I guess it started shortly after I could feel the baby moving around. But as she has grown and gotten stronger, I am falling more in love with watching my belly move!
Now granted -- I am not seeing a foot or hand pressing out yet, but she is a strong little girl. And at this point, she is moving with enough "gusto" to make my stomach bounce around quite a bit!
Last week (week 25) was the first time that I thought: you know, it will be nice to have my body back... to not have this ever growing belly, and not have something slowing me down and keeping me so dang hot this summer. But even with that thought going through my mind from time to time, I still can't get over how cool it is to see her move. I know it will be much different when she gets here, but she is already amazing me with how she seems to be all over the place!
Most of the time she moves a little higher than my belly button (usually towards my right side). But she also squirms around in my lower abdominal area, and at times, it feels like she is using my bladder as a punching bag. I wish that I could see her moving around. Because while it is sometimes pretty obvious that she's punching or kicking, there are other times when I can't decide what in the world she could be doing in there... it's as if she is dancing around doing the worm or simply shaking her whole body. I am anticipating a time in the next few months when the movement will be less "fun" for me -- more of a pain than a joy. But until she starts making my insides hurt... I'm going to enjoy every moment of it!
I know it may not seem that cool to most people that my new pastime is watching my belly to watch my baby move. But to me, I can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend my spare time. :)
6.28.2010
6.24.2010
Hey y'all!
OK, I think this may be my first-ever blog post, but "I reckon" now is as good a time as any! Plus, as my beautiful bride has mentioned, this is a season of firsts in our lives! Going back a couple years: first home together, first year(s) of married life, first time ever pulling for Clemson in anything (except when they play the Heels, of course), and now our first baby...and a baby girl at that! Raising a daughter will definitely be new territory for me, but Christin and I couldn't be more excited.
I mainly wanted to get on here just to say I did, but since I'm here, I must say that Christin has been great through this whole pregnancy so far. A little more tired, sure, but who wouldn't be, right? Seriously, it's been awesome to watch the baby grow and start to move around recently, and to hear my wife get more and more excited about carrying her. Yep, I am blessed to have these two in my life, along with family and a great group of friends. I am grateful for this season of life and for a God who is ever-faithful and loving--in good times and tougher times. This just so happens to be one of the good times.
Here's to hoping and praying for a continued smooth pregnancy (and a cooler summer), a baby girl who grows up healthy and strong to love the Lord and for God's continued blessing and protection on our new family...and on you people--anyone who might actually be reading this.
First blog post in the books,
DCH
6.23.2010
glucose screen and the requested belly shot
Monday morning I went in to have my glucose screen done before work. I have yet to hear anything back, so I hope that means that my sugar levels were normal. The test itself wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be.
Thankfully, there is a lab in Clemson that I am able to go to instead of having to go to the hospital in Anderson to have my lab work done. The best thing about the Clemson lab (other than being so much closer) is that the wait time is much less. In fact, when I went in, I only waited about 5-10 minutes before the technician came out to get me my "drink." I had been warned that it would taste like flat Sprite, but when she came down the hall with a red bottle of liquid, I knew that it wasn't going to be the flat Sprite I had prepared myself for. Instead, I was given a "fruit punch" flavor drink. The tech poured part the liquid into a cup for me, but there was still plenty left in the bottle as she explained that I had 10 minutes to drink the entire thing. To prepare myself a little better, I asked what it tasted like. She kind of laughed and said she didn't know, because she had never had it. But she had been told that it tasted like watered-down kool-aid. With that, I started drinking! I drank as quickly as I could... probably finishing the bottle in 3 minutes. And watered-down kool-aid was not exactly what I tasted! Instead, it was more like fruit punch flavored soda, but without the carbonation. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't what I would choose to drink first thing in the morning.
The next hour consisted of me simply waiting in the lobby area. At first I felt a little queasy from the extremely sweet drink, but after about 10 minutes, my body adjusted to it I guess. I had been advised to take a book along, since I would have to wait between the time I was finished and the time they could take my blood. But the lobby wasn't the quietest place I've ever been. The lab is actually in the same building as a doctor's office. And apparently, it's a very busy office! With 3 different ladies around the front desk the majority of the time... I think only one was answering the phones that never seemed to stop ringing! So, while I seemed to be "reading" my book, I don't feel like I made it very far! It felt like I waited for at least an hour and a half to be called back to the lab area to have my blood drawn, but when I was called back, I noticed that it had only been an hour. The drawing blood part was a breeze, and didn't take any time. So, now I guess I wait some more.
Dr. Shelley told me at my last appointment that as long as my sugar levels were normal, I won’t have to go through any more testing. But if anything was abnormal, she would need to send me back for a longer screening. IF I have to go through the glucose tolerance screen, I will need to be there for 3 hours… and I have already decided that I will be taking a portable DVD player with headphones because I am don’t think I can handle the waiting again unless I have a serious distraction!
