A new landmark! I was watching the Academy Awards (yawn) the other night and Julia started her evening swim. The movements were really strong – felt like she was trying to turn upside down or something. So I pulled up my shirt to see if I could see my belly move and I could! It was really cool and really bizarre at the same time. Daddy can feel it now on the outside pretty regularly also, which makes him really excited. Miss Jules, I am really glad you like to wiggle a lot – it keeps me from worrying whether or not you are OK. You are getting STRONG for such a little girl!

Time for ranting. This is another hormonal day so I find myself dwelling on all the bad / worrisome stuff. I’m really starting to be a bit disenchanted with my doctor. At my very first prenatal visit in December, I was very worried that my blood pressure was above normal. Hypertension runs big in my family. He reassured me that this was no big deal and that he would be more worried about a spike, or if mine were above 140/90 (never has been). So I never worried since it was never what he considered “high”. Then at the last checkup he gave me this lecture about how high blood pressure is dangerous if pre-eclampsia develops and that I had chromic high blood pressure (it was only 124/80 last week!). He is negating his past opinions now and that seems really unprofessional. So now my husband is in my face all the time about how I need to “calm down” because of my blood pressure. Great – thanks a lot Doc. I am going to remind the Doc of his original statements at my next visit. Like I need more to worry about! Doctors who are afraid of lawsuits have very high rates of c-section from what I’m told. I want a doctor that is sort of laid back and stays out of this as much as possible. My philosophy is that the OB is really only needed if something goes wrong. At first he seemed to fit the bill but now I’m not so sure. Also I can tell how lawsuit abuse has impacted the medical profession – signs everywhere that say, “Our insurance provider prohibits anyone from videotaping the ultrasound procedure.” I would have loved to be able to watch it on video tape – after all, the best part was seeing her move. The other thing that has been bugging me lately is the idea of all the intervention into the birth process, but I am too chicken to give birth at home or something like that. Even though the risk is very low of anything going wrong, I’d never forgive myself if it did and I was far away from the hospital. My insurance won’t cover a midwife birth. So I sort of feel trapped by the whole system in a way. Sigh.

On a lighter note, Since my belly is starting to look big and pregnant, the husband and I have a running joke. I like to lift up my shirt and stick Julia out and (in all seriousness) say, “Honey, I think I might be pregnant.” He always laughs and replies, “Do ya really think so?” staring at it’s massive proportions. :o)

You are a slippery little thing these days; a greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats your entire body to protect your skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. Some infants are still covered with this whitish goo when they’re born. Some Obstetric nurses swear this is the ultimate treatment for dry skin and use it for hand cream.

 Preconception

It’s + !

 Week 4

Week 9

 Week 10

 Week 11

 Week 12

 Week 13

 Week 14

Week 15

 Week 16

 Week 17

 Week 23

 Week 24

 Week 30

 Week 31

 Week 32

 Week 37

 Week 38

 Week 39

 Going to the hospital!