Hello third trimester!

So the third trimester officially began on Saturday. Three more months until the ETA. I have started to get some pregnancy aches and pains - I have been feeling sciatica (back and leg pain) for the last week or so. It is pretty unpleasant, but feels better when I exercise, so at least I have motivation to go to the gym. And Aaron has been great about offering back rubs, which don't really help the sciatica, but do make me feel good.

It's hard to believe how soon the little guy/girl will be here. Most of the women on the pregnancy bulletin board that I visit every now and then seem to be painting nurseries and getting the last few items of baby gear. So far, we have one newborn-sized onesie and one year-old-sized onesie. I suppose we aren't really planning to decorate a nursery, since we aren't planning on staying in our current place for longer than 2 years, but we will definitely need some baby stuff. I am having a hard time convincing Aaron that babies actually need equipment. He seems to think it can sleep in a drawer and alternate between two oufits, 1 to wash and 1 to wear. We'll see.

The baby seems to be doing really well. He's very active, and I could swear I felt him dance to music the other day. I was playing his mix CD (made for him by C & C), which is basically a compilation of loosely baby-themed songs. When "Beautiful Boy" came on, he started doing a little dance routine. Was he trying to tell me he really is a boy? Does he just love John Lennon? Did he have the hiccups? Either way, it was cool.

Downgraded back to "it"

I had a little scare this weekend. At my appointment on Saturday, the uterus seemed to be measuring about 4 weeks behind what it was supposed to for the baby's gestational age. But I went in for a follow-up ultrasound today, and the baby seemed to be about right - I'll have more detailed results tomorrow. At least I can take a deep breath again, and hopefully get some sleep tonight.

Also, the ultrasound technician said the baby no longer looks particularly male - the legs were crossed, so she didn't get a good look, but she said it looked more like a she. This is probably the last detailed ultrasound that we'll do, so it looks like we'll end up being surprised.

Another update

I suppose I should mention my other news, which is that I recently found out that I passed the California bar exam. Big relief! This is not technically baby-related, so it is out of keeping with the blog theme, except that if I failed, I had determined that I would blame the unborn blue child. While I was taking the exam, I was in the middle of the first trimester, and I was ready to fall asleep at any moment. None of that typical exam-day adrenaline. But fortunately the baby does not need to start life with that guilt on his conscience!

Thankful - 24W

I was going to write a very uplifting post about how great the second trimester has been. The little guy has been kicking a lot more, which is so cool, and I've been able to go to the gym a lot, which always puts me in a good mood. I worked out almost every day over Thanksgiving (of course, my version of a "workout" is much more limited now, but still, it felt great). And I've been having lots of dreams about the baby, and they are all good, and they help me get excited that he'll be coming in a matter of months. So I have a lot to be thankful for.

However. I just went for a walk to get lunch, and all of a sudden, I was so tired I could barely make it up the stairs to my apartment. I spent all day yesterday on the couch doing nothing (well, watching an America's Next Top Model marathon on TV), and I was hoping that I would feel super energetic today, and instead, I think I need a nap. I hate how suddenly things seem to change during pregnancy.

Stats: according to the internet, the baby is now about a foot long, and weighs a pound and a quarter. I have gained about 17 pounds total. And here's a picture of me, at 24 weeks. I definitely look pregnant! (and very tired - this picture was taken at 6 am before I left for the airport on my way from Boston to San Juan).

Todo bien

I went to the doctor again today, and everything looked good. For the first time, I saw the little guy move on the ultrasound while feeling him move inside me. The results from the detailed ultrasound came back normal - everything looks good, the baby has a slightly big head and slightly short limbs (already taking after his dad) and otherwise looks perfect for his age.

I was officially half way there a week ago, but that seems a little silly to me, since they measure pregnancy from the first day of your last menstrual period. So for the first two weeks of this pregnancy, the little dude was not yet in existence at all, and for the first four weeks, I didn't know I was pregnant. Now, it is actually 19 weeks past conception, so half-way to the birth. The baby is the size of a carrot, and weighs 3/4 of a pound. I am much bigger than a carrot, and have gained 16 pounds so far - if that turns out to be half the total, I'd be fine, but I think the weight gain is much greater in the second two trimesters. We shall see. (I'm still several pounds smaller than I was during my "fat phase" in college, so it is easy for me not to freak out about this.) For now - todo bien.

(Pic coming soon!)

It's a boy!

It turns out the baby has surprised everyone (except my brother). We did the full sonogram today, and everything looks normal so far (we see the doctor about the detailed results in a few weeks). the baby has a spine (not a mollusk!), a four-chambered heart (not a reptile!), two eyes (not a cyclops!). Also, it has a tiny penis, so we need to start thinking of some boy names... Somehow we were both convinced that it was a girl, so we were very surprised when the ultrasound technician pointed it out, but we are certainly thrilled to be having a son, and thrilled to have a pronoun to use instead of "it". He looks good, I feel good, it's been a good day.

It kicks!

We went to the doctor again today, expecting to find out the baby's sex. It turns out I got a prescription for an ultrasound, and I have to go do it somewhere else, so that will probably happen early next week. We did get to hear the heartbeat again, and then this morning I felt some unmistakeable kicks! Now I want to spend all day with my hand on my belly, but I suppose I should actually try to get some work done.

Also, I have a low risk of Downs syndrome and Spina Bifida, and I am gaining weight too fast (7 pounds in the last month, but I only eat when I'm hungry.) I am definitely showing a little more, so I'll try to post a picture soon.

14W - It's a baby, not a potbelly

We went to the doctor again today and heard the heartbeat. Everything seems fine so far. In four weeks, at the next appointment, we'll do another ultrasound and find out the sex of the baby. Then I can start buying lots of pink or blue gear. It's best to start early with the gender roles.

For now, here's a belly shot. You can see that the belly even sticks out of the top of my maternity pants a little. I'm expecting the big growth to start soon, so there should be more photos coming.

According to the internet, our unborn blue child is about the size of a lemon right now.

First baby pic

We went to the doctor for the first time today, and heard the heartbeat and got an ultrasound picture. The story behind the blog title is that my friend C had a dream that we found out we were having a blue child and were really excited about it. Hopefully the baby won't turn out blue - right now it seems to be mostly see-through - but if it is blue, we'll try to roll with the punches.

Hearing the heartbeat and seeing the ultrasound was really incredibly moving. I started sobbing on the table. It is starting to feel real.