Heartbeat!!

I just got back from my first official "doctor" appt...it was WONDERFUL! Its not like there was a whole lot to come from this visit because we still have a long way till the fun stuff...BUT today WAS fun because we got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. I obviously didn't have any idea what to expect on how we would hear the heartbeat...so I half way expected a full out ultrasound where I might get to see the baby too. But no, it was just a little tiny roller on a cord hooked to a speaker. I swear she didn't even get it fully against my stomach before we started hearing the very clear "panting" is how I describe it. It sounds like Coco panting when she gets hot. But it was a wonderful consistent FAST heartbeat. She said "sounds very strong healthy heartbeat to me". I didn't full out cry...I admit a few tears escaped the corner of my eye...but it wasn't full out emotional, it was more SHOCK and excitement and trying to soak in what I was hearing. Robby sat right next to me with the HUGEST smile planted across his face. She said the rate was 173, which I immediately started asking if the old wise tale was true that if its over 140 its a girl and under 140 its a boy...but she threw that right out the door and said no, its a myth...all babies heartbeats are super fast in the beginning like this...and slow down as the pregnancy so we can't tell anything from this. WHEW! I didn't want to be jumping to conclusions about it. I honestly want to be completely suprised when we go in to find out what it is at 20 weeks...so this was a relief.

She also measured me and I am right at the mark I thought I was at...at about 10 weeks...well 11 weeks tomorrow. YAH! Overall it was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to go back! Only 4 more weeks!

10 weeks today!!

YAH! Time finally feels like its starting to pick up...this week has flown by and here I am at my 10 week mark. Nine or ten more weeks and we can find out the sex of the baby! Hope these next ones more faster than these have.

One nerve-wracking tasks I can check off the list...I finally told my work yesterday that I am pregnant. This was incredibly intimidating and it had crossed my mind every time I saw my boss walking by but actually getting the guts up to s-a-y the words out loud terrified me. But, honestly it got to be so annoying to feel like I was hiding something that I decided to just get it off my chest. (One of my supervisor's responses when I told her how hard it had been to keep quiet about it was...so you don't have a good "poker face"? hahah). Anyway what is funny about our work right now is that we currently have two girls out on maturity leave...and one that just came back...in other words don't drink the water on our floor. And babies are contagious! So obviously I am sure my boss was OH GAH here we go again on the inside...but thankfully they were doing thing they could to show excitement for me on the outside. Then I was finally able to tell the girls I work with...the fun part! This is the people I could actually complain too when I don't feel good...the ones that will go with me to get snacks when baby reed is yanking on my umbilical cord...and just overall part of my support system during the working hours. Everyone was very kind, excited and full of questions...I had a good time finally getting to talk about it...and was completely exhausted by the end of the day from all the excitement. I think I was in bed shortly after 8:15. Oh well...I'd better get the sleep while I can.

I'm back...

Here I am posting twice in one day...but I just couldn't resist sharing how the appt went. Like I have said before it wasn't a big deal because I was just going in to do Family History with a nurse...but as I got there and all everyone wanted to do was talk baby...I found myself getting SO EXCITED and proud. It was so much fun! She gave me lots of documentation to look at, explained to me how the insurance works, I answered a million questions...and last but not least I had to give more blood! Again, it went fine though...so maybe I will be able to get over this phobia soon. :-) Anyway my first appt with the "doctor" is a week from today so I am just so pumped for that...she said they would measure and listen for the heartbeat and all sorts of fun stuff. I can NOT wait!!

I hate to bring you down...but on a sad note (which proved to me the pregnancy emotions are still in high gear) when we were leaving the doctors office we went by the backside of the hospital. I saw three or four men in scrubs crouched down around something and I couldn't see what it was...until we got close...and I realized it was a sick little boy in a wheelchair hooked up to a big machine and they were out letting him see the sun. I burst out bawling! I find myself ULTRA sensitive to stuff about children anymore. Please say a prayer for that little boy...whoever it was. (Nicole I don't know how you deal with this stuff!!!)

