First Trimester Screening

I know, I know...I have been slack about posting for the past few days!  It has been an insanely busy few days between work, traveling home from out of town and my doctor appointment, but I hope that this post will  make up for it. :-)

Today I had a pretty big ultrasound - my first trimester screening.  It involved a blood test combined with an ultrasound to scan for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13 & 18 and Cystic Fibrosis.  For those of you who don't know (I didn't) - Trisomy 13 & 18 are both caused by chromosomal defects.  13 occurs in about 1 out of every 10,000 newborns and interferes with normal development.  Symptoms include, but are not limited to: cleft lip or palate, clinched hands, extra fingers or toes, seizures, and mental retardation among other things.  18 is a disorder which occurs in about 1 out of every 3,000 births and is more potentially life-threatening - it results in a lot of stillbirths.  While none of these disorders would change our mind, most are mandatory tests, and either way we are OK with being prepared.

Because of the nature of the tests, they had to be done between weeks 11-13.  I am almost to week 13, which is unfortunate because we didn't really have a lot of time to work with.  I've been traveling for business and could not come home mid-week, which limited us to Mondays or Fridays.  Also, Dan was out of town for "work" (I use the term "work" lightly, as he is in NOLA with a bunch of his work friends for some sort of lobbyist cult event), so he had to miss it!  I was so bummed, but my Mother was not, as I invited her to come with me to the appointment.  She and Aunt Niecey made the trek to Raleigh last night, and we had a fun-filled girl night of homemade peach daquiris (virgin for me, of course) and watching the Nick Lachey & Vanessa Minillo wedding special (loved it!).

I went in and peed in a cup and weighed in like normal, and then went to talk to a Doctor (first time I've seen a Doctor at this practice - so far it's only been nurse practitioners and ultrasound technicians).  Today I saw Doctor Buckley, who was very nice.  He walked me through the tests and what they entailed, and explained a little about each.  We won't know the results for a week, and he noted that a positive test does not necessarily mean anything - it may be a false positive or it could simply mean that I am at higher risk - and he cautioned me not to worry about anything (he clearly doesn't know me).  Little did he know what he was getting into when he asked how the pregnancy was going - I am pretty sure he almost fell out of his seat when I told him I think there's enough backed up poop clogging up my colon to fill up a whole street block (What?  TMI on the pooping again?  SBI...kinda.).  Enter a prescription for a prenatal vitamin with stool softener, as well as instructions to take a fiber supplement, Miralax, and drink 6-8 cups of water DAILY.  In case you are a visual person, here is what constipated looks like:

Add to that the prenatal vitamins and water, and I'll have a whole medicine cabinet taking up my kitchen counter.  The water should not be a problem; I've been pretty good about drinking 6-8 glasses/day so far - the other stuff should be interesting.  Let's just hope it works, before I have to call nice Dr. Buckley back in a state of gestational psychosis and "flat lay a cussin' on him," as my Granny would say.

Next was the fun part - the ultrasound!  I really hate that Dan couldn't make this one, because it was by far the coolest one yet.  It was the longest - they were taking lots of measurements - and the most exciting part was, Baby Geronimo actually looks like a REAL BABY instead of a peanut-looking-blob-like-thing (side note: Dan, if you are reading this - the ultrasound technician assured me with 100% certainty that we are in the clear - no twinsies for us!  WAHOO!)!  Again, for your viewing pleasure:

Look!  Real live baby!  Head is to the right, and you can see his/her little arms and legs, too! 

Another full-body shot - I can't tell if that alien looking thing is a hand, or what, but it looks kinda cool, right?



This is a sort of aerial view from the bottom - legs & feet!

