Kung Fu Fetus

I have seriously slacked on the updates for the past several months... I blame it partially on pure exhaustion, and partially on the fact that we lost internet access for a while. Mainly on the exhaustion though. For the sake of time and the aforementioned lack of energy, I'm just going to make a list of the highlights from the past few months:

February:

- Valentine's Day... Your Daddy spoiled me rotten and then we went to the cell phone store to change our plan which saved us $100/month!

- We traded in our car for a "Sophie Mobile"... It's a Jeep SUV with plenty of room for you, AND it saved us $100/month!

- Now we can afford diapers!

March:

- Finally hit the third tri-mester! Hellooooo beached whale sensation!

- Daddy and I took a trip (babymoon) to Tennessee so we could have one last getaway before your arrival. We rented a cabin which ended up being cheaper than a hotel room, saw and fed some live bears, went gem mining, and made you a stuffed bunny at a "build-a-bear" type place. We also sat through a timeshare presentation after being promised a nice cash reward for doing so - which paid for half the trip.

April:

- Daddy and I had our 2nd wedding anniversary (4th "dating anniversary") and celebrated by renewing our vows at the same spot where we got married.

- At 32 weeks we got to see you via 3D ultrasound looking like an actual human baby for the first time, complete with chubby cheeks and flowing hair! The most adorable baby ever, if I do say so myself... It looks like you have my nose and cheeks, and your Daddy's mouth and ears.

- Your Aunt Sarah and Uncle Kyle got married!!! You were part of their wedding without even knowing it... ;)

- March/April is tornado season in our neck of the woods, so you've already been through 2 nights of hiding out in the basement. I actually had to take a bucket with me the last time to use as a toilet since my bladder is still your favorite toy.

- I had an episode of false labor (contractions 7 minutes apart for 8 hours straight) at 35 weeks which caused the doctor to put me on partial bedrest. I'm now working from home 2 days a week which does help me cope with everything. At 36 weeks we figured out the constant, severe pain I was having in my lower tummy was actually caused by cartilage tearing since you were growing so much. The doc ordered another ultrasound to check your growth and prescribed a brace for me (which I lovingly nicknamed my "belly bra") to help with the pain. The ultrasound showed you were already weighing in at 7 pounds... Still in the normal range, but at the very high end of it ;) The good news is that your head measured small so I'm hoping you'll be easy to squeeze out!

That pretty much brings us up to date. My birthday was 2 days ago and I was really hoping you would decide to come early and share your birthday with me... But you didn't. You hit 37 weeks yesterday and are now considered full term! Woo hoo!!! That means you're pretty much doing nothing else in there except packing on the pounds - all your systems are developed and you're practicing using them as much as you're able to. Your lungs, for example, are getting lots of practice lately. I can tell because you get the hiccups at least once a day! You're still stretching your muscles too because your activity has become incredibly obvious. You like to play with Daddy at night by kicking his hand in response to him poking you (which he can now not only feel but also see, and he is thrilled about it!)... and sometimes you'll put your tush "in the air" and start bouncing around until I rub/pat it to soothe you. If I stop you just start bouncing again... Little goofball :) Sometimes I swear you're practicing some form of martial arts in there. Just a few days ago you stuck your foot out so far I could actually grab it! Of course you retracted it almost immediately when I did...

We are visiting the doctor once a week now and were really hoping to hear at our 37 week appointment yesterday that labor was starting to progress and you were on your way to meet us soon. Not so much. Instead, we heard, "I'd really like to tell you some good news, but the truth is there is absolutely nothing going on in there! You are not dialated AT ALL." - As if the doctor poking me all over to feel your progress wasn't painful enough, that statement just added salt to the wound. I know you have a few weeks left to make it to the typical 40 week mark, but seeing as I literally can't even get out of bed without rocking back and forth a couple times to gain the momentum to sit up, I was hoping you might follow the family tradition of coming early. It doesn't look like that's going to happen so I'm just trying to "enjoy" (A.K.A. "not cry every night") these last few weeks.

