Really, how could I not? I'm rocking a little baby bump (which is more of a bloat bump, but whatever!)... We are pregnant and that's the best Christmas present I ever could've asked for, EVER!!!
Since my last post about the twins, we've had another ultrasound which showed that sadly, Baby B stopped growing. The doctor had warned us that's what he thought would happen so we were prepared for the worst. Yes, we are sad that we lost a baby. Especially after seeing that heartbeat! BUT, I still believe everything happens for a reason. Every. Single. Thing. The RE said a singleton pregnancy is SO much safer for me and baby. Which I already knew of course. And the fact that Baby B stopped growing means there was probably an issue. I'm happy that the baby didn't continue growing only to suffer later on.
At that ultrasound we got to HEAR Baby A's heartbeat. It was THE most amazing sound in the world! My jaw dropped, and I looked over at Danny (who had a great view of the u/s screen) and he had the biggest grin on his face... Bigger than I've ever seen I think!
Nurse Connie whipped her head around and said "Whoa, that's a strong heart beat!" Of course it is! That baby is a fighter! Not to mention that tiny heart was beating at an amazing 169 beats per minute!
Dr H told me that we don't have to come back until we want another. HA! We will see about that. He also asked that we please keep them updated, AND SEND PICTURES. You could tell in his face that he LOVES making dreams come true and helping people like us bring babies into this world! Connie asked that I PLEASE update her on EVERYTHING and to keep emailing her. She and Danny joked back and forth a bit, and then we were on our way. With the sad news of one less baby, but with a beautiful picture of Fighter Baby.
The next day I had my first OB appointment, where I didn't even see my OB, just a nurse. The experience was... less than I had hoped for. I don't even feel like sharing the whole thing because nothing made me happy at all (except that the Lab lady is good at drawing blood and didn't bruise me).
I have another OB appointment TOMORROW, when I WILL see my OB. Hopefully this appointment will go better!
After hearing the heartbeat at Dr H's, I knew I needed to order a Doppler. Most people can't find a heartbeat that early on a Doppler, and I knew that would probably be me, but I wanted to have it so when I COULD hear it, I could listen any time I want. Danny's dad had dropped off our Christmas gifts early and I spent that money on the Sonoline B Doppler (from Fetaldoppler.net).
The Doppler shipped FAST and it came before I was expecting it. Of course I ripped open the box, squirted the (freezing cold) gel on my abdomen, and started moving the probe around... listening... There were lots of heart-beat-y-type noises in there!! Danny came out of the bedroom with a smile on his face, until I told him those heart beats were ME. So then he tried moving it around on my abdomen, pushing harder than I was. Nothing. All we could pick up was me. I assumed Baby was just behind my pelvic bone, and cleaned up and packed the Doppler up. I decided I'd try again in a few days or a week, after watching more youtube videos with tips.
A few days or a week turned into the next night. I was just determined! I wanted Faith to be able to hear it when she came over on Christmas, and I'm just not a patient person! I watched two more videos, with good tips, and tried again. Danny was off watching a hockey game so the house was completely silent. I spent quite a bit of time moving the probe slowly and listening hard... AND I FOUND IT!! Twice!!!! The amazing heartbeat was 165 both times! It would be a while before Danny would be home, so I packed up the Doppler and started wrapping presents (I really procrastinated this year with wrapping, for the first AND LAST time ever).
The next day was Christmas Eve, and Danny had to work. I went to my mom's and baked some cookies, and we went and got some groceries. When I finally made it home, I whipped the Doppler out again. I found the heartbeat IMMEDIATELY! I'm getting good ;) Danny walked in and I asked if he wanted to listen, which he did, duh. So I let him hear the amazing sound... That day the heart beat was in the 150's.
Christmas Eve and Christmas day seemed to really FLY by. We were playing Scattegories at my parents' house last night when someone named "heating pad" with things that start with H... And I realized we were TWO HOURS LATE on my shot! The shot that has to be taken with 26 hours of the last. We have always done the shot within 24 hours. So I FREAKED OUT. Threw my boots on, gathered up all of Faith's gifts, and we ran out the door (and dang it, I had a double pointer on that list!). We made it home and rushed the shot. My last one will be Thursday and let me tell you HOW EXCITED I am to not have any more shots! They are painful for one, and I am SO SICK of always having to be home at 5:00, no matter what. It really is annoying!
