1st/2nd tri check in. Week of 9/9

PoeMasque

Happy Monday! As the list below gets longer please let me know if I’m missing anyone! Pregnancy brain is real

• How far along/EDD?
• How are you feeling this week?
• Rants/Raves? Questions?
• Any upcoming appointments?
• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at?

Calling!!

@PoeMasqueEDD 2/8

@emmasemm EDD 3/7 (girl)

@k_mama91 EDD 12/5 (boy)

@Tulips29 EDD 1/11 (girl)

@cigaline EDD 2/10 (boy)

@celticknotfire EDD 2/27

@ivfsurvivor EDD 3/3

@love112314 EDD 3/9

@sincethelastday EDD 3/10

@bluguitarhannah EDD 3/10

@caitiemae EDD 1/30 (boy)

@akak23 EDD 3/27 (boy)

@wifeinraleigh28 EDD 4/4 (boy)

@sanpelligrino EDD 4/12

@laurajon2015 EDD 3/25

@jolo1241 EDD 2/2 (girl)

emmasemm

@PoeMasque thanks for getting us started again - and please can you update me to girl!!! 

• How far along/EDD? 14+3 today, 7th March
• How are you feeling this week? On a bit of an emotional high. We had the NT scan last week which went great, the rest of the Harmony results back including sex on Monday which still showed everything normal - and we told our close family and friends over the weekend- plus I told my team at work yesterday! Also I’m feeling less tired, much less nauseous and finally really noticing a little tiny firm bump underneath my “natural padding”. There is a touch of constipation creeping in now from time to time... but so far manageable.
• Rants/Raves? Questions? My raves have to be everyone’s reactions. My parents were particularly special and both my siblings cried too. Even some of my close colleagues burst into tears. Really everyone had thought we had given up... And DH is soooooo over the moon to get a little princess... he doesn’t know how strong willed I was as a toddler though!!! 
• Any upcoming appointments? So the plan is for next scan in 2.5 weeks, but I’m looking for an appointment at a private 3D place in between if possible to keep my anxiety under control.
• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at? Well I can stomach tube a seal or a bird of prey if you need me to??? 

sincethelastday

@PoeMasque - thanks for getting us started! Hope you’ve been having a good week! 

@emmasemm - your weekend sounds similar to mine with sharing the news with family and friends - isn’t it a great experience?! Glad you’ve been feeling better and you got such great reactions! Also, I don’t know if I want to ask, but what’s stomach tubing an animal??? Lol

• How far along/EDD? 13w6d 3/10
• How are you feeling this week? Better. I had no nausea over the weekend or yesterday. I did still dry heave this morning, but still feeling better and I’m thinking that may be an “after affect” of my migraine yesterday. I’m hoping I’m naturally getting better, but this Diclectin may actually be working. 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? I’m curious what you ladies think of this situation. Without over complicating things hopefully, my MIL has no grandchildren and this will be the first grandchild for her. However, recently she has been saying a lot how she’s going from 0 grandchildren to 3 in “like 60 seconds” because she’s now including the two young children of her daughter’s girlfriend. My SIL has known this woman for a few years, but only recently started dating her. This woman has made very little effort to get to know the family and none of us have met her kids. I’m very happy for my SIL that she’s found a partner and I am looking forward to hopefully getting to know this woman. I also come from a pretty fractured family and so does DH. So I have no issue with “blended families” or different family dynamics. However, I can’t help but feel kinda upset with how my MIL is comparing her own son’s future child who we’ve been trying for for years with this woman’s children who she barely knows and doesn’t even like really (she’s even made quite mean comments about the kids). I don’t know if I’m being petty or just over emotional with pregnancy hormones, but it kinda stings having my future child be seen as “the third grandchild of the family.” I would really appreciate people’s thoughts and please tell me if I’m being over dramatic. 

• Any upcoming appointments? Just my next OB appointment on Oct 9th and lots of blood work before then. 

• GTKY: What is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at? I love baking and think I’m pretty good at it! It’s such a big stress reliever for me! 

Tulips29

@emmasemm Congrats on a girl! I love that your weekend was filled with so much love and great reactions to your announcement. It's always so special. 

@sincethelastday I think your feelings are totally justifiable. I would feel exactly the same way. I think she's probably just getting caught up in the excitement of having all these kids in her life and is just using the same expression for all of them. But your child will be the first grandchild and if things work out with your SIL and her partner, those kids will become step-grandkids. She can still love them and treat them no different than your child. 

• How far along/EDD? 22w4d
• How are you feeling this week? It's getting a bit harder to walk around a lot and to travel. I'm traveling for work this week and took a light bag with me, but even still, pushing a small carryon and carrying a "lighter" shoulder bag across the airport got me all winded. I'm also finding myself getting more irritable with my toddlers outbursts. He's normally such a happy, laid back kid. But lately it's tantrums over EVERYTHING! 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? Rant - my comment about regarding toddler tantrums. They are driving me crazy and dealing with them while pregnant is so much more exhausting. It's literally everything - he can't reach something, he doesn't like the shirt I picked out for him, he remembered he forgot to take a toy with him, he doesn't want to brush his teeth...he throws himself on the floor in the most dramatic way and has a tantrum. We don't give in and try to talk and reason with him, but my patience is running out! Rave - thankfully my husband is remaining calm through all these tantrums and takes charge on talking to our son through it all because I feel my fuse is so short. I feel really bad most of the time that I get so irritable. 
• Any upcoming appointments? None this week 
• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at? The only thing I can think of is that I speak 3 languages. I wish I could say I'm super talented and play musical instruments or can paint or sing. 

mbradfo2

@emmasemm
So excited for you! Congrats on your girl and everything being good with your tests!!
Everyone was also really overwhelmed when we started announcing -- which was crazy because I had no idea they thought about our journey at all! I had coworkers crying and my parents were obviously delighted (but it wasn't a huge reveal at once for them since they had been involved in the whole process). Daddys and daughters have special relationships, I think. I know DH is totally wrapped around our little girl's finger!

@sincethelastday
My little girl is the third grandkid -- my sister has two girls. And she's younger than me and started trying after we started. I was really upset about her first announcement since she did a big reveal thing at a family dinner and I had no preparation for it. DH got to drive home with a crying wife. So I can understand how it stings to have your MIL suddenly including these other kiddos and not acting like your little is super special (which he/she is, imo!). I don't think you're being dramatic -- you expected your kiddo to be the first and everyone would be super excited about it and it feels like a bit of your position was usurped by gf and her kids. My gut is that these are off-the-cuff remarks and she's actually VERY excited, but she's trying to be sensitive to SIL's potential feelings about her gf being excluded/etc. Maybe invite her to do some baby shopping with you at some point or ask her if she wants to help plan the shower (if you're involved in planning it). Of course, you understand your family dynamics better than me so I could be totally off-base!

emmasemm

@sincethelastday stomach tubing is when you have a sick or weak animal that isn’t eating and you need to get some food (liquid) into them to build them up so they can recover. You pass a tube down through the mouth, via the oesophagus into the stomach and then pour the food down. You have to be very careful to get it in the oesophagus and not the trachea! Else you drown them... Difficult is also even very sick animals can be very strong and determined to not let you do it - especially wild ones. Seal have razor sharp teeth. Birds of prey have crazy sharp beams but even worse are their talons - they can rip you to shreds. Of course this skill comes in very handy every day in my job as a CFO  
As for your MIL. I like the ideas from @mbradfo2


@tulips29 oh gosh I can’t imagine dealing with full on toddler tantrums whilst pregnant... I have been an avid watcher of Supernanny with Jo Frost for many years. But even though she has general methods they are always applied very individually. I think you’re smart to let you H deal with it if you feel your fuse is a bit short right now. I guess he is also trying to adjust to the news there will be a new baby on top of the normal toddler stuff.

@mbradfo2 you are right i am so surprised how many colleagues are totally ecstatic about my news. They even want to bring some events forward so I can still join them etc... it’s also made me realize how guarded my reactions to others announcements have been in the past years. I definitely didn’t every jump up and hug someone or cry happy tears...
And I am also a complete Daddy’s girl. He has always done everything he can for me - and I definitely got away with murder with him as a small child. He once took me with him around 3yo to take my grandfather to the ferry terminal about 6 hours away and after we went to a Little Chef (old travel restaurant chain in the uk famous for their breakfast pancakes). He let a 3yo eat 4 with all the toppings I wanted. 5 miles down the road I projectile vomited in the car. He called my mother. She said don’t you dare bring that child or the car home until, they’re clean!

LauraJon2015

@sincethelastday I would be really disappointed if that happened to me. You spent so much time working hard to get here, and suddenly your MIL is acting like this is a bit less special than it is. Hopefully her actions will be different than her words. Maybe you’ll find opportunity to get closer to your SIL and her GF - they might be really supportive since the GF knows how hard pregnancy, labor & early parenthood really are. Best of luck with the in laws.

