18 Weeks Pregnant... and a Reveal!

I have long neglected this blog due to life being crazy chaotic around here. I am thankfully still pregnant with our twins, and simultaneously navigating selling our home (a two bedroom apartment won't cut it for our soon-to-be family of 5!) and parenting our 3.5 year-old son, Rowan.

Twin pregnancy has been very different to that of my first pregnancy. Everything has stretched faster, ached faster, everything has in fact been faster - including baby movement, which I felt the first flutters of at 12 weeks pregnant! Now, at 18 weeks, flutters have become pokes and I can distinctly feel a baby on each side of my tummy which is kind of fun. 

I am carrying monochorionic-diamnotic twins (or Mono-Di for short), which basically means the babies are each in their own amniotic sac but share a single placenta. This means extra monitoring via ultrasound (scans every two weeks starting at 16 weeks, and will progress to once per week from 24 weeks on). The extra scans are to ensure that both babies are growing as they should be and that one isn't getting more or less blood flow than the other. So far so good with our scans, but I'm always cautiously optimistic as I've been told that things can change very quickly in mono-di twin pregnancies. 

So, want to see our babies? Since 12 weeks, Baby A has been in a better position for photos (the twin closer to the front of my uterus, therefore easier to scan) so we've gotten some great shots. Baby B remains a little more elusive and is very wriggly (but I know we'll get that gorgeous profile shot at some point!).

Our twins at 12 weeks (Baby A on the left, Baby B on the right)

Baby A at 16 weeks (with a profile and nose just like Rowan!)

Baby B at 16 weeks

Twin bump growth at 12 weeks vs 14 weeks (when I started to really pop quickly)

16 week twin bump (see what I mean??)

And lastly, at our 16 week scan we were able to find out what we were having, I'll leave Rowan to fill you in with the details! ;)

It's BOYS!

8 Weeks Pregnant

This week I've had a head cold and forgotten how much being unwell while pregnant knocked me around (as well as caring for an extremely active 3 year-old!).

I've started to get my head more around the idea of becoming a twin parent. It's scary, really scary. I've had feelings of ungratefulness, of despair, of loss (of the pregnancy I thought I might have had), but also incredible awe at what my body is doing.

Already I am starting to get a little bump that is visible in the mornings and highly obvious by the end of the day. I look like I did at 15-16 weeks pregnant with Rowan, and I'm only 8 weeks! I have plenty of stretching/pulling pangs but they're not cramping so I'm okay with that. Little reminders like that 'stitch' feeling when I twist or stand up too fast remind me that the muscles are growing and round ligament pain will probably become a reality sooner rather than later.

8 week twin bump

We have our first appointment with the obstetrician next Monday (I'll be 9.5 weeks then), he was the same doctor who I saw with my previous pregnancy and he is well-known for being hands off and a supporter of natural birth. From what I know of him, he will support a natural twin birth (providing that the first baby is head-down towards the end of pregnancy). So hopefully after discussion we get the clearance to at least try for this option. Natural birth with little intervention is important to me and I am proud that Rowan's birth was exactly what I wanted. I understand that this time around might be a little different and with time, I think I'll be okay if that's what it comes to.

It floors me that in as little as 4-5 weeks we might know whether these babies are boys or girls. I'm very interested in knowing at the moment, whereas before becoming pregnant I was adamant about waiting until the birth! How times change... 

My Pregnancy Scrapbook [in Full]

I've made this post public for two reasons: 

1. To share with my family and friends who have listened to me talk about this project for a long time now; and

2. To inspire anyone who happens to find this post through search engines that there are many ways to document a pregnancy, and digital scrapbooking is one of them. :)

Just after Christmas, I finished working on my pregnancy scrapbook which had been over two years in the making. I taught myself digital scrapbooking when I was pregnant with Rowan so that I could undertake this project, and when I look back over my earlier layouts to the more recent ones in the book, I can really tell the difference. I thought about remaking a few of them before printing, but resisted the urge because I have memories associated with these earlier pages. So instead I tweaked the shadows and fixed up any glaring mistakes, and sent it all off for printing.

I printed with an Australian company called 123Cheese, as I had a coupon I'd bought earlier during 2012 with this purpose in mind. Basically, I got a $100+ project printed for $30, including postage/shipping. I was impressed with that, and had printed with the company before (photobooks, not digital scrapbooking projects) so I could vouch for their printing quality. Blurb are another printing company that I recommend, their quality is phenomenal but they are more expensive (you can search out coupons online pretty easily though, there are generally 15% coupons floating around; even up to 25% off before Christmas).

