8 week and 12 week bumpdates!

Thanks for all the sweet comments on our fun announcement, friends! That made my day. :)

Before we do the two-for-one bumpdates, I think we should start with pictures of the wee one. So first things first, here's our sonogram photo from our first ultrasound at 8 weeks. I didn't think we would get to have an ultrasound, but my OB rocks and made it happen, which completely made our day. I know you can't tell much - I would always try to make out something when other people proudly posted these photos but never had much luck - but that little peanut's heartbeat was beating strong and fast for us, blinking on the screen with a heart rate of 154. At which point I cried. I've never seen something so miraculous in my whole life.

We had our 12 week appointment last week, and got to hear Baby T's heartbeat for about two seconds before he/she (I keep saying she, Mr. T keeps saying he - not sure why) squirmed away. But those two seconds were music to my ears. I can't wait to hear it again!

So as promised to many, here are the 8 week and 12 week bumpdates in all their growing glory. Mr. T does the "photo shoot" standing on our bed, and I think he really enjoys being the photog. He even reminds me when it's time for one. And he likes to pat that growing belly and tell Baby T good night, which is pretty cute. I think he's going to make one fine daddy. He likes to shoot a photo from the front, one close up of the belly (and my disappearing waistline), and one from the side so we can see the bump grow.

8 weeks - January 14, 2011

12 weeks - February 11, 2011

The belly stickers came from Etsy (naturally), compliments of Emily at the Purple Possum. Aren't they fun? After I wear one, I put it back on the sheet and record the date the picture was taken. I thought about also recording my weight, but decided I think I'm just fine leaving out that little detail for posterity's sake. :)

In terms of pregnancy symptoms, I've basically been feeling some combination of the following symptoms since about week 6:

Sore Breasts - check. That was my first sign something was up!
Fatigue - check. As in I can sleep a solid 10 hours without problem. And take a nap after work, too. Well, unless I have to get up to pee. Better enjoy it now, right? Which brings me to...
Frequent Urination - check. At first, I thought it was because of all the water I was drinking. Now I think the little peanut has decided to take up residence on top of my bladder. The worst part is when I get up at 4 a.m. to go, I have a hard time going back to sleep without my thoughts racing. I literally came up with about 10 names I liked one night and wrote them down because I couldn't sleep. Might as well be productive!
Nausea - ummm, triple check. At first it was morning, afternoon and night, and I made preggie pop drops my new best friend just to get through the workday. Now I feel like it may be tapering off a little (someone knock on some wood, stat!) since the durations of nausea aren't quite so long or pronounced. Pro: I only had to throw up twice, so I know it could be worse. The first time was right after I ate a banana and had to high-tail it to the bathroom at work in the middle of a staff meeting. Lovely. The second time was at home and I'd just eaten half a grapefruit and some diced peaches. Con: Now I have a total aversion to fruit in any form. I'm hoping it passes soon, but in the meantime I'm drinking lots of apple juice and OJ, and trying to get my fiber in from those FiberPlus bars that actually aren't that bad. I was expecting something tasting like Metamucil.
Cravings - check. The ones that were really strong were for a big, juicy filet (sorry, vegetarians), baked potatoes and the old-school macaroni and cheese in the blue box. I ate an entire box of mac and cheese in one sitting of the Bachelor and could have licked my bowl clean. I haven't craved sweets like I thought I would, because I do have a major sweet tooth, but I did have a to-die-for molten chocolate cake a la mode in California that was like heaven on a plate. Tomorrow we're having a belated Valentines celebration at one of our favorite steakhouses, so the meat and potatoes will be back in action!

So there you have it, my friends. Weeks 1-12: the nutshell version. Our 16 week bumpdate falls on my 31st birthday, March 11. Stay tuned - I'm sure the belly will be lots bigger by then!