10 Week Check In

Well, this morning I was a train wreck.  I woke up to large amounts of brown spotting and was terrified that I was having another miscarriage.  I called the OB right away and they were able to get me in for a quick ultrasound... baby was bouncing around with a strong, healthy heartbeat and had grown so much in the last two weeks... I teared up immediately.  Everything looks fine and now I am totally relieved.  

Also, our Christmas morning reveal with my parents went wonderfully.  They were so overjoyed and are so excited to welcome their first grandchild.  We couldn't be happier to share our joy with them.  Although telling them in person would have been ideal, thanks to the wonders of technology (yay for Skype and cell phones) we were still able to see the surprise and excitement on their faces and hear it in their voices.  What a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas!

How Big Is Baby?

• Prune size and over an inch now... still so tiny!

 

Baby’s Development

• With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.)

How Big Is Mommy?

•  Still nothing to see yet.

How Am I feeling?

• Physically: Still pretty crummy, although I have had a day or two of only mildly crummy this week.  Our first Christmas dinner as a married couple consisted of plain Lo Mein noodles from the local Chinese take out place (which I then promptly donated to the toilet).  Wife of the year right here.  :(
• Emotionally:  Terrified this morning... relieved now.  I am also feeling really terrible for my husband.  He is a saint and has been taking care of me as much as he can.  I feel awful that I am just not up to celebrating the holidays like normal and I feel like he is paying the price... but he is being just so genuinely sweet about it.  Hopefully this stops soon and I can start really enjoying this pregnancy.

Any new developments, milestones?  Anything new?

• Another ultrasound today!  Although not planned and done because I was spotting/bleeding... it is always nice to see our little baby on the screen.  What a relief to know that everything is ok.

 Love/Hate:

• Love:  Lo Mein noodles... plain... with a splash of soy sauce.  I am discovering all sorts of new plain carbs that fit into my bland diet.  lol
• Hate:  Spotting.  So scary.

Any upcoming developments, milestones?  What's next?

• Christmas has come and gone... and New Year's is this weekend.  We will definitely not be partying it up in our usual fashion, but that is totally fine with me.  Our next appointment is scheduled for 1/13/12... it will be another ultrasound along with some blood work to screen the baby for Down's Syndrome and other genetic abnormalities... fingers crossed that everything continues to go well!

We're Out!!

We made a trip to Pittsburgh this past weekend to share our news with Kevin's family.  Since we were celebrating Christmas and exchanging gifts anyway, we decided to place our latest ultrasound in a cute frame and wrap it like a present.  We snapped some pictures as Kevin's mom was opening the gift.... absolutely priceless.

...:::Waves Hello:::...

I can't believe it's been nearly 3 weeks since I last posted.  I am mortified!  I have absolutely no good excuse... school is over, life is calm... I don't even know what to say for myself!  :[

I guess I should fill the blog world in on all the happenings of my crazy little life.  First and foremost... I PASSED MY BOARDS!!!  Woot woot!  (does happy dance).  The test was so much harder than I had imagined and I was certain that I bombed it, so I was really shocked to log in to my account on Monday and see the best word ever... "Pass".  I should be starting my new job as an RN sometime in January.

Kevin, Lucy and I drove down to Pittsburgh last weekend to spend an early Christmas with his family.  It was a long, long drive (gets longer every time, I swear), btu we had a ton of fun!

That's really about it.  I have been feeling kind of... well... off lately (for lack of a better word), but am starting to snap out of it... I think.  I'll keep you all posted on that and I will try to be better about my posting.  Yikes!

9 Week Check In

We shared our news with Kevin's family this weekend (I made a separate blog entry with the pictures... priceless).  Christmas is coming up and it's amazing to daydream about how our Christmas will be next year with a bouncing baby.  Daydreams like that get me through this crazy "morning" sickness... and, for the record, the name "morning" sickness was obviously created by someone (likely a man) who had never actually experienced it.  This stuff is alllllll day long misery.  Still worth it, though.

How Big Is Baby?

• A little green olive and not even an ounce... :)

Baby’s Development

• My little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like... well... a baby!

How Big Is Mommy?

• Nothing yet... as much as I know I am going to miss this flat tummy... part of me is anxious to start sporting my cute little baby bump.  And yes, I will be saving these pictures for motivation after the baby is born.  :)

How Am I feeling?

• Physically:  Still pretty crappy.  We had our Christmas party at work today and I (of course, being the little piggy I am) indulged in all of the delicious food... then (of course being the super sick first trimester pregnant lady I am) proceeded to throw it all up, and then some.  I will definitely be calling the OB this week for advice as it seems I can't keep anything down and I have actually lost a pound or two.  Very frustrating.
• Emotionally:  Well... kind of exhausted.  I am amazed that women do this whole pregnancy thing more than once.  I wouldn't trade this little baby inside me for anything in this world... but holy cow it is much harder than I thought.  I also feel really terrible for Kevin.  I normally love to cook and really go all out for the holidays... but I just don't have it in me (nor do I want to smell the food... bleh) this year.  On a more positive note, we shared our exciting news with Kevin's parents this past weekend... and we mailed the packages with the frame/ultrasounds to my parents so they should arrive any day now (but they have strict orders not to open them until Christmas).  The plan is to Skype with them on Christmas morning while they open them.  Soooo excited to share our news!

Any new developments, milestones?  Anything new?

• Nothing tremendously new with baby.  Still enjoying (ha!) all of my lovely first trimester symptoms and counting the days until second tri.
• In other news... I passed my boards!!!  Woot woot!  What a relief that is!

 Love/Hate:

• Love:  Still on the bagel kick.  We'll see how long this lasts.
• Hate:  The smell of my refridgerator and freezer.  I am convinced that they smell like gravy and even just opening the door sends me running upstairs to toss my cookies.  Ugh.  It's going to be a long 31 weeks if this keeps up.

