A Little Shopping with the Proud, New Grandparents

I went to Blue Fish for some amazing sushi with Cindy on Friday, and then we did a little shopping nearby at Buy Buy Baby! It was a really fun night. I was overwhelmed by the amount of choices for cribs, carseats, strollers, etc etc. Looks like some planning will have to go into the registry instead of just going nuts and choosing the cutest things! Here's what we got! I love them all! 

 

The brown onesie says "Handsome like Daddy." :) David liked that one. 

 

I apparently was drawn to the jungle themed animals, especially monkeys, the other night.  

 On Saturday, my parents and I went to Uncle Julios for dinner, and we ALSO happened to wander into in a baby store! These cute clothes below are from Macy's.

                   

 



 

This 4 piece outfit says "Mommy's little monster."  How cute is that! The feet crack me up.

Well that's all the excitement for now! The next doctor's appointment is in 4 weeks for another checkup. We don't get to see another sonogram pic until Week 19, when the sex is confirmed! A big Canton trip (east Texas giant flea market type event) with both of the new grandma's is the next thing I am looking forward to on April 2nd. There are a lot of vendors out there that sell baby stuff, particularly really cute bedding, that we will hopefully choose to get the nursery started. 

Weeks 12-13: It's likely a... boy!!

..........It's a BOY!!!..........

 (Well, it's a 95% chance)

 

This week has been the most exciting week so far! We had 2 appointments, one being Wednesday's routine 12 week appt with Dr. Shimer to hear the heartbeat and ask questions/review a few things (it was quick and relatively uneventful), and the second was the "sequential screening" on Thursday with a prenatal specialist to assess the risk for Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 18, and other neural tube defects. For that screening, a sonogram was performed to take specific measurements and two blood tests are analyzed as well.

David met me for Thursday's appointment and was a nervous wreck. You would have thought the actual birth was fast approaching! He became distant, quiet, and was just acting goofy. (In a cute way, though.) When he shook the doctor's hand, he apparently used a death grip because the doctor commented, "Strong handshake." Haha. Then David was pacing around the room and asking questions when the baby came up on the screen. Funny to watch, but it doesn't give me much hope that he will make it through the real day!

The specialist thoroughly analyzed the sonogram picture and said that everything looked healthy! The little one was putting on a show for us and was moving around all over the place and moving its hands and feet quickly. It was the first time that it all felt real. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen. Afterwards, I asked him his opinion on the sex and he said very confidently and directly, "It's a boy." He said he was 95% sure after asking him how confident he was! We both lit up! David was the happiest I've ever seen him. We went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch to celebrate.

We called our parents and the Biagini's were thrilled and also surprised after betting on a girl. My parents were ecstatic, and my dad asked about his new grandson's availability for Roughrider's baseball games in late August.

After work, I went to Target to get a little something for David to celebrate our big day!

 

 

Here's what's been going on the past few days and into next week as Wednesday marks the beginning of the 14th week!

• He begins to practice inhaling and exhaling movements.
• His neck is getting longer, and the chin no longer is resting on his chest.
• Hands are becoming more functional as he may find it comforting to start playing with his fist or even suck his thumb.
• At this point all nourishment is received from the placenta.
• Thyroid gland has matured and he begins producing hormones.
• The prostate gland develops.
• Lanugo (very fine hair) covers his body and will continue to grow until 26 weeks gestational age. Generally this will be shed prior to birth and its purpose is to help protect baby's skin while in all that water.
• Tiny ribs may soon appear.
• He is beginning to form urine and discharge it into the amniotic fluid.
• Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another!



Last 2 weeks of First Trimester

The following week has had its share of new and challenging adventures.

1) My all time favorite meal (brisket tacos at Mia's) didn't taste well at all to me. I teared up. Literally. Poor David. I have been praying that my taste buds will love them again one day.
2) Got a urinary tract infection. Awesome.
3) Had my first "morning sickness" episode on Monday. Very queasy for 3-4 hours but just couldn't throw up.  Hot sweats then cold chills. Pale as a ghost. (And you can't forget the intermittent peeing every 15 minutes!!)

