the mix as the summer drains on.

Thanks for all the info on the car seats... i'm clueless when it comes to them especially since my sisters picked the pattern they liked best vs the quality, ease of use, safety, etc...

Dh and i plan to register once we find out the gender (in 6 weeks!) so i'll need to seriously start thinking about what i want in a car seat/stroller. Thanks for the info so far!

[Toonces]

I should probably warn everyone, I am definately a planner. Yesterday, I harassed my husband with different middle school/high school choices...and my sil with 529 questions/college savings questions.

LOL! I think it's good that you're investigating car seats now. I just went with the Snug Ride b/c it's what I got as a side benefit from work, and I didn't even know they outgrew them (length-wise) until my DD had outgrown it. ITA with brio96 & neenbean re the benefit of getting a sleeping baby out of the car in a Snug Ride. IMO, that's the best benefit by far. Our DD was a really poor sleeper and sometimes the only way she'd sleep was during a car ride and it was great not to have to wake her up to get her out of the car. My vote is for a Snug Ride and then a Britax Marathon, but that's only b/c I'm biased b/c that's what we did and it worked really well for us.

Cute clothes, ladies!!

[CityGirl]

car seats - Now you've got me thinking. In our parking situation, there isn't much room to open the back doors of our car. probably enough for a medium sized adult to open the door and slip in, but not enough to open the door all the way and have it stay open. How much room will we need to take the Snugride in and out? Will we need less room if its just placing the baby in a seat thats already in the car?


We found out last night that our best friends are expecting in December. What an amazing thing to get to go through this together!

[mimieliza]

Just checking in...

I just got back from a visit with the ILs in Hawaii - surprisingly, we had no internet access, so I've been missing for awhile. Yay for the new thread! I'm so sorry I've fallen behind on my threadmistress duties.

I have gotten so round this week. I am pretty much all in maternity clothes now. It seems like it happened really suddenly - I packed a lot of regular clothes that did not fit by the end of the week. It must be a combination of a decrease in nausea (due to Phenergan prescribed by my doctor) and a week of constant eating. :)

Anyway, it's late, I'm exhausted after a red-eye flight and driving all day, so I'm going to bed. Just wanted to check in and say hi! I'll catch up with everyone tomorrow. :)

[mermccau]

Catching up, ladies.

Anyone else experiencing headaches? Just when I thought I was over the worst of the pregnancy symptoms – Bam! Migraines. I have been queasy and headachy all weekend.

I cannot wait until Friday so I can find out exactly how far along I am :)

Everyone has purchased such cute clothes!

Thanks for all the car seat suggestions. I am totally lost when it comes to this stuff!

This weekend, I was invited to attend a party for Lydia's daughter. She turned one. It was so cute! She is a great kid who really handled being passed around in stride. Lydia, I loved the little ponytails you put in her hair.


lilla – thanks for the info about the sunless tanners.

nic – cool about hearing the heartbeat.

ellidew – that is inconvenient. Can you order online and return what you do not like at a local regular Gap? I think they allow that.

mayham – I do like those pants. I am going to have to get over to that store.

mimieliza – welcome back from Hawaii. I think we may have chatted about this but what island do you ILs live on? Mine live on Kauai.

[neenbean]

10w, 5d

How much room will we need to take the Snugride in and out? Will we need less room if its just placing the baby in a seat thats already in the car?
I found that you probably need less room to just pop the Snugride in than if you were buckling the baby into the seat with every car ride. The Snugride need no adjusting while "clicking" into place and only a arm with agile fingers to pop it out of the car. Now that DD is in a regular car seat, you have to stand in the doorway for a while to buckle her and adjust the belts if her clothing is bulkier or thinner than the previous time she was in the seat. Does that make sense? Can you tell I am a BIG fan of infant carriers? ;) Congrats to your friends!!! I had several pals get pregnant right after me (with DD). It was wonderful to share stories and help one another with concerns and nursery stuff. :) How wonderful!

mimieliza~ welcome back! Sounds like a lovely vacation. :D So cool to have family there.

mermccau~ luckily no headaches, yet. Last time I would take some Tylenol and drink a little caffeine. Also resting helps- if you have the time. Did your doc rec. anything? ETA: also, make sure you are super hydrated!!!

[kadee_29]

Anyone else experiencing headaches? Just when I thought I was over the worst of the pregnancy symptoms – Bam! Migraines. Yup. I was in bed pretty much all weekend with a migraine. Mine are pretty bad though and I was put on tylenol 3 for them. I had the same thing happen with DS. My dr figures that the small amount of codeine going to the baby is better than going into labor due to dehydration.

[lilo]

lilo- I bought leek capris. For me, I always find that color hard to match. Can you tell me what colors you wear with it?

You could wear white, black or even a soft pink color on top. I think pink and green look really cute together. Hope that helps! :)

[roberta]

Wow! I have missed so much but I have finally caught up. We are moved and settled in our new house. We drove last weekend and the furniture arrived on Thursday. We spent the weekend unpacking and are mostly finished! I am looking forward to my appointment this Thursday with my new midwife. I hope to find out exactly how far along I am and hear the heartbeat. DH is coming to the appointment too.

Carseats- I was reading the Baby Bargains and found a lot of good info. They really cover the pros and cons of different types of baby equipment (ie- infant seat vs. convertible) Of course, that book is still packed. I need to dig it out and start my list of things to register/buy.

Maternity clothing- I went out to explore the shopping near my house, but kind of struck out. I did buy shirts in a larger size and gasp larger bras. I don’t think the shirts are going to last very long and I am running out of pants/jeans/skirts that fit. I need to find something to wear to my sister’s college graduation in 2 weeks. It will be the first time I have seen my family since the holidays. I guess I need to go to the Mall of America to find Maternity sections at Old Navy, Gap and H&M. Those who are ordering from the Gap- are you just ordering pants in your regular size? Do the maternity shirts fit now?

lisainpink- So happy to hear about the improvement in your cervix. No more bed rest right?

brio96- where do you live in Kentucky? I grew up in the Northern Kentucky area. (you do not have to post the info if you don’t want too)

[bijouparvin]

I swear this is not photoshopped but doesn't my kid look like it's smiling?

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3A3345%3A%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3244%3E393%3E462%3E WSNRCG%3D32336%3B%3C%3B%3C9%3B33nu0mrj

It was so crazy to see how much development there's been between 8 and 12 weeks. We could see the skeleton and hands and feet and facial structure. I couldn't believe it!

My next appointment is on 6/5. We won't have another u/s then, but we'll do the doppler to hear the HB and do some blood screening. We don't have a date for the BIG u/s yet, but she said some time between 18 and 22 weeks. If we stay on this schedule, it should be at 20 weeks and be on July 3rd, but that's probably going to be an office holiday so maybe 19 weeks on June 26th? We'll see.

Oh! And could you update DH's age to 28, please? His b-day is tomorrow. Thanks!

kadee - So sorry to hear you were knocked out with migraines. Did that happen to you with your other kiddos?

neenbean - Thanks for checking up on me while I was MIA! Your enthusiasm for carriers is contagious. You've got me thinking I must have one!

mermccau - Yucky about the migraines!! I hope that's an isolated bout and you won't have to deal with that for the rest of your pregnancy.

mimieliza - Welcome back. I love it there! I've spent a lot of time on the Big Island and it always leaves me refreshed and happy. Hope you feel the same (once you recover from your red-eye!).

[Esq.]

sorry for no shout outs, but I am at work and have to post quick...

Anyone still having nosebleeds? I had three yesterday, and just got my first of the day. I am 14w4d, and I just thought that they would be over by now.

[nic]

Quick reply to Krysten- I haven't had any but I know my SIL had through her entire pregnancy. That probably doesn't help but I don't think it's uncommon to still have them.

[Sare79]

I think I have food poisoning- I have been throwing up allllllllll night long and have had the worst diarrhea (sorry). After a few times I realized it can't be pregnancy related. So I will be going to my doctor this afternnon to see if i can do anything.

[RubberSoul]

mimieliza- Welcome back!

mermccau- I haven't had to many headaches. The only time I have ever had migraines is when I first went on BCP. They went away after my body adjusted to it. Are you drinking any caffiene at all? Some people have said a little caffiene helps with headaches.

roberta- good to hear the move went well. Have fun at your appt.!

bijouparvin- your baby does look like he/she is smiling. It kinda looks like he/she is kickin' it and should have sunglasses on and a margarita in hand!

kyrsten- I haven't had any nosebleeds. I hope yours go away!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I went shopping this weekend and finally purchased some maternity clothes. One thing that I noticed was that I didn't wear my "normal" clothes size in maternity it was one size down. If I put on my regular size everything was really baggy in my butt and thighs and super big around the waist even with the elastic band. However, in some cases there isn't much room to gain weight in my butt and thighs. The other thing I noticed was in Motherhood a lot of the pants come in S, M, and L. What happened to numbers? I usually wear a 12 or 14, but in the Motherhood bottoms I wear a Medium - how did that happen? I figured I would be a Large. Maternity wear is confusing for me.

I am wearing one of my new pairs of pants at work today and I keep having to pull them up. They have a roll panel and the pants just slide on down when I walk. I carry my extra weight (fat not baby) in the middle so this is nothing new for me, my pants always slide down. I just thought this would be less of a problem since these pants are designed for people that are getting bigger around the middle :confused: . Is anyone else having this problem? Maybe I still bought a size to big, but I was worried they wouldn't fit when my belly got bigger.

I could just be maternity clothing challenged. I struggle to find regular clothes that fit right. I am almost 5'11" and wear a 38 F bra (yeah I said F). Shirts and pants that fit are never easy to find.

[brio96]

[/B]brio96[/B]- where do you live in Kentucky? I grew up in the Northern Kentucky area. (you do not have to post the info if you don’t want too)

We live in Lexington but are originally from the Northeast. We've been here for about 3 years and are itching to get back to MA/NY. We've been up to Northern Kentucky a few times to go to Cininnati/Newport.

[mimieliza]

Okay, so now that I've gotten 10 hours of sleep, I can do a real update. :)

My ILs live on Oahu, near Pearl City. We had such a nice, relaxing trip. We ate a huge lunch and dinner every day - it was so nice to just be able to eat whatever I felt like. I gained three lbs last week after losing weight during my first tri, so that's good. As long as I don't gain three lbs every week, I should be in good shape.

Also, the Phenergan is amazing. I'm only taking 12.5 mg (1/2 tab) twice a day, but it has made such a difference. The only problem is I gag hard when trying to swallow the pill. It's very bitter. I'm staring at my morning dose now trying to get up the courage to take it.

I had an OB appt on 4/27 right before we left. Everything looks good, and I got to hear the HB. :)

I bought a ton of maternity clothes - I went to Old Navy, and they had a maternnity section, and Motherhood. I'm so much more comfortable now. Also, all my old shirts fit, but they cling to my belly, which just looks fat now. I actually look pg when I wear the maternity shirts, so I'm going to start wearing those.

Anyone else having trouble with maternity pants and shorts falling off your butt? Everytime I stand up, I have to tug my pants back up. I mean, they're not falling all the way off, but they get really low and my undies show. And it's not like my butt is tiny - it is huge, and the first thing my mom said when she picked me up at the airport is, "You must be having a boy - I can tell by your butt." :rolleyes:

Carseats - DH and I compared the Snugride and Safeseat side by side at Target. We are going to get the Safeseat, as long as it fits in our car. Here's why: Length-wise, the Safeseat is not much longer than the Snugride. Weight-wise, it felt like it weighed maybe a pound or so more - not bad. The Safeseat was much more padded and seemed more comfy. The bases are completely different. The Safeseat has built-in lockoffs, which make installation with a seatbelt much easier (our car doesn't have LATCH). It also has a height adjustement so you can make sure the seat is at the right angle.

The added weight/height limits are a bonus. I'll keep the baby in the infant seat for as long as we are comfortable with it - I'm planning for about a year, and then we'll go to a Britax Marathon.

Sare - Oh no! I hope you start to feel better!

bijouparvin - That's a beautiful U/S picture!

neenbean - I am a fan of carriers as well. I've already purchased a ring sling and a Mei Tai carrier. :)

[mimieliza]

Rubber Soul - Oh, too funny! We cross posted about our pants falling down issue. :D

[Rancid13]

maternity clothes~ I went shopping for the first time yesterday for something maternity related. Since I live and work in jeans, it was a necessity that I have maternity jeans, as my current Levi's are getting a bit snug and uncomfortable in the waist towards afternoon-time. After striking out at Old Navy's maternity section and Motherhood, I found the perfect jeans in the maternity section at JC Penney.

I found that the jeans at Old Navy didn't have elastic-y enough panels, and even the extra small jeans (I normally wear a small to medium size) were falling down on me. Can't have that happening!

The jeans at Motherhood were a little better, but the stitching between the jean material and the cloth was very itchy & uncomfortable. The jeans stayed up with no problem though.

The JC Penney jeans had just enough elastic-y-ness to keep the jeans up where they belong, but were still very stretchy in the panel for future expansion. :) Unfortunately I can't wear them just yet, as they're a few inches too long and are being dropped off at the tailor's in a short while to get hemmed.

[lilo]

mimieliza: I'm so jealous of your Hawaii trip! My parents own a vacation house inMililani and I love going there as much as possible. The only thing that kills me is the long flight. From the east coast, it's a good 8-9 hour plane trip! But of course, it's worth it. I just wish I could live there full-time and be a beach bum. :D

Roberta: I've found that the maternity clothing from GAP is pretty accurate to the size that you wore pre-pregnancy. I'm usually a size 8 in their clothing, in general, and everything size 8 has fit perfectly. I'm fairly small on top (34B pre-pregnancy and now probably a regular 34C) and I've ordered a few GAP maternity tops in size small and they fit great.

bijouparvin: great u/s picture! It definitely looks is smiling and giving you the thumbs up sign. :)

Kyrsten: I haven't gotten full nosebleeds (knock on wood) but if I blow my nose too hard, there is definitely blood on the tissue. My nose definitely feels more stuffed up these days.

Sare79: you poor thing! Sorry to hear about the food poisoning. I hope the doctor can give something to feel better.

RubberSoul: I have the same pants falling down issue with a pair of my GAP capris that have elastic on top. After a few hours of wear, they start to feel loose at the top and I constantly have to pull the elastic panel up when I stand up. In case you're interested, these two pants from GAP though have belt loops, which make a world of difference:

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/205/205219/main/gp205219-01p01v01.jpg
these are a little big on me now but since I can wear a belt with them, they work.

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/365/365560/main/gp365560-00p01v01.jpg
I can't even say enough great things about these pants and again they have belt loops! The fabric is fantastic and they don't look 'maternity' at all. Very cute and very comfortable.

------------------------------------------------
I had my 12-week screening test today and everything went well. It went by much more quickly than I anticipated but that's not a bad thing. Like bijouparvin, I couldn't believe how much bigger the baby looked at 11 1/2 week vs. 9 1/2 weeks. We saw the arms and legs wailing around and the side profile. The baby was moving around like crazy and streching out. :D The u/s technician said that everything on the screen looked perfect for this point of the pregnancy so I was happy to hear that. We should get the results in about a week.

I hope I'm not jinxing myself but I think I can safely say that my nausea is a thing of the past. I'm feeling MUCH better these days and not as ravenous. Don't get me wrong, I'm still hungry more so than not but I don't have the need to eat every hour like a few weeks ago. ;) I got a facial this past weekend as well, which was great. Since I can't use anything strong from the dermatologist, I am hoping to get facials once a month to keep my acne at bay.

ETA: Threadmistriss, my next appt is June 5th and my big u/s is July 6th.

[CityGirl]

neenbean - thanks for the carseat info. I guess that makes sense. Now I'll just have to check that there's enough clearance to slip the carseat in the door.

[Sinclair319]

My doppler is here!!!Well, it's at home! We have a friend who is going through a divorce that has been staying with us and she just called saying it's at my house! I can't wait to try and hear the h/b tonight!!!

Rubbersoul--I'm also 5'11" and a 34 FF (d@mn hormones, I was a 34 D+ before) and usually a size 6, so I can relate having problems finding clothing. Aren't all the low cut, v neck maternity shirts annoying?

Lilo--Love the Gap pants! I know I'm going to be in maternity gear full time in a matter of days/weeks.

For those of you who keep getting u/s--I'm so jealous! My last u/s was at 8 weeks (over 6 weeks ago!) and I won't get another one for another 6 weeks. I'm so glad that I rented the doppler so at least I can listen to the h/b since I don't get to see him/her regularly.

[Toonces]

Headaches ~ Yep, I've had them too. Not migraine type, more like the feeling of caffeine withdrawl even though I'm still having caffeine on occasion.

Nosebleeds ~ I've had two so far during this pregnancy and I had a bunch of them with my DD, mostly in 2nd and 3rd tri with her. They have always been from my left nostril... weird!!

Pants falling down ~ I was just going to ask this question today! I don't remember this happening the last time I was PG and I know I would have remembered b/c it's annoying the crap out of me. I have to stop every few seconds to hike my maternity pants up, but they fit everywhere else.

Screaming toddler... sorry no time for SO's or anything else!

[RubberSoul]

Aren't all the low cut, v neck maternity shirts annoying?

Sinclair- YES! I forgot to mention that in my original post. When I was shopping I was like - what is up with this! Since I have to wear a mammoth bra there is no way one of those shirts would look good with my bra sticking out. Plus I am not into showing clevage in a shirt. I don't need the extra attention in that area. Let me know how you like the doppler. I have been tempted to rent one, but am still sitting on the fence.

[Ilovemygeek]

I am finally starting to get over the nausea and feel like myself again. It is such a relief! I am still pretty tired, but that could be because I have been so busy lately.

Headaches I have bad very intense headaches and it is so frustrating that I cannot take my migraine meds. I just end up laying in bed until it goes away and that can take a while.

