Our Story: My husband and I are more excited than I could possibly express with words. After the loss of our first baby in March of this year.... we tried to concieve through my first 2 cycles and here we are... so blessed to be pregnant again with a beautiful little one! Things are going really well thus far... we've had wonderful levels with our blood tests and the doctor has assured us that everything is going really well. We've just had our first ultrasound done and all was PERFECT with baby. He or she is growing right along with a wonderful heartbeat of 166! Now~ we're counting down the days until our next appointment on August 4th!

**updates from weeks 3-6 are located in the blog section**

Sunday, July13th: 7 weeks!!!

7 weeks already! We found out in week three so it's been over a month. How amazing that time is going so quickly. And with my belly getting bigger already by the week.... I'm really starting to feel pregnant. :)

The little one is doing just fine.... I'm confident of that as he or she is certainly making mommy very tired & nauseated a great deal of the day. No worries though... it's a very small sacrifice to make for such an amazing blessing.

Still have to wonder if I'm a bit farther along.... I'm really looking forward to our ultrasound this week to confirm baby's age. Zach is more and more excited each day. He's always touching or rubbing on my belly and reminding me that we're having a baby (as if I had forgotten). :)

I still have baby boy feelings but I'm breaking out and I heard from a couple of close friends that they only broke out when they were pregnant with girls. I think it's just hormones. I don't know how much I agree with all those wive's tales.

I'm doing lots of thinking about those friends of mine on here who are still in their journey to try and concieve. Baby dust to you all this month and best best wishes to Minky Moo as she begins her two week wait! I have good feelings for this month. :)

7 Week Baby Belly:

Goodness! It's definitely growing. Hubbie is still guessing that I'm farther along than 7 weeks or that there are 2 in there! I do seem a bit big for only 7 weeks but we shall see on Friday with the ultrasound! I can't wait to find out for sure! Baby is growing right along.... :) Can't believe how big I'm getting. I don't feel comfortable in my clothes at all and everyone must just think I'm gaining weight because I don't look pregnant yet. Oh well.... whatever needs to happen for bub to be a healthy one!

I still think it's because this is my second pregnancy... even if our first didn't carry full term.

also seems that I'm showing rather high.... isn't this a sign of a girl? hmm.... I've been having boy feelings??

Monday July 14th, 2008: 7 Weeks 1 Day

congestion! I'm terribly congested today... headache, stuffy nose, and horrible eye drainage. I also sound like I have a frog in my throat. Super tired today too... even more so than usual, though that's hard to believe! Glad bub is giving me constant reminders. :)

I had my OB interview today on the phone... they called and asked tons of questions. Yay! It's all going so quickly! 4 more days until the ultrasound! I can't believe it!

Tuesday July 15th, 2008: 7 Weeks 2 Days

I definitely feel pregnant this morning.... lots of dizziness & a headache lingering. Poor bub is probably hungry so I have to make this short.... as I haven't eaten yet today and it's nearly 10.

I woke up to go potty last night so I'm feeling better where that's concerned. I think it's just my nerves creeping up on me. I've been quite anxious considering the ultrasound is 3 days away!! I can't believe it!

Zach and I are making some yummy dinner plans afterwards and then visiting family to show them our ultrasound video so Friday will be a wonderful day! :)

I can't wait to see what the ultrasound reveals! Imagine.... I could be farther along or bub could have playmate in there! I imagine it has to be one or the other as much as I've grown but who knows... bub could just be overweight for his/her gestational age... we never know!

I don't think I'll be posting anything tomorrow as I have a 13 hour day at school! I'm really dreading it!! I can't imagine how I'll ever get through 13 hours.... with no nap! Especially if I'm not feeling well! It'll probably be the longest day of my life. Wish me luck & I'll be back on Thursday! Have a wonderful afternoon all of you!

Wednesday July 16th, 2008: 7 Weeks 3 Days

Managed to sneak to the library for a few minutes for a break from school! Ugh.... today is so long. I can't wait to get this week over with and see our baby. It'll be such a tremendous relief.

I have a three week break from school starting in early August... and I can hardly wait for that. It will be the greatest three weeks ever! :) School really stresses me out and the baby needs some rest from all of this anxiety. I'm so excited to almost be done with our summer schedule.

Hubbie's cleaning up tonight... and renting us a movie to watch so that I can relax with him when I get home... I can't wait! Only 7 more hours....

Oh~ jumped on the scale today just for fun- I've gained 5 pounds! I'm not eating more than usual... and I'm making healthy food choices so I don't understand. It must be water weight... do you think? Obviously I am growing some & my body has extra blood in it but 5 pounds!? I'm surely going to be huge by the time this baby decides to come out!

