It's been awhile since I've updated. Life with Cori is hectic, but so rewarding. She had her two month checkup last week. She now weighs 13 lbs, 10 oz (90th percentile), is 59 cm tall (50th percentile height), and is in the 75th percentile for her head measurement.
She talks up a storm all day long and loves to say "ah-goo". She constantly tries to sit up while laying on her back, which results in her basically doing crunches over and over. She loves tummy time and is learning how to raise her upper body off the floor using her hands.
We are still co-sleeping and loving it. We get a lot of judgment for it, but it is the ideal sleep situation for all of us. I must be the best rested new mommy ever! Breastfeeding is also going amazingly well. We never have to supplement with formula and I'm getting more confident about being able to discreetly nurse in public. Cloth diapering is going great. Jesse loves it, I love it, and best - no diaper rashes yet!
Cori got her first shot last week, and we took her back two days ago for two more. The doctor was very supportive of us only letting her get 2 at the most at one time, which I am very thankful for.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
September 26, 2009
Cori Aletta has finally made her appearance!
She was born on September 23rd at 14:29 KST. She weighed 3460 grams (roughly 7 lbs, 10 oz), and was 50 cm long (just under 20 inches). She has a head full of dark hair and is just absolutely perfect.
I tried to remember everything as best I could, but I was pretty out of it with lots of intense contractions.
I had my 41 week checkup on September 22nd at 9am. My doctor decided then to go ahead and induce me since I'd been having painful labor contractions for about a month. I was almost completely effaced, but not dilated. My doctor decided to put me on Pitocin and see how my body and the baby reacted. If i didn't progress, he was to send me home and I'd continue to wait it out.
Around 10am, I was put on Pitocin. The contractions came soon after, but they weren't anymore intense than what I'd already been having for weeks. At about 3:30pm, I was checked and at 2 cm, but still not fully effaced. He decided to turn the Pitocin off and gave me a vaginal suppository to help finish effacing me. I was 2cm when the doctor checked me for the last time on evening of the 22nd.
When he came back in on the morning of the 23rd, (I believe it was about 6am), I was checked and at 4cm, still not fully effaced. The contractions were horrendous in pain by this point and so close together that I was having trouble breathing through them. Four hours later, I was checked again and still at 4cm. I was extremely disappointed because of the excruciating pain I'd been in for hours now. At this point, my doctor decided to break my water. Boy, was that a weird feeling. After a little poking and prodding, I felt a huge gush of very warm liquid. The contractions only worsened from there, as he also turned the Pitocin back on.
Much to my own disappointment, I decided to ask for an epidural. My husband tried coaxing me out of it, but I was in so much pain, I had to give in and ask. My doctor said that he highly discouraged me from getting it because it would drastically slow my progress. I didn't care at that point and kept begging for it. He kept putting it off, and somewhere around two or so hours later, he finally agreed to give it to me. I was still at 4cm when I received the epidural. All the epidural did was slightly numb my toes and slightly took the edge off of the contractions. I was still having to breathe and concentrate through the contractions and I could still feel pretty much everything.
Thirty minutes later, when the doctor came in and saw that I was still breathing very heavily, he asked me if the epidural had worked. I told him I didn't think so, and he started touching different parts of my lower body to check my reactions. I felt everything, so he agreed to give me one more dosage. I had the same reaction as before, and could still feel every little contraction. This was somewhere around 1:15pm, I think, and he told me I was 5cm dilated.
Another thirty minutes later, he came in to check for dilation. After he checked, he went over to the phone and called a nurse in. He was speaking Korean, so I had no idea what he was saying, but I was pretty sure I had heard the word "push". When he got off, he came over and said "Okay, you are over 9 cm, almost completely dilated and ready to push." I looked at my husband, looked back at the doctor and said "I'M 9 CENTIMETERS? I was at a 5 just 30 minutes ago." He replied with "Yes, you progressed extremely fast. You will be ready to push in just a few minutes."
The nurses came in and they all started prepping the room at this point for delivery. My doctor told me I was probably going to push between 1 and 2 hours. He told me that as soon as I felt the urge to bear down to just let him know and do what my body told me to. I was already feeling the urge to start pushing, so I did.
After only a push or two, my doctor told me that he could see her. Another push or two, and I heard Jesse say "I can see her head, you are doing so good, she's right there, she has hair!!" Talk about motivation!
After only about ten total minutes of pushing, she came out and was placed on my chest. I could never put into words the emotions I felt when I looked down and saw this beautiful being laying on my body. The doctor clamped the cord and handed the scissors to my husband to cut the cord. He described cutting the cord as very squishy and was told to cut slowly. As soon as he made the cut, he said lots of blood poured from it, and he described it as "really cool". I sort of held her for a few minutes up by my shoulder and face, and then she was whisked away to the nursery.
My husband and I have never experienced such joy when we saw her and no words would ever describe our feelings.
Since I tore quite a bit, and had an episiotomy it took the doctor about 40 minutes to fully stitch me up and for me to expel the placenta. I was moved to recovery soon thereafter, and a couple of hours later, our beautiful baby girl was brought to us. Our time away from her was just unbearable. We had worked so hard and only wanted to finally spend time with the little one we had been so anxiously awaiting to meet.
Right when she was brought to the room, she was handed to me and we had our first nursing sesion. She seemed to have a perfect latch and suck the first day that she was born. After about 24 hours of birth, the nutrionist decided that since she had lost a few ounces, she needed to have formula supplemented. Breastfeeding went downhill from there, and I am pretty angry with the nutrionist. We are trying to get back on track, and hopefully it won't take too long.
