Closet Organizer

This week Kevin and I painted the baby's room closet purple and hung the closet organizer! The paint color is Menard's Behr "majestic violet" and the closet organizer is Closetmaid from Home Depot.

I know it looks like I didn't do any of it, but I did tape off the trim and paint the edges. I just couldn't get up high and suck at rolling. I was the "helper" in getting him his tools & of course refilling his beer :) 

I did help pack up the guest bed bedding and move everything down into storage (until the new basement guest room is ready).

 

All finished...but needs some baskets that fit the cubbies and match the room. And of course all her little clothes!!! So far, those are outfits bought by both soon-to-be grandma's.

Eye Update - December

This picture doesn't show it looking too bad, because it is lunch time, but my eye is still pretty much the same its been - not worse or better. The muscle is still swollen behind the eye, pushing the eyeball out a bit, and the eyelid is still retracted making it look worse, and I can’t control it. But there are good days and bad days. And for sure the best time of the day is 10am til about 3 or 4pm. It's real blurry when I am tired. In the morning its pretty swollen until I shower and wash my face. But it’s hard to put on makeup because my vision is so blurry - I have stopped with the eyeliner because I can’t see a straight-line and I only put mascara on the top lashes because I can barely see the bottom ones so always bump it on my face, haha! So I've give up on trying to look pretty...which helps me get ready faster in the mornings!

Thankfully the pain is pretty much gone, as I sit here, I mean it still hurts a bit when I touch it, which is really only when I am washing my face. And it hurts when I force the eyeball to look up or out to my right side, because that’s when I get the doubled vision. I always have to remember to look with my head, not with my eyes. It’s tough though, because now my neck always hurts from tilting it back so often to see out my eyes looking down. I told Kevin he may need to take the TV down from above the fireplace and place it on the floor for me until this all goes away! Funny, right? But seriously, it is so frustrating that I cant even watch TV at night!! Plus it has been hard being social because I can't focus to give people eye contact during a conversation because it’s so uncomfortably blurry, and I just feel like everyone’s just staring at my bulging eye, and I am sick of explaining my eye disease story over and over! So if you see me staring at the table or floor when I talk with you....I am sorry, I am not trying to be rude, I promise.

My glasses are definitely helping at night when I drive, and sort of when I try to watch TV. The glasses just make help make the blurriness less fuzzy. I feel like they allow me to use my eyeball more so I don’t always tilt my head back and hurt my neck. I have to keep forcing myself to use the eye muscles even if it hurts…that blog I am reading says to do eye muscle exercises. And I have bought some flaxseed oil. We’ll see if that truly helps anything. Like I said, I am trying anything and everything. I cant imagine 4 more months of this...all my showers, maternity photos, Florida, delivery, etc. If the antibodies truly wont subside until after pregnancy, it better go away fast after she comes out!

I didn't end up getting steroid eye drops, because it was actually oral steroid pills, high dose for 10 days, he wanted to prescribe me. But he said that even that for sure wont help because we don't know if the steroids will go to work directly on the eye muscle, and with baby, its just not worth the risk. So he gave me "Advil" eye drops to help with the pain, which I have been taking, and they do work, but they don't fix the blurriness. I am also trying to keep up with lubricant eye drops so my eyes aren't so dry with the lid being pulled back all day long. We keep researching to learn all we can…but I am learning the reality is its going to be a long 4 more months. In the meantime, I am trying to distract myself with working on the baby’s room! We are painting the closet and hanging the clothes organizer this week, hooray!!!

~ Merry Christmas 2012 ~

 MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE RAASCH'S

Photography by Courtney Karban

Christmas Eve Eve, we celebrated at Kevin's parent’s house with just his immediate family. Watched the Vikings game, opened gifts and had dinner. Our main gift from his parents was our flights to Florida this March 5-10 for a little fun in the sun with his family. I will be 32 weeks by then...so hopefully all is happy & healthy and we have a good time. It will be nice to be in some warm weather! Christmas Eve we went to his cousin Tanya's house with his dad’s side of the family for some food & small gift exchange. Then we went to my parent’s house for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner & games with the McKeown's. It was smaller this year, missing Matt & Brianna and Nicole & her bf, but we still had a good time. We even brought Colbie and stayed the night. Christmas morning we woke up, had my mom's egg-bake breakfast and then did presents with my parents and brother Mike, while skyping with Matt & Brianna. Kevin and I both got clothes (I desperately needed maternity clothes) and money for all our house projects, which was perfect because we are in the process of finishing our basement, and want to start the baby's room! Lastly, we went to Kevin's Grandma's place for his mom's side of Christmas. Needless to say, we were spoiled with great gifts and had a fabulous 2012 Christmas!!

 

And how cute is this onsie we got from my bro & sis-in-law... this will totally be Colbie :)

Kevin felt baby...

I am 21 weeks today and Kevin felt her kick for the very first time!!! Very lightly, like a little muscle spasm, but he felt her! We were layig in bad, discussing what to do today, and she was kicking away. I pulled Kevin's had over the top of my belly, and said push down (which he is scared to push to hard) but sure enough he felt a little kick. A huge smile spread across his face as he quickly pulled his hand away from my belly. It was a great moment. So fun :)

Look who got glasses

Officially part of the four-eyed club. Pregnant or not, eye disease or not...my right eye is near-sided and needed correction. And at this point, I will do whatever I can to help my vision and hide my buldging eye!! It actually doesnt look that bad in this pic because I am squinting a bit to smile :)

eye = miserable

This picture just shows how miserable I am at night when I try to watch TV before bed. You know when you get an eyelash in your eye and it gets all blurry, foggy, irritated, your eye starts to water and you try to blink it out!? Well, imagine never being able to blink it out....thats how I feel :(

Kevin's 30th Birthday

Happy Birthday "Daddy"...you are having a girl! What a fun birthday gift :) We also went out to dinner at Chianti Grill with his parents and mine. The food was delicious as always! Kevin got some nice gifts: dress pants, dress shirts, Carhart vest for hunting, an ice fishing pole AND an electronic helicoptor you control from your smart phone. He's still a kid at heart!

A snowman cake from Grandma Kimball

 

Pink camouflage...excited for his little girl to hunt with him!!



IT'S A GIRL!

 

We had our mid-pregnancy ultrasound this morning! All measurements were normal and baby has all her parts. Her heartbeat was 132 and she measured to be 20 weeks 1 day (only 2 days off). We are so thankful for a healthy baby GIRL!!

