16 Weeks and a Solar Eclipse

I have been horrible at documenting this pregnancy. What is wrong with me ( well besides being sick still) I thought I would take weekly pictures but no such luck.  I will pledge to do better or at least try to do better.

There are so many things happening this week, Solar eclipse, OB appointment, & me being in a wedding out of State.

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• For most American scientists it is perhaps the most accessible total solar eclipse since the last one to touch the lower 48 states in 1979. And in those 38 years, their equipment and ability to study the phenomena have greatly improved.

 

Awesome the last one came the year I was born, and now this one is here the year I conceived, how cool is that?

 

Now onto the Babe, yesterday at 15 weeks 6 days I got violently ill after eating shrimp. I was throwing up so hard tears were running down my cheeks. Hubby was not impressed and demanded I take the pills I was prescribed weeks ago for this. I defiantly have been avoiding them, just trying to stay away from drugs. It is bad enough I crave and drink coke which is horrible and I cannot help it, I try to drink water and it makes me ill. I think I get 1 bottle in per day. I want this to change, I use to drink close to a gallon a day so this is really rough. I have tried flavoring the water which helps some...I use ginger, lemon, and mint. My goal is at least 2-16 oz bottles per day, sick or no sick I will have to get it down.

 

How far along?  16 weeks!  4 months folks.

Baby's size? An avocado! measuring 4.6 inches long and weighing in at 3.5 ounces.

Weight Gain? I have no idea I have been going up and down 2 pounds.

Maternity clothes?  Not really but I could use some. My stomach looks small in the morning but bigger by dinner

Sleep? Hit or miss, some days I sleep down to the morning, others I am up between 2 am-4am and cannot go back down.

Food?  Not really, some things make me sick and I don't know until I try.

Best moment this week? Solar Eclipe, Doctor Appt & Going out of State for my friends wedding.

Movement? Not sure, I have felt a few flutters but again I have no idea if that's the kid.

Symptoms?  Still not sure what to eat,  acid reflux, laziness and irritability. 

Gender?   It's a girl, it's fun to hear my close friends tell me they think it's a boy though. I remain with my lips sealed. I am not sure how long I can hold out because the plan is a gender reveal baby shower.

What I miss? Eating and drinking water. 

What I'm looking forward to? Appointment with our OB on 8/24.

Milestones: Another week down.

Recap & 15 Weeks

Recap
On Wednesday 8/9 I went to the OB for a Doppler check. It was a no fee visit that was just to hear the Doppler tones. The idea was to put my mind at ease between appointments since they are 4 weeks apart. What this visit did instead was give me anxiety....why? It took the nurse a while to find the heartbeat cue silent freak out. In the end she did find it and it was pumping away at 156 bpm. Thank you god. I am not so sure I want anymore of these.

Another weird thing also happened last week. While I was sleeping I felt a sharp pain? Pull? Stretch? something which caused me to yelp and my husband to run out of the bathroom.

15 Weeks

  

Your baby is about the size of an Apple or Navel Orange depending on the app you are using. Baby's brain now controls all the muscles in her body; she is able to move. Yes, she'll even do somersaults! But if this is your first baby, you probably won't feel him moving for several more weeks.

Baby's Length: 3.98in.

Baby's Weight: 2.47oz

 

At 15 weeks pregnant your baby is quickly growing bigger each week — he's as long as four inches right now.And with each passing week, your fetus is also looking more and more like the baby you're picturing in your dreams. By now, the ears are positioned properly on the sides of the head (they used to be in the neck) and the eyes are moving from the side of the head to the front of the face — where they'll soon meet your loving gaze.

On Monday 8/14 at exactly 15 weeks I did another elective ultrasound.........yeah it's out of hand but oh well. Anyway little girl was jumping all over the place and wiggly. This time I received a CD of the ultrasound and a picture. She was measuring 2 days ahead, this makes me happy because I have been eating like CRAP.  I will do a whole post on expectations and reality of pregnancy.

