Oh boy!

I just had a feeling the last few weeks and it turns out mom's intuition was right.We have a little man in there!

The very first shot was right between the legs and there was really no doubt:

 

Kelsey, the same tech we had for the NT Scan, was getting all the shots and measurements that she needed. Except when it came to getting the face shots.  This little guy is stubborn - just like daddy, and would not move his hands from in front of his face. Or if he did, he would turn his face away from the camera/wand.  It was actually kind of comical.

She was able to get some good profile shots:

And a funny shot of him waving at the camera:

And some pictures of his cute little feet:

This one is kind of weird - looks like a frog leg:



After trying for a while to get the face shot she gave up and had me go see the doctor. She told me to come back in when I was done and we would try again.

The doctor measured me (I guess it was good) and was glad to see that my blood pressure was back down.  When I was done we headed back into the u/s room to try again.  Still not cooperative, but after a few minutes she got what she needed.  And we were on our way with a bunch of new pictures and a list of people to call.

My next appt is Dec 28th and is when I'll have the glucose test.  Oh joy.

All in all it was a great appointment and even though at first I was hoping for a girl I am truly happy that we have a healthy baby boy growing in there.  And my dad is excited for his first grandson - finally some testosterone in the family!

28 more hours!

And we'll find out what's baking in my oven!  Of course I told J that the little bugger is probably going to be all stubborn and sit there with legs crossed the entire time. That would be just my luck.

I am mentally preparing myself that it's going to be a boy.  It's not that I will be upset if it's a boy, but from the beginning I was kind of hoping 'girl'.  I don't have any brothers, my sister has two little girls, and I just know nothing about little boys.  Not that I really know anything about babies in general so really I am screwed either way!

Obviously the most important part about tomorrow will be finding out that Baby W is healthy and growing properly. Every time someone asks J what he is hoping for he says "I don't care - just a healthy baby".  Awwww - that's why I love him so much  :)

Anyway - here is this week's check-in:

How far along? 21w1d - baby is the size of a banana.  10.5 inches long now. I think this is the week they start measuring from head to toe instead of just to the butt.

Weight gain/loss: +12.5 lbs.  Not too shabby for having gorged on Thanksgiving.  The 5K race that morning may have helped  :)

Maternity Clothes: I gave in and wore a pair of maternity pants to work last Wednesday, but that's it so far. I'm back in regular clothes for now.  I started looking at maternity jeans in preparation for when mine no longer fit comfortably, but I haven't bought any. I hate to spend a ton of money on something I'll only wear for a short time and most of the cheaper ones I've found look hideous.  Not sure what to do yet.

Symptoms: My colon sucks and I have periodic back pain, but that's about it for right now.

Gender:  We'll know tomorrow!!

Sleep? I'm sleeping ok even with this hacking cough.  Getting up once a night to pee.

Best moment this week? Deciding on a crib and FINALLY feeling some movement!

Movement: YES!  I finally felt some thumps. It really depends on how I'm sitting and it's mostly when I am laying down, but I am fairly positive I am finally feeling this little bugger move.

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing really.

Belly button in or out? Still in and hoping it stays.

What I miss? Not feeling so poofy. This is the heaviest I have ever been in my life and it is really taking some getting used to.

What I am looking forward to? Tomorrow's anatomy scan. I'm very excited to see the baby again, find out if we're having a son or daughter, and making sure that s/he is healthy.

Milestones: No real milestones this week - hit the 21 week mark, that's about it.

What I'm nervous about: Nervous about tomorrow's scan. I'm always nervous before the appointments, though, so that's nothing new.

And here is my 21 week bump:

Sorry for the blurriness - my camera sucks

Aaaahhhh, the house to ourselves

Not trying to sound ungrateful or bitchy, but I am very excited that the in-laws left this morning and that we have the house to ourselves again.  Don't get my wrong - his parents are wonderful people. They are loving and sweet and mean well.  It's just that they are also somewhat heavy smokers (ewww) and when they visit they bring their crappy little poodle (I am not a fan of poodles to begin with and this one is especially disdainful).  Plus his dad is so OCD and some of his habits drive me batshit crazy.  I just want to yell "Quit rearranging our stuff and unplugging our appliances!".  But I don't.

