Post Baby Weight Loss

I have reached my 6 weeks postpartum.  I got approval from my doctor to start working out again!  I'm so excited.  I have lost quit a bit of weight since having her, I am down 23lbs.  I currently weigh 130lbs.  My pre-pregnancy weight was 121 lbs.  So that is my goal for now to accomplish.  I am going to periodically post my progress with pictures.  I am going to start out with running and doing Bodyrock again.  Then when I feel ready I will start Insanity!  I'm so excited to be able to do this and have the support of others to help me reach my goal.  :)

The picture on the left is 
37 weeks, on the right 6 weeks postpartum

   

MOVING!!

I am 8.5 months pregnant and I received a phone call from my property manager with bad news.  The owner of our house has decided to move back to Oklahoma.  That means for us that we are having to move!  I can't believe that this has happened,  luckily for us we have another house we can get from our property manager.  This is just the worst time for this to be happened since I am so far along.  I guess we just have to deal with it and move on.  There is no reason to stress over it since there is nothing that we can do.  Sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal with it. 

Labor and Delivery

Sorry it's been a while.  I have been very busy!  I had my beautiful baby girl, Aubree, on Election Day I was 37 weeks and 5 days.  I went into labor on Sunday night, but the contractions weren't close enough to worry about. Then Monday they were coming every 15 minutes or so. Then by early Tuesday, around 2am they were every 5 minutes apart. So I went to the hospital and they sent me home because I was still dilated 1cm. I went back that day at 9am and still no change. But, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute! The nurse made the doctor come and see them because she knew I was in labor. When they walked in I was in so much pain they admitted me right away.
I went around 4 or 5 hours before I was able to get an epidural. The thing was I wasn't dilating from were I had the LEEP procedure. I had been in labor for over 36 hours before they finally admitted me!!! The LEEP had caused me to have scar tissue and it was keeping me from dilating. I was screaming I was in so much pain. My poor husband was in tears because he couldn't do anything to help. Then I finally got the epidural and when they checked me again it made the scar tissue finally tear open. I dilated from 2 to 6 within 5 minutes. It caused me to have a continuous contraction and it was squeezing Aubree. They were making me change positions trying to get it to stop. It made her heart rate dropped and they were preparing for an emergency C-section. They gave me a shot in my uterus and it finally worked. They had to stop my labor completely for 2 hours. Then they started giving me Pitocin to start it up again. I dilated the last 4 cm in around 1.5 hours after that. I ended up pushing for around and hour and it was over!! I have never been in that much pain in my life!!!!  But it was well worth it! 

Welcome to the world Aubree Rae!  6lbs, 1oz, 18 inches long. 

OBGYN: 31 weeks, 4 days appointment

 I can't believe how fast everything is going with this pregnancy.  Everyone is right at first it goes by so slow and then after you find out the gender it flies by!  In two days I will be 8 months pregnant!  It doesn't seem real to me, but is starting to sink in.  I went for my 2 week checkup today.  Everything is normal and good.  I have gained 1lb since my last visit 2 weeks ago.  I have gained a total of 20lbs according to the doctors office.  In one month I have to have a strep B test done.  They told me it was standard to do and is no big deal.  I'm assuming it's just a culture they get.  If I do have it then I have to have antibiotics during labor.  I do know that women that get it can pass it to their babies giving them this infection.  I have no idea what causes it, I just hope that I don't have it.  Even if I do then at least I know it's no big deal and is common.

I did speak with the doctor about my swelling.  The doctor said it's still normal and nothing to worry about.  She thinks that the baby is laying mainly on my left side and is pressing on my blood vessels.  That is the reason why my swelling is a lot worse on my left side.  After 35 weeks I will start to go every week.  I will also start getting checked to see if I'm dilating or thinning at this point.  She also heard from the cardiologist and everything with the ECHO looked good.  I love getting good news.  :)

This day has been a rough day.  Aubree started kicking and moving at 4am again.  I finally got up at 5am because I was worried I would wake my husband up.  I just couldn't get comfortable.  She continued to move until around 10am, then she finally stopped.  The nurse asked me what I had feed her that morning because she was all over the place.  I laid down for a nap when she stopped moving, but 45 minutes later she was at it again.  Needless to say it's going to be a long day...

