So.... the last ultrasound is now showing that the baby is looking like a little boy. My doctor is not 100% sure but I can't say that I'm disappointed in this. I think I have been secretly leaning towards a boy for a little while now. I will go back in 4 weeks. In the mean time we are considering going to a local ultrasound facility that specializes in gender identification. It's really inexpensive and they guarantee they will be able to tell what gender the baby is and if not they will set up an additional appointment to try again. It seems excessive and honestly I can wait. My reasoning to have this done is that school will be starting up again in 2 weeks and I really wanted to at least get paint up and carpet down in the nursery before it starts. Russ refuses to paint the walls green and call it a day; he wants a gender specific color which admittedly would be nice but I could live with green. I know time will fly this semester and between school and work it will be hard to find time to do everything I would like to in the nursery. We haven't decided for sure but if we decide to have this done I will post results.

Here are some pics of our baby girl.
This is her from the side. She is laying on her 'belly.' Head on the left, bent leg on the right. You can see her ribs in the middle and the bright white spot being her shoulder blade.

This is her from the side again expect she is sitting upright. The head is at the top and her arm is bent up, you can see her hand by her head. This is only from the torso up.

It has been a few days but I went to the OB last week. We tried for about an hour to get the baby to move around so we could get a better view and determine the sex. From what we saw, it's a girl! Russ has had a lot of experience with little girls because of his nieces and his friend Tim's daughter so I think he is more comfortable with this but honestly we're happy either way. I was sure it was going to be a boy so this is a surprise for me but nothing disappointing, just requires a flip of mindset. I will go back on the 28th and we should be able to tell for sure.

We will have to get new bedding if it is a girl. The unisex pattern we chose isn't ideal for a girl but all it will take is an exchange at Target; they have a cute bird pattern that we will most likely get. I don't like the main blanket which is draped over the side but there are alternatives for the same price like the one picture below it. The bumper and sheets etc are adorable.


For our Xmas present to each other we got the crib and changing table. It's espresso and matches the glider we recently were given. Coincidentally it is the same one pictured with the bedding set above.

My belly is starting to get bigger and I am officially into maternity clothes. I still haven't gained a ton of weight like I had expected. When I went to the OB I had only gained 3lbs which is a pound less than the 4lbs estimated for a 4 week period. Don't get me wrong, I eat a lot it just seems like the baby is using it all nutritionally and for energy.

There is nothing worse than a blog that is not updated, I apologize for that.

As far as the baby goes we're still going strong. I haven't had a doctor's appointment in a few weeks so I don't have much to share on that end but I have one coming up on Dec. 7th.

Over the holiday which also happened to be my birthday we got some great baby related gifts. I got a glider/rocker which is something I insisted on having since I have had a fascination with rocking chairs my whole life. Also we received the complete bedding set for the nursery. Russ thinks the pattern is more for a boy while I think it's neutral. I guess if we end up having a girl we can always exchange it.

Here are some pictures of the gifts:

Russell is still working around the house. He keeps taking on new projects but I'll give him credit because they eventually get done and they look great. So far he has replaced the flooring in the living room and dining area, started the master bathroom's tile, put up sheet rock in the nursery and installed an exhaust fan in the master bathroom. He's quite handy, maybe I will keep him around.

That's about it until my doctor's appt. We're hoping that this will be the one where we learn the sex. Wish us luck!

Sorry it has been so long, life has been busy busy. Unfortunately we didn't get to find out the sex of the baby last week. I go back on Dec. 7th and we may find out then. I am still very tired and it tough the busier it gets but the busyness is for the good of the baby so it's worth it.
Everything has been going well health wise. The baby was healthy and appropriate size etc at the last visit. I don't have time to write much more now but I will definitely try to update more often.

Well yesterday was the much anticipated day to see if we could determine the baby's sex. However, my mistake, my appointment is next Thurs and was not this last one. So another week we will wait. At least I will be that much farther along and hopefully they will be able to figure out which it will be.

