8 weeks, 6 days ultrasound

We had our final check up ultrasound at my fertility clinic yesterday. Its only been two weeks since our first ultrasound, but already, Keifer has made great gains in his/her size! It was absolutely amazing to sit and look at this little alien-type baby inside my utererus! He/she has grown so much in the past two weeks -- one of my pregnancy books says that if a baby who is born grew as fast as he/she does in utero the first few weeks, at one month of age they would be 15 feet tall! That is how fast they grow! Our little grain of rice has turned into an actual baby shape - with the big head, big eyes, and nubbins for legs and arms You can see in this picture the circle/ring behind the head area - that is the yolk sac! Unbelievable!
The measurements for Keifer were exactly on to the day, and the heartbeat at this visit was 166 bpm. The ultrasound gal told us that heartbeat flucuates so much during the first trimester, and not to take the number too seriously, as long as it is a healthy number between 120-180.
We met with Dr. D afterwards and he basically dismissed us to my regular OB, whom I will see on September 19.
Afterwards, I had a wonderful lunch with two of my former co-workers - Linda and Sue, who were paras (classroom assistants) at my first job teaching up in White Bear Lake. It was awesome to sit and chat with them and catch up on everything. We haven't seen each other in 1 1/2 years, but it never seems like we've been out of touch when we are together. I miss working with them!

Then I had another Reiki session. It was very relaxing, and again, when Susan put her hands on my uterine area, I could feel the pulse of a heartbeat (be it mine or the baby, who knows). I don't feel anything like this normally, but since I've been PG, when she touches me in that area (baby area) - its as if my whole body is thumping. It is the coolest and strangest sensation! Afterwards, she told me that she had the sensation that Keifer is a little GIRL! So we shall see!!

Keifer's 1st "ROCK STAR" concert!

Friday night, CJ and I went to a local bar, Renegade's, tent party. One of our favorite contestants from last summer's show, Rock Star: INXS, Jordis Unga, was headlining. CJ and I LOVED Jordis -- so much, in fact, that we used to joke that if we had twins some day, they would be Jude and Jordis (Jude being one of my favorite boy's names). Jordis, as it turns out, grew up here in St. Paul, MN, so it was exciting to have our "home town girl" back home, performing.

We showed up about an hour before the show, CJ ready to whoop it up, since he now has a designated driver for events like this. I myself was very excited, because it has been AGES since we've gone out together and done something like a concert; I feel like lately we are sticks in the mud because we only really ever go out to movies or shopping. (*blush, I hate leaving our doggies at home alone for more than a few hours anyways*).
Anyhoo, so CJ and I walk over inside the tent to where they are selling Tshirts. We walk over and who is standing RIGHT THERE in front of us, signing a few autographs and posing for a few phone cameras? Jordis herself. And wow, did she look gorgeous in person, and a little bit taller, as well as a little bit slimmer, than she did on the show last summer.



Ironically, CJ then ran into a high school friend from Grand Forks, North Dakota (where he grew up). Turns out the wife of one of the co-owners of the bar was his friend! Small world! So she took our picture with Jordis -- notice I look very glossy eyed, shiny, and bloated. LOL. I was in a bit of stage fright, not knowing what exactly to say to her, and she was equally as quiet. CJ and I both thanked her and she smiled and was appreciative. We then hung out for awhile, and finally: she took the stage. And she did NOT disappoint. She was fanfreakingawesome! Her voice STILL gave me chills -- especially when she sang our favorite (and apparent crowd favorite) "The Man who sold the world". That song moves me to tears everytime she sings it. You can see her perform it last summer on Rock Star: INXS here (click here).

Here are some pictures of her performing on Friday night -- no, CJ and I aren't seen in any of the pictures, we were off to the side of the stage near the speakers. I made sure we were by the fan, as it was a humid night, and I didn't want to get overheated in the crowd. My ears were ringing all night afterwards. Keifer didn't seem to mind the concert at all: I prepared my body for the event all day -- napping most of it away, snacking continuously, and drinking my standard Coke once we got there. My back was tired after standing in the parking lot for hours, and I was a bit more crampy when we got home, but overall, a very worthwhile experience. I so love live music, and CJ and I need to get out and enjoy it more than we do!

8 weeks already

It is so hard to believe that little Keifer is growing daily inside me and actually looks like the pictures above. Chris and I read daily from the variety of our pregnancy books -- and the idea that little Keifer is inside my uterus, which is the size of a grapefruit and is the size of a kidney bean just blows my mind!

