Our Peanut

This morning we saw our baby for the first time!

We were scheduled for an ultrasound to date the pregnancy based on the size of the baby and to determine the due date (we were right about that, by the way), so we were waiting with eager anticipation to see the baby on the screen. Sure enough, a little black bubble appeared with a lighter grey peanut inside... our baby. And as we looked closer, we could see the baby's chest fluttering rapidly with a tiny little heartbeat. The technician turned up the volume for us and we were able to hear the beats -- 120 beats per minute, very strong and healthy.

Seeing and hearing that heart beat really made this pregnancy real for me. I feel like we've been so secretive about it up until this point (for good reasons) that it has almost made the pregnancy itself seem unreal. But now that we have physical evidence that there really is a healthy, beautiful baby growing inside me, the pregnancy seems less like a delightful dream and more like an amazing reality.

Both of us had a hard time not running out and telling everyone we saw about the baby. I'm sure we both spent most of the day grinning from ear to ear at the thought of our little peanut.

The technician said that based on the baby's size, I am at 6 weeks and 5 days -- one day earlier than I thought I was, but pretty darn close -- and the baby's due date is May 30. That should be a very nice early birthday present for Brian. Last year, I got a new house on my birthday; next year, he'll get a baby for his. Obviously our standards for birthday gifts are getting ridiculously high! Maybe the year after next, I'll finally get a pony. ;-)