Experiment

I am trying something today. It's called not eating all day long. I am going to drink my damn 8 glasses of water, and see if that helps. Maybe baby has just been thirsty this whole time after all...

One Question

Why oh why does this baby have to like refined carbs soooooooooo much?

Why couldn't baby like, say, steamed carrots, ice water, and distance running?

Today's Appointment, By the Numbers

157: The baby's heartbeat, which just sounds so damn awesome every time I hear it. Down from 169 on Valentine's Day at our last screening ultrasound. Mike loves to try and predict the sex from this. He read like one BabyCenter.com article and is now sold that higher means girl. But is 157 high or low? We knew it would drop from 169, so is this just in line with that?Apparently baby wants to see if Daddy can do calculous, because I don't think there's any way to figure it out from our pattern so far.

5: My lbs. of weight gain. Ha ha, Dr. Sucker. Too bad for you that you started counting after the first 3-4 went on because yes, on home scale from time I got pregnant, I've gained 9. And I do realize that's worse than I reported yesterday - every day IS worse than yesterday.

8: Approximate minutes I was with the doctor today.

15: Approximate time for them to make my next bleeping appointment and fill out the Quest blood paperwork.

185: Minutes spent in transit to and from and parking for my appointment.

But on a less snotty note...

4 1/2: Number of weeks until we find out boy or girl! I was waivering, but today I got butterflies just thinking about finding out so soon. AND - for those who know I've been struggling - I had my first glimpse of excitement at the idea of either girl, or boy. Yes we all know I'm a terrible mother because I have expressed a preference for an irl-geh. But today I imagined finding out and watching Michael learn he's having another son, and realizing we'd have another little stinky boy running around, and I realized I can picture it, after all.

Now It's Time for Child #2 Updates

Since I let you know Matthew's still alive thought I'd share how the littlest Muldrow is doing/feeling.

Baby must be self-regulating a 9 p.m. bedtime cuz right about now every time, I just pass out.

Baby must be a real pig because it seems like I'm eating twice what I used to per meal - and twice as many meals. At this juncture, pretty sure baby's weighing in at a health 8.5 lbs. So THAT'S normal, right?

Baby, thankfully and in all seriousness, have very little chance of having Down's. Doctor convinced us to do this new early screening, which showed about 1 in 7,000ish chance of Down's, and 1 in 6,000ish chance for Trisomy 18, based on combined analysis of baby's neck thickness, and my blood work. This now means I don't have the quad screen at 18 weeks, which is weird because I had that for Matt. I don't know which two of the quad items I'm now missing? Not that I've researched this properly or anything - ah! Anyway, this one has less false positives, so that's how she roped me into it. Like most people, I wasn't intent on testing for things that wouldn't change my mind about having my baby (i.e. Down's).

I swear I feel baby moving, but that is MUCH more likely to be all the aforementioned food digesting. To me, they always felt the same. At least until the late stage soccer kicks started. I probably have 6-7 more weeks before I can really feel that baby. But oh geez, I can't wait.

Baby has decided some mornings I wake up feeling great and other weeks - as if to remind me baby still wears the pants in this relationship - I wake up exhausted, and sick to my stomach. It passes after I eat, and still no barfing; even if that continued all 9 months I'd count myself lucky.

Baby is apparently moody because I am definitely finding lately I can snap, like that. It's so hard to separate what's hormones from stress associated with planning for a bundle of joy ... like moving and financial planning. The bottom-line is this: husbands that don't lock the doors on us during our "low points" should be sainted or knighted, or something.

Last, another doctor appointment tomorrow, and so help me, I just realized they never left me a confirmation message, which means I could be in for another "Oh really? Because we didn't have you down..." escapade again tomorrow. This is NOT pregnancy brain, it's old receptionist lady incompetence! At least I figured it out before I'm in Chesterfield, with conference calls postponed, and anger mounting. Though, I do kinda feel like I could snap right now...

Good Appointment, Bad Appointment

Had my second doctor appointment today. Here are the reasons it was good:
1) Heard cute baby heartbeat of 170 BPM - you go, girl (or boy)!
2) Was happy with only 1 lb. weight gain despite the significant eat-a-thon that's been happening here
3) Doctor gave me the "you now are past the risk of miscarriage" green light
4) Doctor very happy I am "growing and doing great so far!!!"

Also she was in her Good Doctor mood today. (Sometimes, with Matthew's pregnancy, Crabby Doctor came instead and those appointments weren't as fun. They were much less smiley, and good jobby, and tended to center more around how I've gained too much weight. Sometimes the words "BMI" and "obese" were used.)

But here are the reasons today was not so good: actually, I can save space, it's really one big reason. THEY LOST MY APPOINTMENT AND SO I WAITED FOR ABOUT ONE AND HALF HOURS.

I was so impatient, I am surprised I didn't jump the counter and strangle the ditzy front desk lady (who I just know never put my appointment into the computer after she wrote out my appointment card last time) with her own phone cord. The whole time I'm sitting there reading this new magazine for women, Pink, all about high-powered careers. Thinking I won't have a medium or low-powered one if I couldn't get the hell outta there and back to my conference call.

Anyway - in life - all things in perspective. Please know I am thrilled with my appointment. Just, you know, not the 3 hours event it took to get me out there, wait and get to work. For the five minutes I spent with Good Doctor.

Neglect

Can it be 11 days since I last posted? Since then I have:

• Shifted back out of morning sickness, for the most part.
• Gained a solid 4 lbs (of what? does this grain of rice weigh four lbs?)
• Started feeling my stomach pooch out.
• Told a few more friends and co-workers.
• And begun neglecting every good eating habit I formed last year, in favor of second lunches and hourly snacks.

So far I'm just loving this. Yes, a bit tired, and feeling queasy and averse to certain foods and smells all days. Coffee is a lost BFF to me now. But it's really been so low key in terms of symptoms. One week of true morning sickness, and now it's just every third day or so that I feel bad.

I actually don't think about this pregnancy as much as I did every minute with Matthew. But, whenever I do, I'm loving my new "project" and the feeling that no matter how crappy a day goes, I've always got something better cooking. It makes all the juggling and craziness worthwhile, and seem manageable, and temporary.

Sex Prediction #1

Sorry, not the interesting kind. I just want to log my guesses this time. I have a feeling I'll change my mind a lot, like last time. Hopefulloy at the end I'll count them up and hopefully be at least 51% correct.

So because my friends Sarah and Cara both found out they're having girls ... that is just too many girls ... today I say BOY.