Mile Markers

So it's been a while since I have been on here and figured I was due for an update.
I missed a major mile marker I wanted to blog about (100 days until ETA) but this week I also finish my 6th month and start my second trimester so we'll blog about all 3. (The picture above is 2 weeks old, I'm 26 weeks now)

I can't believe it's less than 100 days away, 6 months completed and almost my 3rd trimester. They aren't lying when they say the second trimester goes by fast. It did for me with the exception of 20-24 weeks (emotional rollercoaster). In less than 14 (16 assuming I'll go 2 weeks over) weeks my little man will be here!!!

We started working on the nursery yesterday. Cleared about half the junk out of that room and now we just need to organize and store what's remaining. We set up the playpen/bassinet/changing table we got from Michael's sister last night and that got us all excited! We are slowly collecting clothes, baby toys, and other miscellaneous items from very generous friends and family.

I was starting to prepare for the possibility that we wouldn’t be having a baby shower and just when I was about to start purchasing things (they always say don’t buy anything until after the shower) I had a few wonderful friends/relatives offer to throw them! I will have a small open house where we live for our church/friends/co-workers, one for my family/friends and another for Michael’s family and friends due to distance and weather in January.
Baby is more active than ever now! He is constantly moving and kicking, often times to my discomfort. He has also had hiccups a few times.

My symptoms are:
Morning Sickness: Yep, morning sickness! Even with the Zofran I still get nauseas if I don’t eat every 2 hours.
Back pain: this is just increasing and I am scared what the next 3 months will bring
Sciatic pain: what a weird feeling!
Tired: just walking I can feel how weak I am getting… where is all that energy?
Insomnia: I am pretty sure this is caused by my growing belly and extreme back pain
HUNGRY: My stomach gets full on half a plate but sure enough 2 hours later I’m hungry again.
Swelling: I can’t see it in the mirror but we took pictures a few days ago and my face looked pretty… swollen. I actually changed wedding rings this morning in fear that I wouldn’t be able to get mine off again.
Frequent urination: with baby growing and using my bladder as a punching bag I find I take more trips to the ladies room.
Hot: now I know how those poor menopausal women feel, I just can’t seem to get cold enough even when it’s 7 degrees outside.
Weight gain: for a while there I was averaging 2 pounds a week but this week (after 2 Christmas parties) I only gained 1/2 a pound so I'm still on schedule for the 25-35.


That was a long update, hopefully I'll blog more often so it doesn't end up like this again.

Half Way There!

So yesterday was my 20 week belly birthday. I started off the morning with lots of celebrating kicks from the baby. It seemed that every time I laid down he just went at it. Hubby even got to feel him a few time so that was fun.

20 Week Updates
*I STILL HAVE MORNING SICKNESS
*My back pain is increasing
*My round ligament pains are increasing
*I’m feeling the baby move on a daily basis
*I can still comfortably sleep on my stomach
*I have purchased a few maternity clothes but I am still able to fit into a couple of regular jeans (usually with the help of a pony tail holder) and about half of my shirts
*Frequent urination has returned with a vengeance
*Husband says I walk really slow
*I’ve experience a few leg cramps
*It's rather uncomfortable to bend or lean over.

I thought I would show some pictures from when I first found out I was pregnant.
Here is our BFP (big fat positive) from the morning we found out we were expecting (I was 11 DPO [days past ovulation]).


And here is a picture of me to compare to the above belly picture. I was 3 weeks and 5 days in this picture.


Here are some random pregnancy stats I've been collecting.
4 weeks .... 20 weeks
Weight: 112 .... 120
Belly: 30" .... 33.5"
Basically all measurements not on my torso have stayed the same. Even though I've only gained 3.5" on my belly it feels like much, much more.
Even though I am 20 weeks the baby is measuring about 21 weeks. He's probably about 7" long from head-butt and weight 10-11 oz.

Baby's First Kick

On October 11 (18 weeks 1 day) I was cuddling (spooning) michael and started to feel the first tiney little kicks. I pushed my belly up against Michael's bum and let the little guy kick daddy's butt! There was one that was an unmistakable kick, however, I haven't felt them that intense since. I found out at my ultrasound that my placenta is at the front of my belly and suspect that is what is cushioning his blows. I can't wait until he starts to move more!!!

Spina Bifida Scare

Last week a got a call from the genetic counselor informing me that some of our blood work showed an increased risk for spina bifida, 1/310 to be exact. We weren't too worried because we know there are a lot of false positives however, we did pray a lot for strenth to except and be able to handle anything that might be special with our little boy. Because I had a positive test they scheduled an ultrasound. I went in today for my ultrasound and everything looked great! It was determind to be a false positive. Despite being on schedule for his first three ultrasounds he is now measuring 6 days ahead. He is about 10 oz and 6.5 inches long.

