16w Update

How far along? 16 weeks!!!

Total weight gain: lost 1; down 6 for pregnancy

Maternity clothes? officially, yes.  I tried to wear a pair of non-maternity pants that got me well past 22w last time, and I could only keep them buttoned for about 30 seconds.

Sleep: Getting a little better.  I've still been having strange dreams.  I've dreamt about two ex boyfriends in the last week.  It's bizarre.

Best moment this week: having so many people comment on how cue my bump is getting.

Movement: Yep.  Nothing super consistent, but it is definitely there, and definitely the baby.  I think in the future, I'll feel comfortable saying that I felt the baby move between 15-16w.

Gender: I'm still leaning towards thinking that it is a girl, just because of the lack of boy seen at last weeks ultrasound, not to mention the consistent heartrate in the 150s (151 today) and the fact that this baby is measuring so big -- in the 80th pecentile, as opposed to the boys' single digits.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss : More energy.

What I am looking forward to: Another ultrasound in one week, and then the big reveal to our family the next!!!

Weekly Wisdom: Try not to put more than 12 hours between my BP med dosages.

Milestones: Consistently GOOD blood pressure reading -- 125/82 today!!!!

15w update

How far along? 15w2d

Total weight gain: gained 2; down 5 for pregnancy

Maternity clothes? only as desired, but not always necessary.

Sleep: I'm sleeping through the night, but not resting well. My dreams have left me exhausted and worn in the mornings.

Best moment this week: taking my dear friend to my u/s with me.  Having another girl along made it my most fun u/s ever.

Movement: We found out at the u/s that my placenta is in the back, so the tech said that there is a good chance that the flutters I've been feeling are indeed the baby -- especially when it was obvious that I have a big-time wiggleworm on my hands.

Gender: Due to the fact that the tech didn't see any boy parts today, I'm thinking maybe we ar getting a girl.  But who knows?

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss : My appetite.

What I am looking forward to: Telling my extended family at the Christmas holiday. Only 13 days to go!

Weekly Wisdom: Keep taking my folic acid pills, even though I HATE them with passion.

Milestones: Consistently GOOD blood pressure reading -- 118/82!!!!  And everything looks fantiastic with Chicklet: 10 fingers, 10 toes, 4 chambered heart, 3 vessel cord, beautiful spine, and darling profile.  Measuring 4 days ahead, and steady heartbeat of 157.

14w Update

How far along? 14w1d

Total weight gain: lost another 3; down 7 for pregnancy

Maternity clothes? only as desired, but not always necessary.

Sleep: I'm sleeping through the night, but not resting well.  My dreams have left me exhausted and worn in the mornings.

Best moment this week: hearing Chicklet's healthy, steady 150 bmp heartbeat on doppler.

Movement: I swore I felt something familiar last night, but even with the baby measuring ahead, I can't believe I'd be feeling anything yet...

Gender: Gut is leaning toward hearing "boy" next week.  But honestly, I just want this baby to stay healthy until May.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss : My appetite. About two or three bites into a meal, I'm done. We're eating a LOT of leftovers around here lately.

What I am looking forward to: Telling my extended family at the Christmas holiday.  Only 3 weeks to go!

Weekly Wisdom: Keep taking my folic acid pills, even though I HATE them with  passion.

Milestones: Second trimester!!!! And first 24 hour urine collection.  Fun times!

12w Update

How far along? 12w


Total weight gain: gained back 2; down 4 for pregnancy

Maternity clothes? only as desired, but not always necessary.

Sleep: The medicine I'm on for my chest congeston and pneumonia has Codene in it; combined with my BP meds and Tylenol PM, I'm barely coherent after 9 pm.

Best moment this week: hearing Chicklet's healthy, steady 154 bmp heartbeat on doppler.

Movement: Nope.

Gender: Well, some surprising news this week has me unsure of both my gut and my heart's desire.  I found out that my youngest brother and his finacee will make me an aunt just 6 weeks after Chicklet is born.  I'd like our babies to be opposite gender, for reasons I haven't analyzed, and he really, really wants a boy, so.....I want a girl?  I dunno.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: My appetite.  About two or three bites into a meal, I'm done.  We're eating a LOT of leftovers around here lately.
What I am looking forward to: Going public with the pregnancy.  Only 5 1/2 more weeks til the big announcement.
Weekly Wisdom: Rest when Chicklet's Brother rest. The laundry will get done eventually, but there is only so much longer that I can take advantage of afternoon naps.

Milestones: First heart tones on doppler.  Relief.  The last time a doppler was set to my abdomen, it was silent.

11w Update

How far along? 11w


Total weight gain: lost 6 lbs.


