24w Belly Shot & Nursery Room Pic!

Happy New Years Eve!

Here's a 24w belly shot we took yesterday. Also, Becky finally finished painting the nursery. We painted it twice - the first time we didn't like the color. Oops. We also ordered a tree mural kit and traced it onto the wall. (We redrew it for a second tree, so they wouldn't be identical). It took poor B forever to trace, retrace, paint, and paint a second coat....but it's done and it looks so great!

Wishing you all much success and happiness in 2010. :)

24w: Out of the Mouth of my OB

Today we had our 24 week OB appt. We got a scan first, and baby measures within a few days, so that's good! The head measures 1 week ahead, but that's typical for my big-headed family. Amniotic fluid amount was great, too.

I tried to kill my OB with kindness today, since we're just going to stick with her. As usual, she could use a book on bedside manners. Here are some of her wonderful quips today:

1. After she made me feel terrible for gaining 21 pounds by week 23, I dieted all last week, mostly ate veggies, and was so hungry all the time. I lost 2 pounds in one week, and she was very pleased with this. She said 19 pounds by week 24 is OK, but I should only gain 10 pounds from week 24-40. 10 pounds in 16 weeks? That's not even possible. Well I'll eat more healthy, but I'm not dieting anymore. She really makes me feel like a loser about my pregnancy weight. Really, pregnant women have enough going on, they don't need to be teased on the playground. My mom and sister both gained 40lbs with each pregnancy, and I'm sure I will, too. 10 pounds over 16 weeks seems tough.

2. I told her how my job is getting terribly stressful. I work 10, 11, 12 hour days, every day, with 4x the workload of anyone else on my team. My boss doesn't care, I've talked to him about it. My OB's response, "Well Im not taking you out of work!" Um, I didn't ask you too. I was asking for advice. Her sage advice? "You should quit your job." Yeah, that's REALLY practical. Quit a job with a pre-IPO company, mid-pregnancy, in a recession, when my options haven't even fully vested yet.

3. I told her my symptoms haven't gone away despite my antibiotics, and asked if she could retest. "No, you're fine. The meds should take care of it." (Well, other people I know had to try several meds before the infection went away!) She flat out wouldn't retest me.

4. I told her how work stress gets so bad that I get terrible uterine cramps. Her response? "No that's just indegestion." "Um, no, I know the difference. These feel exactly like period cramps." "No, it's just indigestion."

5. Her other comment about my work stress? "You need to see a therapist." Not only am I fat, but apparently I'm also crazy.

6. I told her how I've had bad cramps for 3 days straight now. She said it's just stretching. Maybe that's true, but all my books say that can mean preterm labor. Ugh.

We decided that the baby could literally come out of my v@gina, say hello, then go back inside...and she'd just shake her head and say "You're FINE." :)

If I was in my first tri, I'd probably change OBs. The problem is, we really want to stay with this practice, but no other docs are accepting new patients. There's a chance our doc will be on vacation (she leaves on our due date), and we trust any other doc to deliver us. There aren't a ton of practices that deliver at our hospital, and most of them got bad reviews or aren't accepting new patients. I think we're stuck with Mrs. PooPooHead.

We did score one win with her today. I think she softened her Grinch heart a little, and said she'd write a diagnostic code so that our insurance would cover 2 more ultrasounds. (She agreed, despite calling it voodoo and bad medicine, to let me get growth scans on each visit). Previously she said she wouldnt give them a diagnostic code, since she didn't agree with it....so that we'd have to pay out of pocket for all of them.

I know, doucher, eh? Despite her bad bedside manners, I think she's still a solid OB...so we're probably still better off with her than some other OBs out here. We will definitely find a new one for baby #2!

I must stop googling

So I was diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis a few days ago, and I'm on anti-biotics now. I've been on them for 4 days, but I feel like they aren't working. My OB said it's fairly common to get this infection during pregnancy and they don't know what causes it.

I decided to g00gle it today, ugh. What a mistake. All these doom and gloom articles, saying how it can be very bad for a pregnancy, associated with second trimester loss, and often can cause very premature rupture of membranes. Even the treatment of antibiotics only temporarily treats it for 30% of women, it comes back again in pregnancy.

:( I'll ask my OB to retest it at my Tue appt. Why is this happening! I don't need one more thing to worry about!

In lighter news, we painted the nursery. An hour after we (er, Becky) finished, we decided we didn't like that color, after all. LOL. Poor Becky is priming the walls again, and we'll try to pick a new color.

