Hello Friends & Family--
If we are keeping track (not counting the ultrasound) today was my fourth OB appointment. I will go in every four weeks for just a quick check-in with Dr. E. I basically have these appointments set up so I can ask any questions I may have and listen for a heartbeat if they can find it each time. I'm happy to report that we had no troubles locating a HB this time though! My next big appointment won't be until my 20 week ultrasound, in which we can potentially find out what Baby Z's gender will be! I'll be scheduling that next week.
To answer a lot of your questions, I thought it would be fun to do a little Q & A session. Feel free to leave comments if I left out your question! Oh and PLEASE answer the poll on the right hand side if you think Baby Z is male or female! Chris and I are getting a kick out of people's guesses thus far. And there will be a due date poll when we get a bit closer.
#1
Are you going to find out Baby Z's gender?
You betcha we are going to be finding out the sex. I'm not big on surprises, as mentioned before and Chris really wants to find out as well. Plus we really don't want a gender neutral nursery, so the sooner we find out the sooner I can start working on it!
#2
Do you have names picked out?
Not really, we both have briefly discussed a few options and have a small list started. We really want to wait till we know Baby Z's sex before we really start diving in. Chris and I have a lot of the same opinions about names, it will be unique but not too unique!
#3
Will you share with us Baby Z's name?
At this point, I'm leaning at keeping it a secret until birth. I'm probably going to keep our final list of names a secret too :) So don't ask! Haha. And who knows, this could all change by next month!
#4
Why is there such a difficulty finding the heartbeat, is something wrong?
Nope! At least not to my knowledge. As I've mentioned in previous posts, my uterus is tilted towards my spine. Most womens are tilted forward and closer to their abdominal wall. This means, that there is too much "stuff" like muscle tissue and organs for the Doppler to try to read through to find Baby Z's HB. Not to mention that my placenta is in the front too! Because I'm carrying closer to my back I also won't show as soon as most women do, I'm 15 weeks now and there's still no sign of a baby bump. **And to clarify for all of my MALE friends this doesn't mean my baby bump will show up as a hump on my back, I'm not going to be Quasimodo. And no they can't put the Doppler on my back to find the HB. However, I maybe doubled over in back pain! Back massages are ALWAYS welcome!
#5
Are you going to show us pictures of your baby bump?
Yep! My intentions are to start this week, between 15 and 16 weeks, I should be noticeably getting "chunkier" but not a showing a protruding bump. I plan to keep these going on a weekly basis up until delivery, so stay tuned! And please don't judge :)
#6
Do you have a Nursery Theme?
Not yet, I'm a very simple themed person so I'm looking for something that's a good mixture of contemporary and babyish. As soon as we have a theme and a color picked out we'll definitely share it with everyone! I hope to really start on the nursery this month!
#7
Do you have any absurd cravings?
No real cravings, just aversions. I ate so much subway the first couple of weeks (that's all I wanted to eat), that I don't think I could even step foot in a Subway! I basically just eat whatever sounds good and that really changes on a daily basis. I have become quite addicted to apples, but I fear I'm reaching the point where the site of an apple may set me over the edge. No pickle cravings for me either...don't get me wrong I like them but I'm not adding them to ice cream just yet.
#8
What books are you reading?
Currently I have started "What to Expect When You are Expecting", which I received 2 free copies of from my clinic and health insurance. It must be a good resource! I've also been perusing a few baby name books too :) Chris has a book called "Daddy to Be" and let's just say he's not a fan. The only thing he says he's taken away from the book is he's supposed to be super supportive for me--I think that's probably the best advice he's been given! He's not on the market for another book, so I'm sure he'll just end up reading one of mine.
#9
Do you plan to take any classes?
Yes! Lucky for us, my insurance pays for 50% of any parenting class we decide to take through the hospital, so that's a major incentive to get signed up. They have a great list of classes at Meriter, but I think we'll end up taking the general parenting/birth class and get all of our basics in check.
#10
Do you want a boy or a girl?
Well if you ask me a healthy baby is what we want. Chris begs to differ, if it's not a boy he says he wants to "send" it back. Not an option! I'm pretty sure we'll both be very happy with a little girl or boy!
If you think of anymore questions please let me know!
Love,
Chris, Amber and Baby Z
