Big Post of Photos: Craft and Bump

I have lots and lots of crafty photos to show you, plus two gratuitous bump photos to show you how quickly I ballooned :)

Crocheted applique - Hungry Little Caterpillar

Crocheted Applique - Spitfire with Clouds. This photo was taken before the sewing on was done

Crochet Applique: The Cat in the Hat (with bonus fish!)

Another photo taken before I sewed it down. A bit of a potions master onesie

Golden Snitch and broomsticks design

A giraffe inspired baby hat and booties

Pigeon inspired baby hat and booties

Plain old purple and cream baby hat and booties

An old fashioned flight helmet hat

Bump photo: Taken on the 2nd March

Bump photo: Taken on the 14th March

22 Weeks and 5 Days: Nearly the length of a ruler

It's been a while because Blogspot's new blogging format makes it nearly impossible to post from my iPad. So, my intention is to write a few posts here and then at some point work out a way to post them. Or find a more stable blogging platform . . .

The very empty baby's room as of last weekend.

I'm nearly at 23 weeks now, and definitely nice and round. Turtle/Squirm is moving around quite a lot now, particularly in the morning and mid afternoon through to when I go to sleep. So, quite a lot really. Also, it turns out that She or He is quite the fan of musical theatre . . .

We've nearly finished getting the nursery basics down (ie. sanding and painting the floor) and then it will be major shopping and decorating time. We're sticking with our theme of an explorer style nursery, and just trying to think about what we'll put in there. There's also been clothes shopping, stuff shopping and a fair amount of crafting going on. (Photo post soon!)

I've been fortunate enough to get some baby cuddles recently. My friend's baby is 11 weeks old now, and is absolutely cuddleable. I also told him about the pharaohs last time we had cuddles - I figure he really should be learning his history as early as possible.

It's a pretty quiet update, all in all. But there'll be photos coming soon, which will make the whole thing much more exciting :)

Halfway through! 20 Weeks . . .

Today I'm officially at 20 weeks, which I suppose means I'm at Hump Day :)

Unfortunately it hasn't been the best 24 hours. For the past two days I've had gas pains, but as I went to go to bed, I just couldn't get comfortable. I told M. I needed to go to the toilet, where I started vomiting. So for the first time this pregnancy, I was horribly ill every 30 to 60 minutes until 4.30am. Along with the vomiting, I had an intense pain in my lower tummy (higher than the round ligament issues I've been having) which was making it very uncomfortable to sit down, lay down or even walk around.

M. rang through to the hospital, where a lovely person had a quick chat with me, reassured me it was probably just bad gas, and suggested panadol and heat, plus to come into emergency if it got worse. Well, the Panadol came back up again pretty quick, but the heat allowed me to at least lay down on the couch for the night, letting M. get some rest (though he woke up every time I made another toilet trip)

 This morning, I took the day off work, before managing to finish and keep down a cup off tea without milk and a bun. Then after some sleep, I went off to the doctor (who was on time for the first time ever!) He found the gas in my stomach pretty quickly - my upper stomach echoed - and then proceeded to put me on a strict, bland diet.

For at least the next week, I need to cut out fatty, fried and dairy foods, along with nuts, chocolate, caffeine (nooooooooooooooo!) and fizzy drinks, plus I need to look at 6 small meals a day. I'm drumming for a second breakfast, like a hobbit :) Hopefully this will do the job and cut out the painful part. Tomorrow I have my 20 week appointment, plus my Physio class, so it should be a full and fun day :)

19 weeks and 4 days - with bonus ultrasound :)

One thing I didn't expect. The suspicious that my due date might be a day out because none of us considered the leap year . . .

In other news, all is going well. I'm increasingly tired, but that's partly because I have a very heavy workload at work at the moment. I have moments of dizziness and racing heart, but nothing too bad. The heartburn and gas on the other hand . . . (seriously, I had a days worth of gas after eating an apple!)

Yesterday afternoon I went back to the Royal Women's Hospital for my ultrasound. Traffic was going my way, so I got in early and tried yet another doubtful product from their food place. An hour before the ultrasound, I went to the toilet, and then went about drinking a litre of water. About 25 minutes later, I made my way up to the Medical Imaging department.

You go into the main reception and hand over your form and then they send you on, depending on what you're there for. I was sent to the Women's waiting room, which was actually quite lovely - they had obviously put some thought into the decor in there. It was mostly baby related, though it's also the area for breast scans and gynecological scans. I'd been sitting there for abut five minutes, when they came to get me - half an hour early! Unfortunately M. hadn't made it from work yet, so I asked if we could just wait a bit, which was fine. Just after he arrived, they called me again, so we were able to go in.