The other reason I am glad for the departure is that my brother-in-law came with them this time.  I try to be nice, but I have a particular dislike for him. He is almost 38, lives at home with his parents, doesn't contribute to the household, finally has a job, and is basically just a freeloader.  He has the maturity of a high school freshman and in general just drives me crazy.  I was especially pissed on Thanksgiving.  He did absolutely nothing to contribute. Didn't help cook, didn't help clean up, didn't do shit.  He was either sleeping, outside smoking and/or talking on his phone, watching TV in the back room, or messing around on his computer.  When I found out that he had been in our liquor cabinet the night before I almost punched him in the face.  Then when he had the nerve to tell J and I that if we didn't go out in the living room and watch the football game that was on (the 8:00 game between the Jets and Bengals) that he was going to change the channel to something he wanted to watch I about lost it.  I said "Don't tell me what to do - some of us are actually busy cleaning up."  He went in the back room and pretty much avoided me the rest of the night.

I try to be civil, but it's kind of hard. I know all of the crap that he has pulled in the past. And knowing that he has stolen from J, has thrown away every opportunity that he has been given, and has basically been a drain on society and a waste of space - I just don't have any respect for the guy.

Needless to say I am in a chipper mood now they they are on their way back to Charlotte.  J and I can relax, I don't have to brush away the crappy poodle, don't have to get frustrated with my BIL's constant trips to our fridge to eat our food, don't have to listen to the hacking coughs of the smokers, and can watch my game in peace.

Now to decide it we want to tackle decorating the tree today...

Our 9 ft bare tree in our living room

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today J and I started the morning with a nice little 5K race.  The 33rd annual Turkey Day Run through downtown Charleston. It was the first time that J has run since his shoulder surgery 6 weeks ago and I'm 20+ weeks pregnant, so I wasn't too optimistic of our finishing time. No big deal - the whole point was to get in some miles and burn some calories so I don't feel so guilty indulging in a day of gluttony (I LOVE Thanksgiving!).

After the national anthem (sung by a soldier who had just returned from Afghanistan), the blessing of the water (not sure what that was about), and a quick countdown we were off.

If was a beautiful day for a run, but honestly a little warm. It's November 25th for crying out loud - why is it so hot?  Staring into the blazing sun didn't help.  Anyway, I made sure I wasn't overdoing it (as long as I could carry on a conversation I figured I was ok) and we trotted along.  A nice little tour of the Battery, through a few neighborhoods, and a finish down King Street.

I was kind of surprised that we did a 26:14 - only a little more than a minute over last years time. And here I am 4 1/2 months pregnant and the heaviest I have ever been in my entire life. Not too shabby.

Now it's time to crash on the couch, watch some football, eat way too much food, and enjoy one of my favorite holidays.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

At the start line

The crowd milling around waiting at the start

Great news to start off the holiday

I just got a call from the nurse at my OB with the results of the second set of bloodwork for the chromosomal screening.  Of course my heart started beating fast as soon as she started talking about it, but there is nothing to worry about.  The numbers look phenomenal!

Downs Risk went from 1 in 400 (age based) to 1 in 250,000

Trisomy 18 risk dropped down to less than 1 in 250,000

Open Neural Tube defect (Spina Bifida) went from 1 in 417 (age based) to 1 in 20,119

Some other abdominal defect went from 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 170,580

Now I know this is just a screening, but hearing numbers like that took a huge amount of worry off of me.  Now we just need to do the anatomy scan next week to check everything else out and make sure everything is moving along the way it should and I will be much more relaxed.  At least until I start thinking about the actual delivery...

