Worry alert level has dropped, a bit

Here we have the first offical picture of baby! Taken on Friday, July 21, 2006. It says that on the picture as well, but it's tough to read. Just like it's hard to see baby (it's on the lower left side). Baby is only a centimeter or so (1/2") long right now, but the heart rate was at 146 bpm. I wasn't there, but I've been told that you could actually see the heart flutter too! Optimal range, according to the nurse who looked after Caitlin, is between 140 and 150 bpm. The funny thing is, one of my co-workers said that it's probably going to be a boy because of the strong heart rate, and Brenda said it was going to be a girl because of the strong heart rate. All I know is that baby is not stuck in one of the tubes, but in the uterus where it can grow to term. Hence I'm not worried about that anymore!

I'm also very grateful that Brenda took Caitlin to the appointment. Not only because I had to work, but also because Brenda knew where the place was and had a car to take Caitlin there! I knew the address, and we could have taken the bus, but this worked better I think. I'm also glad that Caitlin didn't have to go there alone. Hopefully I'll be able to go to the next ultrasound test. I don't know when that will be, but since it's not an ectopic, I'm guessing that it will be in a couple of months.

Caitlin has lost a good chunk of weight since the doctor's appointment, and that may be in part to the fact that pregnancy is in full gear, and that it's been so hot! When she stepped on Brenda's scales on Friday, she weighed around 170 lbs. That's 20 lbs. lighter than she was at the doctor's! She might also be losing weight with the morning sickness that's been plagueing her too. This morning when we were coming back from Beaumont, I was very glad that we brought a bucket with us. It was put to use around 10 am, right when we got to downtown. Although she had dry heaves all the way from Millwoods, I thought she might be able to make it home. I was wrong.

I also didn't expect her to puke on the bus yesterday when we went down to Millwoods. Then again, I didn't expect it to be 35C (about 93F) outside, and even warmer inside the bus! The buses have heat, oh yes, because eight months of the year you need it. No A/C though, and Caitlin has had heat exhaustion before, which makes her all the more succeptable to it again. We also didn't have the empty ice cream bucket with us, so she used a Rubbermaid bottle. Good thing that only cost us a couple bucks. I'm beginning to sense that I shouldn't worry about lost expenses like that. If we need to spend so much money now, it's only going to be more once baby arrives!

Caitlin is trying things to keep her stomach settled. She eats soda crackers, since they stay down, and she drinks a goodly amount of water. We were told by someone on the bus yesterday, after the puking episode, that moderately cool water with a few pinches of salt would keep Caitlin well hydrated. It's one thing to have water, but if your system doesn't absorb it, where does it go? Back up the way it came? Down the drain? Both?

March 6, 2007 suddenly seems a long ways away.