Goodbye 2011-Hello 2012!

I guess I better write my recap of 2011 before we head out tomorrow because I don't think we're taking the computer with us and I doubt I will have time to blog before the new year.  Let's see, where do I even begin. 

The end of 2010 left me feeling unknown.  I felt like I didn't know what the future held for us, if a baby was in our cards, if E and I really were ready to take on the possibility of long, never ending fertility treatments.  I was feeling very let down and just had no idea what was going to happen.  Dealing with family deaths seemed easy compared to not knowing if you would ever become a Mom.  I wasn't sure if this was something I could handle. 

When 2011 hit, it seemed like something blew over me that said "get over it!  Life WILL get better, you WILL have a baby, you CAN'T give up!"  I didn't.  I found a new dr who was AMAZING and we will be forever grateful for giving us our special gift.  Lucas is amazing.  Edgar was amazing throughout our whole journey and I think feeling positive throughout everything really helped us conceive.  Seeing those 2 lines on the pregnancy tests just seemed like yesterday.  I will never forget how I felt that day or the look on E's sleepy face when I ran to wake him up.  It brings tears to my eyes and a big smile on my face.  Who knows if we will ever get to experience it again but we are going to try.

I got to spend great time with family throughout this year.  Saw friends and even made a few trips.  Going to CT and hanging out with friends was awesome.  Ice Skating in the snow at a casino was outstanding.  Seeing our cousins get married in California and spending 10 days sight seeing and visiting the Kardashians store "Dash" was something I will continue to remember.  Hearing the ultrasound technician tell us "its a boy!" even though I was expecting a girl but deep in my heart I know he was a he.  :)  Watching my niece graduate high school and go off to college was the greatest family moment of the year.  We were all super proud of her.  Being induced at 38 weeks was quite the experience and even though it ended in a c-section there is nothing I would change about it all.  I had a wonderful recovery and Lucas is everything I could have ever asked for.  He is truly an angel and we are really blessed. 

I know 2011 was probably one of the best years E and I have had together and I hope 2012 tops it.  I wish great health and fortune for our family.  I wish we are able to save our money and get into our own house by the end of the year.  I wish Lucas continues to grow and stay healthy and we enjoy watching him along the way.  I'm not ready for my Baby to grow up but I know its inevitable.  There are amazing things coming our way, I just know it. With that, I'll leave you with a picture of my little 3 week old man.  He's precious.

2 1/2 week update

My little (big!) guy is now 2.5 weeks and weighs a whopping 8lbs13oz.  He has gained 2 lbs since he's been home.  He definately doesn't have a problem eating.  :)  He also switched up to size 1 diapers and I'm packing away all his newborn outfits.  He only had about 8 button up sleepers that he wore and he used them plenty of times.  I need to start washing his 0-3 sleepers and outfits.  He still fits in his newborn pants and sweatpants but I will definately pack up everything else.  I'm sad he's growing so fast.  I want him to be a baby for forever! 

He sleeps really well.  I have no complaints in that department.  He kind of made his own little schedule and is starting to stay awake a little more during the day.  He eats when he wakes up which is about every 3-4 hours.  He only wakes up 1 time at night to eat.  If we time it right (and he cooperates) he will wake up when E is going to work and I get a good 7-8 hours of sleep.  That's always nice when it works out that way. 

Our First Christmas was wonderful!  It was great to have our little guy with us and spend time with family.  we spent Christmas Eve with E's family and Christmas day with my family.  It's always great to be able to split time with family and not have to worry about making people mad.  I received a new lens for my camera from Edgar and Lucas, along with the movie Dolphin Tale.  I have yet to watch the movie though, but I'm hoping to watch it sometime this week. 

Yesterday I bought E tickets to see the New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers tickets for their last game of the regular season.  We will be going to NO on Saturday and coming back on Monday.  I'm glad he's off work because that was the help to make the ultimate decision.  I'm excited to bring in the New Year someplace we've both never been together.  I went to NO my sr year in high school so its been a good 8 years since I've been there.  We are also taking my Sister so she can babysit Lucas while we watch the game but we will go sight seeing all day Saturday and half the day Sunday.  It's going to be so much fun and I can't wait to use my lens. 

1 week old and a full birth story

Lucas is 1 week old today!  Here's the complete birth story for everyone ( who reads!) to see.  It was a very eventful experience. 