The lady doing the scan was a trainee, but she was really good. We said we'd had a couple of issues with the heart beat last time, so she tried to get straight in there. Unfortunately we have a real squirmer of a baby who was not cooperating, so we went to look at other bits. It was really cool looking at the brain and all the bones and thinking that this has all grown inside of me! Again, though, Turtle was not always the most cooperative with lots of kicking and arms flailing.

We finally got to the heart, which looks great and was beating very regularly. Our 'scanner' went to grab her supervisor to have a look, because she was having a few issues getting clear images. The supervisor obviously had a lot of experience and was a little lighter with the scanner, which was a relief on my rather full bladder.

The final verdict was one very active, but good looking baby (with incredibly cute hands and feet). My placenta is about 3mm lower than they like it, so they want me in for another scan at 34 weeks, but they're pretty confident it will move up out of the way. So about an hour after we went in, we were able to take our lovely images and head off (still none the wiser about whether Turtle is a boy or a girl!)

18 Weeks and One Day - About the length of a pickle . . .

I kind of suck at this regular updating thing. I blame being busy :)

What has happened since my last substantial post? Well . . .

-I've grown out of all my pre-pregnancy work pants and skirts. This came clear to me when I needed a hair band to fasten one pair of pants. I had two pairs of pants and a skirt, but I found a dress online, and then got two pairs of pants from Target (for about the same cost as regular pants! Score) I don't have any casual clothes yet, but I'll try to fix that this weekend. The two hardest things is 1) it's still hot here, but I have to buy warmer stuff since most of my pregnancy is in autumn and winter and 2) Why are so many pregnancy skirts, straight skirts? I didn't wear them before I got pregnant!

-I had the diabetes test last week because of the alert at the hospital. It was pretty easy - a couple of hours of sitting around, and the results came back all clear. The drink was like carbonated lime cordial and was quite yummy :)

-I've mastered the art of crocheting booties finally!

-I had a hospital visit today about the thyroid issue. The doctor answered a few of my other questions before I visited the vampires (pathology). Unfortunately I've just realised their Maths sucks, so I have to ring back to change the appointments that were made for me . . .

-My ultrasound is next week!

A Photo Post!

Usually I post from my iPad, but it's a bit hard to post photos from there, so I've saved them up :) Ahead, some crochet, some onesies and some belly . . .

Crochet

Monkey Hat on Teddy Bear . . .

Baby Blanket

A cardigan - the first piece of real clothing I've ever crocheted

 

 

The Pigeon Onesie

The Very Hungry Caterpillar head.

Pretty Colourful Yarn

Onesies

My Belly :)

January 26th - 14 Weeks

February 11th - Nearly 17 Weeks

 

16 Weeks Booking In Appointment

Yesterday we had our first booking in appointment which was strange, lengthy and at times a little alarming.

We're having Turtle at the biggest hospital in Queensland, so the waiting room was packed with pregnant women when we got there. Another newbie was in front of us in the line with no idea what to do until a nice guy took pity on both of us and handed us a vibrating buzzer thing that they use to avoid big line ups near the door. When it buzzed (telling us our steak was ready, according to M) I was quickly checked in, then it was just a couple of minutes until I was called.

We started with a urine test. Like every other woman in the line up, (A Wee Lineup) I was dehydrated, but they also found glucose in my urine which means there's a possibility of gestational diabetes. I was weighed and found out I'm back to my most bloated post-egg pickup weight.

The midwife took me into the room on my own first to complete the confidential stuff. They obviously need to know if you've ever had a pregnancy, miscarriage or STD, and I suppose it's something that people might hide from their partners. They also check to see if there's any risk of domestic abuse and did a mental assessment. On the mental assessment I'm demonstrating my usual anxiety tendencies. I'm aware of them, and I'm aware it's been a particularly stressful week, so as long as I keep being aware, I should be fine.

M then came in to join us, and we went through all the paperwork, which I now keep with me all the time. We discussed that I'd like to use shared care with the GP, but due to my Thyroid condition I may not be able to do that, and that's alright too. We went through M's medical record (short) and mine (lengthy, particularly the family history section. We hit heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and a few others for good measure).

