Inexplicable

I have learned that one of the Top 3 Questions everyone will ask you when you are pregnant is, "Have you had any weird cravings yet?" My answer has always been, "Not weird ones, and I can't indulge most of my cravings anyway because they are all high sodium." Well, after this morning my answer will be different.

I woke up this morning with a strong NEED for a very specific breakfast. What was it? A hotcake platter from McDonalds with eggs and sausage.

Not so weird you say? Well, I think it's a bit weird because I'm allergic to pork. Have been my whole life. Can't eat the sausage. But this morning, if it would have been in front of me, I wouldn't have cared. I would have risked getting sick, getting a rash, even breathing problems to eat that sausage. That's how badly I wanted to eat it. Good thing McDonald's is not right in front of me and my husband is more realistic than my body right now.

I had a bowl of shredded wheat.

Introducing...

Today we had our fourth ultrasound. I love getting to see my little baby so often. It makes being high-risk worth it. We still have a very healthy baby... with a heart still beating strong, bones that are thickening, a long and perfect looking spine, and a big head.



Little Bit was very, very active again today. Even more so then last time. In fact, it was hard for the sonographer to get a good profile pic, because it kept doing flips, like this...


Notice the legs all the way extended? Little Bit kept them out like that for most of the ultrasound, which was only about 45 minutes this time. Little Bit also was head bunting me a lot, which is probably the majority of the strong movement we've been feeling lately.

The perinatologist, who I happen to think is awesome, came in and tried to get us a better shot of Little Bit's face and profile. This time, Little Bit was covering it up with hands... shy little baby! So our doctor gratified us by giving us this 3D image. Isn't our baby so cute? (I know everyone says that, but really...)


I know, I know... that's nice and all. But you would really like a different bit of information? If we had such a hard time seeing our baby's face, profile, and incidentally... heart, did we get to see the important information that was hidden last time?

Well, I had a lot of talks with Little Bit in the last four weeks. I had an especially strong one last night when I was up with insomnia. I asked for some cooperation in this one matter. And Little Bit obliged his mom, cooperated, and gave us some very good views.

HE is most definitely a BOY! And this is what he thinks about it...

Our little man is measuring right on schedule cumulatively, although some of his limbs are measuring behind... the doctor's don't seem concerned about it, so neither am I. He is estimated to be about 12 ounces now, so tiny - yet so much larger than a month ago! Four more weeks to ultrasound #5.

What? Do we have a name? Yep. But we're not publishing it yet. :)

First Big Kicks

I started feeling tiny little movements around week 14. If I was lucky, I would feel them a couple of times a week at that point. Then, as Little Bit grew a little bigger by week 16 or so, I could feel the flutters at least once a day... usually at night or in the morning as I was laying very still. Then, at about 18 weeks, I could feel Little Bit moving around whether I was paying attention or not. And there started to be some bigger kicks that I thought could maybe be felt from the outside... but they were so few and far between that I couldn't really verify it.

In the last three days this little baby has become a lot more noticeable. The kicks are starting to catch me off guard, and I can feel them pretty consistently throughout the day. Since I started feeling Little Bit move around inside of me, it made me more calm. Seeing an ultrasound is nice, staring at the pictures is somewhat comforting, but feeling the little tyke move around has been the most reassuring thing of all. I have felt somewhat guilty that I get to feel all of this and Andy gets left out.

This morning Little Bit actually woke me up with some gymnastics. And they continued for a good half hour. At one point the kicks were so strong by my left side, that I decided to put my hand there - just to see if they could be felt from the outside too. Three strong jabs told me that they could. I grabbed Andy's hand and put it on the spot, and we waited... for probably 30 seconds. And then he was rewarded with his very first chance to feel our baby move. He said it felt like Little Bit was giving him a high five.

His reaction? "Wow! There really is a little thing inside of you." The look on his face was priceless and I am sure mine was too. I was, and am, just so happy that Andy finally got to feel our baby moving around.

It seems like Little Bit is getting stronger with every moment lately. I am beginning to wonder just how hard the kicks will be by the time this pregnancy is ending. I can't believe we're going to be 20 weeks along on Friday... and can't wait to confirm the gender on Monday!

11 Years Today

Andy and I were married on August 15, 1998. It is hard for me to believe that 11 years have passed since that day. I, of course, believed that we'd still be together at this point... but I had no way of imagining how it would feel to be here.