My 38 week appointment turned interesting when she told me by bp was high and I had high trace of protein in my pee sample. I had to do a 24 hr urine catch and she called me on wednesday to tell me I would be induced friday morning at 6 am. I went in on Friday to do admission paperwork (even though I pre-registered but whatever) and they started me on pitocin at 7 am. I was at a 3 and about 70% effaced. My dr came in at 9 am and broke my water. Immediately my contractions started and they were back to back. I was able to get through them but asked for an epidural soon after. The epi was placed wonderfully and I had no pain from it what so ever. I did jump as she was injecting the medicine but she warned me that it would happen, some type of reflex or something. Once the epidural was in I was smooth sailing. I could feel the tightening and pressure of a contraction but no pain. She checked me again around 11 and I was about a 4. She checked me at 1 and I was still around a 4 but this time 100% effaced. She said I was still on track. I started feeling some different kind of pressure at 1:30 so I called the nurse back in and she checked me. I was now at a 6.5. It was crazy to think my body had changed so fast. Around 3:30 I felt anal pressure and told my Sister it felt like I needed to poop or pass gas. She called the nurse for me and she checked me again. I was already dilated to a 9.5 so she called my Dr to get over. The dr came to check me and said yes, I was at a 9.5 but he was still pretty high up and that she would continue to check on me. I stalled at 9.5 for just over 2 hours! It wasn't fun at all. The epidural was still working but for some reason I had MAJOR pain in my anal area. I could feel every contraction through my butt it seemed like, I eventually broke down and cried. I'm not sure if it was all pain related, or exhaustion or even because I knew something just wasn't right. The nurse told me I was finally a 10 and even though he was still kind of high I could push to take the anal pressure away. I started to push at 5:45 and continued to push until 8:45. The nurses tried me pushing in different positions and nothing. The baby wasn't decending and after 3 hrs my dr decided it was long enough and that we just needed to get the baby out. While his heartrate didnt seen to be effected I had spiked a fever and they weren't sure how much longer he would be able to handle the situation. At that point in time I was just ready for him to be out. I was mentally and physically tired from pushing and getting nowhere. Edgar was amazing through it all and I remember telling him sorry that I didn't do my job correctly and he looked at me in my eyes and told me I was about to give him the greatest gift ever and that I had done amazing...just to keep hanging in there and that it was almost over.
Everyone was hustling and bustling around us and took us back in what seemed like record time. Edgar stood out in the hallway until they set me up and he was called in. I remember him talking to me but going in and out of sleep...which I think it was because i was sleepy and the meds mixed together, I heard the dr say "daddy want to meet your son?" and E and I looked at each other and with the widest eyes he jumped up. We weren't expecting it to happen so soon. I didnt even think she had started the procedure because I didn't feel anything. He got to walk over to the warmer and eventually after a cry from the baby I reminded him to get the camera! lol he was so nervous. I heard the camera snapping away and be brought me a picture so I could see what he looked like. I was still in and out of sleep and he woke me up to the baby by my face. I just remember kissing him and thinking how wonderful he looked. They had to both go to the nursery while I was getting put back together. As I was laying there for what seemed like forever and going in and out of sleep I heard the dr say this was the hardest c section she had ever performed. Baby was trying to come out facing up (sunny side up) instead of down and that he was stuck. If I had continued to push it could have resulted in a death. I was immediately glad for all the pain, discomfort and any other ache I had experienced since 9 that morning. The baby was safe, healthy and beautiful....thats all I ever wanted.
I had to sit in recovery for 2 hours and eventually Lucas was brought down to me so I could hold and try breastfeeding. Since I was still numb from the waist down it was hard and I was nervous to drop him because I was still so sleepy. I had my Sister hold him until they wheeled him to the nursery to wait for me to go back to my room. Edgar was still outside with family, transferring our stuff to our new room and getting baby 411 tips from the nursing staff. I got into our room around 2 am Saturday and I remember not being able to sleep even though I needed too. I just stared at the baby, watching every breath he took and making sure everything was okay.
Since I had experienced a very traumatic birth I seemed like the talk of the hospital. The nurses would come in and say "let me get this straight, you pushed for 3 hours at a full dilation of 10 but still ended up in a c-section?" When I would answer with a smile on my face they told me I must be one of the strongest women they knew. I feel very blessed to have experienced the birth the way I did. It's one more thing to add to my "I didn't know I was this strong to handle" list. I'm feeling great. The c-section recovery is by far the best ever. I don't hurt from it at all. What I do hurt from is the pushing. My abs are super sore and seem like they will be that way for a while. I am up and mobile and have been since mid Saturday. It's Monday morning and we are going home later today. This little guy is the best thing to have ever happened to us and I can't wait to go home and start our real journey. He's been awfully easy in the hospital, but aren't they always that way?
Lucas Cristiano
December 9,2011
8:56p.m.
7lbs4oz
Here's a recent picture of our little guy. 

 

Birth Announcement

Short but sweet.

Lucas Cristiano Perez

December 9, 2011

8:56 p.m. 7lbs4oz

38 wk check up turned induction!

I went on Monday to my 38 wk check up.  It was a very routine deal, nothing out of the ordinary was supposed to happen.  The nurse took my weight and bp.  She realized my bp was higher than normal.  I explained that I had allergies/cold and had been taking benadryl but haven't done anything else different compared to last week.  We went along with the appointment and the dr mentioned I had a higher level of protein in my urine.  Hmmm, ok.  So she explains that they are going to check me and check the hb of the baby.  Everything was normal.  I was still about a 2-3 dilated and 70% effaced.  She asked if I had any swelling and I lifted up my pant legs and showed her my legs were a bit more swollen than normal for the morning hours.  She brought out her reflex tool and started banging at my knees.  My right one didnt bounce at all but my left one did.  She was pushing and rubbing and didn't seem to excited about the whole thing.  She explained that they were going to take my bp again.  It was still high, but a very tiny bit lower than what it was before. 

Then I got the "pre-eclampsia talk".  I wasn't ready for this but I definately knew it was an option considering my history with GD.  She told me we were going to do a 24 hr urine check and that I would need to go drop it off exactly 24 hrs after I started it.  I would have to wait for blood work and then I would need to see my GD dr.  If I had one more high blood pressure reading I would be sent to L&D immediately.  I was realy panicked because I wasn't ready for this kind of news.  She told me that if the urine sample came back high I would be induced.  If my GD saw low amniotic fluid, I would be induced.  Basically right then, I knew this guy was coming way sooner than later.

Fast forward to the next day, I go and visit with my GD dr.  Everything seems fine.  My BP was great, the baby looked good, the amniotic fluid was fine and my sugar levels were in the safe range too.  He said he wasn't sending me to be induced but ultimately the decision would be on the 24  urine sample.  I also had to make appointments with his office for 2x a week now as I am now considered high(er)-risk.  After I left there I gave E a call because he was at work waiting on pins and needles.  Wondering if he needed to leave right away and meet me at the hospital.  I went to drop off my urine sample, gave blood and then left. They told me I should know something the following day (Wednesday).

