all that blogging I used to do...

All those weekly updates have definitely fallen to the wayside. There is always something to do when Mr. James is napping--making bottles, cooking, laundry, cleaning, catching up with my mommy friends, napping myself. We have definitely settled in, but I don't know that we have a real routine yet. We're getting there.

We keep reminding ourselves that developmentally, he's only about 3 weeks old. He went through a phase last week where he didn't want to be put down. Looking at BabyCenter, it seemed pretty common for other babies born around his due date. And it makes sense, that he would have some kind of instinct to promote bonding right after birth. Cosleeping? Was never going to do it. Did it almost every night last week just so we could all sleep. Overall, he is a good baby. When he cries, there's usually a fixable reason--he's hungry, gassy, or needs a cuddle. Or, at least for today, he wants his mom and dad to stop coming at him with that big blue bulb. He sounds congested and we've been using the aspirator to little avail. Saline spray will be next. That should be an adventure.

Sadie and Katie have really taken to him. They want to sniff him all the time and when he cries, they are on high alert. Lola sniffs at him occasionally. Other than that she really doesn't care that much about the newest human.

It's hard to believe that he'll be two months on Friday. He's still so itty bitty! James is wearing the newborn sizes, because the preemie is just way too short, but they are still really big on him. We've had a couple of friends be very generous with hand-me-downs, so he'll be very stylish for quite a while!

+1 Week, 3 Days

This has been the most emotional week of my entire life. I'm sure I'll be writing our birth story at some point, but right now I feel like it is more important to update on our hospital status. The world of the NICU is a completely different one and hard to explain to anyone who hasn't been there. Your days are kind of liquid, and trying to keep people updated is impossible, because things change literally hour to hour. Please bear with me.

After James's birth his platelets were 80. Not too bad, but definitely something they were going to monitor. His low platelets would resolve themselves as my immunity left his body, which could take a few weeks, or with treatment. Saturday afternoon, they dropped to 32. He was ordered IVIG and a head ultrasound to make sure there was no bleeding. They also started him on antibiotics, something they do for most preemies for 48 hours. Sunday we found out there was a spot of old bleeding, something that must have occurred in the womb, and a band of something. The bleed they saw was only a 1 or 2 on a scale of 1-4, 4 being the most severe. Old bleeding didn't seem like such a big deal, especially if it wasn't considered severe. On Sunday and Monday, he kept breathing too quickly and we had to stop trying to bottle feed and he was just using the NG (nasogastric) tube. He has been on that ever since. They also began doing a TORCH screening, a multiple infection screening to ensure he didn't have any.

Tuesday he was very lethargic. His doctors called in Occupational and Physical Therapy to look at him because he didn't like to extend his limbs. He was definitely staying in the fetal position. He wouldn't extend them on his own and was very rigid when others tried to extend them. They also placed a PICC line, which is a heavy duty IV and much better than a regular IV--less sticks for the baby. He did begin digesting his food better and having less residuals (they would pull from the NG tube to see how much food was left from his previous feeding).

Tuesday night I called around 9 or 10 to check on him and his nurse said they were giving him platelets. I freaked out. She asked if I had talked to his providers and I said I hadn't, we had missed each other all day. She suggested we come in and talk to them. A quick tearful drive to the hospital later, we found out that some of his TORCH results had indicated he may have meningitis and they needed to do a spinal tap. He was given the platelets to increase his counts above 100 (they had been slowly rising from the IVIG and hadn't gone down) to do the spinal tap. All I'd ever heard about the procedure is how painful it can be. I asked them about that and they explained they did try to minimize pain by giving them some meds on a pacifier, morphine, and numbing the spot. Jimmy and I went to dinner and came back after the procedure to check on him. Thankfully, he was resting comfortably or heads would have rolled.

Wednesday he was still very lethargic and not much had changed. They still thought he had meningitis and amped up the antibiotic and antiviral treatments. They were ordering an MRI to fully look at his brain and an EEG because he was having some tic like movements. They also wanted to consult geneticists, infectious disease doctors, and neurologists. This was really scary for us.

Thursday James was feeling much better. He was acting a little more alert and was more responsive to the suggestions from PT to move his legs and arms. They did the MRI and 24 hour EEG. He looked like a little mummy with the bandages wrapped around his head. Guess what we are NOT going to be for Halloween... They also wanted to do another spinal tap because the first one had some contamination and genetics wants to test for a specific glucose transport issue. However, the spinal tap couldn't be done until he was completely off IV nutrition. He had been receiving some in addition to the NG tube feedings. They began weaning him off the IV nutrition Friday.

Friday was a great day for babies, but a bad day for parents. He was awake, alert, crying a bit, his platelets were continuing to increase...and he even got to see Santa! Jimmy had a sore throat and went to an urgent care to get a quick strep test. It was negative, but they gave him a Zpack and told him it would be better if he stayed away from the hospital for 24 hours. It was a REALLY rough day for him. We found out James has something called an Intraventricular Hemorrhage. It is common in preemies and really isn't related to his platelets. The ventricles are an open spot in the brain where cerebrospinal fluid is produced. What's in there should be clear, but his had blood in it. This was hard to understand because he was doing so much better. His doctor explained that effects of this kind of bleeding would not be seen immediately, but if it did happen, would show up in his developmental milestones. And he may not have any troubles. After we go home, they will still want to follow him through one of their special care clinics to ensure he's hitting milestones. To know that your child is sick with something you can't fix, something you can't see...I don't know how my parents did it without crying all the time. We also found out that the treatment for meningitis for him is a 21 day run of antibiotics. Thankfully we found out later that the 21 days started the day he was born.

Saturday thru Monday were kind of like vacation days. The hospital was on a skeleton crew, so no testing was done. We got to snuggle him and watch him practice opening his eyes. Due to swelling that most babies have around their eyes after birth and immaturity, he hadn't really done a lot of peeking around. He so made up for it and stared at Jimmy and me for long moments. He did get off of his IV nutrition. He got upgraded from the Intensive Care Nursery to the Transitional Care Nursery which means he needs less medical attention from the nurses and more learning how to go home attention! One of the doctors in rounds yesterday did mention something about an ultrasound today for his head to check on the bleeding, but apparently it was cancelled. I'm not sure why, but they usually check on those bleeds every 28 days, so he has some time before his next one. Maybe they got confused. He did get his second spinal tap today, but again was resting quietly when we came in after the procedure. We did begin bottle feeding and OT is going to work with us a lot on that. Little James doesn't realize that his mama has seen OT in action and knows it works, so I'm not going to let him be lazy! We have 11 more days of antibiotics, and I'm hoping and praying he can learn how to eat so when those are over, he will be ready to go home. He's done a great job today regulating his body temperature and not needing the heat lamps. PT was so impressed at how much more relaxed his arms and legs are. He will keep them extended without us making him and is so much more at ease in his movements.

