Our Baby in 3D

Yesterday we had our big 3D/4D sonogram of my little Prince. Our appt was at 9:15 but I woke up at 5:30 because I just could not sleep. Got ready, ate breakfast, etc. Left to pick up my mom and then went to the place, called View a Miracle, in New Brunswick. It was so cute...they of course have a little shop there as well and all the baby things they had were so precious.

I was called pretty quickly and was very excited to see my baby, but when I laid on the table and they squirted that cold goop on my belly, they said he was face down and there was no way they could get good pictures at that angle. For the second time in the past 7 months, an ultrasound technician told me she could see my bladder was full (I knew I had to go but they told me to hold it til after so there was more fluid for the picture or something). She said to go to the bathroom to see if that moved him. Well if we learned anything from my 20 wk anatomy scan, that little trick does not work on Prince William. He will move when he is good and ready and ONLY when he is good and ready.

So as not to get their appts backed up, they had me leave the room and took other patients. They made me walk around for about 15 or 20 minutes to see if that shook him up a bit. Nope. Nothing. So this time the lady said it was "highly unlikely" that we would get any images today but I could wait a little longer or reschedule my appointment. I was so disappointed! I was waiting since January 1 when I made this appointment to see my baby! I hadn't seen him since December 13th and before that sometime in September. I wanted to know if he looked like me or Billy. I wanted to see his little face clearer than in my regular sonogram.

By this time it was close to 10 am. We had planned on going to breakfast after so I asked the technician if we could go to the diner up the road and come back after. She said as long as we were back by 1 it was no problem. I made sure to drink 2 big glasses of lemonade because I remembered reading that sugary drinks will make them move more.

When we went back to View a Miracle it was a little after 11. I didn't think I felt my baby turn over at all while we were eating, so I had very little hope left that we would see him today. But we went in the room one last time. I laid down on the table and as soon as she put the wand on my stomach there he was!!! Perfect views of his face!! I was so happy that we didnt have to reschedule and I could see him right then and there!

Of course he was sleeping so there wasn't much movement. A little smirk, he opened his mouth a time or two, but nothing too crazy. I immediately thought he looked like Bily, and everyone else agreed. Then the tech asked if I knew the sex. I said I did but that Grandma Fran was still not convinced. She kept telling me since December "you never know"...Mom, I knew. When you see it, you see it. So the tech zoomed RIGHT IN....and there was no denying anymore that it was a William and not a Wilma lol. (There are some very clear pictures of that as well but I refrained from posting them here or on Facebook. Gotta give my little guy SOME privacy.)

They took some video for about 10 minutes and took some shots of his face. His leg was somehow positioned in such a way that his little toes and foot were resting near the top of his head...too cute.

Then they give you the recording of the heart beat....you get it for "free" with the purchase of a stuffed animal to put it inside (like Build a Bear ish). Of course I had to get it. What kind of mother doesnt want that. So we bought that and Billy bought some Tag a Longs that were also for sale lol....and called it a day.

I still havent stopped looking at the pictures or watching the video! I almost want him to stay like this forever because he is so cute. I dont want to him to get bigger and grow up!!! I want him to be a baby foreverrrrr!!!!!!!!!

Third Trimester!

Friday, January 28th, marked the beginning of my third trimester. Time really does fly. Ever since I started college I feel it just keeps going faster and faster, and these past six months have been the fastest by far. I remember about 3 or 4 months ago thinking the 6 to 7 months I had left would go on forever. Almost half a year left of being pregnant! Now, it's 3 short months that will be over before I can blink.

So to commemorate the beginning of the last trimester...a survey.

How far along? 26w3d

Total weight gain/loss: Ugh. About 30 lbs since August. But it really must be all in my stomach because I dont see it anywhere else!

Maternity clothes? A few things. Jeans obviously....my mother in law bought me a track suit for Christmas and my sister in law Nicole bought me leggins and a top...I purchased a few tops but really only wore them a handful of times. I am home every day and not working so most days I can get away with sweats and a sweatshirt or tshirt. Really hate to spend all that money on clothes when hardly anyone sees me all day long lol.

