13 WEEKS!! Sorry this is so long, we all know I'm long winded.

So, sorry my posts are all late!! We have had a busy couple of weeks here. We all know how the Holidays are. Anyhow I have been hearing about it from everyone, so while here at work with some time on my hands, I decided to play catch up. =)

I have been feeling surprisingly well. I have been nauseous, but not all day. I am also only throwing up about every 3 days on average!  WOOHOO! Still plagued with heartburn and indigestion, but happy to be preggo! I am also able to eat more than just carbohydrates. Adding other things into my diet has been a very welcome change. =) I feel like I look a little pregnant now. At least from my perspective. Others may think I just have a gut, but it's a baby people.

So we had an appointment with Dr. Reiter my Perinatalogist on Monday November 23rd. IT WAS AMAZING!!!! Since I am here at work, I am unable to post pictures, but I will add them later. Baby has changed SO much!! From the moment the ultrasound started that baby was moving all over the place in there! I couldn't feel anything, sadly, but soon enough I know I will. ;) Baby looked like a baby and was moving all over!  The baby bent and kicked him(her)self in the head!  Dan and I were laughing so hard just watching. At one point I laughed so much I knocked the Ultrasound scanner right off my belly. I apologized and tried to calm down.

Dan and I were really REALLY hoping that we would be able to find out the sex of the baby. Jessica had found out days earlier that she and John would be expecting a bouncing baby boy! Since she had found out so early we had really high hopes that we would be able to find out as well. So during the ultrasound Dan and I were glued to the ultrasound monitor looking for any "clues". I could have sworn I saw what the baby was, and come to find out later Dan felt the same way. At the end of the ultrasound Dr. Reiter froze the screen on a picture that looked like the baby was sitting on top of a zerox copier. Now, mind you, there are multiple screens throughout the room displaying the ultrasound. So Dan and I were literally surrounded by this image. Dr. Reiter was talking to me about hyperthyroidism, my medications, etc, etc. He was ignoring the picture that Dan and I were just STARING at the entire time he was talking. I remember thinking, "Ok, ok, Is that what I think it is?? Tell me, JUST TELL ME!!!!!" Finally, like he does this everyday ;) he casually stops and says point blank, "gender?" Dan and I answered YES immediately, he shrugged his shoulders and said "boy".  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!

I could write it a thousand times and that would not capture how excited Dan and I were at that moment! I would have been thrilled regardless, but  A BABY BOY! wOoT! Dan and I both guessed that it was a boy, we could see his little Christmas package during the ultrasound. This boy was not shy. He was spread eagle for the world to see. We have a picture of it, but Dan is not so sure he wants the world wide web seeing his son's package. :) So you may not get to view that one. WE ARE ECSTATIC! We couldn't wait to share with family and friends. So a few people got some calls, we waited til we were in Michigan to tell my parents. We wanted to share that in person, since we had to share all of our previous news over the phone.

So there it is, it was a big day for us. The baby looks great and is measuring well! We are still measuring a few days behind, but the Dr. said this early it really doesn't matter. My blood results were back as well. Praise the Lord, my TSI was normal, which is what we wanted. That means that TSI isn't circulating around in the baby's blood, causing his Thyoid levels to be all out of whack. My Thyroid levels have also dropped, but haven't completely gone back to normal. The biggest thing right now is my heartrate. Once that gets back to normal I will be able to stop taking the betablocker. This would be great to happen now because this medication is the one that can cause the baby to grow slower and be smaller than normal. So please be praying that my heartrate slows down and becomes normal. Thank you for all of your prayers thus far! God is faithful!

Dr. Reiter told us the same thing that Jess got, we know it's a boy, but wait til your big scan to start buying baby boy things. This is no easy task my friends. Everytime we go anywhere baby, I am always perusing the aisles.  Dan is very good at holding back, so we still do not own anything blue.  Although I also know a certain momo has been out shopping already...

After our appointment, we had dinner.  Most of which was spent talking about the baby together and with others via phone or text. It was a great day. I went to work that night elated. The very next morning Dan picked me up and we started our journey to Michigan to spend Thanksgiving with the family.

This is best I could do! It's really hard to capture a great picture of the Ultrasound pictures. But here's our baby boy! He's much bigger than last time! Can't wait for our next scan!

12 1/2 Weeks

I had my blood drawn today to check my Thyroid levels as well as my TSI. Please be praying that my Thyroid levels are lower and that I do not have TSI in my blood. I will not get the results for a couple of days, but I will update when I do. Dr. Krishna increased my BetaBlocker today since I am still tachycardic. Instead of 10mg, I am now taking 20mg. I am hoping that my Thyroid levels are lower so that he doesn't have to increase my Thyroid drug as well. Once my Thyroid is in check, I won't even have to take the BetaBlocker anymore. So that's the goal. =)

My Perinatalogist appointment is this coming Monday! I am so excited! I am pretty sure he is going to do an ultrasound. But as I already told Jess, if he doesn't plan on it, I will insist until one is done! I am so excited to see how much this little one has grown!

So I have had some new symptoms the past couple of days. I have had some cramping in my belly/uterus that felt like muscle cramping, or like I had pulled a muscle. Since I am the google queen, I googled to see what it could be. The best results said uterine stretching and or round ligament pain. Making room for baby!  Although it is early, I felt some fluttering a couple of days ago while sitting on the couch with Dan. It was very brief, but I felt it! I am hoping that was the baby, but who knows it could have been gas.