 

Another full-body shot, with the heart rate measurement along the bottom

Another side note: I've been trying to figure out how to put some of my pictures side by side, but I am technologically challenged and can't get it to work right.  Maybe I will bribe someone into teaching me.  Anyway, Baby Geronimo is measuring at 7 cm - it's amazing that the whole body is so defined now for it to still be so small! - and his/her heartbeat is a perfectly healthy 148.  The baby squirmed and moved for the duration of the ultrasound, and it was truly incredible to watch...I told Dan that the baby can't sit still and must take after him in that regard!  Of course Mom cried, but not as much as I did - I am a sap and could not contain the tears today!  They were worse than normal, if you can believe it.  Thanks, Mom, for coming to the appointment with me - how special that we got to do this together!  My next appointment is actually next Friday, but it's just a check-up, so I'll be talking with the nurse practitioner again. I think the one after that will be to find out the sex.  Who wants to help me talk Dan into a fun gender reveal party for family and close friends?  COME ON it would be SO FUN!

We shared our good news with the world today in an official Facebook announcement - sooooo addicted to social media, I know.  It was both incredible and humbling to see the outpouring of love, support and congratulations we got.  Baby B, you are already so loved and you're not even close to making an appearance!  Speaking of, if you want a good old-fashioned ugly cry, head over to my bestie's blog and check out the super sweet post that she dedicated to Dan and I and Baby. I am warning you, it will start you out rolling on the floor laughing, but do not be fooled - by the end you'll be all snot-nosed and puffy-eyed.  We love you guys!

We don't have any huge weekends plans, and I'm excited about that because it will be the last in-town-non-busy weekend for a while.  Tonight, we're grabbing dinner with our besties.  Tomorrow or Sunday I am ***hoping*** to get around to cleaning out my closet to make room for and organize the maternity clothes I've already been given.  And tomorrow we are going to a pool party and cookout for our friends Grant & Emily so that we can meet their baby girl Olivia.  We are so excited!  The last thing on our agenda is to hop back on the church-hunting train - a daunting task since I love my church family from Charlotte so much and have never know anything else!

That's all for now - baby's getting hungry for Mexican or pizza.  Happy Weekend to all!

Sarah

SHE SAID YES!

I was SO EXCITED to get the news yesterday that one of my besties from college, Sheila got engaged yesterday in Ireland!  How romantic is that, right?!

Sheila and I met in college the year I transferred to Appalachian and I went through rush.  We immediately hit it off, and figured out that we had gone to the same hair dresser all throughout high school as well - small world.  She is one of the most loving, giving, generous, FUN people you will ever meet, and I could not be happier for she and Casey.

Sheils, I can't wait for you to get back from Ireland so I can hear all of the juicy details!  YAY WEDDING PLANNING!  I am so happy for the two of you and LOVE YOU BOTH!

XOXO-

Sar

12 Week Update

I can't believe we're already to the 12 week mark!  Time is FLYING by, and it's stressing me out a little!  Somehow "28 weeks to go" sounds like so much less than "40 weeks to go."  My how it flies! 

I've (sort of) recovered from the other night's hotel debaucle and am excited to give you all the 12 week update:

Size of Geronimo: A plum!  He/she is getting bigger by the day.

Weight Gain So Far: I haven't checked this this week, because I'm kind of scared to.  I am feeling extra gross about myself and feel like I've been eating a TON.  I'll have to weigh in on Friday, so I'll report back in next week's update unless I've already graduated to whale status.

Cravings: Still varies, but ice cream is the most consistent thing I want all the time.  I have found that I'd much rather eat junk food - anything salty or sweet - than things that are healthy for me.  Not sure if that's normal or even considered a craving.

Aversions: Still nothing to report here, except this week there was an incident.  I ordered a margherita pizza the other night at dinner and it was smothered in pesto (do they always have pesto on them?  I didn't think they did and I guess I didn't read the menu very well). I legitimately thought I was going to barf right there on the table when it was delivered to me.  Luckily, my co-worker, Eric gave me a slice of his pizza (it was pepperoni), but just the smell of the pesto pretty much ruined my dinner - I didn't have an appetite after that.

Symptoms: Still constipation, ugh.  Also still tired, but hoping that the second trimester will bring extra energy like all of my girlfriends say it will.  Nauseated feeling is still pretty consistent, too.  Recent additions to this category are headaches - a lot of them - and dizziness.  There have been a few times when I was sure I was going to pass out from being so dizzy.  I'll just have to get up more slowly, I suppose.  I'm not complaining, I know it's all worth it!

