Well, exactly a week ago today, we went to our first ultrasound scan and saw the baby for the very first time :) I'm a little earlier than we, or anyone else expected - the midwife had given me a likely estimated due date of the 11th of May, possibly the 22nd. But the scan put my EDD at 31st of May, making me only 10 weeks along, and I was told to come back in two weeks for my proper 12 week scan.
I was initially a little disappointed that I wasn't as far along as I had thought I was (it means an extra 2 weeks to worry until we're out of the 'danger zone'!), but then I thought about it and realised we were actually pretty lucky. Being a little earlier at the first scan just means that we got to see our teeny tiny little baby that little bit earlier, we'll have three opportunities instead of two to know that she/he is developing normally and healthily, and we'll get three all-important scan photos instead of the standard two!
So, without further ado, here is our gorgeous, eeny weeny baby :)
How cute!? To think, in this photo, the baby is roughly the size of a grape - that's just insane.
It was such an incredible experience to witness him/her on screen... I know it sounds ridiculous, but even though I knew, of course, that ultrasounds are not static; the baby moves on screen, you get so used to seeing the still images from friends/family etc, that it was a bit of a shock (albeit a pleasant one) to see the baby actually in motion on the monitor. I couldn't believe, and I'm sure Michael was the same, that we were witnessing our baby wriggling around in front of our eyes, at one point his/her little hand was up and waving at us; it was just the most surreal, and beautiful thing I've ever experienced.
Since having the scan last week I have to keep looking at the picture, and looking at my name at the top, just to reassure myself that the little bundle in the picture is actually my baby. It's so crazy to think this little being is swimming around in my tummy right now, there's really a baby in there! The word 'pregnant' had been bandied around so much before the scan that I was almost used to it, but I think it took actually seeing the ultrasound to fully appreciate that Michael and I had really, truly created a baby - and that we were going to be parents. It was quite an overwhelming realisation, but also a very comforting, lovely one. One of the best things about the whole day though, was seeing how happy Michael was at the scan. That boy is such a closed book, and it was so amazing to see how genuinely delighted he was - he came out grinning from ear to ear, and it's so good to know for definite now that he's just as happy about becoming a daddy as I am about becoming a mummy. He'll be fantastic, I know he will.
In other news, it was my birthday a few days before the scan so - we went shopping! And as you can probably imagine, I couldn't possibly leave without buying something for the baby... Michael pretended not to approve, but I think secretly he found them very cute too. Here's some of our first buys for the new addition:
Bear hat!
Little comforter with teddy bear.
"I love Mummy and Daddy"
Some simple basics. :)
Oh I do love baby clothes! The grandparents have already started - my mum and stepmum have both been ferretting away bits and pieces - our child is going to be sooo spoiled, and I'm positive they'll have a better wardrobe than I do by the time he/she's born!
Today is my last morning of work and then I have eight lovely days off, which will be very gratefully received. Michael and I are off to the Cameron House on Loch Lomond this weekend with his parents, Norma and Gerry. They have a timeshare up there so we're going to spend a couple of nights and have some lovely relaxation, I really cannot wait. The setting of the hotel is beautiful and this time of year will be just stunning; really looking forward to just soaking it all up and enjoying the fresh air. See baby, you are being taken on luxury weekends before you are even born ;)
After that, we'll have our 12 week scan a week today (Wednesday 16th) and I cannot wait to see our baby again and spend more time with him/her. I'm going to try my best to update more regularly, but it's ciao for now from me and the bump :)
xxx
