It's a GIRL!

We're pleased to welcome....

Savena Elizabeth

into our lives.

Savena was born at 6:41 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, at Medical City Dallas.
Weight: 6 lbs. 14 oz.
Length: 19.5"
She has her moms eyes and nose and her dad's mouth and ears. Her hair is dishwater-blonde and she has the longest fingers and toes that we've ever seen. She's a real beauty--obviously the most beautiful thing her mother has ever seen.

Mother and daughter are doing well but suffice it to say, we're both pretty tired. We came home on Savena's third day and have been spending our days sleeping and eating. Savena has already surpassed her birth weight--weighing in at a whole 7 lbs. on Monday, July 2.

Week 38 -- It's Almost Time.

Sorry I haven't posted awhile. You know the old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" Well, I've been trying to practice that one.

It's not that I have anything mean to say but it has been rough lately to say the least. I've worked at least 9.5 hours every day this week, I can't get my feet into anything by the end of the day but flipflops (the city council members must love it when I walk in wearing bright yellow ones), and sleep has been pretty sporadic.

Add to that the constant questions. They usually go something like this: You're still around? When are you going to have that baby? I thought I wouldn't see you again until the fall?

The other variety goes something like this: "I can't believe you're nine months pregnant. You look like you're 5 or 6." (If only I felt that way, I usually tell them.)

At the OB office on Thursday, the staffer handling check-out tried to charge me $40 for the visit. When I said, "I owe you something?" (OB patients pay everything upfront) she replied, "Oh, are you an OB patient?" Guess I should have remained standing.

In other news, the squid's expected arrival date hasn't changed. Doc says I'm still on target for July 1. The hubbie and I plan to find the bumpiest roads in town if it gets to be around July 3-4.

-K

Week 36 --- No Baby Yet

We're getting closer!

Mark and I went in for my 36-week appointment today and everything still looks good. The doc seemed a little concerned about my swelling but said that since my blood pressure is in great shape and there's not any excess sugar in my system, there's not much to worry about. He (we saw a new doc today because Dr. Dinh is honeymooning in Jamaica) just encouraged me to drink lots of water and keep my feet up as much as possible.

I haven't started dilating at all, but the squid's still facing the right direction. The doc said the baby could come anytime starting around June 23 and will likely be 6-7 lbs. What a a relief!

The squid's heartbeat is still going strong: 139 beats per minute.

And my blood pressure is finally beginning to get closer to normal. I think it was 102 over 60 today. It's still up for me, but better than it has been.

Besides feeling like a marshmallow, everything else is going well. A photog I know is going to take some pics of us next week and the baby's room is about done. We planned to finish everything up last weekend--but we lost the rest of the Red Oak in our backyard early Sunday morning. Half fell on the house, the other half on our electric and phone lines. Needless to say, we had a VERY long day. It's not entirely cleaned up yet, but we're getting there slowly but surely.

That's all for now. We're going to be going in for weekly doctors visits now, so stay tuned for more info. (Mark and I have been filming the squid moving around at night, so we might have some interesting photos to post in the near future)

-K

Week 35: Part Deux

The Squid is positively brilliant!

He/she is hands down, brilliant. Not only has the squid turned upside down, he/she is also facing the correct direction. For those of you unfamiliar with birthing dynamics, that means that the baby's head is facing down and the face is facing towards my back!
(Apparently doctors don't like to deliver babies feet first and it's harder on the mom when the kid is facing upwards---I learned that in our preparation for childbirth class. Yeah!)

We got a picture of the squid's head, but unlike the others you can't see anything because of the direction he/she's turned. It's kind of weird, actually. Heartbeat was 130.

Nothing else to report from the doctors' appointment. There wasn't a single doctor in the office so I didn't get to run down my myriad of questions. Next week, I guess.

The BIG news of the day is that today is our third wedding anniversary!

Getting close to having a little one!

Week 35: Fun Web site about baby names

Many of you know that the hubbie and I decided shortly after we married on our children's names. Well, now that we're going to need one, I've been struggling mightily to find out what Savena means. After much work, I finally found some info.

Turns out that Savena was a Goddess. Of what, I don't know. Any ideas?