We have another ultrasound check up with my RE tomorrow (Monday) at 12:30 PM, so both of us are starting to get a wee bit nervous again. If things look good at THIS ultrasound, then we are dismissed from my RE's care to my regular OB's office! Graduation may be soon! LOL

Babycenter.com tells me:
How your baby's growing: Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. She's constantly moving and shifting, although you won't be able to feel these womb wiggles for several weeks yet. Her embryonic tail is disappearing, and her eyelids practically cover her eyes. Still slightly webbed, her fingers and toes are growing longer. Her arms have lengthened, too, and her hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart. Her knee joints have formed, and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. With her trunk straightening out, her head is more erect. Breathing tubes extend from her throat to the branches of her developing lungs. The nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Though you may be daydreaming about your baby as one gender or another, the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl.

Chris and I honestly have no preference at this point as to whether Keifer is a boy or a girl. Just as long as he/she is healthy, as everyone always says. For some reason, I am leaning towards boy when I think of the little beanie inside me. I have no idea why - I just do.

So far, I'm still feeling the morning sickness, but the past few days we've been really busy on the go, and it seems to help my queasiness. I am not really enjoying drinking so much water (not sure why), so I tend to sip on Gatorade or Powerade instead. I also need my one Coke a day -- usually I prefer my little mini -8 ounce can, but now I'm preferring an icy cold fountain drink. My hunger doesn't seem AS intense as it did in the beginning, just few short weeks ago, but the sickness probably disguises it. When I DO get hungry, it is a powerful, sharp "I need to eat NOW" intense hunger. I've found that I'm really enjoying just the plain white rice from Chinese restaurants, or the standby saltines, with a small piece of string cheese on top.
My clothes are starting to get snug. My pants are all starting to strain a bit in the zipper area, and my breasts really MUST be growing -- so quietly LOL. I've noticed the girls are looking must more voluptuous in many of the shirts I own.
CJ and I went power shopping yesterday and I picked up some basics for a start in my maternity clothes collection. I picked up some clearance deals at the GAP, and some longer shirts at Old Navy. I also found a very comfy skirt at Gap outlet - maternity! - which could be a favorite of mine - if only the winter is mild again this year.

I usually start out in the AM with barely a tummy, and by mid-afternoon, you can definitely see the "bulge" of bloat that tells everybody either I've put on quite a bit of weight around the middle, or I am indeed expecting!

The Soupbowl Mystery: the case of Sassy & the missing Saltines

It was a typical summer day, like every other. Warm, humid, and to a newly-PG woman, hard to breathe; especially when dealing with the new feelings of morning sickness. Many tips and advice had been offered to the newly PG woman. "Eat soda crackers, suck on mints, eat or drink things with ginger, get the sea bands". She had listened to all the tips and tried them, and more. Nothing really seemed to ease that feeling of "I better have a toilet within range just in case".
Finally, one night, she decided to try eating the soda crackers when ever she woke up at night, and first thing in the morning. She carefully took one plastic sleeve of the saltines out, and ate many of the crackers enclosed. This left about half the sleeve of crackers left. During the night, she only woke up once, to use the bathroom, and upon re-entering the warm, soft bed, she quickly munched on a few of the salty carbs. In the morning, the first thing the newly PG woman did was attempt to eat about 3-4 of the crackers before carefully easing her self out of the warm bed. Her smaller dog, the one they called "Sassy" for her sassy barking, was telling her it was time to get up. Who needed an alarm clock, when everyday in the summer, at 9:00 AM CST, this small, yappy, 11 pound dog would rouse her sleeping owner. The newly PG woman finished her crackers, and got up to go about her business for the day.

The newly PG woman had a chiropractic appointment, scheduled for the late morning. She successfully showered, got dressed and was even able to blow dry her hair, although she did break into a sweat and had to sit down a few times to let her stomach settle. Then, ready for her departure in her car, the newly PG woman went around and shut her bedroom door, as well as the bathroom door, for this sassy dog was known for getting into things when the humans left the house. The newly PG woman knew she had left her sleeve of unfinished saltines on her nightstand, with 7-8 crackers remaining. But no worries; she shut her door, confident that no dog could enter.