I am amazed at how kind everyone is. We can call and talk to our baby's nurse at any time. We can talk to the doctors and nurse practitioners 24/7. If we get back to the hotel and have questions, we can call. The social workers hooked us up with Ronald McDonald house and when that wasn't the best fit for us (a post-partum, pumping Mama in a communal bathroom and no comfortable place to pump, walking up and down stairs) found us a medical rate at a hotel. There are family groups who offer support and information. It's also amazing how when I'm in the hospital, I can't remember any doctors' names, but when it's my baby I can almost tell you the name of every nurse, nurse practitioner, and doctor who's laid a hand on him.

AND THEY ALL SAY HOW CUTE HE IS! It must be true! Obviously he's Jimmy and mine's baby, and we are 100% biased that he's beautiful, but it is funny to hear from people who don't have to say it. We are so in love with him. I'm having a bit of a break because I've been at the hospital a good part of the day, and Jimmy is doing some kangaroo care with him. I love seeing them together.

I'll update as I can, but this is a summary and I've left out a lot of the changes that occur on the day-to-day. The important thing is that the danger seems to be over and he is working on things that all early babies work on.

-1 Day

Yesterday's counts were super high. in the 800s. This gives me a lot of room to drift down until tomorrow--even if my counts go down, it's doubtful they will be in the danger range. It looks like 2 goals will be met!

Jimmy and I hadn't done any baby shopping together, so I was really happy we were able to go do some shopping and looking together on Sunday. He's been working so hard lately. It was wonderful to see him get so excited. Since we knew the baby was going to be here for Christmas, we really wanted to pick out a special outfit. The only place that had preemie sizes was WalMart. We did find two really cute outfits and picked up a few more sleepers. The baby may only need that size for a couple weeks, but at least we'll be prepared. While we were shopping, I was seriously waddling. I felt like I was moving so slowly!

It's hard to believe that at the end of this week (because who knows how long labor will take), we will be a family of 3. I'm so glad Jimmy and I have made an effort to spend time together alone because we'll never have that time back. That doesn't mean anything bad against the baby, just that things will be different. We've wanted and waited for this a long time. When I think about last summer, being told to not have children and the mourning we went through, I'm still a little amazed we are at this point now. We'd pretty much accepted that adoption would be our route to parenthood. With all the trouble the ITP has been, it's been nothing short of a miracle that this baby has been as healthy as it has. I feel so thankful when I read on BabyCenter.com about the women who are dealing with bed rest, pre-term labor, pre-eclampisa, bleeding, etc. that I haven't had those issues.

And tomorrow, we go in to have OUR baby. It's not a cousin, not a niece, not a nephew, not a friend's, not someone else's....this is mine and Jimmy's baby! We get to take it home and love and and squeeze it and call it George! Or whatever else we might want to call it!

- 1 week

This weekend was really great. I had with dinner with some awesome friends Saturday, and Jimmy and I had one of our last date nights before baby on Sunday.

Monday was rough though. I had appointments at 11, 1:30, and 3. My OB appointment went well with Dr. S2 (still love her, she's wonderful at making me feel at ease about the decisions and does a great job answering my questions) and we finalized our plans for next week. I had a CBC done and they were so concerned about me getting there early so it could be sent out on the first run to the lab, so if I needed to be kept (if my count was lower than 50), I wouldn't be driving all that way home and then back for nothing. Remember this, because I DID MY PART. I went to the Hematology clinic at 1:30, but Dr. M was running a little late. My phone was dying at this point, and I still had to see the anesthesiologists for a consult. But! I needed my phone in case they call with my counts, because if they are low, they may need to keep me. So I went back to the parking deck, got my charger, and then used the fancy new corridor that connects Duke clinics to Duke hospital. This is a great addition and saves me a lot of time, but was not easy for the pregnant lady. I went up to L&D, to meet with the anesthesiologists. That takes about 20-30 minutes. I still hadn't heard anything about my counts. I'm thinking, "It's only 3:15, maybe they need more time, so I should stay just in case." I went to Starbucks, got a snack, and enjoyed it while charging my phone a bit. No phone call. At that point it's close to 4, and I just thought, "Forget it. They're not going to call at this point." So I left. And guess what! I never heard from anyone Monday night! When I got home, I was exhausted and the rest I got was honestly the best I'd had in 2 weeks. I think it was the relief of not having to stay, because I really was dreading a low count and having to be put in the hospital. 34 weeks is my goal, not 32+4.

Despite the rest, yesterday was a difficult day. I felt it coming on Monday, because I began being really irritable, but yesterday I was in a totally awful mood. I know the dex does this. I know pregnancy does this. The two together, well, ugh. Poor Jimmy was probably ready to smack me. Not only was I irritable and grumpy, but I just felt down and didn't really want to talk to anyone. I'm not looking for sympathy, just telling my story. It happens under these circumstances. But Dr. M did call me with my counts! They were 42. He was good with that, because the Nplate often takes 5-7 days to kick in, and he talked with OB, who was also good with the number. So we'll see where we are on Friday, and probably get an Nplate shot then. My second goal is to walk in to the hospital on Wednesday with triple digits.

Today, Jimmy told me to wake him up early so we could redo the bedroom. We're keeping Baby J in the pack and play in our room for the first few weeks, whenever we are able to come home, to make access easier. We cleaned and rearranged furniture. The room feels ready. The nursery still needs some final touches, but it's more organization and decoration. I didn't get all the things done I wanted, as far as the closets and moving things around, but it'll be dealt with. I'm not stressing over it. It'll happen.

This time next week, we will be sitting in L&D, getting ready to have our baby.

Despite having a blog, I am a pretty private person, at least until I'm ready to share things. Thankfully, we will not have many people at the hospital. I'm really excited that Mom, Dad, and Jackie will be there, as well as our siblings if they are able, and Baby J's godparents, if they are able. But this could take a long time and I don't want to feel like people are sitting there waiting on me. Things like that can totally stall labor as well. Dr. S2 said there is no real difference in labor time between now and an induction at term, but me being a first time mom it could take a few days. I'm also going to be able to have the birth experience I wanted, at least as far as induction methods go. Dr. S2 also said there wasn't a more significant chance of me having a c/s this early unless Baby J or I go into distress. Maybe genetics will play a part and they'll break my water, and I'll pop that sucker out in 4 hours. Who knows?!

