Ella Madison Arnold

On the way to the hospital

33.5 Weeks Pregnant

25 Weeks Pregnant

Baby Moon in Hawaii at 20 weeks

18 Week Ultrasound -It's a GIRL!!!!!

The picture on the left is a 4-D image of our little girl curled up in a ball and the one below is a 2D image of her sucking her thumb. She's so cute! Our baby girl weighs in at a hefty 1/2 pound and is about 6 inches long. We can't wait to meet her!

Week 14

I'm officially in my 2nd Trimester! I am starting to feel better after months of morning sickness. Next week I go in to have more blood drawn to complete our integrated screening test. For genetic screening, they draw blood at 12 weeks and again at 16 then compare the results to come up with your risk for DS and other abnormalities. Since I am only 28 I should be low risk but you never know. We'll have results in about 7 days after the test so we'll know at the end of April. Fingers crossed everything turns out ok.

13 Weeks

 Week 13 and starting to show...a little!  I have been incredibly tired, hungry and have had several headaches. I hope my energy returns soon so I can hang out with poor Rob who's been severely  neglected. 

12 Week Ultrasound

March 26th, 2009. We did it! We're officially 12 weeks today. The picture on top is a profile of our babies very cute face. The one on the bottom is a full view. He/she has grown 30% since our 10 week ultrasound! Baby measures 2 inches now; about the size of a lime and in case you're wondering (probably not) my uterus is the size of a grapefruit. I am "sorta" starting to show. We had some 4D shots taken but those were creepy looking so we decided not to post them but I'll talk about them. In those shots, it looks like our baby has three legs. The "leg" in the middle is the beginning of the genitals and seeing that the "3rd leg" looked quite big I am convinced we are having a little boy. We'll know for sure in just 6 weeks! Stay tuned...

11 Weeks

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel! My energy is slowly coming back and all my nasty food cravings seem to be fading. I think my mood swings have simmered down a little too. Rob, please confirm :)

Next week is a major milestone. 12 weeks! I pray every day things keep moving along smoothly. I've never been a religious person, or thought too much about god for that matter, but after getting pregnant God and I have become pretty tight. He's a good buddy now. Thanks for taking care of my family big guy! I owe ya one!

10 Week Ultrasound

Today is an awesome day! Our baby is growing by leaps and bounds. He/she measured 1.5 inches and the heart is stronger - 164, yeah! We heard it for the 1st time today which gave us goosebumps. It's amazing how fast his/her little heart beats. Back to the ultrasound picture...at the top of the gestational sac is our little alien. The head is on the left and the little circular shape you see within the head is the brain. How cool is that?! The body is starting to form as well. You can't see it in this picture but he/she already has hands and feet. We saw them kicking around in the ultrasound. He/she is starting to look more and more like a baby!

A Moment of Weakness

9 weeks.  I am so nauseous and tired I can barely function. In addition, I can not button my jeans and no, I am not showing. I just look fat. Combined with mood swings, breakouts, insomnia, headaches and backaches I  am not doing well. I am surprised my husband hasn't asked for a divorce....I couldn't

 bear to be married to me! The only thing keeping me from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge is knowing that I get to see our baby on the big screen in less then a week!!! I can't wait! Who ever said "pregnancy is a beautiful time in a woman' s life" is  full of crap and clearly hasn't taken a good look in the mirror!

Practice Makes Perfect!

At the beginning of week 8 I kindly volunteered us (meaning Rob) to babysit for our good friends who probably hate us now. At this point, we were not sharing the news with friends and I was determined to keep it a secret until the 1st trimester was safely over. I must admit, I selfishly wanted to bail on our good friends because I looked like a train wreck from being sick, and a few additional LB's from the Pizza and Pickles didn't help. To my surprise, Rob forced me to honor our commitment to babysit and forced me to "get off my ass" (a rather difficult task for a pregnant woman but at least he didn't say fat ass, right?). Like a good Stepford Wife, I did what I was told then put on a "cute" outfit i.e. oversized poncho with black stretchy leggings (not so cute). It was our duty to make sure our friends felt we were competent enough to watch their child for a few hours. Mmmmm... not so much. As soon as they left I parked my ass on the couch and lie there like a beached whale and force Rob to watch Cayden (AKA cute baby boy in the picture). Rob was doing a great job the first hour in-between chasing Cayden and catering to my ice cream demands. The second hour things took a turn for the worse when Rob decided to let Cayden rock on his unstable rocking horse. The poor little guy lost balance and "lightly" hit his head on the ground. Ohhhhhhh SHIT! The kid is going to have brain damage and it's all our fault! Cayden began to cry but Rob put on his Daddy suit and took matters in to his own hands. He kicked the beached whale off the couch and rocked  the little guy until he stopped crying.  I must confess, he did an excellent job and it was very cute to watch, so cute in fact, that I managed to snag a picture of it.