High Risk Doctor: Update 31 weeks

This is my last visit with the high risk doctor.  I was so excited because we were able to get another ultrasound of the baby!  At first the doctor was concerned since I have been having braxton hicks contractions.  I had a vaginal ultrasound first to make sure I wasn't going into labor early.  This was the main concern and the reason for seeing this doctor in the first place.  Luckily everything was just fine and I have not been dilating or thinning out.  They think I should be able to carry Aubree full term and there is no need to see them anymore.  I was so happy that everything is going good, but bummed at the same time because I like getting the ultrasounds.  At this visit I am 31 weeks.  Aubree is weighing an astonishing 4lbs and is 17 inches long!!  They are predicting her to be around 8.5lbs if she goes full term.  All I could think about when I heard that was "that's a big baby!" LOL

Defeated Again!

Today I suffered another defeat.  But, first I must tell you what happen a month ago.  I know that the farther along you go in your pregnancy the less you will be able to use your abdominal muscles.  With that being said this is what happened.  I was on my way to a birthday party with my husband.  He was driving and I decided to adjust the back of the carseat....that was a mistake.  As soon as I hit the lever my husband accelerated on the gas.  As he did this I went flying backward, I was stuck flat on my back with no hope of getting up.  That is when I first discovered that my abs were no more.  As I laid there trying to get up without success all I could do was laugh at myself.  Eventually I was able to get back up with the help of my husband.  This was my first encounter with unusual accidents.

This brings us to present day.  I was getting some clothes out of the dresser in our bedroom.  Of course what I am looking for is in the lower drawers.  After I get out the shorts I needed I went to close the drawer back, but it was overstuffed.  I proceeded to tuck things in, as we all do, in hopes that it would close.  Let me remind you that I was in a squat while doing this.  As I shoved the drawer forward the momentum knocked me off balance.  The next thing I know I am a wobbling mess as I hit the floor, back first.  I just laid there for a moment realizing what happened.  I have literally been defeated by my dresser... 

Cardiologist Update: Echo

Today was an uneventful day.   I went to get the scheduled echo and it only took around 10 minutes.  The lady said that she wasn't a doctor, but to her everything looked good.  I seen her write down mild on the paper which is were I have always been with my mitral valve.  I'm so happy that the pregnancy hasn't seem to effect anything.  I will get a phone call sometime next week to find out the results.  I'm not worried about anything, but it's always best to be safe. 

I also think that Aubree is going to be a morning riser!  She woke me up at 4am this morning moving and kicking.  I decided since I was already up I should go ahead and do kick counts.  It didn't take but a couple of minutes to do because she was so active!   I just hope that it's not this way when she actually joins us in this world.  She usually wakes me up every morning between 5:30-6:00am anyway.  The doctor said it sounds like she will be a morning person.  I can thank my husband for that he is the same way!  I already told him that he can get up with her because he is the reason she is like this anyway!!  LOL 

Doctor Appointment: Week 29

Went to the doctor today for my monthly checkup.  This was my last visit going monthly and now I will be going every 2 weeks.  I had a weight gain of 6lbs since my last visit.  She told me that my gain is right on target!  That's always good to hear, I would love to be able to get back into shape soon after Aubree comes.  I was measuring were I needed to be also.  Overall, the baby was perfect and had a had a heartbeat of 160bpm.  

As for me I didn't sleep well again last night.  I keep getting numbness and tingling again.  I thought it had passed because I hadn't had it in a few weeks.  My hips are starting to hurt too when I lay on them for longer than an hour.  So it's been really interfering with my sleep.  The nurse said I had mild swelling in my legs and feet.  Besides that everything is good with me too.  

The doctor spoke with me about getting induced since my due date is on Thanksgiving Day.  I told her that I didn't want to be induced unless it was medically necessary.  I don't really care that it's around a holiday.  She said that she couldn't let me go over a week past my due date, so if I haven't went into labor by Nov. 29 that will be my induction day.  She also said that she thinks I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions, but they are nothing to worry about.  She said when I can't walk or talk during the contraction, it's the real deal.  I was also told to make sure to do kick counts, which I have already been doing.  If the baby hasn't moved 10 times within 2 hours she told me to go the hospital.  Aubree seems to be getting on a schedule and it's been easy to count her movements so far.  I go for an Echo tomorrow.  I'm sure that everything will be fine with that too.  

I feel so thankful to God that our baby girl is healthy! 

Post-Baby Exercise

I have always been into working out.  Every since I was a little girl I have been in some type of sport growing up.  I must say that one of the hardest things about being pregnant is the lack of exercise.  For those that read this and exercise regular know exactly what I'm talking about.  It's almost addicting and if you don't do it then you feel bad.  My husband has been doing the Insanity workouts for about the last 6 weeks.  I must say I am jealous because I want to be doing them with him!  For me right now taking a 20 minute walk it exhausting.  So, I have decide that I'm going to give myself a post baby workout challenge!  

