We have a heartbeat!




The appointment with the OB went really well. She's great, and made me feel really comfortable. All my initial lab work shows that I am really healthy, my blood pressure was textbook today, and the baby has a great heartbeat - 155 to 160 beats per minute.

I have an early ultrasound in 2 weeks, just to see how things are, and to check that there is only one. Because I am over 30 and my mom's sister Barb had twins, I have 2 risk factors for twins. I do hope that there is only one - I don't think I could handle two! But, as long as everyone is healthy, I guess it doesn't matter.

Can't wait until the ultrasound!

So tomorrow we have our first OB appointment. Not sure what to expect. The usual: blood pressure, pee in a cup, give blood and ... the dreaded weigh-in. My GP didn't weigh me when I went in to tell her I was pregnant, so at this point I have no idea how much weight I have lost because of the morning sickness. All I know is that I can take off most of my pants without undoing them. Getting pregnant is not the recommended way to lose weight.

We may get to hear the heartbeat tomorrow, and should find out when I can go for an ultrasound.

And for those who may still be wondering, no, we are not going to find out what we are having.

Neither of us likes surprises, but this will be one we are both looking forward to. Bryan is thinking pink, I am reserving judgement for now.

Time to go eat some cereal before bed...

Update tomorrow...

I had a great day today. This was the first day since the middle of December that I actually felt like myself again. No morning sickness, very little nausea and I had an appetite.
Must be the magic of lunch at Auntie Eleanor's. Craig and I enjoyed a nice meal there before we went down to wander on Whyte Avenue. We shopped and had latte's and then went to Costco.
Had a chance to show Craig some of the baby clothes I like, at ModeFashion and Bugs'n'Berries. Cute, bright, stripey, fun clothes - not a pastel in sight. He can get clothes really inexpensively in China, and has offered to pick some things up for us. He really liked the tiny shoes - have a feeling the little Carbol-Ritcey will have a full complement of shoes thanks to Uncle Craig!
I was so happy to feel good today. Hopefully this is the 'light at the end of the trimester' I was looking for in my previous post...

Hello again all, I'm back and posting again for your reading pleasure I am certain. My lovely wife and I just arrived home; after spending the afternoon with my mother in-law, my father in-law and our wedding gift from Barry and Faye. That's right, we got Craiged!
At long last we got to see Craig again, if you weren't aware, Barry and Faye as our wedding present, paid for Craig to come back to Canada on this break he has from teaching. So we spent the afternoon and dinner with Craig once again. It's odd, from my standpoint, at one point I was an outsider peering in, and well, he was a standard for any Carbol gathering, and while his parents and my wife may be used to him leaving for years on end; from my standpoint it was a little odd. Not like, hey I picked orange lint out of my belly button after wearing my new black shirt odd, or like the cyclopean cat odd, but perhaps a trifle disconcerting none the less, hmm is that all one word, I do not know, see it's odd.
Anyways, it's nice to have Craig back, albeit for a short time, he's off to Mexico in another week and a bit.
Another observation, from the outsider to now insider standpoint, it's interesting to watch the reactions and see the body language of his family, and well my family now too. You can tell he was missed. All in all, it's nice to have him back.
Thanks again Barry and Faye.

And now for something completely different, I have noticed I have had increasing amounts of nervous energy lately; I believe that has to do with my impending fatherhood. I guess with each passing day it becomes more and more of a reality and is starting to make me a bit more nervous about being a father; thankfully our child won't be able to recognize any mistakes I make early on, and I am certain after changing diaper 243708432 I will become a pro at it, as well as the feedings and such, well enough of my babble...I'm done again for a bit.

In a few hours my "little bother" as Dad likes to call him, will be home. I was thinking about this visit a lot today. It will be so good to see him, and I will appreciate the distraction from how I feel.

I have a lot of time to think as I have little energy to do much more. I'm still having issues with nausea and the dreaded morning sickness, and I'm pretty tired. I think this is starting to pass, as I feel a bit better, and I'm getting some of my energy back. I didn't expect to be so fatigued, and I certainly didn't expect the sick part. Mom said she didn't have any issues with this when she was pregnant with either of us - I naively hoped that it would be the same for me. It was not to be.

My search for relief has led me to discover several things...

1: The person that named it morning sickness never actually experienced it. It happens all day and a good part of the night.

2: Saltines and gingerale are for sick people. It will be a long, long time before I eat saltines again.

3: Been-there-done-that moms that share tales of their morning sickness perils forget that those stories can make a new mom-to-be even more nauseous.

4: Ginger Altoids are a gift from heaven. Thank you to my hubby for ordering a whole bunch on line, even when they cost nearly $6 a tin after shipping from the States.

5: While there is no such thing as Meals On Wheels for Dads-to-be, there should be. Poor Bryan has been shopping in the forbidden frozen-food-in-boxes aisle lately. Usually the only items we buy from that section are frozen veggies, ice cream and popsicles.

6: My mom has been great - from making me food that I can eat, to calling me at work to ask if she can buy me ginger, she's been very supportive. I still think she's in shock - our announcement at Christmas sent her for a bit of a spin!

7: My fridge causes me a great deal of distress. I am convinced that it's presence in our home is the cause of my problems. I can't look at it, I can't even be in the room when Bryan opens it. It's a very, very bad appliance. The freezer part of it is just fine however, which contributes to Bryan's theory that I have been kidnapped by aliens and brainwashed into thinking completely irrationally at times.

8: I appreciate my ability to nap anywhere, anytime. (Thank you Grandpa, for that trait!) I have a pillow and blanket stashed in my car for lunch hour naps.

9: Last but not least - I have an amazing and very, very patient husband. He has been so supportive and comforting. From making sure I have a clear path to the bathroom, to making my lunch (so I can avoid the dreaded fridge), to eating his dinner in the computer room with the door closed so I can't smell it, to waiting for me to walk the long way down the grocery store aisles so I can avoid the meat department, to making me tea - I am a very lucky woman to have him. I love you honey!

I am told this gets easier as time goes on. I hope it does, as I would like to enjoy the next 6 1/2 months, and not dread the mornings. There has to be a light at the end of the trimester...

My brother is home in 6 days! My Uncle Barry and Aunt Faye offered to fly him home from China as their wedding present to us - of course we said yes! He missed the wedding, his birthday and Christmas, so we are cramming a bunch of celebrating into the two weeks he will be here. On the 30th he is on a plane to Mexico, to visit his girlfriend Eva. After that, he's home for a couple of days, then returns to China on Valentine's Day.

I think he's home in July, so he won't miss the big event of the year - the arrival of his niece or nephew in August! (tee hee - Uncle Craig!)

Can't wait to see him and catch up.

Meals on Wheels for dads - to - be?
The little one is doing a number on me in the way of nausea and morning sickness, so there is little to no food being prepared in our house right now.

Anyone want to volunteer to drop off some food for my poor husband?

Here are his likes and dislikes:

Likes all veggies except mushrooms, peas and green beans.
Will not eat gravy.
Potatoes are considered a vegetable.
Chicken ok, steak better.
Chocolate is considered a condiment.
Ice cream is also a staple.

I believe his ideal meal would be a steak with home made oven fries, corn and a chocolate sundae chaser.

Thanks !