Sickness ... Over?

Although I woke up feeling tired today - per usual - I am feeling less nauseous overall. I still have dizziness and slight headaches but I'm not complaining.

Tomorrow is Baby Hamilton's 11 week birthday (lol) and according to a cute checklist from The Bump, Baby is about the size of a Lime now or 1.6 inches .25 oz.

I feel slight twinges here and there but from what I read, it isn't actually the baby I'm feeling but my stomach and uterus expanding.

I'll be sure to post some tummy pictures soon (if I dare) because according to Ken and La-La, I definitely have a noticeable "baby bump". Isn't it still too early for all of that?

I'm embracing pregnancy with an open heart but I don't know if I quite feel the same about maternity pants and bras ... you get my meaning?

Legs to Stand On

Thank you for all your well wishes and happy thoughts as well as offers to be venting outlets and pools of knowledge during quite an unpredictable journey. The news was met with some surprise but mostly excitement. We wanted our friends and family to know that we're so appreciative that we've got such a great support system behind us.

My next appointment isn't for a few more weeks. The ultrasound tech mentioned that we just may be able to tell the sex of the baby by then so we're excited.

In the meantime, we're just wondering if Baby is a he or a she? Ken is hoping for a girl (go figure!) but I don't mind whether the little one is a boy or a girl.

I'm counting down to the end of the First Trimester and to those of you who have been there and done that, I know you can truly empathize! Thank goodness for Ken, family and friends since they really do give me the legs to stand on.

First Prenatal Exam & Third Ultrasound

Baby Hamilton has graduated from the specialist and had our first appointment with my regular obstetrician on July 24, 2009. Above is a 2D image and how much has baby changed! We could hardly believe it! Until we saw these ...

At 9 weeks and 6 days, Baby Hamilton already looks like ... well, a baby! Ken and I puffed with excitement. For me, this is the moment that the idea of a baby turned into a reality. Baby's heartbeat was beating at a steady 175 bpm and we were actually able to listen to this!

Although I've been trolling plenty of sites and books on baby's development as well as my personal symptoms and how to cope, nothing compares with actually seeing something like that materialize from just a mere concept into a genuine epiphany that this whole process (as old as time as it may be) was truly a miracle in the making.

Other than the amazing pictures, progress was going great. Our family medical histories were taken and my blood was drawn for routine tests. I had no out of the ordinary concerns and although I had to excuse myself a few times for potty breaks (after training a toddler, I don't think you ever call it anything else for quite some time), both baby and mother are healthy.

Second Ultrasound

Second ultrasound was on July 17, 2009. Ken and Emma were both able to make this appointment. Baby Hamilton is 8 weeks 4 days here and heartbeat is at 175.

This ultrasound technician was not as good as my usual person so this picture looks a lot worse than the last one but what is obvious is my growing uterus!! (Not to get all technical on you guys!)

Although I'm not really showing yet at this point, my entire abdominal area is sensitive to the touch and bothersome to have any (and I mean ANY) pressure (light or heavy) on it.

I even lost quite a bit of weight although I'm not sure where since my clothes aren't fitting like they should and can I repeat my last paragraph? ANY pressure!!

The most noticeable changes these days aren't physical! They are emotional and internal - nausea, dizziness, queasy with sudden movements or long car rides and sensitivity to many, many smells. I suddenly also have an aversion to a lot of foods I used to love. I'm also saddened and upset to report that my most beloved tomato in all of its glorious forms is not currently a food option without acquiescing to cardiac arrest inducing heartburn.

I'm looking forward to the end of the First Trimester as I've read on many sites and in several books that is when a lot of these inhumane treatment to preggers tapers off and you enter Pregnancy Utopia.

Telling the Grandparents

Up until now, we hadn't really told anyone of our news for a couple of reasons. The biggest reason was that I was considered high risk and in the beginning, that equated to waiting to let people know until we were past the Danger Zone (aka First Trimester).

Yet, high risk or not, we were bursting at the seams to tell someone and we definitely wanted to tell our parents first. So over the course of two weeks at the end of June and into July, we shared the news with my parents and his parents in person.

The news was met with surprise and congratulations (of course!) I even had the first ultrasound picture to share with everyone!