Cheerio Confessions

Okay, Emmett John is fussy so this is going to be the fastest update I can manage. (Yeah, right. lol) Please forgive me if this seems jumbled and disconnected, Emmett John and Elliott Richard aren't big on sleep at the moment.

I'm sorry I haven't posted in nearly forever. I simply haven't been in the mood, which stinks because I was hoping to partake in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) but I can only do so much. I do apologize though if my being MIA has made any of you worry.

Gavin

About a month ago Gavin was started on a new bi-polar medication, 150mg Trileptal BID. Everything was fine. It seemed to be working. His moods were gradually evening out. Then the bottom fell out. His moods took a nose dive. He began rapid cycling again. So we called Dr. R and he decided to double Gavin's dose to 300mg BID, which he had planned to do anyway. So two weeks ago, we double the Trileptal. We give Gavin his meds and proceed with getting ready for Gavin and Elliott Richard's flu shot appointments. On our way to Dr. H's office for flu shots, Gavin broke out in a serious rash. Dr. H wasn't in the office but one of the other peds saw him and confirmed that it was a reaction to the Trileptal. She said that there wasn't anything we could do for the itching (apparently Benedryl doesn't work on drug reaction rashes), so that was fun. We were told to keep an eye on his breathing etc but told he should be fine. (Ever try explaining to an Autistic 8 year old that he can't scratch and you can't help the itch? Yeah, I don't recommend it.) Since the ped wasn't worried, we sent Gavin to my Mom's as planned. At like midnight or 1am our phone rings. Gavin now has a fever, the chills etc. His breathing was fine so Mom gave him Tylenol for the fever and we all went back to sleep. He was fine in the morning so it appeared that the worst had passed. Until he got home. The chills, fever etc had returned. He was now running a 104 degree fever! So Rob is calling Dr. R and Dr. H's offices trying to figure out what to do. I'm trying to get Gavin comfortable and giving him Tylenol etc. Dr. R's office decides he has the flu and not a drug reaction at all. Dr. H's office said to keep a very close eye on him, if anything changed or the fever hit 105 we were told to call back ASAP. To give a general idea of how Gavin was feeling, he went to bed at 5pm and slept through the night until 8am the next day!!!!!! (This is a big deal because I don't think he's slept that much since he was Emmett John's age!) On the bright side, he recovered really quick. On the not-so-bright side, I'm definitely not going to win "Mother of the Year" this year. When Gavin went back to school, I accidentally gave him the 150mg dose of Trileptal. Luckily, he survived and we now know for 100% certain that Dr. H was right (it was a drug reaction) and Dr. R was wrong (it was NOT the flu). So while he broke out in a rash again, he handled it like a champ and it was gone within a day or two. So since this whole drama went down Gavin has been unmedicated for his bi-polar, which at the very least is making things interesting. Rob and I see Dr. R today to figure out what the next step is.

Other than that whole mess, things with Gavin have been fairly....typical for Gavin. He's rapid cycling. We're struggling to keep up with him. The whole situation is just exhausting. Of course that could have something to do with the fact that he hasn't adjusted to the time change at all. He puts himself to bed at 6pm every night and asks for him meals an hour early. We've tried to explain it to him but he doesn't get it. Poor thing. Hopefully he'll adjust soon.

On a positive note, a few days after the adoption was finalized (we should have the paperwork any day now - woo who!) the school had an Awards Assembly for the students. Gavin received awards for Perfect Attendance (which was blown for this grading period with the drug reaction), an award for meeting his reading goals with his Title 1 tutor, and another one I can't remember. (Hey, I already told you I wasn't winning Mother of the Year.) The school even went and changed his name on all of his awards so that they read Gavin G. :)

Elliott Richard

Well, unofficially potty training has begun. We've started buying Elliott Richard Lightning McQueen Pull-Ups. It took a little bit of convincing to get him to wear them but now he's in love. He's now changing his own diapers, well, he's taking his wet (and dirty - unfortunately) diapers off and then running around the house buck naked screaming "New biper!" He also tells us (sometimes before and sometimes after the diaper removal) that he's peed or pooped. He will sit on the potty, sometimes for nearly an hour. Then he gets up, puts on a Pull-Up and pees. Oy. So progress is slow and basically non-existent at some points but we are getting there.

During Gavin's whole Trileptal reaction, Elliott Richard received his flu shot. I expected a lot of tears and screaming. Daddy said that he was fine with the shot. (I was meeting with the ped about Gavin.) It was having his legs held down that ticked him off. Once they let him go, he was fine. lol I swear he never ceases to amaze me.