Wednesday morning my alarm went off at 9 am.  I forgot to mention after my Monday appointment the dr decided to take me off work.  This was a whole 2 weeks earlier than I had previously wanted but a whole week earlier than I had recently decided.  This was a shock because my boss wasn't even at work that day and I had to text her the news.  Anyway, my phone rang a little after 9 and I shot out of the bed because it was my dr's office calling.  She explained the urine results were high but not high enough for an emergency induction and that we needed to be at L&D Friday December 9th at 6 A.M.  Talk about a splash of cold water in the face to wake you up in the morning.  It was so unreal.  I thought they would let me go at least 1 more week and then talk about induction.  NOPE! I called E right away and we talked about it and the more I seemed to get nervous the more excited he seemed to get.  I will do anything to keep this baby healthy and if that means to deliver early, well then so be it. 

So today, could technically be my last "free day".  No baby....but I can not wait for tomorrow.  I want to hold him and kiss him and love him.  I can't wait for our family to be complete.  Afterall, this is what we've been waiting for. 

A watched pot never boils

 

This is how I feel! I feel like everyone is constantly watching over me and waiting for me to go into labor.  I admit, I'm ready myself.  But, it seems like the more people that keep "watching" me the longer its taking for this kid to come into the world.  I still technically have 2 1/2 more weeks.  I'm in no rush.  I know there's an end in sight and its close!  Seeing E get more and more excited about Lucas' arrival makes me more and more excited.  It's all such a fun time.  My view on labor still hasn't changed and I believe I'm still scared shitless but hopefully it all ends out better than planned! I'll update soon if there's anything else worth updating but for now, I'm out.

37 Weeks and FULL TERM!

So excited to announce that I'm FULL TERM today! :) The little guy could come any day now and it would be perfectly fine with me.  I'm still betting on the 21st of December (when they will have to force him out) but a girl can dream right?!?

I saw my Dr this morning and found out the GBS test came back negative!  I was surprised to hear that because I am RH negative, I have Gestational Diabetes, didn't have any progress last week, being positive for the strep was just right up my ally.  :) I was really happy to hear it was negative though, one less thing to worry about. I also found out I was 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced.  What does that mean?  It means, its real!  Labor is just around the corner and I am stoked!  I am super anxious about the actual labor part.  I've spoken to a couple of people about it and they've all said that once it happens, the anxiety will be out the window.  I really hope this is the case.  It's the only thing i've really been nervous about this whole pregnancy.  

There aren't any real plans of induction as of now.  I will see my regular dr again on Monday and she will check for progress.  I'll see my GD dr on Tuesday and we will have an ultrasound to measure how big the baby is right now.  From there we will go on to determine if I will be induced earlier than 40 weeks or if I'll be induced at exactly 40 weeks.  Either way, the end is in sight.  December 21st.  I will have an outside baby by Christmas and for that I'm truly blessed!

A Wonderful Thanksgiving Break...

I'm late for the "thankful" post but I still want to post it.  There's so many things that I'm thankful for this year.  I could probably list a million things (because I really feel like 2011 was amazing!) but I'll try to keep it to a minimum.  I'm thankful for:

• my wonderful husband and his amazing ability to make me smile everyday.
• my family.  they are always there for us no matter what we need.
• our little guy on the way.  its crazy to think that last year i was feeling soooo down and ready to just give up.  its amazing to see how things can change in a blink of an eye. 
• a place to call ours.  even though we don't techincally own our duplex I still am able to call it home.  Its a safe place for us.
• foot rubs.  i've been getting them almost daily and they are WONDERFUL!

I was able to be off for a full week of work this week thanks to our school district closing for the holiday.  it was really nice being able to sleep in, not having to get out of my pjs if I didnt want too or running to the store for last minute items that I needed for Thanksgiving.  It was a great break.  Today I was really thankful for family.  We got a phone call this morning inviting us for breakfast, then we went Christmas tree shopping, got some poinsettas for my mom/dad/sister at the cemetary, hung our outside lights up, fixed our christmas tree inside (minus the ornaments) and had a wonderful dinner.  I love having family time and today was just really awesome. 

I'm counting down the days of work I have left and I am at 15.  I find out tomorrow at my drs appointment if they still plan to induce me at 39 weeks or if they are going to let me go to my due date.  Part of me is hoping for an early arrival of Lucas but the other part is saying that another week won't hurt.  Or, he can just surprise us and come a little early...but I don't see that happening! 

36 week dr appt

I had a drs appointment yesterday with my GD dr.  Everything was good.  Lucas was moving around like crazy so she had to wait for him to calm down before she got the final HB count.  He was in the 170's-180's and then slowed down to the 130's-140's.  I'm glad he's so comfortable in there but I wish he were ready to come out!  That brings me to my appointment today.  She checked my cervix and its very high and no sign of dilation.  She did say his head was "right there" and pretty low.  She recommended alot of walking around and seeing if that helps.  I go on Monday for my 37 week appointment check up and will get another cervix check. 

I've been cleaning today.  I've finished the living room and i've washed some clothes.  I also washed the baby bedding so that will be finished and ready to go.  I need to finish the dishes and figure out where to begin in our bedroom.  I blame Edgar for that one.  He took my clothes off the top shelf of the closet so he could "rearrange them" and well, they are still on the ground.  Oh well! 

I better get going.  I need to finish up and head to the store so I can get started on my Thanksgiving dessert baking. 

36 weeks = 9 months!

I'm 9 months today!  I can't even begin to describe all the emotions that come with this part of the timeline.  E and I have officially finished purchasing/gathering up everything we needed for our hospital bag so that is on my "to do" for this week.  I'm off for the whole week due to Thanksgiving holiday in our school district (!) and I'm enjoying my time off. 

I started wrapping the Christmas presents that we currently have.  We will be getting our tree this Saturday so I wanted to be ready for that when we bring it home.  I signed Lucas' name on the presents and realized that he will get credit for all the "cool toys" that he gives his cousin's and E and I will be getting "credit" for all the lame clothes presents. lol I guess it's just a reality that I'll have to face! 