LauraJon2015

• How far along/EDD? 11w6d
• How are you feeling this week? Tired! Nausea was rough on Saturday, but has been better the last two days
• Rants/Raves? Questions? I am so so so excited to be done with progesterone support! Two more PIO shots and almost done with Endo. Yes!!!
• Any upcoming appointments? 9/20 first trimester screening. I’m so nervous! I know most people get good news, but it seems like most of what I read focuses on what happens when things don’t look right. 
• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at? I’m really good at cooking - with a recipe. Haha I don’t know if that really counts.

cigaline

Hello all - I’m back! Taking @emmasemm’s advice and getting in there early on ;-).
Honestly, some weeks go so fast I miss the beginning and then have difficulty keeping up... 

@emmasemm So glad things are going well and you had such positive responses from everyone! It’s lovely that even your work colleagues are so happy for you. I was also positively surprised at my hospital job that all the girls were so excited - I’m a bit of an outsider being a part-timer and the nature of my role which means I don’t take my lunch break at the same time as most of my team, so I really wasn’t expecting it! And congrats on a girl!!

@sincethelastday Really glad to hear you had such a positive experience with your OBGYN, makes all the difference doesn’t it. And glad the nausea is at last getting better. As for your MIL, I would definitely be pretty resentful of her assimilating these two other children with your own. Maybe it’s just a question of pride for her in being able to say she has 3 (even if it’s stretching it) grandchildren. Perhaps she has friends who already have lots of them and has a bit of an inferiority complex about it. I think some older people view the number of children and grandchildren they have as a measure of how successful their life has been - especially if they haven’t much else to boast about! That being said, I think in reality she’s very unlikely to view all 3 children in the same light once your child is born. He/she will undoubtedly be more special to her than they will ever be. But in the meanwhile, I expect you’ll have to grin and bear her insensitive comments - seems kind of par for the course with MILs! I really shouldn’t complain about mine as she’s only ever been kind to me in person, but she’s quite a loud personality and not terribly tactful. My SIL had a pretty negative experience on one of her school trips and her English host family sounded pretty awful, something my MIL has never forgotten (despite still being in touch with her own English penpal). One day, while talking to one of her daughter’s friends about homestays in England, right in front of me, she said, “you do have to be careful though... you might be lucky but you might just as well not be... they don’t know how to look after their children”!!!

@Tulips29 That sounds tough with the toddler tantrums. Makes me feel anxious about a second pregnancy as one without kids is hard enough! Glad to hear YH is good at taking it calmly and not pouring oil on the fire... don’t feel guilty though, it’s a natural response when hormones are raging 😊

AFM... you can put me down as having a boy!!

• How far along/EDD? 18w1d/10 Feb
• How are you feeling this week?

Good in general. Been having some really good days with loads of energy, which has really improved my mood. Some occasional blips (we went to our local town’s clubs & societies open day on Sunday and spent so long talking to everyone that we didn’t eat until 4pm - definitely a mistake! The rest of the day was a write-off...)

• Rants/Raves? Questions?

Nothing major this week. We met the gynaecologist who will be seeing me monthly from now on and probably be present for delivery if I decide to give birth in his hospital. He had rave reviews on Google so I had high expectations. Unfortunately, he was running 1.5hrs late for the appointment and both DH and I were supposed to be going to work afterwards so we were pretty stressed by the time we saw him! He wasn’t exactly as apologetic as I was expecting (the French are not hot on apologies generally!), but explained that he can see us for emergencies at 20 mins notice and had had 4 that morning, so that did mollify us a bit. I can see why he’s so popular and don’t doubt he’s good at his job, but he was very into his ‘spiel’, which was a little theatrical with lots of hand gestures and a touch patronising. My main bugbear was that he was so busy talking he didn’t do much listening (classic doctor’s error). But overall he was genuinely nice and clearly does care about providing his patients with the best service, so I’m sure I’d be hard pushed to do better. Anyway, he does have US in his consulting room, so did a quick scan which was able to confirm the sex pretty quickly! At the 12w scan the person said that the view was ‘suggestive’ of a boy, but she said it in such a vague hypothetical way that I didn’t really think anything of it. The last couple of weeks I had started having the ‘feeling’ it was a boy, but it was still a bit startling to have it confirmed. Coming from a family of 2 girls and having been to an all girls’ school, boys do seem a bit like uncharted territory haha! I know I will be besotted when he’s born (and I already feel more of a connection now I know) - and yet at the same time I do feel a (slightly guilty) longing to have a girl too. There’s something about the mother-daughter relationship which seems so unique...

• Any upcoming appointments?

Next OBGYN 11 Oct and 2nd trimester scan on 12 Oct!

• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at? Not sure it’s very hidden but violin playing was a major part of my childhood and it still feels a big part of my identity even if I rarely practise these days. It’s nice getting asked to play at friends’ weddings though! 

 

cigaline

Well obviously I took so long writing that that 3 people managed to post in the meanwhile! 

@emmasemm Very impressed by your hidden talent - that sounds fiendishly difficult! It’s hard enough on a human being, can’t imagine what it must be like on a bird of prey!! 

Also LOL at your Little Chef story! That definitely featured in my childhood, though not the throwing up bit as far as I remember 😆 

@LauraJon2015 congrats on finishing progesterone - I too was pretty delighted when that ended. Fingers crossed the nausea gets better soon.

emmasemm

@cigaline congrats on the boy!!! Boys love their mommas normally, so I’m sure you’ll find a special bond.
And yes some European doctors can still be very egoistic (well so can some uk ones...) but sounds like he’s super competent and prioritizes based on need each day, which I’m sure you’ll be happy for later.
Oh and I also went to an all girls school! 

k_mama91

@cigaline Congrats on your boy! 

@emmasemm Congrats on your girl! 

@sincethelastday I can see where you’re coming from. The timing is off with these kids coming in and you being pregnant and I think it’s totally normal that you feel annoyed by your mil and her wording.

@Tulips29 My dh is also the patient parent when it comes to meltdowns and misbehaving. I lack in the patience department. 

@LauraJon2015 That was going to be my talent too 😆 I’m not gifted in anything special lol

k_mama91

• How far along/EDD? 27w5d 12/5
• How are you feeling this week? Uncomfortable. It feels like my uterus and abdominal muscles are going to rip away from my pubic bone and I’m getting tons of vaginal pressure when I’ve been on my feet too long. 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? We went away for the weekend and I realized how quickly ds is growing up. He was tall enough to drive his own gokart, went in his first haunted house, and zip lined!! I’m excited for him but sad for me, I blinked and he grew up ☹️
• Any upcoming appointments? Tomorrow for an ultrasound. Curious about what’s going on in there and excited to see our little guy again! 
• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at? I have 0 real talents. I brag on my cooking skills but I somehow manage to burn everything I put in my oven. Cookies, brownies, breads, candies, cakes. It takes talent to burn a boxed dessert. I thought it was our oven for the longest time but we’ve moved and I have a brand new range and still burn things. 

sincethelastday

@Tulips29 - thanks for the advice re: my MIL. Yeah, I think she’s just excited to have a lot of kids in her life now and I have a feeling that once this LO arrives she may view our child as “the first grandchild”; I think it’s hard right now because there’s no baby in plain sight. In regards to your little one, I wish I had something to share in regards to the tantrums, but as a first time mom here I feel like I wouldn’t have much to contribute. However, it sounds like your plan with your husband and yourself is working out pretty well and you’re doing great even if it may not feel like that always! It sounds like you have a lot of patience, a lot more than I would! Hope things settle down though in the tantrum department! And which languages do you speak? I’ve always been envious of people who can speak more than one language! 

@mbradfo2 - thanks for the tips with my MIL! I think the keeping her involved is key and I definitely plan to get her involved with some baby shopping and other stuff. We do have a pretty close relationship as MIL/DIL, however sometimes some of her comments really throw me off guard. I think you’re definitely right with her wanting to include my SIL’s girlfriend and not look exclusionary. She has had a pretty rocky relationship with this daughter, so I think she’s trying to compensate in any way she can. And so sorry to hear how you heard your sister’s announcement; for the past couple of years I always stressed out at family dinners that someone was going to pop a pregnancy announcement out of the blue like that. I would also have cried home!! 

@emmasemm - thanks for the description with animal stomach tubing - sounds quite intense and impressive!! 😮 

@LauraJon2015 - thanks for the advice with my MIL. I like your idea with getting closer to my SIL’s GF. My MIL is actually hosting a dinner this Saturday to hopefully get to know her better and I’m hoping we can connect over pregnancy if there’s nothing else in common. Her kids will also not be there at this dinner so I’m hoping that gives us a lot of time to get closer with her. I don’t think my MIL’s comments would bother me as much if I actually knew and felt close to this GF. At this point though she’s pretty much a stranger. Really hoping that changes. In regards to how you’re doing, hope the nausea continues to ease up and really hope your first trimester screening goes well! I was getting pretty nervous the days leading up to it, so I think that’s normal. Hope the time flies by before your appointment! 

@cigaline - yeah, thank goodness the nausea finally seems to be getting better (knock on wood a thousand times! 😆). And I think your comment on my MIL feeling a bit inferior with the lack of grandchildren is pretty dead on. Her younger sister has four grandchildren and I know my MIL has wanted grandkids for a long time now and seems to have some self-esteem issues at times. So having the opportunity to say she has 3 grandkids now can definitely be a confidence booster for her. Anyways, sorry to hear you had a bit of a less-than-ideal first appointment with your OBGYN. However, being nice and caring about his patients isn’t easy to just learn (I feel like you’ve either got it or you don’t when it comes to doctors), so hope that’s a good sign and he just improves in some of those other areas so he becomes an even more helpful, good OBGYN to work with! Also, a BIG congratulations on finding out you’re having a boy!!! I feel like I would feel kinda the same way if I found out I was having a boy as I can’t help but want to experience that mother/daughter relationship (I also come from a family of girls and have a really close relationship with my mom, so I would love to duplicate that with a daughter of my own). But like you say, I’m sure as soon as you sit with this news more and once you finally see your little gentleman, I’m sure it’ll just be love, love, love! 😊

@k_mama91 - ugh, sorry to hear about your discomfort - it sounds quite painful! Have you found anything that helps to take away some of the pain? Hope you get some time to put your feet up! 

Sorry for the very long post, but just wanted to respond to everyone and thanks to everyone who responded about my MIL’s comments! Your comments definitely provided me with some needed insight. I really think I just needed to vent and having the company of women who get it and can give their advice is greatly appreciated! 💛💛

k_mama91

@sincethelastday Nothing seems to help much. Obviously sitting down takes the aching and pressure away but getting up is painful on a different level! They say every pregnancy is different and that is so true, my first was 9 years ago but I don’t remember having these pains. Probably doesn’t help that I’m almost 10 years older too 😒

akak23

Hi everyone! I took a short hiatus from the group to deal with some heath issues but so glad to see so many are still here and finding out the genders

@emmasemm coolest talent ever! You literally save animal lives ♥️

@k_mama91 sorry you’re dealing with so much discomfort, hoping you feel better soon.

- How far along/EDD: 11w4d, 3/27/20 - boy
- How are you feeling this week: All over the place! I found out I have developed severe hyperthyroid. The symptoms I’ve been describing to the doctors (even at the RE) are like pregnancy symptoms - increased heart rate and high blood pressure, hot and sweaty, shaky, etc etc. well it turns out my symptoms are super severe bc of the hyperthyroid. I started blood pressure medicine today and Weill hopefully start the thyroid medicine this week if my endocrinologist gets moving.
- Rants/Raves: Man after going through IVF for almost a year I thought I would catch a break but now it just seems there is more uncertainty and worry. (i know I’m being a victim right now, trying to get over it)
- Upcoming Appointments: Another endocrinologist and OB appointments next Monday and Tuesday. 
- GTKY: Hidden talent? I’m sorry to be lame but I can’t come up with one lol! Love everyone else’s! 

PoeMasque

@emmasemm congrats on the girl!! I can “stomach tube” a human - which I thought was pretty gross, but I’d take a human over a seal any day!! Glad you’re feeling better and have such great support

@sincethelastday I know everyone already gave great advice, but I just wanted to say that I would be super pissed if I was you. I got pretty mad at my own mom for prioritizing my brother’s kiddo (my actual niece!) over ours - she watches his daughter every Friday and “felt bad” giving ONE Friday per month to our son (we live 2 hours away from her, my brother lives 10mins away). I basically nagged her until she relented haha! Also - she has 6 grandkids total and I still think mine should get the most attention/love

@Tulips29 I’m so sorry about the tantrums! We are right there with you. We have hitting, biting, throwing hard objects, and falling to the floor tantrums lately - usually for no reason at all (or not one we can figure out!). I know this sounds suuuper corny, but if we know it’s not a hunger/tired issue, what has worked for us a few times is a “time in”. I honestly think he acts up when he’s bored or needs connection. Have you watched The Happiest Toddler on the Block? I’m not really a Harvey Karp fan, but there are a few helpful strategies and good developmental info in it. 

@LauraJon2015 yay for the end of PIO shots! I definitely don’t miss those! 

@cigaline congrats on the boy! I really thought my son was going to be a girl, so when they said boy I had a weird and sad reaction that even surprised me! I think even when you don’t have a preference you mourn the loss of the sex you don’t get. My son only wants me when he’s hurt and is definitely not lovey with DH like he is with me, you’ll have a great and unique bond with him that will be amazing

@k_mama91 I’m sorry you are so uncomfortable this early on. I was wondering if the second time around all of that comes on earlier, sounds like it does. Hope your US goes well tomorrow! I also like to think I’m a good baker (they make it look so easy on the Great British Baking Show!), but I always forget to add a key ingredient or end up with a super ugly bake. It’s not as easy as it looks!

@akak23 welcome back and sorry to hear that things haven’t been going well. You can mourn the loss of your expected pregnancy journey and still be grateful for the successes you’ve had, whatever you are feeling is ok. Is the BP med a beta blocker? If so it should help at least a little with all of your symptoms, how lucky that they even figured it out! I feel like they can be so dismissive of pregnant women, especially first timers. 

• How far along/EDD? 18+3
• How are you feeling this week? Fine, some afternoon fatigue, but overall not bad!
• Rants/Raves? Questions? Rave - I was offered a job today working with a great team (I have a pretty sweet job already, but my boss is horrrible and I don’t get to work with patients much, which I’ve been missing), I’m pretty excited, but I’m not sure if it will pay enough and my company is notorious for trying to pay as little as possible to staff (it’s all done by central HR in another state). Another rave - lots of strong kicks going on, enjoying them now before they turn painful! Haha
• Any upcoming appointments? Not this week  
• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? If I was really brave I would start a house flipping/interior design company. We gutted and remodeled our first house and no one could believe we didn’t use a designer. If only this “talent” wasn’t so expensive!

caitiemae

@emmasemm congrats on having a baby girl!! So exciting to finally spill the beans to everyone!  I'm very impressed by your stomach tubing skills.  What was your career where you used these skills?  

@sincethelastday happy to hear you're feeling a bit better!  I'd totally feel the same if I were you.  I'm all for including partners in family gatherings and such, but I think in generally it's just a really bad idea for parents to get overly attached before things are officially serious (marriage or something close to it).  I just feel like it makes things extra awkward in the event of a breakup.  Also, how weird will to be for those children if they do get too close to your mom?  I dunno, I just see a big difference between your child and the gf's children until things are definitely permanent between them.  

@Tulips29 oh man, nothing prepared me for the stress of being a toddler mom.  My daughter's tantrums have always been insanely intense and we actually started to go to a behavior management clinic because of them. I'd like to say we've fixed them, but that's definitely not the case.  I will say I think just by maturing some, she definitely has less, maybe just 1 or 2 a week now that she's 3 (so # of them not too bad, we just need to get her to stop kicking and screaming for over a half an hour every time, at least they're not an hour like before).  We've only been to a few sessions and we haven't been given any magic answers from the psychologist, but she did say pretty much try to ignore them during tantrums other than making sure they're safe.  Oh, and I'm totally jealous of speaking 3 languages.  What languages?  I took HS German and studied abroad for a year and still am absolutely terrible at it.  I'm hoping I can get my daughter to learn Spanish at a young age and hopefully develop  that part of her brain.  My parenting hack is to turn on Spanish cartoons or movies so watching TV is "educational" and I don't feel so bad for being a lazy mom haha. 

@LauraJon2015 yay for almost being done with PIO!  Good luck with screening, like you said, odds of getting any bad news is minimal now that you've made it this far along! 

caitiemae

@cigaline I'm totally with you with not being to keep up with posts! Haha.  Trying to get in early this week so I'm not trying to tag a million people in one post.  Congrats on the confirmed boy!  I'm with you with wanting a girl.  First pregnancy, I said I didn't care, but I was totally rooting for a girl and was pretty excited to have one.  But I know all the boy moms really love having boys.  I will be experiencing this uncharted territory as well with you lol.  I love that you play violin!  I played a few instruments growing up and unfortunately stopped playing them over the years.  I'm hoping to start my daughter on violin next year when she can actually stand still for more than 5 minutes.  My sister and I grew up taking Suzuki lessons (she did violin, I did piano) and I'm hoping my daughter will love it as much as I did.  

@akak23 yikes!  So sorry to hear about the hyperthyroidism!  Hopefully they can get it in line in a hurry and you don't have something else to worry about in top of the pregnancy!  

