Over half way...

Thrilled to report that we're officially over half way through this pregnancy, and today I'm 20wks 2 days along. I saw my OB this afternoon and everything continues to progress beautifully. My cervix is measuring perfectly and, according to the ultrasound tech, we had verification of a girl for the third time and she continues to be very active! I've started to feel movement in the past week and a half or so which I love! I'll be seeing the perinatologist next week for our first monthly growth ultrasound and then will go back to the OB again for another cervical check in two weeks. Loving all of these reassuring appointments and feeling a bit excited, but will definitely feel better once we get through the next couple of months! 

I'm starting to think about planning freezer meals and such for after baby girl arrives and just in case bed rest is at all required later in this pregnancy. I've already got a list of some of our favorite dishes, and I'm planning to make doubles whenever I make them in the coming months so we can put one in the deep freeze for later. I cook a lot but am inexperienced when it comes to freezer meals so would love to hear your favorite freezer meals and/or methods!

Also beginning to research double stroller options. For those of you who have a double stroller what do you recommend? We go on a lot of walks and also want to be able to use it for outings around town but don't want to spend a ton of money either! I'm starting to look on swap groups and craigslist for some good used options but would love your input! 

Also just for fun a 20wk bump pic from this weekend...

Reassurance....

I had my 18wk OB appointment yesterday and everything continues to look great. The ultrasound tech did a cervical check and it continues to measure perfectly. Nick & Ian came with for the first time so she also was nice enough to do a brief ultrasound so they could see baby girl. Baby was active and looking great just like last week! 

The OB said she'll have me do monthly growth ultrasounds starting with the one in three weeks at the perinatologists office, and I'll return to her office for another cervical check and appointment in two weeks. 

She also talked to us about making sure that anyone who plans to be around the baby during her first 8wks of life gets a whooping cough (Tdap) vaccine. I'll also get one sometime between 27-36wks of this pregnancy. Otherwise a lovely, reassuring uneventful appointment...the absolute best kind! 

Overall feeling great. Every once in a while I feel the terror and worry about what if something went wrong now before baby reaches viability, but I try not to let it linger. I remind myself I'm doing everything I can at this point and the rest is out of my control and I have to hope that she's going to be okay. Needless to say I'll be so happy to reach the next big milestone which is 24wks! 

It's a....

I’m 17wks 5 days as of today and had my first appointment with the  perinatologist yesterday. I started weekly progesterone injections at 16wks which has been going smoothly and am continuing the daily baby aspirin. There have been recent studies that suggest taking a daily baby aspirin can help in prevention of preeclampsia for women who developed it early on in previous pregnancies, so both my OB and the perinatolgist want me to continue doing this. 

The appointment went fantastic yesterday. I’m always so nervous before these appointments and since it had been almost a month since I’d seen my OB I was especially worried about if everything was still going okay. Thankfully though baby was very active and cooperative! They did my first cervical lining ultrasound check which consists of a transvaginal ultrasound (and here I thought I was done with those!). Everything looked good in that regard and they’ll have me return to their clinic in two weeks for another check and then in a month for a more thorough ultrasound measuring everything. I also go back to my OB next week, I’m loving this month with all the reassuring appointments!

The big news at the appointment was that they were able to see the sex of the baby!!! Since Nick was at home with Ian during my appointment I asked the doctor to write it down and put it in an envelope so Nick & I could look at the results together at home. So glad we did it this way; even if he would have been with me there is something really nice about experiencing that news together on a more intimate level instead of in a clinic with another person present.

So not to leave you in suspense any longer….it’s a GIRL!!! I cried of course, although I was crying before we even read the gender. It’s just such a big moment. We’re thrilled and couldn’t be happier! Ian’s baby arrived today too, perfect timing, and he already loves taking care of it! He insisted on taking it to nap with him today and it’s melting my Momma heart watching him with his baby.

We shared this picture of the baby from the sonogram yesterday and then the one of Ian & I with Lily's quilt on facebook today to announce the news. We're thrilled that Lily's quilt will get to be used in her little sisters room!!! My friend Audra made the quilt out of Lily's baby clothes shortly after her death and it is one of our most treasured possessions. The pic doesn't really do it justice but was the best we could do while including big brother in the picture:) 

We're out...

So we made the announcement and are officially open about this pregnancy as of this week! I’ll be 15wks this Saturday and am starting to show just a bit, so for those who know me it was getting too difficult to hide. Everyone has been really supportive and it’s a bit of a relief now that it’s out there. I must admit though, it was really scary at first to announce. Although I’m trying hard not to let fear take control of my thoughts, I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous that something would go wrong now that everyone knows.

 

In preparing Ian for the role of big brother and adapting to life with a sibling, I’m looking at getting him his own baby doll to practice caring for a baby. Strongly considering this one as it got really great reviews and looks like a nice option for him. Any suggestions or recommendations? Also got his first book about our family having a new baby for Christmas and would love other book recommendations you guys have to help him prepare!

 

Otherwise, not much else to report which I’m considering a good thing at this stage. I’ll be starting the P17 progesterone injections at 16wks and it appears will be paying for them out of pocket. I’ll have my first perinatologist appointment on January 7th and then will see my OB again on January 13th. These long waits in between appointments are difficult for me as I love the reassurance of knowing everything is okay with the baby, but I’m trying to be patient. Otherwise looking forward to spending some time with our families for the Christmas holiday next week. Happy Holidays to all of you!!

