Did you stuff a pillow in there?

Today my parents went home after a five day visit. It was good. They are sooo excited about the baby ( this is their 3rd grandbaby). I survived all the baby shopping. Emotionally it felt too early, but logically I knew that I only had this time to do it with my mother, so I went with the logical side of me. My parents bought us the crib and dresser, bassinet, and will get the stroller and glider at a later date. I discovered that stroller shopping was the most stressful thing that I have encountered in a while. I was incapable of making a decision.

My belly is growing. T asked me the other day " Is that the baby or all the girlscout cookies?" I strongly recomended that he never bring up or touch my cookies again!

My mother was a crazed belly rubber this weekend. Today at work, one of the doctors asked if he could touch it - he did, to which he said "nice"...a bit strange. I had a quick ultrasound at work last week. The little monkey is growing, I can't wait to feel something in there. Maybe then it will feel "real". It's getting there, but not quite. I still get nervous. I still need my baby heartbeat check every 2-3 days (as I have no symptoms at all). I got a gift certificate to Motherhood in the mail today from one of my good friends. The rest of world seems to think that there will be a baby so I need to get on board.

Maternity clothes shopping with mom. I always love getting new clothes so I had fun. In the dressing room there is a pillow that you can strap on and it supposedly adds 3 months so you can see if the clothes will still fit. I tried on the first outfit, walked out, and my mom says" Cute! And you have the pillow in and it looks like it will fit in 3 months..." Uhhhh, no mom, that's all me. Very funny moment.

We have 10 days until the third set of parents come for a visit. For some reason they all pick a time in the same 6 week period every year.

15 1/2 weeks and things are good. I'm feel good physically and emotionally...

This and that

I am definitely not winning any "Blogger of the year" awards. I just haven't had too much to say. Things are going good on the pregnancy front. I will be 14 weeks tomorrow. I am feeling good, I no longer feel like I could fall into a coma at any moment and am adjusting to my (seemingly premature) expanding belly - I bought some new mama clothes today.

I had my first appointment with the OB this past Monday - the first appointment was with the nurse practitioner. It was very unevetful. We listened to the babys heart - a solid 158. He said that I seemed less anxious then he would expect. The last time I saw him was for a PAP in October, we were getting geared up for the IVF cycle. In October he walked into the room, asked how I was doing and I proceeded to have a complete breakdown, the kind where I couldn't get out any understandable words...truely a low point. So it is no surprise that I seemed more relaxed. On Monday he asked if I had any questions - I had none...None? he asked...None. Perhaps I should be coming up with questions.

This week was restaurant week in Denver. There are a hundred or so restaurants that participate. They offer a menu with a 3 or 4 course dinner for two for $52.80 (5280 for the mile high city). We went out to eat with friends last Sunday and by ourselves on Wed. It was nice to break out of my nest.

Got a new car this week, a Saturn Vue. I drove my Honda Civic for 11 years so it was time. Not to mention the Honda has 2 doors. I think that car dealers go to classes about how to make the process as long and painful as possible - Thank God it is over.

Today we got our hardwood refinished. It has been a bit logistically challenging with two big dogs and hardwood blocking all the exits. It sounds simple enough to get the floors done, but the house is in shambles with all of the kitchen furniture and stuff from the pantry floor spewed about the house.

There is belly patting going on, with my belly that is, and that would be others patting it. Yes, it's odd. No, I don't really mind. It is people at work and our friends. These are the people that have lived with me for the past 2 years and seen our struggles. I think that they are genuinely happy for us and since they've been hearing about our troubles every step of the way, maybe they feel some connection. Not to mention I work with nurses, we shave peoples groins for a living ( for cardiac catheterizations) so patting a belly just doesn't seem that intimate.

The results of the Nuchal fold scan came back. The genetic councler called and told me that my results were perfect. "Perfect"???? The risk for trisomy 18 and DS is less than 1 in 10,000. I wasn't expecting a bad result, but perfect is confusing to me. I am 33 (not the youngest mother-to-be) and I have a high FSH (10.5) - so I am on the old side with crappy old eggs, so perfect was unexpected. I understand that it is not diagnostic, only a screening, but we are pleased with the result and will not persue any other testing.

So far, so good...I know we are blessed.