My plan is start workout again ASAP after Aubree comes.  I know that I have to wait 6 weeks after labor to be able to do this.  So, when I am able to go for walks again that will be my first step.  Then after the 6 weeks is up I am going to jump right into doing Bodyrock again.  I told you guys about this before.  I really think it had a huge impact on me getting pregnant and sorting out my hormone levels.  I will continue to do this for a month.  They offer monthly challenges and I will do one of those.  After that I am going to go all out and do the Insanity challenge.  It's around 60 days and will be perfect.  I'm sure that in between all this I will start running again.  It's something I have always like to do and is great for just clearing my mind.  

I'm going to record my progress as I go and those that want to follow along and give words of encouragement are more than welcome.  I'm going to take the last picture while pregnant and have that to show how much weight I have gain throughout the pregnancy.  Then I will take one after the baby comes.  I know many times your body will go down, but you still aren't in shape.  Then once I can start the Bodyrock challenge I will take a before and after.  The same will go for the Insanity Challenge.  I feel very confident that this will help me to get back to were I was before pregnancy.  I really hope to get support from everyone reading this.  I have already spoke with my husband and is on board to help me any way he can.  I can't wait to get this started!  

For those that want to follow my husbands progress with his Insanity challenge I will put a link below.  Also, I will link Bodyrock in case you want to start your challenge now!  ENJOY!  

http://thewayoftheartist.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.bodyrock.tv/

Hiccups!

I have been hearing that at any time I could start to feel hiccups from the baby.  I know that some women never feel them, so I wasn't expecting to be able to.  Well, the other night I went to bed and starting feeling little movements.  They were rhythmic, so I knew it had to be hiccups.  After a few minutes, Aubree started getting mad about it.  She starting kicking and moving around the whole time.  They lasted around 5 minutes and she wasn't happy at all!  I got the biggest kick out of it.  I really think that she is going to have an attitude!

I also wanted to share my newest picture that I took.  I am 29 weeks and actually got to take this one with my husband! I look really tired because I am!  I feel like I never sleep all the way through the night anymore.  I've resorted to taking morning naps again after my husband leaves.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem to help.  I just keep telling myself that it's only going to be for a few more months and of course it's all worth it. 

Life Changing Decisions

I was talking to my husband the other night about our future.  He has a little over a year left with his enlistment.  He hasn't decided whether or not he wants to reenlist for another four years.  So we decided to talk about all the options we have and weigh them out.  

The first option is for him to reenlist.  If he does then what would he do?  That is the main question.  There are five options that he is considering if he stays in the military.  

The first is to retrain into another job.  What this job would be we don't know yet.  But, it would mean going to Mississippi for him and getting more schooling.  I would be staying in Oklahoma until he gets placed to his new duty station. This would last for a few months, so it wouldn't be a long time away.

The second would be to become a recruiter.  If he did this there would be a chance of us go back to the East coast.  We aren't a huge fan of the Midwest, so this is a big plus for us.  We would have to stay one year longer in Oklahoma after his enlistment is up.  But, in the long run I think it would be the best option. 

The third option is for him is to become a teacher.  If he did this it would mean moving back to Mississippi.  He would teach men and women right out of basic training and those needing to continue their education.  I wouldn't mind this to much and it would be four hours closer to our family! 

The fourth option is for him to become an officer.  This has pros and cons with it.  The pros would be double the salary and increased respect from others.  The cons would be OTS training, which is 3 months while I stay in Oklahoma.  Then we would move to another state for 6 months for more training, sort of another tech school for him.  Then we would go to his permanent duty station.  Once he becomes an officer he would deploy more often and we would move every 3 years.  To me this isn't much of an option, but to him it is. To me I would rather have my husband at home as much as possible.  The money doesn't mean anything to me if my family would be apart.

The last option is for him to find a job outside the military.  If this was chosen the main question would be what job would he find.  With the degree he has we still probably wouldn't go back to the same state as our family.  Just because there isn't many job opportunities there for his line of work.  Finding a job that offers all the military does would be hard in the civilian world. 

We didn't come to any conclusions, but it is good to talk about.  I'm sure there will be many discussions before we make a final decision.  Luckily, we have some time left before we have to decide.  Are there any other military wives out there with this coming up in your lives?  If so, what are you going to do?  

