Little Lady

I know I'm late making the blog announcement...but here it is!! Yep, Monkey is a girl!! We're elated, and getting even more excited! :-)

Now, before I go any further I have to say I am not entirely convinced that our "she" is a she. You see, after the ultrasound as I was scrutinizing the photos we got it became more and more clear to me that our little Monkey had "her" feet in the way of the money shot. Of course I didn't realize this DURING the ultrasound (that would have been way too convenient, lol). But since then I have asked my Dr about it and she said their techs are very good about not "calling it" if they're not sure...and I know the tech most likely took more pictures than the one we got printed out. She also said she wouldn't hesitate to buy pink at this point, which did make me feel better. But still, there is a part of me that just isn't convinced! But until the next ultrasound (probably in mid-June), we are running with the pink theme!! :-D

Without further adieu, here is our little girl:

Waving at Mom and Dad...and sticking her tongue out.
Uh-oh, a little brat already!

And here's the "girl" shot. Can you see her feet? Knees are on the right, bottom is on the left...and feet are right in the middle. It's her left foot that's really the problem, lol.

They were able to get all the measurements and photos they needed at the ultrasound, and Monkey is perfect! She measured 18w2d on 4/22 which is right on track with my due date and with the last ultrasound. She is also in the 30th percentile on the growth charts at this point. That kinda worried me, but my Dr isn't worried about it and said she's a "uniform" 30th percentile...meaning she's just petite as opposed to being misproportioned (different percentiles for different measurments--head, abdomen, etc). And that's a good thing. :-) This doesn't mean she'll be a small baby in the end, but she is on the small side right now. My Dr also said this is more normal for little girls, so that's another reason to believe "she's" a she. :-)

We also learned that I have a low-anterior placenta. Say what? That means my placenta is on the lower front wall of my uterus...coushioning most of Monkey's little kicks and wiggles. :-( No wonder I haven't felt much yet!! I have felt a few movements, but only one or two at a time and only every few days. Stupid placenta...I want to feel my baby!!! :::pouts::: But on the bright side, it's because of this that I'll need another ultrasound to re-evaluate placental position again. My Dr said it will probably shift up as my uterus continues to grow, but if it doesn't it may cause issues for delivery...mostly in the case of needing an emergency c-section because as of right now my placenta is in the exact spot they'd need to make the incision. And though they do it if they have to, you don't want to cut through a placenta as it is EXTREMELY vascular. So yeah, let's pray that sucker moves up just in case a c-section is necessary (emergency or otherwise--I was a breech baby forcing my birthmom to have a c-section, and I wouldn't put it past my offspring to do the same thing to me...).

Hmmm, I think that's all from that appointment. Next up: regularly scheduled appt on May 18th. Then hopefully 4 weeks after that I'll get that follow-up ultrasound and we can confirm GIRL! Until then, we're going to plan and shop (keeping receipts, lol) and start on the nursery! More updates to follow...

~Abigail~

18 weeks!!

I really can't believe we've made it to 18 weeks!! Praise God for a healthy baby and complication free pregnancy so far! And of course we pray it continues that way! :-)

Our next ultrasound is only 4 days away, and when I made the appt almost 6 weeks ago it felt like it would never get here!! We're almost there, aaaaahhhH!!! Hopefully Baby will cooperate and we'll know whether Monkey is a boy or girl! I seriously can't wait! I've been working on starting a registry (with just the basic stuff and the help of this book), and I can't wait to add some more gender specific items! Plus just the whole knowing part...I imagine it will make this all seem so much more real! I really don't know how some people wait until delivery...I would go insane!! So Monkey, please cooperate with us on Thursday and give the ultrasound tech the shots she needs, okay?

So I thought it would be fun to do a couple comparison pictures. The first picture I took was at 10w6d, so I decided to wear the exact same thing and take another picture. Here are the results.

















Left: 10w6d Right: 18w0d Um, yeah. TOTALLY can see that the little Monkey is growing when I do it this way!! That makes me happy. :-D And I'm also pleased to say I'm still on track for weight. I've gained a total of 8 lbs so far, which is right on track for a grand total of 25-30 by the end (healthy is 25 to 35lbs total). I'm trying not to stress out about it too much...it's supposed to happen. LOL! :-)

After Thursday (assuming we get to make a Boy/Girl announcement, hehe) we'll have to start thinking about getting the nursery ready! We're thinking of painting it either a light green or yellow, but we also need new carpet (we ripped it up several weeks ago because the cats ruined it). AND we can decide on crib bedding and plan the decorations!! When I say "we" I have a feeling it will mostly be me...haha...but I don't mind as long as Scott participates with his opinions.

