Today was the BIG doctor's appointment. The one that, if successful, would mean that we have made it through our first trimester without incident.
Our visit to the doctor's office began with some sort of wand thing that they move back and forth over my tummy to try to find the baby's heartbeat. The doctor says trying to find the heartbeat is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The wait is traumatizing, but alas, there it is... the very fast thump thump thump of the heartbeat. Ahhh, a sigh of relief.
The heartbeat measures in at about 163. This is at the high end of the healthy heartbeat range, or so we're told. We have also been told that a quick heartbeat means it's a girl. We will see...
Next appointment is scheduled for December 17th. On the 17th, they will do the anatomy ultrasound and we will find out the gender of the baby. More waiting, more stress, but we are absolutely THRILLED that the baby is doing well and that we've made it through the first trimester!!! Chances of a miscarriage decrease significantly now, which is of particular importance to us.
For those of you who will be wondering, my first trimester was fairly tolerable. I have not experienced much morning sickness, only brief moments when I feel queasy if I've waited too long to eat. I have continued to run and play tennis. I haven't cried much. Only Casey will be able to truly tell you if I've been moody, but I think I've been pretty decent. I have gained 3.5 pounds so far.
Well, we are off to finally go share the news with our family and friends that we are pregnant. We were waiting to share the news with everyone (including our parents and sisters) until after we'd made it through the first trimester. Finally. Neither of us is very good at keeping a secret.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Testing 1-2-3
A few thoughts about pregnancy tests...
Don't even bother buying the ones that have lines or crosses that are supposed to indicate whether or not you are pregnant. In my very brief experience, the lines always seem to be faint enough to make you wonder whether it means the test is positive or negative. I don't care if they're cheaper, skip them. Go straight to the digital ones that say the result in words. "You're pregnant" is pretty hard to misinterpret, and you don't find yourself holding the dip stick in 50 different directions to see what the line looks like in different lighting. Just my two cents worth.
I have now taken 3 pregnancy tests today because neither Casey nor I could be certain that there actually was a line on the first two. It seemed like there might be a faint line, but neither of us could really tell. And we have a lot of years of education between us. Fortunately, I am cheap and decided to buy the box of pregnancy tests at the store that had the two "regular" tests plus one "free" digital test that told you the results in words (who can pass up 3 tests for the price of 2???). This digital test was a last resort for me, but it has confirmed that we are, in fact, pregnant!!!
It is going to be total agony not being able to tell my parents this news. They arrive in two days for the Bears-Panthers game. I wonder how I will fake my way through drinking at the tailgate?!?!
Don't even bother buying the ones that have lines or crosses that are supposed to indicate whether or not you are pregnant. In my very brief experience, the lines always seem to be faint enough to make you wonder whether it means the test is positive or negative. I don't care if they're cheaper, skip them. Go straight to the digital ones that say the result in words. "You're pregnant" is pretty hard to misinterpret, and you don't find yourself holding the dip stick in 50 different directions to see what the line looks like in different lighting. Just my two cents worth.
I have now taken 3 pregnancy tests today because neither Casey nor I could be certain that there actually was a line on the first two. It seemed like there might be a faint line, but neither of us could really tell. And we have a lot of years of education between us. Fortunately, I am cheap and decided to buy the box of pregnancy tests at the store that had the two "regular" tests plus one "free" digital test that told you the results in words (who can pass up 3 tests for the price of 2???). This digital test was a last resort for me, but it has confirmed that we are, in fact, pregnant!!!
It is going to be total agony not being able to tell my parents this news. They arrive in two days for the Bears-Panthers game. I wonder how I will fake my way through drinking at the tailgate?!?!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Ugly Handwriting and Poor Record Keeping
Let me confess two things: I have horrible handwriting. Also, despite good intentions, I am just not good at documenting important things.
Because of this, I have decided to create a blog in anticipation of someday having a successful pregnancy and a son or daughter who might be curious about his/her early days. Baby books are adorable, but I fear that I will not be good at keeping up with one. And even if I do keep up, the odds of anyone being able to read my handwriting years later are slim.
This blog shall also serve the purpose of updating our families and friends on what is going on with us. Our families and friends are spread out all over the country. (Actually, now that I think about it, all over the world.) As much as we would love to keep up with everyone, it seems that it is nearly impossible to do so. So to keep everyone that is interested in the loop, we will try to update everyone here, at least with the important things that are going on with us.
So here we begin our journey. Let's hope for a smooth road ahead...
Because of this, I have decided to create a blog in anticipation of someday having a successful pregnancy and a son or daughter who might be curious about his/her early days. Baby books are adorable, but I fear that I will not be good at keeping up with one. And even if I do keep up, the odds of anyone being able to read my handwriting years later are slim.
This blog shall also serve the purpose of updating our families and friends on what is going on with us. Our families and friends are spread out all over the country. (Actually, now that I think about it, all over the world.) As much as we would love to keep up with everyone, it seems that it is nearly impossible to do so. So to keep everyone that is interested in the loop, we will try to update everyone here, at least with the important things that are going on with us.
So here we begin our journey. Let's hope for a smooth road ahead...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Watching over us
It was with great sadness that we learned we had suffered a miscarriage back in June of 2008. This picture was taken by me during our trip to Nova Scotia to celebrate Casey's parents' 40th wedding anniversary a few days later, and as soon as I saw it the first time, I knew it would serve as a reminder to me that Baby Otis #1 will forever be in our hearts and will watch over us and his/her brothers and sisters for years to come.
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