3+1 = 4!

INTRODUCING...

Another Little Wilde!

Due to arrive on: September 14, 2010

Well, today I am 13 weeks pregnant and we've officially waited the absolute longest that we've ever waited to announce our big news! Why? Well, mostly because we've previously told the world as soon as we got the second line on the pregnancy test and consequently the pregnancies seemed to last forever! We've noticed, however, that when friends announced their pregnancies later on it always seemed that said pregnancies went much more quickly and we wanted in on that action. So far I feel it really has gone by more quickly - though I'm not sure that waiting to tell people had anything to do with it - rather, I think daily life with three kids has done an adequate enough job at making the time disappear. :)

So the details (as I remember them): I got my first positive pregnancy test on New Year's Day. (Happy New Year! :) Overjoyed and in disbelief (because I was certain that cycle was going to be another bust) I started plotting how to tell Justin. Being baby #4 (holy cow!) I was running out of creative ideas to share the news :). I finally decided that I would hold off until my first ultrasound and then surprise Justin with an ultrasound photo. As those of you who have been/are pregnant know - the first ultrasound isn't done until around 6 wks. - which meant I had to wait almost three weeks! It was VERY difficult not to spill the beans, but I had the end result in my head and somehow made it to the appointment. Unfortunately, the first ultrasound revealed only a gestational sac... No baby. No heartbeat. Obviously this was not how I envisioned things going, but I knew that it was still early and a lot could develop in a week. So I was scheduled for another ultrasound and was very tempted to tell Justin everything since it was an emotionally difficult week not knowing what was the outcome would be, but I refused to choose doom and gloom and let it ruin my surprise - so I waited.

I did alter my plan a little, though. I had Justin come to the appointment with me - only I told him it was for a routine monitoring appointment (which he completely believed since I had been going to these types of appts. for months). When I was called back I told Justin I'd have the nurse come get him when it was okay for him to come back and then I quickly headed-off the ultra-sonographer in the hall and told her I was hoping to surprise him. She was totally on board with my plan! So she went and brought him back and turned the screen towards her and started doing measurements. After a few minutes I started getting very nervous that she wasn't able to find anything and that there really was no baby. Finally, however, she turned up the volume and the sound of a heartbeat filled the room. Justin casually asked me, "Is that your heartbeat?" And I answered, "No."

Then the ultrasound tech turned the screen towards him and said, "Do you know what that is?" And he looked for a minute - then looked at me very confused and said,

"Is that... a BABY?!"

I started laughing (mostly out of relief because I was, of course, hoping for the best, but imaging the worst at that point) and said, "YES! And I've known for weeks and have been dying to tell you!"

Then Justin started laughing and said it was the best way I've told him (so far). :) The ultrasound tech then proceeded to tell us that everything looked great and the baby looked just as it should (which was like a little blob with a heartbeat).

The above ultrasound photo was from our NT test done about 1.5 weeks ago. Everything measured right on target and my blood-work came back perfectly. We are now eagerly awaiting our big anatomy ultrasound on April 7th - where hopefully the baby will cooperate and we'll know if Norah will be getting a little brother or a little sister! Be sure to cast your vote :).

For anyone who puts stock into old wives' tales:

Cravings: Nothing continuously, but mostly fruit

Aversions: Everything else (getting much better, though)

Nausea/Vomiting: Check and Double Check (though finally easing up this past week!)

Heartburn: No

Indigestion (and it's sidekick constipation): With a vengeance

Headaches: Killer (first pregnancy to have this lovely side-effect!)

Jackson's guess: "A baby boy. No, I tink maybe it's a baby girl. Yes, it's another baby girl. At first I was tinking two boys and a girl, but your tummy is still small so I tink it's just one baby."

Eddison's guess: "There's a girl in there... Meow!" (Apparently I'm having a kitten?)