The newly PG woman arrived home an hour later, feeling somewhat better after a successful adjustment, with a bag of french fries and small, icy cold Coke in her possession. She ate her light snack, cleaned up around the kitchen, and then decided to go change her "real world" clothes for her 'comfy, around the house' clothes. She mounted the top of her stairs, and noticed that her bedroom door was slightly ajar, opened just enough for a small animal to sneak in. Possibly an 11 pound sassy, yappy female dog. Perplexed as to how this happened, the newly PG woman pushed the door open and knew before she even saw it: the empty, shiny clean sleeve, empty of its remaining crackers, lying on the floor next to the bed. The newly PG woman laughed out loud (literally), shook her head, and picked up the phone to call her newly PG daddy -to -be on the phone. He laughed along with her, and informed the newly PG woman, that apparently the humidity in the summer months did not allow their bedroom door to fully close and lock tight, leaving the possibility of small animals with sneaky instincts to bust in and steal whatever is in their sight. Or smell.

The case was solved. The crackers were gone. The sassy dog was well fed, and unaware that her breaking and entering was discovered. The newly PG woman continued to eat Saltines, but now she kept them in the drawer of her nightstand, instead of allowing them open access on the top.

Dream, dream dream dream dream, dream

*think Buddy Holly*

Man. I've always been one with a creative mind, who is always dreaming some funky, hard-to-put-into-words type dreams. But man. Once I got PG, the dreams have gotten even MORE funky and hard-to-describe, and I've found myself being woken up by CJ more than once in the past few weeks for crying out in my sleep.
LOL.
Last week, I don't remember the dream, but I was woken up by CJ for basically screaming in my sleep. Poor guy. Then last night, I was having a dream about somebody either chasing me or trying to get either my baby or one of my fur kids from me, so I was crying out "help, help!", and apparently crying out loud!
Its crazy what the hormones are doing to me.

I've noticed I'm a bit more irritable lately. That could be attributed to the fact that I've been on the edge of nasuea for almost a week now. Every morning is an adventure in " how long until I can walk straight up with out feeling like throwing up?". I eat small things, spacing them out, such as soda crackers, fig newtons, and banana. I've found some organic ginger ale "brew" that has 17 grams of ginger in it, and sipping on that seems to help (of course I don't' like the 37 grams of sugar, uggg).

The twinges and cramps have diminished somewhat, so although I have a few here and there, nothing very sharp lately. And finally, I've got some boob action. LOL. I haven't felt anything in my breast area (and funnily enough, most people ask me about those first off!). But yesterday, when I laid down for my daily, much appreciated nap, my boobs just ached. Bad. Like this deep throbbing pain. I've also noticed that wearing a bra is not comfortable at all, which makes me realize that perhaps the girls have grown in cup size a bit.

I made my first prenatal appointment with my regular OB - but it's not until almost the end of September, when I'm just about 12 weeks PG. It is the first date I could get into her, and they even know my story (the IVF story). I can't wait to see Addie (my OB). She will be so excited that we are finally PG. She has been a great support through these past few years. How many OBs tell you they are praying for you, hug you, give you advice on "if you decide to adopt", etc..? I love her.

Are the pukies here to stay?

Uggg. I think I "blogged" too soon the other night. Yesterday I could barely drag myself out of bed and felt like I was on the verge of throwing up all day long. Sleeping was the only help. Today, I was able to get up and eat breakfast just fine, but as soon as I stepped into the shower, I had to quickly jump out to throw up. All day long I've been queasy, and again, slept like there was no tomorrow. Uggg. If this is morning sickness, hitting me at 7 weeks, I hope it doesn't stay long. I hate being sick and feeling like this. However, if Keifer is letting me know he/she is settling in for the long winter's nap, that is OK with me, too. As long as he/she stays put, I'll be OK and deal with it.
I'm just hoping this doesn't go on when I go back to work. I'm an Early Childhood Special Education teacher -- I have a classroom of brand new 3 year olds to teach. I run around all morning with them, and have to keep them within the classroom limits. How will I do this if I'm taking breaks to throw up? Time will tell if Keifer lets me have a respite from this soon.