Thursday July 17th, 2008: 7 Weeks 4 Days

Can't believe our ultrasound is tomorrow! It seems like just yesterday I was saying, "23 more days!" My husband and I were eating dinner together last night when I came home from my long day at school and he said... "Hey guess what honey?..... only 2 more days!"

I'm so glad that he's as excited as I am. He's been so adorable throughout this pregnancy. He's forever poking on my belly and reminding me that we have a baby in there. :)

He still insists that there's a possibility of two babies... he's having trouble understanding where all the growing is coming from. I don't think we're having twins.... I just don't have a feeling about that. Although... that probably means nothing, I suppose. I think that there's one very healthy little one cruising around in there... but we'll see tomorrow won't we?

I'm looking foward to seeing how my doc feels about exercise. I have got to start doing something! I'm in a wedding in September and our dresses are strapless. My poor little arms are losing their muscle by the day. Hopefully, they'll say that baby is healthy & I'm good to go to the gym. I'll start off slow of course but It'll be so nice to start working out again.

Well.... I've got an 8 hour clinical rotation this afternoon & I desperately need a nap before I go in as I am super exhausted. So... I'm off to take a nap. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day and I'll be back tomorrow!! I'm counting down to the ultrasound now by the hours!!! :)

Friday July 18th, 2008: 7 Weeks 5 Days

Oh goodness.... I was up at 5:30 this morning... & can't get back to sleep! :)

I have nothing to do all day other than daydream about the scan and as much as I'd like to curl back up in bed & go to sleep... there's no way! I've never been so excited and so nervous at once. It's going to be a very eventful day... that's for sure. The closer the day has come... the more nervous I've become and the more paranoid.

I had a horrible evening last night... worked in labor & delivery with the high risk mommies and we had 3 little ones that didn't make it. What an awful way to spend the night before my first scan. I thought I would surely throw up several times. And please... don't worry or be upset. These mommies had very unhealthy pregnancies, very rare cases, and these babies were very early & had severe disorders that made them incompatable with life. I was stationed at a hospital that is known world-wide for high risk pregnancy care so mums from all around the country who are having severe pregnancy difficulties will come there... and a lot of these mommies don't have a good prognosis. None-the-less.... it was still a terrible, heart-wrenching evening. I don't wish to subject myself to that ever again during this pregnancy. I know it couldn't have been good for bub. Please know, and I'm sure that you all do.... that if you have a healthy little one growing right along... you are carrying a miracle. To carry & deliver a healthy baby is incredible.

anyway.... enough dread & dreary... last night is over & today is a beautiful new day!

Zach is meeting me at the doctor's office this afternoon because he has to work today but I wouldn't make it one minute there without him. I will admit, I am a bit scared. I'm trying to be confident... but with my history, that is still very hard and I know that there are so many of you who remember this feeling well. I've fallen so in love with this little one and I feel in my heart that all is well with him or her so positive thoughts! It'll be the best day of our lives... hubbie said to me last night. He's amazing... always making me feel better, always lifting my spirits and saying just the right things. I'm so lucky to have him.

Thank you all so very much for all of your support. It's so incredible. I got on here this morning and so many of you are already thinking of me today. I only wish that time would stop in England for a few hours so that my friends there would get to hear of my news today. Unfortunately, by the time I get home and am able to post the results... it will be rather late there. But... as soon as I can, I'll be posting pictures & possibly video if I'm technically capable of pulling that off.

Thank you all so much!!! I'll be back on this evening after the appointment.

Sunday July 20th, 2008: 8 week update!!

I can't believe it's been 8 weeks already! Time really is going so quickly... and I'm thankful for that because I'm so anxious to get out of school. I can't wait to be done with school in December and be able to focus on the baby for 3 months before he or she makes the big arrival. :)

I feel much better since the ultrasound.... much, much better. It was amazing to see that baby is growing perfectly... even a few days ahead & his or her little heart was beating away! Thank goodness for ultrasounds!

I went to the store today and bought baby two new books. One is so perfect... it's titled "God Gave Us You". Zach is making baby a book rack for the nursery to hang on the wall. I can't wait to start working on nursery details. We move in October and will start getting things together then. So much to look forward to!

