The Bird is 21 Weeks!

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster ride emotionally and physically. Let me explain...first there was the whole fiasco with the scheduling of my ultrasound and then there was the actual ultrasound which although exciting, was very stressful! I think I did an amazing job of not getting stressed or worrying too much about all the millions of things they could find wrong when looking at AppleSeed's anatomy. But...in spite of that, the ultrasound tech did find something that was a bit worrisome to her when it came to the baby's heart. The way she explained it to me was that there was a narrowing of the aorta (or the outlet of the left ventricle). She admitted that she was overstepping her boundaries in even telling me that but since she knew I am a Pediatric Nurse who works in a large medical center caring for many, many children with congenital heart defects, she felt she could be candid with me (I also requested that she be up front with me and not try to dance around the subject or sugar coat it). Unfortunately, all I could do was come up with more and more questions as Jeff and I waited to see the midwife and talk to her about the next steps. Then, when we did get to talk to the midwife, she couldn't give any more information about the ultrasound results and could only refer us to a Pediatric Cardiologist who would do a fetal echocardiogram (in depth ultrasound of the baby's heart) as soon as possible and then, make further judgments and a plan from that. As you can imagine, I was very anxious to get the echo completed as soon as possible so I could get on with dealing with a definitive diagnosis and treatment options. Thankfully, they were able to schedule it for the following morning at 11am. Also, thankfully, God was able to use the situation to force me to turn to Him and rely fully on Him for peace and comfort. I was even able to say I was excited to see how God was going to glorify Himself and bring us closer to Him through our circumstances!

I had the fetal echo the following morning and it lasted an entire hour!  I got to see my baby girl moving all around inside me again which was a blessing.  I was praying hard that nothing was wrong with AppleSeed's heart but I was also praying that no matter what happened, God would be glorified through the entire situation.  After the echo was complete, the Pediatric Cardiologist came in and reviewed all the images.  Praise God he didn't see anything wrong!!!  I was so relieved and I give all the praise to God.  The doctor thought everything looked so normal that he doesn't even recommend any follow-up (unless, of course, I have any concerning symptoms)!  In addition to the obvious (baby girl's heart being totally healthy), I was so thankful that I am not considered a high-risk pregnancy since I want to have a completely natural labor and birth.  (I don't have any further updates on that...I hope to contact the birth center and visit sometime in the next week or two).

Other than all of that, I have been working a bunch and preparing for my family to come into town this weekend.  Today, we are celebrating my grandmother's 80th birthday!  I'm looking forward to seeing extended family and celebrating my Gran's life.

Jeff and I agree that my bump really popped this week.  Do you agree?

No mistaking there's a baby in there now!  Here are my stats for this week...


How far along?  21 Weeks

Baby is the size of a:  carrot

Maternity clothes?  Still just pants but I did finally wash most of the shirts that my sister gave me yesterday!  I look forward to wearing them soon!

Symptoms:  Lots of fetal movement, growing belly, back pain, aching feet, nausea and hyper-gag reflex (more rare these days but still present), vivid & weird dreams...

Sleep:  Some very weird dreams lately, none seeming significant to pregnancy...otherwise, sleeping fairly well for the most part.  I finally got a body pillow and although I'm still getting used to it, it seems like a godsend!

Best moment this week: Finding out that AppleSeed is a GIRL!  And that her heart is perfectly healthy!

Miss Anything? Not particularly...

Number of times I get up to pee each night:  Just once, yay!

Food cravings: French fries and sweets.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No, it's usually just when I'm exhausted after working a 12-hour night shift.

Have you started to show yet? See for yourself!!! ^^

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Mood: Pretty good for the most part!  I cry at the drop of a hat but it's not always because I'm sad!

Looking forward to: thinking about names (we're working on it but don't expect any announcements any time soon), looking at nursery decor, etc.

What the baby is up to this week according to Babycenter.com:  Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — about the size of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.