Frequent Flier Miles....

Can you earn frequent flier miles for weekly appointments with the doc?

Andy and I went to our follow up appointment with Maternal Fetal Medicine this morning. The baby doubled in size from our appointment 4 weeks ago which is good. Even better, the doc said that the baby appears healthy, organs are all functioning as expected. However, Baby Osika weighed in at only 1lb 9oz and most babies at 25 weeks would be 2lbs. So, with that, we are now scheduled for weekly appointments until this Baby makes an appearance. They plan on monitoring the growth and organs on a weekly basis. The doc did say there is nothing to worry about at this point, but it still makes us worried and doubtful when we have to go on a weekly basis. Some may wonder if the due date is off. I asked that question. The doctor confirmed that the early ultra sound at 11 weeks is extremely accurate and therefore they are sticking with the original due date.

So, for now, just keep your fingers crossed that this baby remains healthy and continues to grow throughout the rest of the pregnancy.

Monthly Baby Check Up

Andy and I had our 24 week check up this morning at 10am at May Grant Associates. It's amazing how quick these appointments are (that is the actual appointment....NOT the time in the waiting room). Andy and I had to chuckle at the fact that pre-natal care is so important but the appointment consists of listening to the heart beat, measuring the belly, and answering any questions. Besides the wait, it usually takes 5 minutes! Anyways, good report from the Nurse Mid-Wife. Baby's heart rate was 143 (lowest it's been thus far, generally around 150-151) and my belly measured at 24cm. The Nurse Midwife said the belly usually measures in accordance with how far along in your pregnancy you are (24cm-24weeks).

We are scheduled for a follow up appointment with Maternal Fetal Medicine on Tuesday, Sept. 29th at 8:15am.

Our next monthly check-up is scheduled for Thursday, October 15th at 7:40am. Prior to this appointment I have to get a diabetes screening done where I get to indulge in a tasty sugar cocktail, wait one hour, and then get blood drawn. If I pass this test, I'm in the clear. If not, I have a three hour test to follow.

Stay tuned for an update on Tuesday from the specialist.....

Do you hear what I hear?

I recently read in one of my weekly pregnancy updates that daddy-to-be might be able to hear the baby's heart beat if he puts his head on mommy's belly. Andy and I are going to experiment and see if we have any luck!

I am now at 24 weeks. There are times when I feel like time is going slow but then I realize that summer is over, fall has arrived, and before you know it, it will be Christmas. When I think about it that way, it's going to be here before I know it.

My belly is surely growing. I'm slowly losing my "inny" belly button as it's trying to convert to an "outy!" I'm also noticing that people who don't personally know me (mainly fellow gym-goers) are now brave enough to ask when I'm due. I guess I'm past the "looking fat stage" and now officially look pregnant enough that anyone can ask and not worry about insulting me.

Andy and I have almost knocked another thing off of our baby to-do list....daycare! After visiting quite a few centers, we narrowed it down to three places that we re-visited over the past three weeks during busy hours. We had the opportunity to meet with the teachers and observe how they interact with the infants. It's amazing how your perspective changes when you enter a nursery where the kids are all quiet and peaceful vs. a nursery where the kids are crying and carrying on. I know that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the day care but it still has an impact on your impression. We are now debating how important convenience of location is over the "ideal" day care. There are so many things that people consider when choosing a daycare, how do you know which one should be the deciding factor? Some of the things we've considered were location, Keystone Stars affiliation, NAEYC accredited, staff turn over, cost, and "perks" included within the weekly fee (snacks, hot meals, diapers, etc.). It's a lot of pressure knowing that your child's every day happiness is at stake!

Post Baby Race Goal....

Mommy participated in the Philly Distance Run, 13.1 miles, in 2007 and 2008. But, this year I chose to sit out as a 6 month pregnant mommy-to-be. However, I still participated, on the sidelines, cheereing for Aunt Katie as she completed her first 1/2 Marathon.

