Week 16, Day 4

I had my 16 week check up yesterday and heard Lil’ Butterbean’s heart beat. It was nice and strong at 140 beats. Seems to have gone down because it started out in the 160’s, then 150’s now 140’s. LBB (Lil’ Butterbean) may have been sleeping though so who knows. Mr. Butterbean Sr. was there of course only wanting to know when we can find out the sex of the baby. Our doctor told us in 2-4 weeks. Mr. Butterbean Sr. wanted 2 weeks and I wanted 4 weeks, so I said lets compromise on 3 weeks. He had a slight attitude. I tried to explain that 18 weeks may be too early to clear a get view of the gender, plus I wanted to be sure everything else is normal (heart, lungs etc). Well Mr. Butterbean Sr. snapped that he knows women who could tell the sex at 16 weeks. So I promptly shut down and got my blood drawn. We did a blood draw for spina bifida. While I was doing that I asked the tech what week she found out what she was having because she is currently due in April. She told me oh between 17 and 20 weeks, then another tech chimed in that its better to wait until 20 weeks because the baby is more developed and the u/s tech is really not concerned about the sex of the baby at all, they are most concerned about organ development and ensuring there are no anomalies. Wow! Sounded just like what I’d said, but by then Mr. Butterbean Sr. had taken his pouty mouth and sat in the lobby. After the blood draw I made my appointment which finalized for Mr. Butterbean Sr. that it would be 3 weeks and not 2. He was quite agitated. I attempted to tell him what the nurse had said, but he continued to be pissy. So I said ‘whatever’ which means so much more in the female language and hopped in my car and drove off.

Mr. Butterbean Sr. is so anxious to find out the sex of our baby. He knows it all because he has carried and delivered numerous babies himself and has a uterus and motherly instinct as well…NOT!

Anywho…the round ligament pain is getting me a bit. Most days I feel so sore and stiff around the waist. The lack of appetite has subsided too and now I can eat, just small portions though. I still have not gained any weight, but this is surely the last week of my regular clothes. I am going to go buy some maternity pants this weekend. Overall I still needs my naps but I am not as tired as before. So maybe the second trimester will be a lot different than the first. I am enjoying it all and taking it all in. Still waiting to feel those first movements though.

I hope everyone is well.

God Bless!

Week 15, Day 1

Where has the time gone? I am at week 15 and feeling pretty darn good. I do have a slight cold, but I think that is due to the fluctuating temperatures in my area.

I am experiencing round ligament pains too. A little more than before. Its more like a soreness than pain. When I sneezed today it hurt and I whinced, but it is all good. My nausea and loss of appetite are still her but very mild. The loss of appetite is still more profound than the nausea. I had a cousin up for the weekend, she has had 5 boys and 1 girl. She told me I am surely having a girl because of my fatigue. I told her we'll see. The lunar calendar says girl too, but a few co-workers say boy. I don't care, I just want healthy! I think I only hae 4 more weeks until we go for the gender scan. How exciting is that?

So, I have fallen off a bit with my treadmill walking, but still doing my legs and arms. Gotta keep this old body in shape and ready to push the little one out.

I hope everyone is doing well out there in the blogosphere! Many Blessings to All!

Thyroid Biopsy

So, I had the biopsy yesterday. I went on Tuesday for a check-up, the doctor was late as ever arriving and I was completely frustrated, but then he was so nice when I finally saw him and fit me in for biopsy so quickly, I let my frustration melt away. I drove to his other office yesterday, only to wait a full 60 mintues before being seen. Talk about enraged. I got the biopsy done and was out of there and when I was leaving another couple was complaining about the 45 minute late appointment with no explanation as to why. I figured I better do a review online so others will know. That's what I'll do when I am done here.



As for the Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) of my thyroid, it went off without a hitch. I was a bit nervous when I saw all the needles but I was equipped witht he 23 Psalm and I recited it over and over through the entire procedure. I mean the whole time that he dug and juuged in my neck, I recited the 23 Psalm. It was comforting and helped me through it. I must say my neck is pretty sore today. He numbed me with one needle and I think the numbing agent stung more than anything else, then he stuck the biopsy needle in and sort of pushed and rotated it around getting a good sampling of the tissue. I hung tough through it and did not bleed much at all.



