3D/4D Scan at 31 weeks

We were fortunate enough to have a follow-up 3D scan at 31 weeks. Baby's moving a lot, and he was very active during the scan, but my placenta's still blocking part of his face. He also seem to mind and keeps moving the other way. At one point, you can actually see him frowning very clearly, as if saying "why can't you just wait a few weeks until I'm born to actually see my face?" We got 33 pictures this time and another DVD video of the ultrasound session, and Marius suggested we come back again for another free scanning session.

Here's one of the pix we got:

Still looks a lot like Bondi, doesn't he?

By the way, here's my 7-month mug shot:

Baby Shower #1 (Dec. 8, 2007)

My in-laws held a baby shower for me & Bondi. It was a fun, intimate event between the family and some friends. There were good food, games & prizes, and we got nice presents for our little one! Thanks, Grace and thanks everybody for putting up such a fun event. Here are some snapshots:

3D/4D Scan at 28 weeks

We had our first 3D/4D scan today at 28 weeks. We got some nice shots, although for most of the time, my placenta's blocking his face. He's very still though, unlike his usual moving around and jerking motions, he was actually sleeping at the time of the scan. Got a lot of pictures and a DVD video that comes along with it, but we'll have to come back in 3 weeks and hopefully get better shots. Here's a few of the 35 snapshots we took:

Doesn't he just look like his dad?

Hands, Legs & Toes

6-month Mugshot

23-week Ultrasound

Another scan with our friend Mike from my previous school, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts.

Nothing New...

Just thought I'd update my blog. Nothing new... Baby's movement has been getting stronger and more frequent by the day. He's actually kicking now, as I type. Just had my flu shot this morning, right after my appointment with the asthma specialist (had to get my asthma under control during this pregnancy). I didn't even know I had it, until I had shortness of breath very bad, starting my 3rd month.

Last Saturday, we had nothing else to do and so we went to Twin Peaks for the umpth time just to enjoy the view. It was a beautiful day and the skies were clear, so it was great for picture-taking.

Here are some snapshots:

Me & Bondi (showing off my tummy!)

With Grace & the kids (Gian & Gabbie)

Malaki na tiyan ko, di ba?

Pasilip nga...

Walang magawa...

View from the top:

4th Prenatal Appointment

I had my 4th prenatal appointment with Dr. Lashay yesterday. She said the ultrasound results were great, everything is perfect, no problems whatsoever. I listened to my baby's heartbeat on the doppler, and it's as strong as ever.

I finally gained me 3 pounds! Yay! My OB said she does't care about not gaining enough weight and not to stress about it. Geez, the midwife I saw last month (since my regular OB was on vacation) was actually emphasizing that I should eat every 2 hours for me to gain weight, only to find out it doesn't really matter as long as the baby is growing at the right pace and everything is normal. Just eat healthy and normally. Oh well, I now just have to be careful not to eat too much fatty foods or sweets or else I would get swollen on my third trimester.

I am finally showing! There's a huge difference in my belly now, definitely bigger. Here is my 5-month "mug shot":

Siyempre, mukha na naman akong brouhaha... Oh well...

20-week Ultrasound (Routine Scan)

Looking straight at you...

So I am back from Kaiser. I was scheduled for a 9:45 am scan and they required me to drink 32 oz of water at 8:15-8:45am & hold my bladder for an hour. That is so hard to do! And so I was there on time, and asked if I could at least let a little pee out in the bathroom. They won't let me. They need a really full bladder to check on the birth canal and so I reluctantly obliged. I relieved myself after a few shots of what they were looking for, then Phoebe, the sonographer, proceeded to check on the baby. She took 70 pictures of everything, the head, the feet, the arms/hands, renal... a whole lot! And you can even see the four chambers of his heart. He's measuring a few days ahead too. Let's just pray that there's nothing wrong with his development. Phoebe won't say if everything is fine or what. She said, she's not allowed to tell anything, so i have to wait for my prenatal appointment on October 8 (Monday).

Four chambers of the heart

Bondi brought a videocam, but too bad, she said it was hospital policy not to videotape the whole thing. Anyways, the baby was doing great, it seems, and as usual, he scratches his head and moves around. But he is extremely cooperative and not "camera shy" at all. And for the third time, it's confirmed that our baby is definitely a boy.

It's a boy!

He's definitely grown and is probably at around 10 inches by now, with a weight of around 13 oz. His movements/kicks are very distinct now, harder, longer, and more frequent than before. I am starting to finally "show" and I am getting excited that I would soon be wearing cute maternity clothes.

On another note, I finally enrolled us to the "Preparing for Childbirth" class at Kaiser. I set it for the first three Tuesdays of December. I wonder what they do in there and if I would ever learn anything from it, but I would take all the info I can get in preparation for finally giving birth to this precious little boy. Exciting, isn't it?!

