We're having a baby!!!

I admit, this journal is long overdue since we're already approaching 19 weeks in couple days.... BUT!! Better late than never! (which seems to be my motto for everything these days).

The first time the First Response pregnancy test turned up 2 lines was on August 2, 2008 while on a trip to Lake Tahoe with our friends, Brad, Shawna, Dan, Caitlin, Monica and David. It was the first day of my missed period but my boobs were hurting for a few days prior to that. It wasn't one of those PMS pain, it was like I couldn't walk without holding my boobs kind of pain. So around 7:00am that morning, I took a pregnancy test. Don't ask me why I was carrying around a pregnancy test in my purse on a trip to Lake Tahoe but good thing I was! The test turned up positive to my surprise and I immediately woke up Paul to tell him the good news. I can't remember if Paul was excited or shocked or went back to sleep.. It's all a big blur.. I'm sure he was excited???

Below is a picture we took in Lake Tahoe (with Monica).. Notice my flat belly!

We kept the pregnancy news to ourselves as long as I can hold out. We decided not to tell anyone, not even our families, until it was confirmed by our doctor. The first appointment was set for August 12. I took 3 more tests between our Lake Tahoe trip and the dr. appointment. They were of course all positive, hew! I broke down and told my family a few days before the appointment.. Paul gave me a lot of crap for it! Then he told his family. What can I say, I can't keep a secret!!! At our appointment, Dr. Bohn did an ultrasound and blood test to make sure that I was pregnant.. Unfortunately, it was still too early so we only saw the yolk sac and couldn't see anything else.. It was disappointing and scary at the same time. What if it was a false alarm??

On August 21, we had our second appointment where Dr. Bohn confirmed that I was indeed pregnant and according to the blood test, approximately 7 weeks pregnant! The due date was then estimated to be April 11, 2009, 4 days before Paul's birthday! Another April baby! Definitely a Hwang baby! At this appointment, the ultrasound showed a little bean-like embryo stuck on the side of the yolk sac. How strange.. That little bean is our baby?? The amazing thing was, even at this stage, we were able to see the baby's heartbeat! There was this little spot on the bean that was flickering which the dr. told us was the baby's heart beating.. I thought I was going to burst into tears. How amazing is that?! Our baby is only 7 weeks old, abot 1mm long and it has a heartbeat!

At our appointment, I made the mistake of complaining to the dr. that I was not getting any morning sickness and that something was wrong.. Oh, I should have never made that comment!! 2 days later, morning sickness coupled with severe vomitting attacked with a vengeance! Morning sickness lasted for 3 more weeks after that. That was the most hardest 3 weeks of this pregnancy so far!

On September 4, we had our third ultrasound. The baby at this stage is what the dr. called a "gummy bear" since it looked like a gummy bear! He/she clearly had 2 arms and 2 legs!!