Hello, 3rd trimester!

Cappy weighs as much as a head of cauliflower- about 2 pounds!

My book says that this week marks the start of the 3rd trimester. This is the part where I exclaim how fast time is going by in the pregnancy and how much my Cappy has grown... I feel like I sit here and tell you all the same thing week after week. Oddly enough, this still feels like it started yesterday. I am continually amazed by God's genius design for how a woman's body supports a a growing baby and how that child grows minute by minute- the science, rather the miracle behind it all is truly fascinating.

So big news in Cappy's world is that sometime in the next few days, he will open his eyes. When his eyelids started forming, they kept his eyes fused shut. He should be able to open and close them at will if not now, pretty soon. I can't wait to see what his eyes look like. Joe has the most beautiful hazel eyes with long lashes and I've always been complimented on my bright blue ones, so it will be interesting to see what baby's eyes look like. My email update warns me that baby may start hiccuping. I'm not sure how I'll know that's what he's doing... but it says that to him it will feel like tickles!

I no longer feel light tickles when my kiddo moves around- he's getting pretty big and I feel that its pretty tight quarters in there already. Daddy was treated to an interactive poke and kick session the other night. Joe would give my belly a poke and seconds later he'd get a kick back. I know- the kid's gifted. Unfortunately for Mommy, this whole thing took place all the way on the side of my rib cage, which felt less than awesome. As I sit here now and talk about him, he's rolling around doing his famous acrobatics that make my whole belly shift. One day I'll have to figure out how to use the video camera on my laptop so I can tape this for you all- its a trip!

26 weeks

Cappy is as long as an English cucumber, which is about 14 inches long! It's crazy to me how big my little poppyseed has gotten! Today, at the doctor's appointment, he checked in with a perfect 154 beats per minute heartrate. He was hanging out high on my left side, which would explain why I often get those lovely jabs to the ribs. We also know that Cappy is growing perfectly since my belly checks in at exactly the average measurement and my weight gain is on target. This is a huge relief because lots of people seem to like commenting on the size of my belly... so now I can say that its just perfect, thank you!

Week 25 Explosion

I forgot to post this earlier in the week, but I think my bump exploded over night. Just in the last few weeks my belly has become UNDENIABLY pregnant.

Yesterday it snowed. Big, pretty flakes that covered our neighborhood and did no damage to the roads. I went out to lunch and a movie with a friend and as we walked out, I stepped onto a snow covered grassy area and slipped right on my butt. Ouch! Cappy and I are just fine, but we did spend quality time with the heating pad last night! ;)

One of my favorites!

When I was looking into baby gear, I relied on help from a few resources. I talked to recent first time moms about their favorite products, why they liked them, and what the most important features of those products were. I also got help from been there done that mommies on a message board that I'm a part of. Finally, I used babygizmo.com to read both the editor reviews and mom reviews about all this baby stuff.

They are giving stuff away and although I've NEVER in my life won a contest, it still doesn't stop me from trying. I love the idea that I could win something for free! :)

A corny reflection at 24 weeks

Cappy is as long as an ear of corn.

So my email update tells me that my uterus is the size of a soccer ball this week. Gross. Baby is about a foot long and has been gaining weight rapidly- 4 ounces this week! (That explains the kiwi, right?) Actually, Cappy may really like kiwi as his taste buds have started working. He kicks up a storm, especially from about 7-9pm. His kicks are strong and often aimed major organs, such as my bladder. Actually, if he's hanging out the same way that he was for the ultrasound that could be headbutts to my bladder.

Its so hard to believe that I am already 6 months pregnant since it feels like we just found out that we were expecting. The reality has set in and we are starting to get ready to welcome home baby in about 4 months (remember- baby doesn't come until you hit the 10 month mark!) Between the two of us, Joe and I have three amazing dads who all are willing to help us get ready for Cappy. We would like to convert our loft into our bedroom and our bedroom will become the nursery. The plan is to paint the nursery and maybe even add in some bookshelves, if Cappy's grandpa Fischer can come out from Minnesota. My awesome father in law, Dennis, has even offered his services to help with figuring out how to make our loft into a real room. We're just so thankful that we have such a supportive family to help us make the transition to a family of three.

Crazy Craving Alert!

I want to eat kiwi. All day. Every day. The thing is they are hard to find and not exactly cheap. So, I should probably kick this habit, but I find myself temporarily unable to resist the deliciousness of kiwi... ;)

And here is a belly shot!

Week 23

Baby Cappy is getting stronger and stronger! We can see his kicks, punches, and head butts from the outside now. Daddy praises him for doing such great tummy tricks. Cappy's sense of hearing is supposed to be pretty good, but despite this, Joe insists on the mouth to belly baby communication technique. It reminds me of Dory the fish from Finding Nemo doing the whale voice... If nothing else, this is preparing Cappy for Daddy's odd sense of humor. I find myself talking to him as well, but usually when we're alone. Even though I know I am not talking to myself, I still feel a little odd having a one sided conversation with my belly.

I have been dancing with him though. I've been stretching out my back and hips often by hula hooping, dancing, and just standing and rocking from side to side. These offer good stretching throughout the day, but night time is when things get a more uncomfortable. I've been getting rib pain either from displaced organs or Cappy stretching all the way out to put a body part under my ribs. And never being a side sleeper before, my lower back aches as I change from left to right side throughout the night. We've been experimenting with pillow formations and I now occupy 2/3rds of the bed between me, baby belly, my 4 pillows and Snoopy. Apparently my restless sleeping is also causing a bit of very unladylike (and unSuzielike) snoring. Poor Joe.

22 weeks

My email update this morning reminded me that at 22 weeks pregnant, my baby is roughly the size of a spaghetti squash. It says he's 11 inches in length and weighs almost a pound, which we already know is about right from the ultrasound. His skin is full of deep wrinkles until he starts to gain his adorable chub. My email also informed me that my belly button (if it hasn't already) should be popping out soon. I'm inspecting it now and it looks deeper than ever, so we'll just have to see when "soon" is...

Joe and I have started to talk names, but have decided that we're just going to call baby Cappy until we pick one. We are also thinking that we'd like to go to the hospital with a few names and see what Cappy looks like before we name him. But for the record, Capernicus is not in the running for the name of my first born. ;)

Pictures of Baby Cappy

Sucking his thumb

baby foot!

profile

So when we went in for the ultrasound on Friday, Cappy was folded in half with his feet up by his head. At one point we saw him sucking and decided that for sure he was desperately trying to get to those toes. He later found his fingers... We could see everything! We saw the 4 chambers of his heart, left and right brain, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and even a sweet little nose. He is weighing in at about 1 pound. Hard to believe that in the next 18 weeks he will gain 5.5-7.5 more! Anyways, we think he's beautiful, but the doctor agreed that he's perfect! :D

Our special time

As I was driving to work this morning, it occurred to me that this part of pregnancy is so special for me. I feel my baby move and its our little secret because unless I tell, nobody would know. As time goes on, Cappy will grow stronger and others will be able to share in his movement and soon enough people will be able to actually watch my belly change shape as he squirms. It delighted me to think about how precious this time with him is, but made me a little sad at the same time when I realized, only I will remember this time. He will never recall the times his little wiggles were our little secret.

So, each and every time I get kicked or nudged in the ribs, I am going to remember how amazing this time is and that nobody other than me and Cappy know that his foot is lodged under my lung. ;)

Read no further if you do not want to know the gender!

It's a healthy boy! We're headed on an awesome weekend trip, but I'll put up all the beautiful pictures of our son when we get back!

:)

The big day!

Today is my birthday. I love my birthday. I love that I get a ton of phone calls, text messages, and cards wishing me a good day. I always wake up on my birthday with a smile in anticipation of lovely greetings from my friends and family. My 28th birthday is different. Today, I woke up feeling like it was my birthday... and Christmas Day... and the first day of school! It was so much excitement and enthusiasm that it was though all of my favorite days rolled into one because today we get to take a peek at my sweet baby. We get the reassurance that he is growing and developing. We hopefully also get to see the money shot and know if we are expecting a son or a daughter.

So, consider this your spoiler alert! There will be gender news on the blog this evening! :)

21 weeks and a bellah!

Baby is growing and so is Mommy....

Road Trip!

