Week 20: Drum Roll Please......

Well, we had ourselves convinced that Baby Binning was a he, however, today at our ultrasound, it was confirmed that it is in fact a she!!! I'm still soaking it all in; seeing the ultrasound made it all that much more real. She appears to be very healthy, even a little chubby... It's so funny because even though I have only gained 3 lbs so far, she packing on the ounces! It is very true that the human body is miraculous... And despite all my health concerns, she is thriving.

Matt is very much the proud daddy and was showing everyone he spoke to our u/s pics... He's also a little scared, too! I think we both are, but at the same time, very excited. And with the recent arrival of baby Emily, I know I can hardly wait until she arrives. I think it's going to be really amazing that these two little girls are going to grow up together. I know how blessed I am to have a cousin so close in age, so I hope that our girls will feel the same way.

To answer some other questions we've been asked:

1. We do have a name picked out already... Allison Grace is actually a name we fell in love with before we started TTC.

2. The nursery is still going to be a Sesame Street theme... With blue walls... We just aren't pink people.

3. We are planning on registering next week sometime- probably at Target and Babies R Us. So any product suggestions you may have would be very welcome.

4. My sister-in-law, Jenn, and friend Susan have generously offered to host baby showers. But that won't be until late February or March probably.

Well, I wish I had a scanner at home so that I could add the u/s pics tonight, but oh well... That will have to wait, but I hope to add them by the end of the weekend. Thank you for all the congratulatory text messages and phone calls. It really makes us so happy to be able to share this exciting news with all of our family and friends. We love you all very much and look forward to seeing you all during the holidays!!!

Week 19: To be updated....

Week 18: Anticipation

Not too much has changed in the last week... I haven't gotten much bigger, but the baby is definitely growing! I can feel lots of movement as he/she turns about and it's definitely stronger as they feel more like kicks than flips. We are eagerly anticipating next Friday for our big ultrasound!! It will be great to know the gender, but more importantly, there will be some piece of mind that little Nemo is healthy with all the right numbers of arms and legs!

Week 17: Growth Spurt

Well, I went to the GI on Friday and when they weighed me I had gained 2lbs!! The nurse had to laugh because that's not exactly a typical response for most women, but I told her I was just pleased that I was keeping food down... I'm also wearing maternity pants now which are sooooo much more comfortable. (And just in time for Thanksgiving!) I haven't forgotten about a new belly pic, so I promise I will have a new one to add by the end of the week.

In other exciting news, today was the first day that I've felt consistent movement from the baby. Matter of fact, little Nemo has been flipping around all day! I can't imagine what it will be like when he/she is bigger... I have a feeling this is going to be one active baby.

Week 16: Sweet Relief!

As everyone already knows, I had the pleasure of spending last Sunday night in the ER with increasingly severe abdominal pain. The first thing done was an ultrasound to determine that the baby was okay... With that concern out of the way, they proceeded to treat my pain with morphine, surprisingly... Shortly thereafter, I was advised that admittance to the hospital was the best course of action so that my symptoms as well as the baby's health could be monitored more closely. All I wanted to do at that moment was go home to my comfortable bed (ER beds are horrendous) and sleep, so the news wasn't exactly welcome. But obviously, I didn't have much choice. Once in the women's center, I was made much more comfortable, but sleep isn't exactly easy to come by in the hospital with people waking you up to take vitals and such. 1 out of 2 isn't so bad, I guess.

The next morning brought a variety of doctors asking lots of questions and poking at my sore belly and it was decided that IV steroids along with antibiotics should be able to get the inflammation in my gut to calm quickly. Paired with a clear liquid diet, I was feeling pretty good by the end of Monday, even though I still hadn't slept! Unfortunately, the introduction of more substantial food proved to not be so easy. But the medications were slowly working, and by Thursday I was able to eat "normal," albeit low-residue food and be released.