However, you can look for me in 2010 as I already have a post-baby race goal....2010 Philly Distance Run.....here we come! I'll be sporting a shirt that says "Run like a Mother!" So, how crazy am I? I'll be attempting training while taking care of a new baby! Do I have any volunteers to babysitt when I have to do my long training runs? Mark your calendar for September 19, 2010.....All cheerleaders and participants are welcome (Get $10 off registration by using code PDRROCKS until 11/30/2009)!

5 Miles w/o a Potty Break....Huge Accomplishment!

Mommy and Baby participated in the Pretzel Twist 5 miler in Lititz, PA on Saturday, September 19, 2009. We couldn't have asked for more perfect running weather. The run started off chilly but once we got the blood flowing we were good to go. Mommy was happy to have lots of running partners, Rosie, Liz, Dan, and Giada. We had some great cheerleaders too; Daddy, Aunt Katie, Uncle Tim, Cheyenne, and Wembley! Mommy finished her five miles in about 54 minutes. But, even more impressive.....I did the whole five miles without a pit stop in the corn fields for a potty break! Yahoo!

Baby is hungry....

23 weeks

9-16-2009

The baby must be growing because my appetite feels like it's out of control! I've noticed an increase in my appetite in the past week. I'm still trying to eat healthy and get plenty of exercise. This baby may just come out running! In addition to the increased appetite, there continues to be lots of movement. I often get punched or kicked and even get the occasional head butt! And to top it all off, I feel the baby punching and dancing on my bladder.....he/she sure likes to groove!

As we progress through this pregnancy we are trying to stay active and participate in races just as we did last year (well, the shorter distances anyway). Daddy-to-be completed his 2nd half ironman this past Saturday (for those of you who don't know, this consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run). Mommy-to-be will be participating in a 5 mile race in Lititz, PA on Saturday before heading off to Philly to cheer her little sister on in the Philly Distance Run (1/2 marathon, 13.1 miles).

Other projects on the radar before the arrival of Baby Osika; select a day care, complete the baby registry, choose a pediatrician, get the nursery ready, and some other things around the house that have been on the "honey do list" for quite some time (painting the kitchen).

We are scheduled for our next monthly check up on Saturday, September 26th at 10am. We will then have a 4 week follow-up with Maternal Fetal Medicine on Tuesday, September 29th at 8:15am. I am hoping with the increased appetite that the baby is growing as expected. I know I see the numbers on the scale go up so Baby Osika surely has to be growing!

22 weeks along...

According to http://www.thebump.com/ Baby Osika is about the size of a papaya from weeks 21-24 and ranging in size from 10.5-11.8in and weighing in at 12.7-20.8oz.

Check out what else he/she is up to....

"Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop."

It's nights like these, where I don't get home from work until after 7pm that I wonder how it will all be possible once the baby comes. As I sit down to write this I feel as if I have a million things yet to do but at the same time my bedtime is quickly approaching. I guess I need to learn to let go of my "to-do" list sooner rather than later. I guess I just feel like everything will fall apart if I can't keep up. All of the mother's out there are probably just laughing and nodding their head at me right now.

Anyways, at 22 weeks along I am feeling lots of baby movement. Andy has also been able to partake in this amazing part of pregnancy. The look on his face every time he feels the baby move is enough to make my heart melt.

We've also been tackling a lot of baby related items that needed to be taken care of pre-baby. For instance, we finalized our will this weekend and we are in the process of getting life insurance (our blood and urine samples will be taken at our house tomorrow morning). I also spent a lot of time this past weekend clearing out the soon to be nursery and also making room for the bottles and what not in the kitchen cabinets. Another item we are trying to wrap up is our child care selection. We have it narrowed down to three and are visiting each one over the next three weeks during the day so we can observe how the teachers interact with the infants. Today we went to Children's Corner at Moravian Manor. We were very happy with everything we saw and look forward to the other two so we can get a good comparison. Oh, and even more exciting, I booked my maternity photos with a photographer that a good friend recommended. Our photo shoot is scheduled for November 7th at 4pm. I'll be right around 31 weeks (apparantly the belly is ideal between 30-32 weeks). You can check out her work at http://www.photographybytessie.com/. I know a lot of people had questioned me on exactly what maternity photos were. So, I'm including some of my photographer's work below for you to view: