Now what?

So the weeks leading up to that first appointment seemed to drag on like molasses... but they also flew by as we began sharing our news with close friends and family and adjusting to the news ourselves. Changes like crashing for a nap most afternoons after work, cutting out the regular glass of red wine with dinner (how I miss it, yet don't even care now) and slowing down on the runs and boot camps (even though I can and should work out, I instantly felt like I was moving in slo-mo). Ben is great about adjusting with my adjustments.

I stocked up on books to read and was on the lookout for signs that my pregancy was real. The most overwhleming sign I got was I became the most tired girl on the block. Yawning and napping became my forte. I can't believe how tired I was/am but then I also keep telling myself that this is probably only an inkling of the exhaustion that we have ahead of us! The other pregnancy sympton I kept waiting and dreading was morning sickness but it never came. (Yes, I know I am lucky and really shouldn't even be bringing it up.) I defintely have compassion for any and every woman who has morning sickness and can only say I am ever, ever so thankful for not having it. Not that anyone would enjoy it but I'm the worst when I'm nauseous.

Finally our first appointment rolled around. I changed doctors in the spring when I knew we would want to start trying for a family soon. So I met her once for an exam last February and liked her right away, she works with lots of plus 35 moms and was very positive. My doctor was recommended to me by a co-worker and since then it seems like everyone goes to her (even one of my sister-in-laws). Dr. N is great at being very reasonable and practical but also seems very well-trained and experienced. Well, we had our list of questions for the appointment but before we got to those she let us hear the heartbeat and see our little lima bean.

 
I won't take it personally if you can't tell anything from this picture. Before this sonogram, I could never tell what I was seeing on a sonogram. But I can see the head there on the left and the little flipper hands and feet. It also helps when you see it squirming around on the screen and hear that heartbeat. Wow, there were some tears and hard hand squeezes between Ben and I. I think I thought it felt real when we saw the pregancy test but now it really feels real!