I think I'm starting to get the side eye

When I am at the gym. Especially when I hop off the treadmill after my run and am huffing and puffing.  I don't wear tight clothes at the gym, but some of the tank tops I wear are somewhat snug - so it's getting a little obvious that there is a bun in my oven.

Last night I made it to the gym for the first time in over a week (damn cold!) and I got back on the treadmill.  I did a nice 4.05 mile run - not setting any land speed records, but I got my distance in.  Only 49 more miles by the end of the year to reach my goal.

Anyway, when I was done and turned around to get the spray and the towel to wipe down the treadmill I noticed a guy looking at me. And then when I went to stretch another guy walked by and glanced at my belly.  Now, I'm not huge by any stretch of the imagination, but by the end of the day it is popping out a little more.  I can still run comfortably (albeit at a slower pace) so I am going to continue as long as I can.  I kind of can't wait to see the looks I get once I do get bigger!

How far along? 20w2d - baby is the size of a cantaloupe.  That seems really big!  They must be talking about a small melon.

Weight gain/loss: +12 lbs.  Ugh.  I blame part of that little jump on my lack of gym time last week. Back in the saddle this week!

Maternity Clothes: Still holding out.  Trying to see how long I can last. I did buy more at Old Navy online yesterday in preparation for when I can no longer fit in regular clothes. Couldn't pass up the 40% off deal.

Symptoms: My colon sucks, I'm getting periodic headaches, and my tailbone feels like I got kicked with steel toed boots.  Fun times.

Gender:  Thinking boy and hoping girl.  One week til we find out!

Sleep? I'm sleeping ok - especially with the cold medicine  :)  (and yes, it has been ok'd by my OB)

Best moment this week? Not much happened.  We did look at cribs online and I love the fact that J is showing excitement and getting more involved. I think he feels disconnected since he isn't physically going through any of it, so it's nice to see him connect more.

Movement: Still nothing - although I did feel two thumps last night, but I can't positively say that was baby.

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.  I do love me some fruit, though.

Belly button in or out? In and praying it stays there for a while longer.

What I miss? Being able to sit in a chair for more than a few minutes without discomfort.  It's not all the time, but sometimes  my tailbone just aches.

What I am looking forward to? Finding out what's cooking - one more week!

Milestones: Now officially half baked. Eeeek!

What I'm nervous about: The fact that in less than 20 weeks we will be totally responsible for this brand new and completely helpless little person. Holy crap - what did we get ourselves into?!

And here is my 20 week bump:

Why I'll never root for George Mason in anything again

Last night was the championship game for the Charleston Classic.  It was Georgetown vs. NC State for tournament champion - go 'Pack!  The game was supposed to start at 7:30, but was a little late because the 3rd place game went to OT.  That game was between George Mason and Wofford.

I was actually happy to see Wofford win because GMU had been annoying me with their pretentious band.  See, none of the other schools had sent their actual band to perform during the tourney. Instead local high school bands were assigned to support each team. For NC State it was the West Ashley High School band.

Well, GMU had a good band - and they knew it. And they flaunted it.  Bands are supposed to kind of take turns performing during time outs and TV breaks.  The first game that we saw GMU play - on Thursday night, their band took on the 'bully' persona and kind of didn't let the little high school kids play. It was rude in my opinion.  Sure, they have a really good band, but those high school kids were excited about the opportunity to play and I felt bad for them.  The high school band director got more assertive as that game went on and that band was able to get some playing time.

It was the same type of thing the next night. At least that time GMU lost the game, so I took some satisfaction in that.  Last night, like I said, they were in the 3rd place game and they lost.  Well, they decided to stick around for the championship game. I was thinking to myself "They better not showboat and play during this game - they aren't even playing in it.".

Well, they did.  So the two high school bands that took the time to come out on a Sunday night and support these teams had to share time with the obnoxious GMU band.  I rolled my eyes every time they played and with my hormones I was so ready to go find their band director - wearing his pimp suit and sunglasses - and tell him I think they are very disrespectful and rude to take time away from the bands that are supposed to be playing.

