The beat goes on...

Last week, on Wednesday night, a semi-slow night (which is always a welcomed event on Labor and Delivery) a resident asked if the nugget could be used for teaching purposes.  The resident wanted to learn more about using our ancient ultrasound machine for estimating fetal size and heart rate.  Of course I jumped at the opportunity to see the little wiggler.  So Dr. Harkins, assisted by Dr. Short, took measurements of the Nugget's femur (the long leg bone that goes from hip to knee), which measured at 29 weeks (when I was only 27).  Dr. Harkins somewhat questioned her measurement, until Dr. Short mentioned, "well... look at her mother's femur length"... so, perhaps the nugget will be long like Phillip and I!  They also measured the Nugget's tummy, measuring at 29 weeks, and her little head, which measured at 27 weeks.  All of the measurements looked completely normal (just a little on the longer side) and the Nugget was very busy the whole time entertaining all of us.  Jeannine took photos via her iphone for me to share, it seems to take the best images for posting.

In this image they are measuring her head.  GOOD NEWS!  She is no longer in breech position, she has wiggled her way to head down!

 

Here is a photo of a cross-section of her umbilical cord.  I've circled the cord segment, it sort-of looks like Mickey-mouse.  I also pointed out her eye.  She's looking directly at the camera here.  When I showed Phillip this image, his response was, "I am NOT cutting through that cord".  He doesn't want to, but I really want him to.  I have a few weeks to change his mind :).

Later that night, we also put the Nugget on the fetal heart rate monitor to gather a strip of her heart rate.  This one looks SOOOO much better than the previous one I posted about 10 weeks ago.  You can easily see her heart rate, steady around 135 beats per minute, then jumping up to 150 beats per minute.  My blood pressure at that time is printed just below her heart rate strip, and the chart below that would be contractions (I wasn't having any at that time.)

To add to the strip, I took a video of the monitor, so you can actually watch the numbers as her heart rate bounces around.  It's an amazingly beautiful thing to me to be able to watch something that has become so routine to me... only knowing that as I read these heart rate interpretations, I'm reading it for our little Nugget.

I also received news today that I did in fact pass my pregnancy diabetes screen, so I am NOT diabetic!  I am, however, anemic.  My hemoglobin number was 10.9 mg/dl and it should fall into a range of 12-16 mg/dl.  All that this means is that I need to start taking an iron supplement, or incorporate liver into my everyday meals (I think I'll be opting for the supplement :).  I wasn't expecting to receive this lab result, but upon further examination of all of my symptoms, it's not shocking.  I was very sick in the beginning of the pregnancy, and still occasionally, and I easily become tired and breathless.  Hopefully taking the supplement will be the cure-all... and not add to another gastrointestinal issue I've already been dealing with.

Phillip and I have decided to take a "Babymoon" (like a honeymoon before the baby arrives).  He will be traveling to Arizona for work in a couple of weeks to look at an ethanol plant just south of Phoenix.  The weekend following this trip actually ends up being a 3 day weekend for him, so we looked at flights and found a really great deal, so I will be joining him.  I think it will be great fun, and a last hoorah before the Nugget is here.  We've been looking at things to do in Phoenix, and I think we are going to drive the Apache Trail.  Apparently it's a "challenging" drive... but a beautiful one too... Phillip is ecstatic... I'll probably need another prescription for my Zofran (my anti-nausea medication).  I want to eat at a restaurant called Pizzeria Bianco, Oprah rated it as the best pizza place in America, and doesn't Oprah know all?  Any recommendations of things we should do while we are there would be greatly appreciated... we are very excited!  I will post photos when we return!

Look for upcoming photos of our 3D Ultrasound!!!  Our appointment is on Thursday, February 7 at 3 pm.  We can't wait to see our little Nuggie!

All of our love to the family & our fabulous friends...