10 Weeks...

Well, considering we were about a week off according to the ultrasound... we're back at week 10. And unfortunately I've had my first spout of 'real' sickness. Not morning sickness, but I definitely picked up some kind of cold over the weekend. Stayed home from work Monday and slept all day hoping to recover. Fortunately I do not have the regular flu or the swine flu, just some sinus issues and a bit of a cough... and of course some lovely headaches. But, I am back to the grind today and hopefully upwards on my way to recovery. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later, just glad is wasn't any worse!
Next OB appointment... Friday, November 13th at 11:10am! Looking forward to it!

First Ultrasound

Say Hello to baby Geary!

So, we were just a bit off on how far along I was. According to this ultrasound I am 9 weeks and 2 days! Which changes the official due date to May 23rd. Also, the little bean was movin', punchin' & kickin' around so much the pictures are a little hard to decipher. The head is fairly obvious, the arms and legs look like larger white dots on these images. And it's heart rate was at 174! Doc said everything looked good and healthy with the baby and with me, and my next appointment is in 4 weeks on November 11th. We won't be able to find out the gender of baby Geary though until my 4th appointment, which is January 4th (the day before we leave for Mexico for my brother's wedding). But, I will be sure to get that posted before we take off to a land of no computers! Anyhow, we're so relieved to have heard the little heartbeat that sounded like a song of dancing drums and to find out things are coming along healthy, what an amazing thing... and a huge relief!!

...Keep on kickin' baby Geary!!

10 Weeks

How our baby's growing:

Though it's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, our baby has now completed the most critical portion of its development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in its body rapidly grow and mature.

Baby Geary is swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including the kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout the pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside my womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Our baby's limbs can bend now. Its hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and its feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of the spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from its spinal cord. Our baby's forehead temporarily bulges with its developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, it's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, our baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

source: babycenter.com

How my life's changing:

At my next prenatal visit, (which is tomorrow!!! Tues the 20th at 9:00 am) I should be able to hear our baby's rapid heartbeat with the help of a Doppler stethoscope, a hand-held ultrasound device that our practitioner places on my belly. (Many women say that the beating of their baby's tiny heart sounded like the thunder of galloping horses and hearing it for the first time was very moving). We're getting so anxious for this part!!

Before I got pregnant, my uterus was the size of a small pear. By this week, it's as big as a grapefruit. I'm not totally ready for maternity wear yet, but my regular clothes are feeling uncomfortably tight and my blossoming breasts are straining the seams of my bra. Also, the thickening in your midsection is most likely due to slight weight gain and bloating. I think it's time to go shopping for some elastic waistbands and spandex!! ;-)

I had one last blood draw this morning at my physicians to test my progesterone level. Hopefully I'll hear results soon. Then tomorrow is the big OB doc day!! Our first 'official' baby appointment. Greg will be joining me at the Black Hills OBGYN to see Dr. Beuhner (pronounced like "Beener") and his nurse Sandy Miller. I hope to have fantastic news and real pictures of what exactly is going on my belly! The anticipation has been like torture not knowing what's really going on inside!!

So stay tuned....!

9 Weeks

How our baby's growing - 9 weeks:

Our baby is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. It's starting to look more and more human. Its essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Our baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do the tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Our baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Its eyes are fully formed, but the eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. It has tiny earlobes, and the mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that our baby's basic physiology is in place, it's poised for rapid weight gain.
Source: babycenter.com

How my life's changing:

I still don't look pregnant even though my waist is thickening a bit. But, I definitely feel pregnant, though. Not only are morning sickness and other physical symptoms out in full force, but I feel like an emotional pinball as well.

According to the babycenter.com:
Mood swings are common now — it's perfectly normal to feel alternately elated and terrified about becoming a parent. Try to cut yourself some slack. Most women find that moodiness flares up at around six to ten weeks, eases up in the second trimester, and then reappears as pregnancy winds to a close.

Doctor Update:
My last progesterone test came back okay. They said my level had only gone up 3 points, and would like to see it go up more. So, still on the pills and have one more blood draw on Monday, October 19th in the morning to check one last time before the OB doc takes over.
My first OB appointment is in 8 days on Tuesday, October 20th at 9:00am! I'm getting so anxious! Hopefully I'll be able to post up a REAL picture of our baby by then. Can't hardly wait!!!

Another Progesterone Test

Had another blood draw today. The results from the one last week weren't legit because I had taken my progesterone pills that night before... oops! So, hopefully I'll hear results by the end of this week on today's test. So, stay tuned!

8 Weeks

The big news this week:

Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from our baby's hands and feet, eyelids practically cover the eyes, breathing tubes extend from the throat to the branches of its developing lungs, and its "tail" is just about gone. In the brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. We've been wondering about our baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether we're having a boy or a girl. Either way, our baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though I still can't feel it.

Source: babycenter.com

How my life's changing:

I've noticed that my bra is getting more snug! EEK! Soon I'll likely need a larger size with better support. Rising levels of hormones cause breast growth and other tissue changes, all in preparation for lactation. Feeling fatigued...still. Hormonal changes — in particular, a dramatic rise in progesterone — may be contributing to my sluggishness (and not to mention some acne ~ awesome). Nausea and vomiting hasn't really been too much of an issue. Although, very early this morning I was feeling way more on the nausea side then I ever have before! And I still continue to have trouble getting a good night's sleep. Feeling uncomfortable and the need to get up to pee has definitely not subsided, and probably won't anytime soon.

Ahhhhhh.... the joys of pregnancy! I just LOVE IT!!

Hopefully I'll have news soon on my progesterone level testing I had done last Thursday, and they are rising like they should. My guess is with all the signs listed above... they're rising just fine. ;-)