Pants falling down If I wear maternity pants I definitely have this problem. As I walk, they just slide right down. I wore an XS pre-pregnancy and I am having a hard time finding maternity clothes that are small enough. I am sure eventually I will grow into them, but for the time being I am wearing long tops with my normal pants unbuttoned and partially unzipped. :rolleyes:

[Calla Lilly]

11w4d

lilo- thanks for the suggestions! my gap stuff should be here tomorrow...I did get a black, white and pink shirt.

Car seats- I think the new Snugrides go up to 22 lbs and 20 inches...at least that is what Albeebaby said for some of the Snugrides. Let me know what you think of this (and obviously there is plenty of time for me to change my mind). I am thinking about getting the larger Snugride with only one base, and a Marathon. Anyway, I figure we will still have the convenience of the infant seat, will save $40-50 on the extra base and only have to buy one Britax once the baby is out of the infant seat. Anyone see any reason we might regret this? We can always use the seat without the base if necessary too.

Strollers- I was also happy to find a local store that carries all of the stroller brands I am interested in. I do plan on waiting to get the stroller, since the prices will probably go down before the baby is here.

We leave for Maui in a few days...it is our last big trip as just a couple just for us. We do have some other trips planned, but one is my brother's grad and the other is my bf's wedding.

Hope everything is going well with everyone!

[mermccau]

Daily news for me: I found out that my ILs are coming to visit and basing it on my due date. Now, I love my MIL. She is sweet as pie but she is also very doting. She treats me like I am 10 years old. It is out of love, I know, but I am stubborn and hate being told what to do.

We live in a small two bedroom condo. When my ILs arrive, one bedroom will be ours and the other will be the nursery. I think they are staying with us. Most of me wants to thrown open the doors of my home and welcome them 100% but then another part of me really does not want my doting MIL being there 24/7 after I give birth, telling me how to do things, trying to always help. I know that sounds horrible because again, it is all out of love. I am just expecting the worst. I will be exhausted and perhaps have a bit of post partum and I will just be trying to figure stuff out. Having someone giving opinions all the time will be frustrating after a couple of weeks.

Not too mention that we will be packed in like sardines in this place. Oh, well. What can I do?



neenbean – I talked to my dr yesterday and they told me to take Tylenol extra strength. If that did not work, they will reluctantly prescribe Tylenol with codeine. I do not think I will need that though. I think the weekend of migraines was an isolated incident (hopefully!). Good point about staying hydrated. I find there are days that I am barely getting 60 ounces. I need to work on that.

kadee – I hope your migraines subside soon!

bijouparvin – Hahahaha! I believe that is a smile. That is a great u/s :) Thanks for the wishes regarding the migraines. Yesterday was okay, headaches but not migraines, so I am hoping for the best

kyrsten – I do not have nosebleeds but there is blood on the tissue. I have read that this is normal.

sare - You poor thing! You just cannot get away from feeling lousy. What did the dr say?

rubbersoul – I may try coffee when the headaches hit. I have been a one cup a day (8 ounces) for a while but could give it up pretty easily. I wonder if that is it though because did not have coffee since my BFP on March 13th. It is only recently that the headaches hit. Regarding the pregnancy clothes, I think it is a common problem for the pants to slide down. Ever notice that most pregnant women have saggy behinds?

ilovemygeek – my dr was going to give me Tylenol with codeine. Can you take that?

calla lilly – have fun in Hawaii!

[Franni]

mermccau My MIL stayed with us for the first week after DD and it seemed like a really good idea at the time. In my experience, it almost became the beginning of a family feud. After all my readings and preparation, I had a good idea of how I wanted my baby to be raised (breastfed exclusively, etc). MIL wasn't supportive of breastfeeding and kept telling us that the baby was probably starving. It was so hard to stand my ground, but I did and she left 2 days early.

I am not saying that this could happen to you. One important difference between us is that you have a great relationship with your ils, whereas my relationship with my MIL was strained by then due to some other factors. But if it does happen, it would be helpful to maybe talk to her about your thoughts on parenting

sick and tired I am heading for my 12th week and I am still feeling sick and tired. I am wondering if anyone else is feeling this exhaustion. What's weird is that it is not "I went on a 20 mile jog" kind of exhaustion. It's more lethargy, which is a horrible way to feel.

nosebleeds I have the same blood on the tissue thing almost every morning.

[katnbug]

Count me as another one who's finally getting over the morning (all day) sickness. Hopefully it's gone for good.

I had my 14 week appt. yesterday and all is well. I got another u/s because they still are having trouble getting the hb on the doppler. My placenta is in front and making it hard to hear through. I won't complain... it's nice to see the baby every time I have an appt!! :) Dr. said next appt the baby should be big enough that they will hear him/her with the doppler.

My dr. also moved me to a 3 week schedule for the next two appts.. that way I'm on target to have an appt at week 20 for the big u/s!!!

So, my next appt. is May 31st.

Also got my official results from the BUN/NT test & it gives me a 1:1008 chance of having a baby with Downs. That's much better than the 1:300 for my age. There's another blood test they want me to take for spinabifida (sp?) just because the BUN doesn't cover that.

OHHH.. and I'm totally excited that my dr. office now has a 3D ultrasound machine!!! They won't use it this early (the tech said the 3D pictures are kind of creepy this early on) but I will get some 3D pics at my 20 week u/s!!! Another patient was showing hers off in the waiting room yesterday and they were too cool!

*****************************

mermccau- You're a better person than I! I don't think I could be so hospitable! If it's not a $$ issue, it would be nice of your IL's to insist they stay at a hotel - if there's one near by.

Sare- I hope you're feeling better today. :(

Franni- The exhaustion is still there for me. (m/s is gone - cross fingers) I'm not sure if it's pregnancy, sleep issues, or chasing after my DS though. I would love for it to go away, that's for sure.

Kyrsten- No nosebleeds for me yet. Hopefully they stay away this pg.

bijou- Great u/s!!!

[RubberSoul]

Calla- I am jealous. It has been cold and rainy where I live and it makes me want to find a warm beach. Have fun on your trip!

mermccau- It seems like it will be a bit overwhelming for you to have IL's and a new baby crammed into your place. If you are OK with them visiting right after the baby is born can you have your DH ask them to stay in a hotel? If you are really feeling brave maybe you could get DH to ask them to hold off on visiting for a few weeks so you have some family bonding time for just the 3 of you. My MIL is a very nice person, but she can drive me up a wall in about 30 seconds. I know that after giving birth I will not want to have to worry about entertaining people or even getting dressed if I don't want to. My best friend has offered to come help right after the baby is born and honestly I don't know if I even want her to come. Right now I am just feeling like those first few weeks will be our time to get to know our DC. Some people want help in the beginning and some don't. Once you figure out what you want and the boundaries you need, don't feel bad for asking for it. Hopefully, the IL's will understand.

Franni- I am still feeling pretty lethargic. It has gotten better over the past week, but there are still days that I get home from work and can't do anything but lay on the couch. The exhaustion started to go away a little in the middle of the 12th week so I hope that yours lets up a little soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DH came home last night! I am so excited to have him home and to have help around the house again.

Have a good day everyone!

[Sinclair319]

I got my doppler last night--it is so worth every penny!!!! I was able to find the baby's h/b pretty quickly! I then did a listening tour--had DH listen, took it to my parents, then took it to my brothers, then a friend stopped by and had her listen. I ordered mine from heartbeatsathome.com It was $60 for 4 months (about 50 cents a day). The unit looks brand new! So, so happy I made the decision to rent one!

[acrane]

Hi mommas! I had my second prenatal appointment yesterday and dh went with me. We heard the heartbeat and everything looks good. My doctor gave me a prescription for Phenergan for nausea, but I'm going to try not to take it unless absolutely necessary.
My next appointment is 6/5/06.

[brio96]

When DD was born, my mom came and stayed for two weeks and then MIL came and stayed for two weeks (both in our house) and DH and I still consider that whole month to be one of the hardest and most stressful ever because of their presence. BUT, a lot of that has to do with the fact that they were both unfamiliar with our house and where we live (since we're a good 800 miles away) so they asked a lot of questions like "how do you use the microwave" that just drove me crazy. Plus, since I didn't have a clue on how to care for a new baby or to incorporate a baby into our normal household routine, I was at a loss on how to have them help. Their hearts were totally in the right place, but I was so out of it that I couldn't have directed them to vaccum the house let alone do something important.

I get along relatively well with my MIL and pretty well with my mom (considering I've been out of her house for 10+) years, but those close quarters in a stressful time in my life did not paint a pretty picture for any of us.

This time around though, it's a whole different ballgame. Their primary missions (that have been explained to both of them well in advance) are to:

1. Take care of DD (not really relavant if this is your first, I suppose) so I can recover and deal with #2 in the early days.
2. Fill our freezer with nutritious food we can eat after they leave (and not just baked goods that my MIL insisted on making last time:rolleyes:)
3. Make sure that our house is kept in some state of order (vaccumed occasionally, dishes put away etc) so that I can relax about the mess.



Oh, and they aren't "allowed" to come until we've been home a week and they are each only "allowed" to stay one week. Part of the problem last time was that they were bored and that caused a lot of animosity. You can only oohh and ahhh over a sleeping newborn for so long.

My advice if you're going to have IL's (or even your own parents) stay in your house for an extended period of time after the baby is born is to have a clear plan laid out well before. Write out directions to the grocery store, BRU, Target if they aren't familiar with your area so they can do quick trips for you. Write down your weekly routine (garbage goes out on Tuesdays, mail comes at 2:00 etc) so they don't have to ask you and things will still get done. This is NOT the time for you to be worrying about entertaining them so try to get the expectations of their visit (especially if it's extended) sorted out ahead of time. Oh, and make sure you get out of the house either with your DH or by yourself as much as you can while there is someone to watch the baby. Even a quick trip to CVS will do wonders for your mental state.

Sorry to get on such a soapbox about this, but it was a huge deal for us when DD was born. Hopefull all your experiences won't be as stressful.

On a more positive note, had an appointment today and the everything looks great. Heard the heartbeat which is always cool and got some new prenatals that hopefully won't make me sick. :-)

[ellidew]

Great advice brio96!

My mother and MIL both live close by. My mil is within 3 minutes and my mother within 15. I don't have to worry about my mother coming by since i don't see her really being that interested anyway. Plus she will be in school teaching during the day and she's usually too tired to do anything afterwards.

My MIL on the other hand doesn't work and lives literally within 3 minutes with traffic and probably a minute and a half without. There aren't even any stop lights between us... just one left turn that can sometimes take a minute. She is the one i am going to have to worry about since she already drops by with friends unannounced to show them this or that or the other. One day i was still in my nightgown because my ms was terrible. I wrapped my blanket around me and answered the door since dh was cutting the grass in the back yard. She stayed for 30-45 minutes with me just wrapped in my blanket... she brought a friend too!

MIL and i had a strained relationship until well after dh and i were married. Well, i should say MIL had a strained relationship with me! I didn't dislike her until the way she acted when dh and i first got engaged. She gave dh the silent treatment for 3 days and then called him over for a 'private' conversation at which point she tried to talk dh out of marrying me! Dh told her that if she makes him choose between her or me that he chooses me and she will just have to except that! Go dh! That pretty much put an end to that though she looked absolutely miserable on our wedding day. Though she didn't really talk to me or have a relationship with me until after we were married for about 2 years. I was admittedly hurt and angry after what she did too. I never thought she liked me and that pretty much confirmed it. Now we have a good relationship and having her grandchild pretty much makes me the best person in the whole wide world! lol

I honestly am worried that she will be stopping by everyday, calling, etc... I've made it clear to dh that i don't want anyone but him and me (doctors and nurses) in the delivery room and that the day we come home i want it to just be the 3 of us. Don't get me wrong... i'm all for help and it's great that she's so close and doesn't hate me anymore :) i just don't want her showing up and taking over! I AM worried that she will show up the day we come home and never leave!

[katnbug]

Definitely good advice Brio96.

Ellidew- I do not envy your situation either. Just try to make it crystal clear what you will and will not tolerate from your MIL or any visitors for that matter. It sounds like your DH will be able to help get that point across to his mother!

[Rancid13]

sick and tired~ Well I'm not feeling sick, but I am feeling very very tired, and I'm sick of that. Like you said, Franni, it's a very lethargic type of tiredness. I feel so lazy in the afternoon. By the time I get off from work at 4:30pm, it takes all my energy to drive the 10 miles home, put on my pj's, make a bowl of cereal to eat, and not fall right asleep. No energy for cleaning, laundry, dishes, cooking, errands, etc. I just want to sleep, and no amount of sleep seems to be enough. I'm yawning all day...:(

[kadee_29]

Ellidew brought up something that everyone here needs to discuss with their DH's.

When it comes time to go to the hospital and go through labor, you need to seriously have a chat with DH's about who will and won't be allowed in. I only say this because I am sure their are some DH's who won't stand up to their moms and if you don't want your MIL in there during everything you need to get this stuff out now. And once you get to the hospital make sure the nurse taking care of you knows your wishes. Most of the time they will play bad guy so nobody can get mad at you.

With DD I wasn't asked and didn't think about it. I had my mom, MIL, his aunt, FIL and my grandparents behind a curtain that wouldn't stay shut. I was NOT happy about that. With DS it was only supposed to be DH and his aunt who is a great coach. My grandma refused to leave the room so I had to deal with her telling me what to do during labor. Again, NOT happy.

This time it will be DH. That is all. I was thinking I would be ok since my grandparents no longer drive but I have a feeling they will find a way up there whether I like it or not.

As far as coming to the house, MIL was here after DS was born. She didn't stay with us but she did come to help out with DD and keep the housekeeping stuff under control. I just stayed in bed most of the time sleeping while DS slept. It worked out a lot better than I thought it would.

[brio96]

I should add (to my last post) that I'm really not an evil demanding shrew that was expecting maid service and a personal chef when DD was born. :D Both moms came down after explicity telling me that they wanted to help but we were all at fault for not defining what that help was going to be. Plus, DD came a month early so I especially was somewhat unprepared in terms of the basics that she'd need (preemie diapers, clothes etc) so that added a certain level of stress that hopefully we won't go through again.

I just didn't want anyone to read my message and think that I was being a spoiled princess who was mad because she had to make dinner or clean up after herself. :)

[CityGirl]

I wanted to add that my friend loaned me her doppler for the next few months. Its from babybeat and we used it last night to listen to the heartbeat. It came through nice and sharp though I had to chase baby around quite a bit. DH kept saying "You had it! Why'd you move the thing?" And I had to tell him it wasn't me who was moving.


family - I'm not sure whats going to happen yet. Since we're planning a homebirth the situation is a little different. We could have 50 people here for the birth if we wanted to. But our place is tiny and I don't think I want to listen to my dad or FIL watch sports/talk sports in the family room while I'm laboring. We also haven't told MIL yet that we are planning a homebirth because she's such a worrier. It may just be DH and I, though I do want someone to take photos. I think for the week after the birth we'll insist on no overnight visitors. Once DH goes back to work I'll probably want my mom and then my sister to come stay for a few days. Ugh. Good thing there's plenty of time to think about this one.

[Toonces]

Email notifications ~ Is anyone else not getting these? I haven't for the last 2 days. :confused:

CityGirl ~ I meant to write this earlier... I think it's cool that you're planning a home birth. Do you have a midwife, MD, OB? Are you planning a water birth?

Visitors after birth ~ We let family & friends visit in the hospital, but not at home until we had been at home for 2 weeks. This time around I think we'll have a 3 week timeframe with no visitors. I want to figure things out with the new baby & DD, BF'ing, recuperating, etc., before everyone comes over.

I hope everyone who is feeling sick & tired/lethargic starts to feel better soon.

[ellidew]

Visitors after birth ~ We let family & friends visit in the hospital, but not at home until we had been at home for 2 weeks. This time around I think we'll have a 3 week timeframe with no visitors. I want to figure things out with the new baby & DD, BF'ing, recuperating, etc., before everyone comes over.


This is a good idea! Maybe i'll put something similar into play. I don't want to sound like a terrible person and i DO want my mother and MIL to come over. I just think i will need a little time to adjust to my new family and hopefully everyone can respect that.

As far as visitors in the hospital... I'm a-okay with that. I just don't want anyone else in my delivery room! lol. That's private time and i DO want the first few minutes of my childs life to just be with dh and me. I want a few minutes of selfish time.

[Toonces]

The nice thing with visitors in the hospital is that you can tell them when the visiting hours are (even if you want to fudge it a little bit and then when they get there and if they notice a discrepancy, you can say you must have been mistaken re the hours); nurses are constantly coming in and out to check on you and the baby, so maybe visitors won't stay as long; and the hospital where I delivered had hand sanitizer outside the door of every room so you can make sure people use it before touching the baby. I liked it b/c it was a controlled environment. I only had DH in the delivery room with me and made it clear to family and close friends that's the way I wanted it - everyone understood that. I had one friend who was ticked that she'd have to wait 2 weeks to visit us at home, but oh well... that was our decision. She got over it. Wonder what she'll think about our 3 week rule this time.... :) :p

[kadee_29]

The nice thing with visitors in the hospital is that you can tell them when the visiting hours are Unfortunately at my hospital while someone is in labor there is no such thing as visiting hours. My son was born just before 1 am and everyone was still there and nobody said one word to them about leaving. I really wish visiting hours were more enforced for such things.

[neenbean]

I should add (to my last post) that I'm really not an evil demanding shrew that was expecting maid service and a personal chef when DD was born. :D
Why not?!?! After giving birth, learning how to care for a newborn, figure out how to BF or even FF, PLUS recover, you NEED someone to clean the house and prepare meals or NO ONE will eat and the house will be a disaster!

My dad arrived 2 days after we got home from the hospital, stayed at a hotel, but he and his wife expected us to cook and they did not lift a finger! Grrr.

My sister arrived the next week and was so helpful, but I was too cranky to appreciate it completely at the time and too stubborn to stop cooking and trying to be super woman. Stupid me!

