Ultrasound, Ultra-baby!

Good morning!

We had our third ultrasound yesterday and everything is still looking normal! In fact, he weighs two pounds, which could put me closer to 26 weeks than 24, or he's just huge...Since my last appointment I have gained about 7 pounds and at the last ultrasound he was 11 ounces so I imagine a growth spurt is right around the corner. I've been feeling more stretching sensations in my sides and getting leg cramps in my calves just about every night, not fun.

He has been moving a lot and I even noticed that he had the hiccups the other day so that was fun! We saw him moving his mouth as though he was eating and putting his hand up near his face, so cute! I'm so excited to meet him!! Nothing really major to report on, the ultrasound tech is going to leave a note for my doctor to see if I am in fact farther along than we thought, pushing my due date from April 8 to March 29 or maybe even earlier. We shall see in a couple of weeks though! Since it's not that great of a difference, they aren't changing it immediately but they do want to check just in case I stay on track now and go into labor at say 35 weeks (not full-term) but it is actually 37 which is full term.

We found a new apartment! It is about 250 sq. ft bigger, has two bathrooms, and washer/dryer in the unit! We are pumped! It is still an apartment and we were kind of hoping for a house, but this is still in our price range, and definitely an upgrade from where we are now. It's on the third floor which is fun but also a lot of stairs...not a big deal though. We are still in the northend (the area we live in now) and within 10-20 minutes walking distance to three different parks!

We leave for Christmas in San Diego tomorrow and we are pretty excited! I'm not going to lie, though, this whole not white Christmas thing is freaking me out. We still have green grass here in Boise, it's been cold and we have had some snow here and there, but the ground is bare. We watched a PBS special last night called "Christmas in Yellowstone" and it showed shots of Jackson and the Tetons blanketed in snow and Brett understood what I meant about what it really means to have a white Christmas! That's ok, Christmas is Christmas :) and we are excited!

Inheriting a barrel chest and a big head from someone... ;)

opening his mouth!

Mid-week reflection

Ok so... I just typed a whole blog post and it was erased. That was super annoying. Let me try again...

Today was the first time an adult asked me about being pregnant, though it wasn't as much a question as it was, "so you're pregnant, how far along are you?" It kind of took me by surprise but I appreciated her boldness. I think it's a music teacher thing... Who knows...

I guess I can't really hide my bump anymore. Since the rest of me isn't growing is much more obvious that I'm not just putting on the holiday plumps.

As far as what's new and different, I still surprisingly have no distinct cravings. I have here and there on occasion needed a particular something right then and there (bacon a few weeks ago) but nothing that I must have or can't live without. I have recently been more indulgent on junk-ier items like cookies and ice cream, but still pretty much maintaining a balanced diet. I do have to have a substantial snack in between meals or else I crash. I'm talking like granola bar, cheese stick, and a piece of fruit, it used to be that just one of those would tide me over.

Besides food stuff, changes that I've noticed is the amount of blood that comes out of my mouth when I floss...super disgusting, totally normal, but definitely an unpleasant experience. My heels I wear I have to buckle and they are becoming increasingly more difficult to reach. My hair looks fuller, not because there is necessarily more of it, but because it's not falling out as quickly as normal, I thought that was interesting. No swelling yet in hands or feet, no stretch marks or pronounced veins, standing or sitting for long periods of time can get uncomfortable and some sleeping positions just don't work anymore. My sense of smell is even more heightened than before which is definitely a bummer in some cases because there's a chance nothing actually smells like B.O. around me, that's just my nose interpreting it that way... Weird.

He has been kicking a ton which is really fun and a different kind of sensation from anything else that I don't even know how to explain it, maybe like flutters in your belly? Sometimes he'll kick so hard that it makes me twitch! Strong little guy, that baby Lofgren. It's also kind of funny observing when he kicks more frequently. For example, it's always around 8 or 8:30 at night when he feels super active. Throughout the day, I'll get a kick or two every so often. It's also funny when I talk, he starts kicking if I stop, as if he wants me to talk again. Maybe that's just me, but I'd like to think he likes the sound of my voice :)

I'm working on trying to exercise more again; I slacked off once my job started up (which is going awesome by the way!). I've definitely been very busy with subbing which is literally the perfect job for when you're pregnant. Especially when I have a student tell me I'm pretty just about everyday, it's super cute :-) I also love when some kids just come up and give you hugs even though they've never seen you before. Kids are just so great!

I have another ultra sound next Wednesday and looking forward to that, hopefully all is well and normal, fingers crossed! I'm starting to get a bit anxious and just want him to be here already! Patience has never been one of my strong points...

Other than that, just plugging along. Looking to try and find a bigger place to rent but there isn't too much this time of year. We are touring a place tomorrow so we'll see how that goes. I'd love to start actually setting up a baby room!

