Appointment in Olympia

23 weeks 1 day belly shot!


23 weeks 1 day ultrasound profile picture!

So today was my first appointment in the states! It was my first appointment with an American doctor. It was a small little office, and everyone there seemed really nice. They had me pee in a cup, took my weight, and blood pressure. Everything seemed fine. I have gained about 10 pounds at this point (with shoes and jacket on - kind of weird she didnt have me take it off). My mom went with me and we were lucky to get an ultrasound! They wanted to check out the little guy and make sure everything was ok. We saw all his arms and legs. The placenta seems to be on the left hand side, and he likes to be with his main body on the right hand side. I always feel him here, especially at night. Sometimes he feels like a little rock. Then I can feel kicks down below my belly buton and occasionally punches or arm movements up by his head in the upper right hand side. The movements I feel all seem to go along with the ultrasound, so he must be nestled in there and like his spot! My mom stood up and watched the bigger screen with the doctor, but I got to watch this tiny little screen. Still was amazing to see him of course. I love to watch him move around on the webcam. My mom thinks he looks like Clint, then my dad later even said from the one picture he thought he looked like him. The doctor kind of laughed thinking...he is still so small to really tell who he looks like! I think this doctor will be good. I get to choose which hospital I want to have the baby at. So I can call each one and go on tours of each hospital. I will call soon to see if they have any tours they already do each week so I can go check them out. Then I can arrange to take a birthing class (with breathing and relaxation techniques, ect) at that particular hospital which is 4 classes (one a week in the evenings), a breastfeeding class, and an infant care and cpr class. So I figure whatever I can do to feel slightly prepared, even if just mentally, is a good thing!

22 weeks!

Belly at 22 weeks!

I did get a doctor appointment scheduled. Only two Tricare providers to chooes from in Olympia that are civilian - one had a first name of James. So I called them first and they could get me in! Let's hope things go well and little Conner is doing great!

New Belly Pictures - Starting to Show!

This was a picture I took of my laptop screen of a short video clip my doctor made for me. He was flexing his head and swallowed in it! You could see his heart fluttering and his stomach. It is amazing to see all his bones forming! This was at our 19 week appointment!


This is a another picture of a different short video clip the doctor made. He kept turning his head, so this was the only way we could catch a side profile! Silly boy! This is a great shot to be able to see his stomach. The stomach is the dark black hole in the stomach area. This was at our 19 week appointment!


This is me at exactly 20 weeks! I am back home at my parents house!


This is me at 21 weeks and 1 day pregnant! Conner is starting to push his way out showing a little belly on me finally!


A close up at 21 weeks and 1 day that my sister, Shery took! I thought this looked really neat and really showed him sticking out!

Conner is sooo active. He kicks around or turns or who knows what all the time! I love to feel him move. It doesn't annoy me or hurt me in any way. It is so cool to know he is alive and moving around inside of me!

So I had an appointment set up at Madigan, then Tricare called and said they canceled my appointment! So now on Monday I have to go through the hassle as soon as they open at 7:30 am to try to get a new one rescheduled since there are no new ones available within two weeks. They say I need to just see a nurse first, and not even see a dr or have Conner checked! This makes me so mad! They should have told me this two weeks ago when I made the appointment. I specifically made it for this week because it is the week before my mom gets chemo and usually the week she feels the best! I really hope everything works out!

Back in Washington

Well Conner survived his first trip in belly on an airplane! We flew from Germany to Copenhagen and then Copenhagen to Seatac. We made it safely and just fine! Just tired from the long flight!

The day before our traveling day we had another baby appointment. Blood drawn at the end, I didn't even ask to lay down and I did just fine. It ended up being all bruised though the next day and still is a little now! 19 weeks exactly at the appointment! He is estimated to be about 6 inches crown to rump (head to butt) and about 3-4 inches in leg length. His weight estimate is about 11 ounces (my baby books say 7 ounces is average for 19 weeks). So hopefully he isn't too big of a baby! =) He does not have a cleft upper lip as told by the doctor and was definitely confirmed that he is a boy! We got to see up close into the 4 chambers of his heard. He was being a little difficult boy though. Just when we would get a glimpse of his face or side profile he would turn away. So this can only be seen in our little video clips. Our doctor made me a DVD with 7 little clips. I can't attach them on here or I would. At one point we sort of saw a cute little shot of his nose on the ultrasound. I have an appointment scheduled for January 8th back in Germany and will most likely schedule one for the beginning of December at Madigan. I hope my mom feels up to going with me! I think it would be special for grandma to get to see her youngest grandchild in tummy! =)


This is showing our little guy is a boy for sure again!


This one is hard to explain unless I can physically point things out, but there is his ear, back of his head and his hand. His hands were always up by his head. Cute little guy!

He's a moving little boy!

So I can feel Conner moving! Not all the time, mainly at night, but it is so cool! Two nights ago I was pushing on my stomach since he seemed so active, hoping I could feel him externally. I felt him once, only once but it was so cool! I know it is only the beginning, but the first little signs are so exciting!

I ordered the stroller and car seat from the furniture store. We ordered it in the sage and taupe pattern you can see in the picture. Graco seems to be popular and reliable. The infant snugride car seats seem to have safe ratings as well. So I should look forward to having many of the larger items out of the way when I return from my visit back home!

And the baby is....

At my last appointment at 15 weeks and 1 day things were so exciting! So at first I asked lots of questions! First appointment for questions! Then when I was getting ready for the ultrasound, the doctor goes we might be able to find out the sex if we are lucky today! Jeni, who went with me to the appointment, goes "Oh I can't wait to find out!" Or something like that....of course the doctor reminded it's if I want to find out, but OF COURSE I want to know!!! So within about a matter of two seconds she has found the right spot and took a picture. She asked me what I saw: It's a BOY! Conner James Standlea will most likely be his name! So so clearly and unmistakably a boy! Then since we were on the "picture" screen when we went back to live motion, he had crossed his little legs. I guess he figured his job was done for the day and he already gave mommy her little peek!

