12.8

Ultrasound was fine. 10 weeks as scheduled. The whatsit flipped upside down while I was watching and what can I say, it's just so cool to see. I am trying (and mostly succeeding) to remain as detached as possible, but I am human after all so... I am hoping and I am continuing to hope. The sustained alive-ness puts this pregnancy into my exclusive Top Third. This is only the fourth one to still have a heartbeat at ten weeks- an illustrious cadre that includes Patrick. Also that last bad one and the one that was unbalanced but went to 18 weeks or so, but let's not dwell on those.   

CVS is going to be on Monday... maybe. They left a message yesterday saying they needed to reschedule me and I had to breathe into a paper bag for ten minutes before I was able to call back. I have a very specific time-table in my head which, if followed to the second, will insure that I do not completely freak out in the next few weeks. Needless to say, moving CVS and therefore the results back by an entire week is not part of that time-table.

The perinatology practice that I have seen in the past kinda screwed me last time (remember? the ultimately pointless but painful and complicated quest for a dignified termination that they essentially thwarted with their cowardice?) so I have switched to the other practice in town for this round of CVS. I have heard wonderful things about this group (so much so that I wonder why nobody mentioned this place to me five years ago) not the least of which is the fact that the new practice offers any support necessary in the event of bad genetic results. Novel ethical concept, no? To not only offer testing, but also a variety of support options in the event that what they are testing for is actually found? Eu-fucking-reka.

Unfortunately, for my time-table at any rate, the new practice does not offer CVS before 11 weeks and they had inadvertently scheduled me earlier than that. Since we have always done CVS (well, twice) between 10 and 11 weeks I asked the receptionist if I could talk to the doctor about doing it as scheduled at 10.5 weeks. She said, "You? Want? To? Talk? To? The? Doctor?" and offered to have  a nurse call me. I thought, oh damn it. Because clearly the nurse was just going to explain their policy, not offer alternatives. Imagine my surprise when a nurse returned my call (within the hour) and said that she had spoken with the perinatologist and they were proposing the following: I will come in on Monday as scheduled and they'll take a look. If she feels that she can take a chorion sample at that time she will. Otherwise I will have to come back. Fair enough?

Fair enough.

So there we are. Still in limbo but there is an end in sight.

In other news Steve couldn't stand it any more and he has charged ahead with his kitchen remodel. This actually started (restarted) a few weeks ago when he had the cabinet maker out to measure for the new laundry room cabinets. They were installed on Monday (quite nice actually. we now have a bench with shelves for shoes and an enormous cubby thing and a closet with partitioned space for the vacuum cleaner that makes my heart beat faster just thinking about it. I'll post pictures once all the crap is put away) so Steve was able to move the washer and dryer in there today. That left the old laundry room free to be demolished which somehow lead Steve to remove MY COOKTOP and place it (albeit functionally but still, MY COOKTOP) on sawhorses in the old laundry room space. I know I should be grateful that this is his hobby and not, oh I don't know, unprotected sex with hookers but.... gak. I am so very fond of food and the procurement of food and my eyes are crossing as I think about the months I am about to spend cooking on sawhorses. I even tried to play the pregnancy card (which works for NOTHING in this house. NOTHING. not even a nap) in an effort to put the remodel off for another year or so and Steve responded by saying "OK, you're pregnant. Can you name a time in the past eight years when you were not pregnant?" Which, um, ok, but my third husband is not only going to be a pastry chef he is going to be one of these internet spouses I keep reading about who strongly believe that pregnancy is a mystical, awe-inspiring time of great pith and moment and who cannot do enough to nurture and support the radiant goddess they are blessed enough to call Partner, Lifemate, Friend during this magical arduous process. Steve believes that the woes of the first trimester are roughly comparable to a broken nail.

In conclusion- ultrasound:great, outlook: promising, mood:optimistic. Oh and kitchen:smoldering ruin.       

Comments

[SalGal]

Do I really get to be the first to say: WOO HOO?!?!?

[Kim]

Well that is wonderful news! I'll keep everything crossed.

And I am glad your new perinatologist is willing to work with you. Imagine.

[~kate~]

Good news, Julia! Staying hopeful with you :)

Trading him in for a pastry chef model...mmm... could be tasty!