Thoughtful...

My sweet sweet friend Nicole surprised me with the BEST gift ever the other night...I have so always dreamed of having one of these...but I can't believe my day is here now.

This was Robby's kind of gift too...add the "Sooner's" into anything and he is SOLD!

Thank you again Nicole, you never cease to amaze me with your gifts...you are always sooo thoughtful and right on the mark...I LOVE it!!

Finally...

Great news!...I finally heard back from the doctor last night...at like 5:35 pm! I was anxiously awaiting the call all day...and even called and left an extra message on their machine around 2 o'clock but never heard back. I had received several inquiries from people asking the results all day (so sweet that people care and can remember what's going on with MY doctor appointments) and I was getting so frustrated because I wanted to hear the news too (not that it was super exciting news or anything but still it was SOMETHING!). Anyway all my blood work came back great! YES, I am pregnant...in case any of you had any doubts. :-) My thyroid levels had gone down significantly, so I am now in the normal range (so no need to worry about that at all anymore). My hormone levels measured between 7-12 weeks so she is assuming I am sitting right at the 9 week mark like I thought. And the greatest (relief) news was that my levels were normal enough to indicate that I am just carrying ONE baby. YAH! Happy news all around. Now I can just look forward to my Family History appointment tomorrow with my actual OB office. I am sure I will have to give more blood (grrr) but if it gives me more news to wait for then I am all for it. News is all I have to live for at this point...its my only tie to my baby. I can't see it, or feel it yet...so I just want to hear about it. :-)

In other news...I had the Race for the Cure 5K on Saturday. Now, that was a different experience! I have done several 5K's this summer all with goals of improving my times each race. hahaha...now the goal was just finishing the race. I haven't been out to jog or even hardly to walk in probably 2 1/2 weeks. I am not sure what everyone else's weather has been like but last Friday was the 14th day in a row that it rained here. I was started to think I lived in Seattle! We did get a pleasant weekend with the recently unheard of sun but of course yesterday our next 5 day setting of rain began...and here we are back in dark dreary weather around the clock all over again. Anyway point of this is...I haven't been able to get out in the evenings and exercise...so the race was very jolting. I only ran maybe the first 15 minutes of it...and then walked the entire rest of the way...even hoping THAT part would be over soon. My body just doesn't feel the same! And that did a number on my pride...I was in some of the best shape of my life earlier this year...and now I am reduced to this. Again, welcome pregnancy! I had some of my coworkers in their 60's beat me! Come on...that's depressing! And to make it all worse...I haven't told anyone at my work I am pregnant yet...so they probably just think I am quite the slacker! haha Oh well...I really can't worry about that...I honestly felt like I had to do what was best for my body...and the goal was not to get too overheated...and so when I felt like it was getting hard and I was getting sweaty...I backed off...and I am ok with that.

I am glad I got out and was active...and the race really was fun but I paid the price for it later that day...my lower back really ached, I was sore and exhausted. Not only did I race home afterward for FOOD but then I settled in for a nice long nap. I didn't make it home in time to go to the game with Robby...so I had the house all to myself and it was dead quiet and peaceful. I love nap time...so do my girls...so we were just three peas in a pod :-)

No word...

Unfortunately I didn't hear back from the doctor's office today so I guess I will have to wait till Monday to hear back. :-(

Otherwise I just wanted to take a few more moments to complain about my insane hunger! It never quits. The conversation that happened the other night between my husband and I will give you a perfect example. We had just eaten at the new Billy Sim's Bar-Q restaurant and we are driving home.
Me: I am so glad you took me there...I made a whole 'nother sandwich with my left over chopped brisket and my piece of texas toast...and its something about their bar-q sauce...
Robby (interrupting): ya know umm...usually when we go out to eat...we don't...um...talk about the food the whole way home too...
Me: Heh...maybe your right. :-)

