He's a kicker!

I've been a slacker blogger this week...my apologies! I just returned from a fabulous trip out of state to visit my Mom and Stepdad to see their new home. It was so much fun to relax and catch up with them. Mom and I did a little bit of baby planning and dreaming (and shopping!), and she was officially the first one to feel Elfie kicking from the outside.

My boy has gotten so much stronger in the past two weeks, and is now consistently kicking (or punching?) my belly button. The sensation of feeling my baby move inside of me is incredibly unreal. It's quite possibly the most moving, exciting experience in my life so far. I crave the movement, and when it happens I am fascinated and in awe. Today, sitting on the couch, it was so strong I could actually see my belly moving.

M and I painted Elfie's room last weekend, and I have plans to get the furniture soon. We inherited a white Jen.ny L.ind crib from M's SIL, which has been sitting disassembled in the room for two years! I put the bedding on to see how it looks, and I'm even more in love with it now than when I picked it out. So we are going with white furniture...and I'd like to make a trip to I.KEA to see some of our options. My friend is selling us her glider for $40...I lucked out on that one!

We registered at BRU on Sunday, it feels great to have checked that off the list. The actual experience of registering was overwhelming. Especially when you start in the breastfeeding and/or baby safety section. There are SO MANY different products to choose from! I think we did a good job of starting with the basics, and now we're having fun getting online and adding/deleting items as I do more research. I also started reading a few parenting books to get me prepared to be a mommy!

This morning I had an appointment with a cardiologist. Dr. D (my OB) referred me to him because I told him that I've had a few episodes of my heart racing and I also have heart palpitations quite frequently. He told me that it's completely normal for such things to happen in pregnancy since circulation changes so much, but I think after seeing that there's heart disease in my family, he wanted to take all necessary precautions. The appointment this morning went well. He did and EKG and took a pretty thorough history, only to tell me that he thinks I'm fine. I wasn't too worried, just glad to be more safe than sorry!

Halfway There!

Boy, oh boy!

I mean that in every sense of the phrase! Since Monday's appointment I have been busy picking out bedding (it is SOOOO cute!!), creating my color scheme, and researching registry items. It is SO OVERWHELMING! Thankfully (and I never thought I'd find myself actually feeling gratitude for this..), I have a few friends who recently had babies, and they are turning out to be excellent sources of wisdom and advice on the subject of must-have baby items. Tomorrow I will go to the pick up the paint for Elfie's room, and hopefully can get the room taped and tarped...... Ohmygosh I can't believe this is really happening!...... I've waited a long, long time to decorate that empty room. I'll post pics as soon as I take 'em!

On the "how I'm feeling" front, the heartburn is a constant!!! Thank the Lord for Tums and their soothing qualities, although I'm having to load up on fiber to counteract the, ahem, "effects" of a lot of calcium! Luckily it hasn't been too bad yet.

I am in constant awe of my changing body. When I pass a mirror, I can't help but strike a pose to see my bump from different angles! As I feel Elfie moving around more and more everyday, I can relax some of the anxieties that something might go wrong. Of course, I know that nobody is completely safe from complications and tragedy, but for now I choose to enjoy and delight in this amazing miracle. I get teary-eyed just thinking about holding my newborn son!

So...I am officially at the halfway mark. It's the blink of an eye when I consider what it took to get here, and I thoroughly look forward to the next 4.5 months and beyond!

It's a.....

BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Our appointment went better than I could have ever dreamt! Not only did our little Elfie reveal the goods, but they were THE FIRST THING WE SAW when Dr. D turned on the monitor! M and I both had guessed that it was a boy (I had two very vivid dreams about boys and their "parts!"), so we were excited to both be correct! (heeheehee...I LOVE being right!!!).

I have gained 6 lbs. in the past 5 weeks, which is a little over a pound a week. Doc was pleased about that (as was I, though shocked that it wasn't more!). This puts my weight gain at 9 lbs since my 10 week appointment, which is when I started keeping track. Overall, not too shabby. Baby's weight is estimated to be about 3/4 of a pound. Way to pack it on, little man!

Elfie looked absolutely fantastic on the screen. He was moving around a lot and practicing his dance moves for us. We got a big kick out of seeing his wiggles and watching the doc measure everything. Our quad screen came back normal, so it was explained to us that our chances for genetic abnormality have now decreased to about 1.5%. I was completely emotional seeing my SON wave and move, especially knowing that he is healthy and growing appropriately. Overall, a very moving experience. Quite a momentous event.

After the appointment M and I stopped at Babies R Us and parked in the Expectant Mother's spot. Wow. What a feeling. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel like an impostor walking into that store! We picked out two adorable outfits for our little man..our first gifts to baby boy. I can't wait to see them on him!!! Here are some pics from our day....

Tomorrow!

