Bedrest!

So a few things have happened since my last update here.

• I've been diagnosed with a dynamic cervix.  The smallest measurement so far was a 1.4 (centimeters)
• The doctor has placed me on modified bedrest: minimal walking, no other exercise, laying down when I can - sitting (somewhat reclined) otherwise
• I've had a lot of braxton hicks, and if I have any in a pattern I'm to go to the hospital, since they cause my body to react as the same as a normal contraction
• Progesterone cream.  Yay (not)
• Since I'm on bedrest, I'm now unemployed - it's actually working out OK so far (under 6 employees in Massachusetts means I don't fall under state or federal maternity coverages, and no short term disability under the insurance - also we still bring in just a little too much to qualify for WIC)
• My parents have been a massive help!  My mom comes over every day to help me out and do general chores around the house

My next appointment is this week, and hopefully my cervix hasn't shortened any more.  If it has, they'll start me on the steroid shots and also a FFN test, which we'll hopefully be doing every two weeks for another month or two.  The FFN test is a swab of your, ahem, fluids to check for a protein that is released shortly before birth.  If the protein is present, that would mean that I could go into labor in the next week or two (not guaranteed).  If it isn't present, then that's good and we check again in two weeks.  If it's present, that's when I get the first steroid shot - to strengthen her lungs.  Then I think the other shot is two days later.

I really hope the protein isn't present!

Update Thingy!

Update Thingy!

How far along: 24 weeks, 4 days.

Weight gain: 8!  The gaining has officially begun!

Sleep: I don’t get out of bed, but my hips start to hurt after an hour or so, and I have to get up and flip over.

Baby purchases this week: None, actually.  I added a few things to the registry, but besides that we’re trying not to spend too much.

Best moment regarding baby this week: Kick counts :3 she’s active in the morning and then when I’m sitting at Ryan’s computer, lol.

Gender: We got ourselves a little girl!

Movement: Lots of kicks.  I think she kicked some tender spots last night because it hurt.

Food cravings: Nothing specific.  We were walking the dog and a neighbor was baking cookies, so we had to bake some, too…

Food aversions: Chewy meat - chicken and steak mostly.

How’s Mama? Tired, sore, not enjoying the medicine, but anxious in a good way.

Miss anything? Drinks.  Good drinks.  Good, cold, stiff drinks.

What I am looking forward to: Leaving work eventually, a baby (duh!), being able to start the nursery.

Our baby in veggie/fruit terms:  Corn?  The sites say corn.  That’s weird.

Side note: I’m very itchy today, but that could be because we found tons of tick nymphs in Zoso’s bedding this morning D: 

DO NOT WANT

Crappy

You know what sometimes feels like crap?  Being pregnant.  You know what makes it 100% worse?  Having a miserable head cold while pregnant.  I blame Ryan for this indignity.

So I don't have anything big to report.  I'm going in on Thursday for another appointment, maybe another ultrasound but I'm not completely sure of that.  Hopefully my cold will be mostly better by then, because I don't want the appointment postponed again!  And hopefully they'll tell me I don't need the progesterone anymore, because I really don't like taking it...

Anyway, here are some pictures that have happened lately, because I can't make a coherently themed post:

No apple crumble for you, Zoso.

Weeks One Through Eight

According to websites I am on week eight of being knocked up.  I do have longer cycles on average, so things might change as they go along, but for now this is how it's being dated.