30? How did that happen??

30 weeks!

This morning I got the best 30-week present EVER! The perinatologist reported that little Elfie is cured of his arrhythmia!! I am over the moon that my guy is healthy and that this "hiccup" has resolved itself (at least for now!!!).

To make my life even more fantastic, the doctor gave me some INCREDIBLE 3D pictures of our handsome little boy! This was such an unexpected, added bonus that I bawled like a baby right then and there as I saw my son's face for the first time. I got to watch him opening and closing his mouth and covering his face with this hands. Unbelievable! He looks just like his daddy!!!!!

How is it that this pregnancy is three-quarters complete? Where has the time gone? I cannot believe that in a few short months I will be what I've dreamt about my entire life: a mommy. It's simply unreal.

Here's his profile:



And a straight-on face shot with his mouth open:



And one of the 3-D shots (he has his hand over one of his eyes):

Uh-Mazing!

Costa Rica was amazing! We had such a fun, relaxing vacation with M's family. If you haven't been, it is the most lush, green, tropical country and the people there are so friendly! I had a chance to brush up on my very limited Spanish, and loved listening to the natives "Ticos" speak. Overall (minus the mosquitoes and humidity), a fabulous trip!!! We feel so fortunate to have been able to go.

Traveling in my seventh month proved to be more difficult than I anticipated, but M was such a champ in helping me out. He was so attentive and caring to my needs and limitations, which made the trip infinitely easier. Third tri exhaustion has definitely set in, and I am now taking daily naps (siestas!) to cope with the fatigue.

I have a peri appointment on Thursday to see if Elfie's arrhythmia has gotten any better. Keeping fingers crossed that it has!

Here are some pic from the trip...

Some Relief

The appointment this morning went well. This doctor is, by far, the best I have ever been to in terms of his bedside manner and attention to detail. I know he works primarily with high-risk pregnancies, so it's his job to be uber-sensitive to hormonal pregnant women..it is my impression that he is certainly in the right profession!

We started out with a full anatomy scan of Elfie. Boy, is he growing! He is now measuring 13 days ahead of schedule, and is an astonishing 3 pounds. I was shocked! We got some great pics that I'll scan and post later.

The doctor was a bit concerned that he is so big. I hadn't been worried (until today!) because M is a big guy and was 11 pounds at birth. We just always expected to have a big baby. So my instructions are to reduce my carb intake...uggh! That's a hard assignment, since that what I crave the most besides fruit! Oh well, small price to pay for Elfie's health.

And then on to the goods:

After an extremely detailed look at the heart, the doctor determined there aren't any structural abnormalities. We did see and hear the irregular beats, and he explained to us that it is not uncommon for them to resolve themselves. I was instructed to eliminate ALL sources of caffeine from my diet, including chocolate and (get this!) my cocoa butter stretch mark cream! Apparently, unbeknownst to me, I've been feeding my baby caffeine through my belly every morning! So there goes that.

Oh yes, and one more set of instructions: "Have a great time in Costa Rica!"

I left feeling much better, but of course it's going to be in the back of my mind until it's gone or we know more. I have a follow-up appointment in two weeks. If the arrhythmia is still there I will be monitored weekly with this perinatologists until I deliver. He also did mention that there is an increased chance that, if the arrhythmia persists, I'll be recommended for c-section, as they prefer to not put the baby in a stressful labor situation under these circumstances.


For now, I'm just taking my kick counts, relaxing as much as possible, and PACKING! We leave early Saturday morning and return the following Sunday, do I probably won't be blogging until at least then. I hope you all continue to enjoy June!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Good news first:

I did, indeed, pass my glucose test, although the number (115) was not as low as I thought it would be judging by my "almost passing out" experience!

Bad news second:

M and I are involved in a worker's comp nightmare (really just filling out the paperwork, knowing whom to send it to, waiting for calls to be returned, etc, etc.). This is regarding the $2600 hospital stay I had as a result of the soccerball to the uterus at school. Uggh. I hate this.

And now, the Ugly:

My appointment with Dr. D this morning revealed the Elfie has a cardiac arrhythmia. As soon as he put that doppler on my belly I knew that the beats were not right. His little heart would beat 3 or 4 times and then skip one or two; wash, rinse, repeat. Dr. D is sending me to the perinatologist on Thursday morning to have him check the chambers and valves of my little guy's heart. I am freaking out, but know that there is nothing I can do to make it better right now except wait and pray. I am reassured with the fact that Elfie is extremely active (which the Dr. said is an excellent thing), but just can't help but be apprehensive.

Obviously, if we find an abnormality, our trip to Costa Rica is out of the question. My own heart feels so fragile right now...I'm asking for lost of prayers and support if you can lend it.

Classes, Cankles, and Costa Rica!

27 weeks.

Hey people!

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. I am really busy lately, and can't seem to find the energy to sit down and spill everything...although I feel as though so much is happening that I want to share!

So, to start, I haven't heard back about my glucose test, which leads me to believe that I passed. I have an appt. with Dr. D on Monday so I'll double check with him because I'm curious about the number!

I recently took a fabulous trip to Southern Cal with my M, my mom, and my stepdad. It was so nice to relax in the sun and talk about our plans when the little man arrives. Mom and I went shopping, and Elfie ended up with more clothes than I did! I bought a cute bikini though, and am pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I am sporting the bare belly bump. My friend E and I saw SATC 2 (because we are big fans and saw the first one together)...and it was okay. I laughed, but didn't think is was as good as the first movie...and certainly not as good as the series.

I am definitely starting to feel more fatigued lately, and it comes in the form of really sore feet at the end of the day, and a sore back after standing/walking too long. I am also the lucky recipient of EDEMA....a.k.a. CANKLES. It's pretty shocking and disgusting, really. I look down at my feet and can't even see my ankle bones. I'm noticing quite a bit of water retention in my legs as well. Walking has gotten better since I've slowed my pace, so I'm at least still getting some exercise.

Elfie's movements are changing also. Well, it's probably not his movements so much as how I they feel to me. With his increasing size I can actually follow body parts (most likely feet or knees) as they move across my belly. CRAZY COOL. Sometimes he'll get me on the side of my tummy and it tickles like crazy. I love it!

I changed my background in preparation of our LAST HURRAH! In 9 days we are leaving for Costa Rica!!! I will be 28.5 weeks when we leave and 29.5 when we return. Needless to say, this will be it for us in terms of traveling before the birth. We will be doing it up big! M's whole family will be there to celebrate his parents' 45th wedding anniversary. He has three brothers who each have 2 kids, so it'll be a full house but tons of fun. I, of course, will be living in the pool (and the kitchen!).

When we return we have our baby shower to look forward to. After that we have an all-day childbirth class in addition to two evening classes (one is a breastfeeding class and the other is infant basics). Then we're in the home stretch! It's so hard to believe how incredibly fast this pregnancy is flying by, and how soon we will be meeting our son.

I'm leaving you with some pics of my time away with the fam..