New Beginnings

Hi all! I'm fairly new to the blogging world. I recently started blogging for the first time using a different website for free blogging. I wasn't too impressed and only got a few posts written before I decided it was just too frustrating. So I'm going to give this a try as I have some pretty exciting stuff happening that I'd like to document. I'm going to attempt to just copy and paste the text from those previous posts here and start fresh from current happenings.

So, the original blog posts:

First Timer (11.12.12)
I’ve been considering blogging for a while, but with some big changes coming my way I figured I’d take the plunge.  I want a way to document these upcoming experiences and share them with family and friends.  So what’s the big news? Ok, ok, ok, I’ll spill the beans. We’re expecting our first child in June!!

But first, a little about me,and then I’ll get in to all of that good stuff. I’m 27 and live on the coast of NC (well not on the coast, about 5 miles from the beach so that counts, right?). I’m a speech therapist and an irrationaly fanatical Alabama football fan (roll tide!). I married my awesome husband last September after about 2 1/2 years of dating and an equally long engagement thanks to grad school. We lived in the town where we grew up after the wedding, but both knew we wanted a change of scenery. Well the opportunity arose in June with husband’s job and we jumped on it and moved to the beach. Regret it? Heck no, I love every minute!

So back to the newly most important thing in my life… the baby. Husband and I have always known we’ve wanted a family. We decided we would quit preventing babies at the end of June, knowing these things can take some time. We had a one year anniversary trip to Las Vegas planned at the end of September and decided we’d start trying after that.. I mean, because who really wants to be pregnant in Vegas? Well, apparently I did.

Back up to mid August. I’m expecting my monthy lady friend (ya know, aunt flow?) and she’s late. After 3 negative pregnancy tests at home, she came a whole 7 days late. I chalked it up to coming off the pill, these things happen. So we go to Vegas, have a blast.. except for I’m not my usual shot taking, party girl self. I’m so tired I can barely keep up. I write it off as jet lag and go about my vacation. Night two, I go to bed early but not before I puked. Wrote that off to all of the delicious food we’d been eating, I just had too much. 

So, fast forward six days and we’re home from Vegas. I was talking to a girlfriend who recently had twins and she was joking about us getting on the baby makin train since we were home (this plan was obviously not a secret). I casually  mentioned that I was six days late but wasn’t worried because of last month’s cycle, and besides I had some cramping and my boobs were sore, so it’d be here any day. She insisted I take a test, I didn’t. Not until I woke up at 6am the next day (October 2) to a text from her saying she had a dream about fish and that I HAD to take a test. SN: I’d never heard of the connection between dreaming of fish and babies, but she has two, she must know what she’s talking about. Anywho, I take the test, brush my teeth, and before I’m about to cuddle back up to husband, I casually glance at the stick. That glance turned into a stare and intense comparison of the stick to the box. That plastic stick I just peed on was telling me I was having a baby. What?!? I sat in the bathroom for a few more minutes trying to wrap my head around the whole thing… and I could not quit smiling. I told husband I needed to turn on the bedroom light and tell him something. I just handed him the stick and the box… he knew right away. Except he said “these things can be wrong, right?” I knew there could be a false negative if it was too early, but I thought they were pretty solid with the positives. We googled, I was right, then we had our happy moment.

Next up was scheduling a doctor’s appointment. Oh wait, I just moved here and dont’ have or know anything about the doctor’s here. The plan was to not tell ANYONE until we got through the first trimester, but my SIL delivered our first neice here so I needed a recommendation. And of course, I couldnt tell one SIL without the other, more less my own sister. And no one could know before our parents. So by the end of the day, both sets of parents, siblings, and my best friends all knew. I can’t keep a secret, even my own. So the appointment was set for Nov. 1. Whoa, wait, that’s like a month away! Yep, I was projected to be 5 weeks and I had to be 8-10 for them to see me.

So as I impatiently waited for Nov. 1, morning/ all day sickness and extreme fatigue were kicking my butt. I joined my birth month on the bump which has been a huge help and support for me. Husband has been wonderful too. Nov 1. rolled around and Junebug (husband’s nickname for baby) was measuring right on target at 9w2d and had a strong heartbeat of 171.  So we shared with our extended families and went public- aka: facebok. So here we are, 11 weeks tomorrow and enjoying every second (well not the ones over the toilet).

here goes nothing blogging world...

Heartbeat and a Flu Shot (11.13.12)
We had a follow up with the OB today just to discuss medical history (again) and bloodwork (again).  Anywho, he offered to TRY to hear the heartbeat but said at 11 weeks I may still be too early to hear it on the doppler. He said it would take a while to find it, if we found it. As soon as he put the wand on my belly it was there, loud and clear!! Heartbeat was at 145, which is down significantly from 171, but he said that was normal and that it’s always super high in the early weeks.

 I also got my flu shot :/ I’ve never had one before and was kind of weary, but I know the risk is greater to the baby and myself if I didn’t. And besides, I have to have one for the hospital so at least they gave me the preservative free one!

We have our NT scan next Tuesday. Husband won’t be here to go with me so mom is coming. I’m so excited she gets to see Junebug on the ultrasound. I’m pretty excited to see him/her too! We go back to check the heartbeat Dec 7, then a follow up NT scan at 16 weeks and the anatomy scan on Jan 2 at 18 weeks. I’m secretly hoping that we’ll know the sex at our 16 week scan, before Christmas!

Catching Up (11.28.12)
Let’s see.. where to start. Oh ok! I got to see my little Junebug again last week at our NT scan at exactly 12 weeks. S/He was just as cute as ever, and even gave us a little wave! Darrell was out of town so my mom came with me. She was so excited to see baby! So far everything looks good on the ultrasound, but we have to wait for the bloodwork to come back. And because of my history with spina bifida, we’ll be doing a repeat, in depth u/s again at 17 weeks and another blood draw to compare. I was told that u/s will be about 45 minutes (!!!!) and we’ll go from head to toe in detail… which means we’ll find out if we’re going to be pink or blue! Well, 17 weeks would be December 26.. you’ve got to be kidding me?!?! I asked/ begged the doctor if it was possible to do at 16 weeks. She said baby might not be as developed but we should be able to see everything we need to. So follow-up u/s and anatomy scan are set for Dec 21, one day before my family gathers for our annual Christmas celebration. I think we’ll do some sort of gender reveal with the whole family. 

Oh yea, I almost forgot, the weekend before mom took me on a maternity clothes shopping spree! I got soo much good stuff!!

We left for Alabama on Thanksgiving. All in all, a good trip. I had to pee 4 times on the way down there. It was only a 5 hour drive from parent’s house. Not sure I’ll be making that trip pregnant again.

I’m 13 weeks today… second trimester and I’m feeling great! I haven’t been sick in a few weeks so I feel confident saying that part is over with. I’m still getting fatigued if I try to do too much, but I love a nap so that’s fine with me. Next appointment is Dec 7 just to do measurements and then the big one on the 21st!

And now for the most recent stuff. I had another appointment today. It was quick, just a check on the heartbeat, and yep, it's still there and healthy! I'm 14 weeks now and feeling really, really good! and...WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!

It's not completed yet, but it will be soon and we close January 21. We went back and forth but in the end, it's exactly what we want. I think  were both just nervous about such a big commitment, but that's to be expected.