First Ultrasound

Today we went to the Dr. and saw Baby! I'm measuring 7 weeks 5 days. The doctor said he's not changing the due date though due to a possible margin of error and stated the date will stay November 5. Originally he told me Nov. 4th but I guess that was wrong so Nov. 5th it is! Baby's heartbeat measured 160 beats per minute which is absolutely amazing. I just can't believe that something just over a centimeter can be doing so much in there...so cool. I have another appointment scheduled for April 15th which will officially be my first OB appointment. There was a scheduling issue today so no real appointment. Here's Baby Becker!

8 Weeks

Today, baby is 8 weeks. I'm still feeling nauseous off and on with today being a good day, so far. Tomorrow is our first Dr.'s appointment complete with an ultrasound. I'm willing to take bets that I'm not as far along as they think I am. I bet I'm almost a full week behind what they originally said (ok 5 days.) Guess we'll see tomorrow.

Here are some belly pics of this week. Please ignore the hideously tight shirt. Mom suggested I wear something like this in pics to really show off my belly. Be careful what you ask for!

And here's what's going on with baby this week:

This week, your little tadpole is starting to look a little bit more human. Other exciting developments include:Your baby's eyelids, ears, upper lip and the tip of his soon-to-be adorable button nose are forming. Junior will also sprout webbed fingers and toes this week—which you'll be well aware of in a few months, as baby starts early gymnastics classes inside you.Baby's tiny heart has separated into four distinct chambers and is really ticking now—at a rate of 150 beats per minute. That's more than twice your resting heart rate (even when Brad Pitt is on the screen). Your baby is now a little more than ½ inch long, about the size of the rock in Eva Longoria's engagement ring, and is about as heavy as the check Tony Parker wrote to pay for it.

6 Weeks

It doesn't seem as if a whole lot has changed this week. I did have my first bout of "morning" sickness the other day while driving home from work. I ended up coming home and sleeping for three hours because I just felt so drained of all energy.

Tonight we went out to dinner for Granny's birthday. We wrote this in her card, "We have a present for you but it won't be here for 9 months." She didn't really act excited at all but said congratulations and that we had made her birthday special. I guess after having 6 great grand babies already, it's not that big of a deal. My dad was just dying for me to tell her though:) Grandpa wanted to know what I was having...hahaha

Here's baby this week:

This week starts a period of rapid cellular development for your baby-to-be, who looks like a mini tadpole, with a tiny head and tail. His or her eyes, ears and mouth have begun to form (though they're a little more Discovery Channel "creatures of the sea" documentary than Gerber Baby at this point).Other exciting milestones include:Your baby's heart is now beating to a regular beat, although it's still too faint to hear.His or her arm buds are just beginning to, well, bud. They look like teensy swollen bumps at this point. In a few days, they'll resemble itsy-bitsy flippers.Your baby has grown to ⅛ inch long—about the size of one of the chocolate sprinkles on your last cupcake (and your last ice cream cone, and your last sundae and your last giant cookie ... maybe there is something to those rumors about pregnancy cravings!).

5 Weeks

Your baby's microscopic heart begins to beat this week—although it won't be detectable with one of those cool Dopplers for a few weeks, so you'll have to wait a little longer to hear that satisfying "whoosh-whoosh" you're so anxious for. Here's what else is under construction: With the beating of the heart, blood will begin to circulate throughout the body. Your baby's first organ system will be up and running!The beginnings of the brain; the cardiovascular, nervous and reproductive systems; as well as all other major systems are under way. Your baby's new digs—the amniotic sac and the placenta (aka the hotel and the restaurant)—are still forming at this point. (Maybe you should send a housewarming gift.)All that high-speed development and your baby is only 2 millimeters long—about the size of a sesame seed (check one out next time you're chowing down on a bagel—you won't believe how tiny it is!).

Bloat

Bloat...that's apparently what it's called when your belly fills up with gas and won't go away. It makes some people look as if they are pregnant but it is far too early to see. I am one of those lucky ladies. I try everything to relieve the feeling but it seems as if it's here to stay for now. Fun stuff!

I can't believe how incredibly hungry I've been lately. I think it started before I officially knew I was pregnant but now I have confirmation that it's ok to be hungry and eat! The last few days I feel like I have to eat something just about every three hours or so. If I go too long, I start to feel a little queesy and I definitely don't want to start the whole sickness routine. Let me just tell ya that the Frisches burger tonight was yummy!

We went to the gym tonight but instead of lifting weights and all the normal stuff, I opted for the exercise bike instead. Even after 45 minutes and 8 miles, my belly feels so full. But I know it's ok and I know it's a good thing to do for me and baby.

