Week 23 - Spring!

As week 24 draws near, there isn’t a whole lot to report for baby news. My belly is expanding and the round ligament pain is fairly consistent. My hips have gotten much better since I returned to yoga a few weeks ago. Sleeping is the same. Flipping my Buddha.belly from side-to-side is a bit of a challenge, but I’m dealing. Christos keeps reminding me that my belly button “isn’t as deep as it was before.” I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not. Oh, and I’ve started to waddle.

23 Weeks


I made big strides with the nursery planning over the past weekend. I had a very hard time deciding which crib I liked, but I finally settled on one and ordered it Saturday. I also found a steal on Craigs.list and purchased a nice used changing table from a family in Andover. It will be a great addition to the nursery. Thea Maggie helped me find the remaining fabric for the window shade that Mom and I are going to make. We also found wall paint colors to match. Once we get the room cleared out we’ll be able to start working on what will become Nugget’s oasis.

Things around our home have been busy. Christos’ business will be taking off in the next few weeks. Last fall he decided to pursue an opportunity in our neighborhood association to care for the landscaping and lawn care. He has spent endless hours doing research over the past 6 months and has finally secured the bid with our HOA board. He’s just waiting for the contract to be signed so he can order the fancy new John.Deere zero-turn commercial grade lawn mower that he’s anxiously been waiting to play with. Although I was extremely hesitant and unsupportive at the beginning of this endeavor, and I know it’s going to take a lot of his time and energy, I know that he’ll do an awesome job. He is anxious but really excited to get out there and make our neighborhood beautiful again.

Since we’ve been so busy, Tucker and Sugar haven’t been getting as much attention as they are used to, but thankfully the spring weather has gotten us all out and they are once again being walked on a regular basis. They LOVE their walks.

Last year we joined a co-ed bowling league with our good friends Jillian and Mark. We only played half the season and ended up in 14th place (out of 14 teams.) In September we decided to play again with the hopes of doing better this year while still having fun. The season started out rough (we were in 16th place out of 16 teams), but we’ve gradually improved our game and averages. As of last Saturday, we are in 2nd place!! Thank goodness for handicaps because they’ve helped us beat many of our biggest challengers. It’s been a really fun season. Our last night of bowling is in a few weeks and hopefully we’ll be able to maintain our 2nd place standing or perhaps steal 1st place.

We finally met little Kellen. What a sweet boy. We cuddled a lot. I am honored that Arik and Jenn asked me to be his Godmother. It’s so exciting that Kellen and Nugget will grow up together.

22 Week Update

Wow. 22 weeks already. The first 15 weeks went so slow, but the past 5-6 weeks have flown. We are more than half way to meeting our little Nugget.

Nugget has been fairly active. I'm getting used to the movement so I don't notice it as much anymore. S/he seems to be more active in the evening; which is when I can most enjoy it. Thinking back, there was probably movement earlier before I finally noticed it. I've been feeling good. I've been tired this week, but I'm getting used to my new sleeping patterns, despite how random they've become. I've been waking up feeling pretty sore though. My hips are definitely feeling the extra weight and pressure. No belly shots for this week. I've been too lazy to download them from the camera.

My check-up last Friday went well. Nugget is measuring on track and had a very strong heartbeat. I'm not sure how, but my doctor could tell that s/he is an active one. I've only gained 8 pounds, which we are very happy about. That leads me into my conversation with my cardiologist, Dr. Singh.

The MRI proved that I have 38% leakage from my valve. Dr. Singh puts this in the moderate range. Less than 30% is considered mild, while 50% is "not good." At least now I have a better idea of my situation. Percentages like this give me a good idea of my stats according to cardiology ranges. He recommended I keep my weight low and watch for fluid retention in my legs. If nothing else changes, I will see him again at 32 weeks for another echocardiogram (ultrasound). We discussed the possibility of meds and a closely monitored birth, but we won't know specifics until closer to the time of delivery. So for now I hope that my pregnancy continues to be healthy and progresses without complication.

I haven't written about Christos much. He's been keeping himself very busy the past couple of months. Between work, side work, being a soccer star, maintaining his awesome bowling average, perfecting his dream of becoming a Guitar Hero and working diligently to get a small business up and running, he's had his hands full. He rarely sits still, and when he finally does, he's usually snoring with Tucker cuddled up beside him.

Congratulations to Christos' cousin Tony and his wife Diedra and their son Anders. They welcomed little Hanna Irene Geye to the world on Sunday, March 8th after an intense high speed drive to the hospital and an even quicker delivery. The pictures of her are beautiful. We hope to see them all soon. It's been too long.

MRI Update and Nugget News

A quick update on my MRI yesterday. There won't be much to report until after my cardiologist reviews the results and calls me to discuss.

The MRI went smoothly. I managed to stay calm and focused the entire time. Dr. Singh's partner, Dr. Han, was there. After the MRI, she came in and said this was just a baseline test so they have something to compare my future tests to. This was not the impression I was under after my appointment with Dr. Singh two weeks ago. During my brief clinic visit with him I asked him if the leak had gotten worse and he said "yes". Which threw me into a whirlwind of concern. If, in fact, this is normal and it's nothing serious than I had nothing to worry about. It kind of makes me angry now that I know this. Hopefully I'll get more details after talking to him.

Nugget News: Nugget has been fairly active the past couple of days. The loud noises during the MRI really got him/her moving. Now that I can feel Nugget on a regular basis, this pregnancy is really starting to sink in.

Next up for this weekend: Making more plans for the nursery. We're going to do some more shopping this weekend for the crib and I've already started making plans for the window treatments and wall color.

Week 20

As promised, there is plenty to talk about this week.

Christos and I spent 9 days in Florida with our friends Mark and Susan who live in Orlando. We traveled to Jensen Beach on the Altantic coast for 7 days and stayed in a condo. The weather was perfect. In the 70’s every day. We did plenty of relaxing, lounging, and eating. With some card playing, Wii action, fishing, golfing and shopping mixed in. I slowed down enough on vacation to finally notice Nugget moving around.

The Georgopoulos' and the Dodge's




My level II ultrasound went really well this morning. Nugget is showing no abnormalities. His/Her heart looks good and all the measurements are all on track. Christos and I had to cover our eyes when the doc checked Nugget's “privates.” Both of us swear that we didn’t peek.

We talked some more about my cardiologists recommendations of delivering at Abbott. The perinatologist that I saw today is with Minnesota Perinatal Physicians and also rotates to all hospitals including Abbott. I’d like to stay with my current Ob-Gyn as long as possible, although she is affiliated with North Memorial. After my MRI this week, we should have enough information to make the best decision regarding my care.


Finally, some much anticipated photos.

19 Weeks - On the beach!

20 Weeks - Coming Soon

Nugget at 8 Weeks - 12/03/08

Nugget at 20 Weeks - 3/2/09
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Lastly, we are thrilled to announce the arrival of Kellen Noah Nesbitt. We hear he looks like both Arik and Jenn. We are looking forward to meeting him.