First Ultrasound and OB/GYN visit

BABY HOOPER at a little over 9 weeks

our little gummy bear waving hello

What a happy day! Our morning began with a 9:30am ultrasound appointment. I made sure that I drank plenty of water before the appointment. Our ultrasound technician, Julie, was very friendly and sweet. She let us watch the baby wiggle and took some adorable pictures for us. Julie confirmed that the baby's gestational age appeared to be just as we suspected, which puts our due date at April 3rd, 2012! We were SO happy to be able to see the baby for the first time. I took a picture on my phone and sent it to family and friends. Jen says the baby looks like a little gummy bear. How cute. I also posted a picture on facebook as an official announcement. It was crazy how many people gave us such sweet words right away.

waiting to see Dr. Graham

After our ultrasound, we went to our appointment with Dr. Ernest Graham in Maternal Fetal Medicine, just across the birthing center from the ultrasound area. We did the whole check up routine, including a urine test, blood pressure, weight, and a pap smear. The doctor said all of my blood work and glucose test from my last appointment looked normal. That was good to hear. I worry about any complications that could come up so the reassurance feels great. Dr. Graham was nice. I was glad the husband was there. We are such proud parents already. We talk about the baby all the time.

new camera! the Canon Rebel T3i

After the doctor appointment and some lunch, we headed to the store to pick up a couple things. I had been saving for a nice camera and decided to take the plunge and purchase one today. I did my research and decided I wanted the newest Canon Rebel model. I searched around for the best price, and found a good deal at Best Buy. The package deal included the camera with the standard 18-55mm lens as well as a 55-250mm lens, an extra memory card, a camera bag, and the rest of the standard accessories. I really hope I can learn to use this camera appropriately. I have always loved photography and have a decent eye for good picture opportunities. I want to be able to take my own portraits of the baby, and record many of our family's memories.

Later in the day we had Mike and Teresa over. Teresa made us a delicious salmon sushi and egg roll dinner. It was SO good! Josh even loved it and he has never really tried sushi before. Of course I had some people scolding me about eating sushi, but some people don't do as much research as I do. There is nothing wrong with eating sushi rolls during pregnancy if everything is fully cooked. Any raw meat and fish can be dangerous to a growing baby. I think people just hear the word sushi and and freak out before finding out the details. Anyway, what we made was safe, nutritious, and SO yummy. Maybe I'll try the recipe one of these days.

When we were done with dinner, Teresa and I walked over to Parade Field right next to our neighborhood on Fort Meade for a FREE Blake Shelton concert. I love living on Fort Meade. It's a very peaceful and family oriented army post. I feel very safe and comfortable here. I have lots of areas to go for runs, including a 3.5 mile running trail, a FREE gym where I go to all the cardio classes (like kickboxing, step, bootcamp, and zumba!), the commissary and PX are right across the street, we have a cute townhouse in a nice neighborhood with a beautiful community center, and many other great amenities! Anyway, the show was GREAT! The Mecombers were there with their kids also because the girls like his new "Honey Bee" song. It was pretty neat for Blake Shelton to do a free show for military families. I LOVE a good county concert!

WHAT A DAY!

Hurricane Irene

The storm hits Fort Meade, MD (looking at our back yard)

A Hurricane? Really? Well I thought we moved away from earthquakes when we moved from California, and then I thought we moved away from hurricanes when we moved from Louisiana. I guess not. Hurricane Irene made landfall yesterday and has been tearing up the east coast ever since. It reached our area today. It wasn't too bad. It was basically a bad rainstorm with some high winds. Shortly after I finished making dinner, we lost power at our house. That just meant the hubby and I had to enjoy our dinner by candle light. We didn't mind. After dinner we decided to go hang out at the Mecomber's across Fort Meade since they still had power. We played some games and watched the storm.

chicken parmesan dinner by candle light

First Day at Johns Hopkins Maternal Fetal Medicine

a little over 8 weeks pregnant... a tiny bump? Maybe I'm just bloated.