 

 



Old Wives Tales

Morning Sickness?
Did you experience morning sickness in early pregnancy? If you did, then you’re said to be carrying a girl, but if you didn’t have morning sickness, then it’s a boy. = GIRL
Carrying High or Low?
This is a well known old wives tale – so many people will want to look at your belly and think they can guess just from looking! So as the tale goes, if you are carrying low, it’s a boy, or if you’re carrying high it’s a girl. Truly, the way the baby is carried is actually a reflection of your own body shape, muscle, baby’s position and other physical factors! = BOY
Sweet, Salty or Sour?
Are you craving sweet foods like juice, fruits and chocolate? if so, old wives say that you could be having a girl. But if you’re craving sour or salty foods, then you could be having a boy. It’s also said that if you are having a boy, you will crave protein like meat and dairy. I have trouble believing this one because I think we’d be overrun by a population of females – we all love chocolate pregnant or not! Well, I just had ice cream and popcorn for dinner the other night!? But usually its been fruit & a few days I did crave chocolate = GIRL
What’s Baby’s Heartrate?
First, to set the record straight, until it’s born, your baby’s heartrate will not be affected by it’s gender. But so they say, if you’re carrying a girl, then baby’s heartrate will be above 140bpm (beats per minute). A boy is said to have a heart rate under 140bpm. Truly, your baby’s heart rate will change often during a pregnancy, depending on the baby’s age and it’s movement. Anything from 120-160bpm is normal for an unborn baby. = BOY
Are You A Lefty or a Righty?
So when you sleep, do you sleep on your left? Because if you do, then it’s a boy for you! On your right, a girl is in sight. I am never comfortable, so am always tossing from side to side, but I know I start on my right, facing Kevin. = GIRL
Linea Nigra
Some women’s hormone cause a brownish pigmentation line down the middle of your, and the old wives tale is if you get a línea nigra and it runs from your pubic area to your belly button only, it’s a girl, and if it goes all the way up from your pubic area to the bottom-most part of you rib cage, then it’s a boy. = BOY
How Do You Look?
Do you look better than ever while pregnant? Or has the pregnancy done your looks no favours? As it goes, if you look great during pregnancy, then you are carrying a boy. If you don’t look too flash, you’re having a girl, because she’s stolen all your good looks! = GIRL
Dry or Soft?
If your skin is dry, you’re said to be having a boy, and if it’s soft, then a girl is on the way. = BOY
Your Flowing Locks
Has your hair become thinner and dull? Or full-bodied and glossy? Thin and dull says girl, gorgeous and glossy says a boy. = GIRL
Where Are You Carrying Extra Weight?
Even those extra pregnancy kilos is said to give us an insight into your baby’s gender! If you are carrying extra weight at the front, then you’re having a boy… but if you are carrying extra weight on your bum and hips, then you have been carrying a girl. I have extra weight in all areas!! but I do feel heavier in my butt & widening hips.= GIRL
Ahhh, Now I Know Why We Learn Maths At School!
Because if you combine your age at the time of conception with the number of the month you conceived and the resulting number is odd – then it’s a girl on the way. If the resulting number is even, then it’s a boy for you. 27+8=35 = GIRL
Chinese Calendar Gender Predictor
This is ancient history, but they take the age and month you conceived. = BOY
The Wedding Ring Over The Belly Trick!
Get your wedding ring (or other ring/needle/pin) and attach it with a strand of your hair or some string. Lie down and dangle the ring over your belly. If it starts moving in circles, you are having a boy, or if it moves like a pendulum from side to side, then you are having a girl. = GIRL
Cold Feet?
If your feet get colder than they used to pre-pregnancy, it’s a sign you have a boy on the way. If your feet are the same, then it’s a girl! = GIRL
How’s Your Partner’s Belly?
Apparently, if your husband puts on ‘sympathy’ weight with you during your pregnancy, then you’re supposed to be carrying a girl. If he doesn’t put on any weight, then it’s a boy. = GIRL
The Breast Test!
If you look in the mirror at your breasts, which one is larger? If it’s the right one, you’re carrying a boy and for a larger left breast, then it’s a girl. But my left has alway been bigger than my right, because I am right handed, and I use that arm more, so that pec is more muscular and the left ones more fat, haha right? or maybe TMI, sorry! = GIRL
Pimples, Schmiples…
If you get acne during pregnancy, apparently you’re having a girl, and if you don’t, then you’re carrying a boy. = GIRL
Checking Out Your Wee!
Ooooookay…. now apparently if you have bright yellow urine, then you’re carrying a boy, but if it’s dull / clear, then you’re carrying a girl. On a serious note though, if you have dark urine, up your fluids intake as you may be dehydrated. Depends on how much water I had that day... = GIRL
What Does Your Belly Look Like?
A basketball or a watermelon? Because if it looks more like a basketball, then old wives say boy, but if it more resembles a watermelon then it’s a girl. = GIRL
Hairy Legs?
Has the hair on your legs grown faster than normal? Or has it grown just like normal? Because if it’s growing faster than it did pre-pregnancy, then you’re said to be having a boy. = GIRL

......pretty sure we are having a GIRL :)

~ Helpful Blog ~

Kevin found this awesome blog about Graves’ Disease, Hyperthyroidism & Thyroid Eye Disease. It is helping us understand what I am going through and she gives interesting insights about the "Grave's Disease Diet" and "Ways to improve your thyroid eye disease". Who knows whats true or what works...but at this point, I am willing to try anything!! Check it out: Grave's Disease Blog

UPDATE: 20 WEEKS

How Far Along: 20 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 14lbs (weighing in at 112 lbs)
Nausea: Gone! Except for when some strong food smell is in our lunch room at work...they ordered in from some Tai restaurant, and normal I like the fried rice and cream cheese wontons, but form some reason, it all made me sick. And the whole building smelt of it. Yuck.
Mood Swings: I am definitely up and down again, due to my eye crap. It just makes me crabby when I am trying to get things done and I cant see :(
Food Cravings: Still nothing out of the ordinary. Just when someone talks about a kind of food and I am like "mmm that sounds good" I HAVE TO go get it or make it.
Other Symptoms: I never believed in "pregnancy brain" but I seem to be forgetting things lately...Kevin will sware he told me about something, and we will argue over whether he did or not, but now I am just coming to realization that he's right and I truly am just forgetting things. And at work, I have a few large on going projects that I switch around from and sometimes I will have absolutely no recollection of what I did the week before. Maybe because I just have too much on my mind :/ I have also had very itchy boobs and belly, no matter how much lotion/oil I put on it. I've been told to drink lots of water...but how much more can I really drink!? And then of course my blurry vision and swollen eye. If this eye crap would go away...maybe I could truly enjoy being pregnant!!!
Miss Anything: My symptom free body.
Sleep Time: 10pm week days and on the weekends I make it longer. I can actually make it through a whole movie now without falling asleep. Breaking Dawn Part 2, The Amazing Spiderman,  & The Dark Night Rises have been some great movies we've watched lately.
My Exercises: Still no motivation...does my monthly massage at Massage Envy count? Relaxing is an exercise, right? Ha
Fun Moment Since Last Update: My friend Courtney came over and took a few "pre-maternity" photos for our Christmas card and for our gender announcement this week :) Thankfully my eye cooperated!
Gender Idea: Girl
Maternity Clothes: On my Christmas list!
Labor Signs: None
Looking Forward To: We find out (confirm) gender this Wednesday at our mid-pregnancy ultrasound!!!