13 weeks and counting...

I had my routine OB appointment this afternoon, and the results of the NT scan from last week came back very good so that was a relief to hear. I’m 13wks as of this past Saturday!! Got to hear the baby’s heartbeat which is always so reassuring, and it was hanging out in the 150bpm range. My OB is going to have me see the perinatologist group here in about 3-4wks, then I’ll go back and forth between that group & her every two weeks for ultrasound cervical checks and routine follow up until I reach 24wks. 

I’ll be starting on the weekly P17 progesterone injections when we reach 16wks, which isn’t too far off! The bad news about that is that I found out our insurance, like most companies these days, no longer covers these injections. You’d think they’d like me to do everything possible to prevent another preterm labor, but apparently this is just one more thing we’ll be paying out of pocket for. I’ll be talking with our insurance company further to see if they’ll reimburse us the cost of them since the clinic suggested I inquire about this, but I’m not very hopeful. I recall during Ian’s pregnancy when a majority of insurance companies stopped covering these injections and how at the time we weren't impacted. Looks like no such luck this time.

 

Overall I’m feeling good and excited to be entering the second trimester, and trying to stay hopeful & positive that everything will continue smoothly.

This just got real people!!!

We’re reaching milestones left and right over here! The most exciting of which is that I’m 12wks pregnant as of this past Saturday!!! I had my NT scan this morning, and we got these great pics of baby looking SO awesome! Baby’s heartbeat was 141bpm and as always was a beautiful reassuring sight!

We won’t know the results of the scan & blood work until later this week or possibly as late as my next OB appointment in a week.

It was especially reassuring to have the scan this morning because this past week while we were staying with family for the Holiday Ian came down with his first case of the stomach flu on Thanksgiving day which seriously sucked!!! Then, of course, since I took care of him and was thrown up on multiple times that day I succumbed to the worst case of stomach flu of my adult life (by far)… it was horrible!!! Happy 12wks of pregnancy! So needless to say, after 10hrs of vomiting I was really relieved to see baby made it through all of that okay.

Now the big question is how and when do we announce this pregnancy?  Yes, our close family and friends already know, but I’m still trying to decide when to announce to the general public and facebook land. I’m so uncertain about when to make the big announcement; a part of me wants to announce within the next couple of weeks, and a part of me wonders if we should wait until more around the 18-20wk mark when we find out the sex. 

Speaking of the sex, that was another question I was also back and forth on, whether to find out or not. A part of me loves the idea of waiting to find out until the baby is born. But my husband is more practical, and he’s right in terms of planning purposes that it would be easier if we knew beforehand if this baby is a girl or boy. We’ll see what happens there, but I probably will give in and find out.

Starting to feel, dare I say it, a bit excited & hopeful about this pregnancy!

First OB appointment....

Everything has been progressing smoothly thus far and overall I've been feeling as expected at this stage; I’m 9wks 2 days today. The odd thing with this pregnancy is that I’ve been experiencing nausea in the evening, but really it’s the most convenient time since Nick is usually home by then and it’s usually pretty mild. Definitely feeling the typical first trimester exhaustion, but overall just really thankful to be at this point at all and anything that comes with it is fine by me right now.

Had my first OB appointment this afternoon. It still feels so surreal to me. She asked me about whether I’d thought about VBAC vs C-section, and I told her that honestly at this stage all I can do is think in terms of week to week. In all likelihood though, as I learned a long time ago, no matter what I want in terms of the birth, so much is out of my control and I'll probably just plan on a C-section. I return in 4wks and will continue on the daily progesterone injections and estrace pills until 12wks. She’s planning to do cervix checks every 2wks starting around week 13 just to be on the safe side. She did also give me the go ahead to see the perinatologist group here in town around 18-20wks. We’ll plan on weekly progesterone injections starting around 16wks as well just like we did with Ian’s pregnancy.

Baby’s due date is June 14th.  I like to think it’s a sign that things are going to be okay this time around and that I might just get lucky enough to experience a full term pregnancy since all of my babies have been born in June! Lily’s birthday was June 27th and Ian’s is June 21st, plus my amazing husband Nick’s birthday is June 7th, so you know it just seems fitting that this baby would have a June birthday as well. Time will tell, but for now I’m choosing to appreciate the moment and hope, even though it still doesn't feel real to me yet! Every time I think that this time next year we might have two kids it seems crazy to me!

                                                                                     

From the beginning Ian has taught us to appreciate the little things, and as I listened to him say a word for the first time the other day I was again struck by the simplicity of how much hearing him say a new word is such an amazing thing. He’s been delayed in his speech, and although he is making improvements every day, it’s still a slow process. But I have to wonder if hearing each of those new letters or words would be nearly as sweet if it hadn't taken such patience, waiting, and working together to get to the point of him saying them. Being his mother is such an incredible gift and has truly made me appreciate so many parts of watching him grow and change. It really is so sacred and amazing. The other day, as I was glowing in the moment of that new word he spoke, I felt so much appreciation for being in that moment with him, being his Mommy, and having the opportunity to experience pregnancy again. All of it is so humbling and incredible.