September 29, 2004
Stroller question
Here's the first of many questions for you parental types out there.
Would it be easier to travel with a newborn/infant by using a carseat that locks into a matching stroller base, or just to move the baby from the carseat into a separate stroller?
I like the carseat/stroller base option. It seems to me that if the baby is asleep, it's simple enough to remove the carseat from the car and put it in the stroller without waking her. Dale thinks it would just be easier to move only the baby.
September 27, 2004
Cribs and bedding
A little while back, Dale and I visited a few baby stores and checked out the crib bedding sets. I took pictures of the sets we liked, then fell in love with one set in particular. Fortunately for me, it turned out to be Dale's favorite set as well. Today I went back to Baby Depot and bought it. It's "Blossoms" by Martex, and it looks like this:
In addition to the 4-piece crib set, I picked up the fabric wall decorations and the pair of small throw pillows (one shown on the little chair).
I've been occasionally looking at cribs, but I intensified the online search this afternoon. Since I saw it in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog, I've really like the Jenny Lind-style spindle crib. Unfortunately, PBK isn't carrying it any more, and they wanted well over $400 for their antiqued version of it. It took a while of searching before I started to find spindle cribs under $1000. Most of what I saw was in the $450-600 range, but I finally found some as low as $109.
Dale prefers sleigh cribs to spindle cribs, but since he's not doing any shopping for them, he can suck it up pick from what I find. He also prefers a dark wood finish to the white I want, but I'm more willing to give in there.
After a few hours, I put up a small gallery of cribs that I found that were the style I wanted (plus a couple of other nice styles), attractive, and not outrageously priced. We haven't finalized our crib choice yet, because we haven't even decided on a crib budget, but you can feel free to take a look and share your opinions.
September 15, 2004
Butterflies in my belly
While watching TV on the Saturday that marked the start of my 20th week, I gradually realized I had a funny feeling in my lower belly. I looked over at Dale and said, "I think I'm feeling the baby move!" He was skeptical and said it was probably gas.
It felt kind of like the fluttering you may feel if you have gas, but in a different place than usual. Plus, I wasn't burping or passing any. The only other thing of note was that I had to pee. So I emptied my bladder and the feeling stopped.
Over the next few days, I'd occasionally get the same feeling, almost like someone was very lightly drumming their fingers on the inside of my belly. It was also usually accompanied by a need to pee and would stop after I'd gone, so I remained uncertain (and refrained from posting).
I'm posting now because I'm pretty sure what I feel is the baby. :D The fluttery feeling is usually in the same spot, low on my belly. And it does often coincide with a full bladder, but I feel it much more frequently now, regardless of needing to pee. Often when I feel it, I'll put my hands on my belly and hold my breath. Each time I do that, the feeling stops. And I've not yet been able to feel anything with my hands.
I think our little girl is teasing me.
Halfway there!
I should have posted this over a week ago. But as of last Saturday, I am officially halfway through my pregnancy!
Breast Ultrasound Follow-up and some other matters
Since I hadn't heard anything from my ob/gyn's office since the ultrasound, I gave them a call yesterday. While I was on the phone with the nurse, I mentioned some of the other issues I've been having. She said she'd talk to the doctor and call me back. A little while later, I had an appointment for 10:45 this morning.
My blood pressure was fine. I believe my weight was the same (so still no gain!). But my urine sample showed suger and ketones. The sugar level could be explained by the Cheerios and orange juice I had before the appointment. The ketones indicated slight dehydration, so I was admonished to drink a lot more water. I am bad about that. While I avoid caffeine, having maybe three caffeinated drinks a week, I don't drink much pure water. I drink milk, juice, and caffeine-free sodas. I guess that isn't good enough.
Anna, who I hadn't seen since my first prenatal appointment because she's been on maternity leave, listened to my litany of aches and weirdness and sympathized with them all, but basically told me that it's all a normal part of pregnancy. Even the nipple discharge wasn't anything to worry about. She did a breast exam and didn't feel any lumps. The ultrasound had been clean. So even if I still had the discharge after delivery, I could safely breast feed.
The pelvic pain, which is my biggest complaint, is from the stretching of my pelvis. The area below my belly hurts almost constantly. Walking, stairs, standing up, rolling over in bed, getting dressed, everything, makes it feel like that spot is horribly bruised and tender even though there's no pain if I touch it directly. It's bad enough that I limp slightly when I walk and whine and moan when I move around in bed trying to find a comfortable position.
Occasionally, I'll get a knot of pain high on my buttock just to the left of my spine. It feels like a small fist grabbing a bundle of nerves there and twisting. When it flares up, I can barely walk or sit or lie in a position that puts pressure there. It usually passes within a few minutes and is fairly irregular in occuring. I hadn't felt it in a couple of days, but it flared up a bit while I was on the exam table. This is caused by the weight of the uterus putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. Another normal effect of pregnancy.
