Ok, so Angie mentioned (again) that it’s been a while since I posted, and this was my great idea. I’d like to point out a couple things from that previous statement… first that it was a “great idea” and second, that I have obviously not learned, since I am making my pregnant wife repeat herself.

For a day that started out crappy, it sure had a high point. I woke up this morning feeling like doodoo… and decided it would be best for me to work from home. Not sure what I have, but I didn’t feel like facing people, and more importantly I didn’t want to get people sick who are working hard on a project I have going. So that was my morning…

But Angie and I had a doctors appointment today and today we got to hear the heart beat! It was amazing. I’m sure it also comforts her to know that we are this far and everything seems to be on track. For me, it makes it that much more real, since other than the changes I see in Angie, it hasn’t really affected me yet.

Today was definitely cool. I called the house and left a message with the sound on it. It’s no the best, but I’m sure Kylie will be excited to hear it too. We are in the 10th week, and the baby is about 2 inches long right now, with its head being 1/2 of that. Hair folicles are starting to form, as are the nail beds and the baby is starting to stretch and roll around… It’s just amazing how fast things happen. We have a lot to do to get ready, and at some point we are going to have to start thinking of names.

After all that excitement, I stayed home from Bible study tonight so I could get some work done. Need to help balance out the day… can’t have too much fun.

Okay, so I had a really bad day yesterday.  My nausea started again on Wednesday, and yesterday it was awful.  Plus, I have been battling some sort of sinus thing.  It’s been great.  Well, we were supposed to go hear the heartbeat yesterday.  (did you notice the “supposed to”?)  Johnathan had the bright idea of calling first because of the first time my appointment was canceled.  It was actually a great idea because Dr. Perales had just been called away and wouldn’t be back.  I almost cried right there.  My heart was broken.  All the build up and no punch line.  It really stunk.  With extra time on my hands, I wandered around a few stores before meeting Johnathan for dinner.  My first words were, “I’m having a moment, and you are just going to have to let me have it.”  While I was reading the menu, everything sounding mucho gross, I just started crying (stupid hormones).  My precious husband wanted to hold my hand, but I couldn’t (I would have totally lost it).  I choked down some mushroom soup and called my mom to cry all the way home.  See, right now, aside from feeling sick and tired, I don’t really feel pregnant.  I wanted, needed, something tangible.  A heartbeat.  A picture.  Something.  Something to tell me that everything’s going well.  But I guess I’ll have to wait until Monday (rescheduled the appointment).  Maybe this is a blessing.  Sometimes, you can’t hear the heartbeat at 10 weeks because it’s not strong enough or the baby’s not close enough to the instrument.  Maybe the 4 days will make a difference.  In any event, God knows better than I do so I will just have to trust.

I think my belly doubled in size over the weekend.  Is that possible?  Especially this early?  The bigger pants that had extra space last week, are snug this week.  Ugh.  I weighed sometime recently. . . I’m so tired my days run together. . . and I was up 2 pounds.  Of course, that could have changed. . . one way or the other. . . since then (judging by my belly this morning, I’ll lay odds on upwards).  As far as feeling icky goes, the last few days have been much better.  If I was the “worrying sort”, that might have me concerned (now everyone that knows me will be calling to make sure I’m not worrying myself sick).  Most women would be elated, but I’m nervous.  I am having a little tummy trouble right this second, but that could be attributed to the leftover kung pao shrimp I had for lunch (sooner or later the spicy food has to go, right?).   The cramps have subsided.  I firmly believe it was a digestive thing.  Nothing to panic about (got that, Dad??).

Donna and Barry bought Johnathan a book called “My Boys Can Swim” (yes, he loved it. . . was there a doubt?).  All I wanted to know was did it explain to him that he needs to rub my feet more and not argue with me. . . even when I’m being unreasonable?  It doesn’t. . . but it’s still a cute book.

We bought the official, live Christmas tree last night (the artificial one is in the bonus room).  After riding home with the smell of tree sap on Johnathan’s hands, we went through the arduous task of getting it in the tree stand.  At the conclusion of those 30-45 minutes of my life that I will never get back, I said, “Well, that was an irritating process.”  And Kylie said, “Only for a pregnant woman.”  Smart aleck. 

Yeah, no puking yet, but sometimes I really want to.  I’m miserable. . . but it comes and goes.  It has to be the worst thing ever to sit in front of a plate of food, knowing that you have to eat, and really, really, really not wanting to.  Ginger ale and Preggie Pop Drops have become my best friends (Kylie bought me the drops as an early Christmas present).  I’m making shakes for breakfast with a protein mix.  That’s going pretty well so far.  So I’m getting at least half of the protein I am suppose to get on a daily basis (hey, I’ll take what I can get). 

