So, I had my 8 week appointment with the nurse on Thursday, 10/30. Not as exciting as getting to see an ultrasound and see a heartbeat, but I'll take anything! She gave me information about common symptoms, when to be concerned, any over the counter medication that is safe to take and answered any of my questions. The one fun piece of information I got to take away was an official estimated due date!! Ready?? Ready??? I don't know how accurate, but here it is..
June 8, 2009!
The other good thing to come out of it was a blood draw. My Mom has been pretty concerned for a while, since we had a good friend find out she had it during her pregancy, that there is a chance I could have Factor 5 Leiden, which is a common hereditary blood disorder. It's a Scandinavian thing and she convinced me to talk to my Doctor about it when I met with her during the 6th week. She did order it apparently along with a Lupus test, so I guess all we can hope is that everything comes out without any concerning results! That's all the news for now! June 2009 is going to be a Very busy month!
Today, Tomorrow, Forever
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Picture of our Rice Crispy!!
It's official (well, as official as the internet is!), I became 7 weeks pregnant on Wednesday. So, I guess that would make me 7 weeks 2 days! I'll take it any way it comes!
Today, I had my check up from last week's scare. It was the same Ultrasound Tech from last week, she was going to do the Ultrasound but brought in a female doctor as well. I wasn't sure how I felt about all of it at first. She wasn't nearly as gentle on me as Dr. Ball had been the week before and I had to ask what happened to the heartbeat! They just said, "Oh, it's there... we just haven't gone slow enough for you to see it yet... See, there it is". Ugh... hello! But shortly thereafter, they wanted to compare last week to this week, so they did find Dr. Ball and he completed the Ultrasound. He is SO GREAT! I'm not kidding, I am going to have to ask for him specifically from now on!
I am sad to say, although he/she will always be my little rice crispy, Dr. Ball said very soon, he/she will become more like a cocktail sausage... and eh hem, that doesn't sound nearly as endearing! He said it is still on the large scale for a rice crispy so I'm keeping the name for now!
What he determined... he believes he has ruled out the fact that it could've been a second baby. It looks like it was a hematoma that has largely cleared up. There is still a little blood pocket hanging out around the baby's sac, so he just said not to panic should I have a little bleeding. And as far as the ectopic goes, it must have looked a little better because he said that he thinks that there is an even smaller chance than he found last week that it would be ectopic. The fact that I haven't had any pain is also a good indicator. He thinks that whatever he is seeing might be a small blood clot. He didn't mention any concern over that though, so I'm guessing there isn't any?
But the good thing, Gregg and I were on such an emotional rollercoaster last time we were there, we fogot to ask for a picture to commemorate the occasion, so I made sure to ask for one this time! I have attached it above! The picture on the right is easier to see. The bigger mass is the baby. The little mass next to it is what's feeding it. And the line around all of it, which is hard to see, is the outside of the yolk sack that it's hanging out in! I will go have my 8 week check up with the nurse this next Thursday, on the 30th. Today... we are very happy!! It's been fun to get to show people an actual picture! He/she is really in there!
We also had the Pastor from our church over for a visit last night. It was really great to get to know each other better. Gregg and I decided we really liked the church after hearing him that first Sunday. He is truly a great Pastor and it's been nice that he has taken an interest in us and making us feel welcome. We have been invited to his family's house after church on Sunday to experience traditional Zambian food (He is from Zambia). It sounds delicious and was very kind of him! So, we're going to go to a movie this weekend with our friends, Jason and Ali, eat dinner for charity for cancer Saturday night and get to top it off with a nice lunch on Sunday with the Pastor's family. So, here is to what was a Great day and what will be a Great weekend!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Total Devastation... with a Blessing for an ending
My parents told us at the beginning of the week that they were going to come out and visit... together! Which RARELY happens! Somehow, one or the other always manages to make it out here for a visit... so this was exciting stuff. They were going to come in on Wednesday right about the time I got off work. I planned to take a few hours off on Friday for their last real day and so did Gregg. Things were great!..... right? Wrong!
I picked my parents up at the airport and we stopped by the grocery store as usual on the way home to pick up any necessities for their visit. I hadn't had a chance to use the bathroom before I left work, so I HAD to go at the grocery store... YUCK! Well, because I have had a lot of fear of something bad happening, I typically just check to make sure I don't have any bleeding (Sorry of this is Too Much Information!... but it's necessary!).