Nosebleed

What's up with these nosebleeds? Last Sunday, I posted an entry (CPC Retreat) which includes my first time to ever have a nosebleed in my life - happened last Saturday night. Last Tuesday night, I had another episode, and again last night! It just gets worse than better. It doesn't concern me much, nor do I panic at the sight of it, and it isn't painful at all, it's just that it's such a hassle to have to nurse my bleeding nose, sometimes for half an hour! Oh well, the joys of pregnancy!

18-week Ultrasound

They did another scan on me in school, and it's once again confirmed that our baby's a boy! He looks healthy and has gotten a lot bigger as well. He still moves a lot, heartbeat was beating strong, and everything is really looking good. Praise God!

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18-week video clip:

Jen & Milton's Wedding

Just got back from Vegas late last night (had to leave right after the reception), and I must say, despite the normally hot weather, Jen & Milton's wedding was flawless. It was perfectly planned and perfectly executed. As Grace puts it, she was not a "bridezilla" at all, and she was just glowing.

It got a bit emotional for Grace and I, and for most of the guests who witnessed the ceremony, because the groom, Milton, despite his claim that he would never cry, was so teary-eyed, uhmm... was actually crying, during the bridal walk and the exchange of vows and rings. Love was definitely in the air! I am excited for them and [secretly] hoped they would get pregnant soon so Jen and I could be pregnant together (LOL!). I'm pretty sure they are very much ready and I could tell they would definitely be great parents.

As for me, this is my first pregnant bridesmaid experience (I don't know if there ever will be another one, LOL!) and I didn't expect me to pop overnight. I woke up and suddenly my baby (rather, belly) decided to show a bit. It was fun, although during the reception (after me dancing around) I felt some contractions and so I decided to rest. I've read about Braxton-Hicks contractions (and how it is normal) and just wondered if that was what I was feeling. It might just be my uterus stretching to accommodate this baby boy on his growth spurt. I am finally starting my 5th month and almost halfway there!

I can't say much, I'm actually still tired and I guess I should rest now...

Jen & I just goofing off

3rd Prenatal Appointment

My regular OBGYN was on vacation, so I had my appointment set up with a Certified Nurse Midwife. What is nice about them is they really take time to listen to you and explain everything, and not in such a hurry (unlike regular doctors who normally just allow 15 minutes to see you). And if labor and dellivery is normal, they would most likely be the ones to deliver my baby.

I didn't have a scan this time, but we did find his very strong heartbeat once she put the doppler on my belly. She was quite worried that I haven't gained weight though. (I actually lost a pound since my last check-up.) I am not a small, petite, thin girl to start with, but neither am I overweight. But I am not dieting or trying to lose any weight either. I remember I immediately gained weight on my 1st month (back when I was eating much and didn't know I was pregnant yet/just found out) but I lost half of what I gained by the second month, and never gained since. I was thinking my 1st trimester nausea was the cause. But I am now way past it, and still not successful in putting on some pounds. I really have to focus on doing so, and she said I have to eat something every 2 hours at least (of course, it should be healthy food). Come to think of it, my face looks bigger last year compared to the present. Let's see what happens on next month's appointment.

On another note, I have been having regular shortness of breath, dizziness (and sometimes feeling faint) so they set an appointment last week. I am sure my lungs are clear and I am not wheezing, but the doctor sent me to my regular internist for a follow through. She prescribed me my albuterol inhaler (which I refuse to use since know it's a Category C med, meaning it crosses the placenta), another steroid inhaler in case it doesn't help (I didn't pick this up from the Pharmacy yet, and have no intentions to), and a steroid nasal spray (which I didn't pick up either) for my bloody, congested nose once the blood has cleared from using the normal saline spray. I think going to the doctor was just a waste of my time, since there's nothing much I can do but endure these pregnancy "bonuses".

A few days more and I'm flying to Vegas for my bestfriend's wedding. This would be my first pregnant bridesmaid experience. I'm shocked my dress still fits me at this point, and hope it would stay that way until after the wedding. I can't wait for me to "pop" and finally look pregnant. I have a pregnant belly underneath these clothes. You just can't tell once a shirt or a dress is on it. I am putting in a snapshot of me taken at 16 weeks (last Friday). Just woke up and got dressed for our regular Friday fellowship, so pardon me for not being "made up".

Oh yeah, I took a picture before I napped. Okay, so I look a little pregnant here:

It's a BOY!!! (Confirmed on 08/27/07)

I just got home from school, very excited about the new US results. I was feeling a bit down today so I attended the evening class instead. Good thing too, because the Ulrasound Tech students from our school did a scan on me, then their instructor, Dr. Bahram (who happens to be an OBGYN doctor) came in and did more.

