Head and toes :)

You can click on any of these pictures to make them larger!! ;)

It might be a little hard to see, but here are the feet - one is labeled and the other foot is the right in the black area. It's the top of the toes

This was a perfect shot of the baby's face, but before the tech could still the frame, Meatloaf moved again! So, the big round thing on the left is the baby's head and the black spot is the baby's eye :)

Our mover and shaker!!

Well, we finally got to see our baby again today!! The baby was moving all over the place so, we didn't get very many good pictures. We will post the two we did get hopefully tomorrow. Everything looks great!! The tech checked all the baby parts and organs and said everything looks great! Right now, she estimated the baby weighs approx. 12oz so, s/he's right on target. In case you don't know - we decided not to find out the gender so, it will be a surprise come June!

The only problem we saw was that the placenta is low-lying near the cervix. This is apparently not uncommon at this stage and it typically corrects itself. We will get another ultrasound at our next appt. in Feb. to make sure that it is moving up away from the cervix. Hopefully, we will get some better pictures with that one!!

It was wonderful to see the baby!! It is so amazing to see that little life moving around inside of you. We did get to see some clear shots of the baby's legs, toes and face - it was awesome! I am feeling the baby move pretty regularly now and s/he seems to really like to punch/kick my bladder!! :) It's such a strange feeling to have your bladder poked from the inside.

Finally!

I felt the baby move for the first time last night! I was so excited!! Cindy felt the strongest punch she has felt so far, so she grabbed my hand and put it on her belly to see if the baby would do it again. It wasn't as strong, but I distinctly felt a little poke in the palm of my hand. I can't wait to feel it regularly! I was also happy to hear that the baby was moving around quite a bit while I was reading some Spanish children's poems to the belly. :)

I've been watching coverage of the upcoming Inauguration. I am trying to breathe in every moment of this historic occasion and let it really soak in. It is amazing to think that our child will be born during the first term of the first ever US President who is a person of color. That deserves reiteration: Our child will never know what it is like to live in an America that has never had a person of color as our commander-in-chief. Cindy and I can't wait to explain exactly what that means to our child. We also can't wait to see how that play's out in our child's life and what it will mean for the future of justice and equality in our nation.

The Meatloaf's first picture!

Ok, this is a little late getting posted, but here is the first picture of our Meatloaf! True, the baby looks a little more like a cashew, but here is how the Meatloaf story came about....

We were laying in bed the night before we took our first home pregnancy test and I said, "I sure hope there's a bun in the oven!" To which Lindsay replied, "or a biscuit!" This went on until Lindsay said, "or a meatloaf!" It sort of stuck - especially since I started craving meat shortly after that!

Pumpkin Patch - Oct. 4, 2008

A few days after we found out we were pregnant! Showing off our "pumpkin"!!

Lapse

Cindy created this blog soon after we learned we were pregnant, but then decided to wait and publish it until we were out of the first trimester . We were a bit cautious about things for the first 12-13wks, despite telling everyone and their mother that we were pregnant. :)


So, let me try to briefly recap the last 11wks... Elation, nausea, fear, anxiety, joy, and french fries. I think that about covers it. :) Just kidding, I'll add a little more detail.


We have had 3 visits to the doctor's office now. Instead of an OB/GYN we are using a wonderful Midwife, Melissa Courtney. At all of our visits we have gotten to hear the baby's heartbeat. Each time it has been both reassuring and amazing! We both teared up - big surprise! - when we got to hear it for the first time during the ultrasound at 8wks. It sounded a lot like the Kentucky Derby. :)


Aside from the occasional craving for McDonald's fries, Cindy is doing a great job of taking care of our baby! She is trying to drink lots of water and eat a balanced diet. (If anyone knows where we can get a good watermelon this time of year, Cindy would be eternally greatful for that information.) She is also going to prenatal yoga classes. The baby must like it because Cindy said Meatloaf was moving around a lot during the last session. :) I'm so jealous that she can feel the baby already and I can't! She started to feel the little flutters around 13 weeks, but I probably won't get to feel them on the outside until 20 or 21 weeks. Even though that's only a few weeks away, it's still driving me crazy!


Stay tuned for a post next week. We will be having another ultrasound on Monday and we can't wait to share the new picture of our Meatloaf!