Seven Week Ultrasound

I never thought I'd say this...but Tuesday is quickly starting to become my favorite day of the week! Not only is that the day I get my vietnamese food fix (yes, every Tuesday...no exceptions, lol), but that's also the day we get to see how our little one is growing and hear that precious heartbeat of his! Totally makes my week! :)

So, I'm sure you're wondering how Peanut is doing and how that yucky clot is looking...well, I'm pleased to say I only have good news this week!  Yaaay!

Peanut is doing great and growing like a weed!  You can see in the pic I am posting below that he has definitely tripled in size since last week!  He is actually measuring 7W3D today (two days ahead), which puts him right back on track with my initial due date calculation of July 27th!  (We'll just stick with the 27th-29th for now, since the gestational age varies so much in the first trimester.)  His little heart was just a flickering away, and you could definitely tell that he has more of a defined "head" this week.  I'm completely, 100% in love with this baby...how can it possibly get any better than this??

As for that unwanted clot...it's almost completely gone!  Woohoo!  PTL!!  Dr T really had to search for it this morning, and once he found it, he was shocked to see how much it has shrank!  He recommends at least one more week of bed rest, just to be safe, and we'll check it out again next week and see if it's completely gone.  This means I may not have to spend Christmas in bed!  Sing it with me, folks: Happy dance, do the happy dance!  Oot, oot, do the happy dance!  This is above and beyond what I expected to hear this week, and it just further validates what we've been saying/trusting in all along...NOTHING is impossible with God!

Ok, so who wants to see Peanut's weekly photo op?  He'd better get used to posing and having his picture taken, because he has one photo-obsessed mommy! ;)

(Added bonus to this week's ultrasound pic: we recorded the heartbeat!  I have listened to it at least once an hour since this morning's appointment--okay, okay, maybe twice an hour--and couldn't wait to share this amaze-fest with my blog family!)

Here's the close up shot first...see how big he's gotten?!  He's gonna be a tall, skinny one, just like his daddy, lol.

Then here's the video...you can actually see the heart flickering!  Amaaaaazing!  I melt every time I listen to it!  (FYI: It may take a few minutes to buffer...sorry!)

Sweetest.  Sound.  EVER.  (Sigh)

So, once again, I just have to stop and praise God for his awesomeness!  I praise Him for this journey and all of the ups and downs along the way.  I praise Him for the constant peace, love, and comfort He has given us throughout it all.  I praise Him for His faithfulness in hearing our prayers and blessing us beyond belief.  I praise Him for using me to touch others and further His kingdom.  I praise Him for what He has already done and for what's to come.  Who's praising Him with me?? :)

Seven Weeks

You know what that means....time for another Pregnancy Progress update!

Symptoms:

-nausea (it seems to be worse towards dinner time and through the middle of the night...ugh)
-tired all the time, but yet I can't seem to nap!
-"bubble gut" (this is what I like to call gas...makes it sound more "cutesy" and not so disgusting, doesn't it? ;) )
-sore tah-tah's (the severity still varies day by day)
-stretching/pressure/ache in lower abdomen/groin
-achy joints (this seems to be a little better this week)
-stomach growling/feels empty even after I've just eaten (this makes me feel more nauseous, too)
-acid reflux/heartburn (I am prone to this already if I eat certain things, but now even water gives me indigestion)
-the weird dreams continue

Size of the Baby:

Blueberry (I goofed and said he was this size last week, when actually he was only the size of a sweet pea...oops!  Sorry, Peanut! Mommy loves you, and she's just so excited to know you're growing!)

Milestones/Happenings:

Peanut's face is starting to become a little more defined (where his eyes/ears will be), and the umbilical cord is forming this week.

Cravings:

(OMG...these are changing every minute!)

-macaroni and cheese (but I think I've reached my limit on this...now it's starting to turn my stomach)
-danish wedding cookies (these were one of my faves growing up, and I guess it'll be one of Peanut's, too!)
-vietnamese food (specifically pork and vermicelli...yum, yum!)
-cheese grits (thanks for satisfying this craving on a regular basis, GG!)
-sugary cereal
-fried foods (in small quantities only)
-pizza (haven't tried this yet, but I've been wanting it for a few days now)

Aversions: (Things Peanut does NOT like...found out the hard way!)