Other angle of this hunger is that it is very particular...its like once I set my mind on something THAT is exactly what I HAVE TO have or otherwise it just doesn't hit the spot. Last night we had plans with some friends to meet for dinner in Claremore (since they don't live there (and we live close by there) and they were going to happen to be in town that night they suggested we eat in town to make it easier for us). Well this is almost never a good plan because there isn't very many good places to eat in Claremore...I would much rather drive over to Owasso or even into Tulsa to eat something GOOD instead but since it was a week night it seemed like a good plan. That is until Stacy mentioned to me that she was meeting her parents at Olive Garden in Owasso to eat that night. W H A T? Olive Garden...that hadn't even crossed my mind! Oh no, I think I need to go there too! But how rude would that be to call an hour in advance and say... oh I know this is crazy but the baby REALLY wants Olive Garden now, so umm can we switch our dinner plans to a different restaurant and city please? Well, Robby denied my option immediately anyway so I stuck with the original plan...but it did not do him any good because I did not satisfy that craving...and now its 24 hours later...and what am I thinking is for dinner tonight? hmm one guess? Olive Garden. :-)

And next on the craving list...we are waiting patiently for the fair to get to town so that I can have my fried pickles with ranch already!

Anyway you guys have a great weekend...I hope mine will be filled with lots of yummy snacks, naps, and dog snuggling...maybe we can squeeze hubby in too. We'll see. Coco is kind of a mommy-hog. :-)

BOOMER!

Doctor appointment!

Ok well not exactly THE doctor appt that we have been looking forward too...but I still received some news that brings excitement and some that brings relief. When I called my OB again the other day questioning whether I should be medicating for my thyroid, they suggested that I get an appt with my primary care physician and get my blood levels checked again to bring the results more up to date. This was all well and good except I HATE giving blood now (last time I volunteered at the blood drive my vein rolled and I don't know what else happened but I shrieked in pain and tears flooded my eyes, since then I have been a chicken). Anyway I went and gave the blood without any problems today (thank goodness) and she said since she was already going to a full work up...would I like her to do the pregnancy looks too? Such as how far along you are (based on your H.C.G level or something) and that she can even sometimes tell if you are carrying twins or not. HA! I thought that was crazy...she can tell that without even looking at a sonogram?! Well I was all for it, #1) I can't wait to hear ANYthing about my baby from a doctor's perspective like how far along I am etc. #2) I am sure its just paranoia but I am terrified of twins being a realistic concept because my girlfriend that lives two houses down just came up with twins completely unexpectedly on her first pregnancy. Yep, identical twin boys!



So as you can see this DOES happen...it truly is such a miracle, blessing, and true gift from god for sure but to be quite honest I am not sure I would be as brave about it as she has been. Anyway back on topic...the doctor said she would probably have results tomorrow or at the latest Monday! How GREAT! This will give me a new found confidence...and I might even be brave enough to confide in someone at work of my status! (That's right I haven't told a soul yet at work...and its been killing me to at least have someone to talk to and complain to when I am not feeling good. Thank goodness for my instant email buddies, you know who you are :-)

The second thing the doctor told me that gave me the relief was...she thought my thyroid levels weren't going to be an issue at all. She said after speaking with the specialist I saw last year they decided that my levels weren't to be worry-some because it was most likely caused by my birth control! Wow...all this worrying for nothing! Well not completely, I DO have cysts on my thyroid that I have to continue monitoring...but as far as baby, she is almost sure that everything is going to be ok even without medication. Whew!
Oh and one last thought...I still planning on "jogging" the 5K for Race for the Cure this weekend even though I haven't been out running in probably 2 1/2 weeks (thank you non-stop rain) so wish me luck that I can make it through without having to stop for a nap or something. HA!
Anyway I will be sure and post what the doctor has to say about my blood work (hopefully tomorrow!)

Not much new...