This afternoon, Cappy and I are driving to New Jersey. First, we are headed to one of my favorite places, my second childhood home, The Hummels. Jen and I are going to celebrate our birthdays the best way we know how (with lots of cheese.) We're going to eat our way through South Jersey starting with Italian and ending in a place that serves chocolate cake "as big as your head." Yesssss! On Saturday, my mom will be treating me and Cappy to one of her amazing massages- yay for Thai massage! I also plan to drag these poor women to a few stores that I have been deprived of by living in Virginia to find a maternity coat and scope out Buy Buy Baby, which I hear is fabulous despite its stupid name.

More tales from New Jersey to follow upon my return! :)

Halfway there!

Today marks 20 weeks pregnant, which is crazy to me because I found out about this baby like yesterday. Cappy is cantalope sized now and it blows my mind how fast this whole experience is going. My sweet baby is taking in amniotic fluid like a champ, practicing breathing and digesting. He even is developing a fine palette as studies show that babies often respond well to foods they were introduced to in the womb. That means Cappy is destined to love apples since I eat a least one a day. :) Daddy is also getting a kick out of the fact that baby has started to collect meconium in his bowels. Let's hope he gets this excited when its time for him to change the diapers full of it... ;)

Bummer.

So I've not been feeling my best this week. I tried to chalk it all up to a bit of pregnancy congestion. But after not sleeping at all on Thursday night because I couldn't breathe, I decided it was time to visit the doctor. I already knew going in that I had a sinus infection- that was pretty obvious from the disgustingness that was stuck in my face, but she really threw me a curve ball when she brought up strep throat.

So, here I sit on Saturday, missing my friend's bridal shower, desperately trying to expell the superglue that has taken over my sinuses. The good news is that Cappy doesn't seem to mind chilling on the couch today- he's giving me kicks of approval after each good cough.

19 week update

I totally love baby mango! Last week was so unappetizing unlike my sweet little mango. For my friend who asked about where I get these cute pictures, they are from thebump.com, which sends me an email update each week. :) Anyways, Cappy is forming the different sensory areas in his brain. He is also sprouting hair on his head! I can't wait to see whether or not he has dark hair like Daddy or light hair like Mommy.

Only about 2 more weeks until we have our next ultrasound. At this one, if Cappy cooperates, we should be able to finally know if I've been baking a baby boy or a baby girl. In the meantime, I am starting to enjoy feeling Cappy move around. At first it was just weird, but as I get used to it (and it starts to feel more kick like instead of a freaky squirm) the more I like it.

It's already planned...

So one of my closest friends, Hillary, is due with baby #2 a little less than 3 months after Cappy is expected to make his debut! I'm excited for so many reasons! #1: How great that we can experience pregnancy together! #2: Obviously our children will fall in love and get married and then we can be mothers-in-law together. #3: She's an amazing mother and I'm so excited to see her family grow. I learn so much through her example. And for the record, I'm so glad she went first! ;)

Congrats, Hilly! :) Love you!

The end of an era

For those of you who know me well, you know that I've had two surgeries on my belly. As a result, I have a "zipper" that goes from my belly button down. I had gotten my naval pierced at age 15 and my first surgery was months later. I always felt like the piercing made my belly more pretty- it somehow evened out the ugliness of that long scar.

Well, the end of the bellybutton ring era has come. Yesterday, my sister helped me to remove my piercing after 12 years. I was feeling a little sad for a few reasons. I was sad that another mark of my teenage years is gone (belly ring is now hanging out with naturally blonde hair and size 2 pants) and I was feeling like I no longer had a good looking stomach. I texted my husband (who has been working hard out of town for the week) about my fears and he simply replied back that I've replaced my belly ring with "a beautiful baby bump."

Yeah, I'm tearing up just writing this down. I'm always being reminded that I have the perfect husband for me. Hey, Joe- you're a keeper.

Girls Night!

I got to spend the evening with one of my favorite cousins, Ana. She's 6 and for those of you who don't know her, she comes with more personality than most adults. She's one of my favorite kids in the whole world! Anyways, Ana, her parents, Jana and Robert, and I all went up to Carter's Mountain, picked up some apples, cider, and of course, the most amazing apple cider doughnuts. Ana made friends with almost every dog that crossed our paths and picked out the best gourd in the entire bin to take home.

