In baby news...

Tomorrow I will be exactly 6 full months pregnant. I can't believe it! I think I always wanted to be at this stage of pregnancy. It's a pretty good stage, if I do say so myself. My belly is much more obviously bearing a child. I have felt full on kicks now and enjoy feeling my baby move around more frequently. And, although I still throw up first thing EVERY SINGLE MORNING, I generally feel really good and am not as achy as I'm sure I will be in the upcoming months. I am far enough along to be putting together his nursery (as you have seen from my previous posts) and even far enough along to be getting ready to register and plan my baby shower! All of this brings me GREAT joy!!!

I did have my most recent OB appointment last Friday. It was pretty quick and simple but a few noteworthy things did happen. First of all, I gained 4 pounds. I was quite surprised and this seemed like a large number. I had only gained 3 pounds in the first trimester (maybe even two). Then, when I went in for my April appointment, when I had my ultrasound, I hadn't gained ANY weight. So, I was surprised that I gained 4 pounds in 4 weeks, but really I've only gained 7 since I got pregnant, and I should expect that it will start increasing more rapidly as the baby gets bigger and bigger. I want to clarify, once again, that I am NOT concerned about my weight in the least bit. I eat and drink whatever I want to with NO concern of caloric intake, only caffeine intake. But, I also know that since I was plus-size before getting pregnant, that I shouldn't gain more than 10-15 pounds, and I want to worry about this weight post-pregnancy as little as possible. So, as much of it that is real baby weight as possible is better for me.

Aside from that, she measured my belly. She didn't say really what it was, but said that the number was good. I mentioned some of the pain I'd been having, saying that I assumed it was just however he was positioned at that moment. She agreed that it was likely but said that it could also be round-ligament pains. I had heard about these before, but was surprised, thinking that round-ligament pains were more constant and more painful than what I was experiencing. Dr. York seemed to think otherwise, though. *Shrug*

By the way, not that I really think she's ever taken me seriously or cared much about my own insight or research into things, but I'm sure that Dr. York thinks I'm a complete retard after hearing about my stomach pain. I jokingly said that it felt like the baby was using my spleen as a pillow, just as I said in my post previously, and she remarks that my spleen is way on the opposite side of my belly and way higher up. I tried to say that I had already admitted to not knowing where my spleen truly is, but I'm positive that my IQ has dropped even more in her opinion. I'm really a smart kid, I promise!

She also seemed to be surprised that I was still throwing up everyday, although I know that some pregnant women just do. She said that I'd be surprised how quickly my body changes after birth. The moment the baby is out, she said she's certain I'll stop throwing up. I was beginning to wonder if my body would be classically conditioned to wake up and do so every morning regardless of my pregnancy, but I'll be glad if that's not the case.

She only listened to Josiah's heartbeat for a few seconds, just making sure it still sounded good. I had told her that I was feeling more definite kicks, and during those few seconds he kicked good and hard twice. It was funny because each time I felt it very clearly and you'd hear a thump on the doppler. I'd say, "Oooh, there was one" and she confirmed that it was. She even added that she could actually see him kick in my belly. I have yet to see my belly actually move, but was pretty excited that SOMEONE could! I tried that night to lay really still in bed and see if I could see any kicks, but he wasn't as active. I've also tried really hard to have Jesse and my mom feel him kick because I'm certain they could if they were there at the right moment, but that has yet to happen as well. My mom was funny when she tried. She's so excited about being a nana and rubs my belly a lot and talks to him, always saying hi and bye when I come or go. So, she wanted to feel it when he was kicking. Well, I asked her, "Oh, did you feel that?" and she said no. So then I said, "Ooh, did you feel that one?" and she said no. I asked again, "Did you feel it now?" and she said with more uncertainty, "Maybe..." So I asked, "Did you feel that one?" and she said in an absolutely pathetic whining voice, "I don't know...!" Jesse, on the other hand, doesn't have the patience to feel it. The kicks are still so sporadic that they can't be predicted at all. I just wait until he's kicking a lot and then have them feel in that spot, hoping he kicks again soon. When we wait in silence, though, and nothing is happening, Jesse just gives up. I understand, but I want him to experience it soon. I think he'll appreciate it when he feels it.

As the final part of my appointment, I was given my juice for my gestational diabetes test. I am scheduled to come back in for my next appointment on June 4th. When I do, I have to eat a well-balanced meal at least 2 hours prior to the appointment. Then after at least an hour has passed, I have to guzzle down my orange-flavored sugar water in 5 minutes and note exactly what time I finished. For the next hour, I cannot put anything in my mouth- no food, no gum, no beverages. And I reach exactly an hour, I need to be having my blood drawn. I am not worried at all about the sugary substance making me sick, but I am very worried about the way it'll taste. If it's really nasty, I suppose I could gag just because of that, and it's even worse that I can't wash out my mouth with anything else for the next hour. I have NOT heard good things about this juice. But, I feel pretty confident that I will pass the test and it'll be over with.

In addition to all of that, once I go to my next appointment, they will cease being every 4 weeks and will start going down to every 2 weeks! So, I'll go again in 4 weeks on June 4th and then my next appointment should be around June 18th and then July 2nd and so on. The significance of that is that I am getting even closer to the end, and will actually probably be in my 3rd trimester by my next appointment or so.

And, in final news, Dr. York told us that with me being 23 weeks (as of that week), that the baby should be able to hear us and detect voices (which I already knew, but find fascinating). She also said that at 24 weeks the baby is considered viable, meaning that if I had to give birth, he would most likely survive it, although she quickly added that we DO NOT want to see him so soon. And, she said that in the next week, he should begin to open his eyes, which I think is pretty cool.

Aside from my appointment, the nursery is coming along (although it is not much further than my previous pictures). I hope to get some more done tonight and will post pictures when it looks more complete than before. I would love to travel to South Africa and New Jersey and Indiana and everywhere in between to do work in your nurseries too. But even though I can't be there, hopefully the little ministry gifts I want to send each of you will be a nice touch to your beautiful (I'm sure of it) nurseries.

I plan on writing another blog again very soon on a very different matter, so check back again soon. It's something really close to my heart.