Today I am 15 weeks and 2 days and I have to say you do not have to be nauseous to throw up. If I eat something that is not right it will promptly be seen again. I feel much better so I am now combing my hair and looking decent for work again... I do need more clothes but will keep squeezing into my Express wardrobe for now....... I should add I was squeezing into them anyway :-)

14 Weeks

 

So today I am officially 14 weeks. I will shamefully admit that I did an elective ultrasound yesterday, but it was the best $50 ever to hear my daughters heart beat. She was super active yesterday, so active that not only could we not get a profile pic but none of her face. She flipped, kicked and kept turning & facing my back. I have been feeling flutters but everything I have read said I wouldn't feel anything until much later so I just completely disregarded it. The tech said while yes it is mostly much later some people do start feeling flutters starting now. My cute kid was kicking up a storm I tell you, I felt so proud. This is so surreal for me....I have been waiting for years to feel this.

I know I have such a long way to go to meet her but January is not getting here soon enough. My due date is 2/5/2017 however I am now measuring a week ahead so I am assuming she will be here by mid January. Please God, nothing sooner and no NICU is my hope, prayer and goal. I am having a hard time with finding clothes for myself but have also been lazy with going to consignment shops.

Thredup.com seems to be a good place to start as well as Ebay. I did go to Goodwill at the advice of a friend and didn't see anything but then only spent maybe 5 minutes, the store had an odd smell. A mixture of dust, & old things. There is a more modern location closer to my home so I will try that one to see if it is better. Either way I will need some new clothes and soon. I am in my fat pants and those are tight.

 

At 14 weeks pregnant, baby is as big as a peach, measuring 3.4 inches and weighing in at 1.5 ounces. Baby has almost doubled in weight since last week, and keeps on growing at super speed at week 14.

 

You are now in your second trimester and your baby is beginning to be a real 'individual' – even down to gaining their own unique set of fingerprints!

 

Total Weight Loss/Gain: I haven't weighed myself but from the doctor I was down 2 or 3 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: I ordered a dress, a pant and a shirt. This week is a must. Everything is too tight and hurts.

Stretch marks: None from pregnancy, I had some before

Sleep: It hasn't been bad

Movement: I think I feel flutters, maybe it is stretching sensations but who knows. First time experience so hard to tell or decipher.

Cravings/Aversions: Basically nothing is appealing really, I just try to eat to see what stays and what I will never touch again.

Gender: Girl, I did an NT scan and genetic testing.

Symptoms: The lower back pain and sore breasts continue but I feel pretty good everywhere else. I have been having slight cramping every now and again. Feels like period cramps, but all the books say that it's more ligament stretching. It was bad Friday night...

What I miss: Not having heartburn, it truly sucks.

What I look forward to: Feeling the baby move!

Milestones: 2nd Trimester!!!!!! Hooray!

Genetic Results

 

I received the best call this morning....

The Harmony genetic test results are in, I have low risks across the board for all abnormalities. I didn't ask numbers nor do I need them because I believe in God's report, not statistics. While it is great to hear confirmation that nothing is wrong I had already declared it was not so and rejected all negatives against my pregnancy. My Faith waivers because I am human but I know in the toughest of times I have to hold fast and keep my mind on God and his word.

They told me the sex of the baby as well and since I called and told hubby I can share here as well... I am having a.....



In between

Written 8/2/2017

13 weeks and 2 days

Being on this side of infertility is uncharted territory, what do we do now?  No more tests, no more, surgeries, no more calling in to the clinic. It is like sitting out in a world of nothing.  I have the Doppler, I took it out the box once and tried to find the heartbeat and gave up after 10 minutes. It was not my intention to get it and I knew it was going to be more of a pain than help. I stopped PIO shots a few days ago and didn’t look back, and then last night I started to worry. I also haven’t been taking my prenatal vitamins; this is more because I keep forgetting. I swear when I get home, I take a shower and my eyes are closed before I even know it.  I will HAVE to do much better with this, it is very important for baby. I hate the kinds I have but still I am eating crappy so the vitamins will need to provide the right nutrients.

Working is hard while pregnant; I am always so sleepy and tired. I just want to go to bed right now. (Yawn)

I did a little online shopping for Maternity Clothes and didn’t think anything of it…at first. After I hit complete order then my head went into over drive. I am showing, to be fair I already had a chubby tummy after stimming but it was still ok, now I cannot even pull in my stomach.  I think I am going to be huge.