Then we discussed the IVF. I must say, there's a disappointing lack of knowledge of IVF in the medical community. When we explained that they use a needle attached to the ultrasound wand and they pierce the walls to collect the eggs (30 times in my case), the two midwives in the room both winced. I suppose a lot of IVF patients go to private hospitals, which might explain that.

We also talked about the possibility of diabetes. I need to do a fasting test because it's too early to do the drink test. If it comes back clear, we'll do another one in a few weeks.

We went through more paperwork, including giving consent for the midwife to visit and booking in our prenatal classes. I got some information on mental health and pregnancy. Then it was time to (finally) hear the heart beat.

When they found it, it was pretty awesome, but we soon found out it was a bit irregular. (Also, it moved a lot) Another midwife reached the same conclusion and they went out to get a doctor, which scared me quite a bit. The doctor came in, and took forever to find the heartbeat. He also decided it was a bit irregular, and though he wasn't terribly concerned, he grabbed a portable ultrasound machine for peace of mind. So we got to see Turtle again.

He or she has grown a lot in the last three weeks and was extremely active. There was kicking and waving arms around and turning around away from the ultrasound. The doctor had a good look at the heart and was happy with it, even though it is a little irregular, so that made us feel a lot better.

I'm glad we chose this hospital. The staff were all friendly, even though they were very busy and I never felt rushed or unimportant. I hope it stays that way :) And I got to see Turtle again!

15 weeks and 6 days: About the length of a mascara . .

Not a big update today, because things are not terribly busy around the baby front here:

- I've not been feeling the most comfortable. My feet are swelling just enough to make my shoes uncomfortable, so they've been off whenever I can. I can't get really comfortable at night, and the other day I was woken half a dozen times with terrible calf cramps. Also, I seem to have mega saliva at the moment.

- The bump continues to grow. When people see me front on, they tell me how small I am. When they see my side on, they tell me how big it is. I can see it, and I love it, so I don't really care what they think.

- M and I are really enjoying reading about Turtle's development. The amount he or she will grow over these next few weeks is just scary!

- We also made our first foray into a baby shop (after visiting the mower shop next door). I was thrilled to see the exact sort of things I was after, and at a really reasonable price. Think we'll be making some purchases there (the busy staff member was also hugely friendly even though we weren't buying yesterday)

-I'm becoming more aware of the possible risk of developing another hernia. I'm so glad I didn't vomit at all, because that would have out a lot of strain on the area. I need to assess things carefully over the next few months to make sure I don't do any damage.

- We have our booking in appointment at the hospital this week. Can't wait to tell them about the reflux, IVF and hernias!

14 Weeks and 3 Days: About the length of a small flip phone?

It's been a couple of weeks because I've just started a new job and I've been run off my feet. Pretty much everyone there knows about the baby, and there's a lovely feeling from them all, even though I'll be leaving in less than 6 months.

Other news:

- I have a lovely round belly. I'll try to post a picture of it today, because it looks really nice :) Strangely, it's not even - where my most recent scar is, my belly pokes in a little.

- We had a scan last week! Just for fun, as the fertility specialist said (since we didn't have the one to detect Downs Syndrome). Turtle's heart is still beating strong, but we got to see so much more - including baby feet and toes! Turtle was sitting with his or her knees folded up, either crossing his or her legs for a story or stretching for ballet (my story, anyway)

-The fertility doctor also said I have excellent blood pressure. Is it ok to be proud of that?

-And he changed my thyroid medicine up again.

-The nausea is completely gone, and now I'm starving all the time. I've been able to introduce more dairy into my diet which has to be a good thing. But my cravings are stranger. I still desperately want fruit, veggies (especially potato) and red meat, but I also want French Onion dip and sat and ate ice cream out of the tub because I desperately wanted it the other night (a month ago, I couldn't stand it)

-I bought a Belly Bean maternity pillow and I love it. It's like two round pillows joined by a wide strip of fabric. It supports my back and my front, and will only get more useful as I get bigger. I actually started sleeping through the night when I got it, so there's happiness :)

-I had anaphylaxis training yesterday through work and they actually gave us all training pens to use. I felt a real flashback to the injections, and the same flinching even though these pens had no needle in them. Of course, I was less squeamish about it then I might have been before IVF :)

- Oh! Edited to add that the paperwork from the hospital came in! Thanks to a kind neighbour it wasn't completely drenched in the rain, so today I'm going to be filling it all out and this will all start feeling real!

