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!

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..

Been MIA...

Boy, oh boy, it's been a crazy fun two weeks! The fun began week before last with a much-needed and anticipated visit from my friend E. We had a blast together, but of course it was too short! I played tour guide and we hit all the must-do hot spots (she's never been to my city before..), and we spent a bunch of time crafting homemade cards. The day E left I got a visit from my friend H... hers was a whirlwind 24 hour trip, but awesome nonetheless. H left on the 20th, and the next day M and I packed up the car and headed off on out BIG ADVENTURE.

We planned to hit up some friends who recently moved to a new city in a new state for a few days of fun and camping, and from there we had no plan. It was fantastic. Just the three of us (yes, we took furbaby Charlie to make our trip interesting!) and the open road. We were literally driving by the seats of our pants! We stayed in many beautiful cities - explored, shopped, ate, drank, camped, and DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IF!!!!!!!!!

It was so nice to reconnect with M and remember the days that were not marred by our inability to get pregnant. It was wonderful to not think about, see, or read about pregnant women and ectopic pregnancies. I loved not worrying about doc appointments, taking temperatures and pills, analyzing symptoms, and obsessing about hCG levels..It was heaven.

I'm feeling grateful to be home with my bed, my kitchen, and some clean clothes. I am most pleased, however, to come back to my blogging buddies and the recent BFP announcements from Just Me , Murgdan, and Courtney. These ladies have endured long, painful journeys and all three are pregnant through IVF. Congrats to you all, my heart is with you and your growing beans!

I hate Clomid.

This month is my third try with clomid, although it's our first experience with IUI. The lower dosage is definitely better, but I am still getting hot flashes and mood swings. I had such a wonderful, relaxing day today, but I found myself crying tonight for no apparent reason! And now I'm fine. It's almost as if the clomid just makes you want to get the tears out and over with. I've heard the injectables are even worse! M was very sweet and understanding tonight. He just hugged and hugged me, and that made me feel a lot better. I know he doesn't have same intensity in his emotions about IF as I do, but I also know he does have sadness and a strong desire for our child to be conceived!

Tomorrow we leave for a long weekend road trip. I am very much looking forward to a change of scenery, and to get our on the open road with my hubby and puppy. We will be visiting my brother, M's brother and SIL, and other various friends. When we come back, I have an ultrasound to monitor the growth and size of my follies. I'm looking forward to this, as it puts us that much closer to the O date!

I'm counting down...

....rather, I've been counting down until the last day of school! I have 6 days left. I can make it. I WILL make it.

M and I decided last night that we are definitely going down to SoCal soon. It looks now like it will be the week starting with July 4th. Yay! I am going to start trying to coordinate details (Dog-sitter and accomodations for us). We'll plan to stay about 5 days and then head to my hometown for A's 30th and M's baby shower. I'm getting excited at just the prospect of getting away for a little while!

And if everything goes according to plan...(which, of course, it never does..), we'll be back in time for the big you-know-what!

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Today, I am grateful for...

Work. It keeps me busy and focused. And I love the joyful moments.
My beautiful home and the memories we are making in it.
My little bro. I'll be seeing him in almost a week!
Strength and Peace.
My looong convo with E last night. It was SO great to finally catch up!
Sushi. My FAVORITE dinner (and hubby surprised me with it tonight!).