A 7 week old raspberry

I am officially 7 weeks PG today. It is STILL surreal to me to think that I have a baby growing inside me, even after we saw the little beanie on Monday. I call it "beanie" because my Grandma Gina calls it "beanie baby": "how is beanie baby doing today?", she'll ask my mom. And every day, in the morning, I read to my mom about the development of beanie baby so she can relay the information to my Grams.
I surprised my mom for her birthday yesterday by driving up to Duluth last minute with the dogs and surprising her by our being there when she got home. She was completely shocked and happy to see us. When she saw my green Camry in the driveway, she said to herself "whose car is that? it can't be Carrie's, who else drives a green Camry?". DUH. It was me. She knew it was as soon as Treble poked his head halfway through the window to greet her. LOL. We celebrated her birthday with our family at my aunt and uncle's house, and my Grandma Gina was able to make it for awhile. The first thing she asked was "how is beanie baby?" and the second was "how are you feeling". Apparently the women in our family used to suffer from horrible morning sickness; at least, she did, as well as my mom with both me and my brother. *knock on wood* I've been VERY lucky for the past few weeks, as the only sickness I've felt has been in the first week from anxiety of actually BEING PG, and now when I eat TOO much I feel very "on the verge" of throwing up, simply from gorging myself.

Ahhh, yes, the hunger. It is true that you are eating for two. I honestly feel like I"m eating for six. I am hungry NONSTOP. All day. I'll eat a huge breakfast, and within an hour and a half, the hunger pains are back. It was funny, I was talking to my cousin, Becky, about the hunger last night, and she completly related as she was always hungry when she was PG with 14 month old, Aubrie. Today, before I left town, Becky was going to stop by to drop off some new pictures for me of Aubrie. Of course, when I answered, I was eating. She said "are you eating??", and we both laughed ourselves silly over that one. *sigh* Hee Hee. "Feed me" should be my theme song for Keifer, or "baby Bongo", as my mom is convinced the baby is ("Baby Bongo" because she swears she saw him in one of the embryos!).

Besides the hunger, the only other "signs" I've had have been the continuous cramping in the uterine area, and occasional sharper round ligament pains. I swore a week ago I was going to lose the baby, but had no blood, thank God, and apparently my symptoms were exactly those of round ligament pains. They hit me so hard, I was keeled over the cart at Target, with CJ pushing. Freaking him out, I hobbled to the parking lot very slowly, where I then whimpered and fretted in the car. I thought round ligament pains didn't start until the 2nd trimester, but apparently most women get them as early as I have been.

The other "sign" would be my sudden inability to keep my eyes open. I honestly didn't think I had gotten hit very hard by the sleepy fairy. Wrong. I found out a week ago that skipping my nap was not a good thing, and in the past few days, I've been ready to fall asleep in my lunch plate. Driving home today from Duluth was very difficult. I should be in bed now *blush* but I had to blog. All these thoughts whirling and twirling inside my head that need to get out.

Today, at 7 weeks PG, babycenter.com tells me that: Your baby still appears to have a small tail (actually, it's an extension of his tailbone), which will disappear in the next few weeks. But that's the only thing getting smaller. Now almost half an inch long — roughly the size of a raspberry — he has elbow joints and distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. In his oversized head, both hemispheres of his brain are developing. His teeth and the inside of his mouth are forming, and his ears continue to develop. Eyelid folds partially cover his tiny peepers, which already have some color, and the tip of that nose you'll be tweaking someday is emerging. His skin is paper-thin and his veins are clearly visible.Your little one also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. His liver is busy producing red blood cells, and a loop of your baby's growing intestines is bulging into his umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his tiny body. You can't feel his gyrations yet, but your baby is like a little jumping bean, moving in fits and starts around his watery home.

My other PG source of daily reading, among the many books on PG that we've been so lovingly gifted, my Pregnancy Journal tells me that the size of my baby would be half of a plastic bottle cap from a 2 liter bottle. So raspberry or half of a bottle cap, either way, it's still a small little beanie Bongo baby (Keifer), and it is still surreal to me. I sometimes wonder, daydreaming to myself, if its all so surreal to me still because I'm scared to actually let my guard down COMPLETELY and accept the fact that "yes, I am PG". I think after 3 years of infertility and nothing but heartache, the joy of a real, live PG is frightening me to death, and I truly don't think I'll feel its real until we see an ultrasound that resembles more of something that looks like a real baby. Or maybe when I start feeling flutters of movement. That is the thing I look forward to the most -- the feeling the baby. Although I by no means want to rush this PG, I wish in a small way I could feel something at this point, to KNOW that the baby is telling me its alive and kicking, and then that way maybe I could feel more "connected" , if that makes any sense.

