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| Jenny's Pregnancy Diary |
| The First Few Weeks! |
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Waiting to hear if our 5th infertility procedure worked was no fun! After all our previous months of no results, we were ready to hear that nothing happened again. And we were only going to have one more procedure that would be covered by insurance and then we might have had to give up! And then, surprise! On November 18, 2003, we got a call from Mary Ellen at Dr. Brabeck's office and she calmly said, "are you sitting down?". I was really prepared to hear that it was a negative result again. But she said "You're pregnant!" I had to be quiet since I was at work, so I just kept saying, "Are you kidding me?" "Are you serious?" "Wow!" She sounded almost as excited as I was because she had been helping us for six months with pills, shots, artificial insemination procedures and tests to make this happen! |
| November 18- Telling Rob! |
| Telling Rob: On the way home from work, I bought a pair of little green bunny rabbit baby booties. When I got home, I tied them to Gracie's collar and sent her down the stairs to visit Rob. He saw the booties and there was a note inside one of them that said, "Dear Daddy- I'm going to have a brother or sister this summer-- Mommy is pregnant! Love, Gracie." Rob was so surprised he didn't know if I was even telling the truth or what was going on. We took some funny photos and celebrated the good news. |
| Weeks 3-7 |
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Waiting to tell everyone else is hard! I've learned that Rob can't keep secrets! It kills him! So waiting until our 7th week ultrasound appointment has been too hard! We did tell our parents, grandparents, Rob's brother, his wife and a handful of close friends. But we had to wait until Dec. 8th to tell other people. The ultrasound went great and we saw the little heartbeat! So exciting! Dec. 18 we will have our second ultrasound and then we will tell everyone that we really are going to have a baby! How I've been feeling: I’ve been SO tired for several weeks — I feel like I’ve just run a marathon every day after work. All I want to do is sleep and lay around! I go to bed so early now! But that and having a little heartburn and occasional queasiness have been my only complaints. Luckily, I’ve felt really good and it helps that I’m so excited about all the changes going on inside. I also have crazy dreams like going on a date with Tom Cruise, interviewing Robert Downey, Jr. and being the manager of a Hen House grocery store. No idea what all those are about! I wake up a lot at night and can’t go back to sleep too. |
| December 18 (8 weeks)
Today we had our 2nd sonogram! Everything was clearly visible-- heartbeat, head, body, little arms and legs and two dark areas where eyes will be! It was very exciting! I've had a horrible cold all week, but otherwise feel great and can't wait as it keeps growing fast! |
| Weeks 8-11
Well, things are still going great- looking forward to my first real doctor appointment on January 7. Starting to really feel a (bigger than normal!) pooch in front and most of my pants are way too tight! Mom got me my first maternity top for Christmas- pretty exciting! I've been reading a lot of books and learning that a lot of the baby's internal organs, bones, and general make up are already formed, it's growing fast, needs a lot of good nutrients every day, etc... Rob and I can't wait to see the level 2 sonogram that we will probably get around week 20. We both want to know if it is a boy or girl! Some boy names we like are Christian or Benjamin...some girl names we like are Scarlet or Violet. But who knows what we'll like months down the road. On Christmas Eve, Rob's mom said that a little bit of wheat would be a "kernel", so we have started calling the baby "The Kernel". But when you say it, it sounds like "The Colonel". So we crack up about that a lot. We are all saying prayers that my grandma will get well in the hospital from some serious health problems she has like leukemia, pneumonia and infections -- it really won't be the same if she isn't here to see the Kernel next summer. More updates soon as I will pass into my 2nd trimester after week 12. That will be a great milestone to get past! |
| Week 12
The "kernel" is getting bigger and I wore my first maternity top to work today, even though I just have a pooch so far! I'm looking forward to this 2nd trimester because I'm really starting to feel less tired and I'm not really queasy at all anymore. This week we went to Babies R Us for the first time and added some things to our registry. It's hard to know what we will need, but it is fun to look at all the different choices. I also found a great crib on E-bay and ordered it-- it is brand new, never used, cherry wood crib and it was a fraction of the normal retail price. Can't wait until it comes in and then Rob can start trying to assemble it! I guess we should get used to things that say "assembly required"! We are looking forward to our March 6 sonogram when we'll know if the kernel is a boy or girl! |
| Week 12 - 14
Things are still going very well - I’m getting a little bigger tummy in front and my mom has been ordering me some cute maternity clothes that I pick out online. A lot of them will last from now until summer.