[Chelsea]

Yay !!! And KICK Steve! ;-)

[Toni]

I continue to have these hopeful feelings...very optimistic. Yes...that's the word.

As for kitchen, I feel your pain. I have an oven - new in fact. But NO DISHWASHER (unless you count my Steve - and he's not all that great). They 'can't hook it up until the countertops come' - which they haven't even measured for - let along started mining...egads...this does suck.

[FishyGirl]

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO! Fantastic news on the fetbryo! Keeping my fingers crossed and praying and all that for a successful CVS next week with great results the following week.

Sorry about the kitchen. My father underwent kitchen renovation for about 12 straight years - I thought my mother was going to kill him. My DH, on the other hand, would just hire someone, because while my FIL could do it, we want it done this century, so the pros it is (not that we are actually doing that, we are going to move instead, but we DID do a bathroom in just a couple of weeks). I hope Steve sees fit to reinstall cooktop as fast as possible.

Given the concern over the cooktop, does that mean the puking is better? Hope so.

[hydrogeek]

YAY! Top third! Good job fetbryo!

[Jess]

Hooray! And I would give my right arm (but not my left one, because I am left-handed) for a kitchen remodel right about now. I need cabinets! And new countertops! And a flat-top range! And a convection oven!

*sigh*

[Sandy]

sooooo glad that you posted! continued congrats on the u/s and the optimistic mood! drats about the hubby..they sure do get on a woman's nerves sometimes.

[Jb]

I so hope you can have the cvs on monday. the wait sucks. glad sonogram went well.

[Alexa]

Oh how I hope!
And also, tell your "lifemate" that cooking on sawhorses is dangerous. I don't know whether it is or not, but perhaps Steve is more apt to listen to arguments of safety than those relating to your magical, arduous process.

[JK]

Delurking here. Great report! I am really rooting for you and this baby. I loved your kitchen report and the conclusion made me laugh out loud so much so that my husband, whom I work with and who also does not subscribe to the pregnant-woman-is-a-delicate-flower mentality, asked me what I was snorting about in here. We are discussing getting a new washer and dryer and I am giddy. Surfing back over to Sears.com to shop! Have a great weekend and maybe SuperSuppers will help you get by the next few weeks? Good luck with that!

[another anna]

Well, HOO. RAY. I'm so happy and hopey for you and Flipper.

And about Steve, how is it that you bore Patrick the Wonder Boy from your very loins, and Steve remains unimpressed? Hard case, that one.

[Sheila]

Yay on the ultrasound, Yay on the new humane perinatology group, and a big pffft on the woe is me my husband fixes things part. The tales I could tell on DIY disasters I've endured! But I do hope that things go well for you on all counts.

[victoria]

I'm so happy that NBHHY with #12. Restrained, rational, cautious jubilation going on over here. Not so glad to hear that the hairy manbeast is attending your delicate condition with less than the worshipful awe that is your due, but he sounds like he is pretty competent as a lover, friend, father, provider, & kitchen remodeler, so I'll try to keep things in perspective. You haven't written so much about the puking so . . . is it safe to assume that the puking is under control with the Zofran? I hope so. Thank you for updating.

[Jen]

So glad to see good u/s news, and hoping fervently for you that the CVS news is equally encouraging.

As for Steve, I suggest you give him a few weeks of low-grade food poisoning (an early pregnancy of his own, if you will), and see if that alters his perception of the first trimester...

[Tine]

Like others, this Inquiring Mind wants to know how you're feeling, nausea-wise.

And yay! NBHHY! Whee!

[Meli]

Great news, Julia. I am truly happy for you.

[JuliaKB]

Sorry about the kitchen. Woohoo on the u/s results!
Keeping appendages crossed for Monday.

[jonniker]

This is great stuff. I'm guardedly excited for you.

[Isabel]

Yay, and Good news, and Awesome!! Very happy for you.

XOXO

[~ bridgette ~]

Hopeful. So very hopeful.

[Libby]

Oh Victoria, let's not forget that Steve also looks like Pierce Brosnan (my eternal crush...ahem)hahaha!

So happy the untrasound went well!

[Reese]

Yay for another great ultrasound! (Please stay.)

