Ultrasound #2, and White Whale Sighting....

Today was the double-whammy appointment day: ultrasound in the morning, then OB check-up in the afternoon.  We have new pictures of the baby, who is still very likely a girl:

The object of this ultrasound was to get better head measurements, because Elizabeth was less than cooperative the last time.  Thus, most of the focus was on trying to get good shots of her head.  She wasn't as cooperative as the doctor would have liked, but the measurements were procured.  Elizabeth is just over a pound, which is normal for her gestational age of 23 weeks.  At my check-up, everything looks good for me, too--blood pressure, heart rate, etc., all within normal parameters.  I likely have the infamous glucose test to look forward to at my next visit.

Finally, for your viewing amusement, I give you a new picture of me complete with baby bump:

No, it isn't a white whale--it's just me.  What a difference a few weeks can make, huh? I can't walk normally anymore--it's mostly waddling for me these days.  Elizabeth has a bright future as a kickboxer, from what I can tell.  Michael was finally able to feel her kick for the first time this last week.  It's difficult for me to imagine getting any bigger, but I still have about four months to go.  Yeesh. I don't know how much of this is due to Elizabeth, and how much is due to my seemingly insatiable appetite for Oreos and french fries, but I guess we'll find out when I deliver....  I'm trying to take this in stride, and so you might be interested to know that I have created a subpage for this blog called Tracking the Bump, on which I plan to place all my baby bump photos so that it easier to compare and contrast the growth between the weeks.  You can find the link to it on the right side of this blog, listed under "Pages". 

Just Another Update

Well, I'm about 21 weeks along now and everything seems to be going just fine. Little Elizabeth (which is what we call her already--yes, that's the planned name) is moving quite a bit. She still cannot be felt by her father, but it is only a matter of a week or two, I think.  Her movements are getting stronger and my belly is still swelling.

My next appointment isn't until February 22nd, and it will be a doozy because I actually have two appointments. One appointment will take place first thing in the morning, and it is the second ultrasound to confirm that Elizabeth's little face and head is exactly as it should be. I don't think this one will take as long as the other one, because that (and perhaps a glance to make sure she still has girl parts and not boy parts) will be all we'll be looking at. In the afternoon, closer to the end of my workday, is when I'll have my regular check-up appointment.

So how does it all feel to be 21 weeks along, you might wonder? Well, I'll tell you.  Most of the time it's fine. Appetite is still going strong, little to no nausea.  The sleeping situation leaves something to be desired. I think that most of my problem is that I'm just not a side sleeper, and because I have to prop myself up with pillows to keep myself from rolling onto my back (my usual sleeping position, which is a no-no at this time), I'm not turning over on my own.  Thus, I wake up with my hips and thighs feeling very sore, and I turn over to try to relieve the pressure on one side and stay that way until that side begins to hurt too.  I've tried a lot of remedies, and none of them have worked--I think this is here to stay. I will take this over nausea any day--seriously. If this is the worst thing I'll have to deal with, then I can handle it. But I know that my days of uninterrupted sleep are numbered, and I was hoping to savor those last moments of sweet freedom a bit longer.