I am trying to decide on a nursery theme idea. I spent several hours looking at fabrics online thinking I may just make the bedding however most of it is close to $10 a yard and most of the patterns call for between 10-15 yards. That doesn't even include the batting it would require which is generally pretty expensive. So it's my conclusion that it would probably be just as wise to purchase a pre-made set and at the very least it would save me a headache. The set I originally gravitated towards is called Tree Tops by Carters. They sell it at Babies R Us and it looks like this:
The woodland animals are very cute and it is also gender neutral. I suppose I can worry about this more when we find out the sex but it's hard to wait. I have been looking elsewhere for crib sets i.e. eBay, various baby stores, Target etc. This one remains my favorite by far. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

*update*
I went to Target.com and they have released their version of this theme. It's by Woolrick and called Woodlands.
The colors are not as rich so I prefer the other one however this one is 60% of the price and the accessories are less expensive too. It is a definite contender.

Not much has been going on baby wise. I can definitely tell that my waistline is expanding and we are still preparing the house. There has been a change in my hair as far as it's ability to style and hold volume and my face also likes to show that my hormones are changing. It's worth it though. I did receive some nice baby clothes from my Aunt Betty and her Daughter in Law Mary while they were visiting. They were so cute and appreciated. I loved hanging them up in the room because that is about all that is baby related in there so far except for a few onesies I purchased a little while back. I also have been arranging my schedule for next semester. I had to e-mail a few professors to find out if chemicals would be used in the classes that could harm the baby. So far, so good. I hope to take Painting I, Mural Painting, Serigraphy (screen printing) and Relief Print Making. Still waiting for next Thursday; I really hope we get to find out the sex.

The baby is sitting upright with the head on top and the little bump about half way down is a hand. So cute.
This ultrasound was taken last Wednesday. It was fantastic because we could see the baby move around and wave it's arms. It's incredible for only 11 weeks of life. I will go back on Nov 5th; it will be possible that the doctor will be able to determine the sex on that appointment. I hope so, I can't wait to paint the nursery and buy 'stuff.' Sorry about the quality, I took a picture of the ultrasound rather than scanning it. In the future I will make it over to mom's to scan it in. They checked the size of the baby and the predicted due date is still between May 10th and 15th.

And for fun, here is another picture of Russell and I:

Blue

I took the at home gender test today and it said... BOY! I've read online that there have been correct predictions and also incorrect ones but I didn't expect any different. We'll know if in a few weeks if it's right or not. I think I will be excited if it is a boy but would love a girl too.

I go back for another ultrasound on Wednesday. Hopefully their new machine will be operating so we can get an accurate size and due date etc.

I can't eat anything without being immediately stuffed and having that fullness last for a very long time. I think I need to eat smaller, more frequent mini meals.

Russ and I spent a great bit of the day thinking of what needs to be done around the house for the baby. I know it is far off but we're talking possible remodeling and new flooring in certain areas so we're trying to get this done asap. It seems like all of our weekends keep filling up fast so I know the baby will be here before we know it and we don't want to be stuck unprepared.

I made my first trip to Babies R Us with my mom the other day and she purchased a prenatal heart monitor for us. She thinks it will help with me worrying about the pregnancy if I can hear the heart beat at home. It can't be used until later in the pregnancy but it will be nice to have.

I know it's the first week in October so I should be taking that at home gender test however I think I am going to wait more towards the end of next week to insure proper results. It's hard to wait.

Saw Zombieland today and as if my tendency to be squeamish wasn't enough the baby felt it was necessary to create my first bout of nausea. Luckily I held my cookies.

Wonderful Wednesday!