Anyway, back to the book... it was quite literally a labour of love and although I've shared pages here and there from it before, I've never posted it in its entirety before now. So without further ado, here are some pictures of the printed book itself and all week-by-week layouts. Lots of text (mainly for me to look back on, plenty of belly pictures and all the things I deemed important to tell at the time. I've had people ask me if I'd go to this much "effort" for subsequent pregnancies and I've said no, though I'd probably do a more abridged version if time allowed.

Some of the text/pictures might be difficult to make out, but that's due to the compression and resizing. In the printed book, everything looks crystal clear - even the thin journalling fonts. :)

The book itself; hardcover and linen-bound, printed in 12x12".
Hand for size comparision!

An example of layouts in the book (weeks 16-17)

The printing quality is exceptional, though a stitch-bound album would have been lovely,
glue-bound was only available from this company.

Following the week-by-week pages, I have his (lengthy) birth story, and a spread of 10 photographs of Rowan's first week in the world

ONTO THE ALBUM!

To view all pictures at a better size, click on one of them and it will take you to a full-windowed gallery (displaying bigger than in this post)

Inside front cover

Pregnancy Progression

As I'm nearly at the tail end of this pregnancy, while I still have time on my hands I thought it'd be fun to do a bit of a belly picture montage from over the last nine months.

I was lucky enough never to really have baby parts up in my ribs due to my height (180cm or 5'11") and my son's positioning in the womb; his feet kicked me a lot right out to the upper left side though! Being long in the torso meant that I had more room to carry 'up' during pregnancy rather than out.

How far I've come - August 2010 seems almost like a distant memory....


Click image to see it bigger

38 Weeks

There are only two weeks until my due date, and this means that our little man will make his appearance sometime within the next four weeks (although selfishly I'm ready to meet him now; he can continue to put on extra body fat within me for the time being).

I wonder if I'll be writing a 39 week entry next, or whether it'll be an 'arrival' post... hmmm??

All is doing well over here, baby is continuing to become engaged, and our doctor is no longer concerned about his growth - he hasn't mentioned any additional scans at this point *thumbs up*. I did, however, test positive for Group B Strep, which means I'll be on an antibiotic during labour. Not really what I wanted, but if it keeps us both safe then that's all that matters. I hover between being excited about birth and terrified about labour. It's like getting your period when you're not on the contraceptive Pill - you kind of know when it's going to happen but you don't have the ability to control when it will be here... the same goes for birth. Will it be fast? Slow? Drawn-out over 24 hours? Involve a will-we-make-it-to-the-hospital-in-time dash in the middle of the night?

I've been nesting a little bit more lately, in the form of cleaning and cooking. Nothing crazily out-of-control, but I get random bursts of frantic energy (and then usually I'm tired by the next day). Scrapbooking in the evenings has become the norm for me, and during the day I'm spending a little more time at home than I've been in previous weeks. While a quick trip to the local shops isn't as much of an ordeal as it was when my back was incredibly sore around the 28-34 week mark, it still takes it out of me (not to mention the apartment stairs!), and I have to plan accordingly for when I'm feeling energetic.

We had a little scare the other day involving the baby not moving as much as normal, and I did all sorts of things to try and encourage him to move. As it turns out, he was either running out of space or having a longer sleeping period (I didn't feel him for 5-6 hours), and was back to his normal wriggling by last night - even keeping me up during the night with lots of active movement! This little one is definitely going to keep us on our toes once he's in the big, wide world. ;)

37 weeks & 5 days



Great Expectations

I've been working on my pregnancy scrapbook (digitally) since Christmas, on and off with a few other projects - namely Project 365 and various pages related to challenges on a website. Last night I scrapped on my my favourite pages to date, which documented a struggle to have a child.

I wanted to share it with you because not only am I proud of how it turned out, but it also shows our ultrasounds and a recent tummy picture (taken on March 8th, at 34 weeks). Thinking that with some modifications - mainly removing the text - it'll be the front of the scrapbook once it's ready to be printed. :)

Click image to see it bigger.

35 Weeks

I find it difficult to believe that tomorrow I'll be nine months pregnant with our son. The little boy who I always hoped would come into our lives but I dared not pin my hopes on. The countdown to his birth is on - while I find myself complaining about Braxton Hicks contractions and added pressure on my bladder, at the same time I don't really want to wish these weeks away.

Will he be born around his due date (April 12th)? Early? Overdue? Who knows!

