Da-doom da-doom…da-doom da doom…
It was music to my ears.
Today we had our first ultrasound. And yep – there’s a baby in there! Baby Welly (we’ll say “she” and “her” in this entry for simplicity sake) is about 1-1/2 cm long and has a strong heart rate of 158 bpm. She was nestled softly in the uterine wall, resting peacefully. In my mind, Welly was laying there with her hands crossed behind her head and her right ankle resting on her left knee. She may have even been smoking a pipe. Tobacco-less of course.
This was also our first “official” doctor’s visit. Joe accompanied me and I am so happy he did.
Station 1: Height and weight. Joe says “You’re only 5’7? There’s got to be another ½” in there..” To add to my dwarf-like feeling, I’ve put on 5 pounds already! Not good. That’s supposed to happen in the next couple of weeks. I guess eating carbs all the time finally caught up. Dang it.
Station 2: Waiting Room. Insert elevator music here.
Station 3: Ultrasound Room. They waste NO time! I was off with my clothes and WHA-BAM! There’s the baby. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I wanted to look at Joe but I couldn’t. I was absolutely mesmerized. We haven’t put down the ultrasound pics yet!
Station 4: Waiting Room. Insert angry patient who has been waiting and rolling her eyes every time I’m called. Get over yourself Gaga.
Station 5: Examination Room. Poor Joe. He had no idea what he was in for!
Station 6: Draw blood. They’re actually testing me for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea…obviously these people know very little about my past. Apparently it’s standard procedure.
Station 7: Hardees for a hot ham n cheese. I was obviously distraught about those 5 pounds.
Station 8: McDonalds for a snack size McFlurry…ok, TOMORROW I’ll eat better.
All in all it was a glorious day. Seeing that little flicker of light made everything real…I think more so for Joe than me. It was a beautiful experience to share. His excitement grows everyday as does mine. We are really excited to meet this babe!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Blasted Hangovers
Flashback: 2003 Tri-Sigma Formal After Party – White Residence. Kevin Strickland (now ordained Lutheran minister) pouring me shot after shot of Jagermeister, chased by PJ made with some indiscernible cheap clear liquor. Result: A solid round of hiccups that could wake up an entire hall (KJ, you remember) and Gretchen holding my hair back from the porcelain throne. Oh and who could forget the next day’s formidable reminder of the previous night’s antics: THE HANGOVER.
One of the bittersweet results of becoming pregnant is forgoing alcohol. I have to admit, it has been kind of nice to have a reason to abstain from drinking. Given, I’m only 3 weeks deep into knowing there’s a tadpole forming inside of me --- my sentiments are sure to change as time progresses. But with this cleansing, I thought that I would be free of alcohol’s ugly next-day-aftertaste.
Weeks 4, 5 and most of 6 I felt fantastic. Tired, but literally so excited I could hardly sleep. Week 7 is on the way and has reared its unsightly head with nausea. Basically, it feels like you’re hungover. All day. Which is awesome. Most of me considers it a blessing – obviously my body is working hard to nurture the baby. But part of me is just irritated that the prior night isn’t fuzzy with hilarious anecdotes that I can at least put in the memory box.
Other symptoms:
- Geico Caveman Syndrome: The hair on my head has grown thicker and faster than ever before. As has the hair on my legs and under my arms. Booo.
- Metallica: Not the band, but it’s what I’m calling the ever-present metallic taste in my mouth from the influx of hormones.
- The Anna Nichole: My.boobs.are.enormous. We’re talking back to the size they were in 8th grade, haha. Given, my enormous is humble at best, but they’re sore and definitely engorged.
- Rage Against the Machine: I am typically a happy person, however occasionally I want to slam people’s heads on my desk repeatedly and actually have a serious inclination to do so. That’s normal, right?
- Rip Van Winkle: All I want to do is sleep. All of the time. Nights are pretty restless right now. I think the baby uses that time to grow and my hormones spike at 3:00 am. Another awesome side effect.
- The Oprah Disorder: Some days I eat extremely healthy. Other days my diet consists of bacon, egg and cheese bagels and donuts. I’m still learning control, but it’s tough when you feel crappy. Not to mention I’m feeding an M&M, not an 8 pound baby just yet. I’m only supposed to consume an additional 300-500 calories a day which isn’t a lot!
In all seriousness, these symptoms are minor in comparison to the big picture. These funny signs are just a way of my baby telling me he/she is growing. Joe has been an absolute sweetheart through it all. Seeing the look of anticipation and love on his face melts any pain or nausea right away. Though that sentence could have induced nausea for some of you ;-) It’s ok. You can stop reading now.
One of the bittersweet results of becoming pregnant is forgoing alcohol. I have to admit, it has been kind of nice to have a reason to abstain from drinking. Given, I’m only 3 weeks deep into knowing there’s a tadpole forming inside of me --- my sentiments are sure to change as time progresses. But with this cleansing, I thought that I would be free of alcohol’s ugly next-day-aftertaste.
Weeks 4, 5 and most of 6 I felt fantastic. Tired, but literally so excited I could hardly sleep. Week 7 is on the way and has reared its unsightly head with nausea. Basically, it feels like you’re hungover. All day. Which is awesome. Most of me considers it a blessing – obviously my body is working hard to nurture the baby. But part of me is just irritated that the prior night isn’t fuzzy with hilarious anecdotes that I can at least put in the memory box.
Other symptoms:
- Geico Caveman Syndrome: The hair on my head has grown thicker and faster than ever before. As has the hair on my legs and under my arms. Booo.