We (Russell went with me!) went the the OB today for my follow-up ultrasound. The baby is just fine which is of course, excellent. The OB said based on the size I am actually more like
8 weeks. Unfortunately they got a new ultrasound machine that broke right before my visit so they had to use their old one. I mention this because she said the 8 weeks was based on the fetus size but she didn't have a clear picture so she could have been counting some of the yolk sack in its size. The ultrasound image had changed significantly since last time, there is definitely a baby in my belly! We also got to see the heart beat. It just confirmed the whole experience and put all my worries to rest.

Results

I heard back from my OB today on the blood tests they took last week to check the HCG levels in my blood. According to my OB the levels of HCG are supposed to double every 48 hours. My results showed a significant increase but not double. She is going to have me in next week for another ultrasound just to make sure things are still looking ok.

Now, I don't want to sound like I know more than the doctor but she is making me rather paranoid so my mother and I did some additional research on the subject. Some things we found out:

• In about 85% of normal pregnancies, the hCG level will double every 48 - 72 hours (they only tested me for a 48 hour period).
• Caution must be used in making too much of hCG numbers. A normal pregnancy may have low hCG levels and result in a perfectly healthy baby. The results from an ultrasound after 5 - 6 weeks gestation are much more accurate than using hCG numbers.
• As long as the numbers are going up, the pregnancy is still in 'good standing'
• The hCG levels should not be used to date a pregnancy since these numbers can vary so widely.

• Guideline to hCG levels during pregnancy:

  • hCG levels in weeks from LMP (gestational age)* :
  • 3 weeks LMP: 5 - 50 mIU/ml
  • 4 weeks LMP: 5 - 426 mIU/ml
  • 5 weeks LMP: 18 - 7,340 mIU/ml - My level was in the 7000s
    
  • 6 weeks LMP: 1,080 - 56,500 mIU/ml
  • 7 - 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 - 229,000 mIU/ml
  • 9 - 12 weeks LMP: 25,700 - 288,000 mIU/ml
  • 13 - 16 weeks LMP: 13,300 - 254,000 mIU/ml
  • 17 - 24 weeks LMP: 4,060 - 165,400 mIU/ml
  • 25 - 40 weeks LMP: 3,640 - 117,000 mIU/ml
  • Non-pregnant females: <5.0>
  • Postmenopausal females: <9.5>

On those notes and just keeping in mind that my mom told me nothing was 'normal' about her pregnancy with me brings me a bit of relief. I feel better but will definitely be anxious for my next ultrasound. All of this makes since if I am indeed just starting my 5th week. The appointment I have is on next Wednesday so hopefully I will know more then.

a later note: Wow, I am a reasearch freak! I apologize... just nervous.

How exciting!

A former co-worker of mine bought one of those Intelligender gender tests for her sister the night before she went for an ultrasound and found out the sex of her baby. The test had been opened only to read the instructions but other than that is in perfect shape. I ran into her at the Post Office just a moment ago and she had it in her car. Lucky me, she gave it to me. I just saved $34.99, what a great friend.

I can't take the test until the first week in October so again, I must wait. I looked up the accuracy rate online and it is over 80% this will be a fun experiment. I will definitely post results when I am able to take the test.

Hello Everyone!

As most of you already know, Russell and I are expecting a baby. We had our first positive pregnancy test Sept. 4th and haven't quit smiling since. I started a blog to keep a historical record as well as to inform everyone on what is going on in between phone calls etc. I would hope for Russell to update it too but you know how guys are with feelings. lol

I went to my first OB appointment on Wednesday. We found out that I am actually more towards 4 weeks pregnant rather than six. This isn't good for my impatience! :) Oh well, this is going to be a long 9 months. So far I haven't had it too rough; there has been some extreme fatigue and just the last week I have started getting the 'flu like' symptoms I've read about (just hot and cold spells), nothing to worry about. I think I am too early for the morning sickness to set in but I can't say I'm looking forward to it either.

For those of you who don't know me well I love to research. I have already devoured What to Expect When You're Expecting as well as all of the pamphlets my OB gave me and of course internet articles. In a way all of this prepares me but it also makes it harder to wait. I guess I'm just silly and excited.