My to do this week is to:
-Visit my GD Dr.
-Visit my OBGYN's office and get checked to see if I've made any sort of progress.
-Tidy up the baby's room.
-Get the hospital bag packed and put in the trunk of my car.
-Clean up the house as needed.
-Enjoy Thanksgiving!
-Decorate for Christmas. :)

35 wks 3 days

It's getting harder and harder to wake up in the morning!  I feel like I could sleep for many more hours!  We are in bed by 9 or 10 every night and I wake up at 6:15 (ish) so its not like I'm not getting my 8 hours....I just wish it were a little more!  I'm almost out for Thanksgiving break so I will be able to sleep in all I want next week.  I'm so excited about that.  

After we get back from Thanksgiving break I will only have 3 weeks of work left.  I'm so looking forward to the maternity leave.  I've been back and forth about how many weeks I'll take off and I've finally decided my last day of work will be Friday December 16th and I won't come back until Monday March 5th. It turns out to be 11 weeks.  I could take 12 and then get the following week off for Spring break and not be back until March 19th but I want to be able to ease back into work.  Going back for a  full week and then having a week off will help the process, I think.  Plus, the baby will be with my Sister so it's not like he's going to be at some random daycare or some place else.  I will have easy access to him and I'm very thankful for that.  

I've thought a lot lately about how labor will happen.  Will my water break at work?  Will I be at home by myself?  Will Edgar be able to make it to the hospital at a reasonable amount of time if he is at work?  Will it be a long drawn out process?  Will it be so fast I won't know what happened?  All of these questions and I can't wait for them to be answered.  We are literally down to single weeks, weeks I can count on one hand and I can't believe the time is finally here.  I have an appointment with my GD Specialist on Tuesday and then an appointment on Wednesday with my OBGYN and she will see if I have any sort of progress going on.  Please keep your fingers crossed that I do.  I'm so ready for this little guy to be here.

34 Weeks and Counting...

 

Today marks 34 weeks.  While it seems like yesterday that we just found out about the pregnancy,  it seems like we still have FOREVER to go! I realize the baby will be here before we know it and I'm just ready!

 

My mind is spinning trying to get the very few remaining items for the baby, trying to get into the holiday spirit and making a list of Christmas gifts.   We will be celebrating Thanksgiving at my Sister's house and E and I are in charge of bringing the ham, mashed potatoes and a dessert.  

I'm down to just 24 days of work left...not including weekends and the Thanksgiving holiday.  I've turned in my leave forms for the HR department and my last day of work will be December 16th and I'll go back to work march 5th.  I chose this day because I'll go back to work a week and then be off for a week of spring break.  I figured it will help ease the transition of working full time again.  There's so much left to do at work and I really need to try and stay focused to complete it all. 

 

31 weeks

I have a Dr's appointment today at 11:15.  I ended up failing my 3 hr.  Apparently I'm borderline gestational diabetes but the specialist thinks its better if I just begin to check my sugars just to make sure.  At first I was SUPER nervous and kind of beating myself up about it.  After going to his appointment last week, I realized, it's not THAT bed to prick your finger 4 times a day (plus it doesn't even really hurt!!) and I only have just a teeny bit to go.  He told me to check my sugar when I wake up and then 2 hrs after every major meal.  I'm supposed to snack more, which I def don't do right now, and chart my sugar readings.  I see him again next week to see how its going.  It was definitely hard grocery shopping yesterday watching the sugar levels on everything I bought.  

 

Being able to see the specialist last week meant that I got to see little Lucas.  Well, turns out he's not so little after all.  The guy already weighs a whopping 4 lbs and is expected to be 9 or 9.5 lbs at birth.  Since I am officially diagnosed with GD I will be going to be induced at 39 weeks.  That is if my blood pressure stays the same and nothing else comes up between now and then.  Apparently, pre-eclampsia  runs side by side with GD and so they are going to watch me very closely for that.  I am going to check with my dr today and make sure she agrees with the specialist on my induction date, but for now it looks like December 14 is the day.  Here's a pic of our "little" guy.  Look how flexible he is! :)

Glucost Test=BIG FAT FAIL!

Yup, I failed my 1 hr glucose test.  The results were heartbreaking to hear but I was kind of comforted knowing that MANY people fail the 1 hour and pass the 3 hour.  I'm doing the 3 hour right now and have about 10 minutes before I go back for my final blood drawal. Please send major vibes that I pass.  I realize there's nothing that can be done, if you have Gestational Diabetes you have it, it just sucks! 

I had a BUSY weekend and I'm still recovering.  The bbq cookoff was wonderful and the baby shower was amazing.  I shed a few tears, but honestly who doesn't!?!  Here are a couple of pictures to keep you entertained.

Chugging Along...

Things have been going great.  We're moving right along.  The throwing up has subsided (for now) and I'm enjoying pregnancy.  This little (big) guy is moving right on track and makes sure to kick and punch me to keep me aware he's still growing.  I'm in my 28th week and officially in my third trimester!  I am super excited, things are starting to speed up. 

I am now visiting my Dr every 2 weeks (WHOA!) and I go back on Friday.  Apparently I am RH- which means I have a negative blood type and will need an extra 2 shots.  One for sure (on Friday) and one after delivery depending what type of blood Lucas has when he's born. If he has a + bloodtype I'll have to get another shot, if he's - I won't.  Apparently my blood could attack his and cause harm to one or both of us if it's not treated.  Kind of nerve wracking but I know they are going to do the best they can for us both.

This past weekend my Sister and I went to a neighborhood wide yard sale and found a bunch of great (steals!!) items.  I got 3 strollers (one lightweight for $5, one graco for $50 and an umbrella for FREE) , an almost new bumbo with tray for $15, tons of cute clothes for about .25 a piece, a BIG bag of socks for $2, and some more items.  Here's the damage.  