-catfish (which I usually love), and most seafood
-ginger ale
-chinese food (this was a craving last week, but after trying it...not so much)
-bananas
-salads (I sure hope this changes--I love a good salad!)
-some veggies (squash, tomatoes, etc...which I also could have scarfed down in mass quantity before)
-mexican (much to my dismay)
-coffee (the thought of it makes me want to gag)

Isn't it weird how our taste buds totally change in such a short period of time??  Before I was pregnant, I could watch Food Network and my mouth would start to water at pretty much everything on the screen.  But now, I get queasy looking at/thinking about most of the stuff they're cooking!  Sorry, Giada and Rachel...but y'all make me gag sometimes.  It's not your fault though, I promise! lol

So...who's excited for the ultrasound tomorrow???  Me!  Me!  Oh, oh, pick me!!  :)  I'm just praying that Peanut is growing right on track, his little heart is beating up a storm, and that this pesky clot is shrinking (or at least not getting any bigger)!  I'm trusting in the power of prayer and the knowledge that all things are possible with God!

Just Another Lazy Day...

Sorry I've been MIA, y'all!  But I promise Peanut and I are a-okay!

I'm still on bed rest, and I swear, I am more tired laying around doing nothing than I am when I'm out and about!  It seems like I have a small list of things I want to accomplish during the day (email a friend, crochet a hat, etc), but by the time night comes, I've accomplished nothing!  Man, how lazy am I?? lol

I've moved from the big fluffy chair to the bed, which actually is way more comfortable.  Especially since I have a huge hematoma on the right side of my tush (thanks to the shots), so it's nice to be able to lay in a position where it doesn't press on the sore cheek.  Not to mention, I have the whole king-sized bed and TV to myself, so I can spread out my gossip magazines and watch TLC and Food Network till my heart is content! ;)

I plan on posting my Pregnancy Progress update on Monday, since that's the day I actually turn seven weeks (making me 6W5D today---woohoo!), and then we have our next ultrasound Tuesday morning at 7am!  Please keep praying and stay tuned for more updates on Peanut! :)

Second Ultrasound

So, I've got great news, and I've got some not so great news.  Which one should we start with?  The "great"?  That's what I thought. ;)

(Drum roll, please...)

We were able to see AND hear Peanut's heartbeat this morning!  Ahhhhhh!  It sounded like a nice, strong "gallop"---definitely the most beautiful sound in the whole wide world!  Dr T didn't give me an exact number of beats per minute, but he was quite pleased with how things sounded and looked!  So was my hubby...I think he's already as in love with this little guy as I am!  Even though he's seen/heard fetal ultrasounds and heartbeats before (he used to work in an ER and Urgent Care), it is never the same as hearing YOUR child's heartbeat and seeing the little white flicker of their heart on the monitor!  Totally life-changing!

Peanut is measuring 6W1D (two days behind what I "calculated", but that was just a rough estimate), which is fantastic!  This makes my due date somewhere around July 29th--eek!.  As you can tell by the picture below, he (I'm assuming it's a boy until proven otherwise, lol) almost doubled in size already, and should continue to TRIPLE in size by the end of this week.  Isn't is amazing how fast they grow??

Here's my sweet little guy's snapshot for today...he's so photogenic, don't ya think?? :)

(By the way...yes, there is still only ONE Peanut in there!  Looks like it's a singleton pregnancy, folks!  But that's just fine with us!  Sorry to disappoint all of you guys who were betting on multiples! lol)

Ok, so now the "not so great" news...

I have a fairly large blood clot in my uterus, right above Peanut's gestational sac.  This is more than likely the source of my bleeding/spotting from last week.  It's called a subchorionic hematoma (or blood around the chorion, which is the space between the placenta and the uterus), and it occurs in about 1% of all pregnancies.

This clot came from a tear in the side of my uterus, but the exact cause is unknown.  Our only speculations are that a) it occurred during implantation,  b) there was a second sac (twin) that was developing earlier on and tore away from the uterine wall, or c) something happened to Peanut and his/her sac pulled away from the uterus, causing it to bleed.  No matter how it happened, the important thing is that it's already clotting up and not actively bleeding (PTL!).

