Nursery in progress.....

Brad and I painted the walls in the nursery today! I did pretty darn well considering my coughing and congestion (and of course swollen belly!). Brad let me shower and nap while he cleaned up and took care of dinner! What a good husband! :)

As you can see, we still need to put up the chair rail (actually we still need to buy it, paint it, and put it up!). And then we will be ready for light blocking shades and curtains (and the CRIB).

We are undecided on the wall decor at this time, however I have my eye on several prints from the http://www.etsy.com/ website! My new favorite site to browse. Great handmade stuff! People should expect Christmas gifts from there this year.....shh!

The only part we did not paint was the closet! My SIL, Natalie, told me not to forget to paint the closet a few months back but honestly all the baby stuff is in there so maybe she can paint it for me on Thanksgiving when she comes to visit! LOL! (Just Kidding!!).

So the nursery is still a work in progress but it is coming along nicely. I will keep you all up to date and post pics when we make changes! :) I can't wait for the impending boy to get here and enjoy his adorable room!

Alive..alive...yes we are alive....

I am now 27 weeks. Sorry for missing the updates for 25 and 26 weeks. They were busy weeks trust me. Here is a pic from today of Henry getting ready for a walk. I figured since I have been holed up for a day and a half in bed w/ an ear infection/sinus infection that some fresh air would do me some good. Henry agreed! :)

Here is a pic of the lake in our neighborhood. We did 2 laps around the lake (2 miles) and I felt great after the first but half way through the second I wished I had stopped at one. LOL! What a wuss!

This is a pic from last weekend at an 80's themed birthday party for a co-worker. I do realize I am posting blackmail material here. Enjoy! I know you're giggling. If you look closely you will see the 'crimped' hair w/ top pulled into side ponytail...accentuated by the off-the-shoulders teal sweatshirt w/ contrasting hot pink tank under it...accompanied by leggings and bangles (the arm not pictured actually had about 10 rubber ones on it). I was the designated driver and was exhausted by the end of the night and feeling the beginnings of the approaching ear ache when I hit the hay.

The next 2 pics are my feeble attempts at self-portraits before my OB appt today.

This last one was done by the professional...aka Papa Bear....Much better quality, don't cha think? (p.s. the square belly is because of the belly band on my maternity jeans! LOL!)

Update on the Impending Boy: He is supposed to be about the size of a head of cauliflower, weighing in at over 2 lbs and more than 14.5 inches long! He is waking and sleeping, sucking fingers and toes, opening and closing his eyes and continuing to 'practice' breathing by moving amniotic fluid in and out of his lungs. As of this week, the Impending Boy could live outside the womb (w/ lots of medical intervention) if need be! Big step! I have also felt what I think must be baby hiccups as of this week. Cute but annoying! LOL!

Meanwhile back at the uterus, I have been having lots of leg cramps at night (but hey I'm already up peeing so I might as well jump around clutching my calves right?). And Brad has developed sympathetic ones for me, too. Poor guy! I swear we are both drinking plenty of fluids and I eat at least 1 banana a week and plenty of dairy (potassium and calcium deficits can cause muscle cramping). My ribs pain is less frequent in the last few days so maybe baby thinks he has enough room for now and can stop stretching my innards for a little while. :) I think that if I wasn't sick then I'd be enjoying my last week of the second trimester a little more.

Last Saturday, Brad and I attended our one day Lamaze class (9-530...long day...followed by that 80's party...yawn). It was a lot of info in one day but I think it was very helpful (and Brad thought so too) and we LOVED our instructor. Our instructor's name was Petu and she is from Finland..she was a hoot! To see a 60-something year old Finnish lady roll around on the floor and talk about pregnancy, and anatomy, and sex and labor was very entertaining. Best case scenario for an 8 hr class on those subjects. I think we got a lot of practical info for the labor and delivery. Brad is trying to convince me to 'just take the drugs' for labor and delivery. I still want to try w/o them and if I absolutely can't handle it then I will agree to use them. Mostly I really don't want to be induced and hope that the baby can make an appearance w/o help before the end of the year (how cynical are we for pushing him out for a tax deduction??).

