first ultrasound!

Yesterday we had our first doctor appointment with the actual ob. He is awesome. I AM SO RELIEVED. I was afraid that Jeff and I would be reenacting Knocked Up and spend the next few weeks going from one doc to the next until we found one that I liked. Luckily, Dr. Chalmers is awesome. I don't know if he does this with every patient or if he just had extra time because I didn't have to get all the tests done (they were all done with the Fert Doc in Arizona) but he sat in the room and just talked to us for probably a half hour. Not just baby stuff, but what was going on in our lives, where were planned on living, etc. Then he asked if we had any questions about the pregnancy or if I had any ideas about how I wanted the delivery to go. I was glad he asked about that because I have been thinking about that part of the whole process since we first started trying over 2 years ago. When I told him that I didn't want an epidural and that I wanted to spend some time in the tub he was really cool about both. Even though he is an ob/gyn he has done over 100 water births! So, it sucks that the hospital here doesn't allow them, but at least he isn't close-minded about how deliveries should go. And he was AWESOME about me not wanting an epidural. He listed some of the risks that I have read about but I am glad Jeff heard them from a doc, not just me. Also, he said that he thinks it is a neater birth experience all around if a woman goes into it wanting a natural birth but also educated (as much as is actually possible) on how bad it is really going to hurt. So without hesitation he promised that we would not hear one word from him about getting an epidural. Such a relief! We aren't going to use a Doula, but I did ask the doc if he works with them and he said that he does and he thinks they can be great.

The ultrasound.
Okay seriously, probably the most amazing moment in my life thus far. And I am not being dramatic. Technically, it is still and embryo, and not even a fetus yet- BUT WE COULD SEE THE HEART BEAT! And then he checked to see if we could hear it and that was amazing. Jeff had the biggest smile on his face- it was cute. Dr. Chalmers said that at this stage, hearing and seeing the heartbeat and everything else looking good means that the possibility of miscarriage is reduced to about 1%. I like 1% a whole lot better than 15-20%. After the ultrasound, I haven't had any more moments where I start to wonder if I really am pregnant. Or the urge to run into the bathroom and take a pregnancy test. For the 5th time. Now we both know that I haven't just conjured all this up in my head!

Oh yeah, a couple of other things. The cyst on my right ovary is gone! Yay! And he used the wand and it wasn't a quarter as bad as at the fertility doc. THANK GOODNESS.

book (re)view

Right now, and for the past month, I have been reading The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir. I really like Alison Weir as a biographer and I really like Queen Elizabeth I too, so I figured I would love the book. Usually how fast I get through a book shows how much I like the book- that I am only only on page 107 after more than a month is not a good sign. But honestly, it reads really well. And it is interesting. I just can't seem to stay awake to read very many pages at a time. The author sort of skimmed over Elizabeth's life until right before she became Queen. I think they should have title the books something like The Life of Queen Elizabeth I because there really isn't much about her before she was Queen. But Weir is honest about Elizabeth and how she was and how she was perceived-- she doesn't make everything all bright and shiny and perfect the way some movies tend to, so I like that a lot about her biographies. I'll let you know what my final thoughts are about the book when I finish all 488 pages. At this rate it will be sometime in March!

I finally posted all my saved drafts.

They popped up in chronological order mixed in with my other posts from the past 2 weeks-- nothing too excited but I guess if you're bored it might be worth it to go back through and read them. (and my pregnant announcement got moved back so that it is in chronological order as well).

happy thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving this year has been about the same as Thanksgiving every other year.

However, I did beat Jeff once on Dr. Mario on Super Nintendo so that makes it a pretty successful day.