I will say that labor and delivery was very, very hard for me. I'm not even going to lie - it was, without a doubt, the absolute most excruciating pain I have ever felt. I was expecting the worst, and L&D just took it to a whole new level of pain. I've questioned in the days since she was born whether I could ever do that again for another baby. I feel like a lot of the blame of that is on my doctor. While he is a good doctor and I was happy with my prenatal care, I was more than disappointed with how he took care of L&D. I was made to lay on my back for hours, and even when I told him "okay, I just need to get up and walk for a few minutes, I can't lay here like this anymore", he just kept saying I couldn't. I was just made to lay there with an electronic fetal monitor on me for hours. The pressure on my back was unbearable and it literally hurts me to remember how I felt during that time. I feel very confident that I could have made it through labor and delivery without an epidural if only I could have been allowed to do what I felt my body was telling me to.
I really think labor & delivery would have been so much more empowering if I could have been made to feel more like a mother and less like a sick patient.
Cori is so worth it. She truly is. She is the most peaceful baby right now, and I just can't get enough of her. I took a nap with her earlier while Jesse played Xbox with Colin and Stephanie. I have never slept so well in my entire life. I just opened up my eyes every once in awhile, and I wanted to cry because my heart is just so very full. It's true that you will never experience the kind of love for your own child with anyone but your own child. I knew it would be amazing, but my god - I never knew it could be this great. I hope I never forget the euphoria I've felt since I birthed this beautiful little girl. I am in absolute astonishment that my husband and I created this life. I have nurtured this little girl for 40 long weeks, and now she is really here in this world with us. I have never felt so fulfilled as I do when I look into the eyes of my daughter and her father.
She was born on September 23rd at 14:29 KST. She weighed 3460 grams (roughly 7 lbs, 10 oz), and was 50 cm long (just under 20 inches). She has a head full of dark hair and is just absolutely perfect.
I tried to remember everything as best I could, but I was pretty out of it with lots of intense contractions.
I had my 41 week checkup on September 22nd at 9am. My doctor decided then to go ahead and induce me since I'd been having painful labor contractions for about a month. I was almost completely effaced, but not dilated. My doctor decided to put me on Pitocin and see how my body and the baby reacted. If i didn't progress, he was to send me home and I'd continue to wait it out.
Around 10am, I was put on Pitocin. The contractions came soon after, but they weren't anymore intense than what I'd already been having for weeks. At about 3:30pm, I was checked and at 2 cm, but still not fully effaced. He decided to turn the Pitocin off and gave me a vaginal suppository to help finish effacing me. I was 2cm when the doctor checked me for the last time on evening of the 22nd.
When he came back in on the morning of the 23rd, (I believe it was about 6am), I was checked and at 4cm, still not fully effaced. The contractions were horrendous in pain by this point and so close together that I was having trouble breathing through them. Four hours later, I was checked again and still at 4cm. I was extremely disappointed because of the excruciating pain I'd been in for hours now. At this point, my doctor decided to break my water. Boy, was that a weird feeling. After a little poking and prodding, I felt a huge gush of very warm liquid. The contractions only worsened from there, as he also turned the Pitocin back on.
Much to my own disappointment, I decided to ask for an epidural. My husband tried coaxing me out of it, but I was in so much pain, I had to give in and ask. My doctor said that he highly discouraged me from getting it because it would drastically slow my progress. I didn't care at that point and kept begging for it. He kept putting it off, and somewhere around two or so hours later, he finally agreed to give it to me. I was still at 4cm when I received the epidural. All the epidural did was slightly numb my toes and slightly took the edge off of the contractions. I was still having to breathe and concentrate through the contractions and I could still feel pretty much everything.
Thirty minutes later, when the doctor came in and saw that I was still breathing very heavily, he asked me if the epidural had worked. I told him I didn't think so, and he started touching different parts of my lower body to check my reactions. I felt everything, so he agreed to give me one more dosage. I had the same reaction as before, and could still feel every little contraction. This was somewhere around 1:15pm, I think, and he told me I was 5cm dilated.
Another thirty minutes later, he came in to check for dilation. After he checked, he went over to the phone and called a nurse in. He was speaking Korean, so I had no idea what he was saying, but I was pretty sure I had heard the word "push". When he got off, he came over and said "Okay, you are over 9 cm, almost completely dilated and ready to push." I looked at my husband, looked back at the doctor and said "I'M 9 CENTIMETERS? I was at a 5 just 30 minutes ago." He replied with "Yes, you progressed extremely fast. You will be ready to push in just a few minutes."
The nurses came in and they all started prepping the room at this point for delivery. My doctor told me I was probably going to push between 1 and 2 hours. He told me that as soon as I felt the urge to bear down to just let him know and do what my body told me to. I was already feeling the urge to start pushing, so I did.
After only a push or two, my doctor told me that he could see her. Another push or two, and I heard Jesse say "I can see her head, you are doing so good, she's right there, she has hair!!" Talk about motivation!
After only about ten total minutes of pushing, she came out and was placed on my chest. I could never put into words the emotions I felt when I looked down and saw this beautiful being laying on my body. The doctor clamped the cord and handed the scissors to my husband to cut the cord. He described cutting the cord as very squishy and was told to cut slowly. As soon as he made the cut, he said lots of blood poured from it, and he described it as "really cool". I sort of held her for a few minutes up by my shoulder and face, and then she was whisked away to the nursery.
My husband and I have never experienced such joy when we saw her and no words would ever describe our feelings.
