First Appointment

It was awesome!


As usual, I had to wait some until I got taken back. Brandon was with me. It used to make me want to giggle seeing the boys in the waiting room while I was waiting for my annual and this time he was there! So was another dude with his wife, but I'll do my usual thing and comment about that later...because I'm a pain in the ass, as we all know.


Anyways, I went back, talked to the nurse, and had to pee in a cup. I don't usually have to pee in a cup, but I just knew I'd have to do so today. This is where I'll reference that first couple for the first time. While we were waiting in the waiting room, I noticed her drinking some water. It looked like a little cup the airlines give you when you're flying, and I thought to myself, "Omg, I bet she peed before she came in and is now trying to load up to pee in a cup. Dumb." Of course I don't KNOW that was what she was doing, but who else sips water from a little plastic cup in a waiting room waiting for a doc to put his/her fingers up your hoohah? Not me. Not unless I need to pee and I've timed it badly.


Back to the appointment, I got to do the usual strip down and put the gown on backwards and sit cold on the table. I'm always cold in there. To their credit, in the colder months, there is usually a heater. I don't think they expected me to get cold, but, I was. I usually have to wait a little more time before seeing the doc, but Brandon was with me this time. That didn't really make a difference since, almost naked and waiting for a doc to look at my private parts isn't the most stimulating time to converse, he just played on his phone and I did the usual stare at everything in the room hearing every sound in the office that passed through the walls.


Oh, we also got to stare at an ultrasound machine with a super long condom (seriously, it was a condom. maybe they don't call it that, but the extras were rolled up like one and it looked exactly like one...except the length) on a wand thing that could only go in one orifice. Yep, there. I looked at Brandon and said, "That's gonna go in me." I was scared because holy S it was long.


Then a knock! Oh, just the other nurse taking the ultrasound machine and it's condoms to be used elsewhere. Ok.


Finally, the doc came in. I really don't know how long we waited. It honestly could have been 5 minutes...but it always seems longer. It was time for my annual (and I don't know if she'd have done this stuff whether it was time or not) but I got the usual exam. The little scraping all of us girls know they take hurt more than usual, but I'd read about that already. That area is apparently more soft and tender now, and I was warned there may be spotting so don't freak, I'll be ok and so will the baby.


Then my nurse came back in with the ultrasound machine, again, and I learned that not much of the length of that wand was used. Phew. I really was scared about that!


What was I expecting about the ultrasound? I knew it was a tad early so they wouldn't be putting a thingy on my tummy, but that it would go where it went, so that wasn't a surprise. I thought I'd be like Rachel on Friends when she was crying because that little blob thing on the screen that she couldn't see was her baby. I was expecting that.


What I was not expecting? To totally recognize my baby on the screen and know that those little protrusions I saw were the baby's arms and legs!!! I'd been reading the week by week in my books and saw the little pictures they included, but I didn't know I'd be able to decipher it myself when I saw it on the screen! (of course when I show you the pictures they won't be as awesome as the real time view, as since it is 2D, she had to adjust the angles to show how the arms and legs were longer and easier to see, but they're there!)


What else was I not expecting? To hear the baby's heart beat!!!  Oh my gosh, I know it's so cliche to be all excited about hearing the whump-whump-whump on the ultrasound machine (and trust me, I've dopplered a crap ton of pulses on surgical patients in my time. It's just a freaking heart beat, right?), but it was a heart beat from a less than 2 centimeter little head, body, arms, and legs that is nesting somewhere between my hip bones this second! Me and Brandon made that! And you could SEE the heart beat on the ultrasound! (not so noticeable on the pictures, obviously, as they're not really flash images that move, ya know.)


Doc said the baby is measuring "right on the money," and that made me very happy. She printed off some pictures for us and her, and sent me off for lab work. Oh, and gave me this huge book written by a doc in the office (who happens to be either a professor or an associate professor for the school associated with my hospital which was also just ranked as the #1 hospital in my city!), and some other junk.


