Tuesday, August 30, 2011

My Progesterone Update (Tears - Happy or Sad?!)

I was almost in tears today. The nurse called with my results......

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.... With being on the pills for 1.5 weeks with a combo of the shots, my progesterone jumped from 31.3 to 56.6!!!

1st Draw: 14.9 (when we first found out we were pregnant - 4 weeks pregnant)
2nd Draw: 11.7 (6 weeks pregnant)
3rd Draw: 13.7 (8 weeks pregnant)
4th Draw: 17.6 (10 weeks pregnant) - Closer to 20!!!!
5th Draw: 15.4 (12 weeks pregnant) - Still closer to 20 but not where it needs to be.
6th Draw: 23.9 (14 weeks pregnant) - Over 20!!!! So close to Zone 2.
7th Draw: 23.7 (16 weeks pregnant) - Over 20!!!! Will hear back from the doctor tomorrow because she wasn't in today. :)
8th Draw: 26.3 (18 weeks pregnant) - Closer to 30 and I thought I was in the 27's before and that it went down... Man, I need to be more optimistic there. I am happy to say that my count is above 25 and getting closer to 30.
9th Draw: 30.4 (20 weeks pregnant) - It is over 30 people!!! Amen to that.
10th Draw: 32.4 (22 weeks pregnant) - It is going up!!! But not as high as I would like it.
11th Draw: 33.3 (24 weeks pregnant) - It is going up but because of the infection in my body... I swear that's why it didn't go up more. We are thankful/blessed/grateful that it is going up... It is still painful and looking forward to seeing my doctor on Thursday to discuss our options since I am in 25 weeks now.
12th Draw: 31.3 (26 weeks pregnant) - My progesterone went down and I am on the verge of crying. We have a phone call out to the dr who prescribed the shots. We are thankful though that it is still above 30. AMEN to that.
13th Draw: 56.6 (28 weeks pregnant) - My progesterone has gone up (a whole 25.3 points)!!!!!!! Been on the shots since 4 weeks pregnant & with the progesterone pills for only 1.5 weeks!! God is so good... And we are so thankful that it has gone up.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Prayers Needed

Please keep me in your thoughts today.... Dentist appt right after school. Blooddraw for my progesterone. And a shot..... Some of these things don't excite me.

Will be looking forward to dinner & spending time with my DH & puppy. :)

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Let's See How Much My Tummy Has Grown..




28 Weeks & The Start of the 3rd Trimester!!! :-D

How far along?: 28 Weeks
How big is baby?: Size of a Chinese cabbage
Weight gain/loss?: Definitely stopped weighing myself.
Stretch marks?: Stomach looks amazing. :) Thank you Bio-Oil!!
Maternity clothes?: A combination of maternity pants and regular shirts
Sleep?: Sleep has gotten better. We switched the mattress with the one in our guest bedroom. :)
Food cravings?: I do love slushies (The DH says this is one craving I cannot have enough of), creamy tomato soup from Panera, strawberry poppy seed salad from Panera, hamburgers, chicken, steak, pickles, cheerios & vitamin D milk and ice cream... And pickles.
Movement?: There's plenty of movement going on. The DH loves feeling her move.
Gender?: We have a beautiful baby girl growing inside me. :)
Belly button?: Its changing... It still hasn't popped yet. LOL.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Starting the 3rd Trimester. Baby Shower #2 is next Sunday. :)

PS 9 weeks til we stop the shots & pills. Please pray for us... I go in tomorrow for a blood draw to see where my progesterone is. I hope and pray that it has gone up since I am getting lots of help.



Saturday, August 27, 2011

Cheers to the Beginning of the Last

Tomorrow marks the start of the 3rd Trimester. Can you believe it? I have completed 2 trimesters already. :)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

5 things....

