For the record: weight gain under control (x+2.5)

For the record:

At my doctor's appointment five weeks ago, I weighed x.

At yesterday's appointment, I weighed x+2.5 pounds.

So, the 8 pounds I thought I had gained in the last 4 out of 5 weeks (from the health insurance screening) was incorrect. Guess it pays to weigh yourself on the same scale.

However, after being 5"9.75" (rounding up to 5'10") for all of my adult life (and much of my youth) they tried to tell me that I am only 5'9". When I requested a re-measure, she told me "OK, 5' 9.25"." (I really doubt I am shrinking..... has every other doctor's office all of these years REALLY measured me at the wrong height?)

I am told that I should shoot for only 20 pounds of pregnancy weight-gain. (I'm thinking that the extra 10 pounds I put on since our relocation doesn't count though since that was all pre-pregnancy.)

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Mike started to get the itch to look around for advancement opportunities, despite his one-year commitment not being up. There is an open position that he is interested in and is tempted to ask his boss about moving him along quicker than previously agreed upon. Mike thinks he will talk to the landlord first to see how bad we would be impacted by breaking our lease much earlier than expected.

Mike is thinking that it would kind of suck to pack our belongings again. (I reminded him that it will suck a lot LESS now than when I am more pregnant later.... to which he agreed.)

Guess we'll see what happens.... not sure if it would even be an option. (But the thought of living closer to home - YEP, that is pretty darned tempting!!!)

Disappointing doctor's appt: printer out of paper

We had our first appointment today with the doctor. Initially, upon confirmation of urine pregnancy test, we were told to come back in 4-5 weeks so, we picked 5 weeks to wait because the doctor had suggested that if we wait til then, we would be able to hear heartbeat.

Today, in the appointment, it turns out that she did not even offer to do the Doppler to hear the heartbeat because sometimes you can't hear it this early and she's afraid that too many people freak out needlessly over it. So, instead, she did an ultrasound.

Of course, Baby Mama was at a bad angle and couldn't see much. Doctor and Daddy both had optimal seats for viewing. (Well, actually, they were both standing, but still....)

When I sat up, saying "I want to see", I was quickly instructed to lay back down flat and to stop flexing my stomach muscles."

Mike did his best to ask for a printout on multiple occasions, but we were told that the printer was out of paper. When he asked if it was going to be refilled, he was shot down again. (So, sorry folks.... no visual confirmation to post on the blog YET.)

While the doctor was doing the ultrasound, the fetus (sweat pea turned prune) was moving slightly and it's heartbeat was visible. At the next ultrasound, 20 weeks, we're told we will see a whole lot more, as well as boy parts, if that's what it is....

Our next appointment is in 4 weeks. (We are on a 4-week rotation until 7 months; then, we switch to every other week and increase frequency from there.)

We did take home a goodie bag today with all kinds of information in it, as well as some free gifts from the formula company.

Our next appointment, they will take some measurements of the size of the uterus, etc - we're told.

Running on an empty tank.... need some sleep now. (Speaking of empty tank, gas dropped all the way down to $2.18/gallon today in town... hard to believe it was $3.40-something one month ago.)

Taking the prune to bed now.

Good night.

This (10th) week: Grape meet Prune

I have just determined that it is hard to blog with a cat in the lap. 

(Sounds a little Dr. Seuss-ish, doesn't it? Well, I have a cat in my lap... and it is, of course, the fat one so it is difficult for me to reach the keyboard around/over him. It was already more difficult because I have a new keyboard, which I am not yet used to.... it is micro-thin and strange-feeling to me yet, but I will probably get used to it in time.)

So, here's an update for the Baby Blog: Going into the 10th week

• My uterus used to be the size of a pear, but now should be the size of a grapefruit and growing larger throughout the month.

• My taste buds are doing funny things [must be from the hormonal surge(s) in my system] because there are foods that I normally love that I can't handle right now. For example, I tried a piece of dried kiwifruit and thought it felt like pure crystallized sugar in my mouth. Dried cranberries, one of my favorite healthy snacks, also tasted like pure sugar, while Mike insisted they tasted just fine to him. This morning, I had to stop eating a sliced apple because it tasted too sweet. Hmmm..... I've got days where nothing sounds good to me; however, McDonald's fish fillet and Papa Murphy's pizza seems to ALWAYS sound good, but I must control those particular cravings with extra willpower.

• The baby has recently graduated from embryo to fetus-status.

• This week, the baby grows from the size of a grape/medium green olive to the size of a prune, growing from 1" in length to 1.5".

• Tiny buds of baby teeth will form under the gums this week.

• It should be busy moving its little muscles, but those movements wont be felt by me [the baby-mama] for another month or so.... 

• Bones and cartilage are forming.... elbows will be working by the end of the week.

• The baby's stomach is producing digestive juices and its kidneys are producing larger volumes of urine this week.

• And IF it is a boy, it will begin producing testosterone. (We'll have to wait and see on that one for a while now. The Chinese lunar calendar that I messed with the other day is predicting a girl.)

Isn't this all just SO amazing? 