Well, my worst nightmare had come true. Right there, in the Smith's grocery store bathroom, I realized I was bleeding. I was truly devestated and shocked. My parents just happy to be there were walking around the grocery store getting random things... I had to walk up to my Dad who was the first one I came across... he could see something was wrong... and tell him that we had miscarried. I started crying and found my Mom. There we were, crying in the middle of the grocery store... I was DEVASTED. I didn't know what to do. The floor had fallen right out from under me. The future we were planning, the changes we were making physically, mentally and emotionally were crumbling right then and there. I didn't want to have to tell Gregg... oh God, I didn't want to have to tell Gregg. And all my friends that I'd told? I was empty inside... and angry. I did get a hold of Gregg and told him. By the time we got home from the grocery store, he was home. Gregg and I hugged and cried. I called the Dr. for the office I'm going through and we decided it would be best to wait until the morning and get an ultrasound and blood test. So, that night, we got it out... Gregg called his parents, we all cried... we were all sad and prepared for the worst.
The next day, the whole family went to St. Mark's to start the process. Gregg and I were expecting the worst. I went to the ultrasound first. After a little process thanks to some bad information to chug water (Mother!), the Dr. (Dr. Ball) said, well I'm going to need you to go empty your bladder again, BUT... I DO SEE THE HEARTBEAT RIGHT HERE..... DO YOU GUYS SEE THE HEARTBEAT! I about started bawling right there on the table. The Dr. said... "Well, when it's the size of a rice krispy, it's hard to see everything, but you can see the flickering... that's the heartbeat". We were on cloud nine... we still had a heartbeat! Our rice krispy was still there... alive and kicking! We truly just couldn't believe it.
Getting to tell my parents was so great... my Mom started bawling yet again. It was SO GOOD to have them here. We needed the support. After talking with Dr. Ball and being lucky enough to get to talk to my actual physician, Dr. Kinghorn, the bleeding was caused by one of two things: 1. It's a hematoma (blood clot) which 60% of the time will result in a totally normal pregnancy or 2. It was a twin that stopped developing. Either way, for the most part, it sounds as though neither will really affect our beautiful rice krispy that is growing at a normal pace for 6 weeks. There was one other abnormality with my ultrasound, there is something appearing on the outside of the uterus.... which could be something that is providing the hormones to the baby... which is a GREAT thing and the option we're hoping for.... OR it could be a second or third embryo which could mean ectopic... which would mean they would have to terminate the healthy baby in order to treat the ectopic pregnancy. The Dr. said that that is a 5% chance or 1 in 30,000.... so, we're really praying that it's not what it is. I have an additional ultrasound on the 23rd so that they can see what has changed and maybe clear some things up.
But Gregg and I learned that Prayer can be challenging at times. We prayed so hard and were so grateful, but we discovered the common question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" "Why would God do this", etc. We also prayed for forgiveness for the anger. Those questions may never have the perfect answer, but right now... they aren't questions we're going to have to torment ourselves over. We were BLESSED. We continue to be BLESSED. Our rice krispy, our future baby, is still with us. We know the hard road is not over, but for now, this was an emotional, difficult detour. We pray that God will continue to bless our lives with this baby. And we were so thankful to have family here to support us and help us through what was, by far, the hardest two days of our marriage.
I picked my parents up at the airport and we stopped by the grocery store as usual on the way home to pick up any necessities for their visit. I hadn't had a chance to use the bathroom before I left work, so I HAD to go at the grocery store... YUCK! Well, because I have had a lot of fear of something bad happening, I typically just check to make sure I don't have any bleeding (Sorry of this is Too Much Information!... but it's necessary!).
Well, my worst nightmare had come true. Right there, in the Smith's grocery store bathroom, I realized I was bleeding. I was truly devestated and shocked. My parents just happy to be there were walking around the grocery store getting random things... I had to walk up to my Dad who was the first one I came across... he could see something was wrong... and tell him that we had miscarried. I started crying and found my Mom. There we were, crying in the middle of the grocery store... I was DEVASTED. I didn't know what to do. The floor had fallen right out from under me. The future we were planning, the changes we were making physically, mentally and emotionally were crumbling right then and there. I didn't want to have to tell Gregg... oh God, I didn't want to have to tell Gregg. And all my friends that I'd told? I was empty inside... and angry. I did get a hold of Gregg and told him. By the time we got home from the grocery store, he was home. Gregg and I hugged and cried. I called the Dr. for the office I'm going through and we decided it would be best to wait until the morning and get an ultrasound and blood test. So, that night, we got it out... Gregg called his parents, we all cried... we were all sad and prepared for the worst.