During our Lamaze class, we also took a tour of the Labor and Delivery unit at the hospital where the impending boy will enter the world. They have a hydrotherapy room w/ a giant tub and a rocking chair which I plan to take advantage of....additionally they have feng shui (sp?) birthing rooms which I plan to point and laugh at until at some point in my labor crystals, water features, and fire all seem like feasible means of redirecting the 'energy' of child birth. LOL! We were paired w/ a couple who is also from our side of the river (that would be the Ohio River...and by that I mean the Kentucky side of it). They are due 1 month exactly before us, use our same OB group, and got pg w/ IVF w/ the same infertility doc! Pretty neat, huh? In fact, I ran into them today at the OB bc they had an appt w/ the same doc at the same time! And we are taking our baby care basics class w/ them on Oct 2nd! While we missed the opportunity to exchange info w/ them at the last class, I traded numbers w/ her (Amy) today. So at least I will be able to share first time mom jitters w/ someone in this area and may pick her brain for child care options in this town when I next see her. We are back to square one on that subject......

Ok. That was a lot of 'updating'. Can't promise a time frame for the next one.... In the mean time, I am feeling grateful for my loving husband, my impending boy, my family and home, and all the blessings of life in the U.S. Even when we've got it bad (economy in the crapper, natural disasters, war, bad foreign relations..etc)...we've got it good.

Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands,
because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have
we will not be happy -- because we will always
want to have something else or something more.

-----Brother David Steindl-Rast

Feathering the nest....

Nest feathering continues. We have been in our house for nearly 3 yrs. During that time, our large and lovely kitchen has been bare. We have a giant island but no barstools to sit at it. We have a nice breakfast nook w/ a bay window but no table (we do have a beautiful dining room table but w/ a carpeted dining room I fear feeding our impending child in there will get messy). So I ordered barstools for the island to start (see pic on left). I plan to order a casual black dining set for the breakfast nook next. If we can get all our pictures and curtains hung, I may be satisfied w/ our 'nest'.. at least for the time being. Of course we still have to paint the baby's room.....and repaint the living room.....and...

"Nesting Instinct

Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the "nesting" instinct can set in. This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world.

Females of the animal kingdom are all equipped with this same need. It is a primal instinct. Just as you see birds making their nests, mothers-to-be do exactly the same thing. The act of nesting puts you in control and gives a sense of accomplishment toward birth. You may become a homebody and want to retreat into the comfort of home and familiar company, like a brooding hen."
http://www.parentingweekly.com/pregnancy/pregnancy_information/nesting_instinct.htm

23 weeks

I had a doctor's appt and u/s today. The u/s was first and I was very excited to see our little boy (and yes they double checked....still a boy...LOL). [I realize this is possibly the WORST photo ever but i used my low tech scanner...aka camera to take a pic of really bad u/s prints]. The u/s tech was not exactly Miss Personality but she told us and showed us the bare minimum....Baby Boy's heart looked great, he has all his appendages, and he is growing appropriately. I couldn't help but smile w/ tears welling up in my eyes just seeing him on the screen. We are quite taken w/ him already....Brad must have squeezed my arm 2 dozen times during the 5 or 10 minutes u/s! :) Later, during the doctor's appt we discovered that he is 1 lb 6 oz....right on par per the doc and some of my readings.

This particular doc, Dr. J, makes the second in this OB group that I would rather not deliver my baby! She came in the exam room w/o ever making eye contact or introducing herself, told me my BP, urine, and weight looked fine, ask if we were having 1 baby or 2 (hello?? you are holding my chart!!!) and turned to leave. I had to stop her to express my concern for the dizziness a couple of days ago (and inform her that it had also happened a couple of weeks ago) and she said well that sounds like an inner ear problem you'll have to go see your GP (general practitioner). Considering I have never had trouble w/ that before and that PREGNANCY is the number one NEW medical condition I have, I though perhaps those two things might have been related. Naturally, I did not say that to her but........ I know, I know whining is for sissies! ;)

So feeling reassured about Baby Boy looking good but still a little worried about the on again off again dizziness. Oh well. I'll live. In the mean time, I'm enjoying WillorBen's inner aerobics....he is one busy boy!

Good breeding consists of concealing how much we think of
ourselves and how little we think of the other person.
------Mark Twain

22 weeks:Showered w/ Love!