We are gearing up for Thanksgiving! We are very excited to be able to go home to Michigan and visit our family. It is coming up so soon. We are still decorating the outside for Christmas, but I wanted you all to see the progress thus far. So here are the pictures as promised.

Our beautiful Christmas tree! The same one Dan and Jess used as kids. Dan will not even talk about getting a new Christmas tree. It's just not Christmas without this one I guess.

Our Christmas puppies in front of the tree. =)

The outside so far! There's a lot more to do, we will definitely post another picture when it is done.

I gave in and took some belly shots. We had many MANY takes. I pretty much hate every single one. I have most of them saved on my computer, I will not post all of them. I will only post one that is half way decent, BUT AS I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THERE'S NOT MUCH TO SEE. Maybe once the baby is showing more, I'll be brave enough to post some of the others. But this is it for now.

Unfortunately, you couldn't see very much of this baby from the side, so the next day we decided to take pics from some different angles. We got some more accurate representations!  So this is the belly straight on. Looks WAY bigger to me! AND I'm a little wider. : /

This is the belly from my perspective.  Dan was quick to point out that you can't see my feet. :P

YAY BABY BELLY!!!

YAY!!!!! 12 WEEKS!!!!! =D

So I'm finally 12 weeks!!!! 

SO excited. So I started spreading the news a bit. I updated my facebook status, which is quite a big deal. It was really fun. I would have this big ole cheesy grin on my face every time I checked to see if anyone had commented. I had TONS of comments. Lots of love showered down on Dan and I and our little turkey/peanut/snowman/whichever you prefer. We loved and appreciated every bit of it. Dan wanted me to read him every comment, each time I checked. Pretty cute I think. We are really enjoying telling people.

What's funny, is I feel like I am spreading a LIE!! I still don't feel pregnant. Well, I feel pregnant, just don't quite believe it yet. Dan keeps bugging me to put a picture of my 12 week belly on here. Doesn't he know that my 12 week belly is just some stomach flab from my abdominal muscles relaxing, and well.... my stomach flab???!?!?!?!  I know he knows this, but he doesn't care. He wants it up here. So maybe if he continues to be persistent, you may get to see it.

I am still nauseated and throwing up. =(  I have heatburn and indigestion and am tired all the time. Did I mention hormonal? Throw that one in there for good measure. I am anxious because I haven't seen this little baby since 9 weeks. I really want to see what's going on in there. Anyone have an ultrasound machine handy? My appointments can't come fast enough!

Thanksgiving is coming!!! In 2 weeks. Yowsers. Being the Payne family that we are, Dan and I already have our Christmas tree up and decorated. All of the indoor decorations are in their place, including Lexie and Charlie Brown's Santa and Elf collars. What? Too much? Dan will begin placing the outdoor decorations tomorrow! I am very glad to say that on my way to work last night, one of our neighbors (way down the street) was putting his Christmas lights up as well! Not the first ones this year! We have of course started watching Christmas movies: ELF, A Christmas Carol with Jim Carey, and A Muppets Christmas Carol. We are a little behind, I know. Pictures soon to come, but not of my belly, if I can help it. ;)

Midwife Appointment: Thursday November 5, 2009

11 Weeks

Well I went in for a Midwife appt yesterday for my 11 week check-up. The appt itself was uneventful. We went over all that has happened since my last appt and talked about my meds. I let them know that I will be being followed by my PCP, my Perinatalogist, and their office. They were happy about that. I asked my questions and voiced some concerns. Everything was answered and my concerns were relieved.

The midwife had brought in a doppler to check the baby's heartrate. When I saw it, I was kind of sad because I was really hoping for another Ultrasound. She kept trying to find the baby's heartbeat, but was having a hard time since the baby is still so little. She asked me if I had a tilted uterus, because that would make it harder to hear. I told her I had no idea, no one had ever told me that before. She called for an Ultrasound machine so that she could better assess the baby, I was so excited! I was thinking, keep hiding baby!! While we were waiting for the Ultrasound machine to arrive, she kept trying with the doppler. She would hear it, and then it would disappear. Right before the Ultrasound machine got to the room, and I mean minutes before, she found the baby. We heard a healthy, happy heartbeat. The Midwife was satisfied and cancelled the Ultrasound.  :(  So sadly, no Ultrasound picture to post this week, but happily baby is perfect. =)

I have been feeling a tad bit better! Since about 9 1/2 weeks the nausea has cut back a litttle. With that, I am only vomiting about every other day on average. Yay! I have been having heartburn and indigestion galore. I'm just glad to know that baby is growing the way s(he) should be. I have been on weird sleeping schedules. I am normally a night owl, but for some reason, on my days off of work, and unfortunately, even on my days to go to work, I am waking up early. Early for me is before 10am, and then I am completely zonked by 10pm! WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME??? All I really want to do is sleep. What doesn't help, is that the medications I am taking for my Thyroid are supposed to cause sleepiness, and not to mention pregnancy itself making me tired!

This whole pregnancy thing is still not real to me. I am still shocked everytime we go in for an appointment that I am the one who has a baby growing in me. When other people talk about it, I'm surprised as well. It still hasn't hit home. I can't wait until I am showing, and am able to feel the baby move! I'm hoping it'll be more real to me then! I don't have any appointments scheduled until around Thanksgiving, so that will be my next Ultrasound. I can't wait!

Please continue praying for our little family. I am confident in God, I know He is faithful. Dan and I both feel very blessed to know that you are all lifting us up. We are thankful for each and every one of you.