Houston, we have a... heartbeat!

Yay yay yay! Adam and I went in on Thursday for my monthly OB checkup and we got to hear Baby Cloud's heartbeat! :) It was SO cool. I didn't cry, but I didn't really think I would anyway. I'm kinda weird like that... I cry watching Extreme Home Makeover and when I get mad, but not at the normal stuff. You know like, baby dedications, weddings, hearing my child's heartbeat for the first time. I'm a weirdo. ;) It's okay, I've come to terms with it a loooong time ago.

Anyway, here's just a quick update of how the doctor's appointment went. They checked my weight (still down 1 lb. but they're pretty sure it's just from all the trouble I had with morning sickness). My blood pressure is looking great. They asked me the normal questions about how I felt and if I had any questions come up. And then we got to hear the heartbeat! It was in the 150's and it was nice and strong. Near the end, it started to sound kind of echo-y... almost like there were two heartbeats. I joking asked the doctor, "please tell me there's just one in there?" He laughed and said that it was possible, but the chances were slim (even though there are LOTS of twins on Adam's side) and there was nothing else so far in my pregnancy to make him think I was carrying more than one baby. That was kind of a relief to know. :) That sounds terrible, I know. Every little girl dreams of having twins, right? Well, when she grows up she realizes that although that is a very cool concept, she'd be just fine handling one baby, thank you very much! ;) The last thing the doctor did was to go ahead and schedule my first ultrasound... for next Monday! That's right, by Feb. 1st, we might know whether Baby Cloud is a boy or a girl! I am SO excited! And I can't believe they scheduled it so soon! I was sure that they were going to make me wait until 20 weeks (I'll be 17 at the appt). So needless to say, this was a VERY pleasant surprise! :D As of right now, Adam is hoping for a boy and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a girl. We totally don't care either way, but it's fun to try and guess. :) I created a poll online for our friends to guess the gender, and the standings as of right now are:

Boy: 5 votes

Girl: 7 votes

So it's pretty close in my opinion. :) Hopefully I can let you all know Monday which it is! :D

How far along? 16 weeks 4 days!
Total weight gain/loss: Down 1 lb. :(
Maternity clothes? Yes and no... I found a pair of jeans I bought right before I got pregnant and I put them on... and they still fit! :D That made me happy. ;)
Stretch marks? No new ones.
Sleep: Sleeping like a, well, a baby. ;)
Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat and scheduling the first ultrasound!
Movement: Nothing yet. :( Some nights I lay flat and I think I feel flutters, but I'm just not sure, lol.
Food cravings: Apply pie and vanilla ice cream... Thanks to Scott and Shannon for fufilling that craving! :D
Gender: We might find out Monday, Feb. 1st!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Still in... it's pretty deep, so I'm thinking I may not "pop" at all. We'll see...
What I miss: Being able to "hold it" for more than an hour, haha!
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender!
Weekly Wisdom: I have to drink a full 32 oz. in one sitting for my ultrasound on Monday... and I suck at drinking water. So I'm looking at this like a marathon runner would... practice and train! Haha!
Milestones: Hearing Baby's heartbeat (150's)!

Update on Life

Okay, so I'm not so great at keeping this thing updated... Kinda figured that would happen. ;) The thing is though, life gets busy! Some days I feel like the weeks are crawling by and then BAM! Something happens and you're left thinking, ummm where did the past few weeks go? I feel like it was just the beginning of December and I was trying to get ready for Christmas, and here I am now, in the last week of January! A lot of things have happened to me, my small family unit of two (soon to be three!), and my friends. Here's just a condensed list...

* Adam turned 25! He is now a quarter of a century old! ;) I love teasing him about that.

*We celebrated a blessed Christmas with the Cloud, Applegate, and O'Neal sides of the family. We came down to SEMO for a few days and witnessed a lot of rain and flooding, while our Olathe friends and family were snowed in for the holiday. No fair! ;)

*I was hit with some MONSTER morning sickness and stomach flu of some sort that left me in bed for a week in a half, and all of my daycare parents scrambling for childcare. :( Not a happy time.

*My family lost a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend in a terrible car accident on New Year's Eve. We love and miss you Michael!

*Our close group of friends from church suffered various illnesses, car accidents, job losses, etc. It's been a rough couple of months, and there have definitely been times where we've struggled, but my husband and friends continue to amaze and encourage me with their faith in God and his greater plan for our lives. :)

*I had to be put on medication for my increasing bouts with nausea and I'm finally finding relief. :)

A girlfriend of mine really inspired me with a list of things she filled out each week about her recent pregnancy and I decided to use her idea (thanks Meg!). ;)

How far along? 15 weeks 6 days!
Total weight gain/loss: Not really sure, I've been losing weight due to the morning sickness. Last OB appt. I weighed 122. And that was down 6 lbs from the previous appt. :(
Maternity clothes? Yes, finally! I've been in that awkward "none of my regular clothes fit, but maternity clothes are too big" stage for the past few weeks. A friend from church (who happens to be the same size as me) just had her baby in Dec. and let me borrow all of her clothes! Thanks Ashley!
Stretch marks? Just my tooshie. ;) TMI, sorry.
Sleep: Typically I sleep all through the night. The past few weeks I've stolen every extra pillow we own (including all of Adam's except one) and barricaded myself in. Otherwise, I have terrible back and hip pain for days. :(
Best moment this week: Getting drugs that keep me from puking! :D
Movement: Nothing yet. :( Some nights I lay flat and really still but I'm pretty sure all I feel is my stomach growling, lol.
Food cravings: Fruits and veggies always, but last night I demolished a whole plate of french fries by myself. ;)
Gender: still won't know for a few more weeks. :(
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Still in... it's pretty deep, so I'm thinking I may not "pop" at all. We'll see...
What I miss: Bowing down to the porcelain god... NOT!
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't be afraid to call the doctor and ask for help... he doesn't think you're stupid for not wanting to puke ALL the time! :)
Milestones: I kind of "popped" this past week. I think I still just look pudgy, but other people are called it a "bump" and that makes me smile. :)