Team Pink wins!!!

Well, if the subtle changes to the blog aren't obvious enough- IT'S A GIRL!!
We found out that we are having a girl when we went to the specialist on Thursday. I didnt post anything immediately because we were going to NC the next day and wanted to share the news with everyone face to face.
I bought several pink onsies and wrapped them up as "early Christmas presents". Since everyone was expecting a Christmas gift and not really thinking about a onsie or the gender of our baby, it took them a while to catch on (some longer than others-Lani), but they eventually got the idea. The reactions were quite varied- all the way from squealing and dancing to slight profanity and "you lied to me". In the end everyone was very excited to have a new baby girl in the family.
I head back to the dr in a week, so hopefully I"ll have new pix for you then!

We saw the specialist today and my placenta is about 1 cm away from my cervix now, which is better than placenta previa (when the placenta is covering the cervix). So, we are very excited!!! He says the placenta is still really low and not "stuck" to my uterus really well, but he is not extremely worried. He thinks that the "low lying placenta" will correct itself as my body grows/expands (sounds lovely).
This is literally our first dr. visit without getting a new, frightening diagnosis. I love good news!
I saw my regular dr. after that and she said that I can return to work on Monday, but with several restrictions. Basically I should sit at my desk and only leave to use the restroom. I should work a max of 8 hours/day and then come home to take it easy. So, I"m off bed rest (hallelujah), but still on pelvic rest-no lifting, standing for long periods, walking, excercising, etc. After 5 straight weeks of bed rest, I must say that I'm actually looking forward to going back to work. I think it will be good for me to rejoin the world and give me something other than daytime TV to pass the time.
Like all good things, my life of leisure has come to an end....

18 weeks now and 22 weeks to go (maybe)!!!

I'm pretty excited to be at the 18-week mark because I'm telling myself I"m about half way! Yes, I know pregnancy is 40 weeks...but considering the amount of complications I've had and the placenta previa, I"m thinking I'll never make it to 40 weeks. If the placenta previa doesnt correct itself then I will have a C-section and that will probably be scheduled at 36 weeks. So, I really could be about half way there. I dont want it to sound like I am rushing this pregnancy. I am happy and feel blessed to have a healthy baby, but I will say this pregnancy has not been easy. I have convinced myself that this baby is going to be a breeze once it gets here since it has taken us on such a roller coaster in the womb. :)
Here's what is going on with baby & me at 18 weeks: I am doing pretty well, just battling some off and on nausea. I 'm having such a hard time regulating my eating. I'll feel full one minute and literally 15 minutes later it seems like I"m starving. It is the weirdest thing. On top of that my cravings have kind of taken a break and been replaced with me not being able to think of anything that sounds good. When it is time to eat, I just dont feel like it b/c nothing sounds good. I can't think of one thing that I want to eat. So, I don't eat which results in nausea and I'm back where I started- lovely cycle, huh?
As for the baby:
Baby's become amazingly mobile, passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements (still waiting on that).
Your baby will get used to familiar sounds, such as your heart beating, familiar voices, blood rushing through the umbilical cord and other daily routine sounds. Your baby will become startled if he hears a loud sound. Baby becomes sensitive to light now, as the eyes are further developed and the brain is growing very fast.


We head to the specialist this afternoon, so I should have a new update for you soon!

Still no fluttering.....I was hoping I would feel the baby move by now, but no such luck. I figured I might be able to feel the baby move pretty early on since I am on never-ending bed rest. What else do I have to do??? Well, no movement from the baby so far....

