24 Weeks

This week are baby is officially viable! It is hard to believe that my friends 3 year old twins were born at 24 weeks. I am happy to say that they are perfectly healthy and both thriving! They are both little miracles!

We met with our donors last weekend. At 24 weeks is also the when our donor mom went into labor with her twins. She went on strict bed rest and was on her back for 12 weeks until they were born. I cannot imagine 3 months of not getting out of bed.

So, as you can see, we finally met our donors! This is something we have been looking forward to, and anticipating since we were matched. Our donors are wonderful, and it was so nice to finally be able to meet them. They even brought their 3 year old boy/girl twins, which I wasn't expecting. It was really cool to get a glimpse at what our daughter could look like.
I was touched to hear how much work and effort they put into just being accepted as donors by the National Embryo Donation Center. There was a lot of testing and paperwork that they had to go through in order to donate their embryos.

I also really felt for the mom, who this was clearly a difficult decision for. I could see that along with her happiness that their embryo will be able to have a life, there was also sadness that they weren't able to have her themselves. It makes me sad to see her pain. Thinking of being in their shoes, I honestly don't know if it is something I could do myself. I am so grateful for what they have done for us.

At 24 weeks our babies face is basically complete, and looking much like she will look when she is born. I am still feeling great with pretty much no pregnancy symptoms. I still have a cold, but am starting to feel a bit better. It is good because I have not been sleeping well with being so congested. I have my yoga class each week, which I look forward to. I am 153 lbs now. That is... 18 lbs over my pre pregnancy weight. Yikes. The pounds are adding up fast these days.

Baby girl is moving around tons these days. I am looking more into names lately. I think we do want an Indian name after all (did I mention our donors are East Indian?), so I am looking more at Sanskrit/Hindu names and trying to find one that I like that will be easy to pronounce and spell for Americans. I don't really know any Indian names right now, I am going to have to look at them one by one on the name website I have and see what stands out. Are there any Indian girl names that you know that you like?

24 Weeks

Happy V-Day to me and Baby BB!

Yay for 24 weeks! I am super excited to hit this milestone and baby has a chance to survive should I go into preterm labor (which I doubt). I've found that dividing the pregnancy up into milestones makes it easier for me and less stressful.

Mr. BB and I registered for our shower last weekend and that was a huge relief. We have older kids so a lot of our baby stuff had been given away or like our car seats, expired. We tested out all the new gear since we haven't had a baby in 5 years, all the stuff seemed so much different! I am excited to have registered and am hoping that our family and friends get us some of the stuff we need, just so we don't end up having to purchase everything. My mom is buying the crib and Mr. BB's mom and dad will give us money for what we don't get at the shower.

In addition to that the baby's room needs to be created. Mr. BB has to frame out the room and , you know BUILD it! I reminded him that we have 100ish days and that put his butt in gear.

I have been feeling pretty good, hungry all the time and tired a lot though. It seems like I have second tri exhaustion almost. I get to 1:00 and am ready for a nap!

We have 3 top names for Baby BB but I don't want to share yet. Two girl names and a boy name though and middle names too, yay! Things are coming together.

My 24 week appointment is tomorrow so I can do the weight update and all that tomorrow.

24 Week Update

How far along: Technically I'm a slacker and am doing the 24 week update a little late. I'm 25 weeks exactly today.

Total weight change: Had a doctors appt in the 24th week. I'm up 5 pounds in the last 4 weeks (apparently pretty par for the course for this stage of pregnancy). I think that brings my grand total to +11.5 at the doctors office. I guess this is the best spot to put that I had my glucose test this week. Passed the 1 hour!

Maternity clothes: I'm actually starting to outgrow some of the maternity clothes I got in 1st Tri. Mostly the belly is starting to poke out the bottom, but one sundress the girls are about to bust out of. Time for more shopping!

Stretch Marks: Still none. Counting my blessings on this one. For now.

