Monday, May 23, 2016

Lucky to be Coming Home Someday #microbloggingMonday

I was perusing my IVF#1 posts just now (delaying my walk) and came upon this post:

http://lifeaftert18.blogspot.com/2015/07/ivf-1-d22-you-are-my-only-one.html

I can't believe how down I was about the now-22 week complete marvel that is growing within me.

I know science, I do science daily, but sometimes I literally can't believe this baby was a frozen 100+ ball of cells on New Year's Day and now has a face, hands, long fingers and a perfect heart.

I find myself looking at kins and trying to savor his waning days as my only living child.

Science is a marvel, life is stunning.

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Jason Mraz, Lucky

P.S. I think after MONTHS of waiting, my huge work thing will have an answer- keep really deserving kids in your thoughts this week!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Bi-monthly Pregnancy Update: 22 weeks

How far along: 22 Weeks

Baby is the size of a:  Had a scan on Tuesday- baby is a huge for GA 1lb 2oz! Measuring more like the end of week 23!

Total weight gain: I'm a terrible pregnancy weight gainer. I lost a few ounces this week (and another pound during week 22- I'm writing this late)
Maternity clothes: Yes, I feel huge!

Week 22!


Stretch marks: No, and I didn't get any last time, so I am hoping that holds true. 
Sleep: Starting to use the pregnancy pillow- helping a bit. 
Best moment since last update: We had a wonderful scan on Tuesday- baby has a healthy heart!

Miss anything: Eating confidently. 
Movement: Yes! Full on bumps, rolls and taps now. 
Food cravings: meh. Not a fan of food
Anything making you queasy or sick: Anything. Totally random. Still throwing up most days. Also, heartburn is here. Good times 
Have you started to show yet: YES!


Sex: Girl.. but I had been thinking boy. Covering all my bases I guess

Labor signs: Not until at least 37 weeks please.
Belly button in or out: In, but has their weird lip on top. It's weird. 
Wedding rings on or off: On, I really hope they remain so but with a summer pregnancy, who knows. 
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, Happy
Looking forward to: Viability, so close! It is actually possible now to survive at 22 weeks. I read a paper on it, because I'm me. 

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Rhythm of my Heart

After a very looonnnnggggg scan, (almost 2 hours!) baby was cleared of any cardiac issues and any issues in general. Bottom line: healthy baby! We are overjoyed.

The scan started with a student doing the measurements, it was a blessing and a curse. It was nice to see the baby for so long, wiggling, hiccuping, crossing and uncrossing his/her feet. I was getting a bit panicked about the heart, since that was really what we were there for and there was a lot of time spent on it. Because she was so slow, when parts were measured, the measurements were on the screen for sometime. At one point the abdomen was measuring 2.5 weeks ahead which had me worried.

Eventually, the usual tech came in and took over. Much quicker (still a larger than normal abdomen but not that far ahead). Baby was in a bad position for cardic measurements and we were unable to get the baby to move. I went from side to side, used the bathroom and was poked and prodded. Eventually the doc was called in. She mentioned how the tech never gives up and this must be a very stubborn baby. Indeed, after some of the same tricks, I was told to go for a walk and come back in a few minutes. Fortunately, when I came back, baby had flipped over and measurements were obtained.

They put on the 3d scan for a bit and Suyra-Scott looks JUST like kins. It's amazing



There was a few times where the scanner went from referring to baby as he to she and then back to he. I'm very curious. We've agreed to call baby "he", so I'm wondering if it was a true slip! I know they measured the femur, and assume they could tell the gender from that view. I am hopeless at ultrasounds- at one point I was thinking the baby's brain looked weird than then they commented on the kidneys. Abdomen, head it's all the same to me apparently.

Oh rhythm of my heart is beating like a drum
with the words "I love you" rolling off my tongue

Rod Stewart, Rhythm of my Heart

Friday, May 6, 2016

Bi-monthly update: 20 Weeks

Bi-monthly update:  

How far along: 20 Weeks!!
Baby is the size of a:  A banana! I won't have a Suyra-Scott specific measurement until my heart scan at 21 + 6.
Total weight gain: I think I've added back 3-4 pounds of my 15 pound loss. I didn't weigh myself this morning though, so I can't be sure.
 
Maternity clothes: Yes, I feel huge!

This is 19 weeks with Kins


And 19 weeks with Surya-Scott! 

Stretch marks: No, and I didn't get any last time, so I am hoping that holds true. 
 
Sleep: I have some insomnia, and am getting up to pee
 
Best moment since last update: Our vacation, which was awesome.

Miss anything: Feeling well. I am just tired of being sick
 
Movement: Yes, fairly consistently now. Always low because of the stupid anterior placenta. 
 
Food cravings: yes, but then I throw up when I eat it.
 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Anything. Totally random. Still throwing up most days. Now my throat bleeds it's so raw. 
 
Have you started to show yet: YES!
 
Sex: Girl.. but I had been thinking boy. Covering all my bases I guess

Labor signs: Not until at least 37 weeks please.
 
Belly button in or out: In and fine. 
 
Wedding rings on or off: On, I really hope they remain so but with a summer pregnancy, who knows. 
 
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, Happy
 
Looking forward to: Heart scan in 2 weeks!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

V-a-c-a-t-i-o-n

Whoops. I fell off the blogging bandwagon.

My last post was about a day full of anxiety. It actually turned out to be one of the worst days of my life- and I've had some doozies. There is an outside chance everything will work out, but it is looking unlikely. My heart is broken for some very deserving people.

The next morning, we left the house at 4:00am and headed to Kins' very first flight. We spent just over a week in Texas. It was a long flight (for a toddler- 4 hours) but he was pretty well-behaved. We spent the first 2 days in Dallas and went to the Rangers game, a (private!) tour of the ballpark and the Dallas zoo- as well as a really fantastic lunch at this place- which you should check out if you're in the area! The Dallas zoo is excellent, we saw kolas, elephants, ocelots, zebras, kangaroos- as well as lots of other animals. Kins most liked the penguins.



After of time in Dallas, we flew to Houston and drove an hour to Galveston. This is a very New England feel beach, except the water is warm! The sand is kind of gritty, and the water is brownish and wavy- just like home. Honestly, we'll be back. It was wonderful. You can't expect Florida, but it's warm, the waves are high and the sand is awesome for sand castles! There were even surfers- if I wasn't pregnant, I would have taken a lesson (though if I wasn't pregnant I would have been on the cruise with my family).

We brought Kins to his very first water park, which was also somehow HUB's first water park as well. They both LOVED it. If you are even in Texas and near a Schlitterbahn waterpark- GO. It was expensive, but clean, fun and good for all ages/scare levels. Also, there is a lazy river/wave river/rapids river that goes around the whole park!


While away, we hit 18w6d and beyond. Bittersweet, even after having Kins. Surya-Scott has become very busy in there and I can feel him/her moving a lot. I have become huge. Clearly pregnant. Yay!