12 week scan!

We've had our 12 week scan last wednesday! (15th Aug 2007) and all is well! Yay!! Baby was 7cm big and the scans were extremely clear. The sonographer also did the Nuchal Fold test and baby scored 1.2mm which is great (anything bigger than 3.5mm I think is significant). We've also finally told most of the other friends who don't live around us through email and the scans... and everyone's congratulated us. :)

Slight bad news from those in York - turns out that the reason why we'd not heard from them for so long is coz they're going through a separation (which appears to be permanent) and will be getting divorced. And we thought they were probably one of the most stable couples around. That was a bit of a shocker. Don't know why yet - S says it's fundamental differences (but they'd been going out for about 10 years prior to marriage!) and L says it's not a third party. Last night Dan really looked upset after hanging up the phone, and wondered if it could have been a third party - told him it was not possible, since they were still living in the same house.

Anyways...all is good and we'll have our next scan in October. Next thing to look forward to is our 1 week holiday in the Algarve (sept 6-13), and then we come back to our midwife's appointment on the 18th, and then I might have to head off to Germany for a few days.

Work's been manic and so's been clearing. I'm definitely very intolerant of stupidity; I have no patience... :(

ok - will sign off now. P, J and V are back tomorrow and I need to go to the shops to get some basics for them, clear up their house and then go for lunch with D.

Love
P and the pea

11 weeks and counting

It's August 8th today, and we're 11+2 weeks into the pregnancy. It seems like time's flown past (well, when morning sickness abounds it feels like it's dragging...but!). We have our 12 week scan exactly next Wednesday where hopefully we'll see lil baby floating away in its sac, with everything intact and heart beating strongly...!! *fingers tightly crossed*

It was D's birthday on saturday and we went to bluewater to get him an armband thing for his ipod. Also got him a doppler so that he can hear the baby's heartbeat! We've tried it a few times and we think we've heard a heartbeat!! supposed to work best from the 2nd half of the 2nd trimester... but we think we heard something!! hehe :)

still feeling quite tired, and sleeping at night is difficult sometimes due to the weight on the belly. have been trying to work in the morning and then taking breaks in the afternoon... hopefully this morning sickness will go away soon. Am so big now and have put on 4 kgs already - everyone's saying we're expecting twins!!!

Might have to go to Munich again mid/late september for the project - it should be ok in the 2nd trimester...

ok, will try and upload a photo of the scan next week!! wish us luck!

love
P and the pea

Getting stranded in Munich

I've not updated the blog for 2 weeks now - so sorry...but have been really busy. Was stuck in Munich last Friday because our flight got cancelled. Stuart and I went out to Bavaria for a day's meeting which went really well. I even got to meet the boys for about 20 minutes during the break time which was great. On our way to the airport, Stu got a text message saying that our flight home was cancelled due to bad weather in London (and after that, we found out that it was also due to bad weather in Germany). To cut the long story short, we ended up being given hotel rooms for the night, free dinner at the hotel, and of course breakfast the next day, and got bussed back to the airport to catch out flight at 11.30am. Whilst we were waiting for our flight at the gate, they actually made an announcement saying that they were over booked and if there were any volunteers offering to get bumped off, there'll be compensation!! I looked at Stu and said, we'll use every pregnant excuse we can come up with - we are going home!!! We did, and ended up landing about 12.30pm. It was a long trek home (D came to pick me up...:)) but we finally got home at about 4pm. Got invited over to P and J's house for home made pizza which was very gratefully received...:)

So, we are now 9+4 (according to me) and 9+6 according to the scan. I'm still feeling nauseous with morning sickness but I've not really had to throw up yet, which I suppose is a consolation. I've taken to wearing maternity clothes, definitely the trousers and they are very comfortable. Yay! Have also managed to find some black maternity trousers that fit... yay for that too. I can now look slightly more professional when I have to!

We met our midwife last week and it was a great meeting. Karen's really helpful and nice...although I'm still not sure about the use of midwives in the birthing process since back home and practically everywhere I know have OB/GYNs on duty and consulting every time they meet!

We also got our Nuchal Scan booked for the 15th of August... that will mark our 12th week date... I can't wait to see baby.

ok - gotta go now. will update soon. A and O are over this weekend - can't wait!

P and the pea

Morning sickness and sticki-outie belly

A week's passed since my last update. The morning sickness (which seems to last the whole day and night) is getting worse. I've not had to be physically sick yet, but there's been alot of dry heaving and discomfort. My belly's sticking out quite abit - and I've ended up having to purchase my first maternity clothes (a dress, a pair of combat trousers and a black t-shirt)!

