Surprise Ultrasound at 12 Weeks!

I went to my appointment today excited to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time, and got to see him on ultrasound instead! I couldn't be more thrilled! It turns out that the baby was sitting farther back than normal, which made it hard for the nurse-midwife to locate the heartbeat with the Doppler. Was that a little scary? YES. I had been imagining and fearing that exact scenario, that I would hear nothing when the moment finally arrived. But as the midwife left the room to get the ultrasound machine, I prayed and told God that I wasn't going to worry because He was in control. And praise the Lord, a couple minutes later I was seeing the baby and the heartbeat on screen. His little arms and legs were moving, too!

So, all is well, and what a wonderful gift!

12 Week Bump

Check out the new 12 week bump pics on the "Baby Bump" page. Baby's the size of a plum now. Belly's still little, but we're growing!

Organic Pregnancy Tea

Thanks to the advice of another expecting friend, I came across this really great tea. Giving up coffee was, surprisingly, easier than I thought. But on those mornings when I'd really like to have a warm cup of something, this fits the bill. It reminds me of chamomile, very soothing and light. And it tones the uterus!

Why have Pickels & Icecream when there's McDonald's?

There you have it, my new favorite place to eat; McDonald's. Specifically, a filet-o-fish sandwich, fries, and a side of chicken nuggets. And don't forget the BBQ and sweet & sour sauce that completes the whole medley, and maybe some root beer to wash it all down. (I have to give a big thanks to Ashley, if it weren't for her giving me her leftover nuggets I probably never would have re-discovered my love for them, haha.)

Just look at that! Who in there right mind could resist?! I always thought that pregnant women were supposed to crave healthy foods...not so with me, I crave anything fried and salty. I'd like to say it's because I'm low in body fat...but let's face it, it's probably just because McDonald's is delicious and I'm a fatty at heart! I'm sure it's for my own good that the one right down the street from my house just got demolished, otherwise I'd be their newest regular. Before the last month or so, I rarely ever ate fast food and it was even more rare that I drank soda. The good news is that for the most part I don't crave sweets anymore, which is a big change for me. And even better news is that I still love to exercise, to the point where my pregnancy symptoms are actually worse if I don't stay active. That will definitely work towards my advantage.

Just for fun, here are some specific things I've craved since being pregnant (other than the obvious);

• Fried egg rolls- I never got any, but I dreamed about eating them. They weren't that great in the dream, but hey, it was better than nothing.
• Spaghetti- Somebody was cooking it around midnight one night, and I couldn't stop thinking about it until I made it for dinner the next day.
• Cold cut sub from the commissary- I would have given anything for one, too bad cold cuts are off limits!
• Frozen yogurt- In the very beginning, before I lost my sweet tooth.

:)

First Prenatal Appointment

Well this was a fun appointment. And after sitting down with the nurse and spending an hour and half talking about nothing but the fact that I'm pregnant, it's still a little hard to believe! It was great though. Thane went with me and endured all of the boring stuff, as well as what was TMI, haha. It was really nice for him to be there, especially for the fact that he wanted to go. Unfortunately, he'll probably have to miss the next appointment when I'll hear the heartbeat for the first time. But in good news, I was able to chose a nurse-midwife to see, so I'm excited to meet her and ask a bunch of questions about the midwife programs that the military offers.

Here are a few fun things from the appointment we learned;

• Around the beginning of the second trimester, the baby will be able to feel and respond to being "poked". Not that I'll be able to feel any kicking or movement yet, but it's neat to think that we'll be able to interact with the baby that soon.
• It's okay for me to keep running six miles if I want. Not that I plan on it, haha, I'd drop from exhaustion. But it's reassuring to know that my moderate running and exercising shouldn't pose any threats.
• It's okay to have a regular cup of coffee, or even decaff (after hearing bad things about it), in moderation. Of course I've read that before, and I really don't plan on picking up caffeine again. All the same, it was nice to hear. Man, I sure miss my morning coffee sometimes...

I had my blood drawn a few days after the appointment. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought, but I had to psyche myself up to go get it done...not a good start for someone who wants to attempt natural childbirth... :)

It's Official!

Getting our pregnancy confirmed in the clinic on Tuesday was very exciting. Not exactly new news, but all the same it was thrilling to get the phone call from the nurse with the positive result. (!!!) Thane and I happened to be walking into Boston's to get pizza at the time, (to satisfy my craving from the day before, what a sweetie he is). So it was like we got celebrate the great news all over again. Now it's almost time for my first OB appointment.

Breaking the News to Thane

I wanted this exciting time to be really special and memorable, so here's what I did; I made personalized clue cards and set up a scavenger hunt. I set out champagne glasses and sparkling cider (our favorite!), along with the first clue card of the hunt. Once he finished the hunt and found the news, we celebrated with the cider.

Clue Card 1: "I may be really small...and attached to a wall."

Just like an embryo, get it?

This card led him to the second card, that was literally "taped to a wall"....

 

Clue Card 2: "I may be knit with yarn...next to the sofa's arm."

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13

This card led to the third clue, hidden in my knitting basket next to our couch.

Clue Card 3: "I may be cute and sweet...where can you find a treat?"

Just like a little baby!

This card led to the fridge, where there was a piece of chocolate candy with another clue attached to it.

Clue Card 4: "I may be a gift...give the blue pillow lift!"

The news was certainly a gift!

This led to the last card and gift, hidden under the blue sofa pillow on our zebra chair.

 

Card 5: "Today I'm just a line...but you'll see more of me in time! You found me Daddy!"

Now all we can see is a line on a stick, but before too long we'll have a real, live baby!

This was so fun and easy, and we'll never forget it :)