17 weeks and counting

I went to the doctor today and had my blood drawn for some routine tests, like Down's Syndrome. Dr. Wagner told me that all of my previous labs have looked great, and the pregnancy thus far has been just perfect. We also listened to the baby's heart beat again today. It was beating at a very normal 150 beats per minutes. Dr. Wagner said that at this stage in my pregnancy the baby's heart will beat anywhere from 140-170bpm. Pregnancy wise, everything has been going very well. I've never suffered from morning sickness and that alone has been a huge blessing. Lately I have been experiencing lots of headaches. Again Dr. Wagner assured me that was normal and to take Extra Strength Tylenol, which thankfully does the trick for me.
The past 3 days I've had cold-like symptoms... cough, chest congestion, headache, body aches. But most importantly, NO fever. Today I feel much better than I did the past two days. I have no worry of having the flu, but I will still go get a flu shot some time this week. I'm just thankful that I'm already on the downswing of this short lived cold, the worst is definitely over.
My next doctor appointment will be to determine the sex of the baby! I can't wait!!!! I'll post the findings as soon as I know them.
And for all you who live far and who are not Mom, I've posted a few pictures of my growing belly. Dustin says he can tell everyday that my belly is getting bigger. Enjoy!

17 weeks

Baby's First Picture

Here is the very first picture of Baby Mikes!!! At the time of this TV sono I was 8 weeks pregnant. The day before my regularly scheduled OB appt I started spotting. (Perfect timing for an OBGYN exam) During the exam, she saw more blood than she would have liked to, so she sent me to get a sono. She was airing on the side of caution, which I completely agreed with and was thankful for.
Sono took me in right away and I got a look at our baby for the first time! I can't describe that feeling... you Moms out there know what I'm talking about. For the past 8 weeks I knew I was pregnant, but seeing that picture made it real... if that makes any sence. I was in absolute awe of the miracle of life, and the fact that I was carrying it!
The sono technician quickly found the source of blood (shown in the 2nd picture), and she told me there was no need to worry. She then moved on to the baby's heart beat (the 3rd picture). It was absolutely amazing to watch the heart beating. It was going a fast 170 beats per minute, but I was asured that is a normal pace for a baby.
After the sono, I met back up with my OBGYN. She confirmed what the technician had told me. The small amount of blood was very normal espicially at that point in my pregnancy, the bleeding would soon pass, the baby was at no risk. All was well! I left that appt relieved and excited. And of course with my very first baby picture!