A long time ago, in a galaxy...

So T and I have a longstanding joke with each other where I try to trick him into saying it's a girl and he tries to trick me into saying it's a boy. But the reality is I really wanted our first to be a girl.

Over the last week or so, I've started assuming this baby is going to be a boy. Partly because of the whole Ramzi's Method thing, and partly because of Murphy's Law and the fact that it's nearly impossible for me to find a boy's name I like. So I've been preparing in my head as though this baby is a boy, and I started thinking seriously about names and nursery decor.

Now I really want a boy.

I have a first name picked out. (When I casually mentioned it to T, he said he didn't hate it... That's all the input I need, right? :P ) And the nursery is going to be... STAR WARS!

I asked T how he would feel about a Star Wars-themed nursery and he was totally on board. Now I just need to make sure it turns out more subtle/simple rather than filling the room with Star Wars merchandise.

If we close on the house we want, this will be the room I have to work with:

I'm in love with this print, so I'll probably start with it and use its colors throughout the room:

It's a work in progress, but here is the beginning of my idea. The other side of the room would have our existing dresser with a changing pad on top, another Star wars-themed piece of art, and two light-saber night lights on the wall (T's favorite part).

Sequential Screening

I had my 13-week sequential screening appointment today. Originally I wasn't going to do it because my insurance company told me it wouldn't be covered and I would have to pay $1,061. Then last week my doctor somehow magically got them to approve it. Apparently their definition of "medically necessary" is different from mine!

T couldn't come because he had back-to-back meetings all afternoon. The ultrasound tech was really sweet and she spent a good twenty minutes waiting for Raeyn Drop to turn the right way so she could see what she needed to. As a result, I got to watch the baby wiggling around for a while. I'm fairly certain Raeyn Drop was mocking us.

The baby never did cooperate (clearly he takes after his father), but she was able to get one shot of the nuchal translucency. Apparently it measured 1.5mm, and less than 3mm is good. I'll have to wait a week for the results from the blood tests. The heart beat was a solid 167 and the tech said that growth was on track.

Now I have to wait another 7 weeks before I get to see the baby again!

All Is Well

So... J reminded me that I haven't updated since my ultrasound. I keep forgetting that some people actually read this thing. Sorry!

Fortunately everything is fine. Baby looked healthy and had made the right amount of growth. They couldn't find the source of the bleed but said I have nothing to worry about. My progesterone came back high, so I'm good there too. Phew!

Here is the new pic of our little raeyn drop. Apparently there is a discernible head now, though it still just looks like a blurry blob to me.

Since I had to miss a team meeting for this, I ended up telling my boss on Thursday morning. It wasn't the ideal time or place since we only had two minutes to talk, but I wanted her to know I had a good reason for skipping out early. I'm now kind of in a weird place where I don't really care about keeping it a secret anymore but don't know if it's appropriate to let it be public knowledge. I've told five people at work, which I feel like might be too many to ensure it stays contained. Should I let it go and be honest when people bring it up? Or wait until I get the chance to really talk with my principal about what she wants me to do (which might not be for a couple months)?

Spotting

Yesterday I started spotting. Dr. B told me to call if there was any bleeding, so I've spent the last 24 hours playing phone tag with the nurse from her office. I honestly was expecting them to say I need to chill out and wait for my next appointment three weeks from now. I know it's not uncommon to have spotting in the first trimester, and I figured I was overreacting.

Through a series of voice mail messages today, the nurse told me Dr. B wants me in right away for another ultrasound and progesterone testing. On one hand I'm really happy that she is taking it seriously and being proactive; on the other hand, having the doctor validate my concerns with immediate action has just tripled my anxiety about it.

7 1/2 Weeks

Aaaand... the vomiting has begun. Fingers crossed I make it through the week and can actually participate in the fashion show fundraiser next Saturday.

Ultrasound

T and I went to see Dr. B today for the first time. She and her staff were absolutely wonderful, and I'm quite happy with my choice. She did do an ultrasound, which was such a relief!

At first, the screen was tilted away from me so T could see it and I couldn't. It was so cool to watch the awe and excitement on his face as he saw our baby for the first time. Then he turned to the doctor and asked, "Why are there three little kidney shaped things?" Har, har, har. The doctor and I both chuckled and she assured me there was only one.

Dr. B said that everything seemed great and the heartbeat was very strong! I was measuring at 6 weeks and 5 days so I guess that moves my due date back a couple days, although she didn't specifically say. I will be seeing her every four weeks until July and then every two weeks after that. I still can't believe this is really happening!

I had told T about Ramzi's Method of fetal gender identification, so he asked the doctor what side the placenta was on. According to Ramzi I'm having a boy -- I'm curious to see if it ends up being true for me!

Week 7

So far I've been feeling a ton of fatigue, a little nausea, and some heartburn. My cough is still driving me crazy, and it kept me (and my poor husband) up a few nights last week. My boobs have definitely gotten bigger, and I've learned that some of my tighter dresses are no longer work appropriate because of it!

The good news is that I get to see Dr. B on Tuesday! I have never met this doctor before, but Curly's coworker recommended her so I'm sure everything will be great. When the office called to confirm the appointment, I asked what they would be doing; unfortunately the receptionist said that she doesn't know and I will just have to wait until Dr. B sees me to find out. It seemed strange that they couldn't even tell me if I will be having an ultrasound, but I will drag T along just in case.