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A month in between doctor appointments and a month in between posts. :P
My last appointment was just a "nothing appointment". They weighed me and took my blood pressure and then the doctor asked if I/we had any questions. I asked about the placenta previa and she stated that mine was noted as just being "marginal", so hopefully everything should be fine and the placenta will move up where it's supposed to be over the next few months. I asked again about the "white spot" on the baby's heart and she said that if the baby doesn't have Downs that the spot will dissolve over the course of the pregnancy. We got to hear his heartbeat again and then set up the next "nothing appointment" for next month. Two weeks after that one, I'll be tested for gestational diabetes... which I need to research more on before then.
I've still been getting sick about once or twice a week, but I'm actually eating fairly well for the most part. It's actually been almost two weeks now since my last "episode", so I'm hoping that it stays that way more often. Still no cravings (yet?) and I've only had a fleeting fancy for chocolate (brownies or cupcakes!) a few days ago... but that's passed. I think I've gained about five pounds back now of the 18 that I lost with my sickness. I've been reading a lot of postings on baby/parenting websites from women who were about my weight when they first got pregnant (due the same month as I am) who have gained 30-40 pounds or more and am actually pretty glad that I was sick for so long and lost the weight that I did. It definitely wasn't anything I wish to experience again, but I'm hopeful that I'll only have 10 or 20 pounds to lose instead of 30-50! Then again, I tend to think that I've gained a lot of will power and self-control over the last year or so when it comes to refraining from stuffing myself with junk. :P So I'm sure that makes a difference, too.
Over the last few weeks, I've managed to turn my sadness around as to having a boy. I've found several cute little outfits and have been doing a lot of reflecting on the little boys that I know and have known over the years. Now I just can't wait to meet him! :) I've also been doing a lot of thinking about gender stereotypes and hope we can find a good balance. I have a lot of pastel yellow and pastel green outfits for his first several months (along with some more "traditional" colors and "boy" styles), but it's pretty hard finding gender-neutral clothing after the age of one or two. I bought a light pink polo shirt yesterday at Target (for 3-6 months) that has a simple neckline, white buttons, plain sleeves, and a little red crab embroidered on it. It's a cute summer shirt that I personally think could be for either a boy or a girl... although I'm sure I know what strangers will think when they see him in it... "Oh, what a cute little girl!". I bought the blue one that's just like it and it has a whale on it. I would've bought both of them if I was having a girl, too. We'll see what Dave has to say. Not that it'll matter much to me, though. I'll let the little guy choose for himself. :) As far as the "big picture", though, it's not just about the colors.
On Sunday, I started feeling him kick and even saw my tummy move at one point! I've felt him moving around just about every day now, and it's so exciting and reassuring. He seems to be more active in the evening and at nighttime. Hopefully that's not an indicator of how his sleeping pattern is going to be when he arrives!
I'm approaching the six month marker soon. It's seems like the time has gone by pretty fast, but four more months seems like an eternity! I'm just now starting to show... if I wore skin-tight clothes. Most people who don't know me probably have no clue that I'm pregnant, though. I look the same now as I did pre-pregnancy. I can tell, though... and that's all that really matters. I'm sure I'll probably look/feel HUGE by the end, and I'm really not in any hurry to experience everything that goes along with that. :P