Week 7 brought one of the biggest milestones yet: We got to see and hear baby's heartbeat! It was the most magical thing to see this little flutter on the screen. When the nurse turned on the doppler sound Mr. Fix-It really lit up. I think it was the closest we have felt to the baby - to see and hear that there was a real live little embryo with it's own beating heart was just unbelievable. Baby's heart was chugging away at a steady 148BPM. We got to leave that day with a few ultrasound pictures again. It was definitely one of my favorite days yet.

Week 7 was also a hurdle because it meant that we were ready to be discharged from the care of fertility doctors and I could go to my Ob/Gyn. I was extremely excited about this shift. Later that day I made an appointment with my doctor and scheduled my "first" prenatal appointment. I also felt like such a cheater - most people hadn't seen their baby yet and we already had 2 ultrasounds and a confirmed heartbeat! Trust me, I didn't mind being a cheater though.

Week 8 was great, and uneventful. I was still feeling wonderful and for the first time I felt like my belly was rounding out a little bit. Plus, getting to the point where the baby was the size of a rasberry versus a poppy seed seemed so significant. No longer was our baby a teeny dot - it was something I could actually hold! Granted, we still have a LONG way to go...

At this point, (and at present) I felt so blessed and lucky that I had felt wonderfully healthy through the pregnancy process. For me, the biggest challenge during this time was psychological. I'm sure that stories of miscarriage always exist, and it's just that you listen a little closer when you're expecting. But it starts to seem as if they are everywhere, and you can't help but worry. It is just this constant low-grade fear that you have to carry in your mind at all times. The first trimester is so exciting, and so stressful at the same time! I would say that 90% of the time I felt calm and hopeful, but 10% of the time I would google the most ridiculous things for reassurance. I guess that's all fair preparation for motherhood!