The doctor gave an estimate of 5 ounces for weight. I checked my baby books and that isn't supposed to be until 19 or 20 weeks! We are only at 15!!! So baby must be growing pretty well! The doctor showed me the heart, the stomach, the kidneys, the brain, the femur and some other bones. You could see the spine already too which was new! The feet are almost an inch long! I didn't get a crown to rump length, but next time we will see where we think he is at on the charts! =) The doctor also did a 4-D viewing of the baby! It looks orangish and fills in the gaps to give you an idea of baby's figure in a more visual way. Before leaving, the doctor gave me 3 pictures and a DVD with 3 videos on it (two 4-D and one normal ultrasound of the baby opening and closing his mouth). It is so cool! I can send it to Clint so he doesn't feel like he is missing out on as much! I was able to talk to Clint on the phone while still in the car right after the appointment to let him know we are having a little boy! We are both really excited!


NO doubt about this kid: It's a boy!


Hard to tell in this picture, but these were the little feet! About 2 cm so almost an inch in size!


I took a picture of the 4-D video on pause so I could have a 4-D picture. Not the best quality cause it was a photo taken of the computer screen.


Right before the ultrasound and before finding out!


Laughing about something with the doctor during the ultrasound!


Mommy at 15 weeks 1 day! Cute maternity shirt huh! I have only lost like 4 or 5 lbs since my first appointment. Really I am not showing much yet at all.

Just a little update and some furniture!

In case I forgot to mention, the baby is due April 7! The day before Clint's birthday which is pretty neat! I ordered the furniture below! It could take 2-4 months to get here! That way at least it will be back hopefully shortly after my trip back home! I also bought a matress here just the other day too! So some things are already ready or will be here for me to put together which is great! So I finished up the first trimester with barely any morning sickness. Just a few gags to food early in the morning and I had to stop brushing my tongue, but even just my teach made me gag a little! Now started the second trimester, I have been sick all week! Not sure if I am sick sick or if this is morning sickness because it lasts all day! All the books I am reading say the second trimester you have the most energy and feel your best! So this sucks! I wish Clint was here to pamper me! I feel like I am sleeping all the time too! I just want the days to go by!

Next appointment is on Tuesday, only a few days away! I can't wait! I will be 15 weeks and 1 day! I really hope that I can find out the sex of the baby! I want to start looking into clothes and things! =) babycenter.com says at 15 weeks you can see the sex, so I'm hoping!!!



Our Aspen Changing Table!



Aspen Stages Crib - Transitions to day bed, toddler bed, or full size bed!



Our glider! Also in the same Cherry that the crib and changing table should be in!

Getting up to date!

July 28th - I felt overly stuffed from dinner that night, a really good dinner though, while staying in Garmisch, Germany! We had gone down randomly to spend a night to get away before my birthday and before Clint left.

July 29th - I woke up still feeling the same odd feeling in my stomach, just like a lot of pressure. We went for a walk and had lunch at a Pizza Hut in Germany. We took a horse carriage ride back to the hotel and then went to the PX to get a test. I took the test around 6ish, and it was still about 6 days before a missed period...there was just a feeling. I took the test and it was positive. I wasn't sure how to react so I ran out of the room and checked the box. Clint checked the stick and it was pretty positively positive! (For 3 months I took tests the first day I could right away, but then after so many negatives it is easy to be a little shocked still! I had given up and didn't take one the month before this!)


Photo: Clint and I in Pizza Hut before we found out about the baby news!


Photo: Positive Test!


Photo: Just a Few of My Earlier Negative Tests!

July 31st - Positive Pregnancy Test from the Health Clinic. Clint was able to go with me. We set up my first appointment in Amberg Hospital for August 21st. It was sad knowing Clint wouldn't even be able to go to my first appointment with me since he was leaving on the 14th.

August 21st - First appointment for the baby! Got all my tests done and I did ok with the multiple tubes of blood drawn! I had a few pictures of the baby! Jeni went with me and we got to hear the babies heart beat and see it beating. The heart was really primitive and seemed to just be in half of the "stomach" area. It was so precious to see the heart beating.


Photo: Little Baby Standlea! Two people commented my uterus looks so small!


Photo: Close up of Baby Standlea - head is on the right, butt on the left.

September 18th - Second baby appointment! Didn't have my regular doctor, but the doctor I saw did a pretty good job. He said the baby is right on track for growth. Jeni took me again! I had lost 2 pounds since my last appointment. Most likely just eating healthier. This visit was quick, and we just did an ultrasound to check on the baby. I got to see how the head is growing! I got to see the heart beating and hear the heart beating. I got to also see the legs! They are actually longer, like proportionate to the body! The head is still a little big this early!


Photo: The head is on the right - you can see the darker spots where the eyes would be/are, the nose adn where the mouth would be. Then the little indents where the hands were, the tummy, and the feet or legs around the bottom. The little baby had its legs crossed a little too! The baby was moving around! I could see it!


Photo: More zoomed out picture of the baby! Notice how much of the uterus (the black area) is filled up by the baby compared to 4 weeks ago! My uterus has only been growing too! It has doubled in size by this point! The baby is 1.7 inches long!!!


Photo: Babies brain is growing!

Not much morning sickness really. Only a few things make me gag early in the morning, but I get over it. I have been working subbing at the high school and on my masters. I am keeping busy while Clint is away.