I received a call 8/1/2017 from the nurse at the OB,  that the genetic testing facility was on hold asking about my donor egg ivf.  “Uhhm  excuse me what?” They needed the age of the donor. Well that Donor is me and IVF was this year.  All of this should be on the notes there….**sigh**So clearly someone obviously messed up the information sent for the genetic testing.

Let me say there is absolutely nothing wrong with Donor Egg IVF, I would have gladly used that option if I could afford to and also if it was the next step.  It was just a weird question considering I never told the clinic that information.  Let's just wait on the results they have me all worried....well kind of I will go pray instead.

NT Scans and MFM Visit

Let me just get right into it kind of long post.

7/27/2017
I had my NT scan on Thursday when I was 12 weeks and 3 days, all looked great and the kid was measuring 13 weeks. They did not adjust my due though I guess because it is still so close.

The scan was with my favorite scanner, did I mention that I did elective scans at 9 week/10 weeks because I was anxious and crazy? Anyway at the elective scan facility the scanner told me she worked at the OB office I go to and she hoped she would get to do my NT scan and God worked it out that it happened just as we both hoped. She is very patient and explained everything we were looking at.  All measurements were fine, baby was sleeping and was not moving so she had me cough and pushed on my stomach and the kid started wiggling..

After the scan she led me to the OB's office for the visit.. She was really nice and thought I was a pretty easy going patient. So anyway I told her about my spitting issue, yes I have the gross excessive saliva thing in my pregnancy. *sigh*  *expletive sigh*
Currently spitting in my trash can at my cubicle. I sooooooooooo hate this darn symptom. I told her that a month was too long for me to come back so she has me scheduled for Doppler 8/9th, then I go back 2 weeks for the anatomy scan? Not sure...then I go back for a level II scan? I wasn't paying too much attention, I was on cloud nine from a great NT scan. I am not completely out of the woods so I asked for the Harmony Test. It was at the end of the day but I was able to have my blood drawn and should hear back in 10 days...maybe less. The Harmony test is a genetic test that can detect abnormalities as well as tell the babies sex.  For more details visit here http://www.ariosadx.com/

MFM Visit 7/28/2017
So I had to go back to the clinic the VERY next day. This was not fun nor my idea, this was to meet the MFM specialist and this was how they scheduled the appointment.

Dr. J asked me general questions, and told me why I was considered high risk. I am advanced maternal age & pregnant via IVF so I am an automatic candidate high risk patient..... YAY me ( being sarcastic....well kind of ). She asked me about the NT scans then went into the computer to
review the results. There was talk about if I did any genetic tests and if I would like amnio
to which I responded  " I will not do any invasive testing" she then asked me if I used my own eggs and I said yes and I can see the slight judgment in her eyes. That's right I will not do it, am I the only woman over 35 that got pregnant and not wanting to do these invasive test?...NO then
be a peach and not bring it up again unless I ask. Overall she is a nice lady and just doing her job but I just didn't like the judgment in the eyes about the amnio question. After our talk and her notes she asked me to go to get an ultrasound, I am thinking she either has no faith or did it to see if the bub is ok. Anyway the babe had it's back turned and was facing my back, with a perfect heart beat. This scan was literally perhaps 2 minutes long, the tech said you just did NT yesterday and she wants heart tones we both kind of rolled our eyes... LOL . I didn't mind it as long as it doesn't hurt the kid.

12 weeks & A Day

I do not have much to report except that waiting and waiting and waiting is killing me.

Just 2 more sleeps until the NT Scan and my meeting with the OB this Thursday 7/27th and then of course the very next day I have to do back and speak with the MFM or Peri. Uggh why couldn't they schedule it all in the same day. This practice is so huge..... just like for air travel you have to check in online for your appointments as you would for your flight. Like I said I am ok with a huge practice for now, sometimes I think perhaps I should call Dr. C but then I say no. Dr. C was my OB from 2003-2012. I ended that relationship after he performed the D&C from my miscarriage from my first IVF cycle. He was very nice and all but I just think of him and that time period and I just have not set foot back in that office.