Since I tore quite a bit, and had an episiotomy it took the doctor about 40 minutes to fully stitch me up and for me to expel the placenta. I was moved to recovery soon thereafter, and a couple of hours later, our beautiful baby girl was brought to us. Our time away from her was just unbearable. We had worked so hard and only wanted to finally spend time with the little one we had been so anxiously awaiting to meet.
Right when she was brought to the room, she was handed to me and we had our first nursing sesion. She seemed to have a perfect latch and suck the first day that she was born. After about 24 hours of birth, the nutrionist decided that since she had lost a few ounces, she needed to have formula supplemented. Breastfeeding went downhill from there, and I am pretty angry with the nutrionist. We are trying to get back on track, and hopefully it won't take too long.
I will say that labor and delivery was very, very hard for me. I'm not even going to lie - it was, without a doubt, the absolute most excruciating pain I have ever felt. I was expecting the worst, and L&D just took it to a whole new level of pain. I've questioned in the days since she was born whether I could ever do that again for another baby. I feel like a lot of the blame of that is on my doctor. While he is a good doctor and I was happy with my prenatal care, I was more than disappointed with how he took care of L&D. I was made to lay on my back for hours, and even when I told him "okay, I just need to get up and walk for a few minutes, I can't lay here like this anymore", he just kept saying I couldn't. I was just made to lay there with an electronic fetal monitor on me for hours. The pressure on my back was unbearable and it literally hurts me to remember how I felt during that time. I feel very confident that I could have made it through labor and delivery without an epidural if only I could have been allowed to do what I felt my body was telling me to.
I really think labor & delivery would have been so much more empowering if I could have been made to feel more like a mother and less like a sick patient.
Cori is so worth it. She truly is. She is the most peaceful baby right now, and I just can't get enough of her. I took a nap with her earlier while Jesse played Xbox with Colin and Stephanie. I have never slept so well in my entire life. I just opened up my eyes every once in awhile, and I wanted to cry because my heart is just so very full. It's true that you will never experience the kind of love for your own child with anyone but your own child. I knew it would be amazing, but my god - I never knew it could be this great. I hope I never forget the euphoria I've felt since I birthed this beautiful little girl. I am in absolute astonishment that my husband and I created this life. I have nurtured this little girl for 40 long weeks, and now she is really here in this world with us. I have never felt so fulfilled as I do when I look into the eyes of my daughter and her father.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
August 30, 2009
Well, time is certainly winding down. It's hard to remember that sometimes, but I know it really is. I am 37 weeks pregnant today, and we had our 37 week appointment yesterday. The little miss is still measuring 2 weeks ahead. She's apparently got a big head and long legs... sounds like her daddy. :)
My cervix is posterior, which just means the baby hasn't dropped totally yet, and he had trouble reaching it to check for dilation or effacement. I've been doing so much walking, bouncing on a birth ball, and everything else he suggested, but she still hasn't dropped as much as she needs to to really get labor started.
I've been having constant contractions that aren't too painful, but are just very uncomfortable and my whole abdomen gets tight. He decided to do a NST (non stress test) to make sure Cori wasn't under any stress with all of the contractions I've been having. He hooked me up to the EFM (electronic fetal monitor), and sure enough, I was having contractions every TWO minutes constantly. Luckily, her heart rate went up during each contraction and she got super active, which means the contractions aren't putting her under any stress. I was happy to hear that. I was also happy to learn that my Group B Strep test came back totally negative!
I've had so much discomfort during the last several weeks. I have what is called PSD (pubic symphysis disorder) which means that while my pelvic bone is supposed to spread to allow room for the baby, my pelvic bone has spread a little too far. It makes rolling over, walking for any length of time, or even just putting pants on very painful.
Because of her size, the doctor doesn't want me to go past my due date for fear that her head will be too large to deliver vaginally. I have very mixed feelings about this approach. If I haven't mentioned it yet, I fully intend on having a drug-free, natural childbirth. I have had my heart set on this since before we ever even conceived our baby, and I don't want anything controllable to hinder that. I feel that the baby will come on her own time, when she is fully ready. However, I do not want her to get so large that I end up needing a C-section. I would rather be induced any day than to have to have a C-section, so I am putting my feelings aside about not wanting to be induced and learning to accept that we may have to go that way. It is no secret that far too many C-sections are happening these days, and I feel like many of them are because of so many unnecessary interventions. Even if I have to be induced, I still plan on giving birth naturally. I know that I may change my mind once labor sets in, but Jesse and I have been religiously practicing our breathing techniques and he is already proving to be an incredible labor partner.
For now, my doctor has me doing many different kinds of techniques in hopes of helping Cori to drop and thus, help labor to begin. We are so ready to meet our little girl, and the days seem to grow longer everyday. We are definitely enjoying our last weeks or days as a two person family, but we are also very anxious and excited to become a family of three. I can only hope these consistent contractions every two minutes are doing something to help dilate and efface my cervix, but for now it's pretty much a secret since my cervix is nearly unreachable.
Our next appointment is this coming Saturday, September 5th, and it will be my 38 week appointment. We have our fingers crossed that she will finally have decided to drop and we will have some progress in the way of labor.
My cervix is posterior, which just means the baby hasn't dropped totally yet, and he had trouble reaching it to check for dilation or effacement. I've been doing so much walking, bouncing on a birth ball, and everything else he suggested, but she still hasn't dropped as much as she needs to to really get labor started.
I've been having constant contractions that aren't too painful, but are just very uncomfortable and my whole abdomen gets tight. He decided to do a NST (non stress test) to make sure Cori wasn't under any stress with all of the contractions I've been having. He hooked me up to the EFM (electronic fetal monitor), and sure enough, I was having contractions every TWO minutes constantly. Luckily, her heart rate went up during each contraction and she got super active, which means the contractions aren't putting her under any stress. I was happy to hear that. I was also happy to learn that my Group B Strep test came back totally negative!
