irony . . . August 30, 2012

i·ro·ny  [ahy-ruh-nee] an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.

It took my body 3 years to get pregnant and apparently it is now being the overachiever.  Yes, apparently my body has started producing breast milk and they are slightly engorged.

No yeast infection here, which I didn’t think I had anyway!  The doctor looked and said nope that is not a yeast infection.  So my breasts seem to be making milk early which is not good.  And with the tenderness in the lower part of the milk I might have a duct clogged.

So he prescribed me a mild antibiotic (Keflex) and said I can apply ice to my breasts a couple of times a day to help with the discomfort and to keep the stimulation of them to a minimum.  If I was actually breastfeeding I would apply heat to help unclog the ducts, but we don’t want that.  We need to get the girls to stop doing what they are doing and realize that I haven’t had the baby yet.  If it isn’t better by the middle of next week I am to come back in and they may need me to see a specialist or something.

I did ask if this would interfere in any way with me breastfeeding after the baby is born and he said absolutely not.  That made me very happy.  I was actually getting worried!

In other news, he did reaffirm that everything looks normal with our little guy.  I had not heard from them since the ultrasound 2 weeks ago, so I was glad to hear it.  And I did ask what he was measuring at the time of the ultrasound.  I was 19 weeks and 1 day and he was measuring 19 weeks and 3 days.  Yay!

So that is the scoop!  Praying the antibiotic helps and my breasts start behaving.

Oh and I also got a prescription for a heartburn medication, Nexium.  I am hoping this does the trick!

Thanks for reading.

21 weeks . . . August 29, 2012

21 weeks!!!  Woo hoo!

So I tried the cream the doctor told me to use and don’t really see a change with the redness.  So I scheduled an appointment for tomorrow.  We will see what he says.  I also noticed my nipples seem extra sensitive, but only on the lower part and more firm than the upper part.  Hoping he can give ma an answer tomorrow.

And while I am there I am going to ask for a prescription strength medication for heartburn.  The Zantac is not cutting it anymore.  And I thought I would see if they are giving out flu shots.  Might as well get that out-of-the-way.

Pretty uneventful week.  Still helping hubby with a project…helps the time to fly by!

Thanks for reading.

this is odd . . . August 27, 2012

So from about the middle of last week until now I have had some redness on the lower part of my breasts.  They also felt warm to the touch.  I did a little Dr. Google and thought maybe my ducts may be blocked.  I decided to wear a different bra and go without one while at home to see if that helped.  I thought it did a little but not really.  So today I called the doctor’s office and the nurse called me back.  The doctor said it might be a yeast infection. Really???  He said to get some vaginal yeast cream and apply it to my breasts for 2 days and if it wasn’t better to go in to see him.

I again looked online because this seemed really strange to me.  From what I read (briefly) they make it sound as if it is a rash and it is itchy, etc.  Mine is not a rash and it does not itch.  It looks like I have a mild sunburn in the area below my nipples.  But I am applying the cream and Wednesday if it is not improved I will call to get in to see the doctor.

This whole things still seems pretty strange to me.  But it is what it is and hopefully this does the trick.  I do think I need to go get a new bra.  I feel like my breasts have grown even more recently.  With about 19 weeks to go I dread thinking of how big they are going to get.  YIKES!  I started off around a 36 C/D and am now wearing a 40D.  What size is next?  I will probably go and get a maternity bra, so I am hoping that is more comfortable.

So that is what is happening on this end.

Oh and I think I may have actually felt the baby from the outside.  He has been active here and there the last couple of days and I placed my hand on my belly and could have sworn I felt it from the outside.  So maybe in the next week or 2 hubby will get to feel some kicks too!  I did have a tough time last week.  Hubby had a concert up in Wisconsin so we drove the 6 hours and I did not feel a lot of movement then.  Probably because the car ride was bumpy and then that night I did not feel much at all either.  So worry wart me thought something was wrong.  Thankfully I felt some movement on Friday when we would stop on the drive back and then listened to our little boy when I got home.  Whew!  Since then I have felt quite a bit of movement and I love it!

Thanks for reading!

20 weeks . . . August 22, 2012

HALF-WAY!!!!!!

So excited that we have reached another milestone!