We also will let people know when we're ready for other visitors. We just don't know how the baby's health will play out and honestly, will not be up to visiting with people until we are ready. Our focus is going to be on getting that sweet baby home! My goal for bringing Baby J home is Christmas. Dr. S2 estimated a NICU stay of 2 weeks, but reminded me every baby is different.

I have 3 goals:

• To deliver at 34 weeks and not before
• To go to the hospital with a count in 3 digits
• To bring Baby J home by Christmas

I guess writing all those goals for IEPs never really leaves your system. With the medical support Jimmy and I have, the best in the country as far as we're concerned, as well as all the prayers and thoughts of our families, friends, and even those we haven't met, I know that these things are achievable.

-2 Weeks

At least, that's what they tell me. When I called Monday to go over my glucose numbers, the nurse said, "Oh! And I have your induction date ready for you!" It took my breath away for a minute. We will go in on December 14th for them to check my counts and then they will begin the process if I don't need any kind of treatments.

Like I've been telling people, with me, it's always "plan" in quotation marks. I don't know where my counts will be on the 14th. And if my counts drop again, they may just want me to come in. The longer my counts can stay up, the longer my baby can cook. And I'm really, really shooting for the 34 week goal. I told Mom that if we ever thought we lived by numbers before (early on in my diagnosis), it was at a completely different level now. My counts on Monday were 101. Then it was like, "Okay, we're good until Thursday. What are they going to be on Thursday?" Thursday they were 56. 56 is okay. I called OB and they said they were good with that, but wanted me to come in a little early for counts on Monday at my appointment, in case they were low and I needed to be admitted. I can do that. Dr. M said he wanted me to try to get a shot of Nplate today. IVIG, despite the high price tag, only lasted for about a week and my counts weren't as high as they had been when we'd done dex and Nplate in the past. That's simply not cost effective in terms of time put in or insurance money. Luckily, the clinic had Nplate and I was able to get a shot today! I'm hoping it'll work really hard over the weekend and I'll have a decent count on Monday. I'll also use my nerdy data tracking chart to see if I can form a more concrete hypothesis.

As far as the gestational diabetes goes, I've been managing pretty well. I monitored for a week and after 3 days realized I did need to make some changes. However, my after dinner numbers continue to be high, but I take that reading about 8 hours after I take my dex. Dex takes a few hours to kick in. Obviously it's causing these higher numbers. Also, we eat leftovers, so when I eat for lunch the same thing I had for dinner the night before and have a discrepancy in the two after meal numbers, and the only difference is that I took medication, I think the correlation is obvious.

I've finally found the peace I needed for the decision to take the baby at 34 weeks. I was in major panic mode and very scared for about a week. On Sunday, I finally received the peace that I have needed so badly. Now I am able to be excited about our child joining us instead of completely freaked out. I know there may be challenges, but I am looking for the good things. Due to the steroids, hopefully breathing will not be an issue for the baby. Also, even though I have had complications due to ITP, I have not had any pregnancy scares--no bleeding, cramping, trips to L&D in the middle of the night (only when they want to observe me), strong and early movement...these things encourage me. I know that our child is a fighter. My prayer and the ONLY thing I really want for Christmas is to be able to bring the baby home. Snuggling on the couch with my husband and child would be the best holiday I could imagine. We may not have a tree, decorations, or gifts, but it really doesn't matter. We will have our family and our faith.

Nesting is not just called that because women are trying to get a "nest" ready. To include more bird metaphors, I feel like I'm taking a birdwalk every time I start nesting. I start doing one thing, then I see something else that can be done, and "Oh! I need to do that!" and it goes on for a couple of hours. It's kind of crazy. I have gotten some incredible deals in finishing up the last minute shopping. I found organic cotton changing pad covers at Marshall's for $6 apiece, half off retail. I bought several newborn sleepers, because the vast majority of the clothes we have were 0-3 months, and those will just be too big at first. I got in on a Babies R Us sale and got my diaper bag, flannel lap pads, and an extra mattress cover at great prices. I found the canvas covered baskets for $2 apiece at a local secondhand store, and they had enough for my changing table. I haven't gone too crazy looking for preemie stuff, because a)I'm trying to fatten this baby up and b)when I start to feel the urge, something inside of me says, "Wait," and that's good enough for me.

I'm going to miss being pregnant. Things are starting to get uncomfortable, but there really is nothing like feeling the baby move around inside of me. Jimmy hasn't been able to feel baby move a lot, due to the placenta position, but it's been amazing the times he has.

-3 + one day...approximately

Monday Appointments

Our ultrasound showed great things--the baby weighs about 3 pounds, 4 ounces, is practicing breathing, and is in the 21st percentile for weight. The Biophysical Profile Score was 8/8, which means the body movements, tone, breathing movements, and amniotic fluid are all normal. The doctor we saw was another Dr. S. We'll call her Dr. S2. I liked her because she had a quiet confidence and was really on top of things as far as knowing my history and my questions. I was glad that she let me know what the protocol was, in case I have another low count and won't have to deal with being in limbo again. Dr. S2 set me up with the nurses to figure out how to use my glucometer after our appointment. It was almost like being a celebrity--these are the nurses who answer the urgent question line, or for people who call in with low platelet counts--so we know each other's names and voices, but we finally got to see each other's faces! Kind of cool :) Taking my blood sugar doesn't bother me, it's the numbers that do. And because I feel like I only have GD due to the massive amounts of steroids I'm currently/have been on. I'm supposedly just monitoring this week, and not supposed to change my diet.

Around 1:30, we went over to the clinic and checked in. Amazingly enough, we got back into the treatment room quickly for the IVIG. Jen and Shane were actually at the Duke clinics too, and we got to see them for a few minutes while I was getting my IV put in! It took a while to get all my premeds in--the pharmacy was slow with my Zofran, and without Zofran life gets UGLY on IVIG. I think Mom and I have permanent memories of the last time I had IVIG without Zofran. Between the Zofran and the Benadryl, I got a really wonderful nap in. We didn't get to leave until just before 7. Dr. M came by and we began discussing what might happen if my counts were low, because on Friday they had dropped to 49 from 82 on Wednesday. This was why Jimmy thought I might need to be admitted. Dr. M starts talking "Defcon 5"--if my counts had dropped and the steroids and the IVIG weren't working, then...but then immediately said, "There's no point in wondering, let's just see what your numbers are." Thankfully, they were at 331k! I had actually dreamed the night before they were 339, so that was pretty funny.

