Seeing our Peanut's Heartbeat

Being married to a doctor can be tough. Missed holidays, cold meals, lonely days... but one thing I was really worried about going into this pregnancy was John missing all the important appointments. The Big Ones. The first ultrasound. The first heartbeat. Finding out the sex.

Well, luck was with us because John had a rotation this past week where he didn't have to work until the afternoon! I crossed my fingers and called my Ob-Gyn to see if I could change my appointment on Monday March 25 from 2pm to earlier. It took a couple of calls, but they finally had a cancellation and John was able to come!! It was our official first Ultrasound visit. We started off the morning with breakfast at Denny's. It felt funny to be on a date when it was technically a work day for both of us:) We finished quickly and decided to head to the appointment a bit early.

I had been holding my breath for the past week and a half because my symptoms had subsided since week 7. I hadn't felt nauseous at all in the past week and I felt like my pre-pregnancy self, besides a little soreness in my chest. Technology may have it's advantages, but all that googling my (lack of ) symptoms did was make me petrified that something was wrong. I was so nervous and jittery in the waiting room as I filled out the paperwork on our family history. I looked over at John, and he was as cool as a cucumber, absorbed in a Sports Illustrated Magazine article on March Madness. He is always the rational one.

As soon as we entered the ultrasound room, I told the tech. my fears. She didn't make me wait to use the vaginal ultrasound. Instead, she used the wand on my belly and found a heartbeat immediately. I was so relieved!! As I went to the bathroom to prepare for the more in-depth ultrasound, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. God had been good to us.

For the next five minutes, with John's hand in mine, we got to see the most beautiful and amazing images of our little jellybean (that's how big you are now!)  We saw his or her little heart beating at a fast 176 beats per minutes. The ultrasound tech. doodled on a picture for us, showing us where the head and bottom was. But when she wrote HEAD, only the HE fit!  I laughed and asked her if she was making an early prediction. :)
She told us before we left not to be scared if we couldn't hear the baby's heartbeat at the next appt. I guess I have a tilted uterus which can make it difficult to hear in the early weeks.

8 weeks 3 days

John and I were soon sent back into the waiting room for the second half of our appointment; the meeting with the nurse. John right away had his head stuck in a magazine on the Syracuse Basketball Team. He's always so calm and collected. I wonder if it will take the actual day of delivery for him to realize that a real  baby is entering our lives:) We had to wait for a while and John ended up having to go to work. I met with the nurse and took home lots of reading materials to read up on our little one. It was just a really, really wonderful day. I genuinely felt truly happy in the moment and I'm glad John was there to make the experience perfect.

7 weeks!

1st Doctor's Appointment

The doctor was concerned about an ache I have had in my lower abdomen for a few weeks now so she wanted me to come in and get an ultrasound to make sure everything was a-okay. Sitting in the waiting room filled me with such excitement this time. During my previous appointment, I started longingly at the pregnant women and envied them. Now, I looked at them with eagerness and anticipation. I was one of them and in a few months I'd be able to see my little one too!

I really endured some cruel and unusual punishment, let me tell ya. They had ordered me to drink 32oz of water an hour before the appointment and I could barely walk up the stairs to the office! It was so painful! Once I entered the ultrasound room, the tech. told me to go empty my bladder really good. I looked at her like she was crazy and told her how they instructed me to drink all that water.  Because I definitely was holding in a lake, she decided to try the external ultrasound.  Ultimately, I also had the internal one and ouch, that hurt. I know it sounds silly, but I tried not to show the pain on my face. I imagine the tech would be thinking, 'if this hurts honey, you don't know what you're in for.'  I'm trying to stay brave through all the unpleasantness these next 40 weeks will bring and not complain too much. After all, it will be so worth it when we get to hold our little one in our arms.

4 weeks 4 days

It was really cute when the tech. handed me the ultrasound picture. Baby C. was just a little white space. I hadn't anticipated seeing the baby or anything and it was really exciting to get a little photo, even if she is just a little dot.  The ultrasound turned out fine. The doctor told me everything looked normal and there was definitely signs of a pregnancy. She also told me that I could keep running. YAY!!!!

When John arrived home from work later that night, I showed him the photo of our "little peanut."  I guess that's the name we have given you for now. My heart was so warmed to see the happiness on John's face. He lovingly showed Sammie the photo and we decided Sammie named you a Cheerio. (He loves cheerios, so you're well taken care of). ♥

Symptoms beginning and 1st Bump Update

Well, we are moving right along and almost at the 6 week mark (2 more days!). John's been a great husband putting up with me. He thinks I'm crazy because on Tuesday I was complaining/worrying about having no symptoms lately and then yesterday I called from work saying that the thought of food repulses me!  It's funny because the thought of food makes my stomach churn, but once I eat it, I feel better. So... morning sickness might be coming my way. I don't want to feel sick, but it does make me feel better because it's like a little reminder from the peanut that she is still there.

We went out to dinner last night and I stuffed my face with spinach and artichoke dip and a delicious spinach, cranberry, and avocado salad. I've been really proud of myself for forcing the veggies down. I'm not a veggie type of girl but I've been having carrots for lunch every day and another veggie for dinner. Last night's salad made me feel good about my choices, especially because I was really craving pizza.

The weirdest thing happened last night. John and Sammie were snuggled up on the couch, watching the SU basketball game. I walked into the room and Sammie looked up at me and started growling. I mean, legit growling like he didn't recognize me!  He has never done that before and John and I thought it was really strange. Maybe he thinks I smell differently?  He soothed my feelings and apologized by following me around the rest of the night. :)

This morning I woke up feeling fine. The hungry ache in my stomach did not show its ugly face. I did have some really vivid, and weird dreams that woke me up out of my sleep bright and early.


Here's my bump update from last week.