Anyway, I also came across a Web site this morning that predicts/suggests what a person named Savena might be like. It may be completely off-track, but mine was fairly close. Check it out-- as well as your own name.

COPY and PASTE THE LINK:
http://www.just-think-it.com/sbnname.htm

Week 34

6 weeks until D-day!

We were supposed to go in for an ultrasound Wednesday to see whether the squid has moved into the correct position--head down---but the doctor's office had to reschedule at the last minute. So, now we're scheduled to do that on June 1--our three year anniversary!

That's kind of cool in itself.

In other news, my fingers have swollen to the point where I can't get my wedding ring off. I miraculously got my engagement ring off but Mark and I are still trying to get the other off. I really didn't want to take either off---I feel weird without them---but my sister-in-law and several other women with children said that i better do it now because if I have to have a c-section, they'll cut it off with bolt cutters. Not a pretty thought or sight. So, we're trying.

We had our second shower last weekend. It was a lot of fun. This one was co-ed, so it was different from the first one, but everyone had a great time. The hosts were Mark's optician, Ginger; his sister, Amy; and Kristen's college buddy, Jamie. We cooked burgers and hot dogs and sat around and visited most of the time. I think we had between 25-30 friends and family members, many of which we only see a couple times a year so that was nice. Kristen again lost the "guess what's in the diaper" game. Mark fared much better, but still didn't win. Rather than guess what type of baby food is in the diaper, this one was guess which type of melted candy bar is in the diaper. All I can say is 'ugh.'

We're heading to Austin in a few hours, so I'm going to cut this short, but I wanted everybody to know that everybody in the family is healthy. We're just ready for a little R&R.

-K

Week 33: PICTURES

Here's a collection of pics from the baby shower Wendy, Kristine and Karin threw for Kristen back on May 19. You'll have to have a Yahoo! login to view the album, but registering is easy and free.

Check 'em out at----

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/truffles_429/album?.dir=/184cscd&.src=ph&.tok=phHJKwGBz1N6hUIv


-K

Week 32: Part Deux

We had our first baby shower last Saturday. It was such a blast! Wendy, Kristine and Karin threw it for us and Kristen's work colleagues. Kristen's mom was able to come up for the shower, so her friends were able to meet her mom and vice versa. Those girls certainly know how to make a girl feel special! And they also know how to throw a great party! The food was outstanding, the games were hilarious and the gifts were beyond fabulous! Kristen is going to probably ask Karin to bake a cake for our "sip 'n' see" after the squid arrives. The cake she made for the shower was simply to die for...and that's saying a lot when it comes from a chocaholic. We'll post some pics from the shower as soon as Kristine sends them along.

In other news, we also had our first childbirth preparation class Sunday afternoon. All I can say, is OH, MY GOD. I'm seriously considering keeping the squid inside and not going through this whole labor thing. I know. I know. Women have been doing it for thousands of years and I'll do great, but that doesn't mean I'm not terrified of the thought. After seeing how they give women an epidural, I'm not too keen on that, either, so I may be in for a long, painful day or two.

I'm really glad the nurse waited until the end of the class to show the two videos (one of a computer-simulated c-section. The other of a natural delivey)... I don't think I would have learned anything else if they'd been at the beginning. I really wish somebody would say that it's ok to be scared, or petrified in my case.

Ok, I'm being a drama queen. But given that I'd never actually seen a natural delivery, I think I handled myself pretty well. I didn't leave the room. And my lips didn't turn white until after we left class. Hey, at least I stayed. One couple left beforehand.

Yesterday's doctors appointment was great. The doc says the baby and Kristen are both very healthy and growing at the appropriate rate. Kris isn't too big or too small and neither is the baby. Ultrasound in two weeks to check on the squid's position.

More later.

Week 32: Part One--Things to look forward to.

A Mother's Day Story.

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died.Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day
long on this mat in our bathroom.

Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then
losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse
my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.

We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my
chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack
didn't seem to mind.

And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been
using your chapstick on the cat's butt.

Courtesy of Wendy, a DMN colleague.

Week 30: Part Deux

So, I had my doctor's appointment yesterday. Nothing new to report. They gave me the glucose test, but won't have the results until my next appointment. Basically the test involves the patient drinking 6-8 oz. of the sweetest drink you can possibly imagine. Not being a fan of anything cherry-flavored, I went for the orange drink. They take your blood an hour later. The goal is to make sure you haven't developed pregnancy-related diabetes. All I can say is ugh. It's like drinking soda syrup straight.

Only other news is that the baby's very healthy. Heartbeat = 150 beats/minute.

-K

Week 30: Part I

It's official: I have hobbit feet.
No, they're not covered in hair. I just have absolutely no ankles. My cute, feminine ankles are completely gone.

It probably doesn't help that I have poison ivy (don't ask) but it's pretty sad just the same. I know. I know. This too shall pass. I'm just hoping that it passes sooner than later..say mid to late June instead of early July.

In good news, my skin is looking much better most of the time. I still problems here and there, but the breakouts aren't nearly as bad as they were a couple weeks ago. Mark and I figure that the squid must have reached a new stage of development.

Anyway, life continues. We made it to Corpus Christi last weekend and had a nice, but too short visit, with my mom. And the lake house is still standing (we spent Friday night in Austin to mow the lawn and make sure the place hadn't caught fire).

A good friend from work is hosting a baby shower for me on May 5 that my mom's coming up for. And another friend is hosting a co-ed shower for Mark and I on May 19. We aren't looking for or expecting gifts, but since many friends and family members have asked, we're registered at Babies 'R' Us and Target. Enter our last name to get the details.

More info later this week after our 30-week doctors' appt.

-K

Week 29: Cravings Video

The footage with me in the red top was taken when we traveled to Houston in late March--I was about 24-25 weeks pregnant then. I'm not 29 weeks.

Week 28

We made it to the third trimester! Yeah! Time certainly flies by when you've got a baby growing inside you. It's hard to believe than in about 12 weeks, Mark and I will have a baby to take care of. That sounds terrifying, doesn't it? Mark and I as parents. My stomach just flipped.

The major news from the doctors' appointment is that the little squid is very healthy and has a strong heart beat. Evidently, he/she is right on track growth-wise and should still arrive around July 1. I'm hoping more and more for a slighly earlier arrival as my back has been in excruciating pain.

My doctor assures me that back pain is normal, but I have to think that my osteopenia doesn't help matters. I had to stop taking my medication for that when I got pregnant and I'm too tired to do much weight training so I'm pretty much relegated to ingesting as many high-calcium products as possible and doing my prenatal yoga videos. I did try swimming the other day. It was great to be in the water, but it didn't make my lower spine feel any better. Maybe I'll try to do it earlier in the day, like right when I get up instead of after work.

If you haven't heard directly from me, sleep continues to be my biggest issue. I just don't do it well anymore. So, I end up napping during the day and sleeping in as much as possible on the weekends. I flat out can't get rested, though. I'm exhausted pretty much all the time. Evidently, it's starting to show, too. The other day my professor said I looked a bit "shell-shocked." He also thanked me for coming to class. Thank goodness his wife just had a baby--he understands or at least has some idea of what I'm going through.

The house is finally coming together. Mark and I finished the guest room a couple weeks ago and have moved on to the baby's room. We've also started a summmer garden with tomotoes, peppers, brussell sprouts and squish. Maybe we'll have better luck this year. We're heading to Fort Worth tomorrow to have lunch with Babba and Stephen and to Corpus Christi next weekend to pick up some stuff my mom has in storage, so we're as busy as ever.

Next doctor's appt in 2 weeks.

Less than 12 weeks to go (hopefully!)
-K

Week 27

Guess what? I have good news. I slept really good last night for the first time in weeks, so I actually went to work feeling awake and refreshed! Yeah! I'm not sure what I did--maybe it was the virgin strawberry daiquiri? Or maybe it was the chocolate cake? But whatever it was, I slept better than I have in awhile. Woo hoo.

Of course, I'm beginning to get tired now, but it's the middle of the afternoon so ok.

The squid continues to grow and my clothes continue to get tighter and tighter. It's really funny to be sitting in a school board or city council meeting and see my entire midsection start to move. And I'm not talking little jabs here and there. The squid has a really great hook or kick---I'm thinking we're probably going to have a rambunctious one on our hands. Maybe a baseball player?? We'll just have to wait and see.

