Actually, in the words of Luigi from "Cars", he'd "like to shout it to the world from the top of someplace very tall!" Yes, he is (finally) going to be a big brother!!!!
It has been a long, arduous struggle (once again) going through infertility, round two. I watched at least fifteen people around me become pregnant...most of them quite easily, and several not really wanting to be. But what it took was giving it over to God. I knew He put this desire in my heart for a child. He was faithful to fulfill it the first time, and I knew that if that desire was still there, He'd be faithful once again...either to fulfill it or to take it away. It only got stronger. I carefully watched what I ate. I tried weird remedies (and yes, that nasty Chinese herbal tea was even worse this time!!) and ate "fertility boosting" foods. I could go on and on, but I won't bore you.
It was a total surprise. I had just joined a gym at the end of April and was working out like crazy. (Ah, aerobics...how I've missed you!) We gave up on timing and plowed forward to book the gorgeous condo for our 10 year anniversary trip to Hawaii. Oddly enough, even with the hours upon hours we'd invested in researching condos/hotels/rentals, our "Hawaii Life" show we had DVR'd, and the guide books we'd ordered, I just couldn't get excited yet. The end of the school year madness hit, then I had a week to shop and pack for our Shepherd family vacation to Galveston. We drove down and had a fabulous time that next week. As I did every single month for the past I don't know how many years, I had my odd little ritual of taking a pregnancy test, just to be sure one way or another. And this particular month, I didn't even know what day of my cycle I was really on (gasp!). Took the test on a Thursday (negative, as I'd suspected) and went on with life. BUT when it came time to empty the trash on Friday...lo and behold, it fell out of the trashcan and had not one, but TWO pink lines on it!! They say not to read them after ten minutes because the test can be invalid, so I brushed it off as that, but it was in the back of my mind all day. So early Saturday morning, I got up and took another test at home. Sure enough, that very faint second pink line came up! I tried to be casual downstairs and asked Jason, "Well, I didn't really get to give you your Father's Day present when we were at the beach...how about another baby?" and showed him the test. Priceless!
I haven't been at liberty to announce things until now because my team leader is also pregnant (about 6 wks ahead of me). If you do the math, my being pregnant makes our little team of four 50% gone...and not too far apart from each other, meaning two long term subs. So needless to say, I was extremely nervous to tell my principal. Even had nightmares and many sleepless nights during the summer about where I'd be moved or what team I'd end up on. I waited the obligatory 12 weeks, just to make sure things were okay, and then held my breath and let out the news. Thankfully, knowing how long we've been trying, she was very excited.
I've been DYING to put everything on the blog, so here's a quick synopsis of the past 13 1/2 weeks, coming from my journal:
week 4 (when I found out)-WHAT?! And Dr. Herzog, who's been with me through a combined 6 years of infertility and 3 surgeries, no longer does the OB part of his practice :( Couldn't find any ob-gyn who would take me this early, even given my history and "advanced maternal age," so went to our family practitioner out of desperation. She checked my HCG and progesterone and wanted me to see someone right away, possibly a high risk doctor. (Bloodwork came back and yep, I'm pregnant!)
week 5 - Yes, it's real. Four day migraine, the third worst one I've ever had (behind my first diagnosed one where I barfed for the better part of a morning, and one where I barfed for 13 hours, straight) I spent the better part of the week searching for a doctor who would actually see me before 8 weeks, given my history of taking soooo long to become pregnant. Finally did, and he told me to go to the E.R. with this migraine on day 4. Yeah, like that's gonna happen...it's a friggin' migraine. #1, don't want to spend $150 to find out I have a migraine. I can diagnose that myself, thank you very much. #2, don't have anyone to watch my 3 year old (who, thankfully, was so good that day!). #3, it would be at least 5 hours before Jason came home to drive me to the E.R. (goodness knows, I was in no condition to drive!) because everyone else was out of town. Oh, and ginger ale is my friend!!
After hours and hours of research, I finally found a new doctor, Dr. Gebert (pronounced "gay-burt"). Had a sonogram. No heartbeat (not unusual if you're early), but there was a very definite black "spot" on the sonogram. He said, "It's a very early pregnancy." But they wouldn't congratulate me or give me the pregnancy book they give pregnant patients, "just in case." Thanks a lot. He's also concerned about my breast cyst that suddenly reappeared, yet never calls me with the order/number for the hospital, nor the results of my bloodwork. Strike 1.
week 6 - Insomnia. Ow, my boobs! And oh, how I hate old lady perfume at church... Raced to the bathroom and heaved a couple of times. Mind over matter--I did NOT want to see my bagel with cream cheese come back up, so held it down. My spider veins on the inside of my right leg suddenly came back.
week 7 - Saw the heartbeat!! Doctor only took about 10 minutes with us, and the time sure flew by. But the important thing was a healthy heartbeat. He put me due at 3/3/14, meaning I was actually only 6 weeks along... Had to remind him about the cyst (strike 2..."Oh, I knew there was someone I should've called about that, but I couldn't remember which patient").