Perhaps the events of this past week will shed some light on the time ahead (or not!). I hadn't realised it until the doctor mentioned on Thursday that the baby has dropped - he's also "very low" apparently and is engaged in my pelvis. Though to what degree I'm not sure yet, I'll ask him at the next appointment. Either way, with this knowledge and the increasing (mild) cramping I've been having lately, they're all positive signs that my body is starting to suss out the birthing process. And for that, I'm thankful. :)

Tummy comparision to show you what I mean:



33 weeks & 3 days 



35 weeks & 6 days



Some definite changes are happening. :)

In other news, results from the most recent ultrasound show a range of measurements from 31 weeks through to 36 weeks - while this worried me a little at first, talking with other women made me realise that baby measurements can be all over the place and still be okay. Sure, currently it looks like our baby might be born on the smaller side (and I don't deny that I'm carrying him compactly), but if he is a healthy size for him... then that's what matters. Besides, ultrasound weights etc can be off by up to a pound (bigger/smaller).

It has made packing his hospital bag a little more tricky - do I put in 0000-sized clothing or 000-sized? I mainly put in 0000s, but if he is born bigger, it isn't as though hubby can't bring some bigger sizes back with him from home the next day (we live about 10-15min away from the hospital). Still, it's good to know that the bag is packed and ready to go... even if it sits there mocking me until around the 41-week mark! :P

Oh! And baby nook update:

The Mario decals are up and look fantastic!

34 Weeks

Our last (or so I hope!) growth scan happened during the week and, after letting my doctor's comments about small fundal heights and fluid levels get to me a little, everything appeared to be 'normal'. Sure, I haven't had my follow-up appointment with the doctor as yet, but the fact I didn't get a phonecall within a couple of days of the scan is a good thing *big thumbs up*.

At 34w1d, baby boy (who was again confirmed to be a boy!) weighs in at 4lb8oz (about 2.5kg) and is measuring within a week of his dates - just with very long legs as per usual. I know that ultrasound weights can vary by quite a bit and aren't completely accurate, but it's nice to have that indicator that my body is growing a healthy baby, one that is measuring along the growth curve documented at 20 and 28 weeks via ultrasound. Even if my body needed a hand to have egg and sperm meet in the first place, it's reassuring that it's been possible to have a so-called normal pregnancy (one that doesn't differ from anyone else's, besides a couple of extra scans).

Here's his latest mugshot (though difficult to make out facial details because of bone causing shadows and the fact he's squished down low in my pelvis already) -


34 weeks (click image to see bigger; tilt your head to the right to see his face)



I've now started my maternity leave, which is both exciting and odd at the same time. Only a week into leave and I can feel my responsibilities with the Kindergarten beginning to melt away (although it's been a slow separationl; I haven't been employed in a teaching capacity since January and have been in the office). Part of me worries if the place can survive without me, part of me knows that it can and will - and that before long I'll be a distant memory there too. As I said, it's a little odd. We're lucky here in Australia to have access to up to 18mths leave by being employed by the Education Department - I've applied for the full amount but it's entirely possible that I'll do a little emergency (relief) teaching come 2012 before making the decision on whether to return to my workplace in September.

Pictures from my last day at work before starting maternity leave.





It was also my birthday yesterday (I turned 29). My parents came to visit - Mum in the morning and Dad in the afternoon - and I took myself out for a solo lunch (I'd been craving a big ol' iced chocolate with plenty of cream; it was as tasty as I'd been imagining!). The most special part of the celebrations was Matt's card to me, where he signed it from him and the baby... and wrote down the baby's name.

I'm beyond thrilled that our little man now has a name (presuming we think it still 'fits' him one he's here in this world), and even happier that Matt was able to play a big part in its choosing. Last night I dreamt of our son with his chosen name... and it just felt right. I'm relieved and thankful. :)

34 week tummy, baby's weight is getting heavier in my uterus and I've had some ligament pain again as his sac continues to grow.

Thinking Outside the Square [33 weeks]

33 weeks (excuse the lack of modesty)



This picture is proof for myself that I am not in fact carrying a square baby (ie, all camped out on one side), and that my tummy actually looks round occasionally.

My fundal height is only measuring 29 weeks, the doctor reported yesterday and I'm being sent for an extra scan on Tuesday to have the baby's growth monitored (as well as fluid levels and placenta function). However, I do have a very long waist and I'm not being kicked up in the ribs much yet - mainly because baby's bottom is facing the ribs, and legs are diagonally out to the left side - rather painful at times as he stretches!

So trying to think positively and that everything will be okay come Tuesday. It's all I can do, right?

30 Weeks

30 week belly picture.

Saying "I'm 30 weeks pregnant" makes it all seem so close now, as if I'll magically open my eyes at some point soon and discover that I have a newborn son. The reality is that yes, that will happen, but not before living the next two months of my/our lives.

It'd be an understatement if I said the last week has been easy. I'm back at work and with that means job-sharing with my replacement for maternity leave (she's lovely, but I think I'm going to have to bite my tongue because of our differences in philosophies and/or workloads). However, this will only be for the month of February and I know I can do this - I've always been a 'I like to be in control' type of personality.

Physically, the hot weather has taken a lot out of me (it's the middle of the Australian Summer) and I'm finding myself tired, nursing cankles (!!), finding new stretchmarks and hobbling about with a sore back due to over-extending myself recently. But it's not all doom and gloom, I'm incredibly thankful to actually be pregnant and on the home stretch... I'm also looking forward to some of the things I've missed since July of 2010:

* Eating ice-cream sundaes from McDonalds

* Enjoying sushi

* Climbing stairs without puffing

* Bending down without looking like a frog

* Sleeping comfortably

* Laying on my stomach

* Fitting into some of my old clothing

Having said that, there is lots that I'll miss about pregnancy too once it is over:

* Breasts (enough said!)

* Feeling baby movement in my tummy

* Observing the physical changes that seem to occur almost weekly

* Getting to put my feet up

* Being able to forget about infertility somewhat

27 Weeks

Operation Baby Nook is well under way, with hubby and I purchasing our nursery furniture on the weekend. We're waiting on it being delivered until we've painted the walls (a work in progress!). The important purchase of the carseat happened this week, as well as a collection of clothing (at a recent sale) that will have our little man clothing until next Summer by the look of it!

All purchased from Mothercare, but without the wardrobe pictured on the left (we got the tallboy to the right instead, as well as a wooden drawer that fits under the cot.

As I mentioned in last week's journal entry, we're going with a warm green for the walls, with some of the colour swatches considered below.

The chosen colour is 'Celery Green' and is the bottom colour on the top-right swatch.

(hubby paints a sample on one of the walls)

My tummy is beginning to get quite firm, and I've noticed that after a big meal it feels as though my stomach is pressing right up against my sternum - rather painful at times! So I've learnt the hard way about eating smaller meals, and am trying to make snacking times count more than empty kilojoules (not that I'm concerned about weight gain; I was underweight pre-pregnancy). When I lay down, you can see quite the pronounced little lump now that is my uterus!

(it's always a lot bigger when I stand up, obviously!)

26 Weeks

My ravenous first trimester hunger has come back this week, which leads me to think that the little man is in a weight-gain phase at the moment! Protein, carb, sugar, milk... all being craved simultaneously - it's enough to do any pregnant woman's head in! Still, trying to consume healthier options (ie, homecooked chicken vs fast food, or my own baked goods vs those in shops). I was making a banana loaf during the week and for some reason even bit off a chunk - I don't even like bananas normally!

Comfort-wise, I've developed a few niggly pains recently, mainly in my middle back and hips. There were a couple of days where getting around was rather difficult, but my Mum has been making some helpful suggestions such as putting a pillow under my bump and/or between my legs while sleeping to take the strain off my body (which I think is part of the problem). I think I need to get a bit more active too, now that I'm on holidays from teaching at the moment.

Random tumy-tightening has been steadily increasing too (since about week 24?), my doctor seems to think it might be Braxton Hicks (practice contractions) since they're mainly uncomfortable - not painful - and last for short intervals (~30sec). At times it's enough to have me rubbing my tummy to ease them though.

And we won't mention the kicking that baby's doing on the scars from my laparoscopy a couple of years ago... ouch!

Yes, it's all rather pleasant down in this neck of the woods at the moment. ;)

Though in more positive news, the baby 'nook' (as opposed to a whole room) is beginning to get underway, with boxes under the spare room bed being cleared out in preparation for bed disassembling (!) and wall painting. Very exciting! We've picked out a cot, changetable/drawer unit and small wardrobe, so it's a matter of preparing some parts of the room before we can purchase the furniture. Hopefully it all comes together in the next 4-6 weeks, as I have the urge to be prepared sooner rather than later. :)

And to finish off, a tummy picture taken this week:

26 weeks

Letter to a Little One [24-25wks]

Dearest Little One,

It has been an eventful two weeks in both of our lives! You have been gaining body fat (weighing around 750g), testing your newly developed nerve endings in your fingers - your eyes may have even opened already after being fused shut for months (but it's okay if you still prefer the dark).