Last Thursday was the 22 week mark in my pregnancy. I was busy packing for our trip to Memphis and making boarding arrangements for dear Henry. We left for Memphis Friday morning, picking up my mom on the route through Louisville to join us for our very first baby shower! We were truly showered w/ love by Brad's family! Brad and I were overwhelmed by the generous gifts and warm anticipation of "Will-or-Ben"'s arrival. :) That is the new running joke in the Cathey family. In case I haven't mention it before, Will and Ben are the two top name contenders for the impending boy. Actually, William Edward (Edward was my dad's middle name) and Benjamin Phillip (Phillip is Brad's dad's middle name). Apparently their first names didn't make the cut for consideration....Ralph and Norman! :) But until we lay eyes on Baby Cathey all bets are off. He may look like a Julio.

So at 22 weeks, Baby Boy is almost a pound and around 11 inches long! He is supposed to look like a miniature newborn by this point! WOW! He is starting to develop tooth buds and is covered w/ deeply wrinkled skin that is still awaiting a padding of fat to fill it out. Baby Boy has also been doing some serious inter-womb kung-fu and I am now feeling him move around all day, not just at night.

Meanwhile back at the uterus, I am feeling DIZZY! Ugh! Last night and today I have been feeling nauseous and dizzy almost like vertigo or , dare I say, like a night of drinking ! LOL! I assure you that baby and I have not been hitting the sauce. I am headed to the doc tomorrow (no I didn't go last week...Brad had a scheduling conflict) so I will mention it and report back on it's significance if any. Also I get to have the u/s tomorrow so I will post an updated pic (or two) of Baby Boy.

Big thanks to Brad's family, as well as my mom and BFF Jenn. :) We love you guys!

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy
you must have somebody to divide it with.
----Mark Twain

5 months: 20 weeks

2o weeks! Our baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium aka poo.

Meanwhile back at the uterus, I've hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy! The top of my uterus is about level with my belly button. I should expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. And I'm supposed to make sure that I'm getting enough iron to keep up with my expanding blood volume, as well as for growing baby boy and my placenta.

We had our first childbirth education class this morning. It was save-a-baby CPR. Very helpful I think. And very different from the health care provider CPR class I take every year. We will be taking a whole series of these first time parent classes over the next several months (Lamaze, infant care basics, breast feeding, etc.). What's more, I am starting to shift into planning mode and am beginning to worry about holiday shopping and all the events of the last quarter of the year during which time I will be verging on enormous. We are expecting a very exciting end to the year!

Belated 19 weeks.....

Wow! This week has been disastrously busy and I have nearly missed updating the blog re: week 19. I was occupied everyday until today. Last Friday, I was the DD for a group of friends (and Brad) where we had dinner at a German restaurant and brewery. We stood and danced on benches to the vocal stylings of an electric accordion player and his yodeling female companion. Followed by a visit to a club (yes baby went to the club....and danced....and generally helped mom look like an odd ball toting a baby bump in this location). Then Saturday I went to Louisville and had an incredible prenatal massage (my birthday present from Brad that I had to wait a long time to enjoy bc of the popularity of the salon/spa). Registered at Target. Then picked up my nieces bc my older brother had to go to the ER for a worseningly swollen knee that resulted in hospitalization on Sunday (where he still is). Monday I had to drive BACK to Louisville to pay a speeding ticket.....10 over in a residential area...at the bottom of a hill where I was coasting....but I digress. Yesterday, Brad and I celebrated a co-worker's b-day followed by shopping for new work clothes for Brad! Whew! Today when I got home I had to take a nap bc I was completely exhausted from all the running around!

So, btw, during week 19, Baby Boy is around 5.5 to 6 inches long, crown to rump and weighs between 7-8 oz. Eyebrows are starting to form and by week 20 baby's hair and eyebrows should be visible! He is supposed to be sleeping and waking as much as a newborn. I have to say that I am feeling him move much more often, especially when I am lying still (i.e. trying to sleep!). Brad has even gotten to feel the baby move once from the outside!

Meanwhile, back at the uterus, dizziness is to be expected and I have experienced it off and on lately. I have been trying to drink lots of fluids to prevent hypotension. Unfortunately with my job, I do a lot of squatting and bending in front of patients so those quick position changes still get me. I have already gotten my first pregnancy stretch mark on my left breast!!! Despite my slow weight gain (about 8-10 so far) and constant lotion, coco butter, and body oil application, the 'girls' have grown rapidly and obscenely so I guess the mar is to be expected. No whining, it's worth it! I definitely have the maternal look of a gal meant to feed children.....it will certainly be a waste if they don't function as well as they appear! LOL! I am amazed that I am approaching the 5 month mark and looking forward more and more to meeting our little baby boy! Patience!