I've had so much discomfort during the last several weeks. I have what is called PSD (pubic symphysis disorder) which means that while my pelvic bone is supposed to spread to allow room for the baby, my pelvic bone has spread a little too far. It makes rolling over, walking for any length of time, or even just putting pants on very painful.
Because of her size, the doctor doesn't want me to go past my due date for fear that her head will be too large to deliver vaginally. I have very mixed feelings about this approach. If I haven't mentioned it yet, I fully intend on having a drug-free, natural childbirth. I have had my heart set on this since before we ever even conceived our baby, and I don't want anything controllable to hinder that. I feel that the baby will come on her own time, when she is fully ready. However, I do not want her to get so large that I end up needing a C-section. I would rather be induced any day than to have to have a C-section, so I am putting my feelings aside about not wanting to be induced and learning to accept that we may have to go that way. It is no secret that far too many C-sections are happening these days, and I feel like many of them are because of so many unnecessary interventions. Even if I have to be induced, I still plan on giving birth naturally. I know that I may change my mind once labor sets in, but Jesse and I have been religiously practicing our breathing techniques and he is already proving to be an incredible labor partner.
For now, my doctor has me doing many different kinds of techniques in hopes of helping Cori to drop and thus, help labor to begin. We are so ready to meet our little girl, and the days seem to grow longer everyday. We are definitely enjoying our last weeks or days as a two person family, but we are also very anxious and excited to become a family of three. I can only hope these consistent contractions every two minutes are doing something to help dilate and efface my cervix, but for now it's pretty much a secret since my cervix is nearly unreachable.
Our next appointment is this coming Saturday, September 5th, and it will be my 38 week appointment. We have our fingers crossed that she will finally have decided to drop and we will have some progress in the way of labor.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
June 27, 2009
We had a great doctor's appointment today! They went ahead and did my glucose screening test today, so that we wouldn't have to go back on Monday. He also seemed really surprised that the female doctor didn't take a urine sample when I went in earlier this week. He said it sounded like I had a bladder/kidney infection which is exactly what I told the other doctor. But, I LOVE my doctor, seriously. This is only the second time I've met him since he's only worked there a month, but he is great.
He walked me through every part of the examination, asked me if I had any questions, actually felt my stomach to feel where my uterus was (other doctor NEVER did that), he felt my back to feel my kidneys for pain, he checked my legs for swelling, and he just made me feel really good. He told me not to hesitate coming in WHENEVER I thought I needed to, and gave me his cell phone number to call him anytime for any reason.
Anyway, my white blood cell count was slightly elevated but still normal for my urinalysis, which he said probably meant I had a small infection but it's gone now. He just said to drink lots of water to make sure I'm flushing out my urinary tract and all that. My glucose test was totally normal, and he said there's absolutely no sign of gestational diabetes... YAY!!
We get to tour the labor/delivery/recovery areas when we go to our next appointment in 2 weeks. I can't wait!! :)
She's measuring about a week ahead in all of her measurements, and her heartrate was 132 - about 10 beats lower than it has been, but he still it was very strong and steady, so no worries. :)
Here's a picture! :)
He walked me through every part of the examination, asked me if I had any questions, actually felt my stomach to feel where my uterus was (other doctor NEVER did that), he felt my back to feel my kidneys for pain, he checked my legs for swelling, and he just made me feel really good. He told me not to hesitate coming in WHENEVER I thought I needed to, and gave me his cell phone number to call him anytime for any reason.
Anyway, my white blood cell count was slightly elevated but still normal for my urinalysis, which he said probably meant I had a small infection but it's gone now. He just said to drink lots of water to make sure I'm flushing out my urinary tract and all that. My glucose test was totally normal, and he said there's absolutely no sign of gestational diabetes... YAY!!
We get to tour the labor/delivery/recovery areas when we go to our next appointment in 2 weeks. I can't wait!! :)
She's measuring about a week ahead in all of her measurements, and her heartrate was 132 - about 10 beats lower than it has been, but he still it was very strong and steady, so no worries. :)
Here's a picture! :)
Monday, June 1, 2009
6.1.09
I am 24 weeks, 1 day pregnant today. We had our Level II ultrasound and it was incredible. They checked her liver, kidneys, brain, the chambers of her heart, the vessels leaving her heart, her stomach, and the measurements of her arms, legs, body, and head. She is measuring PERFECTLY. Her arms and legs are measuring slightly ahead, but that just means she's got long arms and legs. There were no abnormalities and she is perfect. I could not only see her moving during the ultrasound, but I could feel her too, which was awesome. She weighs about a pound and a half now, and is starting to put on her baby fat. :)
Jesse can feel her on a regular basis now, and when she's super active, we can even see her movements in my stomach. It's bizarre, but incredibly amazing.
During the Level II ultrasound, the technician flipped it to 3D for a minute, and she managed to catch a great picture of her beautiful little face. I didn't realize just how much she would resemble a newborn at this stage in the pregnancy. I can't stop staring at the picture, and we are both so in love with little Miss Cori.
Jesse can feel her on a regular basis now, and when she's super active, we can even see her movements in my stomach. It's bizarre, but incredibly amazing.