I have a very busy weekend ahead of me.  On Friday I am off work to start setting up for a family bbq cookoff we do every year.  I also have a dr's appt for my rhogam shot and my GD test.  Send positive vibes for that.  Saturday is the main day for the cookoff.  We will compete for different categories.  Then Sunday is my first baby shower!  I'm excited!! My Sister, Friend and SIL are hosting my shower.  My MIL is throwing me another shower but that one is yet to be determined.  I will also have a work shower but that won't be until later in the year. 

25 weeks 2 days

 how far along: 25 weeks 2 days.

how big is baby: Baby P is about the size of an eggplant.  During month six, the average fetus measures about 13.6 inches to 14.8 inches and weighs about 1.5 to 2.5 pounds.

 weight gain / loss: I'm not sure.  At my last appointment I was up 2 lbs from the appointment before.  My next appointment isn't until the16th so I have another week in a half. 

symptoms: None really.  Still vomiting occasionally.  I've accepted that this may last my whole pregnancy and I guess I'm okay with it.

cravings / aversions: I haven't really had any yet.

movement: He is constantly moving.  Edgar got to feel him about 2 hours ago. His face was priceless!

 gender: BOY!

belly button: Still an innie.  Not sure if it will pop out.  Hopefully later rather than sooner.
 
sleep: I'm still sleeping without any major problems.  I hope it continues.

What am I looking forward to:  my baby shower.  It's october 1st and I'm pretty excited about it.

what i miss: Still sleeping on my back and stomach.

highlights this past week: Seeing Edgar's face when he felt the baby kick.  It was awesome and something I will always remember. 

Anatomy Scan

E and I had an appointment on August 1st.  We had just come back from my family reunion in Oklahoma and before that we were in California for just over a week for a family wedding.  Traveling was awesome and I felt great...other than the 2 rounds of car sickness I experienced.  Dr's appointment was at 8 in the morning and just E and I went.  It was nice to just experience this together, just the 2 of us. 

At the beginning of the appointment the technician asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby.  We both agreed without hesitation.  She took some measurements and then all of a sudden she says "well it's a boy!"  I couldn't help but laugh because I just KNEW it was a girl.  It was pretty funny but shocking at the same time.  After getting over the immediate shock I'm pretty excited about having a boy!  We haven't decided on names yet but when we do I will update.  It's hard coming from a family with mostly boys (on both sides).

how far along: 21 1/2 weeks.

how big is baby: Baby P is about 10 1/2 inches long and weighs a whopping 12.2 ozs.  Think about the size of a banana. That's this weeks bump fruit comparison.

 weight gain / loss: I haven't been keeping track of the weight stuff.  I know that at my last appointment I was still down 8 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I feel like I've been able to keep food down and have probably gained some lbs.  I'll find out Friday.

symptoms: I've been sleepy after work again.  I wake up in the middle of the night needing to pee, so far just 1 time.  My stomach feels full and heavy.  Other than that-nothing bad so its all good news right now.

cravings / aversions: I haven't really had any yet.

movement: I can feel movement in my lower stomach.  When I place my hand on it, because I'm dying to let E be able to feel the movement, he stops moving.  He's going to be a good boxer or soccer player because he's constantly hitting me. 

gender: BOY!

belly button: So far its an innie.  Wondering if it will pop out or not.

sleep: I sleep better on my right side until I wake up with a pain in my shoulder or hip.  Then I roll over on my leftside.  By the time E leaves for work (around 4:45) I find myself stealing his pillow and propping my head up so I can enjoy a couple of minutes on my back.  It feels so nice.

what i'm looking forward to: Getting rid of the puking.  I'm still puking occasionally and it SUCKS!

what i miss: Sleeping on my back and stomach.  I was venting to E about this last night.

highlights this past week: Finding out the sex of our baby.  Seeing how excited E is getting each and every day. 

17 weeks!

how far along: 17 weeks yesterday

how big is baby: The baby is the size of an onion.  It's about 5.1 inches long and weighs a whopping 5.9 oz! :)

symptoms: I'm glad to say I've gotten rid of the gagging and not being able to eat.   Now I'm hungry all the time!  Last night I woke up with a bad pain in my right leg.  I guess its from sleeping on my right side.  I was tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable, it still hurt.  I got up to use the restroom and I could barely walk.  Today it's sore but okay. 

cravings / aversions: I think I'm doing okay on this part.  I'm craving fruits and anything I can get my hands on.  I was hungry this morning so I stopped for a breakfast taco....I gagged when I ate the eggs.  I guess I'm not quite ready for that yet. 

movement: Last night when I was talking to myself trying to fall asleep :) I felt a small kick or punch. It was enough to shoot my eyes open lol  But, I've only felt it once and I'm not 100% it was the baby, but its def. different from anything I've ever felt before. 


gender: we find out on August 3rd, when we get back from vacation!

belly button: I still have an innie.  I finally took my belly button ring out yesterday.  It was kind of a sad moment.  No, I don't flaunt it-but still-I've had it for like 8 years.  Edgar was VERY happy to see it gone!

sleep: I'm having no problems sleeping right now.  ::knock on wood::

what i'm looking forward to: Going on vacation to California for a family wedding and just to hang out.  Then finding out the sex on August 3rd.

what i miss: I still miss food.  As much as I'm eating I still feel like I'm not 100% back to the way I was before. 

highlights this past week: Celebrating our wedding anniversary and realizing my belly "popped".  It's crazy to see it but I LOVE staring at it!