One last thing... We got these from some friends of ours; they are so cute! So excited to start getting baby things and definitely looking forward to a baby shower and Christmas in San Diego!!

23 weeks!

So people are FINALLY noticing that I am pregnant. Well, maybe they noticed before and weren't sure but luckily I work with kids and they are not afraid to ask. I have had some pretty funny questions directed towards my baby bump. "Oh you ARE pregnant...I just thought you ate a lot of food." Some kids think they are being clever by asking if I have any kids and when I say, "not yet" then they ask...or the 1st grader who straight up said, "You look like you're pregnant!" I love it. Granted, if I weren't pregnant, I might love it much less, but hey, atleast I already dealt with that in Korea! ;-)

Anyway, I am at 23 weeks, sorry for the delay in progress pics...it's been a kind of crazy few weeks. Everything with the little one is still going very well. We are going to take a childbirth prep class starting next month and that should be interesting. Some of you may have seen my post on facebook about watching a video on childbirth and just about passed out. I don't like seeing it, talking about it, knowing about it, or anything. I'm very interested to see how the actual birth goes-I'm more worried about the whole bloody phenomenon of it all and not so much about the pain...worth it though, right?!

I'm so excited for March and watching basketball since I'll be slowing down with work by then and it's the BEST time of year. I swear this kid is going to come out saying, "Go Zags! Stupid refs!"

Here are some pictures!!

Halfway there!!

Hey all! So yes,I am at 20 weeks which is technically halfway, unless he decides to come early! I got my final test results back and everything is normal. I wish doctors didn't freak moms out like this. As if we need MORE stress on top of everything else that is going on. I get that they need to protect themselves as doctors, but what happened to protecting the mama? I mean come on! I get it, there are some select crazies out there that would freak out if everything wasn't completely out in the open for them but why not just say, "hey, we have to take a routine blood test, which we do at 18 weeks as part of normal procedure"? Maybe it would be lying because it wasn't routine but I don't have to know that. If they had done it my way and the test results came back negative, I think it would have been easier. I don't know, it didn't happen that way so I can't be the judge, but still...I had to add extra stress for a whole week that (thankfully) turned out to be unnecessary for nothing!

Whatever, we have a healthy baby boy and I'm excited to meet him in a few months! I have also had some other good news, I have started subbing! The day after I got all of my information I had a full-day job subbing 1st grade; so fun! And then on Friday I subbed 8th grade Earth Science. It's awesome. I don't even feel like I'm working, which is the BEST feeling ever!!! In both classes, I was able to actually do some teaching instead of just handing out worksheets or watching movies. Yes, I did both of those things with the 8th graders but I also made sure that I chatted with the class a little about what they were going to be studying and not just turn on the movie and be done. Not fun for me or for them. The sub orientation was actually really helpful too, they had some good advice like treat everyday like a  job interview and test the electronics before class starts just in case just to name a couple. I haven't felt super nervous at all, maybe just a little with 8th grade, but I wore my heels for an extra boost (haha) of confidence. I also felt bad because does that mean I'm forcing my son to wear heels?! Ok not really, but that thought totally crossed my mind and I laughed at myself.

Anyway, this is supposed to be about my pregnancy but since it has been SO easy and I'm still fairly small (I'm getting there though!) I thought I'd just give an update on a couple other things, hope you don't mind :) It's been nice hearing from some friends here and there checking in on me. I have yet to meet other younger pregnant moms to bond with and people in general so your support is very much appreciated, just thought you should know!


Here's a little snippet from a website that I get updates from every week:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. (ours was roughly 11 ounces at the ultrasound!) He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:

Congratulations! You've hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. (If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less.) Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen).


 Here's some progress pics!

                                 

Baby Registry

Hello!

I have had a few people ask about our baby registry so I figured I would just make it easy to find.

Amazon Registry

Target Registry

I have finally gotten around to starting a Target registry-I actually found some of their stuff is less expensive, yay!

Quick update!

Hi all!

Just some moose from our trip to Jackson.

So I posted this to Facebook already as well but thought I'd just elaborate a bit more on here. I got a call today from the doctor with my blood test results. They were early so obviously my mind was racing thinking this could go any direction. "Maybe they're calling early because it's negative. Or maybe it's because it was clearly normal...ugh!" So of course I called, shaking, feeling numb-ready to receive any results. After the initial shock from last week hearing there might be a chance that my baby boy was not going to be as healthy as we thought, I had accepted that no matter what, he was going to  be my little boy and I would love him forever. Surprisingly, I stayed away from the internet in order to not further freak myself out, only to look earlier today and actual found some really encouraging information about children with Downs. Like I said, i was prepared for anything at this point so I was happy that instead of freaking out, it had quite the adverse affect and I actually felt ok. But as it turns out my test results ARE NORMAL! No infections, the chance of Downs was 1 in 22,000, a couple of other things but I don't remember...sometimes doctors give too much information and I can only handle so much so fast, but all was well. I still have the genetic testing that I am waiting on and that will determine the chances of Cystic Fibrosis and whether I am a carrier or not. I will update again when we hear more about that, but for now, it was nice to have some good news, and the trip to Jackson we took over the weekend definitely helped us both decompress and come back with a more positive perspective.

