As I lay in bed this afternoon incredibly nauseous and exhausted (which pretty much sums up the ENTIRE day), I received this amazing text from a dear friend:
“I can’t believe this is all real. I’m sure you feel the same, but I keep pinching myself and standing amazed at how good our God is. This has been so long in coming, but when sweet Baby arrives it will be such a marvelous miracle. A true dream come true. You may never know why you had to experience such pain before experiencing such great joy or why the wait had to be as long as it did, but I am thankful and filled with praise that the wait is finally over and the countdown has begun…” ~K.
The countdown has finally begun…
Unbelievable.
Incredible.
While it doesn’t feel real, here is my first pregnancy “update” post, picture and all (I know there is nothing to see, except for perhaps a bit of a pancake bloat from my most recent craving. LOL) 
Baby’s brain — both hemispheres! — is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby’s third!) is now in place (according to Thebump.com). According to my phone’s Health & Parenting Pregnancy app, my baby is teething! Well, not exactly the way you’re thinking, but nevertheless, the tooth buds are forming…and the baby is now receiving nourishment through the umbilical cord.
How far along? 7 weeks (technically 7 weeks, 2 days)
Total weight gain: -1 lb
Maternity clothes? No
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Exhausted all of the time. Feel as though I’ve been drugged. Still, I struggle quite a bit with insomnia and can’t fall asleep at night. Spent all day today in bed besides a brief interlude of time going to church.
Best moment this week: Seeing the incredible flicker of the Baby’s heartbeat of 124 bpm on Thursday at 6 weeks, 6 days pregnant (the baby measured approximately .3 inches at that point). Telling friends/family the bigs news wasn’t too bad either 🙂
Miss Anything? Energy. Appreciation for vegetables and protein (haven’t been able to stomach much of those lately).
Movement: Unless all of the bloating/gas counts, no… (Sorry…TMI)
Food cravings: Changes about every 24-48 hours. Spent quite a bit of the week eating Salt and Vinegar potato chips. Anything that counts as bread also sounds good. Briefly, Whoppers malted chocolate candies.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Life in general. Being awake. Coffee. Most sweets. Yogurt. Vegetables. Most meat.
Labor Signs: No, thank you.
Symptoms: Nausea. Exhaustion. Dizziness. Extreme hunger. Strong food aversions.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Looking forward to: Watching my belly grow AND a friend’s wedding in a couple of weeks that will require a road trip with friends 🙂 Yippee!
Next appointment: September 17th. My first appointment with the group of midwives that I’ve chosen for this pregnancy. 
acupofbliss 