14 Weeks

This is Baby P at 13 weeks.  I decided (very last minute) to get the NT Scan (which is also known as the first trimester screening).  You can only get the test done by 13 weeks 6 days.  I got it done just in the knick of time.  The day of the tests all my ultrasounds looked good.  The measurements were exactly what they were looking for and baby had the hiccups.  It was the cutest thing ever.  The nurse called me on Friday to let me know all my blood results came back in the normal range and we are good to go.  No further testing needed.  This made me really happy and excited!  It also made it more real. 

I've been an emotional wreck lately.  Between all the Holidays (mother's and father's day) death anniversaries and my parents wedding anniversary its been a tough 2 months or so.  I've learned how to cope with them being gone-it's just adding in all the extra pregnancy hormones and watching all these baby shows on tv make me realize I will never get to share this special event with my parents.  My children will always know who their Grandparents are and will know they are always watching over them, as do I.  I just realized it will take a whole lot of getting used too.

I'm 14 weeks today and around 12 weeks or so I was stuck with gagging and occasional vomiting.  WTF!?! lol I had been doing great all the 1st trimester and aren't you SUPPOSED to feel better in the 2nd trimester?  Anyway, it started off in the morning, then went to around lunch time and now its in the evening stage.  Luckily it hasn't been every day like it used to be, which makes me believe hope it's almost over.  I'm having trouble sleeping at night.  I've always been a stomach sleeper and just recently it has been super uncomfortable laying on my stomach so I've been teaching myself to side sleep.  Between tossing, turning and wanting to wake up at 4 (when E gets up for work) I am losing some major ZZZZZ's.

I've also been hit with the "I want to register" bug.  It's killing me not to have a plan in place for our baby.  I realize I should wait until we find out the gender but I feel like even then it's procrastinating. lol I know things might not be in the stores come October when its baby shower time but I still have that nagging sensation in the back of my head.  I also have a feeling its a girl.  I say girl and E says boy.  I guess we'll see.  Can't believe its coming up soon.  I have an appt in 3 days and then I'm guessing she will be able to tell me when I can schedule the big anatomy scan.  EEEEKKKK!!! :)

Where have I been?

My dear friend Jill reminded me that I don't blog enough.  OOPS!  Life has been so busy lately and if it isn't busy I am just sleeping on the couch.  Seriously.  My niece graduated from high school and we threw her a HUGE graduation party.  That took a lot of planning.  School is out for the Summer.  I still work everyday (except Friday's!!!) in effort to save all my vacation time for my maternity leave.  The end of a school year is super chaotic and so I was out of commission dealing with all of those things.  The internet at our house messed up, stupid AT&T so we are thinking of switching internet providers.  No internet = no blogging.

I ran out of the prenatal vitamins I had been taking for like EVER and decided to switch brands.  Stupid mistake!  The new ones make me so sick!  I take them at night before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning I am throwing up in the toilet.  I decided to do my own trial run and take them every other day for a week.  Yup, the culprit of what I thought was morning sickness, coming in at 12 weeks, was really my new prenatal vitamins.  You can bet your ass I will be going back to get the old brand I was doing so perfectly fine on.  It makes me so happy knowing I was able to figure out what was going on. 

Now on to some baby news.  As soon as I bring my camera to work I'll post my new bump picture.  I swear it just popped out this weekend.  I was looking at the pictures of my Niece's graduation party and BAM there it was. :) lol No hiding this sucker. 

Call us early planners or just crazy but we've already gotten our crib.  We chose this:

Lauren Graco Crib

We chose it in the Espresso color because we already have the following furniture in our soon to be nursery:



From IKEA

Something like this for the changing table.  It was a hand me down from my Sister, and it has the changing pad on the top.  I plan to remove the changing pad later on and just use the bottom part for storage.

We chose this nursery bedding for either a boy or girl:

Meet our little bean!

We were measuring ahead 3 days which puts my unofficial due date at December 19th instead of the 22nd.  I am going back for a second ultrasound on the 19th to make sure everything is going good.  If all checks out I will graduate from the fertility clinic and then go to my obgyn.  Speaking of-I need to find one that will deliver at the hospital we want to deliver at.  The heartbeat was at 152 bpm and we even got to hear it!  It was amazing!!! :)

We couldn't have been any happier and we are so extremly grateful for this blessing in our lives.  We went public on facebook and at work yesterday so now the majority of the people we come into daily contact with know.  It's such a good feeling to be able to rejoice with everyone and get their blessings!  Can't wait to see our little baby again,soon!



First ultrasound

is scheduled for Thursday May 5th.  If everything looks great we will probably come out with our pregnancy.  The only reason we plan too is because we have very large families.  We're afraid people will find out (no matter if we say "please don't say anything") and we want to be the ones sharing the news! That's the fun part right!?!  Soooo, just a couple more days and we get to see our little bean.  We are beyond excited. 

I forgot to update my 3rd round of bloodwork.  The HCG was 803 and the progesterone was 19 something.  Then last week I had my 4th round of bloodwork.  The HCG was 7374 and my progesterone was 16 something....yup it went down.  Anything above 15 is "good" and is what the dr's are looking for.  It made me nervous to see it dropping and it being around the cut off line so they told me I can get put on progesterone suppositories.  I immediately agreed and went to get my prescription the next day.  They are little wax capsules and they look like torpedoes lol.  You insert them vaginally and its supposed to help the baby survive until the placenta takes over in the 10-12 week range.  I've had no side effects from them other than i've been getting a full nights sleep.  A side effect is drowsiness (which is why you are supposed to take them 30 minutes before bed time) and I guess since I take it before bed time it makes me sleep the whole night.  I'm not complaining.  :) Although, I do wake up with a full bladder.  I'm sure these full nights of sleep aren't going to last long so I'm not going to celebrate too soon. 