I have been really hungry- seems like I want to eat something every 3 or 4 hours! And I’ve gotten some headaches, dry skin and still require a lot of extra sleep. I feel like a hermit this winter taking naps
and going to bed by 9 or 10pm every night! Overall, I think I’ve felt really good, though. Big sweetie, Rob, surprised me while I was out on Saturday afternoon by putting together the crib and setting up the baby room, along with his brother Todd. It really looks cute. We have a few pieces of furniture to add/arrange in there, but the crib looks really nice. I think we are going to be ready WAY in advance, and will just be waiting and waiting for the kernel to arrive! I took a tour of Menorah Medical Center's birth center and was very impressed. That is where we will deliver and it is a very nice, peaceful atmosphere. They have huge labor and deliver suites that look like very nice hotel rooms. Rob will be able to sleep there too and along with me, he gets free meals from their "room service" menu that is much nicer than usual hospital food. You get a minimum 2-night stay if everything goes normally, and it really seems like an ideal place to deliver. It made things a lot more real to see the delivery rooms and a few of the little newborns! |
| Week 15 - 17
Sadly, my Grandma passed away in the hospital on Wednesday, Feb. 11th at 3:00am, with my mom by her side. We had all hoped she could make it until the baby came, but her fight with leukemia was just too hard. I know she'll be a wonderful guardian angel for the baby and
will be watching all the exciting times right along with us. I'm sure she will be mad she can't buy a ton of presents! One good thing is that we will have the next 4-5 months to grieve and take care of her house and possessions and then be ready when the baby comes,
without the saddest parts happening right then. I think she planned that! Love you, Granny! Other than that, this is a time when I feel more energetic, am not queasy and don't feel too encumbered by a giant tummy yet, so I am trying to enjoy feeling good during this middle trimester. I heard a louder heartbeat at my February 6th doctor appointment, and the doctor said everything sounded great. Just one more month until our sonogram, and we know if it is a boy or girl kernel! |
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Week 18 - 20
It's a GIRL! That is the long-awaited news we got at our sonogram on Wed., March 3. We are very excited! Rob, both our moms and his dad were present for the sonogram—there was some cheering and excitement going on! Each person wrote down their guess before the sonogram and 3 of the 5 of us were correct guessing girl! I am now 19 weeks along- halfway through- and I have been showing more, carrying the baby low (at least I think so), and getting some of the aches and pains (sore back, headaches, etc..) but overall I still feel good! So far it has gone very well! Now that we know it’s a girl we can start working on names! Kareemo Wheat? Autumn Wheat? The options are endless! We now have a very good start on the baby room: crib and glider purchased, paint finished, closet cleared out, lamps and decorations up! Rob is waiting for spring weather to refinish a chest of drawers. We are going to be ready! Week 21-23 Finally the first rumbles, wiggles and kicks have started! I was starting to worry that I had not yet felt any movement, but the first little butterfly feelings started in week 21 and within a week or two I started getting a pretty regular thump every couple of hours. I think the kernel is getting a new nickname-- Thumper! It is reassuring to feel the kicks and know she's doing well in there. She really kicked during the take off and landing of my business trip to NY on March 22-23. I'm definitely showing a lot more now (big and fat!) and getting some
other fun things like very puffy feet/ankles late in the day and more
tiredness. But I’m still feeling good and have to say my pregnancy has
gone very well so far. Next doctor appointment is April 2. I caught a bad cold over Easter, and without the usual cold medicines, I'm feeling pretty yucky! But it's better than taking medicines that aren't good for the baboo! Otherwise, I'm feeling good, sleeping fairly well and am still pretty comfortable. Definitely have a growing tummy! We are really leaning toward the name Violet for her right now. It's
our favorite from a long list. And for a middle name- Mae. We sure will
get a shocker if she comes out as a boy at this point! At about week 30 we will be doing one of the new "fun scans". It's an
in-depth 3-D ultrasound that shows you very detailed pictures of the baby
in 3-D. It will be almost like taking pictures of her. Pretty fun! We
looked at baby pictures of me and of Rob last night with our moms to
discuss who she might come out looking like! It will be a big
surprise! |
| Week 27 - 29
Instead of week 30, we had our 3D ultrasound on week 27. It was great! We felt like we could see her face clearly, each arm, leg, toe and finger!