At first, the baby was in a standing position (I guess at this point they do move around a lot, whatever position it may be) and scratching his head. He jumped up and down, waved and smiled "hello!", and showed off lots of tricks. The interns "ooohhed" and "ahhhhed" and they were pretty excited about this too.

His heartbeat was beating so strongly, and since our little boy had the hiccups (you can actually see his whole body move as he does), we also picked it up on the doppler. It was so funny and cute.

Towards the end of the scan, Dr. Bahram asked if I wanted to know the gender. Apparently, our little one was so cooperative. And so, he confirmed it: we're having a boy! Praise God!

More details on the video entry of this scan...

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Video clip:

At 14 1/2 weeks, I had another scan from my school. The interns who were there (2 out of 3 are Filipinos) gladly practiced on me. My classmates Johanna and Maria witnessed the scanning, and I had Maria record half of the video (they have to go back to class) while I struggled to record the second half, when Dr. Bahram (OB/GYN doctor who is their Ultrasound Tech instructor) did the scanning and some explaining.This baby is just so hyperactive! You can see him scratching his head, and moving around as well. It's so funny when he hiccups too. Oh, he does a lot of things inside the womb. You can already see his facial profile, although still premature. And, yeah, it's a boy! Confirmed by the doctor, who actually measured his "thing". Now, what to name him....

Like popcorn/bubbles popping

Last night, I couldn't sleep. I was just tossing and turning on my bed, trying to find the most comfy position I could find. Hmmm... maybe I should buy one of those maternity pillows. At about 5:30am, I felt something. Pop, pop, pop. It was random and on and off. And when it's gone, I keep on looking forward to the next one. Now, this is definitely the baby moving. It feels different from the uterine stretching I was feeling earlier this week. And this one doesn't hurt. It feels... nice.

UPDATE: (Sept. 11, 2007) So yeah, I had Bondi buy me one of those boppy body pillows and it helped a lot! Anyways, baby is making his presence felt at least once a day. That's a relief.

Weird Dreams

I've been having really weird dreams lately. The latest one was this morning, where I was only about 16 weeks (according to my dream) and felt the baby kick, when his foot went straight out of my tummy. Pretty soon, he was out, umbilical cord and all (from my tummy!). What's so weird is that it didn't hurt at all, there was no bleeding (not that I can remember) and he is just the right size and looked healthy. I was walking around carrying him (the cutest little boy ever) with umbilical cord still intact, since the doctors were trying to figure out how to save both me and the baby. They're saying since the baby is still connected, he's still getting nutrients and oxygen from the placenta so it's okay. Eventually they had to cut the cord. Then my cellphone rang, so i woke up. It's just so weird. First time I dreamt I gave birth, and to a baby boy, but in an unconventional way and in a very strange setting. Hmmm....

2nd Prenatal Appointment/12-week Ultrasound

Okay, so this morning (August 6, 2007 at 8:30am) was my 2nd check-up. It was very short and sweet, my OB said all my blood levels were good, and the baby looked perfect on the ultrasound. At first, this baby was sleeping, but we all wanted to see the little one move, so the doctor manipulated it by moving the transducer rapidly (as if shaking the baby) and he/she finally moved! [see video] It was sooo cute, as if our baby was stretching those tiny arms and trying to stretch the little legs against the womb but ended up lifting his/her back. It is just so amazing.

Here's how I look like at 3 months... So bloated!

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2nd Prenatal Appointment:

On my 12th week and baby is developing normally... We had an early appointment with my doctor at 8am this morning, and Bondi took some video. He/She was asleep, but after a little manipulation, baby woke up and stretched (like his/her Uncle Ian stretches in the morning when he wakes up). It is really a lovely sight.

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Baby's Movement during the 12th week:

So we had our 2nd prenatal appointment this morning. It's not exactly 12 weeks yet, but this is my 12th week, so I am posting this week's scan. At first, the little nugget was fast asleep, but after much prodding by my OB, he/she finally woke up (as you can see his/her stretching and moving about). Our baby finally looks and moves like a real tiny human being... It's soooo cute!!!

11-week Ultrasound

Today is my last day of clinicals at Kaiser OB/GYN. So, as farewell, I asked Rosalee to do another scan on me, just to see how big our baby grew. (I am so addicted to this ultrasound thing, LOL!) I was also kinda hoping to see the baby move, but like his/her mommy, this baby was just too lazy, or sleeping... either way, that's me right now! Heheh...

