20 Week Ultrasound/ Anatomy Scan

Thank you Lord for our precious daughter, and all of my little angels!

Well, she's still a baby girl and a perfectly healthy looking baby girl! The doctor said everything looked wonderful. My blood disorder does put me at a higher risk for heart defects so they want me to come back in 10 weeks, but for now, he said she looked perfect!

I got a picture of her foot and I counted 5 toes there! I think she's gonna have big boat feet just like me!

I felt like I was having contractions for about 2 hours last night but refused to be the fool who cried wolf at the ER so I stuck it out and went to sleep. It seems to be better now, though I have felt a few today. They measured the length of my cervix and said it was fine.

I walked through Storkland on my way home, hoping to be inspired by something to decorate her room. I didn't see anything I liked though and decided that I need to raise the price of my wall letters. They had them for sale for $18 each and these were just painted white, no designs... I am way under priced based on what I saw today!

Trying to decide on a theme for baby girl's nursery!

I just can't seem to find a crib set or theme that I really like. I don't really want any of the store bought sets because they are so cartoony and most are pretty cheesy looking. I also can't decide if I want something modern or vintage, pastely, super baby-girly. I'm also excited to make wall letters and hairbow holders for our little princess!

I have found one piece of a crib set that I like, this is the bumper:

and the whole set looks like this, but I'd prefer putting a green sheet with white polka dots and some kind of tulle or lacy crib skirt.

20 Weeks

Halfway there!! Though, in some ways, it seems like I've been pregnant for much longer, and in others it feels like time has flown by since I found out I was pregnant. I just need to be patient! I have a checkup this afternoon with my OB. I know I will have some blood work to do and they usually do a 20 week ultrasound but I'm not sure she will order one since I have an appointment for my anatomy ultrasound on Thursday with my high risk doctor.

I have had migraines EVERY SINGLE DAY! And, today, on top of the migraine, I feel like I'm going to puke my guts up for the first time in weeks! Hopefully, this will pass!

Good news! A few days ago I was able to feel our baby girl move from the outside! She tumbled like a little gymnast for a long time yesterday. Jeremy still hasn't felt or seen her move yet because she's only away when he is at work.

Joshua was doing better since his stay in the hospital but he was up ALL NIGHT LONG 2 days ago saying his stomach hurt. He has a fever right now too. He refused to eat anything yesterday and isn't too keen on drinking anything either. I don't know what to do aside from sitting on him and forcing things down his throat. I don't want another trip to the hospital!

Nathan's Christmas pageant is tomorrow at preschool. I'll post pictures afterwards. He has a part in the play too- he's a wise man! He is so excited and I'm so proud of him!

Just throwing this out there...10 DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS!!!! WOO HOO! I just wish I had money to enjoy it!

19 Weeks

I'm almost to the half way mark! Not much to report about this week though. I am just mostly thankful for my children this week! I am so glad to have my little Joshy home and not hooked up to machines in that hospital bed! I am happy to report that he is back to his normal, sweet, crazy self! I felt so bad for having to leave Nathan while we were in the hospital with Joshua. It was only the second time he had spent the night away from us. The first being when Joshua was born. He seemed to do fine though and now he's excited that he will be having another slumber party with Grandma when our baby girl is born.

So back to our new baby GIRL! I still cannot believe it! We are having a daughter!!! I really never thought this would happen. I thought I just wasn't meant to have a girl. I was made to be a mommy to boys. God has a plan and he has a reason for holding out on this precious girl for so long.

I received my very first baby gift from my friend Crystal. I will have to add a picture of it. It is a very cute outfit, white shirt with a pink crown appliqued and pink polka dot sleeves with pink and white striped pants and a satin pink headband with a diamond crown. I just couldn't believe I was getting such tiny clothes, such tiny pink clothes! So, over the weekend, I went out on a venture to buy my first pink item for her. I hit up a consignment sale early and left empty-handed because I just didn't see anything I liked. I ended up buying her first outfit at Target. It is a white dress with flowers and a bumble bee and rainbow striped bell bottoms. I can't believe I will have a tiny baby girl to put this on in a few months!

She still has no name....After I found out I was pregnant, we talked about having the baby's name be Elizabeth Grace if it were a girl. Now that it is, I am having second thoughts. When I was pregnant with Nathan, I was sure he was going to be a girl and I was going to name him Annabelle. So that name is slowly creeping up in the back of my mind. I just can't decide on something so hugely important. I tried weighing the pros and cons of each. Here are the names I found that our daughter could be teased with:

Annabelle: people say that's a cows name and call them annasmells, taco bell, or anna big belly...what if our baby is chubby and smells?

