It's really in there!

We had our first ultrasound on July 21st...when we were supposedly 9 weeks, 2 days... Well, it turns out I was more like 8 weeks, 2 days. That was not a fun part, learning we have to wait another week to meet our precious Sweetpea... this was the fun part... I was astonished at how much we could see with it being so tiny and all. Technology is wonderful isn't it? As soon as she started it showed up right away!! It kinda took my breath away! After the fact when I talked to my sister and she said that she didn't have anywhere near the cool experience we had for her first ultrasound, I felt very lucky to have seen it. I know Dave was in awe the whole time too...These are the pictures we got!

and this...

and this...

There was one more, a 3d picture, but it looks SO WEIRD!! HA HA!!

We also got to hear the baby's heartbeat, it was 167 beats per minute. That part was absolutely the coolest... although I wish she would have let it play a bit longer. By the time she told us that is what it was, she had turned it off already! Even though we had seen it on the screen already, the heartbeat is what made it seem more real. Although I have to admit that even after all that, it is less-so now, but it still seems like such an abstract concept... there is something growing inside me that right now is 1.74cm long, and in nine months will be 18-20 inches long?? Everyone keeps telling me that once our baby grows large enough for me to feel movement that it will finally sink in at that point. Then I will know all of this unpleasantness is actually counting for something!! I am considering myself lucky right now still, since I have not gotten sick at all! I have felt a little nausceous at times, but as long as I eat slowly in the morning, do not take my vitamins until I have eaten, and eat a little something every two hours or so it has stayed away... also I have had a little heartburn, nothing too bad. The only thing I want to complain about is waking up 6-10 times a night to use the bathroom! REALLY?? I have been cutting off fluids two hours before bedtime and still does not work. Like one of my friends said though, it is good practice for a crying baby...

The next day after the ultrasound, I had my initial visit with the nurse practitioner. A pap, pelvic exam, and five tubes of blood later, I was outta there. She didn't seem very helpful, or eager to be helpful, although she did explain the constant need to use the bathroom. If this thing is only 1.74cm then why do I have to go so much? She said it's because of the size of the uterus...and tha it doesn't get any better...great, something to look forward to! And she scolded me for gaining weight already...which I explained to her the scale is only 1-2lbs heavier really. I put on 5lbs after the wedding :( And for all I know it could be water weight...Oh well!!

Had a pretty good weekend too! Saturday we went to the movies, had dinner with some friends, and watched an awesome documentary!

The highlight of the weekend came on Sunday afternoon when we went to Madison to babysit my niece, and I also got some quality time with my sister Jessica! She has been a wonderful support so far with all of my questions and concerns about being pregnant, and she also loaned me her maternity clothes! I am sure the shirts will fit, hopefully the pants will too (she was much skinnier than me when she got pregnant, thanks to running and diet)...but I am sure they will! And it was SO much fun spending some one on one time with Allie too! It was a preview of things to come, chasing around a toddler!

A few pictures, of course...

She stole my headband when I took it out of my hair...

played in my shoes... this was funny because my sister had just done a blog posting about Allie's fascination with big flip flops...

and the reason that she is a personal favorite of Dave's...she loves mac n cheese!! Dave gave her a big spoon, I gave her a little spoon, and she used both! Silly little girl!!!

And now it is back to the grind :( School today, work today! I counted though, combining the five more class sessions I have of philosophy, and the days in the fall semester, I only have 78 more days of school in my undergrad. That is definitely something to celebrate, and look toward as I exhaust myself this semester...