11 weeks

Boy oh boy. I haven't written in so long. There's been a lot happening.
My body's definitely been changing and rebelling a bit over the baby. I'm fitting into maternity clothes now. Melissa from across the hall loaned a whole bunch to me. All I have to buy is spring and summer stuff. I'm even starting to show a bit. And this morning in bed I was stretching backwards and it HURT my belly. Like everything was being stretched. I'll have to remember not to do that anymore. I've been experiencing a lot of constipation too and my appetite has increased significantly.

Dr. Raby has an appointment for me and Craig on Valentines Day. According to everyone I talk to she's great but very busy. Sheri's friend says we could wait over an hour for an appointment. If that's the case, I'm going to seek out another doctor. We'll have to see...

Waiting on Doctors

9 1/2 weeks pregnant... already. It's been 4 weeks and 1 day since we found out we were going to be parents. I did some follow up phone calls this afternoon to find out about my next appointment with either Dr. Raby or Dr. Hawthorne. Turns out Dr. Hawthorne's office never sent the referral because they were waiting for the ultrasound results. And the ultrasound lab didn't send results because they were waiting for Dr. Hawthorne's office to call to get them. Sheesh! So hopefully Dr. Hawthorne will call tomorrow or Wednesday with my first appointment with Dr. Raby.

I'm going to book a spot in a prenatal class tonight. It's from Conestoga College and we'll take it the first and second Saturdays in May. I'll be right around 6 months pregnant by then. I've also began completing all the forms for the pre-registrations at the hospital.

Last night all the Martins came over for a homemade pizza dinner. Craig and I spent a few minutes showing Sheri and Lisa some of the things on our wish list; like the high chair and Eddie Bauer stroller. I'm so glad Craig and I are so alike in colour likes/dislikes. That makes this so easy. All I really need to find now is a PERFECT baby book.

Everything's beginning to come together.

The First Ultrasound

So baby, Daddy and I saw the first pictures of you this morning. The ultrasound technician started the scan in the regular way, with the cold gel on my tummy. She spent a lot of time looking at the screen and after about 5 minutes she told me that she couldn't see you well enough and that I'd need an internal ultrasound.

She put the cold gel on the end of a probe (it was like the regular ultrasound scanner but longer, about 8 inches) then put a regular condom over the end and some KY-Jelly. She placed the probe inside me about 3 inches or so and took lots of pictures of you.

It turns out, the regular scan wasn't very clear partly because my uterus is sideways. Usually the uterus follows the curve of the bladder but mine is more tilted towards my spine. Apparently it's fairly common, although not normal. The technician said it shouldn't affect pregnancy, labor or delivery. Phew! My mom (your grandma) had the same in all her pregnancies.
Daddy and I are spending more and more time on the internet finding information and searching for baby things. I'm on the search now for crib bedding; fitted sheets and things.

On the ultrasound you were 1.4cm long from crown to rump (your legs aren't measured yet because they're still just stumps!). We saw your tiny arms and legs and your heart beating. Daddy and I firgure your heart is just a bit bigger than a sesame seed and you're about as big as a kidney bean. It's still too early to see the placenta (I'm at 8 weeks) but we saw the yolk sack and the umbilical cord. Daddy kept saying, "look at the heart!", "oh, look, that's the umbilical cord", "those are the arms!" Real proof that you're healthy and growing!

Yesterday afternoon when I got back to work there was a bunch of pamphlets for the prenatal health fair taped to my locker! Everyone there is looking out for my health. Rachel brought me a catalog from Sears and a pregnancy magazine, too.

I scheduled the ultrasound today. The appointment is for... *drum roll*... tomorrow at 10:30. I couldn't believe it was for so soon. I also sent all the info to Dr. Hawthorne's office about Dr. Raby so I can start going to her for prenatal appointments instead of to London.

So all we really have to look into now as far as prenatally, is prenatal classes with the local public health department. I'm not even sure which one we should take yet, assuming there's different ones to choose from.

I'm so excited to see the ultrasound! WOO HOO!

New Year, New Family

Wow, 2005. This is the year you will be born, baby. And the year we become parents. Very, well, surreal I guess. Daddy and I went to visit Dr. Hawthorne this morning. She did all the blood tests and did all the normal stuff. My weight was 149 at her office and blood pressure was 116/80 (I think, I had trouble reading it). The lab will test for many things, including: blood count, Rhesus (+ or -), iron, syphillis, blood sugar, HIV (?!?!) and others. I feel confident that all will come back normal. Dr. Hawthorne couldn't give us an official due date because of my irregular cycle so is sending me for an iltrasound within the next 2 weeks! That way we'll know when I'm at 18 weeks so we can go for the routine ultrasound. Very exciting changes!

We bought a glider and ottoman at The Brick on Sunday for $250 to put in your* nursery.

* I hope you appreciate when you're older how strange it is to write to a baby that's the size of a raspberry! Maybe it's strange for you to read! If that's the case, then we're even.