I know God will help us get through this incredibly uncomfortable stage and you'll be here before we know it. Really, I know that. I know it very well since I remind myself of it at least a dozen times a day ;) But whenever you are ready to come out and meet us, we will be here ready and waiting. We have a nice space prepared for you (that Daddy decorated) that I'm sure you'll love. I can't guarantee you'll spend much time in there at first though since my arms will be hogging you, but I promise those are comfortable too...

I love you always!

Love,

Mommy

Mommy's Trampoline

You have finally "popped" my tummy out so I'm starting to actually look pregnant instead of looking like I just ate too many donuts. Hooray! You're also getting big enough that I can feel you bouncing around pretty constantly. It's still pretty difficult to feel you from the outside, but you're trying - especially when Daddy talks to you. Last night was the first time I could noticeably feel you respond to his voice and try to kick his hand. It was VERY obvious to me but I guess it's still a little too subtle for him to pick it up from the outside. Oh well... In a few more weeks you'll have some more power behind your punches so I'm sure he'll get to feel you soon :)


It's pretty funny that you're moving so much now because you were interested in nothing but sleep during your Anatomy Scan a couple weeks ago. What should have been a 30 minute exam turned into 50 minutes because you were stubbornly refusing to move at all until the very end. Daddy and I didn't mind getting to see you for an extra 20 minutes, but the poor tech's arm was about to fall off. We tried everything we could to wake you up... shaking my tummy, talking to you, etc... But ultimately it was my bladder filling up that got you to budge. You had your head behind my belly button the whole time (which is impossible for an u/s machine to go through) but as soon as I felt like I had to make a run to the ladies' room you came to life! We got video of you - 2D and 3D - so there is proof that you really like to treat my bladder like a trampoline. You started jumping on it over and over and even had your mouth wide open while doing it like you were smiling and having the time of your life. I'm glad I can provide some entertainment for you while you're in there, but let's make a deal that we'll only play on Mommy's "trampoline" once a day, ok?


Some great news is that I've finally found the miracle cure for all the heartburn you've been giving me. Zantac! I would really like to find the creators of it and give them a big hug. I haven't had a single Tum in a week because all I have to do is take one Zantac in the morning and I'm good all day long ***insert hallelujah chorus here***. I have had some other interesting pregnancy side effects though. Feels like every time I get something resolved something else at least semi-miserable pops up. I love you, and I love that God is allowing me to be the vessle to "build" you, but in all honesty I cannot WAIT for you to be here! I'm having trouble understanding why so many women tell me they "enjoyed their pregnancy so much and miss it". Don't get me wrong... I know how blessed I am and I'm not in any way complaining about your presence inside me - it's just getting very taxing to live with the side effects of your presence inside me!


One of those newly discovered side effects is the fact that my body now sporadically decides to hold bowl movements hostage. "Gross, Mom!" - I know. But this blog is a record of my experiences with you, good and bad. This just happens to be one of the really evil ones, and since you're a girl and may very well experience this yourself in the future (distant, distant future!) I feel it's only fair to forewarn you. A couple weeks ago I literally thought I was going to die from the aforementioned hostage situation. I took some Colace, drank a ton of water, ate some fiber... and finally... after 8 hours of labor I finally gave birth to said BM. When I say "gave birth" I literally mean that's what it felt like - or at least what I imagine giving birth will feel like. The experience was complete with me crying and screaming at your Daddy like something out of a horror movie if he even tried to come into the bathroom. He was terrified. I discussed this problem with the doctor and she told me it would be safe to take a preventive Colace daily as long as I was still taking my vitamins. Thank. God.


I love you always!


Love,
Mommy

Little Princess

You're a girl!!! When we went to Peek-a-Belly they told us they were about 80% sure you were, but invited us back for a follow-up appointment a couple weeks later just to double check. In between those two appointments we also had another regular check-up with the doctor. They couldn't find your heartbeat with the doppler because you were standing on your head again so we got ANOTHER ultrasound! We didn't complain... ;) We gave you a name so we have finally been able to stop calling you "baby" - Your name is Sophie Elise Blackwell.