Elizabeth: Lizard, lizzy the lezzy, lizardbreath, E-lesbian, ditsy lizzy.... the list goes on.

How do you decide what's best?

Bubbles And Butterflies....Some of my recent creations!

I just wanted to share some of the orders I have been working on lately.

Wall Letters (PS- I can't wait to pick out a name for our baby girl to make a set for her! I've always been jealous because I haven't been able to use the girly fonts for myself!)

Batman Wall Letters

Pink & Green Wall Letters
Baby Gap Giggling Turtles Wall Letters

Pottery Barn Kids Eli's Elephant Wall Letters

Hair Bow Holders (Yea! I finally get to make one of these too!)

Tutus (I can't wait for one of these too!)

Pick me up off the floor....It's a GIRL!!!! I'm having a daughter!!!

I am still in shock! I just didn't expect to hear those words! The ultrasound tech said I'm pretty sure it's a girl, but the baby was in a bad position, so she said she would come back later and see if it had moved any.

The students started looking around again and the girl stopped on a screen and she said "oh.....no...." I said, "That's a penis isn't it?" The girl said, "No.......hmmm...." So I say, "Is it both?!?" They both bust out laughing and say "No, we can't say anything, but that's definitely a girl."

So, the tech came back in to look again and my tiny baby had moved and sure enough, SHE is a GIRL!!!

It still hasn't sunk in yet...I need to buy something pink, and maybe name my child one day!

Wow...what a crazy few days!

I decided to take Joshua to the doctor on Tuesday because he had a fever over the weekend and had developed a cough. I wanted to make sure he didn't have pnemonia or the flu. Well, it turns out that he was severly dehydrated. The doctor said he would "go down the tube fast" if he wasn't hospitalized. So, I had to leave the doctor's office and take him to Sacred Heart Children's Hospital right away.

The gave us a room, took his vitals, and weighed him. He was only 29 lbs, when he is normally around 33. They finally took us to a treatment room and started his IV and took blood. This was the worst thing I have ever put any of my children through. They had to try 3 times to get a vein that didn't explode. To top it off, they squirted water up his nose and sucked it out with a machine to test for flu and other viruses.

Everything came back negative other than him being positive for RSV, and infection in his lungs. So, we were quaranteened for 2 days in his tiny hospital room while they pumped him full of fluids.

I am so proud of my brave little boy! He was so good and took everything so much better than I ever expected! He is so strong and such a trooper!

Santa, Mrs Claus, and Frosty paid him a visit in his room last night. They gave him a big stuffed dog which he named Fluffy. He would never give they any eye contact, but he sure loves that dog!

Before they discharged him today, they gave him a flu shot and the H1N1 shot. That was horrible too, having to hold him down for that was awful! He got over it fast and was ready to bee line it for our house!

Yesterday afternoon we let grandma come sit with him for a while because I had an appointment for an ultrasound at the hospital and didn't want to cancel and have to wait for another appointment. So, I'll keep you in the dark for this post, but I know what IT is now...... :)

18 Weeks

Woo hoo! I made it through the dreaded 17 week mark!! I am sure I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but I have not felt any movement in about 2 days. Yesterday I woke up with pains in my stomach but they finally went away. I don't want to call my doctor about every little thing because I know they think I am crazy. I just need my sweet baby to give me a good nudge so I know it's ok.

I am so excited because I am going tomorrow for an ultrasound! I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tomorrow and make it through the whole day until the afternoon! Granted it will be students practicing on me, but my child is bound to cooperate enough in the hour's time for someone to see some genitals! I am so praying for a girl but I will love a boy just the same as I love the 2 I already have! I just want that experience and fulfillment of having both. Everyone around me gets to dress their children in bows. dresses, and pigtails, and I just want that same experience. I suppose if this baby is a boy, I can put bows on him until he's old enough to know better! :)

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas around here. We put up our tree on Thanksgiving. I ended up having to re-decorate it a few days ago because I couldn't take the purple and silver we've used for the past few years! Plus, Nathan always puts the ornaments at eye level in only one spot. Elfie also made his grand debut Thanksgiving night. The boys found him on the front porch, waiting for us when we got back from their grandma's house. They were both so excited to see him again after a long year! Now, it is a game every morning trying to find where he has perched for the day. I went shopping this past week on Black Friday. I didn't really get the things I had planned to because of the lack of funds and mass confusion in the stores. It was fun to start off the Christmas season at a ridiculous 4:30 am though.

