Second Ultrasound and check up

Our second ultrasound and check up was today. I think this was the appointment that really made this whole thing very real for me.

I went in and had my blood drawn and we went right back to the U/S room as always. We got started and I saw the baby on the screen and, there, on the monitor, was a little peanut that had a head and the beginning of what would be arms and legs. It only got better after that. The Physician Assistant made the ultrasound picture on the screen smaller, but this bar on the bottom appeared. Suddenly there was a heartbeat. A strong, steady heartbeat. 

The heartbeat-126 BPM

Hearing that noise made this whole thing real to me. I am really, truly pregnant. This isn't a dream, this is really happening. While I was in this state of euphoria (it was so difficult for things to bother me after starting the day out like that!), I could help but notice that tiny, nagging voice in the back of my head repeating over and over "this is real but you have a long way to go." This is the voice that sends my 'miscarriage anxiety' into overload, but just for this day, I looked at the picture of that little peanut a million times, and reminded myself that this is such a gift-enjoy every minute (even the sick, nauseous minutes).

My little peanut