Daddy wasn't able to go to the second Peek-a-Belly session with me - which, of course, is when you decided to do something really cute. You lifted your hand as if you were going for your eyes but you ran into your nose... You had this reaction of "WHAT... IS... THAT?!?!" and played with it for a good 30 seconds. Even the ultrasound tech was giggling at you. When you felt confident that your nose was probably supposed to be there you continued upwards to rub your eyes. You rubbed them sleepily before streeeeeeetching out and rolling back over to go to sleep. I know you're a real baby already, but it still always amazes me how human you act even now. You're the cutest thing ever!

You're 19 weeks old now... Almost halfway through "baking" in there! You're about 10 inches long and starting to make your presence more and more known. I swear someone gave you a flame-thrower because the heartburn you give me is pretty incredible. I have to be careful about eating spicy foods or even laying in certain ways or else I end up living on Tums the rest of the day. You're a night owl just like your Daddy and are starting to keep me up pretty late by squirming around so much I have trouble getting to sleep. You like to sleep in to make up for it though... You don't start bouncing the next day until around 10 in the morning. Silly girl...

You can hear now (although probably not very well yet) so we talk to you so you can get to know our voices. Sometimes I sing "You Are My Sunshine" to you and replace "sunshine" with "Sophie". Maybe if I sing it enough it'll be familiar when you come out and can help to calm you down when you cry. Or maybe it'll just make you cry harder since Mommy doesn't have a very good singing voice ;) Guess we'll see, huh? You are also starting to be able to smell which is absolutely amazing to me. Daddy and I went to Red Lobster for a date the other night and you started bouncing like crazy almost the second we walked in the door. What's even more strange about this is that I have always hated seafood. I can't stand the smell, texture, or anything else about it. You're definitely taking after your Daddy in food choices though because I wanted to smell the crab legs he ordered like they were flowers. I even had to eat some of them. What are you doing to me?! I held a cheese biscuit down to my tummy to see if you would get excited about that too, and sure enough, you did! I wasn't upset about having to eat those though...

Last night was an exciting night because I felt you move from the outside for the very first time. I was listening to your heart and your movements with the doppler and all of the sudden you kicked it away... Twice! It bounced up and surprised me so I stopped listening just in case you really, really didn't like it. I spent the next hour trying to feel you with my hand and could only feel very faint thumps that were few and far between. Daddy is really excited that you're getting big enough to feel from the outside because he's feeling a little left out in that area. I'm sure before long you'll start kicking him constantly and telling him "I love you" in Morse Code. You're such a smart baby I bet I could teach you how to do that even while you're still in there.

We've started working on setting up your nursery too. We want to go with a brown and pink polka dot theme and found the cutest bedding set for it! We used to have a ferret, Jack, who stayed in your room... But we gave him away to a very loving family so that he wouldn't have to stay in a cage once you're born. Now that he's gone we can start painting and setting things up. We bought your crib with some Christmas money and are still waiting for it to be delivered. I think your Daddy is more excited about decorating than I am - That may or may not have to do with the fact that I'm still completely exhausted all the time... I've been fighting a nasty cold/sinus infection for the past couple of weeks so that hasn't helped either. My fever got so high a couple of days that I was putting ice packs on myself to cool down and keep you safe. It's tough business being a baby bakery! Tough, but totally worth it :)

Your 20-week anatomy scan (verifying 10 fingers, 10 toes, etc.) is next Monday and we're really excited about it. Not only do we get to see you again (for an extended session) but I'm pretty sure we get to bring home a video of you too! So far we've only been able to show people your adorable pictures, so it'll be lots of fun to be able to let them see you moving around too. It's at 3 in the afternoon so I'll make sure I eat something sweet that morning (or smell some seafood) to get you all bouncy and ready for it. I know you'll do great! In the meantime, punch me really hard the next time you hear Daddy's voice so he can finally experience you the way I am :)

I love you always!

Love,

Mommy

Pink or Blue?

We are finally in the second trimester! It felt like it would never get here, but here we are... I keep waiting for that famed second trimester burst of energy to show up but it's nowhere to be found. I'm still having trouble keeping my eyes open past 7:30 at night, but the good news is that at least the nausea is now almost completely gone! I feel sick about once a week or so, but I would rather deal with that than non-stop every single day. Still no appetite really aside from sweet things. Daddy cooks dinner and I try to eat it, but usually end up hunting down some Raisin Bran or something. At least you don't crave candy...