It's a BOY!!

Yay! We just found out yesterday that we are going to be having a boy! We could not be more excited and honestly more surprised! We, and many other friends and family, have been convinced that it was going to be a girl. Funny enough, though, Brett and I had very recently started thinking that it might be a boy for whatever reason. Either way, we are delighted.

Thumbs up!

I haven't posted in a while because there really hasn't been anything to report. Things have been going really well, I'm still not showing a ton so unfortunately no progression pictures. Even though I'm at 18 weeks and not showing a ton, he is growing at a normal rate and just about everything looks good so far. It was so much fun watching the ultrasound yesterday since it was 3-D and we could really see everything so clearly. I am kind of bummed they didn't give us any more pictures than they did because it was so cool seeing the spine and his face. We did get some good pictures though. It took a while to get the profile because he was being stubborn and wouldn't move...hmm, wonder who he gets that trait from?! He was also very active at times though, moving around, putting his hands by his mouth, and when we first got a glimpse of the ultrasound, it was very definitely a boy before the technician even told us.
The whole appointment went really well, like I said, he's growing at a normal rate and weighs about 11 ounces right now. There was one thing at the end that kind of put a damper on everything which was definitely a bummer. In his bowels, there were some brightly colored spots that could mean a couple of things: possible downs syndrome, cystic fibrosis, or it could be nothing. It could just be a little blood on the outside, but just to be safe, I got a blood test and will find out the results from that and genetic testing in a week to 10 days. Now, the chances that there is something wrong is a 10-20% chance and since I am young, closer to 10%. Still, it was bit overwhelming to hear that something could be "wrong". We are OBVIOUSLY going to love and care for the baby no matter what...duh... and it really could be nothing, but it still felt like the relief I felt earlier was now gone and felt just as overwhelmed as ever. I kept my composure in front of the doctor but as soon as I went in to the other room to get my blood drawn, I lost it. I just felt like I had failed, even though she had said that there was nothing I had done or didn't do that caused this.  I am going to try my best and hope for the best and stay positive but it has been a super stressful month and staying positive has been quite hard.

Aside from that, Brett has been talking about how great this kid is going to be at fishing and I am just so excited to play with cars and trucks and trains again :) Now the trick is figuring out a boy's name...


More to come next week! Stay tuned :)

Finding a Balance

Something that has proven quite difficult in this short time of being pregnant is how to balance...everything. I'm obviously really excited about having a baby and starting a new chapter in life etcetera, but then again, I just moved to Boise, started making friends and now can't really do a whole lot of the activities I would like to be doing.

For example, I just moved up in my ranking with tennis and won't get a chance to play until probably next fall. It's basketball season which always makes me want to get out and play basketball but being the competitive and aggressive player that I am, well clearly that's out. Even going out for a drink has become something I'm not sure how to handle. I'm totally fine with people having a drink around me, (though I can't wait for my next glass of red wine...whenever that will be) but what isn't as fun is having to turn down going out for drinks with people because it honestly isn't super fun sipping water for three hours. I still go out and enjoy people's company so don't think that I don't want to go out, I'm just saying it's not the same.

I'm also having a hard time accepting the fact that I am 15 1/2 weeks and really just not showing at all. Again, totally a fine thing since that means I I have strong abs, but also means for a harder time with people understanding why I might act the way I do. Hormones anyone? Yeah, just because I'm not looking pregnant, I still act like it and I get embarrassed that things bother me more than they should since I feel like I have nothing to show for it. It's a little frustrating.

Baby Beats

I went to the doctor for my monthly check-up and everything looks great! My doctor is just so nice, too. She said it was easy to find the baby and the heartbeat was 155 beats per minute (excellent) and she just kind of listened to it for a minute and just kind of closed her eyes and said, "it's such a nice sound, isn't it?" It might sound creepy, but it wasn't...haha. It really is so cool to hear the heartbeat. I think she expected me to have more questions but I really didn't have any. I have been reading 3 different mommy-to-be books, talking to some people, and doing some research online. Obviously I'm not going to rely on all of that, but to be honest, a lot of it is common sense. Like, why wouldn't I eat fruits and vegetables? It just seems like some moms-to-be need a lot more hand-holding, I need some of course, but like I said, most of this is common sense. I mean, as I was reminded the other day, my body was made to carry this little one! So, my body knows what it needs and what it needs to do.