P.S. Chad, my older brother, is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow (Thursday). He is also slotted to go on a week long cruise to celebrate his anniversary this next Saturday! Whew! He and my SIL (Danielle) have been sweating the prospect of missing their much awaited trip! I have been sending him lots of prayers for a speedy recovery and permission from his docs to hit the Carribean! :) Everything is looking good so far!

P.S.S. Here are the words to a drinking song I learned Friday night...a spoof of the Sound of Music classic.....a staple at the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, KY (just over the river from Cincy) which is one of 3 or 4 Hofbrauhaus's in the world (based in Munich)!

"Dough... the stuff that buys my be-er,
Ray.... the guy that serves my be-er,
Me.... the guy who drinks my be-er,
Fa.....a long way from my be-er,
So....I'll have another be-er,
La...Lalalala be-er,
Tea...no thanks I'm having be-er,
And that brings us back to BEER!"

A great joy is coming.
-- Author Unknown

Oh Joy, a little Boy

Boy-ness has fully sunk in at our place. We are giddy and smiley and sickeningly joyous. Brad constantly has his hands on my belly talking baby talk to the impending boy via the bump since the u/s. It's amazing what an u/s can do to help you realize that there is in fact a person growing in that odd lump on your front side. Confession: I always secretly wanted a girl when I thought of being pregnant. However now when I think of my little monkey boy growing inside me, I am overjoyed and anxious w/ anticipation of his arrival.

It's a.......

Boy!




Awww! Sucking his thumb!

Can you see his boy parts? :) He wasn't very bashful!

He was kicking like crazy and moving all around! I think I now recognize his movements and realize it's not just stomach issues! :) The sonographer was able to point out 2 arms and 2 legs, lots of fingers and toes, and the 4 functioning chambers of his heart. He appears to be nice and healthy! Whew! We were overjoyed to see him in action as a non-blob! He is adorable and we love him already! Can't wait to meet him on this side of the cervix!

"Happiness is as a butterfly which,
when pursued is always beyond our grasp,
but if you sit down quietly may alight upon you."
Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nesting begins.....

This weekend was a balance of a lot of work and a lot of rest. Saturday I rested a lot, did a little housework, and watched Brad continue to work on a two-tiered retaining wall/planter. Today on the other hand, I got a bee in my bonnet about sprucing up the house! Brad returned to Lowe's for more bricks and finished the lovely planter. I had him take a can of paint (that we bought off the reject shelf last year for $6) back to Lowe's to have it shaken and set about painting the powder room on the first floor! It is sort of a grey-ish periwinkle color. I realized I needed to have taken a before shot after I had already started the trim but you get the idea. It looks great! (And for any of you Nervous Nellies out there it was non-toxic, low odor paint, I had all the windows on the first floor open, the exhaust fan going in the bathroom and a giant fan pulling air/fumes out of the bathroom). The first set of pictures shows my handy work.

The next pic is of the laundry room which I decided needed to be painted too (again in a lovely shade of reject....this time chocolate). I have only completed about a third of the laundry room because I need to take down the shelving and Brad needs to move the washer and dryer out for me. So I will save some fun for tomorrow! Apparently, I am also advertising Tide.

The last pic is of the finished retaining wall/planter that Brad built! I am so proud of him and it looks awesome!!! I can't wait to get an ornamental tree to plant there this fall! That unruly holly bush is going to go though we don't know what will replace it. Weeding around it is a pain (literally). I would love to go for some hydrangea bushes but I don't know how they will fare in our mostly sunny west facing front yard. New construction=no mature trees=no shade. We are going to also plant some 'real trees', as Brad likes to say, this fall in the front and back yard.