Okay, nap time for me and the Monkey. I'm working tonight plus the next two. Hopefully that will make Thursday get here even faster!! :-D

~Abigail~

New Car!

Yesterday Scott and I bought a new car! Oh wait...I haven't even told you the story of how his car died yet...

Ahem. About 4 weeks ago we drove to Colorado to see my grandma. We didn't trust either of our cars to take us that far (plus the fact that if we took my car I'd have to drive the whole 700+ miles both ways because it's a manual...and I didn't want to do that!). So Scott's mom graciously agreed to trade us vehicles, giving us her Nissan Pathfinder for the weekend roadtrip in exchange for Scott's Chrysler Concorde. They swapped at Scott's work, and not five minutes down the road his mom calls him and says the battery light had come on...so she was taking it to the mechanic. Half an hour later...she called again and this time the car had caught on fire!! Thank God it was in the mechanic's parking lot when that happened.

So yeah...good thing we didn't take it to Colorado...we wouldn't have gotten very far!! And we're thankful it all happened under the circumstances it did. And what better place than the mechanic's parking lot?? They put the fire out very quickly...that wouldn't have happened had the car been at home or somewhere else! It seems as though the battery is what caught on fire. However that happens...

BUT this whole thing is also a blessing in disguise...at least that's how I'm choosing to see it. We were planning to sell or trade his car this summer anyway, but we definitely got more from the insurance settlement (the car was totaled) than we would have for a trade in...we even got more than Kelley Blue Book predicted we would. And with the insurance check we will be able to pay off two credit cards (woohoo, we'll own all our appliances after almost 12 months!!) and pay our taxes...unfortunately we still owed money for 2009 even with buying a house. Ugh! Anyway, we're also getting tires for my car (desperately needed!) and put a good down payment on Scott's new car yesterday.

Here is our new 2008 Toyota Corolla!! (pics from the AutoTrader ad)

This is the first car we've bought together, just the two of us...and we plan to keep it until it wears out...and it only has 34K miles, so hopefully that won't be for a loooooong time!! The only downside to the whole thing is now we have 2 car payments every month instead of just one...but without those two credit cards plus cancelling our LA Fitness memberships (we've used them once since last July...so yeah...) our monthly expenses will actually go down. So I guess I can't complain too much about a 2nd car payment. :-) The best part other than that we love it: we got it for almost 3K less than Kelley Blue Book values it at. I say we win. :-) :-)

Car shopping makes me want to get a new vehicle for me too. Hehe. :-) Maybe in 2 years once my Saturn is payed off. :-)

16 weeks!

Actually, 16w1d. Yes, the days are important. :::sticks tongue out at anyone laughing at me::: So mature, I know...

Apparently our baby is the size of an avocado this week. Probably weighs about that much, too. Of course, I have giant avocados in my fridge and I know Monkey isn't THAT big yet.

I *think*, maybe, possibly, I-don't-know-for-sure-but Monkay may have kicked me yesterday. :-) Nice Easter present, huh? I couldn't get him or her to repeat the act, so it's hard to say...but I did feel a distinct (but light) and very quick "thud" from somewhere within...and about 30 minutes after finishing a strawberry soda (with a whopping 45 grams of sugar...WHOA!!). AND I was sitting on the couch in a knees-to-chest position, so perhaps that cramped Monkey's space a little, lol. Who knows...it'll happen again eventually. Although I would not be beyond me to attempt recreating the situation again later today...soda, couch, knees-to chest and all... :::mischevious laugh:::

Easter Sunday, 4/4/10, 16w0d

Hmmm, is it getting bigger yet?? I can't tell...I think it is...I FEEL like it is, haha. My normal pants are getting tighter in the waist, but suprisingly still fit. These are maternity pants because they're just oh-so-comfy and I'm under the delusion that they make me look more pregnant than my normal ones. So don't burst my bubble. I do need to go shopping for shorts though. It's getting warm here, and the only shorts that are comfortable are a pair of trusty ol' black gym shorts...which are fine for around the house and a quick trip to the store, but not for going out or general-every-day use.

I got a picture-worthy heparin bruise last week (it's a blood thinner, minor bruises at injection sites are normal). I think I injected it a little too low and didn't get enough fatty tissue and I also may have hit a blood vessel (oops). Immediately after injecting it I could feel a nice little "bump"...kinda like a marble under the skin. I went back to bed, and when I got up a couple hours later there was a definite lump visible, at least an inch wide, but it wasn't bruised yet. Slowly throughout the day it got darker...and darker...and bigger...and darker...until this is what I ended up with the next morning. The hand is for size comparison...

(oh, and speaking of trusty ol' black gym shorts...hahaha)

Okay, so the picture doesn't do it justice...it looks way worse in person. The other little blue and yellow bruises you see are normal...no biggie. This one is huge!! I think it was actually a hematoma under the skin because it was quite raised and, well, bruised!! Whoops. Oh well...when you're doing two self-injections a day it's bound to happen every once in a while. Luckily I usually only have one nasty bruise at a time...but this one is/was by far the worst so far!

See what you're doing to Mommy, Monkey? You're so worth it though. And something tells me this is nothing compared to the next 20+ years. Bring it on. :-D

Okay, I'm going to go shower and then try to find some shorts for this summer...

~Abigail~

Ultrasound Progression Pics

Even though I have all of these ultrasound photos posted on my blog now anyway, they're all in separate posts and I know I have fun lining them up in front of me and seeing the progression. Since I had an ultrasound almost every week from 6 to 12 weeks, it has been really amazing to watch our little Monkey grow!

2/4/10 Baby measured 6w6d, 8.5mm, hb 73 bpm

2/11/10 Baby measured 8w1d, 15.7mm, hb 169 bpm

2/16/10 Baby measured 8w6d, 20.5mm, hb 178 bpm
2/25/10 Baby measured 10w1d, ~31mm, hb 180 bpm

3/10/10 Baby measured 12w0d, ~5cm, hb 164 bpm

We love you Monkey!!!

No Facebook Please!!

So obviously I have decided to post all of the baby-related entries I've been hiding for the past couple months. :-) But if you're also a friend of mine on Facebook please do not say ANYTHING on there yet!! I'm not ready, and I don't know when I will be...perhaps tonight, maybe next week...maybe not for a few weeks. But until you see something on Facebook from me please keep it quiet!

Thanks. :-)

~Abigail~

Pluggin' along...

Today marks 14weeks and 5days. I can't believe it! I had another Dr's appt yesterday, and everything looks perfect. I'm up ~5 lbs total, and have a cute little baby bump. :-) I don't know if anyone besides me and Scott can tell at this point, but it's definitely baby now and not bloat...my Dr said my uterus is about half way up to my belly button. Twenty-seven days until we find out if Monkey is a boy or girl!!! The heartrate is still pretty high, yesterday was 167bpm on the office doppler, and it's never been below 160 on my home doppler or on any of my 5 ultrasounds exluding the first one (see previous posts). So I'm still thinking girl because of that, but I really don't have any sort of "mother's intuition"...and the heartrate thing is just an old wives tale (boy = hr <140, girl = hr>140), so we'll just have to see what happens on April 22nd!! I sure hope Monkey cooperates that day and gives us the money shot!!

Here's a picture from 14w3d.

HA! I just realized there is a toothpaste stripe on the mirror, LOL! Oh well.

Oh, and I got the best news at my appt yesterday: my Dr. isn't going to make me stop the heparin at 20wks as previously discussed!! The fertility specialist I saw up until 8 weeks wanted me to stop at ~16 weeks, because as I've mentioned before he put me on it for my history of miscarriage NOT because of the MTHFR mutations I have--which is the reason I wanted to be on the heparin. My OB refilled my Rx enough to get me to 22 weeks, but said we'd talk about it "later" whether or not to continue past that point. Well, yesterday she said if I insisted on continuing she would let me (barring any unforseen medical problems), even though she does not think it is medically necessary. I love her!!!! It's not that I don't trust her, I don't trust my body. Which may sound terrible, but it has failed me before and I want to do *everything* within my power this time to ensure that this baby has the best chance of making into our arms alive and healthy. Which brings me to another thought...

