It's a BOY!

Never doubt mother's intuition - it's a boy! Yesterday, we got our first sneak peak at a detailed ultrasound. We may not have been able to get him to sit still enough to take a profile picture, but he had no problem spreading his legs on the first try. James and I are so excited, and we can't wait to welcome Noah Jackson into the world this May. (Little explanation on the name - we both love Noah's faithfulness in the Bible, and Jackson is the town in Tennessee where my dad grew up and the town James claims as home - so his name is dear to our heart!)

We had to go back to Arlington for our final appointment there, so yay for another 3 hour drive. (I had to drive back and forth between Arlington and Austin twice last week - once to sign the contract on our house and another time to actually move!) But this one was well worth it - I was bouncing with excitement the entire ride.

At first, she began measuring Noah's head, brain, arms, legs, arms, etc., just to make sure that he was developmentally on track. Her measurements came back completely normal. Noah weighs about 8 oz. and is about 7.5 inches long now. He was moving around a lot, so he wasn't making it easy on our sweet ultrasound tech.

However, she had no problem getting him to spread his legs. Very quickly, she asked, "Do you want to know?" After my quick "YES!," she said. "It's a boy. No doubt about it."

I squealed. I've said this from the beginning - I would have been happy either way - I really would have been - but I am so excited to be able to give my parents their first grandson. (It's the first grandchild on James' side, so either one would have been just as exciting for them!) I watched in amazement and she went through in detail to show us as much as she could about our little boy. James, of course, is ecstatic too.

She never could get him to sit still long enough to get a profile shot. (As my loving father quickly says..."Payback!") However, we were able to get a shot of his face, which I can't scan yet since we are still unpacking...but I will tell you - this is the scariest ultrasound! Right now, Noah looks like cross between and alien and a skeleton...so I look forward to him filling out just a little bit! :) The only other thing she got a picture of was his foot...which was no surprise to me! I've been getting kicked for about a week and a half now!

His heartbeat was 158 bpm, and everything else looked good. We had an opportunity to pay for an additional test to check for Down's Syndrome, but we opted not to. After all, it doesn't matter. Noah is our son, and while we pray faithfully for a healthy baby boy, we will love him and raise him the same, no matter what.

Thank you for sharing in our excitement! I'll post the new pictures as soon as I can.

My Favorite Thump!

Thump, thump....thump, thump...thump, thump....

The sound of Baby Myers' heartbeat has got to be one of the best sounds I've ever heard. Today was my 14 week routine check-up. It was a very quick visit - I came in, gave my regular urine sample, weighed in, heard the heartbeat, and scheduled our next apppointment! But those very few seconds when I got to hear the baby were amazing...I keep trying to replay the sound in my mind.

Because of my anorexic history, I don't really weigh myself. Normally, I just monitor my weight by how my clothes fit...which is pretty much impossible right now! So, basically, I've just asked my doctor to be honest with me as to whether I am gaining the right amount of weight. Today, she said I'm right on target - I haven't gained too much, but I've also gained enough to where she isn't concerned that I'm not taking good care of myself.

On a funnier note, my maternity jeans were in the laundry on Sunday, so I had to wear my regular jeans to church. WOW, that was uncomfortable! I won't be making that mistake again!! Thankfully, I just got an awesome shipment from my good friend, Brooke Allen - she's loaning my 5 pairs of maternity pants! AMAZING! I'm so thankful for generous friends who are willing to share. Thanks, Brooke!

The next Baby Myers appointment is December 7...which is when we will find out the sex of the baby! So far, the guesses are pretty split. The Chinese calendar says boy...do you think it's right?

This Is What Love Looks Like :)

Can you believe the changes in just 4 weeks? Baby Myers really looks like a human now!

This morning, I went in for my second appointment. After I got a flu shot, my doctor came in, and put the "jelly stuff" on my stomach so we could hear the heartbeat. After searching for several minutes, she finally gave up and sent us to get another vaginal ultrasound.

I was pretty nervous, but she was quick to calm my fears. She said 14 weeks is usually the earliest you can hear a really strong heartbeat, but she wanted to do an ultrasound just for our peace of mind and to make sure everything was fine.

Once the ultrasound tech got a clear picture of Baby Myers, she informed me that my uterus tips backward, which not only explains why they were having trouble hearing the heartbeat, but it also explains the pain I've been experiencing in my tailbone! Having a tipped (or retroverted) uterus shouldn't mean any additional complications in pregnancy, but it may mean that when I'm in labor, I might feel my contractions more in my back than I feel them in my abdomen. I actually think I'm okay with that!

We go back at 14 weeks - then at 18 weeks, we should get another ultrasound where we will find out if Baby Myers is a boy or a girl! I'm so excited to find out!

But let's hear from you....You see the picture. What do you think? Boy or girl? :)

I'm in Love :)

Isn't that the most PRECIOUS white blob you've ever seen??!!?! :)

Words cannot describe my joy as soon as the nurse pointed out our baby. That faint heartbeat at 113 bpm was one of the most precious sounds I've ever heard. (Just a note to anyone who is reading this before their first pregnancy...make sure your husband goes with you to this appointment! He will not want to miss hearing the heartbeat and seeing the baby for the first time. It was a very special moment for James and me!)

This is a whole new type of love, a whole new outlook on life....and I'm only 6 weeks in.

Yes, that's right - 6 weeks, not 8 weeks, as we originally thought. Based on the size of the fetus, we now have a new due date of May 9, 2011.

According to the materials I've been reading (Your Pregnancy: week by week) and what I saw at the doctor's office today, Baby Myers is about 2 mm. The early brain chambers are forming, along with the eyes and limbs. Six weeks is the earliest week that you should be able to hear the heartbeat, so we were blessed to be able to hear it today. Today, they also did blood work and a routine exam to make sure everything looks normal. So far, so good!

The doctor gave me the all clear to continue to exercise in moderation. I just have to be extremely careful to make sure my heart rate doesn't get up too high and that I don't get too hot. I ordered a heart rate monitor from Beachbody, so it should be here within the next few days. I'm being OVERLY careful until it arrives.

I don't have to go back to the doctor for another 4 weeks unless there is a problem. I have a feeling every time I close my eyes in a quiet place, I'm going to hear that heartbeat...

Praise God for the amazing miracle of life!