Just for shits and giggles, I posted my early PG belly. This first one is the night of my BFP blood confirmation. Exactly 4 weeks PG.
The second picture is tonight, exactly 7 weeks PG. You can slightly see the slight bulge at the waist. Any sign of muscle tone that I used to have, years ago, is starting to become hidden. Ha, I totally had my gut sucked in as best I could. If I let that belly go, it would resemble a full-on 10 month PG belly! LOL. I am not kidding. The bloat at night is INCREDIBLE. *(and still a wee bit too embarrassing to share, sorry)* Last night, my mom was oohing and ahhing over the bloat, poking it , proclaiming it hard as a rock. Tonight, CJ just smiled at it. He likes to see it, it means its real to him and he is already so in love with his baby Keifer, it's incredible.

6 weeks and 5 day ultrasound:

We have one little Soupbaby inside me!

I am officially 6 weeks, 5 days PG today, and we got to see the circle yolk sac, with the little fetal "pole" that looks like a grain of rice next to it. The little heartbeat was flickering, like a light on and off, on and off. 120 beats per minute. Our Doc and the U/S gal said the bean is measuring right on for the age and heartbeat looks great.

We go back in 2 weeks for another confirmation to make sure all measurements continue as they should!
So we are so excited to someday meet our little Keifer Campbell!
Either Keifer Lynn
or
Keifer Dale or Keifer James (after one of the papas, but undecided. Possibly go with Dale because he pretty much helped us pay for all of this)

Yes, it's early for a name, but when you've been trying for 3 years, names come up . Keifer means "Cherished" and we know this little soupbaby will be very cherished!

Thanks for the continued support and prayers!

Estimated Due Date: April 3, 2007

Here is a pic I found online that shows what we saw today: our pic is SO hard to figure out, its very grainy and nothing is recognizable, but this is basically what we could see: the circle yolk sac is what I saw first, as soon as she inserted the ultrasound wand -- and then the little grain of rice next to it with the flickering heartbeat! *sigh*
Hopefully in 2 weeks, when we have our 2nd U/S, I'll have a better pic of MY uterus to share! LOL

Worries counteracted by gifts of love

Its very hard to believe that I'm already considered "6 weeks" PG. Its also very scary. One would think that after TTC for so long that achieving a BFP would settle you down. This is not the case. If anything, I think CJ and I are more worried now of something happening to me. Of course, many women go through miscarriage and hard times, but CJ told me the other night that he is more worried about ME and how I would react to something like that, than himself. He thinks he may have an ulcer - he had a CAT scan done yesterday. He's been worrying about the baby(ies), and finding a new job, and me most of all. Poor guy. It must suck to be a man and not be able to comfortably vent your feelings (well, a lot of men can't). I told him maybe he should be taking an anti-anxiety medication, along with me. We'll be pill poppers together. *(sigh)*. So I have my friends and family continuing to pray that Soupbaby sticks, because we are nervous nellies and I'm not sure what looney bin I'd have to be checked into if I lost this baby. Ugg, even writing about it freaks me out. *praying for no jinxing*. However, I know that I will be a mommy someday, so if something WERE to happen, I'd just have to plow through it and we'd figure something out. At least I'd have the love and support of my CJ and my support network.

On a happier note, my friends Veebs (w/Scarlett) and Mooshie (w/Maddie) are flying back here TODAY! I am sooooooo excited! I haven't seen Moosh since the BFP, so this will be a truly joyous reunion. *pause as I remind Sager to SETTLE DOWN and not beat up her bigger brother, little sassy biotch that she is LOL*. However, if you 've seen the news , there was another possible terrorist plot on the airlines revealed, and now heavy restrictions are going into effect TODAY on airline travelers. I just hope and pray my friends get here safely and in a timely manner, safe.

In baby gift news, CJ and I CONTINUE to be bowled over with surprise, gratitude, and thankfulness for all the wonderful gifts are friends continue to bestow on us. It is such a blessing to have so much love and wow, CJ even commented on how amazing it is (and for him to comment, that is HUGE).

I went to dinner (yum,food) the other night with a friend from work. She had a wonderful little care package she had me open before we even ordered! She first of all hand made
this wonderful card, which to an uncreative (artistically) person like myself is just so cool.

Then she had a gift for each trimester: for the first trimester, she gave me a wrapped up package of saltines, with the following note:

This is to help soothe your tummy as your little baby(ies) form a bond with his/her mama and causes her to lose bile. Keeping a pack of these out on your desk is a dead giveaway to any untrained eye that you have a baby on board!

