12 weeks!

So, this is my last week of the first tri - woohoo! And, according to The Bump, our baby's a plum! For some reason I always thought lime's (last week's fruit) were bigger than plums - guess not!


TheBump.com:


As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.


And BabyCenter:


How your baby's growing:The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it.

His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously.

His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

How your life's changing: Your uterus has grown to the point where your healthcare provider can now feel the top of it (the fundus) low in your abdomen, just above your pubic bone. You may already be into maternity clothes, especially if this isn't your first pregnancy. If you're still fairly small and not yet ready for maternity clothes, you've no doubt noticed that your waist is thickening and that you're more comfortable in loose, less restrictive clothing.

You may begin to feel heartburn (also called acid indigestion), a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of your breastbone to your lower throat. Many women get heartburn for the first time during pregnancy, and those who've previously had bouts of heartburn may find that it gets worse.

During pregnancy, the placenta produces a lot of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Particularly when you're lying down, gastric acid can seep back up the pipe, which causes the uncomfortable burning sensation. For many women the problem doesn't begin (or get worse) until later in pregnancy, when your growing uterus starts to push up on your stomach. The discomfort may range from mildly annoying to intense and distracting.

Spider Boobs

Yup - that's what has started to show up. I know they will get even more "spidery" but I really started seeing the veins show up yesterday. And I have to admit - I knew they'd come, but it's kind of weird to actually see! LOL

11 weeks 1 day!

Can you believe it? While I still have a long way to go until this little one is born, there are only 2 weeks left of the first tri and it has been almost 2 months since I got my BFP - crazy!

Still not really having any morning sickness which I am so incredibly thankful for. Little bouts of feeling a little "off", but nothing that isn't resolved by making sure I eat. Still feeling tired - mostly in the morning and at night, but if someone would give me the opportunity to take a nap in the afternoon, I wouldn't say no! lol


And as far as 11 weeks, it look like our little one is a lime this week!

From TheBump:

Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.


And from BabyCenter:

How your baby's growing: Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

See what your baby looks like this week.

How your life's changing: If you're like most women, you're feeling a bit more energetic now and your nausea may be starting to wane. Unfortunately, you may also be suffering from constipation (caused by hormonal changes, which can slow digestion) and heartburn (hormones again, relaxing the valve between your stomach and esophagus). Just remember, all this discomfort is for a good cause.

Don't worry if nausea has made it impossible for you to eat a wide variety of healthy foods or if you haven't put on much weight yet (most women gain just 2 to 5 pounds during the first trimester). Your appetite will likely return soon, and you'll start to gain about a pound a week.

Hi there!

Haven't posted in a bit - been busy. But I'll post again soon, including an update from our first OB appointment on Wednesday - yay!

In the meantime, we went to visit my sister and her family in VT this weekend. And we told them as well as my other sister that we're pregnant - yaaaay! They were so excited for us! They both had a feeling something was up that we were hiding (IVF, not the pregnant piece), so we came clean on pretty much all of it. My youngest sister lives in Australia so we told her via Skype so she actually got to see one of the ultrasound pics and we got to talk to her - so that was pretty cool. And I was going to surprise my other sister once she was done putting my nephew to bed, but she saw me telling the Aussie sister, so oops! No surprise! haha

And the visit itself was great. And my little nephew is just absolutely adorable. He's about 7.5 months and getting cuter every time I see him. Woohoo!

DH and my FBIL went ice fishing on Saturday while my sister, nephew and I went to do wedding stuff. Probably the last ice fishing they'll get in this season, but soon enough it'll just be replaced by regular fishing. LOL

And let me tell you - my sister is going to be the most beautiful bride I've ever seen - she tried on her dress for me and she looked so absolutely beautiful. She is going to take her FI's and everyone's breath away - I can't wait for the big day!

OK, other than watching the NCAA tourney (great job Siena!), we didn't do much else. Was a nice and relaxing visit. I'll post more later. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Happy (sort of) Anniversary!

DH and I met 5 years ago today! And engaged 3 years ago today, too!

So we are going to go to dinner at the restaurant/bar that we met and got engaged at. We like to do it every year - our own little tradition - I can't wait!

10 weeks!

