7 weeks and happy news!

First off -- I found out that my best friend's wife is pregnant!! I'm super, super excited for them and completely elated to have a pregnant "buddy." I just keep thinking about all the fun stuff we can do together! His wife, RM, is due a little under a month after me (EDD is March 7th) which is even more fun. Yay!

Secondly, this is what's going on for the baby this week:

How your baby's growing:

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

See what's going on in your uterus this week.

***

Next week is my first OB appointment with Dr. Brian. Mark is going to go with me which will be so much nicer this time around. During my pregnancy with Aidan, I spent the vast majority of it going to my doctor's appointments by myself. It was really quite depressing but my life was very different at that point. Now I have a wonderful, supportive husband!

My mother-in-law is driving me a bit nuts though. She doesn't like that I have chosen an OB out in St. Louis instead of an OB on the Illinois side of the river. I would understand if her reasons were like, "Oh what if you go into labor, you'll have to drive all that way," but they're not. She doesn't like to drive in St. Louis. I told her she'd either have to find a ride to the hospital or not come at all. I know that sounds extremely bitchy, but come on. This is MY decision and I don't think I should be criticized for it. There aren't any great OB's on the Illinois side. Everyone that is around here has horrible reputations, with the exception of Dr. Dalla Riva. Unfortunately Dr. Dalla Riva does not take my insurance. I want an excellent doctor taking care of me and my baby and even though I have never gone to Dr. Brian his colleague, Dr. Gulick, was my old GYN and I loved him. And I trust in Dr. Gulick. He did both of my laser laproscopy surgeries and I've known him since I was 16. Of course, if I end up not liking Dr. Brian I will look for another doctor. I'm not dumb.

Other than that, so far everything seems to be ok with me. I still don't really feel pregnant but I haven't gotten my period so I figure I'm still with child. :o) My morning sickness hasn't returned *knock on wood* but I do still periodically feel a bit sick throughout the day. Usually it's when I haven't eaten in awhile though.

I'm not having any weird cravings although my sense of taste has changed. I no longer want to drink anything really carbonated or sweet. Actually I can't really find anything I want to drink. It's weird. Nothing tastes good. I've been sticking to diet soda though, even though it is carbonated it's not sweet. I tried juice and water and water that's flavored. Nothing. Nothing quenches it. Well, I do seem to like Yoo Hoo but I can't drink it all the time because it has whey in it and I'm lactose intolerant. Now if they made like lactose free Yoo Hoo or something I'd totally be down. Maybe I'll try some Lactaid milk with chocolate syrup. Tastes good and good for you! :o)

I guess that's about it for now. We keep talking to Aidan about the "baby" in my "tummy." He gives it kisses but then tells us he doesn't want a brother or a sister. :o) Silly boy!

Oh and I recently found out my step-sister is having a baby girl! Yay!