Belly up!

We decided it was time to start posting some baby bump progress pictures. Believe or not there is actually a growing bump there. You can feel the difference more than it's visible---but we are making progress on this nine month journey.

This week marks week 11. The baby is now measuring two inches (give or take). The baby now, no longer has webbed feet or hands. The ears, finger nails, toenails, nose, and tongue are fully formed!

This week I broke down and headed to Hobby Lobby (craft store) to just "look" at baby scrapbooking things... I walked out breaking the bank! :) I don't think you can put a price on preserving memories. I can't wait to get started scrapbooking this pregnancy and I will certainly post some finish pages in the future.

I have my second interview tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Captain Crunch (with crunch berries)...

We are officially a quarter of the way done on our 40 week journey. The baby is now a size of a prune... (couldn't they have thought of a better comparison?) The baby now has a working liver, intestines, stomach, and tiny teeth are forming below the gums. So, speaking of the working digestive system, I was reading a book the other day that said that a baby's likes/dislikes for foods begins in utero. This being said they said that pregnant mother's should eat what they want the baby to like in the future. Ha, not so easy! My likes for food change day by day.

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One day last week I was on a home visit and my 3 year old consumer was eating Captain Crunch. From that moment on I had one mission and one mission only... to get that Captain Crunch! Needless to say I made stop at the grocery store and I had Captain Crunch with crunch berries for dinner that night. Commericals are the worst for food cravings! The nights we spend watching t.v. fuels the need for nightly trip to the grocery store! I haven't experienced any "weird" cravings yet, but Doug is hoping pregnancy with turn my dislike for ice cream to a like (good luck)!

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Today also marked the first day that I've experienced any morning sickness. From what I have read, morning sickness strikes greatest in weeks 5-9 and usually subsides by week 10. Whether that book is non-ficitional, I must be making up for weeks 5-9!

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All in all this has been a busy week, which helped the days pass by. I took a plunge on Monday and applied for new position at work (which would be a good promotion). I interview tomorrow for the job!

Wish me luck!

Week 9: Embryo to Fetus

Wednesday's are our weekly "anniversaries." Moving into week nine is especially exciting because the baby is no longer an embryo, but an actual fetus! This means the tail the baby had from it's embryonic is now the tail bone. The baby measures from 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches and as all the features of a human. The baby can move around in the amniotic sac and make little flinches that I won't be able to feel for another month or two. Since muscles are developing by leaps and bounds, tiny fists can be made as well as the ability for the baby to suck it's thumb!

I have been feeling pretty good over the last 9 weeks. The greatest change I have noticed is that some days I am ready to drop to the floor from exhaustion, but other days I forget we're even pregnant :). I still continue to have some sleepless nights due to my wild & crazy dreams, but they are becoming fewer and further between (thank goodness).

I also paid a trip to the public library and checked out some pregnancy books. I have read almost an entire book tonight. Though what I have read thus far, it's hard to believe how much information can vary from book to book or article to article. All in all I am educating myself, but I am not taking everything I read word for word.

Lastly...I think I am sick (not pregnancy related)! I have never wanted to speed up summer, but I have found myself counting everyday and wishing these weeks a head would come and go (and there still is 217 days until the arrival)!

Picture Perfect...

Here are the first ultra sound pictures of the baby. ..The pictures don't do justice compared to what can be seen on the ultra sound monitor. None the less, they serve as a reminder to us that there really is a baby growing in me!

The picture above shows the measurement of the baby (about an 1/2 inch or a teddy graham).

This second picture is the baby all stretched out. You can clearly see the arms and legs in the photo, and the chest looks somewhat enlarged due to the beating heart. The circle near the baby's head is part of the yolk that still is dissolving (which is perfectly normal).

Teddy Graham Miracles...

Today was our official pre-natal visit! While I have blogged the last few weeks about not having any answers and perpetual worrying, we now have some relief! At today's appointment we had an ultra sound done to help determine an actual due date. The baby is expected to arrive February 17th, 2010 (this makes me 8 weeks and 2 days pregnant today)!

So, you are probably wondering about the teddy graham picture...Well the teddy graham represents the size of the baby this week. During this week, the baby's nose, lips, and eye lids are taking form and he/she is growing a millimeter each day. It was amazing to watch the baby's heart pumping away in that tiny body at a rate of 150 beats per minute!

