nine weeks!

bump watch: let's just say i'm thankful for stretchy jeans and my loose-fitting dress pants! there's no official "baby bump" to speak of yet, just a little extra fluff around the middle. i can still squeeze into my regular denim jeans but they're starting to be a little uncomfortable. sometime in the next few weeks i bet i'll be pulling out my trusty bella band! 

little peanut: is an entire inch long -- apparently the size of a green olive (that's a pretty big olive!). arms and legs are moving, and the liver, spleen, and gallbladder are forming.

image credit from What to Expect When You're Expecting

best moment: my first prenatal appointment was this week, and i was both excited and terrified. around 6 weeks i had some moderate cramping, and even though i never had any bleeding, and even though my symptoms have been reassuringly persistent, after having two previous miscarriages i was preparing myself for the worst. the morning of the appointment i just felt sick, wondering if we would get heartbreaking news. but! all looks well! or, should i say, sounds well ... because we heard a beautiful strong heartbeat at 160 beats per minute! at my first appointment with Greta, the midwife couldn't find a heartbeat with the doppler and so i had an ultrasound. apparently it's often easier to find a heartbeat with doppler in subsequent pregnancies. it was such a relief to have immediate confirmation that little peanut is really in there, without having to wait for another test! i can still hear that gorgeous galloping sound in my mind and can't wait to hear it again. 

symptoms: the usual first trimester potpourri of fatigue, bloating, nausea, and mood swings. it's basically like PMS on steroids. just like with sweetpea, i've been blessed with mild symptoms so far -- i haven't gotten sick at all yet, and the nausea typically comes on only if i've waited too long to eat. 

cravings: flavored unsweetened seltzer water, orange juice with mango (WITHOUT pulp, thank you very much), Lance's cheddar cheese sandwich crackers, and buffalo chicken pizza. last week i was on top of the world when i placed an online order for Papa John's in the afternoon, picked it up right after work, and dug in as soon as we got home. 

what i miss: a delicious, cold draft of Spaten or Hefeweizen or Dunkelweiss. we celebrated Nick's 30th birthday this week at Hofbrauhaus, and the very next day joined Father Aron's bus tour for lunch at Max's Allegheny Tavern (which features Spaten on draft). brutal, i tell you, brutal. i had to satisfy myself with sauerkraut and kartoffelsalat. 

looking forward to: hearing that beautiful heartbeat again next month! as well as starting to spread the word to more family, friends, and colleagues. for now, we're just treasuring each day!