Then, Mom and Dad went off for their own night out and Ana and I made a gourmet dinner (mac and cheese and peas.) We also started watching The Ewok Movie, which I was obsessed with when I was her age. She was pretty into it. Then at 7:30, we began the bedtime routine. We started with putting on the jammies. This required a special dance followed by several bounces around the room and questions about whether Snickers the cat should spend the night in Ana's room. Then, the toothbrushing phase. I helped her out by singing while she brushed. And finally the first chapter in her new book as a bedtime story. I was promptly told that I don't do the voices right. After we got over that, I turned on her lullaby music, tucked her into her pink leopard blanket and gave her a good night snuggle. 5 minutes later she announced she just couldn't sleep. This happened again 10 minutes later. I haven't seen her in 20 minutes now, so I think she may be asleep.

I can't wait to see what bedtime routines my child requires in a few years! Just another thing I am so excited to find out about my baby.

17 weeks and a "Snow Day"

Baby Cappy is as big as an onion this week, but weighs about as much as turnip! His bones are hardening and he will just start to gain a little fat (I <3 baby chub!) He is developing sweat glands, which comes in handy since he can now bend all of his joints, making him now able to fully participate in Jane Fonda-esque aerobics while in the womb.

This morning I got a call from the school nurse. We have several cases (about 10% of the student population) of confirmed swine flu. Additionally, at least one student that I know of has been in my classroom in the last 24 hours. She was concerned that I should not be at school, so after talking to my OB's nurse, she recommended I take a 10 day course of Tamiflu. The school nurse, recommended I take the rest of the day away and to "stop breathing the air [here.]" So, we are following the CDC's orders and I am blogging and watching TV today. Since the whole H1N1 thing freaks me out, I'm just calling today my special snow day.

16 week update!

My sweet Cappy is an avocado this week! He's busy gaining weight, pumping 25 quarts of blood through his veins every day, and growing teeny, tiny toenails (say that 3 times fast!) I read that he's started growing the pattern on his scalp where his hair will grow (more than likely thick and curly) one day.

I find myself daydreaming about my baby. I wonder: What does he look like? Is he a he? If he is a she, will she resent me for referring to her as a he this whole time? ;)

Almost 4 months!

So here is the 15 weeks update, 4 days late... I think my belly is finally starting to poke out. It certainly doesn't look pregnant, but Joe and I can tell. I read in Jenny McCarthy's pregnancy book that first one must gain their "protective layer of fat," and there is mine. ;) Here are 6 weeks and 15 weeks belly shots. Don't mind the bed hair... it was a rough morning!

Cappy is an orange this week. He is moving amniotic fluid through his lungs, helping him to develop his respiratory system. According to my email update, baby is growing long legs this week; finally longer than his arms. Hmmmm... as we saw at 12 weeks, my kiddo has awesome long legs, so I'm wondering if he's now got basketball player's legs?

I cried this morning in the car on the way to work. Partially because a classic, singer songwriter song was on, "The Cat's in the Cradle," and mostly because I'm a hormonal pregnant woman who does not need an excuse to cry.

How will I make it through the 2 hour Grey's Anatomy premiere tonight?

14 weeks

So baby is the size of a lemon this week however I am craving LIMES! It must be a pregnancy craving because I never cared for them before, but I am obsessed with lime popsicles. I start out every morning with one! Yum! (For those I am making hungry, I highly recommend Whole Foods brand, there is no better popscicle on the market!) This week Cappy is working on growing lanugo, which is basically baby fur. He's also moving around like crazy, flexing his arms and facial muscles. On the last ultrasound, we thought it was possible he was sucking his thumb and my book suggested that babies suck their thumbs around this time. This just goes to illustrate Cappy's apparent genius! ;)

I had a Doctor's appointment today. I did the usual pee in a cup, weigh in (no weight gained this month) and vitals. The doctor used a Doppler to check out Cappy's heartbeat. She said everything sounds great. She asked me if I was feeling baby move and I said no. She thinks I may feel him sooner than other first time moms because he is very strong and active. She was pretty impressed with his movement. I'm really looking forward to feeling him.

Oh, and for those of you wondering, the "big ultrasound" is scheduled for my birthday, Nov. 6th. The best 28th birthday present I could think of is seeing my beautiful baby and knowing for sure that he is healthy! Oh, and it would be nice to know if he really is a he!

Welcome, all!

OK, the blog is officially out there! Hi! :)

All is Just Peachy in the Second Trimester!

Cappy is a peach this week! He continues to grow rapidly- about a tenth of an inch and .08 ounces a day lately! He's growing his vocal cords, but for now, makes no sound. I can feel the changes in my belly now, too. Every time I bend down to my feet, I am reminded that there is a baby in there.

Frog legs!

I had an ultrasound on Friday and we got another peek at Cappy. According to the doctor, he looks great and is measuring perfectly on target for his due date. I loved seeing him and my favorite thing was that he was bouncing up and down. It was so cute. He also appeared to have his hand resting on his face for most the time, which is also very sweet. Nana Julie came up for the special occasion and even documented our visit on her iphone... starting with pictures of me in the waiting room at the OB-GYN office. She's a bit excited to be "expecting her first grandchild." :)
Oh and did I mention my child has long legs?!!? It must be from my family, specifically the Cummings DNA... hahahhahah!

12 weeks!

So, we've finally reached the official traditional time where I am allowed to talk about being pregnant. Yay! Close friends and family, of course, already knew, but we still have some people on our list to share the news with. I will be telling the 8th grade team at work by the end of the week. The only people who need to be kept out of the loop are my students. I must get through back to school night (conveniently scheduled for our anniversary) and possibly even parent teacher conferences without parents pestering me about what will happen to their babies while I selfishly take maternity leave. ;)

Anyways, as I say EVERY week in the update, our sweet baby is growing like a weed! I just cannot get over how in the last month he has more than tripled in size! This week he is a plum, which I always thought looked like the most delectable of baby foods. :) Most of his major organs and systems are formed, so now the major task is growth and fine tuning. My book says that this week his kidneys are helping him secrete urine. That's right, my kid has starting peeing inside me. Gross! Also, another big highlight this week is that he is developing reflexes. I hope we get to poke him on Friday and see his little wiggling arms and legs on the ultrasound! :)

Pop!

Two things popped out today. The first was when I was doing hallway duty and I realized that a button on my shirt was undone. Awesome. So for the rest of the day I was obsessively checking all buttons on my clothing, including my pants and the buttons at the bottom of my blouse. As I was investigating a button down by my belly button, I pushed down below it, it was hard! Hey! That's not not chub OR gas! It's baby! Well, technically its my uterus, but whatever. It's progress and its totally amazing and freaky at the same time. :)

Lime or Fig?

So I got conflicting fruits in my email update on Cappy this week. One resource says he's a lime and the other says fig. Either way, holy cow! This kid is growing by leaps and bounds now! This week he has started to grow hair follicles and tooth buds. And his fingers and toes are no longer webbed (wooohoo!)

My tailored pants for work are starting to feel a little tight, but I definately don't look pregnant. I look like I fell off the weight watchers wagon. My boobs continue to grow, making it hard to find shirts that fit. Button down shirts and cardigans used to be staples, but are now enemies. I guess I am headed into the awkward stage where I am too big for my normal clothes, but too small for maternity clothes. I know I have some clothes that were baggy, so I just have to go through my closet! Anyone who has been there, done that, please send advice! :)

Boooooring

So my 4 week doctor's appointment was uneventful. I got weighed, my blood pressure taken and I peed in a cup. Then the doctor came in to answer questions. I didn't really have any. I mean, I feel like I've read every pregnancy book on the planet, so I already know what is normal. She thinks I should take more tums for my gas and that I should feel like my pre-pregnancy self in the next 2-3 weeks. My nausea has really let up lately, so I usually only feel really icky for a few hours a day. I am still exhausted though! I can't wait to get my energy back. I also learned that one shouldn't talk about how their pants still fit. Last night, I was going through my professional wardrobe and discovered that my nicest pants are quite tight. Bummer. It appears that I may be headed into the looks more fat than pregnant phase...

Wish me luck! The kids come back today and I'm excited to see them! :)

10 weeks!

