Want to learn about "notching"?

The correct answer is NO. (But we'll get to that in a minute.)

My appointment with Dr. Gibbs on Friday was relatively normal. Each week that I see him, I thank God for bringing me to such an incredible, sensitive physician. And he's cute and funny, too! What more could a girl ask for? But, I digress.

I have gained a total of 4 pounds during this pregnancy, and have started to be (mildly) concerned about how tiny I seem to look (although is you ask my Grandma Soldano, she'll tell you I look plenty pregnant!). But Dr. Gibbs measured my belly (nothing fancy, just a regular ol' tape measure) and said I'm on track, just carrying in such a way that I'm not "huge." My nurse, Jo, just laughed and said, "Be careful what you wish for; it'll come!"

We went over the results of my Sept. 5 u/s, and I was so happy to hear that Sprout is still "perfect." He continues to present right on track with weight, measurements, movements, position, etc. Way to go, baby boy! (Now just tell us your name, and we'll be all set!) The clot which resulted from the abruption in June is all but gone -- if not gone in its entirety, it is no longer visible, and the separation has "scabbed" over. This is still a vulnerable spot for the placenta, and of course, with its weakness comes a risk of another separation, but for now, there is no reason to anticipate that happening.

Dr. Gibbs has ordered that I continue to take the progesterone suppositories (hormones) through the remainder of this dose (8 more days) and one more refill. That will take us up to exactly 30w, at which point he said I'm free to discontinue the drug, as we'll be "ready" to welcome the baby. (Yea! That an extra $90 back in our pocket!)

Now. For the post title. I can't very well explain the complication that they found with my uterine artery when I was in the hospital last month. But I know that, unfortunately, it was not a fluke, and I am still presenting "notching" in my uterine artery scans. I have found 2 websites that (kinda) of explain the problem: one is a British site, and a little in-depth; the other is found at fetal.com (and please ignore that the article heading refers to Down Syndrome; in my case, they are not linked).

Here is the schedule of events going forward as we head into the third trimester on the 30th (happy birthday to me!):

Renal u/s - Sept 21
Dental check up - Sept 27
Flw-up with urologist - Oct 2
1-hour gestational diabetes test - Oct 2
Fetal growth u/s - Oct 3
Dr. Gibbs - Oct 12

In the meantime, I'm loving this cooler weather, although finding warmer clothes to fit over the belly bump is proving harder. Jim and I went shopping last night, and while I found a really classy shirt to wear to an alumni reception next month, the "casual" fall wear I was drawn to (at this particular store) is pricey!! I can't justify $90 for a sweater I'm only going to wear a handful of times, no matter how cute it is. Oh well. There is always Old Navy. =)

Another accomplishment of the week was the first foray into child care centers. I met with the director at two separate Children's Discovery Center locations. The one I'm most drawn to is the Franklin Park location. Not only is it close to our home, but the director was phenomenal, the staff was impressive, and the children were a true testimony of the quality of care I feel this center would offer. There would be "pros" to choosing the downtown location (namely, its proximity to my office), but I just didn't get the same vibe.....We are going to look into several other facilities, but I have a good feeling about the FP CDC, and feel blessed that the Lord opened the right door to make this decision just a little bit easier for this new momma.

It doesn't look like I'll have too many "serious" issues to update on in the next few weeks, but I'll try to keep you entertained with random entries as the mood strikes. Until next time....