I bumped into an ex-colleague at a department store last week and of course, he wasn't suppose to know that I was preggers...just yet. He stopped, and then asked 'is there any good news???'... I looked down in horror and there it was, my little belly, sticking out rather defiantly! He thought it was hilarious that I was freaking out - but he also said that it was quite obviously obvious. I mentioned that no one at work had asked me about it, and he thought that they were all 'walking around with their eyes closed'. hm.

The next day, another colleague (male again) made a comment and figured almost immediately. I guess that's it then guys, we've been out-ed!

I'm still quite nervous about it - since we're not quite out of the woods yet till at least the first trimester.... which is in roughly 4 weeks time. We have our first midwife's appt on Tuesday morning and it will probably take an hour to go through all the questions - feeling really excited about it, coz it makes it all so much more real, and then maybe I can go ask her all the silly questions I've got stored up! hehe.

Had a bit of a negative backlash from some nasty colleagues a couple of days ago where they had guessed that I was pregnant, didn't come and confirm it with me or anything, decided to tell some other people. When I finally told this particular person that I was pregnant, she looked at me coolly and said "I know"... blimey. and to think I thought that she of all persons would be most sympathetic or enthusiastic since she gave birth 1.5 years ago and I had to take over all her responsibilities!! Shan't devote more space onto this worthless creature - but it did make me so mad.

ok - gotta go now. Cleaners are on their way and I need to tidy up!! (huh?!)

P and the pea

Symptoms!

opps! Forgot about the symptoms! .... there weren't that many symptoms to be honest. I didn't feel pregnant in the 2ww, but strangely enough, two days before my period was due (a saturday, the saturday before Father's day), I woke up and thought, why don't I just pee on a stick (POAS)... ?

thinking back, perhaps the only symptom I had was heavy boobbies - and slight pulling down there. But having been there many times with imaginery or otherwise symptoms, I didn't want to read too much into them.

Now, at about 6+4, I have started with slight nausea, and immense hunger at times. The boobs are still heavy and bigger (have bought some bigger bras) and my belly seems to stick out, especially by the time we get to the evening meal! A couple of days ago, I was at work wearing my regular clothes, and I had to unbutton the trouser buttons!! I even walked out of work with that flapping and hadn't realised until I sat in my car!! (How embarrassing - and I even waved at one of my colleagues...hmm.). Oh well... hehe

P and the pea

things we did different....

good morning! thought I'd update the blog with my symptoms and things we did differently this month....

This month, things we did differently included

• seeing a fertility expert who prescribed three months of Clomid (a drug that helps regulate ovulation)
• having reflexology (I started reflexology the week I ovulated, and carried on for the next two weeks)
• started BD-ing around day 8 and carried on for a week or so. Continued to keep the pillow under my bum for about 30 minutes after the deed!!
• continued with folic acid; DH started with the WellMan vitamins about 3 months back
• used ClearBlue's Ovulation Predictor Monitor for the last 3 months. Even though it predicted similar LH surges, because it was a 'computer' reading, it seemed more 'reassuring'!!

That's about it I think.... In the post this morning, we received the official letter from the scan unit confirming that it was 6 mm (I swear she said it was 5!!), and that it was dated at 6weeks 3 days (I thought it was 6 weeks 1 day)... so that's all very accurate and good. I can't wait for my first midwife appointment in about 2 weeks time. That will be great, to be able to talk to someone about the whole process. I went round to the doctor's surgery last night to pick up my pregnancy pack. It's really nice to see the receptionist's face light up when you ask for it. :):) Maybe it was a reflection of my smiley-face...hehe.

ok...till the next post....

P and the Pea

6 week scan!

I've just got home from the hospital... and there's a heartbeat!! I can't believe it - it exists, in my belly (for want of a more scientific word!!)...

The instructions were for me to drink 1-2 pints of liquid 2 hours before the appointment. I didn't really do that as I needed to wee about 1.5 hours before! oh well - I just drank more water. We got to the hospital, signed in and waited. Thankfully, because we smiled alot and were friendly, the lady at reception pushed me up the waiting list and so we got to do our ultrascan about 5-10 minutes after the appointment time (given that there were at least 6-10 other people waiting their turn, we were very lucky). I guess it helped that I said I was bursting to wee, and she completely sympathised.

So, anyway, we went into the room, and explained the situation. She immediately found a heartbeat and we took a picture!! :) (when I get round to scanning it, I'll load it up here). I guess that for me was the confirmation that I needed - I was well and truly up the duff!! :)

She confirmed that it was 6 weeks along and 5 mm small (how cute). It's only a smudgy-grey thing now within a sac, but it's there.

