16 Weeks & visit from mom and sister

We have made it another 2 weeks and we are now 4 months along! Getting close to the half way mark.

Over the last few days, my mom and sister came to visit me.  They both needed their hair cut and colored and that's my job.  We also got to do some shopping for ourselves and for baby.  We got paint colors picked for baby's room. Pink and white, of course! They both also brought me some clothes for the baby. My mom brought 2 pink outfits that I wore as a baby and some onesies. My sister brought the baby a fuzzy sleeper with a bunny tail, too cute! Also, while they were here I received some baby things that I ordered online for free with coupons. I got a baby sling, a nursing cover and a nursing pillow. I figured why not order them when they were free!  I tried the baby sling out by putting Zinc in it. He wasn't exactly pleased to be carried around in it but it was cute.
Also, while my mom and sister were here, we got pedicures, ate lots of New Mexican food and visited Old Town.

Dinner at El Pinto 

Pedicures

Shopping (Mom's 1st attempt at a selfie)

Zinc in the baby sling

wearing my maternity jeans and flowing top (from my mom)

Yesterday, I had my appointment with the regular OB. This doctor was new to me, since I did nor like my last 2 OB's. This new one seems OK so far. She was very nice and took the time to read through all the history from my fertility doctor and the perinatal specialist.  It was a pretty easy and short appointment except for the waiting that always happens when you go to the doctor.  But we got to listen to baby's heartbeat, which was good at 158 bpm.  The doctor said she must have been sleeping because she could not hear her moving.  This seemed right to me, because the belly seems to get the most uncomfortable in the afternoon.  It feels like everything is stretching and I feel like I am getting kicked in the bladder (which I assume will only get worse). I have another appointment to see the OB in a month.  For right now, I will be having appointment with her once a month, but will go more frequently towards the end. I also will be getting my ultrasounds from the perinatal's office once a month also. These appointments look like they will be 2 weeks apart, so definitely going to appointments every 2 weeks. So, this just means baby is getting checked every 2 weeks, which makes me happy. Less time to worry in between appointments.
Oh, and I had my thyroid tested again over this week and my numbers are still low but no one is concerned still. So I guess that's good too. Just waiting for them to level out. I also was tested for vitamin D and the doctor was surprised that I was not deficient. Yay for me and my prenatal vitamins that appear to be working.
After my doctor visit, I had to get more blood work done. This time it was for a broad spectrum pregnancy level check. I had one last year but apparently I need to be re tested for every new pregnancy. I had to do 3 urine tests also to check for various infections. And then I got a flu shot. I was trying to avoid getting the flu shot but after 2 doctors telling me to get one, I finally caved and got it done. I suppose its not a bad idea since I work so closely with people all day and not all of them are healthy.

Since my last post, I feel like my belly has grown a bit. My mom noticed right away that I look fat/pregnant when she got my house. Wearing my regular jeans even with a belly band is getting uncomfortable. I did buy a couple pairs of maternity jeans and couple pairs of maternity pants to wear to work. I wore my jeans for the first time a few days ago. They are still too big for me and I was pulling them up all day but I was so much more comfortable. According, to my scale at home, (not the doctor's scales which weigh me a lot more than my home scale), I am now up about 3 pounds. Not too bad I guess.
Doctor said to shoot for 20-30 pounds overall.  Also, the doctor said since I am tall I probably won't get as big of a belly as other women but my current belly is already kind of big for 16 weeks, I think. But this little girl stays pretty low in the my belly, so I'm hoping not to get too big.
Here's pictures, as requested:

14 Weeks

I went to the Dr. yet again yesterday. This time was for my thyroid problem but I got an ultrasound too.
I saw the high risk specialist and actually spoke to a Dr. this time.  He looked through all my lab work for the last year, which included blood work I had done for my second pregnancy/miscarriage. I can't believe it has only been year since all that happened.
Anyway, in my blood work everything (and I mean everything, I have been tested for so much) was normal, except for this TSH level which is low.  I had blood work done on 3 other thyroid hormones last week besides the TSH and all the other (T3, T4 and thyroid antibodies) were normal. The Dr. felt my thyroid and its normal size. My blood pressure and pulse were within normal pregnancy range as well. So at this point, Dr. is not concerned but I will need to continue blood work to monitor the thyroid levels for now.  He suspects that pregnancy hormones, especially the HCG, are the reason why my TSH level is low. HCG can act as a thyroid hormone and slightly confuse the brain into thinking that the thyroid is over producing when in reality it is not.
So that is the thyroid situations for now.

I did get to see baby again for another long ultrasound and baby got measured again. Her heart rate was good again at 160 bpm. She measures right on track at 14 weeks. She did have some body parts that measured 5 days ahead.. Her head, belly and legs all measured at 14 weeks and 5 days. The tech did say its not uncommon for baby this early to measure a few days ahead or behind. She is still so tiny. Baby was bouncing and waving. I saw her 5 little fingers and her nose! I love getting these ultrasounds. Eventually, I think they will start doing them once a month instead of every 2 weeks but its been nice.
Since I went to the Dr. this week, I will be going the high risk office once a month for ultrasounds. Which will put me at a Dr. office every 2 weeks. I see the regular OB, finally, in 2 weeks and then 2 weeks after that I am back for an ultrasound. I assume it will be a monthly visit to the OB as well.
I am not complaining about all the extra visits, as long as baby keeps doing well.