My mother in law posted a quote on Facebook the other day along the lines of "Worry is our way of insulting God". Ouch, so true. I can totally understand that. But isn't it human to worry? I know that no matter how hard I try not to, I still worry about things. I think there is a fine line though between trust and action. We can't just sit back and say "Oh God will take care of everything" and not do anything about whatever it is we're praying for/worried about. For example, we know I have a couple of medical issues that can and have caused problems with having children. Are we supposed to sit back and say "If God wants us to have a child, he'll fix me." Perhaps some extremists would take this stance. But I don't think I could do that...especially with medical science available to help. I believe we need to do everything we can, and trust God to help us make the right decisions along the way. Besides, it ultimately doesn't matter what we do, if this baby is not supposed to live it won't. Still, I do need to constantly watch myself to be sure I'm not letting worry overtake me. Because it IS insulting to God, I'm sure. The more I think my faith and trust are growing, the more I realized my faith is still soooo small. If faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, mine must be the size of a molecule...or worse, a single atom!! *Sigh*

I'm so glad my Dr understands me. I still haven't told my co-workers I'm pregnant yet (except for a very few who have known since that first week we found out), and I honestly don't know what I'm waiting for...but my Dr totally "gets it". It's because of my history. I also think it's because IF something were to happen to this baby (here I go again...UGH I hate this thinking!!), going back to work would just absolutely kill me. I know I would need some time off, and even then it would be pure torture to go back to working with moms and healthy newborns 36 hours a week. After the first and second miscarriages it was hard...and both were by 8 weeks. I'm now almost 15 weeks...I cannot imagine losing this baby now. I think by not telling my coworkers I somehow think I'm protecting myself in that area should something go wrong. I'm not going to be able to keep it a secret much longer though...and I really don't want to...it's just harder than I thought to let it out at work...and I get asked about once a week (not because it's obvious yet, but because several of them knew we were trying). Most of our family and close friends know now...well...hang on...my Dad's side of the family doesn't know yet, but I was waiting for the twice-annual family get together on April 11th to tell them. I think showing up with a cute little 17 week baby bump should do the trick. :-D I hope no one will be offended by us waiting that long, but I honestly think that will be the most fun way to tell them!! I can't wait!

Hmmm, what else. Haven't felt any movement yet, but it's still quite early for that and will probably be a few more weeks before I feel anything...and even longer before anyone will be able to feel the baby move on the outside.

Prayer request for this week, if anyone is reading this...I stopped taking my progesterone cream this past Monday (as directed), so I've been rather nervous about that. The placenta is supposed to take over production of progesterone between 10 and 12 weeks, but my Dr kept me on it a little longer just to make sure. I also take an oral progesterone supplement once a day, which I haven't stopped yet...I was scared to stop them both at the same time. So I will be stopping that probably this coming Sunday or Monday. Then the following week I'll be stopping the Metformin (which I was taking for PCOS...see posts from last year). So I'm nervous about all of this. Please pray the placenta will function as it's supposed to and that my body will take over as these medications are discontinued. The upside: three less pills to swallow every day!!

I think that is all for now!

~Abigail...and Monkey too!~

Grow, Baby, Grow!!

Your ultrasound yesterday went perfectly!! You are so stinkin' cute, Baby!! You were moving all over the place and kicking and waving at us! :-) You measured 12w0d yesterday, which is exactly 13 days of growth since your last ultrasound 13 days before, so you are growing absolutely perfect!! You're now about 3 inches long (2 inches from "crown to rump", then add legs, hehe) and your heartrate was 164. If the Old Wive's Tale is true that a high heartrate means girl, then you're a she! We'll find out for sure on April 22nd!!! Mommy and Daddy can't wait!!

Here you are!

We've told a few of your aunts and uncles now, and I told my good friend Bonnie last night. Everyone is so excited about you! I can't wait for the rest of our friends and family to know. I think I'm ready...you deserve to be celebrated! I think your mommy is going to be worried about you your entire life. I just have to get used to that feeling and not be scared of it! Ha! :-P

My next OB appt is two weeks from today, then 4 weeks after that is your BIG ultrasound...the anatomy and gender scan!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!