I also forgot how much you pee when pregnant. Doesn't seem humanly possible to have to get up five times a night to use the restroom when you didn't drink anything past 8pm...
REAL week 7 - I had the scare of having a mammogram, thanks to that breast cyst that had returned. Luckily, just had to have a sonogram, which was soooo painful on my newly pregnant "twins." I think I might've passed out had they done a full blown mammogram, which they tried their very best to push me into. After going round and round with the lady, I finally said, "I'm pregnant and they said I just need a sonogram!!!" Note to self...next time, start off with that. Dr. Gebert's office never bothered to call with my bloodwork results. I was concerned about my progesterone because it's been reeeally low in the past, so I finally called about it myself. For the second time (I'd requested twice), he didn't bother to check that. (strike 3!!)
week 8 - I can't fit into my jeans anymore. Is it the salty Mexican food I ate yesterday, or am I really getting that big already?! Also had a new varicose vein pop out overnight. So out came the compression stockings...oh, so beautiful. :(
week 9 - Not sure if it was overdoing it (Jason moved all my furniture and I rearranged stuff at school, did step aerobics, etc.) or if it was because I had a possible migraine, or just because I'm pregnant. But I got violently ill after three hours of nausea. Threw up everything I ate today. Let's just say that I will not be eating Chinese chicken salad with roasted chicken again for quite some time...
week 10 - I can finally sleep!! I also crave chocolate and cheese... Thankfully, I've been able to eat very healthily so far (with the help of ginger ale), unlike when I was pregnant with Reid. All I could stomach for the first trimester was carbs, carbs, carbs.
week 11 - Saw a s'mores commercial. I'm craving marshmallows...I don't even like marshmallows!! Also, I swear I've been feeling movement. It seems way too early (didn't feel them until 17 weeks with Reid) and the new doctor says, "There's NO way it's movement." But I can't stand him, so I don't really believe it. I mean, has he had a baby in his belly before?! After several issues with him and a whopping 2 minutes in the exam room this time (yes, I'm done with this doc!!), I'm searching for a new doctor...again... Loved the perinatologist, Dr. Albert! (Wish he could be my dr!) Heartbeat was 163 and he's 80% sure it's another boy. Eek! Reid developed a nasty cough. I had to leave at 10:30 on my first "official" day back at work (but I'd been there all week) early to take him to the doctor. Bronchitis, oh joy. I also had a 3 day migraine.
week 12 - I am boycotting Sonic. "Summer of Shakes," HA! This pregnant girl drove there, exhausted, at 8:30pm to satisfy a craving and was sorely disappointed that their Sweetheart Cherry Chocolate shake is apparently only available around Valentine's Day. Losers.
Dr. Albert's office called me during work to let me know the results of my MaterniT21 test results (genetic test checking for Down's and Trisomy 21). Everything looks good. Test says it's a boy. I checked online to see the accuracy of this gender part of the test since it's only been out for about 6 months. It's 99.4% accurate. Guess there's no pink or glitter in my future. I prayed for God's will ABOVE praying for a girl this go 'round, so apparently that's what He wants our family to have. Now I'll pray He takes away the lifelong longing for a girl and that He gives me the strength and patience to wrangle two boys!! He brought me to it, so He'll get me through it.
week 13 - First week of school. I was in bed, lights out by 7:59pm on Monday night. It was a long week and my body hurt every day. It is evil to wear compression stockings in the 103 degree heat at recess. Even in the shade, I was dripping. Thank goodness that first week is over! I am thankful that my class seems pretty standard. Your normal toots, several sweet kids... I'm looking forward to this year, and it is really nice to have someone else on my team who's pregnant, too. As an added bonus, on Meet the Teacher night, no one in my classroom shouted out, "You're a thin woman...and that is quite a belly you're growing there. Are you pregnant??" in front of everyone, like one of her parents did!
Things this time around have been very different. I'm in better shape and have managed to do step, Zumba, and weight machines all summer (had to give up kickboxing and abs, though!). Except for a few weeks there at the beginning, I haven't had too much nausea. My migraines are back, like they were with Reid, but thankfully I'd gotten a prescription for Fioricet from the family practitioner last summer (I'm scared to take Imitrex, with one of its side effects being "possible death"...who knows what it'd do to a fetus!). The compression stockings are ugly, and I had to start wearing them SO early this time, but they make my legs feel better.
We are so thankful for this healthy little gift from above. Like Hannah said in Samuel, "For this child I have prayed." Not sure what's coming next, but I know the Lord is in control. What peace comes with knowing that!!
