Who do you listen to?

So I've been miserably sick this week with what I believe is a sinus infection from my terrible allergies. I cough, I sneeze, I can't breathe, I can't sleep. Awful. I'm starting to get very frustrated. Saturday I went to the store and stood in front of the allergy medications and decongestants for about twenty minutes reading all the labels and wondering which were safe and which weren't. I decided to call my sisters (who were wonderful) and do some research of my own online. What I've learned is that everyone has something different to say about what's safe to do when you're pregnant. My doctor told me that most over-the-counter medicines were safe. MOST. Not all. Of course, I assume I'll pick out the one that isn't approved. One website says a medicine is safe, another says don't take it. Other mommy's doctors have said don't take anything in the first trimester. Another says take Benedryl. Another says take Actifed. Who do you listen to? Of course, no (good) mom wants to take something or do something that will harm her baby. So here I am. I took Tiffany's advice and stuck with the Sudafed. I've decided to use a nasal spray as well. Hopefully, the combo will make a difference for me and make no difference for baby. But most of all I really hope that I figure out who is actually right in all this business.

The exclusive first look at the Gardner baby

Well...my mind is finally at ease!! Today we had another appointment with our doctor and our first ultrasound. It was so reassuring to hear the heartbeat and see our little bug in real time. We even got to watch the baby wiggle around in 4D. The doctor said that baby is looking perfectly normal and healthy so far. There are no words to describe what it's like to see the baby on the screen and know that it's actually inside of me! I'm so amazed at the fantastic work my body and baby are doing right now. Baby is just the right size and she even took a guess at the sex.... I think I might hold you all in suspense and not post it on here until we know one hundred percent. Feel free to make guesses from the pictures, but remember I'm only 12 weeks so it's anyone's game. I'm feeling more like myself every day and I'm really looking forward to the coveted second trimester. I've even developed a bit of a baby bump. I was also happy to discover that I haven't had any weight gain yet (which is actually an okay deal at this point.)



Can you tell what the sex is???

Week 11

So, here we are. Eleven weeks down and 29 to go. However, the last week has brought some welcome changes. I'm starting to have more energy....finally! My eyes are still pretty heavy by about 8 pm but I'm much more able to function throughout the day. Now..if I could only sleep at night....Since being pregnant I am getting some really terrible nights of sleep. I wake up 3-4 times every night and it takes me 15 minutes at least to get back to sleep. Ah well, this too shall pass I'm sure. My nausea is improving also. It's funny how when you're in the first trimester you are actually alarmed by feeling well. I start to worry if I'm not really tired or nauseated before and after every meal. I laugh sometimes, because I actually feel relieved when something triggers my gag reflex. Those who know me best know that I am an anxious basket case most of the time. But, I'm finding that with each day that passes I breathe a little more easily knowing that baby is still in there. I can only hope that that means everything is going smoothly. The best new change is that time seems to be passing more quickly. It felt like the first weeks of knowing about our pregnancy dragged on and on. The ultrasound is just 6 days away now! Wahoo! I'll post again next week when we get our first peek at our little bug. :)

The first appointment

So- Kade and I went for our first doctor's appointment today. Basically, we don't know anything new! The baby is still pretty tiny so there was only a 50% chance that we could hear the heartbeat. Well, we were part of the unlucky 50% and the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat. So, we'll be going back in two weeks for our first ultrasound. I am really looking forward to having some proof that there is actually a little baby inside my tummy! It's frustrating to not know what's going on in there! I'll try to have a good attitude about it if the hormones will let me. My moods have been completely out of control. Say a prayer that Kade will still love me by the time the baby comes. I'm afraid I've not been a very fun person lately. However, the upside is that I really loved my doctor. She was very informative and kind. I'm looking forward to having her help us through the next 30 weeks. Also, she said that the morning sickness and nausea usually peak at 10 weeks so I should be over the hump soon. Lucky for me, I have only thrown up once so far! So, I'll just keep counting my blessings and trying to be a nice girl.

Here we go!

Hello, all! I'm jumping on the blog bandwagon to keep everyone informed about our crazy lives, happenings, and mostly our pregnancy and baby! I'll do my best to post all the fun new stuff that happens. Happy blogging!