A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...& Emotions

I am backtracking a little here, but as I anxiously await our 12 week appointment tomorrow, I realized I never wrote about our prenatal checkup! What is with me!? Its only just the most exciting and important doctors visit I have ever had. This memory thing is killin' me...I think my brain decided to take a 9 month vacation. Who knows if it will decide to return. Hopefully it's somewhere beautiful, fun and relaxing.
 
So, the BIG appointment!
 

The week after we found out, I called my OBGYN to schedule my prenatal appointment. They told me they have the first appt. at 8 weeks, because any earlier than that, it is difficult to see much, since its just a tiny little bean. So we scheduled it for August 14th. This would put us right at 8 weeks. Now, the 3 weeks that I had to wait for this appt seriously drove me nuts. Or maybe it was my hormones. Or both. But it's all I could think about! I even called at 6 weeks, trying to see if I could reschedule it earlier, called other OBGYNs trying to trick them into getting me in earlier than 8 weeks. I  was so close to telling them I thought I was 8 weeks along...when I was still 6 weeks. I would just claim it as an honest mistake when they told me I wasn't as 'far along' as I thought. But all in all, I just wanted to make sure lil Hop was growing and doing ok...is that too much to ask? Turns out, I wasn't foolin' anyone. I gave up and kept my August 14th appt. The wait was on.
 
Matt took off work that morning so he could come with me. I wouldn't have it any other way! It was so important to have him there. We arrived 2o minutes early, paperwork in hand and a stomach full of excited butterflies. Even thought I had read about questions to ask your OB on your first prenatal visit and what to expect, I don't think Matt had any idea what he was getting into! The nurse  finally calls us back and I am weighed and my blood pressure was taken. We then go to the first room, where the questions begin! Every personal and family health issue is discussed and then we wait...again. Our OB arrives 10 long minutes later and moves us to another room...with a sonogram machine :))) This immediately makes me smile. I want to run over to it and examine it, play with it, see what it was all about. I couldn't WAIT to see our lil one on the blank screen. I could NOT wait. I change into the robe and wait...again...for the doctor to return. When she does, she asks us more in depth questions about our health history. I immediately like her. After the questions, its onto the exam. Poor Matt did not know this would be a part of the appointment. Let's just say he better prepare himself for the birth if he could barely sit in a room holding my hand during that! He almost passed out. He's got alot of work ahead of him...:) Love him.
 
And the BIG, anticipated, dreamed about, would not stop talking about, imagined about moment arrives. The first sonogram. The first time we would see our lil bean and hopefully hear it's heartbeat. Nothing could prepare us for this moment.
 
Matt stands next to me, squeezing my hand as our OB excitedly says "There it is! You made a baby! Congratulations, it looks wonderful!" Those words put any nerves to rest. Lil Hop was doing just fine, growing and wiggling away. She then turned the sound on to let us hear the heartbeat. I will never forget it. I can't even explain the comfort, joy and complete overwhelming feeling of pure LOVE I felt.  Matt had tears in his eyes and we were just speechless.  Matt did say, "I finally have that feeling. I am going to be a Dad! It is so real now. I can not wait to be a Dad." I wanted to keep lil Hop up on the screen forever. I couldn't take my eyes off of our lil one. It was just perfect.
 
Well, the speechless didn't last long. Shocker if ya know me! Before our appt. ended, I pulled out my planner, with a list of 27 questions. Yep, call me paranoid, but I don't play around, especially when a baby is involved. Needless to say, we left on cloud 9, with 2 beautiful pics of our baby in hand, and a goody bag full of things we wont need for 7.5 months. Pure joy and so blessed.

So driving home, I got to thinking..."How am I going to wait 4 more weeks to hear the heartbeat again?" (Have you caught on that I hate waiting? I am working on my patience :) ) What's a worry wart like me to do? Order a doppler, thats what! It was the best purchase ever...it gives me so much peace of mind & reassurance. I would recommend it to any expecting mom.

Now we just have to wait for our 18 week check up to actually see you again, learn how much you've grown...and if you are a boy or girl!

 

app obesssion.tears.spray butter.wardrobe issues.11 weeks.

It has been 7 weeks since we found out about lil Hop. It has been a whirlwind of emotions for me (Matt just has to put up with my crazy hormonal emotions!)  Poor guy.

We told our parents right away, but wanted to wait to tell other family members and close friends until after our first doctors appointment. This was going to be the.hardest.secret.ever. And it was. I hate keeping secrets. I am terrible at it.

I downloaded probably atleast 10 apps on my phone, so I could keep track of everything going on with lil Hop and also with me. I LOVE reading all of the amazing, unbelievable miracles happening in my body each day. I read it over. And over. And yes, over again...it is just truly mind boggling to me and I love it. I get excited each week when lil Hop goes from a grape to an olive to a prune. You are a lime right now :) He or She will be quite the variety of fruits and veggies before it arrives.

Luckily, I feel I have had it pretty good. I haven't really had any morning sickness (and just for the record, it should be called anytime, 24/7 sickness) but I have had just a few moments. Fatigue hit me pretty hard right at the beginning. I could fall asleep just about anytime, anywhere. And I have been a little moody (Matt may disagree and say more than a little), but I can usually tell when a 'special moment' is coming on :).  He has been amazing though. I keep reminding him its only for 9 months, and it's more than worth it. And emotional...bring on the tears, happy or sad, they're there. I cried the other day because I couldn't figure out where to hang up a picture in our new house. Really? Then I cried because I was working on a project for work and the 'silver sparkly spray paint' I bought, was really just sparkly spray paint, with no silver. The lid on the can lied. And I was upset about it.  Like really upset. I'll spare any other pregnancy symptoms, but all in all, I am feelin' good!

I wish I could say I have had some crazy food cravings (this is coming from the girl who ate cottage cheese with pickles before she got pregnant), but nothing too out of the ordinary! I could eat the berry sour patch kids all day, cheese and anything salty. I have a bit of an obsession with spray butter and find myself putting it on just about anything. Hey, it's good. I can eat a whole cantaloupe a day and crave sushi and a ball park hot dog more that EVER, but of course, 2 things I need to stay away from. I have curbed my sushi craving with a few California and Avacado Rolls. But its just..not..the same.  Oh and I also put dijon mustard on almost everything as well...including salads. Thats completely normal.

Getting ready for work is a whole new story. Give me a dress and flats and I am good to go. Dresses are breathable. I may or may not have gone to work with my dress pants unbuttoned a few times. I haven't purchased any maternity clothes yet, however, to humor myself , I decided to give my first pair of maternity pants a shot. What a great laugh I had by myself in the dressing room of Old Navy! Oh gawd. So they felt amazing around the waist...I could get used to this! As I turn to check my cool preggo pants out in the mirror, I almost began rapping "You Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer, because thats exactly who I looked like. Um the bootie and legs definitely did not quite fit. I think I'll wait a few more weeks for my next go around. I can't tell you how happy I am to be pregnant in the fall and winter...first of all, COOL WEATHER! Then we have leggins, boots, big cozy sweaters...ahhh...love.

.11 weeks.

Happy 11 weeks Baby Hop! We're almost done with the first trimester!