update

We had a great time at our 20 week ultrasound. It's so neat to see that there is a real little person in there. The first half hour was all measurements and organs and such but the second half hour was lot of great profile views and checking fingers and toes and such. So cute!

And, let's see, oh yeah, they also checked gender!

It's....a......

Boy! I was right!




in other news, I definitely have gallstones but after a diet change and several consultations with doctors and surgeons we are opting not to do surgery unless the situation changes in the next few weeks (while its still slightly less risky to do surgery). After that, Im in it for the long haul. If complications come up I will have to manage them for the duration of the pregnancy, so, lets hope the low fat, gallbladder friendly diet will keep things under control!

im feeling lots of movement from the baby, and lily and I are reading lots of books about having a new baby in the house and being a big sister. She is excited, but we will see how she feels when there is a real baby here, crying and needing attention!


our "its a boy" shopping spree

lily helping me try out the wrap for the new baby (yes, she is up too high on me, but any lower and she squishes the baby, so whatever!)

Sick!

So, I'm 11 weeks pregnant today! Almost out of the first trimester, Hooray! We had a little medical adventure the last few days, and I'm hoping it is resolved and doesnt require any more hospital visits, but it's kind of unlikely.

Long story short, I wound up in the urgent care for severe abdominal pain and vomiting every 20 mins (seriously, every 20 mins, you could set a clock by it!) After over 12 hours of vomiting, everyone was concerned about dehydration, especially since I'm pregnant. Urgent Care turned into an 7 hour emergency room visit, with IV fluids, lots of bloodwork, antinausea meds, an ultrasound to find the source of the pain, and finally---FINALLY--an answer and PAIN MEDICATION! I have gallstones, and apparently lots of pregnant women wind up with gallbladder issues during pregnancy. They admitted me overnight so they could keep an eye on me, keep the iv in for fluids and medications, and so that the surgical staff could review my ultrasound and decide what to do. Although one stone is partially blocking things, there are no signs of infection or anything. It is extremely risky to do surgery while pregnant, and they REALLY dont want to do it in my first trimester (neither do i!)

The plan at this point is for me to take antinausea medications and pain medications as needed (i'm trying not to use much, because they all pose risks to the baby) and, the most important part of the plan, I need to eat an extremely lowfat diet, consisting almost entirely of soft foods. This diet should basically keep the gallbladder out of the loop. As I understand it, this would need to continue on some level through my entire pregnancy to prevent surgery. I have an appointment on Friday with an obstetrician to discuss all of this and make a plan.

At this point, I'm off the antinausea meds and feeling a regular mild morning sickness which I can totally handle, but I'm still in a lot of pain. I have had to take several doses of Tylenol since I've been home, but have been able to cope without the prescription pain pills, which makes me feel a little better.

Fingers crossed that my gallbladder calms down and I dont have to visit the hospital again until October to deliver the baby.

Family Announcement

As most of you have heard, Lily is going to be a big sister! We are very excited about this pregnancy and excited to add another child to our family. We started this blog so we can update (hopefully frequently), and you can catch up with us when you have time, instead of bothering everyone with emails!

Here is Lily, helping us "announce" the news!


And of course, the proof!