Then, for the second semester, she gave us *blush* a bottle of KY sensual massage oil. Her note said:

Oh, the best trimester of all. You will never feel any better in your life than you do during these next 13 weeks. Your husband will love you forever because you will need him to fulfill urges you didn't even know you had!!

*of course, CJ loved this gift LOL*

And finally, for the third trimester, she gave me a bottle of Mary Kay Fit lotion and a jar of Tums. The note said:

As baby (ies) get bigger and bigger, so doe mama! Keep a stash of these everywhere you go to calm the heartburn. These is also a special treat to keep the dreaded stretch marks to a minimum. Use these "little" gifts with care because the most precious gift of all is about 9 months away!

Awww! Wasn't that just the sweetest. On top of all these packages, she also gave me a copy of her personal favorite PG book, "Your pregnancy Week by Week". Chris and I are just in awe of all the books and gifts!

Then, we got yet ANOTHER package in the mail last night! My friend in Utah (whom I met online on the board, and visited a year and a half ago for the Sundance movie festival)......she sent us a lovely gift care package as well. I got some wonderful, all natural "Bust n' Bellies" butter, a beautiful Baby book for baby, and a crib and washcloth set that is says "Wild One" with paw prints on it! LOL. I love it! So perfect!

So my belly is ready to be lubed up -- trouble is, there is not baby belly, not yet! Today, my baby is measuring the actual size of a dime! He/she is growing rapidly and the olfactory sense is beginning to develop, along with the pituitary gland! Crazy stuff!

I need to go finish cleaning my house for my guests -- I've been slacking and lazy as ever - using baby as an excuse! LOL.

Dog day morning

Ahh, I got to experience another morning of bliss today at the doggie park. It has been over a month since we've enjoyed a romp at the Dog park, and the fur kids definitely needed it to run and sniff to their hearts content. The weather has been "just right" the past few days, after a grueling humid, super-hot week of "can't-barely-go-outside-today" weather. I snapped on my fanny pack (for cell phone, Kleenex and ID), slathered on the SPF 30 sunsreen all over my lily-white skin, and let the fur kids jump into the car. We were off -- Treble kept trying to sit on the middle console, which cracks me up, because he barely fits and Sage in the backseat gets mad because that is HER spot to lift her tiny body to see. Ahh, puppers.

We got to the park, and immediately Sass started doing her scream/whine that pierces your eardrums so you cringe. Tboy just jumped around, huffing and puffing because he could barely wait to jump out. It was perfect; hardly any cars and not too wet so we don't have to worry about muddy paws. YAY!

And -- we were off. First, the 2 of them had to do their ritual of arrival: sniff until you poop at least one time, pee on every grassy surface (or tree in Tboy's case), and mama uses the port-a-potty because her bladder always seems to need release. Then we did the outside loop and wow, it felt great to be walking at a brisk pace, not too hot, water in my hand, warm sun beating down on my sunscreen slathered body parts. I literally laughed OUT LOUD at least 3 -4 times at the kids. They act like such goofs when we get there. Tboy has to pee on every particle of grass or tree he comes across, which being a large park, is about 10 zillion places. Sass pretends to be like her big brother, and squats every few feet for a while, making sure she is keeping up on the "markings" of territory. Then Sassy played cat and mouse with Treble at least 6 -7 times today: she'll be about 50 feet ahead of Treble on the path, and turn around. Then she'll crouch her head down low, like a hunter hunting her prey, start a really slow crawl, then BAM: she takes off full speed at Treble. He then zips it up and takes off, HURDLING over Sassy's oncoming body, and the two of them go full speed ahead another 50 feet ahead of me on the trail, Sassy nipping at Treble the whole time. Then they stop, Tboy continues to do his sideways strut, big sweaty smile on his face, and Sassy always turns around to confirm that I am still behind them. Sometimes she runs back to me to check in, then turns around and zips up ahead again.

This is my bliss. Welcome to a piece of it.

The Power of 3?

For some reason, I picked up on a really interesting, odd, unimportant fact about this past month surrounding myself and the events leading to my PG. The number 3 seems to be everywhere we turn! It may seem like nothing to most people, but being the dork and unusual, geeky person that I am, I find signs in things like this. So without further adieu, let me point out the freaky instances of 3 in our life lately.

First off, we all know that it took 3 of us to make the embryos that are now nested inside my womb. It took Mooshie's eggs, which there were 9 of (a # that is 3 x 3!), CJ's super swimmers, and my womb. 3 of us and we got a BFP from it.