The Twist

We spent another night in Rocky Mount and came home Tuesday. Jimmy had just left for work when my phone rang. It was Dr. S2! She let me know that she had been consulting with Dr. J (you may not remember, she is one of the foremost experts on ITP and pregnancy, but does mostly consultations, not deliveries or office visits so much) and Dr. M. After talking, they decided they were very concerned about the risk of placental abruption as time goes on in this pregnancy. It is not something they can predict and it has hearbreaking outcomes. Therefore, they would like to induce me at 34 weeks. She went on to reassure me, saying basically (I'm paraphrasing) that babies are almost 100% viable at that point, just as they would be at term. I asked if the risk truly increased so much that it was worth the trade off of an early birth and she said they truly felt it was. I told her that Jimmy and I trusted them implicitly to do what was the safest outcome for our baby and me, and if that's what they felt was the best, we would do whatever they said. I have my next appointment December 5th and we will finalize our plan then. The outline is they will probably admit to be sure my counts are where they need to be, then once that happens they will induce. I told Dr. S2 several times how thankful I was that she called me so I could get my mind wrapped around the idea of having a baby in 3 weeks, because I am someone who needs time to process things. Dr. M and I spoke today and he gave me basically the same information, but I was more capable of digesting it today. My sweet husband is going to be a rock for me the next few days. I am incredibly thankful because he says he is nervous and excited, but also seems more at peace, now that they have a plan to keep his wife and child as safe as possible.

34 weeks is December 15th. Before Christmas. Before New Year's. Totally unexpected. I had to pick my chin up off the floor and fight back that nervous laughter reflex when the words first came out of her mouth. I finally moved out of panic attack mode last night, began making my lists, and got a lot accomplished today. We don't need a lot, thanks to the generosity of our friends and families. I'm doing a lot of praying for peace and the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

This Week...-6-10

It's simple to explain what a chronic illness is. It's an illness that doesn't go away. What that short sentence doesn't include is the emotional impact of a chronic illness. When I was first diagnosed, it was really difficult for me to deal with people who meant well, and were just trying to help. Until you do the research on autoimmune diseases, they are not easy to understand. When people are throwing advice at you from every angle, it's overwhelming and it made me just shut down.

Someone told my mom, and I can't remember who, but paraphrasing, "Women go into survival mode when there is a crisis. They might break down after it's over, but they just want to get through it while it's happening." When there are serious things going on with my ITP, I typically just want to hide from everyone, get through a particular episode, then go back to regular life. It's hard to know when this feeling is going to come up, and it's not every time I have an issue. When it happens, I do become distant. The only people I really want to communicate with are my husband and parents. It's just too much to deal with more than that. I just feel emotionally depleted. Which in turn then makes me feel guilty for not being communicative. It just kind of sucks all the way around. Today though, I'm finally feeling better and more like my normal self. Except for the butt stuck under my ribcage, which is a very odd feeling.

This week has been one of those weeks. We did have a wonderful weekend in Rocky Mount and Jackie and Jennifer gave us a wonderful baby shower! It was great to see everyone and we got some very nice and sweet things. When we came back Monday, I had to get bloodwork done. My counts were 5k. Dr. M decided to bump up my steroids from the 12 mg/day to do a 40/40/20/20 pulse, and will keep me on 20 until next week. Also, he wanted to do a 4 day run of IVIG. Now, usually when I have a count like this, OB wants me in the hospital. He was trying to get in touch with them and never heard back. So we spent almost 24 hours waiting to hear from them and never heard. I tried calling the office directly Tuesday and they gave me the on-call pager number, "for my hematologist to call." I had a meltdown and Jimmy had to talk to Dr. M. I was so frustrated because this man has worked his tail off for us, and the OB people are just not as on top of things, until they want to be. On top of that, the office in Jacksonville would be able to administer the IVIG, but had to get prior approval from my insurance--IVIG costs more than liquid gold and has no shelf life. I just knew that as soon as Jacksonville called saying, "We got approval, we're ordering it," OB would call 10 minutes later, insisting I come up.

Thankfully, OB decided I didn't need to come up, since we were doing everything they would be doing in the hospital, and I'm pretty sure promises of bedrest were made until my count went into the safe zone. Jimmy made me promise that I would stay in bed or sitting as much as possible. Jacksonville called and they would be able to do 3 of my treatments this week, and then we will have to do the 4th one at Duke on Monday, because I have regularly scheduled OB appointments. My first treatment was yesterday, and it left me feeling pretty miserable. Thanks to the steroids, my counts had already gone up to 82. Jimmy also put me under strict orders to "not do anything" while he was at work. He has been driving me back and forth, but since there's not a lot he can do afterward, he has gone into work. Today was not as bad--they ran the meds a little more quickly and I came home and slept. Tomorrow we start very early--7:30--as the clinic is only open for a half day.

The stress of not knowing what we were doing threw me into a complete nesting mode Monday night and I washed pretty much everything. Sheets, clothes, and blankets are washed and put into the changing table or in the crib. We just need to put up the fencing and clean out the paint stuff, then we can arrange the nursery how we want. I have been keeping up with my online pregnancy groups because I can share with them without feeling like I have to go into all of the medical stuff, unless I want to, and it helps distract me from my bubble.

Neither here nor there...

Back on a steroid pulse for a few days. I was at 11k on Monday, which isn't single digits, but isn't fabulous. Today I've felt pretty icky. While waiting on Jimmy to get up, I read for a while. A pregnant belly makes a GREAT book rest! Until the baby decides it doesn't like a book sitting on it. It was so funny to watch my book move because the baby was kicking it!

"I don't like to use paint stirrers." -13 weeks (for a few more hours)

This weekend Jimmy and I finally began painting the nursery. I think he's been wanting to do it since our birth class, but we hadn't really had a chance to yet. He sent me out last Friday to pick out the paint, but naturally, I had about 8 different colors that were really all the same color green, and I couldn't pick. I wanted him to have input and at the time it was incredibly important (impending stressful things, not quite ready to post about yet).

On Saturday, we got up and went to Havelock, had lunch, and picked out our paint. We were in WalMart and of course I got a little distracted by baby things. He asked me if I'd looked at cribs there. He acted like he really wanted to get the crib bought that weekend. His grandma had so generously offered to buy us the crib we wanted, originally from Target, but it was out of stock online and in limited stock in stores. I told him no and he asked if there was a specific reason. I said since I'd registered at Target I hadn't really looked at anywhere else, but the brand of the crib was more important than where it was bought. We looked at a few and at first I didn't see what I wanted...then I saw it. Almost the exact same crib as the one in Target, $10 less, and IN STOCK! We were so excited!

