Week 9 Visit

This entry won't be a very long one because I am feeling pretty queasy and very tired right now. But I definitely wanted to update you on the week 9 doctor appointment I had yesterday.

I had a lot of anxiety heading to my appointment that morning. I have been having a hard time with being pregnant because I don't like feeling so restricted from doing things I enjoy doing. And it is even harder when you don't "feel" pregnant, you're not showing and you feel sick all the time. So I had been griping quite a bit and, as I was driving into town for the appointment, I started wondering if I had jinxed myself. I was afraid that they were going to find that the embryo had died or something just as bad. And, to make things worse, I was on my own since T was out of town.

Cutting to the chase, when Hutch came in, I expressed my anxiety and she immediately did the internal ultrasound to ease my concerns. Sure enough, as soon as the wand made it to its destination, I immediately saw the heart beat - bigger and stronger than the last ultrasound at seven weeks. I could see arm stubs, leg stubs and something that actually resembled a head! It was so strange. And the heart looked like it was "in" something - like a chamber - instead of just floating in space like week 7. I couldn't believe how much bigger it (and my uterus) had gotten over a mere 2 week period! Cashew had gone from 1/2 inch to an inch. It doesn't sound like much but it looked like a huge difference on the screen.

I felt much better after seeing cashew. I was so glad that I wouldn't have to give T bad news and that everything was right on target. I think the viewing made me feel more attached than I had before...at least temporarily (until I found out I can't ride roller coasters!)...so the rest of the appointment went well. Didn't even pee on my hand!

My next appointment will be for the NT Scan on June 8. It will be at a different office than Hutch. They will take an ultrasound and measure the thickness on the back of cashew's neck. That combined with a blood test (uuugghhh) will help give us an idea via a percentage or whether or not we are at high risk for Down's or Trisomy. I think the results come back in a week. Let's hope for the best and that we won't have to make any difficult decisions.

After that, we have another appointment with Hutch on June 18. Another ultrasound to check progress. It's so nice that we are getting so many pictures from these ultrasounds! Speaking of which, here are the ones from week 9:










For comparison, here is week 7 pic:



Pretty crazy! Other than that, I am still tired and queasy most of the time. Major smell sensitivities and mood swings that could scare an inmate. I am grumpy because I feel that being pregnant is boring. There isn't much you can do, eat or drink. But I am trying to change my attitude knowing that I will be able to do those things again in time. I am happy that cashew is growing as it is supposed to and that things seem to be progressing.

I will write a letter to cashew when I am less drained...goodnight for now.