My belly has gone down a bit! Thank goodness. I woke up this morning & I was skinny again! I have been terribly bloated in these past 4 or 5 weeks. It's so nice to be back into my normal clothes. I am looking forward to showing though... 3 or 4 more weeks & I should be starting to stick right out. That isn't really very long come to think of it. And after that... it's just going to get bigger and bigger each week! I will enjoy this time that I can fit into clothes that don't have big elastic bands sewed into them. :)

I started working out today! Oh... it feels great. I realize that it may be a bit too late to do too much before my belly starts to really grow but it'll be good for me none-the-less. I just hope to get my legs and arms toned & firmed up in these next two months before the wedding that I'm in. My dress is short & strapless. I started out really slow... I only did a lower body workout today. Tomorrow I plan to do upper body and some cardio. I won't start to work out harder until after the first tri-mester. I'm just thankful to be doing something rather than nothing. I feel like I'm getting bigger by the day when I'm not working out a bit!

28 days until our 12 week appointment! We're counting down the days. We can't wait to hear baby's heartbeat again. I have my first ob appointment tomorrow... I'm looking forward to that as well.

I have the ultrasound & belly pictures ready to go.... I'll upload them tomorrow after my first appointment... I've got to spend some time with Hubbie tonight. Thanks for checking in! Happy Sunday everyone!

Tuesday July 22nd, 2008: 8 weeks 5 days

I'm soooooooo exhausted today... and very congested with a headache. I just want to sleep all the time. Baby must be growing by leaps and bounds in there to make me so sleepy. I think I'll go back to sleep for awhile as I did wake up pretty early today. I have to work in the pediatric burn unit tonight... and I'm dreading it. Only 3 more clinical days this summer. I'll be so happy to get them out of the way! School is horrible but I'm getting through it somehow! 4 1/2 more months and I'll be done with it all and ready to concentrate on baby.

I'm still trying to get the pictures uploaded... but my camera's battery is low so I have to get it charged... as soon as I do- I'll have them up. By the time I get my eight week pictures up... it'll be time for 9 week pictures! I'm getting slower and slower by the day....

Wednesday July 23rd, 2008: 8 weeks 6 days

Have an awful headache again today.... and my bbs are the worst they have been throughout the entire pregnancy these past few days..... they ache terribly just sitting here. I ordered baby some more new books last night.... although it was after hubbie went to bed so he'll surely wonder what the heck I was thinking going on a shopping spree in the middle of the night. They're all wonderful books and I can't wait to get them.

I think I'm done buying books for awhile as baby has enough for the book rack now.... I'll have to get onto buying something else. It's so hard to buy things when you have no idea what you're having. I think I'll go crazy not finding out but Zach insists for now that we leave it to be a suprise at the delivery!

I've been more exhausted with each day. Sometimes I wonder if this exhaustion really does go away after the first tri-mester. All I want to do is nap. It's very annoying as I have no motivation to get anything done..... and goodness do I have a tremendous appetite! I'm not hungry more often than usual but I eat more than usual. And I didn't do well with my eating habits yesterday so today I've made a promise to be more careful! I keep reminding myself that I can't lose weight while I'm pregnant so if I eat terrible things.... they're sticking straight to my thighs until baby comes.

I had a dream last night that I had a little girl. But... I don't think that means anything at all. Besides... in the dream- I didn't know if she was actually my little girl or if I was watching her for someone else.

A woman in my class last night had a wonderful idea. She said that I should write my own book for the baby to keep on it's shelf. I think that's fantastic but I haven't the slightest clue where to start for having it made into an actual book. I'm sure there are companies out there that will turn your stories into books but I'll have to go searching for them. :) If anyone has any ideas.... please share! :)

Well... I should be back on later to post 8 week pictures.... if not I'll be posting them tomorrow for sure.... and 9 week pictures are coming soon as well! 9 weeks tomorrow! It's so hard to believe!

I'm such a nerd.... my hubbie took my car to work today and I completely forgot to get the camera charger out of it before he left. :( ugh! I can't post my 8 week pictures until 9 weeks and 2 days! What kind of mama am I? :)

A happy one.... that's for sure.... just a bit behind....

I'll get pictures posted soon.... hopefully sometime tomorrow.

But my belly hasn't grown a bit so nothing too exciting to share there. I suppose it will stick right out here in about 3 or 4 more weeks.... I'm rather thin and the nurse practitioner said that my uterus is "anterior" which will cause me to show a bit faster... so it should be any week now and bub will make the grand appearance! I can't wait!

** Oh... and I forgot to mention the other day that I lost 2 pounds... so that's good news. I think it's the water weight starting to fall off. Now my total weight gain is only 3 pounds. Not so bad for 9 weeks. They say that you should gain 5 pounds in the first tri-mester so I've got 4 more weeks to gain 2 pounds... oh my! But... that's only if I wanted to be a perfect textbook picture of a pregnant woman... and I don't so it doesn't matter. I say that bub can have whatever bub wants and if mama needs some extra pounds... so be it. I can always start getting them off 31 weeks from now. :)