17 weeks

I'm all caught up on my flu shots. My OB's office finally got the H1N1 vaccine so yesterday I got the controversial shot. I think now if I can make it two more weeks without getting it then I'm good. I read somewhere that's how long the immunity takes.
I'm not usually a flu shot getter, but being a teacher I'm around so many germs...and really, I've had so many shots in my life, why not just get another one? (just kidding).
One of my friends last night was asking me if the H1N1 shot hurt. I almost laughed. And I didn't because I don't want to be the snob who thinks that because she went through IVF she can handle most anything, but I kind of am the snob who thinks I've been through IVF, what else can you throw at me?
(B.T.W., feel free to remind me I said that after I've ranted on my blog complaining about how awful labor was... I'm sure that will happen, I deserve after admitting I'm a bit of a pain snob).
So now that's all caught up.
And thanks for all the tips about spotting, my next appointment is Monday, and I think I'll ask for him to check my cervix... just for peace of mind (?). I mean, just because I don't have to show the whole world my lady business doesn't mean I'm not wiilling to get undressed yet again!

Hopefully we'll schedule the big ultra sound for the next appointment after that. I'm counting about two weeks from Monday for that. Very exciting.

Also, My DH has a stethescope and I've been so entertained listening to the gurgling of amniotic fluid. I can't hear a heart beat, but I can hardly find my own heart beat with a stethescope, so that doesn't cause alarm (finally, something in pregnancy that doesn't cause alarm!). It sounds a lot like my husband's stomach when he's digesting food. It's pretty funny. Oh, and yesterday we went to Disneyland after work and DH went to the bathroom 3 times. I also went three times, but in a 3 hour period, we decided he's having sympathy urination. Ha.

I'm going to go enjoy a nice morning fire and get ready for a great weekend after I check up on everyone's blog. I hope you all are having a good weekend as well!

Spotting

So Thursday AM I woke up and found a few pink dots on the toilet paper. At first I was in shock, it's been about 8 weeks since I last spotted. As I wiped a little more, I found a little more. I switched from a panty liner to a pad and started to think about my options. I did some quick reseach and saw that unless this was bright red blood or enough to fill a pad in an hour it was 'probably' not a cause for alarm.
Um hello, anything of color leaking out of my lady business is cause for alarm.
I did some quick thinking. Wednesday had been a day off but Tuesday night was a big party for my DH's birthday. I had been running around tremendously trying to get everything ready for that, so my activity level had certainly been a little higher than usual. On our day off we went shopping for a good chunk of the day so I had been on my feet more than usual. Also, Monday there was some Bding, and even though it was a few days earlier, I'm just wondering if that had something to do with it.

So I went to work, but had myself on the alert in case I needed to get out of there. I kept using the restroom, but as the day went on, there was less to report.
I called the Doctor at my break around 10 and then the nurse talked to the doctor and left me a message saying that if things get worse to call back or go to the ER, but if things keep getting better that I 'probably' didn't need to worry.

So things continued to get better, the color changed to brown as the day went on... BUT later that night I found a dark, gooey thing. It wasn't fiberous, but it was seriously about the size of a dime and really, really gooey.
Any ideas?
yesterday things continued to get better and so far today there's not much going on. I'm watching things carefully, and I still have my pregnancy symptoms, but geez, nothing brings back the fears of infertility like some unwanted spotting.

Just when you thought it was safe to start shopping online...

Praying to stay 'knocked up in 'o9'!

Countdown to Viability: 9 more weeks!

Things that have changed (So Far)

When I watch Bab.y Story or any show involving the birth of a baby, I cry. There's no warning for this crying. The tears just flow out.
When I hear a song that I've heard a hundred times I can cry. Example: I am already listening to Christmas music (I know, it's early, whatevs). I heard Breath of Heaven. Apparently I've never really turned into the lyrics before (or I've never been pregnant before while listening to the story of Mary, duh), but I was balwing on my way to work. Really. 7:15 AM, at the corner across from a Bob's Big Boy and a couple gas stations.
My pants officially don't button.

Life is good.

November

I hate not having blogger at work.

Tomorrow is DH's birthday. The big 34. We're having a small party at our house, nothing big. It's nice that it's the day before Vetrans' Day so we get to sleep in on Wednesday.

On the baby front, yesterday was 15 weeks. I think yesterday was also the first time I realized I am officially out of my regular pants (unless you use the b.ella band of course). I really think I'm starting to show, but unfortunately, I've already got some excess padding around my mid section, so it's been harder to tell, and easier to just think that I'm very round these days. So any sign that a baby is in there is excellent.
I keep thinking that I'll feel movement soon, but the books say it'll be another few weeks before I know what I'm feeling.

There are so many wonderful things going on with a lot of you ladies out there, so just because I'm not commenting (hence the inability to comment from google reader), but I'm thinking and praying for you guys.

When did you ladies start buying stuff for baby? I haven't bought anything yet (my mom sure has though) and I'm thinking that since January is viability month, I'm going to start then. But I'm getting antsy.
Thoughts?

