Well, we just got back from our second doctor’s appointment and all’s well! We heard the baby on Doppler and the heart rate was between 148 and 150 – a good solid number. He/she was also VERY active. There was a lot of blips that the doctor said was the baby moving. It was really cool! I’m a little surprised at how relieved I am to both hear the heartbeat and to know that he/she is moving. I knew I was carrying a little bit of the “first trimester – is everything going to be okay” anxiety but I’m pleasantly surprised at how easily it abated. Pretty soon we’ll be into the second trimester and I’m sure I’ll find something else to worry about 
but for now I’m pretty happy.
One of the things I talked about with the doctor was my upcoming trip to the Philippines in August. I’m traveling to Manila to attend a conference of child welfare professionals – particularly adoption professionals - that work in the Philippines. I was wondering about visiting orphanages and whether that would be okay. She actually discouraged me from going with the explanation that my immune system is suppressed during pregnancy. The doctor is Indian and is familiar with health risks in developing countries. Pete made the same request – that I not go – for pretty much the same reason. I guess I’ll have to put my stubbornness aside for once and listen to the both of them. Given I can be a pretty stubborn person, that may be a bit of a feat. 
