20 Weeks! Halfway Done!

So yes, I have been feeling the baby move since last Monday. I spent a few days wondering if it was gas and then just assuming it was gas but everyday since Monday I still had my doubts, especially as Weds. and Thurs. came around. Sure, I'm pregnant and have gas but gas like that was ridiculous! Finally on Saturday I realized what I'm feeling is indeed that little wiggler moving around in there. Feels like tiny elbows/knees! Just goes to show you that every pregnancy is unique b/c everyone said when you 1st feel the baby move it feels like "nervous butterflies" or "popcorn popping." Bull butter! This baby boy is not that subtle! Those are his little arms/legs/hands/feet bumping me! I'm guessing I'll get used to the feeling b/c now that I know it's him everytime I feel it I'm like, "Whoop!" But it's great and I'm grateful for the sensation. This morning when we woke up Reg spoke to the baby and he moved. Awesome! Of course he needs to learn to respond to his daddy's voice too!

Tomorrow is the appt. with the perinatologist, Dr. H. I am praying praying praying my cervix is ok. I feel fine, I feel great, the baby is wiggling, I just need my cervix to be ok and hopefully longer than the 2.8 cm it was at 15 weeks. I've been taking it soooo easy, sitting all day at work instead of going for walks and lounging around at home at night. Sitting at my gigs, not lifting ANYTHING anymore, even my bass or the cat. We have our cruise (our "babymoon") leaving this Saturday and we've both been looking forward to it so much. I've always wanted to go on a cruise!!! Another thing I've done, since the OB/GYN Dr. E said he heard this could help the cervix, is up the protein in my diet: yogurt, meat, nuts, bacon, cheese, and even today had a peanut butter/jelly sandwich! I'm willing to do anything at all in order to make sure my cervix stays A-OK for my baby boy, or as I call him now, "The Wiggler"!

Saw New OB/GYN Yesterday

Reg picked me up and we went around the corner from my day job to the new Dr. He is one of the Dr's over the midwives group that rejected me and they said he is great. He's also Hispanic which is cool. I started crying when telling the nurse about the midwives and how scared I was about my cervix and she said she was sure everything will turn out fine. OK--I was also emotional b/c we lost Leo to the pancreatic cancer earlier that day around 3am. I'd spent my morning crying already.

So Dr.E came in and he was really sweet and he also said he's not concerned yet and since I have the 2nd ultrasound already scheduled with the perinatologist Dr. H next Weds. he said we could wait until then to see how things have progressed. He did another u/s and we saw the baby again. The baby looks great, he even waved at us, and we saw his little pee-pee!!! :) Dr. E. also measured my belly and says I'm the perfect size for being 19w and that I will get 1 cm bigger every week. Yikes!

Dr. E did tell me to go ahead and stay off the treadmill for now, no lifting anything heavier than 5-10 lbs, and to go on pelvic rest, to Reg's horror, b/c that means no sex. We can't compromise the cervix by any means. I had already sat at last Sat's gig except when singing and now I will sit 100% of the time and try to have Reg hand me Igor D. Bass.

Last nite we went to the monthly HBS jam since it was in honor of Leo. George was there too and most of the Houston blues community. I thought I was all cried out but everyone hugging me left and right got to me and the waterworks started up again. I was wearing my purple Leo Trio tshirt which showed off the baby bump real nice. Reg got me a whisky and we toasted to Leo with some friends and I took 2 tiny sips. I hadn't planned on playing but I got persuaded to get up with George for a Leo tribute set and I sat on a stool and played a borrowed bass. I'm glad I did.

Disappointed. No Midwives For Me

Well, the midwives have rejected me. They are concerned about something and they made me concerned too and I cried a whole bunch last Thurs. Apparently when they got my records from Dr. B they saw that my cervix--measured at 15w on 6/26 by the perinatologist Dr. H--was 2.8 cm long. They say that cervix's that measure 2.5 cm or below are high risk for pre-term labor and they said my cervix was cutting it too close and therefore I was too high risk for them. However they offered to refer me to one of the OB/GYN's over them, hoping that one of them would even take a transfer patient.

I called the perinatologist Dr. H, crying, with lots of questions about this. The nurse called back and said that Dr. H was not concerned, that 2.5 cm is the medical standard to be concerned and that if the midwives rejected me at 2.8, that was just their standard. Dr. H had said on 6/26 for me to come back after 6 weeks but since Reg and I will be on the cruise during that time I asked for an earlier appt so I will see Dr. H next Weds. on 8/1.

The next day the midwives said they were able to refer me to one of their Dr's. (Thank God!!!) and I will see Dr. E this Thurs. I have been reading up on this cervix issue and yes, I have started to become very concerned. I am scared that since it's been almost a month since it was last measured, what if my cervix has shortened even more (hello, that's what the cervix does, it shortens [effaces] the closer you get to the due date). I have been reading the Cervix Disorders pregnancy boards and even doing PubMed searches. I have seen the numbers for concern vary from 2.5 cm to 2.2 cm. But I'm scared b/c I measured 2.8 at ONLY 15 WEEKS. I have started being more careful with myself and trying to stay off my feet as much as possible and not lifting anything heavier than my bass.

This past weekend was intense. I left for Baton Rouge on Friday morning with Chopper and it took 7 freaking hours to drive there since I-10 was backed up before the B.R. bridge, we overheated, and then hit rain so bad there was a flash flood warning. But we recorded into the night until 3 am, went to the hotel and slept til 10, then recorded til 8p at which time it was time to get to our gig. I sat on a stool the whole time except when singing. I let Paul and Chopper and Max lift all my gear. Chopper and I ended up coming back to Houston after the gig and eating at Waffle House with Paul/Max, leaving B. R. at 5am and getting home yesterday at 9:30. Reg came to pick me up from Chop's house and I slept for about 4 1/2 hrs and then stayed in bed til it was time to shower and go to dinner w/Ma and Fred.

