Procrastination, Realization and Boogers

Pregnancy & Snot. No wonder they call kids snot noses

About 30 percent of pregnant women have congestion without any other cold symptoms while they're pregnant. This condition even has a name: rhinitis of pregnancy.

GREAT. I've been attacked by a rather annoying pregnancy symptom Boogers. And if you're sensitive to mucus related items, I'd skip down to the next section. I'm subjected to a continual and annoying sniffling. And it's a myriad of sniffles. I have the watery drip one minute, the syrupy sticky the next, and the HARD pointy stab the opposite end of your nose mucus. I have tried to blow it out but nothing comes out. I have tried to suck it in, but nothing would snort in. It just hangs there annoying me and forcing me to sniffle. What a pain. It has been clear, yellowish and green. It is GROSS and I want it to stop.

Procrastination can force you into realization

42% of the pregnancy has passed, there is 58% left to go.

112 days have passed since the conception, 154 days until the due date.

18 weeks into the pregnancy, 22 weeks to go.

WOW. In 2 weeks - a measly 14 days I'll be 1/2 way through this thing. Isn't that insane? Either time is flying or I'm just living in my own personal la la land. The excitement really hasn't hit yet...but realization is slowly getting there. Each day it's a bit different a kind of realization. And I find myself talking about 'baby' to Rob often. I wonder if I annoy him sometimes with the random babble I do. But really, I don't talk much about it outside of that or this place. And I like it like that. And this realization is making me feel like a slacker. Many people get excited at the prospect of a Level II Ultrasound.

What's the purpose of the Level II Ultrasound:

• Careful look at the babyÂ’s anatomy to ensure the baby is growing and developing as expected
  
• Performed to evaluate the fetus for structural/anatomic abnormalities
  
• Can help confirm the age of the baby
  
• used to assess blood flow to the baby's heart and brain, as well as the uterine and umbilical arteries.
  
• AND THE #1 REASON PEOPLE WANT THEM To find out whether the baby is a boy or girl.

I've had the script/referral for one since my last doctor's app't (on June 28th) and I hadn't called to make the appointment yet. I know - bad right? But I'm like really procrastinating on this. It's not that I'm not excited. I am. It's just somehow or other, I'm just pushing this off and time is just ticking and ticking away. So I finally called today. I figured, I'd call, set up the app't and call it a day. Should be simple right? Wrong. The Division of Maternal Fetal Development of St. Barnabus Hospital (try saying that fast) put me on hold...for like a minute or two, then transferred me to voicemail. I left my message. But I hate leaving messages to set up appointments as they will ALWAYS lead to some odd sort of phone tag, even though I left my work, cell and home number. Great. This just procrastinates this entire thing again.

And have I mentioned that I still haven't gone in for an AFP test *blush*. In my defense I did go in and it's not my fault that I went in on a Saturday when they had nobody to draw blood. So I tried - really I did. I made the effort. And what's the purpose of this test?

AFP is a protein secreted by the fetal liver and excreted in the mother's blood. It is generally used for detecting neural tube defects, but it can also indicate: abdominal wall defects esophageal and duodenal atresia, some renal and urinary tract anomalies turner syndrome, some low birth weight fetuses, and placental complications. A low level of AFP could also indicate Down Syndrome.

Rob says I just don't want to have the test done. In reality, yes, he's right. I don't want to take the damn test. I mean the majority of these AFP tests are false positives and the chances of birthing a baby with a defect even with a positive result is very rare. Then what the hell is the purpose of these tests? I mean it's FACT that "Of the positive test results, 90% of these babies will not have any anomalies." Am I the only one who then sees no logic to this test. Blah. Will have it done anyhow and will make a concerted effort to get into the office to have them suck my blood.

And did I mention I have an app't to see my doc again next Tuesday (the 24th) UM - in the month since I've been there I haven't done anything I should have (level II sonogram or AFP) I suck.

New Fears and Old Unite
So, when I found out I was pregnant, my big fear after hearing people's constant commentary on how our kid will be born surrounded by music cause of Rob's affinity to it and him being a DJ, was that I would have a child born deaf. Not that it's a bad thing, you know. But Rob told me not to worry, and you know what? I watched the movie Mr. Holland Opus. I was watching it upstairs, Rob was watching it downstairs and the minute he finds out his son is deaf I came barrelling down the stairs and what is Rob doing. Laughing while I look at him feebly and say "See. You see."

**sigh**

Now, my latest fear is that this child will choke itself on the umbilical cord and it does happen. Actually it happen in 20% of cases. I think this fear it's directly related to the fact tha people keep asking me if I've felt movement when I don't think I have.

I'm a paranoid freak.