Sixteen Week Appointment

I'm here, I'm here...sorry to keep you guys waiting for an update!

Today has been a long, busy day...started out with a migraine last night that kept me up all night (unfortunately, it's still with me...ugh).  Then my husband's cousin finally went into labor (at forty-one weeks) in the middle of the night, so after my appointment this morning, my MIL and I rushed over there to see her and the baby...only to find out that the hospital wasn't allowing visitors that weren't "immediate family", so we had to settle for seeing Mr. Cutie Pie through the nursery window.  By the time we got home, I was just exhausted, so I had to have a little down time.  But now that I've gotten a second wind, it's update time! :)

Our appointment this morning was (once again) uneventful, which I count as a blessing!  Dr S was happy with my weight gain (I've gained about two and a half pounds so far) and blood pressure (which was just a tad bit elevated last time--probably due to being on bed rest/almost no activity for so long).  I had my blood drawn for the Cystic Fibrosis screening and Quad screen (which checks for traits of Downs Syndrome); those results should be back within a week or so.

Then I got to hear my beautiful Peanut's heartbeat...ahhhhh.  That never gets old!  He/she behaved very well and was easy to find (smack dab in the middle of my belly button and pubic bone), and the heart beat was just a-going in the 150's (which further supports my guess that Peanut's a girl ;) ).  The nurse who did the fetal doppler was very pleased with how things sounded, which of course, makes for a happy Mommy!

I went ahead and made our twenty-week appointment (when we get to have another ultrasound---yay!) for a month out (March 12th), which just happens to be my hubby's birthday!  I can't think of a better birthday treat than to get to see our little Nutter-Butter in action, can you?  (Okay, maybe a delicious chocolate cake...but we can get that anytime! Uh oh...now I want some chocolate cake...lol.)

So, now that this busy day is complete, it's time to relax, eat some sketti my fave MIL made for us (thanks, GG!), and try to get rid of this blasted headache!  But, in case you aren't keeping track of our latest countdown...there's only forty-five hours and fifteen minutes until our big ultrasound!!! EEEEEK!

Sixteen Weeks

Wow...has it really been four months already??  I guess having longer to wait in between doctor's appointments makes time go by quicker, because I feel like I was just twelve weeks and going to see Dr S for the first time!  At this rate, I have a feeling July is going to come very quickly...and I'm okay with that!  I'm already anxious to meet our little Peanut! :)

Next Tuesday at 9am, we have our second appointment with Dr S, where we will listen to the heartbeat and then take some blood for routine genetic screening.  This should be a pretty basic "in and out" appointment, but it's always nice to hear that tiny heart "galloping" away and be reassured that everything is progressing as it should be!

So, what's Mister (or Miss) Peanut been up to this week?  Let's check it out!

Symptoms:

-nausea (this has come back with a vengeance the last two days, but still no vomiting---PTL!)
-low backache
-achy hips/legs
-restlessness (this drives me bonkers...I am usually up 3-4 times a night to potty, and then I can't go back to sleep...grrrr)
-fatigue (the restlessness doesn't help this, obviously!)
-dull cramps
-short, sharp pains in groin every now and then (I'm thinking this must be my round ligaments stretching as Peanut grows)
-INTENSE hunger (just talking about being hungry makes me hungry...this kid must be a human garbage disposal like his Daddy! lol)

Size of Baby:

Avocado (4.5-5 inches long and 3.5-4 ounces)

Milestones/Happenings:

Peanut is starting to listen to my voice more and should be able to recognize it once he/she arrives! He also might get startled by loud noises (which should be interesting once I can actually feel him moving).

His eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair are all growing (or continuing to grow) in this week, and baby fat is starting to accumulate to keep him nice and warm once he joins us in July!

Food Cravings:

-RIBS!!!! (Luckily, the hubs and I are going on a double date with some sweet friends of ours tonight, and I plan on indulging in this craving!  Make some room, Peanut!! lol)

-Burger King sweet tea (I don't know why theirs is the best, but I crave it daily and let myself have a small one most days)

-chicken tenders and french fries (this is horrible, isn't it??  Ugh...but they're soooo good!)

