Appointment #2

Today was another big day! We had our second doctor visit at 12 weeks 3 days. Jay had a project meeting in Minden with a big deadline tomorrow, so he couldn't go with me. So, instead of going by my lonesome self, I took my mom along. It was a lot of fun! My appointment was with Dr. Gayle's nurse practitioner, Julie. And just like Dr. Gayle, I absolutely LOVE Julie. She's wonderful! After working on L&D at WK Pierremont for fourteen months during school, I'm so glad I switched my ObGyn last year. It was nice choosing a doctor after observing his deliveries and surgeries!

In Julie came with the doppler... and we got to hear that fast little heartbeat. It didn't sound as fast as last time, but it was still hopping along at a great rate. My mom loved hearing it for the first time. Julie said everything looked great from my last appointment and lab work. For some strange reason, instead of gaining weight, I lost weight (only 1 lb). Don't see how that happened from everything I've been eating and this enlarging thickness around my waist. But that's pretty normal for the first trimester. It definitely gives me a good excuse to eat more. After leaving the office, we used that as a good excuse to stop and get a Humphrey. :)

Another perk about pregnancy.... Lucky me, my hair has thickened! I've always complained about my thin straight hair, but these hormones are helping me out here. There is one place in my hair that seems to be breaking off some, but I figure as long as it's not falling out I can't complain much!

I asked Julie about the next few visits to see what all they will do each time. Jay didn't like missing today's appointment, so I wanted to be prepared to tell him which ones would be ultrasounds and which ones wouldn't be. She said that we'll do the anatomical ultrasound to determine the baby's sex around 20 weeks. But... since Dr. Gayle & Julie are at WKP... and I happen to work at WKP L&D... she did mention we could always start playing earlier with the ultrasound on the labor unit just in case..... that sounds good to me. :)

My next appointment is at 16 weeks 4 days (end of August). I can't believe how fast this time is flying by! Part of me wants it to keep truckin' along, and the other part wants it to slow down! I'm loving this pregnancy!!!

12 weeks

We've upgraded to a plum this week!

From "What to Expect When You're Expecting"
Your baby has more than doubled in size during the past three weeks, weighing in now at 1/2 ounce and measuring (crown to rump) about 2.5 inches. About the size of a large fresh plum, your baby's body is hard at work in the development department. Though most of his/her systems are fully formed, there's still plenty of maturing to do. The digestive system is beginning to practice contraction movements (so your baby will be able to eat), the bone marrow is making white blood cells (so your baby will be able to fight off those germs passed around the playgroup), and the pituitary gland at the base of the brain has started producing hormones (so your baby will one day be able to make babies of his/her own).

11 weeks

From "What to Expect When You're Expecting"
Your baby is just over 2 inches long now and weighs about a third of an ounce. His/her body is straightening out and the torso is lengthening. Hair follicles are forming, and fingernail and toenail beds are beginning to develop (nails will actually start to grow within the next few weeks). Those nails are forming on individual fingers and toes, having separated recently from the webbed hands and feet of just a few weeks ago. And though you can't tell baby's gender by looking yet, ovaries are developing if it's a girl. What you would be able to see, if your womb had a view, is that your fetus has distinct human characteristics by now, with hands and feet in front of the body, ears nearly in their final shape (if not final location), open nasal passages on the tip of the nose, a tongue and palate in the mouth, and visible nipples.

This is going to sound funny, but I was reading in "The Pregnancy Book" and there's a section on things to expect this month. One of them is "vivid dreams". The book says since your hormones are still going crazy at night, pregnancy dreams tend to be more intense than pre-pregnancy dreams. It says that they will seem more real and more exaggerated. This is so funny to me because it's been happening! A few nights back, I dreamed I was running, and when I woke up I felt like I had REALLY been running. I had to lay there for a minute and figure out what had just happened. But the best one was last night... I woke up after having a very real dream where I was eatting cupcakes at a party. I think I ate about five of them, and I can still picture the icing piled on them. When I woke up, it's like I could taste the sweetness in my mouth, and I felt like I had a tummy full of sweets. Crazy?!!!! Made me feel better that it happens to other pregnant people. :)

Counting down to football

Whether this little baby is a boy or girl, with Jay as its daddy it's definitely going to be growing up as a Saints fan. Unless, of course, Uncle Scott persuades him/her into cheering for the Cowboys, but we'll see about that. So as football season draws near, so does Fantasy Football. And oh how we just love Fantasy Football time.

For those of you who have not lived with a Fantasy Football player, let me have the pleasure of painting you a picture. First comes draft night...and oh do we have to do some research prior to draft night! And this year Jay's brother Scott is the commissioner, along with some of Jay's help...which means LOTS more time entering data into the website. Then comes the many nights (every night) of "blogging" -- grown men bickering (not really the best word to describe it, but you get the picture) back and forth on their fantasy football website chat area. It's quite entertaining to read.

