So we finally had our ultrasound!! It turned out to be in a really big office building and we weren't sure where to go, but I must look pretty clearly pregnant despite what some people say, because a lady who works there saw us looking puzzled and immediately guessed we were there for an ultrasound and told us where to go, lol!! Our tech was a lady, which I was happy to see. I was really hoping for a gal, it seemed like it would be far less embarrassing that way! And, double bonus I found out, not only are they less embarrassing, but they have a deep maternal instinct which makes them happy to look at baby pictures and get sidetracked showing you everything about the baby!! We got 98 pictures in all, everything from profile shots to detailed pictures of the chambers of the heart and cross sections of the baby's spine. :-) She gave us copies of three of them, but is sending everything else to Kori so maybe we can get copies of some more from her once she has the files. Here's hoping!! He looked so good though, and was so obliging, showing off and moving around and sucking his thumb and everything! We got to see all his little fingers and toes, arms and legs and everything! One thing, he is measuring big for his age. Being an ultrasound place they assume of course that I'm off in my dates, so they said he's about 24 weeks, 5 days (6 days today) along, and my due date is the 9th of December. I had pretty good BBT charts though, so it's pretty obvious that I'm not wrong, he's just a little large. :-) He weighs about a pound and a half they said. I guess I'm getting enough protein, lol!!! The thing is, they wouldn't have believed me if I'd argued the point, and since I'm using a midwife it doesn't matter anyhow because she's seen my charts and knows how far I actually am, and is not going to be upset if I go "over" their projected due date and don't have the baby until the 29th. Although I do wonder if he'll be early, especially if he's big and seems mature for his age. The receptionist there was also due December 22nd with her first, and had him on the 30th of November! Wouldn't that be something! The other thing, though, is that because he's measuring big, they have him down as being well past 24 weeks, which is the "viability" marker. And since if anything were to happen they would use the ultrasound dates and not mine, I figure it's not such a bad thing for them to think he's old enough to not only be worth saving, but that it would be mandatory for them to try. :-) Still, it definitely explains why I'm showing as much as I am and seemed to be as big as Nichole... this baby is the same size as hers! I am sort of hoping it will be one of those cases, which are not unusual, where the baby measures big early on, but by the time he's born he's a perfectly "normal" size. Since two of his cousins so far have done that, it wouldn't be surprising. Either way I'm not worried. He's big, but not huge, and I am pretty certain none of my babies will ever exceed 10 pounds, and probably a lot less than that. I'm guessing 8.5 to 9.5 for a birthweight. :-) So we had a fantastic time, and although he definitely seems real, more so than even before, it's still hard to think he's actually mine, that I'm a Mommy and that I actually get to keep him forever!!! I don't have to give him back to his Mommy and leave, I actually get him as my own!! That is just astounding!! Jimmy says it's hard for him to believe it's real either. :-) He was so happy seeing his little baby, watching him move on the screen and everything!!

Viable?

So now that I've reached 22 weeks, my baby is officially "viable" enough that doctors would consider saving him if he were born now. They aren't required to try until 24 weeks, but between now and then it is an "option" and they would at least consider it. Many doctors in larger hospitals would probably give him a shot anyhow. That's amazing, that two days ago he would be considered a miscarriage and nobody would even lift a finger, and now he's 'viable'. And babies have been saved at this age! There was one born just under 22 weeks who made it and is perfectly healthy! I'll still be glad when another two weeks have passed, because then it won't be a doctors whim, they will be required by law to try and save him. Madness, just madness...

Anyhow, baby boo is doing really well! He was practicing flips and other rolling maneuvers earlier this afternoon, and seems for some reason to have moved out of his usual right side preference. Actually, he's a little hard to find at the moment, but I think he's turned all the way around and is sitting with face out and on the left side! He is definitely getting preferences for things, too. I've come to the conclusion that either he loves church services, or he does not like strange men's voices. I rather think it's the latter... three different churches, six different speakers, four types of services, and every one he'd start like he was on a roller coaster or something! But then it kind of clicked at a prayer meeting-- he'd be quiet every time a woman prayed, and pitch a fit when men started talking! Once there was a series of guys praying and he was really getting excited, and then Jimmy started praying and baby immediately stopped and settled down... only to start again with the next strange man's voice! He definitely seems to know Daddy, and does not seem to like strange men. Women he's fine with... and brief conversations with men, if I'm at the grocery store or something, that's fine as well. But prolonged speech by men, and he gets all excited!
I really need to get the packing all taken care of and figure out what to make for dinner that won't leave too much of a mess but will be filling and can be eaten quickly... hum...
Taking baby to Kentucky for Uncle Chuck and Aunt Amber's wedding!!!

21 week picture!! Is he a low rider or what?! I think bigger than the pic three weeks ago, definitely a bit of a funny shape!

I just came across where someone had a link to a baby guessing game, so I went and set one up as well. :-) Take a look here: http://www.expectnet.com/games/LaFayette and see if you can guess correctly! It's point based, so they determine a winner depending on how well you do on the questions.

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Okay, now a WARNING to all you pregnant ladies, this could make you cry a bit. It is baby related, but I personally found it very upsetting. Hence my writing, I need to get it off my chest. Last night I was so upset that when Jimmy asked me how my day had been I broke down and bawled for almost an hour... he was so sweet, he just hugged me and let me talk and cry, and told me I wasn't at all silly for being upset, which was just what I needed. He is such an amazing guy, I am so lucky to have him!
So on the Two Week Wait forum I'm on there was a post last week from a lady who is only two days further along than I am... which really bothers me, since her baby is only two days older than mine. She went in for a 20 week scan and the Doctors (this is in the U.K.) told her her baby had a heart defect, can't recall the name but it's a pretty serious condition. They said although he's fine now, his heart could deteriorate over the next 4.5 months, and he might not make it through to birth, and if he did he would require a number of major surgeries. Basically, he had a 10% survival chance, and they gave her the option of "terminating". She came home to think and post (yeah, no prayer there), and everyone on the forum begged her not to do that, to wait and see and give the baby a chance. After all, at 20 weeks you can only see so much! I mean, we're talking a heart the size of a dime here! They could be wrong, they could be giving a worst case scenario, and things could improve immensely by 40 weeks! Not only that, but there are surgeons in the US who can operate on that condition with a 50% success rate! And there are so many women here who were willing to host her in their home for the baby to get the surgeries, and ways to help with the cost. She said though that she didn't want to go through the pain of possibly loosing him, the pain of surgery, and she wanted it all over with as soon as possible because she could feel him kicking and it made her feel bad... what about the baby's pain? I was horrified, but hadn't seen the post until after she made her decision to take the pill. She did that Sunday, and she was supposed to go into "labor" on Wednesday. I prayed so hard for that baby, hoping something would happen, she'd change her mind and give that baby a chance- I can't believe a mother could do that to her baby! I know a lot of women who would gladly carry that baby for the next 20 weeks knowing all that, to give that baby a chance! I cannot imagine killing my baby boo because he had a heart defect.... I kept hoping the pill wouldn't work, that her baby would be okay. Meanwhile, the little heartrate blinkie on her profile was blinking away, and I kept watching it when I'd see her posts, hoping against hope the baby would live. Wednesday morning (our time), she finally posted.... to say that she'd gone into labor and delivered her baby boy after four hours. He was perfect, weighing a pound even, and he was breathing and his little heart was beating. He was even moving... and they got footprints for her for her certificate so she can show people the "little boy we lost", and pretend to grieve over something "that could not be helped".... hoping for another time when she could have a pregnancy that wouldn't end in "trouble". Meanwhile, they let him die like that, and took him off for a postmortem. And her blinkie changed from a beating heart to a smilie face with wings... her little "angel baby", she'll call him. How could she not even give him a chance, even if it is only 10%? Most likely that is only a CYA number anyhow! He was obviously healthy enough to survive the pill she took in her first attempt to kill him, since his heart was still beating at birth. He deserved to come into this world to love and protection, not to parents to did this just to make him die and then let him lay there and expire without even an effort at helping him! And when I feel my baby kick I think of hers, only a two day difference and yet mine is alive.... she called hers a "miscarrige"... as though it was an accident. As though it wasn't socially acceptable murder. What have we sunk to that a woman can not only do that and get away with it, but it is encouraged? I thought things like that made me upset before I got married and became pregnant, but it is so much worse now. Mothers, of all people in the world, ought to do everything in their power to protect their baby. And she knew full well it was a baby, she even named him and has his footprints! Those unique little footprints of a baby boy who was never given a chance at life... and his Father, who stood by and let it all happen, who helped his wife murder their child. Yes, sin is always ugly, but at the very bottom of depraved nature is a mother who kills her child while the father stands by and helps. So poor Jimmy came home to a wife who cried for almost an hour over a baby she never met. He held me and comforted me and didn't get to bed until late because he cared and knew it was important to me. And I realized again how amazingly fortunate I am to have married a man who is so understanding, who didn't brush it off or tell me I was silly. And a man who would give his own life to save that of his baby, even if he's only 21 weeks old and even if it turns out he has a life threatening deformity. A man who understands fully that he will not "become a Father" in December, he has been one since March. A man who is going to put his family first, whatever that means for him. So after I finally cried myself out, later in the evening we were reading the Bible together and came across these verses in Hosea 9:13-14 "But Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts."
It did make me wonder... I was asking Siobhan the other day if she thought maybe the increase in infertility nowdays is maybe linked to immunizations as well. But now I wonder if there is another reason. Maybe there are so many miscarrying wombs and dry breasts because so many women bring their children to the murderer.
I still can't think about it without tearing up, and haven't been able to look at any of her posts. Baby boo is kicking as I write this, and I love him so much, it just hurts to think of her baby. Both boys, both healthy and kicking, and only two days apart...
Anyhow, I didn't dare talk to anyone until after I cried it out to Jimmy, and hopefully now I didn't upset anyone else too much. I did warn you! ;-) So there's my post, and the next one should be much more cheerful!

