Just Dance!

I'm paranoid.

This, of course, is a normal state of being for any expectant mother, I'm sure. But sometimes I think I'm right there on the edge, you know? The edge of the cliff that falls right off into looney-land.

Every little thing freaks me out. Every little twinge is amazing and terrifying all at once. I question everything.

So it should come as no surprise that, after having had 24/7 morning sickness, I called my NP in a panic on Friday because I felt ...

FINE.

I know, I know. (You can shake your head now.)

In any case, she invited me to come on in first thing Saturday a.m. so off I went. Almost as soon as I walked in, I was called in to get weighed, etc. I explained that I really needed to know that everything was ok before I leave for Rome this Friday. She reassured me that it was no problem and we got started.

She whipped out her trusty portable u/s, put the wand against my stomach and there was my baby

doing backflips!!!

It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen! So graceful and fluid. Like a beautiful ballet. In that moment, I was forever and completely hooked. I knew everything was fine and I could go on my trip and not worry.

With every little milestone, I get a little more confident, a little more appreciative of this process. I believe it's going to happen just a little bit more. I'm so grateful for this precious little somebody who just seems to have happened into my life, and I can't wait to meet him/her.

Since I'll be gone on vacation, I'm posting my weekly status update now. Here we go ...


How far along? 10 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: A lot
Maternity clothes? Um, yes.
Stretch marks? Not yet
Sleep: Can't get enough
Movement: None (unless you count seeing my baby dance this past weekend!)
Food cravings: Had to have some california rolls and some shrimp tempura rolls
Gender: Don't know yet but I'm feeling like it's a girl.
Labor Signs: None
What I miss: This week, sushi
What I am looking forward to: My Dad's face when I step off the plane and he realizes I'm pregnant. (Yes, I'm showing)

Milestones: Hitting double-digits!!

A Prune

"At just a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighing less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches."