So here we are almost to week 10...

Shopping:
I've been going crazy looking at Craigslist and eBay for some of the more costly stuff like furniture. We've already bought a crib and are now rethinking it due to a story on the news the other day. It seems that the "drop side" cribs are very unsafe and have injured and killed countless babies. So I am thinking that we'll be getting rid of the crib and buying something different.

We've bought a travel system - a car seat and stroller combo. It's really nice and practically brand new. We love it, it's too cute. And it was only $40.

Also, every time we go shopping we get something for the baby... Whether we're at Target, Walmart, or Publix, we're buying Desitin, baby wash, lotion, Vaseline, onesies, bath towels, burp cloths, etc. It's better to start building up the supply gradually than to have to buy it all at once later on down the road. That's our mindset anyway.

We went to Motherhood the other day and I tried on maternity clothes. Casey's parents sent us a gift card, so we spent it on a new outfit. It was fun to try on the clothes with that silly belly pillow!

Sick and Tired:
So I've been trying hard to not be a complainer. Casey gets to hear the brunt of it all. I have been fighting the nausea every day. It seems that if I don't eat something every 2 or 3 hours, I become disgustingly ill. Also, I just can't seem to sleep enough! I find that around 3pm every day, I hit a brick wall and must take a nap. It's insane, really.

Nursery Decor:
We've bought a crib set and it is really pretty... Gender neutral, as we do not yet know at this point whether we'll find out the baby's gender or not. Based on the colors in the comforter, we've decided on wall color. I plan to try my hand at painting baby jungle animals. Should be interesting, as I was never much of an artist. Also, with the sewing machine I got for Christmas, I am going to attempt to make the curtains for the nursery. Again, this should be interesting!

Doctor's Visits:
We've decided to go with a midwife. Her name is Donna Balo and she's with Advanced Women's Health Specialists. I made an appointment today for June 7th for our first prenatal visit. I'll be 11 weeks by then, so hopefully things will be ok. Most women have their first prenatal visit between 8 and 10 weeks. Check out her bio - http://www.advancedwomens.com/meet-our-clinicians/donna-balo-cnm-arnp-ms.


In General:
We've been taking pictures of my tummy every week for a book we have called "The Belly Book." It's basically a journal that keeps track of things like cravings, photos, current events, feelings and emotions. Maybe one of these days, I'll figure out how to get the photos up here...

Hope all is going well for you! More soon... :)

Ultrasound

It was an amazing experience to not only SEE the little munchkin on the Ultrasound monitor, but we got to HEAR the heart beating as well!! Dr. Jaffe had turned the volume up so much, it felt like the walls were going to begin to crumble. I cannot speak for Bobby-Jo, but to know there is a tiny being growing, it brings tears to my eyes now.

We received three photos from Dr. Jaffe in a fun cardboard "frame" with the CRM logo. They also gave us a bunch of pregnancy magazines and a tote bag with a little teddy bear. They were so sweet and seemed just as happy for us as we were for ourselves.

Now its on to find a doctor. That task may be more difficult than we expect. Or not, maybe we'll just throw the dart and see where it lands, lol.

Week 7

We go for a gestational ultrasound tomorrow. It should be very educational. According to the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book, we should: confirm the viability of a pregnancy, date the pregnancy (but we already know when we inseminated), locate the fetus and determine the number of fetuses. It talks about other tests, but since Dr. Jaffe is not our OB, those probably won't be done until we get one.

Everyone says it looks like a little gummy bear. I am excited to see it. As someone suggested, I am going to ask Dr. Jaffe for some wallet size photos to carry around. Just kidding.

We'll write more to let everyone know how it went...

Six Weeks!

So, those of you that follow this blog are the only ones who know about our pregnancy. We have decided to wait until the second trimester before making any announcements.

Here's the latest scoop: There has been NO morning sickness thus far - knock on every piece of available wood! I would love to be able to report that things are the same as they ever were, but alas they are not...

Here's a list of my current symptoms:
1. Nausea - While I am not hugging the bowl every day like all of the medical books say I should expect to, I am living in an almost constant state of wooziness. I've become accustomed to the feeling of upset tummy, but I am REALLY hoping that this part passes very soon.

2. Cramping - This one scares the crap out of me sometimes. The cramps feel like menstrual cramps, actually. Sometimes sharp and quick, sometimes dull and lingering, they are frightening. I am told by almost everyone that it's normal and to be expected - that it's my uterus stretching. But, I can't seem get visions of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy out of my mind.

3. Hormone Overload - So I didn't really buy this one before it actually happened to me. It's crazy, really. I mean, I read a kid's book yesterday and was crying hysterically - actually SOBBING! Then, I did the same thing today in the car on the way to school. I heard Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" and just lost it. Here's hoping that I can figure out a way to keep the hormones under control.

4. Euphoria - Soooo happy that this has finally happened. I think everyday how exciting this is and how happy am to be able to share it with Casey!

5. Flakiness - Yes, I have become a flake. I am constantly thinking about things other than what I should be. Things like paint color for the nursery, whether or not to find out the baby's gender, what to do about the current vehicle situation, what baby item to buy next, and so much more... This is not a good quality to have when you are taking classes toward a degree. Gotta figure out how to better manage this symptom!

Ok, so anyway... Just wanted to give everyone a head's up on what's happening over here. Trying hard to not be a complainer. If you catch me doing it, call me out! Have a great day! :)

~Bobby-Jo