I am grateful to God that we have been blessed with this healthy baby and we pray that he will continue to grow and flurish!

It's a....

BOY! It has officially been confirmed that we're having a boy! We're yet to decide on a name but we're really excited. I had a little gender disappointment at first because I had invisioned a little girl but a few days later I feel much better and I couldn't be more excited for a mini-Michael.

We went on Tuesday (16+2) and paid $25 to have a private technician do the gender ultrasound. Not my favorite tech and and she did write 'BLOY' on the picture instead of boy but I was just so excited to have it confirmed I really didn't care. The pictures aren't the best but I am sure he's a boy because I saw the plumbing before she even pointed it out.

Car Accident :(

So on Tuesday we were driving (hubby was driving) and we both looked away from the road for a second and when we looked backed all the cars in front of us had slammed their breaks... when we tried to slam ours we didn't have enough time and slammed into the car in front of us causing a chain reaction where 2 more cars were rear ended. The airbag went off and left me with a cut up/airbag burned nose and a REALLY sore neck and back but other than that there were no injuries. I went to the hospital afterwards just to get a sound of the baby and then to my OB the next day, both times there was a strong heartbeat and no one seemed too concerned.

Our car is totaled but a car can be replaced. I am so grateful to God for the safety of my family and for the financial blessing of being able to purchase another car.

NT Testing

Under Construction

2nd Trimester!!!!!!!

So I finally hit that milestone on Sunday. It's such a relief to be in my 2nd trimester with a healthy happy baby. The baby is about 3" and 1.5 oz right now. I have been able to feel my uterus for about a week or two and it's getting bigger all the time. I finally gained back the pounds I lost from morning sickness +1. So my weight for the first trimester was 112, 110, 113! I've also gained about an inch in my torso area (bust, ribs, waist and belly)

Back pain: This past weekend was mine and Michael's 1 year anniversary so we decided to go to Riverdale Resort in Preston, ID with some friends to enjoy a weekend getaway. The first night we stayed at their house on an air mattress and my back was hurting a little more than normal the next morning. The next two nights at the hotel were pure misery. The bed was really firm and I would wake up with sharp pains in my back that made it really painful to move. I called my doctor yesterday and moved my appointment from next Monday to tomorrow so I can talk to him about ways to relieve the pain.

Symptoms increasing:
Back pain
Exhaustion
Sore lower abdomen
Round ligament pain
Bigger breasts (wahoo!)
Increase in appetite (I still get MS but I can finally eat)
Acne (where's that pregnant glow?)

Symptoms decreasing:
Morning sickness (but I do still take zofran and gag at least once a day)
Breast tenderness
Frequent urination

Less thank 200 days!

WOW.... With school starting 2 days ago I didn't even realize I hit my 200 days marker. So exciting. I can now find the babies heartbeat on the doppler with ease and I listen to it every/every other day. I can feel my uterus (I asked my hubby if he could feel it and he said it feels like a poop... he's now been referring to my baby as poop). I still haven't put on any weight or even put on the 2 lbs I initially lost from morning sickness. I am hoping and trying to catch up with those few pounds but since I only have 9 days left of my first trimester and 5-7 pounds to gain I don't think I'll make it, however, I'm confident that when my morning sickness gets better I'll be able to catch up to where I should be. My next appointment is at 14 weeks so I'll talk to my doctor about it then.

School!!!
I started school on Wednesday and I must say, this will probably be one of the hardest semester I ever take. I think I bit off a little more than I can chew and I'm just hoping and praying that the second trimester is better than the first. I have 19 credit hours which include Math, Biology, Physical Science, English, Ethics and Values, and Interpreting (ASL). Because my husband works at our University there are days that I'm here for 10+ hours. I am terribly exhausted and worried about the workload but I am praying and hoping that having my hubby to help with my homework (he's in 4 of my 6 classes) will lighten the burden.

Baby Waved!

On Monday, Aug 16th we had our 3rd ultrasound (I was 10 weeks 1 day). I had a lot less anxiety going into this ultrasound because I've been able to hear the babies heartbeat everyday on my doppler so I knew we'd see a live bean in there. The doctor did an abdominal ultrasound this time and we saw the little guy right away. We didn't measure his size but he was much bigger than the one at 8 weeks. He (sorry, it's easier to change between gender reference) had a clear head, body and even arms and legs. He waved at us on the monitor which got me pretty excited and I think the heartbeat was about 166 bpm which is great. It weirded Michael out to see our baby moving and I think it was kind of his first reality check that there is indeed a baby inside me. I'm so amazed that we're still pregnant and it's just starting to hit me that we may actually be having a baby this time!