I am really looking forward to getting this first trimester behind me. . . for many reasons.  First, the risk of miscarriage goes down.  Second, this nausea will end (at least I pray it does).  Third, I’m supposed to get some energy back.  I haven’t run in almost 2 weeks.  I’m starting to feel like a big slug (although I still haven’t gained weight. . . I fluctuate up occasionally about 1 pound but then come right back down).  I fell asleep on the couch last night around 8:30.  Having a really long weekend for Thanksgiving was great.  I slept a lot.  (I wonder if my boss would allow naps at work.) 

I guess the only symptom that has me a little baffled is cramps.  I have them almost daily now.  Sometimes they’re sharp, sometimes a dull ache.  I have read that this isn’t exactly rare so I’m not worried.  It’s just weird.  I haven’t had any spotting so it can’t be all that bad.  For now, it gives me a good reason to lie down and put my feet up.  ;)

Before I forget (because apparently I’m having issues with that right now), my mother took a little offense to my comment about wanting to “take her out” (read Protein and Pants if you need to catch up).  She wasn’t truly “offended”; she just asked me about it 3 times on the day she read it.  So sorry, mom.  I do love you, honest. . . even when my blood pressure shoots through the roof.  ;)

Okay, I think that’ll do for today.  By the way, someone tell my husband that if my memory is getting so bad, stop asking me what we bought people for Christmas last year.  It makes my head hurt.  ;)

It’s been a while since I updated the site, and Angie has told me that she’s not posting until I post, so here I go. I guess this goes back as far as Thanksgiving. It was great. Angie’s mom was in town and the ladies went shopping for maternity clothes. At first I thought it was kinda early, but I knew that they were excited about it (at least afterwards) and Angie said they were very comfortable, so that’s good. Angie’s mom spent a good amount of time hemming Angies pants, and preparing for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving itself was good. It was Angie, Kylie and me, Angie’s mom, my mom and barry, my brother Matt, our friends Vern and Barb, and Kwane and Bianca. It was expecially cool to be able to celebrate in our new home. There was way too much food which worked out well for the following days and nights. Surprisingly I never got sick of the food. Mom made green bean caserole, Angie made Spinach Madeliene, and Angie’s mom made turkey and chicken ‘n dumplings. They were all great.

Angie and I had a four day weekend, so I ended up using it to get a lot of stuff done around the house, and force myself to sleep in as much as possible. That was nice. No alarms, no early appointments. I got the garage cleaned out and somewhat organized. I’d like to put some cabinets in the garage for storage and because I think it will look good. We moved some large rocks from the lot behind us, and put them in the flower beds up front. Then Kylie and I worked on a castle that she had to build for her World History class. I’ll upload a picture later, but I think it turned out pretty nice… working draw bridge and all.

Angie is doing well. I know she feels sick from time to time, but she hasn’t thrown up yet. She is mainly just tired, and I’ve noticed a few times where her memory doesn’t seem to be as great (though I’d never tell it to her face). We are in the 9th week, which just seems amazing. The baby is no longer a little pea sized blob… but more like 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch . Angie is looking forward to the second trimester when she is supposed to get an energy boost! That way she can get back to laundry, cooking and cleaning. (Hope she doesn’t read that part.) Oh well, at least I don’t make her do it barefoot.

So with enough salsa, I was able to eat the entire breakfast burrito this morning.  And at lunch, the mexican pizza from Taco Bell went smoothly.  Those bigger pants are going to come in handy.   ;)

Protein is disgusting.  All of it!  Steak, chicken, eggs. . . all nasty.  Well, they are good until I get about halfway through my meal, at which point they become absolutely repulsive.  On the upside (at least for the baby), I can’t stomach the thought of coffee anymore.  But what’s a pregnant woman to do when her body is rejecting things that the baby needs??  Sonic shakes seem to be going down pretty well.  My next endeavor involves going to GNC for protein mix and flax seed.  I’ll be making shakes at home I guess.  Four more weeks of this part, right??

