HEARTBEAT!!

Wow!!

Doug and I had an appointment with our NP this morning and it was the most incredible thing--we heard the baby's heartbeat! Our NP seemed to find it pretty easily--one moment it was quiet and then in the next moment, the room was filled with the sounds of a very distinctive and STRONG heartbeat! I began to cry and looked over at Doug--there were tears in his eyes, too! What a feeling! It is a fast little beat--fetal heart rates are much faster than adult heart rates--Doug does a fantastic impression of it (ask him to do it for you!). Lots of parents rent dopplers to listen and record their babies' heartbeats...while we don't plan to rent one, how cool would it be to record it the heartbeat? It is a possibility (Doug wondered this in the office)--and if you are interested in hearing what a fetal heartbeat sounds like, go to:

http://www.sweetbeats.net/fetal-doppler-babys-heartbeat.php

The eight week one sounds a lot like what we heard this morning!

I came into the appointment not expecting much; many of the ladies in my "Expecting Club" on iVillage couldn't hear the heartbeat until week 13 or so. Also, the receptionist this morning said that we were scheduled to talk about finances today, whereas at our last appointment, our NP said we would listen for the heartbeat! I was pissed and told Doug that I would not hesitate to get angry with the financial person (as if she was at fault) because, dammit, I wanted to hear the heartbeat! Almost all of the ladies who post in my expecting club have either had an ultrasound or doppler by now, so, now it was our turn!

Needless to say, it turned out better than I could have even imagined. I am--we are--really pregnant! There is a little person in there! Unbelievable! I think it is finally beginning to hit me--wow--we are going to be parents in nearly six months. CRAZY.

Now I have to run to take some Tums...heartburn is setting in after my second breakfast.

Love to all!