She looks really cute in there! The 3D scan is a really amazing option that they have now- it's unreal how much more you can see with it than in the
basic grainy black and white 2D sonograms! They give you a video of her moving around in there and we even saw her yawning. I have still been feeling really good-- just tired, a little achy at times, some heartburn, but nothing too bad-- and I now feel like I'm in the home stretch with just 12 weeks to go! It's really getting hard to wait. Every time we see a baby we wish ours was out and ready to be at home with us. We have her room all set up and a couple of fun baby showers coming in mid-May and mid-June. We can't wait to see some of the gear and the outfits we will need when she arrives! Mother's Day is coming up next Sunday, and we will get everyone together and have a patio party- probably the last party I'll throw this summer! It is fun to think that I'll be a MOTHER when it is time to celebrate that holiday next! On Tuesday, May 4 our Childbirth classes start- and will be each Tuesday night in May. That should be fun and I'm sure I will be laughing while Rob tries to teach me breathing exercises or whatever they will teach us! |
| Week 30 - 32
Still feeling good, however I'm finding that 85-degree weather is too HOT!
I can't imagine what 95 degrees will feel like in July! I am feeling about
15 degrees warmer than I normally would, so with puffy feet and ankles and
a tight feeling in my belly, a little shortness of breath, etc-- I can feel
the summer crankiness coming on! Poor Rob- he'll have to live with me through
June and July! Thank goodness the swimming pools will open soon! After my doctor appointment this Friday, I start the "every two weeks" appointments, so it feels like things are speeding up toward the end! Just 9 weeks to go now! We had a great Mother's Day celebration/bbq with both sides of the family on May 9th and throughout May, our childbirth classes have been going well. The "hee, hee, hee, hoo" breathing exercises are funny to do with Rob. I hope we remember even half the stuff we're learning when the birth finally occurs! Watching films of babies being born does tend to make you more nervous and you can't help but realize that this little kicking baby inside will have to come out somehow! YIKES! I had a great family shower on May 15 it was really exciting to get some much-needed baby gear and tons of cute little outfits! She is going to be set! Her room is all fixed up with clothes and little shoes, blankets, towels, mobile, books, tub, crib, sheets, and lots more… all ready for her! |
| Week 33 - 35
Here we are with just 6 weeks to go! Now it is getting exciting! At my June 9th doctor appointment they said she has "turned" and is head down-ready to rumble!
They estimated she is currently about 4lbs. and 17 inches long! She should gain a few more pounds in the next 6 weeks, if everything stays on this track. I am
feeling a lot of hard kicks in my rib cage and a stretched belly but otherwise I still feel good, as I have the whole pregnancy! At the end there is more
abdominal discomfort I'm noticing, but I really can't complain considering the pains I hear some people get. Being too hot and not sleeping really well
are the only negatives right now. I am really looking forward to my June 19 baby shower-I feel like there is still quite a bit of important gear that
we don't have yet, but otherwise we are feeling ready for the baboo to arrive! Next doctor appointment: June25. After that I start having appointments EVERY FRIDAY until I pop! |
| Week 36 - ???
Wow! Only a few short weeks left until July 28!! At this point we are starting to get a lot of
guesses from everyone about which day she'll really arrive! I am voting for 7/17/04 I like the
sound of 7/17 and it would be 11 days early! Rob (incorrectly!) has chosen 8/1/04 which is
several days past my due date and totally unacceptable! HAHA! Anyway the final few weeks are here and we are so ready! At my last doctor appointment things still seem to be going fine. movement continues inside but is definitely more "muffled" and not as hard in the kicking, as she is so smooshed inside she can't get a good kick going anymore! My complaints have increased to neck/shoulder pain, pelvic pain, just a couple of "fake contractions" so far, and general hotness, grumpiness and fatness! My doctor said that this is the stage that actually makes you look forward to going through labor, because anything sounds good compared to the way you feel this last month! It will all be worth by the end of this month! come on out, violet! Next up... put in the car seat and the suitcase for the hospital and be ready to rumble! |
| Week 38 - July 13 With a heat index of over 100 degrees, and just two weeks left to go, summer pregnancy is really showing me a good time! NOT! My feet and every other part are now huge, puffy and miserable!