6 weeks 4 days

how far along: 6 weeks and 4 days

how big is baby: A little bigger than a sweetpea.

symptoms: sleepy, sleepy, sleepy, sore boobs, some light cramping, occasional headaches (nothing water doesn't cure)


cravings / aversions: It jumps.  Saturday I ate hot cheetos with a pickle, Sunday I was craving lays potato chips.  It seems like I'm craving salty/spicy things.  i am NOT into anything sweet right now.

movement: way too early for any of that right now.

gender: I'm still back and forth. E says boy, I say girl.  belly button: no change

sleep: I'm still napping after work and in bed by 9 or so. 

what i'm looking forward to: Seeing the hearbeat.  This Thursday can't come soon enough!!!

what i miss: Nothing right now.

highlights this past week: Uhm, upgrading to an actual fruit on my ticker.  Ahhh, it's the little things!

Beta #3

I came home from work and I've been soooooo sleepy!  I've been taking 2 hr naps and then I'm usually asleep in bed by 9:30 or 10.  It's nice to know that the little baby is growing inside so great.  I've been nervous. I'm not going to lie.  My first couple of betas were pretty low and It did make me think twice about this pregnancy.  I had a long talk with myself that "yes, you are pregnant! you need to enjoy this time.  you've waited a long time for this...."  Eventually it got through my big head and I've tried to just have fun with it all.  I love being pregnant.  Read: i love being pregnant and I haven't started the morning sickness. :) Here are my betas and progesterone levels.

11dpo-hcg:31 prg: 25.1

13dpo-hcg:51 prg:20.9

18dpo:803 prg:19.1

4 weeks 2 days

how far along: 4 weeks and 2 days.

how big is baby: The size of a poppy seed!

symptoms: bloating, bloating and bloating.  Did I mention bloating?  My boobs are also really sore and I'm hungry all the time.  I don't really have a difference in smells though. 

cravings / aversions: Right now I am craving rice and hot sauce.  My baby is soooo mexican! :)

movement: way too early for any of that right now.

gender: At first I was dead set on it being a boy but here lately I keep saying "she".  I guess I'll just have to wait. 

belly button: no change

sleep: I catch myself napping after work anywhere from 1-3 hours.  Then going to bed at around 9:30.  I haven't been waking up early or anything but sometimes I can't fall asleep until around midnight and I'm wide awake at 5 am.

what i'm looking forward to: Seeing the hearbeat.  We have to wait until the first week of May and its killing me to wait that long.

what i miss: Nothing right now.

highlights this past week: Finding out we were pregnant.  It's the best feeling in the world. 

Ecstatic...

We're PREGNANT!  Yes, you read that right...we.are.pregnant!  Right now we are really early and are only 3 weeks and 4 days-with an estimated due date of December 22!  I don't know what else I would rather have for Christmas!!

Tested on Saturday.  9dpo.  Big Fat Negative.

Tested Sunday morning.  10dpo.  Big Fat Positive!

Test 2 because I just needed "to make sure".  BFP!

Test again this morning.  11dpo

And just for grins:

 WE'RE PREGNANT PEOPLE!!!

Oh, I called the drs office and they let me go in today to do bloodwork instead of waiting until Thursday.  I was able to go and be back within an hour and since I had told my Principal about it all she was more than willing to let me leave during work hours.  I got results back and the nurse said "Laura, you are DEFINITELY pregnant!"  I couldn't help but say, "yay!!".  I am going back to take bloodwork again on Wednesday and then every week after until we hit 6 weeks.  On my 7th week (which is the 1st week of May) we will be able to go in for our first ultrasound!  So freakin excited about seeing our little bean....which is his name.  I say "his" because I feel it's a boy! :) She let me know my progesterone levels were 25.1 and they were looking for over 15 and then also my hcg level was 31.  Can't wait to see what Wednesday has in store for us. 

P.S. This is OBVIOUSLY not public knowledge.  Please do not spill the beans on facebook.  Gracias! 



Extreme Baby Fever

I want this cycle to work so badly!  It's making me go crazy.  I've never googled so many things in my life.  I over analyze things and want to read success stories with different scenarios.  My boobs have been hurting, ive had some head aches, hot flashes, cramps and cervical mucus like no tomorrow.  I realize all these are PMS symptoms but even then I'm excited because I don't normally experience these things. 

I go to sleep dreaming about how I will tell E about our pregnancy, or how we will tell family, or how we will decorate the nursery.  I hope 3 things: 1- This 2 week wait goes by quickly. 2- It ends in a BFP! 3. If its a BFN, I hope to find comfort and positive thoughts for the next cycle. 

2ww

Yup, I believe i'm in my first ever  2 week wait.  Not 100% sure because I didn't chart this time around.  I will defitnitely be charting if there is a next time. 

The 2 week wait is the time from when you ovulated until you are able to find out if you're pregnant or get your period.  In this case, I would LOVE to see a positive pregnancy test rather than aunt flow.  If she does come, I know what this whole experience feels like for next time.  It's been one crazy ride.

I am scheduled to do blood work on April 14th which will determine if I'm pregnant or not. Unless I get my period before and then I'm supposed to call for another round of clomid.   I plan to test everyday starting Monday the 11th just to see what the tests say so I can be mentally prepared when I go into the drs office. 

$190 later...

I went to the dr and since we are all out of pocket it was $190.  I found out the clomid WORKED!! He said "you see that big black circle right there?  yea, thats what we want"  I was so excited to hear those words.  I had no idea what I was looking at but it was GREAT!  Apparently my follicles had to be over an 18 to be "good enough" and 1 was a 22.  Oh man, I can't even describe what it feels like to be able to have a chance.  So when the appointment was coming to an end he said for me to go out and by ovulation predictors and it would let me know if we hit our "surge".  He recommended The Clear Blue easy predictors because they give you a smiley face to let you know.  He said to test this evening and then test every morning until Friday.  If Friday comes and I haven't gotten a face to go in for another appointment so they can check and see what happened. I set up an appointment but really hoped it wouldnt have to go to that. 

