Baby Movements :)

Well in the past two weeks I have begun to feel more distinct baby movements in my belly. Prior that that I had felt "rolls" that felt like gas...but were clearly not. The more distinct movements have been pretty cool. About a week ago I have been able to actually see the movements when my belly jumps! I think they are hiccups because they are rythmic movements. Whatever they are...they are strong and adorable. Last night John and I were lying in bed watching tv and she was moving around again. So I took John's hand and put it on my belly and sure enough he was able to feel her!!! I had been trying for the past 2 weeks to get him to feel her with no success. I guess the movements just hadn't been strong enough. But sure enough, last night they were! He felt her like 4 times!!! It was so cool that he was able to finally feel her!

Overall I am feeling pretty good. I am 22 weeks and 4 days along...only 10 more days until our first milestone! I cannot wait to hit 24 weeks. That is also when we have our next appointment. Will be nice to see how much, if any, healing has occurred on the bleed area. I have been 27 days without any spotting (knock on wood it continues)! So hopefully I will get good news at our next appointment.

Another big event has happened for John and I as well. We have moved out of our apartment and in to a townhouse! We are now homeowners! It is soooo great to own a place of our own. John has enjoyed doing small fixes around the house. We have been in this townhouse for 4 days and the unpacking is going well --- especially since John is having to do it himself. It stinks that I really can't help him. But I am doing a great job supervising :)

Blanket is Finished!!!

Well I have finally finished Alexis' first blanket :) I guess I can thank bedrest for that because I probably wouldn't have completed it that quickly if I was working. This one is made from lilac and white yarn. It will match her room nicely!! The next one I am going to make will be pink and yellow. I am so happy with the way it turned out...it is soooo pretty! :) Here are some pictures of the completed blanket!The second picture is a close up of the pattern of the blanket. I will probably use the same pattern for the 2nd blanket because it is easy. But the second blanket will have to wait because I have a cross-stitch for Alexis that needs to be completed first. So I guess that is what I will work on today. :)

Late Night Trip to ER

Well last night we had another trip to the Emergency Room. I called my on-call doctor around 10 p.m. after having really bad leg pain all day. I wouldn't have been concerned, except for the fact that I haven't done anything in 6 weeks because of bedrest! So of course, my thoughts immediately went to blood clot...which apparently so did the on-call doctor. She said to go to the ER to rule that out. So at 11:00 p.m. we ventured to what has become my home away from home :) They took my vitals and put me in a room. Then the nurse came in to check on the fetal heartbeat --- which at first she could not find! The nurse was checking on the left side, but I knew that Alexis likes to hang out on the right side. So as soon as she went over there she was able to hear it...148 bpm! Good strong heartbeat! Then they wheeled me back to ultrasound and checked my leg for clots. I was clot free! So that was a good sign. So who really knows what the pain was from...but I felt better knowing that it wasn't a clot! So at 2:30 a.m. they discharged me and I came home and took a Tylenol and put an ice pack on my leg. This morning the pain seems to have subsided a little which is good! Never a dull moment in our life :)

Belly Shot - 20 weeks 1 day

Here is a belly shot at 20 weeks! A little bit bigger than at 16 weeks :) She is growing! I am definitely at the point where I can feel her moving around in there. The best time of the day I can feel her is right around 7:00 p.m. That seems to be her most active time of the day. She is also really active after I have eaten or right after I have drank something sweet. She seems to enjoy that!

I am beginning my 6th week of bedrest today. I cannot believe it has been that long! I feel like I should have finished knitting her blanket a long time ago! I am just lazy I guess :) It will get finished in time...I have 20 weeks :)

Halfway There!!!!

Okay so today's doctor appointment went okay. Today I am 19 weeks 6 days...so basically 20 weeks. Alexis is growing nicely! She is now 11 oz --- roughly the size of a coke can :) She was kicking like crazy today during the sonogram! She is measuring right on target and had a nice strong heartbeat again. After the sonogram we went in to see the doctor. She said that the area of the bleed isn't getting smaller. Therefore I am in for another month of bedrest. I was a little disappointed...but I knew in my heart that was what was coming. She said that more than likely I will probably be on some form of bedrest until the baby is delivered. By the next doctor visit on June 11th, I will be 24 weeks. She said at that visit she might consider altering my bedrest restrictions because I will be 24 weeks and at that point the baby will be considered "viable" outside the womb...barely, but viable. Obviously I want to make it much further than that!! But right now my goal is 24 weeks. One small goal at a time. So for now, I continue my bedrest and keep looking at her sonogram pictures every day --- that is what keeps me going! Speaking of pictures, here are some of her pictures from today's visit. Isn't she just so darn cute!

So I guess overall I am happy to report that our girl is doing well. That is the most important part. Every night around 7:00ish, she is very active. I can feel her move around like crazy! That is a pretty cool feeling. It will be very neat when John actually can feel her. Hopefully soon!

Better late than never...

Okay these are a week and a half overdue but here they are! These are Alexis' pictures at 18 weeks 4 days! Some of the 3-D pictures are a little creepy since they show her looking like she has no skull!! Even still...she looks absolutely adorable! :)

At this appointment she weighed 9 oz! She is growing! Almost the size of a coke can :) She had a strong heartbeat and was very active!

Alexis' Stroller...

This past Sunday my dad came in to town to buy our little girl her stroller/car seat! It is so weird to have our first big purchase for her in the house. John put it together right away and didn't even flip out while he was doing it! I actually think he was enjoying it! It is a really nice stroller and we are very excited to be able to use it once she arrives. Here are some pictures of him putting it together.
Here it is all complete and ready for Alexis :) It is very gender neutral (just in case I decide I want to go through this whole pregnancy thing again in the way future). So to make it more girly I will need to acquire some cute girlie car seat and stroller toys! I don't think that will be an issue for me :) Once John finished putting it together he felt as though he needed a beer to celebrate...check out the beer in the cup holder in the picture below! Friday soon-to-be Uncle CJ and Aunt Peg will be down here visiting for lunch and CJ is going to head to Babies R Us with John to help him pick up Alexis' crib which has arrived! I cannot wait to have it in my house...to say we actually have it!

John's mom is also coming over on Thursday with some paint samples for Alexis' nursery! We are going to paint it light purple to match her bedding! It will be cute once we can get the nursery all put together. It will definitely make things exciting!!

We had our weekly sonogram today and she is doing very well. Once I get the pictures scanned in I will post another blog with updates and the pictures! Maybe tomorrow I will get that taken care of :)