Food Aversions:

None (right now).  If it's food, I'll eat it!  Or at least give it a shot! ;)

Belly Pic:

Still not a whole lot of noticeable growth happening yet, but I'm confident I'll "pop" any day now!

Now I'm off to work on some decorations for the Gender Reveal Party!  I hope everyone has a fab weekend, and I'll check in after my appointment Tuesday to let you know how the ole' Peanut-ster's doing!

T-Minus Nine Days!

Ahhhhh!  It's getting closer!  Technically, we'll have The Big Ultrasound in exactly one week from today, but our party isn't until that Saturday.  To tell you the truth, as excited as I am to know what we're having (and I'm pretty stinkin' excited), I can't wait for this party!  As selfish or sneaky as this may sound, with the long process of infertility and IVF (and blogging about every detail), the hubs and I haven't had a lot of "secrets" that we can find out together and keep to ourselves for a few days, so I feel like this party satisfies that need for a "Surprise!" moment.  Now...I sure do hope Peanut cooperates next Thursday, or else we're going to have to turn the gathering into a "Happy Seventeen-Week Pre-Birthday" party! lol

So, while we wait for the Big Reveal, I want to take a moment and praise God again for this opportunity He has given me.  Not just to be Peanut's Mommy (which is amazing in itself!), but also to be able to share this journey with you guys.  Although I like to share pregnancy updates and Peanut's progress, this blog is really not about me.  It is 100% about giving the Lord the praise for what He has done in my life, and to encourage others to stay faithful while they figure out His will for their lives.

I pray daily that God use me and our infertility story to His glory, and just when I think I'm at a standstill (meaning I feel like maybe no one is reading or getting anything out of my posts anymore), the Lord opens the door for me to be able to share His love and faithfulness with yet another person. Every time this happens, I have to stop and thank Him for allowing me to be a light for Him...a light that may otherwise never be seen.  It is such an awesome feeling to be able to share God's unconditional love and perfect plan with others---it just blows my mind!

I read this message in my Celebration of Life devotional the other day, and felt like God wanted me to use it in my next post.  Then, upon speaking with a friend of mine from back home that is having struggles of her own, I knew this message was meant to be shared!  It's entitled "Our Greatest Refuge"...

"God is our greatest refuge.  When every earthly support system fails, God remains steadfast, and His love remains unchanged.  When we encounter life's inevitable disappointments and setbacks, God remains faithful.  When we suffer losses that leave us breathless, God is always with us, always ready to respond to our prayers, always working in us and through us to turn tragedy into triumph....Even during life's most difficult days, God stands by us.  Our job, of course, is to return the favor and stand by Him."

The verse that goes with it is Hebrews 10:36: "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised."

Wow.  I mean, really.  I hope that blesses you as much as it did me!

I also hope that God allows me to continue to share my journey (of both my faith and infertility battles---although don't they really go hand in hand?) with you all for as long as He sees fit.  Thank y'all for continuing to check on Peanut and I, for continuing to pray for us, and for continuing to bless me through your comments/emails/texts...I am truly blessed and extremely grateful! :)

Fifteen Weeks...

...and still going strong!  Praise the Lord for allowing us to get this far and enjoy this amazing journey!  I can't believe that in just twenty-five weeks (give or take a few) we'll be welcoming our little Peanut into the world!  Ahhhhh!

Speaking of Peanut...let's see what he/she has been up to this week!

Symptoms:

-nausea (this has been not as frequent this week---woohoo!)
-bloating/gassiness (especially after eating...which I do a lot of! lol)
-insatiable appetite
-on and off headaches...almost every day now
-fatigue
-achy hips/back/lower abdomen (Peanut must be hitting a growth spurt again!)
-stuffy/bloody nose
-light headedness (mainly when standing up)

Size of Baby:

Navel Orange (4-4.5 inches and roughly 2.5 ounces)

Milestones/Happenings:

Peanut's hair is starting to come in on that noggin of his (or hers).  But, if he's anything like my brothers and I, the poor thing will be bald for the first two years of his life! lol  I'm praying he takes after his Daddy and has at least a little fuzzy blonde hair when he's born! ;)

Some women may start to feel their babies move around this time (that might include "flutters, flops, bubbles popping, popcorn popping", etc), but that's usually women who have had a baby before and know what to expect.  I can't wait to feel little Peanut moving around in there!  Eek!!

