20 weeks...It's a ....

BOY!!!! :) Just as I knew from the very beginning!! He looked perfect and healthy!

Now for an update on the last 2 weeks...

19 weeks: Baby measures 6 inches (crown to rump) and weighs about 8 1/2 oz., about the size of an heirloom tomato or a mango. Research also indicates the baby can now hear sounds outside the womb. We've been trying to talk to him/her more and have read a few stories aloud. Maybe we'll even start listening to some more music!

20 weeks: Wow..I can't believe we've already reached the 1/2 way mark!! Time seems to be flying by..before we know it we'll be holding our little bundle of joy in our arms. At 20 weeks our baby measures 6 1/2 inches from crown to rump and 10 inches from head to heel and weighs about 10 1/2 oz. This is about the length of a cantaloupe!

I had a somewhat eventful day just before I hit the 20 week mark on Monday. I was picking up a couple things at the grocery store, I finished and was going through the self-checkout lane when I suddenly started to feel dizzy and my vision was getting dark. This was about the 4th time this happened and usually I can sit or squat down to alleviate the dizziness and feel better. Well unfortunately I wasn't able to do that this time. The checker came to ask if I was feeling ok, and when I said I wasn't she started helping me to a chair to sit down when apparently I collapsed. I 'woke up' surrounded by employees who were yelling about calling 911. I tried to tell them I was fine and didn't need it, but they had already made the call. So the Fire Department came out and took my blood pressure and talked to me about how I was feeling, my medical history, etc. I told them I was pregnant and had nearly passed out a couple times. They said all my vitals looked ok (this was about 10 mins after the incident) and that I should just talk to my dr. about it at my next visit.

I'm sure the reason it happened this time was due to the fact that I hadn't eaten much that morning and had just finished working out at the gym. When I talked to my nurse she just told me to make sure I am staying hydrated and eating snacks between meals so that my blood sugar doesn't drop too low. My blood pressure is also normally on the low end and I'm anemic, so this is something I'm going to have to pay close attention to so this doesn't happen again! Talk about embarrassing ... lol.

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound. The ultrasound tech checked all baby's measurements, we saw his little heartbeating like crazy, saw his arm bones, legs, spine and even his brain!! It was so amazing to see everything so clearly and be reassured that he is growing perfectly and healthy! We even saw him swallowing the amniotic fluid and getting ready to suck his thumb, it was so cute! Towards the end of the scan she zoomed in on his 'boy parts' and confirmed what I was so sure of from the beginning, it's a healthy baby BOY!! To celebrate my mother in law and sister in law flew in from Spokane for the day and my mom and I picked them up for a girl's day of shopping!! We spent the day at the Supermall where we found some AMAZING deals at Carters, Oshkosh, Children's Place, GAP, Old Navy and Burlington Coat Factory. Let me tell you, I'm gonna have the best dressed little man around! And he's gonna be a bit spoiled my everyone I'm afraid! :) I guess that's what happens with the first grand baby!

Well after a long week and long day of shopping I'm exhausted. Time for me to rest up the rest of the night before I start another work week tomorrow :)

{10 weeks...and first belly pic!}

Yesterday I met with my regular OB and her nurse for the first time. The appointments went great. The nurse went over all my health history, talked about how my pregnancy has been so far and asked a few questions about what I would like with labor and after delivery! Crazy to be thinking so far ahead already :) She also gave me a bag full of a binder with info, pamphlets and a pregnancy journal! After meeting the nurse I had to leave and come back a couple hours later for my appointment with the OB. That appointment also went great, I saw her when I was trying to conceive and she was the one that referred me to the specialist. It was great to see her again and go over my last couple years of working with SRM.

After talking for a few minutes she asked when my last u/s was then said 'well let's take a look!' So I got my first NON internal u/s (SOOOO much better!!). The little peanut was wiggling around like crazy, heartbeat was still going strong and growth is still right on track!! Unfortunately their u/s machine isn't as great, so the pictures aren't as clear as the one I got last week. Oh well, all I care about is that the little one is doing great!

Well..without further ado, here's my first official belly pics...it's mostly all bloat, but if you saw my stomach before you know there's definitely been some changes taking place!!!

{9 week update}

We had our 9 week appointment a few days early on Monday (at 8 weeks 5 days). This was our last appointment with the specialist. We had our 2nd ultrasound and our little peanut actually looks more like a baby now!!!! It was so wonderful to see the little one again and see the heart beating (which was at a wonderful rate of 166 bpm). The dr. said the growth rate is right on track, and we even got to see a little bit of movement!! He also helped ease some of our anxieties by explaining that 'how' we got pregnant (via IVF) will not create any additional complications or risks throughout the pregnancy, he expects everything to be perfectly normal! :) He officially released us from his care and I will see my OB for the first time next week at 10 weeks :)

Now onto the 'fun' questions:

How far along are you: 9 weeks 2 days

Total Weight Gain: Up about 5 lbs (which I'm blaming on our trip to San Fran this week...oops!!)

How much does baby weigh: 4 grams (according to my ticker) And is the size of a grape/green olive/strawberry depending on what you're reading :)

Maternity Clothes: I bought my first pair of pants this week and I wore some ... they are soooo much more comfy! (even if I don't *really* need them yet)

Stretch Marks: Negative..

Sleep: Pretty good except my early morning bathroom trip

Best Moment this week: Non-pregnancy related: Our mini-vacation to San Francisco for Andy's birthday!! Pregnancy related: reached the 9 week mark and saw our peanut again on the u/s!

Movement: Saw some on the u/s although I won't be able to feel it for a while

Food Cravings: nothing major...although I'm always wanting pasta/bread/carbs!!! mmm...

Milestone: Released from the RE's office to my regular OB/GYN!! :)