Tuesday, April 28, 2009

One Year Ago

One year ago this past Saturday (4/25) we made our first RE appointment. Wow! And look at us now. When we first went it was depressing hearing the news that I knew I'd hear (if that even makes sense?). And then when we started our first IVF, we were pretty optimistic it would work. And then the crash when it didn't.

While I tried to remain pretty positive, there were plenty of times I wasn't sure this would ever work. And now, one year later, I have a little baby growing in my belly. It's unbelievable.

It still amazes me to this day that it worked. And that there is now a 5 inch long little being growing in my belly. And the fact that I can't feel something that big is sometimes even crazier to me!

I am 16 weeks 1 day today and officially in my 5th month. Wow. We have less than a month until our big ultrasound (5/18) and I can't wait. Hopefully by then I'll be "obviously" showing and not just look like I'm gaining weight. Part of me is in no rush, but there's another part of me that is excited for that moment - especially the feeling the movement. That just seems so surreal to me!

DH is absolutely in love and likes to touch my belly even though he knows he can't feel anything yet, but likes to do it. And will talk to the little one. He said he can't wait to buy the first book to read to my belly. lol

He sent me a text today and it said, "Next summer I will be sitting outside with my little baby. My kid! That's pretty awesome and I can't wait!". It's moments like these that just make my heart melt. Both in the fact that - wow, I'm really pregnant, and it hits me again. And also that I know my DH is going to be such a great daddy.

OK, I know this is just a bunch of rambling, but when I noticed the date on Saturday we were out to dinner celebrating my birthday and it just hit me. We were both so upset a year ago, at times thinking that we would never have a baby. And 3 IVF's later, here we are.

So now our fingers are just crossed that the rest of this pregnancy goes smoothly and we get to hold our little one in October. Wow. Just wow!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Happy Birthday to Me!

OK, wow it has been forever since I posted - yikes! I'll try to catch up shortly. But for now, I'm going to be a total AW and wish myself a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ;-)

It's the big 3-3. So not an exciting year, but I love birthdays - anybody's birthday - so Yay! ;-) We're doing some celebrating tonight, but we'll go to dinner, etc... on Saturday. It's supposed to be absolutely gorgeous this weekend (in the 80's!) and I can't wait. Going to a yummy Vietnamese restaurant - can't wait!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Monday, April 20, 2009

15 weeks!

So, looks like our little one is an orange this week. Yay!

Pants are getting a little tighter - will try and stretch them out as long as I can, but am curious how long that will last. Have also been getting some KILLER headaches, but they are gone on the weekends, so I seriously think they are due to stress/work, not pregnancy. Good times!

Other than that, things are going pretty well. DH made a comment on my boobs the other day - he's very excited about them! They aren't porn star big or anything, but definitely bigger - and he's liking it! lol

Here's what's going on with the little one this week:

TheBump.com:

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

And BabyCenter.com:
How your baby's growing: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop.

Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds.

Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods."). See what your baby looks like this week.

How your life's changing: You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now (a little more or less is fine, too) and are well into the swing of your pregnancy, but you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then.

If your nose is stuffed up, for instance, you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose.

If you're having amniocentesis, it'll most likely happen between now and 18 weeks. This test can identify hundreds of genetic and chromosomal disorders. If you're getting very anxious while waiting for the results, it may help to know that most women who undergo amniocentesis get good news about their babies — bringing welcome relief from their worries.

Don't be surprised if you and your partner are feeling a little stressed out these days. Many pregnant couples worry about their baby's health and how they'll handle the changes ahead. But with physical discomforts on the wane and energy on the rise, this is also a wonderful trimester for most women.


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Told my Grandmother! LOL

So, we went home to my parents this weekend for Easter and it was nice - fast, but nice. Was great to get home and see everyone. The only one missing was my youngest sister, but we called her and chatted Saturday night (her Easter since she's so far ahead).

DH and I also took advantage of the weekend to tell Grandma and my Great Aunt about the baby. To do it, I made copies of an ultrasound picture and put them in a big Easter egg for them to open. Neither of them understood, it was pretty funny!

At first my Great Aunt thought it was maybe a space module and Grandma first thought it was a cat. (What?!) And then when we said nope, she thought it was a mouse! lol

Granted, neither of them had ultrasound pics around "back in their day" and both have 85 and 90-year old eyes, but I thought that was pretty funny!