Stretch marks? Still no. Good.

Sleep: Better in the past few weeks....got a body pillow which has helped a lot. And to be honest, when my back hurts and I need to lay on it, I do. The doctor said try not to, but she also said if I end up on my back it's not a huge problem. My grandmother slept on her back while she was pregnant (didnt know not to then) and said I would be fine too. For some reason I trust her opinion and "medical" advice even more than the doctor lol. She didnt get to 72 years old for nothing.

Best moment this week: I think it was last week, but felt hiccups for the first time...January 24th!

Movement: Constant! He is up all morning, all night....wakes me up at 4 am....some are hard enough that you see the movement on my belly...really amazing.

Food cravings: Still nothing consistent...but I'm eating like a cow. I'm ALWAYS hungry!!!

Gender: Baby Boy William :)

Labor Signs: Negative.

Belly Button in or out? Oh it's on its way out, unfortunately.

Wedding rings on or off? Just took them off this weekend. Wearing them on a chain around my neck for now.

What I miss: Wine. Big time.

What I am looking forward to: Our 4D ultrasound next weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: I think you have to take what you read and what doctors say with a grain of salt. Yes they are the professionals but think of how our mothers and grandmothers went through the same things with half as much of the worry that they give us today. I think everything in moderation wont harm the baby. Go with your instinct and listen to the advice of the older women in your family just as much as you listen to the doctor.

It's been awhile....

Not much new to post but I figured it's been too long not to update something. Went to the doctor January 4th....even though my appointment was for January 6th. We originally said the 4th, and then before I left the office in December we switched it to the 6th, since that was easier for Billy to make.....somehow I still had the 4th stuck in my head. Thankfully they took us anyway...the appointments are only about 7 minutes long so I don't see why they couldn't anyway....my brain is really slipping away, slowly but surely.

Although I am getting a little annoyed with my OBGYN. I realize the average doctor appoint is under 10 minutes long, they need to get in and out, see more patients, make money, etc. But I feel like I have no idea what is going on in my pregnancy. If it wasn't for books or the Internet (which may or may not be a good thing), I'd be clueless. The doctor basically just asks me how I'm feeling. Doesn't do ultrasounds, not even a 14-week ultrasound....doesn't touch my stomach....they do blood pressure and a urine sample every visit so I guess it's something, but I feel like I have no clue what is going on or what I should be doing.

In fact I read that I should be having my gestational diabetes screening between week 24 and 28. I am almost into week 26 and my next doctor appointment isn't until the end of week 27 which is pushing it. When are they gonna give me the script for this? I had to call them myself last week to ask about it. Maybe things like that don't HAVE to be done in the time frame the Internet tells me it does, but I feel like at least a MENTION of it should have been made at my last appointment. If I didn't call and ask, would it have ever been addressed? I just feel like if I don't ask about something, it doesn't come up. I don't even know what I should be asking or what I should be feeling.

I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting, but as a first time mother, I feel like they should be guiding me and informing me more than they do.

I originally started seeing one doctor and didn't really have a problem with her. They suggested I see her partner a few time, too, just so I get used to both of them and am familiar with whoever is there when I go into labor. I've seen the partner the past 3 visits. Her bedside manner is much friendlier than the original doctor, but I dont get as much technical information from her. So February I am going back to the original doctor. Maybe that will help things.

I'm hoping to stick with her from now til May. If things improve, great. Although I have a feeling I won't be returning to this practice for my 2nd child. I'm really shocked, too, because my GP recommended this doctor because HIS wife went to her when she was pregnant. If a doctor's wife goes to them, they have to be good right? Guess not!

Any other recent moms out there have similar experiences with their OBGYNs?

We're having a baby this year!!!!

Happy 2011. Who knew a year ago I'd be where I am right now. Crazy how life unfolds in front of you and your world can change in an instant. (The second part of that sentence was a line from an episode of Scrubs I am watching just now, but I thought it applied, so I wrote it lol.)

