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5-10-08 We have now finished most of our preparation classes (breast feeding, childbirth, and newborn care), all we have left is CPR/infant safety. My coworkers hosted a shower for me at work this past week. It was a joint shower (2 babies and 2 brides) and was a lot of fun. I'm lucky to work with such a great group of people! With the generosity of so many friends and family members this little Wolff will be set for a long time!
5-3-08 We had our 32 week doctor visit today. It went well, for the most part. My blood pressure was elevated so they needed to lower it before I left the office. I had been having some concerns about my blood pressure in between appointments. The doc said that right now they will just continue to monitor it. My iron is also low so I will need to take an iron supplement for the remainder of the pregnancy. Other than that things are going well. My belly is measuring 34cm and they believe that baby has stayed head down since the last ultrasound. The baby gets the hiccups all the time now and the kicks and punches I feel are very strong but less frequent as the baby has less room to move around. Ray has also made a huge career change! He has resigned from the police department and was hired by the fire department. He started his new career this past monday and will begin the fire academy on monday 5-5-08. He is very excited about this change and we are hoping that it will allow him to be home more often! Wow, when you think about the last year and a half it has been a roller coaster! We have gotten engaged, bought a new house-moved-renovated, experienced one pregnancy loss, got married, got pregnant again, and changed careers...and soon will be welcoming a baby! Whew!
4-22-08 I had my 30 week ultrasound this past weekend. The baby is looking great and is weighing in at an estimated 3 pounds 7 ounces. I no longer have a low-lying placenta which means that a c-section is not necessary at this point. The baby has chubby cheeks that were visible on the ultrasound and the tech even pointed out one little patch of hair that the baby had on the back of its head. This was my last ultrasound, which means that the end is in sight but it is so nice to have those short visits with the little booger! My mom and step-mom also hosted a baby shower for Ray and I over the weekend. We are very lucky to have such generous friends! We received many great gifts and we are very grateful for everyone's generosity.
4-16-08 Today the baby got the hiccups and I was able to feel it for the first time! I have to admit, at first it was pretty neat to experience but after a half hour it did become a pain! We have our next ultrasound scheduled for this weekend (Saturday the 19th). It should be my last ultrasound unless the location of the placenta is still an issue. If it is still low-lying the doctors will do a couple more ultrasounds to determine the safest way to deliver. I only have about 10 weeks left until the due date and 36 days left of school before summer vacation! I plan on taking a leave of absence from work until the end of November. That will give me 5 months at home with the baby!
4-4-08 This past Monday night Ray and I made a visit the labor and delivery unit at the hospital. I wish it was a fun visit but we ended up there about 11pm when I experienced some bleeding (without pain). It took about a total of three minutes to get me from the ER doors to the unit and connected to all the monitoring machines. The baby's heartbeat sounded great and I wasn't having any contractions. The doctor did an exam and I was not dialated or effaced at all. After a couple of hours all it turned out to be was a bladder infection. Even though bladder infections are common in pregnancy if they are left untreated they can lead to pre-term labor. Hopefully this will be taken care of with one round of antibiotics. Today we had a regular doctors appointment. Everything is looking great and I am right on schedule. My belly is measuring 28cm which is right on track since it is generally one centimeter per week. The baby probably weighs 2.25 pounds at this point. We are officially in our 3rd and last trimester! Nicholas, my nephew, felt the baby kick today. My next ultrasound is in two weeks and I will now begin visiting the doctor every 2 weeks. It looks like we're in the home stretch!
3-31-08 This past week has been busy! We finished painting the nursery (green) and hung the window treatments. Soon we will be ready to move the furniture in. How exciting! I can't wait until the room is all put together. We also interviewed pediatric practices. Who knew it would be so difficult to decide on a doctor and what a big decision it would be! There is so much to think about. We also took our breast feeding class and tonight we started our childbirth classes. I have a feeling that the next couple months will be super busy getting ready for the arrival of this baby.
