I'm alive!

I don't know if anyone still reads this blog, and that's totally understandable. I have been reading, but not able to comment, and haven't been able to post in a LONG time. Here's what's happened in the past months in bullet points:

• We listed our house in the crappy neighborhood, and took a small "hit" to get out, but sold it!
• We bought a new (older) house and LOVE the street, area, and trees!! Our yard is huge...and we are slowly working on projects and finishing the unpacking.
• Baby boy is still baking away and I am VERY impatient. I am 38 weeks pregnant tomorrow.
• Christopher is as precious as ever, and we are loving watching him grow closer to a big 3 year old!

Any labor vibes that can be sent my way are appreciated. I start to develop an overwhelming sense of anxiety at this point in my pregnancy about something happening to the baby before he comes. My OB is in Ireland on vacation until Monday - so it's been 2 weeks with the nurse practitioner that I cannot stand...so my fears have pretty much been brushed over and ignored. I am uncomfortable, anxiety-ridden, and ready to start this next phase in our lives. I will certainly update when baby boy comes!

Great 16 Week Ultrasound!

All looks well with baby BOY! :) That's right, Intel.ligender was wrong, very wrong! I am going to update the company, just because the representative asked me to. My perinatologist and the ultrasound tech said that, in their experience, that test is about 50% correct. Hmm....

Anyway, he is growing right on track, and the peri assured me that everything looks good. Blood was drawn for my AFP screening to check for a risk of neural tube defects, but she told me that at this stage they can usually see some signs via ultrasound if there is a major concern. I hope she's right and he arrives big and healthy in August!

We go back for another ultrasound 4 weeks to take a look at the heart and some other areas that are hard to see closely at this stage. But, there was no mistaking the boy parts!! And, although I admit to being a tiny bit sad that I most likely won't be able to experience a mother/daughter relationship (especially since I don't have my own mom), I am thrilled to be close to raising brothers. I hope I can foster their relationship so that they will have lifelong friends in each other. And an added perk is that the boys are going to have birthdays fairly close together, so Christopher's clothes should fit baby brother and I get teary thinking about putting a second baby in all of those cute little things with memories attached.

I will post soon with a name poll - I like a name, but I'm afraid it's a little "out there" compared to Christopher, which is so traditional. Coming soon!

Thanks for reading!

Boy or Girl?

I broke down and bought an Inte.lligender test. Handed my $30 to the cashier...she looked at the box and asked, "Is this supposed to tell you what you're having?" Um...so it claims! We'll see if the results hold true.

It did have a disclaimer on the box that if you have PCOS, you can possibly get a false "boy" result. So the test results were gold/orange (girl), with greenish sediment (boy?). So I emailed the company (including the photo below). They responded promptly and said just the color of the liquid in the vial mattered - so it's a "girl" result. The rep asked me to email when we found out via ultrasound to see if results were "confirmed". My 16 week ultrasound is 1 week from today, so hopefully we will get a look then! :) Either way I will be thrilled...we just want healthy.

We are debating names right now. I'd like to honor my mom (who's passing was 2 years ago yesterday). Her name was Ann. So right now the contenders are Abigail Ann, Lillian Ann (called Lilly Ann), Olivia Ann, and Annabelle Grace. I love Annabelle, but my hang up is that my cousin, who is getting married in July, mentioned a few months ago, that they have chosen Annabelle or Sebastian for future children. I didn't ask, she volunteered the info - I wish she had never said anything! Because now if we use the name, it looks like "name stealing". My second choice is Abigail Ann (Abby) at this point. We'll just have to see if this is even an issue on Wednesday if he or she cooperates! :)

Second Trimester...

I'm heading into the second trimester - I will be 14 weeks on Thursday. I had an OB appointment yesterday, and all looks good. My NT scan also went well. So I'm cruising along until March 3rd. I will be 16 weeks, and have an ultrasound scheduled with my Peri. I hope we are able to take a peek and maybe a guess at the baby's gender? All wives tales are pointing toward girl -but we'll see! I really want to try the Intelligender Test, but it's not reliable for PCOS patients, so I guess I'll save my $35. :(

In other news, my dad is getting remarried in April. His fiancee is a nice lady, but definitely not my mom. I know that's probably a good thing. She is very accepting of us and very sweet to Christopher, so in that respect we are lucky. It is just hard seeing him snuggle and kiss another woman - so strange.

