Six week appointment

Please note: This was not our actual nurse

We have lab tested confirmation---I am pregnant! Whew. Man, would I have felt silly if they had told us to go home and keep trying! Our appointment on Friday (Friday, July 11th) went well. After my urine test, weigh in and blood work, Jeff and I went to our room to wait for the nurse. There was a knock on the door and behind the door a face peeked through with the official printout and said, “Congratulations Jennifer, you’re pregnant!” Even though there was no dreaded red, and sore boobs and exhaustion were in full effect, the reassurance was still much appreciated.

I hadn’t anticipated the blood work, which I suppose was a good thing so I didn’t get worked up about it beforehand. I just wish they wouldn’t have mentioned all of the things they would be testing me for later on during my visit. Seriously, couldn’t you have just told me a week later that I don’t have any ailments that may kill me or threaten my unborn child instead of leaving me to wonder for a whole week? I mean, of course I want to know, but I was taken off guard!

We met with a nurse at that appointment and went through our medical and family histories. It was so nice having Jeff there with me so we could discuss and absorb all of the information together. All of the lists of what to do and what not to do were brought out. Safe and unsafe medications, foods, drinks and paints were listed. Genetic testing and costs associated with them were mentioned. The schedule of events for the next nine months was laid out. Recommended nutritional servings for my diet were charted and displayed. Backrubs from husband to wife were encouraged. Yeah, I made that one up, but my gosh, there is so much to know, and these are just the very basics!

Tangent alert: I had heard about not eating unpasteurized products, including cheeses of that type, but blue cheese being off limits came as a surprise. I had heard to stay away from brie, but nothing about that veiny, blue, creamy, melt in my mouth masterpiece Bleu d'Avergne. I listened closely as the nurse said to avoid raw fish (no problem), raw eggs (I can do it), undercooked meats (makes my stomach churn anyway), some cheeses such as brie (fine), feta (easy) and blue cheese (pause, gulp and I start to salivate a bit). This may require some further research, but if that’s what they say, then that’s what I will abide with. I have actually wondered if my taste buds would turn on me during pregnancy and if the mere mention of blue cheese and cilantro (two things I love but can see why others do not) could suddenly make me ill. My world with no Chipotle is not a world I want to become acquainted with (although two times while pregnant when I had my favorite veggie hard shell tacos, I had an inkling of a fish taste, which I thought could have been the cilantro playing nasty jokes on my tongue). I will forgo the blue cheese for now, but a girl’s gotta have her some salsa packed with cilantro, especially when it’s encased in a Chipotle hard shell!

As I said, the appointment went well and we learned a good amount. My uterus was also checked to see if it felt as if it was expanding as it should and I was told it looked good. I thought she even said it looked especially sexy, but don't ask Jeff because I doubt he remembers. My next appointment will be in five to six weeks.

We came home from our visit and called Nana and Papa, Jeff’s grandparents, immediately and they were so happy for us. Now we’ll see if Papa can keep this a secret until we are more in the safe zone. Nana said she would do her best helping him to keep it quiet, but Papa’s statement entailing that he’s never been a very good secret keeper didn’t leave us so reassured! On Sunday (Sunday, July 13th) we had dinner at Jeff’s parents’ house and we were finally able to tell Tom, Jeff's brother, that he is going to be an uncle. Fun times!

Jeff, Tom and me