So going forward I will no longer root for GMU in any sort of tournament because I think they are rude and just plain obnoxious.  That's just my 2 cents...

Half baked!

Today is the official halfway point. Eeek!  I have to say the 1st tri seemed to drag on forever, but so far the 2nd tri is flying.  I'm excited and terrified all at the same time.

I still can't believe that in 20 weeks we are going to be responsible for an entirely new and defenseless little human being. Holy crap - what did we get ourselves into?!?

I'm also freaking because there is soooooo much to do. The nursery is still full of a bunch of crap. The ceiling needs to be scraped and painted, the walls need painted, we need to find space for all the stuff in there, need to pick out furniture. The list goes on and on.

And with his family coming to town for Thanksgiving (sigh) I know nothing will get done next week.  I know this makes me sound like a horrible person, but I'm really hoping they don't stay through Sunday.  I can only take so much of the smoke smell and that shitty little poodle.

I just need to focus on the fact that in 9 days we'll finally find out what's in there.  Now if only I could get the little bugger to give me a kick or a poke so I can relax and know everything is ok...

Let's go 'Pack!

J got us tickets to the Charleston Classic basketball tournament being held downtown at the College of Charleston arena since his NC State Wolfpack team is in it.  There are four games Thursday, four on Friday, and then four on Sunday.  That's a lot of games.

We skipped the noon and 2:30 games yesterday - I was at work and his physical therapy ran a little late - but we made the night games.

First up - NC State vs. ECU at 6:00.  We made the mistake of sitting right in the middle of a bunch of crotchety old ECU fans.  Kind of annoying. Especially the old guy behind us that kept yelling "Hey ref!" trying to get the ref's attention so he could heckle him.  My hormones almost got the best of me - I was so ready to turn around and say "I'm pretty sure he's busy right now - STFU!"  But I didn't...

Anyway, the Wolfpack kind of struggled in the first half, but broke the game wide open in the second.  So it was nice to see J's team win.

Here are some shots from our seat:

Almost looked like a home game for the 'pack

After that game was George Mason vs UNC Charlotte.  We were rooting for Charlotte, but left when there was 5 mins left and they were down 20 pts.  All in all a fun evening.

Today NC State will play George Mason at 6:00.  I think we might skip the noon game (USC Upstate vs. Coastal Carolina), but will go to the 2:30 game (Georgetown vs. Wofford).  All I know is I need to find a cushion to sit on. This baby is making my tailbone hurt like there's no tomorrow and those seats in the arena are anything but cushy.

So tonight it's more 'Let's go 'pack!'  :)

Seriously dude - it's not even Thanksgiving yet

I know I tend to be a little moody and pretty easily irritated - and that was before becoming pregnant and being one raging hormone!  Anyway, I try to keep things in check at work. No one ones to be around a grouch (case in point, our one co-worker who I refer to as Eeyore since a black cloud seems to follow him and he is an extremely negative person).

Today I am a still getting over this cold that J so lovingly shared with me (ugh), so I am a little more irritable than usual.  Add in the fact that my bowels are revolting against me and holding everything hostage and I am not a happy camper.

The last thing I am in the mood for is my co-worker's overly exaggerated and flamboyant conversations coupled with him already playing Christmas music in his office.  Not trying to be a grinch or anything, but can we please get past stuffing ourselves with turkey before we start in with the jingle bells?  Don't get me wrong -  I love Christmas, but I hate hate HATE how it starts getting shoved down our throats before the leftover Halloween candy has even been removed from the shelves.  And to be perfectly honest, I think I like Thanksgiving even more than Christmas. I love a holiday who's only requirement is to sit around and eat and watch football.  No presents to buy, no stress and pressure - just good old fashioned gluttony. Now that's  a holiday I can get behind.