Progesterone. I ran out of progesterone suppositories this week but asked my doctor for 1 more refill just for my peace of mind and he agreed. I know most of the doctors I've talked to have said you don't need them longer than 10 weeks but I've read online where some doctors want you on the form 12-14 weeks so I figured I'd try to take them until 12 weeks.

At Home Fetal Doppler

Quick update first. I finally got my zofran prescription on Thursday and it couldn't have come at a better time because we were going to be in Bear Lake with my hubby's family all weekend. Zofran is a miracle drug! I haven't thrown up since the hospital but I haven't really been sick since I had the Zofran.

Fetal Doppler:
I ordered a fetal doppler from Amazon.com called AngelSound. It cost me about $8 (I had a $20 gift card) and for $8 I figured it was worth a try at peace of mind. I get really nervous between ultrasounds so I'm hoping this will help me breathe a little easier. After having a really worrisome day because my morning sickness is gone and worrying it was because I miscarried not because of my Zofran my doppler arrived just in time! I read in the reviews that some people heard a heartbeat in the 9th week but I was trying not to get my hopes up. I tried a couple times before I could find and stay on the heartbeat but I'm pretty sure we found it! We (hubby got to listen with another set of headphones) tried to count and got between 170 and 190 BPM so I'm sure it was the baby (mine was 96BPM). After that I only found it one more time for about a second and couldn't find it again. I feel a little better and I hope as the weeks go by it'll be easier to find.

Nausea - vomiting - hospital

My morning sickness started getting worse last weekend right around my 8 week mark. By Monday morning I was feeling pretty terrible and finally gave into the vomit monster. It immediately made me feel better but within 30 minutes I was feeling sick again. As the day went on I got more and more sick. I threw up three times at my house, twice at school and twice at the library (one time almost missing the bathroom and throwing up in the hallway garbage can). After more than 24 hours of not being able to keep anything down I went to the Emergency Room Tuesday morning to get some fluids and some nausea medication. I got back very quickly and they started and IV. 3 hours later I was released and feeling SOOOOO much better. I slept for the next 4 hours and was able to get some food down. This morning I'm feeling a little sick again but I've kept down my breakfast so that's a good sign.

Things I've tried for nausea that haven't worked for me
*Crackers
*Unisom and B6
*Promethazine
*Small meals
*PrimaBella Bracelet

Kids say the darndest things

So on Friday after our doctors appointment we went to visit my sister and my 2 little nephews ages 3 and 11 months. After a fun evening of playing my 3 yr old nephew, Regan, he ran up to hug me me and accidentally pushed my back into the counter top. My sister told him that he had to be careful with me because there was a baby in my tummy. He responded with "I want to see the baby" and we started to laugh. He then tried to tell us to calm down and be quiet because the baby was sleeping. My sister thought she would try to explain to him why he can't see the baby and said we could only see it by taking a picture, he then proceeded to grab his camera and try to take pictures of my tummy. When she finally showed him his little brothers ultrasound and said they had to use an X-Ray to see the pictures he ran around the house telling every one that Shay, his little brother, turned into a T-Rex. I guess he got X-Ray and T-Rex confused. Super cute!

The next day we went to visit my husband's sister and her 2 kids ages 5 and 7. When Michael told them I couldn't come out and play Breanin, age 7, asked Michael if I was sick because I was pregnant. Later I was talking to her about babies and how they grow. She tried to put her head up to my stomach to see if she could hear the baby's heart. Then came the dreaded question, she asked me how that baby will come out... I tried to stall but eventually told her one way is a c-section (thinking it was better than explaining a vaginal delivery to her) but I now realized that telling her they cut your stomach wasn't the best idea either. Oh well, she'll have to ask her Mom more about it later.

Ultrasound and Great Doctor

So we went for our second ultrasound last Friday. I was 7 weeks 5 days. The baby measured right on schedule and had a heartbeat of 158bpm!!! I was so thrilled to see our 'Chicken Little' growing and thriving. I have never seen a baby that far along let alone one that still had a heartbeat! Now that we've passed the 6th week my next goal is to get out of he 1st trimester safely.

We also found a doctor that we have decided to stay with. He listened to all my questions, he was sensitive to the fact that I've had 3 previous miscarriages and he is just all around educated. He said he usually sees patients every 4 weeks but if it made me feel better to come back in 2 weeks we could take another look to make sure the baby was doing okay.

Baby's 1st photoshoot

So I finally got an ultrasound. Before I post the results I must vent. I called to see if I needed a full bladder since I'm so early I'd likely need a transvaginal (pelvic) ultrasound. She said have a full bladder just in case and drink 32 oz before I came in! So I was dying in discomfort by the time I got there. Filled out paperwork and asked her to get me in quickly. After I laid on the table she tried an abdominal ultrasound and said my bladder was to full, you think? Of course Michael (my husband) laughed and I go to empty my bladder (FYI, I'd only drank like 16 oz of water total before my ultrasound). I came back in for my ultrasound and we saw ONE healthy baby. Measured right at 6w1d and we heard a heartbeat of 108bpm. I am so happy we saw a healthy baby. Now if we can just get through the 6th week I'll breath a little easier.