Double digits! Today I am 10w1d - double digits - that feels pretty good! Tomorrow we have our first OB appointment - yay!

But for today, here's the weekly baby updates. I know they are super long and no one wants to read them, but I like having them in here to look back on and "see" all the changes. ;-)


TheBump - apparently it is a prune?


With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.)


And BabyCenter:

How your baby's growing:
Though he'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, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his 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 your pregnancy.

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

RE costs vs. OB costs

I have to say - my insurance coverage for everything that happened with the RE was pretty crappy. I was more fortunate than many in that some things were covered with a co-pay, but for the most part, it was out-of-pocket. (We are so going to try and claim all of that on our taxes!)

On the other hand, I just called my provider today to see how it actually works BEING pregnant and I have to say - it's pretty darn cheap! I pay a single co-pay of $25 and that covers every single pre- and post-partum appointment - as many times as I go in, it doesn't matter. And as far as the actual delivery? It's just a $300 co-pay for room and board. Everything else is covered.

Holy cow! I am in shock. I never really use my medical insurance outside of my annual exam - so my biggest use of it has basically been the inability to use it for my RE stuff. So let's just say I am very surprised to find out it's actually pretty good outside of that.

I feel so fortunate - I'm still in shock! Wow.

House Guest is gone :-(

So, my parents came back from South Africa and our house guest is gone. :-( We're going to miss her! But, we'll be going up to visit them for Easter so we'll get to see her again soon!

And replacing her is a new house guest for the weekend. One of our friends is going out of town for the weekend so we get to watch his black lab for the weekend - yay!

In other news, the spotting has stopped and we got a new mattress! I didn't realize how much I hated our old mattress until we got the new one. It's heaven! DH loves/needs a really firm mattress and I like a softer one (those hard ones hurt my hips/shoulder!) so I wasn't sure we'd be able to compromise. But it was easier than we thought and we are now sleeping on it - yay!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Keeping me on my Toes

This pregnancy, as I'm sure all do, has a way of always keeping me on my toes. Never really fully let's me settle in and feel "comfortable" with it. I'm not sure if that is exactly the right word. But after the last ultrasound - see it move, hearing it's heart beating away, graduating to my OB, etc... I was starting to let my self settle in, of sorts. Get a little more confident.

But then my body likes to throw in little things like the spotting that started again yesterday, just to keep me on my toes. Just another reason why when I get this close to telling someone I'm pregnant (other than my parents and friend who knew about our IVF), I stop myself.

I know the spotting probably is nothing to be concerned about - but you know we all do! Even when it's most likely absolutely nothing that I did, I still wonder - what did I do that I shouldn't have?! lol

DH has told a bunch of people, but I just can't make myself do it yet. Other than my family, I really think it'll end up being after the 1st tri before I tell people. And then I'll have to allow myself to do it - it's exciting, but scary putting it out there, you know!

OK - I've been lax lately updating and I have some things to update about that will have to come later - but I just had to put that out there to get it off my chest. Thanks for listening!

9 weeks!

Well - technically 9w1d - and my baby is a green olive this week - yuck! lol There aren't many things I don't like, but olives of all types are one of them - especially the green ones. I think I'll go with it being a grape, instead. LOL

But, since the TheBump uses an olive:

Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like... well... a baby!

And BabyCenter:

How your baby's growing:

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape (ooh, I was right referring to a grape instead of an olive! haha) — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months.

Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your 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.

Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her 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 your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

How your life's changing:

You still may not look pregnant even if your waist is thickening a bit. You probably feel pregnant, though. Not only are morning sickness and other physical symptoms out in full force for most women, but you may feel like an emotional pinball as well. 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.

(No morning sickness yet - thank goodness!, but I do have waves of feeling like I want to cry - that's for sure!)

Yay for my little grape!

8w4d - Graduation Day!

So - I graduated! It was bittersweet. I was very happy to be at the stage where I am able to leave and be a "normal" pregnant woman, but very sad to be leaving. I have to admit I really like it there - they are amazing. The building, the staff, all of it. They are just so nice, comforting, supportive, encouraging and just down right good at what they do. Just everything.

I started to tear up when we left and everyone came up to me and gave me hugs. It was so sweet - I am going to miss them! They did tell me to come back for visits, though - with progress, pictures, and the baby when it's born! If I do bring in the actual baby, though, I'll be sure to check to make sure no one's in the office. I would hate to hurt anyone's feelings, you know?

