A baby update

Well, it has come to my attention that unlike other blogging moms-to-be I don't update about the progress of this little dancing queen in my belly as much as I should or as much as I want to. Partly because everything has mostly been going well and partly because I don't think people read these posts. Are you out there? Oh, hi mom and Ab!

My visits are now every two weeks which really excites me because it means that the time is drawing near and things are starting to set in. The visits are usually about 5-10 minutes long: I go to the bathroom in a cup (which I am pro at), get weighed (which usually ends up with me hanging my head in shame), get my blood pressure taken (it's "looking great" every time), lay down and get measured, then get goop squirted on my hairy stretch marked belly (sorry if that's TMI and yes, I have stretch marks and I'm embracing them) and hear that beautiful beat. Then my midwife asks me if I have any questions which I usually don't (but I remember a list of about 5 things I wanted to ask on my way to the car to leave...pregnancy brain), then we schedule our next appointment and we are on our pretty little way. Let me mention that my sweet Kinzer has come to every appointment with me. At first I didn't expect him to care either way, but he really really wants to be there and I am thankful that he is every time. Plus, him and the midwife and ultrasound technician have some great conversation (can you say best friends?).

A couple weeks ago when the midwife was measuring my uterus with her handy dandy measuring tape she said, "wow, what are you growing in here"? uhhhhh...I started laughing a little bit, then total fear set in, my face got hot, and I thought in my head "Hopefully only one baby"!!! She continued on to let me know that my uterus was measuring larger than normal and they would need to do an ultrasound just to check things out. I don't know why but neither Kinzer or myself said anything like, "should we be concerned"? or "could something be really wrong"? We just went with it and kind of got excited that we were going to get another ultrasound, since they told us our last ultrasound was going to be the one we got at week 20. So we had to wait for 2 days to meet with the ultrasound tech. That means we had 2 days to think about why I could have been measuring large and 2 days to look on the internet at what could possibly be wrong. Google is so awful...I mean, I just have a love/hate relationship with it. I started reading about people who had twins but didn't learn about one of them until week 30. I read about babies having massive growth spurts that pushed their due date up a couple weeks. Gestational diabetes could be a factor (but I passed that test). Some women are just big in their pregnancies (gee thanks!). If you measure large it could be because you have a greater amount of amniotic fluid, which can mean that your baby has a disability or deformity. I was really starting to panic. Everything has been going so well with the pregnancy and if you know me, you know I am a worrier so I worried in my head that it was only a matter of time before something had to go wrong. I hate that I think like that.

The couple days came and went (they were very long days, by the way) and we went in for the ultrasound. I never thought I wouldn't want to see my child, but I was so afraid that the tech was going to tell me something I couldn't handle. I was shaking and sweating. I'm so happy Kinz was there. The tech went over all the measurements and said "Well, everything looks fine. The baby is 2 lbs. 4 oz. and right on track". The final verdict is that the baby had a big growth spurt within a 3 week period and I'm just blessed to have a large uterus which means I'm going to be (if not already) a big pregnant woman. Oh and our due date may be a few days earlier than we thought. They are going to give me another ultrasound around week 36.

I can't believe how much has changed since we last saw her! I'm thrilled that we were able to get another ultrasound. We even scored some 3D images of her cute squished face and puffy cheeks. I don't really know who she looks like. To me...well, she just looks like a baby. What do you think?

It's kind of hard to see, but this is a profile of her face. Eyes, nose, lips, and I love those cheeks!!

Sleepy gal. Again...the cheeks.

 I think she's pretty stinkin' cute, but I am biased I guess.

Some other random facts about the pregnancy so far:

* She is a mover and a shaker, especially when it's time for me to go to bed. I'm not going to lie. It's amazing and all to feel her, but after about 3 round house kicks to the ribs (had to throw in some Chuck Norris commentary), it's kind of annoying. Love her though. Promise!

* The heartburn is killer and gags me until I throw up. Tum tuh tuh tuh TUMS!! And I hate to say it, but I'm pretty sure french fries help my heart burn.

* I'm craving peaches all the time. There is such great produce here in the valley. The pitted fruit is so incredible!!

* I have been spending lots of time at the pool. I go walking every morning before it gets to 100 degrees, then I hit up the pool almost every day and swim laps. It feels like the best exercise, and you weigh 90% less in the water, which feels great to me and my large pregnant woman bod. I just wish it was acceptable to skinny dip in mid day in a public pool.

* I feel really ugly, but Kinzer told me I was sexy today. It made me feel so good. He's nice.

* We have started looking into birthing classes, we found a pediatrician to discharge the babe, and we get to go on a tour of the hospital in a week. I think being familiar with the hospital, will ease my terrors.

Things are really starting to set in. I am getting more and more excited to meet her. Still scared though. Any advice is so appreciated!

23 weeks

Swimming pool

29 weeks. Cute outfit, I know.