MRI --> Grave's Eye Disease

This morning I had my first ever (and hopefully my last) MRI. It was not very fun. Thankfully it went pretty quick...I was probably only in the tube 15-20 minutes. But the fact that I had to sit perfectly still or else the pictures would be blurry was tough for me because I am a fidgeter. And he kept talking about how I couldn’t move, and asking if I am okay and it’s like “Okay just get on with it!” because otherwise I kept thinking about not being able to move, which made me want to move even more, hahaha! I don’t know what the point of turning music on is because you can’t really even hear it. The sounds were very loud and irritating, but I just kept going over my weekly to-do-list in my head to keep my mind off what was going on. Kevin came in at the beginning to see the machine and learn about the magnetic field and what I had to do, and then waited for me in the lobby. He is such a trooper being by my side through all this!! I just love him :)  :)  In the end, I guess the MRI wasn’t that bad. Just glad its over and done with.

Turns out, it is good news and bad news...my optometrist just informed me that it is only 1 of the 6 muscles around my eye that is swollen, the "inferior rectus", and yes-caused by my Grave's antibodies. When its swollen, the muscle wont release, which is causing my eyelid to stay retracted back and I have double vision when I look up. He now wants to me to also do the "visual field test" to make sure the optic nerve is fine. Which he thinks it is (since only 1 muscle is swollen), but wants the test to be done in case it ever gets worse (6 months or 5 years from now), that way he has a baseline to compare it to. He then explained that the swelling should go down on its own over time, but might not until I am done being pregnant. And he doesnt want to prescribe me steriod inflamation drops to fix the swelling because I am pregnant...but that is something I can talk over with my OB Dr, and if she okays them, then I can go that route. For now he says to just take Tylenol for the pain, and I am also a bit near sided in that right eye (which was noted back in 2007, so seperte to this disease) so he is writing me a precription for glasses if I want to fix my vision - which I do, but that still wont fix the swollen, bulging, double vision until the antibodies subside, which might not be til May!!

I am actually beginning to feel a bit better about it all...finally knowing what it is. At least its not a tumor and I am not going to lose my vision, and its not afffecting the baby. I did call my OB nurse line, and I will probably try the steriod eye drops, as I guess the placenta filters the steriods. I am just tired of all this crap and want to move on... I have to remember, God never promised anyone perfect health, and so I guess I could have it a lot worse.

Dont judge my crazy fly-aways or bushy eyebrows :)  I know this is a very unattractive pic...but you can see where its swollen and how the eyelid is retracted, making me look like I'm widening one eye, but I am not. Its stuck like that :(  Sexy, I know, right!?

Endo explanation...

This morning I called into to my Endocrinologist because I hadn’t heard back from any of the messages I sent him through “My Charts”. I realize I sent them late last Friday afternoon after I got his response about not thinking my eye issues have anything to do with my thyroid…but I wanted more clarification to make sure doing the MRI is the right thing to do here, and if it truly could be my antibodies affecting it since I recently just tested positive for Grave’s antibodies. He actually had an opening to meet with him in person today at noon, so I took it.

Now after the appointment with him I feel better about what’s probably happening to me. He explained that there was some miscommunication with his nurse to him (either way I think he quick half-assed his answer back to me) but he does agree this very likely is my Grave’s Disease/Hyperthyroidism, which has now turned into Grave’s Eye Disease. In Grave’s, the body makes antibodies that attack the thyroid, which we already took care of that problem, but now they are attacking the muscles behind my eye and the surrounding tissues, causing them to enlarge or swell. This usually occurs within 18 months before or after the diagnosis of Grave’s Disease. Wish he would have told me this when I was diagnosed, but whatever… So the swollen muscles behind my eye are pushing my eyeball forward, causing it to bulge out. Not pretty, I know. It is also affecting the muscles that control my eyelid retracting so the bulging of the eye appears worse. Not only am I experiencing pain because of the pressure behind my eye, but I am having sensitivity to light and double vision when I look up or out to my right.

Kevin and I were able to ask my Endo Dr lots and lots of questions to understand how and why this is happening and what’s to be expected for me in the future, and how or if this will affect our baby…so we are at some peace with our minds. But the MRI will tell the truth tomorrow, and the ophthalmologist will diagnose it and decide on the treatment. Right now I am expecting the worse, but hoping for the best. Wish me luck…

Feel those kicks? Baby's gonna be a soccer player!

Haha, love Billy Madison :) On a happier note...I have been feeling baby movement all week! Super cool!! I am 19 weeks today, but should say I started feeling them here and there during week 17. At that point I still thought it was indigestion or a weird muscle twitch, but now this past week 18, they are way more apparent! So far they are mostly just during the day (all day as I sit at my desk) and not so much at night…yet.

Last Friday I went in for another ultrasound with my mom, and even she felt baby move under her camera :) "Oh, hi baby" ...she's looking right as us!

OB Dr Appt - 18 weeks

Yesterday we had another OB Dr appointment. It was Kevin’s first time meeting Dr Larissa Nelson. He thought she was more thorough and upbeat than our last Dr, so we are happy with that. The appointment was quick. I weighed 113lbs. Blood pressure 110 over 70. And baby’s heart rate was 140. We also looked over my recent thyroid test result which was at 0.47 (for pregnancy they want it to be between 0.2 and 2.0) so YAY my thyroid is continuing on at a normal level!! But hey, if its not one thing, its something else... She noticed my eye was still swollen and recommended me to get into see the eye Dr as soon as possible to figure out what’s causing it. So I called right as I left, and was able to get in for an appt late afternoon – Park Nicollet in St Louis Park. I saw optometrist Dr Johnson. He ran all sorts of tests on me, and in the end said he could see my right eyeball is bulging out, possibly due to fluid behind it, but he didn’t know what could be causing it. He mentioned he thinks it could have something to do with my thyroid but wanted to talk with the surgeon/ophthalmologist downstairs… So I met him downstairs, but the ophthalmologist was already gone for the day. He took down my cell # and said he would call me after he spoke with him in the morning.

