Changes in the air....

Hi everyone!
Just a quick update. I had my nursing visit this past Wednesday where in a nutshell they explained all the tests that I'm responsible for and went through a slew of other information that I can't remember at this time. My mom seemed so confused since she doesn't remember going to the doctor's this often with me. I guess now-a-days pregnancy is a full-time job!

I found out I wasn't going to get another ultrasound that day which confused me since I thought they had to measure the baby. The PA that I met with review the notes she had in her computer and told my DH and I that it was not necessary. Apparently the last time I was there they had been able to see the fetal pole and detect a heartbeat!

Needless to say we were shocked. The technician only mentioned a gestational sac and yolk sac. I could have saved myself two weeks of worry had they... umm... mentioned that before!

Soooo I have more waiting to do. Per their office policy I will get another ultrasound at 20 weeks however since I am doing the NT scan (at a different site) I will actually be able to see the baby in 2-3 weeks. They do the scan between 11-13 weeks.

On another note my place of work seems to be shifting quite a bit these days. Two of our Directors have left and I have a hunch that some people here and there are being promoted. Now I'm pretty sure I'm not being promoted. I've only been at my company for 2 years and even though I manage many projects and such, there are too many people here with more seniority than I. However if a particular co-worker of mine gets promoted like I think she is, then I'm at least getting a new office! woot woot!

However this same co-worker seemed to imply that there could be raises involved for the both of us (she knows more than I do about what’s going on).

A raise would be super considering my DH doesn't finish graduate school until June (right in time for the baby! lol). I hope he is offered a teaching position during his student teaching but with today's job market you never know.

Either way, I get to go home today at 3pm. I was told it's a random drawing thing but I know they have a meeting with my co-worker at 3pm so I have a feeling it’s not so random.

Bright side....I get to go home and nap!

Quaking On,

~JD

“No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!”

~C. Joybell

Patience really is a virtue!

Google has become my best friend and my worst enemy.

For those of you still waiting for your little miracle I would recommend two things when that moment comes based on just my personal experience.

1. Wait till at least 8 weeks before scheduling an ultrasound, anything before then is going to worry you for no reason. In many cases if you are losing your baby there is not much anyone can do. Just enjoy the time you get to be pregnant happily with your baby whether its 8 months or 8 hours. Stress doesn't help anyone. (Please be advised that if you are cramping or experiencing bleeding you should call your healthcare provider right away)

2. Be careful in what you Google, because of early testing many soon-to-be mom's automatically think something is wrong if things aren't measuring up to everyone else's standard.

Case in point my ultrasound last Wednesday...

The ultrasound technician found a gestational sac and a yolk sac. She measured me (the yolk sac I believe) at 6.4 weeks not 6.6 weeks and changed my due date to June 1st (Yay! a June baby like its Mommy!)

Although a fetal pole (baby) was not seen yet she didn't seem too worried and just kept saying I'm probably just really early.

I left with a picture. Here is my gestational sac (black round hole) and my yolk sac (the white round thing in the corner). There is something floating above it in all three pictures that looks like a skinny worm. I wonder if it's anything?

Well if you Google what I should be able to see by now you'll find LOADS of women who have seen everything including a heartbeat at 5.5 weeks!

So naturally I start to assume something is wrong with my Ducky. However I do start to read other things that make sense. For example ovulation and implantation times for everyone can be off. Even measuring 2 weeks behind can be normal. The heartbeat is usually found around 7-8 weeks. Any growth before 9 weeks can be different for every woman.

The reason I was even becoming concern is due to the fact that my HCG levels started off on the low side (even though women with lower betas can have healthy babies) and that my pregnancy symptoms are on the mild side.

My new mantra every morning now is EVERY PREGNANCY IS DIFFERENT........

So I continue to wait, pray and enjoy every moment of the day with this little one.

I have my first nursing visit on Oct 24th where they will go through all my blood work, tell me what to expect on this journey and hopefully give me another ultrasound to measure the baby and tell me if my due date is accurate.

Well on another note, this Friday I go up to Vermont to tell DH's immediate family (mom, stepdad, sister and brother) about the good news! We went on vacation in July and still haven't given them their souvenirs. It will throw them off guard since I plan to give his mom a book as well. His mom has been collecting children's books for quite some time now so she has a mini library of books to read to her future grandchildren (yeah pressure much?).

So I found this little treasure of a book :)

Inside we wrote this:

I do not have a face to see,
Or put inside a frame.
I do not have soft cheeks to kiss,
I don't yet have a name.
You can't yet hold my tiny hands,
'Nor whisper in my ear.
It's still too soon to sing a song,
or cuddle me so near.
But all will change come June 1st
That’s when they say I'm due.
I'm your new grandchild
I can't wait to meet you.
All I ask between now and then
Is your patience while I grow.
I promise I'll be worth the wait,
Because of all the love we'll know.

I found the little poem online. I cannot wait to see his mom freak out!

 Quaking on,

~JD

6 weeks!

It feels like forever since I last updated my blog. However these days’ time passes more slowly than usual.
It's been two weeks since I've found out I'm pregnant and like I told my husband this morning, they have been the best two weeks of my life.
This whole experience has been very new to me since I have never been pregnant before. It's amazing how much time I devoted to learning everything I could about trying to conceive that when I actually did I realized I didn't know the first thing about being pregnant!

I had a regular pap smear appointment when I was 4.5 weeks along. My OBGYN did a urine test that came up positive. They also did a transvaginal ultrasound but did not see anything. This makes sense since I was so newly pregnant I didn't think they would see anything. They also took blood from me to test my betas. That day my beta level was 330 and then a little less than 48 hours later it was 741 at 5 weeks. My levels are rising which is good. I feel like I'm on the lower end of the beta numbers but as long as they are doubling I'm not concerned. I am determine to give this baby an anxiety free zone.

The way I see it God has given me a great gift and I will accept whatever he throws my way good or bad.

I have another ultrasound appointment next Wednesday at 6.6 weeks. Once HCG levels are in the 1500 to 2000 range you can see a gestational sac. I'm pretty sure I have a late implanter in here so I may actually not be as far along as I think. I have learn that depending how far along you are you can see a gestational sac, yolk sac, fetal pole, baby and heartbeat anywhere from 6-8 weeks. I hope to see anything at this point!

My symptoms haven't been very severe since finding out. My breasts have retained a constant tender feeling and some days are better than others. I'm bloated often and as of recently I've been very tired. No morning sickness which can be normal. Sometimes women get morning sickness in the 7 or 8 week or never at all. I would be very happy never getting any morning sickness :)

I've shared the news with a handful of people. My mom, aunt and best friend all know. We are planning to go to see my DH's parents the week after our ultrasound which works since hopefully I'll have a little picture to show them. I know his mom is going to FREAK! Since she has been waiting to become a grandmother for a long time now. This of course brings up another issue that I am dreading to face with his brother and his wife but I'll save that story for another entry.

And I though the 2ww was terrible, next Wednesday can't come soon enough....

Happily Quaking on,
~JD