17 weeks, 1 day

Isn't that crazy? I remember when saying "7 weeks" sounded like a big deal! Saying 17 weeks makes me sound so... pregnant! :)

The most exciting update I have to share is that I can now sporadically feel Poppy wiggling around. I say wiggling around, but really it just feels like I'm being flicked from time to time. The first movement I felt was last Monday (right around 16 weeks) while I was sitting on the couch, hunched over the laptop. I felt what I thought must be the "flutters" everyone talks about and it definitely made me stop what I was doing and stare at my bellly, willing Poppy to move again. After a minute I felt it again... and a few minutes later I felt it one more time. It was so strange, but so exciting, and its hard to describe the feeling. I get why people say "flutters", but I don't feel like that accurately describes the sensation.. I felt like I was being tickled with a feather duster for a second. It didn't feel like a kick or punch, it didn't feel like bubbles popping, it didn't feel like a lava lamp (as I've heard these first movements described)... it was just a quick, fluttery tickle with a feather duster that wasn't soon followed by gas - so we were convinced it was Poppy letting his existence be known in a way that doesn't involve me perched on the bathroom floor, finally! Yay!

I didn't feel any other definitive movement again until Saturday, when I was laying in bed reading at my sister's house. I had just downed a glass of Pineapple-Orange-Banana juice and I guess Poppy was on a bit of a sugar high. I was feeling pokes and tickles and movement for a good 15 minutes. I was convinced A would be able to feel from the outside so I called him in there, but sadly he could not. He looked like he had really gotten his hopes up about it, and then when I told him Poppy wasn't moving anymore - he looked pretty disappointed. But this is about the time my BIL could feel movements with their baby, so I keep telling A it will happen soon!

Then the last time I felt Poppy move around was last night as I was making some envelopes for my sister's baby shower invitations... either Poppy really likes Arby's Roast Beef Sandwiches, or he really doesn't like it when I lean against my craft tables for hours at a time. I don't know if I should tell him 'I'm Sorry' or 'You're Welcome'.. but I do know I so enjoyed feeling him wiggle. And I really hope I soon start feeling him on a regular basis.. not only when I sit just right or consume crazy amounts of sugary beverages. 

In other (not-at-all-exciting) news, we are very impatiently waiting for some blood work results to come in! Last Thursday I was informed by my previous employer that one of the twins had just been diagnosed with Fifth's Disease, and that the first question from their pediatrician was if G had been around any pregnant women. She had in fact.. me! I had just kept them that Saturday afternoon/evening. I was told to promptly call my OB and tell them I was exposed, so I did. My OB wanted me to come in immediately for a blood test to detect whether or not I am already immune, and whether or not I've been infected. Apparently if you are before 20 weeks pregnant, you and baby are at a much greater risk of not only being infected with the disease, but also suffering what can be very severe complications (ie, fetal heart failure). I was told that if I came back positive for Fifth's Disease, I would be referred to a perinatologist for close monitoring for the duration of the pregnancy. Of course, all the information I was given sent me into total panic mode.. but a lovely woman on my local baby message board told me that even if I was infected, there was only about a 30% chance the fetus would be infected as well. So that's a 70% chance that IF I got the disease, the baby would be perfectly fine. I was also told by the lab tech that most adults are immune from prior exposure and don't even know it... so we are really hoping I am immune! And if not, we are going to pray that Poppy is in that strong 70% category! 

I had the blood test on Thursday and was told to expect the results Monday -- here it is WEDNESDAY and they still don't have my results in. I have called twice this week with no luck, and if I don't find out by tomorrow, someone will get an earful from this worried, pregnant mama!!! 

I'd like to end this on a happy note - so for one, I made a huge online order for some Old Navy Maternity clothes! Can't wait for that glorious package to arrive. And lastly, we find out if Poppy is a Landon or an Emmeline one week from tomorrow!!! YAY!!!