During the Level II ultrasound, the technician flipped it to 3D for a minute, and she managed to catch a great picture of her beautiful little face. I didn't realize just how much she would resemble a newborn at this stage in the pregnancy. I can't stop staring at the picture, and we are both so in love with little Miss Cori.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
4-29-09
We had an excellent vacation at home, and are just looking forward to our next appointment and seeing little Cori Aletta now. I called the hospital on our first day home, and got the blood results for the Quad 4 testing, which tests for genetic disorders. Everything is totally normal, and I am told there is absolutely nothing to worry about. :)
In other news, we bought an adorable crib yesterday. We weren't going to, seeing as we have a perfectly good crib for when we move back to the states, but I could see how much it bothered Jesse that we weren't going to have a nursery. So, we caved and bought one. :) We also ended up buying a recliner because we have NO comfortable seats in the house where I would be able to nurse once the baby is here.
We also bought our crib bedding last night online. It's probably going to take like 3-4 weeks to get here, but that's okay. :) We got this one. I think it's perfect for either a girl or a boy, and Jesse couldn't stop smiling over it, so we knew it was the one.
In other news, we bought an adorable crib yesterday. We weren't going to, seeing as we have a perfectly good crib for when we move back to the states, but I could see how much it bothered Jesse that we weren't going to have a nursery. So, we caved and bought one. :) We also ended up buying a recliner because we have NO comfortable seats in the house where I would be able to nurse once the baby is here.
We also bought our crib bedding last night online. It's probably going to take like 3-4 weeks to get here, but that's okay. :) We got this one. I think it's perfect for either a girl or a boy, and Jesse couldn't stop smiling over it, so we knew it was the one.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
April 4, 2009
Well, today was such a fantastic day. We had our regular appointment first. I've gained two pounds of weight (finally some weight gain - yay!), my blood pressure was perfect, and I had my blood test for the quad screening. Then, I had my 2D ultrasound which was longer than normal, and he said that he was pretty sure it was a girl (see more about this later!). The baby was measuring right on target though, and looked perfect.
After that appointment was over, we had our 3D/4D ultrasound. It was simply amazing. She confirmed that it was in fact a girl, and we both just fell even deeper in love. It was sooo incredibly amazing.
She was seriously moving all over the place, dancing around, shaking her arms and legs back and forth. At one point, she actually turned her head and looked at us and it was SO cool. We got like 12 pictures, and a 20 minute video for like $40... seriously like the greatest day ever. :):):)
Her heartbeat was a steady 143 BPM, and she's the perfect length and weight for her size. It was just the greatest 30 minutes of our lives.
Our beautiful little girl will be named Cori Aletta Swinyer, and we can't wait to meet her. :)
Our next appointment is on May 9th, and our Level II ultrasound is scheduled for June 1st. I can't believe how fast the pregnancy is moving along, and it's such a fantastic feeling. Jesse has just had his hand on my belly all day, holding his little girl as best he can.
Click here for our pictures from today!
After that appointment was over, we had our 3D/4D ultrasound. It was simply amazing. She confirmed that it was in fact a girl, and we both just fell even deeper in love. It was sooo incredibly amazing.
She was seriously moving all over the place, dancing around, shaking her arms and legs back and forth. At one point, she actually turned her head and looked at us and it was SO cool. We got like 12 pictures, and a 20 minute video for like $40... seriously like the greatest day ever. :):):)
Her heartbeat was a steady 143 BPM, and she's the perfect length and weight for her size. It was just the greatest 30 minutes of our lives.
Our beautiful little girl will be named Cori Aletta Swinyer, and we can't wait to meet her. :)
Our next appointment is on May 9th, and our Level II ultrasound is scheduled for June 1st. I can't believe how fast the pregnancy is moving along, and it's such a fantastic feeling. Jesse has just had his hand on my belly all day, holding his little girl as best he can.
Click here for our pictures from today!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
March 19, 2009
Things are developing nicely, but quite painfully. I experienced round ligament pain for the first time today. I just thought it was normal cramping from the uterus expanding, but when I googled it tonight, round ligament pain was the first thing to come up, and wow - it was word for word, exactly what I was experiencing. It makes me feel better about it though, and it's nice to know it's not abnormal.
We're both going crazy, counting down until we find out the gender of our little one. Lots of people keep asking us why we're not just letting it be a surprise, but to be honest, we are just way too curious for that. We're having a hard enough time just waiting the few more weeks until April 4th! :)
I'm having a hard time realizing that I'm in my 4th month of pregnancy, and yet - I still have 6 whole months (and 1 day!) until my due date. I'm very sure that the time will just fly by, and by the time September 20th rolls around, I'll be amazed by how fast the time went, but for now... it just seems to be dragging by.
I'm showing much faster than I expected to. I'm already sick of people asking me if I'm having twins - no, I most certainly am not. I'm sure I'll get a lot throughout the pregnancy, if my bump keeps progressing as it has so far.
Jesse is being an amazing daddy already. He rubs my belly everyday, and holds it while we're sleeping. He tells me what a beautiful pregnant woman I am, and although I don't always believe him, it's still beyond nice to hear. Nothing makes me happier than when he kisses my belly, and talks to our little Peanut. :)
We're both going crazy, counting down until we find out the gender of our little one. Lots of people keep asking us why we're not just letting it be a surprise, but to be honest, we are just way too curious for that. We're having a hard enough time just waiting the few more weeks until April 4th! :)
I'm having a hard time realizing that I'm in my 4th month of pregnancy, and yet - I still have 6 whole months (and 1 day!) until my due date. I'm very sure that the time will just fly by, and by the time September 20th rolls around, I'll be amazed by how fast the time went, but for now... it just seems to be dragging by.
