11 Weeks

Y’all, news of the week: we got our Doppler! This one:

It arrived Saturday afternoon, and as soon as I got home we busted it out of the package, while having a convo something like this:

    Me: “You know, we probably won’t hear anything…it’s still really early.”
    Alex: “Yeah, I read the back of the box. It says this thing is for starting at 14 weeks.”
    Me: “Won’t mean anything bad if we can’t hear it.”
    Alex: “Yeah, but we can try.”
    Me: “Sure, yeah, just try. Might as well.”

Yeah, trying not to get our hopes up. But we greased my stomach up with baby oil gel and started probing, and, within about 4-5 minutes—heartbeat!

It seriously is the most amazing thing. I found my own heartbeat first (must have picked up on the sound from a nearby major artery) and could tell it was mine from the speed. But then when I moved the Doppler just a centimeter or so to the right, I suddenly heard a faint chugga-chugga-chugga sound (a lot like a train)—far faster than my own heartbeat. Pushed the probe in a little deeper, turned up the volume, and there it was! We pulled out Alex’s phone and used the timer to clock the beats—heartbeat was somewhere in the 160-165 range, which is right on target. So. Amazing.

We used it again the day after, and I found the heartbeat within probably 20 seconds, since I knew where/how to look this time. It was coming through beautifully—strong and loud. There’s something so incredibly reassuring about it, knowing that Baby is there and okay. Best $17 I’ve spent in a LONG time.

Anyway…on to the week’s stats:

Baby is the size of a: Lime (1.6 inches, .25 oz.).

Development: Baby is forming tooth buds, and some bones are beginning to harden. The diaphragm is forming, too, which means that he/she could even be hiccupping, though I obviously can't feel it yet.

Weight gain: No change from last week. So still down four.

Maternity clothes: No. The funny thing is, this weekend I actually wore my skinny jeans—the ones I haven’t been able to wear for the last few months (the thighs had gotten too snug; oops). I guess losing a few pounds made the difference…but I did have to use a hair band looped around the button so the waist would fit. I’m having to wear looser dresses/tops these days so that the “blump” isn’t obvious.

Also, I did hit a garage sale Saturday morning and bought a bagful of maternity things (shirts, dresses, sweaters) for later, when I need them. I figured if I could get some nice things for so cheap, better to buy them now and put them in the closet for this fall.

Sleep: Meh. Not too bad, I guess. Still waking up multiple times per night, but it's okay.

Morning Sickness: I thiiiiink (knock on wood) it might be getting a little better. I still get nauseated in the evenings, but the onset comes much later (like 7:00-8:00-ish instead of as soon as I get home from work). I’ve been feeling queasier in the mornings than before, though—but that’s mild, so I can’t complain.

Aversions/Cravings: A ton of foods still sound horrible (especially Chick-fil-a, and that sort of breaks my heart; ha), but I did manage to eat some chicken here and there the last couple of days.

Bump: Still just the "blump," though I think that's actually gone down a bit since last week.

Symptoms: Just the nausea, though, like I said, it's lessened a bit. Overall, I don't feel too bad.

I miss: Not so much right now. I think maybe I'm on the uphill, albeit slowly/gradually, toward trimester two. I'm thankful for that.

I feel: Happy. Excited.

Looking forward to: The next doctor's appointment, which is next Wednesday.

Daddy moment: Alex loves the Doppler (I do, too). Last night, he kept reminding me that we needed to pull it out and do a quick listen so we could "say goodnight to the baby."