Movement: This has been a touchy subject this week. From about Monday-Wednesday I was feeling little to nothing. A very pronounced change from the regular schedule and good wallops he's given me. I had a trip to labor & delivery to check up on him because of this (see previous post). He was fine, just burrowed in deep in my uterus so it was hard to feel him. He seems to be coming out of his hiding place some though. I saw my stomach move for the first time last night. So surreal! Oh & the most classy of all my symptoms this week, I had my very first sniss. Yup, passed the glucose test and snissed for the very first time right after finding out. Classic!

Sleep: Getting to be a joke. I'm up 2-3 times a night for bathroom trips and was up twice last night because my hands fell asleep (circulation issues).

Best Moment This Past Week: Hearing his heartbeat and finally feeling him move again when I was in L&D. I'd been so scared his change in movement was him giving me a sign something was terribly wrong. Finding out he was apparently fine brought tears to my eyes.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Hands down the worry that came with not being able to feel his movements.

Belly Button In or Out: Definitely still in, but I think its getting shallower.

Cravings/Aversions: I've been loving me some brownies this week.

Symptoms: I actually had a decrease in movement for most of the week. New this week is an achiness in my extremities, especially my fingers. I'm not sure if its edema or carpal tunnel brought on by pregnancy...but either way its not too comfy. I've also found that my hands tend to get numb if they are raised above my heart (sleeping positions, carrying something, etc). Heartburn is stepping it up a notch, now coming a few times a week rather than once a week. My energy isn't what it used to be earlier in 2nd Tri either. Oh & I saw movement for the first time just yesterday.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Feeling this little bugger more, last week really gave me a scare. I'm also looking forward to being under a hundred days (double digits!!) during my 25th week.

Trip to Labor & Delivery

Well, today turned out a lot more exciting than I'd intended.

The little guy still wasn't moving much. A little thump last night and then nothing today. At my 24 week appointment yesterday the doctor had said that if I didn't start feeling things again that I should go in and get monitored to find out what's going on. I know that a noticeable decrease in movement can be a bad sign, so I went in. Figured better to go in and find out it was nothing to worry about than to not go in and regret it.

Before I even get started on how Labor & Delivery was, I have to tell you that driving myself to a hospital where the only association I have (so far) is my miscarriage being confirmed there...I was a nervous wreck that whole drive in. All the "this can't really be happening" feelings that were there in November came back and I had all I could do to hold it together and drive. I kept repeating to myself that there was probably nothing wrong in this case & this trip in will likely have a different outcome.


My doctor had let them know I was coming in, so they had a room set up for me. I got to get into a lovely gown, and then they hooked me up to the monitors. They were listening for baby's heart rate, and had me hit a little button every time I felt him move. I found out afterwards that this is apparently called a Non-Stress Test.

Please note that this isn't my stomach, the image credit is down below. This gives you a good idea of how I was hooked up though.

Thankfully, all is fine with the little guy. As the L&D nurse put it, "Wow, he's really deep down in there". Apparently he was burrowed deep down in my pelvis and therefore it was hard for me to feel movement. The monitor picked up his movement, most of which I didn't feel, in the same pattern as what I'd normally sense. Needless to say I felt A LOT better after that. They did a quick ultrasound after the monitoring as well. It was really hard to see much as it was a Level I machine and he's getting kind of big now (though I did find it funny that L&D referred to him as one of "the little ones"...to me he's HUGE now, but I guess in their world he is a little one). I did get to see a heartbeat though as well as his little hands and feet wiggling a little.

I know some people probably think I was overdoing it going in. The way I look at it though is that I noticed a pronounced change in how he was acting, and I know that going from moving a lot to not moving at all can be a very bad sign. I'd rather go into L&D and find out everything is fine and I was worrying for nothing than to not go in and potentially end up regretting it if it turns out there is something they could've done.

(Image credit:
http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/encyclopedia/T/Tests-during-pregnancy/Non-stress-test)

V-Day!

Viability Day!!!

I seriously can't even believe that I get to write this post. When I first got the positive test for this pregnancy I was just hoping and praying to make it to 6 weeks (previous miscarriage was in 5th week). That I'd get to viability seemed goal that was too lofty to even dream of. I know reaching this point doesn't guarantee a baby going home in my arms, but just getting this far is something that seemed so unattainable back in February. I'm seriously all choked up just thinking about how far things have come.

