Anya and I visited my OB doctor yesterday for the 12 week check up! Everything looks good thus far. Baby is growing slightly faster than the average, which is good and normal, I’m simply measuring at 12 1/2 cm on the tummy vs. 12cm for 12 weeks. I have also lost 9 lbs total since the pregnancy started but the doc says that’s fine too as the baby is growing well. The baby’s heartbeat was between 150 and 160 which is also normal. No indication still as to if the baby is a boy or girl, so please no one speculate on anything yet. We should find out if its a boy or girl in August.
The next appointment will be a blood test called a quad screen which checks for neurological and chromosomal abnormalities with the baby. This is always a nerve wracking test as if anything shows up you have to go through quite a bit more of testing. Pray that it all goes well!
Anya enjoys going to the doc with me and her reaction was “baby good”. Her current answer though as to if she wants a brother or sister is simply “no.”So, I guess she is like her parents and really doesn’t care if its a boy or girl as long as baby’s good!

The news tonight had yet another report about the overcrowded animal shelters in various counties here in Alabama, as all shelters are throughout the country honestly. Our shelter is overcrowded. In April we took in 318 animals, 214 were euthanized. The numbers for June are going to be as bad or worse. I just do not understand…this means I’m not doing enough essentially. I know I am only one person, but there’s got to be more done. The fact that our shelters are overcrowded this much means two things 1. The public is still buying dogs and cats from pet stores and breeders and 2. People are not getting their animals spayed or neutered.
This is just incredibly sad to me. Anya and I go twice a week to our shelter. We transport animals that have been adopted to the vets offices, we give the animals treats, we play with the animals as much as we can, we buy supplies such as bleach, cat litter, food, etc. and we really enjoy doing these things and we don’t expect anything in return except the hope that people will start adopting more animals. If you can’t adopt one, foster one. If you want a pure bred dog, visit several shelters in your area, I guarantee you will not have to travel far to find the type of dog you are looking for. We have Great Pyrenees, Golden Retrievers, Jack Russell Terriers, Dachshunds, Beagles, Coon hounds, Rotweillers, German Shepherds, Yorkies, Boxers, Maltese, Westies, English Bulldogs, etc. I have seen each of these dogs in little old Cullman County Animal Shelter alone, and we are a shelter for a county of about 50,000. Imagine what a shelter in Birmingham or Huntsville would have! I don’t mean to be preachy but enough is enough, we have to do something to help these animals more, it really does not take much, just a home, a little food, and lots of love. These animals will be forever grateful to you.
Please say a prayer for the animals and for Anya and I. It does get incredibly discouraging at times.