And...Baby makes FOUR!!!

Well, we have some great news... we are pregnant! I originally started this post back when we found out, and kept adding to it. Here's the story of our second little bundle of joy...as if you are reading it from the very beginning!

*EDITOR'S NOTE: I was told that this post is too graphic for the general public, so proceed at your own risk. :)

Pregnant!! This shot is now a tradition...sorry if it grosses you out :)

Written on August 19, 2011:

As you may or may not know, Justin and I have been trying for awhile to make a little brother or sister for Jack. It's been a roller coaster, and some months we were more devoted to the cause than others (it was tough when he was in California and China for six weeks and we were back in Boston...!) But once we moved here, I found a doctor I liked and made my first appointment. I had my annual "female" exam on August 5th. Dr. Gould is amazing and she immediately did not hesitate to refer us to a fertility specialist for the second time. I scheduled an appointment for my initial infertility screening for August 23. At that time, I didn't suspect that I was pregnant at all, because we had been trying for many months with no success. I was actually looking forward to my period, because it meant that my next cycle would start and we'd have a good chance after the fertility appointment.

My last period was July 18. On a whim, I took a pregnancy test on August 7th, which I thought would be successful, as it was 10 or 11 days after I thought I ovulated. It was negative. I experienced the disappointment of being "out" another month, but threw the test away and the feeling passed. I wanted to get on with being hopeful!

On the night of Wednesday, August 10, we were sleeping and Justin had the window cracked. The plum tree right outside must have had a few rotting plums, and it was the strongest, most awful smell coming in the window. It was so bad that it woke me up, made me gag, and I had to move rooms! Still, it never really occurred to me that I was pregnant. I remember thinking, "ha ha, that's a lot like a pregnancy symptom, it must just be really horrible PMS."

On Friday night, August 12, I took another pregnancy test on a whim. I usually spot for a few days before my period, but I hadn't had anything, so I figured what the heck. I may as well waste another test...not like they are cheap or anything ;)

I was literally in SHOCK as I watched the second line turn pink. It showed up positive right away! I was amazed. I ran out to Jack and told him, because Justin was still at work, and he was really excited about being a "big brother!" He loved pointing at my belly and saying "baby in there!" I started crying and I think that freaked him out, but overall he shared my excitement.

Justin came home from a work dinner late, at about 8:30. He walked in the door and I had Jack up and still awake, and I made Justin sit on the couch. I said, "we have some news..." and Jack interrupted me and said "BIG BROTHER!!!" (We had been practicing!) So I said, "yes, Jack is going to be a big brother!" Justin was really excited. I said, "I can't believe it, are you surprised?" And Justin (being his sweet, logical self,) said, totally serious, "well, no not really, I mean it makes sense because of what we did..." Such a guy!!!

I had my first doctor's appointment on August 18, and she did a lot of feeling around and confirming that yes, I am indeed pregnant. However, she won't do an ultrasound until Friday morning, September 2. By then we should definitely be able to see the baby's heartbeat if everything is well. She said that she could have done an ultrasound at that appointment, but we wouldn't be able to see anything and it would just freak me out and make me nervous. So I am thankful that she was honest and thoughtful about that. As of the writing of this post, on August 19, I am approximately 4-5 weeks pregnant.

This time is much different than last time. With Jack, I didn't really start feeling sick until 7 weeks or later. Now, I am pretty much queasy all the time. I also feel much more lightheaded, especially after standing up suddenly, and I feel very shaky like I have the flu. I am super bloated - to the point where Justin made a comment about how I already have a baby bump. That's a bit disappointing as I worked so hard this spring to lose all the extra weight I had been carrying. I was back down to the weight I was when I got pregnant with Jack, and BOOM! Back to being pregnant again :) But who can complain?? I hope the bloating goes down but I am not betting on it. Heck, why not pull out my maternity pants now? They are much more comfortable. :)

Until they adjust it based on the ultrasound, our estimated due date is April 23, 2012. In other news, Justin and I already started our traditional way of baby-naming. We get a magnetic white dry erase board, put it on the fridge, and we each can write as many names as we want. The other person has the option to cross any of them off at any time. The only name that survived the carnage last time was "Jack"...and this time we already have about 20 names in each column, all but a few crossed out. (And that's only because I am still mulling them over, but they will probably be crossed out soon!) I am somewhat worried that the hospital will have to name this baby, because we are NEVER going to come up with anything together!! Oh well, we have time :)

Written on August 22, 2011:

Maybe my brain just blocked out all the uncomfortable parts of my pregnancy with Jack, but wow! This baby must be a little fireball because this one is a whopper! I am so tired that I can barely get out of bed most mornings. I count down the minutes until Jack's nap so that I can nap too. And, oddly enough, I was vacuuming this morning and the smell of the hot vacuum on the carpet smelled like rotting seafood (??) and made me throw up! Very strange. Anyway, I can't wait to see the little bundle of joy that's making all this worth it :)

Written on August 24, 2011:

When you are pregnant with your first child, it's hard to imagine them growing up. Me, at least, well... I was wrapped up in "wow! My belly is this big today!" and "My child is the size of a lentil bean/grapefruit/watermelon this week!" I could never really wrap my head around what would happen at the hospital and after...when we actually had to bring a baby home and turn it into a little person.