And as for your mother? She's been on the end of your increasingly-powerful kicks - especially to the scars from previous laparoscopic surgery (the sharpness of these sensations make me visibly wince). Your feet are apparently about 5cm (2") long now, and if you're anything like either of your parents they are probably already on the larger side!

You had your second-ever plane trip over Christmas, and when I put one of my earbud headphones on my tummy during the flight you would squirm around... I'm not sure whether that means you like my taste in music or not! In fact, you spend most of the day in active mode - you're definitely like me and like to be busy (we're going to have so much fun once you're here!).

Christmas was lots of fun, you received plenty of attention from your grandparents (Dad's parents) and family, and were even given an early baby shower - you were spoilt with teeny-tiny gifts, soft toys, nappies and even a couple of sippy cups. I ate quite a lot of food, but since you're taking up a lot of space in my body these days, it takes longer to digest it all. Needless to say I spent most of the day with a swollen-looking, firm tummy and a squirmy you struggling to make room! I'm now learnt that I need to pace myself and eat smaller meals (and avoid tomatoes, as they're giving your Mum heartburn).

Your Dad and I took a two-night trip away while in Tasmania for Christmas to Bruny Island - it was gorgeous!

I was excited about receiving a gift for you from some friends at your baby shower.



Everybody who was at the shower decorated a singlet each for you - you'll be the best-dressed boy in town soon!



Your Auntie Marisa (who is your Mum's best friend) celebrated her 30th birthday on New Year's Eve, and it was a good test to see how we both dealt with 40C Summer heat... thankfully it wasn't too bad, but I was quite tired. You very much liked the chocolate birthday cake, and were wriggling around for hours after I ate it (in fact, you seem to love sugary foods - again, taking after me!). Seconds into the new year, your Dad and I looked at each other, amazed that this very year you will be born... and how both of our lives will change!



You're 25 weeks in this picture (taken on NYE).





The chocolate cake that you liked so much.



Braxton Hicks (practice contractions) may have begun, they make my tummy go hard underneath the belly button and it feels a little uncomfortable. Fortunately they only last for 30 seconds or so - there's no reason to be scared, it's just my body practicing getting ready for your birth in April.

Looking forward to seeing you on the ultrasound screen in 2.5 weeks, until then keep squirming and growing and being the best manatee you can be!

Love you. :)

22 Weeks

The bumping and thumping continues, with baby making his presence known more by the day.

We had an appointment with our obstetrician this morning, where we found out that everything was well with the 20-week scan (as expected, as we were given every indication during the scan that nothing was awry!). Weight gain so far this pregnancy is at 8kg (I'm now carrying an extra 1/7th more weight than pre-pregnancy!), the doctor seems to be pleased with how everything is progressing.

I'll be doing the (non-fasting) glucose test on January 4th - not particularly looking forward to it but such is life! The doctor also said that with his IVF patients he usually schedules a 28-week ultrasound to make sure that everything is continuing to progress nicely. Another ultrasound? Another chance to see the little man's features more developed? I'll definitely be in on that (even if it's for purely selfish reasons :P).

I quite like our obstetrician, he said he needs to have a "reason" (his words) to perform another scan, with IVF in itself not usually being enough on the request form. So he popped down that the baby is potentially measuring small (even though he's not!), and voila... scan is booked for January 20th.

Recent gifts for the little man(atee) that arrived from my MIL and sister in-law. Very cute, and in squee-worthy newborn size!



View from the top at 22 weeks! ;)



20 Week Belly

In less than 24 hours we'll hopefully find out if we have a son or a daughter growing in my tummy. :)

19 Weeks x 2

My mind is a-swirl with things to come in the months ahead - planning this baby's room, putting away old furniture, building up our cloth nappy (diaper) stash. Hubby and I went to Mothercare yesterday and left without actually buying anything (!!). Actually, what was supposed to be a quick look at cots (which we'll be purchasing and setting up after Christmas) turned into ooh-ing and ahh-ing over soft blankets and co-ordinating nursery bedding, analysing prams and carseats, and envisioning the little one in little jeans, t-shirts or dresses. It was the first time either of us had looked at things specifically for baby together, so that was a milestone within itself.

We've decided to forgo the traditional pink or blue-toned rooms and are looking at light wood and shades of yellow, green and white (even though we hope to know whether the baby is a boy or a girl). We found the perfect nursery set which brings together all of these colours, and has cute baby insects with happy smiling faces. This will be perfect (in fact I had to restrain myself not to buy it right there and then - I know we have many eager family and friends who are itching to buy us gifts for baby; it'll be nice to be able to point them in a certain direction now!).



(this is what the quilt looks like...isn't it cute?)



After a few goes, both hubby and I have been improving with using the doppler. Baby's heartbeat tends to measure between 135-145bpm (which the old wives tales say could point to a boy ;P), nice and strong. This has definitely put my mind at ease after the fall I had a couple of weeks ago (my knees with their new pink skin still tell the tale!).

Two days until I'm 20 weeks (!!) and 4 days until the big ultrasound. It's set to be an exciting week. :)

Bump at 19 weeks.

Letter to a Little One [18 Weeks]

"Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be“ (Carrie Fisher)

Who are you, the little one who kicks me softly in the early evenings and as I lay down and sleep each night? I've only known you for eighteen weeks but already you have changed my life and the lives of those around you immeasureably.

In fifteen days we will know whether you are a little boy or a little girl, and the rest of the surprises will be kept for after you join us in the outside world in April.

(Bump at 18 weeks)

We went out on the weekend to a fancy restaurant and discovered that I could still fit into a fairly small pre-pregnancy dress (I was thrilled, in fact!). It's not often that either hubby and I have the opportunty to dress up, so we took full advantage of it. :)

The way I was standing made it look as though I was carrying my bump really high (which isn't the case at all!)



16 Weeks

This week marks an important milestone - no, not just that I'm officially four month pregnant, but that I felt the baby move for the first time on Tuesday (the 26th).

We were at an appointment with the obstetrician and I laid down on the bed while he put the doppler on my tummy. As he started up the doppler (before we could hear any sound) there was a small thwack off to my left side, between belly button and pelvic bone. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the baby was startled!

I kept my thoughts to myself in case hubby or the doctor laughhed at me and said "oh no, that's way too early for movement with a first baby". But sure enough, I've felt the same muscle-twitching type movement another two times since then.

The little one is trying to make itself known to me, and I am ever so excited. I'm filled with love, gushiness and maternal pride *insert gooey smile here*. :)

Another big week for growth, and am getting more comments from families in the workplace. The old wives tales have begun, and people are adamant that it's "definitely" one gender over another. Of course, everyone has a 50/50 chance of being right... including hubby and myself. Hubby is currently thinking Team Pink, whereas I'm undecided (although looking whistfully at little buttoned shirts and cargo shorts). Only 27 days until we get the opportunity to try and find out! ;)

16 weeks & 3 days.

14 Weeks

Hubby and I went away to the Grampians (a mountain range in inner Victoria) for a wedding I was shooting last weekend. It was an amazing experience (with views for miles and miles!) but unfortunately the morning sickness I thought I'd avoided reared its ugly head on the morning of the wedding...oh dear.

Thankfully I didn't empty the contents of my stomach, though I had to excuse mysef out of rooms multiple times during the day (including while shooting the bride getting the end of her make-up done). Talk about an experience!

Here I am before the ceremony (photo courtesy of the hubby) -

Photo at 13 weeks & 4 days

I made my pregnancy official to management at work last week, which was a relief (as it turns out many people were guessing anyway, given the fact I'm starting to show and was quite thin pre-pregnancy!). Many of the parents and families I work with at the preschool are very happy for the news too... even if it means I won't be teaching their children next year!

Got a shocking cold at the moment, which is the first I've had since I hit 6 weeks (when I had 3 colds in quick succession... hello compromised immune system!) and am thinking of taking tomorrow off as a sick day - I barely ever take time off. I think I owe it to myself. :)

12 Weeks (!!)

Today I had my first appointment with the obstetrician and he surprised us with a quick ultrasound....cue much excitement (and nervousness!) on my part!
We got to see our baby on the screen.... not a blob, but a fully-formed (but tiny) baby! Sure, this picture doesn't quite do the experience justice, but it was amazing to see it moving around on the screen. In fact, the obstetrician commented on how active he/she was, and that may be a sign of things to come.... oh my! :O

Measuring three days ahead too - it must have our tall genes... I've never been so proud. :)




(Not the clearest angle, but here's our little one's second picture! (head to the left, legs to the right)
We have our 'proper' scan next week, so I'll be sure to update then.



And my twelve week tummy picture. Nearly out of the first trimester!!

P.S. - Hubby and I made the pregnancy public on Facebook tonight, now it's officially out there. :)