Today is the start of our 10th week.
I still have ferocious battles with morning sickness and I get fatigued easily. I've noticed that a few days last week and over the weekend, my legs were swollen in the evening. Saturday was understandable because my mom walked me to death! She had taken me to the Melting Pot the night before and said we had to walk off the 10,000 calories we ate:)
Yesterday, I would be sweating one minute and then shivering the next. I'm not sure what that was about. I've also graduated into random crying episodes(everyone say a prayer for Steve!). I was so frustrated yesterday that I was too tired to do anything that I broke down with a pity party. I've had mood swings, but never this before...
Overall, my symptoms have been consistent. I'm looking forward to two weeks from now when ideally, my morning sickness will be gone and my "bursts" of energy kick in! Please don't think I'm complaining about all these changes. I'm trying my best to embrace them, as no one can really prepare you for how you'll feel during your pregnancy. I just want to be able to document everything so I can remember what I went through in case I decide to do this again someday:)
The babies are the size of a lime this week! Some sources say a plum or a kumquat?, I prefer lime. That is so amazing how fast they are growing. I hope the babies aren't mixing up some margaritas in there with all those limes. Maybe that's why I run to the bathroom every 10 minutes....
I promise to post some pictures soon. I haven't been in much of a picture taking mood when I get home from work.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
And the beat goes on....
We had our first OB appointment today. We were there for over 2 hours!
I had to have an examination in addition to them taking 7 vials of blood..ugh! Our doctor tried to hear the heartbeats with the regular doppler device but didn't have any luck. We were disappointed because that's the only reason Steve came with me.
She was concerned about the swelling of my ovaries since she didn't know what I looked like "normal"(I don't even remember what I looked like "normal"). She decided that we needed another ultrasound just to measure my ovaries.
The ultrasound tech said the largest sac of fluid that I have now is 2". They worry about anything over 4" so it looks like I'm progressing fine. Then she totally surprised us by saying "Here is the heartbeat for baby A"! She had no problem getting the heartbeat and it was such a sweet sound. She was able to signal in on both babies individually and hear their heartbeats. They both were exactly the same and she said they were perfect:) She also was able to show us the babies again and we could actually see their little bodies forming legs and hands. We could see their profiles better than we've been able to before. She really took some time and pointed out everything to us and it was so neat. She gave us like 10 pictures!
We also found out today that my due date is December 20th. That is based on 40 weeks. My doctor explained that although they think it's safe for the babies to be born at 37 weeks, they would never take them that early unless it was necessary. They really want to shoot for 38 weeks but if I make it to that point and I'm doing fine then they would still wait until 40 weeks to take them.
I don't have another appointment until 4 weeks. That will be the longest I've gone without going to a doctor since March! Again, I don't think I should be unsupervised for that long:) Wish me luck.........
I had to have an examination in addition to them taking 7 vials of blood..ugh! Our doctor tried to hear the heartbeats with the regular doppler device but didn't have any luck. We were disappointed because that's the only reason Steve came with me.
She was concerned about the swelling of my ovaries since she didn't know what I looked like "normal"(I don't even remember what I looked like "normal"). She decided that we needed another ultrasound just to measure my ovaries.
The ultrasound tech said the largest sac of fluid that I have now is 2". They worry about anything over 4" so it looks like I'm progressing fine. Then she totally surprised us by saying "Here is the heartbeat for baby A"! She had no problem getting the heartbeat and it was such a sweet sound. She was able to signal in on both babies individually and hear their heartbeats. They both were exactly the same and she said they were perfect:) She also was able to show us the babies again and we could actually see their little bodies forming legs and hands. We could see their profiles better than we've been able to before. She really took some time and pointed out everything to us and it was so neat. She gave us like 10 pictures!
We also found out today that my due date is December 20th. That is based on 40 weeks. My doctor explained that although they think it's safe for the babies to be born at 37 weeks, they would never take them that early unless it was necessary. They really want to shoot for 38 weeks but if I make it to that point and I'm doing fine then they would still wait until 40 weeks to take them.