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11-week video clip:

Another week, another scan... The baby seemed a lot bigger now. He/She is not putting on a show this time, though. Probably sleeping? But with arms up? LOL. I so wanted to see our little nugget move. Oh well, maybe next week...

10-week Ultrasound

Here I go again, with another picture of my baby's development. It's so good to be doing clinicals at Kaiser Permanente (Daly City) OB/GYN department, I get free scans!!!

This scan, though, is a milestone in my pregnancy since this is the first time that the baby is big enough for me to see him/her moving (see video). It makes this pregnancy more real to me, as the fetus is no longer like a peanut, but more like a miniature human being with tiny arms and legs. I also heard the heartbeat for the first time (see video)! (Before, it was too early to start using the doppler, so I only saw it and never heard it) and it was beating at such a strong, steady rate. I forgot to ask them to measure the heart rate this time.

This gets very exciting by the week. How fast the baby grows! So sit back, relax, and wait for next week's scan. I can't wait to start that baby book! (Obviously, I haven't started yet, and I've already got a lot of pix per ultrasound, LOL. Halatang excited?!?)

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Baby's movement at 10 weeks:

So, as I mentioned before, I forgot I brought the camera with me and just bore with my low-tech cellphone to capture this heartwarming moment. I should have let my classmate, Armi (the voice you hear towards the end of the clip), capture this milestone with it, but my memory cells just aren't working recently. Anyways, it is so cute how his/her tiny frame is moving and what appeared to be his/her arms and legs wriggling. This video never fails to make me smile. It feels soooo good!!! Next time, I'll make sure to remember I have my camera with me for better quality...

Baby's heartbeat at 10 weeks:

The first time I heard the heartbeat on the doppler! They scanned me at Kaiser Daly City where I was doing my clinical rotation, and I forgot I brought my camera with me. I just used my cellphone so the quality is not as good. Still, it deserves to be captured, so here it is..

Sleep Talking

As I have mentioned a few blogs ago, Bondi always talks in his sleep. Not only that, you can actuallly converse with him and he answers back. So the other night, I couldn't sleep (as usual) because I just couldn't breathe and I felt really hot even with the windows open.

Bondi suddenly placed his hand on my belly and rubbed it, and asked, "Ano ito, lalaki o babae?" [So, do you think it's a boy or a girl?] ...

...to which I answered, "Ewan ko, ano sa tingin mo?" [I dunno, what do you think?].

He casually answered back, "Siguro lalaki." [I think it's a boy.]

I looked at him, and he was still fast asleep. And so I said, "Ikaw talaga, pati yung baby pinapanaginipan mo na, ano?" [So, you're starting to dream about the baby now, huh?]...

...and he said "Oo nga e." [Yeah.]

He's such a funny one, my husband. When I told him about it the next day, he couldn't remember anything. Oh well. Let's see if he dreamt it right. A few more weeks to go to determine the gender.

9-week Ultrasound

Isn't this little peanut a lucky one? Every week there's always a snapshot of his/her development. I so happened to do my clinical rotation at Kaiser Daly City (OB/Gyn Department) at this point in time, and they did another free sonogram on me. I saw our precious little one again measuring 9 weeks. I am now officially into my third month. Here's a copy of one of the pix:

Tomorrow, they'll be doing another scan on me in school. Isn't that cool? Don't worry, ultrasounds are completely safe for the baby, if that's what you're thinking. Now, I better start that baby book. :D

UPDATE:

Here's a blurry snapshot of the baby with the yolk sac:

And here's a copy of the baby's heartbeat yesterday (183 bpm = beating so strongly):

1st Prenatal Appointment

And so we had our first prenatal appointment today (rather yesterday, it's 12:25am right now). Wow, talk about paperworks. We had to come in about an hour early just to fill out everything.

My OB, Dr. Nanette Olivia Lashay, did another ultrasound, and boy, did this little peanut grow more than twice its size (from 0.87cm to 1.83cm) in a span of 5 days! This bean actually measured 3 days ahead. We saw the heartbeat again, and it's at 163bpm. Everytime we get a chance to "see" the baby, it still amazes us how that tiny being could exist inside me, and Bondi just curls whenever he sees that tiny heart beating on the screen. The corpus luteum cyst in my left ovary is now smaller and in a few weeks the placenta will take over, producing progesterone to sustain the pregnancy.

Of course, there's a lot of other stuff. They had to draw vials of blood from me again, this time on my other arm. (My right arm is still bruised from all the blood draws and from the IV transfusion last Saturday.) They were gonna do a lot of tests, and make sure the baby is gonna be fine.

Overall, things have been pretty uneventful. I'm still thanking God for His faithfulness, and still continue to pray for a happy and healthy nine months, trusting Him and holding on to His promises.

Here's a nice picture of an 8-week embryo: