Another Dr. Visit

Today we had another visit to the OB, Dr. DeLisle. He "checked" me and my cervix is closed, which is good. My stats were also good; blood pressure 120/74, I gained 2.5 lbs (a shocker considering I was sure I had gained 5 lbs.), and my uterus measured at 32 cm. The baby's heartbeat was a cool 155 and took a long time to find. This is because the child is rolled up into a ball underneath my ribs like a rolly polly. I've told Dapo that I feel like the baby is laying sideways across my abdomen. The nurse confirmed my suspicions as she spent quite some time trying to get him to let us hear his heartbeat, and then at the conclusion saying, "well, he is definitely not head first". He still has a couple of weeks to get that way, so I'm not worrying about it.

Evidently the kicking and punching I feel when I lay on my left side is no cause for concern and feeling the baby move is a positive occurance, even if it feels like he is fighting for his life. There also seems to be a slight hope left that the clarity reduction in my eyesight may be a result of the membranes being swollen due to pregnancy. If so, then I should regain some of my vision after delivery. Otherwise, it'll be a trip to the optomitrist for momma.

We go back and see our regular doctor, Dr. Rushing, on June 11th.

Two More Months

I am beginning to get excited about the soon coming birth of our baby boy. He has grown so much and I think I have gained at least five pounds this time. I've been craving fruit and yogurt, and ice cream sometimes, but not as much. I am not able to eat as much at each sitting, because the baby just seems to be taking up ALL the room in my abdomen. So I'm back to smaller meals more often. Taking deep breaths are a luxury.

Sleeping is becoming a little more challenging. When I lay on my left side (which is what is recommended) the baby kicks like a freestyle swimmer until I turn onto my right side. Then, he pretty much stops kicking. I wonder if he might be laying sideways since I feel a big hard spot on my right side and the kicking on my left side. I figure the big spot is a head or bottom and the kicking is either hands or feet. Although, sometimes I feel him kick on my bladder or bowels, so maybe he is just flipping and turning. Sometimes I can see entire body parts move across my stomach. It is really a sight to behold. Last night I dreamt that a foot came out of my neck, and it was only me who was bewildered that such an event could occur. It was so vivid I could see the toes, heel, everything, only it did not break the skin. Everyone that I showed the protruding foot to just was like, yeah? so what? How bizzare.

I am VERY thankful that I've not experienced any of the symptoms most pregnant women complain of...heartburn, indigestion, constipation, hemorrhoids, etc. I've only had heartburn a couple of times at night. Nothing a couple of Tums couldn't take care of. The baby does lay on my back sometimes, but it doesn't HURT, it is just uncomfortable. Usually I can bend forward and my back will pop or the baby will move. My bladder feels like it is the size of a penny. I can go to the bathroom, sit down, and need to go again. It doesn't help that Mr. Funny Guy kicks my bladder. Interesting to note, though, that when I speak to him to move because he is hurting me or I can't breathe, he is obedient to do so. Now we know the baby takes after Dapo!

My last four week appointment is this Thursday, and then I begin go every other week until week 36. I will be 33 weeks on Friday the 1st. Now we begin counting in weeks towards July 21st. Throughout my pregnancy, I've been comparing notes with my mom who remembers her first baby (36 years ago). My brother, Dan, was her first child and was a boy as well. My entire pregnancy has been a lot like hers was in every way. Evidently he was 8 lbs and was born ON his due date. I was 10 lbs 12 oz. and was a month overdue. So, I'm glad to be carrying a boy. All of this is important to note, as I live 2,000 miles away from my mom and even further from Dapo's mom. My mom wants to come and be here when the baby is born. It takes a good 7 hrs to fly here from PDX, so if I go into labor before my due date she and my dad may not land until after the baby is born.

Well, I still have a ways to go. Stay tuned for the next Doctor's report.

Graduation

We just returned from Salt Lake City to attend the commencement ceremony for Dapo at the U of U! It was a short trip, but we really enjoyed seeing our family and friends who took the time to come and celebrate with him. We enjoyed our time there as well, but we were busy! A special thanks to Mom & Dad Zintz for making the trip from WA to celebrate with both Dapo and Kunle! We have bunches of pix to post, so check back soon for info on that.