Next, we placed 3 embryos back into my uterus. Who knows how many stuck, we shall soon find out, but 3 was the lucky number. Nothing left. Just the 3 were all we had.
Meanwhile, on my MSN message board (TTC board), there were 3 of us that were doing donor egg IVF cycles for the first time. 3 of us, and we all 3 got PG. "Good things comes in 3's, right?".

In the past, CJ and I had been through 13 medicated cycles before we finally decided to give donor eggs a try. Yes, there is a 3 in that number *giggle*

CJ and will be married 3 years when we have our baby(ies). We started trying to have them 3 months before our wedding (oh, we thought we were so cute and special).

The weekend before my BFP, the weekend that Moosh is convinced the embies implanted, we spent at the Cove Point Lodge, and there was that miracle display of light coming through the clouds: with 3 baby clouds at the base of the light (if you look closely). Is that our babies telling us they are coming home soon? Talk about getting the chills: I still get teary eyed when I see this picture. I want to blow it up, frame it and hang in the future nursery!

Then, as I was telling the news to my childhood friend in Duluth, she pointed out a verse about how God knitted the babies together in my womb. Guess what number(s) are in the verse?

Psalm 139: 13: For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb.

You knit me together in my mother's womb, you presumably being God. If you are one who is more faithful, you may consider God to be 3 beings in one : The Father the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Yes, 3.

Pretty cool, huh?

Growing Pains & more gifts

I got to spend the lunch hour with Allison and her little man, Jackson. He was so happy today, as usual, and I loved being able to push him around in his stroller and "practice" for Coco or Bongo. Allison met me at Babies R Us, and did a narrative of her opinions on things as we browsed. Talk about overwhelming! Obviously it is too early for CJ and I to even THINK about baby stuff, but I have the itch. After 3 years of dreams, I can't wait to get my hands on a registry gun and go to town. Problem is, its all so much! Too many things these days to choose from! Then we had lunch at Einstein Bros. Bagels; we love us some Tasty Turkey sandwiches!
Allison was such a sweetie -- she got us our first "baby book" gifts! Mommy Hugs, Daddy Kisses, and Playful Puppies: Picnic in the Park (I'm collecting doggie books, *blush*, and this one is awesome, with the mini-stuffed puppies on it), and a soft "lambie" that Jackson blessed with a drooly kiss.

I forgot to send a public shout out to Veebs, for sending Chris and I a package of adult reading books this week! She sent us Baby Bargains: the 2006 Edition, which I've already scoured in depth, The Pregnancy Journal , which CJ and I read to each other every night (and to my Mother in Law last night -- boy was she excited), and The Expectant Father, for CJ's learning. It surprised me, but Friday night he came to dinner with sections bookmarked that he had already read!(*Of course, since the only room he does his reading is his bathroom, the book mark was a section of toilet paper, hee hee. *) He is already worried about my protein intake, and we are going to get me some protein powder to make some smoothies and to sprinkle in my cereal.

We were reading tonight that if we have two babies inside of us growing, the two babies could fit on the surface of an American dime. Wow. To me, the whole process of a baby growing is just completely a miracle. A dime! The nasal pits are now prominent on Coco and/or Bongo, and the final set of kidneys has ALREADY been formed! Can you believe it!? In about a week, little bean (the size of a half of a dime) will already be producing urine in the kidneys. *shakes head in amazement*.

I've been feeling pretty good -- just really hungry all the time and no food really sounds "perfect" to eat. I've continued to prefer veggies over fruits, and I find that I do have to have a snack quite often -- which is hard for a non-snacker like myself. I didn't think I was all that sleepy, but on Friday I skipped my normal summertime-off-of-work nap I take daily, and it really caught up with me by 6 PM that night! So I guess I DO need my naps! I've also continued to have mild twingy cramps off and on, which haven't been too worrisome to me. However, CJ and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean this afternoon, and halfway through the movie, I started getting sharp crampy pains in my left side -- to the right of my hipbone on that side - so going into my uterine area. It subsided after awhile, and we stopped at Target after the movie to pick up a few things. While we were wandering (me in a happy zone) through the baby area, I started getting that sharp pain again and it literally doubled me over. I had to hobble out of the store, leaning on CJ and the cart, and poor CJ was so nervous. He is more nervous about any type of ache or pain than I am. However, after coming home and researching this, along with checking with my online girls, it sounds like this could be round ligament pain associated, and it sounds completely normal. *Whew*. I have no spotting or bleeding, which is a good thing. Man oh man, one more week until we find out for sure how many we are having. I can't wait. Uggg. CJ was already researching mini vans that don't LOOK like mini vans (in case we have more than one child. LOL. How would we travel with the 2 dogs that are "on the seat" dogs and 2 carseats?). We are just so NOT mini van people, so the thought of a mini van is not too appealing to us at this point in time.

