10 weeks

Double digits! Yay!

We had our first appointment with our new midwife yesterday, and it was great. I really like the style of this midwife much more than the OB I saw a few weeks ago. The midwife is more concerned about my preferences and my wishes and less concerned that we follow a "by-the-book" guide to all things pregnancy. She also takes more time to explain things and just seems to care.

There are four midwives at St. Joseph's Hospital, where I'll be delivering, and I'll get whichever one happens to be on call on the big day. But I'll have a chance to meet with all four of them throughout my pregnancy, so at least I won't be with a stranger when the time comes.

She tried to hear the heartbeat on the sonogram machine, but told me that at 10 weeks, it is pretty hit or miss. By 11 weeks, you can almost always hear it. She tried for a while and couldn't hear it, so she asked me if I'd like to do an ultrasound.

And that is when I knew I loved my midwife.

I, of course, took her up on that offer, and we got to see our little guy/girl for the first time!

Cute, right? We could even see the fluttering heartbeat on the screen, which was amazing and reassuring. The top part is where they measured the baby and confirmed that, as of Monday, I was 10 weeks and 2 days along, putting me at a Sept. 11 due date. The bottom is the good picture of the baby.

And even though I know, logically, that I'm pregnant... even though I've been dealing with fatigue and nausea and cravings... seeing that little being on the monitor just blew me away. Ever since the ultrasound, I've been trying to wrap my mind around how it is possible that that is going on inside of me. Wow.
So with all well and good, and baby confirmed to be in the right spot, and heartbeat fluttering away, we've given our families the green light to spread the good word. Oh, and here's a quick belly picture. Not much to see yet:

*The baby is now the size of a... kumquat, evidently. Mike and I have no idea how big that really is.

*How I'm feeling: The best I've felt so far. I've gotten a lot of my energy back, and I don't get hit with nausea like I was before. A little bit of queasiness now and then, but not bad at all.

*Physical differences from last week: I just feel stronger and healthier this week and am able to move around more and actually cook dinner now and then.

*What's been on my mind: I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to rearrange all our furniture and wondering how I will ever know everything I need to know about cribs, strollers, car seats, pack n' plays, etc., etc., etc. System overload.

*What I'm most looking forward to: I want a baby bump, dang it!

*Other random thoughts: Why does one crave a white mocha with whipped cream from Aribica in Parma Heights when one hasn't had said white mocha in, oh, seven years? And why does this craving come after an equally strong craving for a plum? Please advise.