Well, I hope to post again tomorrow night with good news of a precious baby boy or girl!

17 weeks....I'll hold you in heaven...

Well, today marks a bitter sweet 17 weeks of pregnancy for me. Today, I am reminded of the loss of one child, as well as the blessing of another.

17 weeks is when I lost my precious baby boy, 4 years ago. I never got to hold him. I never named him. I have nothing to remember him by. I have nothing left of him beyond the picture in my head of his tiny, lifeless, perfect body. I'll meet him one day. I'll find the perfect name for him one day. I'll hold him one day.

Sunny days seem to hurt the most
I wear the pain like a heavy coat
I feel you everywhere I go
I see your smile, I see your face
I hear you laughing in the rain
I still can't believe you're gone

It ain't fair you died too young
Like a story that had just begun
Then death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell that I've been through
Just knowing no one could take your place
Sometimes I wonder who you'd be today

Would you see the world?
Would you chase your dreams?
Settle down with a family?
I wonder, what would you name your babies?
Some days the sky's so blue
I feel like I can talk to you
And I know it might sound crazy

Sunny days seem to hurt the most
I wear the pain like a heavy coat
The only thing that gives me hope
Is I know I'll see you again someday
Someday, Someday, Someday.......

For now, I am thankful for the precious miracle child that God has placed inside me. I will love and cherish this baby each day I am given with it.

16 Weeks...We Have A Trouble Maker On Our Hands!

Well, I had my monthly checkup yesterday, prepared to give my doctor this long speech about why I needed an ultrasound for this consignment sale coming up and that this is the week I found out last time I was pregnant...etc.... She asked if they were able to see anything at my 12 week ultrasound and I told her that the girl refused to even show me. And, before I could pour out my soul to her about how I had to have an ultrasound, she says, "Well come on back, I'll take a look!" I was so thankful! However, my child is a stinker. It kept it's legs crossed the entire time! We couldn't see anything from the top view, and from under the butt, the umbilical cord was right between the legs. She said, "Well, that's too big to be a penis and it's pulsating." She told me, "All I can say is I don't see a penis but I just can't tell."

So, I left with no answers, but did get to see my little turkey alive and moving and disobeying for the first time! The baby's heart rate was 162, which it was 160 & 161 the last two times it was measured. The wonderful part was that the nurse was actually able to find it with the doppler this time! I was sure something had gone wrong because I didn't feel movement for the past few days and my stomach seems to have slightly shrunk. But, "Baby HeShe" as Nathan named it last night, was doing well!

I have scheduled an ultrasound in 2 more weeks with the students at Sacred Heart (just for fun- for them to practice on me), but am hoping we'll get a better look at the privates this time! I am going to go crazy waiting 2 more weeks, but it's better than the 4 weeks I was going to have to wait! They would have seen me at 17 weeks (that's the earliest they accept patients) but they are booked for the next 2 weeks- just my luck!

On other notes, we took the boys to the mass chaios at the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show. It was loud and cram packed with people and over priced nasty food with flies in it. Yes, I was starving and my husband comes back with nachos for me (cheese practically frozen), but I was so hungry that I ate it anyway. Towards the end, I look down and there are 3 flies in my cheese. I wanted to puke! It was interesting though! Now my husband has been inspired to join the Air Force. Too bad their age cut off was this year for him!

Girl or Boy?

I have a checkup with my OB tomorrow. My hopes are that I will be able to talk her into sending me for an ultrasound and I'll be able to come back for my 16 week update knowing if my sweet baby is a BOY OR GIRL!

So I need suggestions as to how I can bribe the doctor into giving me an ultrasound! I should offer to clean her toilets or file some papers. I need to practice my best begging face. On the other hand, I haven't felt any movement for a few days again. This happened last week, I went a few days with no movement, then one big day with some full body rolling going on in there. So, I will be terrified walking into the office and will have some serious high blood pressure when the nurse goes to listen to the heart beat. I just wait for them to tell me the famous, "I'm sure the doctor can come in here and find it right away." I just hope I don't hear that tomorrow!

So pray for #3 to be PINK!

15 Weeks!

Well, not much to report about in the past week. I just wish I could get rid of my headaches! I have one every single day, many of them morphing into migraines throughout the day. I'm sure the stress of my kids acting ridiculous does not help the situation! Other than that, I feel alright.

We have been preparing for Hurricane Ida the last few days. Jeremy disassembled the kid's trampoline because we had just bought it and didn't want it to end up and a tiny crunched ball of steel like a neighbor's did during Hurricane Ivan. It ended up being downgraded to a tropical storm yesterday and made landfall over night. It didn't bring much more than rain and a little wind. So all is well and our family is safe!

So Thanksgiving is coming up! I love this time of year and my most favorite part is Black Friday! The day after Thanksgiving is my day to shop like a crazy person, giving I hopefully have money this year to do it! It also brings the start of the Christmas season! I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I love decorating the house and the whole feeling of Christmas! I am looking forward to it!

I am so proud of my big boy, Nathan! He never wants to go to preschool because he says kids beat him up. He is so much bigger than all of the other kids but will not stand up for himself. He has been taking taekwondo for about 2 weeks now. He had a kid run into him on the playground and he clinched his fists and yelled at the kid to "watch what you're doing." I couldn't have been more proud for him standing up to that bully who has previously kicked my son and is mean to everyone. The teachers said the kid looked so stunned and ran away.

I have a checkup next week at my OB's office. I should be 16 weeks which is when I found out what Josh was the last time I was pregnant. I am going to get on my hands and knees and beg for an ultrasound. I need some good excuses for why I need one!

Results From My Early Screening Blood Work

Just got a call from my Dr. office with the results of my blood work....my risk for down syndrome went from 1 in 950 (based on my age) to 1 in 660 (based on my blood work)...not happy that it went up, but what can you do? Good news is that my risk for Trisomy 13 & 18 went from 1 in 1,700 to 1 in 34,000!! Thank you Lord!

14 weeks!

Well, I officially had my first bout of real sickness last week...yep, I chucked my guts up for the first time! I have to admit, I felt much better afterwards! I have felt like I was about to repeat that morning several times since, but have not so far!

Yesterday morning, right after I woke up, I felt little taps in my lower stomach on the right side. It only lasted about 30 seconds, but I slapped Jeremy, trying not to breath, and told him, "I feel it moving!" Then, again last night, as I laid down on my side, I felt the taps again in the same spot. I just laid there, trying to soak it all in for as long as I felt it. What a wonderful way to begin and end my day, and what a wonderful reminder that my little angel is alive and thriving, and growing bigger everyday!

We took our boys trick or treating on Saturday. Nathan was Wolverine and Joshua was Batman. Nathan got all sad because Jeremy and I didn't have a costume. So, he tried to dress me in everything he had, from his Woody cowboy hat to his GI Joe gear. I finally ended up putting on an orange shirt and pinning black felt pieces to make my stomach look like a pumpkin. He really liked that idea! Jeremy decided to wear red pants with a blue shirt and walk around with the kid's Optimus Prime helmet on. We looked ridiculous, but it was for the sake of making our children happy!

Ultrasound from my NT scan

Here is my sweet little baby!

Of course, the ultrasound tech refused to even look for the gender, but I am just happy to know that he or she is in there, alive, and growing bigger! There were 2 arms & 2 legs and my nuchal fold measurement was in the normal range! We even got to see the baby having the hiccups and spitting, or what looked like spitting! It was amazing and such a miracle to see this tiny baby living inside me!

13 Weeks

Well, not much to report about this week. I have had a few days where I felt like I needed to throw up and really wished I would have just to get some relief, but for the most part, I feel pretty normal and not really pregnant at all!

I have had a few instances where I am fairly positive that I felt my tiny baby moving or rolling. I think it was unmistakably baby and not gas! I can't wait to feel him/her moving throughout the day and know my baby is alive and well!

I have an appointment in 2 days with my high risk OB, Dr Thorpe. This is for a Nuchal Translucency Screening Test. It consists of a blood test and ultrasound. It is used to determine whether you are at risk of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality, such as Down Syndrome, trisomy 13 or trisomy 18. I can't wait to see my baby actually looking like a baby! I am also curious as to what the baby will measure, as it measured 7 days behind where it should be based on my last period. Hopefully my tiny tike has miraculously caught up!

I was hoping that they could also give me an answer to the gender of our little angel. I know it will be too early to tell, but I am still hoping!

I will post pictures from the ultrasound on Thursday!!

12 week checkup!

Here is a quick ultrasound I got on my doctor's dinosaur machine...

I went in for my regular checkup and the nurse tried to listen to the heartbeat with the doppler. She couldn't hear it and said those famous last words, "I'm sure the doctor can come in and hear it right away." I told her that I've heard that before and I miscarried last time they told me that. The doctor came in with the doppler and tried....and tried...she couldn't hear it either. So, I was sure I had miscarried again.