Cardiologist Visit

Today I went to see the cardiologist, finally!  For the last two weeks my heart rate has been running higher than normal.  I have a blood pressure monitor at home so I can keep an eye on my husbands blood pressure.  I have been checking mine too lately.  My BP has been good, but my heart rate is running around 99 bpm.  This is when I'm resting so I wanted to make sure I asked the doctor about that today.  Also, I have been having shortness of breath when I lay down at night. 

I got into the doctors office this morning and had an EKG first thing.  The doctor came in and told me that everything looks and sounds fine.  I asked him about the increased heart rate.  He said that was normal with pregnancy, it's just from my heart working harder pumping more blood.  He also believes that the shortness of breath is just from pressure on my diaphragm when I lay down.  He suggested changing positions to relieve the pressure. 

I have to go next week to have an Echo done.  The main concern with someone with mitral valve prolapse is increased regurgitation.  He explained to me that when you are pregnant your heart enlarges.  Due to this and the increased flow he is afraid that the valve may not keep the blood from flowing back into my heart.  The Echo will show if there is anything structurally to worry about, especially for the labor and delivery.  This is something else that is precautionary, but better to be safe than sorry!

The Kangaroo Method

I am planning on breastfeeding when the baby comes.  I have been hearing a lot about the Kangaroo Method.  This is the definition I got offline from Wikipedia for those that haven't heard of it before.  "Kangaroo care seeks to provide restored closeness of the newborn with mother or father by placing the infant in direct skin-to-skin contact with one of them. This insures physiological and psychological warmth and bonding. The kangaroo position provides ready access to nourishment. The parent's stable body temperature helps to regulate the neonate's temperature more smoothly than an incubator, and allows for readily accessible breastfeeding."

I am wondering if this really works.  I recently went to a breastfeeding class and they spoke to us about this also.  Research has shown that if you are wanting to breastfeed, performing the Kangaroo method will increase your chances of being successful by 70%.  I know there are many mothers out there that haven't done this method and have been fine with nursing their baby.  But, if there is anything I can do to help increase the chances of being successful I will do it.  I also think that this will be a great bonding experience for my husband.  That has been a concern of mine too.  I want him to be able to bond and most men do that by feeding their baby.  But, if I breastfeed he won't be able to do this for a while.  If anything I think it would be great for him and her to do. 

I'm wondering if anyone reading this has done this method before after giving birth?   If so, did it seem to help?  Please leave comments below. 

What's in my hospital bag :)

Since I am considered a high risk pregnancy I think it's important to be prepared.  One thing I can do is to get my hospital bag ready.  I am in the third trimester now, so it's important to have this in the car in case something was to happen while I was out.  There was only one problem, what should I take?!?  After speaking with many moms I finally came up with what I thought was important to bring on that special day.  To make it easy I'm just going to list them.  :)

~ Baby take home outfit.  I actually have the cute outfit, a onesie that is preemie just encase the other top doesn't fit her.  Plus, one of my friends had a baby and her little boy peed on his outfit before they left the hospital.  So, I have a backup outfit too.  A little overboard I know! 

~ A comfortable outfit for me and shoes

~ Phone charger

~ Camera with extra batteries

~ Socks, 3 pairs

~ Toiletries

~ Undergarments

~ Nursing bras.  I plan on breastfeeding. 

~ Bobby pillow

~ Nursing pads

~ Nipple cream

~ Blanket for the baby.  She is due in November so it will be cold out.

~ Baby Book.  I have this one on here because I have a section in the book were you can get the babies hand and foot prints.  Most of the time the nurses will do this for you.  

Don't forget that you will also be getting a bunch of goodies from the hospital.  Like unused diapers and wipes from the pack they were using for your little one.   If you have any suggestions that aren't on here feel free to leave them in the comments below. 

Spa Day at the Children's Shelter

This past weekend I volunteered again to help at the children's shelter.  It's something that I really love to do.  Seeing the children's faces and how much fun they are having makes it worth it every time.  When I woke up that morning I must admit I didn't really want to go because I was so tired.  Tiredness seems to be a daily occurrence now.  But, I had made a commitment and this wasn't about me.  We had a spa day with the girls.  There were four of us volunteering that day and five girls.  We did mani/pedi's and facials.  They also had little goodie bags to take with them.  They all seemed to love it and to see the smiles on their faces was priceless.  

That previous morning I had to go to the grocery and get the oil changed in the car.  After doing all that I knew it was going to be a long day since I had to go to the shelter too.  I had two hours to rest up after that busy morning before I had to leave again.  The drive to the shelter is an hour total there and back.  I was there for 3 hours.  When I got home my wonderful husband had thrown a pizza and fries in the oven for dinner.  I was so exhausted that I went to bed at 8:30 that night.  

