Active Baby!

Well I just got home from my appointment and am so happy and excited! My appointment was at 11:00 and Richard wasn't able to leave work until 11 (about a 10-15 minute drive), so I thought he might miss hearing the heartbeat again. I was called back to a room pretty quickly and I told my midwife that Richard was on his way and should be there any minute. She was totally cool about it and said we could just chat for a bit until he got there. So once he arrived we listened to the heartbeat. It was about 154 bpm this time and the midwife had to keep moving the doppler around to keep it on our active little one. We could hear the swishing sounds of him/her moving around and even a couple little thuds from punches or kicks, which I can't even feel yet. It was sooo amazing, and I was sooo glad Richard was able to be there! I've gained about 3 pounds back since my last appointment and my midwife says she is not concerned at all about me gaining enough weight throughout the pregnancy, so that was a relief. I just need to keep eating healthy and drinking lots of water. I'm starting to grow outward a little more now too - the capris I'm wearing (which are usually loose in the waist) are not so comfortable anymore, especially when I'm sitting down. I'll probably put up another post with a picture when I hit 15 or 16 weeks. :) Anyway, my next regular appointment is scheduled for July 23, and I also need to call today to schedule an ultrasound (around the 20 week mark). I'm so excited and feel so incredibly blessed!!!

13 Weeks and Feeling Great!

Okay, so I have been feeling almost normal for a whole week now!!! It's like as soon as I hit 12 weeks the nausea disappeared, thank the Lord! I have been eating regular foods and a wide variety (even pizza, Chinese, and ball park food!). Now that the rough part is over (I hope) I am more excited than ever. Richard got home from California late Thursday night and we went for a nice long walk with the pups yesterday. It felt good to get out and get moving again. I am hoping to start a little exercise routine now to firm up again and prepare my body as much as possible for the latter stages of pregnancy and delivery. Tonight we went to a minor league baseball game - it felt so wonderful to do something normal and get out of the house feeling good! I've added a picture here... not a big bump yet but starting to show a little! Anyway, I probably won't update this again until after my June 26th appointment, so until then... :)

Feeling Better

Well I'm coming up on the end of week 12 and I think this hormonal nausea is finally subsiding at least. I've been making it for longer stretches of days in a row without throwing up and have gotten a better handle on what foods work and when. I've been able to eat more fruits, but vegetables are still lagging behind a bit. My midwife recommended supplementing what I am able to eat with SlimFasts (or something like it) between meals to get some extra calories. So far so good and it doesn't even taste too bad. :) My belly is starting to round out a little more now... nothing that a stranger would notice but enough that family and friends could see a difference in me. I talked to Richard last night and he may be coming back from California a couple days earlier than expected, which will be nice. It has felt weird without him here this past month, but I'm trying to prepare myself to go through the later stages of pregnancy without him as well if necessary. The latest deployment news (no official orders yet) make it sound pretty sure that he will be gone come my due date and probably unable to return until a month or so after at the earliest. I hope that isn't the case but, again, I'm trying to prepare mentally for whatever happens in this crazy Army life.
Good foods: Cheerios, Rice Krispies, grapefruits, oranges, lemons, red grapes, vegetable beef soup, popcorn, milk
Bad foods: well... I've pretty much only been eating the "good foods" lately :)
Until next time...

11 Week Appointment

Well I went to the doctor today and saw a really awesome certified nurse/midwife! My uterus is the expected size for 11 weeks and everything else looks good. I was able to hear baby's heartbeat - good and strong at about 170 beats per minute! Wow, what an amazing sound! I so wish Richard had been able to be there to hear it... but he'll hear it next time. :) I have lost some more weight since my last appointment - about 4 more pounds... but the midwife said they're not usually too concerned in the first trimester and that I will probably catch up on my weight gain throughout the rest of the pregnancy.
Good foods: Rice Krispies, Cheerios, ice cream, milk, dried apricots, saltines, lemons
Bad foods: macaroni & cheese, anything heavy
Weight: down 9 pounds from my "normal," 4 pounds since last appointment
Exercise: not much yet - just an occassional walk with the pups when I'm feeling okay
Next Appointment: Thursday, 26 June