Its really surreal to be at the point in this pregnancy where the last of the July '11 ladies on Pregnant After a Loss were when I first got there. Now those ladies are delivering...and here I am.

Coming up in July: Double Digits, my first EDD, 3rd Tri & my baby shower. Deep breathes on the EDD one. I seriously can't believe that day is so soon. *sigh*

24 week update

I can't believe 2nd trimester has flown by so quickly. I'm 24 weeks this week (24 weeks, 3 days today).

Back at the beginning of this pregnancy (~21 weeks ago), I thought this point seemed *so* far away. The point where I'd be done with appointments every four weeks, and be going every two. The point where I was getting ready to take my GD test. The point where our furniture would be delivered, or where we'd decide on names. The point where I'd finally be showing so the world wouldn't think I had just eaten too much. The point that we're almost done with childbirth classes. You know, the I'm-a-crazy-planner-so-technically-all-the-pre-baby-necessities-are-taken-care-of point.

Yet here we are. Crazy!

We had our 24-week midwife visit this week, and I'm measuring right on track. Fundal height is 24cm, which is right where it should be. I'm up 19 pounds (oops), but the midwives think it's on track, even if I gain another pound every week until the end. Baby's heart rate seems to stay between 135 and 145 every time it's checked, and s/he is moving around like a kickboxer throughout the day. My next appointment at 28 weeks will include my GD test and the start of every-other-week appointments (until 36 weeks).

I'm feeling great. Very little swelling (even with 95+ degree days), no constipation, less heartburn than I've ever had in my adult life...really I have no complaints right now. Of course, you could probably guess that my sleep is interrupted with frequent pee breaks, but when I'm not up to pee, I'm sleeping. I started acupuncture again this week, and my acupuncturist wants to see me again in 8-12 weeks, depending on how I'm feeling. At that point, we'll come up with an induction plan for once I'm full-term. In the meantime, she prescribed massages every 3-4 weeks, and chiropractic appointments to make sure everything's aligned (and stays that way).

Baby's furniture is being delivered tomorrow morning. I can't wait! We already have the co-sleeper and crib, and tomorrow our glider and dresser arrive. We've narrowed down our names list to two girl options and one boy option. Since we both think we're having a boy, we made sure we LOVE our boy name. We love both of our girl names, so we're keeping all three close to our chests so we can recycle the names for the next baby.

I think that's it for now! I hope I'll get the nursery a little closer to being finished in time for my next post so you all can see pictures!

V-Day & GTT

Tomorrow I will be 25 weeks pregnant. I know everyone says this, but time really does fly. I think weeks 14-18 were sort of slow and boring but now that the weather is getting nicer, I'll be keeping very busy until August.


I passed the 24 week "viability" day last week, which was a huge milestone. I also had my glucose tolerance test yesterday. The glucola drink wasn't the greatest tasting thing, but it wasn't all that bad either.

Photo Credit

The worst part was sitting in the waiting room forever. So boring! My OB does a 2-hour test per the new guidelines so I got to sit there for 2 hours and 3 blood draws.

The good news is, I passed the GTT! No gestational diabetes here. I was very relieved to hear that.

Mr. Sassy Bud and I have been working on the nursery, so hopefully I'll have pics of that to share soon. We set up all the furniture and painted the walls. Things are really starting to come together!

23-24 weeks - we've reached viability baby!