So all this activity means nesting has begun. Since we are finding out the sex of the baby next Saturday (if the little monkey is cooperative), I think we both want to try to get some projects out of the way before the nursery task is upon us. I think I will be limited to the next 2 and a half months for climbing in chairs to paint walls and hang curtains (and as previously mentioned I am a control freak and need to have my hands in everything!). My mom is coming up next weekend to witness the unveiling of the genitals (LOL) and to teach me how to use my sewing machine. I have had it 2 years and it has only been out of the box once! I don't think I even remember how to load the bobbin or make the simple pillows that were my first and only project! My goal is bibs and a quilt. My mom is going to show me the ropes and then help me machine piece a quilt for the baby that I will later hand quilt (my mom is a very talented quilter!). In the mean time, I have to finish painting the laundry room and put my wreck of a house back in human-inhabitable form! But not tonight.....yawn!

A ship under sail and a big-bellied woman,
Are the handsomest two things that can be seen common.
~Benjamin Franklin

17 weeks

Baby Cathey is continuing to grow (as is his/her mom's belly!). The picture on the right was snapped just this morning before a trip to Lowe's to get more retaining wall bricks. We have a very exciting stay at home weekend planned and I love it!

About Baby, it is supposed to be the size of your hand spread out wide this week! I'm picturing the little Hamburger Helper glove man. Scary, I know! By now the major elements of Baby's lung are formed except those involved with oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange (rather important) so breathing air is not yet possible. Merconium (early baby poo material) is beginning to form in baby's bowel. Great...this one's brewing for 5 months...it should be lovely!

On a more pleasant note, I think I felt the baby move in the middle of the night a few days ago. I am often up off and on during the wee (or should I say wee wee...ok I know that was bad) hours and when I got back in bed I felt a weird fluttery sensation...I thought I was imagining it but then it happened again! I have been trying to lie still when I am fully awake to try and feel it again but I haven't had any luck. All my baby books say early on that I may not be able to feel it everyday. I'm sure there is plenty of time for that! :)

More regularly, I am feeling the sharp round ligament pains when I roll over in bed (normal) and general discomfort when trying to sleep. I am still waiting for the fantastic uplift of the second trimester!!!! I have instead been having continued fatigue and new onset horrible sinus headaches (I have seasonal allergies anyway but lack of medication is proving a little tough). Geesh...what a whiner, huh? I know, I know! My skin on the other hand is great and Henry (and I) are getting more walks in around the lake. Also, since the discovery of the 'Tummy Sleeve' from Motherhood Maternity last week I have loads of wardrobe options! (This little sleeve allows you to wear some of your pre-pregnancy clothes by covering unbuttoned pants and bridging the gap between your regular shirts and pants! Brilliant!).

My only goals this weekend are to rest and do some household chores. This coming Thursday is my next OB appt, although nothing spectacular is expected. Next Saturday on the other hand, we have an appt scheduled to visit 'Becoming Mom' (a pregnancy spa and imaging center) to have our sex determination u/s!! (We won't have an u/s with our OB until August @ 22 weeks). So the next couple weeks will be exciting!! :)

A grand adventure is about to begin.
-- Winnie the Pooh

4 months/16 weeks: Baby Avocado

Wow! Week 16! My how time flies! I am a bit baffled by this weeks baby size since last weeks report said he/she was the size of a large apple... this week Baby Cathey is supposed to be the size of an avocado! Maybe we should call him/her Baby Guacamole. Yum-o!

Baby is now about 4.5 inches long from crown to rump and weighs between 2.75-3.5 oz! Baby is becoming more and more cuddly as the fine lanugo hair covers his/her body. The pattern on Baby's scalp is forming although hair is not yet recognizable. His/her heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day now! Baby and placenta are about the same size at this point. Our baby will begin fat development this week. Baby Cathey is growing rapidly and from this point on I may feel him/her move! I haven't that I know of yet but I have also had some stomach 'issues' that may have masked any 'quickening' or fluttering at this point. Apparently I have a very emotional stomach, my stomach always reflects my anxiety or stress! Glad this week is over!

Meanwhile back at the uterus.......the placenta and uterus are growing. My abdomen is also growing and I've discovered a catch 22....if I wear 1 of the 2 pairs of maternity pants I own, I have to in turn wear a longer or maternity shirt because the oh-so-attractive belly band tends to show! I am still wearing my scrubs but have given up most of my work polos (dreaded required attire for our entire rehab dept) for longer shirts. If it's possible, I think I am getting even more well endowed; this week I have notice a return of breast tenderness and some of my readings indicate this is caused by developing milk producing glands. Moo!

