In case you haven't heard...

The ultrasound two weeks ago revealed that the baby is healthy, likes to sit Indian-style, and is going to be our first daughter. (There are some ultrasound pics on the left. If, like my dad, you can't see her profile, put your nose to the pic, cross your eyes and slowly back away...)

Knowing it's a girl really has changed things for me (Travis). For the better, of course. My imagined little baby is now an imagined little girl and when I see little kids now, and their parents, I look at the girls and imagine our girl doing the same things, spinning around, and looking a little like that, long hair with curls at the ends.

I even saw a father-teenage daughter combo running along Prien Lake in my hometown and I got a bit emotional picturing myself in the man's shoes and my daughter in hers.

update

We went to the doctor on Wednesday for a check up. It seems like these appointments are coming more often, I don't know why! Everything was fine. I am up 9 pounds for those of you interested in that. The baby's heartbeat is nice and strong, and we even got to hear a couple of hiccups while we were listening...they were cute. Only a few more days until the big announcement...that is if the little one is cooperative and lets us see what s/he is!

Baby's First Jazz Fest

Yesterday we went to Jazz Fest, and because the music was so incredibly loud, we are sure the baby heard it. S/he even kicked a few times throughout the day. We saw several artists, the main being Stevie Wonder, which was pretty amazing. Another favorite was D.L. Menard, who sings French Cajun music. It was a wonderful day with great music and yummy food!

My belly is just now starting to show through my clothes. If I see someone I haven't seen in a while, I have to tell them I am pregnant. But my friends are all saying, "You really look pregnant now!" I have a shower coming up next weekend with my friends here in New Orleans. It will be fun.

The baby kicks all the time now; s/he is really active! It is so great - such a neat feeling. We will have another check up this Tuesday, and next week will be the big ultrasound. We are very excited.

My appetite has really increased and I have had some crazy cravings the past couple of weeks. The biggest was a tuna fish sandwich. I was in class on Tuesday night, and someone must have been eating one because I smelled it. After that I couldn't get my mind off of that sandwich. I wanted one for dinner but class let out too late to get it. I settled for a peanut butter sandwich instead, but then in the morning the tuna fish was in my head again. So Travis made a trip to Whole Foods and picked me one up for lunch. Interesting craving, tuna fish, because it's not even something I can eat often! I have to limit my intake of fish because of the mercury, so once a week max, and I try to eat it less often than that. It was a DELICIOUS sandwich. Another craving has been spaghetti, but after three times in two weeks, I may be over it. I also like salad a lot now, just plain green salad with carrots, celery, and tomato, using balsamic vinegarette dressing. YUM!

That's it for now.

Listening to...

So now baby can hear, so we're playing music for him/her. This week, s/he is listening to the original music from Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera. American Idol's Andrew Lloyd Webber week inspired momma to download her favorite musicals from her dancing days. Maybe the baby will enjoy musicals, too!

feeling it, working it

Bek and I were watching Grey's Anatomy last night.

"I think I felt a kick," she said. In the last few days she's thought she's felt kicks here and there, but she was never sure.

I put my hand on her belly and she moved it over the the spot. We waited. Nothing.

A few minutes passed.

"I felt it again," she said.

I put my hand on her belly. Waited.

It took me a second to register it, but I felt the tiniest thump on the palm of my hand. I couldn't believe it. Later on, when Bekah said she could feel it again, I felt another thump. So tiny. This joy I feel now, as I write this, is hard to describe. But the most powerful emotions are always hard to describe, aren't they?

17 weeks

17 weeks, and thought it was time to put together a little slideshow. We'll update it every couple of weeks.

We went to the doctor last week and all is well. The heartbeat was strong. We find out the sex on May 14.

Baby and momma are doing well!

Update

Well, we're now at 14 weeks and 3 days, well into the second trimester. It's hard to believe how fast it is going, really! I have been feeling pretty good lately, since about 11 or 12 weeks. I have only been sick a couple of times during that time and once was definitely due to a greasy meal (should've known better). Also, I am not feeling the need to nap in the middle of the day as I was before. I have heard to enjoy this trimester because once I get farther along, I will not only be huge but very tired as well. And then once the baby is born, I think the word tired will get a new meaning.

One thing that I welcomed with the second trimester was the beginning of prenatal yoga classes. I have been going for a couple of weeks now, and I really enjoy it. It's a nice, relaxing time, and I get to be around and talk with other moms-to-be. This past weekend, I met two women whose due dates are in the same week as mine and are delivering at the same hospital! We joked about hearing each other's screams from down the hall. Well, one thing with yoga is focusing on breathing and ways to get through labor. I know it will be painful, but I actually have felt much more comfortable with the idea of labor since I began the yoga class.

I am almost almost almost done with school. Fantastic! Classes end next month, and finals are the first week of May. Graduation is May 17. I am really looking forward to being in the 'real world' with a full time job (which I already have lined up, thank goodness).

We go back to see the doctor next week. I don't think we will have an ultrasound this time, just a check up. Our next ultrasound is at the beginning of May, when we will find out the sex of the baby. I have had three dreams that it is a girl, so we'll see if my dreams are right! I even dreamed the baby's name in my last dream, and we happen to really like it. So if it's a girl, we may use it.

Travis and I babysat my friend's 11 month old the other day, and it was a delight. We were with him for a few hours, so we got to feed him, take him for a walk in the stroller, put him down for a nap, and then be there to feed him when he woke up. Funny thing was, when the baby took a nap, Travis was out, too!

We have bought the crib and changer, as well as some bedding. Not everything is assembled yet, but when it is, we will post some pictures. I'm also going to take a belly pic this week sometime and post it for all to see!

Take care.