Sorry not much new to report. I am feeling pretty good today (thanks to my Fig Newton's, yep I said Fig Newtons, haha nobody eats those anymore but I heard someone talk about them the other day and I just had to have them from that point on...and yes they are as good as I remembered). I had a rough weekend though...starting Friday afternoon. I started feeling really nauseated and after work I just made some dinner and went straight to lay down...at you know a good ole' time of 6:45. I had to get up several times that evening to do things (move laundry etc)...but I was worthless most of the night...and didn't get the grocery shopping done like I had planned. And I felt like I remained at that pace the rest of the weekend. Always too tired, too nauseated and behind on everything I needed to get accomplished. Welcome pregnancy!

I didn't feel much better when I woke up on Saturday morning but it was GAMEDAY so its not like I had a lot of choice. If you know my husband at all...you know that NOTHING matters on Saturday's except holy OU football. It was the opening home game of the season (and we have season tickets and do not miss games but except for EXTREME situations) so I was excited to go but the weather...oh the rain...it did not stop for one solitary minute the entire time we were there. We had poncho's but it didn't matter...after hours of mists, drops and puddles there was not one article of clothing on me that wasn't soaking wet. I have never been so happy to get to my change of dry clothes in the car...I immediately was knocked out in the car and slept the whole way home (exhausted due to having to stand the entire game because the bleachers were sopping wet). So the game was an adventure to say the least but one thing is for sure, boy did baby Reed sure enjoy the concession stand food! haha

Odds & Ends

I feel like I have alot to cover...nothing particularly important...but just thoughts and things I would like to mention. I'll start with the Doctor stuff first. So I called the doctor #1) to hear back about what they thought of my thyroid issues and #2) to tell them that I thought I was alot further along than they realized before I was coming in to get checked out. Well for the thyroid part, they just asked that I schedule back with my primary care doc and see where my levels are sitting at more currently. So I scheduled that for next Thursday. And here's where it got frustrating. I told them that according to my counting I am 8 1/2 weeks not 7 1/2 weeks like they said and she repeated to me again as if I was an idiot who can't count that if my first day of my last period was indeed July 16th then i am 7 1/2 weeks. People tell me if I am crazy...I have counted it a million times and I swear I am going to be 9 weeks tomorrow???

Anyway moving on...moving backward actually, news from the weekend. Our good friends Dane & Lesli came down to spend the weekend with us...and brought their 6 yr old daughter Paige and their 3 old son Easton. Wow! It was quite a glimpse into what I have to look forward too. Oh and terrified me! Lesli deserves a medal for god sakes! She is on duty non-stop grabbing stuff out of hands, cleaning messes, sitting him down in his seat, trying to keep him quiet, console his crying, getting him to try and eat. Just a 24 hour job! I can't imagine! On the other hand Paige was so responsible, and sweet, and quiet, this showed me that these stages are only temporary...and soon Easton will be out of this stage too. Time marches on so quickly...I can remember the night Paige was born...and now she is just a grown up little girl wearing a backpack and going to school!

The weekend was a long one...and normally I am ALL for the long weekends... but after having company all weekend long with two children ON TOP of being pregnant...I was EXHAUSTED. On Monday after they left I honestly thought I was going to end up in tears because I couldn't get anything accomplished, when there was so much to do...and all my body wanted to do was SLEEP. Later that day I realized I had forgotten to take my prenatal vitamin and took it about 3 pm...almost instantly I felt better! I am telling you all those vitamins juice me up and give me energy! So for that reason I am glad I take it in the mornings before work, even if it is harder to remember to take than at night.

I am really looking forward to this weekend to catch up on rest...but we are heading to Norman on Saturday for the game, so I am sure there probably won't be much rest to be had. Oh well, I am actually looking forward to the fall season and football this year (even after our lose this weekend (tear)). So lets just hope we can turn it around this weekend. BOOMER!

Miscounted

Last night while looking at my little calendar card thingy I realized that I think I have been miscounting my weeks. I think I am in the middle of my eight week. (not seventh!) Which of course, is not that big of change...but its exciting! I have more chapters in my prego books I can be reading already! The part about it that bothers me is that when I originally called the doctor they said that they didn't need to see me till 8 or 9 weeks. Well my first appointment isn't till the 23rd and that one is just family history and just with a nurse. And the first "doctor" appointment I have isn't even till the 30th. Well I am going to be one day short of 12 weeks by then! I need to call the doctor's office back today about my thyroid questions anyway so I think I going to question whether I should be coming in sooner??