Last week was your first Thanksgiving! We went over to my parents' house and ate until we were in a turkey coma. I know you were in one because you sat still for about 5 minutes and let us listen to your heart. Your grandfather hooked the doppler up to the stereo system so we got to hear you thumping away practically in surround sound. It was very cool! You also made it very well known that you were tired of me wearing my regular pants and were ready for me to move into something a little more stretchy. You're the size of an apple now (of course everything surrounding/protecting you feels 3x that size) so it was definitely time. I started feeling what felt like a goldfish doing flips inside when I sat in a position that was least stretchy in my pants. I figured it was just all the yummy Thanksgiving food digesting at first, but then it started getting stronger and more constant each day.

I listened with the doppler a few days ago to try to confirm it was you moving around - and it was! I would find your heartbeat, then feel the "goldfish" while hearing a swooshing sound, then your heartbeat would be gone. I got so excited when I realized it really WAS you. You're starting to get big enough now that I can also sense where you are in my tummy. That makes it much easier to find you and I'm glad for it. I know soon I'll definitely be able to tell where you are since you'll probably be kicking me in the ribs. Your kicking and flailing around is very important though since it helps you develop your muscles, so kick anything you want! I would appreciate if you could avoid my bladder though. ;)

Daddy took me shopping over the weekend so we could get some new clothes that wouldn't squish you so much. They were much needed and you seem to be much happier now that you have room to swim around. I feel you sporadically through the day but almost always right after I finish eating. I guess the food gives you a burst of energy. I'll have to make sure I eat something light and drink some orange juice on Friday afternoon because we are scheduled for an ultrasound to find out if you're a little boy or a little girl! If you're napping and/or are feeling shy it may be a waste of time... Luckily they will let us come back for free if they're unsuccessful in finding out the first time. We need a shot of you from the underside with your legs wide open. Think you can pull that off for a few minutes for us? We would really love to stop calling you "it" and actually give you a name, so it would be great if you could!

People always say that you never fully appreciate/understand your parents until you have children of your own. I'm sure there's some major truth in that statement because I'm already feeling a lot more respect and love for my parents and you haven't even started crying yet. In addition to that I'm also feeling a lot more respect and love for God. Having you has given me a new perspective on how He loves each and every one of us. Christmas is coming up which is even more of a reminder of how much He loves us. He sent his other son, Jesus, to die so that we wouldn't have to be separated from Him. I can't even imagine willingly sending you into harms way no matter what the purpose. I shield my tummy every time the dog jumps up on the bed for crying out loud. It's almost unfathomable to think about the fact that He longs to be with us so much that He would suffer through such a sacrifice. We're going to teach you all about God as you grow up and I pray already that you never take Him for granted. He's your true Parent and Daddy and I hope you will see that and never think otherwise.

...and no, that's not a free pass for you to tell us, "You're not my parents!" and misbehave when you're a teenager ;)

I love you always!

Love,
Mommy

Bouncy Baby

We finally got your heartbeat on tape! After I heard it the first time I tried every other day or so and finally had some success. This time I automatically hooked the doppler up to the computer to begin with so I could just press "record" quickly if I found you. Which I did! You sat relatively still for about 2 minutes and I was so excited to capture it that I sent it to about 500 people after you decided to swim away again. I have it saved on my phone too so I can listen to you anytime I want :)

Not only did we get to hear you, but we got to SEE you again too! At least I did... Daddy had to work, so he wasn't at the doctor with us. I brought him home some pictures though so he at least got to see you that way. The ultrasound wasn't planned - I went for a regular check-up appointment on Tuesday for your 12 week monitoring, and they were just planning to monitor you by your heartbeat using a doppler... But true to your pattern, even the doc had trouble finding your cute little 2 inch body. He told me not to worry because it was just hard sometimes to find it when you were still so small. He sent me across the hall for an ultrasound (which I didn't complain about!) and I hopped on the table happily anticipating getting to see you again! The tech found you right away, but it took her a few minutes to get the right angle to find your itty bitty heart. I won't lie, I started getting a little nervous, but I still knew God had you in His hands no matter what.


