Christmas in Oklahoma

Our Christmas plans changed from Santa Fe to Oklahoma due to some ice storms. Our Christmas journey started by spending a day in Kerriville, TX at Christy's Parents house. Then, Ed and Marcia flew us up to Ardmore, OK on Christmas eve to see Christy's grandpa. Then on Christmas day we flew to Sapulpa, OK to see her other grandparents and Aunt Mary, Uncle Don and Cousin Lucy. We had some very nice dinners and enjoyed seeing everyone, but we missed Aunt Sally, Mary and Camille in Santa Fe.

Here's some pictures in Ed's Beechcraft Bonanza A36. In typical Livermore fashion, we had the plane packed to capacity with 440 pounds of fuel and 1000 pounds in passengers, food, gifts, and luggage. Paul was pleased to find that he enjoyed the smooth flying more than he thought he would, and is looking forward to his next flight.


Next week, on January 2, we return to the doctor for an ultrasound. We expect to find out if the baby is a "he" or a "she" then, as well as checking for vital organs, etc. It will be a great birthday present for Christy!! Marcia and Ed are planning to come to Austin to go with us, and see their first live ultrasound! Apparently, technology has come a long way since 1967 and 1970...

Thanksgiving and Val's Birthday in Cleveland

We went to Cleveland for Thanksgiving and for a surprise party for Val's 80th Birthday! We had a great time there, visiting everyone in Paul's family. Val and Ellyn hosted Thanksgiving dinner at Val's house (YUMMY).

The surprise party was at Dimitri's in Cleveland. Val was so surprised that she didn't even realize it was a party for her when she walked in! We had a great time celebrating with her.

Val took Paul and Christy to play Bingo, where they learned that it impossible for rookies to play 8 cards (each) at once. Christy did win one game, and everyone had a great time....

16 Weeks...

Our last doctor's visit went well. Christy still hasn't gained any weight -- in fact, she has lost weight -- but the doctor says that weight loss early in pregnancy is normal. The baby is now approximately 4 1/2 inches from crown to rump, and weighs 2.75 ounces. It has fingernails, and it's skeleton is getting "hard" enough to view on an x-ray. Our next appointment will be in early January, when we will have an in-depth ultrasound to count fingers and toes, and we will find out if it is a boy or girl! Christy hasn't felt it move yet, but the doc says that she should feel movement within the next month... stay tuned for more updates!

12 Weeks!

Paul and I went to the geneticist today, and had another ultrasound. Between some blood samples and some measurements on the ultrasound, they were able to minimize the chances of the baby having a choromosomal defect to 1:2000, or better. Since our odds of defect are the same as a 20-year-old girl, we have decided not to have the more invasive procedures (amniocentesis or CVS), since they have a greater risk of miscarriage than our risk of defects at this point.

Needless to say, we are greatly relieved at today's results, and feel like we can move forward now with a more positive and excited outlook. I think we are probably over the biggest hurdles now! I think this one is a keeper!

During the ultrasound, we again heard the heartbeat (153 bpm today), and confirmed our due date of May 24. The baby is approximately 6 cm from "crown to rump" (not including those long legs). We also got to watch the baby for a minute as he/she kicked his momma, stretched, and squirmed around. We are going to try to capture the video digitally tonight, and (if successful) will post it shortly as well.

Sidebar: After today's video, I definitely think a little differently about the whole abortion issue -- I still think it should be the parent's / mother's choice, but I had no idea how active and vital a 2 inch fetus was in the womb. I guess I thought it "just laid there" until later in pregnancy, but today we saw ours move like a typical baby moves, and it was quite amazing... I am so glad our news today was positive, and we don't have to make any tough decisions.

11 weeks!

Paul and I went to the doctor yesterday, and we were able to hear the baby's heartbeating again through a doppler. The heartrate was 150 beats per minute, twice as fast as an adult. The doctor was pleased and let us know that the beat was strong and rhythmical. We will have further tests and an ultrasound next week, on Thursday. We are hoping to get some good pictures to share then!

I am feeling pretty icky, but am looking forward to 2nd trimester, when most people start feeling better and have more energy...

Pregnant!

This time, it seems a little more successful. Paul and I went to the doctor at 7 weeks, and heard the baby's heartbeat. We also got to see the heart beating on the ultrasound. The baby measured 8mm -- that is about the size of a BB! Hard to believe that something so small could already be pumping blood...