Maternity clothes? the weight loss has affected my waistline, for sure.  I still need some roomier shirts for the "girls" and I can't comfortably wear a belt anymore, but I can still get into regular, non-maternity pants.


Sleep: I've been sick the last week plus, so I've been taking Tylenol Cold & Flu PM.  Due to the sleeping aid in the medicine, I'm sleeping through the night wonderfully.


Best moment this week: Seeing the heartbeat of Chicklet again.  It was a healthy, steady 162 bmp.


Movement: I'm hesitant to say so, because in my head I know it's not possible, but there have been a couple moments where I've thought, "huh, that's a familiar sensation."


Gender: On the fence.  The more I think about it, I don't care -- I just want healthy.  I'm sure there are pros and cons to both genders.


Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In.


What I miss: A "pretty" bump.  I've always sported a nice, smooth, round baby bump.  Now, it's smooth and round, but also black and purple (from the injections).  Vanity at it's finest: wanting prettiness where no one sees.


What I am looking forward to: Feeling better.  As I mentioned, I've been sick with waht I thoguth was just a cold.  Turns out, it might be bronchitis or even pneumonia.  I'm on two new prescriptions, and go back to Dr. M in a week for an evaluation and possible chest X-Ray.  (I've either pulled something badly, or cracked a rib.)


Weekly Wisdom: Rest when Chicklet's Brother rest.  The laundry will get done eventually, but there is only so much longer that I can take advantage of afternoon naps.


Milestones: For the first time in any one of my pregnancies, my baby is measuring ahead -- by almost a whole week.  If this continues at my next u/s, my EDD will be changed to -- get this -- 5/19/10.

Breakfast

Every day, with my morning juice and/or coffee.  Mmmmm!

10w Update

How far along? 10w


Total weight gain: Holding steady at +/- 0 lbs.

Maternity clothes? it depends on the day.  I have been back in my regular jeans and pants this week, and they are tight around the waist, but doable.

Sleep: It still takes longer than I'd like to actually fall asleep, but I've actually been sleeping through the night -- not even having to get up to pee.

Best moment this week: Feeling cute in a maternity dress at church on Sunday and having someone pat my belly and say, "you look so cute!".

Movement: Nada.


Gender: I'm still hoping pink, but I go back and forth.  I'm getting impatient to know, though, that's for sure.


Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In, but I'm having a hard time getting enough "stuff" to grab around my belly button to properly do my injections.
What I miss: Enjoying a bowl of ice cream.  Chicklet seems to have a sweets aversion.  Boo.


What I am looking forward to: Next u/s at 11w. One more week!

Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy having Chicklet's Brother be my "baby" for the next few months.

Milestones: Double digits in gestation.  Whoo-hoo!

Heading towards the 10w mark

I knew my toes were down there somewhere.

Not feeling well

I've been taking it easy for the past three hours, trying to beat down this persistent headache that has been building for a few days.

No relief yet.

I just took my BP, and it's holding steady in the 145/85 range. =(

I have to pick up the Chicklet's Brother from school in a little while, but will continue to try to stay off my feet and still this afternoon, and monitor the BP tonight.  If it stays up, I'll be heading into Dr. M's office in the morning.

=( and more =(

9w update

How far along? 9w1d

Total weight gain: Holding steady at +/- 0 lbs.

Maternity clothes? yes, in pants, skirts, and dresses.  Tops are either/or right now.

Sleep: Better than I expected it to be at this point.

Best moment this week: Having someone in WalMart ask the Chiclet's Brother "are you getting a baby brother or sister?" with a knowing wink at me.

Movement: Nope.

Gender: I'll admit, I'm hoping pink.

Labor Signs: Nope, although my BP was not great at my ob appt this week.

Belly Button in or out? In. .

What I miss: The freedom to not worry about 7 different prescriptions, all refilling at different times, at different dosages, to be taken at different times of the day.  Ergh.

What I am looking forward to: Next u/s at 11w.  14 days from today!!!!

Weekly Wisdom: Try NOT to be so focused on wanting the baby to be a girl, and just focus on health.

Milestones: First run in with the insurance/pharmacy/MFM office.  Fun times.

Oops. It's like I forgot I had a baby blog.

No worries, though.

I'm still here, and I'm still pregnant.

What is there to report?

I've started my Lovenox injections, and after a little mishap with the first shot (I chickened out and had Chicklet's Daddy do it), we've gotten the hang of it: ice before, jab the needle in quick, and depress the plunger slowly.

I had a regular obgyn appointment last Tuesday.  Weight gain is holding steady at +/- 0 lbs.  Yea!  By BP, on the other hand, is on the rise.  It was 144/97.  Yikes.  Dr. M said that she would consult with my MFM to see if we needed to change or increase my two BP meds.