When she finally found your heart I could see it pumping away on the screen even before she turned the volume up. It measured a healthy 169bpm... Even stronger than your first ultrasound! You were laying perfectly still again so she was able to move around and show you to me at different angles. I saw your tiny little legs and feet - sticking up in the air like you were perfectly comfortable. She pointed out your eyes, nose, and mouth... Which to be perfectly honest do still look a little alien! Your skin is still transparent so it was very easy to see your skeleton and it looked like you were wearing a mask ;)


Just when I thought the ultrasound should be over and I would have to wait for another appointment to see you move, you bounced a single time to show us you were awake! The tech kept watching you to see if you would move again and you didn't stop for another several minutes. You would push off the side of my tummy, wait until you floated back down, and do it again. So much fun! It's like a built-in trampoline in there, isn't it?! Then you started "talking" to us. She zoomed in on your face and we could see you moving your mouth like you were just chatting up a storm. You did that for a while and then you started to hiccup... Or at least that's what it looked like! You brought your hand above your head like you were waving at us before you covered your ears and turned over to go back to sleep. I asked her if you could hear the ultrasound and were covering your ears to get away from it, and she said that was actually very likely. I felt bad that I was enjoying something so much that you possibly hated...

She turned off the machine after that and printed out your pictures so I could take them home. There is no evidence in any of the pictures that your favorite button still exists, so that may be why my nausea has started to fade over the past few days. I have no appetite at all, but at least I don't feel like throwing up all day long! More good news - Your placenta has developed enough now to take over the progesterone production that I was having to supplement with pills since week 5. The doctor told me to finish out this round and then I can stop! Hooray!

Nausea is going down, but fatigue and hormonally-induced breakdowns are increasing. A few nights ago your Daddy "mailed" me a date night (He rented a movie and put it in a box with a teddy bear, some candy, and a card - then had UPS print up a fake label so it looked like I got a package when I went outside with the puppies after I got home from work). It was very sweet, especially since he rented a movie I wanted to see ("Toy Story 3"). It's a kids' movie so I figured it would be pleasant enough to watch... I was SO wrong! I ended up bawling my eyes out at the end to the point that I couldn't breathe. It went on for a good 10-15 minutes. I had to use Vick's VapoRub just so I could get to sleep! Your Daddy thought it was hilarious, but I assured him through my sobs that it was NOT funny and we would NOT be watching that movie EVER again! At least while I'm pregnant... I even threatened that we were going to adopt brothers and sisters for you since I couldn't handle the drama of pregnancy hormones.

We're still working on names for you and can't wait until we can call you by one! Your grandfather is still calling you "Lester" and probably will even after you're born - even if you're a girl. ;)


I love you always!


Love,
Mommy

Sugar Baby

You're getting so big! You're still very tiny (about the size of a sugar packet - and weigh the same as two sugar packets) but considering you were the size of a poppy seed just 7 weeks ago, I'd say you're growing by leaps and bounds... At 11 weeks you are actually fully formed and just need to keep growing exponentially over the next six and a half months. You're considered a "fetus" now by the medical community instead of just a blob of tissue - But you've always been a "baby" to me even when you were microscopic!

You gave me a much needed break from your favorite button over the weekend and I was thrilled! Not only was I able to think about and look at food without wanting to throw up, but everything I ate tasted SO good... I was surprised that my symptoms were fading so "early" and did let myself worry a little bit (I know, I know... Bad Mommy!). My mind was put at ease though when I found your heart beat on the doppler Daddy and I got last week. When I finally found your sweet little sound I was afraid to move because I just wanted to listen as long as possible - But I also really wanted to record it! I hooked the doppler up to the computer, but you swam away and I couldn't find you again. I'll keep trying as you get bigger.

The break from nausea ended on Monday. I'm now back to constant food aversions and heartburn. I bet the makers of Tums make their fortune on pregnant women. Oh well, we're getting closer and closer to the second trimester every day, so I'm hoping that'll be the key to more permanent relief. Time will tell! In the meantime I'm finding myself getting very impatient with the amount of time before I get to see you again. I wish we could see you at every single appointment... If we had chosen to let the doctors perform diagnostic tests on you we would get to see you a whole lot more often. But we decided not to because the results wouldn't matter to us anyway. We would love you even if you came out with a pumpkin for a head.