1. I am still on all my progesterone (shots & pills).
2. I did pass my glucose test!!! :) - So I guess that is something to be excited about.
3. I didn't pass my Vitamin D blood draw. So that means I am still on 5,000 ius of Vitamin D daily.
4. I didn't have a great CBC.... I am going to start my 3rd trimester being ANEMIC. So that means 325mg of ferrous sulfate daily. And my doctors won't let me have Slow-Fe so more fiber than ever I guess.
5. And crib #2 isn't right either.... :(

Saturday, August 20, 2011

27 Weeks

How far along?: 27 Weeks
How big is baby?: Weighs about the head of a cauliflower
Weight gain/loss?: Definitely stopped weighing myself. Just know that my butt and thighs are bigger... And my boobs still fit in my new bras... sorta. LOL.
Stretch marks?: Stomach looks amazing. My boobs have a little bit and my thighs have just gotten larger.
Maternity clothes?: A combination of maternity pants and regular shirts
Sleep?: Sleep is alright... Not the greatest.
Food cravings?: I do love slushies (The DH says this is one craving I cannot have enough of), creamy tomato soup from Panera, strawberry poppy seed salad from Panera, hamburgers, chicken, steak and ice cream... And pickles. AND I forgot to add my newest addition - I am loving cheerios with Vitamin D milk for breakfast.
Movement?: There's been movement especially when I'm trying to sleep or sitting. I feel it has picked up when I'm laying on my side. Its amazing. :)
Gender?: We have a beautiful baby girl growing inside me. :)
Belly button?: Its changing... I bet it pops in a week or two. Closer than it was last week. LOL.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Last week of the 2nd Trimester!!!! Bring it on!!!! :)

Baby Shower Pictures (the DH's side)




Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Progesterone Help

Well, today I had my 26 week appointment and we got to meet a new doctor. We both really liked him even though he was all over the place.

I finally got to talk to the doctor who prescribed the progesterone shots. And she first thought I should stay on the shots. That is what she prescribed yesterday... Though she thought about it after sending info to her nurse. She came up with two other solutions. And one I turned down right away. The option I went with is a time released progesterone pill. Please keep me in your prayers as I prepare to start them tonight.

Here's to a higher count in a few weeks.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Birthing Class #2

Birthing class #2 has been an eye opener. Right now, I know the DH and I have talked about who we are going to have in Labor & Delivery.... Just me and him and the doctors of course. Then after everything is done, we are going to go into postpartum room (which I hope is private). I don't care if it costs us more money. Just praying that we can get a private room. When I am finally in the postpartum room, then we can have company hopefully. The second item would be when we would want visitors, if my pregnancy is going to be hours (like 20), maybe I will want to see some of the family. But when you add emotions and what not, maybe not. LOL.

Homework for the next week:
- Try 2 relaxation items.
- Create a birthing plan and discuss it with the DH. (Hopefully he will help me create it).

PS Next week's birthing class we are discussing medicine and other items. When I asked the DH if I wanted an epidural or not. He knew the answer. He said I would rather be one that requests it instead of the nurses asking me all the time. He also said he knows that I want to try to do this without an epidural but thinks I will cave. How supportive! I think he is being realistic knowing me and what not.

Please pray for us.. Tomorrow is our first appointment with a doctor and it happens to be the day for my glucose test. Should be fun (maybe?!).

26 Weeks Progesterone & Prayers Needed Please

1st Draw: 14.9 (when we first found out we were pregnant - 4 weeks pregnant)
2nd Draw: 11.7 (6 weeks pregnant)
3rd Draw: 13.7 (8 weeks pregnant)
4th Draw: 17.6 (10 weeks pregnant) - Closer to 20!!!!
5th Draw: 15.4 (12 weeks pregnant) - Still closer to 20 but not where it needs to be.
6th Draw: 23.9 (14 weeks pregnant) - Over 20!!!! So close to Zone 2.
7th Draw: 23.7 (16 weeks pregnant) - Over 20!!!! Will hear back from the doctor tomorrow because she wasn't in today. :)
8th Draw: 26.3 (18 weeks pregnant) - Closer to 30 and I thought I was in the 27's before and that it went down... Man, I need to be more optimistic there. I am happy to say that my count is above 25 and getting closer to 30.
9th Draw: 30.4 (20 weeks pregnant) - It is over 30 people!!! Amen to that.
10th Draw: 32.4 (22 weeks pregnant) - It is going up!!! But not as high as I would like it.
11th Draw: 33.3 (24 weeks pregnant) - It is going up but because of the infection in my body... I swear that's why it didn't go up more. We are thankful/blessed/grateful that it is going up... It is still painful and looking forward to seeing my doctor on Thursday to discuss our options since I am in 25 weeks now.
12th Draw: 31.3 (26 weeks pregnant) - My progesterone went down and I am on the verge of crying. We have a phone call out to the dr who prescribed the shots. We are thankful though that it is still above 30. AMEN to that.