My cravings haven't changed much. I'm still craving sausage---absolutely any kind--and eating a lot of cottage cheese. I've also been eating more carbs. Tater tots are my friend! Isn't that scary? Never thought I'd say that.


Mark and I have an appointment next week, so hopefully we'll get some more updated stats. They're not supposed to do a full-blown sonogram next week, but who knows. I'll be entering my third trimester next week so they may want to do a bunch of stuff. More info and videos to come.

-K

Week 26: Video Post

The footage for shot video was shot when I was about 17 weeks pregnant---about 9 weeks ago. More recent footage in next week.

Not much to tell this week. Two words can describe my status: I'm exhausted.

-K

What's in a name?

Check the video out to discover what the hubbie and I decided to call our baby before he/she makes that grand appearance.

Week 25: Part I

This is the note I sent my graduate professor Wednesday afternoon....

"You remember those days before your newborn arrived when your lovely wife just didn’t feel good? She might not have been puking, but she didn’t feel like doing much of anything. Well, I’m having one of those days. I’m at work, but thinking about going home. Would you be terribly offended if I skipped class and stayed home this afternoon?"

The short version of the story is he told me to stay home...so I did. I went home at 4 p.m. instead of going to class, took a nap for 2 hours and felt so much better. Dusty and I went for a little walk once I was conscious again. And I spent the rest of the evening vegetating in front of the TV while Mark went and played his first softball game of the year. (The UUniacs lost--evidently, they were playing a really good "C" league team. The UUniacs are C/D league)

Today, however, I'm feeling much better. I got up and took Binx for a walk. He could have been better, but he was great by the end of the walk. The floor guy should be at our house right now putting the final coat of stuff on so that we'll be all done. Mark and i are hoping to install the baseboards and wainscoting this weekend, so we can finally move the furniture back into the house.

-K

Week 24

Ok, so this no sleep trend is beginning to wear on me. I can imagine that it'll only get worse, but I really hope not. Please don't tell me if it does get worse. I'm likely to cry. As exciting as it is to feel the squid kick, that's the reason why I'm so tired today. The squid kept me up until almost midnight last night just swailing away. I'd gotten used to the 3 a.m. yoga workout, but this was waay beyond a yoga workout. It was more like batting practice. I thought I was going to cry I was so tired, but then Mark asked if I'd had any chocolate. No, I said. So, off I trotted--or plodded, as I've taken to doing--to get a handful of M&M's. Lo and behold, it worked. The munchkin swailed around for a bit longer but finally settled down and let me go to sleep...until about 6 a.m. when my bladder was kicked! Oh, the joys of pre-motherhood! Such love.

Mark and I are off to Houston this afternoon to see family and pick up a truckload of baby furniture from David & Sandy. Since they've decided not to add to their brood, they were gracious enough to offer us most of their baby furniture. We're so very thankful. Maybe I'll sleep in the truck?!?

Week 23

Big news!!

I had my second sonogram this morning. Mark was tied up at an AOA (optometry) convention, so I invited my dad to come. It was almost as neat to watch his face as see the little squid on the screen!

Luckily, I have nothing but good news to report from this month's visit. The squid is very healthy, weighing in around 1 1/4 lbs with a heartbeat of 162 beats per minute. They can no longer tell the baby's length because the squid has already started curling into the fetal position. (That would explain the 2-4 a.m. yoga class in my abdomen.) Dr. Dinh said the placenta is sitting pretty low right now, but not to worry about that. They'll check again around 32 weeks to make sure it's not blocking anything.

In other baby news, I can eat tuna fish!! It has to be cooked and local stuff is out, but there's not much local tuna around here. I've also been advised to keep my feet above my heart as much as possible, particularly on days where I'm out and about a lot. That should help the swelling I've had in my feeet. My weight gain is also right on track. Dr. Dinh wants me to gain about 25 lbs in my pregnancy so that would put me around 170 lbs when the squid arrives.

The only other thing to report is that Mark and I found this awesome baby carrier at a baby/maternity consignment show last weekend. It'll be great for hiking--and the best part was that it was more than half-off the normal price! Woo hoo! We also picked up some used books and classic children's movies--you know, the ones you can't find anymore because they're not "cool" enough.

