I had my 12 week check-up today and all is well! It was just a routine appointment but I got to meet one of the doctors who may ultimately deliver our child, and I really like her. She was a little hurried, but not more than most doctors. She listened to my questions and explained the genetic tests to me in a way that I could understand - all of which I appreciated. Best part though - I got to hear the baby's heartbeat! Good 150 beats per minute! :) While we were listening to the heartbeat, she asked me if I had any feeling if it was a boy or a girl. I told her I believe it is a boy, and she agreed - said that she was making the same prediction. All my friends swear I'm having a girl - so I guess we'll see!
Next appointment is July 24. The one after that (8-9 weeks from now) will be the next ultrasound when the big boy v. girl debate will hopefully be resolved!
Friday, June 23, 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
The perfect card
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Thursday, June 08, 2006
10 Weeks
I am 10 weeks today - 1/4 of the way there! :) According to all the books I'm reading and babycenter.com's updates, the baby is "officially" a little baby, having left the embryo stage. (Although at the doctor's visit they told us that, according to the ultrasound, it really was a fetus already.) The critical growth period has ended - although I know he has a long way to go! At about an inch long, the little guy can fit in the bowl of a tablespoon!
I'm feeling really good. I think I left the first trimester blues about a week or week and half ago. Although I never suffered from morning sickness (hallelujah!), I did get dizzy and nauseated a lot. And there were days I just didn't want to do anything but lay on the couch and watch TV. But I think I discovered the main cause: the generic Publix brand of prenatal vitamins I was taking. I forgot to take them for a few days and felt great, then took them when I remembered and felt awful again. Anyway, at my doctor's appointment, they gave me prescription vitamins and now I feel a-okay - and the little guy is getting all the nutrients he needs! So now I'm ready to start showing so that I can feel pregnant again! :) Ellis and I joke sometimes that it would be great to buy our own ultrasound like Tom ("the Crazy") Cruise did for Kate. It sure would be nice to check in on the little guy each day - just to make sure he was doing well!!
I'm feeling really good. I think I left the first trimester blues about a week or week and half ago. Although I never suffered from morning sickness (hallelujah!), I did get dizzy and nauseated a lot. And there were days I just didn't want to do anything but lay on the couch and watch TV. But I think I discovered the main cause: the generic Publix brand of prenatal vitamins I was taking. I forgot to take them for a few days and felt great, then took them when I remembered and felt awful again. Anyway, at my doctor's appointment, they gave me prescription vitamins and now I feel a-okay - and the little guy is getting all the nutrients he needs! So now I'm ready to start showing so that I can feel pregnant again! :) Ellis and I joke sometimes that it would be great to buy our own ultrasound like Tom ("the Crazy") Cruise did for Kate. It sure would be nice to check in on the little guy each day - just to make sure he was doing well!!
Word travels fast!
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has posted words of congratulatons on this blog or have emailed me about our news. Its amazing how fast word can spread over the internet! :)
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Baby's First Pictures
Here they are! Our baby's first pictures! I think she/he (actually, I'm convinced its a boy) looks more like a little hamster in the pictures - but I can't tell you how amazed Ellis and I were when we saw the ultrasound. I've seen ultrasound pictures of my friends' babies - but never a "live" ultrasound. It really was probably the most amazing moment of my life -- and I know the moments will only get better! It is just such a miracle how life is created and how it grows.
I was expecting the ultrasound to be nothing but a little dot on a screen - so imagine my surprise when a tiny little baby appeared. The baby was moving its hands and feet back and forth and you could see its little heart beating. Then, we heard the heartbeat -- Incredible! This baby's got a fast - but good! - little heartbeat - 166 beats per minute.
Honestly, the ultrasound was just one of many experiences I know we will have that are difficult to put in words. I am so proud of our kid already - and I haven't even met him (or her)!
Telling the Big News
After much discussion Thursday night, and after I had discussed it to death with family and friends, Ellis and I decided to go ahead and tell everyone that we are expecting a child - even though I am not done with the first trimester. I will not bore you with all the reasons, but a large part of the reason is that we bumped into someone we knew at our doctor's appointment. Last Wednesday, we went for our first ultrasound (which I'll post about next). Afterwards, we were sitting in the waiting room (the office calls it the "waiting womb") and while we are still beaming with excitment and marveling at the miracle - in walks a woman from church that we both know well. She was in for her 4 month check-up, and she sat down and said "do I know something no one else knows?" :) We took that as a sign that it was time for us to go ahead and let everyone know. I'll highlight some of the wonderful moments of telling people below:
First off, I must confess that I get SO NERVOUS when I tell people I am pregnant. I don't know why -- I just do. I think I've gotten a little better about it because of the "experience" I've had the last couple days, but I still get nervous!