When I asked how large it was, Dr T said, "Large enough to raise some concern".  (Oh, gee, thanks, Dr T!)  Although he didn't give me an exact measurement, it appears to be about the size of Peanut's sac at this point.  His concern is that the clot will completely pull away from the uterine wall, and in doing so, take Peanut with it (since it's on top of the sac).  In order to prevent this, he took me off of my Baby Aspirin and ordered me to be on (you guessed it) bed rest.  I am to stay on bed rest for as long as it takes my body to reabsorb the clot (which can be weeks or months), OR until he deems it small enough for me to safely move around.  I will go back for another u/s next Tuesday at 7am, and then weekly until the issue is resolved.

Dr T made me feel a little better by saying that 90% of women with SCH's (that's the abbreviation for it) go on to heal and have normal pregnancies.  He said that usually the 10% of those that miscarry are usually women who "do too much" and don't stick to their bed rest.  Trust me, I'm going to be a good patient and follow the doctor's orders! Anything for my little miracle! ;)

So that's the news for the day, guys!  I am trying my hardest to focus on the positive (Peanut's amazing heartbeat and growth!), and give all of my worries to the Lord!  My prayer is that He protects this tiny life, continues to grow him to be healthy and strong, and that He will shrink this clot and the worry associated with it.  I am confident that God has allowed this unexpected hurdle to arise in my path for a reason, and that He will help me to clear it and continue on down this road to Mommyhood!  No matter what happens, to God be the glory, for great things He has done!

Six Weeks

(Well, technically, I'm 6W1D, but whose counting?? ;) )

Another week down, and still going strong!  There haven't been any big changes since Friday's post (although the spotting has almost completely stopped--PTL!), but I wanted to continue on with my Pregnancy Progress posts, so here's the weekly update!

Symptoms:

-occasional waves of nausea (whether I eat or not), but no vomiting (yet)
-mild pressure/dull cramps every now and then (not lasting long)
-sore/swollen tah-tah's (the severity of this fluctuates every day)
-bloating after eating even small meals
-feeling "empty", even after I just ate ( my stomach is constantly growling!)
-lots of saliva...like you have before you throw up (gross, I know)
-fatigue
-restlessness
-lower backache (although not nearly as bad)
-sore joints (knees/hips/ankles)
-frequent urination
-very weird dreams that usually involve food (example: a few nights ago, I was with the cast of the "Wizard of Oz", but we were here in town instead of Munchkin Land and stopped off for BBQ before following the "yellow brick road", which happened to be one of our main highways)

Size of the Baby:

Sweet Pea (he/she is now 10,000 times bigger than they were at fertilization!  Wow!)

Milestones/Happenings:

Peanut now has a brain, folks!  As if that's not exciting enough, his/her heart should start beating (if it's not already) sometime this week!  It's arms and legs will also start to form this week, making it look a little more like a baby and less like a tadpole.  The yolk sac that we saw on the u/s last Wednesday will keep feeding Peanut until the placenta takes over, which will be some time around nine to twelve weeks.  

Cravings: (I wanted to add this part, since it's changing all the time, and some of them are pretty odd)

-cereal (Apple Jacks and Cocoa Puffs)
-asian food (hibachi, vietnamese, chinese, cooked sushi--it doesn't matter!)
-ramen noodles
-cheezits
-diet coke (I allow myself one of these a day, but don't always drink it all)
-pickles (not alone---I like to add extra to my Chik-Fil-A sandwich and chili dogs and whatnot)

(I know...totally unhealthy food choices, aren't they??  I hope this changes soon, because I'm usually a pretty "smart" eater!  But if Peanut wants it, Peanut gets it! Hehehe...)

I still don't think it's totally sank in yet that I'm pregnant, but I don't think it will till I start to show and then feel him/her moving around in there!  I have to remind myself whenever I start to feel puny that it's "normal" and all due to our tater tot growing rapidly inside me!  What an amazing experience!

Our next u/s is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 7am (when we should hopefully see the heartbeat--eek!), so please stay tuned till then!