I don't have another appointment until 4 weeks. That will be the longest I've gone without going to a doctor since March! Again, I don't think I should be unsupervised for that long:) Wish me luck.........
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
9 weeks
Today I am officially 9 weeks along. Also today, we are officially having twins!
We had our last ultrasound at the clinic today and we were released by our doctor with a "perfect" report. I am glad to be released with a good report,but I will be so sad not to be dealing with the clinic anymore. They have be SOOOO good to us and I wish they could be with us during this whole experience. The clinic hosts a baby reunion every other year with one coming up this October. I was invited to come even though I may be "too big" to bear it according to my doctor..ha! We might have to wait until 2011.
I have my first official OB appointment tomorrow. I'm not sure of everything that will go on but I hope to get some specific details, like a due date.
Thank you everyone for praying with us these past couple week while we were waiting for this ultrasound. Our prayers worked!
I'll give another update after tomorrow.......
We had our last ultrasound at the clinic today and we were released by our doctor with a "perfect" report. I am glad to be released with a good report,but I will be so sad not to be dealing with the clinic anymore. They have be SOOOO good to us and I wish they could be with us during this whole experience. The clinic hosts a baby reunion every other year with one coming up this October. I was invited to come even though I may be "too big" to bear it according to my doctor..ha! We might have to wait until 2011.
I have my first official OB appointment tomorrow. I'm not sure of everything that will go on but I hope to get some specific details, like a due date.
Thank you everyone for praying with us these past couple week while we were waiting for this ultrasound. Our prayers worked!
I'll give another update after tomorrow.......
Monday, May 18, 2009
This post is wordy, because Sara is 30!
The day I've been dreading for a year is finally here.....My 30th birthday.
To me, 30 is a point in your life where you reflect back over the last ten years and think about how far you've come. Did you use these ten years wisely or did you let them waste away? I've accomplished a lot of things in my 20's but couldn't see it. My mind was so clouded by all the obstacles we encountered with trying to start a family. I am somewhat of a control freak(Ha!) and I could control, for the most part, every other aspect of my life except my fertility. That drove me crazy!
Last year on my birthday, I sat down and made a list of all the things I hoped to had accomplished or overcome by the time I turned 30. I didn't want to spend my birthday full of regrets. I wanted to spend it celebrating how far I've come. Unfortunately, I can't find the list! I can remember one maybe two things on it. In the spirit of that list, I wanted to list a few things here that I have been so grateful for these past 10 years:
-I met Steve and fell in love
- I graduted from college as Magna Cum Laude
-I married Steve
-I gained a whole new bonus family and finally had sisters
-We were able to buy a house a week before we got married and were able to afford it, even though I didn't think we possibly could
-We lived paycheck to paycheck which in turn made me appreciate what we had when we didn't have to do that anymore
-I found a career where I was actually really good at my job and love what I do
-I got to travel the world. I've been to 5 countries and saw things that I thought I would die without seeing
-Elly: God knew we needed her in our lives
-I got to see my brother fall in love and I gained another sister
-I saw my nephew go through high school and make it into a great college
-I suffered through many rounds of loss of people I loved. It pushed me to my knees and into God's arms
- I never gave up on having a family. I am 9 weeks pregnant.
Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good. I've had my share of disappointments, tragedy, regret and loss in my 20's. But all of those things mold you into the person you are. I've come out of all of them alive. I've learned something from every one. I think it's the struggles that make you a better person.
My mind is swarming right now, so if there is something so obvious that I left off this list then I will post it later. This was my present to me, thanks for indulging me.
Happy Birthday, Sara. You made it.
To me, 30 is a point in your life where you reflect back over the last ten years and think about how far you've come. Did you use these ten years wisely or did you let them waste away? I've accomplished a lot of things in my 20's but couldn't see it. My mind was so clouded by all the obstacles we encountered with trying to start a family. I am somewhat of a control freak(Ha!) and I could control, for the most part, every other aspect of my life except my fertility. That drove me crazy!