So - let's get down to the excitement of the visit! Since this was our last visit there, they grabbed a DVD and threw it into the ultrasound machine - a 3d one! They recorded the whole thing - right down to the sound of the heartbeat. Let me tell you - that was awesome to hear!

Baby's heartbeat was up to 167 bpm and looks like a gummy bear or a teddy graham! You could see it's head, it's body, it's heart and it's arms and legs! It was so cool - it even moved around a little bit. I wished it did it more, but I'm not going to complain!

I wanted to post the video on here, but it has too much personal info so no can do. ;-) But, I'll post my lame attempt at taking a picture of one of the u/s pictures (they never look as good as the real thing!):




So - can you see his head, two arms, and two legs/feet? Little cutie, no? haha

They showed us views both from 2d and 3d - it was awesome! Not a bad substitute for a graduation diploma, eh? ;-)

And - just for my own sake in case I lose the paper, here's when I get to (potentially) stop my current meds:

Lovenox: 7/20 (evaluate at 28 weeks with potential to continue to 36 weeks)
hCG: 3/16 (10 weeks)
Aspirin: 9/14 (36 weeks)
PIO: 3/30 (12 weeks)

So - by the end of the month, I'll be down to only one injection - woohooooo!

OK, guess that's it - hope everyone had a great weekend!

House Guest!

We have been pet sitting for my mom's kitten since she's been gone and it has been fantastic! My mom named her Noel since she got her for Christmas - she's so cute! She ranges between holy terror and sweet little baby. LOL One minute she'll be sprinting around the house attacking every little thing, curious what it is, and the next she'll be curled up on your lap purring.

It has been so long since I've been around a kitten! I got Riley when he was 5 so never really experienced that with him. And thankfully, our furniture has fared pretty well. Although I can't say she hasn't gotten curious or playful and pulled absolutely everything apart!

Prime example - the power cords from the fish tank below that used to be all tucked away nicely. I have given up fixing them until she leaves. ;-) Let's just say she loves the fish!




I have taken a ton of pictures, but most of them end up not turning out well due the fact she's moving way too fast! So, here are a couple I managed to get while she was "resting".

Cute, isn't she?! We're going to miss her when she leaves!

8 Weeks!

Today, I am 8 weeks even. Woohooo! I called my OB and could have had my first "graduate" appointment next Tuesday, but I have to pick my parents up from the airport, so won't be able to. But that's ok. I'll have just had an ultrasound this Friday anyway. So, instead, we go a week later on 3/18. Yay!

Had a good weekend. No new symptoms which is good - fingers (and toes and everything else) crossed this holds out. Had a friend come in from out of town that we told our news and he is very excited for us! We were going to wait to tell friends until after we told all of our family, but we couldn't pass up a surprise in-person visit!

In sad (for me) news, we were supposed to go up to visit one of my sister's this weekend to share the news and help her with wedding stuff, but we have had to cancel. Stupid winter weather! Boooooo!

In happier news, here's what's going on in my belly: ;-)

According to The Bump:




Your baby is growing like mad (average embryo: 0.63 in, 0.04 oz), putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.


And for fun, according to American Pregnancy:

What changes are occurring with your body?
Even though it may not look like your body has changed from the outside, many changes have occurred throughout your body. Before you were pregnant, your uterus was about the size of your fist, but it is now about the size of a grapefruit.

You may have noticed changes in your breasts. They may be more tender and sensitive than usual. This is completely normal as your body is preparing for lactation.

Another change that has occurred that you may not be aware of is that your blood volume has increased by 40 to 50 percent.


What is happening with your baby?
Everything that is present in an adult human is now present in the small embryo. The ears are continuing to form externally and internally. The bones are beginning to form, and the muscles can contract. Fingers and toes are webbed but are growing longer.

The facial features continue to mature. The tip of the nose is present and the eyelids are now more developed. The embryonic tail is also disappearing, and your baby's body is beginning to straighten out.

While your baby's gender has already been determined, the external genitals are still forming and cannot be clearly seen. The embryo is at the end of the embryonic period and begins the fetal period.

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