 But now, things are back to normal now. Phew!

On a better note, I finally have a baby bump feeling! It's a hardened spot on my lower stomach that protrudes out! I've been waiting to have an excuse not to have a flat stomach!

Here are the highlights of week 11-12. One more week to go until I'm out of the 1st trimester, wahoo!

• It's busy kicking and stretching.
• The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl,  eye muscles will clench, and mouth will make sucking movements. (In fact, if I prod my abdomen, the baby will squirm in response, although I won't be able to feel it... crazy).
• Intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into the abdominal cavity about now.
• Kidneys, liver, and pancreas start to funtion.
• Nerve cells are multiplying rapidly and synapses in the brain are forming furiously.
• The face looks unquestionably human: eyes have moved from the sides to the front of the head, and ears are right where they should be now.

• Muscles in the intestinal walls begin to practice contractions that digest food.
• Bones start to harden.
• Vocal cords start to form.

Next Dr's appointment- a week from today for another sonogram/checkup!


 

A Success: 1st ultrasound!

Our first major doctor's appointment on Wednesday went great! As shown below, we got to see the baby for the 1st time! We were successful at hearing the heartbeat and even got a glimpse at the circulatory system (blue and red flowing throughout the body). In the center of the baby, we could actually see the tiny flickering heart!!

 

We aren't as far along as we thought. We are about a week and a half behind the online estimate, so as of Wednesday we were 8 wks, 0 days.

Here's the heartbeat at 161 bpm!

 

 

We really liked the doctor. He was fun to talk to and gave us some good info. We were both really anxious the entire day, but David definitey wins the most nervous award of all time! He wouldn't even speak to me when we got to the doctor's office and tried to focus on a gossip magazine. Then when he heard that the ultrasound was going to be internal, he freaked out and didn't like that. I reminded him that HE wasn't the one getting it! I have no confidence that he will make it through the day of the actual birth!!!

I thought I would be emotional and even cry when I saw the screen, but I didn't have much of a reaction at all! I was just like, "Oh wow there's really something in there!" David just smiled and was probably more relieved than anything, since he had been overly nervous. I think that it still doesn't feel real to me since I feel fine, I'm not showing, and really not much has changed... yet! One encouraging thing that Dr. Shimer said is that if you hear the heartbeat, it is a less than 1% chance of the "M" word. Phew!

The most exciting part of the process thus far has been telling people! We have now each told our closest friends. I called my grandparents in Michigan and they were thrilled to be great-grandparents for the 1st time. My mom emailed some of her side of the family. I know Cindy & Dave have told quite a few of their friends, and I'm sure it won't be long until the whole family knows. Patty Ann and Tim are coming in town today, so I know they are excited to fill them in! David also was pumped to tell some of his baseball parents, especially the Hill's and Morgan's. They are like family to him.

We are so blessed to have such a quality support system. It has been a thrill sharing the news with those we love! This little one will definitely come into a world of being spoiled!

Happy 8th week!

• The fingers and toes have appeared but are webbed and short
• The tongue begins to develop
• The basic structure of the eye is well underway- eyelids practically cover its eyes
• Its head is disproportionately larger than the rest of its body- making up almost half of its height and weight
• Cartilage and bones begin to form - At the end of this week the baby will have already completed 1/5th of the journey 'til its birthday
• Intestines move out of the umbilical cord into the abdomen.
• Breathing tubes extend from the throat to the branches of developing lungs
• The "tail" is just about gone
• In the brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways 

I have begun to feel some of these pregnancy effects, but I'm overall feeling well! I've been mostly bloated/gassy, tired, and my peeing has really increased!
 

Two highlights of the past 24 hours include:

1) I totally took another pregnancy test last night that I had leftover. Got a quick distinct, dark plus sign. I wanted to see that it was still real.