Last year on my birthday, I sat down and made a list of all the things I hoped to had accomplished or overcome by the time I turned 30. I didn't want to spend my birthday full of regrets. I wanted to spend it celebrating how far I've come. Unfortunately, I can't find the list! I can remember one maybe two things on it. In the spirit of that list, I wanted to list a few things here that I have been so grateful for these past 10 years:
-I met Steve and fell in love
- I graduted from college as Magna Cum Laude
-I married Steve
-I gained a whole new bonus family and finally had sisters
-We were able to buy a house a week before we got married and were able to afford it, even though I didn't think we possibly could
-We lived paycheck to paycheck which in turn made me appreciate what we had when we didn't have to do that anymore
-I found a career where I was actually really good at my job and love what I do
-I got to travel the world. I've been to 5 countries and saw things that I thought I would die without seeing
-Elly: God knew we needed her in our lives
-I got to see my brother fall in love and I gained another sister
-I saw my nephew go through high school and make it into a great college
-I suffered through many rounds of loss of people I loved. It pushed me to my knees and into God's arms
- I never gave up on having a family. I am 9 weeks pregnant.
Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good. I've had my share of disappointments, tragedy, regret and loss in my 20's. But all of those things mold you into the person you are. I've come out of all of them alive. I've learned something from every one. I think it's the struggles that make you a better person.
My mind is swarming right now, so if there is something so obvious that I left off this list then I will post it later. This was my present to me, thanks for indulging me.
Happy Birthday, Sara. You made it.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
8 weeks
I officially hit the 2 month mark yesterday! Just 4 more weeks and my first trimester will be over:)
I have noticed many changes in my body now. I consistently have morning sickness everyday now. Sometimes at night, I get heart palpitations. When I try to sleep on my left side, I feel pressure more so than my right side. I have to eat every two hours and I usually am exhausted by 4:00 pm. Sometimes I forget that my belly is protruding and I try to slide through tight spaces only to be quickly reminded there is no way I'll fit. Ha!
It's so weird all the little things that change right away. Overall, I do feel pretty good. I don't have any more pains or cramps. The morning sickness is the only thing that gives me trouble right now.
My first ultrasound that I had scheduled seemed to sneak up on me so fast. This appointment for my second one seems like it will take a year to get here! I still have another week to go.........
I have noticed many changes in my body now. I consistently have morning sickness everyday now. Sometimes at night, I get heart palpitations. When I try to sleep on my left side, I feel pressure more so than my right side. I have to eat every two hours and I usually am exhausted by 4:00 pm. Sometimes I forget that my belly is protruding and I try to slide through tight spaces only to be quickly reminded there is no way I'll fit. Ha!
It's so weird all the little things that change right away. Overall, I do feel pretty good. I don't have any more pains or cramps. The morning sickness is the only thing that gives me trouble right now.
My first ultrasound that I had scheduled seemed to sneak up on me so fast. This appointment for my second one seems like it will take a year to get here! I still have another week to go.........
Monday, May 11, 2009
Happy Mother's Day
A day late but not a dollar short:)
I intended to have my first pregnant photo on this post but was too exhausted to mess with it yesterday.
I have to say that I had a wonderul Mother's Day. There was no big party, I wasn't lavished with diamonds but just being able to walk around (or lay around) all day knowing that I was carrying two small miracles meant EVERYTHING to me.
Steve and Elly had a sweet surprise for me in the morning. I heard Steve say "take it to mommy" and then I saw Elly run around the house like a maniac with a card in her mouth. Steve chased her through three rooms trying to get it back from her. It was a very sweet Mother's Day card and even sweeter with tiny teeth marks on it:)
I did get to go to church Sunday morning and stand to be prayed over with all the other moms. And while I wasn't the first one up like I hoped (turns out it takes me a little longer to get up these days!), I was still standing with that special group of women, with my tear stained face, thanking God for my miracles.