Nothing exciting happening except I have been a nut job all weekend thinking the worse. I cannot wait for this Thursday to see what's going on inside. I also turned off notification for the FB group I am apart of. It's not that the women aren't the best and supportive but reading the negative things put me in a bad head space. I have been trying to pray the negativity away but it still gets to me. It especially gets worse since for the most part I feel normal.

Symptoms- Still queasy, and threw up twice Sunday but overall feel great. I had a pounding all day headache that was so bad that I took Tylenol which did absolutely nothing to ease it. So I tried sleeping it off and that worked, but then I woke up and there is was.

My Body: I think I have a bump or it is still fat but it is rounder more at the top so I believe it is fat? The baby is tiny and a plum so this is either bloat or just as I said fat. I can rock it and pretend it's a bump LOL.

Baby- 12 weeks: Your baby is about the size of a lime.
Your lime-sized little one now weighs 1/2 ounce and is just over 2 inches long from head to bottom.

11 Weeks & 4 days

I have been seriously slacking on trying to keep up but since I don't have my appointment for another 7 days there isn't anything much to report.

I gag daily at least 2-3 times, still throw up here & there but I will say this week has been much better overall. Everything I have read said nausea should be waning and I will go as far as to say it has gotten better but it is definitely still ever present. If I eat something that is not baby approved I pay for it big time.

The odd thing is I still fit my clothes but they are uncomfortable. I think maternity clothes will be in my future soon unless I decide to wear only dresses........which I LOVE right now.

What's Going On with My Body: Feeling lots of twinges, stretching and perhaps cramps too.

What I am looking forward to: NT scan at 12weeks 3 days.

What's Going On the Baby:
It's now the 11th week of your pregnancy, and your little one has officially graduated to the status of "fetus." This is a big step in his prenatal development. Now that all of your baby's major organs have started forming, his growth will be all about maturing and putting on pounds.

 

I got this from the Bump Box website here https://bumpboxes.com/week-by-week/

At 11 weeks pregnant, your baby is now the size of a macaroon, around 1 1/2 inches long and weighing a 1/4 of an ounce. If you got a peek inside your uterus, you would see her kicking, stretching, sighing and hiccupping. She’s looking more and more like a baby every day she matures. The bones in the face are forming nicely, and the proportions of the body are starting to get closer to those of a newborn’s

Somewhere in Limbo

I didn't post this originally on the day written 7/14/2017

Morning (all day sickness) hit with a vengeance this past weekend. So much so that I am definitely am dehydrated which has me terrified about the baby, my pee is pretty yellow when it use to be clear. I am trying to sip liquid here and there but I am throwing up everything. Water, Coconut Water, Gatorade, Ginger Ale, you name it I have been tasted it twice and it is gross. While said "morning" sickness was reassuring for a while, I feel pretty reassured now, this is until today when ALL symptoms basically disappeared.

I am freaking out and see an elective Ultrasound in the near future....as soon as tomorrow.

Two weeks from today I have the NT scan…..it feels so far away. Why in the world are these appointments so far apart. I get to do the genetic testing the same day. It is as if they want to torture me and have me there forever on the 27^th and the 28^th, I don’t mind as long as I get to see the baby.

Things I have learned so far:

• you can be nauseous and hungry at the same time. Weird, but true.
• you can be happy about your pregnancy and still hate morning (afternoon, evening) sickness, and this does not make you a bad person. It makes you a normal person.
• fear does not go away very easily.
• this, too, shall pass.
• that glass of orange juice the other morning was a BAD PLAN.
• sweat pants or no pants are awesome
• it is okay that you are freaked out about telling people about this pregnancy. That makes sense. But you will have to start getting over it. Because, eventually, it's going to get hard to hide.
• the bitchiness will also pass (please please please please)
• take a deep breath. Be grateful for today. Worry less about tomorrow.
• still working on that last one.

 

10 Weeks & Another Elective Happened

Disclaimer- If you are in a bad place on your TTC or IVF journey do not read, pregnancy symptom post. I know how painful this journey is, and I will never forget it. Heck it took us forever just to get to this point so no complaints just documenting.