Doctor and Nausea

Well yesterday I decided to call the other doctor just so I would have 2 to pick from. At first the receptionist said he didn't see patients until 10-12 weeks! I asked her if he made exceptions for high risk pregnancies and she said she'd check and have a nurse call me back. Well a few hours later I got a call from a really sweet nurse, she asked about my history of miscarriages and any tests that had been done. She offered to get me sent for HCG tests (I informed her I've already had 2 done), suggested I take a baby aspirin once a day (I have been since January) asked if I was on progesterone suppositories (which I am) and said the only thing left to do was to schedule an ultrasound next week to check on the baby. I also mentioned to her I was really nauseous and she told me she'd call in a prescription to help with that! I was so thrilled at the care and attention I received from a doctor/nurse I have never even seen before, not to mention they were very knowledgeable about high risk pregnancies and prevention. So I have an ultrasound scheduled for July 20th, I will be 6 weeks and 2 days (baby should measure 6w1d). I will not be meeting with the doctor that day but I will at least be able to get a feel of the office, wait time and staff that work there. I am getting the feeling it will be really hard to pick between these two doctors.

PS. My current doctor didn't even call me yesterday to inform me that one of my labs was higher than normal or that my HCG came back fine... so disappointing. But on the other hand, the office of the other doctor I'm considering called me yesterday to let me know my HCG levels looked within the normal range... I really appreciated them taking the time to do that.


NAUSEA!!!! Okay, now a quick side note about my pregnancy. I think my nausea is getting worse. Trying to go to sleep last night was terrible! I rolled around for 2 1/2 hours because every time I'd get close to falling asleep I'd get nauseous and have to snack on a cracker or sip some water. I took some nausea medication but that didn't seem to help either. I keep telling myself it's good to be sick because it means the baby is okay. I can't wait for my second trimester when all these awful symptoms go away.

Progesterone Suppositories and HCG

Well yesterday was a pretty good day. When the nurse of my hopefully new doctor called she was really sweet. She said the doctor wanted to take me off the prometrium (progesterone pills) and put me on suppositories because they work better. I took my first one last night and so far so good, no mess. However, I woke up REALLY tired and a little sick; not sure if it's the suppositories or just the pregnancy. Overall I'm just glad to not have to take those pills in the morning; the side effects were pretty awful. Note: my insurance didn't cover the suppositories but they're less than $40 for a month.

The nurse also said the doctor didn't see a need to do another HCG test unless I was threatening a miscarriage again but if it made me feel better they would order one... hallelujah! I am so glad to finally have a doctor that understands that sometimes it’s best to just make sure your patients are happy and stress-free.

So I called last night to get the results for my second HCG test and they were 3075 at 18 dpo, that's a 166% increase in 48 hours (to my understanding the norm is doubling in 48-72 hours), I'm ecstatic to say the least especially since they were already more than double the average limit for how far along I am (I was 1156 on 16 dpo). I suspect maybe twins but that's probably more wishful thinking than anything because HCG levels are really hard to use for diagnosis of twins.

Looking for a new OB

So I've had some concerns with my OB from the time I first started seeing him last December. Since I am on prometrium and high risk I expected him to monitor me more than normal. Well I do not feel he is taking my history of miscarriages seriously and I feel more like a burden to him than anything. I decided I needed to not only feel fully comfortable with my doctor but also confident in his care, therefore I am in search of a new OB. I have had a couple of referrals and when I looked up they doctors they had mixed reviews. There are 2 I'm really interested in but the downside is that they're both really busy (I guess that's a good sign). I have an appointment set up for 7+5 with one of them. His receptionist was so sweet! She told me that even though he couldn't get me in for 3 weeks they could order HCG and progesterone tests for me. She also noted that if I thought I was miscarrying they'd squeeze me in to get a quick ultrasound. This was so comforting compared to my current doctor who just blows off all my concerns. I'm still waiting to talk to his nurses but I feel pretty good about this doctor so far. I'll probably try 2 doctors to see which one I like more.

First OB Appointment

Today I'm 4+3 (4 weeks 3 days) and we had our first OB appointment. Nothing exciting, just examined me, ordered some labs and filled my prescription. I'll call in the morning to see what my HCG levels are. My next appointment isn't until my 9th week but we'll do an Ultrasound then.

Funny thing, my Dr. said he'd give me 6 more weeks of prometrium but we all know how well doctors can count... anyways, he only gave me 4 weeks. Luckily I'll see him before I run out.