I am thinking of all of you out there - I was out of town all last week, and only checked blogs from my phone. I will be a better poster/commenter this week...it's my goal!

Kitty Chaos

This is totally off topic, but it made up a good portion of my night last night, so I thought I'd post about it! We have quite a zoo in our house. Three cats and two dogs. Two of the kitties sleep in our room at night. Last night, they decided to have a "puke-off" and proceeded to throw up multiple times through the night - ugh! Those of you with cats know the sound I'm talking about. It can wake you from a dead sleep so you make sure they aren't on the bed or anywhere nearby where they can do damage to linens or worse! Needless to say, it was a long night of rude awakenings. Thanks, George and KK for the chaotic sleep last night!

Three more nights until my NT scan...

11 Weeks

All seems to be well with the little one. I am still tired, and very nauseated in the evenings. No morning sickness for me - but the evening sickness kicks in at about 4! Just in time for Jer to get home and deal with a grumpy, icky feeling me...lucky guy. My spotting has stopped (knock on wood), although I have to really watch my water intake and drink a LOT, or I get a little crampy. My NT scan is Thursday, and I'm looking forward to seeing my Peri. I saw her with my pregnancy with Christopher. At my last ultrasound, the tech said it looked like I had a complete placenta previa, so I'm curious to see what the Peri has to say about the previa.

That's about all that's going on here! I will post again after my NT scan, if not before.

All is well!

Thank you all so much for the support. I feel like I sounded a little dramatic and whiney. I am really SO anxious during pregnancy. I don't enjoy the feeling that I have no control, and all the worry, hope, and positive thoughts really can't change the outcome of things. It is nice to have a support group that doesn't think I'm utterly crazy. (Or maybe you do, and you're trying to treat the crazy lady nicely!)

I went in and met with my RE. I got another ultrasound, which showed the very tiny (1cm x 1.4cm) subchorionic hematoma. He also did a pelvic exam which hurt! It turns out that my cervix is irritated from progesterone, and a yeast infection - nice! Which is causing my vag to swell and irritate my cervix. The bleeding isn't coming from the uterus. He also said that up to 82% of pregnancies have small hematomas and may never know. He's not worried about it, and told me to stay away from google. ;) Thanks Dr. G.

I'm feeling better about it all. My doppler arrived this week, but since I'm not slim, and it's still early (10 weeks, 1 day), I haven't been able to find the HB just yet. I'm not worried, surprisingly. I have another appointment on Monday to check the infection and we'll get another peek at the baby. Then my NT scan is on February 4th.

Here's the latest photo - we have yet to come up with an "in the womb" nickname for the little one. He/she has all four limbs and a very large head right now! :)

Scared...

I've begun spotting. It started very lightly after my ultrasound on Monday, but seems to come and go. I don't know if it's related to the SCH, being on blood thinners, or worse. I am trying to "take it easy" and I think I'll give my doctor a call this morning just to let him know what's going on. I know he can't do anything, and it's just a waiting game at this point.

I just really wish that Jer hadn't convinced me to "announce" at 9.5 weeks. If something happens, I'd rather not have to go into it. Trying to remain positive because the little one was looking so good on the ultrasound Monday. Please stay, little one, we want you so badly.

Hanging in there...

I am now 9 weeks and 4 days. I had an ultrasound this morning, and everything looks good with the baby. Heartrate of 176 and measuring right on target. The tech did find a subchorionic hematoma, which of course has me worried. I haven't had any bleeding related to it, so I just have to wait it out and pray that it resolves on it's own.

I am still reading blogs, just not posting as often. I hope to get back into responding and posting now that Jer is back at work -he was off for a week and we spent most of the time doing boring but necessary things around the house!