So -- we let our parents know on Mother's Day. We gave our moms "grandmother's day" cards instead of mother's day cards. My mom figured it out right away before she opened the card. Ellis' mom took a minute because Ellis' sister has a child, Kate. She later confessed that she took a minute because she couldn't understand why we were giving her a mother's day card from Kate. But she burst into tears of excitement when she realized what we were telling her. It was a wonderful moment for all of us! :)
I let everyone at work know this past Friday and everyone was really great about it! I personally told the attorneys I work closely with on my team, my closest friends in the firm, and our managing partner. I am sure word will spread quickly next week to everyone else. My boss, Jamie, said some wonderful things to me - really made me feel good both about my place in the firm and my having a baby. Overall, I work for a wonderful firm and have a job that I know I should be thankful for every day. (Even if I do often daydream about quitting and opening up a bookstore or just cutting out early -- I mean it wouldn't be "work" if we loved it all the time, would it?)
As most of you know, Ellis is the Program Director of a Methodist church. We told everone at church this morning. I think all of them were more excited than just about anybody else! Ellis oversees the Child Care program at the church, among many other things - so I think the whole Child Care staff has been dying to hear that he was going to have a child. We had been constantly told by many in the church, "When are you going to have a baby?", (which I must admit, sometimes REALLY got on my nerves) - but so they were all ecstatic to learn that we were. This morning, at the end of the service, right before the benediction, our minister decided to announce to the ENTIRE congregation that we were expecting a baby. Lucky Ellis was back in the back of the church at the time - but I am in the choir so I am dead center facing the congregation when she made the announcement. I turned BRIGHT red of embarrassment when she told everyone. I was so nervous about it that, unfortunatley, I missed the reactions of everyone in the church. But everybody gave us a huge round of applause. We were greeted with so many hugs and congratulations after the service -- it makes me remember why I love the church community that we are a part of. They are so supportive and genuinely happy for us.
First off, I must confess that I get SO NERVOUS when I tell people I am pregnant. I don't know why -- I just do. I think I've gotten a little better about it because of the "experience" I've had the last couple days, but I still get nervous!
So -- we let our parents know on Mother's Day. We gave our moms "grandmother's day" cards instead of mother's day cards. My mom figured it out right away before she opened the card. Ellis' mom took a minute because Ellis' sister has a child, Kate. She later confessed that she took a minute because she couldn't understand why we were giving her a mother's day card from Kate. But she burst into tears of excitement when she realized what we were telling her. It was a wonderful moment for all of us! :)
I let everyone at work know this past Friday and everyone was really great about it! I personally told the attorneys I work closely with on my team, my closest friends in the firm, and our managing partner. I am sure word will spread quickly next week to everyone else. My boss, Jamie, said some wonderful things to me - really made me feel good both about my place in the firm and my having a baby. Overall, I work for a wonderful firm and have a job that I know I should be thankful for every day. (Even if I do often daydream about quitting and opening up a bookstore or just cutting out early -- I mean it wouldn't be "work" if we loved it all the time, would it?)
As most of you know, Ellis is the Program Director of a Methodist church. We told everone at church this morning. I think all of them were more excited than just about anybody else! Ellis oversees the Child Care program at the church, among many other things - so I think the whole Child Care staff has been dying to hear that he was going to have a child. We had been constantly told by many in the church, "When are you going to have a baby?", (which I must admit, sometimes REALLY got on my nerves) - but so they were all ecstatic to learn that we were. This morning, at the end of the service, right before the benediction, our minister decided to announce to the ENTIRE congregation that we were expecting a baby. Lucky Ellis was back in the back of the church at the time - but I am in the choir so I am dead center facing the congregation when she made the announcement. I turned BRIGHT red of embarrassment when she told everyone. I was so nervous about it that, unfortunatley, I missed the reactions of everyone in the church. But everybody gave us a huge round of applause. We were greeted with so many hugs and congratulations after the service -- it makes me remember why I love the church community that we are a part of. They are so supportive and genuinely happy for us.
Welcome!
Welcome to our website! I have really enjoyed keeping up with my friends' babies as they grow up by reading their blogs. It is such a wonderful way to keep up with the little ones who grow up so fast! Most of our family lives out of town (I have a grandmother in Brazil who I hope will be able to find this website and read about everything - Hi Vovo!), and 4 of our closest friends have moved or in the process of moving - so I hope they will enjoy this blog and that it will provide an opportunity for us all to continue to keep in touch.
So - for those of you I have not had a chance to tell personally - yes, I am pregnant! Ellis and I are very very very excited to start a family. And I look forward to sharing some of our milestones between now and when the baby is born. I don't know how often I will update this blog when I am pregnant (there won't be that many pictures that I will want to share!!), but I will be sure to post whenever something new and significant occurs.
Hope you all enjoy our blog!
So - for those of you I have not had a chance to tell personally - yes, I am pregnant! Ellis and I are very very very excited to start a family. And I look forward to sharing some of our milestones between now and when the baby is born. I don't know how often I will update this blog when I am pregnant (there won't be that many pictures that I will want to share!!), but I will be sure to post whenever something new and significant occurs.
Hope you all enjoy our blog!
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