Christmas

 After spending the past three Christmas holidays in Oregon with Don's family, we decided to stay in Tacoma this year with my family.  We had a great Christmas.  Both Christmas Eve and Day were spent at my parent's house with my younger brother, Tony, Heather, Jacob and Alyssa, Heather's parents and my parents.  After dinner and family time on Christmas Eve we went to Mass at St. Leo's.  We spent the early part of Christmas day here at our house with the dogs.  Santa was very good to LadyBug and Lola.  We headed to mom & dad's in the early afternoon for a late lunch and then helped with dinner preparations.  

For those of you who have been requesting a belly shot, you'll see one to the left.  

I hope your holiday was peace filled and merry, 

~B

Baby's doing well....

We had another ultrasound yesterday morning. Last month, Peanut was measuring in the 36th percentile for growth. Yesterday she was in the 35th - not bad. They measured all of her parts and pieces and everything is right on track and they released from Maternal/Fetal Medicine. We can now do ultrasounds at each of my office visits to monitor her growth with the 2 vessel cord.

Yesterday afternoon we had our monthly appointment with my OB. She is really happy with our progress and Peanut's growth. I was thrilled to see I've only gained 7 lbs.! I'm eating like a horse, but this making a person stuff uses a lot of energy. Our next visit and ultrasound will be January 20th.

Daddy's little girl kicks...literally

So I got to feel the baby kick for the first time this week, what a difference.  It seemed that she was something in the far distance and would be here when she gets here.  Well that has all changed now, she IS here.  It's a very special thing that I was not expecting, I can't really describe it but it's kind of like growing up in a way.  It becomes real.  I know that sounds funny but there it is.  My daughter is on the way and I can't wait to meet her.  Love to you all.

Don

drum roll please.............

At our last ultrasound appointment we found our Peanut is a GIRL! We would have been thrilled either way, but it is fun to know. She is measuring right on track for growth and development. We have another ultrasound scheduled for December 22nd. We have a single artery umbilical chord (normal is 1 vein, 2 arteries. ours is 1 vein, 1 artery.) We are not getting alarmed, we just have to watch her closely to be certain she continues to grow and develop on schedule. So, we will be having an ultrasound at just about every check-up. Should we see that she is not growing at the rate she should, we will all consult and decide if she would be better on the outside in the NICU. But, we are hopeful that our little miracle will continue to amaze us all.

Please keep your fingers crossed and send positive thoughts for Don's job hunt. There is an opening at Benaroya Hall that Don is perfectly qualified for, would challenge him, use his talents to their fullest, and it would be a step up from what he had been doing. The union rep is going to hand delivering Don's resume and show list to the team at Benaroya on Thursday.

Well, I got rid of the nausea, but my IC (bladder disease) has spiked. So much so that I have puzzled my urologist. He's not encountered another patient like me. He's thrilled and up for the challenge, I'm not so happy about being a guinea pig! We are trying all kinds of treatments, but so far nothing is working. I'll be seeing a physical therapist on the 22nd in hopes that she will be able to help calm the pelvic floor muscles that are in constant spasm due to the bladder irritation. I'll keep you posted. Luckily, the IC does not affect Peanut or my uterus.

Be well,

~Barba

A turning point...

YEAH!  I've gone 1 whole week without feeling nauseous.  Just as everyone one said it would, the symptom lifted magically last Friday as we hit the 16 week mark.  I am so thankful.  I'm hoping the exhaustion lifts as well.  

We are now 17 weeks along.  Peanut weighs about 5 oz and is about 5 inches long from head to bum.  (about the size of a turnip.)  My belly is popping out more and more, but I've still only gained a few pounds.  We are getting excited for the next ultrasound on the 24th.  We are hoping to find out if Peanut is a girl or a boy.

A few of you know I've taken up knitting.  (Thanks, Meg!!)  I was getting the hang of things and was really on a roll until I had a mishap this week with a paper cutter.  I'm fine.  I sliced my left thumb at the first knuckle pretty good.  Nothing 3 1/2 hours in the ER can't put back together.  (Yes, there are perks working for a hospital.  But speedy service in the ER is not one of them.)  They Dermabonded my laceration and splinted it for a few days so I don't split it open again.  The Dermabond will help protect the site from infection much better than a butterfly or even stitches would have.  The bonus, any pregnant woman who presents in the ER can't be released without a fetal heart tone.  SO, I got to hear Peanut's little heart this week.  A strong, normal 152 beats per minute.  I checked in with Occ. Health today.  I'm healing so well the Dr. let me take the splint off.  Now I can get back to knitting.  

Love to you all, 

~B

Our ultrasound from 2 weeks ago... soon to be posted, I'm having trouble converting the file. During this ultrasound, at 12 weeks, Peanut was right on track for growth and measuring about the size of a lime. Now that we are 14 weeks, Peanut is about the size of a lemon. We had a doctors appointment last Thursday; all is good. Statistically, our chances of a Down syndrome baby are much less than they 'typical' 38 year old woman. We'll have a second blood test next week. The baby's heart rate was 150 beats/min. Our next ultrasound and appointment with the doctor is Nov. 24th. We are hoping to find out if Peanut is a boy or a girl at that time.

