The train may be leaving early!

First of all, a huge thank you to all that showered us with gifts! Your generosity and love is overwhelming!

And now for a progress report...
I was awakened yesterday morning to a strange sensation. My stomach was completely unsettled and has been getting progressively worse over the last 3 weeks or so. I chopped it up to the fact that Mason has dropped into my pelvic cavity and is putting pressure on my internal organs. At first I thought yesterday's occurrence was "normal", until I got half way through my Cheerios and felt nauseous. I stopped eating and tried to concentrate on not tossing my O's, when it dawned on me I might be having contractions. I knew it was a little early for the Big Day, so I calmly took a shower to try and relax and see if they would go away on their own. Many a woman and Dr. has said that I would be experiencing "practice contractions", and have had my share in the past, but none that were painful or resulted in nausea.
So, I rang up the Labor & Delivery(L&D) advice nurse, and after a series of questions and a contraction over the phone, she requested that I come down to the L&D unit ASAP! The Mr. was just about to leave for work when I told him we had to go. So we scrambled a little to gather our things, just in case this was the Big Day and headed out. I had a feeling they would send me home as my water hasn't broken (that's why we didn't ring you parents, so don't be angry).
We arrived, were attached to monitors and observed for a couple of hours. It was evident that I was having pretty strong contractions, but none that were really progressing my cervical status & they weren't close enough together to warrant any immediate concern. The Midwife checked my cervix and it was still closed up tight, but was showing signs of progress and has begun to thin out quite a bit. We were told to go home, rest up, and take it easy as the Big Day could be here before you know it.

Well, I also had my regularly scheduled exam with Dr. Sarah that afternoon for a quick Ultrasound(U/S), and one last test to confirm no infection is present come birth time. We talked about our adventure that morning & she would be surprised if we make it through January without a baby bundle. She assured us that if he is born sooner rather than later, she was confident he would be a healthy boy(because my due date is a little on late side - haha I'm right!) The U/S confirmed that he is head down and facing back, primed and ready for a speedy birth.

So now we just wait & overcome the discomforts of "pre-labor". I'll try to keep you all updated as things progress.

Oh, and a special note to parents: We promise that we'll call as soon as we know they're going to keep us. No sense in you all making long drives for false alarms like yesterday. We love you all!

75 days and counting...

There are 75 days left until I'm full term. We had a visit with the Dr. yesterday and she said everything is right on track. Even she can't believe that it's almost time. I'm 29 weeks along and the belly should be measuring 28-30cm now. The measurement from yesterday was 32cm. Such a big boy!
As has been normal for me, my protein & glucose levels are good and the blood pressure is excellent! It was 116 over 70 yesterday.
I'll continue with pre-natal care for the next two visits at 3 weeks apart, then move on to a 2 week visit, and then from then until Mason arrives I'll visit once a week with the Dr. That's only 4 more appointments until he could be big enough to deliver. YIKES!

I hope this finds everyone well for the holiday's. I hope to be able to update more regularly now that the rush of the move has subsided.
Of course we still have boxes piled high, but it's with less urgency that they become unpacked. Time and patience will find a place for it all.

Our "Little" Bundle of Joy

I use the term little very lightly. The Dr had requested yet another U/S(ultrasound), to narrow down Mason's EDD(estimated delivery date). I've been saying all along that the EDD was off by about 2 weeks, but do the Dr's listen to the mother? Nooo...
At our last appointment, my belly measured 5 weeks ahead, so that caused some concern for the Dr. The U/S yesterday proved me RIGHT! The tech confirmed that he's measuring to be due on or around February 8th, about 2 weeks ahead of our current EDD.

Not only that, but he's sizing up to be quite a big little guy. At our first U/S the tech warned me that he could be a 9-10 lb baby at birth. The tech yesterday confirmed my fears as a first time mother, and again warned us that Mason could weigh in over 8, but closer to 10lbs. She assured us that everything looked healthy and right on track, so there shouldn't be any cause to be concerned for his health. We got to see an awesome view of his spine, and as he's prone to be, he heard us talking about him, got shy and flipped over. We got a couple more face shots, one profile and one almost head on. After looking at them closer, I've come to the determination that he may have been sucking on the heel of this hand because the area around his lips looked really blurry and boney.

The absent mindedness is getting the better of me. Today on my lunch break, I locked my keys, purse and cell phone in the car while pumping gas. Fortunately, I had cracked the windows just enough to fit my tiny hand through to flip the auto-lock switch and was able to open the door with minor incident. You see, I got so excited that I wasn't stranded at the AM/PM, that I rushed to grab the door handle to open the car up. In doing so, I smashed my thumb into the handle and bent my nail backwards. This resulted in an immediate bruise and is now making typing this much more difficult. So, for now, my thumb, Mason & I bid you adieu.

Extra! Extra!

What an eventful day, and it's only half way over!

The Mr. & I wrote up an offer for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Rohnert Park last night. It recently came on the market, and is a little bit of a fixer upper. At first glance it's not going to be as much as a fixer as the Cotati house was turning out to be. So, it was true, we didn't get the Cotati house because there was a better one waiting for us.
I digress. The offer was received by the Selling agent this morning, and by 10:00AM, she had called our agent to advise that a written acceptance of our offer would be in to his office later this afternoon!
This is the first step in the right direction for us to become homeowners. They've accepted our offer, now we just need to get a few things in line, and if all goes well, we'll be residing in our first home before Thanksgiving!

As if that wasn't enough, we also had a pre-natal appointment today to review the recent genetic screening test and Ultrasound results. My heart and bloodpressure are normal, and the baby weight gain is right on track. After a short visit with the Dr., she advised that baby Mason is showing no signs of genetic abnormalities, and the screen came back normal. Mason's heart is healthy and strong, and he's shaping up to be a strapping baby boy. He's definately measuring a little large for only 19 weeks along, but the due date is going to stay the same. If he happens to be early, no biggie. :)

AND... The Mr. got his hands on FREE Raider tickets for Sunday's game! *~* Let's go RAIDERS, let's go! *~* Mason will get to experience his first stadium rumble and I may just have to splurge on some nasty Stadium Nachos. :)

Baby's Gone Wild!

The following are the most recent ultrasound(US) photos of Mason. He's a little camera shy and kept shielding his face from photos, hence the shot of his arm and fingers up close. :)

First, one of my favorites, his lips opened up and if you look close, just above and to the left slightly, you can make out his tiny nostrils.

Next, his face. If you look back at the first US photos, you can now tell that the bones in his forehead have begun to fuse.
This is his right arm, with fingers clentched towards the left. And you can sort of make out his left fingers all spread out just beneath it.

Now, his ever so cute, little tootsies. His toes are pointed down and to the left.

And finally, the obligatory boy shot!

I hope you all enjoy the update. Love and hugs to you all! ♥ the Mr. & Mrs.

What a busy weekend! Pt. 1: Baby

Friday, the Mr. & I attended our Level 2 Ultrasound. I knew there would be a lot the technician would look for, but I had no idea it would take as long as it did. We were there for 45 minutes before she gave up and asked me to come back when baby would cooperate. She was able to get all the measurements she needed, except a clear picture of the heart.
Our little buddie has been confirmed a BOY, and he's a big little guy. He's measuring a whole week larger than he should be, which I contribute to some genes that skipped over me and some from the Mr.'s side. We'll find out in 2 weeks if the Dr. decides to change the due date, and if she does that should put us right around a Valentine's Day birth.
We've got some more pictures that I'll try to post this week as an update here. There's one of his face, where you can definitely tell the bones in his forehead have begun to fuse. We've also got a shot of his little feet and toes, and one of his right arm and hand all curled up. Of course there's the obligatory "boy" shot. But my favorite has to be the one of his mouth and nose. I imagine that he was protesting all the prodding and was trying to sleep, because his mouth is slightly open and his arm is blocking his eyes from view. Definitely our child! :)

Keep watch for the photos to appear!

It's a bouncing baby.... Boy?

The Mr. & I got to see our Lil' Buddie on Friday. We had an ultrasound to confirm our Due Date. We got a little sneak peek at the goods and there was definately a nubbin. Kimmie, the tech, said she wouldn't put money on it, but from her experience, it's a boy! We'll confirm in another 4 weeks when he's a little bigger, but for now, I present to you Mason Wyle.

Well, Mason is measuring a little larger than what my current date would estimate, Kimmie said that they probably wouldn't change my due date because it didn't seem like that much of a difference. I'm guessing that I am 2 weeks further along and that Mason's just a little on the small side. According to the Dr's though, I'm right on track and he's a little on the big side.

I'll try to update with some ultrasound photos later this week, that is of course if I can figure out how to post them. :)

Update: Here are the photos of our first baby!

It's a Big-un!