Finally. . . the tight pants had to go.  Kylie was tired of me having to unbutton them on the way home.  My mom brought me 3 pairs that are just a bigger size.  Those should last for at least another week.  ;)  But then mom and Kylie ganged up on me.  The dragged me to a maternity store, kicking and screaming.  Okay, it wasn’t quite that dramatic, but I did complain a lot.  Eight weeks is not pregnant enought for maternity clothes!  The salesperson was laughing at us and wouldn’t get into it.  I was content to leave with the stretchy thing that she offered me to help me keep my unbuttoned pants up.  But the two females in my house wouldn’t stop there.  They started grabbing pants (I flat refused shirts. . . no need to start wearing those tents yet) and shoved me in a dressing room.  It was so overwhelming (except that little belly pad thingy so you can see what the clothes will look like months from now..that was fun).  They kept piling on the pants.  I must have tried on a hundred pair.  At one point, my mom told me to hurry.  (I think that is the closest I have been to wanting to take her out since my adolescence.)  I eventually had to suck it up and admit that there were some cute pants, even the adjustable ones that start with a yard of bunched up material to give you “room to grow”.  But what got me to agree to purchase them was the fact that I could actually breathe in them (amazing concept).  The salesperson was still stifling her laughter as she folded two bags of clothes.

The word “argh” comes to mind.  One thing stops and another starts.  God has an amazing sense of humor. . . unfortunately, I’m not laughing.  The blah feeling has been better for the last couple of days, not completely gone, but better.  Now, I have this nasty taste in my mouth.  I tried to describe it to Johnathan this morning.  It tastes like I just woke up and haven’t brushed my teeth yet, but now I’m thinking it’s more like I woke up with a hangover and haven’t brushed my teeth (or what I remember that tastes like. . . it’s been a long time).  So drinking my orange juice this morning was a mixture of that and orange juice, which, I have to tell you, was worse than orange juice and toothpaste.  It’s pretty gross.  How am I supposed to eat and sustain this miracle growing in my tummy, when nothing tastes good?  Maybe this is God’s way of making me appreciate the delivery more. . . .I’m not sure that it’s going to help. 

When I got to work this morning, I made oatmeal.  Just the smell told me that it wasn’t going to mix well with this rankness going on in my mouth.  It’s in the trash in the break room.  I was forced to go to McDonald’s and get a McGriddle and a hashbrown (it’s a hard life).  But now my teeth all feel like they’re wearing little sweaters (don’t complain, you chose to read this. . . take the good with the bad).  Good news is I won’t have to eat anything again for a couple more hours.  The bad news is the only lunch I have left in the freezer is salmon in dill sauce.  We’ll see how that goes.

Angie and I went to our first Dr.’s visit. There are so many different aspects of the trip to talk about … hopefully I can narrow it down to the important (and entertaining) stuff. I learned a lot about Dr. Perales just by what I saw in her office (keep in mind this is my first time behind the scenes at an OBGYN). She had a sign that read, “Dr. Perales – At Your Cervix”… so I know she has a sense of humor. There was another that said “It’s only faith when you have nothing else to hold on to”… so based on that and some of her comments, I know she is a believer. And based on her attitude and our discussion, I feel good that she is going to do everything she can to make us comfortable, while ensuring that we do everything we can to ensure our baby is healthy.

They did another pregnancy test… so that makes five now. And then ordered some blood work. Angie is going to have to go back over to the hospital to have the blood drawn, but she has to fast first. That’s not going to be fun. We confirmed that we are six weeks along as of today, and the due date is July 5th.

After all the other stuff with the nurse, I got to see what an OBGYN room looks like… Let’s just say I’m glad I’m a guy. Dr. Perales came in and talked to us about Folic Acid and possible complications. Because Angie is 35 (I may get in trouble for that), the possibility of having a child with Down’s Syndrome increases. At 35, it’s a 1 in 365 chance. She asked what we would do if we found out our baby has Down Syndrome, and we let her know that we would proceed with the pregnancy. Based on that, she did not recommend the amniocentesis (which can test for Down Syndrome) since it will increase the chances for an aborted pregnancy by 2.5%. Angie also runs a risk for preeclampsia, so Dr. Perales want’s her to take a baby aspirin every day.

Overall though I left the office comfortable about the pregnancy. Both Angie and I have looked at the pregnancy as a blessing, and we will trust His will. God is great!

Our next appointment is in 4 weeks and we get to hear the heart beat at that point. That’s going to be aweseome. We talked about getting a monitor so we could hear it whenever we wanted… we’ll see! I think this means that we are letting the cat out of the bag…

Related Links:

• What is pre-eclampsia?
• What is an amniocentesis?
• Information on Down Syndrome
• National Down Syndrome Society