My mom arrived 3 weeks later and by then I was a little more relaxed and willing to accept help. She cooked and did her best to help tidy things. It was nice to have her input on somethings because she was INCREDIBLY supportive (not always the case in our past). ;)

step-MIL arrived a week later and was semi-helpful. She was just in awe of our DD and wanted to hold her and feed her every chance she got. That was tough for me, but I let her have as many as my ego would allow. If there were to happen with the second baby, I will be handing DC over at ever chance so I can go take a nap!!!!!!!!

Brio gave EXCELLENT advise! Write down want you will need help with. Have someone- you or DH- let your "helpful" family know what the expectations are beforehand and hopefully this will prevent added stress at an already happy, albeit SUPER STRESSFUL time in our lives.

Hospital visitors~ we only knew a few people in our area when DD was born, so I only had 4 visitors the entire week I was there- DH, our pastor, DH's boss and DH's "little brother" (from Big Sis/Big Bro org.). My only close friend was home with a newborn (1 week old) and not up for making the trip. :) This time around, it won't be too different, even though my list of friends has increased by the dozens. All of them are moms themselves and know that I won't want to see anyone for a few days. Our family lives 500 miles or more away.

Still deciding who will watch DD while I am in the hospital... My family has already stated it is NOT a conveniant time to visit, but two local friends have volunteered, so I will see what happens. Fortunately, I will most likely have a scheduled c-section, so that will make things a little easier.

[Sare79]

Thanks for all the well wishes! I ended up having to go to the hospital last night and being treated for dehydration. I always thought that was sort of a code word for celebrities to hide thier drug indiscretions, but I really got treated for dehydration!

cross-posted from my journal:
Apparently when you tell them you are pregnant, you go to the front of the line, which I really appreciated. They took my vitals, and had me wait about 5 minutes. My heart rate was extremely fast, about as fast as it would be if I were running on a tradmill (180?) so they did a cardiogram. They gave the results to the nurse, and within another 10 minutes I was pulled in to have an IV and some more tests done. They tried to find the fetal heartbeat but were unable to find it but after a quick inspection and some poking they felt that the baby would still be okay. Besides, I go for my OB appointment tomorrow so we'll be sure to tell them about this. More vitals, then about an hour on oxygen. My mom showed up to keep me company and Joel was there too but he had to call work and get a few things arranged so it was nice to have someone there the whole time. The nurses and doctors I had were great- very gentle and understanding. They gave me some gravol for the nausea and offered me demerol for the pain but I refused it. I just don't want to take anything more than I have to. When I was almost done my second bag of IV fluid the doctor said I was about ready to go home, if I could just provide them with a urine sample. The problem was with the diarrhea, I wasn't peeing at all. I tried a few times and couldn't, than an hour later I tried again and missed the cup, finally after I'd had a third bag, I was able to isolate and pee a tiny bit into this huge tray they put in the toilet for me. They finally discharged me at 2:00 am, after I'd been there 6 hours. I was glad to get back to my own bed and I am feeling better today. I don't have the dry mouth and weakness I was feeling yesterday.
I had been really reluctant to go to the hospital but I am really glad I did.
We found out from my mom that my brother and SIL had started throwing up and having diarrhea on Sunday morning and then we found out Joel's sister had it starting on Monday morning so there has to be a virus. The doctors said that my immune system is a bit more compromised becase i ma pregnant and so that might explain why mine was a bit worse. That and I can't take normal gravol and immodium to help alleviate the symptoms.

[CityGirl]

Sare - I'm sorry you've been feeling so bad during your first trimester. Hopefully it'll all just go away soon! Flu and morning sickness are just more than you should have to deal with.Glad you were able to get such good care at the hospital. 3 bags of fluid is a lot!

catgirl - Thanks! We think homebirth is pretty cool too, but are now dealing with all the negative comments from family. I don't know why I'm suprised at how unsafe people think it is. Most people don't realize that you have to be totally healthy and low risk to have a homebirth. And the list of reasons we would have to transfer to the hospital is long (breech baby, meconium, deccelerating heart tones, preeclampsia, etc). Not to mention the homebirth midwives carry all the same equipment you would have access to at a birth center including IVs for fluids and pitocin to help deliver the placenta. I've got all my studies printed out to show people, and politely challenge them to find a study that says that hospital birth is safer for low risk women. The fact is, there aren't any studies that will say this.

Anyway, (stepping off my soapbox) I have a primary certified nurse midwife and she has two assistant lay midwives. They do all my prenatals at my house and spend about 2 hours at each appointment going over nutrition, emotions, exercise, birthing, etc. There are lots of talks on birthing philosophy so that they get a sense of our preferences and we get to develop a trust for their decisions. I'm also doing parallel care with our local hospital until 20 weeks so that they will have all my records in case of transfer.

[Lydia]

Hospital visitors-Last time we were very excited anc called everyone as soon as we were admitted. VERY BAD IDEA! I labored for 15 hours and then pushed for 3. My family was loud and excited the whole time. During my pushing, the OB had to leave the room to get the forceps and they were RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR. So of course they are freaking out when she comes back with 3 foot salad tongs to yank my baby's head out of my body. My mother, being the drama queen that she is, was like, "Oh my God, I should be in there with her!" I was so pissed off that they were so inconsiderate. The hospital staff asked them all to go wait in the room I would be staying in and none of them listened. Other patients even complained about them. I was thoroughly embarrassed and while I understand their excitement and support, I will not ever go through that again. I think I'll have to discuss with DH our choices for when to call family, etc.

Visits at home afterward-I was more stressed by the "help" than anything. I will never forget my 2 dear friends, Kamileer and Bombedier who simply stopped by my house, dropped off food and ran. It was exactly what I needed. I think you should figure out ahead of time who you want to see you in complete state of disheveledness, messy house, haven't showered, dirty clothes, exposed boobs (if you're nursing) etc. and invite them to come over. ALOT. If there is one thing I've noticed, people who have not had babies yet tend to say, "We'll come visit when you're settled". I know that for me, I was lonely because it was just me and the baby, nursing away for hours on end alone b/c every thought we needed to "settle", etc. I really needed the company.

SOOOOO hopefully I don't come off as a diva and demanding and bitchy or ungrateful because I really love my family. But they were out of control that day.

[Lilla]

Hey girls! Just checking in!

visitors after birth We have a bit of an easy out with regards to hospital visits from family since neither of our families are local. I think the plan is that once I have the baby, my parents are going to drive down (9 hours) and stay with us for a few days. I'm not too worried about this because my mom and dad are pretty helpful and I'm sure this will be no exception. But I want to say a big THANK YOU to all the RO's for sharing your advice and perspective. It has really helped me to think about some guidelines I might want to put forth. As far as the IL's, I don't know what they are planning. And we haven't thought about friends coming by yet, so I guess those are things that I'll need to ponder a bit more.

I'm rapidly growing out of and packing away my regular pants for now. I had such high hopes that my pants that were a size or two bigger than normal would get me through the next few weeks. Ugh. Only a few of them are going to work. The rest of them look ridiculous on me! They fit in the waist, but are HUGE in the legs. :rolleyes: Guess I should be thankful that my legs aren't growing at the same rate that my stomach is! So I'm on the hunt for maternity pants in a big way. Thanks to all the suggestions for Gap - I've ordered a bunch of things online and hopefully they will work (I also have issues with the length on my pants, but that's a whole other story!).

I got two Mother's Day gifts yesterday! I was totally shocked! My IL's and my parents each sent me a gift. How sweet is that? I was not expecting anything. And the damn hormones got the best of me because I totally teared up after opening them. :rolleyes:

[katnbug]

Glad to hear you're feeling better Sare. :)

[kadee_29]

I'm happy to hear that you are feeling better Sare.

[November06Mommies]

Thread updated to here.

[ellidew]

Hi preggos!

I can't believe i forgot to stop in yesterday and scream from the roof tops that we are
OFFICIALLY IN THE SECOND TRIMESTER!

I've been doing great with the morning sickness and although i felt a little nauseous a lot of the time i had successfully made it through without actually throwing up for a change.

Unfortunately, The 'throw up' clock has to be officially started over after 6 days.

BLEH!

And adding to the List of Things that Taste Better Going Down than Coming Back Up is... Green Beans!

Green Beans officially joined the list with
Strawberries
Spaghetti
and Lettuce

The green beans may not have been so bad but i ended up with green bean bits in my nose and that was extremely unpleasant :D Sorry if that was tmi!

Prior to the most recent record without throwing up was only 4 days and before that it was only 3 days and before that i was throwing up every day. I'll take any progress i can get. The good news is my stomach feels better now... not sure i'll be eating green beans again anytime soon. ;)

ETA: Revision. I didn't actually go 1 week 4 days without throwing up. Dh was kind enough to remind me that i had to run to the bathroom last Thursday night while watching television. This sucks!

[Toonces]

CityGirl ~ That's cool how everything is set up with the homebirth process, including what all the pre-natal visits include. I wish I could have done something like that, but I had GD, excessive amniotic fluid, pre-term labor, and mild pre-eclampsia with my DD. How's that for a list of medical issues? :) I know all too well about the comments and questioning glances from well intentioned friends & family. I'm still BFing my 19 month old DD and I know my ILs think that's weird.

Sare ~ Glad you're feeling better.

Lilla ~ That's so sweet that you got Mother's Day gifts! I have never gotten a Mother's Day card from my mom, dad, or ILs. :rolleyes: It kind of irks me, but it's par for the course.

ellidew ~ That sucks that your m/s is back!! Just when you thought it was safe to eat again, huh? I don't remember my last vomiting episode b/c I kept thinking it would never end and that couldn't be the last time. It was sometime in my 10th week though. Oh, and I had the stuff getting in the nasal passages too - so gross!! I hope you feel better soon.

[Sare79]

We had our first OB appointment this morning and while I was not pleased with the nurse there, I did like the doctor. Everything seems to be going fine, we were unable to hear the heartbeat but he said it's still early to tell. My weight was higher than I expected, so our new goal is for me to maintain my weight through the pregnancy. He has asked me to try to follow a diet plan he gave me to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. I was expecting that, though.
I go back on June 7th for my next OB appointment.

[nic]

Sare79, I'm so sorry to hear about all you've had to deal with. I truly hope the rest of your pregnancy is sick-free!

I've been really busy stressing over moving-I'll update soon.

[civats]

I am 13w, 1 day today. Like many of you, I am claiming this the start of my 2nd tri. I had a doctor's appt Monday and went for an ultrasound today. It was amazing to see how much Baby P as developed since my last u/s at 7 weeks. It was pretty cool. After we left the office, I started looking for my u/s pics and realized my hubby took them to work with him! :mad:

My next doctor's appointment is June 5.

Good eats - No can do. I am still battling with food and yes, I consider it a battle. I haven't been able to eat fruit in a few weeks. That's the worse. Today, someone recommended canned fruit such as pears and peaches, so I am going to give that a try.

All in the family - Most of my family lives far away, so I don't think we will have to deal with a lot of visitors right after the birth. My parents live outside of DC and I live outside NYC. I am sure my mom will visit for at least a week and that will be really nice. I am more worried about having help around week 2 or 3, after my husband goes back to work. Would it be rude/selfish to ask my mom to hold off visiting her new grandchild until week 2?

Maternity - I placed online orders at Gap, Old Navy and babystyle. I purchased the top below at Babystyle. Everyone in my office raved over this top and no one realized it was maternity until I told them. (Yes, the cat is out of the bag.) You can wear it in a number of ways. I checked the price today and it is now marked down to $16.99. I must go back and order it in black.
http://a940.g.akamai.net/7/940/449/0002/www.estyle.com/images/product/19044_MID_r.jpg

Sare, glad you are feeling better!

[lilo]

Sare79: so glad that you're feeling better!

visitors after birth: To be honest, I hadn't even thought about this but I really appreciate all the RO insights and experiences as well as everyone's opinions and thoughts. Most of our family and relatives live either overseas or at least 9 hours away so we're pretty lukcy in that regard. However, my parents are only about a 45 minute drive. I think, like others have posted, we won't tell my parents that we're on our way to the hospital (unless I deliver surprisingly early) so they don't worry or come over too soon. As for visitors at our home, that will be interesting. I think I will definitely want my mom's help from the beginning and she's pretty supporting and helpful in terms of cooking, cleaning and helping out in general. However, my DH has a few local relatives and I will have to make it clear to him that they can't come over until at least 2 weeks because I just won't be up to it. But again, we'll see how that goes. Everyone in our family is pretty laid back and helpful so I'm not too too worried about unwanted visitors. I think it would be nice to have some of my closer girlfriends stop by since I'm sure it will get lonely at times. :)

new QOTD: Have you told everyone at work? If so, how did you do it?

Noone at work knows that I'm pregnant yet (well, except for a few close friends in other divisions) and I can't decide on when to do it. I thought I would wait until after my 16 week appt. but I don't know. I'm a pretty private person at work and unfortunately there are a lot of nosy co-workers around me. So any advice would be great!! :)

[ellidew]

lilo- You're lucky on the family front! It's nice that your family can be so supportive without being over bearing. I hope for the same but if the past is a predictor of the future ;)

Work: My work knew pretty much from the very beginning. Partly because I was sick and it was obvious. We waited to tell extended family until after the 12 week check up. We weren't ready to announce it to the world yet! Words out now though.

Personally, i don't think you have any obligation to notify your work yet. At some point you'll want to tell your supervisors of course but nothing says you have to announce it to all of your co-workers. They'll figure it out sooner or later and i don't think you have to tell everyone if you don't want to.

[Lilla]

lilo My work knows - I just told them last week though. That said, the group I work in is relatively small (my boss and 2 co-workers). I told my boss first and then told the 2 co-workers separately. I don't plan to announce it per se to any other people at work. I figure they can find out on their own.

My boss and I have regular one-on-one meetings every few weeks, so I told him the news during our one-on-one last week. In my situation, I wanted to give him enough lead time to think about backfilling my role when I'm out on leave (when I come back, I will be in a different role). I'll go out in mid-October so he needs enough time to find a replacement and then I'll need some time to train that person before I leave.

Above all else, be comfortable in sharing your news. If you feel better waiting until after your 16 week appt, then so be it!

[roberta]

I had my first midwife appointment today and DH came with me. The midwife was really nice and clearly explained everything to DH and I. We heard the heartbeat (130s) and she said the static we could hear was the baby moving around. My uterus measures much bigger than 12 weeks, more like 16 weeks! (hope it is not twins!) To help date the pregnancy and to get the NFT, I have an ultrasound on Monday May 15th. My next appointment is June 8th.
Visitors after birth: Our family lives about 700 miles away. My sister has offered to come and sty for several weeks and my grandmother would like to be present at the baby’s birth. Besides my other sister, these are the only people I would be comfortable with in the delivery room/immediately after birth. My mother will drive me totally crazy and I am not that close with my MIL. I am due so close to the holidays and I am already making clear to our families that we are not coming home for the holidays. I think we might schedule everyone to come for long weekends in December. I am sure they will want to see the baby immediately but due to distance and family politics (2 sets of divorced parents that do not speak to one another) this is the best plan for us. When they come, they better be prepared to cook and do some light cleaning! Thanks to all the ROs, your stories have just solidified my decisions on how to handle my family after the birth.

Citygirl- I am always surprised how opinionated but poorly educated people are about home birth. People should really be more considerate of your decision. Congrats to you!
Lila- As we unpacked at our new house, I just repacked my sweaters and some of my pants. Yesterday I packed up my shorts and tight-ish tshirts and tanks. Not point in torturing myself with clothes that don’t fit!
Sare79- sorry to hear you are still not feeling well. Take care of yourself!
Civats- congrats on your ultrasound!

[Rancid13]

new QOTD: Have you told everyone at work? If so, how did you do it? I work in a very small office (4 people including me), and one of my bosses is my father. He knew the day after we got the BFP. I told my only female coworker about a week later~she was going on and on about a friend of hers and her baby, and I couldn't keep hold it in any longer. I withheld telling my other (main) boss until just last week. I figured he'd be better off knowing why I was running off to these doctor's appointments every few weeks. :)

Edited to add:

Family: My parents (+ my brother & his wife~all in the same house) live within 5 miles of us, and I definitely want and will likely need their help, especially in the first few weeks. The school my mom works for is shutting down after the current school year is over, so come late Nov/early Dec she'll be able to be a full time grandma and a helper for me. My in-laws live in Hawaii, so they'll probably be here for the birth and for a few days after, but won't likely be around much besides that. My grandparents live within 3 miles of us, and if my grandma wants to help out with anything, I'll definitely let her do so. All my other relatives live out of state. I have a brother in law + his fiancee, and a sister in law that live ~20 miles from us, but they have significant others' and kids of their own to take care of so I don't expect to see them much at all.

[Sinclair319]

Family--My parents and brother live within 2 miles of us. The IL's live about 20 miles away. My mom is awesome and I definitely want her around when we get home(she was a L&D nurse for a long time). I know my MIL will want to be around, but I'm not sure if she'll drive me crazy or not. I guess I could put her on cooking/cleaning duty. My FIL means well but will drive me absolutely nuts if he's around and I'm going on little to no sleep--thankfully his work hours are chaotic so there's not much chance of him just hanging out.

QOTD: Have you told everyone at work? If so, how did you do it? I work at a large community college, but in a small unit. We have weekly staff meetings and so I added "Rumors" to the agenda. When we got to that one I said, "I know there are rumors going around that I look like I ate too much Easter candy, but it's not a rumor, I have. I've been super hungry because I'm pregnant!" Not the most creative way, but it got the news out and point across.

Tomorrow is my original due date with my first preg, I'm *SO* thankful to be pregnant!!

[Toonces]

QOTD diastasis: Does anyone else have diastasis (http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/FitPregnancy/2003/10/01/356284?extID=10032&oliID=213)? This might apply more to the ROs. I had it before my 1st pregnancy b/c of a previous back surgery and subsequently doing sit ups incorrectly. So it was mildly bad with my DD. This pregnancy, it's awful!! I seriously look 5-6 months PG. My stomach is totally being pushed up and out. I pushed for 2.25 hours during L&D with my DD and I'm wondering if I did some serious damage. Anyone else experiencing this? I'm dreading the, "Are you having twins?" "No." "Are you sure?" questions. I was asked this repeatedly during pregnancy #1 and I'm much bigger already with this one.

