Status Update

First of all, I finally updated my last post to include an u/s photo--not that anyone but myself is probably interested in photodocumentation of a brand new beating heart. It makes me pretty excited, though!

I am feeling pretty good. I'm am tired a lot, but an 8pm bedtime has been making the exhaustion manageable. And honestly, given what my work schedule has been like over the last couple of years, and the overwhelming exhaustion that was associated with it, I really don't pay much attention to how tired I am. It sort of feels normal. The only difference is that right now, I actually have the time to sleep!

I've been getting tinges of nausea, but only when I go awhile without eating. Frequent small snacks have kept it at a minimum. I hope it stays this way.

I double-checked my maternity leave coverage (and have it in writing). I get 8 weeks paid maternity leave, but I can take another 4 weeks on top of that. I can use my sick leave and vacation time, or some combination thereof, to cover those 4 weeks (I get 3 weeks of each), so I should be in good shape. How my employer will react to me taking the time I'm entitled to is an entirely different story. My boss recently made a negative comment about someone we know that works for a different employer, who is taking paternity leave this summer (his comment was essentially that in this economy, the person shouldn't be taking leave at all). I am sure he'll be pissed when he finds out that I plan to take every ounce of leave I can get, but given that I stopped trying last year so that I could work on--and successfully accomplish--the Big Project that no one else--including himself--was willing to work on, I won't be taking any grief about it. I have earned this.

I am convinced that we are having a boy. Completely and totally convinced.

We were supposed to do another u/s at 8 weeks, but since my RE isn't in the office that week, we are doing our next u/s at 7 weeks, on Tuesday morning. The nurse said that by then, everything should have doubled in size. Hopefully, everything will keep chugging along. If we make is successfully past this ultrasound, I will be more pregnant than I ever have been.

I have no idea when my RE will release me to a regular OB. I forgot to ask last week. Since I suppose it could be another month, or it could be as early as this week, I've done some research and have narrowed the list. I am currently considering two OB practices at two different hospitals. I ruled out a third hospital, even though it is one that I really like, since they don't deliver as many babies there (it's a small hospital), and the only care providers I like that are associated with that hospital are midwives, and I think I'm too neurotic to go with a midwife.

I'm at the point where I would really like to hear from women who have given birth at the two hospitals. But, since we are still hiding deep in the closet with this pregnancy, it's been a little hard to ask people about OB recommendations. Oddly enough, it happened to come up with friends at dinner on Friday night, while they were discussing the birth of their kids. I asked as many questions as I could without it seeming odd, but still didn't get to ask all of the questions that I have. I'm sort of hoping I don't get released to my OB until we are 12 weeks and I feel comfortable telling people, but I doubt that will happen. Argh. Well, at least I am in the position of having to make decisions like this!