I want to also take the time to honor two special women in my life, my mom and Sheri.
Mom has been so supportive of me these past few years and I don't know how I would have made it through without her. When I found out I was pregnant in December of 2005, we wanted to keep it a surprise from our parents until Christmas but turns out, at my first doctor appointment, I found out that I might be losing my baby. I went to the doctor that day alone and had to call mom when I got home, bawling my eyes out, and tell her I was pregnant and that it was bad news. I don't know how she drove to my house and sat and comforted me and kept composed the entire time. I guess that's just what mom's do. From that day forward, I never had to go to an appointment alone. And a few weeks later when I had an ultrasound to confirm that we had an ectopic pregnancy, Mom was there. When they made me go to the emergency room to begin treatment to terminate the pregnancy, Mom was there. When I had to go back to the emergency room a couple weeks later because the treatment didn't work, Mom was there. When I went to my first support group meeting for infertility, Mom was there. When I had an ultrasound last week and heard the most wonderful news that I could ever hear, Mom was there. I'm so glad that through all the bad she finally got to be there for something good.
Mom, thank you so much for your support. Thank you for carrying me when I was too weak to do it on my own. Thank you for always knowing exactly what to do. Most of all, thank you for praying for me.
A special added bonus in my life has been my Mother in Law, Sheri. From the day I met her, she has loved me and accepted me right into her family. I know that God led me to Steve and I know that he had this wonderful bonus family in mind for me also. Sheri has been there for me like I am one of her own many times. She has comforted me and let me cry on her shoulder any time I've needed to. I will never forget the time, while Steve and I were only dating, that she walked over to me and said "you just look like you need a hug". She stood there and just hugged me and that is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life. I did need a hug and I was so glad it was her who gave it to me. Sheri has also been so supportive of us through our infertility struggle. She always tried to have a positive outlook for us when all I could do was see the bad. She has gone to doctor appointments with me also and I'm so glad that she gets to share in this experience with us. From this moment on, I am no longer calling her my "Mother-in-law" on this blog. It doesn't nearly do her justice. She will henceforth be my "Mother-in-love" because that's exactly what she is to me.
I have two great women in my life who are great examples of what a mother should be. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with these women in my life and thank you for showing them how to be an example for the next generation and generations to come.
Happy Mother's Day!
I intended to have my first pregnant photo on this post but was too exhausted to mess with it yesterday.
I have to say that I had a wonderul Mother's Day. There was no big party, I wasn't lavished with diamonds but just being able to walk around (or lay around) all day knowing that I was carrying two small miracles meant EVERYTHING to me.
Steve and Elly had a sweet surprise for me in the morning. I heard Steve say "take it to mommy" and then I saw Elly run around the house like a maniac with a card in her mouth. Steve chased her through three rooms trying to get it back from her. It was a very sweet Mother's Day card and even sweeter with tiny teeth marks on it:)
I did get to go to church Sunday morning and stand to be prayed over with all the other moms. And while I wasn't the first one up like I hoped (turns out it takes me a little longer to get up these days!), I was still standing with that special group of women, with my tear stained face, thanking God for my miracles.
I want to also take the time to honor two special women in my life, my mom and Sheri.
Mom has been so supportive of me these past few years and I don't know how I would have made it through without her. When I found out I was pregnant in December of 2005, we wanted to keep it a surprise from our parents until Christmas but turns out, at my first doctor appointment, I found out that I might be losing my baby. I went to the doctor that day alone and had to call mom when I got home, bawling my eyes out, and tell her I was pregnant and that it was bad news. I don't know how she drove to my house and sat and comforted me and kept composed the entire time. I guess that's just what mom's do. From that day forward, I never had to go to an appointment alone. And a few weeks later when I had an ultrasound to confirm that we had an ectopic pregnancy, Mom was there. When they made me go to the emergency room to begin treatment to terminate the pregnancy, Mom was there. When I had to go back to the emergency room a couple weeks later because the treatment didn't work, Mom was there. When I went to my first support group meeting for infertility, Mom was there. When I had an ultrasound last week and heard the most wonderful news that I could ever hear, Mom was there. I'm so glad that through all the bad she finally got to be there for something good.