Any upcoming developments, milestones?  What's next?

• Christmas is Sunday and I am hoping and praying I can get my act together long enough to do some shopping for Kevin and decorate the house.  I don't know how I am going to manage cooking him a good Christmas dinner (poor guy has to work), but I will certainly give it my best shot.  I can't believe (and neither can my coworkers) that I am passing up all of the yummy Christmas goodies left and right... feeling crappy around the holidays is no fun.

8 Week Check In

Well this is my first... and I am new to this, so bear with me.  :)

We found out we were expecting on 11/11/11 (must have been our lucky day), but have been on pins and needles waiting for our first ultrasound to confirm everything is progressing well.  Having experienced a miscarriage in July, I feel like I have lost some of the naivete that goes along with a first pregnancy.  I used to believe that you get pregnant and 9 months later you have a healthy baby... simple as that.  I knew things *could* go wrong, but I guess I felt "it will never happen to me."  Now that I know how very fragile a pregnancy can be, I am nervous.  Over the moon excited, but still more aware of the possibilities and nervous.

Today was my very first OB appointment and will be my first pregnancy check in.  I am nervous, excited, amazed and scared to freaking death all at the same time.  This is going to be one heck of a roller coaster, but I am so thrilled to be on it.

How Big Is Baby?

 

• That's right... the size of a raspberry.  Seems so tiny!!

Baby’s Development

• Baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though I can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

 

How Big Is Mommy?

•  Definitely not anywhere near showing yet... and have probably lost a pound or two from being so sick... but I am very excited for a cute little baby bump.

How Am I feeling?

• Physically:  Like crap.  Seriously.  I have been using the mantra "Happy to feel crappy" but I am starting to get on my own nerves with that.  Lol. I am unbelievably nauseous from the time I wake up until the time I fall asleep.  I toss my cookies multiple times a day.  I have been reduced to eating bagels, pretzel sticks, Cheerios and crackers.  More disturbing is the fact that I cannot drink water.  I LOVE water.  The OB told me to drink Coke... O_o  Coke?!?!  I never drink soda.  I thought I was supposed to be eating/drinking healthy.  So bizarre.  Apparently Cola Syrup (the base for Coke) is excellent at relieving upset stomach.  At this point, I will try anything, so Coke it is.
• Emotionally:  I was a nervous wreck leading up to today's appointment.  I was terrified we would begin the ultrasound and the tech would get very quiet and we would find out that there was no heartbeat.  I was preparing myself for the worst.  But... after we saw our little gummy bear on the screen wiggling around, then heard that amazing sound of the heartbeat, I was absolutely at peace and in awe of the little teeny miracle growing inside me.  I still just can't believe it.  We are so very blessed.  Hearing that heartbeat and seeing that little gummy bear bouncing around makes all of the nausea worth while... I will just have to keep reminding myself of that simple fact.

Any new developments, milestones?  Anything new?

• Well, we had our first appointment and ultrasound today.  It was absolutely amazing.  Baby looks great and has a strong healthy heartbeat.

Love/Hate:

• Love:  Bagels with cinnamon sugar butter... it's about the only thing that I can stomach (about 1/4 of a bagel at a time) and actually enjoy
• Hate:  Television commercials of delicious food that I know would make me vomit.  I would like to give Chili's, Sonic (which there isn't even one within 50 miles of here anyway) and Olive Garden a piece of my mind.  I can't wait to be able to eat real food again.

Any upcoming developments, milestones?  What's next?

• Tomorrow, I am driving to Watertown with one of my good friends to take my nursing boards on Friday.  After the test, we are driving back to Syracuse then Kevin and I will be driving to Pittsburgh.  We are planning to share our news with his family when we open presents.  We bought cute picture frames (I will try to snap a pic and post below) that we can place an ultrasound picture in.  We are going to wrap it like a Christmas present and have them open it last.  We are so excited to be able to share this news with them in person.  My family is in Florida, so we won't be able to share in person, but we will be mailing them the same frame with ultrasound picture and plan to Skype with them when they open it.  :)  This is getting very real now.

Uneventful Update

Besides work and... well... work... I really haven't been up to much lately.  I did set a test date for my state boards--- December 16... in Watertown, NY (about and hour and a half away).  If I wanted to take it in Syracuse, I would have to wait until 12/29... which I am not willing to do.  I am super nervous and totally sick of studying already and just want to get it over with.  Immediately after my test, I will be driving back to Syracuse... then packing up and hopping back in the car with DH for a 6 hour trip to Pittsburgh to visit the in-laws.  Next week should be a busy, but productive week.  Biggest problem... I have to finish all of my Chirstmas shopping for Kevin's family before then.  Yikes!

If anyone has any great study tips for the NCLEX, I would love to hear them!  And if you have any T&P and positive vibes to spare next week, I would so greatly appreciate it!!

My Wife Chop

Well.... I finally did it!  After growing my hair out for a year or so for the wedding... then 6 months after... I finally got up the nerve to get my hair cut.  And, boy did I have it cut.

Here is my before... super long and scraggly...  (this was from my birthday dinner)

And here... drum roll, please... is the after...

I ended up with a super cute sholder length bob, thanks to Stacey at Artistry at Hanover in Syracuse.  Love her!  She did my wedding day hair and just has fabulous intuition regarding what will and will not work for different hair types and face shapes.  She will totally tell it like it is and will not do a cut or style that she doesn't think would work for you... even if it's what you want.  Sometimes you just have to trust the pro, you know?

So... this is the new me.  Ta-daa!!!  I am super happy with the new style and even more psyched to be able to cross another thing off my 30x30 list.  I am moving right along.  :)