It’s been a sort of busy/crazy week.  Every since we had our ultrasound last week I feel like I have been floating.  The days pass and I think, what have I accomplished.  I keep thinking of our little boy, now that we know!  And since Monday I have been researching and adding things to our registry.  It is fun, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed with everything out there and feel like I might forget something important.  Or what kind of this do I need or kind of that…because there are so many!  I am grateful that I have the crib and stroller/car seat combo picked out.  My mom is going to get those for us.  So I will be getting those in the next couple of weeks.  At least it will feel like I have something accomplished.  I did my research on Consumer Reports and read reviews and think I made good decisions.  For those interested here is what we are getting:

Babies R Us carries this one but did not have the color we wanted.  And Wal-mart has it for less money!  Score!  We did get to look at it and touch it and I think it will be just right!  I will probably get the matching changing table too.

I like this Travel System because the car seat fits a baby up to 30 pounds and the stroller is up to 50 pounds.  And it fits perfectly together.

I was also able to ask a mom friend of mine about some of the things she could not live without and some of the things she didn’t need.  I was on the fence about a swing and she suggested that I get a bouncy chair instead and that I could borrow the swing she had.  Yay!  That helps a lot, because you never know if your baby would like the swing or not.  So now we can test it out.

So aside from the baby stuff, I have been helping hubby with a big project for his work.  And by the looks of things I will be helping with it for at least another week.  I don’t mind.  It helps me to focus on things other than baby. 🙂

So now it is time to get back to work.

Thanks for reading!

registry . . . August 20, 2012

So hubby and I stopped by our RE’s office to say hi to the nurses and to drop of a couple of meds that I had left over.  I was one of the self-pay patients that benefited from donated meds and wanted to give back.  It wasn’t much, but I am sure it will help.

I emailed one of the nurses on Friday and told her I would be in today and unfortunately she had to go to a different office this morning because someone called in sick.  There were actually 3 nurses we worked with and 2 of the 3 were at a different office.  Bummer.  So I will just have to stop back by again.  It was nice being there at the office and not having an actual appointment; just a social call.  I am so grateful for their help and I don’t think I would be here if it were not for them.

Then after that we ran by Babies R Us.  I wanted to set up my registry and get my freebie goodie bag.  Typically I am an online person.  But I wasn’t sure if I would get the goodies if I registered online.  🙂  We took the scanner and scanned a couple of items, but I will do most of the registry from home, that is how I roll.  I like being able to research things and know what I am getting and what I need.  It feels so exciting to have the ball rolling.  Although I haven’t yet to buy anything for our little guy.  I want to buy an outfit but part of me is having trouble getting over the size to get.  Do I get Newborn?  0-3 months?  Why is this so difficult for me?  I know I am being silly.

So that is something that I get to work on and try to decide what to get.  There is so much stuff out there.  I don’t want to go overboard and register for things we won’t need, just because I can.  But believe me this is a problem I don’t mind one bit.

Pregnancy update:  Things are still going well.  I need to learn to eat smaller meals and more often.  Sometimes I get so busy helping hubby with work that I get so hungry and want to eat a big meal and then I am miserable and bloated after.  And the heartburn!  Zantac is still helping, most of the time.  Still having trouble sleeping.  My hips still bother me, but more and more I think my lower back is out.  So I need to get to the chiropractor sometime either this week or next.  And I still need to see the dentist.  I put this off (should have gone weeks ago) because of the morning sickness and the idea of someone putting things in my mouth did not sit well with my stomach.  So now I can go see one, just have to force myself to get it on the calendar.  I seem so lazy some days.

Other than that, things are going well.

Thanks for reading!

Another photo . . . August 16, 2012

Ok so I had to share this one!  He is actually smiling!  Love the 3D technology!

19 weeks & anatomy scan . . .

Today was a very exciting day!  Well, yesterday I hit the 19 week mark.  I decided to hold my post for today as we had out anatomy scan.

So a little background.  Up until last night I was pretty sure we were having a girl.  I did the hold the pendant over your hand and let the way it swings tell you what you will have . . . girl.  Then I had at least 2 dreams so far indicating that I was having a girl.  So last night I had a dream that we got to the doctor’s for the ultrasound and the first image on the screen was our little one showing us his boy parts.

I woke up this morning and told hubby about the dream.  So with all of that I really had no idea at this point.  We got to the doctor’s and had to wait of course.  Then finally it was our turn.  I got on the table and the first image on the screen was, you guessed it, our little one showing us his boy parts.  Plain as day!  I could not believe it!  My dream last night was a reality.  Kind of freaky!  Too bad I can’t dream of winning the lottery!  🙂

The U/S tech said everything looked within the normal ranges.  And at one point he waved at us. 🙂

What a great day!  Now I feel like we can really start planning for this baby and buying things.  So excited!!!