I spoke with my husband about the volunteering and we both think I need to slow down.  Everything seems to be harder on me physically.  Also, if I am on my feet for more than a couple of hours they start to swell pretty bad.  After talking it over with him I think this will be my last time volunteering until after the baby comes.  We only meet once a month, so next couple of times I will be 8 and 9 months.  I just think it will be to hard on me.  In some ways I feel guilty and sad about it because I love doing it.  But, I have to think about my health and the babies health now. 

I just started my third trimester and I'm in the final stretch!  

Glucose Tolerance Test

Since I was suppose to go to the Cardiologist today I decided to go ahead and get my glucose tolerance test instead.  The Cardiologist is on call this week, so he is not taking any appointments.  I'm scheduled to see him next week.  I just hope and pray that everything is okay.  When I was in high school I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse.  It's a heart condition were the valve does not close properly and I can have blood reenter into the valve.  I have a very mild case, which does not require medication.  But, I have not seen a cardiologist since high school.  So it's been around 12 years and I think it's important to have it checked out.  

Since I had an opening today I decided to go and get my glucose test.  I didn't really know what to expect, but it wasn't bad at all.  The hardest part was fasting for 8-14 hours.  By the time I got into the lab I hadn't ate or drank anything for 10 hours.  Once I got in there they gave me around 12oz of glucose to drink.  I only had 5 minutes to drink it, but to me it tasted like an orange popsicle.  Since that has been one of my pregnancy cravings I had no problem drinking it.  After I finished it, it did have a weird aftertaste.  The baby started kicking and moving around, she was on a sugar high I think...lol.  I had to wait around for an hour before they could draw my blood.  I had to give three vials total.  Then after that I was able to go home.

When I got home the first thing I did was eat something.  After that I went to sleep.  I don't know if it was just the sugar rush and crashing from it, but I slept for 2 hours.  I still feel a little groggy, but overall it wasn't a bad experience at all. 

2nd Trimester - Signs/Symptoms

My second trimester has just come to an end.  I must say that I was feeling pretty good until the last week.  The tiredness has come back and all I want to do it sleep.  During the first part of the trimester I was having some round ligament pain.  But, I got a prenatal massage and that took care of that problem.  I have had some standard swelling in my hands and feet, but nothing to drastic.  Overall, I would say that this trimester hasn't been bad at all.  

We have decide on a name for our baby girl, Aubree Rae!  We love it and are so happy that we have finally made a decision.  It was a long and length process, but we finally came to a compromise.  What we did was picked a name and tried it out for a week.  If by the end of the week we didn't like it anymore we would move on.  Aubree has been going strong for over a month now.  We decide on the middle name Rae in honor of my husband father.  His middle name was Ray, so we have decide to use that name, only using the girl version.  

I am starting to get a little anxious about the baby coming.  Not so much about being a new mommy, but more about the labor.  I know that it will be fine and that women do it everyday.  But, that doesn't change the fact of it being scary.  I guess it's just not know what to expect.  

I did receive a phone call the other day and my cardiologist appointment was moved back a week.  So that makes a total of 10 weeks now that I have had to wait to get in! 

Doctor's Appointment 25 Weeks

This was my last doctor's visit for my 2nd trimester.  Everything looked good with our baby.  She is measuring around 14 inches and weighing around 2lbs.  It's so hard to believe that I'm starting on the downward slop of this pregnancy.  Everyone is right, once you find out the gender it goes by so quickly.  The only thing that was different about this doctor visit was that I have to schedule a glucose tolerance test.  I just need to have it done before I go back next month.  I still haven't scheduled it yet, but I will make sure to write about it.  I really don't know to much of what to expect.  I'm sure it won't be horrible.  Not to much to report about, but I'm sure the next few months are going to be interesting. 

3 Things You Should ALWAYS Discuss Before Marriage

Since my last post I thought I would share some wisdom to those who are not married.  I am by no means an expert on marriage.  But, I am a little older the big 3-0 and have some things I have learned over the years.  There are 3 things you should always discuss before you get married.  In order by importance:  Religion, Children, and Finances. 

I view religion as the most important topic you should talk about before you get married.  I have seen couples that never brought this up.  For instance, a couple were one is Atheist  and the other Christian.  I honestly don't see how this type of relationship could work.  Especially, if you plan to some day have children.  Which I will discuss next.  I recently heard of a couple that hadn't talked about this before marriage.  Now, 5 months later they talk about children.  Then discover one is Atheist and the other Christian.  So the Christian, the wife, realizes she doesn't want to have children with her husband.  Why would you not talk about this before hand?  It's not fair to either party and should have been discussed before. Now they are getting divorced.

