Baby Update

There's something Shocking about our Stockings!

Alright lets catch you up about this baby!  Starting at the beginning...  We always said we'd have another baby, we just wanted a break after the first two and then life got in the way for awhile (night school, work transition, etc.).  So we started trying for the baby in March.  Yep March!  But then, we didn't in April....April has been our magical month it seemed since that is the month I got pregnant with both Bennett and Ashley.  Being 9 months pregnant in December was something I didn't want to repeat again!  Looking back, we probably should have just gone with April and been done with it.

Fast forward to September.  At the beginning of September I still wasn't pregnant plus I had this weird side ache crampy feeling so I went in to my doctor for check on that and also discuss how it has been 6 months and we weren't having luck getting pregnant.  Well for the side-ache she pushed on my side and belly and all of that and it didn't hurt or anything and they did a blood test and urine test and it all came back fine.  And as far as the baby, she said to use ovulation tests  this month and if that didn't help, in October I'd go to the OBGYN and have a blue dye shot up into my ovaries to see if there was some blockage.  

October 8th I took a pregnancy test and low and behold, there was a very faint line!  Whohoo.  So then, instead of going to the OBGYN for the blue dye, I still kept that appointment and went in to confirm pregnancy and also to ask her now about my side-aches.  She confirmed a baby and also had me go get an ultrasound of my ovaries to be sure nothing was wrong there, wondering if that was the cause of my discomfort.  The ultrasound showed that my ovaries are fine!  But, since the baby was sooo small, it was only measuring a heart-rate in the 80's.  So because of this, I had to go in the following week to get another ultrasound done of the baby.  Talk about a nerve-wrecking week!  So that following week when I went in, thank God the heart-rate was in the 130's!  

Following this a few weeks later I had my first regular monthly baby appointment where the pap smear also determined nothing wrong which was another relief.  

My regular appointment in November right after Thanksgiving went well too and she was able to pick up the baby heart beat immediately, even only at 11 weeks at that point.  

Now this week!  What a week.  On Sunday morning, I threw up my breakfast.  There have been plenty of icky feeling days where I felt like I could have thrown up but I never did.  But now, in week 12, I threw up my breakfast.  The rest of that day I was feeling pretty ok I guess.  Later on Sunday we found out some bad news about our pastor - kidney cancer.  Now obviously I know this affected me to some point since one, he's our pastor but two, I work so closely with him.  But seriously, I never expected all of this to happen.  Sunday night overnight I threw up a few more times.  And then Monday morning, Mike stayed home from work since he knew I wasn't feeling good.  Since I had him home and since I had just heard that terrible news, I made up my mind that I was going into the doctor again and I wanted real answers this time about my side-aches.  I ended up seeing that OBGYN again and she ordered an ultrasound this time of my kidneys, bladder area.  For the rest of Monday, I threw up everything I ate or drank - like everything!  It was terrible.  Then Tuesday morning, I continued to throw up even on the way to ultrasound appointment - there is puke along side the road somewhere.  

Even though I didn't have the full bladder of water like you're supposed to have for an ultrasound she was able to still do it.  After checking my kidneys and all the organs around there, she did let Mike and I peak at the baby.  Oh gosh guys, it was a real baby now!  Head, legs, spine....way more than 6 weeks ago when it was seriously just a blob on the screen.  So exciting.  

So from the ultrasound I decided to stick around for a few minutes and ask my doctors nurse about all the throwing up.  They decided I needed to go to the ER and get an IV with fluids to help so I don't dehydrate.  That was my first experience ever in an ER setting.  But, I felt so much better after that.  And, since I was actually in the ER, the doctor saw I was just in for an ultrasound so he put a rush on those results and I had them back within an hour instead of 48 hours which was nice.  My kidneys, bladder and uterus are completely normal!  Thank you Jesus!  They are suspecting that the cause of my discomfort might be a muscle or just something being pinched/pulled when I sit wrong or lay wrong etc.  I'll take that any day as long as it's nothing super serious.  

I was able to start eating alittle bit now again yesterday (Wed) and today and I haven't gotten sick again.  That IV did wonders, along with a nausea pill.  But man, what a miserable week.  It was seriously like once I started throwing up, I just couldn't stop!  

If you were keeping track, that's 8 appointments since September!  5 regular appointments, 3 ultrasounds and 1 ER visit.  I know Mike has good insurance.  We'll get to see how good it really is. 

So now I am about 12.5 weeks and for the most part feeling good.  I've been very very tired and my energy level has been terrible but I can tell it's starting to get alittle better.  I know my belly is getting alittle bigger but I've actually lost about 15 lbs since I became pregnant since food wasn't appetizing and then now with throwing up for two days.  Hopefully by Christmas, food will be a wonderful treat and I'll plump up alittle bit maybe.  

Sorry this got so long.  I told you I'd post more when I had time.  And now that I waiting another week to do so, I had lots more to share with all my excitement this week.  Please keep baby and me in your prayers for health.  

Oh and Mike is very excited (even though he won't always show it), Bennett loves me more now than he ever has I think, and Ashley is realizing she won't be the baby anymore and has reverted to calling me Mama instead of her normal Mom.