Oreo! Oreo!

...just counting down the days/minutes/seconds until my ultrasound.  It's Monday!  I can't wait!  I'm still thinking it's a boy.  My parents are coming in town this weekend and staying for the "photo shoot" on Monday, as my Mom calls it.  I worked 58 hours last week and I'm ready for a relaxing weekend!  I figure I might as well work as much as I can while I'm feeling good.  It's just more money for baby shopping!  Or maybe I'll use it to pay for this new car I just bought:

It's a 2009 Toyota Matrix.  I copied Brooke.  She has the same car only in gray.  We had the same car before these too.  Twins should have matching cars!  I'm gonna look hot driving this guy with a car seat in the back and a Jack Russell riding shot gun.  Mike will be in the trunk. 

My hormones are starting to get the best of me.  I get irritated sooo easily, especially at work.  I think it's making me more assertive though - my new no-tolerance for nonsense.  Anyway, I feel sorry for Mike who takes the grunt of my freak-outs.  He is always so calm and listens to me complain.  He knows by now what he needs to say - "You're right Becka.  They are wrong.  You're not getting fat, you're belly's all baby."

I've been hungry for certain things this pregnancy, but the other day I have my first ALL OUT / NEED IT NOW / GONNA HURT SOMEONE IF I DON'T GET IT craving.  One of the doctors at work was talking about Oreo's and all of a sudden I got this intense craving.  I called Mike and he had double-stuffs on the counter before I got home.  What a nice guy.  I mean, I like Oreo's.  But on a normal day I'm not wild about them.  They're not my favorite cookie by any means.  But that day they were all I could think about.  Just eating the last cookie in the package as I type...

17 week belly

Here you go... my first ever belly picture.  Me and my 17 week baby holding my seven year old baby. 

At the beginning of my pregnancy, my OB's office sent me information on genetic testing.  I read through the materials and thought it didn't sound like something I wanted to do.  My main question for my OB was - If there is no chance that I'm going to terminate this pregnancy, no matter what the test result, is there any point in doing these tests?  No - said the doc.  So I had my mind made up.  Declined the testing.  

Every appointment since then the nurse has verified with me that I declined the testing.  Side note - The OB office I go to has six female doctors.  Patients rotate through and see a different doctor for each prenatal appointment so they have the chance to meet each doctor that may potentially deliver their baby.  So last week I met a doctor that I hadn't seen before.  She flat out said - "I highly recommend the AFP screening test to all my patients."  More info on the test:
 
"The AFP test is where a blood sample is drawn from the mother to check the levels of AFP. AFP is a protein secreted by the fetal liver and excreted in the mother's blood. It is generally used for detecting neural tube defects, but it can also indicate: abdominal wall defects esophageal and duodenal atresia, some renal and urinary tract anomalies turner syndrome, some low birth weight fetuses, and placental complications. A low level of AFP could also indicate Down Syndrome."

The doctor said that even if I wouldn't terminate the pregnancy if the test came back abnormal... she still recommends it.  She explained that if the test was suggestive that the baby had a neural tube defect (an opening in the spinal cord or brain), then she would definately do a c-section to prevent further injury to the spinal cord/etc.  The way she explained it really made sense.  And I figured that she is the expert.  So, my blood was drawn.  I was told that I would get the results in two weeks.  TWO WEEKS?!?!  Do I really need something else to worry about?  Well the results came in the mail today - NORMAL.  Thank God.  Truthfully I wasn't that worried about the test.  I'm healthy, I'm young, I started taking my prenatal vitamins way before I was pregnant, yada/yada/yada.  Although, I kinda felt like a sucker after I agreed to the test.  I didn't want to feel like I was being pressured into something I didn't want to do - but none of the other docs had explained the testing from that angle.  The other docs made it seem like you only do that test if you have plans to abort an imperfect baby.  I guess that's part of being the patient - putting your trust in someone who knows a whole lot more than you do!  


My regular jeans getting tight.  My maternity jeans are too big.  What's a girl to do?


 

Week 17

I had good intentions of posting the first ever belly pic today. But... we can't find our camera! It must have gotten lost in the shuffle when we were rearranging our entire house. I may have to wait until my parents come at the end of the month and use their camera. Hopefully I find ours by then.

Three weeks from today is the ultrasound. I can't wait! I am dying to shop for clothes. I'm ready to get serious about picking a name too. I'm watching The Price is Right as I type this - there's a freak that keeps pacing and is really weird - of course he has the same name as my current favorite boy's name.

The weight gain has begun. My clothes are beginning to feel snug. Yesterday I tried on the maternity clothes that I've gotten so far. They don't fit yet which I guess is a good thing. I've started exercising regularly in hopes to gain all my weight in my belly and none in my thighs.