Today, I had not heard from Dr Johnson by the noon hour, so I called my Endocrinologist Dr Damberg to let him know what Dr Johnson had said. Of course I only got to talk with his nurse, and she was going to ask him what he thought and then call me back. She didn’t call back until about 3pm, in which she told me that he said “Since my thyroid levels are perfect, the thyroid hormone shouldn’t be the cause of fluid behind the eye.” 20 minutes later, Dr Johnson calls me back to say he spoke with Dr Rykis the ophthalmologist, and he wants me to have an MRI of the area around the eye to for sure tell what is causing it, and again suggests it’s probably a cause of my thyroid. I then explained that I just heard back from my Endo and he doesn’t think that’s the cause. Dr Johnson continued on to say that “even though my levels are normal right now, doesn’t mean the antibodies aren’t causing it.” So wtf!?? Whats wrong with me? And is an MRI okay when I am pregnant? I had to call my OB nurse to find out. And I guess it is just a magnetic image of the head, no radiation, and they aren’t doing it with contrast (no dye in my blood) and although they don’t have any statistics on what it does to pregnant woman, they do them routinely. I just have to sign some wavier. Whatever. I am just in tears of pain, fear and frustration.

Kitchen backsplash

Kevin finally jumped on the backsplash train and installed it in 3 days!! Saw this glass tile on sale at Menards and we finally just made a decision and went for it. It turned out real nice. Yay its done :)

Swollen Eye :(

Not only have I been experiencing blurry vision, but now I woke up this morning with my right eye all swollen!! I called my OB Dr and she said it’s most likely not a pregnancy symptom and that I should call the eye Dr. So I did, and tried to schedule an appointment but had to leave a message for the triage nurse to call me back to figure out what’s needed. When she called back, she said she thinks it sounds like I may have a start of a stye or chalazin in my right eye and that’s why its swollen. She suggested warm compresses (wet wash cloth in the microwave for 20 seconds), 3-4 times a day should help drain it. She is thinking that I may also have dry eyes from being pregnant and because of the season (and turning the heat on in the house), but the two are separate from one another, so to continue the eye drops as well. If all doesn’t get better in a week, then to make an appointment and they may need to go in and drain it out. Lets hope it gets better…

First Purchases

Now I know I said I was going to wait until gender confirmation at our 20 week ultrasound, therefore it may be a bit early to call "baby" a girl, and buy girly stuff....but we just couldn't resist this great deal in the purple & gray colors I love! As we were shopping at Menards, for basement stuff of course, we came across this car seat and stroller combo for only $100, plus $20 mail-in rebate. It's super cute and very lightweight and the Graco carseat/base is so universal-fits in any type of car and I just love the design and colors, therefore had to buy it :)

As Kevin, the proud father, pushes our first "baby" purchase out to the car, he says "Man, if we could buy baby stuff at Menards, I'd shop all the time!" hahaha!! Colbie got real excited too!

 

Our second purchase was these lace petti rompers from Chicabootique on Etsy. I wanted to get them in time to take a gender announcement picture. They are so adorable...can't wait for her to wear them!

I saw this picture of a baby in a yellow one on Pinterest about a year ago when I first signed up, and have been in love ever since. I pinned it thinking "If I ever have a girl, I got to get her one of these!"

Lil bro's 21st Birthday!!

I knew time was flying by if I am now married and having a baby....and now my baby brother is 21 years old and can legally drink in bars!?! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!!! You have grown into such a caring, smart and handsome young man. I can't wait to see what the future has in-store for you next. Enjoy! Be safe!!

 Dinner at Crave in Mall of America!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kevin and I had a great Thanksgiving! Last night we did the traditional Champp's restaurant on Thanksgiving Eve to see some of our old high school friends. And one of Kevin's good friends, Justin Roehning and his girlfriend Megan, came out to celebrate just finding out they are having a boy!! They're due 3 weeks before us...so excited for them! And Kev's other friend, Andy Smith and his wife Lisa were there too, so of course us girls had to take our prego belly pic...

March 9, April 15 & May 5

I think my white belly band that is hangin out the bottom of my shirt is holding most of my belly in, because I feel a lot bigger than that!!

Then today, Thanksgiving day, we had turkey dinner at my parents house, with them, my little bro Mike and my Hasbrouck grandparents. Small gathering without Matt & Brianna here :( We sure miss you guys!!! But it was a nice relaxing day with delicious food...thanks Mom! And to digest, we all laid around and watched the movie The Amazing Spiderman. It was pretty good!

UPDATE: 16 WEEKS

How Far Along: 16 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 12lbs (weighing in at 110lbs)
Nausea: I don't want to say its completely gone because I don't want to jinx anything, hahaha! But I believe it is gone, finally!!
Mood Swings: With the nausea gone, I'd say I am less irritable. Well, besides when I am hungry...I need to eat! I get it from my dad ;) And a little advice...don't mess with a pregnant lady's food!
Food Cravings: Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Basically whenever I think of something that sounds good, I have to go get it now. Haha! And I have really been wanting Olive Garden's salad. Mmmm, might have to pick me up some on my way home! Actually, yesterday we had some really yummy food at Kevin's family early Thanksgiving feast, nom nom nom nom :)
Other Symptoms: Not only are my nails and hair growing like weeds, but I think my hair has gotten straighter!? When I let it air dry, its not as wavy and frizzy as it always has been. Weird. And I know I talk fast, but now I often get short of breath. I have also had some hot flashes, which is unusual for me because I am always cold, but a few times I have heated up quickly, armpits sweating through my shirt, and I am like did someone just turn the heat on!? But then it goes away after 5 minutes. Also, I keep having some aches down in almost my groin area, tendons pulling, which Dr said I will start feeling my uterus stretch again. Super uncomfortable. And my last new thing is blurry vision! Supposedly its a normal pregnancy symptom, but I hope it goes away soon!!
Miss Anything: Still missing my normal clothes fitting comfortably.
Sleep Time: 10pm
My Exercises: Ummm, none. I know I know its bad. I am still tired and uncomfortable when I get home from work that I just want to lay on the couch and watch TV.
Fun Moment Since Last Update: I went in Monday, Nov 12th (15 weeks) to have another ultrasound done by my mom and she guessed at gender.....
Gender Idea: Girl!!! I know its still early, but we had a perfect view from the bottom where you could see both butt cheeks and legs coming out, and nothing was in between, except the 3 little lines, which they call it a "hamburger" you are looking for when its a girl. But we aren't officially announcing it until the 20 week mid-pregnancy ultrasound. Sadly, Kevin wasn't present for this observation, but we called him and my mom told him over the phone while she was doing it and I took a video. We're going to go in again this week because his mom wants to see too. But we are super super excited!!! I knew it from the beginning...mother instinct I guess! Kevin of course hoped for a boy, as all guys do, but he knows he will be wrapped around her little finger the day she comes out. HER and SHE...yep, we are starting to call "it" a "she" :) :)
Maternity Clothes: I still haven't been into a maternity shop yet, but I did go buy a couple new pairs of jeans and pants for work, in larger sizes to make it by for a little longer. I went from size "1" to "7" in 3 months, wtf!? I have never been larger than size 3, so this is weird for me.
Labor Signs: None
Looking Forward To: The holidays!! This week we are doing the traditional Champp's on Thanksgiving Eve, so I am excited to see some old high school friends. And then Thanksgiving with my family and my little brother turns 21!! Wow time flies. And of course can't wait until our 20 week mid-pregnancy ultrasound, which we scheduled on Kevin's 30th birthday, Dec 19 :) :)

