10 Week Update

Written on July 17, 2011

It has been a long while since I blogged – I’ve made a mental goal to get better at it.  I am hoping that once I actually get the blog up and running I will write more.  For now, writing in Word documents is kind of boring.  Plus, I keep worrying that our blog will be the most boring ever since there are not a lot of pictures so far.  Note to self: look on Amazon for a cord that connects camera to computer so as to avoid having the most boring blog in the history of the world.

Baby B and I are doing just fine.  As I write this, a few days late, our little Geronimo is the size of a prune.  It’s hard to believe how quickly he/she is growing!  I read that he/she is developing bones and teeth this week, and that the stomach and kidneys are kicking into gear.  Also, if Dan is right and really only sent “boy swimmers,” his little boy parts will start making testosterone this week.  How manly.

We had another appointment at the doctor this week, which turned out to be the most pointless appointment ever.  It was partly because all of my files were in the process of being shipped from my doctor in Charlotte to my doctor in Raleigh since the last time I went, and also partly because my new doctor’s office hadn’t gotten a chance to thoroughly look through them yet.  Dan went with me, mainly because we weren’t sure what they would be doing this appointment and he didn’t want to miss the chance to see an ultrasound if we were having one.  We met with the nurse practitioner, who told me I’d be getting a pap smear (sorry to all of my boy readers!) to do several tests, one of which was a blood test for HIV.  Before you all judge me, please know that I am not promiscuous – these tests are required by the state of North Carolina.  Don’t believe me?  Check it.

Anyway, the problem with this is that I had already had this series of tests at my very first appointment in Charlotte.  I told the nurse practitioner that I didn't mind doing them again, but that I was 99% sure I'd already had these tests done.  Sure enough, after examination of my files, she believed me.  Point for Sarah.  Stay away from the lady parts today.

All of that business aside, she gave us some information and answered some questions we had.  My sister-in-law recommended to me when we first found out we were pregnant to keep a notebook with me and write down any questions I had to make doctor’s visits easier.  Best recommendation ever.  I didn’t do it before my first appointment, and as a result afterwards I thought of about 5 things I meant to ask the doctor and forgot.

We finally were taken to an exam room where she got out the Doppler to try to hear the baby’s heartbeat.  I was excited, because it’s been a few weeks since we’ve gotten to hear it!  She rubbed that wand all over my belly for what seemed like 20 minutes (I’m quite sure it was no more than 10…maybe even 5, just seemed longer), and couldn’t find the heartbeat.  I was beyond disappointed, since we’d been able to hear it twice before already, and she assured us there was nothing wrong – it was still a little early to hear.  Just then, literally the second before she was about to give up, she found it!  I, of course, cried – I can’t help it!  Gets me every time.  Baby’s heartbeat is strong and healthy, and Mom and Dad were ecstatic to get to hear it. 

Our next appointment is August 5, and it is a big one because they will do a first trimester screening, which is basically a series of a LOT of tests which I'm pretty sure was designed just to make me miserable.  More on that later!

Sarah

Busy!

Written on June 30, 2011

It has been another busy week in the Baum household!  Then again, all weeks seem to be busy when you could easily sleep 24 hours/day!  I was in Charlotte last week for work (And our first doctor appointment!  You can read about it here), and Dan and I had a nice relaxing weekend together, which was a nice change of pace!  Friday night we ordered dinner in and then went to see Bridesmaids, which is hilarious – I would highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it.  Saturday we took it pretty easy, and on Saturday night we met Ryan and Erin for dinner and then went to the North Carolina Museum of Art to watch Harry Potter 7 Part 1 on the big screen outside.  I have been wanting to see a movie in the park for a long time, and it did not disappoint (However, it would have been a LOT better if Dan had let me take a picnic like I wanted to.  Maybe next time.).

On Sunday, I hit the road and headed to Greenville, SC.  My brother-in-law Chris and his wife Andrea have the three cutest kids on the entire planet: Ryan, Erica and Ian.  I am not lying when I say they're the cutest, EVER.  See for yourself:

 Anyway, my brother-in-law, Chris went to Italy for the week for work, so I went to stay with Andrea and help out with the kiddies for a few days.  I had an absolute blast with them.  We went to the pool and the kids museum, I took the older two to see Cars 2 (which by the way is SO cute, contrary to reports I'd heard stating otherwise), and there was lots of play time.  So much fun!  I stayed with them until Wednesday morning, when I head to head back to Raleigh for my second doctor’s appointment.

I was nervous about this visit for a couple of reasons.  The first is that I went to a new doctor.  I’ve gone to the same doctor my entire life, but unfortunately, he’s in Charlotte and it made more sense to find one here.  He referred me to someone he went to school with, which is where Dan and I went on Wednesday, and we really liked the practice – everyone was very friendly and helpful.  The second reason I was nervous is because of Baby Baum’s heartbeat being so low last week, which was the reason for our follow-up this week.  The good news out of all of that is that we got to see (and hear!) Geronimo again!  It was just as miraculous as the first time.  I wish I could see/hear him/her every day!  The heartbeat was 140 this week (up from 60 last week), which is completely normal.  They told us to expect it to be 160 or more the next time we have an ultrasound.  We’re lucky we’ve gotten to hear the heartbeat already, as I’ve learned that they usually don’t do that until the 12 week check-up.  Also, the baby looked more like a peanut than a blob this time around, and was much bigger than last week – it’s amazing how quickly they grow:

The ultrasound technician told us that he/she is the size of a grain of rice this week.  Pretty incredible!  My blood pressure was a little high, but I’m sure it’s just because I was nervous.  Other than that, Mommy and Baby are healthy and happy!  We got a ton of information that we need to go through, and our next appointment is set for July 14^th, so we’ll report back!