Other than that stuff, there's really not much to report in the land of Elliott Richard. He's still completely obsessed with Emmett John and helping me as much as possible. Which usually means that whatever I'm doing is taking twice as long as it would normally but whatever. He's growing like a weed. Eating us out of house and home or not eating at all. (I just love the terrible two's!) And as his hair grows back from his first hair cut, I'm thrilled to say that it is still wavy/curly! :)

Emmett John

I think I probably have the most to update on when it comes to Mr. Emmett John.

I'm thrilled to report that Emmett John is now the new and improved wireless version. We saw Dr. K and our nurse Vick at the Apnea Clinic last month (yes, I'm really that behind). The only concern they had was one Apneic episode that wasn't a full-fledged episode. His breathing slowed way down and then seconds after his breathing picked up again his heart rate dropped. Since they didn't happen simultaneously, it doesn't count as a true Apneic Episode and he was cleared for release. :)

Since then, he's gained a few pounds and grew a few inches. He now weighs 17lb 3oz and is 26.75 inches long!!!! That's the 80th and 90th percentiles respectively!! Craziness I tell ya.

He's been babbling and laughing (whenever he isn't screaming in pain from the reflux) for a while now but he's recently added the squealing to his list of tricks. He seems to have a very select sense of humor though. Only certain silly noises, scaring/startling him and whatever it is Daddy does seems to amuse him. Although there are times now when he will laugh when he hears someone else laugh, which is super cute! He gets super excited when he sees Mommy, Daddy or Elliott Richard. (Gavin hasn't shown much interest in him so Emmett John doesn't see him hardly ever.) He's rolled over but didn't seem terribly impressed with the accomplishment and hasn't done it in a while. He can't decide between his thumb, his Nuk binkie (he'll take other binkies but strongly prefers the Nuks), and this little blanket I actually bought for Gavin like 7 years ago. He had his first bowl of cereal on Wednesday. In keeping with his tradition of being polar opposite of everything I know from raising Gavin and Elliott Richard, Emmett loves his cereal. I couldn't shovel it in fast enough. lol He holds on to toys that we hand him for a moment or two but gets the biggest kick out of reaching/batting at his hanging toys on his bouncy seat. Speaking of which, he loves that bouncy seat. He'd sit there and kick (making it bounce) all day long if it weren't for little annoyances like hunger and diaper changes. lol

We are keeping a close eye on his reflux because he is on 15mg of Prevacid once a day and he developed a hoarse voice about two weeks ago that isn't really going away. It hasn't gotten any worse, which is something I suppose, but it's not really improving either. We saw Dr. H yesterday for his 4 month checkup and 3 of the 5 vaccines he was due for. Dr. H said to give it until the middle/end of next week, if it hasn't gone away by then I'm supposed to call back and he'll send Emmett to a ENT to have his vocal cords checked out. Other than the hoarseness, Mr. Emmett John is practically perfect in every way. And quite possibly the cutest 4.5 month old in the house. ;)

The Adoption & Legal Issues

Not a whole lot to report on this front. The paperwork for the adoption has been filed. We are just waiting on the judge to sign and date them and get them back to my attorney. At that point I can drive around town and change Gavin's last name with everyone. The school is almost as excited about this as we are. ;)

As for the fact that Gavin will never see them again, well Rob is currently out having "Guy Time" with Gavin to discuss that very fact. Per the suggestion of Dr. R. So I will be sure to update you on how that went when I know more.

There is still the small matter of the contempt motion that Pam filed against me. I filed an objection on September 4th and we just learned that the courts are requesting transcripts from the court date on July 31st. (You know, the court date I didn't attend because I felt it wasn't in Emmett John's best interest?) John, my attorney, emailed Pam's attorney handling the matter and informed him of the adoption and the circumstances surrounding the adoption and the only response he's received so far was "I'll have to get back to you." This lead me to believe that Pam and/or Nick hadn't informed him that Nick no longer has any rights to Gavin. That was probably an interesting conversation. The way John has explained it to me, Pam can drop the whole case but since I didn't do what I was court ordered to do the magistrate can still try and force the jail time issue if he really has a bee in his bonnet over me. This remains to be seen, however, I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I do.