Today was our first trip to the Johns Hopkins Maternal Fetal Medicine Obstetric Group facility at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where I will be receiving my prenatal care. I have been receiving my regular care through the Johns Hopkins system since we have lived here. Based on my choice of delivering the baby at the main Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, my doctor referred me to this practice. The practice specializes in high risk pregnancies, but they handle normal pregnancies as well. I figured it would be a good place to be just in case my medical issues creep up on me and cause any problems. The only disadvantage to this practice is that I won't be able to choose one OB/GYN for my care. The obstetrics group works as a team, and therefore I will meet a few of them and have my appointments with whoever is available. I'm not really a picky patient so I don't mind who I see as long as we receive great care.

Today was just about giving me starter information and taking my medical history. Josh went to the appointment with me, which was great. I love that he wants to be there for my appointments to see how things go. I met with a nurse, who gave me a packet of information, and asked a ton of questions about my medical history and lifestyle. She made sure I have everything I need, including prenatal vitamins, which I had already been prescribed by Dr. Davis. I then went to the lab for blood work and drank the sugary syrup for an early glucose test. They decided to give my a glucose test because of my insulin resistance history and Dad's history of type 2 diabetes. We didn't meet a doctor for an exam today, but it was nice to see where my appointments will be, and the birthing center where the baby will be born.

The Earth Shakes and Symptoms Keep Coming

The shaken up Safeway in Hanover, MD

The earth shook today. I thought living on the east coast meant living far away from earthquakes. When I was at the Safeway grocery store, the Maryland area got quite a rumble. It was a little funny to see people freak out and scramble around because they had no clue what was going on. I explained to a few shoppers what it was as they had never felt an earthquake before. I was nervous for a second, but then I was ready to find the nearest sturdy structure to jump under. I guess that's the kind of thinking you develop when you grow up with California earthquakes. The 5.2 earthquake ended as quickly as it began and they started to clean up the area. There was no serious damage.

Along with the changes in the earth, I've started to notice more changes in my body! I'm definitely bloated, and just slightly nauseous here and there. I've also had some constipation going on in the last couple days. I still have boobs so sore that they hurt with the slightest movement and touch. I also get extremely tired these days. I knew it was weird when a few weeks ago, before I knew I was pregnant, I went out for a regular three mile run and couldn't finish it. After a couple miles I was exhausted and had to walk most of the way home. I'm slow natured anyway, and even lazy sometimes, so at the time I thought maybe it was just an off day and something I would have to push through in my fitness routine. Little did I know it was because my body was at the beginning of forming a tiny person.

First Doctor Appointment

5 weeks pregnant, saying goodbye to my waist

August 11, 2011, waiting for the doctor

Today was my first doctor appointment with my general practitioner, Dr. Mollie Davis, who I have been seeing since we moved to Maryland. For some reason I was very nervous before my appointment. Even as a waited in the exam room for the nurse, my stomach was in knots. When the nurse took my blood pressure, she said it was slightly high, and asked if I had some anxiety about the appointment. I told her yes. I think my anxiousness stemmed from the realization that a medical exam would be a true confirmation of pregnancy. I was apprehensive about the results... thrilled and still a bit scared about being a mother to be, and worried that the test would show a negative result and crush my excitement. They took a urine sample and I waited for Dr. Davis. When Dr. Davis (who had just returned from maternity leave herself) entered the room, she greeted me with smiles and congratulations. My anxiety melted back into excitement.

I talked to the doctor for a while about some of my concerns, including my blood type and my medical history. Since I had a recent history of PCOS and insulin resistance, I am nervous about the possibility of gestational diabetes. Dr. Davis said that since I had become so active, lost weight, got in shape, and wasn't taking the medication I was previously taking for the disorder, that she thinks I will be just fine. I told her I was very into my gym routines, and lately, running. She said, "You ran to a baby." and explained that she felt the reason I got pregnant was because I had made my body very healthy with diet and exercise. Many PCOS patients have a hard time conceiving due to a hormone imbalance. Diet and exercise help reverse the symptoms of the disorder. I couldn't feel more proud that by being healthy and treating my body well, I have contributed to bringing this gift to our lives. I feel that this baby is truly meant to be.

the next day... August 12, 2011, thinking about my baby

6 weeks pregnant

Telling the Family

We told a few people about baby to be last night right after we found out ourselves. Josh was so excited and eager to let his family know, so we video called Jen on Skype right away. She was shocked and so happy. She ran out to the Hooper house living room to tell Booya who responded with, "How did that happen?" HA! What a jokester that Booya is. Booya then told us, "Well that is great news!" We video chatted a little longer and waited for Tom to get home to the Hooper house. As soon as he walked in the door and we saw him on video, we told him the news. He grinned from ear to ear. It was too cute to see him get so excited about being a grandpa.