THEN comes the big night each week -- drop / add night. Oh my goodness, this is a HUGE night. Predicting who is going to drop who, who gets to pick that player up, and so forth. NOTHING else can be planned on this evening. ALL time goes to picking your players. This is, of course, after HOURS of researching players during the week. We must know vital information on every player including stats, injuries, arrests, how long the fractured toe will take to heal so we can guess whether or not he'll play and if so how long he'll be in the game, long enough to get ten yards and get me some points?, long enough to throw my receiver a 20yard pass so I get two more points than the other guy's receiver?, is his mamma going to be at the game distracting him?

And need I remind you that all we get out of these hours of player-stat-research-drop/add-time is points on the computer screen -- we're not actually getting to bring these players home with us for the week or get a cut of their multi-million dollar contract salaries. We're just hoping they play good so we get some points next to our name. I can't begin to tell you how important this is.

The winners do get some money though. Jay and Scott DID win the season last year, both going to the Super Bowl. (Yes, that's right...there's a Super Bowl) So, they won a nice little chunk of change. But Sarah & Baby won't be spending any of that. That money is set aside for the next exciting sporting event... Fantasy Basketball.

So there's our little "shout out" to the upcoming football season! Went to Arlington last weekend to see my Aunt & Uncle and got a few pics of the new Cowboys stadium (above) with the retractable roof. Even though I'm not a big Cowboys fan, the new stadium might convince us to buy some tickets... :)

http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/

10 weeks

I'm still feeling good overall. Exhausted some days, a few headaches here and there, but no nausea so I'm very thankful for that. I can't complain -- this pregnancy has been so enjoyable! Even when I have a splitting headache (which really has only been a few times), knowing WHY I have that headache makes it worth it. I can get thru any "ugh" feelings knowing it's for our little Langham!

My other pregnancy book (The Pregnancy Book) describes the whole month in one paragraph, so I'll include that exerpt closer to the end of the month. It's so much fun to read about how our little one is growing each week! My mom asked the other day what fruit the baby is this week...looks like he/she is a prune. :)

From "What to Expect When You're Expecting"
At nearly 1.5 inches long (about the size of a prune), your baby is growing by leaps and bounds. And in gearing up for those first leaps and bounds (and baby steps), bones and cartilage are forming -- and small indentations on the legs are developing into knees and ankles. Even more unbelievably for someone the size of a prune, the elbows on baby's arms are already working. Tiny buds of baby teeth are forming under the gums. Further down, the stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are producing larger quantities of urine, and, if your baby's a boy, his testes are producing testosterone (boys will be boys - even this early on!).

No more studying!!!

Well, the results are in...and somehow I pulled through and passed the NCLEX! I'm officially a Registered Nurse! I know my family is so glad it's behind me because I think I might have been a little grumpy over the past few weeks.

After lots of review and studying, I took the test on Wednesday morning. There were several factors that made me leave there in tears....

First: Anyone else who has taken this test knows how doomed you feel when it's over. I think everyone who leaves starts thinking "there is no way I answered a majority of those correctly." I don't know where they come up with some of those questions!

Second: I had a little episode during the test. I guess on a rather empty pregnant tummy and a mini panic attack taking place, my body gave in and I passed out. Yes, that's correct. Fainted during the test. Luckily Rebecca was taking the test behind me and took care of me. Made me think that (just like his/her mommy) baby Langham isn't going to be a good standardized test taker.

Third: My test cut off at 75, the minimum number of questions. Before the test, I was praying so hard that it would cut off at 75 -- I did NOT want to get all 265 questions. But after the passing out episode, I felt horrible about the questions I had answered, so I started hoping the test would keep going. Oh well...guess I answers (or guessed) enough correct answers. :)

Thanks to EVERYONE for all of your prayers and support!!! And many congrats to everyone else who has already passed the NCLEX! It was a tough journey but we pushed through nursing school, and now we can do what we all do best....help others.

WE DID IT! WE DID IT!
Sarah Langham, RN

9 weeks

From "What to Expect When You're Expecting" Your baby (who has officially graduated now from embryo to fetus) has grown to approximately 1 inch in length, about the size of a medium olive. His/her head is continuing to develop to take on more baby-like proportions. This week, tiny muscles are starting to form. This will allow your fetus to move his/her arms and legs, though it'll be another month before you'll be able to feel those little punches and kicks.

Family & Friends make everything twice as exciting!

We cannot thank all of you enough for your support! This has been such an exciting time for us, and it only makes it better to know we have family and friends out there who are just as excited! Thanks for your sweet posts. I've had SO much fun reading them!