The next day, the whole family went to St. Mark's to start the process. Gregg and I were expecting the worst. I went to the ultrasound first. After a little process thanks to some bad information to chug water (Mother!), the Dr. (Dr. Ball) said, well I'm going to need you to go empty your bladder again, BUT... I DO SEE THE HEARTBEAT RIGHT HERE..... DO YOU GUYS SEE THE HEARTBEAT! I about started bawling right there on the table. The Dr. said... "Well, when it's the size of a rice krispy, it's hard to see everything, but you can see the flickering... that's the heartbeat". We were on cloud nine... we still had a heartbeat! Our rice krispy was still there... alive and kicking! We truly just couldn't believe it.
Getting to tell my parents was so great... my Mom started bawling yet again. It was SO GOOD to have them here. We needed the support. After talking with Dr. Ball and being lucky enough to get to talk to my actual physician, Dr. Kinghorn, the bleeding was caused by one of two things: 1. It's a hematoma (blood clot) which 60% of the time will result in a totally normal pregnancy or 2. It was a twin that stopped developing. Either way, for the most part, it sounds as though neither will really affect our beautiful rice krispy that is growing at a normal pace for 6 weeks. There was one other abnormality with my ultrasound, there is something appearing on the outside of the uterus.... which could be something that is providing the hormones to the baby... which is a GREAT thing and the option we're hoping for.... OR it could be a second or third embryo which could mean ectopic... which would mean they would have to terminate the healthy baby in order to treat the ectopic pregnancy. The Dr. said that that is a 5% chance or 1 in 30,000.... so, we're really praying that it's not what it is. I have an additional ultrasound on the 23rd so that they can see what has changed and maybe clear some things up.
But Gregg and I learned that Prayer can be challenging at times. We prayed so hard and were so grateful, but we discovered the common question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" "Why would God do this", etc. We also prayed for forgiveness for the anger. Those questions may never have the perfect answer, but right now... they aren't questions we're going to have to torment ourselves over. We were BLESSED. We continue to be BLESSED. Our rice krispy, our future baby, is still with us. We know the hard road is not over, but for now, this was an emotional, difficult detour. We pray that God will continue to bless our lives with this baby. And we were so thankful to have family here to support us and help us through what was, by far, the hardest two days of our marriage.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
First Posting!... We're Pregnant!
Gregg and I have been planning for quite some time to start a family! We figured there is a long road ahead of us with Gregg's school, so there seemed to be no better time like the present to make our family bigger! So, Gregg and I found out on October 1st that we are blessed to be parents-to-be! It is still VERY early, at present, I am 6 weeks along! So, Gregg and I really struggled with what to do about telling people.
But I came to the conclusion with the help of my beautiful mother, that if I'm going to tell the people that I love if something goes wrong, that I would have wanted them there when times were good! And they're good NOW! We know it's early and we are hoping and praying for the best. We are so ready for this and thank God every night for this wonderful gift! So, to commemorate our wonderful news, I've decided to become a "blogger"- blasphemy!! Ha ha! We'll see how well I do!
I have also submitted my early discharge paperwork for the Army based on this pregnancy, so all we can do is pray that the paperwork goes through before the stop loss is placed on my unit for this upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, preventing me from getting out. I am supposed to get out of the Army March 4th, but the sooner the better as we are ready to focus on our family.
So, this is also a request for any additional prayers to be sent by you to the Father that blessed us with this most amazing gift! We need all the help we can get! Thank you to those who have shared in our excitement with this news and who always support us. It is most appreciated.
But I came to the conclusion with the help of my beautiful mother, that if I'm going to tell the people that I love if something goes wrong, that I would have wanted them there when times were good! And they're good NOW! We know it's early and we are hoping and praying for the best. We are so ready for this and thank God every night for this wonderful gift! So, to commemorate our wonderful news, I've decided to become a "blogger"- blasphemy!! Ha ha! We'll see how well I do!
I have also submitted my early discharge paperwork for the Army based on this pregnancy, so all we can do is pray that the paperwork goes through before the stop loss is placed on my unit for this upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, preventing me from getting out. I am supposed to get out of the Army March 4th, but the sooner the better as we are ready to focus on our family.
So, this is also a request for any additional prayers to be sent by you to the Father that blessed us with this most amazing gift! We need all the help we can get! Thank you to those who have shared in our excitement with this news and who always support us. It is most appreciated.
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