We had our most recent prenatal appointment on Wednesday of this week. Mom's doing fine and right on track. Blood pressure normal, no major aches or pains, no morning sickness, and so far no weight gain, but a minor weight loss. Dr. said this is totally normal and doesn't expect a significant weight gain until baby starts to get a little bigger.
The doppler(heart monitor), found our Lil' Buddie with no problem, but I think it's a bit shy. After Dr. got a strong signal, it muffled and went away. Baby didn't go far, but definately slipped around to hide. Lil' Buddie has a strong ticker and was pumping away at 150-160 beats per minute.
Dr. asked me what I thought the gender was, and I said I was hoping for a boy, but feel like it's going to be a girl. Unfortunately it's still a little too early to tell what the gender is, but we're crossing our fingers to find out soon.
Dr. measured my belly and came to the conclusion that my due date may be wrong. After looking back at a calendar, I tend to think she's right. We're measuring about 2 weeks further along than we first anticipated. So, the Dr. has put in a request for Radiology to complete an ultrasound to determine the actual age of our Lil' Buddie, or at least a more accurate one. I'm crossing my fingers that we're further along and that Baby isn't shy, and gives us a sneak peek as to if we're going to be blessed with a Mason or a Karina.

It lives!

Today was my Intake appointment with Kaiser. I was under the impression that this would just be a routine physical to assure that I was in good health to carry, lil' buddie. Well, I was wrong, and had anyone told me what was going to transpire, I would have made darn sure that the Mr. was with me.
I met with Midwife Alexis, who initially did a quick sonogram to find Lil' Buddie's heartbeat. She was able to distinguish it right away, but I had to look a while longer before I noticed the flicker. Gee does that little motor run fast! While Alexis was trying to get a clear picture, lil' buddie decided to do a little dance and kicked legs and waved arms and even wiggled around a bit. Then I saw it, that rapid flicker, and then I was mush. What a wonderful feeling to be able to see the life growing inside of you and know that it's well on it's way to surviving on it's own.
Buddie was measured at a whopping 2.9 milimeters, quite small, and has been dated at 9 weeks and 5 days old. This will bring our estimated delivery date to Feburary 20th! just one day shy of Poppa's birthday.
We've now told the parents to spread the news, and close friends will be alerted if they haven't been already! I'm so over the moon to have met my lil' buddie today and can't wait to recount every second with the Mr. later this evening.

Maternity Wear is fabulous!

I know this is probably more information than most of you wish to hear about, but I have to let it out! Maternity Underwear are FABULOUS!
They are the most comfortable invention of a lifetime in a woman's wardrobe. It's amazing! No pinching, no tugging, no wedgies. They're fabulous!

Other than the rave for granny-panties, not much is happening.
The fatigue is incredible. I can't walk from one room to the next without the want to sit down and lay my head upon the table, a book, or the arm of the chair to take a quick nap. Sitting at work in front of the computer is proving to be quite a challenge and I find myself almost completely horizontal by 10am. After lunch, well just forget about it! I'm not lifting my lids for anything after a meal. Lil' buddie sucks all the energy out of me if there's something to digest.

The Mr. has been incredible. As my emotions get more frazzled, he's there to give more hugs. He's making sure that I'm eating enough, and has even offered to go pick up a craving item or two. Of course, I feel silly asking for a Dove bar on a whim, because I really don't need Ice Cream, but it sounds so delicious! So far cravings haven't been too odd ball. Mostly just comfort foods, but I continue to crave them until I have them. Once I do have them, I eat about half of what I thought I wanted, and then the food is ruined, lil' buddie has had it's fill and wants nothing more to do with it. I'm hoping that lil' buddie isn't a finicky a eater as the Mr. Otherwise I'm in for a life long battle with two picky eaters. :)

3, 2, 1, . . . we have lift off!

Today was our initial appointment with our Dr. We confirmed that there is a little dot growing steady, which would explain all of my symptoms. ~(nausea, bloating, sensitivity to smells, etc.)~ We headed to the lab to get a baseline for hormone levels and will draw more blood on Friday to ensure they are doubling as they should for healthy "dot" growth.
We don't quite have a heartbeat yet ~(only 3 weeks along)~, but will be hearing, "hey buddy, hey buddy, hey buddy" ~(heartbeat)~ very soon. So, our little dot will henceforth be dubbed "buddy".
I'm so excited that I'd like to tell everyone, but it's still a little too soon to tell if things will turn out okay. We'll probably wait until our next check up with the Dr. ~(at 11 weeks)~ before we share with extended family and co-workers.
Wow, this is really real!
I think the whole idea is starting to sink in with the Mr. now. At first he seemed almost unaffected, but happy. Now I can see glimpses of worry in his face. I guess that's natural for an expectant father, but I'll have to keep a close watch so things don't snowball in that mind of his.