PS - Cayden had a bruise on his head the next day. Rob and I have never felt so awful about anything but the good news is the bruise healed and there was no brain damage. Our friends claim they're still friends but I am confident they will never ask us to babysit again!

Please Shoot Me!

Week 8 - I was not spared. Baby, I will buy you any car you want when you turn 16 if you promise to stop making me sick. In addition, I will even consider allowing you to date before 16. Mommy is so sick she is begging Daddy to knock her unconscious until the morning sickness fades.

Pizza and Pickles

 Bring on the grease and salt! Weeks 6-7 random food cravings kick into high gear. The thought of pizza brings me to tears, I "need it" like Rob "needs KFC" (washed down with an entire bag of chips and hot salsa) but in my case, I wash it down with pickles. Gross!!! I'll take nasty food cravings as long as I am spared morning sickness, which I have had none of. Phew!

6 Week 5 Day Ultrasound

 The gestational sac has expanded and looks kind of like a  dill pickle. Inside the pickle is our precious baby and the little cursor (if you can see it) is pointing to his/her heart which is beating strong...130. We've got a a heartbeat! THANK GOD! 

5 Week Ultrasound

The little black whole you see in the middle is the gestational sac and the tiny little ring you see at the bottom is the Yolk Sac. Things are moving along!

My husband is right...for once!

This is a picture Rob took of me the day before I found out I was pregnant. It was Saturday, January 31st. We go on hikes every wknd but today all I could manage was a slow walk along the beach. Rob often refers to me as the exercise Nazi but I couldn't live up to my name this particular Saturday. I was struggling badly and even had to stop and rest multiple times because I was soooo tired and nauseous. The entire time Rob kept chanting "I think you're pregnant" and I would roll my eyes at him. As much as I hate to admit it, Rob was right and I 100% wrong!

February 16, 2009 - next ultrasound

It's been a long three day weekend (thanks to President's Day) and we are quickly approaching our next ultrasound at which time we expect to hear our little one's heartbeat for the very first time.

However, before discussing this week's exciting development let's reflect on the past couple days.  Mommy and Daddy met some good friends in Big Sur for the Valentine's Weekend.  For those not familiar with the area, it's one of the most picturesque places in the entire world.  Big Sur is actually a state wildlife park located 30 miles south of Carmel, California along scenic Highway 1.  The park hosts a flurry of activities, including camping, lodging, a handful of rustic restaurants, extraordinary hiking and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.  The region is extremely popular year-around - you can usually count on good weather conditions.

After much anticipation of hiking along the ocean, relaxing by the pool and being pampered, the weekend got off to a rocky start thanks to torrential downpours and occasional bouts of nausea.  Similar to us, our friends had grand expectations for the weekend.  Although we tried valiantly to keep up with them, feelings of sickness and near vomiting were kicking Mommy's butt.  Not to mention, Daddy was still getting accustomed to Mommy's new fragile state of mind and was not helping the situation at all.  After two nights without TV and not a single hike all weekend, we heading back to San Francisco on Monday in anticipation of our next ultrasound.

The next morning, we had a doctor's appointment at 10:30 am.  It has been officially six weeks and five days and we were moments away from hearing our little one's heartbeat - a major milestone in the first trimester.  Conceptually, this sounds like a routine visit.  However, there are a lot of possibilities that can go dreadfully wrong at this stage in the pregnancy.  In addition, assuming nothing is wrong and we hear the heartbeat, Daddy wasn't sure what to expect and definitely wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that were about to overtake both of us.  During the ride to the hospital, Mommy sat silently in the passenger seat without saying a word.  Through experience, Daddy knew this behavior pattern meant that she was nervous and scared.