3-24-08 Sorry, it's been a while since I've updated. I've been feeling great and the baby is moving like crazy. It's a little weird but we can now see my belly move when the baby is moving. It's like a big wave moving across my abdomen. The other morning Ray was able to feel the baby kicking him in the back when we were sleeping. The nursery is coming along well. It is finally all painted and the window treatments are hung. Soon we will start moving in the furniture. This week the baby is about 14 inches long from head to heel. That didn't seem very big to me at first but then a friend of mine mentioned that the baby is probably only 5 inches or so from being full length! It does seem like time is really flying by now! I borrowed a 'Baby Think It Over' from work for spring break. 'Baby Think It Over' is a plastic doll that looks real and is about the size of a real baby. Students use this doll to experience what it's like to care for a baby. This fake baby cries unexpectedly so I figured it would be a good way to begin getting the dogs ready for new sounds in the house. Riggs, our lab, wasn't very interested in the baby but Briscoe, our setter, would run to the baby whenever it started crying. He would then begin to howl with the baby while it was crying. We'll continue to "practice" with them this week but I think the dogs will be fine when the baby arrives. It's hard to believe we only have about 13 weeks left!
3-8-08 This months doctors appointment was pretty routine...weight, blood pressure, etc. The baby's heartbeat sounded wonderful. The little one had been "quiet" all day and I hadn't felt much activity but when the doctor was done listening to the heartbeat on the doppler the little one decided to start kicking back. Those kicks and punches can be powerful! At this point the baby probably weighs over a pound and a half and is over 12 inches long.
3-4-08 Ray was able to feel the baby kick for the first time today. Up until now he hasn't had much patience in waiting for the kicks but today the little one was kicking like crazy. Ray said that he doesn't think he would be able to handle feeling the movement and kicking all the time. I love feeling the baby move and kick and really look forward to it!
2-27-08 Now that cheerleading season is over and I am no longer on restricted activity I have been able to go back to the gym. It's so nice to finally go back. I haven't been able to go since last June! I have been feeling the baby move for the last 6 weeks or so but lately the baby has a predictable sleep and wake pattern. The little's ones kicks and punches have also become much harder! Over the weekend the little booger gave us a scare when I didn't feel any movement for 2 days. What a blessing the home doppler has been. When I was worried I was able to just check in and listen to the baby's heartbeat! The heartbeat was strong and the doctor said that the baby probably just turned around and was kicking inwards and not outwards so I couldn't feel it. (Ray thinks I'm just neurotic!) Right now the baby weighs a little over a pound and is about 10 inches long.
02-17-08 Being sick during pregnancy is no fun! Ray was generous enough to share his cold with me and it was possibly the worst I've felt in a long time! I ended up with a sinus infection, sore throat, and pink eye! I woke up with pink eye in the middle of the night and Ray had to take me to an immediate care center. The doc gave me a couple antibiotics but asked that I wait a couple days before starting them to see if it goes away on its own. It's obviously better to take as few medications as possible during pregnancy. I ended up not having to take the antibiotics but I think I've only had one night sleep all week. (I guess I should get used to sleepless nights!)
02-11-08 I can't believe we are at the halfway mark! We had our 20 week ultrasound this past weekend on Saturday. The little booger is looking great...weighing in at around 11 ounces and about the size of a soda can. We are still measuring exactly on schedule! The baby was kicking away, stretching, and moving all around! It kept putting its legs over its head and touching its toes to its forehead. We saw the baby opening and closing its mouth to drink the fluid and then we saw the bladder fill up and empty! The baby's heartrate was 162 beats per minute. The only concern mentioned was that my placenta is closer to my cervix than they would like. This is called a low-lying placenta. Hopefully it won't pose a problem and it may correct itself as the uterus continues to grow. I have been feeling the baby move a lot lately.
1-30-08 It's hard to believe that we are almost at the halfway point with the pregnancy! Our next doc appointment is in a little over one week. We will have our 20 week ultrasound at that appointment. We cannot wait to see the little booger again! We have decided to keep the gender a surprise. Today we registered for childbirth (lamaze), infant safety/CPR, lactation, and newborn care classes. We will be delivering at Northwest Community Hospital, which is where both Ray and I were born. My belly now seems to be getting bigger by the day. This week I can't seem to get enough avocados and root beer floats! The baby can now hear noises from outside my body. I noticed that whenever the dogs are standing near me and they bark they baby moves. Hopefully the baby will get used to the sound of dogs barking. The cheerleading season will be over this Friday. I am so excited! It has been a really long and exhausting season.
