lima bean

As we neared the end of our cruise vacation, I began to think that perhaps my constant nausea had nothing to do with the motion of the ocean.  Putting the pieces together, it seemed quite likely that I was pregnant.  Jerry and I had just started trying to start our family the month before, so I honestly didn't think that it would happen so quickly.  But the combination of my constant nausea and extreme fatigue made me think that maybe I was pregnant.  I also had become extremely sensitive to smells, which I remember other pregnant women describing.  Every time I went anywhere near the casino, where smoking was allowed, my stomach lurched from the smell of the smoke!  When we were in Malta, I almost bought a pregnancy test, but then decided to wait until we returned to Germany.  I didn't really talk about any of this with Jerry, but he was noticing that I wasn't quite myself and saw me eyeing the pregnancy tests in Malta. 

We got back to Germany on a Friday evening, and just missed getting back to post in time to get to the PX or commissary, so I had to wait one extra day to get the pregnancy test.  On Saturday, we bought the test and I peed on the stick as soon as we got home.  Boy, did that plus sign appear quickly!  I left the bathroom shaking and Jerry asked what the test said.  I told him that we were pregnant and with a big smile, he said, "I told you I was potent!"  That made me laugh and cry and he gave me a big hug and said, "Congratulations, baby!"

Wow, the flood of emotions was overwhelming!  Of course, this is what we had both wanted.  But the reality of bringing a life into the world is a bit scary! Along with the joy and excitement came the worry of being a good parent and of taking the best care of this child, starting now while it's in the womb.  The first trimester is also a little stressful because of the higher chance of miscarriage.  I was worried about getting too excited or too connected to the little lima bean already growing inside of me.

Of course, I was excited to tell my family the news...they (especially Ma) have been asking about when we were going to have a baby for quite some time now.  But no one was answering their cell phones.  They were at a baby shower for my cousin Megan at the time and didn't have good cell reception.  I wanted Ma to be the first to know, but I had to tell someone. So my best friend Kathy got to hear the news first and she was very excited for us!  Then I was able to get my sister on the phone and told her.  She was beside herself!!  I ended up leaving my mom a message saying that she couldn't expect to be the first to know if she didn't answer her phone and that she could call Kim for the details.  I spoke to my parents the next morning and they were over the moon with excitement....finally they get to have a grandbaby!

I was able to get the pregnancy confirmed at the health clinic on Monday and then had an appointment scheduled with a German OB the following week.  Though I was only a little over 7 weeks along, the OB did an ultrasound and I was able to hear my Lima Bean's heart beat!  What an amazing experience.  It made the whole thing real for me.  The image was nothing more than a pulsing speck, but knowing that it was our baby made it the most beautiful sight in the whole world!  The OB was extremely kind and gentle and I was so glad that we chose him, even though his office is 40 minutes away and we'll be having to change doctors when we move in the next couple of months.  He repeatedly said that everything was perfect, just the word that a mom-to-be wants to hear.

The weeks between the first and second doctor's appointment went by so slowly!  We were waiting to share the big news with everyone until we had a good report from the second visit.  Which really means that we were waiting to put the news on Facebook.  Because by the time the second doctor's visit came around, we had already told a lot of people!  It seemed impossible not to share such amazing news with our friends and families! 

I wish I could say that the nausea and tiredness faded away, but it's still going strong, even now in the early weeks of the second trimester.  I'm hoping that will change soon, but if this is how it needs to be to grow Lima Bean into a strong and healthy baby, then I'll just have to live with it.

The second doctor's visit went as well as the first.  The ultrasound image was so different.  Instead of a pulsing speck, our Lima Bean actually looked like a baby:

You can see a spinal cord and little toesies!  Lima bean even hiccuped during the ultrasound...how cool!! We were so excited to be able to 'officially' spread the news that I posted a status update on Facebook in the car on the way home from the doctor's.  The outpouring of well wishes on Facebook was amazing!  Sharing good news on Facebook is such a great experience!

I'm now starting my 14th week and am looking forward to the months ahead and to the birth of our precious baby.  At least for now, we're not planning on finding out the sex of our little one until he or she makes his/her appearance in the world.  But these days, the 3D ultrasounds may show a picture that's too clear for us to ignore.  Jerry is certain that he's having a girl, while my dad is planning to be here 'for the birth of his grandson.'  Whether a boy or a girl, I know that Lima Bean's life is going to be filled with a lot of love from a lot of people!