My Pregnancy Experience Thus Far

Wow, I have to say I have had it pretty damn easy so far and you bet your azz I am extremely grateful for this. For example, this list and how I relate to it:

The 12 things you miss most during pregnancy

• A normal sense of smell - This is about how hypersensitive many preggo's noses are. I have noticed I can smell things a bit stronger and I am a bit more sensitive to smells but b/c of my chronic allergies I am so frequently stuffed up anyway this is not a major issue like it is for a lot of women--having to leave restaurants and such.
• Booze - Yep, this is a big one for me! :) However I am enjoying saving all the $ I spent on booze. I don't miss being hungover though, and driving-impaired.
• Off-limits foods - I miss sushi, sure, but it's not a big deal. I do miss turkey sandwiches but I have had them twice, just trying to limit them. My big thing here is bleu cheese and feta cheese!!! I did have a Greek salad last weekend but picked most of the feta off, though ate a little bit.
• Peaceful sleep - Well, now that I'm committed to getting 8hrs of sleep that's helping but now that I'm no longer allowed to sleep on my back I am trying to get used to sleeping with the body pillow. The pillow is great but in the mornings my hips ache a little bit; I'm hoping that will abate. Also I seem to pee more than most preggo's, the talk of getting up 3X/night and I'm more like 5.
• Cute shoes - I bought some cute flats but yes, I miss wearing my heels at gigs. I will continue to wear heels to work/social events, I just don't want to wear them while standing for 3 hr gigs anymore.
• Feeling sexy - Now that my tummy is looking less "blobby" and more "baby bump" this is not an issue really. I can't wait to wear baby bump-revealing tops! I already bought bikinis to show it off, and my boobs are so huge now (from 34B to 38C already!) they certainly help me feel sexy!
• A rocking sex life - No issues here, except for my waning libido during the 1st trimester, although now I'm no longer supposed to be on my back so we're working around that.
• Feeling strong and independent - I've had to get used to not carrying my gig gear myself anymore, my bass case, amp, cab's. But fortunately Reg is insisting and Paul also doesn't seem to mind at all.
• Being included - Not an issue. I'm so busy and active I actually appreciate time to myself even more these days.
• Your pre-pregnancy body - Not an issue b/c I appreciate my pregnant body and the changes it's undergoing; I'm fascinated, to be honest. However I do miss not being able to wear so many of my cute clothes.
• Emotional control - I haven't had psychotic moments like so many other preggo's, although I did lose it a few times in the 1st trimester. Otherwise my mood has been pretty stable so far throughout.
• Caffeinating like you used to - No issue, I'm not a caffeinator and never have been!

So yes, I admit I am very lucky, although I've been warned I still have a long way to go and anything could happen. But I'm not concerned, I'm good at rolling with the punches and this whole experience is still fascinating and interesting to me! At any rate, I am always grateful for everything that happens b/c as I learned in soul rehab, it's all a learning experience. 

GREAT NEWS!!! At 17 Weeks!

I finally got tired of waiting and called up the OB/GYN today to see if the results of the Nuchal Fold test, and maybe the MaterniT21 test, were done. The NF was done exactly a month ago and I was surprised I hadn't heard anything back. The nurse put me on hold for awhile and then came back to say the MaterniT21 was negative!!! I asked about the NF too but the M21 pretty much tells all, anyway. Yay!!! This means my baby boy is a healthy baby boy, genetically speaking, for sure! Awesome! I wanted to cry b/c I have prayed almost everyday that he is healthy. Not that I was worried b/c I put it in the Lord's hands, but I just wanted to be sure. And according to the ultrasounds he sure looks healthy (and active!) in there, and has a great looking spine and strong looking arms, legs, feet, hands, and fingers!!!

Today on FB I was finally secure in announcing the news and posting the cartoon that Brandone had made for me, all the way back in, what, May? So many well wishers and "likes" on it! Then I called the midwives group and told them to by God transfer my medical records on over! I'm ready to go with these awesome women who will help me deliver my baby naturally as possible!

Yesterday someone at work told me it looks like I've "popped." Hee hee! I think so too, maybe. The baby is now the size of an onion and I'm firmly into my 17th week!

And the Cupcake Party Revealed It's A...

Boy!!! I'm having a boy! I'm growing a little penis inside me! (To steal a line from "Sex and the City" yuk yuk!) The cupcake reveal party was a lot of fun. Reg & I bit into the cupcakes first and saw the blue filling. I cried a little, I think just from finally getting to imagine all those ultrasound pictures as a little boy face now! So now we can quit talking to the baby using the girl name we'd chosen--Sonatina Mahal--Sonatina b/c it's a musical name that I think is so pretty and unique, and Mahal after gee, big surprise, Taj Mahal ("Mahal" also means "Love" in Tagalog I found out later) and now we will start talking to him using his boy name! Which we are still keeping a secret, our final secret, just for us.

Today I told my boss at Job #2. I also guess I should start thinking about registering somewheres. Still waiting on getting all the test results from the OB/GYN. Once I get them I will switch to the midwife group. I need them to sign off on my taking our "babymoon", a cruise in early August. I'm excited! I've always wanted to go on a cruise! This is Reg's 1st cruise too. I can't wait to wear my new bikinis which will show off my baby bump. For right now there is no real bump yet, just a blobby-looking blob, LOL. I still look overweight, not pregnant yet!