Heartbeat

I went to the doctor's this afternoon for a regular OB checkup. All the doctor did was feel my belly and check the heartbeat and tell me everything was looking good. It was the first time I heard the baby's heartbeat. It was pretty static-ky but I could hear the heartbeat above the static. It was amazing! It was also a relief and I felt assured that the baby's alright and the pregnancy is progressing well. Every time I think about the heartbeat, a smile comes to my face and the baby just seems more and more real.

I happened to catch a glance at the Doppler (baby heart monitor) and I think I saw that the heartbeats per minute was 146. I'm not positive that I saw it correctly but I may call tomorrow and verify. You know that old wives' tale about how the heartbeat above 150 is a girl and if it's below 150, it's a boy? Well, I read that it's a myth and medical studies have shown that there is no basis for the old wives' tale. So....we'll see in three weeks (October 29th - mark your calendar, people!) what we'll be having!

On a side note, I gained 5 pounds since my last appointment. I'd lost about 3 pounds in my first trimester when I weighed in last time so I gained that back and a two extra pounds. So, I've gained two pounds above my normal pre-pregnancy weight! I think that's pretty good for being 16 weeks going into the 17th week. I'm supposed to gain a pound a week.

Other news: I chopped my hair off right after my doctor's appointment. It was not an impulse, though. I'd wanted to do it for months and I was always so cranky having to fix my hair every morning. The longer it got, the more unmanageable it got. My hair was at my collarbones and I cut off 5 inches and so now it's chin length. I love having short hair again! I feel like a new person -- even actually feel pretty, instead of chunky. I rode home with the window down and didn't have those long strands of hair whipping around my face and I won't have to worry about tangles again.

I made chicken alfredo pasta (I say pasta because I didn't have fettucine pasta) from scratch tonight. I boiled chicken off the bones and made the sauce itself. It tasted alright. I replaced the heavy cream with fat free half and half so it wouldn't be so fattening. The butter and parmesan cheese are both still fattening but hey, I'll just fatten up the baby, and then.... go for a walk in the morning.

Love you all!