Baby Girl @ 14 Weeks

I posted this pic on instagram yesterday but I realize not all my blog readers are on or follow me on instagram. I was looking at all my ultrasounds pictures and it is amazing to me how much baby has grown in just 8 weeks. And how much she has grown from the tiny microscopic embryo that was implanted 3 months ago. I can't wait to see more growth!

I am little late adding this to the post but here is another belly pic. At 14 weeks

not much of a different from 12 weeks

Late Test Results/13 weeks

I was hoping to avoid posting an update for a while. Not because I don't like updating but because I was hoping not to have anything happen worth posting about.
Things don't ever seem to come easy to me in regards to having a baby.
Thankfully, this is not a tragic update.
When I last saw my IVF dr, they sent me for a blood test to test my thyroid, even though it was always tested within normal range. I suppose it was just to make sure.  Well, it has been 3 weeks since I had that test and I never received a call about the results, which I assumed meant everything was fine.  This had been how I had gotten results before, no call meant all was fine and a call meant that something needed to be adjusted.
About 2 days ago, a nurse from my IVF dr called to say  that my thyroid test showed low levels of TSH, which meant my thyroid was over producing and asked if my OB had done anything about it. Well I haven't seen my OB because I couldn't get in until the end of Feb. So I got sent for another blood draw to what my thyroid is doing now 3 weeks later. I was hoping that my levels had just dropped due to all the medications and extra hormones I had been on and that being so close to the second trimester that the levels had gone back to normal.  The nurse told me the symptoms for my levels being low are, heart palpation (my heart races occasionally), feeling jittery (nope), shortness of breath (nope), insomnia (nope). I generally feel pretty good lately.
Well, no such luck. My TSH level is lower than it was 3 weeks ago  So I'm going to see the high risk specialist again, next week. Probably actually, see a Dr this time.  I suspect this appointment will have 1 of 2 outcomes. I'll be medicated for the remainder of the pregnancy, to avoid, high blood pressure (preeclampsia), preterm labor in the third trimester and to help me gain weight. Or they will just monitor me because sometimes TSH levels return to normal once the baby starts producing its own around 18 weeks.
i'd rather not be medicated since I have rad some scary reports on how bad the side effects can be  but I have also read that the risks to me and later baby (with preterm labor or preeclampsia) are worth taking the meds at lowest does possible.
I cant seem to catch a break. I finally got off all my prescription meds and now I might have to go back on one. Seems like I'll do anything to get this baby here!

On a brighter note: I am 13 weeks today and officially in the 2nd trimester! Big milestone here! and I checked for baby's heartbeat this morning and found her. she is always hiding and moving around.
13 down, 27 more to go!


update after dr appt on Thursday!

12 weeks 4 Days - Specialist Appt.

Today, I had to get up super early to go to my appt at the perinatal specialist office (high risk pregnancy specialist).  I hate these morning appts,. I don't know why I keep making them for myself. But anyway, We saw the genetic counselor, who told us that basically we are consider "low risk" because of our age, no family history of genetic disorders and baby already tested negative for genetic abnormalities. She gave us the option of doing more blood work to sequence baby's DNA again but we declined since we already had her DNA tested.
After meeting with the counselor, we saw an ultrasound tech for some pictures of the baby and to have measurements taken of her.  The measurements showed that baby is the right size and measuring right on track. Also, had the back of her neck measured, which can determine if baby has Down's or other genetic conditions. Baby measured normal, so no concerns there. (another reason we declined further genetic testing.)
Since baby was all normal, we didn't need to see a doctor. But I do get to go for another ultrasound in a month. I love being able to see baby, makes me so much less nervous every time we see her and she gets bigger and her little heart is still beating.  In the ultrasound today, we saw baby bouncing a little and her hands were up. We saw her tiny nose and her heart was beating at a normal rate of 153 bpm.  She was very chill and I had to wiggle around to get her to move some so the tech could get a better angle on her for some measurements. This was probably the first time both baby and I were chill going to a dr appt.

baby girl at 12 weeks and 4 days

I recently made my first baby purchase. A tiny pink tutu! (How practical of me) I showed Greg and he was not as enthusiastic about it as I am.  He'll come around. ; )

I have been starting to feel a little better. The nausea I get from eating still happens from time to time but not as often as it had been happening.  I have less migraines too.  I seem to get them if I am really tired. I am trying to eat healthier even though healthy food hasn't been tasting all that well lately.I have not gained any weight so far.  Still within my usual fluctuating range and most of the time at the lower end of that range.  I suppose that will start changing.

I have had a request (Ashley) for pictures of my belly. I appear to have a little bit of a belly. Mostly bloat though, since baby is still very tiny. But my normal flat belly has disappeared. The size of my bloated belly varies from day to day. Definitely smaller in the morning and grows through out the day. Here's a midday belly picture.

I don't think I will have any updates for a while. My next appt is with the regular OB at the end of Feb.  Hopefully, nothing will happen that I will need to update the blog with until then. So ready for second trimester! We have already surpassed all my previous pregnancies and the second trimester will be a big milestone for me! And maybe I won't worry so much but that probably won't happen.