Car shopping

We had a nice, relaxing weekend at home.  We rented a couple DVD's.  Friday night we watched Shallow Hal, which was pretty funny.   Saturday night we watched A Beautiful Mind, which was excellent.

     

We did a little bit of car shopping, and test-drove a 2003 Pontiac Vibe, and a 2002 Pontiac Aztek.  We really liked them both.  The Vibe was really fun, but probably not big enough for our growing family needs. ;-)  The Aztek is definitely high up on our list if we go with an SUV.
     

If you are not faint-of-heart, and you want to know the details of how the pregnancy is going, you can visit Taryn's online pregnancy journal.

Car Shopping

We've started looking for a bigger car. Obviously, we can't fit 2 adults, 2 carseats, and sometimes a dog in either a Plymouth Sundance or a Ford Escort! 

We test-drove a couple today...a 2003 Pontiac Vibe and a 2002 Pontiac Aztek. I was surprised that I really liked driving them both. I was afraid they would seem huge compared to my little Sundance, which is really the only thing I've driven in my life. But, neither the Vibe or the Aztek seemed big. The Vibe was really FUN to drive, and we were surprised how low the price is. But, the Aztek has a LOT more space in it, which is really what we need. It was fun to test drive them both.

Warnings

Some reactiosn to our pregnancy have been kind of funny. They feel the need to warn me that I am not going to have an "easy baby" like Annah this time. I do realize that all babies are not as even tempered as she was as an infant. She slept through the night at 3 1/2 weeks old, nursed like a champ, never cried, ate whatever we gave her the first time she tried it...etcetera. 

I am fully aware that this child may cry incessantly, not sleep much, not take to nursing, and be a general all-around challenge. But, I am also sure that it would not make me love the child any less! I am prepared to lose some sleep, and get a little frustrated. Isn't that all part of being a mommy?! You do whatever it takes to comfort your child. I know each child is different, and I look forward to getting to know the unique qualities of this child too.

Glucose

A nurse from Doctor Weaver's office called me yesterday. My glucose test came back abnormal, so I have to go take the 3 hour test. She said they don't want the test to be any higher than 135 and mine was 140. I'm not really surprised, I guess. I am glad that Dr. W wanted me to do the initial test early on though. I'm sure if my second test comes back abnormal, she will put me on a special diet. 

Dr. Russ should have last time I was pregnant and had gestational diabetes, but for some reason he didn't act like it was a big deal. I never understood that. Anyway, I'm glad to be trying to take care of this early on in this pregnancy.

Beautiful Soul

Well, the new is out! I put the pregnancy announcement up on our Family Website, and sent e-mails to most everyone in my address book this afternoon. It is so nice to share the news with people we love. I think I may share this link with some of my closest friends and relatives. Not that anyone will really be all that interested in reading it, but... I just feel like keeping a record of this time in my life because I wish I had when I was pregnant with Annah. And, it's so much quicker to type than write by hand. And, I don't have a book to carry around and lose when I put it all online. Ahh, I love the internet. Anyway...

Wendy called tonight as soon as she got my e-mail. She said she was shaking she was so excited. It makes me feel so loved to know that others are excited for us too. She is the best.

I think I am beginning to think more about the tiny life inside me, now that I SAW the baby moving today. It really was so amazing!! With Annah, I think I was 12 or 14 weeks when I had the first ultrasound, so she actually looked like a baby then. This baby is so small it just looked like a little dot, but I could see the heart beating. I know that this is my child and a beautiful soul only from God above. What a miracle!! We are so blessed!

Ultrasound

I had the longest doctor's appointment ever today. I had an internal ultrasound to determine the due date based on the baby's size. It is now actually due on March 3, 2003--(03-03-03--also Erin's birthday!). I could actually see my teeny-tiny baby moving! It was so amazing and exciting!!! The nurse said the baby is currently about 4 millimeters in size!


Baby is the tiny spot between the 2 pluses in the photo.

