Things are still moving along with operation "prepare for baby." Paul has been a busy bee doing all sorts of projects around the house. Most of them I haven't even had to ask! Go figure....He primed the baby's room, we picked out the paint color(s) for the room and he has completed many other odds and ends. We have also been doing quite a bit of research about "baby stuff" in regards to function, price and safety. My new bible, suggested to me by Amy (thank you), is "Baby Bargains." This book basically breaks down the brands for most every baby thing you can think of and gives it a rating based on safety, quality and price. Paul may have taken this all a little too seriously and has vowed to buy/register for nothing less than an "A" rating.....He has actually been amusing me quite a bit during this process, I never imagined he would want to be so involved and I actually think he is more anal than me (if that's possible).

We went to Baby Furniture Warehouse in Reading, MA today (of course, listed as one of the top 10 baby furniture stores in the US by "Baby Bargains"). We were there for about 2 hours but were actually able to narrow down our choice and make a purchase. The crib wont be delivered for another 10-12 weeks but I am relieved to have that task done. Below is what we decided on. It's the Bonavita Seaside Collection.....you guessed it, an "A" rating.

Unfortunately, I don't have all fun things to report in this post. Since I was about 8 weeks I started having some pain, literally a pain in my butt :) I'm pretty sure it's not sciatica. From what I can tell from some reading I've done it's pelvic girdle pain. Basically, the pain is associated with the stretching of the pelvic ligaments that occurs to prepare for the passage of the baby. The pain has been on and off. I mentioned it to my doctor but at that point the pain had temporarily resolved so there wasn't much to be done. I've taken the suggestions of my massage therapist and done some gentle streching of the area and taken some precautions with my movements so not to aggravate the area. Well....it's back with a vengence! I've been in terrible pain all week, it's not constant but it occurs when I take a step or turn the wrong way, stand up from a sitting or lying position, walk up stairs or even sneeze. Unfortunately it is pretty severe and debilitating when it "zings" me. I finally broke down and called my doctor after it clearly wasn't getting any better this week but the office closed early on Friday. I'm hoping he has some suggestions for me!

Baby Movement!

For a few weeks now (maybe since around week 16) I've been questioning whether I feel the baby move. I sporadically would feel something but when I tried to concentrate and see if I could feel it again, it was gone. Women with anterior placentas like me typically feel baby movement later and less frequently than other women so, I haven't been too concerned. For the last few days I have had definite movement. The other night Paul had his hand on my stomach and was talking to the baby, all of the sudden he and I felt a very strong kick....definitely the most noticeable one yet. Paul was thrilled and the whole experience melted my heart.

The baby's room is nearly all cleared out. Paul finished the closet this week and I think it's going to be great. I am currently using it for storage for some things that will eventually find a new home but Paul's clothes fit perfectly with plenty of room for the baby's things.

I have been feeling pretty well. Just some intermittent heartburn and I get tired very easily but I really can't complain! For those of you requesting a "bump" picture here's one Paul took today at 19 weeks 3 days. For all those people who keep telling me I "dont look pregnant," the bump is there....believe me!

We're expecting a healthy baby GIRL!

So, as if most of you haven't heard already on July 13 we had our 18 week ultrasound, the day before our 4 year anniversary which made it that much more special (if possible). At the beginning of the ultrasound the tech asked us if we wanted to know the gender, we both resounded with a hearty "yes!" She went right to it but had trouble seeing the "important parts" at first, in part due to my anterior placenta which sometimes can obstruct the view. She stated at that point that she thought she knew the gender but would "come back" to it later. She walked us through the entire scan pointing out our precious little one's head (measuring 16cm circumference, which for some reason Paul was very impressed with), the hemispheres of the brain, eyes, ears, nose, lips, heart with healthy 4 chambers and valves, arms, legs, kidneys, and spine. Everything looked great to the tech (and, of course, perfect to us!). Finally at the end of the scan she told us she could tell the gender but was trying to get the front view to "prove it" to us. She wasn't able to get the exact view but finally pointed out the baby's bottom with the two legs and nothing in between, it was then she announced "It's a girl!"

We were both beyond happy to see our healthy baby and both agree she's the cutest thing we've ever seen. We took a few minutes in the waiting room to make the calls to our parents (all of whom were thrilled) and sent a few texts. We met briefly with Dr. Deprez who reported that everything looks exactly as it should. The baby measured at 17weeks, 6 days--exactly on the mark. We will not need to see him for another 4 weeks.

This wonderful day extended to a wonderful week because I was on vacation from work. We had considered going away for a few days but we found we were just as happy to stay home, nest, and celebrate this joyous time together at home. We got a TON done around the house. I have to admit, I probably overdid it a bit, but once I get started there is no stopping me. We cleaned out the entire baby's room which was a big task given the amount of furniture I had to find a new home for (previously our office). I am very relieved that everything, including our 3 leaning bookshelves, looks great in the new spots. We also troubleshooted our closet issue since Paul currently uses the baby's closet for his work clothes. We researched different closet make-over ideas and decided on a closet system from home depot that will give us extra space for the baby and still accommodate the extra closet room that we need. Pictures to follow.....

We did spend a few days up in Old Orchard Beach visiting Paul's dad and Carol. It was nice to unwind for a few days.

Even though it's a bit early, I think I've decided on a theme for the room. I wanted to at least pick out the crib bedding because that way I can chose a paint color and  Paul can start painting while he is still on summer vacation. I think this is what I decided on:

Weeks 14-16

I had my 16 week appointment on June 30. Paul came with me and was able to hear the baby's heartbeat by doppler. He was really excited since he missed out during my 12 week visit. It's still my favorite sound and now I think it's his too! This time we heard it as soon as Dr. Deprez placed the wand on my belly, our little baby was right there waiting for us. He felt my uterus and confirmed that it's much higher up in my stomach now as compared to 12 weeks when he could barely feel it. I had the routine blood work for 16 weeks including the "quad screen" which tells us about the risk of the baby having Down's Syndrome or neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Dr. Deprez called before the long 4th of July weekend to report that everything came back great and looks very reassuring.

My next appointment will be the "big" ultrasounds where hopefully we can find out the gender. It is scheduled for July 13th, conveniently the day before our 4th wedding anniversary and during my week long July vacation. I asked Dr. Deprez if he would do the ultrasound at 18 weeks rather than at 19 weeks which he typically does. I wanted to share our special moment worrying about work...... and of course maybe we can get some work done in the baby's room while Im off (since we will know the gender) ;0 I always have an ulterior motive.....but he readily agreed to the change in date.

In general I have been feeling really well. I have some energy back, enough so that one evening I even scrubbed the shower after work which would have been unheard of in the earlier weeks! I do have to be careful not to overdo it, especially in the heat. We spent our 4th of July weekend at Tanglewood for the James Taylor concert with our friends the Grutchfields. Today I have had to rest and recuperate from a long day in the sun and a lot of walking yesterday. My mother used to always say she felt like she got hit by a Mac truck (well on Christmas morning anyways) and I can say that today I too feel like I was hit by a truck.

Well, we have a lot to look forward to in the next weeks and months! The journey continues....