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! :)

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! :)

A little bean!

There's a little bean in there with a beating heart. My doctor also did a pelvic exam and my cervix is "nice and closed". So, I don't know what the lack of symptoms is about, but I am going to remain positive. All is going as it should. The heartrate was 127 bmp, which I thought sounded a little low, but my doctor assured me it was totally fine at this stage. The baby measured right on target at 6w6d. And he is assuming that the cramping/pain I'm feeling is related to the huge cyst. Now it's at 57mm. I'm on pelvic rest to try to keep it from rupturing, and it should resolve on it's own by 20 weeks.

My next appointment isn't until January 18 due to our trip to Santa Fe next week. I have a long wait ahead of me!

When I sent the news via text to some friends, one wrote back, "Good things can happen to you, too, Tina, so enjoy it!" I know I tend to focus on the negative since it seems like I've had a "dark cloud" hanging over me the past few years. I am going to try to live each moment with this little bean positively. He or she deserves that, and so do my husband and son. They deserve a happy, positive wife and mother. Thanks everyone for the good thoughts and prayers!

The panic sets in...

I have "lost" any early pregnancy symptoms that I had. I also had some minor cramping on Christmas Day and the day after. I have an ultrasound tomorrow morning at 8:20 - they snuck me in because of the cramping. We'll see where we stand then. I haven't had any spotting, so I'm not losing all hope, but I know that's not a sure sign that things are ok. I am so envious of those who get a positive pregnancy test and can shout from the rooftops and "count on" a baby in the end. I know it doesn't always work that way, but I do wish I had a little more confidence and could enjoy this part of pregnancy. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow morning!

Ultrasound Report...

I had my ultrasound yesterday morning, and things seem to be where they should be. The sac measured 5w5d (and I was 5w6dpIUI). The tech also saw a good yolk sac as well. I can't get in next week for my follow up to hopefully see a little beating heart because of holiday schedules at my RE's office. So I have to wait until Monday, January 4th. That seems so far away. If I make it that far, I should be close to 8 weeks at that point. I definitely feel like things are in limbo right now.

Symptom-wise, things are very mild. I have some food aversion at times, and occasionally sore breasts, but nothing major. I almost wish I was puking my guts out - it would be some reassurance! I didn't with Christopher, but I felt nauseated from 7 to 12 weeks or so.

So, that's the report. We're heading to see Jer's family right after Christmas. I probably won't have much to report until after the new year. Thanks for reading!

Ultrasound Scheduled - eek!

Next Tuesday at 10:00 I will see what's going on in there. My last beta was 2193 (a doubling time of 31 hours). Hoping for a beating heart, but I will be 5w6d at that point (if I conceived/ovulated the day of the IUI). Still not having many symptoms except extreme insomnia early in the morning, but that could be stress related. We shall see...