Halfway there!

Baby is about the size of a banana and weighs roughly 300 grams. Baby's organs are continuing to develop, and teeth are forming. Baby can swallow (mmm, amniotic fluid-slash-urine... So tasty) and hiccup!

Baby likes: horseback rides, long walks, kicking Mummy, fruit, lemon water and hearing people speak to him or her through Mummy's belly.

Baby dislikes: wheat, dairy, chocolate, sugar (sometimes), and being stationery for too long.

Looks like Baby wants to go outside in the rain! Meh, works for me :).

I spoke with my lovely midwife today about my ultrasound results from last week--I love my midwives! They're so sweet, helpful and encouraging.

She confirmed that I do indeed have complete placenta previa, as far as can be seen from the scan pictures. She said that there is a *chance* that the placenta might move to a better position as the pregnancy progresses. I have been referred to an ultra-specialist type obstetrician at Royal Columbian and he'll schedule the ECG and further scans to monitor the placenta. BUT the great news is that I get to stay with the midwives! I thought that once they passed me along to a doctor that they'd be through with me, but evidently that's not the case! Apparently I will split my monthly appointments between the OB at RCH and the midwives AND they will actually be there for the delivery, even if it ends up being a scheduled cesarean! So great! I'm also able to deliver at Ridge Meadows instead of having to go out of town--yay!

She warned me though that if I start bleeding at any time I will need to go to the hospital immediately and will most likely be on bed rest until the baby comes. Yikes! Prayerfully that isn't the case :).

We bought a heart rate Doppler on Craigslist yesterday to listen to Baby, but it's pretty fuzzy. Apparently Baby is the size of a banana now--so, so big!

We had another ultrasound on Thursday (19.5 weeks), and even though this was the fourth scan we've had, it never gets less exciting to see our little one swimming around :). The technician was able to determine Baby's gender but we don't want to know; surprises rule!

However, there was some less-than-exciting updates that will require us to continue to be monitored. Firstly, the tachycardia is still present with Baby's heart rate being around 179 bpm. This means that Baby will most likely need an echocardiogram done in utero in the next few weeks to determine if there's an issue there.

Secondly, I currently have placenta previa, which means a guaranteed cesarean section unless the placenta moves (unlikely). Boo! Buuuut, obviously whatever is best for the baby we will do! Thankfully I haven't had any of the regular previa symptoms, which is great because that would result in being on bed rest and hospitalisation and possibly delivering the baby quite early. We're praying that the placenta moves in the next few weeks as the cervix is currently completely covered. We would appreciate your prayers for that too!

... So maybe a July baby..?

Baby sure is active these days! I know it's early but I'm very much feeling the unmistakable movements of our little one..! It has gotten to the point where whenever I sit down (which is, admittedly, not that often--mostly just at meal times, haha!), within a minute or so Baby has started his or her karate (or soccer or tap dance) regiment. AND David has been able to feel Baby move too, which is a super cool experience for both of us. Keep dancing, little babe!

So as most of you know, I am the barn manager at Timberline Ranch, a Christian horse camp in rural Maple Ridge. Being pregnant hasn't really posed too many issues in the barn, except for the following:

-I no longer ride the young and green (read: unpredicable) horses;

-my Q-Baby Wrangler jeans are now held together by an elastic band connecting the zipper and the button.

One of my fellow wranglers told me sweetly today that she thinks I have 3-4 more weeks in these jeans before I have to shelf them until post-partum. I think that's really, really pushing it, especially considering how much I've popped these past couple weeks..!

One of the Fjord mares in the barn is pregnant and also due in the summer. The campers this week have gotten a real kick out of the fact that Sarabi and I are both soon-to-be mamas. Sarabi's foal moves like crazy in the afternoon and it's so cool to see her belly swell and collapse with each movement. The campers gather around her, fighting to fit their hands somewhere on her abdomen. Admittedly I don't envy her the overwhelming physical attentions :).

I've been feeling Baby move a ton since last week, and David got to experience it last night, too! He or she is already pretty active and strong... And only half a pound. Lord, have mercy.

We're going skiing this weekend... Well, David will ski and I'll leave my snowboard at home to avoid temptation. I am SO GLAD that I have a pair of cross country skis and snowshoes to keep me occupied! The sun is supposed to be out all weekend, so it should be a fantastic trip :).

So far all of this is fun!

Ok, I've clearly been absent for far too long! It's been my intention to blog about my pregnancy (and beyond), but because we haven't had access to a laptop or desktop computer for the past 3ish months, and the fact that I couldn't fathom the idea of doing any significant amount of writing on my iPhone, the idealistic goal of blogging each minute of my pregnancy has fallen to the wayside. Now that we've moved into our new house and are starting to feel somewhat settled, I am now determined to blog more often--if only for my own records!

So, where to begin? I was 19 weeks yesterday (what?! That flew by!) and have been through a plethora of happy baby symptoms. I'll do a super quick instant replay of the past few months for you...

(Note: we're dealing with pregnancy here. Not always a lot of elegance. At times I will provide too much information. You've been warned.)

November 21st: life begins!

November 22nd: our specialist tells us that we can probably start "trying" again in the new year (ha ha... Little did everyone know!)

December 10th: Six pregnancy tests confirm what I had been suspecting for a few days--baby is coming! I'm nearly 5 weeks and due August 13th. We decide to use the local midwife clinic as our healthcare providers.

From week 5-14 I feel pretty nauseous and discover I've developed a pregnancy-induced wheat sensitivity. Yay... But to be honest, I don't even care--we're having a baby!

Week 10: first ultrasound! Baby's heart rate is high so we return at weeks 13 and 16 for further monitoring. Each time the heart rate has been lower, with it being around 170-180 at week 16.

So that's the dealio so far! We have another ultrasound later this week and I can't wait to see how our little squirrel has grown! I've begun to feel Baby move and it's the coolest feeling ever :).

David received a very old copy of "The New American Baby Book", published in 1954, as a gag gift for his birthday. Reading through it has proven to be quite the treat, so I will conclude these posts with quotes from this, erm, outdated model of perfect pregnancies and happy families. Enjoy!

"You will want to look your best when in the hospital. After the baby is born a party atmosphere prevails. Relatives and friends come to see you at visiting hours, and you will remember this time as the happiest and gayest of your life.

"During the months of waiting you will have done some sewing for yourself as well as the baby, an the result may be several becoming bed jackets, a delicate nightgown or two, and a bathrobe or dressing gown. Some women prefer to wear pajama tops instead of nightgowns and bed jackets. If you can 'sew a fine seam' there is no telling what dainty garments you may have designed for yourself. Some women go so far as to bring to the hospital their own hand-embroidered coverlets and pillow slips for the bed."

I'm on it!