Christmas came and went, with lots of clothes for Prince William from Grandma Fran and an awesome scrapbook and maternity clothes for mom from Grandma/Nanny (not sure yet) Andrea. We are both blessed to have such great parents and William is lucky to call them his grandmothers!

I have been feeling the kicking much more regularly lately. Billy has felt it a few times too, he thinks. And yesterday (or was it the day before), I could have sworn I saw the actual movement of this one kick because it was strong. I love feeling him move around!!

Havent been sleeping well lately...I wake up every night in the 4 o'clock hour and stay awake for another 2 or 3 hours....then fall back asleep for a few hours until 10 am or so. I cant sleep on my back or stomach and am finding it really hard to find a good position to sleep in. My back is killing me and the sciatica is on and off. But really all it's not so bad. Just thanking God when I wake up at 4:30 am I dont have to go to work at 8 am anymore. Makes it much more manageable lol.

Doctors appointment on Tuesday. 4D Ultrasound in February. Other than that, nothing more to report. Til then!

It's a BOY!

So our lil' baby bump is officially a little baby BOY bump.

Yesterday was pretty amazing. When you really think about everything it's just so amazing what is going on in there. Yesterday was the first time we really got to see our baby....we had a few low-quality sonograms early on but the baby was nothing more than a little blob. It was amazing to see his tiny little feet and hands...his little nose and forehead...just really amazing. I will post the picture of the sonogram soon...

So this is how it all basically went. Our appointment was at 2:30. I didnt know where the place was, how parking would be, etc. so I wanted to get there early. Billy picked me up from work at about 1:15 and it was only like 20 minutes away. We got there about an hour early, but I would rather that than late. So we waited a longggg time and were finally called in at about 3 p.m.

So they had me lay on the examing table and squirted that goopy gel all over my tummy and in seconds, there was our little guy on the screen. They had to check and measure all different things...arms, legs, spine, hands and feet, heart, brain, etc....so the tech was clicking away and finding all these parts on the screen and taking images of them. Then she said, not to quote her, but her first guess at its sex was a girl. I was thrilled, because I thought the whole time it was a girl. So for about 10 minutes we had a baby girl, until...we had a baby boy lol. Turns out his legs were just very close together and she couldn't get a good look at first. But when it's there, it's there lol. And it was there!

So for me, the appointment could have ended there because I heard all I came to hear. But the doctor needed some good images of his heart and appendages etc. before they could let us go. Too bad Baby William had other plans. He must have been very comfortable however he was positioned because he would just not move enough for the doctor to get a clear image of the left side of his little heart.

They had me move positions several times on the table to see if that would jossle him. Then the doctor could see on the screen that my bladder was full (how embarassing!) so he told me to go to the bathroom because sometimes that will make the baby turn. Still nothing. Then, they were starting to get backed up so I had to go wait in the waiting room for another 20 minutes to see if he'd move at all. I came back into the examining room and they said he moved slightly but not as much as they wanted him to, but luckily the doctor was able to get an image he was satisfied with. Now it's about 4:30 p.m. when all of this is said and done!

The doctor said everything looked good and normal. He said I am young and healthy and that coupled with everything he saw yesterday says to him that I should have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy delivery, so that was great to hear, too.

Now that we've seen the baby I am dying to get a 3D ultrasound done. A friend of mine (AIMEE) had this, and you could literally tell that the baby looks like her husband, it was unbelievable!!!!! And now I am more excited than ever to meet the little guy and welcome him into the world and our little Savio family!!!

Tomorrow!

Not much else to say except that tomorrow is the big day. Well not THE big day, but a big day. Find out if we will be preparing for the arrival of Baby Girl or Baby Boy Savio....I was so sure it was a girl for awhile but now that we are actually finding out in just 18 hours I am not sure of anything anymore so I guess we will just wait and see!! Either way we will be thrilled!!!!

Ultrasound

Just a quick update - Ultrasound will be Monday, December 13th at 2:30 p.m.!!

That's 4 weeks and 4 days until we find out!!!!