Other than that… things are still going well. Sweet pea is moving a lot! And I have noticed that one of my favorite evening activities is laying down on the couch and watching her move! For some reason, it never gets old to me. I mean, I obviously feel her moving on the inside, but to my belly “bounce” around because of her movements is better than watching anything else. It just makes me think of how blessed I am that God has given me the opportunity to carry a baby and experience all the miraculous development stages she goes through. How cool to be a woman and get to experience that great privilege!
In other news, I have been asked to post “belly shots” by a couple of different people. And while I have been trying to take them every 4 weeks… I don’t LOVE the 24 week pictures. This actually 24 weeks and 5 days… and this picture was taken close to 10:30pm. I’m also not crazy about the outfit because the shirt is too big, and I don’t think it does the best job of showing what it’s supposed to show. But with all that said… I’m posting anyways! And I'll try to do better with the 28 week shot. Enjoy!
Thankfully, there is a lab in Clemson that I am able to go to instead of having to go to the hospital in Anderson to have my lab work done. The best thing about the Clemson lab (other than being so much closer) is that the wait time is much less. In fact, when I went in, I only waited about 5-10 minutes before the technician came out to get me my "drink." I had been warned that it would taste like flat Sprite, but when she came down the hall with a red bottle of liquid, I knew that it wasn't going to be the flat Sprite I had prepared myself for. Instead, I was given a "fruit punch" flavor drink. The tech poured part the liquid into a cup for me, but there was still plenty left in the bottle as she explained that I had 10 minutes to drink the entire thing. To prepare myself a little better, I asked what it tasted like. She kind of laughed and said she didn't know, because she had never had it. But she had been told that it tasted like watered-down kool-aid. With that, I started drinking! I drank as quickly as I could... probably finishing the bottle in 3 minutes. And watered-down kool-aid was not exactly what I tasted! Instead, it was more like fruit punch flavored soda, but without the carbonation. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't what I would choose to drink first thing in the morning.
The next hour consisted of me simply waiting in the lobby area. At first I felt a little queasy from the extremely sweet drink, but after about 10 minutes, my body adjusted to it I guess. I had been advised to take a book along, since I would have to wait between the time I was finished and the time they could take my blood. But the lobby wasn't the quietest place I've ever been. The lab is actually in the same building as a doctor's office. And apparently, it's a very busy office! With 3 different ladies around the front desk the majority of the time... I think only one was answering the phones that never seemed to stop ringing! So, while I seemed to be "reading" my book, I don't feel like I made it very far! It felt like I waited for at least an hour and a half to be called back to the lab area to have my blood drawn, but when I was called back, I noticed that it had only been an hour. The drawing blood part was a breeze, and didn't take any time. So, now I guess I wait some more.
Dr. Shelley told me at my last appointment that as long as my sugar levels were normal, I won’t have to go through any more testing. But if anything was abnormal, she would need to send me back for a longer screening. IF I have to go through the glucose tolerance screen, I will need to be there for 3 hours… and I have already decided that I will be taking a portable DVD player with headphones because I am don’t think I can handle the waiting again unless I have a serious distraction!
Other than that… things are still going well. Sweet pea is moving a lot! And I have noticed that one of my favorite evening activities is laying down on the couch and watching her move! For some reason, it never gets old to me. I mean, I obviously feel her moving on the inside, but to my belly “bounce” around because of her movements is better than watching anything else. It just makes me think of how blessed I am that God has given me the opportunity to carry a baby and experience all the miraculous development stages she goes through. How cool to be a woman and get to experience that great privilege!
In other news, I have been asked to post “belly shots” by a couple of different people. And while I have been trying to take them every 4 weeks… I don’t LOVE the 24 week pictures. This actually 24 weeks and 5 days… and this picture was taken close to 10:30pm. I’m also not crazy about the outfit because the shirt is too big, and I don’t think it does the best job of showing what it’s supposed to show. But with all that said… I’m posting anyways! And I'll try to do better with the 28 week shot. Enjoy!
6.17.2010
We're having a HEAT wave... and I'm not a fan!
I will start by saying that things are still going well. The heat, however, is not a friend of mine! The high temperatures have not fallen below 90 in over a week now... and it looks like they are going to stick around even longer (another week at least). Obviously the humidity here in SC does not help ANYTHING! And I am doing my best to stay inside and hydrated... but it's still HOT! The scary part to me is that we aren't even officially into the summer yet. And these temperatures are a lot more common in the "dog days" of summer -- typically in mid-late July through mid-late August. With June highs now in the 90s (about 10 degrees higher than the average), I think I will need to invest in a lot of tank tops and shorts/skirts to prepare for the July-August months... especially since I will enter and sweat through my third trimester around that time!
