Grainy

So if you can make these out - you're a star!

The images I have are clearer & the DVD is really good - glad I payed the $15 for that.

Top Left is 2 feet, top right is upper limbs, bottom left is head profile - that little white bit almost in the centre of the screen is the nasal bone & bottom right is an upside down baby with a leg & foot at the top and an arm & hand in the middle - beats me!

These are from my 4th scan on the 15th of January - we spent ages while the technician checked all the anatomy markers - then had to go out & wait for the baby to change position so she could get a good reading on the heart. All is well. It is so cool to get to see our baby this way, Even if half the time we have no clue as to what we are looking at!

While the scan shows everything is normal - my glucose level test is telling a different story as far as I'm concerned. My levels are bad so I do have gestational diabetes. I'm not really surprised, it's not as if I've ever had normal levels, it's just a little more important at the moment to keep them under control. So I have to make an appointment with a diabetic educator & I guess I'll get given a diet to follow. I'm still waiting for them to call me back with an appointment time. All this means that I will definitely be having this baby at St.George Hospital.

Everything else is going along fine. Darren & I spent a lot of time last weekend sorting out the baby's room (oooohhh "the baby's room") it freaks me out being able to say that! Mainly clearing off the big bookcase - I can't believe how much crap I had managed to fit on that thing. Mum wants to paint in the next couple of weeks before Dad & her head to KL. So it needs to ready. Darren also very sadly packed away his V8 Supercar pictures & paraphernalia - stating that it was all coming back out again if we have a boy - I said "what if it's a boy who likes ballet?" he didn't quite know how to cope with that!

So that's it for the moment. I'll see the diabetes people & have my next clinic visit in a little over a month. And I guess once the room's painted we'll look at getting the curtains, cot etc organised. Less then half way to go now!! Woo Hoo.

Bleh!

I'm back at work after a 10 day break - & what a boring week it has been. I'm stuck on a GIANT customer & the system takes for - ev - er to register. So I'm struggling to stay awake!

Catch up time....

I had my first Clinic visit at Sutherland Hospital on the 15th of December & as posted previously we got to hear the heartbeat for the first time - amazing. Every time we have a scan & this time hearing the heartbeat I feel a little more relaxed about everything being OK. Up until about a month ago I kept getting negative thoughts - just thinking that it was all too good to be true & that something would go wrong, those thoughts have really faded away now & I'm letting myself be excited about what's to come.

One other thing that came out of the clinic visit was the almost certainty that I would be going to St George Hospital & not Sutherland. Apparently my BMI is too high to deliver at Sutherland - this is an inconvenience - but not a huge issue. I'd rather be at the place with all the equipment if it's needed then having to be transferred if something goes wrong. I'll have my next clinic visit at Sutherland with the Dr & then the rest at St George - though I need to confirm this.

So now Darren is stressing about where to go & where to park for St George - we'll do a tour soon, so he can relax!

I went to see Wicked! the musical in October with 29 other people as a group. And then received an invitation for myself & a guest to go again for free! so Mum & I went on the 16/12 along with Jess & her Mum (who is visiting from Victoria) It is such a great show - I thought I might be bored but it was just as enjoyable the 2nd time around. And as a bonus for me, having already seen it, I didn't miss much when I went to the bathroom seventybillion times in the first half! Poor man with the torch got sick of me I'm sure.

We had our annual Xmas drinks at Mum's on the 19th, this is always fun, & often the only time in 12 months that we see some of our friends & family - it's such a pain how day-to-day living gets in the way of socialising!

THEN...................

My brother & family surprised us by showing up from Malaysia for Xmas!! Best surprise ever - even if they did put their kid in a box!

So we were all together for Mum's birthday picnic & for Xmas day - loved it! My niece is the cutest thing ever - just check this out....how cute is this kid - poor thing I couldn't stop kissing those cheeks (Ayisha's not Michael's!)




They left us on NYE - but will hopefully be back for good in June. Just in time to introduce the cousins.

