Beautiful Sound!

It's amazing how much Beaker had grown in two short weeks...looked more like a baby and less like a bean! :-) There was a very prominent head and definite arm buds. The angle made it a bit hard to see leg buds, but they were there, as well.

The most amazing part, though, was hearing the heartbeat. I don't think I was at all prepared for what that would feel like. At our last appointment, the RE turned the audio on and we could hear rumbling and a mix of noises, but our untrained ears weren't precise enough to detect the baby's heartbeat from noise. The RE could hear it, and the machine could count it...and that was enough for me that week.  This time, though, it was clear as day. 

I about lost it at that moment!  Even more than first seeing a baby blob on the screen last time, I was struck by the wonder and awe of the fact that it wasn't my heartbeat that I was hearing. For the first time in my life, there was a heart beating inside me that wasn't my own. It was truly amazing. And, though it felt oh so real before...and my symptoms don't let me forget it...it feels all the more real after hearing that strong, healthy 164bpm heartbeat!  The baby is measuring 8w2d and we've officially graduated from the RE. Our first OB appointment is on 2/5! 

I'm nervous before every ultrasound, and I imagine that's normal.  I was slightly less nervous before this one than the last time, probably normal, as well.  I know that we're by no means out of the woods yet...and I'm reminded of that regularly on blogs and iV when I read about women who had a healthy 6/7/8 week heartbeat and then nothing at the next appointment.  I will feel more comfortable when we can hear the baby on the doppler at home.  And yet, I feel strangely confident that all is well and that all will be well with our baby and this pregnancy.  I'm grateful for that confidence today and hope that it remains as strong as Beaker's heartbeat until our next appointment in early-February!