So I guess that the opening sentence should be changed to read... except for the heat, things are going well! :) I had another doctor's appointment last week. It was fairly short, and pretty basic. I gave the normal sample, blood pressure check, and weight check. I was given "homework" at this last visit -- a glucose test that should be performed between now and July 11. I was told that the test is a normal procedure at this point in the pregnancy, and I should allow 2 hours to complete it. Hopefully, it won't take THAT long. But I'll keep you posted! The rest of the appointment consisted of listening to sweet peas heartbeat. The difference was that this visit didn't require any searching to find the swooshing of her heartbeat, and it sounded much stronger/louder than the previous visits. And I had my belly (or uterus) measured. Dr. Shelley explained that at this point, the measurement taken (in cm) should be within 1-2 cm of the week of the pregnancy. So, at the visit, I was 23.5 weeks along and measured 25 cm. According to Dr. Shelley, that's perfect! So, I'll go with it!
I'm so thankful for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby thus far! May the next 3.5 months be just as enjoyable! :)
So I guess that the opening sentence should be changed to read... except for the heat, things are going well! :) I had another doctor's appointment last week. It was fairly short, and pretty basic. I gave the normal sample, blood pressure check, and weight check. I was given "homework" at this last visit -- a glucose test that should be performed between now and July 11. I was told that the test is a normal procedure at this point in the pregnancy, and I should allow 2 hours to complete it. Hopefully, it won't take THAT long. But I'll keep you posted! The rest of the appointment consisted of listening to sweet peas heartbeat. The difference was that this visit didn't require any searching to find the swooshing of her heartbeat, and it sounded much stronger/louder than the previous visits. And I had my belly (or uterus) measured. Dr. Shelley explained that at this point, the measurement taken (in cm) should be within 1-2 cm of the week of the pregnancy. So, at the visit, I was 23.5 weeks along and measured 25 cm. According to Dr. Shelley, that's perfect! So, I'll go with it!
I'm so thankful for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby thus far! May the next 3.5 months be just as enjoyable! :)
6.01.2010
Our Baby is no longer an "It"
Well, we're officially PAST half way at this point... and we know what we're having. It's a girl! :)
We hit the 20 week mark on May 16, and to "celebrate" we got to have our mid-term ultrasound on that Wednesday (May 19). It seemed more like a celebration that Dusty made it back safely from camp. Dusty had been at Rockbridge (a YoungLife camp that InterVarsity rents out for several weeks to hold camps for college students) for 2 weeks. While he was away, we kept reminding each other that we would get to find out what our baby was when he got back! So, while Dusty was away... it was something to help pass the time and look forward to his return and the actual appointment (of course).
The morning of the appointment was much calmer than I thought it would be. Our last appointment in Anderson (as opposed to Clemson where all our other appointments have been) was quite rushed. We slept in and had to rush to get to the doctor's office, then since we were late... we had to wait. This time, Dusty got up for a meeting at 7:00 am, and he came back to get me a little after 8:00. So, we were on the road by 8:15 to make our 8:55 ultrasound appointment.
As soon as we walked in, the tech asked if we wanted to find out the gender of the baby. When we said yes, she asked what our thoughts were... I mentioned that I thought it might be a girl but only because that was the only thing that I had sort of felt the whole time, but I wasn't positive one way or the other. Dusty only asked how often those feelings were right. With that out of the way... we started the ultrasound.
The image was amazing from the start! The last time we saw the baby... it looked like a little teddy bear almost with very short limbs. This time, the first image revealed very long legs and a backside. I was pretty sure at that point... it was a girl. But the technician said that she hadn't determined yet. She took several measurements... head size, length of the legs, looked at the spine (and noted how beautiful it was), and then listened at her heart rate (a perfect and very stead 156). After the "work" part of the ultrasound was done... she went back to the legs and asked if I wanted to call it. It's a girl -- no doubt about it!
She then pointed out her arms face and arms which were facing us, making her face look like the scream painting. She wasn't very active for us, but she seemed to be very comfortable and cozy laying on her side. The tech tried for 5 minutes (literally) to get her to roll over on her back so we could get a catch of her profile. She had me roll on one side, then the other, and back to my back. And the whole time, little big continued to cuddle up and squirm around on her side. At one point, she seemed to get somewhat frustrated by moving her hands in front of her as though she was saying, "I'm trying to look cute for you, and I already showed you what you wanted to see -- what else do you people want from me!?" Shortly afterwards, she slowly rolled back and gave us a glimpse of her sweet profile! Here are some of her pictures:
The doctor's appointment followed, and we learned that this one is growing well! She was in the 92% when we had the ultrasound. According to her size, the ultrasound tech estimated her due date a week ahead of when she is schedule to be here. But Dr. Shelley didn't change our due date. She just suggested that I mentally prepare for a little bigger baby than we had originally thought I might have. The dr. said that her size is fine, but it would be easier if I were a few inches taller. But she looks great and she is obviously getting everything she needs to be getting.
