17 weeks and our 4th Anniversary

I have to post the picture first because is too funny..... it actually looks like a bump now! Well hello baby, I see you fought the good fight against mommy's belly flab and are winning!!!  LOL

Not a whole lot going on over here these days. After Tuesday's appointment, I started working from home. Three days (well technically 2.5 since the computer guy was doing an upgrade and shut me down most of Friday) down and quite a lot to go. I think I can get used to working from home though.... I don't have far to go for lunch and no excuses if I don't like what I brought because I have the whole kitchen to choose from. At 4:30, I don't have an hour commute to get home I'm already there! And best of all, I don't have to get dressed up! Which totally defeats the purpose of buying those really cute work maternity clothes. Its all leggings and sweaters around here!

Since I don't usually, not always but usually, blog during the week I'll make this portion about our anniversary which is on Wednesday! I cant believe its been 4 years already ....slow days fast years they say and its true. Here are a few highlights from that day and a few from our honeymoon in Mexico. We had such a blast on the honeymoon too....it was super cheap compared to most honeymoons but super fun :)

 

In the past , to continue the honeymooning fun, we've always gone somewhere fun to celebrate our anniversary. Needless to say, this year we're skipping the trip as our anniversary coincides with the same gestational weeks I got sick with Jack. We're staying put near the house and near our hospital!!!

1st anniversary- Europe

                            I'm eating haggis!

2nd Anniversary- California tour (San Diego, Sacramento for a wedding, and San Francisco)

3rd anniversary- Belated vacation Cruise to Carribean

MFM appointment update

Two posts in a week, aren't you readers lucky! Ok don't answer :P


Anywho, today we had our next appointment with the MFM and things are looking really great! First, they started cervical checks and they want to see it at this stage over 25mm. Mine today is 31mm, which is great! From some quick Google searches I found that over 30mm is preferable so I'm right in the range I should be. Hopefully it stays that way for weeks and weeks!!!

Next, the ultrasound tech did a heartbeat check and baby's heartbeat is 143, which is a little lower than last time so I think baby's heartbeat is leveling out. They say the heartbeat speeds up really fast then slows down and stays in that range so I think that's where baby's at now.

After a quick couple scans, the tech gave us a few pictures. OMG, they were freaky!!!!  It looks like a skull and a turtle, LOL!!!

 

When the MFM came in we asked her if we could get a better picture of baby other than Skeletor, LOL. Baby was showing off kicking around and waving its arms so we were able to easily get better pictures....like this one!

From what the MFM can see, baby's brain is looking great. The cerebellum is perfect and there is no extra fluid on the brain. We can't know for sure if baby has Dandy Walker until the anatomy scan in a few weeks but the MFM says it doesn't seem likely, it seems as though all is developing normally. What a relief!!!

 

As for my blood pressure, she was concerned. We discussed different options including medication. However, since my blood pressure tends to spike and dip back down, being on medication might be dangerous because it could potentially bottom out and with Jim gone all night I really don't want to worry about passing out when I'm home alone. Our best option was to work from home from the couch. Being out of work at 16 weeks plus a maternity leave unpaid is just far too long for us to be without a 2nd income so I'm hopeful that working from the couch works out at least as a temporary solution to keep us going until baby gets here.

 

Other than that we have some big news ....we were able to find out what baby is. That, as previously mentioned, will have to wait for a few weeks. We're planning on having family over for the Bears vs. Packers game and telling them first and then will post here for everyone else to know too! Here is the picture I made for the Facebook event I'm sending to our family members :)