Other than that, I go back to both the MFM and Dr. M on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Until then, I'm just trying to take it easy, not overdo it with Chicklet's brother, and enjoy getting back into comfy, cute maternity clothes.

Can I just say, it makes my heart happy to be closing in on the 9w mark?  Whoo-hoo!

Ultrasound shocker

Well.....

Apparently, I'm just destined to be a humongous freak of nature with the growth of my belly in the next several months, because as of our ultrasound yesterday....

.....we think.....

.....pretty much.....

...that we are having.....

ONLY one baby.

Yep, just one.

Probably.

See, the sonographer decided to try to get what she needed by an abdominal ultrasound rather than a transvaginal ultrasound (which would have provided the most clarity).  And she got the measurements of the Chicklet, the heartrate (155 bpm), and the rest of the inner workings of my uterus.

When we asked her, "Now you're sure there's only one," she promptly replied, "nope."

But she thinks that there is only one, but we'll know for sure for SURE at our 11w ultrasound in early November.

So, no need to change the blog title to "The Chicklet."

Yet.

;)

I know a 6w fetus is not that big yet...

...but holy cow, a baby (or babies) can still do some serious pressure-pushing on my bladder.

Chicklet's Daddy and I went out to dinner last night, and I had to get up no less than FOUR times in a 90-minute timeframe.

All I do anymore is pee and shovel in Saltines.

And I'm loving every stinkin' minute of it. =)

I think the phrase you're looking for is "Holy Crap"

6w4d

Place your bets, ladies.  How many are in there?

Pregnancy Brain

It has struck much sooner, and much more severely, than ever before.

Due to my lack of brain power, my housekeeping has suffered.

Point in case: last night, as we walked into our bedroom, Chicklet's Daddy stared in disbelief at the state of the room.  (Yeah, it was bad.)

I just shrugged my shoulders, and I kid you not, the following sentence came out of my mouth:

"This window has caused my pregnancy to fly right out the brain."

So, I'm pregnant.  Apparently that means I can't make the bed, or form coherent sentences.

Foreshadow?

On Sunday, I had dinner with a girlfriend who I'd met through the Internet (don't you just love blog people?), who also happens to be pregnant -- about a month ahead of me.

We were trying to reassure eachother that this time would turn out great (given both of our past less-than-stellar conception histories).

Wednesday, she went to her first midwife appoint, and sadly, there was nothing detected -- no sac, no baby, no heartbeat.  She was devastated, to say the least.

Her doctor gave her a few options: (a) she was earlier than she thought, and it was just too soon to see anything; (b) the pregnancy was ectopic and she'd need to have an ultrasound on Friday; or (c) it was another blighted ovum.  She had her betas drawn on Wednesday after her appointment, and then just had to wait.

Her midwife had told her that if her betas were over 20,000 (keep in mind, she is almost 8w pregnant to my 5w), it would not be promising that there was a baby.  Under 20,000, there was still hope.

Thursday, she found out her betas were well over 120,000.

Again, she felt hopeless and heartbroken.

Friday morning, she went in for the confirming u/s, and to schedule a D&C.

But instead, she saw a healthy gestational sac, a perfectly formed yolk sac, and a beating heart.  Whoo-hoo!

And not only that, there was another gestational sac, just slightly smaller than the one with the baby.  There is still a chance that a twin is developing!!!

And not only that, but there were two more sacs, smaller than the others, with no visible signs of growth....

But still!  Can you believe it?  She said she knew she was in trouble when the u/s tech put in the wand and said, "Now, T____, did you conceive naturally?".

I can't help but remember what T___ said to me when she found out I was pregnant again: "This is going to be so great.  We are going to do this TOGETHER!!!"

Ugh.  Is it the 5th yet?

Beta, beta, bo beta...

I couldn't think of a more creative (or less cheesy) title.  My mind is still reeling a little from a phone call I received earlier today from my obgyn's office.

Last week, at 4w1d, I had a series of blood draws done.  I was approximately 15dpo (days past ovulation), but I'm guessing, based on my conception history, that I was closer to 12 or 13dpo.  Anyways.  I'd not heard from their office in the following days, so I assumed that all was well.

And then I received the following voicemail:

"Chicklet's Mommy?  This is Nurse from Doctor's office, and I need to speak with you regarding the results of your blood work.  Can you give me a call back at your earliest convenience."
Lovely, right?

So, I call back and tell the receptionist that I absolutley will hold while she finds Nurse, and in the meantime, sweat through my teeshirt.  Nurse gets on the phone all chipper, like usual, and says that I need to get her the phone number of a pharmacy (here, in Out of Town Land) so she can phone in a scrip for me ASAP.  I told her, "I'll be home Monday -- what's the rush?"