Christmas Day was massive, more than 20 for breakfast & a few less for lunch, lots of fun & great food enjoyed by all. And all the more fun because of the little ones. Darren & I are still in shock about having a 6 month old by next Xmas. We usually stay at my folks for breakfast & lunch then go to Darren's folks for a light dinner. But we've decided that Xmas 2010 we'll have his folks come to us in the late afternoon (if they are in town) that way we can take what is sure to be a tired baby (& Mummy) (ohh - that's weird) home to relax! I can't wait.

My other days off have turned into kind of a blur - we slept in late, watched dvd's, went to see New Moon with Yan, hung out with the family & spent NYE at a local club. I went shopping for more gigantic undies & some new maternity bra's. I won't even go into details here about the weird things my boobs are doing!

AND - I've got heaps of inside baby movement happening. Especially when I sit forward at my desk - obviously the baby doesn't want to be here either! - I just wish Darren could feel it on the outside - I guess that could take a while though - you know - because of my petite size! ha ha.

AND - I realised that I was a week behind in my calendar - I do not know how this happened, you would think someone as obsessive as myself would have been on top of this! So I've adjusted one ticker, removed one & added another one!

I promise not to wait so long before posting again - & next post should have an updated scan attached - so excited about my next appointment on the 15th.

Heart

The heart is an amazing thing, it's been on my mind a lot lately, not only because of heartburn.

A part of your body as normal as your elbow, yet it feels emotion. It breaks when you lose a loved one, it swells with happiness with good news & I can feel mine growing everyday with this baby. Sometimes if I think about it too much my heart feels like it will burst from my chest with the joy & love that it's trying to contain. And the thought that there are 2 hearts beating in my one body is sometimes just a little bit weird! Not to mention the extra head I'm growing.

(that's 2 heartbeats including my own - NOT twins!)

Yesterday we heard Sophie/Jacks heartbeat, & once again I was in tears. I just can't believe it.

Benedict

We had a fairly busy weekend, my friend Dee the clairvoyant came up on Friday from down the coast & we had a lovely dinner at the local chinese with mum, dad, Jess, Adam, Xakk and us. It was a very enjoyable meal.

Saturday Dee did 4 readings, while I entertained those waiting. Then we drove Dee home & called in to Denise & Beth's. We weren't going to stay long but we were having such a nice time that we stayed for dinner & didn't get home until almost midnight. It was great just hanging out on the couch, talking & laughing.
The girls wanted to do the wedding ring over my belly thing to see what sex the baby is. So they googled the rules & all had a turn. The ring didn't move for a couple but for 2 it went in a definite circle so apparently I'm having a girl - I won't be rushing out to buy pink stuff yet though!

Sunday Darren & I went to Miranda to get some clothes for me. First we had breakfast in one of the Cafes there. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I got teary over breakfast! It was Darren's fault though - I love eggs benedict, it is my favourite cafe breakfast item. But at the moment I can't have it - what with the runny egg, ham & possibly unwashed spinach. So we are sitting in the cafe & Darren says that he is going to order eggs benedict! I really thought he was joking, but he wasn't! I said "how could you, how could you order my favourite food & eat it in front of me?" he just looked at me, & watched me start tearing up. I then said "if you do this I will write about it" so he backed down & had the sausage with eggs - I almost felt guilty - but I didn't.

I got 3 new dresses - really comfy ones with just elastic around the top & then flowing out - (like the black & white ones we got the same - Janna) a little shrug top some new knickers (cause mine are getting too tight & uncomfy & a body pillow. But I cannot shop like I used to - I think Darren was very happy about that.

We went to Mum & Dad's for dinner & so I could watch some Amazing Race that my dvr failed to record. Then headed home early for bed.

Scan 3

So I'm not an expert at getting images into this blog - but here is the best I can do....




I know - looks like Pinocchio right!