Today I'm 24 weeks & 2 days pregnant, which means our precious little Baby Worry Bud has reached the point of viability!!! That means that she would have a chance of surviving outside of the womb if she were born today. Of course, we absolutely DO NOT want her to come any time soon - November or late October sounds best to her mama & daddy, so she just needs to stay in there & keep growing big & strong! Baby WB is pretty much fully developed at this point, but she still has some stuff going on - her taste buds are developing & her lungs are continuing to mature. She's now putting on weight more rapidly & should be about 1.5 lbs. this week & 12.5 inches long! She also kicks away more & more every day. This past week, I registered for breastfeeding & childbirth classes, as well as our hospital tour! The BF class is in mid-August & I'm actually really excited to go to the class! Every milestone that gets me closer to my baby girl is a good thing. :)

Much to Mr. WB's dismay, my baby-buying obsession has persisted, but I have been limiting myself to only 1-2 things per pay period. I tell ya, it's so addicting buying cute stuff for your 1st little one! Mr. WB says I'm spoiling her already, but I say, she has no clue what spoiling even is yet, so it'll be fine! I am not buying any of the items on my registry - I have decided to restrict myself from that until after we have our showers (Mr. WB's family lives several hours away & is generously hosting a smaller one in their area for us as well) & see what goodies we get for her. I did, however, take advantage of that awesome deal buti-bag company was offering to Bloomin' Babies readers last week & purchased this adorable giraffe print blanket:

::dies from cuteness overload::

I can't wait to get it, I bet it's gonna be super soft & cuddly! And I defintiel'y can't wait until I get to put it to use with our precious little Baby WB!

I have been feeling pretty good overall - just sore here & there by the end of the day. And I've also noticed that I am starting to get a little stuffy, which I hear is common during pregnancy. I had a OB appointment this past Friday & I gained like 6 lbs since my 20 week appointment! The Nurse Practitioner, who I saw this time, said that I should try to just keep an eye on my weight & stay active, but that she's not extremely worried about such a fast jump over the 4-week period...she said it happens sometimes, but that I should only be gaining about 1 lb. per week during this part of my pregnancy. Eh well. I'm still well within the normal weight range, so I'm trying not to worry too much about it. But I am gonna get more strict on myself about walking on the treadmill @ the gym a couple times a week & about finding a pre-natal yoga class. We got to hear Baby WB's heartbeat at the appt., which was right around the 150 beats per minute range - very normal & I got a lab slip to do my 1 hour glucose tolerance test. It's supposed to be done during week 26, so I'll handle that in a couple weeks - wish me luck! Oh & the NP also checked out the swollen area under my right arm & she says it's just a swollen lymph node & warned that it may even get more swollen as my milk comes in. I asked when I would need to start counting the baby's kicks & she said not until around 30-32 weeks, but as long as she's moving daily then it's normal for now. And she definitely does that, hahaha! I also contacted my "life photographer" (as I've dubbed her), who shot our engagement & wedding photos & am working now with her to schedule a maternity photo shoot & also a newborn photo shoot when the babe arrives. The tentative plan is to do the maternity shots in mid-September, so I'll be a little over 30 weeks. And that's about it for the past two weeks of my pregnancy - just truckin' right along & waiting to meet our little girl in a little under 16 weeks! I can't believe how quickly time has been flying by!

And I definitely feel like I look pregnant nowadays - here are my week 23 & 24 bump shots. Still no stretch marks that i didn't have pre-pregnancy - hopefully it stays that way. :) I'm always either in maternity clothes or stretchy pants & fewer & fewer of my pre-pregnancy shirts fit now:

 23 Weeks:

24 Weeks:

So that's about all going on with me for now...wish me luck on the 1 hour glucose test I'll be taking in about two weeks! I wanna send a special prayer up for Chef Bud who is in the 2ww for IVF #1 - I hope you get your long awaited BFP & that you have a safe trip back home. 

My baby buying obsession pays off for all of you!!

So I know I have written a lot lately about my ridiculous baby buying obsession...and it really is ridiculous. I have literally had to keep myself away from all my favorite baby discount sites. I even put myself on a mandatory no baby buying restriction until the next pay period, which started TODAY!! Holler. Baby buying restriction lifted & just in time.... :)

Because consequently, today I got an email from Nicole, owner/designer of the buti-bag company. I featured her cute bundle bag/carry all that I was lusting over on Zulily in my last post, remember?!

