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Friday, Feb. 01, 2002 - 12:33 p.m. - 4th Ultrasound
I know I’ve received a few emails from people asking how my ultrasound yesterday went. I’m so sorry I didn’t post the picture yesterday, but to be honest I was so exhausted yesterday I just sent an email to my in-laws with the picture and then crashed on the couch until I went to bed. I had another one of those wonderful insomnia nights the night before. In fact I woke up at 4:30 to go to the bathroom and then couldn’t get back to sleep and finally got up at 5:00 am. Then when I went to do my shot at 9:30, I was laying down administering it and then icing the injection point (sometimes helps with the bruising) and fell asleep with the ice cube on my stomach for 2 hours! I was rather nervous before the ultrasound as usual, and Michael and I had a rather scary second or two when the nurse first found the baby with the ultrasound machine because we both couldn’t see the baby’s heartbeat. I swear my heart just stopped and Michael had a real concerned edge to his voice too. I know that we were both reliving that moment last year when he came with me and there was no heartbeat on the screen any more. The nurse said that she just needed to change the imaging resolution and once she did that we were able to see the little heart beating away nicely again. I swear for those few seconds my heart stopped. This ultrasound picture isn’t as clear as the other because the nurse had zoomed in on the embryo (I found out it’s not a fetus until my 10th week) so that we could see all of the “parts” better. It was truly amazing. We were able to see the spine, the arm buds the leg buds, the brain developing, an eye(!!), the placenta and even the sac that the baby is floating in inside my uterus. It was SO amazing! Both Michael and my mom were there and it was so fun to see their excitement as well. It’s funny though, even laying there with the ultrasound wand inside me, it still doesn’t seem real, like it is my baby in there somehow. It almost seems like we are watching a video on the screen of someone else. Perhaps it would seem more real if I had any symptoms, but I just don’t (other than being tired and hungry all the time these days).  Well, before I forget here were the statistics for yesterday. Our little Peep is measuring 18.6 mm (practically doubled from last week) which would put him/her at 8 weeks 2 days. So we are still in that window of being due sometime between September 8 and September 12, and are right on target from last week. As far as the nurse could see the development was right on target for the age. So things are looking good. I also found out that my RE will be following my blood tests for the coagulation and heparin through my 35th week, not the OB, which makes me feel so much better. I was concerned about the OB’s familiarity with the autoimmune issues and and if she would monitor it as closely as my RE has been doing. So I guess I won’t be saying a complete good bye to my RE for a while yet. That’s actually kind of nice for me. Also, the nurse said that while they will consider me as “released” to the OB after my first appointment on Tuesday, that I am welcome to come back for ultrasounds now and then if it makes me feel better since I’ll probably only be seeing the OB once a month for the first part of my pregnancy anyway. They know what worrywarts us infertility patients are after we get pregnant and they feel it is better for us to feel less anxious and therefore are willing to do ultrasounds for us if it makes us feel better. Oh, I felt so much better just hearing that. They also said that if we want to find out the sex at around 16 weeks that they would be glad to do a quick ultrasound for us. Boy did Michael’s eyes light up on that one. He’s so anxious to find out the sex of this baby. So now I’m feeling much more comfortable about making the transition to my OB. Today Michael is off taking yet another exam. It’s another one of the 5 hour designing exams. I think this one is on network design and Michael felt it was the hardest test he took the first time around, but he was feeling very confident and chipper before he left. I just hope with all my heart that he passes or he’ll be really down about it. It’s not one that he actually needs for his MCSE, but he feels would be key for him to have in his line of work (Network Engineer). He’s been working so hard and I’m so proud of him. I know he is doing this for us, so that he can get a good job so that I don’t have to go back to work during this pregnancy or after our baby is born. He’s a wonderful man and a dear husband. I’m so fortunate to have him. I just wish he would find a good job so that he can feel better about himself too. I know this long unemployment is starting to drag him down. He’s a doer and likes challenges so this immediate goal of his MCSE has been a real good one for him, but I know he really misses the challenges of a job, not to mention the reward of a nice paycheck. the year 2002 is looking brighter for us, but a good job for Michael would be the icing on the cake! Hugs to you all and thanks for reading!!
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