Saturday evening, we got everything (except my antique chiffarobe) out of the nursery and arranged it in the sewing/music/guest room. I'm always amazed at what we can get done when we're motivated. For so long I've just been okay with the thought of, "This room is just a mess, and there's not much I can do," but when we got into that spare room and needed to be cleaned out, we were able to do it and it feels so much better. Which has led me to another revelation. We have too much crap. It amazes me all the little things we've thrown out or put in the give away pile. We don't need little trinkets, gadgets, and things, because it seems like that's what we've mostly thrown out, or it's in packages that have never even been opened. It makes me want to have a trash can at my front door and just sort through anything tempted to enter. It's making me feel a lot better about simplifying things for Christmas though!

I was sitting on the couch, finishing up thank you cards (and most are sent out! Just need a few addresses to send out the rest!) and I hear it. A very loud bad word. I knew it. I just don't expect for us to complete a project without something happening. If it doesn't happen, it's just a pleasant surprise! The next thing I know, Jimmy is bringing his drop cloth sheet out the front door and lets me know he has spilled paint on the floor. Oh geeze. I immediately Google, "remove latex paint from carpet." Apparently it will be hard to get up. I ask him how it happened and he says something along the lines of shaking the paint. I asked him why he didn't use a paint stirrer and he says, "I don't like to use paint stirrers." We spend the next 20 minutes or so scrubbing up paint as best we can, and joking about what kind of rugs we'll have to get to cover up the stains. Jimmy thinks a carpet shampooer may help, but I'm doubtful. But I've seen him use paint stirrers since then!

Sunday he began working on the mural. It looks really great so far! We are going to add some fence posts and he wants to do the dogs' heads looking over the fence. It is going to be so beautiful! I'm so excited. I was able to assemble the crib yesterday and just needed Jimmy's help to put in the mattress supporter. We got the changer out of storage--Lauren and Travis had given it to us over a year ago and it had been in the kitchen as a storage piece. When we redid the kitchen, we put into storage and kind of forgot about it being a changer! It helps bring the room together. We can't hardcore organize in there yet, until the mural is finished, but I'm good with that. It's really exciting to see progress!

-18 Weeks, post-appointment

We are in for it with this baby. I am already so in love with how stubborn this little one is.

When I lay down for the ultrasound, the technician immediately said, "Oh, the baby is breech. There's plenty of time to turn around, but the way they are laying is going to make it hard to get this picture." She could take lots of pictures of the heart, but the specific one she wanted was hard to get. It took a good hour of her poking and prodding, then me laying on my left side, trying to get Baby J to roll over. Eventually, things turned and she was able to get the picture. Since that was all they needed, we didn't get any pictures, but oh well. I have lots already and will be getting more when they start doing monthly growth scans. Afterward, for about 2 hours, the baby let me know it did NOT appreciate someone poking and prodding them by rolling and kicking. I think I felt more strong movement today than I have the whole time!

Stephen was breech, so he is really enjoying how stubborn his niece/nephew is. I'm hoping the baby turns because I'd really like to go naturally instead of having a cesarean.

I managed to get in a nap this evening when I got home and it was awesome. Dex has been a difficult drug this time around. I'm just hoping the weekend passes quickly.

-18 Weeks...Second most stressful week so far?

The week in the hospital definitely takes the cake for the most stressful week so far. However, I think this week comes in as a close second. If you've asked me how I'm doing, I've probably given the Reader's Digest version of "Fine" or "Good" because I knew once I got started I wouldn't be able to stop.

Monday I called the Jacksonville clinic to try and get my shot early. No response from the doctor there. However, after events on Tuesday, I think this was the secretary's fault. I'm not sure if she transferred me to the wrong extension or what. I go in Tuesday, not my regular day, just to see if they have the medication. She is on the phone on what seems to be a personal call and has me sit down. Even after she gets off the phone, she doesn't acknowledge my presence, but the lab tech saw me when she picked up another patient. She came out and I told her what was going on, we talked to the RN who said she did have the meds, and I got a CBC. My platelets were at 2k on the first run through. There was some value that didn't come up, so she had to run it again. This time, they were 0.

The doctor came out and we discussed options. I told him I felt this rollercoaster was due to the fact that 4 mcg was just too much for me. I skyrocket, then drop wayyy down and have to do dex. He agreed that the dex was just becoming too much. We decided to do 3.5 mcg on Tuesday and I would start coming in Monday and Thursday for lab draws. This way, if I did go too high, I could be monitored more closely than 7 days after that count. I felt like this was reasonable.

I get my dex refilled, make supper, and am hanging out with the dogs. Jimmy had been texting me, asking if I needed him at home. There wasn't really anything he could do for me--I wasn't actively bleeding or anything, and I was taking it easy. About 9, I get a phone call that he needs to go to the hospital and get stitches. Jimmy NEVER goes to the hospital and has NEVER had stitches. I'm thinking the worst. I tell him I'm absolutely not taking him to Onslow and we decide to meet at Carteret General (or whatever it's called). I get there a little before 10 and the nurse triages him. His cut did not LOOK that bad, it was pretty short, but he assured me it was deep. After hours of bad tv, stiff sitting positions, and vending machine snacks, they finally call him back about 1:30 to get looked at. He gets 3 stitches, his finger splinted up and a tetanus shot. We got home around 4 AM. The next day, occupational health at his work tells him he has to go on light duty, which means he has to work day shift until his stitches are removed. Total sleep transition! But he did come home early Wednesday (about 5:30) so he could start at 7 on Thursday.

Jimmy wasn't going to go with me to my appointments today, because his advanced sick leave hasn't been completely approved yet. However, with me coming off Dex, the first day is rough. I didn't feel comfortable making that round trip by myself. Pregnancy brain has kicked in and I really thought my dad was going to be in Raleigh for a conference, then coming to Sunset over the weekend. I was going to ask if he had a double bed room and if I could come up and spend the night with him Thursday. Um...he's in Monroe this week, Raleigh next week, and Sunset next weekend. Oh. So Jimmy decided to go ahead and come with me, then go to Deven's to help him with the floor this weekend. I asked if he was going to really be able to help and he says he thinks it'll be fine. I hope so for Margo's sake! I can empathize with unfinished projects! We spent the night with Jackie, my MIL last night. THEY slept. After 3 days of Dex, I think I may have slept for about 4 hours total. I probably didn't get to sleep until close to 1, and even then I was getting up to pee or move around. I got up around 7:20 and even though I was fine laying down, when I sat up I suddenly had heartburn! Who doesn't have heartburn until they sit up?! It was kind of funny. I've not had a LOT this pregnancy, just occasionally. Thankfully I have an emergency stash of Tums in my purse. Jimmy laughed the first time he saw it, but I'm not the only one who's raided the stash!

