11 Weeks Ultrasound

So, we had a doctor appointment this morning for a routine ultrasound at 11 weeks. It was great to see the heartbeat and all the arms, legs, and fingers! After the ultrasound, the doctor returned to the office while I got dressed and when we arrived at his office, he was drawing pictures next to each ultrasound picture so we'd be able to understand what we were looking at! I thought it was awesome!

Everything is looking good. We're pretty much out of the danger zone and the doctor said there's no reason not to expect a healthy, normal pregnancy. The baby measured perfectly 11 weeks and 4 days (which is where I should be). I've lost some weight, about 3-4 lbs (probably from the drastically reduced carbs in the gluten-free diet, morning sickness, and aversion to food) but the doctor wasn't concerned about it. He said I needed to start gaining a pound a week starting in the second trimester. I had some anxiety about having celiac disease and the baby getting nutrients (since my small intestine may be damaged and that's where nutrients are absorbed) but the doctor was, again, unconcerned and again pointed out that if I'm gaining weight, then there's no problem. I complained of the sciatic nerve pain that I'd been suffering for awhile but apparently, there's no relief for it but Tylenol and he did say that as the pregnancy progresses, my uterus may shift off the sciatic nerve, giving me relief. Well, there's hope!

It's hard to believe that I'll soon be out of the first trimester! It's definitely wonderful to see the heartbeat and the baby him(her)self and have no shadow hanging over my head of a possible miscarriage. Today, we had the same doctor who discovered and monitored my miscarriage throughout. So, this time, it was great to have him shake our hands and say "Congratulations!" instead of "I'm sorry."

I find myself craving my childhood fried Southern cooking. Tonight, I made (I know it's gross) corned beef hash. I know it's gross to some people and highly fattening but I couldn't resist making it like Mom did - fried cubed potatoes with corned beef. Well, I made the corned beef hash tonight for the last time. I don't think I did it right; it was a bit greasy and Greg and I were a bit sick afterwards.

I'll post the ultrasound pictures tomorrow! I promise! (EDIT: Changed my mind and stayed up later to post the pictures)