On another note, I just got a call from one of my old girlfriends that was asking how I am doing and she mentioned something that we could find out the sex of the baby WAY earlier than I ever expected? I mean I was guessing we wouldn't know that till like half way through the pregnancy...and she thought it was something like 12 weeks or something? That can't be right, is it? Anyone remember?

I almost forgot...its Thursday again so I think I am officially in my 7th week now. Yah! The faster the time passes before I get to go to the doctor and hear the heartbeat, the better. I am so looking forward to that! I am scheduled for the "Family History" visit on the 23rd...but my first actual visit with the doctor isn't till the 30th. So I have still got a couple weeks to go. I wonder how soon I will show? Unfortunately probably not for a couple more months. I never understood why pregnant women were in such a hurry to show...but now I completely get it. Well at least I think do, I want to show so that I will be able to see that I am pregnant. Same goes for feeling the baby move the first time...I can not WAIT for that! I just put so much thought into the baby that being able to see or feel it will be a great moment.
In other news, I have feeling pretty good the last couple of days! Which has been GREAT! I even slept really well last night. Don't ask me why I don't sleep really well every night based on how tired I am but I don't. A lot of times I am restless in the night and it bothers me A LOT to miss any sleep, because sleep is one of my most very favorite things. I have always been a sleepaholic. So I hope the baby realizes how I am giving him/her the ultimate sacrifice of my precious sleep. :-)
Kayli and Coco are not helping the situation though, they aren't doing anything different its just they slept right next to me (MUST BE touching me so they don't accidentally miss me moving without them knowing or something) and they are so hot that they are overheating me. Not to mention the fact that I have to get up several times a night to pee and one of two things happen: either they are completely unhappy to get moved and I have to make some giant maneuver to get out of the bed and covers without throwing them out of the bed, OR they are TOO eager to wake up and want to be taking outside to play around (which wakes me up further to dink around with them). Either way this could get A LOT worse as I get bigger, hotter, less graceful getting out of bed, and less patience for taking out rotten little girls that want to play in the middle of the night (or pretend to need to go pee JUST to receive a treat). But on the other hand HOW can I resist this faces?

Body changes

Well there really aren't any changes yet...but I am excited for them to start! I went ahead and took some pictures of my "before" body last week...hopefully these will serve me a good reminder come next May to kick it back into high gear a lose my baby weight. In this last year I have really gotten into running, and I am continuing to jog so far...and I plan to continue as long as I can. They say it really helps with delivery if you are in good shape, and it might help against stretch marks. Plus the biggest benefit, it will help the weight fall off afterward. So at this point my hopes are with staying active with exercise and hopefully I can breastfeed, and maybe between the two I can get my body back together again. We'll see....

This next picture really cracks me up. Its not exactly the best picture of a side view...but if you look at the shadow on the wall it looks like what my belly will eventually look like large!

How I'm Feeling...

I immediately became completely in tune with my body after the very second I found out, wondering if every moment if this felt different or that etc but overall I was feeling really good till about the first day of my sixth week (Thursday August 27th). I woke up feeling fine and got dressed and headed to work but shortly after getting there I had switched my lamp on at my desk and my left eye simultaneously turned blurry. I knew what this meant and panic rushed through me. I had a migraine coming on...and I wasn't going to be able to take ANY medicine for it! I tried to finish some things up quickly because I ended up leaving work and heading home by about 9:30 that morning. The girls were completely thrilled to see me home and we immediately all just cuddled up into bed...and remained there most of the day. My headache didn't turn out to be that bad this time THANK GOD but I still was exhausted and nauseated so the day of rest was well needed. I felt terrible the next days too...just nauseated a lot and very tired but no headaches at least and thank goodness no throwing up thus far. I am trying to take it easy...after I get home from work I go and lay down and sometimes full out nap for a couple minutes. Yesterday (Tuesday Sept 1st) was the best day I have had a while though! I wasn't nauseated all day, I had more energy than usual , I cooked dinner and even went jogging. I hope days like that come around more often!

