I've had many appointments this week. I had two appointments scheduled yesterday...a morning ultrasound appointment and afternoon OB appointment. Thankfully, I don't need any more ultrasounds since I no longer have low-line placenta due to the growth of the baby! Praise God! I will miss seeing her once a month, but feeling more frequent fetal activity is reassuring, and we'll see her in person soon enough! She's 3 lbs. and 11 oz, within the normal range and her heart beat was 153 bpm. At the afternoon, OB appt, her heart beat was 152 bpm. Baby girl is in the exit position and cooperating so far. I asked the sonographer and my NP (nurse practitioner) if baby girl will stay in the anterior position and it seems promising since she's my first and my uterus isn't stretched out yet so there isn't much room for her to move around. Praying we can have the delivery we want. Today, I saw my endocrinologist and I forgot to get blood work done...oops! With all the appointments lately, I can't keep up. Doctor wrote me another script and will tell me over the phone if my dosage will change or remain the same. He said I most likely have Hashimoto's disease since my thyroid antibody is positive and he'll know more after the baby is born since the pregnancy is keeping me stable.
IVF conversations: I had a conversation earlier this week with a friend of a friend who had an IVF consult and wanted to talk. I must say that I'm eager to share my thoughts and experiences having gone through it and if I can help others, even better! Another friend emailed this morning and asked if we'd be open to meeting with a couple from his church who have struggled with IF (infertiity) for years and are considering IVF. Certainly, we aren't alone in this journey, even though we felt isolated during our years of TTC (trying to conceive). The IF community felt small initially, but thanks to blogger friends, IF forums, and personal relationships, it no longer feels that way. Please pray for us as we reach out and meet up with other couples who desire to grow their families.
Sleep: Getting up a couple times a night. I'm mostly able to sleep on my left side and roll on my back occasionally. Some nights insomnia sets in and morning naps help me to function better.
Movement: Lots of it! :)
Cravings/Aversions: Still putting hot sauce or sriracha sauce on most foods. Baby girl has J's taste buds. Craving chocolate...bought dark chocolate peanut m&m's...yum! Enjoying organic cheese bunny snacks.
What I miss: Nothing at all. Feeling really content.
Symptoms: Bloated hands and feet mostly. Round ligament pain and low back pain have lessened for some odd reason. I assume the low-line placenta was a factor. The belly band or the tight elastic on my maternity pants also help decrease some of the discomfort. :) Feeling numbness on my right fingertips...pointer, middle, and fourth fingers.
What I look forward to: I'm looking forward to our maternity photo-shoot on Saturday! J's not as thrilled, but going with the flow. :) This is our first shoot post wedding and typically don't do this sort of thing, but I found a livingsocial deal online and couldn't pass it up! Despite the conception and pregnancy challenges, we are very thankful to be able to experience this particular chapter of our lives and I want a couple keepsakes to remember this precious time.
J made our girl a playlist and love the first song:
"I Wonder" by Leeland
Praise God, Who is able to do immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine. Ephesians 3:20
Milestones: According to babycenter.com, our baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot and causing sleep to be uncomfortable. 
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