Food Cravings/Aversions:

All I can say about this right now is don't mention food around me, or I'm going to start craving whatever it is you mentioned!  Tacos, donuts, chips, chicken, soup, Outback Bloomin' Onion (thanks, Amber! ;) )...it really doesn't matter to me at this point!  My mouth starts watering, my stomach starts growling, I get sick to my stomach because I'm so hungry, and I've gotta have it (even if it's just a bite)! From the looks of things nowadays, I'm guessing Peanut's NOT going to be a picky-eater! lol

Belly Pic:

I can't tell too much of a difference in the size of The Bump this week, but it does look a little pointier to me.  That must be Peanut's long legs poking out already! ;)

Ooooohtay, time for more cleaning and organizing!  By the time Peanut gets here, there won't be ANY clutter in my house---I'm making sure of that! lol  I pray you all have a fun (and safe!) Superbowl weekend!

Two More Weeks!

That's right...in just two weeks from today, we'll finally get to find out whether we have a little boy or girl Peanut growing in this belly of mine! (My husband insists if it's a girl, we should change the nickname to "Peanutette" or something more feminine, lol) Anyway, I am beyond excited!

Since I'm a huge plan-ahead-er, I already have the big details (furniture, bedding, room accessories, stroller, car seat, etc) all picked out and/or saved on registries.  (Did you expect anything less? lol)  Of course, I'll have to wait until we know the gender to start clothes shopping (gender-neutral stuff all looks the same from store to store, if you ask me) and picking out hair accessories or ball caps.  All I'm waiting on is the word "boy" or "girl" and I'm going to be permanently rooted at our local Babies R' Us, Carters, and other baby boutiques!  I can't wait to fill up Peanut's closet with itty bitty outfits!  Eek!!!

So, it seems the only minor detail (let me rephrase that: HUGE DECISION) we're falling short on is...

THE NAME!!!  

Now, don't get me wrong.  I  have a name of lists for each sex (ok...I'll admit...I've had this list for a long time), and I periodically will go through and weed out the ones that make me go, "What was I thinking adding this to the lists??"  Overall, there are a few top contenders on both lists...names that I just can't get out of my head or that I can just picture us calling our little one.  The only hold-up with deciding on a definite name for either gender is my crazy (but still oh-so-endearing) husband!  He is insistent that we wait until we know if Peanut's a "he" or a "she" before he will even discuss the matter.  In his words, deciding on a boy AND girl name is "double the work".  Yes, you read that right...double the work.  LOL  He says since there's only one baby, we only need one name.  So why don't we just wait until we know for sure what the baby's gender is and then focus all of our attention on picking the perfect name?  I know, he sort of has a point, doesn't he?  But, let me tell ya, this Mommy doesn't care about doing a little extra name-picking work...she just wants to have it decided already! lol  But oh well...I only have to wait two more weeks, right?? (Twiddling my thumbs...;) ) 

While we wait, why don't you all fill me in on what YOU think Peanut's name should be?  Send me those comments/emails/etc!  I can't wait to hear your thoughts! 

Before I sign off for the night and head to the kitchen to start dinner, I wanted to share another PTL moment with you all!  It actually doesn't have to do with Peanut and I, but instead, it's regarding some of those folks I asked you guys to be praying for.  I won't go into detail about their situations, but I wanted to let you know that God is hearing our prayers and working in their lives!  Faith is growing, hearts are being poured out to the Lord, God's plan is slowly being revealed, and miracles are in the beginning stages!  Thank you, Father, for your love, blessings, and patience...and thank you, prayer warriors, for lifting them (and us) up to the Lord!