Photo Credit

Well it's long gone from Zulily - their sales only last a couple days so you gotta jump on stuff that you see & love! So back to my story - Nicole wrote me a very very nice email thanking me & the Bloomin' Babies readers for visiting her site as a result of my post & she offered an invitation-only promotion to ALL Bloomin' Babies readers as well - 40% off all orders now thru Friday, July 16, 2010 at midnight!!! Just use the online code of “ilovebuti” at checkout and the 40% will come off the total (before tax and shipping). I heart sales - especially awesome ones like this!

And the buti-bag company has lots more ad.ore.able stuff, like...

These cute binkmeister pacifier clips:

And these equally cute & very useful Bi-o-Pads, which can be used as shopping cart/restaurant high chair covers, or public changing station covers:

And there's SO much more drool-worthy stuff on their website!! I just thought I'd share since she's offering this promotion to invited customers only (including Bloomin' Babies readers)...so hurry over!! Baby Worry Bud will definitely be sporting some of Nicole's cute stuff!! And you may just see the buti-bag company's stuff again here on Bloomin' Babies if I can talk Nicole into a giveaway ::wink::. Happy Shopping! :o)

24 weeks.....V-day

Well I've been a bad bud and haven't update in a while. That's wht happens when life gets in the way!

Anyway, I'm back :)

Today I make 24 weeks. The arrival of this milestone came with a huge sigh of relief.

V-day. And no, that doesn't mean Valentine's Day. V-DAY at 24 weeks actually refers to Viability Day. This means that if the baby were to be born now, they would have a chance at survival, although they would spend much time in the NICU. This is just such a blessing to know that we are getting so much closer to meeting this baby and that everyday this baby has a better chance at being born healthy.

Baby LB is moving so much more now. It's amazing. Very strange feeling but amazing all the same. Saturday night and this morning he actually kicked so hard it made my stomach move.

We've gotten a lot accomplished in terms of getting ready for baby.

The bedding was already purchased by Baby LB's great-grandparents....

Dwell Studio for Target Space Baby

Last week we ordered.....

The crib: Peyton Classic Crib by Bonavita

The dresser/changer combo: Peyton Combo by Bonavita

The cover for our Bugaboo Cameleon stroller: Paul Frank Skurvy

We also, bought the paint for the nursery. Silly Litle Blue Birds & Space Hero Blue from the Behr Disney Collection and a decal from Etsy to match the rockets on the bedding. We also picked up some extra shelving for the closet and some little accessories. I scored my diaper bag that I wanted which matches the stroller at Marshalls for $29. It was $80 at BBB. We purchased the Boppy that matches the bedding as well. Not to mention the baby has a ridiculous wardrobe thanks to his auntie and grandma.

Mr. LB is painting and putting up the chair rail on Wednesday. The furniture should be here some time in May. Hopefully.

Baby shower plans are coming along. The invites will go out within the next week.

Things are definitely coming along. It's really amazing how fast the time flies :) We have our 24 week appointment with the OB on Thursday and I'm looking forward to that.

Well that's all for now. I'm hoping tht I'll be able to update much more regularly now.

It's Me Again...

Yep, the BrainyBud without a brain in her head nowadays. I swear I have been so absent-minded that I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached!

This past weekend, we finally went and registered at Babies R Us and Walmart since Walmart is the only thing in town and Babies R Us is 45 minutes away (Target is too). It was nice not having to put an infant car seat, stroller or crib on the registry so most of it is under $30. Big things that we did register for include:

• Convertible Car Seat
• High Chair
• Pack n' Play
• Crib Bedding
• Monitor
• Born Free Bottle Starter Sets
• Large Boxes of Diapers

I didn't think that was too bad. We went Wednesday to look for a crib at the place I had already been. I thought for sure that Mr. BrainyBud would want a straight topped bed, but he went with this (still one of my top 3)

Bonavita Lifestyle Sheffield in rustic black

We got this convertible crib, the combo (not pictured), nightstand (not pictured), mattress and full size bed rails for $1,670 including delivery. I didn't think it was too bad, but I sure hope everything on our registries get bought because we'll still be paying this furniture off when the baby comes! ha!


Faith, Love and Baby Rumbles,
Mrs. BrainyBud