Hormones

Richard has been gone almost a week now (out of a month+) and my emotions are kicking in high gear. I get teary when he calls and feel sad thinking how he could possibly not be here come birth-day too. I know I/we will get through it all but with these ultra-sensitive emotions it feels overwhelming. On the other end of the spectrum I am super excited and still feel like it can't possibly be real... but then when I find myself hugging the toilet again, I know there HAS to be something going on inside me. :) (Still combating the nausea - nothing new there, although I think the extra Vitamin B6 may be helping a little.) I haven't really been getting out much other than for grocery shopping and trips to the dog park to let the pups burn some energy. Actually I did both those things today: The pups desperately needed to run wild and tire themselves out as I haven't been up for walking them lately. On the shopping trip I got some jello, watermelon, grapes, pudding, and some white rice which I am anxious to try working into my meal plan. I am super excited about my doctor's appointment next week and can't wait to absorb everything they have to show and tell me!
Saving foods: Rice Krispies, saltines, milk, pretzels
Bad foods: anything spicy or heavy

Until next time... :)

First Trip to the Doctor

Appointment: Well my appointment this morning did not entail as much as I thought it would... there was no physical exam of any kind (besides basic height, weight, blood pressure stuff -- and I've actually lost a couple pounds since I was at the doctor for that virus last month). I filled out a bunch of paperwork and then a nurse pretty much just took me through what to expect at my future appointments and gave me a bunch of literature. Then I was sent down to the lab for some blood work. I do have another appointment scheduled already though - May 30 in the afternoon, and this time I should definitely be able to hear a heartbeat! :) Unfortunately, though, Richard will still be in California then. Oh well, there will be plenty more appointments...
Danelle update: I haven't thrown up since Sunday!!! but I have still been feeling all-day queasy. The nurse today sent me to the pharmacy to get some extra Vitamin B6, which is supposed to help... hope so! My appetite has been a little better too, as far as not having as many food aversions and being able to eat a little more balanced and nourishing selection of foods.
Richard update: Richard was able to come with me to my appointment today, which was very nice. It was nice to have him there and for him to get to kind of experience the beginning of the medical side of the process. He leaves Thursday morning for California (boo) so he has been doing some last minute packing and laundry.
That's pretty much it for now... I will update again soon - definitely after my May 30th appointment!

Week 8

Baby book info update: Our little baby is about the size of a large raspberry now and the lips, nose, eyelids, legs, and back are continuing to take shape. Baby's heart is beating at the amazing rate of 150 times per minute (twice as fast as mine)! He or she is also making spontaneous movements, although too tiny for me to feel yet.
Danelle update: I have still been substitute teaching which is nice for us financially but not so nice for me physically. I'm finishing up the days I'm already scheduled for but am not accepting any new days because right now it is all I can do to make it through a school day (with occasional rushes to the closest restroom). Of course I'm not really "showing" yet, but it is becoming increasingly more uncomfortable to hold my stomach tight or suck in. Right now I'm just praying for the departure of this constant nausea and the arrival of some more energy. I would really like to get back to walking with the pups and doing some weight training but so far that has been pretty much impossible.
Richard update: Marlie (my cousin) and Mike (her husband) were in town last night with their 2 and a half month old daughter, Emma. It was nice to see them and catch up... and it was awesome to see Richard holding her and feeding her a bottle. I could tell he was a little nervous about handling such a tiny, fragile person, but he did great! :) Oh, he is also banned (until further notice) from cooking bacon while I am at home... so if you hear that he is severly injured by me any time soon, you will know why. hehe
That's all for now! I will update next week after my first doctor's appointment!