I'm showing much faster than I expected to. I'm already sick of people asking me if I'm having twins - no, I most certainly am not. I'm sure I'll get a lot throughout the pregnancy, if my bump keeps progressing as it has so far.
Jesse is being an amazing daddy already. He rubs my belly everyday, and holds it while we're sleeping. He tells me what a beautiful pregnant woman I am, and although I don't always believe him, it's still beyond nice to hear. Nothing makes me happier than when he kisses my belly, and talks to our little Peanut. :)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
March 7, 2009
Our appointment today went well. My weight has dropped about 3 kilograms, but my blood pressure is normal. The doctor had a hard time finding the heartbeat at first and questioned why it was so faint, but I think the baby was just in a tough position. He ended up telling us it was steady at 140bpm after a few minutes. That's about all that happened at our appointment today. Hopefully we will be able to find out the sex at the next appointment on April 4th.
Monday, February 23, 2009
February 23, 2009
What a delay! I am so sorry for the hold-up, everyone. I've had a solid month of just feeling so down in the dumps. From nausea to headaches and dizziness to just overall aches and pains, it has been a rough month. However, I am on my third day now of just feeling back to normal, so I hope it sticks around!
We had our last appointment on February 7. We had our second ultrasound, which I will post pictures of at the bottom. He said the baby is developing well and he or she looks totally healthy. We heard the heartbeat for the first time, and it was just so magical. I wish I could have gotten a picture of Jesse's face the moment he heard the heartbeat. He was standing behind the doctor, and his whole face just lit up when he looked at me and mouthed, "thats... that's the baby?" I didn't realize we'd be able to hear it so soon, so it took us both by surprise. We weren't told what the BPM was, but I am definitely going to ask and find out at our next appointment.
I actually ended up losing 10 lbs from the start of the pregnancy until about a week ago, since I had almost no appetite and have been so sick. My doctor said it was normal though, and that I will likely start gaining weight in the next few weeks. As a matter of fact, just in the last week that I've gotten my appetite back, I've gained about 3 of those lbs back. I think most of the weight that was lost was in my hips because although I feel my stomach is getting a bit rounder, my jeans have been fitting looser. Hopefully, I can hold off on the maternity clothes until at least 16 weeks!
Our next appointment is on March 7, and I will be about 12 weeks along. I'm not sure what will happen at that appointment, but I do know that my doctor said we will very, very likely be able to find out the sex of our little one at the next appointment after that. That will be my 16 week appointment which will fall on April 4th. We really cannot wait!!
In other semi-baby related news, Jesse has submitted a leave request from April 8th to April 22nd for us to make a trip home. I will be about 16.5 weeks when we get home, and about 18 weeks when we leave, so we will know the sex by the time we come home.
We haven't started registering anywhere for baby things yet because that's something we don't want to have to do via a website. We will likely go to Babies 'R Us and register the first day or two that we are back home. We can't wait!
As for preferences on baby gender, we really don't have any. I was calling the baby "she" for awhile, but now I switch back and forth pretty regularly between "he" and "she". Jesse wants a girl one day, but the next day he wants a boy just as badly, so we will be 100% happy either way. All we want is a healthy, happy little baby. :)
Now that I'm feeling back to normal, I can finally get back into exercising. I've done a lot of research and found that as long as my body temperature doesn't get too high and my heart rate doesn't get too elevated, I am fine with doing cardiovascular workouts. I am pretty excited about that because lately I have just wanted to get up and moving. I know not to overexert myself and all that, and I am being very careful about my health, so no worries about that!
As long as all of the sickness continues to stay away, I will definitely be trying to update this so much more regularly. My next update should be around March 7, after our next appointment. Thank you to everyone who reads this... we really appreciate the support!
Now for ultrasound pictures!
The second half of this picture is the heartbeat of the little one
We had our last appointment on February 7. We had our second ultrasound, which I will post pictures of at the bottom. He said the baby is developing well and he or she looks totally healthy. We heard the heartbeat for the first time, and it was just so magical. I wish I could have gotten a picture of Jesse's face the moment he heard the heartbeat. He was standing behind the doctor, and his whole face just lit up when he looked at me and mouthed, "thats... that's the baby?" I didn't realize we'd be able to hear it so soon, so it took us both by surprise. We weren't told what the BPM was, but I am definitely going to ask and find out at our next appointment.
I actually ended up losing 10 lbs from the start of the pregnancy until about a week ago, since I had almost no appetite and have been so sick. My doctor said it was normal though, and that I will likely start gaining weight in the next few weeks. As a matter of fact, just in the last week that I've gotten my appetite back, I've gained about 3 of those lbs back. I think most of the weight that was lost was in my hips because although I feel my stomach is getting a bit rounder, my jeans have been fitting looser. Hopefully, I can hold off on the maternity clothes until at least 16 weeks!
Our next appointment is on March 7, and I will be about 12 weeks along. I'm not sure what will happen at that appointment, but I do know that my doctor said we will very, very likely be able to find out the sex of our little one at the next appointment after that. That will be my 16 week appointment which will fall on April 4th. We really cannot wait!!
In other semi-baby related news, Jesse has submitted a leave request from April 8th to April 22nd for us to make a trip home. I will be about 16.5 weeks when we get home, and about 18 weeks when we leave, so we will know the sex by the time we come home.
We haven't started registering anywhere for baby things yet because that's something we don't want to have to do via a website. We will likely go to Babies 'R Us and register the first day or two that we are back home. We can't wait!
As for preferences on baby gender, we really don't have any. I was calling the baby "she" for awhile, but now I switch back and forth pretty regularly between "he" and "she". Jesse wants a girl one day, but the next day he wants a boy just as badly, so we will be 100% happy either way. All we want is a healthy, happy little baby. :)
Now that I'm feeling back to normal, I can finally get back into exercising. I've done a lot of research and found that as long as my body temperature doesn't get too high and my heart rate doesn't get too elevated, I am fine with doing cardiovascular workouts. I am pretty excited about that because lately I have just wanted to get up and moving. I know not to overexert myself and all that, and I am being very careful about my health, so no worries about that!
As long as all of the sickness continues to stay away, I will definitely be trying to update this so much more regularly. My next update should be around March 7, after our next appointment. Thank you to everyone who reads this... we really appreciate the support!
Now for ultrasound pictures!
The second half of this picture is the heartbeat of the little one
Thursday, January 29, 2009
January 29, 2009
I haven't updated in awhile. I've been dealing with lots of nausea, headaches, back and hip pain. It comes and goes, but keeps me just wanting to stay home. We have about a week until our next appointment, and we're both very anxious about it.
Monday, January 19, 2009
January 19, 2009
We're home from the doctor. :) I am definitely NOT 9 weeks along. He put the ultrasound trasmitter on my lower stomach, and pushed around, but couldn't find anything. Sooo, he decided to use the vaginal ultrasound transmitter. It still took a minute for him to find anything because I'm still really early into my pregnancy. He estimated me to only by 4-5 weeks, even though I haven't had a period since November 15. All we could see was the gestational sac and a teeeeeeny dot which is apparently our baby. He didn't do a pelvic exam or anything because apparently he doesn't usually work on Mondays so there was no room available to him. We go back on February 7th and I'll have the more complete examination then.
Here are the pictures we've got... you can barely see the gestational sac, which is the little black oval at the top.
Here are the pictures we've got... you can barely see the gestational sac, which is the little black oval at the top.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
January 15, 2009
The pregnancy symptoms have started kicking in a little bit. I still haven't experienced morning sickness, and I'm crossing my fingers that I won't at all. I've had some back pain the last few days, and it got the worst today. I've also been super sleepy throughout the whole day. I haven't taken any naps just yet, but if the sleepiness gets any stronger, I definitely will have to take a midday nap.
We decided where we're going to put the baby furniture today. Our dresser, closet, and the baby's dresser will be in one of the spare bedrooms. In our bedroom, we will just have our bed and the baby's crib. We obviously won't have the crib for quite a few months, but whenever we do, that's the setup that we both really want. We don't feel comfortable having either our bedroom or the baby's in the 2nd bedroom because of the wall-sized window. We tried hanging curtains, but can't because the walls are concrete, it's just too much of a hassle. The 3rd bedroom is for storage and Jesse's Army gear, and stays the coldest of the rooms, so that's out of the question.
Just another day and a half until our sonogram! We are getting so anxious to see our little one!!
We decided where we're going to put the baby furniture today. Our dresser, closet, and the baby's dresser will be in one of the spare bedrooms. In our bedroom, we will just have our bed and the baby's crib. We obviously won't have the crib for quite a few months, but whenever we do, that's the setup that we both really want. We don't feel comfortable having either our bedroom or the baby's in the 2nd bedroom because of the wall-sized window. We tried hanging curtains, but can't because the walls are concrete, it's just too much of a hassle. The 3rd bedroom is for storage and Jesse's Army gear, and stays the coldest of the rooms, so that's out of the question.
Just another day and a half until our sonogram! We are getting so anxious to see our little one!!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
January 13, 2009
Ms. Kim [the military coordinator for the hospital] called Jesse today. She scheduled our appointment for Saturday morning at 10am, and we are just SO excited. She told us we will definitely be getting an ultrasound. It's Tuesday evening now, so we've got about three and a half days to go. We just cannot wait to see our little peanut!! :)
Monday, January 12, 2009
January 12, 2009 - Part 2
I decided to take a few more pictures because I'm still in the "ohmygod, I can't believe it's really true!!" stage.
I don't look as pregnant here as I did in the one yesterday, I don't think. I'm sure my weight will go back and forth a lot in the beginning though.
Here's the front view of my tummy. :)
I don't look as pregnant here as I did in the one yesterday, I don't think. I'm sure my weight will go back and forth a lot in the beginning though.
Here's the front view of my tummy. :)
January 12, 2009
We're definitely pregnant! :) I'll start with a little back story and work my way up from there.
Around November 15, 2008, I started my most recent period and it lasted for about 3-4 days. I tested for pregnancy around early to mid December, and it was negative. Over the next several weeks, I probably went through 10-20 pregnancy tests, and they all kept coming back negative. I basically gave up, since my period still hadn't shown. I've always had irregular periods in the past, and since my doctor told me this past summer that it was unlikely I would conceive without fertility medicine. My thought was no period = no ovulation, so I just accepted the fact that I wasn't pregnant and told Jesse not to get his hopes up anymore. From early December to early January, I had four bouts of nausea between the hours of 11pm - 3am, but I never actually threw up. I just felt sick and sweaty with a hard pulse.
When Jesse came home from work this past Friday night, he had two E.P.T. pregnancy tests, and surprised me with them. On Saturday morning when I got up, I tested, but honestly, truly wasn't expecting anything. After about a minute and a half, Jesse just started shaking his head sadly, and I said that it hadn't been the full three minutes yet. A few seconds later, I said to Jesse, "go look at that, I think I see something." He looked at it, but saw nothing and handed it back. When I looked again, I could swear I saw the faintest line, and jumped up to put it under the line. It got slightly darker, but was still very light. We both looked at each other and just started jumping up and down and hugging. We called my mom to tell her, but didn't tell anyone else.