Since my little vacation, I've been able to expand my diet a little and am now sleeping almost through the night, which has helped considerably. Unfortunately, the Crohn's is directly related to stress. (Hmmm.... you think the plumbing issue might have had something to do with pushing me over the edge?) So, having been laid off from work on Monday, I have some concerns about my continued recovery... So, I'm doing my best to keep a calm state of mind, I'm focusing on what I do have control over. Everything happens for a reason, even if it may not be obvious at the time.

Week 15: Stats

Yesterday I had my 3rd prenatal visit and was able to hear the heartbeat for the first time! Matt wasn't able to make it due to work, so he's jealous... But next month we get to have an ultrasound, so that should make up for it. :)

Monthy stats:
Weight: -1lb (-5lbs total)
Waist: +1"
Hips: +.5"

I've made some changes to my diet by cutting way back on refined carbs and sugars as well as am now religiously taking probiotics in hopes of restoring some balance to my digestive tract. In combination with the steriods, there appears to have been a slight improvement, however, there is still a lot of abdominal pain which could be irritated scar tissue or possible inflamation from active Crohn's. Unfortunately, they can't run the tests that would determine that conclusively. My OB also gave me a prescription for Protonix to see if I can get some relief from the burning sensation in my upper abdomen. I think that's all for this week, but I'll try to get a new belly pic posted today, too!

Week 14: Attack of the Crazy Pregnant Lady

So, the hormones really caught up with me this week! I had been doing such a good job of keeping them in check (I thought) until the stress of our unexpected basement "remodel" kicked in... I just lost it when the family started tearing up my perfectly organized storage room to make room for more digging... Then when I heard that they were going to have to tear up our newly built retaining wall... Let's just say it wasn't pretty. Spending the weekend away from the construction site certainly helped me reestablish a calmer state of mind and now that the dirt has settled and we have running plumbing again, I feel a bit closer to normal.

Week 13: Moo

I know, I'm a little behind on updating so this is going to be a quick one... (Mostly because I can't remember a week ago!) Pregnancy sickness is still a bit better, but my gut isn't really... My GI switched me from low absorption steriods to full on Prednisone in hopes of getting a better response. Only time will tell if it makes a significant improvement...

Also, I am now starting to get a bit of a belly. My pants have been tight for awhile, but I've been hiding it with rubberbands and big sweatshirts... I'm still 4 lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight, so I'm not sure where I lost it because I feel pretty big. But I am definitely more uncomfortable, so it's time to go shopping! Here is my first belly pic.

Week 12: Light at the end of the tunnel?

I'm very happy to say that the morning sickness has improved enough to allow me to function at a slightly higher level... I can't say I'm 100%, or even 80%, but I'm going to take what I can get. I'm not sure if I should give credit to things just running their course, the steriods my GI put me on, or lots of positive thinking, or maybe all three, but I'm pleased to be able to get out of bed for longer periods of time. And the timing couldn't be better with AnneMarie coming in town this weekend and the Halloween party next Saturday.

My belly is starting to get bigger as well as my clothes tighter, so I guess that's also a good sign. Next week I'll post my first belly picture!! I have to say that it's more like I've just lost my waist as opposed to actually showing, because I can tell my uterus isn't that big... Is that normal?

Week 11: Introductions

So, yesterday was my second prenatal visit and Matt and I had a pleasant surprise... When the doctor tried to find the heartbeat, he wasn't having any luck, so he decided to do an ultrasound!! We got to see our little monster flipping all over the place (and yes, there was only one in there)! I didn't get any pictures to take home, but we couldn't really tell what we were looking at anyways... We did see the heart beating as well as what the doctor told us was a head. That's about it. But I have my next ultrasound in December, at which time we will be able to tell the gender. I hope time goes by fast...

As far as my digestive issues go, he said that he wanted to follow my GI's lead. I'm getting blood work to rule out active Crohn's, but I suspect that it is just the troubles of early pregnancy, made worse by my already delicate situation. I learned the hard way that I was doing myself more harm than good by attempting OTC relief. I believe that I just wasn't careful enough in the beginning and allowed the bad bacteria in my gut to run amok. So, my advice to everyone out there contemplating pregnancy... Eat lots of fiber and stay away from refined carbs. Even if that's all you want to eat... Those delicious frozen pretzels and spaghetti's Os were totally not worth all this trouble.