Aside from the sickness though the most major change I have noticed in my body is my HUNGER. Its like uncontrollable! Of course I have been so famished before that I make myself sick...but this is different...never in my life I have felt like "if I don't get something in my mouth this very instant I am pulling into the next drive thru and ordering the first thing I see"...there is no waiting till I get home sometimes. When I need it, I need it right then! And I just need to eat so much more often then I ever did before! And for the first time its not just me thinking about wanting food, its my body demanding food! I never dreamed it would feel that way so early in a pregnancy...but after reading more about it...this is the most influential time. I am trying to grow a new person and my body is working triple time.

Confirmed...

I am sure that most women that are newly pregnant can relate to this (or remember) but by Thursday of that same week (August 20th (which would have been the first day of my 5th week)) I was convinced that I had dreamed the whole thing up. I still didn't feel pregnant...and by then the digital test results had disappeared from the test screen. I would go back and look at the picture I took of the positive test to comfort myself, but even then I convinced myself that the first test could have just been a fluke! So Thursday night we took a second test...this time we just stared at it waiting for the results to show up. JACKPOT it said pregnant again...and the results showed up fast! There was no three minute wait. What a relief! Who would have thought that it would matter so much to me already? I mean just three days earlier I was completely content being an un-pregnant woman...and yet suddenly after knowing I was, even for a split second...there was no turning back. My thoughts immediately changed to: do ANYthing to make sure you remain pregnant and that you are a growing a healthy baby. And since then that is EXACTLY where my frame of mind has stayed...every time I get ready to put something in my mouth, every time I get ready to go jog, even every time I go to the bathroom (for the millionth time each day) I am reminded its all for baby...and what's best to grow a healthy baby.

Let's get started...

Hello! Welcome to the Baby Reed blog! My sole purpose of this journal is to document this entire miraculous event from the beginning and be able to look back on everything we have been through thus far. So I think I'd better start at the beginning. Robby and I have been toying with the idea of having a baby for quite a while now. But last month we decided to get serious and just see how long takes...well let's just say God must think we are ready because here comes baby #1 on the way. I took my first test on August 18th (a Tuesday night) right after I got home from work. That's right, we didn't even wait till the first bathroom break in the morning like we were supposed to. No, we just pretty much jumped right in fully expecting it not #1 not be positive #2 even if we were pg we weren't expecting it to show up on the test yet (knowing that sometimes it takes days even weeks for your hormones to show high enough levels to be picked up on a test). Robby and I were completely giddy (he'll kill me for saying this) waiting for the three minutes to be up before we walked back in to see, we were standing in the closet next to the bathroom just bouncing off the walls of nerves and excitement. I was climbing all over him while he was counting to 180 seconds...we walk back in and agree to both look down at it at the same exact time and well it was VERY CLEAR that it was positive.

I thought I was just like looking in a mirror because both our expressions were exact the same...our mouths both dropped as we both looked up at each other at the exact same moment with HUGE eyes. OMG this is it! This is the moment I have day-dreamed about for years...the moment where we both jump around screaming and crying. Nope, as with almost all things, it's never the way you imagine it, we were so shocked and THRILLED, we hugged and smiled non-stop...but there was no screaming or crying. Robby exceeded my expectations though...he was more excited than any other time I had ever seen him! He had a smile planted across his face that was unshakable. His emotions and actions MELTED me! I don't know if there is a better feeling then seeing your husband so thrilled about making a baby with you (granted I am sure his excitement had a lot to do with thinking “my little athlete” but hey I will take it…excited is excited!) At that very moment life just couldn't be more perfect...we made a baby together...we had taken the giant step...it wasn't just some other couple that we knew this time...it was us...we were starting our own family...our new chapter...and now thinking about this, talking about this....now the tears are coming (its these dang hormones!! haha)