Thanks for reading!

bittersweet . . . August 9, 2012

So today would have been the due date of our baby had we not had a miscarriage in December.  I can’t say that I am healed from the pain, as I don’t think one ever heals from it.  But it has definitely been easier to deal with.  I am sure that is in big part due to the fact that I am currently pregnant.  No telling where I would be emotionally right now if we were still trying to get pregnant, but I am sure it would not be pretty.

I also think that is a part of why I have been not as enthusiastic as I would have thought I would be at this point.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am so excited to be pregnant and to be this far along.  But I also have to be realistic and know that things can happen at any stage of the pregnancy.  Of course you can’t dwell on those things because it isn’t good for you or the baby, but they are still present in my mind.

I know our first baby wasn’t meant to be.  I think I knew early on, especially with my HCG level so low to start.  But there were those stories where people had low HCG levels and ended up having a healthy baby in the end.  So I had hope, but realistically I had to start excepting that it was most likely not going to happen.  My hope increased with each increased (doubled) beta, but something in my heart kept telling me not to get too excited.  And of course that made me feel guilty.  But reflecting on it now, I realize that my body/mind was right to feel those things.

Much like after our Embryo Transfer for the 3rd IVF; I had the feeling that I was indeed pregnant this time.  So much so I even tested early.  Something I had not done for all the previous IUIs and IVFs.  I was so scared to test as I didn’t want to be disappointed but something inside of me was telling me it was ok.  That this would be the one.  And it was.

So today I reflect on our journey.  It has been a tough road.  Not as tough as what others have had, but certainly tougher than some.  And the journey continues.  One week from today we will get to see our little one again.  See how he/she is developing and see if it is a boy or a girl.  Then that will take us into the second half of this pregnancy.  There will probably be more struggles along the way and definitely more joy.  It is all part of the journey.

Thanks for reading.

18 weeks . . . August 8, 2012

Almost half way there!  So hard to believe.

I haven’t had any morning sickness since last Thursday (knock on wood). So I am hoping it is going away . . . finally!!!

Been a bit up and down emotionally this past week.  I read some other blogs and there has been some heartbreak on a few of them.  Negative HPTs, miscarriages, baby born 2 months early (baby ok and mom is getting there), bed rest, etc.  My heart goes out to all of those women.   All of this just adds to the emotional feelings.  And it makes it difficult sometimes to embrace where I am in the pregnancy and truly be happy.

Don’t get me wrong, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for this baby.  But it is hard to just relax about the pregnancy and know that everything will be ok.  I am sure all pregnant women feel this to some extent, but having gone through everything we went through to get to this point, there is always worry that something else will go wrong at some point.

I have my ultrasound next Thursday and I am excited to find out what we are having.  But at the same time they tell us what we are having, they also measure everything to make sure the baby is developing the way that he/she should be.  And this is where I start to worry.  Have I been giving the baby enough nutrients to grow strong and healthy?  I know I haven’t been eating the best because of the morning sickness.  Have I caused any issues for our baby?  I am sure it is because it has been so long since we had a look at the little one (10 weeks).  I do listen to the heartbeat everyday.  I haven’t had any spotting at all for about 5-6 weeks.  All I can do is pray that everything is ok (and continue to make better food choices as my morning sickness subsides).

With each milestone we get that much closer to bringing this baby home and that will truly be a joyous day!!!

Thanks for reading.

P.S.  For those of you who don’t know, I have been updating my weekly bump photos every week.  Check out that page if you want to see the progression. 🙂

17 weeks . . . August 1, 2012

2 more weeks to go until we find out the gender of our little miracle!  So excited!!!!

The past week went by very quickly.  Hubby and I took a small road trip.  He had a gig in the Lake of the Ozarks, MO.  So on the way we spent a day with my parents.  Then we headed down to the Lake on Saturday.  Then Sunday we drove to Branson and Monday we headed back to St. Louis and Tuesday to Chicago.  A lot of driving, the temperature was around 105 all days in MO but it was still nice to get away.

I am STILL dealing with the morning sickness.  Had some nausea and vomiting on the trip.  Not every day, but about half of the time.  I really thought it would be over by now.  Still praying that it will be over soon and that I won’t be one of the one’s who deal with it the entire pregnancy.

Aside from the morning sickness, things are pretty good.  I have the round ligament pain every now and then.  However, sleeping hasn’t been that great lately.  Still having the hip pain overnight.  It is usually good for and hour or two then I have to change sides.  So this goes on several times during the night.  Still trying to figure out pillows and sleeping positions as well as my sleep number.

So not too much going on.  Hope I didn’t bore everyone to tears.

Thanks for reading.