Neil did super at our appointment today. In possibly less than a minute, he proved he moves and breathes like a pro. The ultrasound tech wanted to see him move more after she checked his parts, so she kept shaking and poking my belly; but he wouldn't react. About the time I had nearly had enough, he did, too, and abruptly kicked and punched at the same time. Fortunately, he wasn't marked down for being longsuffering. My fluid was excellent, so we passed the BPP again.
My blood pressure, however, was terrible all 5 times they took it. My bottom number was consistently in the upper 80s. My top numbers were 147, 145, 139, 149, and 150. They also performed a surprise pelvic exam, not nearly as fun as a surprise party or shopping spree. Apparently, it's standard procedure for the 35th week, but no one told me (until it was time to take my blood pressure). :) They took cultures to see if I have any diseases I don't know about and checked my cervix. No dilation, but 50% softening, which is just fine because nobody wants me to have a baby immediately. The high blood pressure caused a minor summit to decide what to do with me. Other than the blood pressure, I have no other symptoms of preeclampsia: no protein in my urine, no headaches, no abdominal pain, no spontaneous swelling of face, hands or feet. The swelling in my wrists and feet are somewhat constant and have never spontaneously worsened.
And though my blood pressure is high, Neil is performing very well on his BPPs. So we're going to continue to go to the doctor twice a week. Sometime next week they'll measure him again. When I asked the OB nurse practitioner (Jennifer, I think) what "significant progress" is, she said it was many factors; but in a nutshell if Neil keeps doing well on his BPPs and stays at or above the 10th percentile on the growth charts, they'll leave him alone. She also said that Drs. Reynolds and Ackermann would probably each have slightly different answers to the same question. I'll ask them next time I see them. So for now the only problems we have are my high blood pressure and Neil's small size, which isn't a problem as long as he continues to grow. Now if only I could get my blood pressure down, I'd have less anxiety, a truly vicious cycle if ever I heard of one.
Not much additional Neil information to report from the ultrasound. We got a somewhat better facial profile picture, but it's still not clear enough to get a real idea of what he looks like. This picture made him look like he has a rather long, skinny nose and big lips. I'll keep sharing what we learn about him, but we probably won't know anything conclusive or helpful before he arrives.
After the appointment, we bought a few groceries and a jumbo package of newborn diapers at Walmart. Then we ate at the KFC/Taco Bell in Lebanon. I had the chicken strip meal with coleslaw and mashed potatoes and gravy, which Neil thoroughly enjoyed with me. Matt tried and enjoyed the new shrimp taco. Then we came home, and I went swimming. Neil didn't move during this swim either. We'll see if he's as perky tomorrow as he was last Saturday after my Friday night swim. I'm still full from supper and drowsy from my swim, but I think the Krusteaz cinnamon crumb cake I made this afternoon is calling me. Perhaps just a small piece for Neil's sake. :)
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