Now, back to being Kimish. We just had to go across the hall to the lab, sign in, and wait to be called. That chick who was drinking the water was in there writing a check for her lab fees. (I guess her insurance or whatever has her do it that way, no idea). It was only a little annoying because I'd have loved to just signed my freaking name on the sign in and go sit down...but I had to wait. But I'm not going to harp on that too much because it really is a lame thing to get annoyed by. I just wanted to sit because I'm lazy. So she finishes and they tell her she can come on back and she says, "Can my husband come back there with me?" REALLY? It's a teeny tiny needle that will be in your arm for less than 30 seconds most likely, then you're done to go. I look at Brandon and say, "Uhm, you can sit here if you want...Do you even want to go back there? I'm a big girl and I don't feel like I need you there for that." I got chastised for my "big girl" comment, as obviously I was passing judgement on that chick, but maybe she doesn't remember how small the rooms are like I do...maybe she's a blood-a-phobe, though I'm not sure what the moral support will help with other than to stare at you as you pass out in the chair you're sitting in. And in my experience, boy aren't that much help when it comes to needles because they are either a) so interested in the needle or other aspect of what's going on that they forget to adequately distract you from the event, or b) are phobes themselves and thus aren't any help at all because they'll likely be the ones passing out.


Anyways, from here on out the doc said she'd see me about every 4 weeks. I think my next ultrasound is at 18 weeks and I THINK I'll get to find out the gender of my little minion at that time. At some point the appointments will be every 2 weeks, then every week until the minion arrives.


So, this was a big part of our journey! And it satisfies everyone who doesn't seem to believe or whatever that you're pregnant until you see the doctor, because somehow everyone is convinced that over the counter pregnancy tests are associated with high false positives (not true, especially of pink dye tests). If the docs don't want to see you until you're about 8 weeks pregnant, I think it's safe to assume you are. Besides, if that one big indicator, your period, never shows in that time? You're so pregnant.


Ultrasound picture time!!!


Some state measuring 8w1d and another at 8w3d...but I'd say our due date is holding steady at beginning of November!

This one is when we got to hear the heartbeat! On the right is the heartbeat's signal.

See the perfect little baby?! (of course I'm freaking biased!)

Does this help with what you're looking at?

I'm Pregnant!

Yes! Believe it! I'm SO excited!


Since this is an entirely new area, and one that sometimes can involve a lot of "needless" jabbering (not that I don't do enough of it on my life's blog), I decided to make a new blog to contain all things baby. Though it will be very much a part of my life, I think it deserves its own little niche, to dedicate enough blog space to it and allow other parts of my life their own glory, too. 


Moving on. To answer a few questions I've been asked: Yes, we were trying. Yes, we plan on getting a new home (see main blog about that). Due date is November 1, 2011. No, we haven't thought of any names yet. We're waiting to find out the sex to hash that out. Yes, we intend to find out what we're having. 


I started writing this when I was 4 weeks, 6 days pregnant, knowing I wouldn't post it until after our 8 week appointment. May seem silly, especially since I had told some people already, but I didn't want to make a big deal out of it until after this appointment. So, my plan was just to add tid-bits to this blog as time went on in case anyone was curious...and if you're not, you can quit reading! lol Since you've clicked over here to read about Kim's baby crap, I'm assuming you were sorta interested. Otherwise, you were warned.


And, because I'm a tad control freak and strive for "efficiency," I definitely bought into the charting method. Charting (or Fertility Awareness) is actually really cool (call me a nerd, but it was to me). Many people use it for birth control (it is NOT they rhythm method). For me, being a tad not regular (like a day or two off), it's not the most awesome, but if you want to avoid hormones and such, its nice. You'd just have to abstain or use protection during a certain few days that you learn to pin point by watching what your body does. The most annoying part? Taking your temperature first thing when you wake up, trying to do it at the same time every day, and after at least 3 hours of sleep. (If you were to ask me, I think same time every day trumps 3 hours of sleep, but take that for what you will.) After 2 cycles of trying, I got knocked up. That's efficient for you (and lucky, because healthy couples really only have a 20% chance each cycle to get pregnant.) 


Side note: I used Taking Charge of Your Fertility, well, really the book, as well as Fertility Friend to learn about and put into practice charting for fertility. But the book can teach you about Fertility Awareness if you're interested in learning how to avoid pregnancy by watching little signs your body gives you every cycle to know when to prevent pregnancy or abstain from sex to prevent.


Week 1 of pregnancy: Actually, whether you knew this or not, this whole 38-42 weeks pregnant is a little of a misnomer...as week one is usually the week in which you ovulate...so there is practically no way you're really pregnant at this point. So I felt awesome, obviously. Since it's the best count-down method the docs have...I'll take it.