The prenatal on Sunday went really well! Baby was feeling a little sluggish, so he was only moving moderately when they tried feeling him, but boy did he make up for it afterward!! He was bounding about everywhere! They were able to find and feel him, and he appears to be head down (good chap! Just keep that in mind!), back to the right (so ROA, I think?)and his heart rate was in the 130's and 140's. The midwives think it'll be a boy. :-) Everything was looking really good and healthy, and I managed to pack on 8 pounds.... yike! I don't mind putting on weight if it's for him, but I hope I don't keep that up the next three or four months! Lol! they said he's doubling in size though, so that is totally normal for this stage of the game. Anyway, he's been staying pretty active the last few days, being a good baby and kicking Mommy every so often so she doesn't worry. :-) I had a few bites of cake on Sunday, which was probably more sugar than I've had in a long time. I didn't even want the rest of the cake and probably took it more out of old habit than anything, because it really didn't appeal to me, but boy, just those few bites and baby was bouncing off the walls! Wow! I think he did an entire dance performance in the space of about 30 seconds there, lol!!
So now it's less than two weeks to the ultrasound, and I can't wait! I am so excited about it, I'm on pins and needles practically waiting for it to come! I want so badly to see my baby! I am really glad the midwives asked us to have an US. :-) And then waiting for December so I can hold him.... oh, glory!