I am not comfortable walking even a short distance now due to pains in several places!
Come out Violet, come out! My sleeping is now scheduled for any part of the evening or night that I can get it to work. Some nights it will be from 5-7pm and then from midnight to 5am. Just whenever I can fall asleep! I've been having more crazy dreams about the baby. In one, she had slipped down to my leg and was visible through a very thin layer of skin like a rubber glove. I could see her face clearly and her open hand with all 5 fingers extended. She opened her eyes and looked right at me and I ran to get the camera to take a picture so that somebody would believe me that the baby slipped down to my leg and was visible like that. The camera flash made her blink when I took the pictures! In last night's dream, the really small newborn baby was sleeping in her bassinet/pack n' play thing when our dog, Gracie, came running in and jumped her front feet up on it and collapsed it on the baby. Later in the night I dreamed that the bassinet folded in and tipped her head forward too much and she couldn’t breathe. I think I'm losing my marbles! It's time to have this baby!!! |
| Week 39 - July 21
Since many people have been calling me to ask...the answer is: No, I have not "had that baby yet!" But believe me, it can't happen too soon for me! I'm very uncomfortable and hot!
So far i have had no contractions and am not sure when this little bugger is headed out! We really just can't wait any longer to see her! I have another doctor appointment on Friday, July 23 where I hope to get a report of some progress!! Worst case scenario - they say they will induce labor by August 4th if I have not gone on my own by then! My personal choice of birthdates - 7-17-04 has now come and gone. Darn it!! Come out, VIOLET!!!! |
| July 26 - August 4
All summer 2 baby bunnies have lived in our yard. With our bunny-themed baby room, I think they were our little babies to signal that Violet was on the way. As we went to the hospital to have the baby, 2 baby bunnies were in the grass at the hospital and we noticed them. Then, when Rob left the hospital to run home after Violet was born, he also saw 2 baby bunnies. So she has little bunny guardians out there, we think. Here is how delivery went: On Monday morning, July 26th I had my first contraction at 8am. Within an hour they were 5 minutes apart and strong so we thought "wow, this is coming on fast!" We went to the hospital and stayed quite a few hours being monitored. They gave me some pain medication which helped a lot. In the afternoon they said we had to go back home since I was not dilated past 1 centimeter. So we went back home to rest. We went to the hospital again at 3am Tuesday but had the same situation- dilated to 1.5. It was stressful to be sent back home twice. I was scheduled to be induced Wednesday morning, and all day Tuesday, small contractions would happen but they had backed off to one every half hour or so. I was really surprised how much they hurt. I was doubled over in pain with each one. Late in the night Tuesday they got so strong and painful and close together that we did another 3am hospital run. They gave me medication for pain and let us stay the night for our 7am induction. At 7am Wednesday, July 28th things really picked up. They gave me pitocin to increase the contractions and hopefully cause me to dilate more. Wow, was the pain intense. Then when I was dilated to 4, they gave me the epidural which cut off all pain and I was in heaven clear up until 3:30 in the afternoon. LOVE epidurals! It was the best I had felt for 2 days. When it came time to push the baby out, they had to cut off my epidural and for two hours I pushed in intense pain like I've never felt before. It was really hard. When her head came out, she looked blue and they immediately worked on her before delivering the rest of her body. At 5:22pm she came out, and was immediately put on IV and oxygen and we learned she had swallowed a big lungful of the black sticky tar-like poop they have called meconium. She was in a bit of bad shape for 2-3 days while she got over that complication. We were worried and visited the nursery often while she got better. We did not get to hold her or anything for a couple of days. So she had a rocky start! Now that she is one week old she is doing great. Eating well, sleeping pretty well (except at night when we call her a "screamapillar" after the screamy inchworm on the Simpsons!) At 6 days old she was weighed at the doctor and she was all the way up to 8lbs. 11oz - a gain of 7 oz in less than a week. So that is excellent progress. I can't believe how much love we feel for her already. You can't look at that little face without being overcome with love and happiness, even at 5am when it is screaming! All day long she sleeps like a little cherub and is peaceful and sweet. WE LOVE HER! |