13 weeks

It seems Sunday has become my regular posting day.
This week, my baby is the size of a peach. Really? I feel like it was a grain of rice just yesterday! They really do grow so fast.
Thank you ladies for your kind words about my SIL, it is a tough situtation, but this whole journey has had a theme, that the Lord is in control and we are not. So it's hard to see that played out in someone else's life, but again these are things that are certainly out of my control.
Tomorrow I have my next appointment. I'm not anticipating and ultrasound, but at least we'll be able to hear the heart beat (right? Do theye do that at every appointment?)
I made the appointment for after work, because a month ago I was still trying to be a good employee, but now, geez, I just want a day off!
Some of you probably hate teachers because here we work 185 days a year (which when you do the math means we have 181 days off a year, I know), but the stretch from Labor day to Vetran's day is the longest we get without a holiday (CA doesn't seem to think Columbus deserves a day off. Is that whack or what?). So while it's great that I got an appointment for 3:45, it would be better to sleep in, relax for a bit in the morning and then go to the doc, instead of yell at delinquents all morning and then deal with smarty-pants in the afternoon.
If only I was in charge of the world...

My biggest symptoms of pregnancy to date have been an achy chest (it's actually changed from achy boobs to the muscles under the boobs...did that happen with you guys) and what feels like a stretching uterus. There is some general yuckiness and a huge gag reflex when I brush and floss, but overall, not too shabby. What were some of your symptoms around 13 weeks? All the baby books leave out the achiness of the uterus. Just curious.

Enjoy the rest of Sunday afternoon! Let's all be and get 'knocked up in '09'!

Long Time

So the thing is... this is a relatively quiet time in the IF world for me personally. Not for others I know, but me. Just for where I'm at. I had a great 9 week ultrasound and now I just have to wait and pray until the next one in a week. And, at this appointment, there will likely be no ultrasound. So it's going to be practically Christmas before we get to see our little guy again.
So this leaves me with few things to say, except that I am avidly reading all of your blogs, it's just that I've taken to leaving my lap top at work these days and since blogspot is blocked at work, I have to use google reader, which means I can't leave comments.
But I'm Still Here!

Today marks week 12 and so far I'm finding that I'm just about out of my regular pants, but the be. bands from target are amazing.

Now, onto the others.
My SIL got pregnant 3 weeks after DH and I did. She found out this past Tuesday it was a blighted ovum. The baby stopped growing shortly after conception, but the placenta continued to form and put off hormones. So she felt pregnant, her hormones were right...but no baby. So she's had to have a D&C. I saw her today and she's in remarkable good spirits, but sometimes it's just hard to understand why things work out the way they do. I don't know if it's 'Survivor's Guilt', but I know this moment of pregnancy for the two of us is perhaps slightly less sweet for the whole family. It's difficult to rejoice when others are in pain. But, I do think this whole thing continues to be a testamony to God. Each one of us has our own path and even though it took us 3 years to be 12 weeks pregnant, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I hope you guys have a great week. And I also am sitting here watching my poor Dodgers get slaughtered by the Phillies. This is not looking so good for us tonight!

He waved his paddle!

So Monday was the OB visit. Not sure I'm in love with the doc, but I don't feel like I need a doctor who is really easy to talk to, I need a doc who is good at delivering babies. So I'll stick with him for a little longer, but... I may reserve the right to change. We'll see.
Anywho,
Monday we're at his secondary office (which is right by my house, hence why i chose him to by my ob) and he starts by asking if we have questions. I mean, it's like, "hi. do you have questions"? Well yes, I have questions but give me a moment to get my head together here. Don't you have anything to say to me first? So all was well, they only did a papsmear, bp, and a physical exam. He was feeling my uterus and then said very briskly, I'm going to send you for an ultrasound to see what's going on.
Now, this instilled a lot of fear in me. Was he feeling something wrong? Was my uterus too small? So I didn't hesitate in voicing these concerns because really, I don't even care if I'm a slightly nervous patient. I know too much for my own good and I don't want to worry if there's no need to worry.
He quickly said everything looks fine, he just wants to see what's going on. So now, the really experienced patient in me (who has had about 30 appointments with the vag. cam) thinks, if you knew this then why didn't you schedule this appointment at the other office where the ultra sound machines are? Seriously! Since this is his secondary office (one afternoon a week) why didn't he schedule me at the other place first? Even I knew going in there that you get an ultrasound at your first appointment with an ob (well, my friends all did!). How did he and his nurses not know that?
Okay, so anyway, that appointment was Monday, and then Wednesday was the ultrasound appointment. DH and I both took the afternoon off work to go, and I have to say, that was the most uncomfortable vag. ultrasound ever! Not because of the vag. cam, but because the chair was a weird position. I wasn't just lying on a table with my feet in stirrups. I was in a transformer chair that made my knees like 2 feet above my ears (well, that's how I felt). Is this nromal? The converter chair? Do most ob offices have a bed with stirrups?
Okay, ranting aside - we saw our little guy! He (or she) even moved his little arm - which really looked like a paddle. We heard the heartbeat - it was 163 bpm.
The tech refused to talk about anything, she said the doc will go over everything with us at our next appointment (does she know our next appointment is 4 weeks away?). So we're going with our knowledge that everything seems to look at and feel good.
So, the jury's out on the doc, but the baby seems to be doing well. Now I just have to stop letting my blood boil everything my deliniquent students are doing to avoid stress...Yikes! I got flipped off yesterday at the end of class. Who knew that asking a senior in high school to push his chair in was such a controversial thing? I do now!
I hope you all are continueing to do well! I know there are some babies due pretty soon, Jill at the Averit Fam and Erin at hoping for our our peanut are emminent! Congrats!