First Trimester Recap

Now that I am officially into my second trimester, I think it’s time for a recap!  I talk to so many people who tell me to write everything down so I don't forget....so here we go:

Just to remind you, here I was at 4 ½ weeks (aka: in the you-can’t-see-nothin’ stage)

And now, here I am today.  In these picture I’m just about 14 weeks along (and I got a new haircut!)

As far as the belly goes, it’s the weirdest thing.  Some mornings I wake up and don’t look pregnant at all.  I turn from side to side in the mirror and think where did the baby go?!  Other days I wake up and wonder how on earth my belly could have doubled in size overnight.  On all days, I definitely look more pregnant by the end of the day than I did when I wake up.  For a baby that’s only the size of a lemon, and a uterus that hasn’t fully begun to pooch out this early on…..that’s normal. 

So what do I want to remember about the first trimester?

• At 12 weeks, the baby’s heart was beating at 164BPM

• I never had a single day of morning sickness, or nausea for that matter.

• I started wearing maternity pants around 11 weeks, although most of my pants stopped fitting around 9 weeks (just in the belly—they fit in the legs and hips perfectly…but I couldn’t get them to button to save my life)

• No food aversions or cravings, but I have been loving every opportunity I have to eat.  Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are a current favorite, as are root beer floats with vanilla frozen yogurt.  

• I haven’t felt any “quickening” (baby flutters) yet, although they could be starting anytime now ("normal" can be anywhere between 13 and 26ish weeks along)…I am very excited

• So far, I’ve gained about 5 ½ pounds and am trying to be really good about exercise—I’m on the treadmill at least four times a week, and I try to stay really active during the day

• I’ve had four prenatal visits up at OHSU, and one with our new OB.  We’ll see the doctor again at 15 weeks, and then will find out the sex at 20 weeks (which is the week of Adam’s birthday in April!)

• We have a girl name (Addison Rose) but have decided we aren't actually sold on the boy name (previously Elijah James) just yet.  We have a new idea, but are going to let it marinate for a while before announcing it :) 

I think that's just about it.  I can't think of anything else notable in the first trimester.  It was pretty perfect--all glory to God on that one.  

We continue to pray Isaiah 40:11 over this little baby, and every day, the reality that we're having a baby becomes more and more real.  In fact, I had one of those wow-this-is-real moments today in church, when we sang this song: 



I love the song.  The words minister to my soul, but today as I was singing I found myself struck in a new way.  

I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know You're drawing
Me to Yourself, lead me Lord I pray

Take me, mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

As I sang those words,I looked down at the little pooch of my belly, and hot little tears formed in the corners of my eyes as I put my hands right above the place where God is growing in me a life.  And I changed the words to the song, as an earnest prayer to the God I serve:

I give this life to the Potter's hand

It was a powerful moment for me.  God has entrusted us with this life, with His child.  It's our job to raise this little one to know Him, and to walk with Him.  Before it was ever conceived, before I ever carried this baby in my womb, we had committed it to God.  Lord, walk beside us.

Baby ears

I’ve been wondering a lot recently about when this baby will be able to hear me.  Adam and I talk to this baby all the time, and we stroke the spot on my belly where we imagine our baby is lying, but lately I’ve just been desperate to know when I can talk to it and know that it’s listening. 

And so I did what I always do when I have a pregnancy question like that: I googled it.

Basically, the answer seems to be somewhere between 19-22 weeks (about 6 weeks to go), but in the process of finding that answer I stumbled across this article:

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the whooshing sound your baby hears in your womb is, to them, louder than a vacuum cleaner! However, most experts do agree that your baby can be startled by loud, unexpected noises – research has found that these jarring disruptions can change your baby’s heart rate, movements or even prompt them to empty their bladders, according to WebMD. Many pregnant women have reported a fetal jerk or kick at the sound of a backfiring car or slamming door.

This being said, it’s also been found that a fetus’ heart rate often slows when they hear mom talking. So there’s a good chance baby not only hears you, but recognizes your voice and finds comfort in it. While it appears that the fetus can pick up specific speech patterns, it’s unlikely that it can pinpoint words – rather, it’s the tone that resonates with them, particularly low frequency sounds like dad’s voice.

And I stopped reading, because I couldn’t see through the tears running down my face.  My baby, before it ever meets me or feels my touch, will know me as mommy and be comforted by the sound of my voice. 

I’m in awe of that, and we are so in love with this precious baby. 

12 Weeks

Today we met our new OB.  This is the woman who will bring our precious baby into the world, the woman who will say to Adam and I meet your new baby ____ (fill in the blank) and hand that little bundle of love over.  This lady is important.

And man, we loved her!! 

Our hearts are full of thanksgiving yet again as we leave a doctor's appointment with nothing but good news.  Although we didn't get to see the baby on ultrasound (this will be a hard transition for me...OHSU does them every visit) we did get to hear the baby on the hand held doppler.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: that is my favorite sound in the world.

I had a full physical and my "girl exam" (I missed my yearly one because we were in the middle of in vitro) and got to talk some baby talk with our OB.  Delivery options, screening options..the works.  I love getting to talk about what it's going to look like when I deliver our baby.  Still doesn't quite seem real to me.

We left today with two new appointments.  One is our 16 week appointment in early March, and the other is in April (right around Adam's birthday) for our 20 week GENDER REVEAL ultrasound!  So excited for this one :)

I also wanted to note that as of Wednesday, I am officially in my second trimester.  What?  I'm not sure how that happened, but we feel so blessed.

The only thing left to do now?

Announce the news to 550 students, parents and staff at the school where I teach....