Week 20....

Week 20, Yeah my little bun is halfway done! This was a busy, interesting, scary week for Keith and I.  The week started out fine, I was feeling a little better and was able to clean our room and was maintaining my weight. Wednesday night I was feeling well enough to go to woman’s bible study ay my cousin Laura’s house, which was wonderful to get out of the house and socialize.  I went to bed Wed night feeling my normal nauseas self. Thursday morning I woke up between 12:30-1am with the most excruciating pain in my stomach that I have ever felt.  Keith had fallen asleep on the couch with the puppies, so it took about 20 minutes of my screaming to wake him up. He tried moving my body into different positions to try an alleviate some of the pain, but it was useless, nothing helped.  By 2:00am I started vomiting every time I tried to move.  Thankfully all the commotion woke up the baby and he started to kick around, so I have the peace of mind that he was still alive, it was all very scary.  The pain didn’t really subside at all and the vomiting progressed until I was vomiting around ever 30 minutes.  Keith thought that it might be really bad gas pain, so I didn’t want to go to the ER if that’s all it was and it would subside on its own.  We waited until 5:00am and called my Mommy, She thought I might have food poisoning and my dad thought I had the flu.  We decided we would wait until my OB/GYN’s office opened at 9 and we would call her, waiting that long might not have been the smartest thing. As soon as it was 9:00am I was on the phone with the OB office only to find out that my doctor was out of town all week, just my luck.  The doctor that was filling in told us that we need to get to Labor & Delivery at Mercy Hospital right away and she would meet us there. Sitting up was very painful so the car ride there was not very pleasant.  Parking was all full so we ended up on the 5^th floor of the parking garage, I’m still not sure how I walked all the way to the main desk to get a wheelchair. Thankfully the nurse that checked us into my room knew exactly what was wrong with me, the latest strain of the flu!  She had just return to work from being home with it, apparently it was accompanied by intense stomach crapping. I was very dehydrated with keytones showing in my urine so they got me hooked up to an IV right away, which made me start to feel better within an hour. They did blood work, an ultrasound, and a few other tests just to make sure everything else was fine, and it was! I was sent home after 6 hours with a diagnosis of the flu, a common cold, low potassium, and dehydration. As soon as we got home Keith helped me get into bed and I slept until the next morning, only waking to drink and pee.  I am so thankful for the amazing husband that God gave me in Keith; he was so amazing throughout the whole ordeal. He was up with me all through the night, taking care of me, he never left my side.  As scary as the day was, it gave me such confidence in the Labor & Delivery nurses and my incredible husband.  I know that in 20 week when we go to deliver our baby boy that we will be in great hands.

Friday, even though I wasn’t feeling great I decided that I needed to go into work.  It was the end of the month and there was a lot that needed to get done before billing could go out on March 1^st. We left work early to head back up to Mercy to get another ultrasound of the baby; they still needed good images of his heart.  He doesn’t like to hold still long enough for the techs to get a clear image of his heart, this was our third try. Thankfully he decided to cooperate this time and we got a clear bill of health for our little man. :) While we were there the doctor took a 3D image of him, it looks so amazing!  I am positive that he is going to come out looking like a Raber.

The last few days have been going pretty smoothly, I still have all of my normal symptoms…nausea, heartburn, headaches, and backaches. My abdomen is very sore from the flu and vomiting, to it hurts to bend, turn, or laugh, but I’m sure that it will feel better soon.  I have come to terms with the fact that I am going to feel icky for the next few months; it will all be worth it when I get to hold my baby boy.  

Baby Daniel: The ultrasound tech said that he is measuring perfectly at around 11” inches from head to toe and weights around 13oz.  He has been kicking up a storm and now I am able to tell his sleep patterns.  His most active time is between 7-9pm, right when I am trying to go to sleep. He also reacts almost instantly to sugar, if I eat a piece of candy He’ll be kicking within a minutes, it’s so cute! Keith has been able to feel him kick almost every night this week; he thinks it’s the greatest feeling in the world.  Every night he crawls into bed with me and puts his hand on my belly until he can feel the baby kicking or rolling.     

My little karate kid

Well here I am at 20 weeks, halfway done!! I just wanted to quick write a re-cap of week 19.