Bed rest definitely brings its ups and downs. Some days I feel lucky to be able to rest so much and give this babe every chance to grow and grow w/o me having to rush around and stress so much at work. Other days these 4 walls feel like they are literally closing in on me. There are so many things I think of that I would like to do- fun things out of the house and even projects around the house. But, I can do none of them. It feels like the world is out having fun without me while the minutes slowly tick by in this house. Today was one of those days that passed so slowly and made the house feel like the perfect location for a pity party for one. But, in the grand scheme of things all is well and I'm sure tomorrow will be a much brighter day! :)

We go back to the dr. on Thursday and hope to get another look at the baby and my placenta. As of now there have been no more complications, soooo I plan on returning to work on next Monday, 11/22. I am anxious about returning to work b/c I dread the daunting task of facing 6 weeks worth of work that has piled up, but I think it will also be good for me to return to real world. Plus, I will only work 2 days and then it will be time for our Thanksigiving break. I can do anything for 2 days!

On a positive note- the baby is 17 weeks and the size of an onion!

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.The baby's weight will increase approximately six times over the next four weeks.

Here's a new picture of the baby. To the left of the picture is the baby's profile and then the baby's abdomen. You can see his/her ribs and spine pretty clearly.

Larry and I went to see the specialist yesterday and he did not see the subchorionic hemmorhage that my dr. thought she saw. He said the placenta is still really low and I do have placenta previa. The funny thing is while the dr. was showing me my placenta the baby's foot was kicking the placenta the entire time. We could see the foot clear as day stomping on my placenta.
The good news is that placenta previa doesnt seem to cause any great danger to the baby. He thinks it may correct itself before time for delivery, but if it does not I will need a c-section. If a c-section is the worst case scenario for this pregnancy, I will be thrilled. We have had so many scares in the last 16 weeks, a c-section seems like a walk in the park. :) I go back to see the specialist next Thursday, 11/18. He wants to keep an eye on the placenta as the pregnancy progresses.
As soon as we started the ultrasound the nurse asked us if we wanted to find out the gender. Of course I answered "YES". I told her my dr. tried the week before and the baby would not cooperate, she confidently replied- "oh, we'll find out". She tried for over 20 minutes to no avail. Every time she got the baby in the right position, he/she would do a flip. This is not even an exaggeration. He/She flipped EVERY time the nurse tried to look. I'm starting to see a pattern here: the baby defiantly refuses to show us the gender and kicks/stomps on my placenta as the dr. is pointing it out. Should I be worried about a problem with authority????
As far as returning to work.....The specialist and my dr. said that I can not return to work until I have 2 weeks without any complications. So, that means I would be able to return to work Monday, 11/22 if no other complications pop up (just in time to work 2 days before the Thanksgiving break). But, this pregnancy seems to change by the minute. So, stay tuned.....

Just got a call from my dr. and I have an appointment with the specialist at 3:00 on Monday (11/8). Hopefully I'll have an update then.....
I was just telling Larry that I hoped our appointment would be early in the week so I wouldnt have to wait all week to get more information. Perfect!!!

the life of a "kept" woman continues... :)

-Well, there was no tie breaker for team blue vs. team pink today...The baby was a polite little student during the ultrasound. It sat crisscross applesauce with BOTH hands in its lap, covering the "goods". We tried to get it to move and all it did was extend its legs, while keeping the ankles crossed the whole time. There are two schools of thought on this: 1.of course its a girl, she sat politely with her hands in her lap the whole time (my thought) OR 2.of course its a boy, he was scratching and playing down there the whole time (Larry's thought). Looks like we'll be waiting another month to find out.
-The placenta looks better this time, but the dr. can not completely rule out placenta previa yet....
-Dr. B did see a spot during the ultrasound that looks like a subchorionic hemorrhage. I dont know a lot about this, but from what I can tell it is when there is bleeding between the placenta and uterus. It sounds like the prognosis can vary based on the size of the bleeding spot, my age, an the baby's gestational age. It could end up being something that regresses and is no major concern. The other, more severe outcomes could be: the placenta stripping away from where it is attached, placenta abruption, or preterm labor. My doctor is sending me to a specialist at Atlanta Perinatal to have a 2nd set of eyes check it out. I will find out when my appointment will be tomorrow, but most likely it will be next week.
I am on bed rest at least until I see the specialist and hear what he has to say....so, I will live the life of a "kept" woman at least one more week. :)