This past Saturday at 9 weeks 5 days, I did another elective  ultrasound. Hubby was not happy with my decision so I went alone. His argument is that if I have faith why do I still have fear? That isn't
quite the case, for me I just needed to see but I won't be doing them again back to back. He is right, enough is enough I have to trust God and the process and let it go.

Before I went in to be scanned I drank orange juice and our peanut  must have been woken up because he/she was dancing and wiggling in there. Kicking his/her leg and putting hand to mouth. In my excitement I did not even record it. It was all so cute.  I also ordered and received my Doppler this Saturday which I did not open or attempt to search for the baby. I am going to try to remain content and as calm as I can.

Morning ( all day) sickness hit with a vengeance. Sick as a dog all weekend and threw up everything I ate. At this point I am not sure what I can eat since nothing is working, nothing. I know I can take medications but the side effects worry me. I might try the over the counter ideas such as Vitamin B6 for now and see how it goes.

Today we hit Double Digits.

10 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby is about the size of a kumquat or strawberry and can stretch his spine. Her eyes and eyelids are more developed and her eyebrows are beginning to grow. Baby's Length: 1.22in.

Baby's Weight: 0.14oz. It’s important to know that your baby is completely out of the embryonic stage and fully into the fetal stage

 

Weight | Don't know and won't know until the next OB appointment in 2 1/2 weeks Sze of baby | Baby's Length: 1.22in.

Baby's Weight: 0.14oz

Gender  Too soon to know   Movement | None Yet, probably not for another 10 weeks
  Maternity clothes | Not yet but I can see this coming really soon. None of my clothes fit, even my big pants. I prefer to wear dresses, not comb my hair and basically look frumpy at the moment. No energy and I just do not care. I do work in an office so I will have to get this together soon.     Cravings/Aersions | No cravings and I basically can't win on the eating front right now.  Also liquids are a no too. Ginger ale is iffy, Water is a no, coconut water is a no, tea is a no...Coke is a yes...the worse thing to be a yes.  

What I'm looking forward to |  Eating again and getting to the 2nd Trimester bliss I hear so much about. :-)

Elective & 9 Weeks

Did an elective Ultrasound this past Saturday at 8 weeks 5 days and the babe was measuring a day ahead. The kid had a super strong heartbeat, Hubby while did not agree to this ultrasound, enjoyed seeing and hearing the babe. I got a cute little goody bag and a heart shaped recorder with the heartbeat recorded.

Worries- Well I had fish later that evening and only after eating it did it dawn on me that I probably should not be eating it. It was snapper fish that was steamed cooked. It is on the lower end of the mercury level but still I have to be more careful.

How Far Along:  Nine weeks! We're pushing on ahead...

Size of baby: Baby is the size of an olive or a grape. And, is a foetus now, apparently!

Random & Interesting Developmental Stuff:  Here's this week's run-down:

Even though you still have to wait another eight weeks to find out if your new addition will be a boy or a girl, this week, your baby gets the goods she'll need to, well, make her own baby one day. That's right -- reproductive organs are beginning to form now, along with some other key organs, like the pancreas and gallbladder. At this point your baby has doubled in size and her head, which is about half the length of her entire body, is tucked down toward her chest. Her tiny fingers are growing longer, and the ends are slightly enlarged right now -- this is where those unique fingerprints will ultimately form.

 

 

Total Weight Gain: Not sure wont check....scared.

 

Sleep: Not too bad but interrupted by lots of pee-stops.

Symptoms: Not feeling much of anything this week. I still haven't thrown up, queasy and nauseous here and there. I'm bloated, hungry all the time, and constantly tired. Meat has become an aversion as of Saturday/Sunday

Cravings: Fries.

Gender: Not sure my guess is a Boy.

Movement: Way too early yet.

Maternity Clothes: I can see this happening soon, all my clothes are uncomfortable, boobs hurt and bras will be the first purchase!!!

Milestones: Another week going by, which I LOVE. I want time to speed up a little.. just a little. I really hate to rush through but I want to be done with the 1st Trimester worries and anxiety.
What I'm looking forward to: Our  next OB Appointment which will include the NT scan at 12 weeks and 3 days...seem so far away. 3 more weeks and 3 days to go.

The belly: Bloated....so I have a bloated bump.