After skyping with the Hooper family, I made some calls to people who were expecting to hear about the pregnancy test including Lanet and Rhiannon. I then debated on how to tell my side of the family. I knew it had to be special. I decided to call my sister to tell her the big news and see what she thought about telling everyone. She was so surprised she started to cry happy tears at the thought of being an auntie. We both agreed that telling our family, especially mom, had to be memorable. My mom has been begging Josh and I for a grandbaby since the beginning of our (now almost 9 year) marriage. As the years passed, she asked more and more often when we would give her her life long dream of being a Grammy. I had daydreams of suprising Mom in person, but since we live on the other side of the country, it seemed out of the question at this point. Thank God for modern technology! After figuring out some details last night, we decided to tell the family right away in the morning (today).

With some planning in place, Josh and I video called Missy on Skype. Missy nonchalantly took her laptop computer downstairs to the Holmes house dining table, and notified everyone that she was chatting with me. My mom fell right into our plan. She sat down in front of the computer because she wanted to see me and say hello. We had some casual chatting, which included the usual, "When do I get to have a grandbaby?" and then I said, "Hey Mom, I have a song to play for you." I played the song "We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me" sang by Ricky Ricardo on the episode of "I Love Lucy" when Ricky finds out that Lucy is pregnant. Mom heard the song and said, "awww" and then had a look of shock and confusion. She said a few things wondering what I was trying to say and if it was real. To stop any confusion I said, "Mom we're having a baby! You're going to be a Grammy!" Then... she lost her mind. She was clapping and crying and jumping for joy. While much more calm about it, Dad was obviously so happy for us and excited about a new baby. Even my brother Madi was all smiles. My sister caught it all on video! I know we will be laughing at that one for years.

Link to the video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bf0fSIkTG8

After all the excitement, and more phone calls to other family like my Grammy and Pop, we went to enjoy some birthday BBQ at the nearby park for the Mecomber's kids Brandon and Kaycee. Josh decided to tell everyone at the birthday party that we are expecting. It was cute to get some of our first congratulations from friends in person. I left the park a little bit early to go home and take a little nap. I get SO tired lately, and all the emotion from last night and today wore me out. I talked to Mom again at home. She is already calling the whole world, which is nice for me because it saves me from having to make a ton of calls! I just would like to wait until I see a doctor to tell most people about the baby other than close family and friends. I'll have to make an appointment to see my doctor soon.

at Burba Park, Fort Meade, MD... 5 weeks pregnant

Daddy to be talking to his mom on the phone at Burba Park

We're having a baby, my baby and me!

We're having a baby! Tonight I took an E.P.T. home pregnancy test and within seconds, up popped the little plus sign. We suspected the possiblity of being pregnant for a couple weeks now. Some sypmtoms that gave us a clue were the exhaustion that hit me like a ton of bricks and boobs that hurt so badly even taking my bra off is painful! Josh picked up the pregnancy test from the store a few days ago for me. I took it late at night and alone because I wanted some time to myself no matter what the result was. I must admit that when that positive result showed up in the pregnancy test window, I was glad to be alone for the freak out mode. I imediately began to cry and be filled with emotion. I was overwhelmed with joy, and a little bit of fear. ME? a MOM? WOW! Although I knew we had not planned a baby, I knew this was an amazing blessing. When Josh's friend Mike King that was over left for the night, I went downstairs and sat on the husband's lap and told him he was going to be a daddy. Though he can be a man of few words sometimes, his face lit up instantly. This is going to be a great ride.