The past few weeks have been pretty cool, as far as her developement goes. She has been moving around on a pretty regular basis. I first really noticed her movement the last week that Dusty was gone. I just noticed that it was the first time I was certain it was baby movement, not gas or stomach stuff. Since then, she has almost gotten in a schedule of moving. About 30 minutes after I eat, she starts getting pretty active. And Dusty got to feel it too! Friday afternoon, I sat very still on the couch and watched my belly move a little as she kicked. Saturday night, I asked if he wanted to try to feel her moving around. He laid beside me on the couch, and within a couple of minutes, she let him have it! It was one of the stronger kicks I've felt so far.
It's really quite amazing. And while I know that we're 5 months along, so it's certainly real. Knowing that I'm carrying a SHE and no longer an it, and feeling and seeing her move around, really makes it very real! Now the name game begins, and shopping and nursery planning will be a fun summer project as we wait for the remaining 4 months to meet our little sweet pea! :)
We hit the 20 week mark on May 16, and to "celebrate" we got to have our mid-term ultrasound on that Wednesday (May 19). It seemed more like a celebration that Dusty made it back safely from camp. Dusty had been at Rockbridge (a YoungLife camp that InterVarsity rents out for several weeks to hold camps for college students) for 2 weeks. While he was away, we kept reminding each other that we would get to find out what our baby was when he got back! So, while Dusty was away... it was something to help pass the time and look forward to his return and the actual appointment (of course).
The morning of the appointment was much calmer than I thought it would be. Our last appointment in Anderson (as opposed to Clemson where all our other appointments have been) was quite rushed. We slept in and had to rush to get to the doctor's office, then since we were late... we had to wait. This time, Dusty got up for a meeting at 7:00 am, and he came back to get me a little after 8:00. So, we were on the road by 8:15 to make our 8:55 ultrasound appointment.
As soon as we walked in, the tech asked if we wanted to find out the gender of the baby. When we said yes, she asked what our thoughts were... I mentioned that I thought it might be a girl but only because that was the only thing that I had sort of felt the whole time, but I wasn't positive one way or the other. Dusty only asked how often those feelings were right. With that out of the way... we started the ultrasound.
The image was amazing from the start! The last time we saw the baby... it looked like a little teddy bear almost with very short limbs. This time, the first image revealed very long legs and a backside. I was pretty sure at that point... it was a girl. But the technician said that she hadn't determined yet. She took several measurements... head size, length of the legs, looked at the spine (and noted how beautiful it was), and then listened at her heart rate (a perfect and very stead 156). After the "work" part of the ultrasound was done... she went back to the legs and asked if I wanted to call it. It's a girl -- no doubt about it!
She then pointed out her arms face and arms which were facing us, making her face look like the scream painting. She wasn't very active for us, but she seemed to be very comfortable and cozy laying on her side. The tech tried for 5 minutes (literally) to get her to roll over on her back so we could get a catch of her profile. She had me roll on one side, then the other, and back to my back. And the whole time, little big continued to cuddle up and squirm around on her side. At one point, she seemed to get somewhat frustrated by moving her hands in front of her as though she was saying, "I'm trying to look cute for you, and I already showed you what you wanted to see -- what else do you people want from me!?" Shortly afterwards, she slowly rolled back and gave us a glimpse of her sweet profile! Here are some of her pictures:
The doctor's appointment followed, and we learned that this one is growing well! She was in the 92% when we had the ultrasound. According to her size, the ultrasound tech estimated her due date a week ahead of when she is schedule to be here. But Dr. Shelley didn't change our due date. She just suggested that I mentally prepare for a little bigger baby than we had originally thought I might have. The dr. said that her size is fine, but it would be easier if I were a few inches taller. But she looks great and she is obviously getting everything she needs to be getting.The past few weeks have been pretty cool, as far as her developement goes. She has been moving around on a pretty regular basis. I first really noticed her movement the last week that Dusty was gone. I just noticed that it was the first time I was certain it was baby movement, not gas or stomach stuff. Since then, she has almost gotten in a schedule of moving. About 30 minutes after I eat, she starts getting pretty active. And Dusty got to feel it too! Friday afternoon, I sat very still on the couch and watched my belly move a little as she kicked. Saturday night, I asked if he wanted to try to feel her moving around. He laid beside me on the couch, and within a couple of minutes, she let him have it! It was one of the stronger kicks I've felt so far.
It's really quite amazing. And while I know that we're 5 months along, so it's certainly real. Knowing that I'm carrying a SHE and no longer an it, and feeling and seeing her move around, really makes it very real! Now the name game begins, and shopping and nursery planning will be a fun summer project as we wait for the remaining 4 months to meet our little sweet pea! :)
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