Week 19 was a big week for us. I had another check up with my OB and alas I still have not gained a single once, but she assured me that our little guy is growing strong and healthy.  She did refill my anti-nausea pills, which is a huge blessing, I don’t think that I could function at all without them. This week I was pretty sick even with the aid of the medication, I had a hard time eating and keeping food down.  Unfortunately we are pretty sure now that I will be suffering with illness throughout the pregnancy, although we are hopeful that it will start to ease up the further along we get.  The most exciting thing that happened last week was that I felt the baby kick for the first time!!!  I think I skipped the “butterfly” stage because what I feel are definitely kicks; a few times he has kicked so hard that we can see them.  He seems to be most active at night and makes it difficult for me to fall asleep because he is moving around too much, but I love every minute of it! It really is one of the most amazing experiences.   

Name: this past week we finally settled on a name, our baby boys will be called…..Daniel Robert Richards! Isn’t it just the sweetest name! :) Keith and I went back and forth a few times on the name but last week we had 2-3 confirmations that we chosen the perfect name.  

Weeks 17 & 18

Well, yet again I have neglected to update my blog.  My brain is so far from functioning most days that the contemplation of composing enough thoughts to create a blog entry seams daunting. I really feel bad though because it’s been a few weeks and much has happened.

 I went to my week 16 check up at my OB/GYN’s and finally I didn’t lose weight!! It was the first time since I started going to my prenatal appointments, so it felt like a massive milestone! It was nice all of the nurses cheered with me after my weigh-in, and my doctor had a smile for the first time.  NO HOME IV’S!!! I lost 13% of my total body weight.

Weeks 17 & 18: not much changed during those weeks, I still felt sick most of the day, but only had a few vomiting episodes.  I started to have a little bit more energy, which was great.  I started folding all of the laundry for Keith to help a little with the household tasks; I even put a few loads away!  It was the first time in 4 months that I felt that I remotely helping Keith with something. I also spent a lot of time researching Hyperememis and participating in a few online forums.  It’s been great to talk to other women going through this, for once I feel like someone understands exactly what I am going through. I started to try and use the hyperemeis survival guide which has also helped, http://www.hyperemesis.org/downloads/survival-guide.pdf . Doing research has really helped me with all of the guilt I’ve been feeling and my depression.

At the end of week 17 we had an ultrasound to check up on Baby Richards health and find out the gender. The ultrasound went well, however the baby would not hold still it took almost an hour for the tech to get all of the photos and measurements that she needed.  So of course the baby was stubborn about letting us see their gender, but we finally got a good look and we are having a……………….BABY BOY!!! Keith was so cute, he walked around for a week say” I’m going to have a SON!!!” He is pretty ecstatic.   

The weekend of Feb 5^th my best friend Maria and her husband Eric came to visit and spend the night.  She made to most delicious meal and I was able to eat it with no aversion, which doesn’t happen very often. We had a wonderful time catching up and watching movies, my social life has been nonexistent for the last 4 months so it was great just to spend quality time with friends. The weekend did poop me out and it took a few days of afternoon naps to recuperate, but it was well worth it.

Week 15 recap

It’s been another interesting week.  I had my doctor’s appointment on Jan 18, and unfortunately I lost another 1-1/2 pounds.  Bringing my total weight loss to 17-1/2 pounds.  I felt like a baby when I stepped on the scale at my doctors only to find out that I lost more weight and starting balling my eyes out, pregnancy hormones! Thankfully my OB/GYN is giving me another week to try and gain some weight; I have my appointment tomorrow, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. If I cannot gain weight I’ll be hooked up to home IV’s by the end of the week, which sounds awful!

Other pregnancy symptoms for the week.  The heartburn has been out of control; anything I eat seems to give me heartburn. This week I also started with a stuffy nose, my body is producing crazy amounts of mucus, and getting a bloody nose from blowing so much.  I have also been ridiculously and unreasonably emotional, I cry at the drop of a hat, my poor, poor husband. The round ligament pains are starting to get a little annoying, ever time I cough or sneeze it really hurts.  Is it normal to sneeze 50 times a day while pregnant? I sneeze ALL OF THE TIME, for no apparent reason. I very rarely sneezed before I got pregnant, and it was only when I walked out into the sun or was in a dusty room.  Due to the increase in blood I’ve been getting a lot of headaches, I missed two days of work last week, the combination of nausea and headache made me not get out of bed.  On a good note, the awful metallic taste is getting better; I only woke up with it 2 or 3 times last week.