In celebration of today's appointment Doug and I headed to Perkins for breakfast to reflect on the appointment and then Doug headed to work. I on the other hand went shopping! :) I bought a picture frame for the baby's first pictures and creatively decorated around the outside of the frame. I can't wait to put it on my desk at work (though it may be distracting, but I'll take that chance). I also bought some neutral onesies and booties (because you can never have enough of the basics).
Today was an exciting and wonderful day!

Our next appointment is scheduled for Friday, August 7th.

Still waiting...

Can you believe it? Our second appointment was canceled for the second time. It's amazing that our doctor seems to cancel every Friday. Last week we were told that he had to be over at the hospital, but when the clinic called to cancel today they said that he was sick again today. Hmmm coincidence? Or could it be that this is July 4th weekend? Needless to say we are pretty upset!

I am speaking for both us saying that we just need that reassurance that everything is going smoothly after all, we have never been though this before. It's incredibly stressful! To help ease the stress we called at made an appointment at Franciscan Skemp in Onalaska for Monday, July 13. We did go a head and scheduled an appointment in Winona, with the same doctor this coming Friday, July 10th (I know Friday...again!). We haven't decided where to go from here, but we definitely want some options. If the doctor isn't showing up for appointments this early on...how many more is he going to miss over the next several months?

I guess we will continue to play this waiting game...the soonest we can find anything out will be next Friday.

Six more days and counting...

Sweet dreams...that aren't so sweet...

I feel like this Whitney Dog!

It's not that I can't fall asleep (that's the easy part), it's staying a sleep! Two days before we found out that we are pregnant, I started to have these C-R-A-Z-Y dreams. I am not exaggerating...I have had spiders attacking me and other bazaar encounters that I don't want even want to mention! I never knew anyone person could dream that many dreams! I have a routine down...wake up every 15 minutes flip/flop and fall back asleep, repeat! I guess it's never to early to get used to sleepless nights!

The doctor won't see you...

We were supposed to have our first appointment with the actual OBGYN on Friday. However, an hour before the appointment, the clinic called to cancel saying that my doctor was not going to be able to meet with us. We were disappointed because this is so much anticipation and anxiety with this pregnancy (because we are going to be first time parents, we don't know what to expect). The other side note is that they called an hour before... I had to take off work for no real reason at all which was a waste vacation hours that could be spent acutally vacationing. So, the plan is to meet with the doctor Friday, July 3rd. We are hopeful that we will soon have a due date! Wish us luck!

Our first prenatal visit...

We didn't know what to expect at our first appointment today...

However...we were definately disappointed in how we were treated. According to the calander, we have no idea how far along we are in the terms of weeks. The nurse was quite sure it was too early for me to be seen for the prenatal visit, but she decided that we should go through the intial appointment so that this was not a wasted trip. THANKS LADY! I am sorry if we are wasting your time and are not certain when we became pregnant (isn't this the reason you see the doctor in the first point? We aren't the ones with the title of a MD). Needless to say, you can tell we were more than just annoyed. As the appointment progressed, we learned more and more what this nurse didn't know... I looked over at Doug and I said, "I think I am more qualified than this nurse..." After all was said and done at our first prenatal visit, I was hoping to feel some relief, but all I wanted to be done was the appointment itself. Lastly, we ended up at the lab and I got some basic routine blood work done.

Our next appointment is June 26th. We are hoping the doctor will be able to confirm a due date and answer our growing list of questions... The nurse said that she would see us next week...GREAT, just what I wanted to hear...

WISH US LUCK!

Ready or Not...

POSTIVE!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

It's official! Just after 6 months of practice and 10 negative tests...we are going to be parents! I don't think either of us expected the overwhelming thoughts and preperation that accompany this wonderful news. On Monday evening (with test confirmation--though I already knew) I surprised Doug with a late birthday present. I placed a little yellow bag on the coffee table and apologized for the belated gift. Doug exclaimed, "It's only a month late." How ironic he said that! Doug opened the gift and asked me what is this? (I love Daddy onsie and bib)... I had to explain the gift because Doug was full of disbelief. Since then I have had to test 3 times for adequate confirmation for him. We are 3 for 3.

Last night we went out and purchased the: (book) What to Expect When you are Expecting। We also ordered a pregnancy journal and 2 books for expecting fathers (these are Bibles for Men). We are definately is full swing for the arrival of our baby.

At this point in time, we don't know how far along I am, but hopefully we will find out soon. We have our first doctors appointment on June 19th with a midwife and the OBGYN appointment on the 26th.