14 week, 4 days

We made it to the second trimester!! YEA!!

This week we had our 14 week appointment. When the nurse brought us in she informed us that we were having a sonogram today. After she left Chad and I looked at each other totally confused...I thought I only got two. Chad suggests that we ask the doctor NOT to do one this time, but to do it next time instead so we can find out the sex. I wanted to also.

So the doctor comes in laughing and joking with Chad, as usual. Tells me everything is looking good. He said my blood count and iron were a little low but nothing to be concerned about. He also said my weight was looking good...yea, time at the gym is paying off. Then he says, "let's take a look." As I'm laying back I look at Chad and go for it.

"So, in the packet it says that we only get two sonograms at the beginning of the pregnancy, I'm just wondering does is this one? I'm I really not going to learn the sex of the baby?"

He smiled. "Oh, honey. Of course if you want to find out you can. We have to put that in there for the mean people, obviously not you guys, who expect to see the baby on every trip. If you've been here a few times and haven't seen your baby in awhile, tell me and we'll look at it. I don't even charge you guys for these. You could end up like my nurse with 17 pictures of your baby!"

I was so happy, I knew I loved him! He starts looking around and the baby is in a funny position laying over the placenta. We saw the heartbeat and the spine. The Dr made a comment about the long legs and then he laughs, "Haha, you guys want to know the sex of this kid?" My heart skipped, he could tell?? I'm looking at the same picture but can't see a thing!

He continues, "In my twenty years of practice I've never been so sure about the sex of the baby so early. It looks as though you're having yourselves a boy...look at that!"

Chad immediately starts with the, "That's MY boy." He and the Dr are acting like typical men. Dr actually takes a picture of the lower half of the baby....PLAINLY showing his goods. And that is that. Now, we aren't going to go painting the room blue or anything, we will get further confirmation, but it's pretty obvious from the picture.

Picture here


So, we have a boy. Chad and I wanted a boy first, so we are really happy. We are 95% sure about the name as well...Kai Gale Gundersen. Gale is a family name that Chad has to pass on (his middle name, his dads middle name and grandfathers name). Kai (rhymes with "tie") is the only name we both really liked. Chad found it in the Danish section of a name book and he is Danish, so he really liked that. I used to babysit a Kai and always loved his name.

So Baby G is now Kai....for now...or maybe I should just keep calling him G until I am more sure.

12 weeks, 4 days

This is more a post about how excited I am about Meagan's wedding this weekend. Family is starting to arrive, dresses are being pressed, tuxes and being rented....it is here. We've waited over a year for this day and it is closer than ever. I felt I better write today, as I don't think I'll have much time the rest of the weekend.

My house is a disaster, therefore I feel like a disaster. I've just been sleeping there. And when I get home I put all the clothes that are clean on the bed with the best intentions of hanging them up, but they end up on the floor (thus probably making them dirty). I've been doing that for several days, so now I have a nice pile that I know won't be touched until Sunday...at least!

I did receive two HUGE boxes of clothes from Dana. I love love love her stuff. I'm so excited to grow so I can start to fit in them. :) I'm so lucky. I also got a box from Amy. So I have THREE boxes full of maternity clothes that I can't wear yet. I'm trying to decide what to do about hanging them. Do I put all of my old clothes in boxes or do I hang them in another closet? But we really don't have another closet except for in the office. And since I can't really fit in most of them yet, is the transition worth it?? I have enough maternity clothes to fill the entire closet!!! And we have a really big closet! I'm so thankful for sharing, its going to save me a fortune!

Okay, we are moving our office this week so I need to go pack....Yuck!

12 weeks, 1 day

WooHoo! 12 weeks. Most would say I am into the safe zone...yippee!!

Well, I was excited today because I though I could post that I had made it to the second trimester, but it turns out that doesn't start for a few more weeks. :( Oh well.

So, this weekend I bought my first maternity clothes. I bought a pair of capris, a dress, and several shirts (that are FAR too big for me). I'm very excited because Dana, my big sister, sent me two boxes full of her stuff. It should arrive tomorrow or Wednesday. I'm so happy because she wears the CUTEST stuff. Even though I can technically wear maternity clothing, I'm choosing not to for the most part. I realize that I'll be in them for the next 6 months...I'm not one to jump into anything. For now I'll be using the rubberband trick. (thanks Liz)

This weekend was also my little sister, Meagan's last weekend as a single woman!! We had so much fun hanging out all weekend while the boys played golf. My bridesmaid dress wasn't fitting right all of last week, I was so scared. But, when I took it in on Saturday morning for alterations, it fit just fine. I swear it's because I bloat up during the day. I'm having my second fitting in the afternoon Tuesday so we can make last minute adjustments if needed. I keep having nightmares that my dress will split when I help Meagan straighten her train. What's that about....I didn't even have wedding nightmares about my own day, but I'm having them about hers. I guess its worse to screw up someone elses wedding rather than your own!

11 weeks, 2 days

Just preregistered for the hospital, registered with Healthy Pregnancy Program from my insurance, and classes. All during lunch! Wow!

So, I'm trying to learn more about hospital stays and how long people stay. Chad said some people never stay the night. They just pop a baby out and go, but most people I know spend about two days in the hospital. I called the hospital today and the total cost, no extras to stay at the hospital is $4345 for day one...$5313 if you stay two days. That's a lot of cash. I can't imagine if I didn't have insurance! But still, that's $500 for me to pay. I forgot to ask about infant care, but I hear that is about $1500. I'm amazed! I've heard people say basic Tylenol runs about $200 for two pills....whatever, I'll be taking my own thank you very much!!

