Updates :)

I am 31 weeks today and I had my 4 week prenatal check-up.

Dr. Samawi said that I am right on track. We listened to James's heartbeat which is at 145 bpm ... perfect! I also had Dr. Samawi feel to see if James is already head down because any time he gets the hick-ups now I can feel it really low down and he has been kicking my ribs. And sure enough, he is head down. Because I am only 31 weeks, there is a possibility that he will turn again and again, but if he is comfortable he will just stay where he is.

With the size of my uterus thus far, Dr. Samawi is predicting a 6-7 pound baby which would be awesome. But due to my small stature, he said that if it looks like James will be any bigger than that, that they will offer me the option of a c-section, which I am open to. I will do whatever it takes to ensure my health and the health of my baby  :)

As far as my own weight gain goes, I have gained a total of 24 pounds. Dr. Samawi said that I am right on track and that because I gained the weight at a steady rate and haven't over done it so far that the weight will fall off me in the first month after birth. Can you believe that during birth I will drop around 10 pounds?! Between the baby and the fluids etc. And then with breast feeding etc I will drop another 10 pounds within a week of that first 10. So he said I'll be back to myself in no time.
Because I have been feeling so uncomfortable lately - between the swelling, the heavy tummy and the hardship of moving around etc - I very much look forward to getting back to myself :)

We are in the home stretch now ... 9 weeks and counting! I can't wait to meet our little guy :)

Look at that little smile!

I have had two doctor appointments in the last two days. Yesterday I had my ultrasound which is always amazing. It was the last ultrasound for this pregnancy, so the last chance to see James before he makes his way into the world in just over 3 months.
Everything looks great according to Nikki, the technician. James is in the 64th percentile as far as his growth goes, so that is a little above average. Hopefully that doesn't mean an 8 or 9 pound delivery weight!!! Hahahaha, though babies who are born bigger tend to sleep through the night a lot sooner which would definitely be a plus. At the moment, James is about 2.5 pounds ... so tiny!



James Thomas at 26.5 weeks. Can you believe that he smiled for the camera :)

Today's appointment was one of my routine monthly visits with Dr. Samawi. We do the same thing every visit: I pee in a cup, blood pressure, weight, temperature, baby's heart rate, uterus measurements and questions. Dr. Samawi said that everything is going really well and he couldn't be happier. He is an awesome doctor and I am excited to have him in the delivery room when the day arrives :)

So you remember when I was tested for anemia? It turns out that I am anemic and had to start taking iron pills twice a day. Anemia is very common among pregnant women, especially around the 27th week, which is right where I am. Here are some of the symptoms of anemia:

Easy fatigue and loss of energy  --- Yes!

Unusually rapid heart beat, particularly with exercise  --- Sometimes.

Shortness of breath and headache, particularly with exercise --- Sometimes.

Difficulty concentrating --- No more than usual, lol.

Dizziness --- Yes, but not too often.

Pale skin --- A few people mentioned that I was looking pale.

Leg cramps --- Especially at night time!

Insomnia --- Only in the past week or so.

So as you can see, I experienced most of the basic symptoms. The ones that bother me the most are the fatigue and the leg cramps and then more recently the insomnia.
With the fatigue there are days where I feel completely useless and just want to sleep. There are days when I might take multiple naps and go to bed early. My head barely hits the pillow and I am out like a light!
The leg cramps haven't been very bad, just more of an annoyance and discomfort when I am trying to relax at night. Some nights I toss and turn with a lot of frustration.
And with the insomnia, it is where I will wake up between 4am-5am and not be able to get back to sleep for quite some time.

So hopefully the iron intake will alleviate some of (if not all) these symptoms. The doctor also prescribed me something to hopefully ensure that constipation wont become an issue due to the added iron.

So that's me. No more doctors appointments this week. So it will be nice to have a break from the doctor's office. :)

There you are little Peanut.

Some days I find myself stopping to look in the mirror. I lift up my shirt and turn sideways for some physical proof that my little baby is growing inside me. So far it's really only been hip widening and bloating (I am only 12 weeks and 1 day), but today was the day.

I went to the doctors office this afternoon for my follow-up exam following Tuesday's car accident. I peed in a cup (again), the doctor checked my cervix (not my favorite exam) to make sure it was still completely closed and we did an ultrasound. We did do some ultrasounds in the ER on Tuesday, but I wasn't allowed to really watch at that time and they didnt explain anything that was on the screen. Today the screen was pointed straight at me.

There was my little peanut on the monitor, looking right at us. The doctor pointed out the little face and dark areas where the eye are. It was as if he/she was saying, "What?! Would you just let me rest already???"  ... or .... "Hi mom, I told you I would be fine." - I also got to see the little flicker that is the heartbeat. And then the doctor turned on the sound so I got hear the heartbeat and wow is it strong! The doctor even said, "That is a pretty perfect heartbeat." .... That's my little peanut  :)

It put my mind as ease. Just a few days ago the thoughts of losing my child was unbearable, but he/she is much stronger than I gave him/her credit for. The doctor did give me some print outs of my little peanut and I cannot wait to share them with you. But first, Josh must see his little baby. I really can't wait to show Josh tomorrow when he gets home. And I cannot wait until the Tuesday when Josh gets to hear the little heartbeat too.

I find myself rubbing my tummy and looking at my stomach in the mirror more now. I still can't believe that there is a little person in there ... one little person that can make me feel so much love. --- I just cant wait to meet you, my little peanut  :)

Okay, so which doctor are you?

Doctor visits come with the territory of being pregnant, at least for most women. Since my insurance covers everything pregnancy related, I am definitely taking advantage.

So far, I haven't seen the same doctor twice. I went in for the initial pregnancy test a long time ago and was taken care of by a nurse. Then I came back for my first official prenatal visit and had Dr. Wu, who said will be my doctor throughout my pregnancy should everything stay normal and if I am having the baby naturally. He will even be there when I am giving birth. So I know I will be seeing him again  :)

Then last week I had my first educational class thingy with Martha. She just basically gave me the run down of what will happen over the next 7 months and who I can call for this, that and the other. I will also be seeing her again, for more general information as my pregnancy progresses. It's nice to have her, because until meeting with her I had no idea where to go for what. So she makes all the technical stuff less stressful :)

Then today was my first trimester blood screening. So I had to go to Quest Diagnostics to have some blood drawn. I know I will be back here because blood test are normal through out the pregnancy. Although what's not normal is how much blood they took! Five test tubes of blood were taken out of my arm. Because I am prone to passing out I like to focus on the clock and my breathing. He was sucking blood continuously for 1 minute and 20 seconds!!! It's no wonder I got light headed despite taking deep breaths. But out of all the doctor visits I will have to deal with, this wont be considered the worst. The pap smears will always win the 'worst award'.

The people I have yet to see include the dietitian, social worker, dentist and ultrasound technician. And I guess Dr. Wu has a partner that will be working with me as well. It's crazy the amount of people it takes to ensure a healthy mom and baby. It's quite a network! So far, everyone has been great and I am very thankful for every little part they play in my pregnancy. I feel like I am in good hands ... how ever many there are!  ;)