The home renovation projects also continue. We've finally finished the floor in the guest room. Now we just have to install the baseboards and move the furniture back in from the PODS. The baby's room is in flux until we find/borrow a table saw to do the wainscoting.

That's all for now. Gotta run.
-K

Loose Livestock in Hurst, Texas

OK, so this is not baby-related. I just have a thing for loose livestock!

"Elusive steer caught after urban chase"

01:33 PM CST on Thursday, March 8, 2007
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA-TV

......

After a brief standoff, the steer turned its tail and trotted away, traveling through backyards and then ambling into the parking lot of an apartment complex.

From there, the animal crossed several busy streets as puzzled motorists slowed to ponder the unexpected sight.

The steer then went under Highway 183 and, in an irony that could not be scripted by the finest Hollywood screenwriter, walked directly past the drive-through window of a McDonald's hamburger restaurant.

The adventure came to an end behind Full Boar Cycles in the 700 block of West Bedford-Euless Road in Hurst. The now-woozy steer found some comfort in a shady spot adjacent to a drainage culvert, where Hurst and North Richland Hills police and animal control officials set up a perimiter.

Then, in a scene that looked more like the Mesquite Rodeo, an unidentified North Richland Hills police officer was able to finally rope the stubborn steer on his third try.

.......

Week 22: Part 2

Around 10:30 a.m. today, I remembered why it is that I started eating a big cup of 4% cottage cheese every morning---it's so I can make it more than an hour without going blind. Being able to see the computer screen clearly and/or read the notes on my desk is a very good thing.

Darn that yogurt! Not enough fat in it. I guess I can forget about having something different now and again. I'm going to stick to my tried and true breakfast of 'pregnant' champions--a cup of 4% cottage cheese, a piece of fruit and an English muffin or tortilla with Marionberry jam. Couldn't ask for more than that on a workday.

So, I ate a hunk of the Hershey's extra dark chocolate I keep in my desk for such emergencies, took about 10 minutes to get myself back together and got back to work.

The rest of the day was much of the same. Work. Work. Work. I did have a great 40-minute stroll in the natural area next to my office, though. I went after lunch and soaked up as much sun as possible. (it seems to help my skin) It was a really beautiful day. I'm going to try to get over there a couple times a week. It's a nice release to get out and commune with nature, even if it is only for 20-40 minutes at a time.

Week 22: Part One

I'm having one of those days. While trying to get my breakfast and snacks together, a tub of nuts fell off the top of the fridge. Then, I went to grab the English muffins and pulled the entire tray of eggs out of the fridge. Of course, the dogs had to come investigate the pile of broken eggs. Two lived but the other four ended up in the trash. Guess I'll have to buy more.

One really cool thing is that I've finally started to feel the little squid moving around. At least, I think it's the baby...

Week 21: Part II

I probably should have clarified in my Week 20 post that the trip to Fla. was probably our last jaunt---on an airplane--before the "little squid" makes his or her appearance. We plan to keep traveling by car...or truck, as we usually do..and we have several trips planned in the next few months to see family in Houston, Austin and Corpus Christi. So, don't worry. Everybody will get to see my little pregnant belly at least once and possibly several tiems before the squid comes.

There's not much to report otherwise. The trip was great. I slept a LOT --until between 9 and 10 a.m. every day but the last one--and ate REALLY well. You can't beat freshly picked honeybell oranges! Yummy! Mark and I also picked fresh strawberries that were simply to die for. Again, you can't beat freshly picked stuff.

We came back from vacation rested, but now we're tired again. At least I am. I think I'm going to be tired for a very long time. And Mark and I both seem to have contacted scabies from a PETCO in Plano. Actually he got it and passed it to me. It's relegated to pretty tiny areas on both of us, but it's anything but lovely. We got some medication yesterday, though, so hopefully it'll go away soon.

Let's see, what else is going on with me. I guess there is a lot to report. Here's the rundown in an nutshell: I'm tired. My skin is still breaking out. My feet have started swelling. My breasts have gotten even bigger. I'm hot a lot of the time. I'm still craving sausage but I miss tuna. I've gotta ask my OB/GYN whether the mercury risk really exists. Maybe I could eat farm-raised??