Baby has been growing for two months now (remember they date pregnancy back to before you even concieve) and has officially reached "fetus" status. This means Cappy has graduated to mobile arms and legs, a functioning liver, and fingernails. Way to go, kid! One of his embyonic features, the yolk sac, is shrinking since it is no longer needed. I'm gonna miss that cute balloon in the ultrasounds! Apparently, the fetus formerly known as Embryaco (come on with those clever names people!) is the size of a kumquat. I've never had one of these, but it looks cute, so I approve. On the other hand, Mommy is exhausted. Its tiring work growing a baby! Every night I think I may be starting to show, but every morning I wake up to a flat belly again. My weekly baby update says that my pants should be getting rather uncomfortable, but so far they feel the same. I think this is good because it would make my life easier if I didn't look pregnant at back to school night in a couple of weeks. Let's just say that parents of honors students can be completely insane and I know that they will only want to drill me about what will happen when I go on maternity leave. I'm sooooo not ready to deal with that.

Back to School

Just wanted to say that I have to go back to school today. Its the moment that all teachers dread all summer, yet conversely look forward to. I am hoping that Cappy behaves and does not cause me to throw up at school. I'd really prefer that!

On a sad note, I attended the memorial for my student who unexpectedly passed away last week. He had an undiagnosed heart defect and died while playing soccer. His father said, "He completed his work here, but it is sad he did this before me." I can only imagine the pain that he and his wife feel.

The cat is outta the bag and 9 weeks!

Hello to all the new readers! I'm so happy that we finally are able to come clean to our family and close friends. It's been so great to have the outpouring of love and support from everyone. Oh, and I found a few more people who will commiserate with me! ;)



So today marks 9 weeks, making the baby either a grape or a green olive depending on which source I use. Either way it seems odd to me because the raspberry seemed bigger! Anyways, my book tells me that Embryaco is almost not an embryo anymore! Pretty soon he'll be a fetus and fetus Imbriaco does not make a cute name... clever people start thinking up better nicknames! This week he developed eyelids that almost completely cover his eyes and his limbs are getting longer. Apparently, he is able to touch his feet together in front of him now!

Beautiful Baby!

OK, it's official. We have a beautiful baby growing over here! The ultrasound showed today that everything is now measuring on target so we are keeping the due date March 17th. Now, the pictures still show a little blob of a person, but here's a little info to help you identify baby parts. :)

Cappy is upside down, so the large rounded side is his head. Yeah, its a big head, but you have to remember he's a genius so he needs to keep his gigantic brain somewhere... He's holding on to a little balloon and that's the yolk sac. His legs still look like a little tail, but I promise that he's got them! He's about 5/6 of an inch and his heart was beating 164 times a minute. The sonographer played the heartbeat for us and it was the funniest and sweetest sound I've ever heard. I wish we would have recorded it on my cell phone, so we could hear it again and share it with you all.

Baby Raspberry... with a side of cheese

As you can see, Cappy is a raspberry this week. Is it wrong that this image makes me kind of hungry? Does imply that I am already a bad mother because of the whole cannibal thing? haha. Ok, so Embryaco had another busy week. He's got elbows! His arm stumps have little webbed fingers! Oh and eyelids and a nose! So amazing that a little over a month ago, he was a little ball of cells looking for a good place to snuggle in.

This weekend we are headed to see Dave Matthews Band. Yes, we've been going to their concerts every summer for the last 12, but this time will be Cappy's first rock show. He doesn't actually have ears yet, but when he does, we'll play some DMB around the house and dance so that he gets early music education.

I continue to crave all things cheese and am quickly realizing that what one craves is not necessarily what one should eat. After craving pasta with veggies in alfredo sauce, I finally ordered what I wanted only to eat a few bites and then feel sick for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, this only turned me off from alfredo, not necessarily from cheese because I ate (predictably) grilled cheese for lunch today. Other cravings include apples (paired with Colby cheese,) pineapple, pickles (served on the side of my cheese sandwich), beans and frozen yogurt.

Our little blueberry

Ooops! I missed my official 7 week update, so today's update makes me 7 weeks, 2 days pregnant. This week Embryo Imbriaco is busy growing! He's got little buds growing for arms and legs and is working on developing some vital organs. Unlike Mommy, Cappy should have an appendix by the end of this week. From crown to rump (head to butt,) baby is about the size of a blueberry.