She took me back to do a quick ultrasound to see if she could see a heartbeat. When she put the probe on me, there was a little human in there and I didn't see it moving, then all of a sudden it jumped and started flapping its arms. She says to me, "Well, they don't move without a heartbeat!" I started crying like a crazy fool. All I have seen up until now has been a blob of nothingness with a heartbeat.... This was a REAL BABY this time! With an alien face, flapping arms, and its legs crossed, just relaxing after a round of what looked like jumping jacks! I was so relieved and so thankful to our Gracious God for this baby inside me!

12 Weeks- WOO HOO!

Today marks 12 weeks of pregnancy for me. It seems just like yesterday that I took a pregnancy test. I hope this is a sign of the next 28 weeks to come and go so fast! Nothing eventful has happened this week. I still feel normal and not as nauscious as the past 2 weeks, so that is a wonderful thing!

We took the boys to a corn maze last weekend and it was so HOT that it made it pretty misrible, but they loved it anyway. I didn't really think we would ever find the exit but we finally did- it felt like a victory!On another note, my baby sister is pregnant also with her second child. She is 7 weeks along so she is about 5 weeks behind me. I hate that we live so far apart from each other! She is also hoping for a girl this time and is mad about the name I have chosen if I have a girl...Elizabeth Grace (aka Lizzy Grace :), because she wants to name her baby (if it happens to be a girl), Grace Kelly and she thinks they are too similar. So, here was my solution to the problem....Get over it cause my baby's gonna be born first! Hahaha... The joys of being a big sister! The names have significance because our mother, who passed away 4 and a half years ago was named Kelly Elizabeth and our grandmother who passed away about 9 years ago was named Grace. I chose Elizabeth Grace because I loved how sweet it sounds and it just seemed fitting for me to remember my mother and grandmother. Elizabeth means "consecrated to god," or "God's promise," and as for Grace, in high school, my English teacher gave us "Grace Days." She said these were something you were given that you didn't deserve.

Going to my regular OB today for my monthy checkup. Hopefully I'll be able to hear my little turkey's heart beat for the first time today!

11 Weeks!

Well, I waited so impatiently for 11 weeks to come so I could take my Intelligender Gender Predictor. Here is the result I got:

So...according to this, it's gonna be a GIRL! Of course, I was hoping it would say this but I'm taking it with a grain of salt and trying not to get too excited! It was fun and now I just have to wait to see if it is right.

Now to recall everything I said about not being sick during this pregnancy....week 10 hits and the bottom drops out! I haven't actually thrown up but been pretty nauscious or it may be better explained as "sour stomach." At least I'm not yacking my guts up, just feeling like I might...

On another note, I've always heard that the more times you have been pregnant, the sooner you can feel your baby move. Call me crazy, but I've felt this baby move. I know it is supposed to only be 1.5"-2.5" long, but I swore I felt shim yesterday and then again this morning. Who knows.... I know with the baby I miscarried at 17 weeks, I felt him moving at 12 weeks. I've read online that it's possible, so who knows...

My regular OB appointment is next Tuesday, I should be 12 weeks! Woo Hoo...Good Bye 1st Trimester!

Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

10 weeks!

Remembering my little blessings today the ones here with me and the ones I have yet to hold... I am so excited for this new tiny angel to grow inside me. I can't wait for him or her to join our family in a few months. I am so grateful that I am so easily able to get pregnant while others try for years and never get a child of their own. I don't even try at all and this is my 5th pregnancy! Not that anything other than conception comes easily for me!



"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
Psalm 139: 13-16



Last night I hardly slept at all due to the sore bruises I have all over my stomach. I couldn't sleep on either side and definately not on my back because I can't breathe from the pressure on my arteries back there. It was a pretty misrible night but it is just the beginning to my journey and I'm sure it will get better soon.

Compound Heterozygote MTHFR

What Is MTHFR?
MTHFR (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase – what a mouthful…) is a specific gene found on a specific chromosome within every cell in every person The MTHFR gene produces an enzyme responsible for a multi-step process that converts the amino acid homocysteine to another amino acid, methionine. The body uses methionine to make proteins and other important compounds.

What is a MTHFR Mutation?
An abnormal change in gene structure, called a mutation, of the MTHFR gene can cause a disruption of the MTHFR enzyme’s normal function of breaking down homocysteine.
The two common MTHFR gene mutations occur at specific locations called “positions” along the gene. The one we generally test for is located at position 677. At this location, one amino acid base pair is different, in that Cytosine is replaced by Thymine. This mutation is thus called C677T. Another mutation we test for occurs at position 1298. At this location, Adenine is replaced by Cytosine and is therefore called A1298C.