Our life together really hasn't been anywhere close to the one that I'd imagined. I thought that we'd have children much earlier. I never really intended to have my own career. Honestly, when we moved to Washington, I figured we'd last up here for 5 or 6 years before we headed somewhere more sunny. When I compare the list of things I'd imagined to reality, there are very few things that actually happened. Even though none of these things were as I'd imagined, we've been very happy. We've been through a lot of trials... like most people... and our marriage is much stronger for what we've survived and the flexibility we've allowed life.

This anniversary, I find myself a lot more sentimental. It's been a really big year. And the next one promises to be just as big. I am just so happy that we decided to make this commitment to each other eleven years ago. And I can't wait to see what the next eleven (and more) will bring.

Halfway Grown

Today Little Bit and I hit 18.5 weeks of gestation. Since my OB says that 37 weeks is the longest that I will go - that means that today, Little Bit is halfway grown. (In the back of my head I keep telling myself that maybe I'll be able to go further... but the OB seems pretty sure that it will be best to go early.)

Today also marks 8 weeks since we got the surprising news that Little Bit existed. In 8 weeks, my life has changed dramatically... for the better. So I guess that we have a lot more 8 week periods to survive, but it is exciting to know that Little Bit has made half of his/her journey.

I have been able to feel Little Bit's movements for a few weeks now, but in the last week they are easier to feel than ever. I always wondered what it would feel like, and it is surreal. Definitely my favorite part of being pregnant so far.

Next ultrasound is just under 2 weeks away - on August 24th. Hopefully we will have confirmation on gender then, so that we can share the news. I know that a lot of you are very curious! (I am too, although I'm feeling pretty sure about what the gender is.) :)

It Made Sense to Charlie

Charlie has become very imaginative. He also is solution-oriented. He is always offering ideas on how we can fix whatever "problem" he thinks exists. Often his solutions are interesting.

Additionally, he is extremely excited to be having a baby brother or sister. For the past eight weeks he has been telling me that the baby should come out of my belly. (He's told the baby so too.) I keep telling him that the baby will come out this winter, around Christmas time. That is not soon enough for him! He is baby-obsessed, and all of his toys have become babies as well. They all have names and he cares for them throughout the day. Surprisingly, I too have come to know most of their names. He is very good at taking care of them - he feeds them (babies get a bottle, rabbits get a carrot,) puts them down for naps, rocks them, changes their diapers, and sings to them. It is all very cute.

About a week ago Charlie started insisting that our baby's name is Jeffory. And yes, I know that is not how you typically spell it... but Charlie puts great emphasis on the "o" so I cannot take it out. I have no idea where this name came from, but one day he just started asking me how Jeffory was doing. (He has come up with other names - the last one that he favored was Dolfie.) Andy and I don't really intend to name the baby Jeffory - so I suggested that maybe one of his friends could be Jeffory. Now, we have a new favorite baby... a little Cabbage Patch Kid all dressed in blue. Charlie carries him almost everywhere, and when he's not around Charlie often tells me that he hears him crying and needs to go find him.

So I was a little surprised earlier this week when he asked me, "Mommy, do you want to eat baby Jeffory?"

Me: "Why would I eat your baby? I like him!"
Charlie: "But he needs to help you."
Me: "Okay, how can he help me?"
Charlie: "He will go into your tummy and then help the baby get out!"
Me: "You are too silly!"
Charlie: "Yes I am!"

Apparently, it made perfect sense to him... I would eat his baby, who would then get into my tummy and find the other baby, and then they could both come out. His solutions have been funny before, but this is probably the most funny one ever.

We had (another) talk about how babies grow and that the baby needs more time to get ready. Charlie is just so impatient to be a big brother!

Are you talking to ME?

Last Friday I had an OB appointment... We had a conversation about weight gain. I have had these conversations with many doctors in the past. But I've never had one like this.

Apparently, I haven't gained a pound since my 10 week appointment. Last Friday I was 17 weeks. So the conversation was about how to gain weight and included a recommendation that I GAIN 1-2 pounds before the next appointment.

Gain weight? A doctor is telling me to gain weight?

Okay, I know I'm pregnant and I have absolutely no problem with gaining weight. I just hope my body does it. Because, let me tell you, I have definitely been eating. I just was honestly thrilled to have this conversation that I never thought I would have in my life.

And I am now trying a milkshake a day diet... until the scale moves up 1 pound. :)