I Think We're Having A Boy ???

We saw the doctor today. So far so good. We heard the baby's heartbeat and even heard "movement", as the doctor called it. Pretty cool!

Reasons why I think we might be having a boy:

(1) When I was pregnant with Angelina (RIP) I had morning sickness all through my first trimester. I couldn't eat anything and it was hard for me to keep things down. With this pregnancy I rarely had morning sickness - I occasionally puked at night - but it wasn't nearly as bad as before.

(2) Again, with my previous pregnancy, I was super super SUPER sensitive to smells. Cologne and perfume made me nauseous, the smell of all hair products made me sick, and the slightest whiff of a foul odor had me running to the bathroom. This time it wasn't so bad - some smells bothered me - but not to the point where I had to puke.

(3) According to hubby's aunt, and an old wives tale, if there's a line on a pregnant belly it means you're carrying a boy. We looked - and although it's faint - there is indeed a line (called the linea negra)!

(4) Finally, according to another old wives tale, the sex of a baby can be determined by the baby's heart rate. Supposedly, if you're having a girl, then the fetal heart rate will be above 140 and a boy will have a heart rate below 140. Well, today the baby's heart rate was 140.

Hmmmmm???

Of course, boy or a girl, it doesn't matter. As long as our baby is healthy and happy that's all that matters. We'll find out for sure in about 6 weeks :)

Week 15

I can't sleep. Hubby woke up this morning at o'dark'hundred to go to work, and I haven't been able to sleep since. I've got CNN Headline News in the background... it's been on so long I think Robin Meade went over the same "it's snowing in Vegas" report twice, maybe three times.

I can't seem to get comfortable. I read that I'm supposed to start sleeping on my left side because circulation is better that way for the baby. Apparently lying on my back after about the fourth or fifth month puts extra pressure on my growing uterus, thus decreasing circulation to my baby. Oh, okay, like I'm not going to be freaked out when I wake up on my right side or on my back!

The good news is that my nausea has subsided and I actually have cravings now. Last week I craved chicken adobo and pancit - I couldn't wait the 2-3 hours it takes to make these dishes so I asked my folks if they could go to the Filipino store to get some - it was okay, but not the same as homemade! Last night I had to have a grilled chicken salad from Chili's. Right now I'm craving an In-N-Out cheeseburger and fries... they don't open for another 6 hours or so though... ugh.

Otherwise, baby and I are doing okay so far. My next doctor's appointment is on 12/26. I returned to work this week and am working from home. The Nintendo DS that hubby got me is awesome and I'm loving the games. Looking forward to Christmas next week - family potluck and hubby's gonna fry a turkey - yummmmm!

When does the nausea end???

I'm in my 2nd trimester, week 13 to be exact, and will be 14 weeks tomorrow. According to the books, websites, magazines, etc. - THE NAUSEA IS SUPPOSED TO SUBSIDE BY NOW - so why hasn't it for me???

Yeah, I puked tonight - it was nasty - I had steak and rice for dinner, so...well... you can only imagine. (Sorry for the details, but hey, that's me!) I have to admit that I do feel better now that it's out of me - but now I'm hungry and don't have an appetite for anything. The good news is that I'm going to the bathroom regularly (hee hee - yes, I went there, but again, that's me!)

Nothing else exciting to blog about - my day consists of a few simple tasks: wake up, brush teeth, eat, watch tv, read a book, go online, take a nap, repeat. Next week I have a doctor's appointment and I'm expecting some friends to come over - so yay - I have something to look forward to :)

Bed Rest - Day 4

I had the cervical cerclage on Tuesday and have been on bed rest since. It was an outpatient procedure and it went well. Couldn't have happened a day too soon either - according to the doctor he examined me right before the surgery and found that my cervix had a slight opening - scary!!!

Surprisingly I was impressed with the hospital staff. The pre-op and post-op nurses were really nice. The anesthesiologist looked really young, but he was cool too. The only complaint I had was the check-in part. I was instructed to check in at 11:15am for a 12:45pm surgery. Since the hubby is always early we checked in at 11:00am and were instructed to wait until we were called because a bed was not ready for me yet.

I was previously warned that surgeries don't always run on time, however at 12:30pm I was still in the waiting room, so I decided to find out what was going on. I walked up to the counter and asked, the exact same lady who checked me in, if she could give me an update for San Mateo. Get this - she picked up the phone, called somewhere, hung up the phone, and told me: "San Mateo is in recovery right now." What!? To which I replied, "How can I be in recovery when I'm standing right here?". The look on her face was priceless - but nonetheless - she straightened it out and I was soon escorted to the pre-op area.

After the surgery I was in pain, and the nurse who take care of me was awesome. She assured me that the pain medication was safe for the baby, checked on me often and made sure I was comfortable. I heard them saying that they needed to clear some beds for more incoming surgeries - but my nurse let me sleep and didn't rush me out of recovery.

Thankfully I didn't have a bad reaction to the anesthesia and was able to enjoy In-N-Out for dinner that evening. I was in pain for a couple of days, however am feeling much better today.

The hubby took 3 days off to take care of me and did a wonderful job - I love that man and appreciate him so much. He went back to work today, leaving my folks to tend to me, which is nice, but not quite the same. My dad is super cute though, he's been checking in on me and bringing me food and fresh water every so often. Any time I make a noise, like drop the remote control on the floor, he pops his head in my doorway to make sure I didn't fall out of bed. Mom keeps asking me what I want to eat and pops her head in the room at random times as well.

It's all very sweet. Day 4...and counting :)

Rob, Me and Baby Belly

Evening Sickness

Tonight we were supposed to attend a 10 year anniversary party for our friends. Rob had to work late - so he was pretty tired when he got home and decided he didn't want to go to the party. At first I was disappointed, but when I sat down I realized that I was exhausted and was soon thankful that we stayed home.

So, since I didn't cook dinner (cuz I thought we were going to go to a party), we ordered Chinese food. Man, I was really enjoying my food, the chicken wings were especially delicious...then I felt it...and immediately ran to the bathroom. Ugh. I guess I should be thankful that I have "morning sickness" at night and not in the morning so that I can puke in the comfort of my own home.

Anyhoo, we are almost 12 weeks along and I'm hoping that in just a couple more weeks the nausea will subside and my appetite will come back. Everyone keeps asking what I'm craving, and honestly, nothing - I don't crave a single thing. The good thing is that I find fast food disgusting, so I'm staying away from McD's, Taco Bell, Popeye's, Alberto's, etc. Right now there are only a few foods that I enjoy - roasted chicken (specifically the kind from Costco), grilled cheese sandwiches (has to be white bread and 3 slices of Kraft American Cheese), and these delicious Mango Ice Milk bars by Magnolia that my mom gets from the Filipino market. I like fruit (pears, asian apple pears, strawberries, black grapes) and a cold crisp green salad with Ranch on the side always hits the spot. Whatever I can keep down!

Getting Ready for Bedrest

It's official - I'm having a cerclage on December 2nd. I've got my pre-op appointment on November 25th, an appointment with my OB on November 26th, Thanksgiving weekend/Rob's birthday, work on December 1st, procedure on December 2nd, then bedrest until ???

So I'm trying to get as much done as possible before the holidays. I'm happy to say that I wrapped a TON of Christmas gifts this weeek. I hope to put up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and get as much organized as possible this weekend.

And of course, pray, pray and continue to pray that my little one continues to grow healthy and strong :)

Here's a link to info regarding cervical cerclages:

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/cervicalcerclage.html