12 Weeks 0 Days

I guess that the first day of the last week in my first trimester is as good of a time as any to post my first entry. The purpose of this blog is mainly for me to document the physical and emotional changes I encounter through my first pregnancy. Some people do this in a baby book, but I am choosing to use a blog instead. A secondary reason for the blog is to share my progress, appointment updates, and any news with family and friends. Perhaps I am being presumptuous to think that other people will care, but I said that it is a SECONDARY reason. It has been an exciting journey so far and I am sure that more fun is yet to come!

To go back to the beginning of this journey...

December 25, 2008
I woke up on Christmas morning at my in-laws house having bad stomach cramps. I was very disappointed because I knew that my period was on the way. This was our 5th month trying to get pregnant. I think that it was even harder that it was Christmas. I had really been hoping to have a surprise gift! Little did I know that this was the last one.

January 8, 2009
Gators defeat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship in football.

Baby is conceived.

January 14, 2009
Greg accompanied me to the OBGYN for my annual visit. We discussed our lack of success to date in the baby-making department. She explained that it was very normal for it to take 6 to 12 months to conceive. She was willing to have my progesterone levels checked and to write Greg a prescription for a seman analysis (SA). Greg was such a good sport about this and I am extremely lucky to have him! He dutifully took his sample into the clinic to be tested. They called around January 20th to report that the results were normal.

January 22, 2009
My period was due and did not arrive by 5 in the afternoon (believe me that after several months of charting my basal body temperature, I knew EXACTLY when I was late). I decided to use a cheap pregnancy test that I purchased off the internet for~$1. A very faint, almost invisible line appeared. Greg and I agreed that we "maybe" saw something. I decided to use one of my more expensive digital tests. I got too excited and put the darn thing together backward and got an "error" reading. I was not happy about this because I only had the CBE $15 digital test left. Greg advised me to wait until the next morning just to be sure. After he went off to do some painting, I decided to use it anyway. I have no patience. It took about 10 seconds for "pregnant" to pop up. I ran into kitchen to show Greg. Unfortunately, we had Fernando the handy man installing our French doors at the time, so we had a quiet celebration in the pantry! Greg was thrilled that he paid $280 to have a SA done only to find out I was already pregnant.

I was very lucky that I did not have morning sickness. There were about 2 weeks when I was very nauseous in the mornings. I found that if I ate something, I felt better. I developed an aversion to green foods, especially spinach. Luckily it passed quickly.

At approximately 7 to 8 weeks, Greg and I both noticed that my chest had rapidly expanded - almost overnight. I began wearing very loose fitting shirts to work in hopes that no one would notice - and they didn't. I guess that Greg is really the only one that looks at my chest (and I like it that way!).

March 11, 2009
Our first appointment to meet with the doctor. We had an appointment in February when we me with the nurse to go through our medical history, take my weight and bp, and get a slip to take to the lab for blood work. Our first visit with the doctor included a look inside to make sure everything checked out (it did), a boob check, and a quick listen with the doppler to hear the babies heartbeat. It registered at 165 beats per minute. Greg found a pamphlet explaining the father's responsibilities during pregnancy, child birth, and after while we were waiting for the doctor. He has taken this pamphlet as being gospell and frequently quotes information from it to explain ~his~ duties to me. I am pretty sure that he actually makes most of this information up.

We decided to let the cat out of the bag today and tell people at work about our news. Any of you our there that have been waiting to tell other people can now feel free to do so.

Thanks for reading - I will post again when I think that I have something interesting to say.