I feel very blessed to report that my pregnancy is going well and I feel great!  I have lots of girlfriends who were not so lucky, so I know that I am fortunate.  I have experienced some nausea and headaches, and I am of course tired all the time, but it’s not debilitating, which I’m happy about.  My focus has now shifted to making sure I’m eating what I’m supposed to and still trying to exercise even when I’m so exhausted I can barely move.  I am pretty sure the ice cream craving I’ve been having will not be helpful in not gaining extra weight.  I’ve been trying to resist the craving but so far it’s not going well, probably due to the fact that there is a Cookout AND a Baskin Robbins practically in our front yard.  Lord help my poor husband! 

Love to all, and many thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers!

Sarah

Piece of My Heart*

Written on June 20, 2011

Today, we went to see the doctor for the very first time to confirm our pregnancy.  I have been so excited about this appointment that I have not slept in three days.  I have also been a little nervous.  When you are still so early in your pregnancy and you can’t really see or feel anything from the baby, it’s easy to worry about whether everything’s okay.

We decided to confirm my pregnancy with Dr. Lucas in Charlotte.  I was in Charlotte for work anyway, and he’s been my doctor since I was approximately 13.  I L-O-V-E  Dr. Lucas, so I really wanted to at least get to see him for our first appointment (if you are in Charlotte, and need a doctor for all things lady parts, GO SEE HIM!  He is nothing short of fantastic, and you can find him here).  Dan was able to move some things around in his schedule and be there for the appointment, too, which I was extra happy about.  I knew we’d both have lots of questions, and I knew from my sister-in-law that the first appointment would be full of a lot of information, so it was really nice that we could both be there for it.

Due to the unpredictability of my cycle, I had a general idea of when we conceived but wasn’t 100% sure.  If we had gone by the first day of my last period, which is how your due date is typically determined, I would be 11 weeks along.  I was pretty sure that was inaccurate.  I did not learn until we got to the doctor that my doctor typically does not do ultrasounds at your confirmation appointment – ultrasounds are typically scheduled separately.  Because my cycle is so irregular, we had to wait a little while, but they were able to work us in for an ultrasound.  I was perfectly fine with this – in fact, I’d been crossing my fingers and secretly hoping that they’d have to do this, because I REALLY wanted to see our baby. 

The ultrasound technician was so nice and informative, and showed us all kinds of pictures of Herschel/Geronimo/Voldemort.  He/she really just looks like a little blob at this point, but I was happy to get to see him/her nonetheless: 

We also had the single most incredible experience of our whole life: we got to hear the baby’s heartbeat.  I’m sure you’ll all be shocked to read that I cried.  Our ultrasound technician told us that it was truly a miracle that we came the day we did, because the baby’s heart had literally JUST begun to beat, and had we come any sooner we wouldn’t have been able to hear it.   She let us listen a few more times to tide us over to our next appointment.  We were floating in the clouds.  The heartbeat sounded a little slow to her, but she assured us that we had nothing to worry about and attributed it to the fact that it just started beating.  To be safe, she told us to schedule another ultrasound in two weeks just to double check and make sure everything was okay.  Fine by me, I’ll see our baby as many times as you’ll let me!

We determined that I’m actually only 6 weeks along, which is 1 week earlier than I calculated.  Our official due date is now February 13 (Syd’s birthday!), and I am happy to report that all is well with Mommy and baby.  Now, if Mommy could stop eating her way through an entire continent, it would be a miracle.  At the rate I’m going, I’m going to have to start buying maternity clothes sooner than anticipated!

More updates to come soon!

Sarah

*Afterthought: I'm not sure why my first few blog thoughts were all named after songs?! 

Start Spreading the News!!!

Written on June 19, 2011

It was a busy and exciting weekend for us!  We shared our good news with our immediate families and could not be more thrilled with their reactions.

The Eakers never got a copy of our wedding album, so I had been meaning for some time to create one for them.  Using the handy features on the Snapfish site, I created an album full of wedding photos, and on the very last page put a picture of our positive pregnancy test with “Baby Baum, Arriving February 2012” written underneath.  I did a similar book for the Baums, but instead of wedding photos I used photos of our nephews and niece in a “Grandchildren” album.

We were trying to figure out how we could get our families all together to tell them, but we couldn’t figure out how to make it work, and the timing seemed bad – plus we didn’t want them to suspect anything!  I had the books shipped to Raleigh, so all week I was absolutely DYING for Dan to get to Charlotte so that I could see the books (and in the meantime still drinking fake vodka cranberries and forcing myself not to go to bed at 7:30 p.m. so that no one would suspect anything).  My time finally came when he arrived earlier than expected on Friday afternoon.