2) David text me on the way to work this morning and said that he had a moment while driving that was about "the 1/8th" as he calls it (since I read that you are not eating for 2, but eating for 1 1/8!) When I asked him what it was about, his text wrote, "Driving to gmas in the morning to drop it off for the day... Awwwww"  How cute is he.

Telling the Grandparents-to-Be #2

We finally were able to break the news to our other set of soon-to-be grandparents! We had a nice brunch at Main St Bakery in Grapevine with Dave and Cindy this past Sunday. "Shocked" would be an understatement of their (especially Cindy's) reactions!

We went with the same routine as we did my parents, which was handing them these long D-Bat boxes and telling them that they are personalized Christmas gifts that David's company was doing this year. They both casually opened them and looked over them for a few seconds. Cindy said that it was cool that her name was on it and was all excited about that. She even chuckled that the baseball bats were from our dogs (since the bats said new grandma and grandpa, and they refer to our dogs as their grandchildren on occasion.) David said something to the effect of, "Are you sure you read that right?" Within a few seconds, Cindy's jaw dropped and eyes opened up as wide as humanly possible! The 2-3 jaw dropping moment seemed to last for about 10 seconds in my head, because it was the most shocked I have ever seen someone! It was so cool. As she teared up a little bit, she over-excitedly questioned if it was true, and Dave was still looking at his bat with some confusion. Before he had a chance to let it sink in, the announcement was made!

Both new grandparents were thrilled and kept bringing it up throughout brunch. Cindy even ran over to her neighbor's house as soon as they got home, because she just had to tell her! I forgot my camera, so unfortunately I have no good pics of them and their reactions. Whoops!

Gonna wait 2 more weeks to tell the rest of the fam!

Telling the Grandparents-to-Be #1

So we originally had the plan of bringing both sets of parents together to tell them at Mias, our favorite Mexican restaurant. That plan ended up not working out. We gave it thought for a few days and decided that we would have to tell them separately, because it would be too hard to get them all together and we just couldn't wait any longer!

Being the impatient one that I am, I wanted to tell my parents as soon as I could following Tuesday's appt (where we thought we would get to see a sonogram and prove its true existance!) We arranged a dinner/happy hour for after work on Wednesday. David brought over a couple of D-Bat boxes, and he told them that his company made Christmas ornaments this year.

It was David's idea to engrave wooden bats with the following: 

Ignore the typo for "Grandma A Linda." Gotta get that fixed.

So as they are opening their "ornaments," my mom had a look of confusion, later to find out that she was wondering how it was going to fit on the Christmas tree! She said "oh this is so cute," and then there was a lllllllllllllong pause as both my dad and mom looked at each other. I think they realized what it said at about the same time, and then looked at us! "Are you pregnant??!!!?!!!"

So for a brief moment, my dad appeared like he was going to faint. My mom looked an equal combo of shocked and excited. It was quite the reactions. Then we went to Snuffers for dinner! As we predicted, my mom announced about 37 different times at dinner that she was so excited to be a Grandma, and my dad was excited to have a new fan to take to Roughriders games. This kid doesn't know what it's getting itself into.

 

 

I also called my brother, Ryan, to tell him the crazy news that he is going to be an uncle. It was a brief conversation since he was at work, but he was very excited too! We are just as excited to tell David's parents, Dave and Cindy, on Sunday and see what kind of reaction they will have!

1st Doctor's Visit = Bummer

So we anxiously woke up early this morning thinking that this would be "the day" to see a sonogram pic or maybe even hear a heartbeat, and the day turned into a letdown. BUMMER! And it took so long that we didn't even go to Chick-fil-A for breakfast. Extra bummer!

Apparently, this appt was just a formality in the process and the sonogram appt will have to wait THREE WEEKS! (Wed, Dec 29 in the afternoon) Other than speaking with a few different individuals, all I really accomplished was peeing in a cup and getting blood drawn. The nurse talked about family/medical hx, getting on new prescription prenatal vitamins/calcium supplement, information for optional cord blood sampling/genetic testing, and answered any other questions. We received a gift bag with various packets of information that I probably need to read sooner than later.