Life in General

Life in general is...well, it's life. I'm exhausted. Emmett John gets up at 4am every morning. Elliott Richard usually isn't too far behind - getting up at 5 or 6am. I'm up so I usually just bring Elliott downstairs with me so that Rob can sleep. That way if we have a few empty hours during the day I can grab a nap. I've started seeing my therapist, Nina, again. I love her. She also has a massage therapist, Kim, whom I also love. She does wonders for my fibro, which is currently kicking my butt. So overall, things are...trying to find a new sort of norm.

Okay, I started this at like 8am this morning. It's now 4pm. Emmett John is screaming because he's tired and starving. I have a raging migraine. We are going to lay down. (Woo whoo!) As soon as Daddy mows up the leaves. (Stupid lawn. Stupid trees. Stupid fall.)

A black & white picture just for Rob. ;)
Elliott Richard snuggling with the belly while Mommy sleeps.
The "tear drop" shaped belly from the front. Wow, my hair is getting long!

"Disbelief"

(Did you say modified bed rest for 20+ weeks is in my future?!)

"Punch Drunk"

(Yeah, well you know what I have to say to that? Kiss it!)
"Sarcastic"

(Fine, see. I'm the perfect little pregnant woman, who needs a life.)

Well, I'm at home with Gavin (who is sound asleep in bed). I'm supposed to be on the couch but my laptop died - again! Such are the joys of having a laptop that is nearly 10 years old with no battery life! So I gave up and came in Rob's office to use the desktop. Rob took Elliott Richard out for ice cream for his birthday. And so it begins...

I knew this was coming. I knew that statistically I was bound to have preterm labor issues because of all the issues I had with Elliott Richard. I just wasn't prepared for those issues to show up now. I will be 20 weeks tomorrow. I had my 20 week appointment and ultrasound scheduled for Thursday, March 6th. They moved both up to this afternoon because of the cramps, contractions, pain and pressure. Not to mention the placenta previa issues and things aren't looking pretty. (Much like Rob's desktop if it doesn't learn to keep up with my 75 wpm typing speed! ARGH!)

The ultrasound was first. Barb spent a good 45 mins to an hour with us. It was nice. Tiny is once again, absolutely perfect. She showed us the nose (nostrils and all!) and we were able to see that everything is perfectly formed with no cleft pallet. (Yay!) We saw all 10 fingers and toes, still no clubbed foot. (Yay!) All the different parts of the brain, present and accounted for. (Yay!) Measuring right on target. (Yay!) Plenty of amniotic fluid. (Yay!) Still no bands. (Double yay!) Placenta is looking good but the placement still isn't great. (Eh.) We got 3 really cute pictures of Tiny doing some thumb sucking. (I'll scan them and post them later.) Barb was struggling to see Tiny's heart because of the funky position Tiny was lying in but she finally got a few shots of what she needed. (Usually Tiny's moves all over the place when the doppler is placed on my belly, I'm thinking the lack of running was a testiment to the lack of room inside. lol)

After the ultrasound, we saw Dr. D. Here are the stats:

Weight 167lb.
BP 110/63
Tiny's HB (heartbeat) 155bpm

We spoke with the nurse about the cramps, contractions, pain and pressure. Then Dr. D came in with one of my favorite nurses, Lori. We talked to them about everything. Unfotunately, at 20 weeks there isn't much that can be done. The few things I know about that will help, I can't have/use/benefit from until 24 weeks. So until then, it's more rest. Less activity. Medication for the pain. Appointments every 2 weeks rather than every 4. Still my weekly pow-wows with Lisa and her needle. Dr. D said that if/when I reach 24 weeks, 28 weeks, 32 weeks, and 36 weeks he will do a dance each time. I asked him if this was "the beginning of the end" and he said "Yeah, now we wait."

I've cried so much today my eyes hurt. I've cried because I love our little Tiny so very much that the thought of not making it to 24 weeks (the age of viability in Ohio) is crushing. I cried because it's days like today that remind me that I can do everything right (I don't smoke - haven't for years. I don't drink hardly ever. I don't do illegal drugs ever. And I certainly don't do any of that while pregnant!) and I still have to fight a battle I may very well not win. While there are women who do everything "wrong" - they smoke, drink, and do drugs - while pregnant and have perfect, healthy, full-term babies! I cried because I'm already missing out on things - Elliott Richard's birthday ice cream, CATS - and I've got (hopefully) 20 weeks to go. I cried because I feel so alone.

Welp, I just heard from the nurse. She said that Dr. D wants me to come in at 3:00pm for an emergency ultrasound and appointment. Fun. Fun.