We are, however, considering going to an "ultrasound spa" when you're 16 weeks old to see you again and see if we can find out if you're a boy or girl. There is a place nearby called "Peek-a-Belly" which offers affordable ultrasounds for parents who are impatient like us. They offer the 3D/4D ultrasounds too, but those are much more expensive and have to wait until you're much older anyway. The one we're considering is an old-fashioned 2D one designed just to give us a little peek at you and try to determine your gender. It's "only" $59 so it's relatively affordable, but we are also trying to save every morsel right now so it's still a good chunk we would have to give up. I don't get any maternity benefits through my work, so Daddy and I are saving as much as we can now so I can stay home with you for a good amount of time when you're born. We already know I will have to go back to work, but I know it's going to break my heart to do so... Every extra day we can save for will be worth it!

Since we may find out what you are in about a month, Daddy and I are busy picking out names. Girl names seem to be easier than boy names - which may be a good thing because I'm starting to think now that you may be a girl! According to all the old wive's tales there's a 65% chance you are. It sure will be nice to know for sure :) For now it's still fun to give people mini heart attacks by suggesting outrageous names for you (like "Fabio"). Daddy and I have pretty good taste so I think you'll like your name when we finally do give you one. Just leave all that name business to us and you just focus on growing stronger every day. Oh, and if you want to swim to the middle of my tummy to take a nap so I can easily find your heart beat again - that would be great!

I love you always!

Love,
Mommy

A Heartbeat That Melts Hearts

Can I just say that you are the cutest baby EVER?! Just look at you!!! I can't stop...

When Thursday finally came I was equally excited and nervous. I was thrilled the day had finally come that I could see you, but nervous that they would find something wrong and my happiness would abruptly end. Hormones were in full swing on my way to the appointment because I started crying and could not stop! Even though I knew things would be ok no matter what the outcome, I still felt like ignorance would be bliss if something was wrong. Having just a few more days thinking you were developing happily, even if I was wrong, seemed much better than the alternative. Thank God "the alternative" turned out to be just that!

I thought I was going to throw up when the ultrasound machine was turned on. But the picture showed up on the screen and I could immediately see your adorable blob-ish form. I breathed a half sigh of relief knowing that hearing your heartbeat was the next step to finally putting my mind at ease. The volume wasn't turned on yet, but I could see your heart pumping away... I didn't want to get too excited yet just in case I was seeing things, but when the nurse turned on the volume I finally heard what I had anxiously been waiting weeks for. Your healthy heartbeat was like heavenly music to my ears... 167 beats per minute... The most amazing sound on earth! Of course you know I started bawling when I heard it because the relief and love that washed over me was completely unbearable. Through tear-filled eyes and words I somehow managed to apologize to the nurse for being so hormonal, and she just smirked and said, "Your reaction is very normal! You'd be surprised how many mommies cry in this moment :) " - It made me feel a little less dumb! Daddy was there holding my hand the whole time and he also fell in love with you and the sound of your beating heart.

After we knew you were ok the nurse started taking measurements and pictures for us to take home. You measured in perfectly at 8 weeks 3 days - right on time with your due date! You had a little bit of a tail still (which is normal, don't worry... It'll go away in the next few weeks). We also found something else..... THE NAUSEA BUTTON!!!

Just kidding... That's actually your yolk sac, but you could have fooled me ;)

You were either taking a nap or you knew we were taking pictures of you because you just sat there while we marveled at your form. Such a good little baby already! We could have watched you for days, but of course the ultrasound only lasted a few minutes. We won't get to see you again until you're 20 weeks old, when we'll find out if you are a boy or a girl! I have a gut feeling you're a boy because male first borns run in your Daddy's family, but I'll be happy whether I'm right or wrong! Until we get to see you again the doctor will monitor you by listening to your heartbeat on a doppler. Daddy and I are looking into getting a home version of a doppler so we can listen to you any time we want as well. I think it would be neat to record your heartbeat so you can someday hear the sound that fills our hearts with more love than we ever thought possible.

You have so many people loving you and praying for you already. The next time we see you you'll look more like a baby than a gummy bear, but no matter what you look like you are the most adorable creature I've ever laid eyes on...

I love you always!

Love,

Mommy