(Written October 20th)

We changed doctors.  Already.

I must tell you, I ADORE my first doc, and may go to her as my regular gyn after this pregnancy.  Sadly, I had to leave her due to her office hours and location.  I needed somewhere closer to work, and with early morning hours.  The doctor I changed to has 8am appointments and is one subway stop away from work.

On October 18^th John and I went to our first appointment with Dr. Bradley.  She’s youngish, cautiousish, minimalist and has a great vibe.  She’s thorough, and has a calm, “don’t worry, I got this” attitude while still making your pregnancy feel special and important.

I first went and spoke with her in her office, she asked millions of questions about my health history and general lifestyle.  We then went and had the usual annual checkup/exam…and I have to say this…TMI or not…she was the gentlest doctor I’ve ever had for the exam… down there!

After the exam she called John into the room, and we did our very first sonogram.

The sonogram was AMAZING!!! After all the fallopian tube drama and talk of ectopics, my main fear was that our lil Embry was not implanting in the right spot…but seeing that little bean right where it was supposed to be just made my heart explode with joy…and as is the trend these past weeks…I started to cry…yet again.  She explained what we were seeing, measured our lil bunny and zoomed in so we could see the heart beating!!

I debated long and hard putting this picture up, I never thought I would…but I figured why not…I’ve been sharing everything anyway….

Best moment of my life so far was seeing that lil heart a pumpin’.   It seriously changed my entire world.  It made my pregnancy real.  (cuz the nausea, barfing, huge boobs and lack of energy juuust wasn’t doing it for me.)  I love that the doctor was patient with us and let us look for a while, John even whipped out his phone to take video of the heart beating, and our doctor zoomed in and out and narrated the video for us! Haha.  Very cute.

At the time I thought I was 7 weeks 2 days, but she said I was measuring  a little small for that and put me at 6weeks6days or 7weeks.
We then went back to her office so we could ask questions and learn what’s coming next.

The second best thing about this appointment was my fears being laid to rest about how much I’m eating and how sick I am.  Dr. Bradley told us during the first trimester to just do what I have to do to feel good.  If that means eating only toast and orange juice, then so be it!  That made me feel a lot better especially since I have John in my ear telling me the caffeine free sprite that I’m craving is going to give Embry diabetes.  Can you believe he said that to me?!  I had an ally mcbeal moment in my mind where I beat him about the head and face with the sprite bottle.

The doc also told me that I’m only to gain 20 lbs for this pregnancy.  That seemed a little low to me, but I trust her.  I’m not concerning myself with the scale at all until after I pop Bunny out.  20-30lbs is what I figure I’ll gain, but who knows.

We go back again on November 17^th when I’ll be about 11 weeks and change.  I can’t wait to see Embry again.  I feel like I was living for the October 18^th appointment and now I’m living for November 17^th…

After leaving the appointment with our sono photos…all hopes of waiting until after 12 weeks to tell family was out the window.  We were so excited that Embry was right where he/she needed to be that we started telling that day!

My mom and dad already knew, but we told John’s mom and siblings, my gram, aunts and cousins and a few good friends.  I had all these cute ideas/ways I wanted to tell certain people…but that went out the window too!  We just sent the sonogram pic out to the people we were telling.

Further extended family and friends will have to wait until we drop the bomb on Thanksgiving.  (Which is likely when you bloggie buddies will be finding out as well!)

What was your first OB appointment like?  Did you ever switch doctors?  When did you end up announcing your pregnancy?

And so the babymania blogging begins!! (or…continues)

I’ve been keeping the surveys private until now.  Here are my old ones.  From now on they’ll be weekly and not all in one big lump!  This week’s survey is at the bottom in case you don’t feel like reading all the old ones.  I’ve gotta get better at taking my belly pics each week.

A pic from early on:

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How Far Along? 7 barfy weeks and 5 nauseous days 10/21/11

Symptoms: Sore boobies, nausea, lack of appetite, woozy/dizzy, TIRED AS ALL GET OUT

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I’ve gained one pound.  That’s amazing to me considering I can’t eat much at all.  I drink tho!

Sleep: I’m having these crazy vivid dreams, I love it!  I’m waking to pee once a night, but not every night…some nights I make it all the way through till morning.  It’s hard to get comfortable though because my boobs hurt and both sides feel uncomfortable.

Food Cravings: Only bread really.  Toast, rice.  I am loving bready carbs.  I eat. I make myself eat…but very slowly so I don’t yak all over town.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing my little baby’s heart beating on the ultrasound screen.  I have a video of it (Thanks to trusty John!) and watch it all the time at work.  Also, telling some close family and friends.

Movement: None.

Labor Signs: Hopefully none until after week 38 at the very least

Gender: Totally too early to tell. John wants a boy but pretends he doesn’t care.  Everyone else in the world is telling me it’s going to be a girl.  I don’t care the gender.  I want a healthy awesome baby.

Belly Button In Or Out? Innie!

What I Miss: Having Energy, Pooping, Sushi, Riesling, Coffee.  In that order.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Next OB appointment in November, announcing the pregnancy on the blog, and every Sunday when I read about what changes baby is making that week…oh yeah, and getting a bump!

Milestones: Not barfing since Sunday!!! Whoop whoop!!

