Wow, it's been awhile

It has been a long time since I have posted.  There has been so much going on in our lives since December.  My mother in law went into the hospital to have surgery on her foot due to an infection at the beginning of December.  She contracted MRSA and her lungs and kidneys began failing.  She was placed on a ventilator and dialysis for several days and started to recover.  She recovered enough that a few days after she came off the vent, she was released into a rehab facility.  The day after she entered the rehab facility, she went into cardiac arrest.  She was placed on life support but due to a lack of brain activity, the decision was made to remove her from life support and she died.  We buried her the Saturday before Christmas.

December was such a bittersweet time for us.  The day we found out my MIL was not going to be able to recover, we got confirmation that we were pregnant.  It was such happy news coupled with such horrifying news.  T and I made the decision to tell the family right away to help with such a devastating time.  We also made sure we told my MIL before she was taken off life support.  She was such a supporter of us through our infertility problems.  In fact, she was one of the main reasons we went to The Institute for Reproductive Health.  If she hadn't talked T into getting a second opinion there, he wouldn't have been able to talk me into it.  I like to think that my MIL is the guardian angel for our baby, watching over the baby to make sure nothing bad happens.  Love you, Pat.

7 week ultrasound

I was a basket case up until we had our 9 week ultrasound in January.  The 9 wk u/s was the one where we found out we had lost the twins during our last pregnancy.  I was convinced the same would happen this time.  I did not sleep the night before the appointment.  I started crying right before the doctor started the u/s because I was so sure the baby would be gone.  But, I was wrong.  We had a strong healthy heart beat.  Thank you, God.

9 week ultra sound

Then, in February, my father in law suffered a stroke.  We were lucky, if you can call it that, in that it appeared he had a minor stroke.  After almost an entire month in the hospital, he was allowed to return home.  I am happy to say that he is doing well.  He is on a feeding tube and has to take a kagillion meds, but he is home and mobile and able to talk to us fine.  Another blessing.

During all of this, T and I barely had time to think about the baby.  I think, in all honesty, we were afraid to think about the baby.  At the end of January, we were released from the Institute's care and went back to my regular OB office.  At my first appointment, I was 10 weeks.  It was not a good appointment in many ways that I am not going to list.  The worst was that the nurse practitioner couldn't find the heart beat for the baby.  I was terrified.  What made it worse is that the OB office couldn't schedule me for an u/s to check on the baby until TWO WEEKS later.  T was absolutely furious and called the Institute.  The nurse there got us the first appointment on Monday morning as it was Friday afternoon when T called.  After a nerve racking weekend,  we were relieved to find out the baby was absolutely fine.  A strong heart beat and moving around like a little fish.  The doctor said it just might have been to early for them to find the heart beat or the baby might have been hiding or moving around too much.  When we talked to the OB office later, the nurse was very apologetic and said they never should have made me wait so long to check on fetal viability.

11 week u/s

Miraculously enough, to T and I, we made it through the first trimester. I was on pins and needles the whole time. We are now 15.5 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy has been so different than B's. I have had horrible nausea and extreme fatigue. But, thankfully, the early pregnancy symptoms have all pretty much gone away. I still get some mild nausea from time to time and am somewhat tired, but, wow, do I feel so much better. I am anemic again, which I was with B, so I have started the iron supplements again. We had our 2nd OB, appointment last Friday. I did have a concern that I thought my belly was bigger than it should be for where I am in the pregnancy. I went from having a slightly fuller belly to BAM, definitely showing almost overnight. Unfortunately, T and I once again could not hear the heart beat. The doctor could distinguish it and said everything was fine, but T and I could not. He also said that I was measuring fine, I probably had a big growth spurt is all.  Plus, it is our 3rd pregnancy so showing sooner is more common. 

Because of my age and the insulin resistance I had plus some of these other factors, the doctor doesn't consider me high risk but does consider me at risk. Therefore, I get more ultrasounds.  Yesterday, we went in for our 4th u/s.  We were able to hear the heart beat for the first time and was it ever a beautiful sound.  The baby looks perfect.  We were even lucky enough to find out that we are having a little boy.  T and I couldn't be happier. 

15.5 week u/s

I think it is finally starting to set in for T and I that we are actually going to be having another child.  We started looking at baby names last night.  B is very excited and wants to name the baby, Buster.  She has hung one of the u/s pics over her bed.  Now, we just have to wait until August 23.  I can't wait.