2nd Trimester, here we come!

The first trimester is over! It was hard keeping the news of baby diff a secret, especially on days I wasn't feeling the best. It was fun "coming out" to the world and letting them in our exciting news! We spent many days making phone calls to our families and close friends to let them know before the big Facebook announcement. We told all of the family members, which was a huge task, mainly we just told Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles, tracking down all of our cousins would have been way too many minutes on the cell phone bill! :)

The morning sickness has not magically gone away like I was told that it would, it actually almost seems as if I'm getting a little worse. Maybe it is just like the big final send off before I enter the 2nd trimester bliss! Either way, I'm patiently waiting for the sick feelings to end, I have noticed my energy increasing! My bedtimes of 7 PM are almost behind me, I've seen 9 PM a couple times this week (look out world!). Currently I am not a fruit or veggie fan, so perhaps I will develop of love again for these as I move towards the 2nd trimester, we shall see!

Baby Diff is 12 Weeks and 5 Days!

Today was fun at the doctors office, it was so cool to see Baby Diff just hanging out. It wasn't moving around a whole lot at first, it might have been sleeping, so the doctor was pushing it with the ultrasound wand. It was laying facing out and she needed it to lay on its back for some side profile photos and turn around so she could see the back of its neck and spinal cord. That is how they did the Nuchal Translucency (downs test assessment), they measured the back of it's neck on the ultrasound and then took some of my blood through a finger prick (that wasn't that fun). Then they will come back with a risk assessment, but we aren't worried about it or anything. Here is a website that explains the test:  http://www.babycenter.com/0_nuchal-translucency-screening_118.bc

The baby was being really stubborn and when she would sort of get it to turn, the baby would like flutter back to where it was comfortable (facing out). She kept laughing about how stubborn it was being (not sure where it would get that from!) It was so cool to see it's little arms and legs! It put it's left hand near it's mouth a couple of times, while I'm not a promoter of thumb sucking, it was cute to see. It better get it all out of its system while it's in there! ha ha!

The heartbeat was 152, Chad said it sounded like a horse hoofs because it was so loud and fast. You could see it beating on the ultrasound, it was pretty cool, it flickered so fast! The baby is measuring to the exact size it should be for 12 weeks and 5 days. Everything is great and looks good!

We met with Dr. Young and he listed to the heart rate through a doppler machine, it wasn't as loud on there, but still measured at 152. He told us everything looks good and the baby looks right on track.

My next appointment Thursday, September 22nd for the test results and to hear the heart beat again through this doppler machine. I don't go back for the next sonogram until Friday, October 7th. That is when they will know then whether it's a boy or a girl, although we won't know until around March 2nd!

Baby Diff 12 Weeks 5 Days

Baby Diff is 7 Weeks and 3 Days!

The ultra sound tech was so much more helpful today! The baby is a little blob, but she pointed out where the heartbeat was, what was the baby and what was the yoke sac. (Even after looking it up I'm really not sure what this yoke sacs function is, but its there!) The heartbeat was 140 beats per minute and was much louder this time! It was neat to see the small flicker on the screen.

I met with Dr. Young for the first time and he went over all the blood work (and I mean ALL the blood, there was like 15 vials!) I had to give on the 14th. Everything looks great! I'm 100% healthy and the baby's levels are increasing normally! He told me that I could go ahead and start telling my close family and friends about the baby.

Baby Diff 7 Weeks and 3 Days old!

6 Weeks 5 Days!

We heard the baby's heart beat today! It was so exciting! It was really faint, but it was there! The baby just looks like a little blob, not very exciting because we couldn't see much and the tech wasn't pointing anything out, so we just stared at the blob on the screen. Because it's our baby, it's an adorable blob of course!

We met with the Dr. Perkins, although we waited FOREVER, the doctor visit was about 10 minutes. They gave us paperwork to get blood drawn to test for everything under the sun and the baby's HCG levels again. It was asked if I could go the next day so they wouldn't have to move my already scheduled doctor appointment on the 18th.

The next appointment is considered my "first" pregnancy appointment now that they know the baby is alive and kickin'!

Baby Diff 6 Weeks 5 Days

Baby Diff is 5 weeks and 5 days!

I called my doctor today because the cramping I was feeling got a little more intense. They wanted me to come in to make sure everything is okay. So I, sort of, got to see Baby Diff. It's pretty much a tiny sac because I'm only 5 weeks and 5 days along. I have a cyst on my right side ovary (which is bigger than the baby!) and that is what is causing a lot of my pain. However, I was told by the nurse and my doctor that this is a good sign, the cyst sort of feeds the baby until I start feeding it. I guess not everyone feels the pain from it, lucky me.

I met with Dr. Morris. He told me that the baby is high in my uterus which is a really good sign. I have to get blood work drawn tomorrow to test my HCG levels and then again 48 hours later to verify they are increasing at the appropriate levels. This will also indicate how the baby is doing, and he said, "tie up any loose ends."

I will go back on the 13th at 1:00 for another ultra sound and appointment.
They are hoping that the baby will be far enough along that we will be able to see the heart beat through the sonogram. (Yay!)

No Baby Diff Photo at 5 Weeks 5 Days

1st Anniversary

Cutting our top layer of our wedding cake

Chad and I are so excited to be celebrating our first anniversary and our little miracle! We had a great time at the beach with our family and the Anderle's. I didn't do as much drinking as the rest, but it was great hanging out at the beach every day! Even got in the pool AND built a sandcastle! Who knew he could be such a beach bum! :)

Cheers to our first anniversary!

Cheers to Megan's 21st birthday!

Chad loving the beach!

Our private pool and beach walkway!

Our catch crabbing. Thank you Uncle Jack for showing us how to crab!

We're Pregnant!

I had an idea I was pregnant so Chad and I went to the local Nags Head grocery store to get a test to verify what I was feeling was right. While I took the test Chad went to play pool. When I found out I was pregnant I called Chad to tell him to come up to our room in the beach house. When I told him I was pregnant, Chad kept saying, “Really? Really? Really?” I was still pretty shocked too, so I just stood there! Then my mom yelled up that we had to leave for the restaurant. We then went to dinner with everyone to Captain George’s Seafood Buffet.

After dinner when we got back to the beach house we followed my parents into their room and told them our big news. We were still pretty shocked, so I guess our telling them was pretty comical. After we told my parents we told Megan and Billy. They thought something was up when we followed my parents into their room.