[Lydia]

QOTD: Have you told everyone at work? If so, how did you do it?

Yep. Told DD as soon as I knew. LOL.

[kadee_29]

LOL!!!

I waited a week to tell DD. I told DS too but he doesn't get it and I don't think he cares.

[mayham]

I'm so behind in replies, but have been reading along. By the time I get home from work, we have dinner, do maybe one thing around the house, watch tv for a bit before going to bed at 10. And I'd actually like to modify bedtime to 9:30 b/c I feel like i still need more sleep!

QOTD: Have you told everyone at work? If so, how did you do it?
Nope, not yet. I've told two friends at work, who are sworn to secrecy. I think I'm going to wait until after my next appointment when I'm at 14 weeks to tell my manager.

Family/Visitors
Reading the RO posts about this have been helpful. I didn't really have any idea of what we'd do in terms of having visitors at the hospital or home. But I'm glad it's on my mind now so I can decide and let everyone know, vs. just expecting people to know what I want and then be disappointed later.

Maternity Clothes
I've noticed some of my shirts creeping up over my belly, and I don't even want to think about wearing my normal pants. They still "fit" but get so uncomfortable when sitting, and I think the bella band might be too much of a pain for me to deal with every day. So I'm living in the 2 maternity khakis, 2 maternity jeans, and sweaters for now. I ordered a few things from Gap and Old Navy, so I'll do a post about them and the fit when I get them!

CityGirl
I think it's great you're doing a homebirth. I'm sure people's comments are frustrating, but ignore them and know that you're so much more informed than the typical woman who just blindly goes to a hospital b/c she considers that 'safer' without any real knowledge of everything you've mentioned.

[mimieliza]

I can't believe I'm at 14w today. That seems so advanced. :)

Last night was bad again - could only eat mac and cheese and a popsicle, and felt awful all evening. Why? I have been feeling so much better. It's amazing how much my mood changes based on how I'm feeling physically. When I'm not feeling well, I get really depressed, and just feel like the world is generally too overwhelming. The few days prior where I was feeling good, I was just so freaking happy all the time. It was nice.

QOTD: Have you told everyone at work? If so, how did you do it?
I told everyone about a week after I found out. I ended up reducing my work schedule to accomodate the exhaustion, so it was only fair that everyone knew why. Now I'm back to 40 hours/week, and I'm missing my afternoon naps.

[ellidew]

mimieliza- I'm with ya! I'm currently drinking a ton of liquid waiting for the inevitable upheaval of my stomach contents. I felt better for almost a week and for the last 2-3 days i've been riddled with headaches and nausea. I want to go back to feeling good! lol.

I don't know about you but i'm beginning to think that maybe i haven't been getting enough sleep. Since i was feeling better i was staying up an extra hour or 2 and it's been hard to get back to going to bed at 8:30. Last night i managed to get to sleep at 9:30. I'm going to try to catch up on sleep this weekend and go back to sleeping early next week. It really puts a damper into my time with dh but if it will make me generally feel better then it will be worth it.

[ellidew]

What is everyone doing for Mothers Day? We are taking our moms to brunch. After that we don't have anything planned. The last few years we've spent a fortune on Mothers Day... one year we did low tea at the Ritz Carlton. Let me tell ya, that cost a fortune! It was so much fun though! Since the bank doesn't have as much money in it this year i picked a place that has a wonderful brunch but didn't inflate their prices because it's Mothers Day. I think i'll just pick up a cake or something for afterwards. I bought the moms each a card and i think i'll just pick up flowers somewhere. I wish i could do more for them... they do so much for us! Dh's mom dog sits for us ALL the time. Even if we just don't have time to spend with our dog and think he needs attention. She has 3 dogs of her own so he gets lots of play time at her house. I hope they truly know how much we appreciate them.

Think i'll have to plan Mothers Day next year? ;)

[Rancid13]

Citygirl~I think it's awesome that you're doing a home birth. I was born at home, my mom had a nurse and a midwife helping with the birth and I'm told it was just an awesome and overwhelming (in a good way) experience. She was able to go thru the birth naturally, no meds at all, and I would like to follow in her footsteps with that part of it, if I'm able to. :)

What is everyone doing for Mothers Day?My mom just called and said she's going to try to make reservations at Macaroni Grill for dinner Sunday evening. So we'll probably do that with the whole clan, or go to another restaurant if that one doesn't pan out.

[kadee_29]

What is everyone doing for Mothers Day? Mother's Day is bittersweet for me since my mom passed away. I am sure we are expected to go to MIL's though. We have to go there for every other holiday and I think she is trying to keep DD Saturday night that way we have to go there Sunday to pick her up. :rolleyes:

[ellidew]

kadee- So sorry about your mom. I feel the same way about Fathers Day. Not that you don't think about her regularly like i do my dad but it's nice to have a day dedicated to their memory. Try to enjoy it even if your mil is being a snot. I would tell her that you don't want to leave DD there because you want to wake up on Mothers Day as a family... she can just get over it.

[RubberSoul]

Mother's Day- we aren't doing anything special. My mom lives in FL and I don't have a relationship with her right now anyway (long story).

Telling people at work- I have told a few people here and there mainly if the topic of children comes up. I probably won't make any sort of announcement and will just let people figure it out on their own.

catgirl- no diastasis here. I hope it doesn't happen either. Is it painful?

Sorry to hear that some of us are not feeling well. I hope everyone has a better week next week and a good weekend!

The past few days I have been having this dull ache on one side of my abdomen in a particular spot. I also have this full feeling in my abdomen all the time now. It feels kinda strange. Does the ache sound normal (like things stretching)? Anyone else have this full feeling? I am trying to figure out if I should call the doctor about the aching feeling.

[katnbug]

Mothers Day- DH's Grandma and Aunt are coming to town tomorrow and staying for 9 days :eek: !! We're going to a brunch with them and my parents and my sister/bil/neice. :) Should be fun.

diastasis- I hadn't heard of this. What happens to you over the course of your pregnancy? Will your belly continue to grow at a faster pace, or does it just even out in the end? Can your dr. tell you if it was caused from pg #1?

****************

I'm such a pregnant lady right now... sitting at the computer eating M&M's and a whole dill pickle. :D

[Toonces]

Mother's Day ~ Saturday I'll have a few hours of "me" time and DD will spend time with DH. Sunday we'll spend the day together and probably go out for lunch. I saw my mom earlier this week & DH's parents live out of town.

mimieliza & ellidew ~ I hope you're both feeling better soon!

RubberSoul ~ Nope, the diastasis isn't painful at all. It's kind of uncomfortable b/c my stomach sticks out instead of being in behind muscles. Regarding the stretching & full feeling, I've had round ligament pain more frequently during this pregnancy than with last. Sometimes it's a sharp pain, sometimes it's a dull pain. I have the full feeling toward the end of the day, but I think that's just bloating for me. I'd still recommend calling your doctor if not for anything else other than to give you peace of mind. My doctors have always said they'd rather me call than sit around and worry. You can also ask to speak to a nurse if you don't want to talk with your doctor. They'll pass it up to a doc if they think it's something serious.

kat ~ I'll just end up looking huge. It doesn't cause any other med problems, other than it might not go down as well as it did after PG #1. Since I had it during my last pregnancy, I'm 99% sure that me doing sit ups incorrectly b/c of my back caused it, then my 1st pregnancy just made it worse. If I move my stomach muscles a certain way it looks like an alien popping out!! I'll show you, through my shirt of course :), next Friday. Those M&Ms sound good!

Cravings/aversions ~ Speaking of food... anyone having any continuing or new cravings? I've been craving meat. I must be low on iron.

[Rancid13]

Cravings/aversions~I've been craving cheesy things; cheddar cheese slices, white cheddar cheese popcorn, cheez-its, cheetos, and last night, nacho cheese doritos. NO idea where this craving is coming from. And I've been craving lemonade too.

[bijouparvin]

Cravings/Aversions - For some reason, I can't stand tomatoes since I've been PG. They taste rotten to me. Bleah! No interesting cravings to speak of, although I did end up buying an entire box of Russel Stover caramel chocolates at the train station while I was waiting today. I've only eaten four or five so far, though! :rolleyes:

Mother's Day - All our mothers are far away so nothing special planned, although I'm secretly hoping that someone makes a tiny fuss over me for gestating during an approved Hallmark holiday. :)

Telling people at work - I finally came out to my boss and the majority of my co-workers who didn't know about two weeks ago. Thing is, I work at a Mommy'n'Me place so it's been slowly leaking out to the hundreds of moms I work with each week and EVERYONE has something to say to me, some more useful than others. For the most part, people are excited, but I think they also start to worry about me, since my job is SO high energy and physically demanding. I've decided to not work there after the end of June. A little scary, but more incentive to build up my own business at home.

************************************************** *****

Mayham - I'm so behind in replies, but have been reading along. By the time I get home from work, we have dinner, do maybe one thing around the house, watch tv for a bit before going to bed at 10. And I'd actually like to modify bedtime to 9:30 b/c I feel like i still need more sleep! I could have written this. I am so frustrated at not accomplishing ANYTHING over the past several weeks because I'm too tired. I'm really hoping that the fatigue wears in off in the next couple of weeks. I'm useless!

citygirl - I'm very impressed that you're doing a home birth for your first. I was born at home in San Francisco with no complications. I love that I can walk down Sanchez St. and point to the window where I saw my first sunshine. If I were more brave, I would be planning the same thing. Good for you!

katnbug - This made me laugh:
I'm such a pregnant lady right now... sitting at the computer eating M&M's and a whole dill pickle. The drummer at work was eating a pickle during a break today and I was eyeing it covetously!

[mermccau]

I have some photos to share. I am 14 weeks today.

The ultrasound was so cool! I had no idea that the baby moves around that much. I do not know about you other ladies, but I have been in denial that I am pregnant. When she put the wand to my belly and the baby was instantly there, I was shocked at how real it felt at that very moment! We could see the heart beating and everything. So very cool!!

The heartbeat was at 151

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/mermccau/Baby/US051206b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/mermccau/Baby/US051206a.jpg

My level II ultrasound is booked for June 7th.

I missed the window for the BUN test because my physical exam predicted I was a lot earlier in the pregnancy.

I also have marginal placenta previa so very minimal exercise until my next ultrasound. Hopefully I will find out that the situation has “fixed itself”.


franni – thanks for the input. I am not sure what is going on with my ILs right now and I am assuming the worst case scenario, which I should not do. I asked my MIL what her plans are and they are going to figure it out this weekend.

katnbug – well, I am leaning toward them not staying here. I love my MIL but I cannot make a move without her advising me how to do something, like I am a child. However, I am assuming they are going to want to stay here. Perhaps they are not. I am waiting to find out what their plans are. Money is a bit of an issue but they have three relatives that live in the same town as us. I could handle them staying a week or something but they stayed with us a month last time. I am pretty sure I could not handle all that unsolicited advice when I have a brand new baby.

rubbersoul – I do not know if they will stay in a hotel. Money is a bit of an issue. However, they do have other relatives that live in the same town as us and in bigger houses. My MILs brother lives in a big house just a mile away! I asked my MIL what their plan is. She is going to figure it out this weekend and let us know. I can handle them here a week but they stayed with us a month last time. When they visited last, they used our bed while my husband and I slept on an air mattress for a month. Not this time. Perhaps the lack of bedding and the idea of a crying baby all night will deter them from wanting to stay here. They can visit all they want. I would love that. I just want my house to myself when I bring the baby home from the hosp. I completely agree with you about having that time in the beginning with just the three of us.

brio – I agree with you. My MIL has only the best intentions but she is VERY doting on me. For example, when we visited them, we went snorkeling. As soon as I swam a bit away from her, she would grab my ankle and yank me back. Stuff like this drives me crazy. I know it is out of love and I could be a bit flattered because she worries about me like I was her own child, but I am very stubborn and need my space. Unlike your situation, my ILs are very self sufficient here so I can see how your situation was very stressful. You are not on a soapbox. I appreciate your input.

ellidew – all due respect but your MIL would drive me nuts! You have your hands full!

kadee– good point! I have made it clear to my folks that it will only be Sean and me. We are going to have to make that clear for DH’s parents.

civets – what a cute shirt! It is nice to see a maternity shirt that is not low cut like a lot of them seem to be!

I can't believe I'm at 14w today. That seems so advanced. :) Hahahaha! I agree with you! At times I think time is dragging and then I realize we are almost half way through already. Sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. I understand where you are coming from. There are some random days when I do not feel that great either. It is so weird. Your post make it so obvious how much your hormones are raging. They peak and you feel sick and moody. I hope it levels out for you soon.


I have a 14 week belly shot:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/mermccau/Baby/week14b.jpg


EDA: Sorry, this was a monster post!!

[Esq.]

I just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that I will probably not be around much for a little while. I got fired yesterday, and I am taking it pretty hard. I am trying to stay as calm as possible, and not get too upset, but it is not working. I haven't been able to sleep, I have barely eaten even though I am hungry...the thought of food repulses me. I am just scared what all of this is doing to the baby, so I will probably just try to remain as unstimulated as possible for the next few days.

Happy Mother's day everyone.

[mermccau]

krysten - That is overwhelming. Perhaps it would help if your DH and you discuss a budget plan this weekend and work things out? Are you ready for that yet?

[roberta]

krysten sorry you have to deal with this major added stress right now. (((hugs))) hope things work out for the best for you, DH and bambino!

[RubberSoul]

kyrsten- (((hugs))) to you. We are here for you if you need a place to vent.

mermccau- Yay on the ultrasound. For some reason your pic's are not showing for me. Just curious...could they see if the baby was a boy or a girl? I have heard that they can kinda tell this early, but won't give you an answer with any certainty.

[mermccau]

rubbersoul - I fixed the pictures :)

They did not tell us if they could see the sex of the baby and we did not think to ask this early. Perhaps on my next one.

Question for you all: Who else is having a Level II ultrasound?

[mayham]

Kyrsten, I'm so sorry you have to deal with this right now. Come back when you can, in the meantime, take care of yourself and the baby. I hope everything works out for you.

mermccau, great u/s pics! I can't believe how big the baby looks at 14 weeks. My next u/s is in 2 weeks when I'm almost 14 weeks, I can't wait to get a picture like that!

bijouparvin, I'm hoping the fatigue wears off soon too. Maybe further into the 2nd tri? I hate feeling so useless as well. I don't know how we're going to prepare the nursery at the rate I"m going!

Rancid13, I've been craving lemonade too! I'm addicted to Newman's Own Lemonade and Limeade, but have been concerned about the sugar, so I've been mixing it with water.

[katnbug]

Kyrsten- Ugh. What a nice surprise for Mothers Day. :( So sorry you're going through this right now. Take it easy & focus on yourself and the baby. That's what's important right now. We're here if you need to vent.

mermccau- I don't think I'll be having a Level II u/s, but they haven't really said. Since I did the BUN test I think they're comfortable with the genetic issues. I always thought a Level II was to get a more detailed look for those sorts of issues. Come to think of it - maybe I got a Level II during my BUN test???? Why don't I ask these questions??? I have pregnancy brain.

***********************

Well... DH is on his way to the train station to pick up his Grandma and Aunt. They'll be staying with us for the next 9 days or so..... :)
I sure hope things go well this week. His Aunt can be a real treat sometimes. Last year when we were trying to get DS to sleep through the night - she was visiting at the time - we had some issues. We were letting DS "cry it out" and put himself back to sleep. He did well most nights. If he woke up, he would cry for 10 minutes and go back to sleep. Well... Aunt Cindy decided one night that she would just go in his room at 2 am and try to rock him back to sleep in the glider.... Ummm... that kind of defeats what we're trying to teach him. :rolleyes: She said she was trying to "give us a break" so we could sleep?!?! Meanwhile, I'm in my room listening on the monitor for 1/2 an hour. Wondering what the creaking noise was (the glider) and why it was taking DS so long to get back to sleep! I finally went to peek in the room & she nearly gave me a heart attack when I opened the door! :eek: I had no clue she was in there. Kind of funny now, but I think she was scared of me for a few days - I was pissed. Family can be so much fun!!!

DH & I took DS to get his haircut this morning. He got a buzz cut & it's too cute! I've got to take a picture. :)

Everyone have a good weekend!! I hope you're not getting the constant rain we've got! :( So depressing.

[CityGirl]

bijouparvin - I'm two blocks away from Sanchez St. Very cool!