We learned that there are 3 different hospitals to choose from, and we also will be working with all 3 doctors in the practice (so that we will be familiar with all of them, since any one of them could be on call at "go" time.) We also had an overview of the payment plan/insurance coverage that they break up into monthly payments. MWH- Must work harder!

We did both have a good feeling about the place since everyone was so friendly and informative. Not to mention the beautiful facility with granite countertops, etc! I didn't feel rushed, and I got the sense that we'll be well taken care of. The office is just a mile from work/home, and I've heard/read good things too!
 

Anyway, now we will wait 3 more weeks!............

My First Blog- Finding out the News!

So as you can see, I decided to create a blog that family & friends can use to follow our journey through uncharted territory as we attempt to create a human being! It will also serve as a so-called scrapbook to keep track of the recent changes the baby goes through, my doctor's appointments, how fat and dramatic I get, progress on setting up a nursery, etc etc. I hope you enjoy following our story as much as we enjoy sharing it!

We decided this past fall that we were officially ready, pending the Dominican Republic trip in mid-November. I ended birth control at the end of October thinking (also being advised by my obgyn) that it would take around 3 months for the meds to leave my system. I had also read that you shouldn't be too overanxious because it's a less than 25% chance each month to get pregnant even if you do it like rabbits during the exact ovulation period. Needless to say, we beat the statistics. (And mother, just for safety's sake, I did take a pregnancy test before the trip so I could chug all of those bubba keg cervezas with peace of mind!)

Well, "that time of the month" was supposed to begin within days of coming back from the Dominican. It never happened. I took another test before Thanksgiving just to check. That was negative too. Hmm..

Things started to happen within the next few days... I was jokingly told at work that I was "glowing" and may be pregnant, people started talking about babies EVERYWHERE and I mean everywhere... my PT patients, our parents/other family, and radio commericals/tv shows about babies were standing out to me more and more. David noticed it too and said that his mom brought it up multiple times during lunch one day. I felt drawn to the subject all of a sudden. I asked David to stop at Walmart after dinner to get a pregnancy test. Not only did I think that being pregnant was a possibility, but Anne was coming in town and once again, I didn't want to drink if that was the case.

I ran into the house and took the test in the downstairs bathroom. I was hoping it was positive. I can't express the feeling when I saw what looked to be a diluted positive line. David was in the living room hanging some ornaments that we had bought and I just walked towards him and blurted "I think I'm pregnant... but I can't tell!!" So we looked through the directions of the test and it said that if you were well hydrated, it may be diluted, and that the highest levels of HCG are with your first morning pee. The next 10 hours went in slow motion. I woke up every 30 min looking at the time. With each small bout of sleep, I had a different dream about the pregnancy test- that I did it wrong, that I was or wasn't pregnant, etc etc.

I woke up at 5:45, Wednesday morning, 12/1. It was positive again, and only a little diluted!!!! I turned on the lights and ran in there jumping on the bed. I still had doubts because of the dilution though. David was really cute and researched pictures online at work of positive pregnancy tests. He found a website that showed a lot of diluted pics and they all turned out to be pregnant. (He is going to be such a great dad!)

After work, just to be completely sure, I took another one! Positive.
 

I don't want to get too emotionally involved since it is early in the process, and I know that is it not uncommon for things to go wrong during this risky period. I can't just NOT think about it though, so I am looking at things online but TRYING not too get drawn in TOO deeply! It's a hard thing for me to do. I did sign up for some weekly updates on what's going on inside of there. I also plugged in the date of my last cycle into the "figure out the birth date" calculator and the prediction is July 29, 2011. We shall see how accurate that really was. I'm so excited!!!

We have secured a date with both of our parents for next weekend at Mia's. Can't wait to tell them. It's been especially hard talking to my mom this week and not telling her! David says it's the same with him since he went to lunch with his mom 1-2x last week and to a hockey game with his dad. We have decided to go into hiding-out mode until Saturday!!

So I'll be keeping my fingers crossed and will continue to look forward to our 1st doctor's appointment Tuesday morning!...........