@PoeMasque yay for kicks!  It's the best feeling in the world!  I've just reached that point as well.  I've been feeling my little guy, but it was always that questionable "is that gas or baby" feeling haha.  Congrats on the new job offer!  I hope the pay will be better than you think.  Having a bad boss seriously can make or break a job, hopefully you can get an awesome new team and sweet pay.  And that's awesome you renovated your own home!  My husband and I always say we'd like to do that stuff, but we've come to terms with the fact that we're too lazy and will always need to get move-in ready homes.  

k_mama91

@PoeMasque Interior design is omen of my hobbies. We didn’t a custom build and contracted out ourselves. I was surprised that I could lay tile and actually enjoyed it. Cutting in walls and painting trim are another story.

AFM my scan went well today. The blood that was such a concern has almost completely re absorbed which is such a relief! We didn’t get many good pictures but they’ve estimated his weight at 2lb5oz and said he looks great!

sincethelastday

@akak23 - sorry to hear about the hyperthyroidism!! It must feel like you can’t catch a break here once getting pregnant! Hope the meds help and your doctors are supportive and listen to any other concerns that may come up!

@PoeMasque - thanks for the added support re: my MIL. I would also be ticked off if I was in hour position with having to beg my mom to look after my child if she was already doing the same for a sibling. Good luck at the new job! Have you officially accepted it or still thinking about it? And yay for lots of strong kicks!! I can hardly wait for those! 

@caitiemae - yeah, I’m of the same mind with thinking it’s too soon to be thinking of those kids as her grandchildren. My MIL is kinda notorious for getting too attached to her children’s boyfriends/girlfriends before they’re really “an official couple.” She still sees this same SIL’s ex-boyfriend for lunch, just the two of them, because she got too close to him when her daughter and him were dating and can’t really let go. Anyways, hopefully this dinner this weekend goes really well with getting to know the GF. 

@k_mama91 - that’s great to hear that your scan went so well!! 😊😊

emmasemm

@sincethelastday the parents of my first boyfriend got so close to me that after I split up with him (we were together 4 years) she drove me all around the country to different horse events, I lived with his grandmother for 5 months and she paid for me to go to a local private school for that time, plus bought me a horse to ride whilst I was there... then years later I kept some of my ponies at the parents house for free and saw them every day and got spoilt like crazy by them... 
I don’t know why they were so attached for so long!
It only ended when I moved to China!

Tulips29

Hope I'm not forgetting anyone in my responses...

@emmasemm that's a really cool talent! I thought you were going to say that you're a vet until I read that you're a CFO. How the heck did you pick that one up? Also, congrats on a girl! 

@LauraJon2015 yay for being done with PIO, that's definitely something to look forward to! I hope you get wonderful news at your 1st tri screening! 

@cigaline congrats on a boy! Boys and their mamas have such a special bond, I love being a boy mom. I was worried I wouldn't know what to do with a boy and now I can't picture myself having a girl after him .  I'm sure you'll love being a boy mama! 

@k_mama91 that's great your scan went well and holy moly you're almost 3rd tri! Reading about your DS growing up, I read this article yesterday written by a mom of a teenage boy who wrote that to her he's still a little boy. And she was remembering him as a toddler and in her eyes he will always be a toddler but now he's so grown and has his life, friends, etc...and I sat there crying my eyes out thinking the same thing. You blink and they grow up so fast!

@sincethelastday Aside from English, I also speak Russian and Ukrainian (although getting rusty with this one now as I don't practice it much anymore). But Russian we speak at home and it's my son's first language too so he can speak with his grandparents. I also used to speak Hebrew which I learned at school but then didn't have anyone to speak it to so I eventually lost it. 

@akak23 congrats on a boy! I hope you feel better as well! 

@PoeMasque I have not watched that, but thank you for the suggestion. I will look into it for sure! It's just so odd, some days I have a little angel and some days it's uncontrollable tears all day for no reason! And so awesome you're feeling the strong kicks now! 

@caitiemae Oh, that's great that behavior management is helping your daughter! As for languages, outside of English, I was raised speaking Russian and Ukrainian (and learned Hebrew at school that I since lost unfortunately). Both DH and I speak Russian at home so it's my son's first language and now he's learning English at daycare and they are also starting Spanish lessons soon. I'd love to learn Spanish alongside of him too! 

caitiemae

@k_mama91 so happy to hear the blood is almost gone!  I can't believe the baby is already so big!  It really starts to get real when they can actually measure them in pounds!  

As for me...

