So tired....

I am a little behind on getting this weeks post up...because I am so incredibly tired this week! Ras went on it's first camping trip last weekend and it really wore us out! It was a blast but pretty physical and I haven't quite caught up yet. Today my whole body felt like lead. I am getting really ready for the first trimester to be over so I can have a few months of energy. =) I think Ras had a growth spurt this week too, growing from the size of a medium shrimp to a large lime...maybe that's part of my extreme exhaustion!

I told work last week about my good news and they were really excited for me. It went better than I had expected and it was a huge relief to get it all out in the open. It's been fun getting to talk about the baby with everyone!

Another first...I had to close a pair of my slacks with a rubber band this week, I could still button them but it would have just about cut off my circulation and was very uncomfortable. I have a tiny tiny little baby bump, in regular clothes you can't see it...I just look thick, but when I wear a fitted nightgown you can see it pretty clearly. Kind of exciting! Can't wait until I really show!

Here's what going on this week with baby and me...I'm about 11 wks:

Your fetus, about the size of a large lime, measures about 1.75 to 2.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about three-tenths of an ounce. About now the rapid "swooshing" noises of the heartbeat may be heard using an electronic Doppler device. Fingernails and external genitalia are showing distinguishing characteristics, and the baby is swallowing and kicking, although you still won't feel it. Your uterus is almost big enough to fill your pelvis and may be felt in your lower abdomen. You may also be seeing changes in your hair, skin, fingernails or toenails.

Apparently....

Baby Ras is the size of a medium sized shrimp this week, or gulf sized shrimp as Jay says it! I don't really like thinking of the baby in relation to a shrimp, although I like shrimp, it just seems kind of gross in light of all the cute fruit comparisons. Anyways, not much is new with me! Oh...except that I am telling work tomorrow that I am pregnant! Eeek! =)

Here is the weekly update:

Your baby is now officially considered a "fetus." It looks a little like a medium sized shrimp, measuring 1.25 to 1.68 inches from crown to rump, and weighing a little less than two-tenths of an ounce. The most critical part of your baby's development is behind you. But other developmental processes, such as those affecting behavior and intelligence, will continue throughout pregnancy. You still probably don't look pregnant, but you may not be fitting into your regular clothes. The fatigue, moodiness, and morning sickness associated with the first trimester of pregnancy is likely still present, but these symptoms shouldn't last too much longer.

Ras was dancing!

We went for our 9 wk ultrasound this morning! Unfortunately I don't have pics to post for this one because the machine they used today wasn't as good and didn't have the ability to record onto a CD. But man I wish it would have cause little Ras was putting on a show for us! At first we could only make out a fuzzy form of the head and abdomen and could see the little heart just beating away. Then all of the sudden the little form jumped, and Ras showed off arms and legs moving all around! It was so cool and the sweetest thing to watch! Doc said the baby was really good today, we agreed...we prayed and told Ras to be cooperative with the ultrasound and show off some movement for us before the doc came in, and being an obedient child Ras gave us a great performance! Today was all good news, everything is as it should be for how far along I am!

I did find out my blood type is B negative, so I will have to have a shot of RhoGam at 28 wks and just after delivery to prevent my immune system from reacting to my baby's red blood cells. About 30% of women have this, my mom did...supposedly with the shot it's no big deal. I also find out I am not immune to the German measles...so if you've been exposed...stay away! After the baby is born I will be given a vaccine for this.

The next ultrasound is in about 3 weeks, that one I will have pics and hopefully videos to download for everyone! It's fun sharing this....you all can post comments ya know! =)

Heartbeat at 6 wks 4 days

I finally figured out how to download this video! See that little flicker, that's our babies heartbeat...so sweet!

8 wks down...32 to go!

Well, I am in my 9th week now...I am 8 wks and 3 days to be exact. And so far still no sickness! Can I get a Hallelujah?! Exhaustion is still there and I have become good friends with Metamucil. Sounds gross, but it actually kind of tastes like orange tang, not bad and it saves me from major pain and bloating!