I'm at work now (I have the 2-11 shift. hey, at least it's saturday and not sunday) so I have to go. Love you all.

Week 21--Part I

The squid's estimated age: 21 weeks, 2 days.

(According to the Due Date Calculator at www.idreamofbaby.com)

WEEK 20

Happy Valentine's Day!

I can't believe that I'm actually to week 20, but here we are. Halfway through the most exhilarating and terrifying 40 weeks of my life. Thanks to those of you who checked up on me about not posting anything the past few weeks. All is well, I've just been busy with the rest of life and there actually hasn't been much to report.

That's no longer the case.

Mark and I went in for our third monthly check-up last Thursday and all's well with "the little squid." We didn't have a sonogram this time, but we heard the heartbeat. It's a whopping 160 beats a minute! I now completely understand why my own heartbeat has felt so elevated and why I lose my breath easier than ever before. The squid is taking all my energy. Our next sonogram is next month. Yippee! We get to see the squid again.

Speaking of energy, I keep waiting for this big burst of energy everybody says women have during their second trimester. I certainly haven't experienced that. I'm actually more tired than I was during the first trimester. (didn't think that was possible). I actually got up early this morning to do a prenatal yoga video but I've been struggling to climb out of bed by 8 a.m. And that's after going to bed between 10 and 10:30 p.m. at night.

Another thing I'm doing really well is eating. I'm constantly hungry. I was hungry during my first trimester but nothing like now. No unusual cravings to report. I'm still eating a lot of cottage cheese and sausage. Yummy. We had these amazing brats the other night!! Loved it. I'm working on a video for my grad class about pregnancy cravings/food habits. I'll be sure to post it once it's done.

The only other thing to report is that I definitely feel--and look--pregnant now.

Mark and I and the squid are headed to Florida early tomorrow morning for Daddy Bill's 70th birthday. It'll probably be our last jaunt without a baby in tow, so we're hoping to relax. I plan to take a couple of my pregnancy books and sleep as much as possible.

-K
(Obviously, we decided to stick with calling the baby "the little squid." The kid will probably hate us later for it, but we like it)

Week 17

Week 17 officially began Tuesday but who's counting. Certainly not me. Yeah, right. Life is going well. I'm still pretty tired but I'm feeling good most of the time. My cravings have also changed. I'm still eating a lot of cottage cheese, but lately I've been craving carbs more than anything. It's been hard to turn my brain off and remember that carbs are good, even though I'm not running, but, I'm enjoying them. Especially tater tots! yes, that's right. I've been eating tater tots again. I honestly don't think I'd eaten a tater tot since middle school until a few weeks ago when I spotted them in Central Market. Mark put some seasonings on them and oh, my goodness, tater nirvana. I've also been craving celery. Not sure what could be in them that's good for me, but I've been eating a bunch nevertheless. The baby is about 12 cm now. Still very small, but the little squid is getting bigger by the day. Mark can feel the munchkin, but I've yet to feel the kiddo either move or stay still. Very frustrating. I told Mark the other day that I think my pregnancy a conspiracy between him and all my doctors. I'm not really pregnant. They just told me that so that I'd gain weight. I haven't gained much yet, probably about 10 lbs. I haven't weighed myself lately but I'm starting to show so I know that I have to have gained at least a little. More next week.

--K

Week 15

We've made it to Week 15. Actually, we're at 15 weeks and two days. The big news is that we had our first sonogram last week. What an amazing experience. My mom came up, so Mark, mom and I got to see our little person for the first time. He/she/it is a little more than 10 cm right now but the toes and fingers have formed. We saw it all on the sonogram. His/her heartbeat is also very strong. I was worried at first, but the doctor said that 150 beats/minute is perfectly normal. Whew! It was about 130 at first, but I think the little one wanted to show off for his parents and grandma. It's got to be a boy. j/k. We don't know whether it's a he or a she and at this point, we don't want to know. If anyone has a suggestion of what I can call the little one, please let me know. I have been calling the little one "My little squid."

Love you all
--K

p.s. we decided against posting sonogram pictures and a bunch of detailed information because WAAAY to many things can be manipulated on the Web. I really don't want to become the next internet porn star...Needless to say, I'm actually beginning to show now!