But, once they understood, they were both very happy for us. ;-)





Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Monday, April 13, 2009

14 weeks!

Still not really feeling anything new. Pants are getting a bit tighter, but that's about it. bobbs are still feeling bigger and the nipples are a senstive. Not sore, just sensitive. Otherwise, pretty normal!

And in news for what's going on with the baby:

TheBump.com:

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.




And BabyCenter.com:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth.

He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck.

By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body.

Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active. See what your baby looks like this week.

How your life's changing: Welcome to your second trimester! Your energy is likely returning, your breasts may be feeling less tender, and your queasiness may have completely abated by now. If not, hang on — chances are good it will soon be behind you (although an unlucky few will still feel nauseated months from now).

The top of your uterus is a bit above your pubic bone, which may be enough to push your tummy out a tad. Starting to show can be quite a thrill, giving you and your partner visible evidence of the baby you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby, and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Happy Easter!

We are headed up north to my parents this year to celebrate - will be nice to have everyone together. The only person we'll be missing is my youngest sister, but since she lives in Australia, I'm not really thinking she'll be there. ;-)

We always do Easter basket and Easter egg hunts every year, but considering the 2 sisters who will be there are 30+ and our male counterparts aren't really all that interested, it's out this year. Booo! But I understand! lol But it's on again next year when my nephew will be walking and we'll hopefully have our little one. So, til then! ;-)

I hope everyone has a great weekend and to those who celebrate Easter, Happy Easter to you!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

NT Scan part 1!

Had our ultrasound and bloodwork today for the first part (of the first part) of the NT Scan. ;-) Started with an ultrasound, then vitals, then meeting with the doctor, and ended with bloodwork!

The ultrasound went well. Was faster than I was hoping (maybe 5-10 minutes max? booo!), but at least we got to see the little one and it's heart beating at 168 bpm! And of course s/he didn't want to cooperate! lol He was upside down on his head. So we had to poke my belly and move the probe around on my belly until we could get a good angle. Finally did and the little one was moving, waving it's hand and it looked like it was sucking it's thumb. Not sure if it was or not, but that's what it looked like!

You can sort of see it here? Head on the right, hand up to it's mouth?



DH said the sweetest thing today when we got home. He said that the minute he saw the hand and he brought it up to his face, he said his heart just melted. He's going to be such a great daddy! There were many a day I never thought we'd get here and I am so thankful every day that so far, we're on our way!

We were told we'd get to hear the heartbeat today, but they didn't even attempt. And we didn't even realize this until we got home, so I'm going to call and see if they'll let us pop in and do that at our next appointment (which is just bloodwork). I hope so!

After the u/s, quick vitals on me were done. Was down 2 pounds - doctor even asked me about that - I was surprised! Because I'm really not that thin to begin with and 2 pounds is nothing. And no, I'm not trying to lose weight - I'm just assuming it's due to the fact that your weight can fluctuate by that much in a day! Oh well. ;-)

Next was the meeting with the doctor which was good. There are 3 doctors at this practice that deliver babies and I'm rotating my way through them, and today's was doctor #3. The first woman one and she was great! Really nice, positive, just cheery (without being cheesy and annoying) and it was great to meet her. I wouldn't mind at all if she was the one who delivered me!

She went through the results of the u/s and said everything looked good. The NT scan itself measured a 1.5 which was great (you want it less than 3). So now we just wait until the results of the bloodwork from today to come back in about a week and we'll get the "odds" of an issue from this visit. And then we do part 2 bloodwork in 3 weeks which wraps up the first part of the NT scan (this is not an amnio/CVT). And if anything comes back suspect from these things, then we'll discuss. But for now, I'm staying positive!

Now - just for a little bit of record keeping in case I lose my note:

  • 4/27 at 3:15 - bloodwork for NT (Dr. Co...)
  • 5/18 at 3:30 (BIG ULTRASOUND!) and 4:00 (Dr. N)

OK, guess that's it for today - a good day! Now, off to bed to snuggle with the husband. I hope everyone is doing well!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Told Work

So I told work today. I was kind of nervous to tell. Only for the fact that in the back of my mind, are those two annoying words: "What if?". What if something happens? Once you tell people, it's out there - there's no easy taking it back. I've done this with everyone I've wanted to tell. Family, friends, work, etc...

