Whoosh Whoosh!

At 10 weeks, my nausea is finally starting to subside.  Thank goodness!  I have actually been able to eat dinner for the first time in 5+ weeks!

We had our first prenatal visit with the doctor this week.  After the struggle of having to pee on command (why is it I can pee every hour on the hour unless it's requested of me??), everything checked out normal - no signs of protein (a marker of kidney issues) or glucose (a marker of gestational diabetes.  The doctor also said that everything looked and felt good, sized for the 10 week mark.

He used a device called a Doppler, which is basically an ultrasound/sonogram machine without the visual part (we use these commonly in veterinary medicine for detecting the sound of pulses in the limbs and then using the pulse to measure blood pressure), to find the baby's heartbeat.  The device puts out sound waves and receives them back so that the resulting pulse or beat sounds kind of like a "whoosh" or a train.  It was neat that he was able to find the heartbeat, and I was able to record it on my phone.  (Technology is so cool!)  Of course, I got a little teary eyed because it meant (yet again) that there is a little miracle growing inside me.  [In order to post the heartbeat sound, I had to pick a photo to pair it with.  So, the photo is a month outdated (the one from Feb 27th), but it was the only way I could add the sound to our blog.]

We also were scheduled for an additional ultrasound in two weeks.  It will be exciting to have a new picture of the baby to share with family and friends since it is almost the end of the first trimester and the time we decided to share our news.

10 weeks pregnant

There's a Baby in There?

It's hard to remember (when I'm not nauseous!) that there's a baby growing in my belly.  No signs of a baby bump yet (which is fine with me), and "the girls" are not expanding at an incredible rate as I'd hoped!

Baby is the size of a green olive this week.  Hard to believe it's that darn small and wreaking so much havoc on my digestive system!

Baby is the size of a green olive this week.

Craig and I are eagerly awaiting next Wednesday's Dr's appointment.  We're supposed to be hearing the baby's heartbeat via Doppler.  It'll help reaffirm for us that there's still a baby in there, since we haven't seen or heard anything directly from it in 3 weeks.  I will admit that most of the time I'm scared that something bad will happen and I'll miscarry again, but I'm doing my best to pray and trust in God that all will work out this time.

Some days I want to go out and buy up a bunch of baby stuff, but other days I'm happy to not have the house overrun with tiny clothes and colorful toys quite yet.  I "treated myself" to a free (shipping cost only) carseat canopy, which I just received this week.  And I bought 2 small canvas bins for baby toys on sale the other day.  I can't help it; I'm a planner and organizer.  I could have the whole room ready to go before I'm even into my 2nd trimester!

It looks like we'll be getting the baby room's floors refinished in the next month or so, along with the 2nd floor landing and the small office upstairs.  Then a fresh coat of paint in the baby's room, and the upstairs will be mostly done for renovations, aside from fixing up the bathroom eventually.  It's fun to be nesting, but I wish it didn't have to be at the same time as work.  At least June and July will be free for me to craft a lovely nursery!



9 weeks pregnant

What to Expect?

Baby is the size of a raspberry this week!  Yum, raspberries!

Baby is the size of a raspberry this week.

On the 12th, we went to our OB group class.  There were about 5 couples, at least 3 of which are also due in October.  We learned about what to expect during the first trimester, which pretty much followed what I had already read in various sources.  Eat this; don't eat that.  This is a normal side effect of pregnancy; this is when you should call the Dr.

I went for the first round of prenatal bloodwork, including the wonderful pee-in-a-cup part, the following morning.  Everything looked good.  I also got tested for toxoplasmosis, the causative agent of which can be found in cat feces.  I've worked in the veterinary field for over 14 years; I figured it was pretty much guaranteed that I would test positive, which wouldn't affect the baby at this point.  But no!  Amazingly, I was negative for antibodies, thus implying impeccable hand washing hygiene on my part!  However, now that means I have to be extra careful at work.  I am waiting for a Dr's note excusing me from doing any fecal parasite testing or cleaning of litter boxes at work, but that's a card I don't quite want to play yet.  My coworkers aren't stupid; the moment I say I can't handle cat feces, it'll be pretty obvious that I'm pregnant.  And I prefer to keep that a private matter for as long as possible.  Legally, you don't have to request FMLA maternity leave until 30 days prior to its start, but I'm sure that my return to work in August with a 7 month expanded belly will be tell-tale enough!

Anyway, we're two-thirds of the way through the first trimester.  My nausea continues, and I've lost 5 pounds since I haven't been able to eat much or often.  That silly crackers trick doesn't work for me - I can't even think about crackers without getting nauseous!  Well, at least the nausea is a reminder of the happy miracle growing inside me!



8 weeks pregnant

Morning (and Evening) Sickness

I find myself praying for a speedy next 5 weeks to get us past the first trimester.  You'd think this is because I want to spread the news of our pregnancy, but no, it's because I'm hoping the nausea will pass!

Baby is the size of a blueberry this week.

"They" lie when they call it morning sickness.  The only time I'm not nauseous (though thankfully not throwing up... yet?) is at lunchtime.  Otherwise, morning and evening is filled with a feeling of inappetence and no desire to cook.  Poor Craig!  (Or maybe it's good for him, since I am not the World's Greatest Cook anyway!)  The only foods that go down easy are fruit, dairy, and eggs.  I've managed to swallow a few carbs and veggies, but meals are definitely not "balanced" at the moment.  I've lost 3 lbs in the last 3 weeks, which is good for me and probably isn't bothering the baby.

I'm still experiencing the frequent urination and exhaustion symptoms as well, but everything else feels wonderful.  I just really dislike when anything comes between me and my meals, so the nausea is frustrating!  But it's a reminder that we're expecting!

I also had a "craving" for Craig's Swiss Rolls yesterday - and I made the excuse that "Baby wants one!" to get them from him - but wow, were they sickly-sweet processed baked goods!  Good thing that's not my usual craving; I much prefer plain applesauce currently.

But, hello?  Where is my increased cup size?  I was really looking forward to toting around some great looking "girls" for the next few months - I hope they catch up!

7 weeks pregnant