I wonder if this will be my 20 wk ultrasound even though I'm not 20 wks until tomorrow. Or will I get to see Tiny twice in one week?! :)

I'm hanging out on the couch because I got up to get more water a few minutes ago and the pressure returned. It's not looking good folks. I wonder if I can get an emergency absentee ballot?

Now would be the time to jump start your prayer engines. Pray that the ultrasound shows a healthy Tiny. No placenta previa (another concern as of late - can't remember if I ever posted about that). No cervical changes. PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!

My Matria nurse just left. I've now had 2 of my 18 injections. Let me just tell you, my butt is killing me!!!! And I know it's all psychological but the right side (today's site) hurts. The left side (last week's site) itches. I think it's sympathy "pains". lol

Things in general are looking kind of hairy at this point. I've been having cramping and contractions pretty steady (not timable) yesterday and I woke up with them this morning. I've also been having these strange sharp pains in my cervix off and on with some pressure but nothing major. She's already telling me to talk to my OB about the terb pump (the link for the blog of a fellow high risk pregnant mom on bed rest because I can't find any better info about the terb pump! Shannon knows more than anyone else I've found. lol) and home monitor. I told her that Matria wouldn't allow me to have the monitor until 24 wks but I wasn't sure about the terb pump.*sigh*

Lisa, my nurse, said that my OB gets copies of her weekly reports but she doesn't want me to wait for him to get that. She wants me to call and update him. So I'm currently waiting for my Dr. D's office to call me back. The nurse I spoke with was new and she said that he probably wouldn't want to see me. Of course, she's also so new that she still doesn't know me. All the other nurses know me by name, on sight or by the sound of my voice! But I'll wait. With any luck he'll just want to increase my bed rest and not see me. Ah well, a girl can dream. *sigh*

I'm having such mixed feelings lately. I'm now half way, well tomorrow by my calendars. I really don't want to be half way. I don't want this pregnancy to end because it is most likely my last. I certainly didn't want any of this to happen again. I figured it would but I had hoped I would at least make it to 27 wks again. Looks like no luck. I just want to make it as close to 36 wks as possible. I don't care the Hell I have to live through to get there. I just want a healthy baby.

So I was just reading over the last few posts because I honestly can't remember much of this weekend. It's all been a giant blurr. What with Rob being sick and Gavin on his new meds (which still aren't making much of a dent) our house is just pure insanity.

I've been finding a little more sanity lately because of a message board I've found for high risk pregnant woman. Most of us are on some form of bed rest (modified, strict etc) so it's great to have someone who actually understands what's going on. Bed rest might actually be tolerable this time around because of these ladies.

I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off today. I almost finished the laundry. Only one small load of clothes and all the big things, like towels and bedding. I managed to wash all of the dishes (they were all dirty!) except for a few big pieces and what we used at lunch. Then I chatted with my Sidelines gals! (I love them!) Took a shower. Elliott Richard and I picked up Gavin. Stopped at Giant Eagle for diapers and shampoo and a few other things. Then the three of us went to see Dr. R, Gavin's psychiatrist. We finally got home about a half hour ago. I'm beat. My head hurts. I'm starving. And then there are those pesky cramps! (I hate cramps!)

I need to go finish dinner so I can vegge for the rest of the day. (Mom, if you read this tonight, I could really really REALLY use some cheesecake or homemade whoopie pies. *muah*)

Another mom-to-be posted this on my high risk/bed rest message board. I really liked it. It kind of gives me a little more faith that God hasn't forgotten us. So I thought I would post it here.

I woke up this morning with a nasty cough. Of course, I've had a persistant cough off and on for the last week or so. It's just more persistant this morning. Plus I woke up with a migraine, which is never a good thing.

Rob is doing better, little by little. He's still going to be down for the count for the next few days at least. I'll have to be sure to keep him away from Lisa when she comes on Tuesday.

Other than that, things are pretty quiet this morning. Keeping in mind that it's only 7:25am, which leaves plenty of morning for things to go horriblly wrong. But I'll try and stay positive that things will just remain calm and status quo this morning. *crosses fingers*

I had my first true crazy, pregnancy dream last night. I drempt I had already had Tiny and we all went to a big family gathering. Everyone kept taking Tiny from me and walking off, which upset me for two reasons. One, Tiny was a preemie and we were lucky a NICU stay wasn't required. And two, I was trying to nurse Tiny and people were pulling Tiny away in the middle!! It drove me crazy! It was really kind of scary that Tiny was so...well, tiny in my dream. A baby that size really should be in the NICU but no one would listen to me.