Body Image and Pregnancy

Body image is an interesting topic for me. I spent 11 years learning ballet, 11 years staring in the harsh mirrors at the end of the room. (believe me, mirrors have spots that make you look better or worse). Ballet, at the higher level, requires such specific body types, especially since Balanchine introduced his 'perfect ballerinas'. Short, but with long limbs. Long neck. Perfect feet. And the thin body, from hips to bum to stomach (and small breasts).

Since I've been out in the 'real world' and even been able to meet with and know current and former ballerinas, I know that very few of them meet all these requirements perfectly. But when I was dancing, the peak examining board was obsessed with it, to the point that they would fail students in exams if you didn't meet the requirements. And I didn't. I was short, but my long limbs were gangly rather than graceful (which was more of a teaching issue). I had the long neck and my feet have been the envy of professional dancers - but my body was never right. My hips and bum have always been curvier, even when my stomach was flat.

Even though I believe I failed exams because of my hips and bottom, I never went to extreme measures. Firstly because my dance studio just wasn't like that - we had all types there and thought nothing of eating pizza or junk food. And secondly, I spent so many years being too thin as a legacy of an extreme childhood illness - and once you've spent enough years dangling at the top of the seesaw, you know that too thin is not fun.

Was I happy with my body before I got pregnant? Well sometimes. I've had people complement me on my bottom as a good thing, which always amazes me. I hate the whole BMI thing because my dancer's thighs always put me overweight, even at my thinnest. I usually have a great relationship with chocolate, which does me no good. Not to mention the dodgy thyroid, which can make it difficult to maintain a steady weight. And for a long time I thought it might have been my weight which was making it hard to conceive, even though no doctor even mentioned that as an issue.

So it was interesting to read this article at Offbeat Mama. Because my body has definitely changed and I love it.

My breasts are bigger and more rounded. While it meant bra shopping which I hate, it also means I have cleavage for the first time in my life. This week, I've noticed that my stomach is more rounded and I love rubbing it. My hips and bottom seem to make sense with the rest of it now. So far, I think pregnancy looks pretty good on me.

I can understand why some people don't like their pregnancy bodies. One of my friends was extraordinarily sick during her early pregnancy and this continued well into the second trimester. She lost 15 kilograms and looked ill, and wasn't happier until later when she was able to eat properly again. But with an uneventful pregnancy, there's always that reminder that our bodies are changing to accommodate the growing baby and all the hormones that come with it. And I'm okay with that.

12 weeks and 1 day: Around the size of my pinkie finger . . .

My update is a bit late this week because I spent my weekend in Sydney :)

- I hit the magical 12 weeks yesterday. It's a nice feeling. I've also seen my local GP who's taking on my care now. He did a range of medical tests which all came back good. My blood pressure is also good.

- My nausea is pretty much gone. About one small wave a day now. I also seem to have more energy than I had last week.

- My belly seems more rounded and my pelvic area a little less crowded. Because of the bloating, it's hard to tell if I've 'popped' or not, but I'm kind of loving my new shape. This is a good thing because I'm starving most of the time - particularly for fruit.

- I bought my first maternity clothes this week - just a pair of work pants and a nice work skirt. They were about the same price I'd pay for regular clothes of that quality and they should last through the pregnancy. My new boss has stressed professional dressing, so these should definitely do the job.

- My best friend had her baby! He was five weeks early and is currently in the special care nursery, but the way he's going he'll probably be home soon. My friend is looking well, despite the very rushed birth (an emergency Caesarian with only an hours notice).

Ten weeks and six days: the length of an individual sugar packet

It's been a big week socially, and a small week baby related.

- Christmas was good. I rocked a green salad full of things I wanted to and could eat, but it was hard to find non cold-meat to eat.

- I turned 30 on Thursday and celebrated with a dinner with friends and family

- I slept for three hours through the day yesterday, so I was able to stay up to see in the new year.

- One of my best friends held her baby shower on Friday morning. It was very low key - just a morning tea and presents, but she loved the crocheted hat and monster booties I gave her :)

- I've been a bit crochet crazy, so far Turtle has a monkey hat, a big sunburst blanket and most of a cardigan. (I'll post photos soon, I promise!)

- My nausea seems to have died down a bit, though travel sickness isn't fun. I get the occasional headache, but nothing too serious. Turtle seems to be applying a bit of pressure in the pelvic region - I seem to have the world's smallest bladder at the moment :)

- I had to buy new bras this week. I'm up a cup size, which is kinda weird.