I did ask my doctor why I wasn't really showing yet. I have a small bump but it's been the same for weeks now. She said it was because I have such strong stomach muscles. Oh. you should be happier that you have such strong stomach muscles! OH! :) basically I have abs of steel guarding this little baby. She also said it was very easy to find and told me that I am doing and EXCELLENT job. Being a mom is so wonderful :)

Next month, November 7 at 1PM to be exact, I will find out if I will be a mom or a dad! I can't wait!

^^ those are not people I know...just think it's hilarious.

A little piece of mind

So I have a cold. Normally not a big deal, but being pregnant, I have been concerned with what to take, what not to take and how this was going to affect the baby. I had a post on facebook that was about as inconclusive as my research on the interwebs. I apprecited the input, of course, but after staying home yesterday and coming home today, by the advice of my grandmother, "Call your doctor, you are PAYING her to take care of you!" I called my doctor...I spoke to her nurse and she reminded me that in the packet they sent home with me, there was a list of meds that are ok to take. My main concern was actually not as much the medicine at this point but how my cough and mild fever, etc., was affecting the baby. She assured me that the baby isn't even phased by my cold, maybe just jostled by my cough and I feel so much better. My stress and worry has been keeping me from really letting myself relax. It's hard not to think that every little thing could affect this little person and just being reassured that I'm doing the best I can is encouraging.

In case you were wondering, here is the list of acceptable meds after 12 weeks and obviously the non-drug approach is best unless symptoms persist but here you go:

• Never take Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Midol, Naproxen, or Aleve

• Cough: Robitussin, Robistussin DM, Generic cough syrup w/dextramethorphan and guaifenesin, Vicks cough syrup, cough drops-Halls, Cepastat, Chloroseptic lozenges
• Nasal congestion/Sinus pain: Musinex, Sudafed, Afrin nasal spray, Ocean Mist nasal spray, Tylenol cold, Vicks Vaporub, Netipot w/warm saline solution, humidifier
• Sore Throat: Gargle with salt water, Throat lozenges
• Headache: Tylenol (acetominophen)

Not the most exciting of posts, but if you or someone you know is pregnant and is in the same boat I was, this will be helpful to them. 

Video

If you didn't see this on my facebook, it's pretty funny...

12-ish weeks

Good afternoon! I feel kind of bad starting a new blog after not completing our one from Korea...but I will, no really. 

Brett and I are just so excited to be having a baby and have actually known that we were expecting since July. I hate keeping secrets but we wanted to make sure everything was fine and dandy with little baby Lofgren before spreading the news. The ultra sounds is actually from around 10 weeks. It is crazy how fast babies develop and what develops first, very interesting. By now, the baby has started developing its reflexes. It's fingers can open and close, it's mouth can make sucking movements, it's toes can curl, and it can move it's eye muscles. The baby is a whopping 2 inches long and weighs half an ounce...that's so teeny!

When I got the ultra sound (at risk of sounding extremely mushy), it was the most magical thing I have ever seen. Like, that's a BABY in there. OUR baby! How cool. Of course I cried. And then I laughed. And when I laughed, the baby started moving around like crazy. Just the cutest thing ever and I can't believe I have 28 weeks left to go. Have I mentioned I am not a patient person?

I'm showing a tiny bit, even though people don't believe me. Granted, some is due to bloating, but I know what my belly looked like before and what it looks like now is not the same. I'm just anxious to start showing  more soon! Oh, and I had no morning sickness! Yay! So nice. I was exhausted for several weeks and I have had some bouts of insomnia, mostly getting up to go to the bathroom and not being able to go to sleep for an hour or so. I have been getting more energy back and it showed in my tennis scores. Apparently, mothers say that the second trimester is the best so I'm looking forward to that. I guess that's now-ish to 14 weeks when you enter the first trimester.

I have another appointment with the doctor next week, just to check the progress and then another ultrasound in November that will be more detailed and will tell us what the gender of the baby is. I know you have all been wondering if we are going to tell and the answer is yes, you will know what we are having but sorry, you will not know the names we are thinking of. Actually, Brett and I already have a guess as to what we are going to have and have a name picked out, but we'll see :) 

Besides being excited for the baby, I think we are also ready. Going to Korea and moving to Boise has all been part of the plan for save money. The fact that Brett now has a full time teaching job and I switched to a more lucrative occupation (for now), we are definitely going to be set up monetarily to bring up this baby in a comfortable enough environment to live within our means. Mentally, we are also ready, I mean, as ready as we can be with our first baby. I'm obviously not saying I know everything there is to know about raising a child, but we both have wanted a family so with that mindset we are at least a little prepared?

I'm very happy to be pregnant in the winter months. I can't imagine being pregnant over this past summer. and it's due in April, the BEST month, of course :) I am a little nervous about not being around family when the baby is born. Luckily Brett will be able to take two weeks off when it is born, so that will be helpful. 

We have also been practicing putting on onesies...she was a very good sport :)