Although from the outside I don't look much different, I've not been feeling like my normal self. I only have two modes when it comes to eating. There is only starvvvvvving or sooooo full. There is nothing in between anymore! I've been having cravings. Most of them are centered around cheese because as my BFF and I have said for years, "Cheese makes everything better." My belly looks the same but just a few inches above seems to be growing by the second. Before we found out we were expecting, I had been on Weight Watchers and working on losing weight. I had lost about 15 pounds and my boobs were still big but looking somewhat proportional to the rest of me. All that is out the window now because the girls are bigger than ever. It was nice while it lasted... ;)

And finally, we have been really enjoying a lot of visits here in Charlottesville this summer! We've had family and friends staying in our home and it feels so great to have a full house most weekends. This week my dad was here, my grandparents come tomorrow and Joe's mom will be here on Sunday! We've had the opportunity to tell my dad in person and will be telling my grandparents in person as well. Peggy already knows but this will be the first time we'll get to spend time together KNOWING that we are waiting on her first grandchild! Peggy and Dennis actually were here the weekend before we found out the good news, so they've already 'met' Cappy! ;)

Cappy's first pictures

So today we went for the first appointment with the OB. The nurse weighed me, took my blood pressure, and had me pee in a cup. Lucky for me, I will be doing this at every appointment. Because everyone knows peeing in a cup is awesome. Ugh. So we met the doctor and I really like her! She really listened to what I was saying and spoke to me like a normal person without using too much technical jargon or dumbing her words down. Because of my previous surgery, she thought it was best to get an ultrasound to rule out a tubal pregnancy. I couldn't have been happier that she suggested this because it is something that I have been worrying about. She did a physical exam and said things were looking good.

So we went and had lunch and then came back for the ultrasound. Immediately, a big black blob pops up on the screen. I figured it was my bladder until she announced that it was the gestational sac in my uterus. Breathe sigh of relief! Cappy is measuring 7mm, which is right on target. The main highlight was when she showed us the little flicker of his heart beat. It was going 115 beats per minute. I'll be having another ultrasound in 2 weeks because the gestational sac is measuring way ahead of 6 weeks, 5 days, which makes my due date a bit ambiguous. I'm sticking with March 17th until I hear differently though. :)

Here are our little embryo's first pictures:

The Princess and the Pea

While in St. Maarten I wrote updates for the blog, but was sadly deprived of internet for a week! Besides the whole internet punishment, we actually had an amazing time. It was so great to relax, swim, eat, sleep, and just hang for a week. I felt like royalty just being able to do pretty much whatever I felt like when I felt like doing it. I even think Joe appreciated the daily afternoon naps. Anyways, here are last week's ramblings!

Saturday, July 18
I have long been a airplane bathroom hater. I try desperately to avoid them on flights. I once flew to Spain with only one visit to the flying portapotty! Things change with pregnancy. I made four visits during our 3.5 hour flight to St. Maarten! Thank goodness, the plane wasn't full and Joe and I had a little row to ourselves.

Wednesday, July 22
At 6 weeks the embryo is now the size of a sweet pea and looks like of like a sea monkey. He grew a tail, has no arms or legs, but his little heart is beating. Apparently the phases of evolution are somewhat mimicked in the human growth process. It would be a great if our kid evolves beyond the shrimp stage. In fact, Joe had a little talk with Cappy about:
a.) holding off on doing whatever makes Suzie burp like that
b.) eventually growing some (preferably long) legs and ditching the tail
I guess only time will tell if Cappy is an obedient child! ;)

Friday, July 24
I think morning sickness just found me. Let's just say that my sweet pea does not seem to like it when I brush my teeth. I found myself gagging while doing it yesterday and today, I got sick while brushing. The cruel part, of course, was that then I had to brush them again. Yuck!