Mom, thank you so much for your support. Thank you for carrying me when I was too weak to do it on my own. Thank you for always knowing exactly what to do. Most of all, thank you for praying for me.
A special added bonus in my life has been my Mother in Law, Sheri. From the day I met her, she has loved me and accepted me right into her family. I know that God led me to Steve and I know that he had this wonderful bonus family in mind for me also. Sheri has been there for me like I am one of her own many times. She has comforted me and let me cry on her shoulder any time I've needed to. I will never forget the time, while Steve and I were only dating, that she walked over to me and said "you just look like you need a hug". She stood there and just hugged me and that is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life. I did need a hug and I was so glad it was her who gave it to me. Sheri has also been so supportive of us through our infertility struggle. She always tried to have a positive outlook for us when all I could do was see the bad. She has gone to doctor appointments with me also and I'm so glad that she gets to share in this experience with us. From this moment on, I am no longer calling her my "Mother-in-law" on this blog. It doesn't nearly do her justice. She will henceforth be my "Mother-in-love" because that's exactly what she is to me.
I have two great women in my life who are great examples of what a mother should be. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with these women in my life and thank you for showing them how to be an example for the next generation and generations to come.
Happy Mother's Day!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Double Blessings
I know that good news travels fast so just in case you didn't hear five minutes after we found out........
WE'RE HAVING TWINS!
We are overjoyed at finding out today at our first ultrasound that both of our embryos are now little babies with heartbeats:)
(I know it's hard to tell what you're looking at but the two large circles have tiny babies in them)
I had no idea what to expect today. Different people had asked me in the past couple weeks if I thought I would have one or two. I honestly couldn't think that far ahead. I didn't feel strongly either way. I guess it's hard to really wrap your head around this whole concept of everything we've gone through so far. So when the ultrasound came up and our doctor immediately said "I see two somethings...and there are their heartbeats" it took my breath away. I remember being in a room just like that four years ago, having the same ultrasound and they couldn't find anything on the screen. What an empty feeling. Today, we were so blessed that we couldn't even contain it!
Onto the official "medical stuff". We have another ultrasound scheduled in two weeks where we will check in on our babies one more time before being released to my obgyn. There is a 40% chance that on our next ultrasound, we might only see one baby. There is something called the "vanishing twin". Alot of times women are pregnant with twins but one stops developing and reabsorbs back into the uterus. This happens so early that you might never even know it. You don't go through a miscarriage so there are no signs of it even happening. Since we had our first ultrasound so early, there is a chance that could happen.
We believe that we were blessed with twins and we saw two tiny heartbeats today and we will see them again in two weeks. We prayed today that if it be God's will for us to have these twins that He would allow for us to see two healthy babies on that screen next time. We ask that you would all pray that in agreement with us.
I just remembered something today that I hadn't thought about in a really long time. In 2004, when we first decided that we would try to start a family, we went to the store and made our first baby purchase. This is what we brought home.
Coincidence? I think not!
God has given me the greatest gift this week. He made me a Mom. I have dreaded Mother's day for many years and I couldn't be more excited about this coming Sunday. At our church, they always have all the mother's stand to be recognized. You better believe that I will be the first one up, with a tear stained face, thanking God for making this dream come true.
WE'RE HAVING TWINS!
We are overjoyed at finding out today at our first ultrasound that both of our embryos are now little babies with heartbeats:)
(I know it's hard to tell what you're looking at but the two large circles have tiny babies in them)
I had no idea what to expect today. Different people had asked me in the past couple weeks if I thought I would have one or two. I honestly couldn't think that far ahead. I didn't feel strongly either way. I guess it's hard to really wrap your head around this whole concept of everything we've gone through so far. So when the ultrasound came up and our doctor immediately said "I see two somethings...and there are their heartbeats" it took my breath away. I remember being in a room just like that four years ago, having the same ultrasound and they couldn't find anything on the screen. What an empty feeling. Today, we were so blessed that we couldn't even contain it!