[mermccau]

Mayham- I was so surprised too. Cannot wait to see how your u/s looks :)

katnbug - I think the Level II u/s is a given for me because I have hit that magic age of 35. Perhaps it is just that my dr office requires it for all pregnant women on or over that age. Have fun with the family visit for the next week :)

~~~~~~

I have an update regarding my IL stay: I just received an email from my MIL and she told me they are looking into an extended stay sort of place for their visit. What a relief :D

[RubberSoul]

mayham and Rancid- I forgot to mention in my last post that I have had the lemonade craving as well. I haven't had lemonade in probably 5 years, but lately have had what seems like gallons.

mermccau- cool u/s pictures! I need to take a belly shot too. I have one from around 8 weeks and keep meaning to take one now to compare. Great news about the IL's finding an extended stay place.

katnbug- I hope all goes well with the IL's!

Level II u/s- I have no idea about this. I will be doing the AFP test at my next appt. and I assume that another u/s besides the 20 week one would depend on the AFP results. I still have questions to ask the OB about the AFP though and how they handle the results.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DH and I have gotten a lot done today. We cleaned out the closet in the soon to be nursery. We donated a ton of stuff to the Salvation Army and tossed a bunch of junk. I am so happy we finally got that done.

I have finally gotten around to sending my wedding dress off to be cleaned and preserved. Since we got married this past October it has been laid over a dresser in the guest room :rolleyes: .

Now I just have to sell the random furniture we have in our house. I feel like I am in constant spring cleaning mode right now. I guess this would be considered nesting ;) .

[Toonces]

Happy Mother's Day everyone! :)


Kyrsten ~ I'm sorry to hear about your job. :(

Level II u/s ~ I don't think I'm having one unless I have complications again. I had one last time because I had polyhydramnios (excessive amniotic fluid). I'm 36 now and my doc didn't mention getting one due to my age.

kat ~ Ugh! You're a stronger woman than I am. Best of luck with the IL visit.

mermccau ~ That's great news about your ILs!

RubberSoul ~ Yay for the spring cleaning! We did a bunch of that last weekend and it does feel better to get rid of stuff like that.

I hope everyone has a great day!

[kadee_29]

Kyrsten ~ I am sorry to hear about your job. Feel free to vent here if you need to.


I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day.

[lilo]

Good morning! I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day. My DH gave me a sweet card and some flowers.

It's another rainy day here on the East Coast. :( I swear, one day it's 80 degrees, the next it's in the low 60s!

Too funny about the lemonade cravings. I've been getting those too! I'm a juice fiend as it is but some days I just need to have a tall, cold glass of lemonade. :)

Not much new to report on my end except that I'm feeling really congested these days and am having nosebleeds now, in the middle of the night! Lovely. My gums are definitely more sensitive when I floss. Ah, the joys of pregnancy. :D
---------------------------------------

Kyrsten - I'm so sorry to hear about your job. Please vent here if you need to.

Level II u/s: I don't think so. My next u/s will be the 20 week appt. to find out the gender. They've never mentioned anything about a Level II u/s.

RubberSoul: You're giving me great inspiration to get started on our spring cleaning! We really need to re-organize all our closets and set up those organizational systems in them so they don't get so messy. We are in the process of getting rid of some furniture too but it seems to be taking forever.

mermccau: Great u/s picture! It's so clear.

[nic]

Krysten, I'm really sorry to hear about your job loss.

Sorry if this is TMI but- Is anyone else feeling sudden, sharp pain in their groin area?

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day- DH surprised me with a card and 2 dozen roses.

[Rancid13]

Mermccau~what gorgeous u/s pictures!! I’ve been the same way as you about being pg-somewhat in denial. Mostly because other than some random cravings and being more tired than normal, I haven’t had any of the ‘typical’ symptoms (sore bb’s, m/s, etc). I cannot WAIT to even hear the heartbeat, I’m sure it’ll make things so much more real for the both of us. Your 14w belly looks cute!


Kyrsten~I’m so sorry to hear about the job situation, that sucks!! I hope things end up working out for you and definitely do all you can to keep stress levels low take it easy as much as you can.

Question for you all: Who else is having a Level II ultrasound?
I haven’t even had my first u/s yet…my next dr’s appointment is next Friday, and we’re going to try to listen for the heartbeat this time since last time (9w) my uterus was still too deep inside my pelvis for us to get a good listen. I’m going to make a point of asking my dr when I can expect to have my first u/s. No, I’m not impatient at all…LOL! :cool:

Mayham & RubberSoul & lilo~that’s so funny about the lemonade cravings! I’ve been trying to limit my daily lemonade intake to 1 glass a day. On top of the many glasses of water per day I drink, that still makes for a lot of restroom visits.

Mother’s Day~DH gave me a very cute mommy-to-be card, 2 large bags of Cheetos Puffs (I was lamenting that I couldn’t find them ANYwhere and he managed to find them) and a 12-pack of Countrytime Lemonade 8-oz cans. I think I'll give him a little something thoughtful for Father's Day as a result. He did good!! :) From the family I got cards, candy, and flowers.

Is anyone else feeling sudden, sharp pain in their groin area?
I have been getting some random pains in the groin area. Like every few days or what have you. DH gets a kick out if it when one comes one, and I jump up from whatever I'm doing & shout "vagina pain!! owowowowowow!" Then before I know it, it's gone and he's still laughing while asking me if I'm ok.

[ellidew]

Is anyone else feeling sudden, sharp pain in their groin area?
Yup, from time to time. It goes away fairly quickly. I was assuming it's round ligament pain? I'm a newbie though, i could be wrong.
Also, over the weekend i think i had my first taste of sciatica. Every few steps i'd get a shooting pain in my left buttocks. Dh got a real kick out of that when we were at the mall. Every few steps i'd go 'ow!' or 'ow, my butt hurts'. He made some joke about being a pain in the butt. We had a pretty good laugh. I've marked it down as one of the questions to ask the ob on Friday.

Question for you all: Who else is having a Level II ultrasound?
As of now, no. I would assume if any of the tests come back questionable that one may be performed.

Mother’s Day
Dh got me flowers and a card. It was nice to be recognized :) MIL gave me a 13 month baby calendar to fill out over the first year of babies life and she also gave me the 'Pregnancy Bible' though i think it might be a little outdated compared to what i've been reading but that's okay... the more i read about it the better i feel!

Rancid- Your dh DID do good! I'm going to get something for dh too. We should be finding out the gender the Friday before Fathers Day so i was going to go out aftewards and get something gender related but i better have a back up plan just in case the baby doesn't cooperate.

Kyrsten- Hang in there!! Try to keep your head up.

[mimieliza]

Mother's Day - DH didn't really do anything. We went to brunch, which was nice. I don't think DH really gets it that I'm a mother now. He's very responsive to the pregnancy, but it still a bit removed from the fact that there's an actual baby in there.

Shooting pains - Yes, deep in my hips - I agree that they seem like round ligament pains. I'm a little concerned if they've started this early. They are the worst after I've had a strenuous day, and when I change a position I've been in for awhile (like getting out of the car after a long car ride or turning over in bed).

I have 14 week belly shots to post! :)

http://mimieliza.smugmug.com/photos/69714352-M.jpg

http://mimieliza.smugmug.com/photos/69714477-M.jpg

I feel very large for 14 weeks. I'm only in maternity now and people are starting to notice the belly.

[ellidew]

Great pics mimieliza! You look adorable! That's a really cute shirt... where did you get it?

I could just kick myself for not taking pictures up to this point but honestly i've been too tired and sick to care. After my last successful 6 days without m/s i spent the next 2-3 felling like crap but i seem to be back on a non-sickness streak (knock on wood). Here's hoping it never comes back! I say that everytime :D

Tomorrow is 15 weeks! YOWZER! I'll have dh take some pics tomorrow night.

[November06Mommies]

Thread updated to here!
Mermccau - your pics have been added to the first page. Please let me know if you don't want them there! :)

[mimieliza]

ellidew- Thanks for the compliments! I got the shirt at Kohls. I took a belly pic at 4 weeks, and meant to do it every week. Well, this is the first pic since then! Oh well. I was just too sick and tired (and feeling rather bloated and unattractive). Now I feel like I'm actually looking pregnant, so pictures are more fun.

I think the only time I'll regret not having early pictures is when I'm pg with my second - it would be fun to compare the growth!

[Franni]

mimieliza cute pics.

shooting pains I get more random pains. Sometimes it's sciatica or my tail bone hurts. Sometimes it's stretching pain. I have it all.

krysten That just s*cks! I can't imagine what you must be going through. We're here to listen if you need to vent.

WARNING...Vents from the hormonally hampered
Here it goes....I have been going through lots of m/s. Last week (my 12 week), I started feeling slightly better. I have begun to feel that maybe that is the beginning of the end for M/s. Well, yesterday m/s beat the living daylights out of me. It started out well. I felt good, got the baby ready in the morning, made breakfast. I even felt good enough to let DH sleep in (because of the m/s, I need DH's help to get DD ready in the morning). Then the day decelerrated from there. I began feeling queasy when we went to the mall. Then later the exhaustion set in. It stayed throughout the whole day and I did nothing else, but lay down and whine. So finally I made myself throw up which usually makes me feel better. Well not this time! So I sat and sulked.

I feel so guilty about being so unhappy. I know I am lucky. I know that there are so many people out there who would give anything to be in my position. But I am so tired of being so sick and tired. I have not been able to get anything done at home or at work. Tasks are piling up and soon my boss will notice that things are not getting done. I want to do it but I can't seem to focus on anything for longer than a few minutes.

During my last p/g, I had m/s till week 12 and it stopped overnight. I am hoping for the same, but am so fearful that it won't happen.

How do you deal? I have become a raving lunatic towards DH, barely conscious to my poor DD.

[ellidew]

Did you know? Not all Rootbeer is caffeine free?

Maybe i'm the last person in the world to figure this out but did you know that Barq's rootbeer has 23mg of caffeine? Diet Barqs, A&W, and Mug are all caffeine free but Barqs stands alone as the only major rootbeer that contains caffeine.

Well, it's news to me! lol.
Check my Source (http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm)

Franni- So sorry you feel like crap. I can relate. Unfortunately, i think i'm dealing with it about as well as you are. Not very good ;) On the days i feel good it's like i'm untouchable but on those ms days nothing can make it go away or make me stop thinking about it. Like you i often hold out throwing up until the last possible moment when there's just nothing left to keep it in. I wish i had better advice for us. My longest run of no ms before getting sick again is 6 days. After that 6 days i was really sick for 2 days then just nauseous the 3rd. Today i'm back to feeling good again.

Last week i joked that the baby keeps sending the food back and that if (s)he keeps it up i'm going to spit in it. ;) Kind of an empty threat but it made me laugh and i had 5 seconds of relief.

I hope you, me and everyone else suffering with this feels a lot better very soon! Tomorrow is the start of week 15 for me! I hope i'm out of the woods!

[lilo]

Also, over the weekend i think i had my first taste of sciatica. Every few steps i'd get a shooting pain in my left buttocks.

Oh my gosh! Thank you SO MUCH ellidew for posting this. I've been having the same exact pain and I thought it was because I had done one too many leg lifts! :rolleyes: I'm such an idiot but I had no idea that this was a symptom of sciatica. Please let us know what your ob says about it.

[nic]

Rancid13, yes, that's exactly the type of pain I'm talking about.
I wonder what it is. I thought round ligament pain was in the belly, not the vagina so I really don't know.

mimieliza, what cute pictures.
I don't look pregnant, just flabby.

Franni, sorry to hear you had such a sucky day yesterday. Don't feel guilty about how you're feeling-It's draining to feel sick all the time. Don't beat yourself up.

ellidew, You've got me carving rootbeer now and I don't really even care for it!

[ellidew]

lilo- You're welcome! Honestly, i'm totally learning as i go.

I had to look up sciatica, round ligament pains, AND level II ultrasound this morning! lol.

Here's what i found online about it: source (http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,4411,00.html)

Sciatica During Pregnancy
As your baby grows, your uterus may press on the sciatic nerve, which connects your legs to your spinal cord. Sciatica (sciatic nerve pain) is a sharp or aching pain that usually starts in the lower back or buttock and sometimes seems to shoot down the back of the leg to the calf or heel.

Most women who experience sciatica notice it first while on their feet. You can try to rest as much as possible to ease the pain. A heating pad or hot water bottle (wrapped in a towel to avoid burns) applied to the area is another solution. There are many exercises to help with this nagging problem. Sometimes simple stretching exercises done twice each day can give great relief.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) can be an alternative if nothing else seems to be helping. You may want to discuss the use of non-steroidal medications such as ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®) with your practitioner to see if they are an option for you. Many physicians believe these medications to be safe until the 32nd week of pregnancy. If the problem gets so severe that you are having trouble walking, or it is interfering with your life, discuss treatment options with your practitioner.

Even if sciatica starts fairly early in your pregnancy, you may not be destined to have pain for all the remaining months. Many women grow out of this problem later in the pregnancy.

nic- Sorry about that! I just had a rootbeer float with A&W rootbear and choc. chip ice cream. It was scrumptious!

[lilo]

Just wanted to report that everything my results came back great from the BUN test! yay! :)

For those of you with rented dopplers: How often do you use it? I just ordered one through bellybeats.com and am just wondering what the 'safe use' is in terms of frequency. My DH wasn't entirely onboard with renting one but I am such a worry wart that I think this will give me some peace of mind until I can actually feel the kicks, etc.

TIA! :)

[RubberSoul]

mimieliza- cute belly pic's!

Franni- I hope you start feeling better soon.

shooting pain- I have had random pains for a while now and just figured they were from the stretching going on. I will talk to the OB about them at my next appt. I really need to write down a list of questions. I keep thinking of things to ask, but haven't written anything down. I just know I will get there and forget everything.

Ok, I hate to ask such a personal question, but I need to know if this is happening to anyone else. Has your sex drive disappeared? My libido is nowhere to be found. I have no interest in sex whatsoever. When I was on BCP they did reduce my sex drive, but when I went off them it started to get back to what it used to be. Now I have none. I feel so bad for my DH because he is only home 10 days a month and I have no interest in being intimate. Even when I try to get in the mood I just can't seem to get the engine going if ya KWIM. Some books have said that it will come back in the 2nd Tri. which I have just entered...I am hoping that the books are right. If you are in the same boat or have some ideas on how to bring back that loving feeling, I would appreciate it :o .

[scarlett74]

Hi girls!
I'm sorry, I didn't wrote here for a lot of days but I'm very busy with work till the end of the month.

Today I've got the TN: it went well, now I'm waiting for the ultratest results.
The baby was moving the arms and it was so sweet!!! :)
BTW it could be a boy!
We've seen something that could make the difference... ;)

My next appointment will be on 16th June.

A big hug to all my November buddies!!

[Rancid13]

Did you know? Not all Rootbeer is caffeine free? Maybe i'm the last person in the world to figure this out but did you know that Barq's rootbeer has 23mg of caffeine? Diet Barqs, A&W, and Mug are all caffeine free but Barqs stands alone as the only major rootbeer that contains caffeine.

Yup! That's why Barq's is by far my favorite. My doctor said caffeine is ok during pregnancy, up to I think she said 250mg per day. I would have to drink the equivalent of 10 12-oz cans of Barq's to get up to that caffeine limit. In all honesty, I cannot drink more than 2 or maybe 3 12-oz cans of soda a day on top of all the water I drink and the glass of lemonade. :) The first thing I looked into when I got the BFP was caffeine content of my favorite sodas (Barq's and Dr Pepper). I was put at ease when I compared the caffeine content in sodas to that of a single cup of coffee (I don't care for coffee or tea--soda is like my coffee). The website you posted the link for is the one I Googled when on the hunt for caffeine content. I think I posted it in the "Pregnancy Confessions" thread recently.

[Rancid13]

Ok, I hate to ask such a personal question, but I need to know if this is happening to anyone else. Has your sex drive disappeared?

Yes, mine has disappeared COMPLETELY! Went from having it (and frankly, wanting it!) pretty regularly to not wanting to have anything to do with it at all. Hubby's fine with it because this guy he works with has a pregnant wife who is about 2 months further along than I am, and she too wanted nothing to do with sex for quite awhile. Then a couple weeks ago suddenly she called him at work and said "I want you NOW" and it's been pretty much just like that with her/them ever since. So hubby thinks I'll turn a corner at some point suddenly and want it again, so to speak. :)

[CityGirl]

For those of you with rented dopplers: My neighbor lent me hers for the next couple months. Forgive me for not knowing the exact lingo, but I have read that the doppler emits waves that are 3 times more potant than an ultrasound. Given that ultrasounds haven't been "proven" to be safe, you're going to have to go with your own comfort level of use. My neighbor used hers every day, and my DH would like me to as well. My comfort level is about once a week. I figure you just weigh the anxiety of not using it with the anxiety of using it, and whichever comes out ahead wins for the day. ;)

[katnbug]

sex drive- It definitely comes back sometime in the 2nd trimester. At least it did for me the last time. Hopefully DH can remain patient - because as of 15 1/2 weeks I'm still not feelin it! :)

[Sinclair319]

Doppler use at home--I honestly use my every day. Here's the info I've found on it.

"Doppler ultrasound is regulated by the FDA. Years of studies have shown no harmful effects on the fetus. The Mayo Clinic says "In 30 years of regular use, no adverse effects have ever been demonstrated from ultrasound testing." Research has been done investigating both the noise produced in utero and the heat produced by ultrasound, and no problems have ever been detected from its use in exposed babies. There is no reason to feel uncomfortable about the use of ultrasound during pregnancy and there are great benefits to using it." from http://www.heartbeatsathome.com/faq.cfm

Also...
Diagnostic ultrasound is one of the safest means available for obtaining the necessary information about your unborn baby (or babies). While many tests are continually conducted by manufacturers and the U.S. government, results in the past have indicated no adverse side effects.

Your caregiver keeps up-to-date on developments in this field and is well qualified to judge the risks and benefits of any medical procedure, including ultrasound examination.

*The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) has addressed the concerns relating to the safety of ultrasound and has issued the following statement as of March 1993: "Diagnostic ultrasound has been in use since the late 1950's." Given its known benefits and recognized efficacy for medical diagnosis, including use during human pregnancy, the AIUM herein addresses the clinical safety of such use:

"No confirmed biological effects on patients or instrument operators caused by exposure at intensities typical of present diagnostic ultrasound instruments have ever been reported. Although the possibility exists that such biological effects may be identified in the future, current data indicate that the benefits to patients of the prudent use of diagnostic ultrasound outweigh the risks, if any, that may be present." Our products use as low an ultrasound power as practical. The level of ultrasound power emitted is not adjustable. Prudent use on the mother's part would include minimizing the length of time that she listens to the baby's heartbeat on each occasion.
Source http://www.heartones.com/faqs.html


************************************************** ********
I just had my appt with the OB, everything is going well and she's happy with the progress. Heartbeat was 162! They'll call me later today to schedule the big u/s. DH still doesn't want to find out--I have 3 weeks to try and change his mind. ;)

Feeling movement?--I think I'm starting to feel the baby move--it doesn't feel like a kick or punch, more like a ripple. It's happened a couple of times in the past 2 days and it's always when I'm sitting. The OB said this is probably the start of feeling movement. I can't wait to know for sure that it is the baby!

[nic]

sex drive- mine's slowly creeping back in. I think it would be here in full force if I weren't stressed out.

Sinclair319, that's really cool about the movement. I can't believe we're that far along.


Has any had their bellies touched? I've had 3 co-workers give mine a rub so far. I don't think I'd mind if I were showing but I just look, well, flabby.

[Sinclair319]

The BIG ultrasound is scheduled for June 5th!! :)

[Lydia]

I'm almost 16 weeks!

My next appt is tomorrow and I'll schedule my u/s then for the gender check and all the other routine stuff they do.

I had sciatica last time around and saw a chiropractor for it. I'm getting it off and on this time but nothing unbearable.

I'm getting noticeably pregnant now-I would take a pic but I look like arse today. Maybe tomorrow...

[Sare79]

The ultrasound went well and the Wee One is measuring a tad bit earlier- but really just smaller. There is only one baby! Wee One is healthy and has a good heartbeat. I am soooo happy right now.

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3A%3A3485%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D324%3A%3E8%3A8%3E659% 3EWSNRCG%3D3233747%3B%3C8%3B65nu0mrj

Belly touching: The only people who have touched my belly are my mom, my grandma and Joel's grandma. well, of course him and I too. The grandmas just did it without asking, which I would have preferred they didn't.

[nic]

Sare79, Nice picture, I hope you're feeling better

[roberta]

I had my ultrasound yesterday and everything looks great! The baby is measuring about a week ahead, but the MW said they were not going to adjust my EDD. I will be back with ultrasound pics as soon as I get the scanner working.

Unfortunately, yesterday afternoon I started feeling really bad with major, constant vomitting and diaherria. I couldn't keep anything (including water or Gatorade) down this morning, so I called my MW practice. They had me come in right away and tested for dehydration. If I am not better by tomorrow, then they will send me to the hospital. The MW thinks it is the flu not morning sickness. She did check the HB again and the baby sounds good. I feel pretty reassured since I just saw the baby yesterday on the US.

[mermccau]

I would take a pic but I look like arse today. Maybe tomorrow...Don't let Lydia fool you, ladies. She is totally adorable!

[Lilla]

Hi ladies! Hope everyone is well this morning!

sare Great u/s pic!

roberta Hope you are feeling better soon. Take care of yourself.

Lydia Let's see that belly pic! ;) (I'm slowly working up the courage myself....)


DH and I spent a lot of time last weekend shopping for cribs. We did decide on one - now it's just a matter of deciding what color to order it in. I also picked out the glider that I want to order. Other than that, the only items I want to get are a dresser/changing table and a bookshelf.

I also managed to find some great maternity pants that actually fit me (even the Gap stuff I've had issues with - sigh). Of all places, I found my pants at a consignment store. They are the most comfy pants EVER. Well worth my $8!

And I *think* I may have felt the baby for the first time yesterday! I was sitting and watching tv. All of a sudden, I felt this little 'jab' right below my belly button. It was definately a different feeling from anything I've experienced so far. So of course, I'm very eager to see if I feel it again so that I can really tell if it was the kiddo or not!

[Lydia]

I'll get a belly pic in a bit but I wanted to post that...


















http://www.usflagdepot.com/store/media/It's%20A%20Boy.JPG

[Lydia]

16 Weeks
http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3A%3A%3B668%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3238%3E%3B96%3E634% 3EWSNRCG%3D3233758734%3A2%3Bnu0mrj

Please ignore my hair. It's awful.

[nic]

Congratulations LYDIA, that's wonderful news.
Holy S$it, I can't believe it's already that time ( to tell the sex of baby)

Did you just have an ultrasound?

[November06Mommies]

Updated to here!

[Sare79]

Congratulations Lydia!

Roberta-That sounds like what I had last week. Mine passed in a few days and I hope it does for you too.

I am feeling much better. I think that the virus I had last week was my turning point and at 13 weeks, it seems about right. I broke out a maternity dress because it's been really hot here the last few days and a lot of people at work are saying that I do look pregnant now. Yay for looking pregnant, not chubby!

[mayham]

OMG, Lydia, I can't believe you've already found out the sex of the baby! CONGRATS on your baby boy!!!!

Lilla - that is great you're already feeling the baby!

roberta - I hope you're feeling better now! At least you know the baby is doing well, even if you're not feeling the best right now.

Sare79 - Great u/s pic! Glad the baby is healthy and the hb is good!

Belly touching - none yet, and not really looking forward to that. I can't guarantee that the first time a stranger does it, that my reflexes won't make me punch that person in the face!

Lemonade - that is so funny so many of us are having lemonade cravings. That has been my drink of choice when out at restaurants, b/c it quenches my thirst, I'm already sick of gingerale, and I get enough water as it is.

Still in the first trimester - I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER to get to the 2nd tri! I have an appointment on Tuesday, (first one with OB) where hopefully we'll get to hear the heartbeat again. I'll also have another ultrasound, so I can't wait to see how much the baby has grown!

[Rancid13]

That's awesome Lydia!! :D Congrats!!

Lemonade - that is so funny so many of us are having lemonade cravings. That has been my drink of choice when out at restaurants, b/c it quenches my thirst, I'm already sick of gingerale, and I get enough water as it is.

It is funny! At Mother's Day dinner the other night, we met up with my family at Macaroni Grill. Out of 10 total adults at the table, 6 of them ordered regular lemonade, 2 ordered an alcoholic version, 1 had water and 1 had cherry coke. There were lemonades everywhere! I loved it. :D

Belly touching~None yet, other than the husband even though he knows it bugs me because right now my belly seems to me just a bowlful of jelly flab. :)

[lilo]

Congrats on your baby boy Lydia! That is so exciting!

Still in the first trimester - I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER to get to the 2nd tri!

I'm right there with you! I am so ready to be in the 2nd trimester and closer to finding out the baby's sex.

Lilla: Wow, that's great about feeling the baby move already. Very cool.

Belly touching: I am definitely not looking forward to people doing this, if it does happen. My immediate family is fine but co-workers and strangers, no way. Especially strangers! I will definitely push their hand away if they even come close. I am not shy. :D It's such a rude thing to do, IMO!

[ausi2b]

Hello all! Hope you all had nice weekends and Mother's to Be Day :)

Lots to update on! Last Friday, I had my 12 week appointment with my OBGYN. Turns out despite how much I'm showing, I've only gained a pound which I was thrilled with :) Then I laid down for the doppler to hear the heartbeat. 5 minutes goes by - no heartbeat, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes - no heartbeat. At that point I'm completely panicking (good thing they took my pulse and blood pressure before!) The nurse thinks maybe it is too early, but I explained that I was 12 weeks, she seemed a little concerned. So I got another ultrasound out of the deal. Turns out that the little bugger was SO hyperactive that it wouldn't sit still for the ultrasound much less the dopper! This kid was recreating the fight scenes in the Matrix movie in my uterus. It was insane. We never got to hear the heartbeat, but since we saw it, the doctor said we were in the clear. I had never been so scared before in my life!

Yesterday (Tuesday) I had my ultrascreen test (neuchal translucency). My OB sent me to a genetic specialist in a fancy office to have it done. It was so cool! We got to have a 3-d ultrasound for about 40 minutes. Everything looked perfect on the ultrasound. I had a blood test as well, and that will confirm everything. We should have the results in a few days. I'll try to scan in pictures soon!

Yesterday I also told my entire office that I was pregnant. It is such a relief not to keep a secret anymore! It was fun to see who totally suspected and who had NO idea at all.

And I know it is SO early, but I think I've been feeling the baby too. I've always been super sensitive (I could feel myself ovulate without taking a test) and I asked my OB about it and he said it was probably round ligament pain. But the thing is, it is not painful. It feels like something the size of my pinkie fingertip just lightly pressing on my inside (way below). Then I'll feel it on the otherside. Then other times I'll feel this weird sensation like you are going down a hill in a car and your stomach kind of feels fluttery. I don't feel it super often, but enough that I recognize it. Repeat offenders - do you think it could be? I spoke to my mom and grandmother and they definitely think it is the baby, and my uncle who is an OB said it probably is too. It is so neat!

Ok - back to work. I hope you all are doing well! My next GAP package of maternity clothes is supposed to arrive tomorrow - hooray!

[RubberSoul]

Lydia- Congratulations on your BOY!

[kadee_29]

Lydia ~ Congrats on your little boy!!

lisainpink ~ I added the boy stats to your name as well.

I can't believe we are already starting to find out genders. :eek: I can't wait to see what everyone else is having.

[Rancid13]

ausi2b ~So glad to hear your little one is doing well and apparently feeling very energetic these days, LOL!! I'm still looking forward to hearing the heartbeat and getting an ultrasound; my next obgyn appt is next Friday, I'll be just over 13w at that time so hopefully we'll get to hear and/or see something this time! :)

[Toonces]

Lydia ~ Congrats on finding out about your baby boy!!

ausi2b ~ What you described sounds exactly like the baby moving. You described it very well. Round ligament pain is somewhat painful - kind of like varying degrees of menstrual cramps. Regarding your little mobile one... my DD was super active in utero the entire time I was PG and she hasn't slowed down since. The first time they checked for her heartbeat they had to move the doppler all over my belly b/c she kept swimming away. The good news from that is you most likely won't have to worry about feeling the baby move. Later on in pregnancy they say you should feel your baby move every 2 hours. I never had to worry about that with her, I definitely felt her move all the time.

QOTD baby names ~ Has anyone settled on any names yet? We're up in the air with both genders. I think we'll wait to find out for sure and then get down to business and try to decide.

I'm able to wear my maternity clothes from my last pregnancy b/c my DD was born in Oct., but I did buy some new stuff from Old Navy:

http://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive/ONWeb/Assets/Product/386/386384/category/on386384-00viv01.jpg

The dreaded bathing suit:
http://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive/ONWeb/Assets/Product/385/385807/main/on385807-03p01v01.jpghttp://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive/ONWeb/Assets/Product/385/385811/main/on385811-03p01v01.jpg

Distressed polos - I got yellow/green & pink/blue. These are very comfortable.
http://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive/ONWeb/Assets/Product/359/359208/category/on359208-07viv01.jpg

http://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive/ONWeb/Assets/Product/272/272373/category/on272373-00viv02.jpg

Bermuda shorts. I'm not crazy about my thighs so I thought this was a good alternative to regular shorts:
http://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive/ONWeb/Assets/Product/386/386439/category/on386439-00viv01.jpg

[katnbug]

Congrats Lydia!

Love the bathing suit catgirl! I'm putting off buying one until I absolutely need to... our vacation isn't until August & I figured I could avoid a bathing suit completely until then! :)

[kadee_29]

Baby Names ~ I was just talking about this with DH last night. By this time in my last pg we had both a boy and a girl name picked out. This time we haven't even discussed it. Maybe after the u/s we will talk about it more.

[Ilovemygeek]

Congratulations on your boy Lydia!

Belly touching I have only had this problem with one coworker so far. We are not really close, so I find it kind of awkward. Yesterday, she rubbed on me three times! This is the same woman who two weeks ago asked me out of the blue "how are your breasts?" :confused: I just looked blank for a minute and finally said they were a little sore, but doing fine. She is a little older and from India so I do not know if it is a cultural thing or if she is just getting a little personal with me. She is very sweet so I do not want to be rude, but we are really just acquaintances and I am kind of a private person so all this makes me uncomfortable. Keeps work interesting though.

[mermccau]

mayham – no kidding, huh? I was completely shocked at how developed the baby is, especially since I thought I was earlier along.

katnbug – perhaps you are right about the BUN and level II u/s doing the same thing. I missed the window for the BUN test and I think my dr prefers the u/s because it is less invasive? I do not know at all. All I do know is that this u/s is specifically looking for abnormalities. How is the family visit going?

rubbersoul – thank you. I am so relieved. My ILs are great people and if I was not going to have a baby, they would be more than welcome. My MIL must be aware of all this because she was the one who mentioned the hotel. We did not have to “coax” her at all.

rancid – I am glad I am not the only one who cannot wrap their head around this whole situation. I think it is totally cool to be pregnant but I have not been all “gushy” about it because I just cannot 100% absorb the fact that my body is being used to create another life right now. It is just so funky. You know what I mean? I have not had really bad symptoms either. Sometimes, I just feel hung over, like I had one too many glasses of wine the night before. ;) The gift from your DH was so cute! Hahahaha – I was at the Macaroni Grille on Mother’s Day too.

mimieliza – my DH treated Mothers Day the same as you did. He did not even recognize it and was out of town most of the day. Like your DH, my husband is a very considerate man but I just do not think it would sink in for him this year. Hey, it gets us off the hook for Fathers Day, right? ;) Your belly shot is adorable!

franni – your frustration is completely understandable! Completely. Feeling so lousy for so long really weighs down on a person. I think what is adding to the frustration is that you have been doing this long enough and that it should be gone by now! When is it going to end so you can have your life back? Damn, I can totally understand why you are venting.

lilo – congrats on the good results :D

scarlet – congrats on having a boy :)

sare – great ultrasound.

Roberta – are you feeling better?

lilla – I cannot wait to see what you pick for the nursery. I find picking the wood color to be a tough decision. I have no idea why.

Lydia – A big congrats on having a boy!! Your hubby must be so excited!! This is wonderful news. Hope to see you soon.

ausi – Glad that everything is okay and I have to laugh at your story. Isn’t it crazy how much they move around in there?

~~~~~

Has your sex drive disappeared?
I do not know if it has disappeared by it surely is not happening. We have been working different schedules and I honestly think my husband has sympathy exhaustion! He is more tired than I am! He naps during the day and crashes very early. I cannot have intercourse for the next few weeks due to the Placenta Previa so that takes a piece out of that puzzle. I do not think it is gone. Circumstances have just not have been right to have fun.

Feeling movement
I am not sure. I do not think so but every once in a while, I can feel a “pulse” in my belly. That is the only way I can describe it. I wonder if that is the beginning of feeling something.

[kadee_29]

scarlett ~ Do you want me to go ahead and update your stats to say boy as well?? I must've completely missed that somehow. Belated Congrats!!

[Lydia]

I felt the baby move last night for the first time!

[Sinclair319]

Lydia--Wow--getting to find out the sex and feeling the baby move all in the same week--you are one lucky momma!!! Did you feel your DD move this early? I thought I felt the baby move at the beginning of the week, but nothing since then. Then again, I've been so busy, I haven't been able to sit and concentrate on it.

[lilo]

catgirl1007: I love the Old Navy bathing suit. Super cute with the boy shorts. We’re going on vacation in early July so I am going to have to bite the bullet soon and buy one too soon. Ugh. I love the polo shirt too. Great colors.

Ilovemygeek: LOL! Wow, your co-worker does not hold back! I can’t even imagine how red my face would get if one of my co-workers asked me about my breasts. :D That’s hilarious. On the other hand, I’m sure my mother will manage to ask me embarrassing questions at just the right time (you know, when my DH and Dad and brother are around!) :rolleyes:

Lydia: How exciting to feel the baby move!

Scarlett: congrats on your baby boy! Somehow I missed your post too.

baby names: We’ve decided on a girls’ name and are pretty close to deciding on a boys’ name. Not surprising but agreeing on a boys’ name was really tough for us and even now I’m not 100% sold on the name. So I’m guessing that we’ll have a few more baby name discussions once we find out the gender. :)

sex drive: I don’t know if it’s disappeared or I’m just too paranoid right now to go there. Luckily my DH has been pretty understanding about it. Like others have posted, I think that once I’m well into the 2nd trimester, I’ll feel more comfortable about it.

-----------------------------------------

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone here who mentioned renting a fetal doppler. I received mine yesterday and found the heartbeat pretty quickly. It was so amazing to hear again and definitely gives me a little bit more peace of mind.

Mini-vent: I found out the other night that my DH forgot to explicitly tell his father NOT to spread the word to anyone else about the pregnancy when we told him a few weeks ago. So of course he’s blabbed to everyone! Argh! My plan was to wait until the 16-week mark to let everyone know (extended family and work) but obviously the extended family on DH’s side already knows now. The one good thing is that I’m at the 13-week mark so at least noone found out super early without me giving the green light. So to be fair, I told my parents that they could tell my aunts and uncles too. It’s the first grandchild for both my parents and my DH’s parents so needless to say they are beside themselves to tell everyone but still! Okay, end of vent. Thanks for listening. :)

[katnbug]

mermccau- I would think the Level II would be a good alternative to the BUN - the only thing missing would be the blood test part. Your dr. seems fine with just doing the Level II, so that's reassuring!
Family visit is going ok. Thanks for asking. The only issue I've had so far is grandma and aunt Cindy keep asking DS "where's daddy?" or "where's Aurora?" (his cousin) when daddy is not going to be home for 4 hours & his cousin is obviously not here!!! DS gets all excited and runs to the door or window looking... I want to tell them to stop teasing him - but they're not doing it to be mean - they're just not thinking.

baby names- We're 90% sure we'll keep our girl name from the last pregnancy. We're 75% set on our boy name now too. That was much harder for us. We'll probably share when we know the sex.
Anyone else have a problem with initials? We've known the middle names for a boy or girl for some time. Our girl middle name starts with "A". Our last name starts with "D". So.... we ran into issues with names starting with "S, B, M" and some others we didn't want. Who could give their child the initals "BAD" "SAD" "MAD"??? I know it happens, but.... we tried to avoid it.

[neenbean]

12w, 1 d

Congrats on finding out the gender Lydia!!!

lemonade!!!! YUM! I have ordered it almost everytime we are out. I am also loving coffee and chocolate milk. :D

belly touching~ complete strangers rubbed my belly last time and I was so taken aback, I barely reacted. Friends usually asked first, so I did not mind too much. DH always kisses my belly, so I am used to it, but feeling really blubby right now does not help. :p

sex drive~ mine is totally back, but DH is so tired and working so much that we barely take advantage of it. In fact, it didn't disappear as bad as with DD. When I was pregnant with her we could have gone 9 months without DTD and I probably would not have complained- another reason I think we are having a boy. ;) :eek:

baby names~ DH refuses to entertain my choices until we find out the gender... Grrr. But, I guess he has a point. katnbug, we have the same problem with our last name begining in "S"- our first choice for DD was "CRS" but in our family that stands for "Can't remember $hit!" so that did not work. :p

feeling movement~ I swear I felt the baby on Tuesday night, but I have no idea... I was flipping over from laying on my belly to my back and I definitely felt something adjust and it was too low to be any major organs :eek: I occasionally feel that scratching thing, too. I did not feel DD until MUCH, MUCH later- like 16 or 17 weeks, I think.

Question for Repeat Offenders: does your DC come to your appointments? DD has come to all of mine, but DH kept her in the waiting room for my internal. I hope she does OK on Monday; DH can't come.

I have my next OB appointment Monday and my BUN test on Tuesday. DH can only attend one, so he will come to the BUN. I think it will be easier on DD, too.

[Rancid13]

12w0d


rancid – I am glad I am not the only one who cannot wrap their head around this whole situation. I think it is totally cool to be pregnant but I have not been all “gushy” about it because I just cannot 100% absorb the fact that my body is being used to create another life right now. It is just so funky. You know what I mean? I have not had really bad symptoms either. Sometimes, I just feel hung over, like I had one too many glasses of wine the night before. ;) The gift from your DH was so cute! Hahahaha – I was at the Macaroni Grille on Mother’s Day too.

It's totally overwhelming but underwhelming at the same time. As in, I'll believe it when I see (or hear) it, because the symptoms have been so mild so far, so I don't really 'feel' pregnant. I just feel like I'm getting bloated and quite possibly eating too much. ;) Macaroni Grill rocks! I certainly wasn't planning on 2 meals there over the weekend; we only eat there maybe a few times a year.

Feeling movement~Nope, nothing yet.

Baby names~For quite some time now, like going back several years, I've been compiling a Word document consisting of names (both genders) that appeal to me. I've been adding and deleting to "the list" in the meantime, but I know DH likes the top few names that I favor. The first name will be easy, the middle name we'll have to take some time with. FIL is Hawaiian so DH is 1/2, and his middle name is a really cool Hawaiian name. We wanted to do carry on the tradition in our family as well, so BIL's fiancee (they have a little one~also did the Hawaiian middle name thing with him) dropped off a Hawaiian Baby Names book that I haven't even gone thru yet, but I'm sure I will soon enough! :)

[Lilla]

Wow! Congrats to all the ladies finding out the gender already!!! Looks like team blue is out to an early lead.

belly touching Haven't had this problem......yet.

names/initials We have a girl's name picked out. We've got work to do on the boy names. We have a list of names we like, just have to narrow it down.

Yes! I have issues with initials for a girl. Our last name starts with a Z. Now, I LOVE names like Emily, Elizabeth, Erin, etc. But I refuse to give my daughter EZ for initials. :rolleyes:

ausi That totally sounds like baby movement to me! My sensations sound exactly the same. And you are right - the round ligament pain is a completely different thing. Exciting stuff, huh? Sorry about the h/b scare, but I did have to giggle about recreating the Matrix moves!

mermccau I totally agree! Picking the wood color is going to be the death of me. I really don't know why I'm so hung up on it. I'm still betting we'll end up with the dark wood color though vs. white. We are getting the glider in a dark wood so my anal-retentive tendencies will probably get the better of me and I'll want all the wood to match! :rolleyes:

[RubberSoul]

belly touching- the only person that touches my belly is my DH and I am not so thrilled with that since I just feel fat. I think if someone approaches me with the intention of rubbing my belly and actually does it, I will do it back to them. I don't like people touching me unless I know them really well.

Names- I have a list of names for both genders. I have been pretty set on a boy name for a while and I think DH is on board, but I haven't set it in stone or anything. Girl names are harder for me. I have several I like, but haven't fallen in love with anything. I am hoping once we find out the gender I can start using different names to see how sound using them regularly.

Initials- Yes I have run into an issue with this already. I have liked the name Ella for a while and thought about using my name for the middle, Ann. Fine so far but, our child will also have my maiden name and DH's last name. This would make the initials E.A.T.S...when I realized that I said...umm No. It didn't occur to me until that point to start checking what the initials spelled.

movement- I am not sure if I have or not. I have felt the popcorn popping feeling a couple times that some people describe in other threads. I have also felt what seemed like a poke from the inside. I can't decide if it was digestion or gas bubbles or baby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lately it feels like my insides are being squished or something. It is like my intestines and stomach are being shoved under my ribs or something. It is kinda weird and hard to describe.

Funny story - I am slowly telling more people at work about my pregnancy. The other day I told this one guy I was pregnant. This guy is the person you tell something and know that shortly after he will have told most everyone else in the office. I figured after telling him the word would spread. Well, it spread alright and in an amusing way. He was in a meeting with several people and somehow mentioned having "the pregnant lady" perform some task - like hanging a white board or something. I wasn't in the meeting so don't know exactly what he was talking about. Anyway, no one else in the room knows I am pregnant and immediately turned and looked at the one female in the meeting (we only have 3 women in my office). She was like - hey don't look at me. Everyone was like "pregnant lady" who are you talking about and so that is how he managed to announce my pregnancy to quite a few people at once. He then went on to explain how if you had a secret he was the guy to tell cause he was so good at keeping stuff to himself - yeah ok.

[nic]

Names- We're not 100% set on a name yet but we'll be using the name Julie (or a variation of) for either the first of middle name if the baby is a girl. My sister passed away in December 2004 so she'll be named after her Auntie. Julie Olivia is the top contender right now but that might change.

We have a few boy names in the running but nothing set in stone. My favorites are Benjamin and Christian. DH really likes Neo, my initials before we were married, ummmmm no:rolleyes:

[kadee_29]

Sinclair ~ I voted in your baby poll. I stuck with your due date since its a GREAT day. ;)

I think everyone should get a baby poll. www.expectnet.com :D

[nic]

To anyone craving lemonade- Panera has really good lemonade, I just finished one.

[CityGirl]

lemonade - That, and water is all I drink. I like to mix the lemonade with sparkling water to feel fancy (and not get so much sugar).

bathing suit - I just got this one from GAP in the mail, but will be returning it. It seems that I'm a little too long waisted. It fits me right now, but there's no room for a belly. Too bad, because its pretty cute. I guess I really need a tankini, but its got to fit well so I can use it for aqua aerobics.

http://www.gap.com/Asset_Archive/GPWeb/Assets/Product/354/354689/main/gp354689-00p01v01.jpg

names - We have a boy name picked out because I pretty much let DH pick it. I have a list of about 5 girl names that I love, and I will not back down. I told DH that I let him pick the boy name, and agreed to use MIL's middle name as the girl middle name; but I am NOT backing down on the the girl name. He can choose from MY list. :p

[Toonces]

lilo ~ That sucks about your DH forgetting to tell your FIL that mum is the word. Don't you love when DHs forget stuff like that? I seriously think I need to write things down for my DH if it's more than one thing that he needs to remember. :rolleyes:

DC at appts ~ I've been bringing my DD but either my DH or mom has been with me at the 2 I've had so far. I did take her once alone when I had a plugged duct and it was a nightmare b/c she had horrific sep anxiety.

nic ~ Julie Olivia is a beautiful name and so sweet of you to remember your sister that way.

CityGirl ~ Good idea about mixing lemonade w/ sparkling water. I'll have to try that.

Sex drive ~ Okay, I must be a freak. Mine has been through the roof. :o If we didn't have a toddler to chase after I swear I'd be wanting it multiple times/day. I was like this with my DD too until it got a little painful in 3rd tri. After my DD was born, I didn't want DH to touch me with a 10 foot pole for a really long time... over one year, so he's liking this now. :)

[ellidew]

CONGRATS ON THE BOYS!!

I can't wait to find out what we are having. Only 4 weeks to go! :D

Does anyone else get really nervous before their doctors appts? I don't get nervous about the actual visit... i have an underlying fear that there is going to be something wrong with the baby. The 3-4 days before the appt i always ask dh 100 times a day 'the baby is okay, right?' and he's always good about reassuring me. Then i'm fine for 3 and a half weeks before the next appt! It's probably just me. I'm paranoid by nature :p

Sex drive- Dh and i aren't overly sexual people... we're probably lucky we got pg at all :D lol. The stress of our everyday lives kills it i think. We usually only dtd on weekends or vacation or other days off of work. I used to think it was weird and we were the only ones in the world not constantly craving sex but i've since realized it's just who we are. I haven't noticed a big change either way since getting pg. Obviously when i was sick everyday it wasn't high on my list.

names- Ugh! This is a difficult subject!
We have 2 girls names picked out Isbella Claire or Gretchen Claire. Claire was my grandmothers middle name. Her name was Rita Claire. I think that is the prettiest name!

Boys names are a whole 'nother ball of wax! We have a couple of names we like but don't love. I really like Logan and dh doesn't. Dh likes Lucas but i'm not a big fan. We both like Charlie but i'm just not sure. It was my dad's name and it's a really cute name. I've only ever known one little boy named Charlie so it's hard to relate it to a little boy. It worked well with him but all the other Charlie's and Charles' i know are in their 50's-60's. If we don't use it as a first name we'll use it as a middle name for sure. If we did use it as a first name we'd go with Charles Michael my-maiden-name our-last-name The 3 main initials would be the same as dh's. I think that is pretty cool. My maiden name would be more or less silent. Just there on legal documents. Well, 24 weeks to decide.

Almost everyone is convinced we're having a boy... of course. lol. The gender poll in my journal is tipped almost double in the boy direction.

belly touching- I have no intentions of tolerating this. Get your damn hands off of me! It hasn't happened yet but i'm sure there will be a few people that feel like over stepping the boundary. I'll kindly slap their hand away. :D

initials - I just realized if we go with either of the L names the initials would be LCD. Not a huge deal but now that i know i'd probably avoid it.

movement- Nothing yet. I keep waiting for something. I'm jealous of everyone that has!

***********************************

Well, 4.5 hours until my doctors appt. I hope they can find the heartbeat right away. They couldn't find it at 12w so they did an u/s. I've had an u/s at every visit now! lol. I'd rather get to hear the little hb beating away! Here's hoping. Like i said earlier i always get nervous before doctors appt. I don't handle bad news well!

I have my list of questions ready to go. All i have to do is print them out from my journal.

This w/e dh, friends, and I are going camping. I am looking forward to the weekend away after stressing myself out on the days approaching this appt! Hope everyone has a good weekend!

[kadee_29]

Does anyone else get really nervous before their doctors appts? Yup. I have to go do the quad screen today and I am absolutely paranoid. My appt is on Monday so I will get the results then. I just want everything to be ok.

[ellidew]

kadee- Good luck at your appointment! Glad i'm not the only paranoid one too... Good Baby Vibes for both of us!

Theoretically... if this statement is true:
Men produce two types of sperm — those carrying the X or female chromosome, and those that carry the Y or male chromosome. These two types of sperm are different in several ways: the male y-sperm cells are smaller, weaker, but faster than the female x-sperm cells, which are bigger, stronger, but slower. Therefore, if you have sex 3-4 days prior to ovulation, you have a better chance of conceiving a girl, because the weaker male sperm cells will die off, and the female sperm cells will be available in greater quantity when the egg is released.
and dh and i bd'd 5 days prior to our estimated date of conception (we bd'd on a Thursday for the last time before our estimated date of conception which was the following Tuesday according to our first u/s at under 6 weeks.) one could reasonably say that we are more likely to have a girl rather than a boy?

fwiw, i've read that sperm can last up to 5 days which is one more than quoted in that statement.

I haven't been able to decide if i think we are having a boy or a girl. Then i remembered that either the boy sperm or the girl sperm are more resilient so i was going to base my gender guess off of that. I've been leaning heavy on the boy side of things but now i am leaning on the girl side.

I have a feeling that the next 4 weeks are going to be agonizing ;)

Quote Source (http://www.ovulation-calendar.com/hlp-d02-ovulation-and-pregnancy.html)

[Rancid13]

Does anyone else get really nervous before their doctors appts?I get nervous before ANY doctor/dentist appointments, so YES. :) I used to get (sorry if TMI) so nervous that I would have pretty bad diarrhea in the hours leading up to the appt. Not so bad anymore, now it's just crazy butterflies in my belly, even if I'm going in for something as mundane as a teeth cleaning or annual internal exam. Another good reason (excuse?) for DH to come to my obgyn appts with me. :D


Bella band~ I bought one last night, as my regular Levi's have been getting a bit snug in the waistband area. Isn't working for me so far. Every time I move (walk, sit down, get up, etc) the band in back goes from being where it's supposed to be, up a few inches not even touching my jeans anymore. ?? So after a morning of struggling to keep it where it needs to be, I finally took it off and am doing the whole rubberband around the button, thru the loop, and back around the button thing and it's working out spectacularly thus far. I think the Bella Band will still come in handy, just not right now unfortunately. :(

[nic]

Does anyone else get really nervous before their doctors appts? I get really nervous too. I'm so afraid I'll go in and they'll tell there is no heartbeat.

Bella Band- I have one and it does the same thing on me, Rancid13.

[B]What everyone doing this weekend - We're moving next weekend so we'll spend a lot of this weekend finishing up our packing.

[Rancid13]

Bella Band- I have one and it does the same thing on me, Rancid13.

Aha, glad to hear it's not just me! I was thinking, do I have it on right? Should I have gotten the smaller size instead?? (I got the medium-sized one, although I usually wear a 5/6-7/8 in prepregnancy clothes) It fits fine and is super comfy when I'm standing, but as soon as I move, it starts riding up in the back, no matter how low I pull it back down. :rolleyes:

What everyone doing this weekend - I have plans to meet up with my best girlfriend, who recently moved ~50 miles away from me, to see a movie tomorrow "Over the Hedge". It looks really cute! We were going to go to a second-run theatre to see "Failure to Launch" but it's no longer playing there. :( No Matthew McConaughey this weekend. Other than that, nothing going on here. :)

[brio96]

Does anyone know the website where you can go for the Chinese astrology gender prediction? I tried to go to one of them and they asked me for the date of conception and I have no clue. Month, yes. Actual date could be one of 5 and each answer changes the prediction.
:rolleyes:

[Rancid13]

Here's one that asks for the conception month...

http://www.thelaboroflove.com/chart/cal.html

Here's another

http://www.obfocus.com/calculators/gender.htm

[RubberSoul]

Nervous about Dr. Appt- Yeah I have the same fear that others have mentioned about finding out something is wrong/not finding the heartbeat. My second appointment is on Tuesday and DH is gone again so I won't have him with me to keep me calm and reassured.

This weekend- Since DH left this morning for Toronto I will probably do a whole lot of nothing. I need to get some furniture we need to sell listed on craigslist, but I think I have been saying that for about 2 months now :rolleyes: . If I am feeling really adventurous I might go to USA Baby to check out some cribs.

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

[ellidew]

Hi ladies. Appt went great! I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. 160 bpm! It was so cool to hear it so loud and strong!!

My next appointment and the BIG U/S is on June 16, 2006! It's the Friday before Fathers Day!

[ppwgal]

Hi- Wishing everyone a great weekend!

Some updates:
My next dr appt is June 2. And my big ultrasound is scheduled for June 19th.

Nervous before appointments - Yes! I get so nervous which is not normal for me. My first appointment I was shaking in the waiting room. It's gotten a little better I guess, but I'm still a wreck on my way there.

Names - I bought a baby name book last weekend and we started talking about it a bit. It's going to be such a difficult decison.

[Ilovemygeek]

My doctor's office called and said that from the looks of my last ultrasound (at 12w 4d) I have a low-lying placenta. They said it could just be because I was still pretty early in my pregnancy, but I was wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this. I am using all of my will power not to go on a huge search for info because I know I will just freak myself out.

My big ultrasound is scheduled for June 14.

[scarlett74]

Nervous about Dr. Appt- Every time! I have the heart bumping hard becuse I think of something wrong... Till I don't see that it's all ok I can't relax.

Weekend- Monday will be our SECOND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY :) so tonight we'll go out for dinner to celebrate, because Monday we'll be long day of work.
Luckily the nausea is going away and I hope to enjoy my meals.

Names- We know both of them (they are Italian names): Francesco, for a BOY and Beatrice for a GIRL.
I think we could add a second name for the boy (Michele) but only in the Church's Baptism (it's the name of my husband's grandad).

[neenbean]

12w, 3d

Sorry, Rachel, I have no personal experience with low-lying placenta. A friend of mine had placenta previa and was put on "no exercise or sex" until it resolved itself. Fortunately, I think that was only 4 weeks, but I could be mistaken. She is allowed to DTD and exercise since 22 weeks and through now (at 32 weeks), at least. HTH. :)

Happy Anniversary scarlett74! Have fun!!!



Sore BBS started at 11 week for me. They are definitely growing and possibly even leaking. :eek: This NEVER happened with DD- even when I was breast feeding!!!!!!!! For it to start now, I am thinking my milk production will not be as big of an issue as last time; heres hoping at least.

Anyone else swelling??? My hands and feet are a wreck. I do not eat much added salt, but had pepperoni pizza last night, I hope that is why. My appointment is Monday, so I will definitely mention it to the doc. Too many symptoms, too early.

My GAP Maternity order arrived last night. :) Of course, I ordered XXL, thinking I am too fat for the XL, NOT! I could get away with LARGE in a lot of the items. I have 2+ inches in almost every piece. I did buy Long & Lean khakis in my pre-pregnancy size and they will definitely get me through for the remainder of this pregnancy. Crossing fingers. :) I am tempted to return some of these, but know that by September, I will feel like a whale and wish I had this size.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! We have no major plans. I hope to meet a friend for lunch on Sunday, but that's it. DH is going diving both days, so it is just me and DD to cause some shopping damage. ;)

[scarlett74]

Kadee - Maybe we could wait some days before writing BOY... The doctor said it could be a boy because he saw something "more" (also my hubby swear to have seen it!) but I can wait till next appointment on 16th June to be sure!!