The books turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself.  When Dan arrived, my parents were at the store – which was perfect, really, because I got to look at the books and devise a plan.  They were gone for what seemed like FOREVER, but finally they returned home and I ran downstairs with their book in the box it came in…only to discover that my Dad had chosen this exact moment to begin yardwork.  Seriously, Dad?  I busied myself with other things to try to pass the time, and Mom told me that their besties Jeff & Denise and their son Ryan were coming over for dinner.  FINALLY, Dad is done piddling in the yard.  He comes inside, and I race upstairs to get their book, so excited that I can barely stand it, only to hear a horn honking and discover upon my return downstairs that the besties had arrived.  Plan B: I will try to stay awake until after everyone leaves, and we’ll tell my parents then.

We had a great dinner and a lot of fun, but I could not wait for the house to clear out so that we could tell my parents (sorry Niecey!).  Finally everyone left and it was my time to shine.  My parents further hindered the plan because they refused to sit beside each other, and I couldn’t figure out how to make them do so without being weird and in turn making them suspicious.  So, Mom looked at the book first.  She is flipping through, oohing and aahing, so excited about her beautiful new wedding photos.  I know the exact moment she reaches the last page, because her eyes get huge and fill up with tears and she looks straight at me.  Not wanting to spoil the surprise for Dad, she composes herself the best she can and hands him the book saying, “Look honey, at the gorgeous book Sarah gave us!”  Dad, in typical fashion, begins to flip through at a snail’s pace.  He is oblivious, and wants to stop on every page and reminisce about how much fun we had.  For the first time ever, I don’t want to talk about the wedding.  Finally, Mom gets impatient, walks up to him, and flips through the pages REALLY quickly saying, “Oh yes, this is gorgeous, oh wow what a neat gift.”  When she gets to the last page, she stops.  Daddy cried, Mom cried, Syd cried, and of course I cried, too, as it takes practically nothing to provoke tears from me these days.  My favorite part was when Daddy gave Dan a hug and said, “This will be the best time of your whole life.”  Insert more tears here.  Katy and Josh arrived home a little later, and they were very excited, too, but we didn’t get any tears out of them.  We spent the rest of the evening lecturing them on why they couldn’t tell the whole world Tracy.  J

Fast forward to Saturday evening.  Bill and Susan were coming into town to get ready for Father’s Day, which we planned to spend with the Baums.  We invited them over for drinks, and made my family clear out of the house (Mom later told me that they were sitting out at the pool trying to figure out if they could tell when we shared our news based on reactions – she said she knew the minute it happened!).  We gave them their book almost immediately, because I was yet again so excited, like a kid at Christmas!   They were so appreciative of their book, and we flipped through it slowly and talked about how beyond cute Ryan, Erica and Ian are.  When she finally got to the last page, there was a LOT of squealing and hugging.  They agreed that they were all shocked – Susan admitted that she thought we might be trying, but she was not anticipating our announcement in the least.  It was a wonderful surprise for all.

Chris and Andrea already knew our secret.  When we found out I was pregnant, they were the first people we called and swore to secrecy.  I had a lot of questions for Andrea, and I know it was nice for Dan to have someone to talk to as well.  They have been so supportive and excited for us, and I don’t really know what we would have done without them for the past several weeks!

Finally, Father’s Day arrived.  Mere and Mikey had been in Greenville, SC visiting the sweet babies for the weekend, and we were all meeting at Bill’s apartment for Father’s Day brunch.  Susan put the book that we made her on the table, and poured me an orange juice on ice so it would look like I was drinking a mimosa.  I wasn’t sure how long it would be before Meredith noticed the book, but thankfully she noticed and started flipping through it immediately.  She got to the last page, and was confused – she admitted later that since the photos were all of Chris and Andrea’s kids, she thought it might have been a photo of an old pregnancy test of Andrea’s, until she looked at the date and realized it was us.  She was so surprised and excited for us, but Mikey hadn’t yet seen the book, so much like my Mom, she was trying not to ruin the surprise.  She handed the book to Mikey, who started flipping through and asking, “Am I supposed to be looking for something?  Have I missed it?”  I assured him he’d know when he saw it.  I think his reaction when he finally got to the last page was one of my favorites.  He was utterly shocked, and just looked at us and kept saying, “No. Way!!!”

It was a wonderful weekend spent with family.  Everyone is so excited to meet this baby, and we are thrilled that we got to surprise our families with the news.    I really wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull off the surprise, or keep the secret from my Mom for a whole week, but we couldn’t have planned it any better.  The general consensus was that everyone likes “Geronimo” better than “Herschel,” so Gernonimo stuck.  Lord willing, everyone will forget that name by the time the baby is born so it won’t stick permanently.  Although Katy has insisted that similarly to the Harry Potter series, we aren’t allowed to talk about the baby in front of others (she keeps saying, “it which must not be spoken of”) so we should call him/her Voldemort.  Y’all KNOW I love Harry Potter but even I draw the line at that. 

More to come tomorrow on our first visit to the doctor!

Sarah