Am I going blind!??

The past week I have been having some blurry vision. Typically its only in the morning for 5-10 minutes, but last night I noticed it for a longer period of time as I was trying to watch TV and then again this morning when I looked at my alarm clock and tried to read a few emails while still laying in bed. And it continued for a good 15 minutes after I got up. I goggled it a little bit, and learned about the symptom being "dry, itchy, sensitive eyes" but it said if you experience blurriness, notify your doctor. So on my way into work I called the nurses line just to ask about it and she wanted me to come in to check my blood pressure because it could lead to high blood pressure/gestational diabetes or preeclampsia-which she said it’s too early for that.

I checked out to be fine, and my new OB (Dr Nelson – who I really think I am going to like!) said it is just another pregnancy hormonal change in which hormones cause fluid buildup in my eyes, the same way they make you have swollen ankles and feet.. The lens and cornea may thicken, and the pressure of the fluid within the eyeball may change, leading to changes in the curvature of the eyes, which causes blurred vision and dry, irritated eyes. Thankfully, she says my vision will return to normal after I give birth…but wait, AFTER!? So do I have to deal with seeing double for the next 5 months!?? ughh :(

First Snow of the Season!

We just had an awesome weekend in Salt Lake City visiting my older brother, Matt, and sister-in-law, Brianna. When we got there on Thursday around noon, we visited the new outdoor mall downtown Salt Lake. It was sunny and 65 degrees. There were tons of fancy stores and we stopped in to have frozen yogurt with just about any topping you could possibly want...YUM!! We knew it was suppose to snow Friday or Saturday, so we made sure to also visit Park City up in the mountains that evening. We first stopped at the Tanger outlet mall, because Brianna wanted a new Coach purse, and Kevin and I bought some new Crocs. Then we went to a few shops on the downtown Park City strip and had dinner at the No Name Saloon & Grill. It was a cool place where Kevin got to experience a true buffalo burger. And they had a sweet patio with hundreds of heaters and heated benches so you don’t even feel like you are outside! Total ski bum town :) Then we went out for a few drinks (me = water or ginger ale) at Lindzee O'Michael's. I got a little nauseous from the windy road up and down the mountain and the altitude change, but it was worth it to see the beautiful mountains!! The next morning we woke up to SNOW and lots of it! It was beautiful!! We actually ran a few errands, made yummy grilled cheeses and tomato soup for lunch, hot tubbed in their back yard, laid around and watched a movie, then got ready for dinner at a pizza place with some of their friends. Saturday we again hungout around their house watching movies, and then in the afternoon we drove 20mins out to Riverton, Utah to see my aunt & uncle, Doug & Faye. The snow let up for a few hours so we were able to see their amazing backyard view of the mountains!! And of course their barn and horses. Doug & Faye made a delicious steak and potato dinner. I must have been craving baked potatoes because I demolished mine and ate Faye's too, ha! Then we played fun games: Sequence & Cranium. We had some great laughs!! Kevin built a rocking chair out of clay and Faye had to hum the tune of “Walk this Way”...hilariously good times :) And it continued to snow. Sunday morning we went to breakfast at this awesome place, I forget the name, but all 4 of us just devoured our meals. So delicious! Then we found a bar that had the Vikings game on for us to watch until it was time to catch our flight home. And to finish off our wonderful weekend...the Vikings won! And it stopped snowing and the sun came out on our drive to the airport. Of course, right? Thanks again for having us Matt & Brianna. You have a beautiful new home in a gorgeous city. But please move home soon because we love and miss you TOO much!!

Yes, I'd like cheese with my WHINE!!

Today I am 14 weeks, and last week I thought I was seeing the light towards the 2nd trimester where I was getting my energy back and my nausea was going away. Well, it was a tease...this weekend was not the greatest. I got a good night sleep both Friday and Saturday nights, like 10 hours, yet by 2pm I felt exhausted and needed a nap. I was nauseous most of the day and have been having horrible pains in my lower, almost groin area, which the doctor warned me about, because my uterus is growing more and more each day. It feels like tendons stretching. It's so uncomfortable. And my lower back hurts with all my newly added weight, and I get headaches, probably because I am not drinking enough water, or eating healthy...which is like a new job it itself! I felt like such a pile of crap all weekend, so was crabby because Kevin was a busy-bee around the house, which is great, but I got jealous because I got nothing done :( I found myself whining so much that I eventually said "I hate being pregnant". So sad, but true. I mean of course I am extremely happy we are having a baby and super excited to meet the new little human my body is creating, but in the meantime, it’s really not much fun. Kevin is sick of my whining, which I feel bad about because normally I suck it up and push forward because typically I am a nothing-can-stop-me type person, and it’s not that I can't handle the pain I am going through, it’s just that I am frustrated with it because I hate not being able to do what I want when I want. Selfish, right? So be it! Well, all my life I have only be responsible for myself, and now I am responsible for the growing human in my body. Kinda cool actually. But is going to change my life...our lives! Kev, we are in this together, so cheers to life's changes :) And hopefully the 2nd trimester will get better like everyone says it does...we can't wait to feel baby kick!! And find out gender because then I can start shopping, hooray!!! That will make this pregnancy way more fun!

And here is my growing belly...