August already... part of me is amazed at how fast this year is going and wants it to slow down, and part of me is just happy because it means it's that much closer to my baby coming. :-) I would say I can't wait to see my baby, but actually I don't want to see him for real just yet, not until I'm seeing him born healthy and fully cooked! I've read too many stories about preemies recently, and there is a lady on my pregnancy forum who is expecting her fourth... only her babies have been born progressively more premature (like 34 wks, 31 wks, 28 weeks.... something like that) and she's already having contractions and the Dr.s are telling her she probably won't make it past 26 weeks, if she's lucky enough to even make it that far. So I'm happy to let my little baby cook another few months. :-) Though I did just read a story about a baby born at 21wks 6d who survived and is fine! The earliest premie ever to survive they said.... most Drs won't even try if the baby is less than 24 weeks, but they made a mistake and assumed the baby was two weeks further along than she was, and the Mom realized letting them believe that was the only chance for her baby to live, so she didn't correct them.
Anyway...baby is doing really well! The other night I felt something poking me, and I thought it was Jimmy but his hand wasn't even over there... so I felt and realized it was the baby! Of course I poked back and he moved. :-) He definitely prefers the right side over the left, although last night he turned himself diagonally across which felt a little funny! I went to an amazing garage sale on Friday and they had a portable crib (pack n' play, I think they're called?) which was really nice, and a crib bumper/sheet/quilt/dust ruffle set, but I had walked to the sale and couldn't carry it back with me, so I just got a couple other crib sheets. Saturday I went back and got the crib and bumper set ($5 for the set, can you believe it?!), and then they said in five minutes it would be noon and everything that could fit in a bag would be $1 for the bag, if I wanted to look around for a few minutes and maybe fill a bag. For that price I was definitely going to look some more, and even find things for nephews and whatnot! I got two bibs, two changing pads, another baby quilt, two flannel blankets, some teddy bears (okay, so I want to do the nursery with little bears when we have one!), another crib sheet (making 4, plus a plastic crib mattress cover), a baby toy, and some stuff for the nephews. I looked for little girl things for my niece, but they only had kid clothes for girls, no baby stuff. No baby boy, either, but they had two year old stuff, hence the nephew things. I also got some misc. things, a watering can and such, and all for $3! That was a good garage sale. :-)
As far as the exercise DVD, that one should be available at the library. That's where I got mine, and I asked for the other one she did as well. If I like the 2nd trimester one as well as this 3rd trimester (all they had was the 3rd when I went in, but had all the others in the system), I'm thinking I'll buy it. You can get it on Amazon for about $10. She also has a postnatal "boot camp" workout which has really good reviews, so maybe I'll get that one after baby comes. The yoga she has doesn't mention any new age stuff or anything. In the little blurb it says something about helping "physically and spiritually", but she just has them as stretches and doesn't talk at all about the why's or wherefore's, or the yin and yang or whatever yoga is commonly associated with. Just the physical aspects of the stretches and how they help, which muscles, etc. So I really like it, you can take the stretches with none of the weirdness. I did get a pair of yoga pants from Wal-Mart, since even Jimmy's shorts are getting too tight to do bends and stuff in, and those yoga pants look sooooo comfortable, and especially since you mentioned them being comfortable as well, Nichole, I thought I would get some to work out in. I needed something, since none of my shorts work, and the cargo pants are just uncomfortable for that sort of thing. I got them by mail though, since the Wal-Mart nearest here (45 min) doesn't carry them and shipping was only 95 cents.
Speaking of which, I need to workout before it's time to start dinner..... boy, I can feel it when I don't, my back gets all stiff!
BTW, Nichole, when you mentioned the pains from not taking your calcium it reminded me that Shannon had said that Lisa told her the prenatals we're taking weren't good for calcium because of the way the pill is made and what it contains. I intended to get some, and totally spaced it until you mentioned that, and I went, duh! I had some pains exactly like what you mentioned, and it's probably lack of calcium. So I got some, and it's a calcium/D3 combo, which should be good. D3 helps absorb the calcium. And I'm taking them at a different time than the other pills. Thanks both of you for mentioning it! Incidentally, I was talking to a lady yesterday who is about 31 wks, and she said with her last she got up to 7 gallons of milk a week by the time the baby came.... No idea how she managed that, I don't think I could down a gallon a day, but she said she had a 1 1/2 hour labor and attributes it to the milk... hmmm...:-)