Fortunately that is fingers beside the babies head - not a proboscis!
If you're having trouble deciphering - this is a left side-on view, head at the top. The fingers that are lined up with the nose belong to the hand & arm that were waving around on the babies right hand side.
I've got 4 pictures & this is the best one.

This was the scan that checks for Down Syndrome & some other chromosomal stuff - we passed with flying colours, thank God. Everything looks good & we are still measuring for the early June due date. It is so weird to look at the screen & see something moving around but not being able to feel it inside you. It still seems crazy to me that this is even happening, I feel so lucky.

I've been feeling mostly good. Lots less nausea, although the heat this last weekend knocked me around a bit, on Sunday I ended up just sitting in the bottom of the shower, letting the water run, I was trying to wash my hair but got a bit faint, so just sat down. The cats found it amusing. Sunday night was very hot, until around 12.30 when the cool change came through, I didn't get much sleep though.

We went out Friday night for Louise's birthday to Caringbah Inn. We had a nice dinner & got to catch up a bit with that crowd, but we didn't stay late as Darren had work. I would have stayed & bludged a lift with someone, but I was too tired.
Saturday night we went to a fund raiser, which I didn't know until I got there was actually for a girl I went to school with. We went because the band "Hip Replacement" had my uncles brother in law in it. They were really good, playing lots of oldies. The dance floor was packed the whole time.

Sunday was spent trying to stay cool. The cats love this weather, the bathroom gets really, really hot, in fact we call it the sauna, they get in there on the towel rails & just stretch out in the heat, they can barely open their eyes to look at you when you go in there. Every now & then they run out & lie on the lounge room floor in front of the fan - but not for long.

So scan 4 at around 20 weeks will be done sometime from the 11th of January & I have my first visit to the ante-natal clinic on the 15th of December, & I think there's a doctors visit in there somewhere as well.

Blood

I have chosen my preferred blood taker & I will no longer go to anyone else!

I had to have blood taken this week to be used in conjunction with the nuchal translucency scan on Friday to determine our probability of any chromosomal abnormalities. I decided to go to pathology at Kareena as they will take blood up til 10.30 at night & this way I could do it out of work hours.

So Darren picked me up after he finished work & we went down there, no-one else was waiting so it didn't take long to get in, but the woman was hopeless, she stabbed me 4 times & got nothing, I've bled more cutting up carrots! She then said that she wouldn't try any more & that I would have to go to Sutherland in the morning & get them to do it. She also said that they opened at 7.30, so I thought at least I won't be too late for work.

Anyway, this morning Dad picks me up & makes sure I get to the place by 7.30, he drops me off & leaves, I go in & there's a lovely sign saying that they don't open til 8 - argh! Then I try to use my mobile & it won't ring out - & it wasn't a reception issue. So I end up accosting some guy for his mobile phone so I can ring my boss & tell her I'll be late.

Thankfully the chick at Sutho is great, & the only reason I didn't just go to her first was because of the work thing - but next time I'm just going straight to her, she takes one jab & gets everything she needs. I was on the train in no time & only ended up being 1/2 an hour late.

Scan 2

All my blood work & the second scan we had came back fine. Actually my blood work showed that my sugar levels are the best they have ever been. My doctor thought that this baby would make things worse. Seems that it's making things better! At least for now. Let's just hope that the 20 week results come back just as good.

Otherwise things are mostly the same. I'm tired & a bit moody, I had my first meltdown - after a bad day at work, I got home to find Darren had made a bath for me & my favourite magazine had arrived, so I lay in that bath for a good hour just relaxing & it was great till I got out & spewed. Ruining the whole relaxed feeling! Then I had a cry. Darren just cuddled me & said "I think you should have an early night!". I know I've said it before, but he has just been great. I keep telling him that too.

I spent last weekend making cards for the nursing home with mum, & plan this weekend to make some more to sell at work. I hope I get around to it, I might be too busy laying on the lounge, ooh I might finally get around to watching season 3 of Dexter that I got for my birthday. Either way I won't be doing much.