My belly is getting a little bigger each week; people are starting to notice it. :) I’m am wearing my “fat jeans” a size 6 which are to big so I have to wear a soft belt.  My regular jeans fit but are just a bit to tight around my belly now, so I have put them away until after baby Richards gets here.  I hope that I be able to fit into them again. All the weight that I have lost has been in my legs, butt, shoulders, and arms, however my chest and belly just keep growing.  I really need to get to a store to get a new bra but the thought of having to go shopping is an awful one.  Thanks to the Hyperemisis and bed rest my muscles are so weak that I can’t stand or walk for more than a few minutes.  Each week I’m losing more and more of my strength, this week flushing the toilet has become hard.  On Friday I stayed home from work and Keith left me with a few bottles of vitamin water to drink during the day, the only problem was he didn’t open them for me and I couldn’t do it be myself.  It’s pretty frustrating.

Baby update:  Well I keep waiting to feel those first little movements, but nothing yet. The baby is around 4to 4-1/2 inches long and weighs around 3 ounces right now. According to all of my books that baby can now sense light and dark, they suggest putting a flashlight against your belly.  I plan on trying that this week, maybe I’ll get some movement. :)    

Week 14...Doctors visit.

14 weeks!  It’s hard to believe that I’ve been sick for over two months now; I’ve lost a total of 16 pounds so far.  As I looked in the mirror yesterday and saw how skinny I’m getting.  I can’t believe that for most of my life I weighed less than 100 pounds, my poor parents… I thought I looked good but I must have been nothing but a sack of bones. I weigh 15 more pounds then when Keith and I started dating 5 years right now, and I can see almost ever rib and have chicken legs. I wonder what he found to be so attractive about me. Haha.

Well this has been another week that I have spent the majority of my time in bed.  I had an OBG/YN appointment on Tuesday, Jan 11^th, where I had to step on the dreaded scale. I hate scales, especially when they read that I have lost another 5-1/2 pounds since my last appointment less then 3 weeks earlier. I took my Mom with me for moral support and so that she could hear the baby’s heartbeat, which was the best idea I had all day.  It was nice to have someone with me and her face was priceless when she heard the baby.  My doctor is growing more and more concerned with my condition and weight loss, she has given me 1 week, until Jan 18^th, to gain at least 1 pound.  Mommy took me to get a chocolate milkshake after my appointment, and I kept it down!  The doctor also doubled the prescription for my anti-nausea meds as well as giving me an additional medication, I’ve been taking them for the last few days and I’m not sure if they are helping…. all I can feel are the side effects, dizziness and fatigue.  Yesterday I was home from work by 11:30 and slept until 6:15 this morning. To be awake and sick or to be asleep and oblivious….

Baby Update: Baby Richards is now the size of a “lemon”! He or she is measuring between 3-1/2 and 4 inches and weights around 2 ounces. A few of this week’s big developments are that the baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his/her thumb!  The baby is also starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over their little body.  They doctor said that I may begin to feel the baby in the next 3-4 weeks! So exciting! I included a picture of what the baby looks like right now, as soon as I start to feel a little better I’ll start to take weekly baby belly shots.

Week 13!!! Ultrasound :)

We are at the end on the first trimester!!! Just half of a week to go, it’s hard to believe that we are already a third of the way through the pregnancy.

This week has been pretty exciting.  Monday we went into Mercy Hospital to have your very first ultrasound done of the baby.  I was so nervous beforehand; I couldn’t sleep Sunday night and was extremely sick all day Monday.  I threw up a few minutes before we had to leave for our appointment and laid down the whole way to the hospital.  Praise God, that in spite of all of my worries, the baby looks very healthy! It was so amazing to see our little baby moving around, he or she looks quite comfy.   Keith was completely mesmerized by the tiny little person dancing around on the screen; he had the most incredible smile on his face. Seeing my baby and my husband so happy almost mad me forget how deathly ill I’ve been.