Other not so fun pregnancy side effects I'm getting to experience include stretch marks, aggravated allergies, acne, and one other common problem I can't even bring myself to discuss. I am also positive that the hair on my lower belly is getting longer and darker and that I'm getting a Linea Nigra (the dark line that runs from the navel to the pubic bone). Dale says I'm crazy and doesn't see the hair or the line though.
That last bit of side effects are mostly cosmetic and really don't bother me. At least none of them hurt or make daily activities more difficult. Anna recommended Tylenol and possibly massage therapy to help with the painful issues.
Though this post may seem whiny and full of complaints (because it is), I still don't regret any of this. I am still thrilled to be pregnant and I'm not eager for it to be over with yet.
September 08, 2004
Breast Ultrasound
Misty (my ob/gyn's nurse) called yesterday. They didn't think there was a lot of cause for alarm over the fact that I occasionally get a greenish-black discharge from my left nipple (the possibly-infected milk duct mentioned previously), but they wanted me to go ahead and have an ultrasound done. I was able to get an appointment at the referred radiology clinic this afternoon.
The exam was simple enough, though I had to hold myself in a somewhat awkward position so the tech could get a good angle on my breast. Then she did a quick scan of my right breast, for comparison, I suppose. When she was done, she took the pictures out to the doctor. They returned after only a few minutes. The doctor told me everything looked normal, so I should just follow up with my referring doctor.
That's rather relieving, though the discharge still hasn't been explained. Guess I'll have to wait and see what Dr. Litzinger wants to do next.
Oh yeah, no pictures for me from this ultrasound.
September 02, 2004
You were right if you guessed...
...a GIRL!!!
(More images available in the gallery.)
The ultrasound and check up went well. We got to see the internal organs, brains, arms and legs, etc., all developing as they should be and in the right places. We got to see her heart beating (normal rate). We even got to see her hiccup, though I couldn't feel it. I believe that overall, she measured in the 69% percentile for her gestational age, which is really good.
Dale and I found that relieving since my morning sickness still continues, and though I'm up 4lbs since my last visit, I'm just back at my pre-pregnancy weight. Misty (the nurse) isn't yet concerned about my weight gain. She said they'd worry if the baby's measurements were low or if I stopped gaining and started to lose. She anticipates I'll be up another 4lbs before my next appointment (in a month) and then another 4lbs the month after that.
We had a few concerns about me that we shared, and Misty reassured us on most. The only items needing follow-up are a mole I have that's changed size recently and a possibly infected milk duct.
Overall, everything looks good for our little girl and myself!
September 01, 2004
He or She?
(This is another duplicate entry from my regular web log.)
In just over 24 hours, I will be lying on my back with an ultrasound transducer on my belly. Hopefully, shortly after that, Dale and I will know the gender of our baby.
In the mean time, do any of you care to take guesses on what it will be? Boy? Girl? Or shy and keeping us in suspense?
Tetanus shot incoming
(This was cross-posted from my regular web log, so apologies to those who've already read this.)
Yesterday, Dale and I went out to Enchanted Rock for a little hiking. I had to give up fairly early on and head back down with Zoë while Dale finished the trip around the main rock.
While Zoë and I were waiting, I turned on one of the low ground faucets in the picnic/parking area to rinse my hands. I was standing behind the post with the faucet, bent over, and decided to splash some water towards Zoë. When I did, I scraped my right wrist across the mouth of the faucet, causing two cuts. They were pretty shallow, more scrapes than cuts, but they bled a bit and stung a LOT when I rinsed my arm (again).
The public restroom nearby didn't have any soap, so it was almost two hours later before I got to a place where I could do a halfway decent job of cleaning the cuts. The soap re-angered the cuts, causing a lot of stinging. Another couple of hours later, we were home and I was able to shower then put some hydrogen peroxide on my wrist. I don't think I've ever felt peroxide sting like that before. It was like tiny rabid weasels fighting their way into the cuts.
Since it was late when we got home, there wasn't any chance of talking to a doctor. I did a little checking online this morning then called my ob/gyn's office. Though the faucet hadn't looked rusty or particularly dirty, it's been over 10 years since my last tetanus booster, so the nurse advised me to go get a tetanus shot. She said they don't keep them in stock, so I'd have to contact my regular doctor.
I don't have a regular doctor. The last clinic I went to was a little place in town, about two years ago. I can't remember the doctor's name nor the clinic's, and I don't recall even seeing the clinic the last few times I've been in that shopping center. So I looked up another clinic covered by my insurance and gave them a call, explaining I was pregnant and my ob/gyn's office had advised I get a tetanus shot, and asking if they could possibly see me today. I was told they were all booked, but I could come in for an after-hours visit and try to be seen on a first-come, first serve basis.
So now my one concrete plan for the day is to get to the clinic around 3:30 so I can start filling out paperwork, then pay an extra $20 to have a needle jabbed in me because I'm so clumsy.