Now a TWW (two week wait) for results. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for benign cells. Malignant cells = cancer of the thyroid and the entire thing has to be removed. I bind up malignancy and cast it into the botoomless pits of hell where it belongs.



The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters, he restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for His name sake. Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadows of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort. Thy preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thy annointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.

The Second Trimester

Today marks the first day of my second trimester. I am officially 14 weeks along with this pregnancy with 26 more to go. Wow! Time does pass by doesn’t it? Seems like yesterday I was 4 weeks and just finding out about my amazing gift. I weighed myself this morning and I am still at my pre-pregnancy weight, not a pound gained, but I do expect that to change now that the babies development is mostly complete and now is the time for growing. I am expecting a half pound per week, but we will see. I just do not want to gain too much weight since I am already overweight and do not want to add any complications. Plus, my OB has informed me that they want me to do cesarean birth because of the myomectomy. I have opted against that and wrote them a nice long letter explaining why I am opting for a vaginal birth. I had been researching and came across a blog I enjoy reading and she had the same thing happen to her. She researched and wrote a letter and I took from I and wrote one myself. If they refuse to listen, I am going to look into getting a midwife or something and just side-step the whole OB situation altogether. They say they fear uterine rupture, so I figure with my myomectomy being 20 months prior to my first pregnancy and me trying to help myself by controlling weight gain I can have a smooth vaginal birth. No need to eat like a pig and be the size of a cow when I deliver. That’s too much weight to have to lose anyway. I am hoping to gain about 15 pounds total. We shall see.

I think the pangs I feel in my uterus is it expanding and accommodating Lil’ Butterbean. Sometimes I have to rub my tummy to try to cope. I also have some side pain, almost like ovulation pain on my right side. Is that round ligament pain? I try not to worry too much about any of it and let God do what he does. I have been moving along worry free and it is all by God’s grace. I have never been so nonchalant about things before and I never imagined I could be, but when you are blessed with the job of growing a little baby inside of you, the little things do not matter anymore and its only serious business. Today I go in for the thyroid biopsy. In the past I would be sick with worry, but not now. I gave that thing to the Lord God and left it there, that is something I have never been able to do completely. Now I can. BTW, thank you so much Anna for the beautiful prayer. It is so welcomed and appreciated.

So on with enjoying week 14 of my pregnancy. I am still a little nauseous and a have fatigue, but doing very well as far as I can see. Next appointment is 2/26 and I get to hear Lil’ Butterbean’s heartbeat. I can’t wait!

I Fear Not...

because God is in control. It seems so much easier for me to accept then times before. The gift of my child has changed the way I think. I know that if God can bless me with a baby through all my trials, then there is nothing that I am unable to trust him to do.

I went in for my routine thyroid check only to find that one nodule has grown and now I need to have it biopsied. I have not told a soul except the blog world. I don’t want my husband to worry so I think I’ll just wait until I get the results. I got a voicemail from my endocrinologist. I knew something was up because they normally don’t call that quick. But instead of worrying all night, I cradled my belly and told God, ‘I give this to you’ and I went to bed. When I got the news I again said ‘Its in your hands God’ and kept on working. I fear not, the Lord is my Shepard.

Nuchal Fold Testing/Genetic Screening

Yesterday was one of the greatest days of my life. I mean a truly amazing day. I went in to have the Nuchal Fold testing done on Lil’ Butterbean. I got to lay there in awe for about 15 minutes watching my little one propel with his/her legs, suck his/her thumb, hiccup, roll and bob around. The tech was surprised at how active the baby is. She said ‘this one is doing baby aerobics’. We watched it moved in rhythmic motions that surprised both of us. Just by looking at all that action and energy I say it’s a boy, but then again as I watched I thought of my youngest niece and how she jumps and bounces off of everything and I said well maybe a wild girl. But whatever it is I was beaming from ear to ear watching. I am a proud momma already.

Mr. Butterbean Sr. missed the event because he had to work on the snow removal for our area. He has been working for 2 days straight, finally able to go in and relax this morning. We had an appointment this morning to hear the babies heartbeat. Its still nice and strong. Yesterday it was 159 beats! Healthy and strong.

The first part of the nuchal fold test was in range so I am waiting to get the blood work results back. All praises to God.