****Please keep me in your prayers as this is difficult and makes me worry about my baby.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

26 Weeks!!! :) And a drs appt.

How far along?: 26 Weeks
How big is baby?: Size of a eggplant
Weight gain/loss?: Definitely stopped weighing myself. Just know that my butt and thighs are bigger... And my boobs still fit in my new bras... sorta. LOL.
Stretch marks?: Stomach looks amazing. My boobs have a little bit and my thighs have just gotten larger.
Maternity clothes?: A combination of maternity pants and regular shirts
Sleep?: Sleep is alright... Not the greatest.
Food cravings?: I do love slushies (The DH says this is one craving I cannot have enough of), creamy tomato soup from Panera, strawberry poppy seed salad from Panera, hamburgers, chicken, steak and ice cream... And pickles.
Movement?: There's been movement especially when I'm trying to sleep. I feel it has picked up when I'm laying on my side. Its amazing. :)
Gender?: We have a beautiful baby girl growing inside me. :)
Belly button?: Its changing... Not popping out yet. Closer than it was last week. LOL.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Almost finished with the second trimester!!! :) We have a drs appt this week and we get to meet one of the three doctors. Hopefully the crib comes in (We had to return the first one because there was a defect).

PS - Baby Shower #1 is tomorrow. :)



Friday, August 12, 2011

Last Night - Oh My

So last night, the DH and I were chilling on the couch. He tried to help my back pain go away. After he was done massaging my back, I grabbed his hand. AND she kicked two or three times... He felt it. The DH thought it was cool but weird. (I don't think he understands that I feel her every time she kicks/punches/whatever action/motion she does against my belly).

So glad she was able to show her daddy that she can kick/punch/move and he can feel it. :)

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Letter to Our Baby Girl

Dear Baby Girl,

Just wanted to tell you how much we love you. And we are so excited to meet you in 11 to 14 weeks. We hope and pray that you continue to grow and develop inside of me. It is so important that you stay inside my womb until you are full term. And we hope that you are not as stubborn as your mommy and daddy and try to stay in the womb beyond the 40 weeks.

Please know that so many people love you and pray for you all of the time. God has definitely blessed us with you.

We love you lots.

Hugs & Kisses,
Mommy & Daddy

PS Mommy really likes that you are moving around and kicking/punching her insides. Please continue to grow so that Daddy can feel you move soon.

Update on Progesterone

Today I finally got to see the doctor who put me on progesterone... I haven't seen her since March 2nd. So its been a while. Today we looked at my injections sites and discussed if/when I get to go off the shots.

Average woman can be taken off progesterone if her levels spike and stay high. This usually happens around weeks 28-32. Another note, some women are not taken off of the progesterone until they are full term. So you are talking around weeks 36/37.

So if you do the math, I am 25 weeks now. My levels have not spiked. So if by God's help, my levels spike in the next 7 weeks, I might be taken off. Or worst case scenario, I have another 11/12 weeks left of shots.

Please keep me in your prayers. You would think these shots would get easier but they haven't... Today, the DH had to give me two shots (The first one hit a vein and blood came into the syringe (insert lots of tears - quite painful) AND the second shot worked and I didn't feel it (THANK GOD).

On a side note, the nursery is finally painted the way we wanted it... Just took us two tries on the pink. I think we are happy with Colonial Rose and Apple 4. Pictures to come after we get everything in there.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Maternity Photos

So my husband gave me a wonderful gift for our anniversary. We got some maternity photos taken on our anniversary.

Our wedding photographers were the ones he chose. We got an awesome deal and over 300 pictures were taken. Our favorite ones will be posted tonight on Facebook. I cannot wait to share with them with my loved ones.