What I Miss: Being able to stay up past 9!  I am such an old lady.

Things I am Thankful For: Our amazing support system.  This week we told our parents that it was okay to start sharing the good news, and we've gotten such sweet and thoughtful e-mails and phone calls.  We are so grateful to be surrounded and loved by all of you, and we can't wait for Baby Geronimo to meet you all.  I am also thankful for the best investment we ever made: our tempur pedic bed.  Dear bed, I cannot wait to come home to you (and Dan and Layla too, of course)!

Signs of a Bump: It is still teeny, but it's definitely there!  See for yourself:

I had a serious internal debate over whether to post thise picture (it was taken last week).  I sent it to my Mom, Dan, Mother-in-law and sister-in-laws last week to see if they could see anything and they said yes, so I decided it was ok to post.   I'm so excited to have a bump, even a teeny tiny one, although my sister-in-law Andrea has assured me that I will be sad I wished for one in roughly 5 months.  I still can't really tell whether the current bump is just (a) me getting fat, (b) a lot of bloating, (c) the baby, or (d) all of the above.

Next Doctor Appointment: Friday!  This one's a big one, so I'll post an update afterwards.  I can't wait to hear the baby's heartbeat and see how big he/she has gotten!

I violated the "no bathing suits in front of co-workers" rule last night and we all went for a swim after dinner.  It was SO nice.  I wish I had a float and could have slept in the pool!  

Happy hump day!

Sarah

Disgusted

Y'ALL.  I was so excited to write my 12-week update today since it means I'm officially through my first trimester, but I've decided to postpone it until tomorrow.  I am out of town again this week for work in Charleston, SC (side note: while looking at my schedule today I determined that I am going to be out of town for work from last week through September 16.  I normally do not mind travel so much, it comes with the territory, but the thought of it all in a row like that is exhausting.  That's another story, though).  I'm staying at the Charleston Marriott, where I've stayed several times before and never had any problems.  Until today, that is.  Behold the sight that I discovered when I walked into my hotel room tonight (mind you, this was not from me, I had just checked in):

SERIOUSLY?!  That is maybe the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.  I immediately called the front desk and asked for a new room - after all, I wanted a king anyway.  They told me that they were full and that they could send someone up to clean the toilet.  At this point, I was still hoping that it was an older toilet that was stained and could not be cleaned, and I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt.  True to their word, they sent someone up to clean it, and it came right off.  Which means THEY IT WASN'T CLEAN IN THE FIRST PLACE.  This, coupled with the fact that in my inspection for bed bugs I found that the fitted sheet on one of the beds was turned inside out (yes, I check for bed bugs...doesn't everyone?), had me burnt. slap. up.  I mean, did they even clean this room?!  What if they just turned the sheet inside out insead of actually changing it?  PLUS , not that I am overly dramatic but I am pretty sure there were makeup stains on it.  NASTY.

After the toilet was cleaned, I probably would have given up and braved the dirtiest hotel room ever for the rest of the week were it not for my co-worker, Emily, whom I had called in for a second opinion and was helping me handle the situation.  Together we decided that this was still totally unacceptable, so I went downstairs to show my picture to the front desk, and what do you know, another room opened up.  I am a little annoyed that they did not offer me any extra points or free nights, so I think I'll write a letter tomorrow.  Is this the most disgusting thing ever, or what?!  What would you do if it were you?  Either way, it is totally unacceptable for the amount being paid per night.  I do not think I'll be staying in this hotel again!

Twelve week update to come tomorrow, so come back then!

Sarah

8/2 UPDATE:  The room I was moved to is right beside the room with the nasty toilet.  When I was moved last night, the hotel staff said they'd clean the nasty toilet room.  I think they lied, because when I walked by this morning there was a privacy sign hanging on the door...which means THEY PUT SOMEONE ELSE IN THAT ROOM!  I am so disgusted!