Then, the doctor charge for natural, uncomplicated delivery is $2442.00 (all OB appts and delivery, $190 for each sonogram additional). So an additional $300...but that has to be paid by us by our 7th month. An epidural, should I choose to have one, runs, from what I hear, about $600....so $60. And then I have to find infant care.

I'm sitting here amazed. I'm truly so blessed to have insurance. Especially the good insurance my company provides....however, I'm still pissed that it isn't the flat $250 that it was last year.

Classes. We signed up for Prepared Childbirth/Breastfeeding. It basically will run all summer. I asked if that was too early and they said no. I'm excited. I think it'll all start settling in when we start those. However, I hope it doesn't turn out like "Baby Story"...freaking me out.

Alright, lunch is over.

10 weeks, 3 days

Well, we had our 10 week appointment yesterday. We got all of the pregnancy goodies, hospital information, etc. I didn't realize how much I needed to do before I even get to the hospital, in terms of paperwork. ACK! It'll take 7 months just to get through that part alone!

Chad and I were in rare form yesterday at the Dr's office. First, the doctor was running late, someone was having complications in delivery. I'm fine when he's running behind for that reason, I'd want him up there if it was me. So the nurse takes Chad and I back and starts reading off all kinds of information, extra tests, what's covered, what isn't, check with your insurance about this or that. Then she hits me with the bad news.

My doctors office only requests that sonograms be done on your first two appointments to confirm growth and a heartbeat. Nothing else is covered. NOT EVEN THE ONE EVERYONE GETS TO LEARN THE SEX!! WHAT!?!? Are you kidding me? She kept going and I kept bringing her back. Unless they are specifically looking for something they will not order an additional sonogram. I was crushed, I've been banking on that thing for 8 weeks now. She did however say that typically if they really needed to check something they'd do it. She said this with almost a wink. I decided than and there that I'm going to get another cold between 18-20 weeks. Dang-it.

**sidenote** Chad's client is a doctor and has mentioned to him that she has a sonogram machine. He said she even has the 4D machine, so hopefully we can work something out with her. If not, Amy has a cousin who works in radiology in Palestine, and although its a pretty long haul out there, she said she's pretty sure they can sneak me in there to find out like they did for her. So I have two other sources, but if everything falls through I'm praying for a cold!

After reading of the rest of the you must fill out this information before heading to the hospital and please register for classes ASAP, she left the room to see if the Dr was around. She then moved me to the other room and told me to undress from the waist down and if the Dr couldn't come today then the Nurse Practitioner could take care of everything. Whatever, I didn't care I was still mad about the whole sex thing.

So we get to the other room and I start undressing. Let me tell you, going to the OB/GYN isn't fun or comfortable when you are alone....it's even worse with your husband staring at your half naked body jumping up on the table.

Anyway, as I have mentioned in the past I've been having this gas issue where it starts seeping out. Well, yesterday I got gassy the minute I walked in the office door. After being moved, I tell Chad as he's flipping through the packets and we start laughing about how embarrassing it would be. Then low and behold a small fart sets free in the room. As soon as Chad looked at me like, "How could you" Dr Neal walks in the room. I seriously thought I'd have more time than that. In my mind better now than when he does the pelvic exam (since I'm up for my pap, they went ahead and did it). We are both laughing hysterically and In my mind I'm praying he doesn't lift that sheet for awhile...we tell him we are laughing at the packet info. (I'm sure he was like, what's funny about that?)

Thankfully the good Dr had a lot he wanted to talk about before getting to business. I told him about the spotting and everything and he said I'd be fine. I cut off all activity since then and he looked at Chad with the face of sympathy and told us we needed to get busy tonight. I'm sorry, NOT what you should tell my already over eager husband...especially with how unsexy I feel. :) Hahaha. Other than that, he said I'm a very low risk pregnancy and blah blah and eat better, smaller meals and exercise, which of course Chad has to throw in his good sense. It was then I realized I wanted a woman doctor who could understand that morning sickness has made me feel gross about most protein, but too late.

Then we got to the good stuff. Baby G is looking very much like a baby! The Dr kept making me laugh and the baby would move. It was sooooo cool. At one time it looked like he was waving at us. Heart is beating just fine and everything looks great. :) YEA!! They didn't give me a size, but I read somewhere else an inch. The size of a walnut.

Then the dreaded pelvic exam. Must they do this with my husband basically seated at my feet. I'm sure he got a nice few. I'm so humbled. But, I guess he's about to see a whole lot more. At least I didn't have a gas issue.

Chad and I laughed and had so much fun the whole time we were there....even under the awkward circumstances and positions of my body. Dr. Neal was loving it. He said he's really looking forward to working with us because we are so fun. The feeling is mutual, even though he doesn't remember me from Jane Doe. He didn't even know he performed surgery on me earlier this year!

After leaving the eventful OB/GYN, I was off to my first personal training appointment. SO worth every dime we are paying for it. She worked me harder than I have ever been worked. But, being that she's a woman (who has had kids) she knew when to let me rest, where not to put pressure, etc. I'm really happy I'm working with a trainer.

Okay, back to work....