The Announcement has been made!!

It was a beautiful and exciting Thanksgiving Day!  An exciting day because I would finally be sharing with all of my dearest friends and family my sweet secret!  I'm really proud of myself for maintaining my secret for as long as I did (1 day shy of 11wks)!  I was so nervous at the beginning of the pregnancy and couldn't bare going through another mc in front of everyone.  I'm glad I waited and most of all I'm glad this pregnancy has continued on and has been a very strong and healthy one.  Thankful for answered prayers!!  A select few already knew, but the majority did not.  I was waiting til Thanksgiving so we could tell DH's family in person.  I wasn't sure how I was going to break the news, just figured I'd let it happen however it was supposed to happen.  But, I did have plans to take some "Announcement" pics later that day.  Pics that would say it all!  As soon as we got in my FIL's house, he started showing me his new liquor and wondering what I wanted to drink.  At first, I just nonchalantly mentioned I was good with water and did not want anything else.  But, he continued making comments about drinking, which we usually enjoy to do when we're together, so I knew I had to just come out with it already.  I shared the news and everyone was surprised, but happy.  Thankfully, I haven't been met with any negativity this pregnancy, like in the past.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family.  Then it was out to the porch to take our special pics....

Announcement Pic #1

# 4 Joining The Crew in June!

Announcement Pic #2

Our Little June Bug!



I uploaded our pics to FB and my family web page as soon as we got home, then the word was OUT!

We've received so much love and excitement from everyone.  It feels good to finally have so many to share my joy with!

11 weeks!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.
She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

2nd Appt Update!

Appt Update!
All looks great with my little one!  HB nice and high at 183bpm and moving all around, it actually made us all laugh, including the tech, she was like wow look how cute!  Measuring right on target and growing strong! YAY!


One minor issue though with me.  They noticed in my bloodwork that I have certain Antibodies in my red blood cells and if the baby doesn't have these my body may see the baby as a potential harm.  It's worse than it sounds, and I really don't know how to explain it all that well cause it's still kinda of confusing for me.  But, I had this same situation with Jared during my last pregnancy.  And so it will most likely be the same experience.  I have been referred to a high risk specialist called a Perinatologist (sp?).  He will monitor both me and baby closely and make sure we continue to do well.  I will also be seeing my OB as well.  She took another blood sample today to see if the antibodies has increased or are remaining stabilized.  The worst this could do to baby is cause it to be anemic or in the worst case need a blood transfusion, but she doubts it will get that serious.  All I can do is pray that it won't.  She said it was good that I had this same issue with my last son and this isn't a new problem.  So, I'm confident I'm in good hands and all will be well.  The bright side is I'll get lots of extra u/s's.. :-)  Although, I had this issue with my last pregnancy, it never interfered with my baby, so hopefully this will just go the same. I meet with my specialist on Dec. 12th and again with my doc for my next appt. on the 20th. Oh, and good news the cysts on my ovaries are dissolving! whew!

Belly pic!

Okay, here's a belly pic at 10weeks.  There's really not much there, but we have to start the progression somewhere...

Currently, still dealing with nausea and regular overall blah-ness.  Picking up the heartbeat easier these days...baby's growing!  I'm so excited because I have my 2nd appt. tomorrow @ 3:30pm, so BIG update coming!!  Hopefully new u/s pics too!

Double Digits!!

How your baby's growing:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.
He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.
If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.
In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Just heard my baby's heartbeat!!!

YAY! I'm so excited! At 9w2d, I just heard baby's heartbeat with my fetal doppler!!  I've tried a few times since purchasing the doppler, but today I had success!  Oh how sweet the sound!  Hearing those fast little thumps is the most reassuring sound ever!  My sweet little angel, I can't wait to hold him/her!!!

Happy 9 wks to me!

Getting closer and closer to wk 13...the 2nd Trimester!  I'm really looking forward to being out of the first trimester, where everything is new, little, fragile, scary, sicky.  The 2nd trimester is way more fun, when you can actually see the evidence of a little person in your belly and eventually feel them!  I've been nauseous now since week 7, which is why I haven't felt up to getting on the computer much.  All I want to do right now is lay down and try not to hurl.  Hopefully the ickiness will be ending soon, there's so much I want to do and need my energy back to do it.  *Update* on the VBAC Dr., met with her yesterday and really liked her, very sweet.  She would have been more than willing to let me try for a VBAC had a couple of things gone differently in my previous c/s's.  For one, Dr. Keith (my dr. for Joel and Jared) only used 1 row of stitching, when he should've used 2 to help make my uterus stronger for subsequent pregnancies. Thanks, Dr. Samuels!  And second, when I had hemorrhaged after the delivery of Jared, they used clamps on the two main arteries that go to the uterus, which only weakens the uterus further.  So, with all that compounded to my case and the higher risk of another hemorrhage, my dream of a natural birth does not appear will become a reality.  :-(  I am disappointed, but at peace.  My life and my faith is in the Father's Hands, I know He knows what's best for me.  And really, as long as me and baby come out of this perfectly fine and healthy than that's all I could ask for. 
On a happier note, only 10 more days till I get to sneak another peek into my womb and see my honeybun!  I purchased a fetal Doppler online, but at only 9 wks I haven't been able to pick up a heartbeat yet, but that's okay it's still really early.  They really don't even recommend trying until 10-12wks.  But, I'll keep trying.  Still feeling pretty bloated in the abdomen area, but don't really see that I"m showing yet.  Ugh...gotta go lay down now. :-)

9 weeks along...

How your baby's growing:

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

What's going on in there this week...

 

WEEK: 8

How your baby's growing:

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

8wks already!

So thankful these early weeks seem to be going by fast.  I don't really like the 1st trimester, can't visibly see or feel the baby yet, just a bunch of funky symptoms.  The 8th weeks has brought along some mild nausea with it, which is making me feel pretty icky...just praying it doesn't get worse.  Good news is...I'm more than halfway through the 1st tri.  I really looking forward to my next appt..less than 3 wks away now...I can't wait to see my little sweetie again!  Thanksgiving will be a couple of days later and we'll start sharing our exciting news with more family and friends...that will be fun. 

Just so relived this pregnancy has gone so well...definitely an answered prayer.  Each day that passes fills me with more and more excitement that one day soon I'll finally get to cuddle my rainbow baby!

Oh yeah, this coming week I have my consultation with the "Pro-VBAC" Dr...Dr. Lap at Touro.  That appt will be the deciding factor as to whether I will be having another scheduled C-section or will have another dream come true of being allowed the opportunity to birth my baby naturally.  Keeping hope alive and Always believing in the impossible!