I've been tagged!

oops, just noticed I was tagged on Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters - so I better get cracking since I'm a day or so behind. *yes I've been lazy bones the last few days! LOL*

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. gift shop/ice cream shop/front desk at the Duluth Depot Museum
2. Cashier at Shopko
3. Key Closer (whoo hoo) at Afterthoughts, similar to a Claire's -- piercing ears was not my cup of tea
4. Secretarial job at Johnson Bros. Furniture Store in Duluth

Four movies I watch over and over:
1. Sliding Doors
2. The Princess Bride
3. Wedding Crashers
4. The Wedding Singer

Four places I have lived:
1. Duluth, MN
2. White Bear Lake, MN
3. Burnsville, MN
4. St. Paul, MN (sensing a MN theme? LOL)


Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy - love this link: the writers' blog
2. Treasure Hunters (this summer)
3. Rock Star: Supernova (love me my rockers)
4. CSI: the original Las Vegas

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Mexico
2. NYC
3. Florida
4. CA (no big world jet -setter here *sigh*)

Four websites I visit daily:
1. my MSN message boards
2. Gmail
3. Google
4. Star Tribune

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Shrimp Scampi at the Elbo Room in Superior, WI
2. King Crab Legs
3. Very tender, wonderful Filet Mignon
4. a really good egg roll

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. at my U/S on the 14th (how many, how many?)
2. at a movie
3. at the dog park (too hot, though)
4. on vacation somewhere where the temp is "just right" w/my CJ, relaxing and carefree

Four favorite bands/singers:
1. Guns, baby, Guns (Guns & Roses)
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers
3. Movie Soundtracks (for the variety!)
4. basically anything 80's rock related *blush*

Four folks I'm tagging, just because...
1. Jen P.
2. Laura
3. Angie
4. Kirsten (cuz you are NEXT, woman! Dammit)

One, Two, Three? Oye.

Holy COW? Will be be having one baby? Two babies? Three babies?
I had a Reiki session yesterday, and Susan was so happy to hear the BFP news. We went back to her massage room, I laid down, and she starts the calming music. She starts each session with her hands on my forehead, and within one minute, she puts her head on my forehead, giggles, and says "Holy, cow, Carrie, I hear BABIES, not just BABY!"

WHAT?????????????????

Now, I never said anything, but she giggled during my Reiki session the day after my bedrest after my ET. I asked my friend (coworker who understands Reiki and has had Susan as a teacher) why she might've giggled, and she said because Susan probably KNEW I would be getting PG.

So after Susan says she "hears" babies, she jumps up and says, "do you believe in the pendulum? Have you ever done that before?"

Now I'm honestly not one to really "get into" the pendulum thing, but she went to retrieve it, and did it over my tummy --and let me tell you, this woman is always calm and cool; she was GIDDY!
She hung the Pendulum over my belly and said to show yes and show no (it swung in different directions ON ITS OWN, I watched her hands, and nothing).

She says, "will Carrie have a boy?" -- NO
"Will Carrie have more than one baby?" YES

"Will Carrie have triplets?" YES
"Will they be girls?" YES

Then she asked "are you always accurate" and it said NO! THANK GOODNESS

but:
she really truly does seem to have a sense about your spirits and I believe her when she says she can "hear" or "feel" more than one baby, but holy SHIT, what if she is right?

then....I was relaxed, as she did the rest of my body. Just relaxing, etc.
Then she puts her hands on my uterus.
Holy CRAP.

I could literally FEEL the pulse -- like a heartbeat rhythm "boom boom boom"....and she said "wow, you are really zapping me today!" -- HOLY CRAP

I've NEVER EVER EVER felt that before during Reiki in my life. Never. She took her hands off. It stopped. Puts her hand back on. I could feel it again - BOOM BOOM BOOM.

Wow.
So Aug. 14 we shall see.

Chris is already going through beers like there is no tomorrow. He does that when he's stressed. LOL

Watch, I'll be PG with only one and Chris will sigh a big sigh of relief. Or not. LOL