Week 31: Two months to go, two months to grow

Just this morning it occurred to me that I have just over two months left before I get to meet Baby. Part of me can't believe it will be here so quickly. Another part of me -- the part that just keeps getting bigger and bigger -- can't believe it's going to be so long.

We saw the doctor this morning, and my weight is good, my growth is good, and Baby's heartbeat is strong. We will have another ultrasound in a week or two to check Baby's growth. Oh, and my glucose levels were very good so I don't have to worry about gestational diabetes. Whew!

When I got home from the doctor, my e-mail newsletter from Fit Pregnancy was sitting in my mailbox. It tells me:

Your baby weighs between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds. She continues to gain weight at a faster pace than she lengthens, which will give her those cute chubby cheeks. She's about fourteen to sixteen inches tall, although individual growth rates vary. Your baby begins to run out of room as she puts on weight. You should feel about ten kicks an hour.

They go on to say that some care providers may suggest keeping a "kick chart" (mine hasn't) by writing down how many kicks you feel in an hour, so that you are aware if there's a decrease in activity. Baby is so active at certain parts of the day, I don't know if I could keep track of the number of kicks he gives me then. As I've mentioned before, he seems to quiet down when other people want to feel him kick.

I find myself thinking about this summer -- outings and trips to see family and such -- and it is so strange to me to imagine those things with Baby in tow. I know a baby changes your life and I'm ready (as ready as I'll ever be) for that but it still feels strange.

Heartbeat and more

I saw my doctor today for my 16-week appointment. I love my doctor. She makes me feel great. She's excited about my weight gain. I have to keep reminding myself that it's OK -- no, necessary -- to gain that weight. So many years of obsessing about my weight are hard to overcome.

I had blood drawn today. We're checking my thyroid level again and checking risk factors for some other stuff, including Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida. The scariest part of that test is they are quite often wrong. So, despite the nurse telling me not to freak out about a positive result, you know I will.

I have another ultrasound coming up in the next couple of weeks. We'll have that one with the experts in advanced maternal age, so they should be able to tell some of that kind of stuff, too.

Now, on the upside -- and not at all scary -- we got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. It seems a lot louder now, and the heart rate is 150. Which according to the wives' tales, means I'm carrying a girl. On the other hand, according to the wives' tales, other things I'm experiencing point to a boy. For instance, the headaches, dry hands and dad-to-be packing on weight (don't tell him I told you) mean Nubbin is a boy.

A few years ago, I did a story for Pikes Peak Parent about these methods of determining baby's sex and was told by experts that these "tests" don't stand the test of time. Looking back at that story, I see that some of the things mentioned in the story contradict methods I've read of recenty. One thing the experts I talked to agreed on though, was that the mother's gut feeling about the baby's sex  is often correct. We'll see.

I'm off to hold a ring on a string over my belly now to see if it's a boy or a girl.

Have another little piece of my heart now, baby

I saw the doctor today for my 12-week appointment. I'm guessing these monthly appointments will normally be pretty uneventful: Sit around in the waiting room, get weighed, pee in a cup, have my blood pressure taken, sit around in the exam room, see the doctor for about two minutes.

Today, though, was the first day we got to hear the Nubbin's heart beat on the little in-office hand-held dealy. First we heard the slow, steady thump, thump of my heartbeat, then slightly to the left of my blood vessel, we heard the quick whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of Nubbin's heart. The little bugger even moved around a bit, making a sloshing sound. Apparently, Nubbin moves around quite a bit but is too small for me to feel.

For some reason, this was way more emotional to me than seeing Nubbin on the ultrasound. Maybe because it's the first time the doctor has heard the heartbeat. Maybe because the heartbeat is still strong at 12 weeks.

I've been feeling a bit blue for the past few days and, despite, Yoga Mama trying to make me feel more connected to the baby growing inside me, I actually felt really disconnected -- from the baby and from the world in general. But hearing that little whoosh, whoosh, whoosh has improved my mood and made me realize, this whole pregnancy thing is kind of a big deal. I'm going to be a mom. That's probably the scariest stuff right there.