!2 Weeks :)

  Yesterday, Stephen and I went to our second pregnancy appointment. The whole thing went short and very sweet. After taking some of my measurements, the nurse had me lie back on the table and lift my shirt. She then squeezed some very chilly gel on my abdomen and picked up a device that looked like one of those playschool karaoke machines (remember the little guy on Toy Story with the microphone?) Anyway, she stuck the "microphone" end to my tummy and moved it all around. She said we were listening for a little heartbeat. A couple minutes went by and we could not hear anything. I felt my heart begin to sink. The nurse then tried pressing the microphone very forcefully into my abdomen (ouch!). But a few seconds later, we heard a very faint but consistent "whooshing sound" that was like a dog panting heavily. "There it is" said the nurse, "twice as fast as your own heartbeat so this is definitely a baby beat." Stephen and I both looked at each other and smiled. We had brought a small voice recorder to try and capture it, but the sound was too faint to be picked up by the recorder. The nurse noted ~ 160 bpm which is right about normal and said the reason the heartbeat was so faint to our ears is because the little tyke is snuggled in way at the back of the womb. Therefore, she had to really push the microphone into my tummy to get close enough to hear it.
    Once the nurse was finished torturing me, she walked out and the doctor came in. My doctor said everything looks just great and being able to hear a heartbeat just shy of 12 weeks was really awesome. The only thing she mentioned a very slight concern about was that my blood pressure was not necessarily high, but on the "higher end of normal". She then explained that she was not worried about it but has it noted just to keep tabs on it. I, in the meantime am going to try to get back into my exercise routine and try to eat more dark fruits. I have been snacking on pomegranate seeds which are supposedly great for lowering blood pressure. I figure that if my blood pressure was only a little high and I could be doing more as far as lifestyle to be healthier, why not try and see if I can make small changes to bring it back down to my normal range, especially now that I am very slowly gaining my energy back. I still have to take about an hour out for a nap but I don't feel nearly as exhausted throughout the day.
     So, there's what's going on for this week. I would love comments. I have gotten a few from friends on Facebook but have not gotten any other feedback. If anyone reading this has any questions that I might be able to help you with regarding these first 12 weeks, please let me know, I'd be more than happy to respond.