Dr's appt.

We had another Doctor's visit on May 2nd. We saw a different Dr. who I liked a lot also, Dr. Wheeler. My blood glucose screen test came back at 131 and they like them to be under 140. I also had gained two more pounds, for a total of 10.5. My blood pressure was "textbook" (his words, not mine), I think it was 110/70. They measured my uterus at 28 inches, which is also where I should be at. Evidently, you should grow one inch for each week along you are. It is hard to imagine my stomach growing ANOTHER 12 inches! Everything is looking good, progressing as it should be.

Old Emails #8

This email is sent to an ex-colleague of mine in Oregon on 3/7/07:

"Quite honestly, I could send you a picture of my belly, but right now I'm not really showing. I promise that I'll try to remember (operative word here is remember) to send you one when you can actually tell there's a baby. I've only gained 5.4 lbs in my 20 weeks, and three of them were between wks 12-16. Trust me, it is not because I'm not eating...I eat several times a day, pretty much everything in sight. But, I've switched from bad calories to good ones so I'm sure that there is an exchange of weight occuring."

Old Emails #7

The following email was sent to everyone who asked me to email them when we found out what we were having. It was sent on March 6th, 2007, entitled "Feeling Blue?":

"Well I am…BABY blue that is. Yep! I’m writing to let you know that our little bundle of joy is a boy! And, our little boy is a bundle of joy, too.
Dapo is beaming with pride and I am just elated to see the heart beat again and have the suspense be over. The Dr. showed us our little boy’s head, legs, arms, spine…and everything looks good!
We give thanks to God, from whom all good and perfect gifts come.
Love,Dapo, Kari & Junior Eso"

Old Emails #6

This email was written to a friend of mine in Washington on 1/29/07"

"I AM starting to show I'm pregnant. I am 16 weeks, and had to buy maternity clothes because I could just not fit into regular jeans, etc any more. But, once I did they were so much more comfortable.

I'm excited because I have a Dr. appt. tomorrow and then the next visit we find out the sex."

Old Emails #5

This email was written to a friend of mine in Oregon on 1/17/07:

" I thought you would enjoy hearing the news. I'm due on July 21st. We will find out the baby's sex for sure, but have to wait about another month. I am a little spacey, switching words around, using wrong words, not remembering things, etc. I'm assured this is because of the hormones and not because I'm losing my mind and/or going crazy.

I think of you because I've been having LOTS of straaaange dreams, tornadoes in some, old friends in others, and of course I am eating in lots of them! It reminds me of my Phase 1 dieting days. I have really not had any of the bummer symptoms, I've been eating good, and feel good. The only thing is I am not exercising. I have no excuse."

Old Emails #4

This email is not really an email about my pregnancy, but it captures a snapshot in time. It was circulated at the beginning of 2007:

1. Last movie you saw in 2006? The Holiday. Not my favorite.

2. What you were doing when it turned 2007? Sleeping.

3. Did you get a New Years kiss? Not until the morning.

4. What time did you go to bed? 10:45...hey, I tried, but it was midnight somewhere.

5. What did you do on New Years Eve? Hung out with Dapo at home.

6. What was the best thing from 2006? There were lots of wonderful things, but the best has to be finding out I'm having a healthy baby in 07.

8. What are you most looking forward to in 2007? Being a mom.

9. Any trips planned for 2007? Dapo and I are going to drive to the Florida panhandle for our 2nd anniversary in March. We're flying to Utah for his graduation ceremony in May.

10. Goals/Wishes for the New Year? That my friends and family would prosper and be in good health, even as their souls prosper.

Old Emails #3

This email is written to my brother-in-law's girlfriend, On 1/5/7:

"We had a wonderful Christmas, presumably our last "quiet" one. I hope yours was good as well.
No, we have not found out if we are having a boy or a girl, but it will only be ONE baby. Dapo's mom and sisters want twins. Not this time anyhow. Yes, Dapo is happy to be a daddy. Baba omo mi, in Yoruba, my baby's father. We had our 2nd visit this week, and got to see the baby on ultrasound and watch it's heart beat."

What I wrote reminds me...when our Doctor was doing the ultrasound on 1/4, he was being very thorough and looking behind the image he saw on the screen. When he told us there was only one baby, I looked away from the screen to Dapo and Dr. Rushing said, "oh, no, wait a minute". I whipped my head back to the screen as he said, "I am just kidding." Oh boy, this guys a comedian!

Old Emails #2

This email is written to a cousin of mine in Washington on December 27, 2006:

"I heard you were @ Dan & Jody's on Christmas...and heard the news, eh? I was actually going to write you after Christmas and tell you, but wanted my bro to know first. I guess Aunt Charlene & Uncle Joe accidentally found out from my mom and dad because they had planned to tell them and I said are you kidding, they can't know before Dan. So, I told my mom that and my dad didn't get the message. Oh, well. We are excited, and I am due on 07/21/07. Perhaps he or she will come early, like 2 weeks and it can be born on 07/07/07."

I now no longer wish for the baby to be born early just to have a "perfect" birthday. I want him to be born after a full term, fully prepared for this world.

Also, the story is I had called right before my aunt & uncle showed up at my folks'. My parents had planned on announcing the news, until I said the above to my mom. But, my mom didn't get a chance to tell my dad because by the time she got off the phone they were already there. My dad says, "so are we going to tell them?" and my mom says "well, we can't anymore", and it didn't take too much detective work for my aunt and uncle to figure it out.

Old Emails #1

This is a snippet from an old email, when I wasn't sure I was pregnant or not. I had taken one pregnancy test which said "no" (it was the 2nd of a 2-pack, and the first was 10 months earlier) and I had called my OB/GYN to say, what can I do to know? The RN suggested I could go have blood drawn, or wait a few days to take another test. I sent Dapo to Dan's to buy a First Response test, which I actually took on Friday night (November 17, 2006). This email was written to a very intuitive and assertively curious friend of mine at work, on Monday the 20th (after the test)...

"I am sorry I didn't call you yesterday...I didn't go to the hospital for the blood draw. I am just TOO busy. The movers are here now and I am trapped into this corner of the apt. After we are done with the movers all day Dapo I have dentist/thesis appointments tomorrow and then we have to clean and then we drive across country and then I get on a plane and then and then and then. As you can see I'm feeling a little stress. I made an appt. w/ my obgyn for next week. We'll do a blood test at that time. I definitely feel some symptoms and not others, so it could just be stress. i.e. I seem to be sensitive to smells, headaches, peeing, but my breasts aren't sore, no morning sickness, etc. But, I talked to Dapo and he doesn't want us to talk about it until we're ready to announce it...if anything needs announced."

Is that his name?

For those of you who might be wondering, I refer to the baby as "junior", but he will not be Oladapo Olufemi Temitayo Eso, II. I call him junior because I can tell while he is yet not fully formed, that he is so much like his father. I know that he will have some of my characteristics and only my good ones, at that (slim pickins, eh?). But just going by my aversions and cravings I had I know that he really has Dapo's taste. His name will also not be Junior anything, it's just something I call him, and right now he doesn't have a name. Dapo makes a great point, that he wants his son to become greater than he is, so he would never give him a name to say you are a smaller version of me.

So, what are we naming him, then? Initially, Dapo and I discussed giving him an English first name with traditional Yoruba names to follow, since an English name in America would be easier on all involved. But, then we found a Scripture in Proverbs 22:1 which reads, "a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold". So, we began to pray about the names we were thinking of.

Dapo came up with the name Ayomide (eye-yo-me-day), which is "joy came to me". I like it because I've been so full of joy the entire pregnancy, and feel like he will be a bundle of joy. It has also been said that joy and melody will be in our house. People at church have said that he is going to come out singing and dancing. I am relieved no one has said playing the piano, because that would require a piano to be born, also.

I was online researching Yoruba names and their meanings, and came across Olujimi (oh-loo-gee-me). I ran it by Dapo and initially he didn't like it because I didn't pronounce it right, and what he heard meant something else. It means "God's gift". I think literally it means God gave me. We both like it for obvious reason. Okay, so Olujimi is a mouth full. I realize that, and just as Dapo's full name is Oladapo, Olujimi would go by Jimi. And, as Dapo says, that should be easy enough for the "the" Amercians. I also like Jimi because my dad's name is James, but he goes by Jim. And many of his friends call him Jimmy. So, it would be as though we were giving him a namesake, albeit coincidentally. I pictured me chasing him in diapers around the house when I found the name, so I was elated when Dapo agreed it would be a good one.

Alright, so it would seem that Olujimi Ayomide Eso (eh-show) would be enough and we would stop there, right? Evidently, in my limited understanding of the Yoruba culture, the grandparents of the child also have an opportunity to give the baby a name. The concept is to give the child many names so that they have lots of options to choose from when they grow old enough to pick their given names. So, my parents passed on the name game, and his parents gladly accepted. They came up with many names, but the one we liked was Toluwani (toe-loo-wah-knee), which means "this belongs to God".

So, there you have it. The name we've chosen for him is Olujimi Ayomide Toluwani Eso.

Cravings

Early in the pregnancy I had cravings for chicken, bacon and cheese. I also had aversions to sweets and fats. In addition, I craved apples. That's when I actually suspected Jr. was in fact "junior", as Dapo doesn't like sweets at all. I could not eat packaged candy or potato chips or anything like that. I also ate a lot of salad and pears.

In the second trimester I regained my appetite for most sweets and would have mozerella sticks and chocolate milkshakes from Arby's for a snack. I also got even more hungry than I had been in the previous trimester and found myself eating constantly. I really enjoyed peanut butter on almost everything. In the 2nd 1/2 of the 2nd trimester a craving came for jalepenos/cayenne pepper/chiles/anything with heat. You are all probably thinking "that poor baby!". I would not have eaten those things if I thought he objected. I never had so much as a hint of any indigestion, heartburn, or other associated maladies. I thank God for that! I also enjoyed a good pickle and ice cream. Once my feet became so swollen they were more like "legkles" (no, not cankles, legkles) I had to taper off my salt intake...which meant pickles in moderation, which meant baby dills.

Now entering my third trimester I find myself free from cravings or aversions, and focusing on having fun again with cooking. We set up our BBQ in the backyard and I have really enjoyed cooking that way. I am able to cook seafood for Dapo without smelling up the house! We've been delighting ourselves with lots of veggies, meat and water. We are doing our best to eat well and I appreciate Dapo being so supportive of me in that regard.

I've gained only 8.5 lbs at last weigh in at 24 weeks. I feel like I am now making up for lost time, though, and expect to see another 3 or 4 lbs tomorrow. Until then!

Catch up

This post is to catch all of us up. With our recent move, we are far away from all the curious people of our lives, and what better way to update everyone at once than a blog.

I'm currently in the last trimester of my first pregnancy, at 28 weeks. At our twenty week visit my husband, Dapo, and I learned that we are having a boy. That excited us both. We didn't care either way, but are excited to have a baby boy join our family.

I have had a very good pregnancy, thanks to God for that. I did not have any morning sickness. I basically ate, peed and slept for the first 12 weeks. Right around then we told our family and friends the good news. We got our first glimpse of Jr. at the Dr's for our 11 week visit. They could not find the heartbeat (most likely thanks to my "insulation"), so they took us to ultrasound. We saw another ultrasound at 16 weeks. We found out the sex on the 20th week. We heard the heart beat for the first time at 24 weeks. That was pretty cool, too, but I like seeing the baby better. His heart beat was 153, and I thought, "the Kid has good rhythm". Not surprising!

I started feeling Jr. kick after the 16 week visit. The RN had just asked me at that morning's visit if I had been feeling the baby move, and I said I didn't think so. She didn't seem concerned, so I wasn't either. Then, I had no more walked in to my house and sat down at the desk when I felt his first movement. It felt like a cross between a muscle twitch and a vein sliding over a bone. I know that's gross, but that's how I can describe it. Now it feels like a MLS match inside. Goooooooooooooooooal!

Tomorrow I have another visit, and begin "rotations" with the other three Doctors. Every two weeks for the next two months I will have a visit. We are trying to decide whether or not to have the 3D ultrasound. I almost think I want to be surprised to see what he looks like. I have dreamt he has Dapo's nose and lips, but he probably has Dapo's everything.

We only have three months until we get to find out, anyhow!