Week 19

Dan and I spent part of the weekend up in Waterville Valley, NH, for BTT's annual training weekend. It wasn't quite the same experience without the long bike rides and moderate (ok, heavy) drinking that usually goes on. But, we managed to have fun anyway. We went on a muddy hike around WV and enjoyed the company of BTT. We did duck out early though, missing the Saturday night fiesta.

Last night when BBH was kicking strong I was able to feel a kick from the outside. Dan was able to feel it a few seconds later! Pretty cool. I think Dan was weirded out though... I could picture scenes from "Alien" flashing in his head.

Oh, Boy! (week 18)

Suspicions confirmed! Baby H is now Baby Boy H!

That was one fun ultrasound. A very nice (and 37 week pregnant) ultrasound tech talked us through the anatomy scan, showing us what was what. She looked at everything... brain, heart, kidneys, stomach, arms, legs, fingers, toes... you get the point. Very cool! BBH, as he now can be called, was moving and shaking for us. The ultrasound tech said "This is going to be an active one, he's going crazy in there!" Uh oh! He was jumping, twisting, kicking, and even trying to put toes in his mouth. When we confirmed that we wanted to know the gender, she moved the ultrasound wand to the right spot and said "Now, what do you think it is?". Haha... very obviously a boy!

Doc says that everything from the scan looks normal, and he is weighing in at about 10oz... which is 55th percentile for his gestational age.

Now... time to start considering names!

Good Vibrations (week 18)

I think I'm feeling movement in there! I thought I started to feel tiny movements about 2 weeks ago, but I wasn't sure- they were so subtle. But now, I am pretty positive that what I'm feeling is the baby. Sometimes it's just very subtle bubbles but other times it's more distinctive (but gentle) jabs. I don't think they they can be felt from the outside just yet, but hopefully soon! It's really fun to feel baby moving around, I'm looking forward to being able to share that experience with Dan.

I'm starting to realize that running won't be happening for too much longer. When I go for "runs" these days, I usually only make it about 2 miles before I need to stop and walk. It's not exhaustion or tired legs, but just a very uncomfortable feeling in my belly. I don't know how to explain it, but it doesn't feel good! I'm still able to spin on my trainer and do at-home strength workouts. Eventually I hope to make swimming part of my regular routine.

Big ultrasound is on Wednesday... very excited!

Are you a boy? (week 16)

On April 21 I had a check-in with the doc. First I had to stop in at Maternal Fetal Medicine to get the 2nd blood draw for the down syndrome testing. I ran into BTT friends Rachel and Jeff Aronis there, which was no surprise- they are pregnant with twins and are nearing d-day (due date), so they're frequent visitors at Newton Wellesley right now! After that appointment I went upstairs to the OB office, where I did the usual weigh-in, pee check, and blood pressure check before seeing the doc. Dan stayed at work for this appointment, which was good- 1 hour of waiting for a 5 minute appointment. The doc did check the baby's heart rate using a hand held doppler thing though, which was fun to hear.

So, our big 18 week anatomy scan ultrasound is scheduled for May 12, and I can't wait! We've decided to find out the gender. Both Dan and I have a feeling that it's a boy, and everyone who has expressed their opinion has said the same thing. So, we'll find out soon enough!

Oh, and I got a call yesterday from Maternal Fetal Services with good news on the down syndrome front. Baby H has only a 1 in 50,000 chance in having DS.... which is great!

Wedding Season Begins (week 15)

Well, the year of the weddings has begun! We haven't had many friends get married over the past few years... looks like they all waited until this year! We've got 9 invites! Unfortunately we won't be able to attend all of them. The 2010 weddings kicked off this weekend with Kathy (my friend from high school) and Brian. They had a gorgeous wedding in Cambridge, at the Hyatt overlooking the river. I had a slight panic attack while getting ready- I thought I'd fit into the dresses I had just fine. Not so much! It was a tight squeeze! Definitely going to need a maternity dress for the next one :)

We had a fun time catching up with friends and watching Kathy and Brian tie the knot. They are a great couple! Next up: Donna and Seth in Montana on 6/26 followed quickly by Andrew (Dan's high school friend) and Christy in Vermont on the 4th of July.

Spreading the news (week 13)

I am so, so glad that last weekend is over! The baby news is no longer a secret, and I'm relieved. Everyone reacted in their own way- some jumping and screaming, some in (happy) tears, and others just smiling. But for the most part they all seemed very excited, and totally surprised.

I told my mom on Thursday over lunch, then we told Dan's parents on Saturday when we made a trip up to NH, and finally I told my Dad on Sunday night. We're letting our parents spread the news to the our respective families while we work on telling our friends.

In other news... my step mother Madeline worked some voodoo magic on me and I've had three good nights of sleep in a row. I even slept through the night last night...for the first time in months! It felt great! Thanks Madeline!

NT Ultrasound (week 12)

The day finally arrived! Our first appointment was in Maternal Fetal Medicine where we would have the ultrasound. The tech/doctor there would be measuring the baby's neck to test for down syndrome. Like I said before... we didn't care about the results of the test, just wanted another opportunity to see the baby. And Dan got to be there this time!

Unfortunately for the tech, baby Harjes wasn't cooperating. She needed a profile shot with the neck pulled away from the uterus. But baby was hanging out upside down and facing away from us, snuggling right into the uterine wall. This worked out just fine for me and Dan- because it meant the ultrasound lasted a long time! We got to watch the baby moving around... fun! The tech kept jiggling my belly and asking me to cough in order to get the baby to re-position. S/he responded to these movements, but not enough. The doc stepped in at that point and they tried a trans-vaginal ultrasound (ick), which gave a beautifully clear picture, but still not the shot they needed. After they finally got a few images they could work with, we were done. I had to get some blood drawn and then we were sent off to the OBGYN department to see the regular doc. We won't get the official results of the down syndrome test until I get more blood drawn in a few weeks, but the doc said it looks good so far.

Dan had to get his blood drawn up there, which didn't go too well. He has a tendency to pass out when he's stabbed with needles :). The nurses were laughing at him, poor guy. After that we had a very unexciting and uneventful appointment with our doctor. Just a Q&A session.

Next up is a monthly appointment with the doc and another round of blood work during week 16, and another ultrasound during week 18. If baby H cooperates then, we'll hopefully be able to find out the sex.