Weekly Wisdom: Ummm toast is good.

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How Far Along? 9 sleepy weeks 10/30/11

Symptoms: Sore boobies, nausea, lack of appetite, woozy/dizzy, very tired.

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  None.  I feel fatter and my one pair of jeggings are too tight for me in the waist now, but the scale’s number has stayed the same. That’s weird.  I guess it’s all the carbs I’m downing?

Sleep: I can’t get enough of it!!  Seriously I just work and sleep. It’s bad.  I’m ALWAYS tired.

Food Cravings: Bread, cheese and orange juice.  Also an unquenchable thirst for water.

Best Moment This Week: Realizing how long it’s been since I barfed!

Movement: None.

Labor Signs: Hopefully none until after week 38 at least!

Gender: Dunno yet, but John and I are kicking names around for both.  I can’t wait to find out.  Probably in January I bet.

Belly Button In Or Out? Innie!

What I Miss: Pooping, having energy and sushi

What I Am Looking Forward To: Next OB appointment, growing a belly and second trimester when I get my energy back (allegedly)

Milestones: Learning to listen to my body better, avoiding throwing up.

Weekly Wisdom:  Sleep is magical.

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How Far Along? 10 sleepy weeks and 3 irritable days 11/9/11

Symptoms: Sore boobies, tired, headache, general blah feeling and mega laziness

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  1lb since last week!! And I took a belly comparison pic today and I’m definitely fatter than before!  I know it’s not baby though, I’m just bloated as hell. I blame bread and pasta.

Sleep: I. am. always. tired.  I don’t want to do anything but sleep.

Food Cravings: Water, OJ, Salty things, Sweet things… every things….

Best Moment This Week: Being 1/4th of the way through my pregnancy! Wahoo.  Also (knock on wood) I think my morning (read: all day) sickness may be going away!!

Movement: None.

Labor Signs: Hopefully none until after week 38 at least!!

Gender: Dunno yet, but I was told you can find out as early as 14 weeks!! I would love to find out before Xmas so I can tell my family then.

Belly Button In Or Out? Innie!  I really hope it stays that way

What I Miss: Pooping, having energy and sushi

What I Am Looking Forward To: Next OB appointment, Nuchal scan and the pics from it, and hearing Bunny’s heartbeat.

Milestones: Avoiding throwing up!

Weekly Wisdom:  Sleep is still magical.

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How Far Along?  12 weeks 11/20/11

Symptoms: Sore boobies, tired, nausea

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  At my doctor appointment this past thursday I weighed the same as my first appointment. ::shrug::

Sleep: I just can’t get enough.

Food Cravings: OJ, Cereal, Sushi…good god I miss sushi.  This blows! – I did have a california roll…it almost hit the spot.  I just want to shove soy saucey tuna sashimi in my mouth…I cannot wait until this baby’s born so I can pig out.  Wait. OMG can you eat sushi when you’re breastfeeding?  If you say no I. may. just. die.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing Embry and getting new sonogram pictures.  No more nugget…it’s all human lookin now!!

Movement: OK, so I can’t feel Embry from the inside, but when I lay on my back, I sometimes feel my uterus poking forward and sometimes don’t.  I know he’s moving around like gangbusters in there, but I just can’t feel him yet.  John felt the whole uterus shift too.  It was great seeing his face when that happened, he’s going to go bazerk when he gets a kick one day.

Labor Signs: Hopefully none until after week 38 at least!!

Gender: Dunno yet, but I now think it’s a boy. Just a hunch.

Belly Button In Or Out? Innie!  I really hope it stays that way

What I Miss: Pooping, having energy, sushi, thinking about things unrelated to baby.

What I Am Looking Forward To:  Feeling Embry move, having energy back in 2nd trimester, OB appointment in December (possible gender info then).  Oh and telling people!

Milestones: I dunno…  I guess the new sonogram pics seeing my lil bunny grow and be all humanlike.

Weekly Wisdom:  Do not stand up too fast or you will regret it.

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How Far Along? 13 weeks 11/27/11

Symptoms: Back to barfing and a lovely new joint pain happening at my hips and pelvis. Yay!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 1lb total, but I notice that I used to have a waist, and now I don’t. And my belly’s getting fatter, though the fat is not where baby is.

Sleep: I still can’t get enough, and if I’m not sleeping, I just want to be resting while awake.  I’m all lazy.

Food Cravings: sugar and salt and sugar and salt and sugar

Best Moment This Week: Talking with John about Embry, having John feel Embry’s house and talk to my belly. He says “hey buddy” in the cutest voice ever.  I can’t wait to watch him coo and swoon over this baby when he/she gets here!

Movement:  I’m only feeling my uterus move from the front to back of my body, from the outside, no actual baby movement from the inside yet though.

Labor Signs: None and hopefully not for a while

Gender: Unknown…but a boy in my mind.

Belly Button In Or Out? Innie

What I Miss: A stomach that feels settled.  Sushi.  Pooping. Feeling “Normal”

What I Am Looking Forward To: December appointment when I can see my Bunny again.

Milestones: Nuchal scan last week.  All signs point to healthy baby!!

Weekly Wisdom: No matter where you are, always know where the nearest bathroom is.

Is there anything that you can share with me from when you were at these stages in your pregnancy?