First ultrasound

We just got back from our first ultrasound appointment. We got to see the heartbeat, but couldn't hear it yet. The doctor said that once the baby's heartbeat is confirmed, the risk of miscarriage is minimal so that was good to hear.

Baby bird is 2cm long and is growing at the expected rate. Here are some pictures:

It's ice cold sir

I really should watch this Jim Gaffigan bit every time I think that eating a Hot Pocket is a good idea. I just ate a pepperoni pizza Lean Pocket (i.e. Hot Pockets masquerading as healthy food) and the temperature alternated between ice cold middle, and burning-my-tongue-off hot outside edges.

I am in a near-constant state of hunger, and I'm already wearing maternity pants nearly every day...real ones or improvised. At this point, I really wouldn't be surprised if there is more than one baby in there...I guess we'll know after Tuesday! Lets keep our fingers crossed for only one (very hungry!) baby....

so many things to think about...

Probably the two biggest decisions right now are:

*how to rearrange the rooms in our house to accommodate baby, because what is now Tim's office needs to be moved elsewhere to make a nursery. Our house has one bedroom upstairs and two downstairs, heating & cooling issues, and only one bathroom, so all of these things need to be considered in our plans.

*girl's names. We thought of several the other night as we were going to sleep, but then didn't remember them in the morning, so they must not have been that great after all.

Entering week 9 tomorrow. Baby is "the size of a strawberry" according to WebMD. I guess they mean a baby strawberry because baby is only about an inch long. Baby bird will also start moving its arms and legs this week, but I won't be able to feel it for quite some time still.

week 8

not much to report. I've had some moments of extremely mild nausea, but it's always passed pretty quickly and 98% of the time, I feel fine.

Baby bird is just over 1/2 inch long now, and will develop webbed fingers and toes this week, as well as eyelids. Baby is no longer considered an embryo, and is now a fetus. And, the tail has disappeared! So baby looks less like a lizard, and more like a human being.

first prenatal appointment

I had my first prenatal appointment on Thursday at my doctor's office. Just bloodwork, and talking to the nurse practitioner. I tentatively approached the homebirth subject and got the idea that they are not supportive. My alternative idea, if we didn't/couldn't have a homebirth, was a waterbirth at Grant. However, none of the office's six doctors deliver at Grant or do waterbirth. Sigh. We're meeting with CHOICE on May 6th about our options with a midwife so I'll know more after that.

In the meantime I am continuing to schedule with my OB, so I scheduled an ultrasound for April 28th at 8:30. I'll be just over 9 weeks by then, so we should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat. Right now I think Tim and I and our moms are going. If anyone else is dying to go though, let me know! I can find out from the doctor if there is a limit on how many can attend.

I'm at that really awkward point where maternity clothes would be too big, but my regular pants are getting too tight. I have a select few that I can wear, and they happen to all be brown or tan, so I'm a little tired of brown this week. Old Navy makes early maternity pants that have adjustable belts on the inside, so I can probably find some things there that will get me through the next few months.

week 7

Still no nausea (yay!) and my congestion has pretty much cleared up, with only 2 Sudafed on Monday. Yesterday marked 9 years of Tim and I being together, so we went out to Olive Garden to celebrate. Baby bird seems to really like their salad and breadsticks, lol.

I saw Miki--a long time family friend--at the library this morning. She said my dad told them about the baby in Fred's b-day card. We ran through a quick timeline and decided that he must have gone out and bought the birthday card and sent it out within 24 hours of hearing my news. So Dad, if you're reading this...I take it you're excited! I'm glad :)

First doctor's appointment tomorrow morning and I will likely schedule my first ultrasound while I'm there. They usually do it after 8 to 10 weeks, so we should have our first pictures by the end of April!

Stuffed

as in, stuffy nose. This is the 4th day that I haven't been able to breathe due to sinus congestion. I'm supposed to be avoiding medication as much as possible right now since I'm only in my first trimester. After suffering through 3 days of this though, I broke down and called my doctor this morning.

They told me I can take Sudafed, which I don't like the effects of normally, but its pretty much my only option. I can also take Benedryl if I want but it will likely knock me out. Since I'm having trouble making it through the day without a nap as it is, I don't think the Benedryl would be a wise choice.

So far the Sudafed does seem to help. I am taking a half dose, at the largest intervals possible, so I'm basically bringing my congestion to a tolerable level instead of clearing it up completely. I did have a moment of guilt when I took my first dose, like I'm choosing my comfort over baby bird's potential development and health. However, not being able to breathe well--which means I don't sleep well--is probably not good for the baby either.

I haven't gained any weight yet, but I'm going to go ahead and start posting belly pics anyhow. Today marks the beginning of my 7th week, so I'll try to post pictures every few weeks on Mondays from here on out.

Garage Sale Finds!

I'm so glad that we found out about baby bird right as garage sale season is starting...I stopped by a sale near Tim's parents house today and got a TON of stuff:

Infant car seat/stroller combo, only 2 years old. Space saving highchair, two carriers, a diaper bag, several newborn sleepers and bibs, and a nice breastpump....all for only $72! We would have paid twice that just for the stroller/car seat combo in a store.

(And yes, before anyone gets grossed out, I will get my own attachments for the breastpump....)

week 6

not much to report so far. Little pal (or gal) is about 1/8 of an inch long and weighs about a gram. He or she should have a heart with a steady beat by the end of the weekend.

Provided the pregnancy goes well, we're aiming for a homebirth assisted by CHOICE midwives. The only complication is that the insurance may or may not cover it. It is quite a bit cheaper than a hospital birth though, so we can pay out of pocket if it comes to that. Apparently, the midwives are willing to arrange payment plans, and are even willing to barter! I'm not sure what I could offer them, but its an interesting thought...

We're sort of hoping for a boy, if only because we already have a boy's name picked out that we really love: Isaac Henning. Isaac was my grandfather's name (my mom's dad) and Henning was Tim's great-grandfather's name (his mom's grandpa). Girls names seem to be a lot harder to come up with, so we'll table that discussion until we find out what we're having.

Other than that, pregnancy has been pretty uneventful. No nausea, just really tired. Hopefully things stay that way.