Newborn Essentials

Found this amazing blog on Pinterest today... http://www.lucieslist.com/

Its a survival guide for new moms. On the right hand side you can click on different new born neccessities that I will soon buy or register for, and it shows different brands with explanations. Its my go to learning site right now :) Plus she is hilarious, and I love reading all her insights!

OB Dr Appt - 13 weeks

Today we had our second appointment with our OB doctor, Dawn Jenkins, at the Shakopee Park Nicollet. I weighed in at 108lbs. 4lbs gained since my appt 4 weeks ago, and 10lbs since I found out I was pregnant. A little much I'd say, but I guess its fine since I was under weight from the beginning. And maybe I need to back off the pasta/bread/carbs/junk food and eat more fruits and veggies!! She did a quick ultrasound to show us baby. Then put on the Doppler to listen to it's heart rate = 147. We only had a few questions for her...

1.) Can I travel to Florida with Kevin's family end of February at 30 weeks? Yes, traveling is fine before 36 weeks. Might want to buy travel insurance in case anything happens or you end up not feeling good enough to go. Wash hands a lot to prevent from catching anything.

2.) Can I have my thyroid levels checked every 4 weeks to be sure its not going up or down? There is no need to. It should remain stable and we will check it again at your 28 week appointment when we check for diabetes. **Endocrinologist notes to have it checked in 2 months.

3.) Am I considered high-risk with my thyroid issues? No, only if your levels were uncontrollable.

Kevin and I left this appointment with an awkward feeling. We aren't sure how we feel about our doctor. It is not that she is necessarily rude, but she sort of treats us like everything is no big deal and so she doesn't give us thorough answers. It's hard to explain what we don't like about her, but its like she does this everyday, which fine yes she does, but she does it in such a repetitious sort of way with no feeling behind her words or actions. She needs to grow a personality. I realize she doesn't have all the time to establish a personal relationship with us, but something!? We scheduled our next appointment with a different doctor in the group...wish us luck!

My TSH level is NORMAL again!!

I received the best news this morning…I woke up to an email from Park Nicollet saying I have new information in MyChart -where you can logon and see all your lab results, appointments, etc. I logged on and saw my TSH was at 1.73. This is awesome news!! Crazy how just 4 weeks ago it was at 15.25!? Now let’s hope it stays this way the whole rest of my pregnancy!

Arizona Bachelorette Party!

Just got back from a weekend in Phoenix & Scottsdale, Arizona for my good college friend, Liz Bramwell’s bachelorette party! Her wedding isn’t until February 2, but this was the time all of us could get together and go. There were 7 of us that flew out from MN, and a few other of her highschool friends that live in Arizona. We stayed at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. It was a beautiful hotel and the staff was very nice and accommodating to all our specific needs ;) We hung out at the pool both days and relaxed in the lazy river. The weather was beautiful…85 degrees and not a cloud in the sky! As the girls had cocktails all day & night, I drank loads and loads of water, gatorade and my favorite non-alcoholic drink…the dirty worm. It was an oreo ice blended shake with gummie worms. Mmm!

I felt great both days, just got a little nauseous as it got closer to dinner time because our reservations weren’t until 8pm one night and 7:30pm the other. After lunch, I probably should have ate at 4 or 5 and then again at dinner, but of course we were all busy chatting and getting dolled up for the night out. And then the limo driver on Saturday night wasn’t the best at considering there were 12 girls in the back of his vehicle! He made fast stops, starts and turns…I thought I was going to throw up. When we got to the restaurant I quickly got some ginger ale and felt better. I made it out all night with the girls at the bars! But got nauseous again on the ride back to the hotel because I was so tired.

The girls always made sure I was doing okay and asked if I needed anything…to the point where once I had to say, “Hey, I am not handicapped, I am pregnant!” hahaha! I think they thought since they were drinking all day, I had to be drinking all day, which was actually perfect because I drank more fluids than ever and I really need to be! I would have thought the hardest part of the weekend was going to be the fact that I couldn’t drink, but it was actually not feeling comfortable with my ever growing body. Being in a swim suit was tough, but the girls kept reassuring me, “You can really tell it’s a baby bump!” ;) Which I am starting to believe you can...its just hard getting use to it. I wore a couple dresses that weren't tight and hid the belly. It truly was a great girls weekend! And I cannot wait for the wedding!!!

First Trimester Screening

Today Kevin and I went into the Meadowbrook Perinatal Clinic for our First Trimester Screening. It's called “Nuchal Translucency Ultrasound” and is done between 11 wks 2 days – 13 wks 6 days. It is a check for chromosome problems: trisomy 13, trisomy 18 and trisomy 21 (down syndrome). They do an ultrasound to measure the back of baby’s neck fold and if nasal bone is visible. Then a blood sample to check levels of 2 proteins. If all comes back normal, baby is 85% okay. They do another check at 18 weeks to be 95% sure, but the only 100% way to tell would be to take out a sample of the amniotic fluid (with a really long needle through my belly - no thank you!) Not everyone has this screening done, its really for people who are at high-risk and/or will be 35+ when they deliver. But Kevin really wanted to do it, just to see and know, and when he found out the $650 test was covered under our insurance, we thought why not get a free ultrasound by a high-risk tech…

The sonographer spent 45 minutes with us, allowing us to ask tons of questions, showing us every inch of our baby, counting arms, legs, fingers and toes! She measured the fluid behind the neck to be 1.4mm (<2.5mm is normal) and the nasal bone was visual. Baby’s heartbeat was at 154 and crown-rump length at 2.5in. Baby was moving around A LOT! Doing flips and headstands! She said I was growing a monkey break dancer, hahaha! Or as Kevin says, he/she fidgets like me. She said this was normal as baby is just starting to experience its reflexes. At the very end she did a 3-D ultrasound view. Its hands were in front of its face (because they just got feeling in its palms and love to explore their face) so you can’t see the facial features yet, and it kinda looks like an alien because head grows fastest first, but very cool to see!

We brought up my thyroid issue and the comment “hypothyroidism isn’t usually considered high-risk” made us feel at ease. Now let’s hope my labs come back okay at my next week’s OB appointment!