Onto the official "medical stuff". We have another ultrasound scheduled in two weeks where we will check in on our babies one more time before being released to my obgyn. There is a 40% chance that on our next ultrasound, we might only see one baby. There is something called the "vanishing twin". Alot of times women are pregnant with twins but one stops developing and reabsorbs back into the uterus. This happens so early that you might never even know it. You don't go through a miscarriage so there are no signs of it even happening. Since we had our first ultrasound so early, there is a chance that could happen.
We believe that we were blessed with twins and we saw two tiny heartbeats today and we will see them again in two weeks. We prayed today that if it be God's will for us to have these twins that He would allow for us to see two healthy babies on that screen next time. We ask that you would all pray that in agreement with us.
I just remembered something today that I hadn't thought about in a really long time. In 2004, when we first decided that we would try to start a family, we went to the store and made our first baby purchase. This is what we brought home.
Coincidence? I think not!
God has given me the greatest gift this week. He made me a Mom. I have dreaded Mother's day for many years and I couldn't be more excited about this coming Sunday. At our church, they always have all the mother's stand to be recognized. You better believe that I will be the first one up, with a tear stained face, thanking God for making this dream come true.
Monday, May 4, 2009
It's been a while
I'm so sorry that I went a whole week without posting!
The time definitely got away from me this past week. I got three complaints today that I haven't posted so I thought I better get my act together:)
Going back to work full force last week finally caught up with me around Wednesday evening. By Thursday, I was exhausted but dragged myself through the day. Fortunately, Derby week is a slow week in my business so I had time to get caught up on things. I took a much needed day off on Friday and got to relax some this weekend.
I have been feeling better but I can really tell a difference in how easily I get tired now. It's hard to tell if it's just because I'm pregnant or if it's because I am still recuperating from the overstimulation. Maybe a little of both. At this stage, I can't differentiate one from the other. Not to mention I don't have much to compare it to.
I almost forgot that I did have my first experience with morning sickness today. It woke me up about 4:00 this morning and didn't go away until about 9:00am.
I've stalled a little with my swelling going down. I was losing about a 1/2" every day but now somedays there is no change. I never get bigger, but just stay the same. I'm not sure if my "baby bump" will go away or just hang around until I'm caught up.
I do get to check in with my doctor this week so hopefully he'll tell us that everything is going good. I can't wait to find out exactly how far along I am. It's a little confusing with in vitro because almost a whole week went by from the fertilization to the transfer. I'm not sure which date they go by???
In the mean time, I'll try to do better to keep everyone up to date!
The time definitely got away from me this past week. I got three complaints today that I haven't posted so I thought I better get my act together:)
Going back to work full force last week finally caught up with me around Wednesday evening. By Thursday, I was exhausted but dragged myself through the day. Fortunately, Derby week is a slow week in my business so I had time to get caught up on things. I took a much needed day off on Friday and got to relax some this weekend.
I have been feeling better but I can really tell a difference in how easily I get tired now. It's hard to tell if it's just because I'm pregnant or if it's because I am still recuperating from the overstimulation. Maybe a little of both. At this stage, I can't differentiate one from the other. Not to mention I don't have much to compare it to.
I almost forgot that I did have my first experience with morning sickness today. It woke me up about 4:00 this morning and didn't go away until about 9:00am.
I've stalled a little with my swelling going down. I was losing about a 1/2" every day but now somedays there is no change. I never get bigger, but just stay the same. I'm not sure if my "baby bump" will go away or just hang around until I'm caught up.
I do get to check in with my doctor this week so hopefully he'll tell us that everything is going good. I can't wait to find out exactly how far along I am. It's a little confusing with in vitro because almost a whole week went by from the fertilization to the transfer. I'm not sure which date they go by???
In the mean time, I'll try to do better to keep everyone up to date!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)