Sorry about your kitchen, girl - that SUCKS.

[owlhaven]

Rejoicing here (quietly, cautiously)

Mary

[Casey]

Just checking in to see the latest news...so glad that it's good.

Perhaps you can put a pup tent in the old laundry space and pretend you're camping every time you have to cook suspended from sawhorses. Venison, anyone? (no, no, I didn't mean to make you barf...)

[Mete]

That is wonderful, wonderful news. I'm so happy to hear that. One step closer.

[Karen]

Yippee, so happy to hear the news, I'm doing flips too!

[Leslie]

Eu-fucking-reka is RIGHT!!!!!!

[Lisa]

Good, good, good. It all sounds good to me. Well, except for that kitchen thing but I'm talking about the little 10 weeker!!

Until next time. . . .

[Lisa B]

Yay! And for Steve: maybe some bagged West Coast spinach? Just a bit, in a sandwich or two. Or breakfast. Perhaps a smoothie. And then offer him some Zofran but oh! you just ran out ... ;-)

[Amie]

Great news!!! Here's hoping you can have the time-table stuck to on Monday and with great results. I'll be checking in!

[Lisa]

(If I type fast we'll have 3 Lisas in a row - just like my entire elementary school career!) My favorite part - aside from the great news of course - was "a closet with partitioned space for the vacuum cleaner that makes my heart beat faster just thinking about it" ... talk about soulmates! Julia I think we were meant to be together ;-)

[Lisa]

(Oh well, Amie typed faster.)

[Lala]

I think, upon continuation of this pregnancy, you should change your tag line to "Pregnancy of pith". *snort*

[Holly]

Each optimistic update brings me closer to tears. I continue to pray for your family to grow by one in the next 30 or so weeks.

[Nancy]

Oh excellent news. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I was in a mid-afternoon meeting with a partner when I oh-so-casually used my blackberry to check on your status. And hooray! Wiggling and flipping and undulating, oh boy!

I do so hope the CVS ends up occurring on Monday -- I just really freaking want you to get good news and settle in for a long, utterly prosaic pregnancy.

[wheelomatic]

Hey! Yea! Positive-osity! And in the last most beautiful day of Summer, too.

Can I borrow your man-beast some time to put up the other 2 pieces of crown molding that my man-beast is apparently too intimidated to try to cope to fit the 1st 2? I have ben waiting for him to gather his courage for oh MONTHS now.

Sawhorse cooking.....I smell a book title!

[Anita]

(((((whew))))))

[Stacey Blecher]

YAY!! Anxiously following your journey and wishing you the most reassuring of CVS results. And then you should kick Steve's ass.

[spacemom]

u/s: whoo hoo

Kitchen: ack?

[LEB]

Good, good, good, all good & long may it continue.

[cranky mama]

Just think of yourself as groundbreaking with the cooktop on sawhorses...I expect Ikea to pick up the idea at any moment.

[Kaethe]

Glad the news and the practice are good so far. The laundry room sounds very good. A partitioned space for the vacuum is the sort of thing to make me swoon.

I don't know about Steve though. The pregnancy card should trump anything except the cancer card, IMHO. Morning sickness really sucks.

[jlp]

Top third is a good place to be, and I will restrain any further comment to: NBHHY.

I mean, aside from the cooktop on sawhorses, of course. Aiyah.

[Diana]

This week: Yahoooooo!!!!!! :-)

For some reason, your description reminded me of a quote from Kathy Griffin's "Allegedly" (highly recommended for you Netflix types), "Does this thing do a loop-de-loop???!!!" You have to see the video to understand what makes that so funny! :-)

[SheilaC]

Delighted to hear about the good ultrasound. I'll keep everything crossed for the CVS, and hope it goes ahead as scheduled. More stress, you don't need!
I will also hope and pray the kitchen remodel goes quickly and smoothly - yikes!
Best wishes,

[Slim]

Awed though I am by your cooking skills, it seems clear to me that this is really Steve's way to nudge you towards the procurement of a personal chef until you and the kitchen are back in the pink.

And zip pip kaboodle for number 12!

[Erica]

Wonderful, super duper news! (how cheesy is that?!)

[lisame]

THAT was a beautiful post! I needed me some happy news.