1-15-08 Cravings - I am often getting asked about my cravings. I'm sorry to say I have not had any unusual cravings. In the first few weeks all I wanted was red meat and I continue to prefer that over chicken, which is what I would normally eat! I have also been partial to Lucky Charms! Sorry nothing outrageous yet!
1-12-08 I had my 16 week doc. appointment today. Everything is going well. The baby's heart rate was 160. The doc says 160 is nice and strong. He said he would guess that that baby is a girl based on the heart rate. He did say that it's a guess and not to run out and start buying pink yet! When listening to the baby's heartbeat we were also able to hear mine. The doc said, "Can you hear that? Mom and baby's hearts beating together". I thought that was very sweet. So far I have gained 8 pounds. A baby bump can be visible depending on what I wear. My mom said that when Nicholas (my nephew), refers to the baby he says "my baby". For example he says, "I hope my baby is a girl". How cute is that! I'm still feeling pretty good and I'm starting to get some energy back. I have also started to be able to feel the baby move! It's not very often and it's just little flutters but it's awesome to feel something! I look forward to feeling it more regularly.
1-4-08 We got our crib and mattress today thanks to Oma and Opa Wolff! Our baby is blessed to have three sets of wonderful grandparents. We are so excited to get the nursery together. It still needs a lot of work but Ray has been working hard. I will soon post nursery renovation pictures. Nicholas said he is hoping for a little girl cousin. He even suggested some baby names (but he did remind me that it is our decision). Nicholas' suggestions - Girl: Shayna, Amanda, Kiki, Aaliyah, Boys: Josh, Ronday, Vincent. Right now his suggestions are not on our list but maybe...
1-03-08 Happy New Year! We received good results from our BUN Test. The BUN test gathers information through ultrasound and blood work which are completed between weeks 11 and 13. This screening helps identify genetic and chromosomal abnormalities. There is a 91% detection rate in the first trimester. Our results showed that our baby is not likely to be at increased risk for certain chromosomal disorders.
I forgot to mention that a couple of weeks ago one of my cheerleaders at school found out about the pregnancy. Let me tell you that when one 8th grade cheerleader knows something the entire 8th grade class will soon find out! I was doing lunch supervision the next day and was offered food from almost every student at lunch! The girls on the squad have been wonderful and love thinking of baby names.
12-28-07 We are 14 weeks and have made it out of the first trimester!
12-26-07 This poem was sent to me from a friend. It's about the struggle with infertility and the lessons learned.
Author Unkown:
There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought,
without patience or loss and they are good mothers
and love their children, I will try to be better.
I will be better not because of genetics, or money or that I have read more books
but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.
I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed.
I have endured and planned over and over again.
Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation
are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.
I will notice everything about my child.
I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover.
I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.
I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night
to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him
and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill,
take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying for me.
I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight,
this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see.
Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to,
I will not be careless with my love.
I will be a better mother for all that I have endured.
I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor,
friend and sister because I have known pain.
I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body.
I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.
I have prevailed. I have succeeded. I have won.
So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain
in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.
I listen. And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely.
I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine,
of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth
and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion
that only comes with walking in those shoes.
I have learned to appreciate life.
Yes I will be a wonderful mother.
12-15-07 We had our fourth ultrasound today at 12 weeks and 1 day. Everything looks good and the baby is still measuring 1 day ahead of schedule. The heart rate was 158 beats per minute. The little peanut was squirming, flipping, waving, kicking, sucking it's thumb and very active! He or she actually looks like a little person and all it's features are clearly visible. I am off of "couch potato" rest and am almost out of the first trimester! I am also finally off all the medications! I figured out the the problem I was having with the scanner so I have uploaded new copies of the ultrasound pics. They are much better!
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