July 26th,2010- Week Ten

On Monday, I had my second visit to see Dr. Reynolds.  It was a pretty rough day with blood work and examinations and to say the least, I was happy when that appointment ended.  Brennie and Grandbob were in town for the Paul McCartney concert, so luckily, my mom was able to go with me to the appointment.  Even though the appointment was rough, it all ended with a great surprise. 

Dr. Reynolds brought out her fetal monitor and said that it was time for "dessert".  At the end of the exam, she rewarded us with the sound of our Lil' Shaffa's heartbeat. My mom and I started crying and actually, Brennie held it together less than I did.  We called Mike (Daddy) and let him listen and then Grandbob got a listen.  So, everyone heard the most precious sound of Lil' Shaffa's heartbeat.

We have another appointment in four weeks and we can't wait to call Mike's parents, Nona and Pap Pap so they can have a listen.  Perhaps we will record it and upload it to the blog...

Namaste

I look forward mostly to Sundays.  Every Sunday evening at 6:30 I attend my prenatal yoga class.  I love the class for many reasons. 

At the beginning of every class all of the "Moms to be" discuss their concerns or challenges from the previous week and our instructor tailors the class according to our specific needs. 

I'm emersed in class with other women going through this same experience which is so fulfilling.  Each woman in the class is at a different stage in their pregnancy which is so refreshing because I get advice from those who have "been there" and sympathy from those that are "going through it" like I am. 

Lil' Shaffa, I want you to know that we set our intentions for class at the beginning of every practice.  My intention for class is that I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are healthy and will always be surrounded by all the love you need and deserve. 

I've been taking yoga classes for years, but for the first time I now feel as if every practice has a real purpose. 

MY TOP THREE PRENATAL POSES

                                        3). CAT-COW STRETCH

                                        2). PIGEON POSE

                                        1). HAPPY BABY POSE

Going Once, Going Twice....

OK- So I haven't been around very many women that are pregnant, but my very dear friend who was recently pregnant, related to me the crazy remarks people made to her throughout her pregnancy.  I never realized how sensitive pregnant women can be... until NOW!

Those who know me, know that I often have trouble using my "filter" when I speak (although I've gotten better over the years). Therefore, I've decided not to take things too personally, however I thought it would be a good idea to document the crazy comments said to me throughout this experience.

I'm sure it will make for a good laugh at some point...

We are already off to a good start!

So, the first few crazy and insensitive things were said by co-workers just minutes after I announced the good news. 

1) "Well, how far along are you, because my sister just had a miscarriage last month..."

2) "Hey, I have a good idea, You should auction off it's middle name!" 

    Don't worry Lil' Shaffa, your name will be chosen with much love, thought, and consideration by me and your Daddy.

Our First Visit to the Doctor

On July 8, 2010 at 2:30pm we went to Baptist Hospital for our first ultrasound appointment.  I was completely overwhelmed by the experience.  We saw the heartbeat of Lil' Shaffa at 165 times per minute.  I immediately started crying and Mike stood beside me squeezing my hand as we watched in amazement.  We looked at each other and both began laughing hysterically.  It was the most incredible experience.  I can't believe that this is finally happening.  We've talked about it for so long and now it is our reality. 

At 3:10 we had our appointment with Dr. Reynolds and had to wait forever to see her.  She eventually came in and talked with us for a long time.  We got a pregnancy planner and several goodies including prescription strength prenatal vitamins.  All the vitamins I need rolled into one!  We had a long list of questions for Dr. Reynolds and she rattled off the answers like a pro.  I have a feeling she may be used to "first time" parents.  Her answers were more than satisfactory to us and we felt extremely positive about the experience we were embarking on with her.

We are proud to show off the first of many many photos of our little bambino, Lil' Shaffa.

It's About Time

On June 14, 2010 (Flag Day) Mike and I found out we were expecting our first baby. We went out to dinner to celebrate and came home to take two more "confirmation" tests. The next day, I made a phone call to our Doctor and was surprised to find out that I had to wait three more weeks for our first visit. I was about to explode with excitement and wanted to tell everyone I knew. I immediately notified my acupuncturist to make sure that continued treatments through pregnancy was safe. Being able to tell her satisfied my immediate need to spread the news for a short while and I ended up telling my mom the next day. I placed the burden of keeping the secret on her. She was awesome! I had someone to talk to that had been through the same experience while being confident that our secret was safe.

Mike suggested that we wait until the Fourth of July weekend to give our parents the good news, since they would all be at our house together. It was important for us to share the news with our loved ones in person, but we needed a clever way to share the good news. We came up with an idea to design a onesie with the name of what we will call the baby for now, "Lil' Shaffa". Shaffa is obviously derived from the last name Shaffor and was Mike's nickname all through high school and college. It stuck. So, now we are anxiously waiting for the arrival of Lil Shaffa.

This is the design that Mike created for the onesies we gave our family.  The outer design of the circle is reminiscent of the design from our wedding invitations.