I also met with Dr. Weaver, who did pelvic and pap exams. She said everything looks great. She is a very cool doctor, a Christian, and seem genuinely excited for me. How awesome!

I also did the glucose test because of the gestational diabetes in my first pregnancy, and had all me prenatal bloodwork done. Should get the results of that soon, I think. I also lost 7 pounds since the last time I was weighed there, which would have been before I was pregnant. That's strange. Maybe it's because I've been walking? I certainly haven't been dieting. Dr. didn't seem concerned. I go back in 4 weeks.

Here's what Baby Center says about where I am in my pregnancy right now:

Fetal Development: Week 6

You may not look pregnant at this point, but your embryo's heart, no bigger than a poppyseed, has already begun to beat and pump blood. The heart is dividing into chambers, and will find a more regular rhythm soon. The embryo itself is about a quarter inch long and looks more like a tadpole than a human. It undergoes a growth spurt this week.

Major organs, including the kidneys and liver, begin to grow. The neural tube, which connects the brain and spinal cord, will close this week. The embryo's upper and lower limb buds begin to sprout — these will form your baby's arms and legs. The intestines are developing and the appendix is in place.

Below the opening that will later form the mouth, small folds exist where the neck and the lower jaw eventually develop. As early as this week, facial features are already forming. Nostrils are becoming distinct, and the earliest version of the eyes' retinas are forming.

4th of July family vacation

We returned from vacation yesterday!  A good time was had by all (the 3 of us, my parents, and Travis and Erin) on our trip to Alton and Grafton, Illinois.  We had planned to visit St. Louis on this trip, but due to the government warnings about terrorist activities near the Gateway Arch, we decided not to head into the city. We had fun anyway, despite the ridiculous, unbearable heat. (We heard somewhere that the St. Louis area was the hottest spot in the country over the holiday weekend!)
     

Annah had fun talking on the walkie-talkies, and spending lots of time with "Kappa-Gamma" (Grandma and Grandpa) and Uncle Travis and Aunt Erin.  She kept Grandma up until 3:30 one night; apparently she was a combination of too tired and too excited to sleep.  Grandma and Grandpa were very patient with her and didn't even call Mommy and Daddy in their room to ask them to come put the child to sleep!
     

Annah got to see fireworks for the first time, and she thought they were the coolest!  We sat just above the marina by the Clark Bridge in Alton and watched the fireworks over the water.  Annah thought they were very pretty when they went, "boom, boom," and that some of them looked like her favorite cereal--Kix.   She asked for "more fire-ks" all the way back to the hotel.  The rest of us had such fun watching Annah watching the fireworks that we didn't see much of them ourselves! ;)
     

It was a nice vacation; we all decided it was too short, and that next time we're going somewhere cooler!      

Nauseous

I'm definitely feeling more pregnant now. I've been nauseous the past few days. I go to see my doctor tomorrow.

Due Date Estimate

My appointment was mostly informational. The nurse asked about my medical history, briefly explained about some of the appointments I'll have, and gave me prescriptions for iron tablets and prenatal vitamins. 

She did figure my due date: February 21, 2003!

It could be interesting getting from our house to the hospital at that time of year. The hospital is 45 minutes away (in good weather!), but living so far out of town, it is hard to say what the roads will be like if there's snow.

I am currently 6 weeks and 3 days along in the pregnancy. The first ultrasound probably won't be until 18-20 weeks. Something to look forward to though! :)

I am beginning to be able to tell more physical signs already...

My tummy is "bloated," sorta like really bad PMS, I am absolutely exhausted all the time, my face is very oily and breaking out, and my breasts are sore too. (Hey, this is my personal journal; I said at the beginning it would be personal and descriptive.) I have also been a little nauseous a couple mornings too. I think I should not drink milk on an empty stomach. The heat doesn't really help much either; it is in the high 90's these days. All in all though, I'm feeling pretty good.

Cramp

I'm getting ready to head out to my appointment with the nurse soon. I had a cramp on one side of my "belly" for a while this morning. It kind of scared me, but I think I remember having that early on the last time too.