6 Months

We went to the doctor on Friday for her sixth month check-up. Everything looks great! She is now 16 lbs, 14.5 oz and 26 1/2 inches long. Apparently her head circumference made a huge jump in these last two months. The doctor actually remeasured her head because he thought the nurse got the wrong measurement. She got her usual round of vaccines. The appointment was right in the middle of a usual naptime so she was already tired and cranky. She was already screaming when the nurse gave her the vaccines and they just made her even more unhappy. I just held her and rocked her until she fell asleep in my arms. She slept for three hours after her appointment.

We had to tell the doctor that she isn't rolling over quite yet. She just doesn't seem interested. She wants to sit up or stand. She can sit unsupported now and she can even stand when she's holding onto something. The doctor didn't care how advanced she is in those areas though. Just that she's behind on rolling over. Of course last night she finally rolled over for the first time. Naturally the day after her appointment!

Overall everything looks great. I would say that her sleeping is getting better but we had a pretty bad night last night. I think she's teething and that may have awakened her a few times.

Here she is at 6 months!

4 Months

We went to the doctor today for Colbie's 4 month check-up. Everything looks great! She is now 13 lbs, 10 oz and 24 1/4 in long. The doctor says she's perfect. We talked about her cradle cap, starting cereal, and her lack of sleeping through the night. He recommended putting some baby oil on her scalp every night for the cradle cap and I think that helps a little. He gave the go ahead on starting cereal so we gave that a try tonight. I'll write a separate post on that though. Finally, he said that it's okay that she doesn't sleep through the night, that's just who she is. I'm okay with this since I don't work so we just sleep a little later in the morning.

She also got 2 shots today. She didn't even cry after the first one! The nurse said the second one stings though so she was pretty upset after that one. We go back in 2 months for another check-up and more shots.

Here are some 4 month pictures!!

Two Month Check-Up

Colbie went to her two month check-up last Thursday. She is now 10 lbs, 8.5 ounces and 22 1/2 inches long. She is getting so big! She is growing perfectly. She also had to get two shots. She was definitely not a fan. She did the whole open mouth, no sound, not breathing cry that just breaks my heart. I tried to tell her that it was for her own good but she just didn't understand. As a treat for her being so good, I ate some extra cookies that she got to taste a few hours later. :D

Here's my sweet girl at two months old!

One Month Check-Up

We went to the doctor on Tuesday for Colbie's one month check-up. She is growing perfectly! She is now 9 lbs, 6 oz and 21 1/4 inches long. That means she's gained a pound and a half since birth and grew an inch and a quarter. She is right in the correct growth percentile. The doctor checked her eyes, ears, nose, and throat and said everything looks great for that. The nurse asked us a bunch of development questions like "Does she recognize you?" "Can she follow an object around the room?" and "Has she started to smile?" all of which were yes answers which means she is developing right on schedule. She had to get a shot which both she and I hated. Luckily, daddy was there. We go back in a month to see how much she has grown since then!

I also went to the doctor Thursday for my 6 week check-up. My NP said that my scar is healing nicely and everything looks great. She cleared me for work, exercise, etc. I guess I don't have an excuse anymore!

Colbie at 1 month old:

Doctor's Appointment 12.0

I went to the doctor once again yesterday. The short version is that I lost 3 lbs and I've made absolutely no progress. We go back on Tuesday. Hopefully with some kind of progress.

Doctor's Appointment 11.0

I forgot to post about my last doctor's appointment. It was very uneventful. We went on Tuesday and as usual, my weight and blood pressure look great. I gained one pound last week so I am up a total of 21 pounds. Right on target.

I didn't have an internal this week so I have no idea if I've made any progress. We will find that out on Tuesday. She measured the baby and estimated that she will be "a 7 pounder" at birth. I'm very happy with that.

She also noticed that I have a little problem with swelling. She said to just take it easy and to really monitor it. She said that swelling in my feet is super normal and minor swelling in my face and hands is also normal but to be careful that my face and hands don't swell too much. Trust me, I've been watching it. I tend to put my feet up right away if I feel like they are starting to swell too much. Part of the reason is that I hate the way my cankles look, especially if there will be other people seeing them.