Now, I have that little person. He's amazing. I could spend hours staring at his sweet little face, his perfect skin, eyes, hair, eyelashes. The way he crosses his feet when he's watching TV. How he comes up with new words and phrases that surprise me every day. How sweet he is, by saying "Thank you Mommy" when I buckle him into the car or hand him a cup of water. I am often very frustrated by him, but I am completely in love with my child and I honestly can't remember a time when he was just that little bean inside of me, without being JACK.

It's different this time. I picture this baby not in the abstract, but in the very real future. I subconsciously think of the baby as a "her," which is either a good or bad thing, not sure. So I apologize if I inadvertently type "her" here when I don't mean to. Justin and I were trying to come up with something to call baby until we know its sex (around Christmas time, for those of you anxiously awaiting that moment!) "Baby" sounds too impersonal, for something that we already love so much. But it's all I have right now so I will go with it.

I picture bringing our baby home, and all of the things that we learned last time that we won't have to relearn. I assume that I will be a more confident nurser, because I know now all those little things like how to hold the baby. I know that the baby will have a fussy period of two or three hours every day. I know that it's probably best to just give in at first and let baby sleep with us in the co-sleeper instead of trying to put a 10-day-old into their crib in their own room. I know that I will be exhausted, so tired, so hungry, and yet...elated. I can picture Jack as a big brother, helping with bottles and diapers and getting things for Mommy. I know it will be challenging and we will have our moments, but I feel like this baby is already a part of our family. It's not an abstract thought, it's real to me already. And that's amazing!

Here I am at approximately 6 weeks pregnant (we will have more accurate dating after the sonogram.) Slightly more bulge-y than last time, huhhhmmmm???

Written on September 2, 2011:

This morning, I had my first ultrasound. I was very nervous before going to the doctor, because I kept having a bad feeling that the doctor was going to poke around and say, "just kidding! There's nothing in there, I wonder why you keep feeling so sick? Strange." Anyway, they always tell you to properly hydrate before the doctor's office visits, because they usually want a urine sample and/or to take blood. So, I did. I took Jack to play at the "inside park" and used the bathroom there. By the time I got to my doctor's office (less than 8 minutes away), I had to go again. I begged the receptionist to let me give my urine sample early, so she did. I then sat in the waiting room for 10 minutes max, before they called me in to disrobe in the ultrasound room. I told the nurse, "I am really sorry, but I have to pee again!" so I went. The nurse then took my blood pressure which was an astounding 165/98, and sent the doctor in.

The doctor came in, asked me some questions, and said, "let's see this baby!" In case any of you were wondering (I am sure you were), they do transvaginal ultrasounds for early pregnancies. I'll let you work that out yourself. :) Anyway, she gets all the equipment where it needs to be and starts looking. I can tell as she looks that she is mentally preparing me, because she says, "I can't see anything, but I am not an ultrasound technician, we can always make you an appointment next week to come in when ours is in. And sometimes dating is wrong, it could just be too early..." and my heart starts going a mile a minute. I knew that our dating wasn't wrong. Suddenly she says, "no, wait. The reason I can't see anything is because your bladder is too full and it's in the way."SERIOUSLY?!?! I just peed THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES!! So I rush off the table, throw on my clothes, run to the bathroom, and run back in, basically pulling off my pants as I hop on the table. She "readjusts" everything and BAM! There's the little heartbeat!! Clear as day and beating furiously. I was so relieved! She did some measurements and dated the baby at 6w3days, which puts my "official" due date at 4/26/2012. (There is a little wiggle room but that's generally pretty accurate.) The 26th is a great date in our family, and if it comes early, it could be on Ashley's birthday which is 4/15! Lots to look forward to next April!

Anyway, she took my blood pressure again and it had fallen to 140/88, which was slightly better. I am supposed to watch my salt intake and my stress level. (HA) Since it's still early, they can put me on blood pressure medicine this early to control it. As it gets later in the pregnancy, BP that high starts to become a risk to the baby (after 20 weeks) so we need to get it under control...especially because that's what put me on bedrest with Jack for the last few days, and was the reason I had to stay laying on one side and not moving while I was in labor at the hospital.

And that's it! I go back for a quick blood pressure check next week, and my next real appointment is September 27, when I will be about 10 weeks. Until then, I am enjoying all of the wonderful things about this pregnancy, including horrible all-day nausea, extreme fatigue, and those lovely lightheaded dizzy spells. :)

Here's our baby bean at 6 weeks old!!

You can't see much, but know that the little heart was going a mile a minute :)

We do know that it's very early to share this news, but we are confident in our baby's health and in the event that something does happen, it will be too big not to share with all of you. So thank you in advance for your support and love, no matter what the next 34 weeks (or so) bring to our family. We are so, so excited and we really look forward to meeting this little baby!

In the meantime, take the poll I've set up in the upper right corner of the blog...boy or girl? Let's guess!!