Knowing Looks?

With the exception of my mom and step-dad, Mike and I have decided to wait to tell our families about the Bean until after our first appointment.  Because I'm a genius (in my own mind), I decided to make the brilliant decision to intentionally make our first appointment late.  Even though my OB will see newly-pregnant patients between 8-10 weeks, I scheduled our first appointment for 9w6d (Monday, August 29).  Why would I do something so frustrating, you ask?  Well, the reason is two-fold.  First of all, once we tell our immediate families, it will be very difficult to keep the news from spreading to extended family, friends, Facebook, you name it.  With that in mind, we also realized that the weekend following the appointment is Labor Day weekend, where we will likely see both sides of the family and have a good opportunity to out ourselves.  The Tuesday after Labor Day, I will be 11 weeks, so I feel like (following a good first appointment) we will be safe to let the news fly to any and all who will hear it.

Funnily enough, the secret is proving to be difficult to keep, though not by any information that Mike and I have given out.  Upon telling my mom, she told me that she had recently had a dream about both my deceased father and grandmother and wondered if it meant I was pregnant (with twins, no less!)  The weekend after that, while wearing a loose-fitting dress (in an attempt to be comfortable/hide my bloat), my sister made a comment that she had hoped I was going to say I was pregnant.  Then Mike came home from work last night and said his sister told him she had a dream about people dying two nights in a row.  She said that the dreams meant someone was going to have a baby and wanted to know if it was me and Mike!  Obviously Mike told her no, but I'm starting to wonder if our families have a sixth sense about this type of thing.

Sixth sense or not, I am becoming quite the actress (because 'actress' sounds nicer than 'liar').  For 3 weekends in a row, I have had to come up with good excuses of why I don't want even one drink at different summer get-togethers.  My voracious appetite has been attributed to various reasoning including getting over a bad headache, skipping lunch, and not having had a certain meal in awhile.  My exhaustion has been due to the heat and getting things done around the house (ha!).  While my bloat has been hidden under flowy tops, I am going to have to start getting better at hiding my nausea, which has been getting worse by the day.  I am going to deserve an Academy Award by Labor Day weekend! :)

In the meantime, I am just going to enjoy this time where the Bean is still a secret between me and Mike (and my mom and step-dad).  Though certain symptoms aren't my favorite (ahem, nausea), I'll take being pregnant over not being pregnant any day of the week!

5 Weeks!

How far along are you?  5 weeks
How big is baby?  About the size of an appleseed
Maternity clothes?  Nope
Weight -Loss or Gain?  Neither
Stretch marks?  Nope
Sleep?  I am tired most of the time, but I wake up regularly through the night to go to the bathroom and I've been unable to sleep in lately.
Best moment this week:  Finding out my hCG levels nearly tripled in 48 hours :)
Any Movement?  Too early for that
Food Cravings?  I love ice cream now that I can eat it, and I've been dying for a chicken caesar salad
Food Aversions?  None, although the smell of Mike's multivitamin makes me gag
Belly Button in or out?  In
What do you miss:  Nothing
What are you looking forward to:  Getting away next weekend
What was the BEST part of this week?  Finding out my blood work results
What was the WORST part of this week?  Waiting on my blood work results

5 weeks... even more bloat!

Lately it seems like my symptoms are getting more and more pronounced.  I feel nauseous in the mornings before I eat and certain smells are starting to make me feel like I'm going to be sick.  Even so, I am still hungry every 2-3 hours or so, although some meals/snacks make me feel very queasy.  I am still really exhausted by the end of the day and usually around 2:30-3:00 p.m. I get hit with a wave of fatigue.  Nonetheless, I am starting to have nights where I have trouble falling and staying asleep.  Getting up to use the bathroom multiple times doesn't help either.  On top of that the bloating is getting a little out of hand.  Even though Mike says he can't tell, I feel huge and none of my clothes fit me correctly anymore.  I am so thankful that flowy tops are in and that I can use them to hide my gut!  As if that's not all enough, I have been dealing with some crazy mood swings!  Thank God for Mike's patience because I have been off the wall lately.  One minute I'm fine, the next I'm angry, and moments later I'm crying... it's ridiculous!