I'm still nauseous and tired, but it is a bit better. My worst time seems to be afternoon through night. So I'm a little more productive at work these days.

Love you all,

~Barba

Hi all. Today Peanut is at 12 weeks gestation. The nausea and fatigue did not magically lift - I'm a little bummed. I get to stop taking the progesterone next Thursday. That should help. I'll try to have Don take a photo this weekend and post so you can see my baby bump. Peanut has really popped out. But, I'm still not able to wear maternity pants. I'm hanging on with the rubber bands and elastic waists :)

I've been a little slow on the updates. On September 30th we got crushing news. After 15 years with the Village Theatre, they let Don go. They said they are 'going in a different direction'. (Whatever that means!) We had absolutely no warning. Just 3 weeks prior, Don had his review and was given a nice raise. They asked him to run the Saturday night shows so he would be there for the big night of the week. Don is now in the process of networking; contacting anyone we know with connections in any area that my need a phenomenal sound designer and technician. He's looking at live sound, multimedia and gaming, and audio installation. If you know of anything email him at don_littrell@excite.com.

Thanks for all of your love and support. More to come soon, I promise! ~Barba

Not quite maternity wardrobe

I am at a frustrating point in the pregnancy. My 'regular' clothes do not fit - my belly is too big to zip or button most of my pants but, not yet big enough to warrant maternity wear. I'm using rubber bands, safety pins and bella bands to get me through, but there is only so much I can do without looking like a slob. And shirts - well they are a little tighter than is appropriate for the office :) My friend, Regina, had her 2nd baby in June and has loaned me a few maternity items. I broke down yesterday and today and wore her maternity sweaters over my pinned together pants. The extra width and length make for a much better look. I think I'm going to need to go shopping soon - I only have 4 maternity sweaters to rotate through.

Baby likes to dance....

Don and I enjoyed the last of the summer outdoor concerts with Ben and Roxi Friday evening at the White River Amphitheater.   Cheap Trick, Heart and yes, Journey - it was an 80's rock fest and baby loved it.  Well, we think so.  At least mom loved being outside as her nausea was reduced.  The show was fantastic.  It is always good to have Ann and Nancy Wilson play a home show.  And the new lead singer for Journey is a dead ringer for Steve Perry.  It was frightening!  Before you saw him close-up on the big screen you would have sworn it was Perry.  He runs around the stage just as Perry did back in the day.  And had you not known Steve Perry was no longer with the band, you never would have guessed having heard the man sing.  He nails it - inflection, tone - it is all there. 

Baby does not like traffic!  We sat, parked, engine OFF, for an hour + before we even moved from our parking place.  It took us nearly 1 1/2 hours to get out of the parking lot.  By that time, mom's nausea had returned, and with a vengeance.  

Thanks Ben & Roxi for celebrating your anniversary weekend with us and reliving the 80's :) 

Won Ton Soup

Maybe it is all the Chinese medicine and acupuncture I did to get pregnant, but the only thing I want to eat is Won Ton soup. Being as nauseous and dizzy/sea sick as I am, it is the only thing that sounds good to me. So, I'm eating a lot of Won Ton soup :) At this rate, I'll be able to assess most Asian restaurants within a 5 mile radius of our house/my office within the next few weeks. So far my favorite soup is from Le Le on MLK - they serve their soup more like Pho, with the cilantro, lime and bean sprouts on the side to add yourself. Today, I am eating soup from the Burger Bar - just walking distance from my office. It is packed with yummy vegetables and cabbage as well as the won tons. It is not as good as Le Le's, but it is half the price and I got to walk through Wright Park to retrieve it. I have a feeling the women at Le Le and Burger Bar are going to know me well. Burger Bar is about a 4 block walk, Le Le is about 7-8 blocks. My least favorite to date - Happy Dragon on 6th and Orchard. It was WAY too salty.

September 9, 2008

Yes, finally, we are expecting! Baby's due date is April 25th. As most of you know I've struggled to get pregnant. Thank you for all your support. Even with the miracles of acupuncture and modern pharmaceuticals, I don't think this would have happened without your prayers and support.

We had our first ultrasound yesterday. (For those novices in the group, the black oval is the egg sack, the peanut shaped grey mass inside the egg sack is the baby.) Seeing and hearing the heartbeat was amazing. All looks well. Baby is growing and healthy.

Don is relieved there is just one baby. After getting my hcg results two weeks ago, there was great concern we may have more than one in there. But alas, I'm just an overachiever.

I'm feeling tired, nauseous, with bouts of dizziness and insomnia - fun! Everyone keeps telling me this is good. Ok, but I'm looking forward to hitting my 2nd trimester.