Went to walgreens and picked up the OPK's and went back to work.  I shared the exciting news with my girl friends that work in the office with me and know about our struggles, and they were just as excited as us! I called Edgar after I left the office and I was telling him how excited I was and I knew we werent out of the woods yet-and I was tearing up.  He told me "please don't cry-I don't want to get emotional over here".  It was so sweet to have someone so comforting and understanding about everything going on.  I definitely found the right partner to spend the rest of my life with!

I came home from work and I just kept staring at the OPK box.  It said to hold your urine for about 4 hrs and not to drink heavy liquids before, as it wouldn't work right.  I just kept itching to test.  There are 7 sticks in there and the dr told me to test this evening but I just knew that if i tested then I could hold my urine and test this afternoon.  That I would call this one a "trial run".  Low and behold...look what I got!!!

E is on his way home and I text this picture to him and his response was "OMG I'm hurrying home!" lol He's so sweet.  Please pray everything works out for us and we get the baby we've been longing for!!!

Completed

This morning I completed my 5 day cycle of Clomid.  Now I really just wait.  I'm going to be such a nervous wreck on Wednesday to see if my ovaries are working the way they are meant to work.  Gosh, this is nuts! 

On another note:

Today is my last day of being 25. My 26th birthday is tomorrow and I really hope 26 brings me great news on the baby front!  We have a long weekend of birthday festivities and I think E is planning something for me this evening!  Let's see if I'm right. 

Day 3

I took my 3rd Clomid this morning and everything seems to be going okay.  I'm not feeling any kind of side effects which is good!  I only have 2 more days of medicine

and then we just wait. 

Clomid

I got to my appointment at 3:30.  Went in, got undressed and had another internal ultrasound to make sure everything looked "normal".  Everything was good to go and I got my prescription for clomid.  Everything I've been waiting for!!  It's so nice to have a dr that is actually helping me instead of one that I felt was hurting me.  I got my 5 day prescription and was instructed to take one tonight and the other 4 everyday when I first wake up.  My last pill will be taken on Friday-the day before my 26th birthday.  He told me it didn't matter when we did the deed because I will not have ovulated yet.  He had me make another appointment for March 30th and that will determine if my body succeeded with clomid or if I didn't have any kind of reaction to it.  If I did-I will be most fertile April 1-3.  This is exciting that this could even be a possibility! 

He also checked out all my other appointment info from the other dr and told me to stop taking the meds the other dr had me on.  That was exciting!  Now I'm on just my prenatals and clomid and i'm excited to see where this leads me! 

She's here...

Yup, AF arrived.  I started spotting yesterday while we were out at SXSW and woke up this morning to a full blown period.  Talk about crappy cramping.  AUGH! Either way, I woke up delighted and called the dr's office.  Luckily they called back and I was able to schedule a drs appointment for Monday at 3:45.  I'm excited and can't wait to move forward!!!  Don't let the excitement fool you-I'm just as nervous! :)

Finished

I finished the progesterone and now it's supposed to take up to 14 days to start my period.  So now...I just wait. 

On a not trying to have a baby note: its SPRING BREAK!!! We brought my Mom's dogs over on Sunday and they are the new addition to our family!  Last night they slept the whole night in their crate without crying and we were so proud of them!  They've never been crated before now and they are doing awesome.  With the crating also comes "potty training".  They've been outside dogs for 2 years.  Luckily I'm home this week and we're able to start up a schedule for them.  We've also switched them to a more healthier food and made sure to get a bunch of goodies for them.  I like not being home by myself...even if it has been a little bit of a challenge. 

Oscar is the brown and Bubba is the black. 

Progesterone

I'm on a 10 day supply of progesterone which will cause me to get my period.  Today makes day 5.  If I have not had my period 14 days after my last pill I am supposed to contact the fertility center.  When I do get my period I am supposed to call and set up an appointment for clomid.  I'm most excited for this but also nervous as heck.  I can't keep off the internet googling/searching/reading boards  about successes/losses/etc on clomid.  This is all a very tiring process but the end result is totally worth it! 

I'm feeling very optimistic that it will happen for us very soon.  I find myself traveling to the baby section in the stores that we shop in instead of avoiding it.  We look up nursery ideas and baby names.  All things we haven't done in a LONG time because I had lost all hope.  I'm really glad my attitude has changed and I'm hoping for a fantastic outcome! :)

Appointment Update

I love love love our new Dr.  He was straight to the point and very helpful. I am feeling very optimistic about our plans and am looking forward on what's to come.  :)

M.I.A.

Sorry about not blogging lately.  I went through a phase of "is this really something I want to be doing" to "ahh, not sure if we're really ready to have a child" to "well I guess we aren't meant to have children" to "snap out of it Laura, you WILL have kids...you just need to find the right dr!". With so many things going around in my head it was hard to concentrate on anything.  With the holidays and vacations life was just speeding by.  It seems my life has halted for a bit and I'm ready to pick back up on the blogging life.

I dropped my RE like a bad habit.  It wasn't that she was bad.  It wasn't that she was mean.  It was just that she wasn't going as fast as I would like.  I realize she was just trying different things to see if they worked, tried to get my body back into gear, wanted me to try this and that. Really it was all making me more and more disapointed and more and more unconfident about what kind of decision we were making.  I wanted this to be a special process not something that I would regret in the future.

A lady I work with has went through this exact thing.  She was successful a little over 2 yrs ago and is ready to start trying again for number 2.  She recommended me to this fertility clinic and so I decided to make an appointment.  Today is our appointment.  I'm excited/nervous/anxious to find out what the plan will be.  I'm ready to be moving foward, for real this time.  I know this decision was a smart move and I can't wait to see the outcome.