19w3d

Well, it's finally come! When I look back to my last OB appt, I thought 5 weeks was AN ETERNITY to wait! But then I compare it to the 2 years we've been waiting, longing for, crying about, and praying for this miracle of life, and it seems like such a blip on the radar. And it truly has gone by pretty fast.

I have been feeling my little elfin baby moving around quite a bit in there. It started about a week and a half ago, and since it is so subtle and not consistent, it took me a while to really identify it as the baby. Now I know for sure, and LOVE the feeling. He/she moves most when I am lying down or sitting still, so I try to do that as much as possible.

I have so much excited anticipation regarding tomorrow's appointment. I am just a tad bit nervous about the scan, and am hoping that Elfie is measuring appropriately, is healthy, and doesn't reveal any major problems. In the back of my mind I know it will be fine, but the worry thoughts do creep in from time to time, and I can't help but be anxious. Mostly though, I am excited to fall deeper in love with my baby tomorrow.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY....

I really hope our little Elfie is not stubborn like his/her momma and decides to show us the goods!!! If we are lucky and do get to see those beautiful genitals, M and I are planning to spend the day together telling friends and family. I will post here tomorrow night after we've let our IRL peeps know!!

And then....LET THE SHOPPING BEGIN!! I have not bought a single thing for this baby yet, and I am excited to pick out a really special outfit for him or her. I can't wait to get started on the nursery!!

Today's the last day to vote...let us know what you think!

A Happy Weekend

18w4d

M and I had a busy, fun Easter weekend! My brother flew in early Saturday morning, and my dad and grandpa came Saturday afternoon. I hosted dinner on Saturday, and had a house full of MEN! It wasn't until we were all sitting around the table that I realized I was very much in the minority! Oh well, it was great. They were all happy to see me with energy and were surprised by my growing bump!

Sunday, my MIL hosted Easter dinner for everyone. It was a lot of fun to have everyone together. I LOVE holidays for that reason!

Lately, the bump has expanded so much that, while I don't feel huge, I certainly think I look whale-ish in pictures. I am very short-waisted, so little Elfie has nowhere to go but out! It's funny how I've always loved, admired, and envied beautiful pregnant bellies, but when it comes to seeing the weight gain on me, I'm just totally taken aback. Don't get me wrong...I'm loving it...just a little unaccustomed!

Here's me with my Dad:



And one of me and Elfie!

A whole bunch of happenings. (updated)

17w4d

First things first, my cousin is pregnant! I've never shared about her, but today it seems appropriate. Back in July when I had the ectopic, my aunt and uncle were out visiting from Chicago, so we shared the story with them (mainly because I couldn't drink alcohol due to the methotrexate). Apparently, they went back home and told my cousin, because a few days later I got a call from her (she is also in Chi-town). She was sympathizing with our infertility..and then she revealed that she and her hubby had been try for about a year. I was surprised (of course, because everyone I know seems to get pregnant very easily), and a bit relieved to know that I wasn't alone in my struggle.

Anyhoo, we've kept in touch throughout the 8 months since then, and I knew that she was scheduled for an HSG in January. I emailed her to check in and see what results the testing brought back, but I didn't hear back from her...which is pretty unusual. On Wednesday last week I got a call from her that she is 12 weeks and overjoyed! They ended up getting pregnant on their own immediately after the HSG! So our babies will be 5 weeks apart!

And since I mentioned the ectopic....

Yesterday was the due date for the ill-fated baby who couldn't find its way to my uterus. I was a little bit sad, but truly I think that my pregnancy took the edge off. Of course, if I was still fighting the good fight right now, the date would have been MUCH HARDER to swallow. I'm glad for the ability to be distracted and happy about my subsequent pregnancy success. I'm glad Elfie knew how to stop and ask for directions (maybe this indicates a female??!)!

M and I went to a fancy charity gala on Saturday night. It was great to get dressed up! I bought a new dress, and thankfully it is NOT a maternity dress, so I can wear it after little Elfie arrives. Here's a pic of my little belly starting to grow:

17 weeks!

Thanks for the advice about the heartburn. I bought some Tums and they've been working wonders. Phew!

I had a scary moment yesterday at work. I was in the middle of teaching a lesson when all of a sudden I felt as though I'd pass out. I walked over to my desk where there was a lovely muffin waiting for me and promptly stuffed it in my mouth. I told the kids I'd have to sit down for the rest of the lesson. They were very sweet and understanding! I was truly scared, as I've never experienced this before. I called my mom at lunch and she said it used to happen to her when she was pregnant, and that it's just my low blood pressure/low blood sugar. So now I know that I should keep food IN MY POCKET for emergencies such as this!

So..the weeks are moving right along, and I'm certainly comforted by my expanding belly. Of course I am counting the days til our BIG ultrasound because once we know the gender, the REAL planning can begin. I haven't even really seriously planned the nursery yet, and of course need to start getting serious about names, etc.

Hope everyone is enjoying Spring so far!