First Dr. Visit

Today, we went to our first OB visit. They had me pee on yet another stick just to confirm that I am in fact pregnant, which I still am! As of today I am 4 weeks 5 days pregnant and due on November 4th. They asked general medical history questions and gave me a packet outlining contact information, simple delivery info, approved meds and activities, and What Not To Do's.

My next appointment is on Friday, March 27th. That visit will supposedly be considered my first OB visit where they will be taking blood (lots of it from the sound of it) and asking even more questions. And here's the fun part, we're getting an ultrasound! The Dr. ordered one because I was on birth control not long before getting pregnant so they want to confirm everything. So exciting!

Wow...!!!

We're pregnant! We're having a baby! Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm actually typing those words. We just found out yesterday and it still has not sunk in at all. Here's the story (ok, just the appropriate ones:)

I went off birth control on New Years Eve and decided I wanted to try my hand at charting. I was always one of those people who thought it to be a bit OCDish to take your temperature every morning, pee on inanimate objects like OPK tests, then chart it all. However, I'm also one of those people who love to plan everything as much as possible in an attempt to know what's going on. So, needless to say, I started charting. The first month doing it, everything worked exactly as it was supposed to as my books told me.

This month was a completely different story. On February 16th I ended up with a positive OPK test but, based on my temperatures, I never ovulated. From the 16th through the 28th, nothing on my chart changed the way it was supposed to if you ovulated. I was annoyed with the whole charting thing and was just wishing for AF(Aunt Flo) to show up so we could move on to a new cycle. I figured she would show up soon since my boobs were hurting so badly lately.

On Saturday, February 28th, Chris and I were out running errands and we bought $10 worth of cheapy Dollar Tree pregnancy tests. Why buy that many, you ask? Well, when you're actually trying to get pregnant and you get a little overanxious for a missed period, you tend to pee on anything in sight! Might as well pee on a pregnancy test just to check. So we got home and I contemplated smoking a cigarette before taking the test "just in case." But I'm a little too antsy so I went ahead and took the cheapy test. After just a short time I saw what I thought was a very faint line. I tilted it, held it up to the lights, brought it to the window to see better, everything I could to get a better idea. I ended up calling Chris upstairs to take a peak at it but even he wasn't sure if he saw a line or not. So, off to Kroger we went for a digital test.

I took the digital test and within minutes the word "pregnant" showed up on the test. I just grabbed the test, walked into the computer room where Chris was and held it up. He grabbed the test and after reading it, gave me the biggest hug in the world. We both stood, holding each other and crying as the shock set in. We're having a baby...can you believe it?!

Of course I have the biggest mouth in the world and can't keep a secret like that for long so I decided to call Mom first. After small talking for a split second about shrimp for dinner, I asked her, "what does it mean if a pregnancy test says pregnant?" Classic Mom response to follow, "well that means your pregnant. Are you pregnant? AHhhhhhhh!!!!!! (insert Mom screams here!)" Needless to say she's extremely excited.

Dad and Linda were next. We randomly showed up at their house when I told them I had a question. I pulled the plastic wrapped test out of my purse, handed it to Linda, and said, "What does this mean?" Yet again more screams and hugs and even a little tear in my daddy's eye.

We called Steve where he proceeded to ask, "Is it Chris'?" "Where will I sleep now?" and "Have you told Chris yet?" You can always count on Steve for classic responses.

Linda wanted to tell Josh and Justin so badly so I let her. Josh responded with a loud "Yay!" While Justin, in his normal sleepy voice, simply said, "Are you getting an ultrasound?"

We (I) couldn't wait any longer so we drove over to Chris' parents house where I repeated the "can you tell me what this means" spiel. Of course Kathy squealed as she often does during Bengals games :) Don was his usual calm self. The rest of the night Kathy tossed out all kinds of baby names to get our opinion...hilarious!

Obviously we are cautiously excited about everything that's going on right now. I still have to call the Dr. to get an appointment.

Here's what it's looking like right now:

Your microscopic embryo is already hard at work this week creating the placenta, umbilical cord and the basics of his or her body.The embryo is now made of three layers that will transform into the different parts of your baby's body. The endoderm, or inner layer, will become your baby's intestines, liver and lungs. The middle layer, or mesoderm, will become your baby's heart, sex organs, muscles, bones, and kidneys, and the ectoderm, or outermost layer, will develop into your baby's hair, skin, eyes, and nervous system. Believe it or not, your baby is already starting to look like a tiny little being (not necessarily a human being) complete with a head, a mouth opening and a primitive brain and heart.By the end of this week, your baby measures about 1/25 inch long, about the size of a period (like the one at the end of this sentence, not the one you just missed).

*3DPregnancy.com