Second Appointment

We had our first ultrasound today and we saw not one, but two little embryos. In the early weeks you can sometimes see a heartbeat flicker and that is a good indication that the baby will be alright. One of the embryos you could see the flicker of a heartbeat, but on #2, a heartbeat wasn't visible. The Dr. said that it is sometimes too early to see a heartbeat and that #2 might still be ok. We will go back in two weeks and it should be evident by then if #2 has a heartbeat and will make it as well.

I received a priesthood blessing from the bishop today and we are praying for it to work out, for #1, and #2 to be healthy and for my pregnancy to go smoothly. Please keep us in your prayers.

First Doctor Appointment

Today we went for our first appointment and met with a nurse. She calculated that I was 5 weeks and 1 day pregnant. That puts my due date around October 13th. The doctors office gave us a bag full of goodies. Including a book titled "Your Pregnancy and Birth". There is a stack of papers we need to fill out.

I also received a packet including some consent forms for different screens. Such as Nuchal Translucency (early screening for genetic disorders at 6-7 weeks), Risk Profile Test (Quad screen for genetic disorders at 15-20 weeks), Amniocentesis, and Cystic Fibrosis. You can opt for the exams or opt out. Does anyone have any opinions about these?

Next week they will give me a list of important events. Including the weeks I will come in to see the doctor. I will have a bunch of blood work and urinalysis done. They will also do an ultrasound which should show the baby's heart beat. The heart at this stage is too small to hear, even with amplification, but it can sometimes be seen as a flickering in the chest. The nurse said, the baby will look more like a little pea than anything. However, she said we should be able to see the little sack it is in.

Around 10-12 weeks you can hear the heart beat with a Doppler instrument. At 20 weeks you should hear the heart beat with a stethoscope. Around the same time, they will be able to determine the gender of the baby and it should start moving around.

I have had a terrible respiratory infection. So the nurse gave me a list of medications that I can take sparingly, as needed. I sure hope I can kick this thing. I go back next week and meet with the doctor.

School

I was struggling to stay up with my course work. So I decided that I needed to drop one of my classes. I am taking BUS412-Human Resource Management (HRM) and ENVS101-Environmental Science. These were the last two classes that I needed to take on campus. The rest of my classes can be finished on-line over the computer from anywhere.

I talked to both of my teachers (both men) to let them know what was going on. The science teacher has a strict attendance policy and was not willing to work with me. The business teacher on the other hand, is very willing to work with me.

I know that the College of Southern Idaho offers science classes on-line. So I decided to drop the science class. It was early enough in the semester that it wouldn't be a problem.

I won't have any homework in the business class, but we do have to put together a portfolio. I have that almost complete. Since I had already put so much effort into the class, I didn't want to drop it. I am also taking a one credit course that is exactly the same project. So it should work out well.

After I dropped the science class it was a huge relief. I know that it was the right choice.

My adviser is allowing me to do some research on records management procedures for credit. So have another 1 credit class. I just have to do some research on the topic and write a 6-7 page paper. It is one of those things that I can work on as I am feeling up to it. My adviser will work with me too. If I needed an extension at the end of the term, it is doable. So now I am taking 5 credits which isn't bad.

Heartrate

I can never remember much for long. So I decided to start this blog to record thoughts and experiences that we have while I am pregnant. I have been amazed at how such a small little thing can change so much and quickly.

The first thing I noticed was my heartbeat. I didn't know that I was pregnant at the time or that pregnancy could change your heartbeat. I noticed last week that my heartbeat felt faster a couple times.

Here is a cool site that shows the progression of pregnancy. From what I have read so far it is pretty accurate. They use a little humor which is cute.

http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/4-weeks-pregnant.html

According to the site:

"Once Mini Me or He implants in your uterus and that placenta starts to grow, your heart starts beating more quickly. You might be putting in an extra 15 beats per minute (even when Taye Diggs isn't onscreen). Until your blood volume catches up to all that extra pumping (which it won't do for a number of weeks), you're likely to feel tired most of the time."

Last week I started to feel nausea for the first time and some minor cramping. I don't have typical "Morning Sickness". It was starting around 9 pm, then 8 pm and now around 4 pm. I would rather have "Evening Sickness" so I am not complaining! However, this is really the begining and we still have a long time to go.

Everyone asks how Duane feels about becoming a dad. He is literally on cloud nine!