So I'm hoping all goes well with my appointments today. I have a blood draw at 11, ultrasound at 11:30, and then the OB appointment at 1. Praying that everything is safe with the baby. I've felt some stronger kicks this week, but s/he kind of slacked off on Wednesday, which of course worried me a bit. At this stage, seeing that ultrasound image is the most reassuring sight I can possibly imagine...especially after this week.

-19 Weeks--the countDOWN is on!

It's a little scary to think that this pregnancy is halfway over! But then again, while some people will say theirs flew by, I don't think mine has so far. It seems like it was a long time ago that we got the two lines on our test. I'm not complaining, and I'm not wishing away this time at all. It just seems different from what a lot of others have experienced.

Nplate update--after last weekend on 3 days of steroids, my counts were 187 on Monday, then 521 on Wednesday. Obviously 4 mcg of Nplate is way too much, but no one listens to me. I think we're going to try to do the shot on Monday before I get so low.

I have, in the past week or two, realized that our life is about to completely change. I doubt Jimmy and I will stop doing certain things, but it will definitely be different with a tiny person in the house. The spontaneous day trips will be different, because we'll have to pack a bag with diapers, bottles, wipes, food, and clothes before we go anywhere. I'm hoping to keep a small bag packed with these items just for spontaneity's sake. It does make me a little sad that one chapter of our life is closing. However, I know the adventure that awaits us is completely worth it!

I'm starting to nest. Jimmy thinks nesting is cleaning, but in my mind, it's getting ready for this baby in any way, shape, or form. I've cleaned out our bedroom and still have a few things to do in there. We have both started in the music room. Mom and I finally set a date for my shower at home, and I'm really excited about the chance to throw a party and try out some recipes for entertaining! We were lucky enough to find the travel system I wanted for $230 cheaper than online, and it's in great shape. The car seat doesn't expire until 2013, so it'll last until Baby J outgrows it.

Also, something I haven't talked about in my blog, is the great support group of other January 2012 Mommies I have met. Through BabyCenter.com, I joined a January 2012 First Time Moms group. Within that group, several of us started posting to "Kill The Thread," posting 1000 posts on a discussion thread until it closes automatically. While I've been skeptical in the past of online friendships, I truly understand them now. These ladies are going through a lot of the same things I am at the same time. It's awesome to have that companionship and support!

-20 Weeks!

Yes, yes, I know I'm behind. Life has been quite hectic.


And yes, if I think it's hectic now, just wait until 20 weeks from now!


So Wednesday when I went to get my shot, I was 25,000. Not surprising to me, because I missed my shot last week. This always happens when I miss a shot. So I get my 4 mcg and the docs want me to come back in for a count on Friday. I go in on Friday, and we are in the dreaded single digits (3,000). I call Dr. M and we decide to do 3 days of Dex. The *badword* doctor I used to see at the Jacksonville clinic was called (the other guy was out taking his state boards or something) and said, "Take your Dex, then we'll go up to 5 next week." Um, I don't think so, because I'm 99% sure my counts will be too high to get the shot on Wednesday. And did you see what happened when I got 4 last time? It made me go too high (without steroids). But it all depends on counts anyway. So we'll see what happens.

How Far Along: 20 weeks, 3 days

Size of Baby: Measurements changed this week, and now instead of crown to rump, it is crown to feet! So 10 inches this week, the size of a banana.

Maternity Clothes: Some pre-pregnancy shirts still fit okay if they were longer to begin with. Pants are exclusively maternity or elastic waisted

Sleep: Getting up at least twice to pee. I know most women pee more in the first trimester, but I'm obviously not most women.

Best Moment of the Week: Baby moves when I'm anxious or upset, which actually helps calm me down.

Movement: Slowly becoming more regular and predictable--usually early afternoon and then later in the evenings.

Symptoms: weird acid reflux--like I don't feel any acid or heartburn, then have a hiccup/burp and suddenly it's there, but just for a moment. My stomach is never the same shape from day to day. My hips have started hurting again at night.

Food Cravings/Aversions: The thought of salad bars gross me out. How can they make sure everything is at a safe temperature? Yuck.

Gender: Earlier I was using feminine pronouns, then a couple of weeks ago had two boy dreams back to back. So now I'm just using it or they. My brother, the creative writing graduate, has assured me "They" is the proper pronoun.

How is Mommy Feeling: Oh crap, will we get everything done in time?

Total Weight Gain: After doing so well for quite a while, I think about 7. Which isn't awful, but I'm still keeping an eye on it. I'll eat when I'm hungry, but I'm trying to be health-conscious.

What I am looking forward to: This probably sounds really weird, but I have such good food ideas for baby showers. And I want Jimmy to feel the baby move!

-24 Weeks and Doctors Visits

Today Jimmy and I went to hematologist and OB appointments. Everything looks fine now with bloodwork, but as always, it can change quickly. As long as I'm not symptomatic, I'm not stressing. Dr. M did give me an emergency dose of decadron to tide me over for any emergencies. We are definitely going to have to increase the NPlate, but that is actually common with some other medications during pregnancy, due to the increased blood volume. Dr. M is usually the man with a plan and I'm relieved that he has one now. We had a great lunch at Sushi Love in Durham. Then we actually got called back on time for my OB appointment! Hooray for small miracles! We really liked the doctor I saw. Everything looks good for the 1st trimester screening, <1 in 10,000 chance for Downs, and they did bloodwork to do testing for spina bifida. The baby started to be stubborn with letting us listen to it's heartbeat, but then relented. I love to see the look on Jimmy's face when they find it! I go back in two weeks for the anatomy scan and my next appointment.

How far along: 16 weeks, 1 day

Size of baby: An avocado, about 4.5 inches long and 3.5 ounces.

Maternity clothes? None of my regular pants can fit anymore. At about 10 weeks was when I had to switch to elastic waists and my "fat" pants exclusively. My hips got wide first, then last week I "popped"

Sleep? Same as last week. I wake up to pee about 2 hours before I have to get up and it always takes a long time to get back to sleep. Prednisone has made me very sleepy this week!

Best moment of the week: Feeling so much movement! And Jimmy telling me it looks like I've lost weight.

Movement: Mornings or evenings, when/if I'm sitting slightly scrunched over. Still not every day, but most days.

Symptoms: This week has been hard to distinguish between steroid side effects and pregnancy symptoms. I am really tired and constantly hungry.

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing really.

Gender: Still not finding out in 2 weeks at our anatomy scan! But I feel like it's a girl, just because when I refer to the baby without thinking I use feminine pronouns.

How is Mommy Feeling? Excited, just really thrilled to be pregnant.

Total weight gain? I haven't really gotten out of the range I started in, it just depends on when I weigh myself. If it's after a meal, it's about 2 pounds. If it's first thing in the morning, none.

What I am looking forward to: Still wanting to get things ready in the house for the baby's room.

-25 Weeks, the basics

How Far Along: 15 weeks, 1 day

Size of Baby: Length-a little over 4 inches; Weight- about 2.5 ounces. Think of an apple.

Movement: Little One has really started moving more frequently! I feel movement if I'm kind of slouching and/or my stomach is scrunched up. It is either in the morning or in the evenings, and I think all the medicines they've had me on have caused him/her to move more.

Cravings: Nothing this week.

Food Aversions: I still don't want scrambled eggs.

What I Miss: Nothing really yet.

Sleep: Everything's good until I wake up to pee. It seems like when I do that, I have trouble getting back to sleep.

Symptoms: off and on heartburn--it'll last for a few minutes, then go away on its own. I'm not as tired, but the symptoms of the medicines have caused me to be tired. I've also started nesting and just wanted to get things done and organized--even in the hospital! Oh, and I think I'm "popping"! The top of my stomach and sides are becoming firmer and rounder.

Best Moment This Week: Feeling the baby move so much this week AND hearing the heartbeat with Jimmy on Tuesday!

What I'm Looking Forward To: Getting our spare bedrooms organized and one cleaned out to create the nursery!

-25 weeks, part 3

Jimmy and I had to go get a tire replaced and while waiting on the car, had dinner with Mary Ellen. She told us that she and Grandma were insisting that we get a hotel room in Durham instead of driving to Rocky Mount that night. Jimmy and I were so thankful. We were able to run a few errands--prescriptions, new clothes--and then just go to the room and crash. It was wonderful to not have to drive an hour and a half both ways. Thursday morning, we got breakfast at the hotel then headed over to the clinic. It was a pretty normal clinic day, just a 2 hour infusion of IVIG. I managed to sleep again, but my poor husband did not.

My mom was coming up to see us and stay a few days with us at home. I was so relieved. I'm not really sure why, because I've had IVIG and steroids before and not had her here, but I guess that would be the first time I've stayed in the hospital and she's not been there with me. She met us at Southpoint and we had lunch at Cheesecake Factory. She and I drove home together and stopped at the outlets in Smithfield, where she bought me some very wonderful maternity things. Jimmy went by his mom's and picked up our sweet fur babies, who really didn't miss us very much at all. We all finally reconvened at the house about 6:30. I am so thankful to be at home!

-25 Weeks, part 2

Jimmy and I got settled into our room, and left alone about 2:20. Because of all the drama, it was about 3 before I finally went to sleep. Jimmy was up a little later and when people tried to come in and check on me or take my blood, he would tell them I was sleeping. Unfortunately, that is no reason for people to leave you alone in the hospital! They drew blood about 5:30 and I don't know if I went to sleep between then and OB rounds. The OB attending doctor came in and checked me out, basically saying it was just a waiting game to infuse medicine and get my platelets up. The IVIG finally got started about 10. Jimmy went to run some errands and move the car, and Erin came to visit! With sweet Anouk! It was so wonderful to get to see them! Aunt Mary Ellen, Jimmy's aunt, came to visit as well. I did get to tell her I was worried about Wednesday being Jimmy's birthday and him being stuck in the hospital with me. She said she would talk to Jackie and try to work something out for dinner. We finally found out my counts that had been taken that morning and they were only 11. So disappointing. I did get permission to walk around, because sitting/laying in the hospital bed made me SO SORE! When I did lay down to sleep, my back hurt so much I couldn't rest. For evening rounds, the hematology group came to visit. I really really like the hematologist we worked with in the ER and was pleased to see her again. Jimmy and I thought I would be getting IVIG constantly, since that's the way it's done in the day hospital, but they were splitting the dosage over a few days. I thought I would have another at midnight, but they said it was postponed until the next day.

Around 7:15 that evening, the nurse told us we were going to be moving floors, to a floor that had OB patients, not just a hodge podge. It took about 2 hours, but they finally moved us. We had also been waiting all day on someone to come do "fetal heart tones," so the nurses on the new floor tried to get the baby's heartbeat on doppler before calling someone up from Labor and Delivery to do it. The first nurse spent a long time trying, but called in her partner when she couldn't find it. Sure enough, the second nurse was able to find the heartbeat on doppler! The heartrate was averaging about 160! It was so exciting and special to hear. Afterwards, we went to get Jimmy something for dinner and on the way back, he looks at me and says so excitedly, "We're going to have a kid!" I never get tired of hearing him say that or seeing how excited he is.

That night, I managed to sleep about 5 hours! Woohoo! I did wake up for rounds with the OB doctor, meet my new nurse, and get counts done. The nurse also works L&D and I've decided I must have her when I deliver. She was AMAZING. When she came in with my meds, I was getting some clothes together. She asked if I needed anything and I sheepishly said, "Well, I wanted to wash my hair before we got started. It's feeling gross." She immediately grabbed a latex glove, put it on me, and taped it over my IV so I could wash. She also ran my decadron through an IV pump instead of pushing it through and said if I felt the slightest bit of discomfort to call her. I think I thanked her like 20 times. Afterward, we did the IVIG and I slept for 2 hours. It was wonderful. When we were done, I asked her about counts and she went to check. When she came back in, she asked for a drumroll....."198,000!" WONDERFUL NEWS.

The hematologist came in to see us about 30 minutes later right after lunch was delivered. She asked if I liked hospital food. I told her it was okay, that Duke was better than some. She asked if I preferred home cooking and I said especially if I could cook. She laughed and asked if there were any restaurants around I'd rather go to than eat hospital food, because they were discharging me. What a change from keeping me for 5 days! She said we would need to come back in Thursday for IVIG in the outpatient clinic. We told her that was so much better than sleeping in a hospital again! I began packing immediately because as soon as they say, "You can go," you want to run, not walk, away. I had to have counts drawn again before I left and naturally it took forever to find a vein. My nurse had to call in her charge nurse to find a vein. As soon as they drew that blood, we were free to go!

-25 weeks, lengthy post ahead

What a week this has been.

Monday I had to get counts repeated because they were 30 last Thursday. The OB nurse calls me about 3:30 and says, "Your counts were 9." I basically went into shock. I was not having symptoms, much less any dangerous pregnancy symptoms of cramping and bleeding. We talked for a few minutes, then she said she was going to consult Dr. Livingston (who I actually saw my last visit) and call me back. About 5 minutes later Dr. Livingston herself calls me back and tells me she's spoken with Dr. M's fill-in (he was on vacation) and they want me to come to the ER at Duke to be admitted. It took 45 minutes to get in touch with Jimmy. After about 20, I called my mother and cried hysterically. She calmed me down, and I tried Jimmy again. This time I got his 2nd level supervisor, who immediately got ahold of my husband and sent him on his way. During this time, I'm trying to pack a bag, wondering how long we'll be up there, and do a load of laundry, as well as text people what's going on. Jimmy calls me from about 2 miles away and says to fix him a cup of water and meet him in the driveway. I tell him I am still trying to pack and will need his help. He gets home, and he gets in touch with his mother to ask if she can meet us in Goldsboro to get the dogs. We finally get in the car and drive to Duke, stopping in Goldsboro to meet Jackie and Jen with the pets.

We get to Duke about 9 and there were several people complaining loudly about how long they'd been there. My first thought was, "We are going to be triaged to the bottom of the pile," and I tried to tell everyone we came into contact with that Dr. L had told them to expect me. About 45 minutes after checking in, we were called back. They put in an IV and did counts. Then began the parade of doctors: 1 4th year med student, 1 resident, 1 hematologist, Dr. Livingston, and 2 OB residents. Everyone except the hematologist was amazed at how I can have so few platelets and not be bleeding everywhere. I told everyone I was fine, but worried about the baby. I wasn't having any danger signs, but it was the first thing on my mind. The hematologist looked for a portable ultrasound but couldn't find it. The OB ladies tried checking with a doppler, but couldn't find a heartbeat, so they hijacked a portable ultrasound. I have never felt so relieved in my entire life. On the screen was a strong heartbeat inside of our tiny baby. We asked the hematologist what the plan was, and she said I would probably be there for 5 days getting IVIG and Decadron. I asked her if there was any way we could do it outpatient and she apologized, because of my counts being so low with the baby, I needed to stay in the hospital. I assured her I was willing to do whatever was needed to keep the baby safe and that I understood it was different from just me having low platelets. While in the ER, they gave me a shot of decadron through IV, which burns down your spine into your pelvic region. It was the most painful part of the entire hospital visit! I told her it was burning really badly. Thank goodness she stopped pushing it, mixed it with saline, and pushed it much more slowly. Jimmy said it was a good thing the nurse was a woman or else he would have had to get ugly. They finally moved us up to a room about 1.

-30 weeks

Today I am 10 weeks pregnant! I am praying that the next 30 weeks will go by as uneventfully as these. The baby updates I get weekly tell me he/she is the size of a kumquat, but I've never seen one, so I had to check another site that told me he/she is the size of a prune.

Things have been pretty quiet on the symptom front. I am not as tired as I was, and I think that's due to not working--I can sleep and rest when I want to, before I get ridiculously tired. My arms go to sleep at night if they are above my heart, like tucked under the pillow when I lay on my side. Weird, I know. I posted on BabyCenter.com and asked if anyone else had it. Several other women are going through it, and the experienced moms said it usually developed into pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. If that's the trade-off I have to make for not throwing up, I'll take it! I usually only get nauseous when I get hungry, but a few times over the past few days I've gotten nauseous for no reason. I picked up some "Preggie Pop Drops," hard candies that have a 'proprietary blend of essential oils' that help nausea. Many of the women on BabyCenter.com swear by them, so I thought I'd try them. Tuesday night I had an explained bout: the baby does not like movie theater popcorn. It tasted so good, and then a few hours later I felt so sick! I'm not sure if this is my child...

Jimmy and I spent last weekend at Jackie's, my wonderful mother-in-law, due to the smoke in the area. It was a welcome respite! Then Tuesday night, we received a phone call that his second cousin's husband had died in an accident. It is really important to Jimmy for us to go up there and be with the widow and Jackie, who went up yesterday. So Friday night and Saturday night we'll be in the mountains, where the highest temperature for the weekend is 85 degrees!

-32 weeks...speechless

On Tuesday Jimmy and I had our first ultrasound and doctor's appointment. After a 3 hour drive where Jimmy slept most of the way (remember, 7 AM is the middle of the night for him), we got to the clinic ON TIME for our appointments at 11 and 11:30. This is important to remember later.

I got checked in, which took forever, and we waited to be called back. I don't know when I've ever been so excited and nervous at the same time. They were doing both kind of ultrasounds, external and internal, so I had to get undressed. The lady finally came back and went to work. Oh my. I don't think anything could have prepared me for the shock and wonder to see OUR BABY on the screen. I remember reaching for Jimmy's hand, but I really can't remember what I was thinking. I asked her if we could hear the heartbeat, but she said they didn't like to try to do that this early, that it required a lot more energy from the sonogram than they wanted to exert. She was able to show us the heart beating (!) and measure it. It was so amazing. Jimmy immediately texts Deven to let him know he has created the first dragon baby. Even though it isn't in this picture, in some the yolk sac looks like a giant appendage on the baby.

We got out of ultrasound a little after 12. Obviously they were late calling us back. Around 12:20 we were called back to a room. We were in there for almost 2 hours. We finally asked the nurse if we could leave and get lunch. She checked and said we were the next to be seen, and she would bring us some menus for the restaurants downstairs. *Side note: the clinic is above a restaurant center--there are about 7 restaurants on the ground level. No shopping stores though. Very interesting.* I told her I realized her ultrasound appointment had gone over, and she assured me it was just the doctor, who likes to talk. Which I'm sure will be great on the days I have a million questions and we have things we need to plan, but that day was just irritating. Just as we were about to order food, the fellow (a full-fledged doctor working on his specialization) came in to talk. We went over the basic stuff, got a pap smear, and spoke with Dr. J. She said we would follow the normal course of visits, but would also do monthly growth scans. Monthly growth scans=monthly ultrasounds! It is still very early and so we didn't go a lot into further planning.

My next appointment is July 15th and we'll be doing the first trimester screening, which consists of blood drawing and ultrasounds. Even though we don't really have any risk factors for chromosomal defects, it will be good to know if the baby needs more testing later on in pregnancy than just doing an amnio or some of the other invasive tests.