We also met with our Pediatrician this week. He came recommended by our NP and we are both really pleased with him. He is super nice and loves to talk which I think is a good sign. I don't know how to explain it but I just got a really really good vibe from him. He said to call him anytime and not to worry about bothering him because he loves his job. I think he'll be just perfect.

Doctor's Appointment 10.0

I had another doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything went well. I am up a total of 20 lbs for the pregnancy. Hopefully I won't gain another 20 in the next three weeks. My blood pressure looks good too. The NP measured me and said that I'm measuring perfectly and the baby is right where she should be. She even said she's dropped since the last time! (Although it doesn't really feel like it to me since I'm still having a hard time breathing.)

I had my first internal exam and Group B Strep test. I was kinda dreading both. I was surprised because neither was as bad as I expected. She told me that I'm about 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I wasn't really surprised by being dilated 1 cm because it seems like everyone I have talked to has been dilated a centimeter when they go to the doctor. I think maybe they tell everyone that so they have some hope that their baby will be here soon. I was surprised that I am 50% effaced though. I really was expecting her to say that I wasn't effaced at all.

We go back next week for another appointment. She said she doesn't check me again though unless I've been having contractions or a lot of pressure. We also have an appointment with a pediatrician next Thursday. He came highly recommended by my NP so I hope we like him!

Doctor's Appointment 9.0

At my doctor's appointment on Tuesday, it was the usual drill. I peed in a cup, they weighed me, took my blood pressure and the NP measured me and listened to the baby's heart beat. It was not my first internal exam so not only did that stupid nurse lady tell me that I have cankles, she also lied to me. I guess my first exam will be in two weeks.

I have gained a total of 18.8 lbs which is really good. The NP was very impressed saying that I am looking great and I haven't gained much at all. She said it's all the baby and that I shouldn't have much trouble losing the weight after the baby is born. That's awesome.

The baby's heart rate looked great and I am once again measuring perfectly. I go back in two weeks for my first internal exam and then my appointments start every week. We're really getting into the home stretch now!

Doctor's Appointment 8.0

I did not have a very pleasant experience at my appointment yesterday. The nurse took me back to be weighed and to pee in a cup. As I'm stepping on the scale she says "Oh, it looks like we've got some cankles here. We're going to start calling you Puff the Magic Dragon." Now, I don't think that's ever an appropriate thing to say to anyone, but especially a pregnant woman. The worst part is that I didn't even think I was that swollen. Sure, my rings are starting to get a little tight and maybe I can feel my fingers start to swell when it's hot and I'm walking 15 minutes to my car but I really thought I was doing okay. She caught me way off guard and I really almost started crying in the doctor's office. Random stranger comments are starting to get to me a little this week. What happened to saying things like "Wow. You look great!"? Now that is something every pregnant woman wants to hear.

After I was able to drag my fat ankles onto the scale, she weighed me. I am up 18 lbs total, which is right where I should be, thankyouverymuchstupidnurselady. I peed in a cup and everything was fantastic with that. My blood pressure was also normal. (I really thought it would be through the roof since I was so angry.)

My NP came in the room to measure me and listen to the baby's heartbeat. She said I look great and the heartbeat was at 146 which is perfect. I asked her if she could tell how big our baby was right then and she said that if I delivered right now, I would probably have a 5 lb baby. She also said that that means nothing for the actual weight of the baby at birth.

As we were leaving the room, the NP said that I was looking great and even commented that my ankles still looked good. (Haha! Take that!)

We made our next appointment for two weeks away where I will get my first internal exam. Woo hoo. I'm not particularly looking forward to it but it means we're that much closer to having this baby. The NP even gave me phone numbers to call if I go into labor. Yikes.

Doctor's Appointment 7.0

I went to the doctor again on Wednesday. Because of the holiday this week, I had to go to an actual doctor instead of my NP. Also, Ben took off Sunday and Monday so we could spend those days together and since the doctor wasn't open on Monday, we had to schedule the appointment later in the week. That meant Ben didn't get to be off for it so I had to go alone. Luckily, my mom wasn't busy so she came along. It was pretty typical. They weighed me. I'm up 1/2 lb since my last appointment 2 weeks ago and 15 lbs total. They took my blood pressure which was normal. The doctor came in and we listened to the baby's heartbeat. It was at 162 which is higher than it has been but he said it sounded just fine. He also measured me and said I was growing perfectly. It's nice to hear from more than one doctor just so I know my NP isn't trying to make me feel better. The whole appointment was uneventful but my mom was still excited to be there.

Update!

I just heard back from my doctor's office and I passed my glucose tolerance test! This means I do not have gestational diabetes. Woo hoo! Go Me!

On another note... I also do not have syphilis. Which is good news for me and my marriage!

Doctor's Appointment 6.0

Yesterday I had my monthly appointment. I had to get tested for Gestational Diabetes. An hour before the appointment I had to drink a sugary orange drink and then nothing else until my appointment. The drink wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I stared at it for a few minutes before I worked up the courage to drink it. After I started drinking it, I realized it just tasted like an orange Little Hug. Not so bad even if I'm not a huge fan of hugs.

We got to the appointment and they called me back right away because they had to draw my blood within the hour that I drank the drink. Once again, I peed in a cup and was totally awesome at it! They weighed me and took my blood pressure. My blood pressure is normal and I've gained 4.5 lbs since my last visit which is good.

The nurse came in and drew some blood to test for diabetes. I don't particularly like having my blood drawn but I'm fine as long as I don't watch. It was pretty painless. I reminded the nurse that I also needed my Rhogam shot so she said that she would send in the NP and she would get my shot ready.

My NP came in and measured me. She once again said that I'm growing very well and that I've got a big baby! I really thought I was getting smaller because I don't really see much of a difference from a few weeks ago, but she says I'm actually pretty big. We also listened to the baby's heartbeat. I don't think the baby likes this too much. I think she's afraid of it because she seriously moves all day until we get there and she is absolutely still when we try to find her heartbeat. I really thought she'd try to kick it, but she hasn't yet!

The NP said that the nurse would be in to give me my shot but she also informed me that the State of Ohio now requires pregnant women to get tested for syphilis at 28 weeks because they've had some outbreaks. She said they would need another vial of blood from me. Boo.

The nurse came back in to draw my blood for the second time. She tried to take it from my left arm this time but people always have trouble finding a vein in that arm. She decided that she didn't want to stick me a bunch of times trying to find it so she said she would just take it out of my right arm again. I now have two stick marks in my right arm. The second stick hurt worse than the first because my arm was still tender and sore.

Then I had to get my Rhogam shot. They have to give it to me in the butt. I got this in the hospital when I was 7 weeks and it hurt a lot. I was really nervous because I really didn't want to get it again. This time it didn't hurt nearly as bad. I was very glad until we started walking out the door. It hurt so bad to walk! Eventually it started feeling okay. When we got home, I couldn't really lay on my right side at all which made it uncomfortable and every time I would stretch, it would hurt.

We decided to go to O'Charley's for dinner after my appointment because it was already late. We celebrated Father's day and "they poked Stephanie too many times at the doctor and now she wants something yummy for dinner". I ate so much that I had a hard time breathing and I had to stand up in the restaurant. This baby doesn't leave much room for me to breathe.

So all in all, a pretty successful appointment even with all the extra poking. The baby looks great, I look great. What more could we ask for?

My butt still hurts today but we're on to appointments every 2 weeks now! Woo hoo!

Doctor's Appointment 5.0

We had our fifth doctor's appointment yesterday. It was pretty typical. We got there and once again they wanted me to pee in a cup. The only problem was that I had just gone before we left. I know that was really stupid, but I forgot! They took my weight. I have gained 5 pounds since my last visit which means 10 pounds total. We had a different nurse. She was nice enough but a little bit crazy. She asked me if I was a single lady. I was really confused because I've been going to the same doctor for months now and they know I'm married. It took me a few seconds to answer so she repeated "Single, right? Never married" and I told her that I was married. Then Ben chimes in from the corner saying "Uh, that would be me." I guess the system still has me listed as single which is weird.

My blood pressure is normal which is good. The nurse gave me a bag of goodies including this really yummy drink I have to drink before my next appointment so they can test me for gestational diabetes. Uh yeah, maybe it's not so yummy. Apparently it tastes like flat Sunkist. The thing I'm most worried about it that I have to drink it in less than 10 minutes. I don't usually like to chug things, but I guess if I drink it all at once, it'll be over faster. The other part I'm dreading is that I can't eat or drink anything (even water) after I drink this drink and they don't test me for an hour. I'm afraid I'm going to have a really bad taste in my mouth for over an hour.

The NP came in and listened to the heartbeat. She also measured my stomach. She said I looked great and I am growing beautifully. Woo hoo! She also said that gaining ten pounds was perfect and she told me that I'm all baby! I think that's something every pregnant woman wants to hear.

The appointment went well and I heard only good things which makes me happy. I go back in 4 weeks and then I'll start going every 2 weeks! Wow. It's really flying by now.

Doctor's Appointment 4.0

We went to the doctor yesterday for our 4th appointment. First, we had our 20 week ultrasound. The tech looked at the baby for about 35 minutes and showed us everything! She was really good and very friendly, so I was pleased. Every time she was looking at a different part of the baby, she would point out exactly what she was looking at and tell us that everything looked good. The baby has ten fingers and ten toes, four chambers in the heart, three vessels to and from the umbilical cord, two perfect kidneys.... and a partridge in a pear tree, right? She also said that the placenta looks really good and is in the right place and there is plenty of amniotic fluid. She looked at the baby's brain, spine, and tummy (it's so tiny!). She measured the length of the femur and she was able to tell us that we are having a ..... perfect baby. I'm pretty sure I was crying throughout the entire appointment.

Next, I went to see the NP. I peed in a cup like I do every visit. (I'm getting so awesome at it too!) They also weighed me. I was VERY surprised to learn that I have not gained a single pound since my last appointment 3 weeks ago. I have only gained 5 pounds during my pregnancy. I don't think people will actually believe that when they see me though.

They took my blood pressure (looks good!) and the NP came in to listen to the baby's heart. Once again, the actual doctor appointment was very quick.

We left to go celebrate our healthy baby at Friday's. Very good day.

letters to baby: i saw you

hi baby.

i saw you yesterday. i cried when i saw you. we had our ultrasound and you were moving all over the place. i drank a little orange juice before we went because they say it makes babies more active. the ultrasound tech told us that you were a stubborn little thing because you kept hiding behind my belly button! i guess my belly button actually creates a lot of shadows and it makes it harder to see you.

you are perfect. everything about you is perfect. the tech showed us your heart, lungs, brains, kidneys, and they all look perfect. i absolutely can't wait to hold you.

i saw you yesterday and you are perfect. you are just the perfect little .......

love,
mommy

Doctor's Appointment 3.0

We had our third doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything went well. I have gained 3 pounds since my last visit. That means I've gained 5 pounds this pregnancy. That's such a relief since every time I step on that scale, I get so nervous that it will suddenly jump up 20 pounds. I feel like I've gained 20 pounds. I look like I've gained 20 pounds. The NP says I'm growing very well. Well, I'm definitely growing.

We listened to the baby's heartbeat again. I just love hearing it! The NP (of course) found it right away but then baby moved and she had to find it again. She said the baby was moving all over the place! (Of course I already know this because I can feel baby moving. :D) The heart rate was right around 150. According to old wives' tales, a heart rate greater than 150 means girl and less than 150 means boy. I guess baby just doesn't want to give anything away until he or she is absolutely ready. Based on the heart rate, our NP guessed that we were having a girl.

Speaking of the baby's gender.... we scheduled our appointment for our "big" ultrasound. It is in three weeks, April 27. So we're going to find out and then call everyone we know and tell them the gender right away, right? Wrong. We've decided to have a little "Gender Reveal" party for our immediate families. Due to scheduling conflicts with certain family members, we can't have the party until May 8th. So that means only mommy, daddy, and doctor will know the gender for 11 days! Then we will tell our families and after the party, we will call friends. Sounds like a plan, right? Well it's a good plan for me because I get to find out in less than 3 weeks!!!!!!