I'm still feeling good... I little scared to say that -- I'm terrified it's going to hit me all of a sudden, and then I'm going to regret bragging about feeling well! I get quesy at times, but no true nausea. Luckily the only food I crave at this early point in the pregnancy is fruit and cooked vegetables! I sure hope it stays that way. :)

I've laughed so much since my appointment last week -- I'm only 8 weeks 2 days, and I've already got people trying to guess the baby's sex. :) I mention the 162 heartrate and people start screaming "it's a girl". Then I mention no morning sickness, and people start screaming "it's a boy". It has been quite entertaining! And I've loved every minute of it.

8 weeks

It's been fun each week reading thru my books that Lisa & Heather gave me. My mom gets a kick out of them comparing the baby size to a food each week. Thought I'd share these with you. God is such an awesome God -- It's a miracle to realize how babies come to be babies. To look at an infant or child and think about how they grew those nine months is just amazing.

From "What to Expect When You're Expecting":
Your baby is growing up a storm, this week measuring about the length of a large raspberry. And that sweet little raspberry of yours is looking less reptilian and more human, as his/her lips, nose, eyelids, legs and back continue to take shape. And though it's still too early to hear from the outside, your baby's heart is beating twice as fast as yours. Something else new this week: Your baby is making spontaneous movements (twitches of the trunk and limb buds too tiny for you to feel).

From "The Pregnancy Book":
Baby is around 1.5 inches long, about the size of a large olive, and weighs around 1/2 ounce. The previously hunched-over head and curved body are now more erect. All the internal organs that will be present in the fully grown infant have already been formed. The heart is now divided into four chambers. Hands, feet, fingers and toes are fully formed. Major joints, shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee and ankle are evident. Mouth, nose and nostrils are more formed, earlobes show, and all the structures of the eyes are found. Body and limb movements can be seen on ultrasound. The developing baby is no longer called an embryo -- it is now a fetus (meaning "young one") and begins to look like a miniature human being.

First Ultrasound

So today was the big day -- our first ultrasound! Since Patti (Jay's mom) is a twin, we were a little nervous about how many heartbeats we may hear today. Conclusion: only one! I've been saying this whole time that I just don't think God made my back to carry two babies. :)

Dr. Gayle said everything looks perfect. The heart rate was 162, and it was such a wonderful experience to hear it for the first time! Fast and strong. He gave us several printouts, but this one is the clearest. The 3D ones look a little too much like a baby koala bear (or a bighorn sheep, according to my dad) from the way the yolk sac and baby are positioned, but the other images came out pretty clear. Today was so much fun because it makes it so real! Seeing the flickering heart was so amazing. Though I see baby ultrasounds on the labor unit pretty often, it was just so much more touching to see our own little baby growing. What a blessing!

I like HAPPY pregnant people

The 14 months of working in Labor & Delivery at Willis Knighton Pierremont was such an unbelievable experience. I quickly found my nursing niche. But when it came time to graduate, with no positions available at WKP (at the time), I was excited to accept a job at LSU in the Labor Unit / Triage. I figured such a high-risk labor unit would be an awesome learning experience. And it was...for the 3 weeks I was there. Yes, you read that correctly...I quit after only 3 weeks.

Loved their unit, but if you know me at all, I think you'll agree that I'd rather be around HAPPY pregnant people. And "happy" is not the word I would choose for the majority of pregnant women there. So, I quickly changed from LSU to WK Pierremont. Luckily the timing was perfect, and they had a day position for me. I am SO excited!!! I'll be back with my WKP girls!

Little Langham

Anyone who knows me knows I'm way too impatient to wait until later to spread the news. WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!!! It's still pretty early, so all we can do is keep praying and hoping everything goes well. But there was no way I was going to be able to hold in the good news for another six weeks. I did good holding it in for 1 week! :) And it was extrememly difficult getting Jay not to tell anyone.

The only thing I wish I would have done last Friday when I first found out was set up a video camera when I announced it to Jay. The moment was priceless. Even after handing him the test that said "pregnant" bright as day across the result window, he still didn't get it. Then it clicked...and he kept saying "you're pregnant? No you're not. Are you really? No you're not. You are?!" We both smiled and laughed and were so excited. But it's still taking a few reality checks to believe it's real.

The World of Blogging....

I feel old. And not just because I'm getting closer to 30 than I am to 25. For some reason I totally missed out on learning about the world of blogging. That is, until I visited a family friend's baby website about a year ago. Though I spend tons of time at the computer on the internet, I never knew how popular blogs were! But now I have to admit.... My name is Sarah and I'm an addict.

I have to give thanks to Natalie for introducing me to this awesome thing! I have had so much fun going to her website each week just to get an update on little Bennett. I was definitely one of her blog "stalkers" -- once I saved the link in my favorites, I found myself going there daily just to read her updates! But it probably didn't help that her posts were always entertaining to read.

I couldn't believe the number of people with blogs once I saw her long list of links! And now I'm hearing of so many people in Shreveport who have started blogs to keep family & friends updated. So here I go.... but I'm warning you....once you start, you can't stop.