Oh well, we all know that I don't have any trouble vocalizing my concerns and whatnot when it comes to my kids in real life. ;) lol But dreams like that just don't do much to help me get enough sleep at night. I kept waking up angry and looking for Tiny. lol

I had my standard appointment today. I couldn't get in to see my OB this week because of snow days and general insanity so I saw the Nurse Practitioner. I admit, I didn't like her at first but she's starting to grow on me. I still prefer Dr. D though.

So the stats are:
Weight 166lb (-2lb from Wednesday, my guess is that the hospital's scale was off)
BP 100/68
Tiny's HB 167bpm
Fundal Height 17 cm

My "big" ultrasound is next Thursday, March 6th at 9am. Then we have an appointment with Dr. D at 9:30am. Kelli, the NP, wanted me to be sure to make an appointment to see Dr. D after the ultrasound. Apparently, I need to see Dr. D after the ultrasound to go over the results.

I don't know if you remember my last ultrasound but the ultrasound tech was concerned with the placement of my placenta. Well, Dr. D and Kelli won't formally diagnose me with placenta previa (partial not complete) unless and until Barb, their ultrasound tech, can see it. Since they can't see the ultrasound pics from the hospital. They only receive a report.

So after my ultrasound on March 6th I have to meet with Dr. D and discuss the current placement of my placenta. In most cases, the placenta moves up and away from the cervix so it's nothing to worry about. Hopefully, that's the case here. If it is in fact a case of placenta previa, they will keep a close eye on things via ultrasound throughout the pregnancy. Hopefully, by or before July my placenta will have moved up and it won't require me to have a c-section delivery.
Other than that, things are pretty good. Kate watched Elliott Richard for the morning so that I could go to my appointment. (Thanks so much!) I even got a bunch of stuff accomplished for the PTA! Yippee! Now I'm home. Waiting for Kate to return my baby. Then I'll go pick Gavin up from school and veg for the rest of the day. I even picked up a frozen pizza for dinner so I wouldn't have to think about what to make. lol

Of course poor Rob is sick with that nasty respiratory flu that's going around. And he doesn't just get sick. He gets deathly ill and usually ends up in the hospital. I got him some NyQuil and DayQuil so hopefully that will help him.

Ah, let the fun begin.

A quick update on Lizze. She is doing about the same as before meaning she is still having problems but we have to let the meds run their course. She is still very miserable so I hope they kick in real soon because she's been through enough. Please keep her and Tiny in your prayers..

On to Gavin... We had our appointment this morning and things pretty much went as expected. We are now treating for bi-polar disorder. The list now includes Aspergers, ADHD, PTSD, Sensory Integration Disorder, OCD and now possibly bi-polar disorder as well. Needles to say this is yet another unwelcome blow. We will have to see Dr.R every week now until Gavin is better. Hopefully the new meds will work and we can re-claim our son once again. Gavin is still really struggling in school (and at home) but his teachers are VERY, VERY patient with him. A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to them again for all they do...

My turn...I have managed to get that flu that is going around. I NEVER get sick but when I do I usually end up in the hospital. I just also got confirmation that I have a new house to start in the morning. This is good news as we need the money but the timing is bad.. My brother who works for me does such a good job that our company just got put in charge of all the model homes in the area. Good work B. This doesn't directly effect us but it helps alittle.

I had a few computers come in this week to work on. I also just got off the phone with someone who managed to find our old business website: http://www.computerrenew.com/
This was unexpected to say the least but next week I have a bunch of video to transfer to DVD. I guess the Lord works in mysterious ways. Hopefully I will manage to survive Friday and Monday working on the house (but please keep them coming).

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. I can't tell you how good it feels to come to this blog and see new dots on the map and read all of your kind words. I humbly ask for your continued prayers and support and hopefully someday we will be able to move forward again.

(Sorry, that's an inside joke that only my Mom will really get. lol)

It's nearly 11pm here. I just got home a few minutes ago. My mom is a life-saver and has both boys for the night, unless I receive a "ransome" call sometime tonight. It feels strange without the boys in the house but I could definitely use the sleep. So I'll go with it.

Now what you've all really been waiting for...Your prayers worked!!!!!

I am okay. Tiny is okay. (I'm tearing up as I type this. It's been a long day.) I have been having cramping pretty consistantly all day today. At times it felt as if I had contractions sneaking in here and there. Then shortly after 5pm (of course) I had a few other things going on that gave me reason to pause.

I called the answering service fully expecting to hear that everything was tied to me starting the progesterone injections yesterday. No such luck. The on-call nurse wanted me to go to the ER because of my history of preterm labor. While she was debating if I should go to the ER or to Labor & Delivery by way of the ER, I asked out right if I could go to L&D. (Last time I was in the ER they flat out told me that they didn't have enough experience with OB cases, which doesn't instill faith especially given our complications.) She agreed that would be best given my history.

We got there. The ER debated with L&D over who would take me. I won out in the end and up to L&D we went. My nurse B(renda) was amazing! My med student/resident was amazing! My doctor (not Dr. D) was amazing! They were all super nice and treated me really, really well. I could not have asked for a better group of people (except for Dr. D and his nurses, of course).

They all did a bunch of tests which came back negative. Except for 2 that we won't have the results for another 2-3 days. And the one that showed I may have some type of infection. So I'm on some antibiotics for the next 7 days. The infection stinks but at least it wasn't preterm labor. I just hope this solves my problems.

Thank you all for you love and support and concern. Thank you a million times over for your prayers! I firmly believe that all of the prayers offered up to God on our behalf are a big part of how and why things are going as "smoothly" with this pregnancy as they are. Thank you.

If you want to keep "helping" please pray that the antibiotics work. That the preterm labor stays at bay and the progesterone injections help. And please pray that Tiny decides to hang around and "bake" 4-5 months longer. Aside from that, sanity and peace of mind of Rob and I. Lord knows we need tons of that!

Thank you again. I truly believe that you are all so so SO important right now. And I don't know if you realize how much your love, support and prayers means for/to us right now. It may seem like a small thing for you, but it helps to know that you care. So thank you.

I'm going to drink some more fluids and rest some more. Then it's off to bed.

Love you all!

Rob and I are on our way to Labor & Delivery. Just waiting for my mom to pick up the boys. Will update upon our return.

Prayers would be GREATLY appreciated.

Yeah, that would be me. I'm the 164 lb pregnant elephant in the room that no one wants to mention or acknowledge.

I would just like to have a pity party for one, for just a moment or two. Feel free to ignore me.

My mom has 2 tickets to see CATS in Cleveland with her, my Aunt Paula, and two cousins. The original plan was for me to have one of her tickets. We've been waiting to see how I was doing before I was able to commit to going. I really, really REALLY want to go. But when I think about it, I've already had issues with cramping and a few contrations. Then while I was thinking and debating what was best for Tiny and I, my cramping became a few pretty strong contractions. I took that as a sign that us going would be a bad idea.

I'm disappointed that I can't go. Honestly, I'm not likely to get another chance like this any time soon. But it's up to me to make sure that Tiny is safe and I'm not certain that I can do that in Cleveland for the day. Our doctors are here. Our hospital is here. Everything we need is here. So no CATS for us. :(

What Tiny's up to this week: Your amazing little baby is now around 10 inches in length! If this seems a bit shocking, you’ll be relieved to know they’ve not actually grown over 3 inches, but that their little legs are now straight enough to be measured. This is when doctors begin measuring fetal growth from head to toe, (no longer “crown to rump” or CR). Lanugo (little hairs) covers their whole body now, trapping that charming cheese-like vernix caseosa (see week 18) to the surface to the skin. This week your lil’ fetus will start on an appetizing diet of amniotic fluid which they are now capable of swallowing, digesting, and passing the fluid as far as their tiny “large” intestines. Fortunately for you, this nice little lump of baby-poop won’t be coming out while they’re still in your womb. Some time shortly after they’re born, this fun lump will become the first in a long line of baby poops. (What finally comes out— commonly known as “meconium” to the science world, will be black and sticky, and you’ll be very glad it happens only once!)

I can't believe I'm almost half way there! *ack* Tiny has been moving and grooving all over the place lately. Yesterday while I was getting Elliott Richard ready for bed, I was able to kind of figure out how Tiny was laying. There was a big lump up by my belly button, which could have been either the head or the butt. How's that for definitive for you. ;) lol

The heartburn has begun. If I eat, I have it. If I don't eat, I have it. I'm starting to think that if I even think about food, I have it. I can take Tums but they have been leaving this nasty metallic taste in my mouth after wards, which usually make me nauseous. Blech. I guess it's a trade-off. Heartburn or nausea.