Now if only this infection could just go away and not come back.

I'm a fatty fat butt with a fat baby. :(

I saw my OB today. Yep, I have a little infection, but it's common and I'm on antibiotics for 7 days.

I was STUNNED to see I'd gained 5lbs in 3 weeks! My OB gave me a talking to. She said "You've gained 20 pounds and you're only 23 weeks. You really need to be careful, or you're going to have a very large baby."

I don't eat that bad, but sure, I don't eat good. I have so much nausea in the second tri, that all I can eat are starchy, carb-type foods. She said I need to be eating more veggies, which are my #1 aversion in pregnancy.

I feel so lame. I'm going to have some 10lb baby because I'm such a fatty. How much had you guys gained by 23 weeks? I'm sure the fact that I had twins for 9 weeks added a few pounds, too.

I guess I should workout. I haven't worked out or even WALKED for 4 months. Literally. I am just so exhausted. I'll try to go for a 20-30 min walk tomorrow, I guess. sigh. I don't want a giant baby!

Lots of Xmas Miracles in Blogland!

Congrats to Eeny Meeny Miney Mommy on their BFP!

Congrats to Jen & Tiff on the birth of their son, Connor!

Congrats to the gals at Creating a Miracle on the birth of their son, Ryan!

For everyone out there still trying, one of my biggest holiday wishes is that you get you long-deserved BFPs in 2010.


In not so fun news, I had to make an embarrassing call to my OB today. I've noticed a discharge change. It went from odorless and creamy to watery and how do I say it......really effing foul smelling. WTH! So they asked me to come in tomorrow afternoon, to see if it's an infection. It could just be pregnancy hormones changing things up. I'm sure it'll all be fine either way, just embarrassing!

Baby's moving again

Well a few hours after my post - baby started up again. Becky even poked into my belly, and she kicked back. it was cute. She did a few times, then got bored and rolled over. LOL.

Today she is moving on/off more - not quite as much as last week, but definitely more than yesterday. Phew!

Thanks everyone for their comments - they really helped me feel calm. :)

Less movement, is this normal?

So baby was ACTIVE on Friday - kicking and moving 10x every few hours. On SAturday morning I got a prenatal massage, which was nice, but for some reason baby stopped moving afterwards(??)

Heartbeat is fine - still ranging from 130-136. But it's been a day and a half, and I've maybe felt a total of 4-5 kicks (versus the normal 30 a day). I've tried OJ, soda, laying down, jiggling my belly, etc.... I've tried every trick I know, the ones that always work.

What do you think is causing it? Was I just spoiled last week, with baby moving all the time? I'm not wanting to be paranoid, here. Did any of you experience days (in mid pregnancy) where the baby didn't move much, or at all?

For all I know, tomorrow she will be back to her kickboxing in my belly. I miss her little movements. :(

My sister and I as kids

Who doesn't love some kid pics? Here are a few of my sister and I as kids.

Halloween!


Our first set of hot wheels! I'm probably trying to look all badass in this pic.


My first day of Kindergarten. (My sister dressed up for the occasion, too)

You know it's officially official when....

You post the big "F@cebook status update!"

22 weeks

Can't believe we've made it this far already! Belly is definitely poofing out now. :)

It's a.....

GIRL! Well, doc is 85% certain. We went in for "take 2" today, and baby was just as stubborn as ever. Legs tightly crossed, wouldn't budge. The scanner finally got the teeny tiniest crack of a view - although still quite obstructed. She took her best guess, and said she's 85% certain it's TEAM PINK!

I guess it will be 15% a mystery up until delivery day, but for now, we're calling baby a "she." I knew it, too! Everyone thought it was a boy, but I always had a gut feeling it was a girl. Luckily our nursery and bedding is gender neutral, so if we end up with a boy, it won't change things.

Here's a picture of our little girl! Look at that big head and belly. Just like me. :)

Stupid NK

So I was so excited to get my NK results back...since 2 weeks ago I did my first Ivig treatment. I paid $2,000 out of pocket. I've done 5 intralipids, and they never once lowered my NK. It always hovers between 19-27 (aka REALLY EFFING HIGH).

They told me to do Ivig, which is $2,000 - $4,000 a pop. I did it, and called up, eager to get my lowered NK results.

NK went up. It went from 22 to 25. Everyone is scratching their heads. They rarely ever see someone who doesn't respond to either treatment. They said it's so high, but that continuing treatment is still very beneficial even if it doesn't lower my NK. Is it a bunch of baloney to get me to spend $4k-$8k a month out of pocket? maybe. I don't know what to believe.

I go back this Thursday for a $4,000 double dose. I meet with one of their doctors next week. I'm going to flat out tell the doctor the following:

1. Am I really ok, despite the elevated NK? Baby so far measures perfect. No treatments have lowered my NK, and yet everything is fine thus far.
2. I cannot continue Ivig treatments - they cost more than 2x my monthly income.
3. If I continue treatments, it has to be intralipids. Since both treatments show the same results, why pay $8k a month, when I can pay $1k!!

I am just still so upset today that the last-chance treatment didn't do a damn thing. I am a freak of nature.

Baby pic from last week's scan

We go back this Friday to check for gender again! I may ask the scanner a totally paranoid question. I noticed in the series of pics he gave us last time, the baby's forehead looked REALLY elongated, like it stuck out really really far. This one picture was the most normal-forehead looking of the bunch. I'm sure the baby is TOTALLY fine, I'm not really worried. I bet it's just the way the scan distorts things. of course I went home and googled "20 week ultrasound pics" and all the pics I found looked normal. Still, I know I just get paranoid over things that don't exist, so I'm not losing any sleep! Still, it will be nice to ask the tech guy if the baby's forehead is indeed, all good.

Either way, the baby is looking cuter and cuter! I hope we get to find out gender this Friday! I think we will then, finally, do the big "F@cebook update." :)

Home sick today

I don't know if it's pregnancy or a virus..... but I was dry heaving, had "stuff" coming out of both ends, felt dizzy, etc. Last night I took B to a Sharks game - got her 3rd row seats. For some reason, those horrible uterine cramps (and even cramping around my ribs) came back, and lasted through the night...but we still had a great time. :)

Tomorrow we get our Xmas tree!

Oh...so my back molar has been KILLING me the past few days. I get it looked at on Tuesday. I have a strong feeling I need a root canal. This sucks! I know dental work during pregnancy isn't ideal, especially a root canal with all the drilling and drugs. Has anyone else had a root canal or other dental work while pregnant? My OB said go ahead and get any dental work done I normally would - of course. She would tell me to go hang gliding, too. LOL.

It's a.....

MYSTERY! Stinker was in a bad position to look at "private parts," and despite two long attempts to get baby to move, we had to call it a day. Once s/he moved a little, his/her legs were crossed in front of its privates. It was cute seeing the legs, and we saw it kick (I felt it, too!).

We also got to see the baby swallowing, and cutest of all - grabbing its feet! It apparently loves playing with its toes.

The ultrasound tech told us to come back next Friday and he'll do another quick scan for free, to see if we can find the gender. Bummer to have to wait, but oh well!

All of baby's measurements and internal organs checked out perfectly! That was more important to us than anything.

We talked to our OB about getting extra monitoring, because of my NK cells. My IVF doc and a nurse at the infusion clinic both said how important it is. OB made us feel like jerks, and said she doesnt want to practice "voodoo healthcare." We were like....wtf, we will pay out of pocket. It's ok to disagree, but this is important to us. She reluctantly let us get monthly scans from here on out. So in the end, we won! We're just too lazy and exhausted to think about changing OBs at this point.

I feel like the next 20 weeks are going to fly by! So much to do! I'll try to upload a pic from our scan later. The tech really didn't take any - just a few profile shots. Boohoo. the little feet were so cute! Bummer we didnt get a pic of that one!

PS - I am so embarrassed. I've gained 16 pounds already! I gained 6 in the last few weeks!

20 weeks - Halfway there!

We reached 20 weeks yesterday - amazing! My belly has gotten bigger, and I feel movement every so often. Tomorrow is the big anatomy scan - nervous and excited! I'm getting worse heartburn, headaches, terrible mid back pain, hip pain that causes me many sleepless nights, exhaustion....but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Highlights from our Thanksgiving trip to SoCal:
* Lovely time in Santa Barbara
* Becky felt booger move!
* Found out my super religious grandpa has known I'm gay for a long time(!)
* Got to meet my cute niece, Maggie, for the first time
* My mom wanted to hear the full IVF story, so I told her
* My mom cried at the end, and said we've worked so hard for this baby. She said she would be devastated if anything happened to it. (!!!)

Now for some photos! A 17 week and 20 week belly shot, as well as pics from our trip!

Becky having a stein of beer in Solvang, CA.


Dancing with my niece, Maggie!


Maggie!


17 week Pic!


20 Week Pic!