18 week belly shot

Sorta needs no explanation...

Birth Center Orientation

Tonight we attended the Bryn Mawr Birth Center orientation session which is highly recommended for all new prenatal patients. Nobody told us about this when we signed up so we were the only couple in the very packed class who was already a patient there. It was a good overview session where we learned the history and ideology of the Birth Center. We also got to see a short show featuring a live childbirth at the Birth Center and ask all our questions. It was fun to be in a large group with lots of other expecting parents who were just as "deer in the headlights" as we feel sometimes. Add to that the fact that our friends Amelia and Dan, who are expecting their third child in January and are finally moving back to the Philly area, were also in attendance with us which was a great surprise!


The jacuzzi tub in each birth center bedroom.

One of the three birth center bedrooms where I might give birth!
At the end of the orientation, we got to tour the Birth Center Birthing Rooms and I got very chocked up while in one of the birth rooms as it hit me that in a relatively short period of time, I'd be in there giving birth to our new son or daughter soon. It was a very emotional and unforgettable moment.

Baby's First 60 Mile Walk

This past weekend, the baby and I completed the Susan G. Komen 3Day 60 Mile Breast Cancer Walk in Philadelphia. It was such an amazing experience, especially to be able to do it not just 14 weeks pregnant but with my mom, my best friend, and my fellow VC Diva. I was a little worried about the baby and how he or she would do but we both did great. In fact, there was a woman on the walk who was 8 months pregnant and her biggest complaint was shin splints so I felt much better!!

"Daddy", me and the baby at Closing Ceremonies!

Go Team Earth and State

Me and the baby, Rocky, Heather and Kim at Pit 4

2nd Prenatal

Our second prenatal appointment was today and we had a different midwife, Betsy. Betsy actually did listen to the baby's hearbeat and it was a glorious and wonderful sound. The baby's heartbeat was 160 beats per minute so of course people are saying "Oh, it's a girl with a heartbeat that fast" or "See, it's a boy." Either way, that seems like a healthy, respectable heartbeat so we are estatic.

Three Pregos

At our friend Mark's 35th Birthday Party recently, we got to see many of our friends who we haven't seen since we knew we were pregnant. We also got to find out that our friends Mark and Maeve are also pregnant (just a few weeks behind us)! Here is a photo of Maeve, me, and Amelia - the three pregos!!!

"I'm Pregnant, So am I"

What a great surprsie!! This weekend, in Chicago on a trip, I learned that my colleague and friend Megan is also pregnant! She is two weeks ahead of me and it was just too cool to get to tell each other we were pregnant together in Chicago on our girls (VC Divas) weekend together. In fact, I think it went soemthing like Megan announcing once we were all there, "I'm pregnant!" and there being much screaming and happiness and hugging and then me announcing "So am I!" and more screaming and happiness and hugging and jumping up and down. Here is a photo of us at a Carribean festival in Chicago. The babies' first concert together!!

First Pre-Natal Appointment

Today was our first prenatal appointment at the Brywn Mawr Birth Center. I find it amazing that when you find out your pregnant, the midwives don't really want to see you until your 10-12 weeks pregnant. I found out when I was five weeks pregnant and so the next five-six weeks felt like eternity to me. We have so many questions to ask and yet they make you wait. Of course, you can always call and a mid-wife will call you back to respond to your questions but it is just not the same as meeting "an expert" in person and getting to ask all your nervous, new parent questions. In the meantime, we bought What to Expect When Your Expecting, Pregnancy For Dummies, and I'm Pregnant. Also, my friend Amelia sent me The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy which was great.

Overall the appointment went well but we didn't get to hear the heartbeat and it was a little rushed. But, according to Julia things seeemed ok (she did a pelvic exam) and I just needed to come back in four weeks.