Here is a sneak peak.... :)





Tuesday, August 9, 2011

25 Weeks, 15-ish to go!! :)

How far along?: 25 Weeks
How big is baby?: Size of a rutabaga
Weight gain/loss?: Definitely stopped weighing myself. Just know that my butt and thighs are bigger... And my boobs still fit in my new bras... sorta. LOL.
Stretch marks?: Well I take back my stretch marks remark... I've been doing really good.. And there aren't really there (so far).
Maternity clothes?: A combination of maternity pants and regular shirts
Sleep?: Sleep is alright... Not the greatest.
Food cravings?: I do love slushies, creamy tomato soup from Panera, strawberry poppy seed salad from Panera, hamburgers, chicken, steak and ice cream... And pickles.
Movement?: There's been movement especially when I'm trying to sleep. I feel it has picked up when I'm laying on my side. Its amazing. :)
Gender?: We have a beautiful baby girl growing inside me. :)
Belly button?: Its changing... Not popping out yet. Closer than it was last week. LOL.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Getting closer to the end of the second trimester. :) ...Repainting the nursery this week... Yeah, we couldn't live with the color we went with. LOL.

24 Week Progesterone

1st Draw: 14.9 (when we first found out we were pregnant - 4 weeks pregnant)
2nd Draw: 11.7 (6 weeks pregnant)
3rd Draw: 13.7 (8 weeks pregnant)
4th Draw: 17.6 (10 weeks pregnant) - Closer to 20!!!!
5th Draw: 15.4 (12 weeks pregnant) - Still closer to 20 but not where it needs to be.
6th Draw: 23.9 (14 weeks pregnant) - Over 20!!!! So close to Zone 2.
7th Draw: 23.7 (16 weeks pregnant) - Over 20!!!! Will hear back from the doctor tomorrow because she wasn't in today. :)
8th Draw: 26.3 (18 weeks pregnant) - Closer to 30 and I thought I was in the 27's before and that it went down... Man, I need to be more optimistic there. I am happy to say that my count is above 25 and getting closer to 30.
9th Draw: 30.4 (20 weeks pregnant) - It is over 30 people!!! Amen to that.
10th Draw: 32.4 (22 weeks pregnant) - It is going up!!! But not as high as I would like it.
11th Draw: 33.3 (24 weeks pregnant) - It is going up but because of the infection in my body... I swear that's why it didn't go up more. We are thankful/blessed/grateful that it is going up... It is still painful and looking forward to seeing my doctor on Thursday to discuss our options since I am in 25 weeks now.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Strong Enough

This weekend we met up with some of our friends and it was so great. We talked about a lot of things that are going on in our lives. One thing that the wife of our friend brought up was my progesterone shots. She asked how I felt about the shots and how it affects me and the DH.

I thought about this more and more as the night went on. Also as I write this entry, it makes me think..... How far the medical field has come and how this drug is supposed to help women not miscarry. It amazes me that it took us 7.5 months to conceive and with two shots every week, we are able to keep this baby... This baby that is growing inside of me.. She is kicking me oh so lightly right now.

I dislike/hate the shots but I know this is the only way I can keep her healthy and growing. The shots hurt. There's the truth. Some days are wonderful and I cannot feel the solution going into my butt. There are other days when I can feel the solution burning inside of me and I cry. I mean who wouldn't cry as a needle is placed inside of you sending an oil-based solution in your body. I know it could be worse... Oh I know it could be. And I am thankful that it is just two shots a week. Unfortunately my count is not high enough for us to go down to one shot or even none. And the doctors have not told me or the DH when the shots can stop. We continue to pray... So many people continue to pray for us and the baby. We pray that the counts get higher, that the shots help the baby... Though it is hard to accept all of this... I know God thinks we are strong enough. And that is why I am attaching the link to Matthew West's "Strong Enough". (The link isn't working... But try to find it on YouTube.)This song reminds me that I am strong enough with God. Even though there are days that I don't believe this. God shows me that the DH and I are strong enough.

P.S. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I'm going back to the doctor today (not for a 4 week check up or anything) ....The injection site of my shot on July 21st has not healed and could be infected. The injection site swelled up and was very warm. Also a pool of blood surfaced on the top. This has never happened before and the doctor is going to look at it to double check.