Lastly, we asked if she thought boy or girl? She explained that its still too early to tell because no matter boy or girl, its parts are sticking out right now. Then she went on to explain that there is a little trick though...if its sticking straight out its girl, and up out its boy....she predicted girl! She obviously said its still too early and she cant say for sure, but said she's never been wrong yet in her predictions ;)

UPDATE: 12 WEEKS

How Far Along: 12 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 8lbs (weighing in at 106lbs)
Nausea: I think my nausea is starting to go away! It’s not all day everyday anymore :) It’s just if I go past normal time to eat or sleep. I still drink lots of ginger ale to feel at ease.
Mood Swings: I haven’t been as irritable lately, or at least I don't think so, Kev may say differently. I am beginning to have some good days, where I have more energy to get stuff done around the house...so I am thinking its true that the 2nd trimester does get better!!
Food Cravings: Pumpkin bread, chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk and still of course cereal.
Other Symptoms: For the past 2 weeks I have started to get headaches around 4:30/5pm. One day it was at 2pm and I left work to go buy Tylenol and sat in my car with my eyes closed for 20mins, but it still didn’t really go away. Not sure if it’s a hormonal thing, or certain foods I am eating or the fact that I sit at a desk all day starring at a computer and I have horrible posture. Or maybe I am not getting home early enough for dinner, yet sometimes the headache doesn’t go away after I eat either, so I am in bed early because I just need to close my eyes. I have also started to have some lower back pain. All the way down in my tail bone. Only hurts when I get up to walk. Not sure again if it’s my bad posture sitting at a desk all day, or if baby is pushing on a nerve.
Miss Anything: My flat stomach and my pants fitting comfortably :(
Sleep Time: I am staying up a bit later, 9:30pm
My Exercises: Still nothing :( But I will hopefully start to as I am entering my 2nd trimester and begin to feel better!
Fun Moment Since Last Update: When Kevin and I went in for an ultrasound with my mom to see how baby was growing…he/she waved at us! Cool seeing the hands and feet!!
Gender Idea: I am still thinking Girl…only because I am really into baby’s room being purple!
Maternity Clothes: I bought a belly “Beband” from Target. It allows me to still wear my normal work pants or jeans everyday but am able to have them unbuttoned so I can breathe. It works well, but I love when I get home and can put on sweatpants and really breathe!
Labor Signs: None
Looking Forward To: We are doing the First Trimester Screening this Tues Oct 23, where baby gets tested for down syndrome & trisomys. Not really looking forward to it, because it’s kind of scary, but we have no history of these on either side of our families, so I am hoping everything will be just fine. Then I am going to Arizona for my friend Liz’s bachelorette party (although I can’t drink, I will make the best of it! Supposedly we are staying at an awesome hotel with a really nice pool so I am excited to relax!) Then our next OB Doctor appt is Thurs Nov 1.

Everyone's Preggers!

Last night was our friends Carrie & Craig Marchessault’s couples baby shower. They are due to have a boy December 26th. Super excited for them!! The shower was called baby fest and was a rockstar theme. The girls that threw it did an awesome job. Carrie has been my advisor so far throughout my pregnancy. Because she is a few steps ahead of me in the process, it has been nice to baby chat with a friend going through the same stuff as me. There are two other girls on Kevin’s side of friends who are preggers too…Andy & Lisa Smith are due March 9 and Justin Roehning and Megan Steers are due April 15. I am sure others will get sick of our baby chats real soon…but sorry, this is a life changing event here people!!

We decided we’ll have to take this picture of us once a month to show our growing bellies :)

DECEMBER, MARCH, APRIL, MAY

Baby's First Dance

Tonight I had my first real workout since being prego! My friend Serena invited me to a Cardio Dance Party at the YMCA using her buddy pass. She often takes the turbo class and learns all these fun dances, so I thought I'd give it a try...although I havent danced in a while and am really slow at learning ;) The first hour and 45mins we learned a 1 minute routine and then the last 15mins we recorded so the instructor could post to youtube. Click here to see the dance: Get On The Floor I am in the orange tshirt/black pants, on the right side second row, hiding behind Serena. I guess I am so use to sychronized dance team where you need to stay in formation behind the person in front of you. Hahaha! There is some sexy on the floor part, that I left with bruises on my knees, and at one point I couldnt get up and the instructor said, "What are you doing Grandma, get off the floor!" It was too much bending over, up and down, for my newly added weight on my front side. Being in tight spandex clothing really made my belly buldge out, and I know I am not showing that much yet, but for me I am, and I felt like people were staring, like wow she's really skinny but has a gut. I wished I was wearing a T-shirt that said, "I am not fat. I am pregnant!" :) Seriously! These first few months I am not showing to the point where people know I am pregnant, and people typically know not to ask, and I dont walk around telling everyone, so I need one of those shirts. Hmm, maybe amazon has one for cheap...

Baby Waving Hi

Today Kevin and I went into my mom’s work for another ultrasound. With my thyroid issues and my dosage being raised by 50%, I have felt like I have been having a racing heart and anxiety all over again. So I just wanted to make sure baby’s heart was still beating okay and he/she is growing. It would just make me feel better.

Turns out, all was just fine! :) Baby’s heartbeat was at 156 one time she measure and 164 the second time she measured. Normal is 145-165. Baby had doubled in size since last crown-rump measurement 2 weeks ago and was moving around a lot. He/she arched its back, kicked around and waved to us. Super cool! Kevin got really excited!!!

I was having such a good day, not feeling nauseous for once, I even went clothes shopping after work (just at TJ Max) and stopped at the grocery store to buy the ingredients to bake pumpkin bread (a coworker had made spiced muffins and it made me crave pumpkin bread). I for once had the motivation to bake, but of course Kevin ended up doing most of the work because he’s better at it ;) And then, we thought since all went well with today’s ultrasound, we decided to finally share our news with the public by posting our announcement picture on Facebook.

Vikings Game

Super great seats on the 50 yard line!!! Perfect for me to creep on AP baybeee :)

Thyroid Scare :(

Today I had my first hormonal break down because my OB nurse called me explaining that my thyroid levels have gone way up and that I need to call my Endocrinologist and get my medication adjusted. WHAT!? WHY!? Is baby gonna be okay???

So since finding out in February 2011 that I had hyperthyroidism, which lead to the autoimmune disorder called Grave's disease (like my grandpa Quinn & aunt Wendy had), I had then chose to do the radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) to burn out my thyroid making me have hypothyroid the rest of my life. It has only been a year and a half I have been dealing with this, taking a synthetic every day, often getting my levels check and adjusting my dosage to maintain my thyroid hormone levels. It takes a couple years for people to get their levels to normal. And so when I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to get checked again.

Sept 12 I went in and my Endo said my TSH was at 4.91 and was supposed to be between .2-4.5. Okay, so I am a little high and he raised my dosage from 100MCG to 125MCG. Two weeks later (Sept 28), I was in for my first OB appointment and when I told my doctor I have hypothyroid she said we need to monitor it closer as it could cause birth defects (ie. low birth weight, pre-mature labor, developmental delay, etc). WHAT!? I thought to myself, I should be good because I was just in and had my dosage changed and my Endo's already been watching it. She's like well, we are doing lots of blood work today so I am just going to check your TSH again. Okay, fine with me, test away...