I keep telling myself - I'll just wait until the next ultrasound. It's not that far away. And then that one comes and goes, and then I say - "what if". Why not wait until the next one, just in case. And on, and on, and on.

So I decided that now that I'm officially out of the first tri, I'm just going to suck it up and get it out there. I was so nervous telling my leader. Not because he'd be upset, but because I was actually telling someone. I was on the verge of tears and my hands were shaking by the time I was done. Such a sad sight to see, I'm sure!

But he was fantastic. He admitted he had an idea that's what was going on (his wife also works here and had someone recently on her team go through the same process) and was hoping that I'd come to him someday with this news. He had such a big smile on his face and was so excited for us - yay!

So once I broke the news to him, it was time to tell my team. And this is how I did it:



I called everyone over in hopes they'd pick up on the "pickles & ice cream" cliche. Out of about 10-12 people, all but 2 got it. Yay!

I ended up telling most of them about IVF and they were all very supportive and happy for us. I'm so happy it's out there now and I can stop putting it off. Yay!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Hmm, Peaches!

So, it looks like our little one is a peach this week. That's a lot bigger than a plum - seems like a big jump. Maybe our peaches are just bigger here! lol


From The Bump:

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)


From BabyCenter:

How your baby's growing: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now.

If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.See what your baby looks like this week.

How your life's changing: This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside.

More good news: Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift around this time. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow.



* * * Isn't that just amazing that, if it's a girl, she already has all those eggs?! Wow!

13 weeks!

Woohoo! I'm officially in the 2nd tri! Yay! I know The Bump says I still have 3 more days, but I don't care. I'm starting today. ;-)

We have our next OB appointment on Wednesday - it'll be the NT scan. We still have one more day to back out and just do our regular appointment, but I think we are going to go ahead and do it.

Outside of that, not too much going on. Still feeling pretty good and happy to be down to just the one shot now (Lovenox). Will be on that until at leats 28 weeks (max 36). But hey, I can't complain - it bruises, but it doesn't hurt and is super easy since it's pre-filled!

Outside of baby, we did lots of things around the house this weekend. Lots of yard work (OMG so many branches from the storms this winter!) and some other projects in the house. Also watched a few movies:

  • Seven Pounds
  • Coyote
  • Rachel's Getting Married

All pretty good, but in different ways. Oh - and I also changed the headlight in my car - yay me! LOL

How were your weekends?

Thursday, April 2, 2009

PIO done!

My official last day was supposed to be this past Monday. But I still had some left in the bottle so I had the bright idea that I'd just ween myself off of it by doing 1/2 doses until it was done - in hopes of preventing the spotting I've heard about.

But, I realized last night I had no more 1.5" needles to actually inject it with - and there was no way the 18G needles used to withdraw the oil was going in my butt. So I'm just quitting cold turkey - yay!

My butt thanks me. ;-)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Heartburn, Insomnia & a Cold

So those are the two newest things to have popped in this week. The heartburn itself isn't too bad, but I can feel it. The best part has been twice when I've bent over, I sort of get some acidy/vomit type stuff in the back of my mouth. Not nauseau, just from the heartburn/acid I'm assuming. Nice! lol

And while, throughout this pregnancy, I've had to get up throughout the night to pee, but this week I am just waking up ALL THE TIME. Not always just to pee. Just wake up, grumble, then try to go back to sleep. But, of course, because I'm awake, my mind won't let me go back to sleep until I pee. So I get up anyway. I know it'll be worse than this when the baby comes so I'm not complaining - at all. I would just like a little more sleep each night. ;-)

And in other news - I have a cold. I blame my boss. I've been able to avoid getting sick most of this winter. But on Friday my leader comes in saying he woke up with a sore throat, etc... We had a lot of meetings together on Friday and what what you know? A few days later I wake up with a sore throat to. Add in a stuffy nose and messed up ears and that's what I've got.

Hopefully it goes away soon. My mouth is so dry from not being able to breath through my nose - and water just doesn't help! ha At least this morning my throat didn't hurt as much, so I'm taking that as a good sign.

Hopefully that didn't all sound like one big complaint - yikes! I'm just kind of writing down what's going on throughout this journey. ;-)

So how are all of you doing?