[Esq.]

Hijack:

Can someone tell me how to wear this shirt?!?!

http://a940.g.akamai.net/7/940/449/0002/www.estyle.com/images/product/19044_MID_r.jpg

I got it in the mail yesterday, and I can't figure the dang thing out!

[Lydia]

My next appt is June 2 and then June 30 after that.

[RubberSoul]

I have a couple bellyshots to share.

This one is at 7w6d. Please ignore my sign - It didn't occur to me that it would be backwards in the mirror :rolleyes:.

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B39939%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3237%3E275%3E9%3C%3B%3E WSNRCG%3D32337656%3B3%3A%3B8nu0mrj

This one is from today - 14w5d

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B39939%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3237%3E275%3E9%3C%3B%3E WSNRCG%3D32337656%3B3%3A%3B5nu0mrj

[Toonces]

Ilovemygeek ~ I haven't had any experience with a low lying placenta, but I have heard of it before. I agree about not researching it on the Internet - there's all kinds of crazy info out there. Hopefully you'll get good news at your next u/s. I think from what I've read about it, it's one of those complications that's manageable with activity modification.

scarlett74 ~ Happy Anniversary tomorrow! Glad the nausea is subsiding.

neenbean ~ Sorry to read about the swelling. Did you have pre-eclampsia with your DD? I had mild pre-e with my DD and it started out with feet and hands swelling. Is it particularly warm where you live? That could contribute to it.

Kyrsten ~ No idea about that shirt - sorry! It is pretty though.

RubberSoul ~ Great belly shots!

QOTD worried b/c of lack of symptoms? I had such severe ms in 1st tri and nothing now so I'm worried. I'm also carrying smaller than I did with my DD. My belly is pushed up and out b/c of diastatis, but my uterus isn't nearly as big as it was with my DD. Anyone else worried b/c of lack of showing or lack of symptoms? The heartbeat was good and strong at my week 12 appt., but now I have to wait until 5/31 for my next appt. I'm sure I'm just being paranoid.

[neenbean]

12w, 4d

Kyrsten~ Does this help?? (http://www.babystyle.com/images/product/19044_MID_l.jpg)

Rubbersoul~ great belly shot. :D

catgirl~ I had all the symptoms of pre-e with DD, but it never developed. I was urine tested 2xweek for protein and blood test 1Xweek for the final 6 weeks, I think, maybe less. The weather is actually COLD here this weekend, so that isn't a factor right now. I am in better shape now than I was at that point, exercising often, etc. However, I have always been sensitive to salt and I had pepperoni pizza on Friday night. The swelling comes and goes everyday. I have an appointment tomorrow, so I will definitely mention this to my OB. It had actually started before my last appointment and I told her then, but it is definitely worse and more often now.

eta: I think the 2nd tri is really symprom-free, at least it was for me last time. I have the same worries and thoughts as you, but if you are really concerned, maybe rent a doppler. You can check on baby whenever you are really stressed about things. I know there are mixed feelings on this, but if you are *really* anxious, it would be worth your peace of mind. ;)

[November06Mommies]

Updated to here.

[mermccau]

I just feel like I'm getting bloated and quite possibly eating too much. Exactly!



belly touching- the only person that touches my belly is my DH and I am not so thrilled with that since I just feel fat. Yep, I feel the same way.



lilla – I am thinking what you are thinking. I would rather get a cherry or a dark maple or something than white. I am thinking of going for white bedding for the crib. People actually tell me it is practical because it can be washed in hot water because there is not risk of color fade. So, a white crib would just be too much white for me. Have you decided yet?

rubbersoul – that is a pretty funny story. I chuckled at the idea of the one woman in the meeting being “backed into a corner” :) Great belly shots!

rancid – hahahaha, both the gender predictors gave me a different answer. ;)

ilovemygeek – I am in the same situation as you. I have a marginal placenta previa. All the reading I have done is not alarmist so I think you can feel okay about educating yourself. I am not too concerned because the “condition” is not uncommon and usually fixes itself. Are you nervous?



names – the top girls name is Tess. The top boys name is Conor. We still need to do some research though. We have not thought about middle names and I was not even thinking of picking any. I do not have one so it never occurred to me. I will have to see who my husband feels about it.

[mermccau]

Can my due date be added? November 11th

Thanks! :)

[lilo]

Good morning! I hope everyone had a good weekend and got plenty of rest. :)

RubberSoul: great pic! You look great.

neenbean: sorry to hear about the swelling. I haven't had any swelling yet but I always feel very bloated after eating.

QOTD worried b/c of lack of symptoms?: I've heard that the 2nd trimester is supposed to be the 'honeymoon period' in terms of symptoms. However, once my nausea started to subside, I started getting nervous too. I agree that renting a doppler could ease your concerns a little bit. I know that when I feel stressed out about whether my stomach pain is gas or something else, the doppler has put my mind at ease.

---------------------------------------------
We had a nice weekend. We had great weather on Saturday so we took advantage of it and spent the day outside walking around the city.

I got my first bikini wax since getting pregnant and suprisingly, it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. It was still painful but not any worse than before. I'd normally not worry about getting bikni waxes every month but since we have a pool, I want to take full advantage of it when the weather gets warmer.

I am so excited to finally be in the 2nd trimester!!"

[lilo]

mermccau: I love your top girl name! So pretty!

[mayham]

lilo - Congrats on being in the 2nd tri! I guess I can technically count myself in the 2nd tri as well. Woo hoo! Finally. I was wondering about bikini waxes and whether they were safe during pg. That's good to know it wasn't any more painful than before. I've been putting it off b/c I know i can't take my 2 advil beforehand anymore.

mermccau - love the names. We're still debating on whether to keep names a secret... dh wants to, I don't.

RubberSoul - nice belly shots! You look great! I keep forgetting to take the belly shots, you wouldn't think it would be that hard, but for some reason it is for me!

QOTD worried b/c of lack of symptoms? - I get worried, especially in the long stretch in between appointments. My only ongoing symptom so far is being hungry all the time, so that makes me feel a little better. I can't wait until I can feel the baby move--that'll definitely put my mind at ease.

Allergies/Headaches - I've always suffered from sinus headaches, and the weather here lately has been rain/sun/warm/cold, which really messes me up. Yesteraday I had a headache starting around noon that never went away. I finally gave in and went to bed at 8:30, just because it felt nice to not move, and be in the dark. It was gone when I woke up, but returned on my way to work. I'm trying hard to avoid the tylenol... but I'm going to ask my doctor when I go tomorrow, her opinion on meds.

[mermccau]

lilo - It is nice to hear that bikini waxes are bearable. I have been getting brazilians religiously for a couple of years and I certainly do not want to stop now. Thank you for the compliment on the girls name. We like it because it is simple yet has a certain elegance to it. We actually heard it by watching Oceans Eleven! Hahahaha.

mayham - well, your DH does not need to know that you told all of us ;) I am suffering from headaches too. Sometimes, they feel like a "I had too much wine last night" type of headache and sometimes they are a full blown migraine. Stupidly, I was taking ibuprofen in the beginning. I called my dr and they recommended extra strength Tylenol and I pop it sparingly. The dr told me that they would prescribe Tylenol with codeine if I really needed it. They are reluctant but they will. Thankfully, I do not need to them.

[neenbean]

this is a x-post from my LJ...

I went for my monthly OB check up today... I met with another OB in the practice and I like her, too. She seems to want to keep me as "her" patient, insisting I make my follow up with her. Fine with me.

They only did the HB (it was 154) and my blood pressure, no uterine measurement. We talked a little about a repeat c-section vs. VBAC. Basically the decision is entirely up to me- with no pressure in either direction- unless the baby gets big like DD (she was 9lbs, 3ozs) or a problem arises. I mentioned my concerns about the swelling and she actually said that in most 2nd pregnancies (with the same father as your 1st) you will not get pre-eclamsia, even if you had it or symptoms of it (like me). I had never heard that and thought it was great news. She said the swelling is probably just typical pregnancy issues, but we will keep an eye on things.

She talked a little about her own experience with a large baby (11lbs, 3 ozs :eek: ) and having to have a c-section. Yikes! I pray this baby is the same size as DD. I guess historically, 2nd babies are bigger, but I hope not. I measured ahead from very early on last time, so I hope that doesn't happen again. I am not against a VBAC, but my delivery was such a nightmare last time that I am really hesitant not to schedule a repeat c/s. Anyway, we still have plenty of time to think about this.

Next appointment is June 9th and the BIG ULTRASOUND is July 3rd. :)

[brio96]

neenbean I'm also trying to figure out if I should do a repeat c-section or VBAC and I'm just not entirely sure how I'm going to make the decision. Did your doctor give you anything to think about when you talked about the decision? Fortunately, my doctor is supportive either way and said that I can even make my decision day of if necessary. With DD being a month early and having some problems during the labor I did get to have, I'm not sure what to do. It did make me happy to hear that 2nd babies are generally larger because DD was under 5lbs at birth and a full-term/sized baby sounds good to me. :D The convenience of a scheduled c-section (assuming I don't go early and that all things are okay) sounds great to me in terms of scheduling and figuring out what to do with DD while I'm having baby #2 but I often feel like I want to have a VBAC just to experience "normal" birth.

I'm finally easing into the 2nd trimester and have stopped getting sick everyday. What a relief. I'm still really tired and feel worn down, but that's likely due to DD's increasing energy and mobility. She literally runs away from us now when it's time to do something she doesn't like (laughing all the way) so chasing her and just doing daily activity with her is enough. It's also probably the reason why I'm not gaining a ton of weight even though I'm eating like a fiend. I will have dinner (and not a small one) and an hour later desperately need a bowl of cereal or something.

Thanks for the information on those prediction websites. I've been feeling all along that this was a boy because the pregnancy has been totally different compared to DD, but both sites said girl so I guess my intuition might be skewed a bit. I guess we'll just have to wait to find out.

[RubberSoul]

Thanks!- I appreciate all the compliments on the belly shots. I have been having trouble adjusting to my new body. Ya'll have really helped me in my journey to accept the new me :D.

brio- I am happy to hear your all day sickness has gone away. I hope the fatigue lets up soon. I have a lot of admiration for all the RO's that have a little one to chase around at home. I don't know how you do it!

neenbean- I hope your swelling goes away and stays away and no pre-e shows up. I also hope that this baby is not bigger than your DD. I can't imagine carrying a baby that weighed that much at birth.

mayham- I know what you mean about forgetting to take bellyshots. I kept forgetting too, that is why there is 7 weeks between the first one and the most recent one. I am going to try to remember to do it more often from now on. I really want to see the gradual changes that I probably won't notice without pictures for comparison.

lilo- you are a brave woman to get bikini waxes. I have never been able to get up the courage to get waxed.

mermccau- love the names you have picked! Like I said to lilo I don't have the courage to get waxed, but the thought of a brazilian makes me want to scream in pain for you. I probably think it hurts way more than it actually does otherwise people wouldn't get them.

Worried b/c of lack of symptoms- I worry just because I am a worrier. My boobs still hurt most of the time and I have to pee constantly so I still have those two things to remind me. However, I still wonder if everything is going ok in there. The waiting between appointments is rough. I keep contemplating renting a doppler, but haven't done it yet.

Gender predictors- Almost all of them say boy for me. I have only had one say girl. DH says boy, but I still think it is a girl. One of the reasons I think that is because my skin is going crazy. I am breaking out on my face, chest, and back. I have never had acne on my chest or back. Plus my hair and skin is just super oily which is so unusual for me. Maybe this is just a pregnancy thing, but I think it is because I have a girl in there. I could be way off, but it is my theory for now and I am sticking to it until an u/s tells me otherwise :D.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have my second appt. tomorrow and get to meet one of the OB's for the first time. I hope I like her! This is the first time I will be meeting with an OB in the practice. The first time I was there I saw the NP. Now I need to write down all those questions I have thought of between appointments!

I just found out that my bosses wife is pregnant and they are going to the same practice I am. I just hope we don't ever have appointments on the same day and near the same time. It could be very odd seeing him in the waiting room with his wife :p.

[neenbean]

She literally runs away from us now when it's time to do something she doesn't like (laughing all the way) so chasing her and just doing daily activity with her is enough.
Sounds just like DD! I have actually lost 1lb, and I know for sure it is not from lack of eating. DD is a handful these days!! She is 14 months. I actually wanted our kids closer in age- not sure what I was thinking!?! :eek:

Rubbersoal~ I can see how that would be weird. ;) Do you know when she is due? I have never had a Brazilian, but I plan to get my bikini waxed again in a week or two. It does hurt, but razor stubble and ingrown hairs from shaving that area are far worse and itchy. :eek: :o

[Ilovemygeek]

neenbean, catgirl1007, and mermccau Thanks for your replies, they put me more at ease. I tend to be a little bit of a worrier. :rolleyes: The Dr.'s office did not seem too concerned when the told me about the marginal placenta previa, so I guess I should not be either.

Names We have decided on Daria Lynn for a girl and Euan Dean for a boy. My middle name is the same as my mother's middle name and DH's middle name is the same as his father's, so we plan to do the same with our children. Actually we gave the middle names to our dogs too (Roxy Lynn and Bowser Dean) because we are dorks like that. :p

[Calla Lilly]

13W4D-Officially in 2nd tri?

Hello, I got back from our trip to Maui and Kauai yesterday. We had a great time and plan on going back next year. Worked out pretty well, because we ended up with free plane tickets too. There were also only 8 of us on our flight back, so we got a whole section to ourselves! While we were there, we decided we would do a beach theme for the nursery. We picked up lots of different things for the walls...which happen to match pretty well with the Ocean Critters Pottery Barn Kids line (which officially goes on sale tomorrow, along with some other lines)...so we picked that up too.

I love everyone's name choices! I am impressed that people seem to be having an easier time then us! For a boy, I think we will go with Jonathan Lee...haven't gotten very far for a girl's name. I do like the names Lilly and Grace, but I don't know if they are too popular right now. Jonathan is after my dad (John)...and then my brother, Nathan. Lee is my dh's middle name, and a form of his dad's name.

Gender predictors- I actually haven't done any of them...I think we may be having a girl, my dh thinks we are having a boy. I might be leaning towards a girl, because I know my dh would prefer a boy (we both really just want a healthy baby though).

Speaking of...we went for our First Trimester Screen the day before we left. It was amazing seeing the growth between 8-12 weeks. Unfortunately, I don't think we have another ultrasound until the 18 week one. We did get good news that our odds of downs is 1-10,000. So everything is looking good so far! In a couple of weeks we are going to my little brother's hs graduation (he is 13 years younger then me), and then my parents and brother are moving out here...so we are excited for that (they are a 4 hour flight away).

[neenbean]

Just got home from our Nuchal Fold Test. It was so amazing to see the baby at this stage. We only had u/s with DD during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, so seeing a baby at around 13 weeks was fairly cool! Our chances, before the blood test are 1 in 2069 for chromosonal defects. The radiology doctor seemed to pull that one out of the air, but I am kind of freaking now that I read the statistics others have... When we get our blood results next month, the ratio is supposed to be even more dramatic. I am trying to be relaxed about it and wait until our next OB appointment to discuss with our doc.

Ilovemygeek~ those are great names! How is Euan pronounced? Is it like Wayne or Juan or something else? Or like Eweyn McGregor? I am so clueless, sorry.

CallaLilly~ it sounds like your nursery will be gorgeous with all the authentic Hawaiian decor. :D Both names you have chosen are cool.

gender predictions~ I am still saying boy, though this baby looks so much like DD when we had our 19w u/s last time! It was unbelievable; he/she kept rubbing the face and the profile was amazing.

[mayham]

Had a dr. appointment this morning. Turns out I was counting my days wrong, and I'm actually only 13 weeks 3 days as of today. We heard the heartbeat, and she said it was in the 150's, but didn't give an exact number. I didn't end up having an ultrasound b/c the dr. wasn't worried about the corpus luteum cyst as that's very normal during pregnancy. I guess the NP thought DH was more worried than we were about it. So I'm bummed I didn't get an u/s and I feel like I should have pushed for it anyway b/c I want to see the baby! But I didn't want to do it if it really wasn't necessary :( I'll see the baby in 5 weeks, when we also find out the sex!!! At my next appt in 4 weeks we'll do the Quad Screen, which is just a blood draw, I think, to test for downs and spina bifida.

Weight gain - I was shocked to see that i gained 5 pounds since my last appointment 4 weeks ago! :eek: I've been weighing myself at home, but I think our scale must be wrong b/c it's saying I'm only 2 pounds off my pre-pg weight. Whereas the doctor's scale is saying otherwise. How much have you all gained? Is this too much so early?

neenbean - try not to worry about the numbers. But even those odds seem pretty good!

Calla Lilly - Hawaii sounds good right about now! That is great your family is moving closer to you!

Ilovemygeek - cute names! I wish we were that decisive... but at least i think we're narrowing down our choices.

neenbean - I think that is great your kids will be so close in age! It'll be a handful at first, I'm sure, but it'll be worth it down the road!

RubberSoul - I've been considering renting the doppler too, but haven't made any decisions yet. I just heard the hb this morning, so that should tide me over for a little while, at least!

brio96 - Sorry you're feeling so tired. I know i've been tired, and I don't have a little one to chase around. I don't know how you do it! I guess it's one of those things that if you have to, you will. I

mermccau -Yes, bad wine headache is the perfect way to describe the feeling! When you wrote about Tylenol with codeine, all I could think was mmmm, that sounds really good! I talked to my dr. this morning and she said Tylenol, Sudafed, and Claritin is okay. My head still hurts, so I may break down and take 1 Tylenol. Like you said, using it sparingly is probably the best way to go so I don't go nuts, or take too much.