Everyone is downstairs watching Hairspray and I promised Jeff I would head down there pretty quick so I will write more tomorrow.

favorite aunt AND uncle

My sister's middle daughter, Annie, is 4, almost 5, years old. She is my niece that has a lot of the same silly quirks as I do. When I went to visit during Halloween she was my buddy, we had a lot of time to hang out. At one point during the trip, she was being babysat by one of Ang's friends so that Ang & I could go to lunch and shop without any kids. While she was there she kept telling Angie's friend about her uncle that was visiting. When Angie's friend brought her home later she mentioned it, wondering if Jeff was coming too, or something. That's when Angie told us that ever since I cut my hair really short, Derek calls me Uncle Kristina.
Well, last night Angie called to tell me about the conversation that had just taken place in the car.
I don't remember exactly who asked Annie the question but one of them asked, "Annie, who is your favorite uncle?"
She replied, "Kristina."
Then Katelyn, 6 years old and so much wiser, interjected, "Kristina's not your Uncle! She's an AUNT!"
So then Annie was asked, 'Who's your favorite aunt?"
She replied, "Kristina."
I WIN! This favorite Uncle/Aunt thing has been a competition between Me, Jeff, and Thomas since before Katelyn was even conceived. All it took was Thomas leaving on a mission and a short haircut and I have usurped the throne of favorite uncle AND aunt. I didn't even know that it was possible.
Jeff, however, reminded me, that he is probably still Katelyn's favorite uncle.

1st doc visit

Actually, this should count as half of one visit because we just answered and asked questions. We met with Mary, the Dr.'s Assistant. She was really nice and not all formal or fake. We got in right at our appt. time too. She told me not to worry about the spotting- as long as it doesn't last longer than a day. Even though that is what my mom, sister, sister in law, and mother in law all said, it was a huge relief to hear it from someone in a white coat and scrubs. How silly. Yesterday I just felt really crappy. For FHE we watched a talk from April 2007 General Conference about Gratitude and she talked about not only being grateful for the good things in our life, but the hard and trying things too. I was so afraid that I would soon be struggling really hard to be grateful, especially if I had a miscarriage. LUCKILY, so far, so good. Jeff started fasting for me and the baby last night- I didn't know that until today. It may be shallow or dumb but I have more faith in his faith than my own. If that makes any sense. It just makes me feel really good to know that he is fasting because I know how much faith there is behind it. He didn't even want to tell me he was-- kind of like telling someone what you wished for when you blew out the candles or saw a shooting star. I am glad he did though. Plus, I think it is really sweet.

Anyway, we found out today that I am 5 weeks and 6 days. Our next doc appt. is a week from tomorrow so I'll be exactly 7 weeks. The due date she estimated is July 16th.

no school, no school, la lala la la!

Jeff is home for the rest of the week! Yay! I am excited to get to hang out with him until Sunday! AND his grandparents are in town again- last time they were here Jeff didn't ever get to watch The Price is Right with us. I love watching it with his grandparents because they get as excited for the contestants as I do when they win. When I watch it by myself if just feels sort of lonely. Kind of like when you watch a funny movie by yourself and don't have anyone to laugh with so you are sitting in the room laughing out loud all by yourself. Awkward.

I am trying to come up with a good craft to do with the 3 oldest nieces during the break. Right now I am leaning towards sock monkeys, but they may not find them nearly as cool as I do.

This is going to be my first Oliverson family get together flying solo without Angie. I am guessing that anybody who spends the time to read this knows me already, but just in case, my sister and I married brothers. Jeff and I met a couple of weeks after Angie and Derek got engaged. Therefore, I have never had to spend a holiday completely alone at the in-laws because we switch Thanksgivings and Christmas with each family on the same schedule. This year my ma and pa are going to Ang & Der's for Thanksgiving AND Christmas. I just keep telling myself that we all get to be together at Christmas. PLUS this year since we already live at my in-laws we automatically get a good bed to sleep on. Other holidays/ weekends we've spent with the whole family, I've ended up really emotional because I don't get much sleep. 9 times out of 10 if I get really emotional more than once a day it is because I am tired!

Anyway, this one was full of tangents. Oh well!