Posted Friday, May 04, 2012 12:12 AM
This visit to the doctor's (last Wednesday, April 28th) we had another, shorter ultrasound to get better pictures of the baby's kidneys and heart. Instead of being the wiggle bug she was at our last visit, this time the baby was curled up and sleeping and not interested in showing us her face or heart. After multiple positions and a glass of ice water, the baby woke up and moved enough that the technician was able to get the pictures she needed. We then went up to the doctor's office where Dr. Ikbal met with us and said everything looked great! She did say the baby was a little large for her size, which was not surprising since both James and I were full-sized babies as well. The doctor said it wasn't a big concern now because the baby's sized would probably plateau from this point forward, meaning her growth rate would slow dramatically. Next visit, scheduled for Wednesday, May 23rd, I will drink some thick, syrupy stuff to do the glucose test for gestational diabetes.
I could feel the baby moving around week 20, which was around the time of the fifth visit in March. This week, week 25, I started to feel the baby move on the outside, which was very exciting. After trying many times, tonight was the first time that James had his hand on my belly at the right place and the right time and got to feel her kick, too. And she didn't just stop with one kick, no, she gave him a Rockette routine! We were both grinning like fools and I had a hard time not laughing. I am also working on cleaning out the study so we can make it more into a nursery, so everything is starting to come together. Next fun plans: baby showers! :)
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2012 7:54 PM
We had our big 20-week visit yesterday where they scheduled us for an hour-long ultrasound they call an anatomy screening, followed by a short visit with the doctor to review the findings. It was James' regular day off and I took off the afternoon so we wouldn't feel rushed.
We were so excited!
We were sent to a separate floor for the ultrasound itself and helped by a very nice lady who was the ultrasound technician. From the very get-go the baby was actively moving and shifting around. At first the baby was lying on their back facing up towards the ceiling, but as we watched the baby rolled over to face down. The technician said, "The baby has rolled over so now you're seeing the baby's bottom." James said, "You mean the baby is mooning us?" and we all laughed. The ultrasound technician continued, explaining to us all the different pictures she was taking and labeling. Eventually the baby paused long enough that the technician was able to tell us, "It's a girl!" James and I both had big smiles on our faces, and I said to him, "That's our Annelise Marie" and he said, "Yep!" A few of the pictures she had to try several times because the baby was moving so much. She commented the baby was a wiggler, which James and I thought was funny because the nurse had said the same thing at the last visit. I told James, "This is definitely your daughter!", and we joked about how active she would probably be when she got older and could walk on her own. Towards the end the technician moved it so we could see one last picture of the baby's profile, and we were all amused when the baby pulled up her legs and began kicking the opposite wall. The nurse suggested the baby was practicing for kicking off the covers later and James pointed out that kicking was going to get really uncomfortable later in pregnancy. We didn't mind, though, and it was a good way to end the ultrasound.
Then we went back up to the doctor's office where she discussed the ultrasound pictures with us. She said everything looked great and the baby was healthy and where she should be in regards to size and weight. There were two areas where they didn't get very good shots (because the baby was moving!) and they were the heart and the kidneys. The doctor wanted us to get another ultrasound at our next visit in a month, but this one would be shorter because it would just be over those two areas. She remained very positive about the baby's progress and said this was just to make sure that things were as good as they looked. We didn't mind; it meant another chance to see our daughter again!
Afterwards we went home, ordered some pizza to celebrate, and called and texted our family to tell them the happy news. Once the closest people knew, we emailed others and announced it over Facebook. Everyone was very excited and many people commented that they thought Annelise Marie was a very pretty name. James and I agreed that our next task was obvious: get the nursery cleaned up, decorated, and organized... and soon! :)
Posted Sunday, March 11, 2012 7:59 PM
This past Wednesday (March 7th) we had our fourth visit to the doctor where we had another sonogram so we could listen to the baby's heartbeat. This time the nurse found it immediately and she said it was a good 140 - 142 bpm. When we heard a swooshing noise, she said it was the baby moving... and right after that the baby moved to the right and she had to chase the heartbeat with him/her. She said the baby is a wiggler and we all had a good chuckle. After that the doctor came in, we chatted, and she said the next appointment should be in three weeks and will be the full anatomy screening via ultrasound. James and I booked it for March 28th and are very excited. We can't wait to see if we have a boy or a girl! :)
Posted Thursday, February 09, 2012 3:30 PM
Yesterday we had our third visit to the doctor which was longer overall (tons of construction and traffic with a long wait in the office) but was shorter in regards to the actual time spent with the doctor. First the nurse came in to see if she could find the baby's hearbeat; she was unable to and said the doctor would be in later to try with a sonogram. The doctor came in and found the baby right away, in the middle but hiding closer to my back. Guess our little one was feeling shy! Once she knew where the baby was, she pulled the other machine back out and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat. Apparently babies' hearts beat faster and lighter, so my heartbeat on the machine was "THUMP-THUMP-(pause)-THUMP-THUMP" and the baby's hearbeat was "thumpthump-thumpthump-thumpthump" in a faster tempo. The doctor said it sounded great and was at 144 bpm, which was average and a good sign. We booked our next appointment for four weeks out on March 7th (the day before my birthday, yay!) and afterwards James treated me to a delicious chicken burger, shoestring fries, and lemonade from P. Terry's for lunch. :)
Posted Wednesday, January 11, 2012 4:21 PM
Although this was our second visit to the doctors, they label this the "first" visit and the previous one as a pregnancy check. So, our second visit was really our first visit...? In any case, this one the doctor gave me a full physical and did another ultrasound. Not only is the baby bigger (almost an inch now!) but he/she had a distinct head with legs and arms... that MOVED!! No kidding, as the doctor and James and I were watching, the baby started waving an arm and briefly kicked up a leg. I think James and I were stunned speechless for a couple of seconds. I told the doctor I didn't realize the baby would be moving at just 9 weeks, and she said that was typical for the baby's development and meant we were showing good progress. I think that image was branded into my brain and it just keeps playing over and over again: the baby waving at us as if to say "HEY, Mom and Dad! I'm here!" Very cool. :)
The doctor answered all of our questions, which we had a lot of, and then she passed us on to the nurse who introduced herself and went over all medical forms and things we should know. There is a LOT to know. James and I agreed that we both really like the doctor and the nurse, they are so friendly and personable. I think it is going to make this process a lot easier and more stress-free. Our next appointment is scheduled for early February when I will be 13 weeks along, woohoo!
Posted Wednesday, December 28, 2011 11:41 PM
James and I went to my new OB/GYN today for the first official hello and check-in. It went really well and we got to see the baby's heartbeat on our first ultrasound! It looked like a little white clicker on the screen, like the wing of a small bird fluttering hello at us. Both of us were amazed that you could see so much this early on. The doctor said everything looked great and the baby was exactly the right size for 7 1/2 weeks. There is some concern because I'm 35, which is old enough to be considered a high-risk pregnancy, but the doctor was all smiles once she reviewed the ultrasound, WHEW. They scheduled me for the first full exam in two weeks, took a blood sample for routine checks, and we were done. James treated me to P Terry's for lunch, and then it was back to work for the rest of the day.