The next morning, Sunday morning [yesterday morning], I decided to take the second E.P.T. test that we had. It showed up another plus sign and was slightly darker this time. Again, we just hugged each other and were so happy. For some reason, I had the worst fear that it was an evaporation line or something, so we went and bought a ClearBlue Easy digital pregnancy test. I took it Sunday night, with VERY little urine. About a minute later, the big digital "PREGNANT" popped up, and we just lost it. It just confirmed our fears and we just danced around the kitchen. I jumped into his arms and he just held me. We were so incredibly happy. :) We told the rest of our immediate family, and some of my closest friends.
This morning, we went to the Wood Medical Clinic on Camp Walker for a blood test. I had to give a urine sample, but had just peed before the appointment, so I had almost no urine. Apparently it was enough to confirm the pregnancy with a urine test though! They took my blood pressure, and then called me back for blood work. A Katusa took my blood and got 5 vials full. He asked me if I could give another urine sample and I said there was no way. I found a water fountain and drank water for about 20 minutes. When I felt like I needed to pee again, I tried to give another sample and still only got it about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch full. They didn't ask again, so I guess it was enough.
A doctor came out a little while later and congratulated us. He told us our options between going to a Korean hospital off post for care, or staying with the military treatment facilities. If we stayed with MTFs, all of my appointments would be up in Seoul, about 4 hours away, so we opted for a Korean hospital. He gave us a contact number, and Jesse called a little while ago. The lady, Ms. Kim, told him she would get my paperwork from the clinic and give us a call back, but said there would be no problem getting us in there within a few days. The doctor at the clinic on post told us they offer you an ultrasound at every appointment, so I know we will definitely get one at our first. I am just excited beyond words, and beside myself with happiness.
My stomach has been feeling a little weird today, and I've had the very slightest bit of cramping. Other than that, I've been just fine. The doctor gave me a prescription for pre-natal vitamins, although I've been taking some for awhile.
Here are a few pictures to end my first entry. :)
The test on top was my test from 1/10 and the bottom test was from 1/11.
This is the test from the evening of 1/11.
This is what I look like as of 1/11. I'm definitely poochier than normal. :)
Around November 15, 2008, I started my most recent period and it lasted for about 3-4 days. I tested for pregnancy around early to mid December, and it was negative. Over the next several weeks, I probably went through 10-20 pregnancy tests, and they all kept coming back negative. I basically gave up, since my period still hadn't shown. I've always had irregular periods in the past, and since my doctor told me this past summer that it was unlikely I would conceive without fertility medicine. My thought was no period = no ovulation, so I just accepted the fact that I wasn't pregnant and told Jesse not to get his hopes up anymore. From early December to early January, I had four bouts of nausea between the hours of 11pm - 3am, but I never actually threw up. I just felt sick and sweaty with a hard pulse.
When Jesse came home from work this past Friday night, he had two E.P.T. pregnancy tests, and surprised me with them. On Saturday morning when I got up, I tested, but honestly, truly wasn't expecting anything. After about a minute and a half, Jesse just started shaking his head sadly, and I said that it hadn't been the full three minutes yet. A few seconds later, I said to Jesse, "go look at that, I think I see something." He looked at it, but saw nothing and handed it back. When I looked again, I could swear I saw the faintest line, and jumped up to put it under the line. It got slightly darker, but was still very light. We both looked at each other and just started jumping up and down and hugging. We called my mom to tell her, but didn't tell anyone else.
The next morning, Sunday morning [yesterday morning], I decided to take the second E.P.T. test that we had. It showed up another plus sign and was slightly darker this time. Again, we just hugged each other and were so happy. For some reason, I had the worst fear that it was an evaporation line or something, so we went and bought a ClearBlue Easy digital pregnancy test. I took it Sunday night, with VERY little urine. About a minute later, the big digital "PREGNANT" popped up, and we just lost it. It just confirmed our fears and we just danced around the kitchen. I jumped into his arms and he just held me. We were so incredibly happy. :) We told the rest of our immediate family, and some of my closest friends.
This morning, we went to the Wood Medical Clinic on Camp Walker for a blood test. I had to give a urine sample, but had just peed before the appointment, so I had almost no urine. Apparently it was enough to confirm the pregnancy with a urine test though! They took my blood pressure, and then called me back for blood work. A Katusa took my blood and got 5 vials full. He asked me if I could give another urine sample and I said there was no way. I found a water fountain and drank water for about 20 minutes. When I felt like I needed to pee again, I tried to give another sample and still only got it about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch full. They didn't ask again, so I guess it was enough.
A doctor came out a little while later and congratulated us. He told us our options between going to a Korean hospital off post for care, or staying with the military treatment facilities. If we stayed with MTFs, all of my appointments would be up in Seoul, about 4 hours away, so we opted for a Korean hospital. He gave us a contact number, and Jesse called a little while ago. The lady, Ms. Kim, told him she would get my paperwork from the clinic and give us a call back, but said there would be no problem getting us in there within a few days. The doctor at the clinic on post told us they offer you an ultrasound at every appointment, so I know we will definitely get one at our first. I am just excited beyond words, and beside myself with happiness.
My stomach has been feeling a little weird today, and I've had the very slightest bit of cramping. Other than that, I've been just fine. The doctor gave me a prescription for pre-natal vitamins, although I've been taking some for awhile.
Here are a few pictures to end my first entry. :)
The test on top was my test from 1/10 and the bottom test was from 1/11.
This is the test from the evening of 1/11.
This is what I look like as of 1/11. I'm definitely poochier than normal. :)
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