Week 10: Graduation

Our little embryo is all grown up into a fetus! Yesterday I even thought my uterus had begun to stretch past my pelvis, but not so much today, so it must've just been gas... Ah, the joys of pregnancy. I've actually been kinda concerned lately because I have been in so much pain. It's hard to say if it's just pregnancy, pregnancy with a complicated and irritated gut, or actual Crohn's. But hopefully I can get some answers soon. There just doesn't seem like there is an end in sight and I can't afford to keep staying home from work. I'm pretty sure there was something else I planned on blogging about, but can't remember for the life of me. So, hopefully I'll remember and be able to add more later.

Week 9: Patience is a Virtue...

...that I possess very little of right now. This post is partly an update, partly an apology. As my digestive system got angrier and my brain became less coherent this week, I became acutely aware that my patience is also wearing thin. Anything from too-long conversations to social activities to the food in the fridge has begun to piss me off. Nothing personal towards the pork chops, but I just don't want to deal with them. And God bless Matt for being my buffer! While my tolerance has been faltering; his has been thriving. So, thank you everyone for putting up with me... I'm keeping my eye on the prize of that blissful 2nd trimester that is only weeks away!!

On another note, I'm a bit sad to say that we won't get to see our little monster for another couple of months. I called the doctor's office today and inquired about my first ultrasound appointment. Unless something seems strange, our first view won't be until 18-20 weeks. How awful is it that I hope something seems peculiar next week so that I will be granted an ultrasound? I don't want anything to be wrong, per se... But I could really use some reassurance that it has 2 arms and 2 legs, rather than larms. (Thank you, dear for putting another horrifying birth defect in my head.)

Week 8: Shaken, not Stirred

By the end of week 8, our little embryo is actually starting to look more like a baby and less like a manatee and is approximately the size of a medium green olive. I've also started seeing some light at the end of the tunnel regarding my constant nausea! I've gone from being sick about 20 hours/day to only about 10! I attribute much of that improvement to a carb heavy diet of spaghetti Os and frozen pretzels and the miracle elixir known as Pepsi. My pants aren't exactly thanking me... It's really unfortunate that at the time when I should be eating my healthiest, I'm actually eating worse than ever... But I guess I'm not doing myself any favors by making myself sick with food. I'm sure people have done a lot worse and had normal babies. On a lighter note, here is a comparison of week 7 versus week 8... No wonder I'm so exhausted!

Week 7

Week 8

Week 7: Huh?

So, everything I've read has indicated that "Pregnancy Brain" is a symptom that is saved for the 3rd trimester... However, I have decided that in the last week, that I have turned into a total idiot. Calling it a fog is somewhat accurate, but I think that I'm just so tired that most occurrences feel like a dream. Yesterday I had this vague memory of sending an email, but I could find no record whatsoever of actually doing it... Case in point, I have totally lost my train of thought, so, my friends, I'm calling it a post and going back to my Law & Order re-runs.

Week 0-6: Reality Sets In...

Matt and I having been planning this pregnancy for quite sometime, but nothing prepares you for the second pink line on that magic stick... I couldn't believe how fast I ran through so many emotions... Confusion, disbelief, excitement, fear, and even a little resentment... And as the weeks have begun to pass, I am really starting to believe that this little monster has it out for me! I guess I should consider myself lucky that I'm not living with my head in the toilet bowl, however, it's kinda tough to count your blessings when you feel like dookie all the time... I've realized that it is actually very similar to a Crohn's attack with constipation... Yes, for those of you that have not had the pleasure of pregnancy, I have found that many times it is easier to barf than poo. I understand that most of you have also not experienced a Crohn's attack, so think of the worst hangover you have ever had... It's like that without the joy of drunken debauchery the night before. All that said, I am looking forward to the relaxing days of trimester #2.