Use the Space! More Cowbell.

 Clara is indeed "exploring the space".

On Wednesday, Eli and I traveled the whole 15 minutes to our midwife's house for my monthly prenatal appointment. A distance that in total includes no stop lights and thee stop signs. Ann will have a quick hop and a skip to our house when the big event is on.

25 Weeks!

The routine appointments are easy! It's the blood draws that aren't my cup of tea. We walk into her welcoming home with her dog Kai greeting us at the door. He soon realizes he aren't there for him and returns to his normal nap schedule on the couch. I do my bathroom business, and check my weight and use a test strip to check for sugar and proteins in urine. This time, there was a trace amount of protein, most likely means I need to up my water intake. Ann has me sit on the bed while she does a blood pressure and heart rate check. She records each piece of information by hand as well as digitally in electronic files that I can access at anytime.

Then the fun part! I lay down and Ann searches for our wiggle worm with a fetal doppler to hear her heartbeat. The little girl dances around and gives Ann a run for her money. This time Ann even brought out her little ultrasound machine to see where exactly the little jumping bean was hanging out. Unlike the picture above, she is feet down, you know the best dancing position. Getting close to my belly, Ann tells the baby "This position is okay for now, but you need to be head down at the end". Let's hope she listens. Ann even felt around and gave me a chance to feel her head! Silly little girl snuggled under my ribs and stretched out down to the bottom of her apartment. My bump I have lovingly nicknamed a turnip has become her dance studio.

After hearing the baby's heartbeat, Eli and I look at each other beaming. Such an exciting moment! After that fun part we begin going over my list of questions acquired in between appointment's. Ann also has a checklist of items she goes over with us, including preparing for the next appointment. I try and listen, but I get distracted, you know with thoughts of holding the baby, dressing the baby, singing to her and you know getting very little sleep not because she keeps me awake but because I won't be able to stop staring at her.

The 28 week appointment is an important one as I will get tested for antibodies, got a shot of Rhogam and get to drink a fancy glucose drink for gestational diabetes testing, I have been told it tastes a bit like a melted Otter Pop.

After our appointment Eli and I went and enjoyed lunch. I was a little in shock having realized how big she is! I kept smiling and even day dreaming that in only a few more months Eli and I will get to meet our little one.