Baby Update

Survival Tip #15: Take time to slow down and reflect.

First I will So things with baby seem to be going well! We're 4 months along now, or 19 weeks. (I'm counting by 4.5 week calendar months by the way, not 28 day menstrual cycle months. I can't stand the idea of thinking I'll be pregnant for 10 m.c. months!) I finally really popped and have moved from not looking pregnant to having a fair spare tire or "food baby" right in front. I am loving wearing things that show off the bump! It makes me feel so feminine in a whole new way. And to top things off, Vander is so sweet and says he loves the bump too :). I just bought a bikini to wear this summer until stretch marks rear their ugly blotchiness, (I am trying everything I can to prevent them, but you can't fight genetics so time will tell).

We have our 19 week anatomy scan tomorrow and we hope to find out if we are having a boy or girl. I cannot wait to know! At our last ultrasound Baby was measuring about 8 days ahead, but we did not change the due date. I think were are just destined/doomed to have a huge baby. Have I mentioned before that I was 10lb 4oz when I was born? Or Vander was 9lb 11oz? And both my siblings were 10lb+? Yeah, I think Baby Corley is just going to be large and in charge. I was nervous about having my scan at only 19 weeks (which can be early) but with Baby measuring big, I feel more confident the tech will get some good images.

I've been confidently feeling the baby move for about 3 weeks now. I love it soooo much! Sometimes it feels like a kick, other times like a flip and yesterday I finally felt what my mom described feeling: almost like the baby was rapid-fire karate chopping my abdomen. Weird. And wonderful. I have loved every nudge. And I'm so thankful to feel so much movement, especially considering some women don't begin to feel movement until now.  The baby seems to respond to pressure. For example, I will feel it kick at my waistband on my jeans when I sit down. Sometimes I can simulate this pressure with my hand and the baby will kick it. Vander hates when I do this. He's scared I'm going to "pop the sac".

Two last pregnancy things: nose bleeds and puking. I am still experiencing both. I had never EVER heard of pregnancy nose bleeds before getting them. I haven't had one for a few days, but sometimes when I blow my nose (did you know pregnant women make more mucus too?) or when I throw up, I get a nose bleed. It's all about pressure on the sinuses. And I am throwing up but my Dr. prescribed Zofran for me about a month ago and it is fabulous! I am finally starting to put on weight instead of losing it. If I start to feel like I'm going to throw up or already have, I can take a pill at it will usually (99% of the time) stop me from vomiting. I don't know how it works but praise God for it. My doctor decided to run some tests to make sure I am just experiencing unfortunate morning sickness and not a liver/gall bladder/thyroid malfunction. I am at a point where while I detest vomiting, I feel like I could go like this for the rest of the pregnancy. It is weird though to throw up or bending over like that with a growing baby bump. Vander is making me promise to bring a chair into the bathroom when I puke so that I don't squish the baby. :)

So that is all the baby news for now. Pray the ultrasound tech is able to get clear pictures of Baby tomorrow and that if there is anything wrong with the baby that we should know before they are born that it will be apparent. Hopefully Baby will be relatively perfect, but if that is not that we will be accepting of God's will.