• How far along/EDD? 20 weeks Jan 30
• How are you feeling this week?  Feeling great!  I've been a little sleepy this week, but mostly due to my daughter or dog waking me up to go potty and not being able to fall back asleep
• Rants/Raves? Questions?  Raves-had my anatomy scan and everything looks great!  The tech was super fast, but was very informative and showed us every little detail, including the lenses of his eyes!  And my daughter started preschool and she had a blast!  I love her little preschool, I hope we don't have to move within th next couple of years so we can stay there. As for questions: si anyone getting a fetal echocardiogram?  The MFM (I normally don't see one, but they're the office that does anatomy scans for my OB) wanted me to schedule one just because IVF babies have a slightly higher risk of cardiac issues.  I'm all for having it done (it doesn't hurt to play it safe, right?), but the front desk staff said the pediatric cardiologist they bring in from Hopkins in can't be billed until October, when it'll be too late for it.  I'm not too worried since everything shows that his little heart is great so far.  But then the crazy part of me goes through all the what ifs.  What if by some crazy chance there is a problem, and we missed this chance to have this awesome cardiologist catch it early?  Not too worried, but I guess the paranoid mom part of.me will always be there.  
• Any upcoming appointments? OB a week from today
• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at?  Hmm... I guess maybe bargain shopping?  I don't get too crazy with it, but I do a pretty good job at throwing together cheap dinners. Or just holding out on buying things until I can stack a couple promo codes or find a sale.  

cigaline

@caitiemae Glad to hear your anatomy scan went so well. I did Suzuki violin too! It was all the rage in my generation in the UK. Started at 3 but changed to traditional lessons at 5 or 6 I think. As there are lots of English speaking mums around here wanting activities for their kids, I’ve been dreaming that hosting ‘Suzuki-style’ lessons in English could be a fun and easy way to earn some extra money in a few years’ time!

@PoeMasque I’m quite envious of you feeling all those kicks - it’s still only very occasional that I have a suspicion of something... and generally only if I put my hand in the right place - though most of the time all I can feel is my own heartbeat! 
I empathise with your feelings about the new job - so frustrating when you want to do something that doesn’t pay well. My ‘dream job’ came up a few months ago in Paris and I had the perfect CV for it, but because the pay in public hospitals is so poor here I would have had to take a pay cut to do a more specialist job - crazy! It just wasn’t feasible with our current mortgage and the fact that I was hoping to be going on mat leave in the not too distant future. I hope that in your situation you can negotiate a salary that you’re happy with...

@akak23 sorry to hear about the hyperthyroidism but glad it’s been properly identified at last and hope your symptoms improve soon. 

@k_mama91 sorry to hear you’re in so much discomfort. I have no idea if there’s any hope of that improving as things progress, but hope you find a way to manage it so it’s bearable. Great that all is looking so good with your LO! 

Thanks for all the positive words about being a boy mum - I’m feeling quite excited about it now 😀

jolo1241

@akak23 My RE put me on thyroid meds from the start. And I'm glad he did. 

@PoeMasque I'm feeling kicks like crazy! Hoping DH gets to feel them soon! Still nothing on the outside but feels like she's doing somersaults inside.

@emmasemm Welcome to the "It's a girl" club! Congratulations! Be aware, if you're going to do a 3d ultrasound at 17 weeks, it probably won't be what you are expecting to see. We had one at 18 weeks as part of our anatomy scan and it didn't show us much on the 3d scan. The regular scan was awesome but 3d was just an orange blob that was unidentifiable as a baby. She told us this is because they don't have enough fatty tissue yet that early. 

@sincethelastday Hopefully the family issues work themselves out. Perhaps when MIL holds that baby for the first time, it will change her mind. At least you know what you've worked for and that beautiful child of yours will forever feel that love!

@Tulips29 3 languages? You've got us all beat for talent. That is very impressive! 

• How far along/EDD? 20w exactly today. 02/02/2020
• How are you feeling this week? I feel really good. Just one thing is bothering me at the moment. Sharp muscle pains at the top of my belly, just below my boobs. I'm chalking it up to growing pains 
• Rants/Raves? Questions? Rant - pregnancy brain is real! I forget so many things. I feel like I'm losing my mind sometimes! 
• Any upcoming appointments? None this week 
• GTKY: what is your hidden talent? Or maybe just something you are really good at? The thing I like to do is crocheting and quilting. And with a little one on the way, I'm probably overdoing it!

PoeMasque

@jolo1241 I remember those pains from my first pregnancy, I had them really bad from about 16 weeks on. I honestly think it’s your rib cage expanding, I had to get bra extenders at that point. Really annoying! 

jolo1241

@PoeMasque I think I'm going to avoid the bras altogether as much as I can! Ha!