Doctor's Appointment 2.0

Our second doctor's appointment was today. (I don't count the very first time we went to the doctor because they just had me pee in a cup and told me I was pregnant. Like I didn't know that from the home tests that came back positive...) As usual, they had me pee in a cup. I'm getting quite good at it! They weighed me and I found that I had only gained 2 lbs! Which is really good. (I thought it would have been 10 or 20 with the way I've been eating. I guess baby is just soaking up everything I don't need. Thanks, baby! Mommy loves you!!) I went back to the room where the hubs was waiting and had my blood pressure taken. Then the NP came in and answered a few questions that I had thought of after my last appointment. She had me lie back on the bed and she felt around my tummy to see how I was growing. She said I was growing perfectly! It was weird because when I push on my tummy, it stills feels squishy, but when she was pushing, it actually felt hard! Then we listened to the heartbeat. That never gets old. She said is was between 140 & 150 beats per minute which is perfect! So to sum up the appointment, I'm perfect, Baby is perfect... what more could we ask for? I also got my H1N1 vaccine. It didn't hurt but my arm felt like dead weight all night.

Then we talked about my upcoming appointments. I was so excited because I know that they can tell gender between 18 and 22 weeks. I'm supposed to go back every 4 weeks. If I keep that schedule, at my next appointment I would be just shy of 18 weeks. I thought maybe we could just schedule the appointment for 5 or 6 weeks away so that it would be easier to see if we're having a boy or girl. She said that she would see me again in 4 weeks and then 4 weeks after that we would have my "big" ultrasound. So I said in my most pathetic voice "Oh, so I'll have to wait until 22 weeks then?" She said that they're going to do it that way so they can be absolutely sure of the gender and also since I had an earlier ultrasound, they want to see a lot more growth and waiting would just be better.

I pouted all the way home. I kept saying "May??? We have to wait until May??? I don't want to wait that long!"

Did you hear that?? May!!!! So for everyone marking their calendars, we will find out the gender on May 4th.

Oh, and don't worry. We already have a special something planned for how we'll break the news.

Doctor's Appointment 1.0

My 3:45 doctor's appointment got moved up to 12:30 because of the snow. This just means I got to leave work even earlier. Ben picked me up from the bus stop and we drove to the appointment. When we got there, the waiting room was completely empty. We checked in and the receptionist told me that I was scheduled for my routine visit and an ultrasound. This was news to me because I didn't know that I would be getting an ultrasound. We got called for an ultrasound and I was really surprised because she told me they would do it externally. I thought it would still be too early for that. She rubbed the jelly on my belly and the baby popped right onto the screen! It was so cool. We could see it wriggling around and squirming, kicking its legs around. She pointed out the head, body, arms, and legs. I could have watched the screen for hours. It was incredible. Seeing the baby moving around makes it feel so much more real. The ultrasound tech was able to find the heartbeat too. We could easily see it fluttering on the screen and then she turned the speakers on and we could hear it too. She said it was beating at 170 beats per minute and she also said that that was really good. We were so excited to see the baby and hear the heatbeat. We got pictures too!

Still on cloud nine from the ultrasound, we went back to the regular doctor's office for the exam and bloodwork. Everything there was pretty routine. The Nurse Practicioner (NP) told me that everything looks good so far! We go back in four weeks for another visit.

Here are the much anticipated (at least by mommy and daddy) ultrasound photos.

In the first picture you can see the head, body, arms, and legs! The second picture is a front view. You can see the baby's face and you can see it's waving to us! That little blob by its right eye is its hand.

Okay, I know that they still have my maiden name on the pictures. We are a little mad about that. We had changed it in their system but they said they would keep both names attached just in case. If I call using either one, they should be able to find me. I guess they lied because everything was still under my maiden name and so now my first ultrasound picture has my maiden name too. Boo.