All in all, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.  Mike and I are just so happy and thankful right now, and every new symptom is a continual reminder that our baby is growing healthy and strong.

Good News

I had been having some strange pains around my right ovary last week and although I was sure it was due to a cyst, I called the OB's office to be sure.  After talking to the nurse, she advised me it would be best to go to the ER and get checked out.  Not what I wanted to hear.  Nonetheless, I left work, called Mike, and headed to the hospital. 

Once there, they got me straight into a room.  I had to pee in a cup and they took blood to check my hCG levels.  Then they inserted a catheter (OUCH!) to fill my bladder immediately and sent me straight to get an external and internal ultrasound.  Thank goodness the ultrasound tech took pity on me and removed the catheter before the internal ultrasound.  I told her she was an angel!

The results?  My right ovary was enlarged, possibly from a previous cyst, and the probable cause of my pain.  Also, my hCG level was at 431, confirming not only the pregnancy, but the fact that it was too early to see anything on the ultrasound.  As most doctors will tell you, your hCG level doesn't mean anything on it's own (though that didn't stop me from Googling it), they only look to see if it is doubling every 48-72 hours.  So, I had to go back Friday afternoon for a repeat blood test.  Since the test wasn't until 1:15, I knew I wouldn't get the results until this morning.  Finally, after an agonizing weekend of waiting, I called first thing this morning for my second hCG result.  My number came in at 1250!  That means that my hCG almost TRIPLED in 48 hours!

Even though the hCG increase doesn't guarantee anything, it is a great sign that our precious little Bean is growing well right now.  We are so thankful for this good news and pray that the rest of my pregnancy is a lot less eventful.  I am so blessed with every day of this pregnancy, every new symptom (yes, even the ever-increasing nausea), and for my amazing husband who makes my life so easy and takes such great care of us.  I am one happy Mama! 

Pregnant!

One little word with so much meaning.  After 8 months of trying to get pregnant, we finally are.  What a surreal/exciting/nervewracking/wonderful feeling!

Some women say that they "know" they're pregnant, others say they had no idea.  I was in the former group.  In order to get pregnant the most efficient way, I had been charting my cycles to figure out when I ovulate.  My chart for this cycle was different than my previous ones, so I did have a hint there.  However, the fact that I was eating starving every 2 hours, falling asleep before 9:00 pm, and finding new fun oddities like a cold sore definitely led to my intuition.

Considering I thought I was pregnant, I decided to test on Thursday, July 14th.  After testing more times than I want to remember the past 8 months, I knew what a negative test looked like, and that one had a definite line.  The line was faint, yes, but it was early and it was there (on two different tests!).  I took a digital test to see that beautiful word I had been waiting to see, but alas, it was too early for the digital.

I didn't want to worry Mike with the light line, so I decided to wait to tell him.  I was still nervous myself, so I decided to try and test again when I got home from work.  Just in case, though, I picked up the most adorable "Daddy Loves Me" bib at Car.ter's on my lunch break.  When I got home and tested again, I definitely saw another line and I decided I'd tell Mike that night.  I wrapped the bib and painstakingly waited for him to get home from work.  When he opened it, I think it took a moment to register.  I wish I could bottle his expression and keep it forever.  Pure joy.  Some people say that when they find out they're pregnant there is a moment of sheer terror - we didn't have that.  I can honestly say we have NEVER been happier.  Mike and I love this baby so much already, I can't wait to experience this new journey with him.  I know he is going to be the best Daddy in the world, and our child is going to be so blessed!

Mike's bib

 In the time between then and now we have been walking on clouds.  On Friday I tested again and was able to confirm my positive tests on 2 digitals!  I am officially 4 weeks 1 day pregnant today, only approximately 35 weeks 6 days to go!  Our little Bean is due March 27th, 2012... right in time for Phillies season!  We can't wait to meet our little Phanatic :)

4w1d - Mama's bloated belly