Early belly bumps...sort of

We decided to follow the tradition that so many others have--taking pictures of the belly bump as it grows over time. We didn't start until 9 weeks, and we're not as regular as clockwork, but that also makes the progress a bit more significant.

9 weeks
10 weeks

Yes, I did look bigger at 9 weeks. Maybe it was something I had for lunch...

15 weeks

This is the point where I realize that watching yourself get larger is not as fun as once previously imagined...thus the pictures become less frequent...

18 weeks

Ladies and gentlemen, we have switched to maternity pants!

The Dallas Birth and Women's Center

After an initial visit to an OB-GYN, we decided to pursue an alternative for bringing Newbie into the world. We wouldn't have known about this option had our friends not had their baby there in November of last year. Their account of the experience was so moving, and so atypical of new parents talking about the birth experience, that we decided to explore further.

When we visited the Birth Center, we were given one-on-one attention (even though we didn't have an official "tour" appointment) and the option to ask as many questions as we wanted. There is a calm about the place that is VERY non-hospital. While initially, it was a bit unnerving to think how intimate a space the birth-suites are, how home-like, the arguments for choosing a birth center over a hospital were strong in my mind:

The only focus is on delivering healthy babies.
The center only delivers about 20 babies each month.
The midwives have a hands-on approach to prenatal care.
There is no disease present...just pregnancy, a natural event.

I've had a lot of feedback from family and friends about our choice, much of it positive, but some of it curious. So for those of you who want to know more, please feel free to visit this website:
http://www.birthcenter.net/

Another look

Ever the over-achiever, I was measuring large for dates at my 13 week check-up, so I went in for another sonogram, to confirm the baby's development and due date. Turns out, the initial date was spot on! Newbie is still scheduled to arrive around April 14. One reason for the large measurement could have been the fact that Newbie is standing up (and running at the time of the image). I love that the little lass or laddie is already active!

Early image

We got our first glimpse of Newbie at 6 weeks and 6 days. The dotted line shows the length of the body, and the "X" marked where we saw the flash of the heartbeat.

Can't say there is any family resemblance yet, but it's certainly visual proof!

And so it begins...

Nesting the uber-active behavior in which moms-to-be engage as they prepare for the arrival of a baby.

I usually think of this as a race to get the baby room set up "just so", but I imagine blogging fits quite well into this definition nowadays. Well, I'm not doing so well in the baby room race, so I'll take a first step into the blogging arena.