Love you always, Monkey!!
~Mommy~

So many things to say!!

I don't know where to start!! Baby, I can't believe you're over 12 weeks old today! Daddy and I have recently been listening to your heartbeat almost every night before bed, and it's the most amazing sound in the world! I also let your Grandma Lundy hear you awhile back and she loved that! She's coming with me to the next ultrasound tomorrow. I can't wait to see you again!! I want to see your little arms and legs kicking around and see your little heart beating again. It's kinda sad though because this will be the last time I get to see you for several more weeks...until either the end of April or beginning of May. I've loved seeing you every week or two up until this point!! I'm so thankful we have the doppler so I can "peek in" on you whenever I want. I love you little one!!

So after tomorrow's ultrasound we're going to start telling more people about you. I'm kind of scared. We've always said we'd wait until 12 weeks. Well, now that we're 12 weeks I'm not sure what to do with myself!! It feels "safer" to keep you as our little secret. And yet I'm bursting to share our excitement with people! I think I'm just always going to be nervous. You're in the best Hands possible, and I trust you're going to be just fine. I don't know why I'm nervous. Maybe I do...it's because we love you SO so much and unfortunately we know what it's like have that torn away from us.

Speaking of which...your brother or sister was due last week. I was struggling with whether to be sad that we lost him or her, or to be happy and thankful we have you. Honestly, I'm both. I would love to be holding our precious little March baby in our arms right now and my heart aches that we are not. But if that baby had lived, we wouldn't have you. God must have a really special plan in mind for you, little one.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." Jeremiah 1:5

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

One of the nurses I work with reminded me last week that God should be glorified for the continued success of this pregnancy, not the multiple medications I'm on, not the heparin. She is one of the 3 people I've told at work. And she's totally right. It's something I've thought of before, but hadn't put into words. I know God is in control, I know He's the one responsible for the lack of complications thus far, and I pray that continues. Yes the medications may be helping, yes the heparin could be just what I needed. But God doesn't need the medications to fulfill His plans. He should still receive all the glory!!

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

I'm excited to start telling people. We'll slowly tell the rest of our family and then all our close friends over the next couple weeks. Then after my next appt on March 25th I'll post your ultrasound pictures on Facebook. I can't wait to show off your progress, Monkey!! It's actually good we're going to start telling, because I don't know how much longer we'd be able to keep you a secret. Right now it looks like I've just eaten a few too many Girl Scout cookies...but that little bump is looking more and more real every day. I know it's mostly just Daddy and me who can tell the difference right now. But soon it will be more obvious! And I can't wait! I've gained a couple pounds. I never was very sick with you...you mostly just gave me food aversions...and made me throw up once (you must not have appreciated me eating those DOTS for breakfast a few weeks ago...). Even though it's just a couple pounds, it looks like more to me, lol! But my jeans still fit just fine. That hasn't stopped me from buying a few maternity clothes though. It's just so much fun!

Okay, I should probably stop now. Daddy is waiting for dinner and you're starting to make me hungry too! :-) I'll see you tomorrow, Baby!

Love always,
Mommy

September 19th

That is your official due date, Monkey!! Your original due date was September 24th, so it is very exciting to get to move that up a few days! This means we will be 11 weeks on Sunday (instead of 10 weeks today). Daddy and I are soooo excited! You know you're due on your Aunt Susan's birthday? And two days before your Grandma Lundy's birthday? I wonder if you'll share YOUR birthday with one of them or if you'll choose a day all your own? I'm so glad you're doing well, and SO so thankful! We had our first appt with my Dr yesterday and we got a suprise ultrasound. You're getting so big (lol, a whopping 3 centimeters!)...well, you look big compared to the other ultrasounds we've had. :-) Our next chance to see you will be March 10th. I can't wait! I love listening to your little heartbeat. Daddy and I bought a doppler on Amazon.com and we've been able to listen to your heartbeat at home. It takes a few minutes to find you (and Mommy has to fill up her bladder first!) but it's such an amazing sound and feeling!! I can't even begin to tell you how loved and wanted you are. I pray God continues to bless us and keeps you growing strong and healthy.

Here you are at yesterday's ultrasound!

Love,
Mommy