When we arrived at the hospital, Mommy continued her silence while aimlessly staring at the floor as we sat patiently in the waiting area.  After approximately five minutes, the nurse led us into the x-ray room.  As the nurse applied the lubricant to the stomach region, we quietly and lovingly held each other's hand knowing that the moment of truth was only seconds away.  Instantly, the image of our child appeared on the screen and the nurse enthusiastically informed us that everything looked normal at this stage in the pregnancy.  There was an immediate sigh of relief.  I looked over to see Mommy silently shedding a few tears of joy.  At this point, we held hands a little firmer knowing we had successfully overcome a major obstacle.  On the screen, in front of the table, we were able to see our little one and its heart beating uncontrollably.  The nurse informed us that the heart beat registered at 130 which was within the normal range of 120 to 160 (of course, Daddy asked as a frame of reference).  I leaned over and kissed Mommy on the forehead.  The nurse captured the image for us on paper and then left the room.  For a couple minutes, we sat there as two proud parents knowing that a tremendous weight had been lifting off our shoulders and we were moving forward to the next phase of pregnancy.

As we left the hospital, Mommy's silence had been replaced with one of the widest smiles I have ever seen.  She was continuously kissing the ultrasound image of our child and singing in the hallways (I will spare you the song).  Personally, I received the most joy watching her and seeing how happy she was!!

Feb 6th - 5 week Ultrasound

I have decided to switch to a CPMC Prenatal Doctor. Much better! At our first visit, the new Doctor requests an ultrasound. I am thrilled that we get to see our little bun on the big screen again. Me for the 2nd time this week and Rob, for the 1st. We are now 5 weeks 1 day along. Thankfully, the gestational sac is no longer empty - wohoo!!! The Yolk Sac has formed!!!! The Doctor assures us things are heading in the right direction at which point I begin to cry with relief. The bun is cooking! We are sent straight to the lab where they proceed to draw 12 tubes of blood that left me extremely weak and tired. I slept like a baby, pun intended, that afternoon.

Feb 2nd - 1st Prenatal Visit

Feb 2nd, I excitedly head to the Doctor first thing in the morning to confirm the pregnancy. Unfortunately, Rob is in New York and can not be there. The first ultrasound, combined with high HCG levels, indicate I am about 4 weeks and a couple days along. The 4-week ultrasound shows a tiny, empty gestational sac. The Doctor says it is too early to tell if the pregnancy is viable. Today marks the beginning of the extreme anxiety I will feel until the first trimester is over.

Feb 1st, 2009

Unexpecting Mommy has been sick the entire week with what she believes is "food poisoning". We decided to go to the doctor Friday morning (January 30th) for an evaluation and the doctor asks if there is a possibility Unexpecting Mommy could be pregnant. Naturally, Unexpecting Mommy is completely appalled that the Doctor would ask such a ridiculous question given our history. Unexpecting Daddy had a strong suspicion that the doctor may be right given Monster's prolonged illness.  In true form, Unexpecting Mommy adamantly dismisses the notion and refuses to take a pregnancy test.

On February 1st, 2009 (Superbowl Sunday), Unexpecting Mommy secretly decides to take "the test" once Unexpecting Daddy had left the apartment to run his half marathon. Unexpecting Mommy is unequivocally positive she is not pregnant (but hopes she is wrong). To her amazement, three positive pregnancy tests confirm there is indeed a bun in the oven!!! Unexpecting Mommy is elated, in complete shock, and decides to relay the exciting news to Unexpecting Daddy right before he is scheduled to begin the race.  Daddy is on cloud 9 and wants to ditch the race but Mommy insists he run it "for the baby". Needless to say, Unexpecting Daddy finished the Half Marathon in record time and rushed home to give Mommy and Baby a kiss. 

Time to schedule a real doctor's appointment to confirm our findings.  Everyone knows you cannot have complete confidence in those darn sticks!