The latest Beanrate

Went back to the doctor today! We saw Dr. Hood again...man is he excellent at his job--I'm thinking about growing a uterus and asking him to be my OB-GYN--not sure exactly how that would work out, but it's worth a shot. All jokes aside, we're keeping our fingers crossed that he will be on call when the delivery date arrives.

We got to hear the Bean's heart beat again, holding steady in the mid- to upper-150s as far as rate is concerned. Additionally, we learned that we are a mere 11 days or so from finding out whether the Bean is a he-bean or a she-bean (hopefully...provided the Bean cooperates).

And, last but not least, for your viewing pleasure, I have included another brief video of our latest visit to the doctor--heartbeat and all. It was a bit louder this time as I didn't have to increase the volume level in the video before I posted it (unlike last time which needed a slight bit of amplification). That is all for now... ... ... enjoy!



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http://www.clemson.edu/~hodgson

A jumping bean?

Here are two recent photos of Nikki (from earlier this week) for those who were curious.

Also, news of the "more exciting" variety just came through the wire (a phone call from Nikki this afternoon). I was informed, as the breaking headline indicates, and I quote, "I think I felt the Bean move." She was excited and curious all at the same time--of course, how can she not be. I'm curious and excited and I just heard about it on the phone. For such a tiny bit of information, its significance and impact is rather shocking. It's all I can think about--enough of a wonderful distraction to pull my head away from work (uncontrollably so) and write this post.

We return to the doctor this Friday and I'll keep you posted as to the wonders this visit might bring.

______________________________
http://www.clemson.edu/~hodgson

Hiking with the Bean

Just a brief video of some hiking photos during Nancy & Joe's visit...(taking the Bean [in tow] into the woods for its first possible encounter with "the King Snake"). Nothing too exciting (no heartbeats or anything), just some decent photos and a nice day "on the trail" (before returning for some wine and cards).



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http://www.clemson.edu/~hodgson

The Bean Rate

We made our scheduled visit to the doctor's office today, and once again got to hear the Bean's heartbeat. The first time, several weeks ago, it was 170 bpm, and at our last visit it was 163 bpm. This time it was at 154 bpm. Even though it's just sound waves through a "magic microphone" (seriously, the contraption looks like a little-tykes karaoke machine), it's still pretty amazing. Hope you enjoy!

______________________________
http://www.clemson.edu/~hodgson

Show and Tell

I apologize to Nicole, but I must share this side view. This image was taken a few nights ago and we can definitely start to see the Bean taking up residence and expanding his/her living situation. We've been tracking the expansion from "studio" to "1-bedroom apartment," and Nikki swore that her belly had grown over night. Literally, things went from "kind of noticeable" to fantastically distinct! No denying it now.

______________________________
http://www.clemson.edu/~hodgson

The Bean's first photos

These images were taken somewhere between 9 and 10 weeks. Despite any previous misgivings I may have had about ultrasound-type images ("I don't see it" or "where's its head?"), the technology really is quite remarkable.

Three Bean photos -- at this stage somewhere between a large kidney bean and a small Lima bean.


Note the weird Harry Potter scar on the bottom photo (you may have to click the image to make it large enough to see).

_____________________________
http://www.clemson.edu/~hodgson

Sharing the news

For those who don't know the story, it goes a little something like this... ... Nikki and I thought about considering the possibility of trying to maybe start a family. After many important discussions, we figured we'd stop preventative measures and just let things run their course. We figured we'd be "trying" for a while and then this magical thing would happen. We figured most "odds" indicated a tendency for this process to take months. We figured we might even need specialists and guys with rubber gloves and nuclear reactors and... ... ...We figured wrong! And what a wonderfully wrong figuring it was. Much to our surprise, and our unbelievable appreciation, it was nearly instantaneous.

Current indications, now 13+ weeks into the process, are for an August 6th arrival--personally, I'm hoping the stork waits until August 8th, so our "birthday" will be 08-08-08, but we'll see how that goes.

This blog, then, will be a space for us to share our news and pay our dues to those who can't be with us quite as often as they would like. Thus begins the journey of following "the bean" - a nickname that took hold when the developing "bean" was, in fact, the size of a bean.

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my webpage http://www.clemson.edu/~hodgson