Saturday, July 25
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOE! I love you for so many reasons, but mostly because you are you! I won't say anymore because we all know how much Joe likes being the center of attention and having his wife write lots of mushy things about him... but let's just end with Cappy is one lucky kid to have you for a dad. :)

Appleseed and appointment update

Today I am 5 weeks, 1 day pregnant and baby is approximately the size of an appleseed. Baby is busy growing his neural tube, which will turn into his brain and spinal cord. He is also starting to form a heart, which will be beating by next week. Did you notice that I like to say he? My feeling right now is that my little embryo is a boy, but more than anything, it just seems wrong to call our baby an it! Joe has decided the baby's name is Copernicus Tiberius or "Cappy" for short. It works nicely since we can use it and nobody really knows what we are talking about. Anyways, since we won't know what baby is until November, we'll stick with our codename for now! Oh, and Cappy is a pretty busy embryo- he's got his own mii on wii. :)

So yesterday I had my first appointment at the ob-gyn practice. I met with the nurse educator. She gave me a bag full of vitamin samples, magazines and coupons. We went over family history and my medical history. I was disappointed that several things in my chart were written incorrectly, especially because I've been going to this practice for a couple of years and I've had my records transferred there. Now, I know that this was not a meeting with the actual doctor, but I'm already getting the feeling that this practice has a one size fits all approach to a woman's health care during pregnancy. When I said I did not want to have an optional screening for Down's syndrome, the nurse brushed me off. She said to read the brochure and I'll have to talk to the doctor first. I don't know, maybe I'm just hormonal, but I really did not get a good vibe from this meeting. I just wasn't buying what she was selling. I joined this practice after I met the nurse midwife. She was so great and I totally felt comfortable with her. Unfortunately, she is not seeing prenatal appointments any more. I've made a back up list of doctors in case my appointment with the OB on Monday, 7/27 leaves me with the same bad taste. I'm hoping that my doctor is awesome. Keep your fingers crossed!

"So, what's going on with you?"

Since I am so early in the pregnancy, we have chosen to not tell many people. Basically only our moms and a few close friends know. Because everyone else is in the dark, I feel like I am lying to everyone I talk to by not sharing the big news. I will be so excited when I can shout from the rooftops, "HEY I'M PREGNANT!" We will most likely be telling the rest of our family after we see baby's heartbeat in an ultrasound.

My first doctor's appointment is this Wednesday when I meet with the nurse educator. At this appointment, they will order blood work, go over my questions about early pregnancy and the practice, and probably give me a ton of information. Unlike previous trips to the gynecologist, I'm actually really looking forward to this appointment!

Poppyseed

As someone who has never been pregnant before, I'm finding everything that I read completely fascinating. Truly life is a miracle! Baby starts out as a dividing group of cells, becomes a blastocyst, and this week the blastocyst split into two, creating an embryo and placenta. All in a matter of days!

I also learned that my little embryo is roughly the size of a poppy seed. Also amazing? That something the size of a poppy seed can cause me to burp, according the best friend, at least 4 times an hour. Attractive!

Oh, did I mention my BFF is visiting me? The fabulous Jen (who has been my bestie since the 2nd grade and sometimes lets me call her Caunie Bolgnie) is in Virginia! She screamed when she found out that she will be Aunt Jen in 9 months. I love her.

We're Expecting!

On Monday morning, I woke up and saw a temperature spike. I'd noticed some strange symptoms over the last few days and I had a funny feeling that I could be pregnant. I took a test, but was so ridiculously tired that I didn't even wait the whole 3 minutes the test required before I threw it in the trash and went back to bed. 4 hours later, I woke up again and looked back at the test and saw a second line. I immediately started googling pregnancy tests. I called my friend, Hillary and at her urging, I took another test and got a faint line. At this point I started sweating and found another HPT to take. This time I got a plus sign. Hillary and I screamed and cried on the phone together, but I still wasn't believing what I was seeing so I started sending her pictures of the tests to make sure she saw the lines, too.


After 4 phone calls I woke my friend Kristi up and she rushed over to investigate the lines on the tests. We decided I probably should get a blood test since these lines could be false positives. After a phone call to my doctor's office, the plan was rejected. The receptionist kindly told me that after 2 positive HPTs I was surely pregnant. This somehow wasn't enough for me. We went to the drug store and picked up a digital test. Within 30 seconds pregnant popped up.

Today, I am exactly 4 weeks and my estimated delivery date is March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.

Suzie'sFirst Ever Blog

So here I am attempting to join the blogosphere.