- Metallica: Not the band, but it’s what I’m calling the ever-present metallic taste in my mouth from the influx of hormones.
- The Anna Nichole: My.boobs.are.enormous. We’re talking back to the size they were in 8th grade, haha. Given, my enormous is humble at best, but they’re sore and definitely engorged.
- Rage Against the Machine: I am typically a happy person, however occasionally I want to slam people’s heads on my desk repeatedly and actually have a serious inclination to do so. That’s normal, right?
- Rip Van Winkle: All I want to do is sleep. All of the time. Nights are pretty restless right now. I think the baby uses that time to grow and my hormones spike at 3:00 am. Another awesome side effect.
- The Oprah Disorder: Some days I eat extremely healthy. Other days my diet consists of bacon, egg and cheese bagels and donuts. I’m still learning control, but it’s tough when you feel crappy. Not to mention I’m feeding an M&M, not an 8 pound baby just yet. I’m only supposed to consume an additional 300-500 calories a day which isn’t a lot!
In all seriousness, these symptoms are minor in comparison to the big picture. These funny signs are just a way of my baby telling me he/she is growing. Joe has been an absolute sweetheart through it all. Seeing the look of anticipation and love on his face melts any pain or nausea right away. Though that sentence could have induced nausea for some of you ;-) It’s ok. You can stop reading now.
Monday, August 2, 2010
I knew it!
So what's happened since my oh-so-recent post in September of 2008.....oh yeah, I GOT PREGNANT. Kind of a big deal, wouldn't you say? It's enough to prompt my inner thoughts and share with my co-blogees/blogettes. Self-aggrandizing? Yes. Will it be difficult without my wine? You bet your ass. Will it be exciting? Probably not. But I hope to make it at least a little comical.
For those of you just tuning in to the life that is mine...errr...ours, here's a little FAQ for you:
1. "Were you planning?"
Spoken answer: "Yes - we were planning on starting late this summer."
Inner-evil answer: "If you really want to know, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and some pizza did the trick."
2. "When are you due?"
Spoken answer: "Late March or early April."
Smart-ass response that I wish I could say: "I'll be getting fat around late fall."
3. "How do you feel?"
Spoken answer: "Luckily not nauseated at all, just tired."
Actually: "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"
4. "Do you want a boy or a girl?"
Spoken answer: "A healthy baby is all we care about."
Truth: A healthy baby is all we care about...and we're hoping for "a" more than one sex over the other.
It's been really fun telling all of those we love about the pregnancy. Most are worried that we're sharing the news too soon, but I have a good feeling about the pregnancy and I take very good care of myself. In a less optmistic light, if the baby is unhealthy, it will take care of itself whether I tell people or not. For now, I consider it my duty to take care of little Van Welly and will do just that.
Reactions have been all over the board. Our parents were of course thrilled...particularly Joe's mom who has been knitting baby booties and blankets since we were juniors in high school. And dropping not-so-subtle hints (she left baby booties in our bed one weekend! haha). Our siblings are equally excited. The most common response we have gotten is "I knew it!"
Really? You knew it? Man I could have saved $14.95 on the three pregnancy tests I took.
And yes, I took 3.
Reaction to the first one:
I call bullshit.
Reaction to the second one:
I must have peed on the stick incorrectly...
Reaction to the third:
There's only so many ways you can pee on a stick....
Reaction to the fourth (at the Dr's office):
Holy crap there's an alien inside of me.
The most fun was telling Joe. He got home that night at around 9:00. The minute he walked in the door, I sent him a picture of all three positive tests. I could see the shock and confusion all over his face when he checked it. Absolutely priceless. What a wonderful father that man will become....
For those of you just tuning in to the life that is mine...errr...ours, here's a little FAQ for you:
1. "Were you planning?"
Spoken answer: "Yes - we were planning on starting late this summer."
Inner-evil answer: "If you really want to know, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and some pizza did the trick."
2. "When are you due?"
Spoken answer: "Late March or early April."
Smart-ass response that I wish I could say: "I'll be getting fat around late fall."
3. "How do you feel?"
Spoken answer: "Luckily not nauseated at all, just tired."
Actually: "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"
4. "Do you want a boy or a girl?"
Spoken answer: "A healthy baby is all we care about."
Truth: A healthy baby is all we care about...and we're hoping for "a" more than one sex over the other.
It's been really fun telling all of those we love about the pregnancy. Most are worried that we're sharing the news too soon, but I have a good feeling about the pregnancy and I take very good care of myself. In a less optmistic light, if the baby is unhealthy, it will take care of itself whether I tell people or not. For now, I consider it my duty to take care of little Van Welly and will do just that.
Reactions have been all over the board. Our parents were of course thrilled...particularly Joe's mom who has been knitting baby booties and blankets since we were juniors in high school. And dropping not-so-subtle hints (she left baby booties in our bed one weekend! haha). Our siblings are equally excited. The most common response we have gotten is "I knew it!"
Really? You knew it? Man I could have saved $14.95 on the three pregnancy tests I took.
And yes, I took 3.
Reaction to the first one:
I call bullshit.
Reaction to the second one:
I must have peed on the stick incorrectly...
Reaction to the third:
There's only so many ways you can pee on a stick....
Reaction to the fourth (at the Dr's office):
Holy crap there's an alien inside of me.
The most fun was telling Joe. He got home that night at around 9:00. The minute he walked in the door, I sent him a picture of all three positive tests. I could see the shock and confusion all over his face when he checked it. Absolutely priceless. What a wonderful father that man will become....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)