Week 2: This is a sort of false week, too. lol. This week is really where sperm meets egg, and may implant this week as well. Even though some of that pregnancy hormone HCG might get started this week, you'll pretty much never know. According to a girl at work, however, when Brandon got sick this week, this was his version of morning sickness (even though he never has barfed since.) So, whatever, awesome.


Week 3: I found out this week! I was 11 days after ovulation and decided to test "just in case," because we were about to start drinking beer for fun. I believe my words exactly were, "Let's finish all the beers in the fridge." So glad I tested! And so glad I got my sushi and alcohol fix in already the previous week...because I can't have any of that for a while (well, sushi as long as it's completely cooked through).


Week 4: Some tiny symptoms started. No nausea, but I was hungry a lot. Had to use the restroom a lot, and I was...bubbly (think gas, but I so didn't want to use that word). But felt great! So far, so good, right?


Week 5: Was pretty uneventful. At the end, I started feeling like gagging often. Not nausea really, and no vomiting...but thinking about food made me want to gag. I could eat...but it was really hard to think about food without wanting to gag.


Week 6: A lot of the same gagging feeling. It was frustrating because I could feel fine, but get hungry and want to gag. Close to the end of this week, though, I started getting upset tummy. Maybe nausea, maybe tummy cramps, maybe just hunger. I can still eat, but not without frustrations. I also started lying in bed and reading a book/sleeping all the time. I was either at work, or in bed. 


Week 7: Some lessening. Gagging still around sometimes and the upset tummy sometimes, but towards the end of this week, I finally started feeling like sitting on my computer and playing World of Warcraft again. That left me for a while, but I do feel better. Still so exhausted. I love to sleep. But I often can't sleep for very long without having to wake up. And when I do wake up, I don't know why I'm awake. So I usually pee and go back to bed, but I'm pretty pissed about it. And lots of dreams have started up. Just random things, but still skewed towards the weird side.


Week 8: Still exhausted. Sleep is my best friend! What is annoying on my work days is I usually am in bed by 11am to 12pm (which is late, but I sleep so much the night before, it's hard to go to sleep before then), but I wake up around 3pm to pee, and get up for work between 4:45 and 5pm. So that last leg of sleeping is short and sucky! But gagging much less. And I had my doctor's appointment this week! I was so excited about it! I'll post about it later.


Week 9: I'm feeling so much better. Still sleepy...but it doesn't seem so bad. As I'm writing this, I'm barely in week 9, actually, but I feel like things have gone so mild with me so far, I don't have much more to add symptom-wise. All I have left in the first tri-mester is weeks 10, 11, and 12. If they're anything like week 9, they'll be very lame to mention. If they change the way I hope they will, I'll have nothing to talk about! So, I'm stopping here. I'll post more if there is anything to mention at all!


Pee stick pictures! (no pee is actually visualized!) And remember, ANY line is a line which is a line saying you're pregnant!

Can you see the faint line to the left of the control line? Ya, it's there...but this explains how many other tests I took after it!

This one's positive looks like a vertical line in the round window, making it a plus sign. It's there. BUT! Blue dye tests are known for false positives. This cannot be trusted (in my mind and especially since it's faint!) 

 

This was the, "Shit just got real," test. Both tests were run with the same pee. (don't ask, just go with it). Obviously the PREGNANT was the most exciting one. The one on bottom is the most sensitive test on the market (First Response Early Result, if you care) and to the left of the control line is a faint pink line. Hard to see in this picture, but it's there. 

This is me being anal and worried since my symptoms seemed to have gotten really mild so I HAD to retest!  And one of the tests was just for fun. The Pink test in the middle is the internet cheapy one (as in, no brand name it's so cheap) showing a darker line as positive! :) Obviously, the digital is clear. The one on the far left, Blue, is actually an Ovulation Predictor test (a internet cheapy as well). The theory behind me playing with this is Lutenizing Hormone (which is the hormone that spikes to initiate ovulation, which ovulation predictor tests test for) is molecularly similar to HCG, the pregnancy hormone. Pregnancy tests won't test for LH, but LH tests can detect HCG. This is a pretty positive test, if I may say so.