Lately it's been kind of surreal, I am glad I go for another ultrasound this Friday, I need a reality boost that I actually am pregnant and a baby really is on the way. Since I am not showing and am not sick, it sometimes is hard to grasp that this is really happening! Jay seems to have no problem grasping the reality of it though, he already kisses my belly daily and tells the baby "goodmorning, goodnight, i love you, i am getting you a wetsuit by two years old..." It's pretty cute!

Well, here is my weekly update from WebMD:

Your embryo measures about 0.9 inches to 1.2 inches from crown to rump, or the size of a strawberry. The arms and legs are getting longer, and the fingers might be a little swollen where the touch pads are forming. The head is more erect and the neck is more developed. Your baby now moves its body and limbs, and this movement can be visible during an ultrasound, but you won't be able to feel it yet. Your uterus is continuing to grow, and your waistline is thickening. But unless you tell people the good news, your pregnancy still won't be noticeable to others. Weight gain is small, if at all, since you could be experiencing food aversions (or cravings), heartburn, indigestion, nausea and bloating. Mood swings and weepiness similar to PMS symptoms are also common.

Sleep, sleep, I Love My Sleep!

So far I have been blessed to not have any morning sickness! Some mild passing queasiness but no nausea. Let's all pray it stays that way...and pray even the queasiness goes away! What I have been is incredibly exhausted and hungry! I have been trying to go to bed by 8:30 or 9 for the last week and I've been taking half of my lunch break when possible to take a quick cat nap. That seems to be helping a lot. Last week I was waking up a couple of times during the night to eat because I was so hungry I couldn't go back to sleep unless I ate something! Jay was getting a kick out of my "bedside buffet." I think I've figured out that if I eat right before I get in bed at night, I still wake up at 5 or 6 starving but I don't wake up at 2 or 3 like I was last week. So....that's pretty much the news....baby Ras reaches the size of a grape this week!

This is what's happening with the baby and me this week according to my weekly Pregnancy Newsletter:

Your embryo is about the size of a grape -- 0.56 to 0.8 inches from crown to rump. Eyelid folds and ears are forming and even the tip of the nose is visible. The arms have grown longer and bend at the elbows. Places where fingers and toes eventually will grow are becoming notched. Your uterus, once the size of your fist, is now about the size of a grapefruit. You may feel some cramping or pain in your lower abdomen or sides as your uterus tightens or contracts throughout pregnancy.

Baby "Ras" Blackburn

We found out on Valentines Day that we were pregnant! It was the sweetest gift from God and best Valentines Day we could have imagined. I am now 7 weeks pregnant! And my family has developed an affection for the name "Ras" when referring to our little one. It all started with me sending a text to Kayla and Bethany (my twin cousins who infamously abbreviate words) saying that our baby was the size of a rasberry and how I was so amazed that we could already hear the heartbeat when the baby was so small. So rasberry was shortened to "Ras" and now my much of my family has picked up on it and are referring to the baby as "Ras" at least until we know the sex and give the baby a name. However, according to Uncle Doug, he will still call the baby "Ras" if it is a girl. =)

And about God's faithfulness...We are so excited and praising God for He has heard our cry and remembered us! We had been trying to get pregnant for quite some time, I was diagnosed with PCOS a common infertility issue, and it had been a really rough past year dealing with all of that. We were starting to think we may have to look into fertility treatments which was overwhelming in itself. But God was faithful as always... and so sweet in His timing...Valentines Day...what a gift of love from our Father! No fertility treatments were used! Not only that but my sister happened to be in town that weekend already so I got to tell her in person. There were some concerns that b/c my hormone levels were so off that if they remained imbalanced during pregnancy that the baby could have some defects, of course God answered that prayer too and my hormone levels are exactly where they should be for a healthy baby. God is just good!