And then we do this awkward little dance where I want her to tell me what's wrong and she says "nothing is wrong" and I say "then why do I need this rx ASAP" and she says "Doctor just wants to be extra careful" and I say "why, what's wrong" and she says "nothing" and I say, calmly of course, "What were my betas" and she says "they were great!" and I say, calmly and sweetly of course, "BUT WHAT WERE THEY!!!!!????"

And in my head I'm thinking "over 30 over 30 over 30" (because that was what Chicklet's Brother's first draw was, and what I knew would be in the normal range).

Y'all wanna guess what my 15dpo beta was?

2,521.

Yep.  If you want to know the real significance of those numbers, you can click here or here.

When I told the Chicklet's daddy what Nurse had said, he just laughed.  I have a feeling we may be doing a LOT of that in the coming weeks.

To be continued...

You're already so loved

Little one,

You may be a secret from your grandparents, but mommy is telling everybody else about you.

I had the opportunity to tell a handful of people today -- people that have loved on me through the good and bad of all my prior pregnancies.

The sheer joy on their faces when they learned that you will be joining our family made my heart soar.  Big hugs, happy tears, promises of prayers to be said over your life forever.

You are special already -- and you don't even know it.  But I do.  And so does everyone who hears about you.

I love you,

Mommy

Shhh!

Don't forget -- the Chicklet is a secret from his/her grandparents.  For those of you who are going to be seeing our family in the next several days, curb your enthusiasm in the presence of the grandmas and grandpas.  We can hug and do the happy dance in secret later!

Please pray for no nausea and safe travels as I head home with the little one(s) in tow.  We've had bad weather, and I'm not looking forward to the trip by myself.

See y'all on the flip side!

First of many

I have already lost track of the number of times I've been in my obstetrician's office in the last 7 months.  But today, I walked in with a renewed sense of belonging.

The last handful of times I was in her office, I felt like an imposter.  I wasn't pregnant.  Even though I was there for a post-partum visit, I didn't have a cooing infant in a carrier at my side.

But today, I went in and got on the scale with confidence.  I peed in a cup with confidence.  I sat still for my blood pressure reading with confidence.  I had my blood drawn with confidence.

And when they sent me on my merry way with a gift bag from Similac, as if this were my first, untainted pregnancy, I walked out with confidence.

I have my next appointment with my regular ob on October 13.  It feels like a world away, but I know I'll blink and it will be here.

Bring it on.  I'm ready.

No Fear

Do y'all remember that slogan?  Was it Nike?  I don't even remember the time frame -- maybe junior high? -- that "NO FEAR" was all the rage.  And considering that, for me, junior high was all about crushing on Robbie Beat and growing my hair out long enough to use coordinating ribbons with my cheerleading uniform, I can't say that I even understood the hype behind the slogan.

But now?  Staring down the reality of my fifth pregnancy in just over two years?  The phrase "no fear" has revitalized meaning for me.

I was so very terrified when I learned of my fourth pregnancy.  I wasn't ready; I wasn't excited; I wasn't much of anything, except scared, and wishing that I could turn back time.  The Lord has really sheltered my heart from feeling any guilt over the reality of those emotions.  I know that my fear didn't diminish my love for my son.

But with this new life growing inside of me, I can honestly say that I have no fear.  Only joy.  I am confident.  I am excited.  I already have the feeling that our family will be complete with the arrival of this baby.  Oh, I still think we are open to adoption down the road -- but as far as conceiving and birthing and what not -- I know that this is it for us, and I'm relishing each moment of this -- my fifth and final -- pregnancy.

A growing darkness

A faint line at only 10dpo -- 3w2d:


















Slightly darker at 11dpo:



















And where I finally believe it's real, at 14dpo:
















We're pregnant! And I'm done peeing on things for a while!

A new beginning

Hello, reader.

Welcome to The Chicklet's home.

If you have found your way here, most likely you are one of the few who know that I, the Chicklet's Mommy, am pregnant. Again.

You probably aslo know that we have decided to keep this pregnancy hush hush for a few months. But a girl still needs an outlet, right?

So, I figured that starting a new blog would be a great way for me to chat about all the things I can't talk about on my regular blog, and when the time comes for the news to go public, I can just incorporate these posts over there. Fun, huh? In theory. We'll see how well it actually goes.

A couple ground rules.

If you choose to "follow" this blog, please do so annonymously, so that both The Chicklet and my regular blog don't show up in your "Following" list. Not that anyone would take the time to try to put two and two together.....but you never know. Thanks!

Please only share this blog at your utmost discretion. I don't want to have to go privat on this, but I also don't intent this blog to become uber-popular either. It's just the inner workings of my uterus, people. Nothing too exciting (let's hope).

Alrighty, we are at 4 weeks and counting. Hope y'all are in this for the long haul. We've got 36 more weeks to go!