Pregnancy Post: Week 21

Yep, that's right...the doctor and u/s tech both think we can now officially begin calling the baby Elizabeth! Seriously, I'm really surprised...I would have bet boy for sure! I guess "Mother's Intuition" isn't always right! I told them (half jokingly) that I might not fully believe them until another ultrasound or two confirms it's a girl--I keep hearing, "if it's a boy, you can be pretty sure it's a boy; if they say it's a girl, there's always a chance it's a boy!" Either way, we are blessed and happy.

Other than that, the doctor said that all measurements and blood work look good. The only thing they couldn't rule out (due to the baby's positioning) was a club foot, which isn't life threatening anyway.

In other news, I stayed home from work today. I'm not feeling terrible, but I still have a killer headache and a stuffy nose. And I'm exhausted. I was asleep by like 7pm last night (Justin was a wonderful, sweet husband and went grocery shopping by himself so I could go home and hit the hay)! But, since the cold/flu seems to be seriously going around my small office, I'm hoping that by staying home and taking it easy today, maybe I can prevent myself from getting the full-blown bug. After my 12 hours of sleep last night, I already feel much better, but I am just not going to push it. I can afford to lose one day of paid time off, but not an entire week like some of my co-workers have.

By the way, I was surprised at my doctor's advice regarding colds/flu, which was that I could take pretty much whatever worked for me before I was pregnant, especially Tylenol based products. He said that taking them for one or two days isn't going to harm the baby, and he'd rather have me take what works and knock the cold/flu out more quickly than not taking anything and being more miserable for a longer period of time, which would then lower my immune system even more.

He also recommended that I get both the regular flu shot, and the H1N1 flu shot, as there are LOTS of confirmed cases in my area, and the danger to pregnant women is pretty elevated. I usually don't get flu shots, but it isn't all about me this year. Plus, I trust my doctor--he seems to have a pretty good gauge about when things really aren't worth the worry (avoiding turkey and sleeping on your back for example) and when they are worth paying attention to. He told me that without a doubt, he'd recommend the H1N1 flu shot. I don't have the best immune system to begin with, y'all.

They also confirmed that I am feeling some of Elizabeth's movements, but not all. She had the hiccups yesterday all through the ultrasound, which I didn't feel at all!

Oh...and I've gained 5-7 pounds (it varies by the day). I knew I wasn't going to get away with no weight gain for much longer!