Happy 4th of July to all! We are leaving soon for Memphis this morning. I am going to have a bowl of cereal and go wake the beast! Hope everyone has a safe weekend! :)

Life is always a rich and steady time when
you are waiting for something to happen or to hatch.
-- E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

15 weeks: Baby Apple

Today I am 15 weeks pregnant. Our baby is the size of a large apple (close to the size of a softball according to one of my books!). Baby Apple is about 4 to 4.5 inches long crown to rump and weighs about 2.5 oz. Bones that have already formed are becoming harder and can be seen on an x-ray at this time. Baby Apple is moving amniotic fluid in and out of it's nose and upper respiratory tract which facilitates the development of air sacs in its lungs. Baby Apple's legs are now growing longer than it's arms and all joints of its body are now movable. Baby Apple's eyes are still fused shut but he/she can now detect light through my belly and may move away from the beam if sunshine or a flashlight is shown on my belly. Very neat! In the next few weeks I should be able to feel the baby move and I can't wait.

Meanwhile back at the uterus.......Feeling good, just a little tired. I took Henry for a walk around the neighborhood but it is hot so it was a short one. He visited w/ his best friends next door (two pugs named Reno and Bandit) while I quizzed our neighbor about g diapers. She works at a local health food store and they happen to be the only store in northern KY that carries these new hybrid diapers. They have a cloth cover but a flushable or biodegradable disposable liner. I am researching them to see if they are a good option for Baby Cathey. If anyone knows anything about them, then please pass me some info. Other than that, the bump is growing. I am starting back in a yoga class on Saturday morning and I am looking forward to the resulting relaxation. We are visiting Brad's family for July 4th so Baby Cathey better be prepared for the heat! :)

If you have love in your life it can make up for
a great many things you lack.
If you don't have it, no matter what else there is,
it's never enough---Ann Landers

Belly Montage--weeks 4 to 15

I thought I'd post a little belly montage since I have been slacking in the belly pic dept. Some of these are never before published, behind the scenes exclusives...LOL. And yes I know that technically I won't be 15 weeks for two more days but chances are I won't take another pic until at least 16 weeks. :)

2nd Trimester: Week 14: Baby Lemon

Woo-hoo!!! I am in my second trimester!! Baby Cathey is now the size of a lemon! It looks huge! :) Little Lemon is about 3.5-4 inches long and weighs between 1 & 1.5 oz. *sniff* My how fast they grow! Our baby's neck is getting longer and head is no longer resting on it's chest. Baby Lemon is starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over it's body. Although the sex of the baby could be determined at this time, I found out at my OB appt yesterday that they will not be doing an u/s until I am 22 weeks. UGH! 2 more months people!

I am supposed to be expecting more development in the bump dept. My mom and I went shopping last weekend and she bought me some maternity clothes as a late b-day present. I got 2 pairs of shorts (which I have already worn this week in the evenings), a couple of pairs of pants, and a few shirts. I can still wear pretty much all of my clothes but the looser stuff feels better, especially the bottoms. I promise to post new 'bump' pics this weekend!

On a more traumatic note, my doctor's appt didn't go all that smoothly. I went by myself because it was supposed to be a quick doppler for the HB, Q & A session, and dropping off of my first morning urine sample. I should also mention that I am being rotated through the 4 or 5 OB's my office has....yesterday it was Dr. C. My only hope is that Dr. C is not on call the day I go into labor! She began the doppler but couldn't find the HB. I naturally became nervous but kept my cool. She asked if I had a full bladder, which I did; she sent me directly across the hall to the restroom. That took me about 60 seconds because I was a little anxious about the HB. When I returned to the exam room she was gone; she had gone to see another pt......and was gone for 20 minutes!!!! WTH? I call that poor beside manor. When you have a first time mom in an exam room and you were unable to find the HB, perhaps it stands to reason that you should stick around and ease her mind as soon as possible. I was so relieved to hear the HB that I didn't ask a single question and had to actually return to the office after leaving in order to ask for a prenatal vitamin prescription! Let's hope the next OB I am slated to see is a little more considerate. I hope I made a good decision about this office. I think I will ask to see my primary OB for the u/s appt and hope desperately that he is the one on call when the baby decides to make his/her appearance!

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
Albert Einstein