We are looking forward to our first doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon. We're hoping that the heartbeat will be heard by Doppler at that appointment. (It would be nice to see something on ultrasound, as well, but we weren't promised that yet...) It will be interesting to see how regularly we will go in for appointments. As of right now, it is SO GREAT that Mike is equally excited for the appointments. We are just SO DARNED EXCITED!

Better run... getting hungry (again). Mmmm, leftover Papa Murphy's pizza is in the fridge (and is calling my name, I'm afraid..... )

So much for will-power, eh?

Uh, Oh... 8 pounds in 4 weeks! YIKES!

Had a physical at our home yesterday in order to qualify for life insurance.... was a little disappointed to discover that since my doctor's appointment 4 weeks ago, I have gained 8 pounds! Granted, it was not the same scale used, but still.....

What's a pregnant girl to do?

It seems like I am snacking all the time in an attempt to fend off morning sickness, which let me tell you - does NOT stick to just mornings! Speaking of which, yesterday was the first day that I actually threw up -- as in the past, I've just heaved and managed to talk myself out of hurling. My snacks usually consist of a few pieces of cereal (Quaker Oat Squares have become a new favorite of mine) and some water. Really, I have been eating healthy. Granted, there is ALWAYS room for improvement - a chance to add more fruits and vegetables, but for the most part has been healthy.

I'm starting to feel like those 8 extra pounds have found a home in my bra.... or should I say starting to hang out of my bra. It really is amazing how "the girls" grow so much bigger, so fast - when realistically, they wont be needed for MONTHS!

We remain excited for our first real appointment next week. We are hoping for a strong heartbeat and a healthy baby.

I am currently out of work due to a parvovirus that is circulating at the school where I work. I had labwork done on Monday morning to see if I am immune to it, but the results will not be back for a week they said. So, we are playing it safe (or should I say SAFER) at home; although, I had been exposed to Fifths Disease prior to when I had been notified since by the time the child presented with a rash, they were no longer contagious and I had been exposed for an incubation period of 4-21 days. Needless to say, we are hoping that everything is OK with the baby. With the threat of cold weather coming, I wouldn't be completely heartbroken if I don't return.... 2.5 hours of playground supervision in these cold Minnesota winters doesn't sound all that fun. Although, it sounds like I will soon be warmed from the inside.

With my 8 pounds of weight gain and my recent freedom from work, I think I will go for a walk before it rains. It has been a dark and overcast day all day so far so, I should stay close since the forecast sounds cold and rainy for the next few days.

SO, BABY.... let's go for a walk!

8 weeks today!

Hard to believe that I am now 8 weeks pregnant! Even harder to believe that I have neglected posting on my blog(s) for this long now.

Truth be told, I have visited my Journey of Life blog almost daily... especially since placing the pregnancy tracker widgets on the blog. I like to watch the baby float around and see how much cuter it gets each week.

A friend of mine, who is due around Christmas, told me about some free pregnancy magazines, as well as some great websites for watching the progression of a pregnancy. Let me tell you that the widget makes it look MUCH CUTER than the real life photograph at this point! In real life, the baby had more seahorse qualities and was not smoothed out like the widget graphic. (Guess that is only fitting since it will be swimming around for quite a while....)

When it was the size of a sweat-pea, we liked to call it that. Now, "sweat-pea" just kind of stuck because it sounds cute.... I'm sure it WILL be quite cute!

Mr. Right and I look at the widget trackers often. It is a great reference to know exactly how far along we are. (I also find it SO DARNED CUTE how he's looking online to see what is going on with my body, as well as the baby...)

We are just SO DARNED EXCITED! Looking forward to our first major appointment with the OB/GYN near the end of this month. We're hoping to hear heartbeat, as well as a sneak peak of what is making my breasts grow and stomach under the weather.

Mr. Right started telling people that I am far enough along to be sick to my stomach and emotional. (Personally, I think the EMOTIONAL-part is an over-reaction.... that may get sympathy on his end.) Will be glad to get out of the food adversion-phase of pregnancy! Afterall, I am SO used to eating anything and everything, but now... just not in the mood for much of anything.... just eating for survival these past two weeks, I suppose.

It will be SO COOL to see what is brewing inside, as well as start to feel "pregnant". Think I have 10 more weeks to go before I will "feel" movement, but HOW COOL WILL THAT BE?

My mom was telling me that she met with a bunch of ladies that she graduated from high school with this past week. She was talking about one woman who currently has a 2-year-old grandchild... with twins from one child and a single birth from the other child - all due before Christmas! (Mom also said that she was excited to be able to share the SHE, too, will be a grandmother!) I told mom that we were glad that we could "take one for the team" for her to participate in grandmotherhood. With a new computer and webcam on the way, mom is excited to be able to see 1) her own baby girl - ME, 2) her grand-kittens in my lap while I blog and 3) my ever-changing shape through pregnancy. She's also pretty excited to someday be able to see her grandchildren via webcam (in case we live too far away).



Thinking about doing a 365 project (photos, journaling or blogging), as inspired from graphic design great Ali Edwards website. Just wondering what is a good day to start it.... or if I am trying to tackle too much.