Riley Elizabeth Nichols

We had our 20 week sonogram today where she did all the measurements of the brain, heart, kidneys, bones, etc. Included in this, we were finally luckily enough to discover we have a baby girl on the way! We are both very excited to have an identity assigned to this wonderful child, as well as to know she's healthy and growing just as she should be. I'll try and get a couple of sonogram pictures scanned in tonight.

Pregnant Rudolph

What I thought was just a scratchy throat this weekend was my body's way of telling me to be prepared for my first cold in a long time. Chris even went to Walgreens somewhere around 10 pm Tuesday night to get cough drops, but it hit me while at work yesterday morning, so I promptly fired up the search engine, checked the approved cold medicines on my OB clinic's website, and drove right next door to Walgreens. Yes, I drove; heels and 40 degrees doesn't exactly scream a nice stroll. So, I've been watching the clock every 4 hours so I can take my next dose of Sudafed, and going through Kleenex like they are going out of style. I did decide to stay home today and spare my co-workers from the delightful sound of blowing my nose every 5 minutes and coughing between. Currently, I look like a pregnant Rudolph.

All this coughing and stuffy nose has gotten me thinking. If Baby Nichols' genetics were up to me, I would only make a few selections. This child would have to have Chris's immune system, sinus cavities, and pretty much anything respiratory related. Chris never gets sick, I mean never. In the range of 5 years give or take that I've known him, I think he's been to the doctor maybe twice. I on the other hand, seem to be a regular visitor, not to mention my weekly shots I get for allergies. I would also choose Chris's teeth. I was very late cutting my baby teeth, had to have 12 teeth pulled while in Jr. High, then braces in high school. While I'm not afraid of the dentist, I'm a regular with my checkups. Chris never experienced braces, has perfectly straight teeth, what a blessing! I'll leave the rest of the genetic arranging to the big Guy upstairs. I'm sure He'll get it all figured out. I'm just wondering if he'll hear my requests, although at this point, it's probably a little late!

On a side note, I'll be lucky if Baby Nichols is born without feathers. Since I had chicken noodle soup yesterday, and it seemed to be no help to the cold issue, I went for the Chicken Sandwich from, of course, Chick-fil-A for lunch today. I couldn't help it. I had to run to the grocery store to pick up a few items, mainly more Kleenex, and it was just calling my name.

Panic Mode

So, we had our 17 week checkup this morning, and I anticipated nothing out of the ordinary other than a routine checkup. I would tell the doctor of my phase two of hormone surges, accompanied by a new found love of migraines, but I'm finding the new prescription helpful. We would discuss this minor cold/sinus/cough crud I've developed and list all the normal medications I'm not allowed to take. And wrap it up with a discussion about the time frame which I'm still allowed to fly, since we are planning on visiting San Antonio with the Garner's in May.

We got the first 2 points out of the way quickly as I made my way into position for the heartbeat monitor. So, after the cold gel was applied, Dr. Chauhan is using her knowledgeable skills of maneuvering this little microphone over my abdomen area searching for a rapid thumping sound. We wait, we've picked up my heartbeat, but nothing fast enough or strong enough for Baby Nichols. After about 5 minutes of hide and seek, she's got nothing, and suggests we get an ultrasound.

Needless to say, in the 3.5 minutes it took her to inform the sonogram technician, and for the tech to get setup, I panicked. I cried. I was having all the possible worst-case-scenario's go through my mind. It's natural, yet Chris assured me everything was fine, and not to get upset. Too late, tears were already interfering with my mascara.

So we have our ultrasound, and we have a heartbeat! What a relief. Turns out, I have an anterior placenta, which only means the placenta is more to the front of my uterus rather than in the back. It makes no difference for the baby, but it adds additional cushion/barrier which made it more difficult to detect the heartbeat.

Since we were there, we asked about gender. Baby Nichols was sleeping soundly, face down, spine towards us, legs together. After about 5-10 minutes we were finally able to wake him/her, and with a prompt response; he/she crossed it's legs, with the umbilical cord between the legs! Stubborn already. I wonder where he/she gets that from? So we have our next appointment March 24, Easter Monday, and we will hopefully be able to know gender by then, if we can get a little cooperation. Also, Baby Nichols is up to a whopping 5 ounces!

So after this little scare, we treated ourselves to a little Chick-fil-A, and I didn't even feel a little bit guilty! I've gained a whopping 2 pounds total, and until I start packing on the pounds, I'll continue to enjoy my chicken nuggets!