Another week down

It's been a good week -busy, but good. Saw my doc on Wednesday for a check up and all is fine, they aren't worried about the lack of weight gain but apparently I should eat as much as I like plus some! I took that to heart last night when I went out with friends for a birthday dinner for one of our mates - amazing restaurant and gorgeous food. Got home at 12 and couldn't believe I'd stayed awake that long! Feeling a little weary today so a quiet day at home doing some chores is in order.

Our wee girl has been pretty active this week - some good hard kicks that make me gasp when it's a sensitive spot - much to the amusement of our admin team when it happened in the middle of a meeting! I've also had my first night of her waking me up wiggling and moving - I just laid there and smiled and talked to her. It's just amazing to feel her move inside me and to know that we are now at 23 weeks and in something like 17 weeks she will be here. I am so truly blessed.

Rupert has been in Germany this week and is on his way home - he'll get back Monday morning and I cannot wait to see him. It's been a long trip for him, and I have missed him so much!

I bought a maternity swimsuit on line - and it arrived and fits well (as well as anything fits over a bump like I have) so am looking forward to getting into some water exercise. That will start towards the end of next week when the craziness at work subsides a little!

22 weeks...

Well - my belly measures 120cm today. Weight gain is around 4 kilos in total - not quite sure why so low as I seem to eat everything in sight some days! And apart from being really really tired this week all has been good.

A few nights ago I was laying in bed, surfing on my blackberry, wishing Rupert was home - and she started moving. So I was talking to her...and when I talked she moved, and when I stopped talking she stayed still. We had about 15 minutes of that before I had to roll over to get more comfy! Lovely! Had movements pretty much every day to some degree, and her heartbeat is checking out fine every day (though she sometimes takes a bit of finding!)

It's been a full week of training and quiet nights at home walking the dogs, feeding myself (I seem to have a thing for cheese right now) and early nights with good books. I babysat our neighbour last night - he is such a good boy, and went to bed at 7.30 with no hassles at all. He's 2 in January and it's fun wondering what he will make of our baby when she arrives :-)

Went for a long walk with Katie this afternoon, and wore myself out, so poor Toby only got a shorter walk. I'll have to work tomorrow on some accounting stuff, so hopefully I will feel better and more energetic than I did this morning when I basically only got up to get food and drinks and stayed in bed till around 11! I never do that, but it was lovely!

So, 22 weeks. 18 to go - and a lot of growing to do yet I assume - I had to let my pregnancy jeans out by a button on each side this week! It's so fun seeing my bump!

The best feeling in the world...

I can feel her! It really started yesterday, when Rupes and I were out running errands. We were waiting for a replacement TV (did I mention we got burgled??) and I'd sat down on a chair to rest. And bam...one good strong kick to the inside of my tummy. It was the first definite movement I had felt - and oh it was wonderful. I cried a little. Later that afternoon I felt a whole flurry of movements - deep down in my belly. She really is in there! I seem to only feel them down in my groin - I guess because my lower belly is quite numb from all the surgeries - but it feels so good to know she is there and moving and growing! It has been such a reassurance having the heart beat monitor so I can listen to her every day - but suddenly this all feels very real.

Another thing that happened this week was receiving a letter from our local hospital thanking me for choosing to deliver there, and giving me my patient number. I have a patient number! I am in the system! They are EXPECTING me!!! Me!

It's been a good week - training my replacement at work, who is doing great, and a few more weeks should see me able to start taking it a little easier. Rupert flew out last night for 2 weeks in the UK and Germany - I cried at the airport. I'm used to him travelling - and it's not a problem, but I just felt really sad. When he gets back I will be 23 weeks pregnant! I'm so gonna miss him though - but it is great having Muzz still with us for both company and a bit of a hand with the dogs and chores. He's a blessing right now :-)

On Friday night the boys went off for a movie night out - so I went over to visit a girlfriend who has two wee girls. I was treated to a nearly five year old tantrum (how on earth do mothers keep a straight face while the foot is being stamped up and down) and later to a special show where she danced and fished a banana from the sea. I kept looking at the two girls and thinking - wow, this is really happening to me, I have all of this to look forward to.

I'm at work today, doing some accounting work that I am behind on - and as I have sat here and typed this I've had another two or three movements.

I do know how lucky I am. Every day is so precious with this little miracle. I hope she will always know just how loved she is.

Half Way There

20 weeks today - and side on I was a little shocked at my picture! I've only gained 3 kilos but was probably 10 kilos overweight anyway so I figure our wee girl is living off my reserves!

Half way there. Wow. Who would have thought it.

I'm saving the bare belly shot for 30 weeks!

She's a Girl!

Our anatomy scan yesterday morning confirmed my conviction that this was a little girl. She is beautiful - big and healthy, measuring close to 2 weeks ahead! That dream I had very early on was obviously right - where I was holding my wee girl in my arms - I take so much comfort from that dream, silly as it sounds.

We do have a small complication - what is known as "single umbilical artery or SUA" so instead of two arteries running to baby through the cord, we only have one. This occurs in up to 7% of all pregnancies and risk factors are maternal age over 40 (tick), caucasian mother (tick), female baby (tick) and diabetes (ha, not me!).

There is a VERY SMALL correlation between SUA and chromosomal abnormalities so the ultrasound technican took a long time to check everything out very thoroughly - heart, kidneys, bladder, brain etc. We spent a lot of time waiting for baby to unclench her tiny fists (clenched fists are a sign of chromosomal abnormalities, who knew!) but she finally did.

So, our wee miracle girl seems to be absolutely fine and I guess if there are any more concerns we will hear from our obstetrician. But I am not worried at all, I just have this serene sense that things are going to be just fine.

Oh but she is beautiful. And active. And definately quite stubborn. I cried a few times of course but my co worker Aasta was ready with tissues while Rupes just held my hand and didn't take his eyes off the screen the whole time! Her wee head diameter is 5cm now - and at nearly half way she is so strong and chubby and healthy, with long legs like her Daddy. I am truly truly blessed. And oh so very grateful for this wee one.

And yes yes, I will post a belly shot on Saturday, when I will be 20 weeks :-)