I know it's still a long way to go and many things can go wrong, but fingers crossed and with prayers, all will be ok.

Rang dad on the way home and he was completely lost for words - I guess given that we'd not told him that we were trying and given that my mum's passed away 15 years ago, we don't talk about personal things like that ever.

If all goes well, baby will be born around my mum's birthday, which will be excellent news.

ok, will log off now.
P and the pea

Back from the USA...

Hi! It's been about two weeks since I last blogged - the last week and abit, we were in USA on a conference and got back late Friday evening. Saturday PM, we drove 300 miles up to see my in-laws for a family do and drove back down Sunday PM (another 300 miles). On our way up the M6, we got caught up in what was initially thought to be an 'accident' and we got diverted around Sandbach. Turns out that the police were in the midst of arresting two of the 8 people they've arrested in connection with the Glasgow airport bombing!! My gawd.

Anyway, we're back safe and sound now, and blogging. This afternoon, I have my first scan. It's 6+1 weeks so still very early days yet, but because we had scheduled this scan in before we even knew we were pregnant (I'd gone to see Dr Malony who requested for a scan to locate my other ovary - it was hiding the last time I did a scan in sg). So, when we found out we were pregnant, Dr Greaves said that we should still keep the scan date and explain to the scanners that we should be looking for a baby and its heartbeat now. *fingers tightly crossed*...

Will update in a bit. Bye!!

P and the peas in the pod...

Time to start blogging

The time has come to start blogging... When I first registered this blog, I was all caught up in the blog frenzy and had even guest-blogged on a good friend's site. I thought, sure...since I write for a living (sort of), blogging would be a breeze. not.

So, I KIV-ed the blogging project, promising myself mentally, that if we (hub and I) achieved what we'd set out to get to about the same time as the blogging project, I'd start to blog (does that make sense to you?)... well, 10 months since we embarked on this 'project', we're happy to say that we're possibly on our way to success... we'll find out oh...in about...9 months time?!! :)

Yes, I promised myself that if we were so fortunate as to fall pregnant, I'd start to blog about our adventures... and so here I am...4+1 and blogging.

It's a funny thing, blogging. In real life, when I write, I need to back up my statements with evidence and informed information. In blog-life, I can rant and rave as much as I like. This is perhaps actually, even better than real life...!

Anyways, on Saturday 16th June, I POAS-ed. Lo and behold, there was a 2nd line. I shrieked and called out to the hub. He was downstairs and immediately said "NO!!! did you...?!" - I'm not sure how he figured that I'd POAS-ed..it's not like he was standing at the door...was he?? He rushed upstairs and confirmed with a big silly grin on his face (which matched mine) that indeed, there was 2nd line. Wow... a 2nd line. How many sticks had I POAS-ed and how many times had they not produced a 2nd line..."happy early father's day, darling!"

Because Saturday was officially still 'early' - AF wasn't due till the Monday, we were moderately cautious. I kept going back to look at the stick and the 2nd line - even though the manufacturers tell us that we should disregard any lines or sticks that are more than 10 minutes old or so (I still have them). I took pictures of them with my phone (now, who would have thought you'd ever say that - take pictures with your phone??)... hubs took pictures with his phone. We took out the camera and took pictures with the camera.

Sunday rolled round, I POAS-ed again...and guess what? The 2nd line appeared again!! (on a new and different stick, silly!). I couldn't believe it... we put it together with the first stick. Yup, there are two sticks with a total of 4 lines now. That evening, I POAS-ed on an OPK and even though the OPK measures the LH surge, it can be used sometimes as a confirmatory test (see http://www.peeonastick.com/opkhpt.html) and it produced two lines again! Bear with me...we now have 3 sticks with 6 lines. :) But....this was all still early days - it's not Monday yet!

Monday came and this time, I used a Clearblue test thinking that this was going to be the definitive test. If this says I'm pregnant, I'll finally believe it....and it did. :) I was over the moon. We were over the moon. The big + sign appeared even before I could flush the loo!

We agreed we wouldn't tell people yet since it's still really early days and so many things can happen (oh...please God...keep it safe). But I thought I'd blog about it anyway... And, I had to tell my administrator because I had a meeting with her on Monday morning and we were discussing schedules for early next year (yes, we're well prepared!) and I had to inform her that I really couldn't swap my schedules and the reasons why. She was chuffed for us...

ok, that's it for today. We're off to America for a conference and thankfully we had the foresight to have the hubs come along on this trip.

till the next time I blog...
P and the peas