Mommy Update: This week the nausea seems to be getting worse, I don’t think that the medication is working anymore.  I haven’t been able to keep down dinner all week and nights that I don’t feel up to eating I still end up throwing up any of the liquids I’ve been able to get down. After I had a few brutal vomiting episodes at work during the beginning of the week, my father has cut my hours at work in half. Although I know in my heart that this is a blessing, it’s hard for me to give up working.  Physically I’m not able to work 40 hours anymore, I just am getting sicker and sicker.  Hopefully, if I catch up on my rest I’ll start to feel better soon, and maybe I’ll even be able to gain a pound or two instead of the most recent tread of the pounds that are falling off my body.  I so had wished that I would be the cute pregnant lady with the adorable belly and beautiful glow…. but no I’m the one that looks ghostly pale with green undertones, cracked lips from being dehydrated, and sunk eyes with purple rings around them. I don’t think I’ll be on the cover of “Pregnancy Magazine” anytime soon.  The heartburn is still plaguing me and I have discovered that I really dislike chalky Tubs.  One of the recent weird pregnancy side effects is a metallic taste in my mouth, ALL OF THE TIME!!! No matter what I do I can’t get it to go away, I have tried brushing my teeth, chewing gum, sucking on mints…nothing is working.  It’s very annoying.    

Baby update: The baby is continuing to grow and the books are now comparing him or her to the size of a med/large shrimp. Why do they always compare the baby’s size to food? I find it very strange. Along with the organs growing stronger, the baby now has their own distinct fingerprints!

Week 12

Okay, so I’ve been really bad lately about updating my blog, I’m sorry. On Tuesday, December 21^st, we went to my OB/GYN appointment to hear the baby’s heartbeat.  I was so nervous before the appointment, for some reason I was convinced that they would not be able to find the heartbeat and that I would leave the doctors devastated, not knowing if the baby was okay.  I jinxed myself at the beginning of the appointment by asking the doctor if they can generally hear the heartbeat at 11 weeks.  She quickly responded that they always get the heartbeat right-way at 11 weeks and that I had nothing to worry about.  Well…she looked….and looked….and looked…it took between 7-10 minutes before we finally heard this very faint, rapid heartbeat.  Before the appointment I thought that I was going to have a hormonal meltdown when I heard the heartbeat, but by the time we heard it I was just so relieved that she finally found it that all I could do was smile.  It was so amazing to hear the heartbeat, to be reassured that there really is a little one growing inside of me. 

Christmas was wonderful; I love spending so much time with our families.  I took extra anti-nausea medication Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so that I could get through each day without throwing up.  The medication doesn’t take the sickness completely away, it just helps control the vomiting, so I still felt lousy most of the day. One of the side effects of the med. is drowsiness, that mixed with not getting much sleep over the holidays, caused me to take naps at everyone’s houses on Christmas Day. I probably wasn’t much fun, but I had a nice day.   

In 4 days, Jan. 3^rd, we are going up to Mercy Hospital to get our 1^st ultrasound of the baby and I am so excited to see what our baby looks like!  I am even more nervous about seeing the baby than I was about hearing the heartbeat.  I so desperately want to know that our baby is growing okay and that they are healthy.  I’ve lost so much weight over the last 2 months and I haven’t been able to keep much of anything down including healthy food or my prenatal vitamins.

Mommy Update: Since Christmas I have been pretty sick, I think that I over did it a little.  I didn’t get to bed until midnight three nights in a row, which really negatively effects me. To have a good day I generally need to have gotten at least 10-12 hours of sleep the night before. I spent all of Sunday afternoon and all day Monday in bed, and haven been blessed to be able to leave work early every other day this week to allow me to be in bed by 3pm.  Sleeping is my favorite activity right now because it’s the only time that I get a break from the nausea. However, lying down is becoming more and more difficult because of the heartburn and acid-reflux, my giant bottle of Tums sit next to the bed.

Baby Update: The baby is now between 2-1/2”-3” long right now, all of the books compare the baby to the size of a lime, and weights about 1oz. The biggest development this week is the baby’s reflexes. The baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, their toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and their mouth will make sucking movements.