solofallop

no.164: we set her free

Saturday afternoon, I went upstairs to grab all the bed linens to throw them in the wash. When I got to Molly's bed, I decided I needed to go ahead and put a sheet back on since the wash would not be done before it was time for her to go to bed.

Now, if you've ever changed a sheet in a crib, you know what a pain in the butt it is. With the beginning of a baby belly, it's even harder. On a whim, I hunted down a screwdriver, unscrewed the front of her crib, and converted her bed into a toddler bed. Just like that! I did it! After I was done, I thought, "What did I just do?!" My main concern? The sleepless Saturday night that might be awaiting me.

Evan and Stacey ended up putting her to bed that night since they were over for dinner. Molly loves for Aunt Stacey to give her a bath. And she loves hearing Uncle Trey Trey's stories of "Timmy the Termit" (trademark pending -- they would be awesome books!). I was a little worried since it was her first night in her toddler bed.

Once they came downstairs, I turned on the monitor. I heard, "I'm going to go check on Memers." And then I heard the door open. And then? At the top of the stairs, "Mama! There's a monster under my bed!" I went up to put her back in bed and assured her that if there was indeed a monster, he was a friendly monster. She then said, "But I might fall out of my bed." After a few more reassurances and turning on her ghost night light, she snuggled right in and slept until the morning.

And last night? She didn't even get up after Doug put her to bed. She's three months shy of three. So, I'm pretty sure she has probably been ready for a while, we just didn't want to take the leap and set her free. The only problem now is that I don't have the luxury of finishing up my shower or getting ready while leaving her in her crib for a few extra minutes. She usually lays in bed and sings/talks/plays for about 20 minutes when she first wakes up. Not anymore! She's up and at the top of the stairs demanding that the gate be open.

I'm thinking maybe we should take the gate down? The problem with that is the dogs. We keep the dogs and Molly separated now since Bella was mean to her a while back. The dogs sleep in our room at night, and if Molly is able to come downstairs and into our room, she might startle them. When the baby comes, the dogs will be transitioned to sleeping in the utility room. Maybe they should be sent back there sooner than later?

For now, we'll just play it by ear. One more milestone in the books for the ol' Molster!

no.163: test results

We got our test results back from the 12-week NT scan:

Down Syndrome
Risk according to my age: 1 in 370
New risk after testing: 1 in 7,381

Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18
Risk according to my age: 1 in 655
New risk after my testing: 1 in 10,000

All of the blood tests from the OB came back "within normal range" as well. I'm beginning to actually relax a little. 13 weeks and counting!

Since I made it to the 12-week mark, I don't have to take Metformin for my PCOS anymore. Once I got pregnant with Molly and with #2, dr. t. and dr. k. both agreed that it would be best to continue until 12 weeks. There are studies that show it decreases the chance of miscarriage. I attribute most of my nausea to Metformin, and after not taking for a week, I feel so much better already.

Other than being tired, I feel really good. This pregnancy has already been so much different than my first. I hope I continue to feel well!

no.162: check-up (12 weeks)

We had our 12-week check-up today, and everything went great! We actually had two separate baby-related appointments. The first was at the perinatologist and the second with dr. k.

Because of my age (borderline advanced maternal age, yuck), dr. k. gave us the option of doing a 12-week Nuchal translucency screening. The screening accesses your risks for your baby to have Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18. We agreed to do the testing for a couple of reasons. The first was we would get an extra ultrasound and would be able to see the baby and ensure everything was still going well. The second was we like to be prepared. If there are issues with our baby, we want to know as much as possible and be prepared to care for a child who would need extra care.

I can't even begin to explain how nervous I was about this ultrasound. It wasn't about having a Downs marker or not. It was about having a baby in there that was still growing and healthy. I was nervous when I was pregnant with Molly, but nothing like I am now. After our miscarriage last year, I don't take anything for granted.

Back to the scan, everything was perfect. It was amazing and wonderful to see our little baby in there. It no longer looks like a blob! It looks like a baby! The technician had a hard time getting all the measurements because s/he was such a wiggle worm. (I had just had a peanut butter and waffle sandwich and some apple juice.) And then when the doctor came in to check a couple of things, she couldn't get the baby to wake up. Typical, right? After a finger prick for a couple of blood tests, we were all set to go. We should have test results in about a week. Of course, the test results aren't a yes or no. They only give you a risk factor. We're looking for the factor to be better than what would be typical for my age (1 in 370).

And no, I don't have a picture. I am so disappointed! I should have gone back to ask the technician instead of the receptionist. Oh well. I won't leave my 20-week scan without one!

The appointments were back to back, so we headed over to dr. k.'s office, only to find out that my appointment had never been added to the schedule. Thankfully, I had an appointment card that clearly stated I should have been on the schedule. They worked us in, but seriously? It took two freaking hours. If you know anything about me, you know how much I hate to wait.

My blood pressure was good (110/70) and weight was good (down 2 lbs. from the last visit). Baby's heart rate was 154. dr. k. talked to us for about 10 minutes or so.

I only had one question for her:

Q: Sometimes when I get up from the floor or roll over in bed, there's a painful pulling feeling in my lower abdomen.
A: It's probably scar tissue from your previous c-section. Scar tissue doesn't really give.

After another blood draw, for the normal OB stuff at 12 weeks, we were finally able to get out of there. We tried to schedule the c-section again for 11/11/11, but alas, the OR still doesn't have pages in the schedule book for November. I was excited to find out that dr. k. will indeed be in town that week. At our last appointment, she said that she might be out due to a wedding. The wedding is the next week now, so we are in the clear! Yay!

Now that this appointment is over, and I got to see a tiny little baby dancing around in my belly, I can relax a little and not be so worried all the time. Hopefully.

Next appointment: 5/31/11