MTHFR mutations are common. The mutations can be “heterozygous” meaning they occur only on one strand or “allele” of the chromosome, or they can be “homozygous”, occurring on both alleles. The frequency of a heterozygous C677T mutation is common, occurring in about 35% of the population. The homozygous C677T mutation is about 5-10% of the population. A mutation in A1298T is more common but is generally less problematic. The homozygous variety of A1298T occurs in 9% of the population. Another mutation involves both the C677T and the A1298T alleles. This is a “compound heterozygous” condition that occurs in approximately 17% of the population.

How Does MTHFR affect Pregnancy?
If the MTHFR gene is malfunctioning, homocysteine can build up and cause problems, both in the cardiovascular system, but also with pregnancy. At this time, we’ll confine this discussion to the impact on pregnancy.

Some MTHFR mutations are more serious than others as far as their ability to cause problems during pregnancy. Specifically, women who have multiple pregnancy losses are more likely to have a MTHFR gene mutation.

The association of MTHFR and recurrent pregnancy loss is under great debate. Some clinicians and researchers feel that the mutations can cause blood clots between the developing placenta and uterine wall, thus preventing transport of vital nutrition to the developing fetus. This usually occurs early in pregnancy when the embryo or fetus is most vulnerable.

It is unlikely that the exact mechanism of how MTHFR affects pregnancy loss will be worked out in the near future. As a result, women and clinicians need to understand that there is no set “standard of care” protocol for dealing with recurrent miscarriage in the presence of a MTHFR mutation.

9 Week Ultrasound

So, I had my first appointment with our high risk perinatologist yesterday. The baby looked fine, was in there and moving around. He/She had a heart rate of 183. We did not get any clear pictures because I had an empty bladder and I also have a funky uterus which makes it difficult to see anything. Not to mention, the shoving the doppler into the flesh of my c-section scar makes me want to die!


Here is the best of what we did get:

Looks like a turkey to me! I should have been 9 weeks and 1 day but the baby measured 8 weeks and 1 day.

I have to go back in 4 weeks for some further testing for genetic abnormalities such as spina bifida, down syndrome, and cleft palate type things. They said it would consist of an ultrasound and blood work. And, apparently the MTHFR mutation I have causes me to be at greater risk for these birth defects- especially since I was not taking folic acid 3 months before I got pregnant. I wasn't taking it because I wasn't trying to get pregnant. However, I'm now on 10 times the normal recommended dosage which they told me now brings me to the level a normal person would have- absurd, huh?

So, in my consultation yesterday, Dr. Thorpe tells me that he doesn't think my MTHFR mutation is the cause of my losses. He said that he thinks there is something else going on but they just haven't found it yet. Considering all of my health issues over the last year and a half, this makes complete sense that I have some weird problem that no one can find...I feel like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle with all of my mutations!

Now, for anyone wanting info on the MTHFR mutation, I will post some brief things that I have learned in a new post.

Just think, my baby will look like a REAL BABY in the next ultrasound and not a turkey!

9 Weeks!

Today marks 9 weeks of pregnancy for us! I can't wait for the first trimester to be over and behind us so the chance of miscarriage decreases significantly! I will always have worries though until this little angel is out and screaming!!!

Tomorrow I have my first appointment with our high risk perinatologist. I am so excited to see our tiny tadpole again and am praying that he/she will measure right on track with where it should be. They have great ultrasound machines and flat screen tv's on the wall so you can see everything the tech sees! I am so thankful that God put this DR in my life. I had heard his name before and while I was pregnant early on with Joshua, there was a huge article in the PNJ about him and the high risk patients he sees. I thought that alot of the things he treated patients for sounded like my symptoms, so I insisted that my OB refer me to him. They tested me for everything in the book and did genetic counceling with us as well. I was elated to finally have a explaination for the losses we had gone through. They gave us a course of treatment and we had a healthy, wonderful angel boy in the end!

I am so excited to try a product I saw on Good Morning America. It is a baby gender predictor that is sold over the counter and says it can be used as early as 10 weeks. You pee in the cup full of chemicals/hormones and after 10 minutes, it turns orange for a girl and green for a boy. The website says it is 90% accurate in labs and 82% in real world studies. So yes....I am falling for the "As Seen On TV" scam. It is a whoppin $35 but my curiosity gets the best of me! I can't wait to waste my money on this product!

I hope to have many ultrasounds to share tomorrow showcasing our healthy beautiful tadpole!

A few changes...

Well, before I post my 9 week update tomorrow, I thought I'd chronicle my journey through the last few days. I don't think I mentioned in my last post about my visit to the ER last week. It was on Friday morning in my 7th week, as soon as I woke up I knew something wasn't right. My stomach was hurting so bad and I thought I just had a virus or food poisoning but after about an hour, I was finally able to coach my 2 year old Joshua on where to find the phone and bring it to me. I called Jeremy at work from the hallway floor. I was crying so hard I don't think he even knew half of what I was saying but he knew I was in pain! So, he rushes home and has to pick me up out of the floor and dress me. I have never been in so much pain in my life- even labor with Nathan when I was screaming "let me die!" didn't hurt this bad. It was low down in my stomach on the left. My OB said to go to the ER immediately because it could be an ectopic pregnancy.

Jeremy dropped me off at the door and I walk in hunched over and all I could get out of my mouth was, "I'm pregnant and I'm dying." They rushed me back and wheeled me through the hallway on a bed- wouldn't even let me walk. They started an IV, then started sucking my blood out left and right. Then, they proceed to put a catheter in me which I thought was going to be the death of me! In the midst of this, they push Jeremy out of the room and tell him that they need to make sure they aren't dealing with life or death. He was crying and I was screaming in pain! Finally, I was able to get some morphine which slowly started to work!

They sent in a lady to do an ultrasound. She filled my bladder through the catheter which is HORRIBLE in case you've never had that done! She wouldn't let me see the screen or tell me if there was a baby in there or if it was alive or dead. I remember calling her a robot and telling Jeremy that the robot was trying to kill me. I also remember crying out loud and saying, "I don't have a mama..." Not sure if I've ever been given morphine before but I wanted some to take home! haha!

In the end, they had no explanation for the excruciating pain I had. They told me a possible twisted ovary or ruptured cyst. Whatever it was, I don't want ever again!!

So, I called my work when I got home Friday afternoon about 2:00. I talked to the new front desk lady who clearly has a problem with me for no reason. I tell her what happened and that I didn't think I should come in the next day because I'm usually alone on Saturdays at work and didn't want to get stuck there in the floor of the office if it happened again. She told me "No problem, I'll take care of it. You just get better." So, apparently, she just told everyone I was sick...I'm sure they thought I called out because of morning sickness or something stupid.

Well, I go to work last week on Thursday. I give my boss some earrings she had ordered from me. Everyone seems normal. I see the broker in the elevator and we have friendly small talk. They send me to lunch, then send the new girl when I get back. I went to the bathroom while she was gone and had some spotting/ really light bleeding. I messaged my boss upstairs and told her that I had a little bleeding and thought I should probably go home and call the DR. She writes back, "I'll be right down."

When she comes down, there was never any question about whether I was hurting or if I was ok...NOTHING! She says to me that they had "budget talks." I said "Ok, I know, there is no reason to have 2 people working on one day." She tells me that they would try to call me back in December or something...

Please keep in mind I had been promised time and time again a raise in October. They pay the other 2 ladies $5 an hour more than me. I liked the people I worked with and my job, so I hung in there and thought my patience would pay off.

I get a call today from an agent who talked to the broker last Friday. He told her that they let me go because I wasn't happy and I didn't like it there. Plus, there was alot of things I couldn't do now like moving tables and chairs. This agent said to him, "You know she's pregnant right?" He responds, "Oh yes, but she can't do those things that we need her to." And, she proceeds to tell him, " You know she has lost 2 babies, right?" Of course he didn't know and I hope he felt like a (excuse this) ASS! He also said that I started not showing up and calling in sick. Out of a year that I worked there, the day after my ER visit was the only day I called in sick. I also took a day off for my son's birthday. So, I don't know where that is coming from. I just hope he sleeps well at night with the decisions he made. I also love how loosely he translates the company motto of "God first, then family, then business." However, I'm sure what goes on in the "small people's" lives is no concern for him....

8 Weeks!

Today was my first real OB apointment. They didn't do much other than the pee test, weight check, and blood pressure. The doctor took me back to look with the ultrasound machine, but my bladder was empty and my uterus was tilted so she couldn't see anything. She did manage to get the lady at the hospital to squeeze me in at the end of the day. I had to chug alot of water to fill my bladder and waiting about an hour. She still couldn't see much with the abdominal ultrasound, but was able to get an overall view of things. Then we resorted to the old fun vaginal ultrasound.

She did 2 different measurements to confirm my due date. By my last period and 100% certain day that we conceived, I would have been 8 weeks along today. One of her measurements came out with me being 6 weeks and 4 days and the other (crown to rump measurement) was 7 weeks. As you can imagine, I wasn't happy with either number- especially when I know for sure what my dates were. Plus, the 6 week measurement would mean that I would have gotten a positive pregnancy test when I was 2 weeks pregnant which anyone who has been pregnant knows that your first 2 weeks of pregnancy, you really aren't pregnant at all, it accounts for your period and ovulation. Which makes her 6 weeks 4 days measurement completely impossible.

Needless to say, this is discouraging for me, but non the less, there is a baby in there with a strong heart beat (which was a whoppin 161!)

So pray that my baby is fine and normal and really 8 weeks along and will continue to grow and is just a little runt!

7 Weeks!

So today marks 7 weeks for our little baby! The weeks just cannot go by fast enough for me!! We will finally go to our real first OB appointment a week from today, where they should do our first ultrasound! I cannot wait for all of my worries and fears to hopefully be put to rest! We were talking about how easy this has been so far. I practically have no symptoms of pregnancy, as far as not being nauscious, or having heart burn (which I had from day 1 in all of my other pregnancies). Jeremy said yesterday, "What if the baby isn't growing?" Which made me also think, "What if the baby isn't growing...?" Then made me want to slap him, so I reply with, "Well, something's growing in there cause my stomach is growing!"

I keep going back and forth with when I should shout it from the roof top that we're expecting another baby. I just don't know what the right time is, and it is becoming pretty obvious VERY FAST by my appearance! I think I will come clean to all of our friends and the people I work with next week after we know everything is progressing like it is supposed to.

So, I have no news to report for 7 weeks other than my body is rapidly expanding. I'm gonna start putting spare change away for my tummy tuck after all this!

6 Weeks!

So, check out my stomach! I am convinced that I am going to birth octopulets! There is no way I should be this huge already. Maybe I'm harboring some massive tumor or something because this just isn't normal! None of my clothes fit anymore but I refuse to wear maternity clothes this early!

Nathan's birthday was this weekend. He had a good time, but cried later in the day when I asked if he had a good birthday. He was upset that no kids came (well, 1 girl did). It breaks my heart because he is so desperate for friends. I wonder if you can put out a "personal ad" for friends for your children?

My first official OB appointment is still 2 weeks away. I've already done everything that they typically do at the initial appointment except the ultrasound! I can't wait!!

5 Weeks!

Got the call from my OB today... My HCG levels went from 69 to 149 in almost 3 days. I know they are supposed to double every 2 days so I would have liked to see a larger second number, but the nurse said it was fine. My progesterone was a 41 which she said couldn't be better. She did say that my HCG levels were low but it is ok because it's still early. Not reassuring enough for me though!

So, I am still hanging in terror, but at least I have proof that it is progressing. My stomach is already way more huge and bloated than normal...I know I'm fat, but not usually this fat! (Notice the bruises I'm already getting from these stupid shots!) I don't know if I'll be able to walk 8 months from now!

Jeremy is convinced that our tiny baby will be a girl because I have not felt sick and haven't had any heart burn (except once). I had severe heart burn with both boys from the time they were conceived! So, he's hoping for a girl! By the way, our baby's heart should have started beating this week!

J & K + 3

Yep, that's right! I am once again, expecting a baby! This will be my 5th pregnancy! It sounds crazy to say that!! I am still not in belief 100% yet. I have to go for a second round of blood work today to make sure this is a viable pregnancy. I had a little bit of bleeding last week. It was nothing like the miscarriage I had very early on. So, my hopes are that everything is still good, and our tiny baby is growing strong! I should know by tomorrow. I have not told many people, and since no one really reads this, not many more will find out here, I am just dying to tell someone!

Our new baby should be due May 4, 2010 (but we all know I'll have him/her sliced and diced out a week early, making it around April 28, 2010!)

We are hoping and praying for a baby GIRL, so join us in asking the Lord for barbies and pigtails! Although, I would love a baby boy just the same.

I have started my shots in the stomach again. When I was pregnant with Joshua, we didn't find out about the blood clotting problem until I was 16 weeks pregnant. This means I have a longer journey of shooting up and bruising ahead of me! I counted the other day that I am taking 8 pills and 1 shot per day- that's a lot of medicine!

My first real OB appointment is in 3 weeks, which will be at 8 weeks. I've already seen my doctor once to check out the bleeding issue, but this will be my first ultrasound. My stomach is already swollen like I'm about to birth octuplets. I don't know why, but it isn't normal. The OB said I could have had a cyst burst last week when my stomach almost exploded!

So, there's my big news! No matter what happens with this baby, I know God has a plan and it is according to his timing, not mine.