Loving Levi: the most amazing sound....

I'm an extremely inpatient person. I also am VERY bad at keeping things from people. Hiding this pregnancy and having to wait weeks to see how Poppy is doing is agonizing. It doesn't help the comments I'm getting at work (and I'm NOT exaggerating here- these were ALL said after we found out I was pregnant):

"Steph, how's your baby?" "Um, I don't have a baby"

"Steph, we're going to have a party when you get pregnant" (I'm the only person in my department that doesn't have kids)

"Steph's pregnant! Just kidding - she's just sitting in Brandi's chair so I thought maybe she was" (Brandi had a baby girl Oct 1st, so maybe I caught the pregnancy bug from her chair)

(I can't wait to see their faces when I tell them I'm pregnant and 12 weeks along!!!!)

While Michael and I just want Poppy to be here already, we've realized we have a ways to go. We've started to focus on milestones - getting to hear the heartbeat, making the big announcement, finding out the sex, etc. etc. On 11/5/09 - we heard the most amazing sound that verified the little girl or guy is still growing strong inside.

We arrived at the doctor's office early because I had a full bladder and couldn't wait any longer to empty it :) After peeing in the cup and weighing myself 4 times, I sat down next to Michael and reported that I hadn't gained a single ounce in the last four weeks. The books say you're supposed to gain 5 pounds in the first trimester, so immediately I got nervous that something was wrong. I've been eating whatever I can get down....not the healthiest foods, but more than I typically eat so I was (and still am) floored that I still weighed the same I did 4 weeks ago. Especially because Poppy has been growing so much! Never in my life have I been so concerned with my lack of weight gain. The nurse and doctor both reassured me that everything is fine - as long as I'm eating and taking my vitamins, for now, it's fine. There is something different about hearing your baby's heartbeat for the first time. Yeah, it was AMAZING to see Poppy's heart beating away, but to hear it. I could have listened to it forever. It's strong and fast - I did "forget" to ask the BPM (which they say can help figure out the sex)...but this time it was enough to know that Poppy's doing well.

Our next appointment is on the day we reach 12 weeks and enter the much anticipated second trimester. Let's hope the exhaustion miraculously disappears as everyone says it will :)

As you can imagine (from the lack of weight gain), I look pretty much the same week after week (even though my doctor says my uterus is shifting "up"...whatever that means!)

4 weeks (9.19.09)