Now I find out that just 2 weeks after my dosage was raised, my TSH has raised even higher, to 15.25!! WTF!? How does it go that high, that fast...it has never been this high before. So I am in tears to my mom on the phone, a.) because I am hormonal and felt like crying b.) because I am scared, is something happening to baby while my levels are so off like this? c.) because I am so frustrated with this thyroid crap, that geez is this going to continue throughout my whole pregnancy? what a nightmare!! And d.) I was leaving to go to Chicago for three days for work and didn't know when and where to get my new prescription.

Anywho...after my Endo's nurse finally called me back (6 hours later) she explained my dosage needed to be raised again, now to 150MCG, to counteract all my hormone changes (hCG & estrogen). She explained this is completely normal during pregnancy, which is somewhat a sigh of relief. But now its just a waiting game until my levels get checked again in 4 weeks. In the meantime, let's just pray for a healthy baby!!

First Doctor's Appointment

Today we had our first real doctor’s appointment at Park Nicollet in Shakopee, which is connected to St Francis, where we wish to deliver. It was about an hour long, but she went very fast as she had tons of information to give us. She did an ultrasound and measured the baby to 8 weeks and 5 days, estimating our due date to be May 5, 2013. Cinco de Mayo Baby!! Kevin’s reaction: “Can I have a Corona in the delivery room?” Um no, sorry babe. But we are super excited and everything became a bit more real after seeing how fast our baby is growing. He/she is about as big as a grape :)

After our appointment my mom took us out to lunch at Applebee's and gave us our first baby gift....it was weird. Not that she gave us a gift, but weird that this baby stuff is for us!! I felt weird bringing it home and setting it in our guest bedroom, which will soon be the baby room. It is weird to think I am the one having the child that's gonna snuggle with this blankey and read this book. I have always been the auntie to all my friends babies and now it is just weird that its my turn....dont think its hit me yet.

Snuggle me blanket, Sonogram frame, a touch and feel book and a Sleep Sheep that attaches to the crib side or car seat and plays soothing sounds. Thanks Mom & Dad!!

UPDATE: 8 WEEKS

How Far Along: 8 weeks 
Total Weight Gain: 6lbs (I was only 98lbs when I got pregnant, so I definitely needed to gain some!) 
Nausea: I am nauseous all day every day! It really sucks. Well, you get nauseous when you are hungry or tired and I am hungry and tired all the time!! So I have had to snack a lot, on little things because I get full fast, but then it only holds me over for maybe an hour. I even get nausea from just seeing a food commercial on TV, or Kevin listing off different options for dinner. Pizza is never on my list, sorry babe. Any strong scents make me nauseous too, and my nose can smell everything! Thankfully, I am not throwing up…yet! Hopefully I never do. Although, there are some times I feel I am holding back...if I want to the bathroom and stuck my head in the toilet, I probably would throw up. But I truly try to suck it up and push through my days. 
Mood Swings: I am honestly not the most fun person to be around these days. I get irritated easily because I can’t be doing all the things I want to be doing because I don’t feel good. I dont like not being in control of my own body :( 
Food Cravings: pickles, cereal and lots of ginger ale because it helps with the nausea.
Other Symptoms: I have to pee all the time, even if its not very much...I get up 3 times a night to go! My boobs are sore, all the way into my armpits. I’m gasy (which is uncomfortable, because Kevin thinks girls don’t fart, so I am usually trying to burp it out). And acne! I am breaking out like I’m in junior high all over again! All these body and hormone changes are definitely tough to get use to. 
Miss Anything: Michelob Golden Light with olives and turkey sandwiches from Subway/Jimmy John’s/Quiznos (can’t eat processed meat unless its heated up to steam off the listeria)  
Sleep Time: I start yawning a lot in the afternoon, during the second half of my work day. I am real tired around 5pm when I drive home from work. I get a little bit of a second wind when I get home because I always need to do house chores (laundry, dishes, vacuum dog hair, and thank goodness Kev enjoys cooking dinner most nights). After dinner, I am on the couch sleeping by 7:30/8pm. Kev usually watches his shows and then we get in to bed by 10pm.  
My Exercises: Nothing. I know, I really need to start, but it’s hard because its never been part of my normal routine, and now with always feeling nauseous and tired, it’s hard to force myself to. 
Fun Moment Since Last Update: Hearing the baby’s heartbeat!!
Gender Idea: Girl...only because I have always said I want a boy first, so I bet I get a girl first…but honestly either is perfectly fine with us! Kevin thinks boy. But so far we have more girl name ideas than boys.
Maternity Clothes: Nope, I will wear bigger sizes before I pay for maternity stuff. Although I might need one of those waistband things…because I often have to unbutton my pants throughout the day because they are uncomfortably digging into my stomach.  
Labor Signs: No way, too soon, thank goodness. 
Looking Forward To: Our first real doctors appointment!!

Picture Puzzle Announcement

Today I mailed out our announcement picture as a puzzle to my brothers and grandparents (Matt & Brianna, Mike, Don & Marilyn and Kevin’s grandma Norma – Kevin’s sister Kristy found out the night we made dinner for our parents and we told his brother Kyle at his birthday dinner Sept 5). I ordered them online at Discount Photo Gifts. They were 8x10 and only 30 pieces, so pretty quick and easy to put together. I hope they like them!! I think it will be fun for them to figure it out as they put it together rather than me just telling them. I bought an extra one for us to frame and put in baby’s room :)

Baby's Heartbeat at 6 ½ Weeks

Today after work I called up my mom and went in for another ultrasound, just to see what we could see. The second she put the probe on my belly, she said, “Oh my gosh, YOU CAN SEE THE HEART BEATING!!” And you could. It was a little white flickering light inside my uterus. You could even see a tiny head & body. Reminded me of a seahorse on the Little Mermaid :) She measured the crown-rump and said I was 6 ½ weeks. Exactly where I should be! Then she turned on the Doppler and we listened to the heartbeat. It was very strong!! I teared up, because it was so amazing! And then I felt bad Kev wasn’t there experiencing it with me (he was shooting at Horse & Hunt with Rykken), so I took this a short video on my phone and sent it to him. We listened to it over and over when we got home. We could not believe my body created this beating heart in just 6 weeks!? Women’s bodies can really do MIRACULOUS things!!