After my shot and after Faith and Danny were settled in playing games and what-not, I decided I was going to try the Doppler for Faith to hear... Baby was NOT cooperating, but I managed to catch him (yes, gut feeling says HIM) for a few sweet seconds. Faith's face was PRICELESS, and she then squealed "That's so cute!!!" Ha!! I cleaned up and told her we could keep trying and over time it would get easier and easier. She's excited :) She told me "I will be happy with a brother or sister, but I would be SO SO SO happy if it IS a brother." This, from the girl who wrote "a brother" on her school paper that asked her what she wants most in the world. She is the sweetest.
So. There is the update of the past couple of weeks! Now on to how I'm doing...
I already voiced how sick I am of these shots! I'm starting to bleed more and more with them, because there just aren't any places left that aren't bruised or sore. It's a pain in my rear... literally!
My morning sickness has basically left the building (and yes I'm knocking on wood now). It's still a little early for it to be because it has just passed. It started easing up around the day we seen that Baby B was gone (there is still a gestational sac and yolk sac in there, but no baby, so the hormone being produced by the sac was a lot less than what was being produced by the baby, and the sac should vanish any time now). So I truly believe the only reason I had it that bad was because I had twice the hormone racing through my body.
The fact that my sickness is basically gone now that there's only one makes me think BOY BOY BOY.
My "cravings" also point to BOY BOY BOY. Sweets, which I normally eat daily (multiple times a day), taste very BLEH to me. Ice cream included. Yes, ice cream which I LOVE AND NEED ALL THE TIME is not something I want anymore. I haven't had it in... two weeks or so. I did have a strawberry shake a few nights ago because I was hot and needed something cold and kind of heavy so I wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night hungry... And EWW. I drank it, eventually... But it took a long time and it just didn't taste good. Anything sweet just tastes OFF....
What DO I want? CHEESE. Mac and cheese. Chili cheese dogs. Nachos. CHEESE. Pieces of cheese. Have I mentioned CHEESE?! I also crave potatoes.... Baked, with lots of butter and shredded CHEESE. Also, french fries. Lots and LOTS of french fries. Mmmm and SALTY!!!
My bloat started out very high (and huge) thanks to the OHSS bloat. I'm still bloated and all that goodness, but the bump has dropped CONSIDERABLY. Right where my pants button... Which is why I have zero jeans that will button (and only one pair that even feels comfortable, and that's thanks to the rubber band trick).
Many people are saying that a high heartbeat means girls... But from all of my research (before we even heard the heartbeat) I read that in the first 10-12 weeks, boys and girls are both about the same. The heart forms at around 6 weeks, and it starts slow. Then a couple weeks later it really speeds up because EVERYTHING is forming, EVERY SINGLE THING. That heart has to pump blood everywhere so everything can get going! Then around 10-12 weeks, boys' heart rates start to slow down (for SOME), while girls' stay high (again, FOR SOME). There are always exceptions to the rule. I was, for one. The nurse told my mom I was a boy for sure (because of my heart rate, not because of an ultrasound lol), but she knew my heart rate was very different from my brothers'. My brothers all had the typical heart rate of girls (haha!!). So my mom knew from experience that I was different from my brothers early on.
Now let's look at Baby's heart rates...
At 6 weeks 6 days = 126
At 8 weeks 6 days = 169
At 9 weeks 3 days = 165 (if the Doppler was accurate)
At 9 weeks 4 days = 153 (if the Doppler was accurate)
We picked up Baby's heartbeat last night, like I said, but Baby was so far back that I couldn't get it loud enough for the number to be picked up.
So there you go, you can see how the heart beat started out low, shortly after forming, and then jumping up when the rest of the body started really forming, and now is slowly coming back down. Down? Oh yeah, another BOY indication ;) I talked to one of our wonderful friends who recently had a boy. She had an ultrasound when her baby was 9 weeks 3 days, and it showed a heart rate at 168. Right along the line of our Baby. Did I mention she had a boy?? ;)
So there you have it. There is every update you could possibly want... Oh... Do you want to see the pic of Baby Crabb?! :)
This amazing little baby is so loved already! And is even getting gifts!! Aunt Danielle, Uncle Ryan and baby Presley (okay, she's not a baby anymore) got Baby some ADORABLE little booty shoes with CRABS ON THEM!!! They are so stinkin' cute!! And we are meeting up with our friends that recently had a little boy for dinner this weekend, and they have a little gift for Baby, too.
There are days when I really just can't believe I'm pregnant. Unless I'm feeling sick (which is less and less often), I just don't feel any different. Maybe that's why I use the Doppler so much... Because I need that reassurance that this isn't all a dream. This is REAL LIFE. And there's a baby in me!!! :)
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