Secondly, I think you should always talk about children.  Many people today don't want to have kids, or if they do it's more when they are mid-thirties.  We are so involved with our careers today that many women try to hold off on having a family.  Not only should you talk about whether you want children, but how many is important too.  Some want a huge family and others only one or two.  

Lastly, finances are very important to discuss before saying "I do".  I'm so surprised about how so many people forget about this one.  But, if you think about it most divorces are because of this reason alone.  If you have a significant other that is a big spender and the other is very conservative with their money, it's asking for trouble.  You need to find someone that is compatible with you in this since.  It will make your life so much easier in the long run.

You can take my advice if you wish, or not.  This is not only from my experiences, but also from others that have given it to me over the years. 

Divorcing Over Video Games!

I understand that video games are really popular with the younger generations, but should you divorce over them?!  It was recently brought to my attention of a young military couple with this situation.  The wife didn't approve of how many hours her husband was playing everyday.  It had gotten to the point of interfering with their relationship.  The wife spoke with her husband about it, but of course he viewed it as nagging instead of listening to her.  They have only been married for 5 months, so you would think they would be in the honeymoon phase still.  Turns out the husband decided he didn't want to deal with this and now they are divorcing!  

This is so ridiculous!  What happen to people taking their wedding vows seriously!  People get married and then as soon as it becomes an inconvenience they get divorced.  Marriage is work and compromising on both parts.  It seems like our society doesn't care that they took a vow before God.  What happen to for better or worse?  To me this just blew my mind, divorcing over video games, really!?!

What are your thoughts?  Leave a comment below and tell me.  

Braxton Hick Contractions at 24 weeks

I woke up this morning after sleeping horribly.  I literally woke up every hour....oh well that's normal for me now.  My husband had just come home from morning PT and I was fixing us breakfast.  All of a sudden I had a horrible cramp, very similar to a menestral cramp.  I would say that it lasted around 20 seconds before it stopped.  I am wondering if this was a Braxton Hick's contraction? 

I know that it's very common to have these during pregnancy.  I looked up online just to make sure it wasn't anything to be concern about.  I read that as long as you don't have 4 or more within an hour or bleeding it's okay.  This was such a huge relief for me to know.  The day is halfway over and I haven't had another one.

So for any women out there that may experience this, it's okay and there is no need to worry.  I would recommend educating yourself on early signs of premature birth especially if you are high risk like myself.  In my case, it is a real possibility that I might deliver early.  I have already read up on many of the signs.  Education is the key.  :)

Problems Sleeping

Up to this point I hadn't had any problems sleeping.  Well I was in for a rude awakening!  It seem as soon as I hit 23 weeks, sleep was all down hill from here.  I can't get comfortable and it doesn't matter what position I try to lay in.  I have never been the type to sleep on my back.  But, I have been waking up in the middle of the night that way.  Usually it's from numbness or tickling in my legs and arms that will wake me up.  I have come to the theory that my stomach is making it hard for me to turn over completely, so I stop on my back.  This past week I have even notice I will wake up on my sides and still have numbness.  I wander if this is normal?  

I tried to read about it online and it suggest to lay on your left side.  But, as I said this isn't working either.  I'm always so tired and have resorted into taking morning naps after my husband leaves for work.  I have been trying to use a body pillow too.  It seems to help sometimes, but not every night.  

Oh and don't forget the multiple times of having to get up to go to the bathroom.  I really think that the baby gets a kick out of using my bladder as her own personal punching bag!  It seems like when I talk to anyone about it they just tell me that it's going to get worse, great!  I have to keep reminding myself that it's only for a short while and well worth it in the end. 

23 WEEKS AND COUNTING

Generosity Of Others

I can't begin to describe all the love that I have feel from family and friends.  We have had so many people helping us out with getting things ready for the baby.  The surprising part about all of it, some people I haven't seen in years or have never met at all.  I guess what it boils down to is that you have people that care and keep you in their thoughts, whether you realize it or not.  

Being a military family we are away from our loved ones.  So we are not able to have a baby shower, there is 1,000 miles traveling distance between us.  It makes things hard and sometimes you can feel like you are missing out.  But, it is what it is.  There is no reason to dwell on it, you just have to try and make the best of what you have. 

My husband came home one evening from work.  He came in carrying boxes of toys, clothes, a bouncer, bottles, etc.  I was so overwhelmed with joy.  I had no idea what was going on, but was just so excited to see baby stuff.  It turned out that a lady he had met once or twice at work was PCSing.  She went through all her baby stuff and decided to give it to us.  I feel so blessed and that God is really looking over us.  It really is true, good things happen to good people.  

Another resource I was told about was the Airman's Attic.  I'm sure that it's called something different depending on what branch you are in.  But, it's a program for military families, under E-6, that offered free clothing (baby/adult), toys, books, etc.  It's a great free program and I have went there to get some things for the baby as well.  I can only go once a month, but it's just another wonderful thing brought on by people and their spirit of giving.  

It's been a worry that we wouldn't have the nursery done in time.  We wanted to be prepared in case I did go into labor early.  But, with the help and generosity of others it's going to be a piece of cake!  

Feeling kicks at 20 weeks!

I had been experiencing flutters for a few weeks now.  But, still hadn't had that big kick everyone had told me about.  I wanted so bad to see the baby kick on the outside.  I wanted my husband to be able to feel the baby, the same way that I was able too.

I had been reading about how important it is to let your baby listen to music.  By this point in the pregnancy the baby is actually able hear.  So one night I grabbed my husband's cellphone and set it on my stomach.  I think I did it more out of curiosity than anything else.  All of a sudden I felt a hard kick that actually made my stomach move!  I was so excited that I told my husband to come here quick!  We set there and watched my stomach, within a few minutes she kicked again.  It was just a small kick, but it was there.  My husband placed his hand there and we waited, she kicked again.  This went on for around 5 minutes and it was over.  I was so happy to be able to experience that with my husband.  It was so magical that I can't describe in words what it really meant to the both of us. 

20 weeks

Tricare: Running in Circles

Here I am at my next doctor's appointment.  She tells me that I need to see a cardiologist.  I have a history of Mitral Valve Prolapse.  She is concerned that the increased blood flow may be hard on my heart.  So she tells me that I need to get a referral from my insurance and PCM (primary care manager).  I never imagined I would have to see so many doctors during a pregnancy!

So my first step is to contact my PCM to see if I can get a referral over the phone.  This was something I had always been able to do if it was to see a specialist.  When I called the appointment line on base the lady was beyond rude.  She said I had to come in and see the doctor before I could get a referral.  I tried to explain to her that it wasn't necessary, but she wouldn't listen.  So I got my appointment setup, now I had to wait 5 weeks before they could get me in.

Finally my appointment is here to see my PCM.  Once I get into the office the nurse wants to hear the babies heartbeat to make sure everything is okay.  She runs down to the pediatrics unit to get a fetal heart monitor.  When she comes back and begins to listen the machine doesn't work.  So, here I am all lubed up and she has to leave me there to go find another one.  A few minutes pass and she comes back.  She places the monitor on my stomach and nothing!  This machine doesn't work either!  For this to be a military base, you would think that would have working equipment.  The doctor comes in and does a basic assessment.  After all this hassle he tells me that for the future I could always call in and he would give me a referral!  I thought my head was going to explode.  My PCM referral to Tricare would take approximately a week.

One week later I got a letter in the mail with the doctor I would be seeing.  Now all I need to do was to setup an appointment with them, easy right?  Wrong.  I proceed to call the doctors office.  After talking with the receptionist she tells me that it's basically stupid to see them since it was in another part of the city.  She told me to call my insurance company and try to see someone else. 

Since I have been through this before I knew to get on Tricare's website and find a doctor myself.  I found one in the same area that was covered.  I then called the insurance company and told them what had happened and the new doctor I wanted to see.  They said it wouldn't be a problem and I would get my referral in 7-10 business days.  

I finally got the referral for the doctor.  I called the office to setup an appointment with them, will it be easy?  No.  I speak to this receptionist and she not only needs a referral from Tricare, but also my OBGYN.  So, I call my OBGYN and get them to fax over my information.  Is that good enough? No.  They make the doctor's office call for my referral, a fax is not enough.  Needless to say I have my appointment with the cardiologist in 2 weeks.  It only took 9 weeks total!!

Gender Reveal - Where having a what...

During the entire pregnancy I had been having dreams about what we were having.  I just knew that we were having a boy.  Every time I talk about the baby, it came out as "him".  It was natural and I knew that my body had to be telling me what we were having.  Every dream was about a boy, only once was there a girl.  My husband felt the same way as I did, we were going to be a having a boy.

We were so certain that we went out and bought a few boy outfits.  We tried to tell ourselves that they were unisex, but they were blue!  The ultrasound was schedule at 17 weeks.  I was so excited to find out for sure what we were having....even though deep down I already knew.

The morning of the doctors appointment I made sure to drink a glass of orange juice.  I wanted to make sure that they baby was active and not being bashful.  As I laid there anticipating the news, I was excited, but felt like I already knew and this was just a confirmation.   The ultrasound tech looks at us and ask if we wanted to know what we were having.  I told her, "it's a boy"!?  She looked at me and said, "No, it's a girl!"  My husband asked if she was sure.  She assured us that it was girl.  We were in complete shock.  The doctor came in to look over everything and make sure the baby looked healthy.  We ask him to tell us what he thought the baby was, he confirmed it was a girl. 

When the visit was over it hit me, I was having a baby girl!  

Housewife/Mommy/Community Involvement

I just wanted to share something with all the wives/mommies.  It's completely okay to be a stay at home wife/mom.  I get so tired of people making women feel bad if that's the life they choose.  It was something that we talked about in my marriage.  We decided that if we were hurting for money I would work of course.  But, we are lucky enough that I don't have to do that.  I hate when people try to down play being "only a house wife and mom".  It's a very respectful thing to do and who else is better to raise your children than you!  I get up every morning with my husband and fix him breakfast before work.  I make sure that our house is clean everyday, laundry done and supper is always ready when my husband comes home from work.  I don't want my husband to have to come home and do any of this.  His job is to provide and mine is to take care of the home.  This might not work for everyone, but it works for us! 

Since I don't have children just yet, I like to try and find something to do outside the home.  But, I also think it's important to make sure it doesn't take away from your family.  I have recently decided to get involved with a nonprofit here.  I have discovered that this Air Force base doesn't really offer a lot of things for the spouses.  So I went outside of that box and joined a group called Chicktime.  

We just officially had our first outing and went to a children's shelter that we will be working with.  It was such a wonderful experience.  We through the girls a tea party/princess party and they absolutely love it.  I feel like our society takes for granted the simple things that we can do that will make a huge difference.  I had such a wonderful time with this, I really hope that I can do it a few more times before the baby comes. 

Flutters!

My first trimester is officially over!  I can't believe the relief I feel knowing that the chances of miscarriage have dropped so drastically.  I can actually start to enjoy my pregnancy more too.  My symptoms have subsided and I am starting to get my energy back.  I actually feel normal again.  My doctors appointment went well and the baby is developing normally. 

I had been reading about feeling those first movements.  That it will occur sometime during the 2nd trimester.  But, with me just starting week 14, I just knew it would be a while before that would happen.  Plus, with this being my first pregnancy the chances of me knowing what those movements were was very slim.  

One evening I was laying on the couch watching T.V.  Then all of a sudden I felt something weird in my belly.  Could it be the baby?  A few minutes later I felt it again.  It was the most magical feeling in the world.  To me it felt like someone tickling me, but from the inside.  As the week goes by I only feel the baby every few days.  I began to worry about the lack of movement.  But, then I read that it was normal to feel the baby only a few times and then go days without feeling it again.  Every time I was able to feel the baby it was wonderful.  I can't wait for those first kicks!  

14 weeks

1st Trimester - Signs/Symptoms

Before I knew I was pregnant I had symptoms and didn't even know it.  One night I went to bed and began cramping.  I believed that I was getting ready to start my period since it had been days past when I should have started.  But, I never did.  The next night around the same time, cramping again, but still no period.  On the third night it was getting ridiculous and I took some ibuprofen.  After that I had no more cramping.  Later on I discovered that this was implantation.

My second sign was the increase sense of smell.  I was walking my dog around the neighborhood and all of sudden I got a scent of something that was awful.  I thought it was going to make me sick.  I had no idea where the smell was coming from, but it was out there.  I learned later that this sense is extremely heightened during pregnancy.

After we found out we were having a baby, around 7 weeks, the normal symptoms began to kick in.  My breast were so sore and enlarged.  I never had this problem with my periods, so I had no idea how bad it got until I became pregnant.  This lasted for around 3 months.

I have never thrown up.  But, I did have nausea everyday for a month straight.  I believe a lot of the reason for this was my increased smell.  I would go to the grocery and it was torture!  All the different foods mixed with the odor of different people.  My husband also made some homemade salsa with fresh cilantro. It still makes me cringe thinking about it. 

I did have my bouts of being emotional I'm sure, but I don't believe it was to bad.  My husband may differ on that, but in my opinion I wasn't horrible.  Overall, my first trimester has been a pretty easy one compared to others.  My total weight gain was 4lbs.

Traveling While Pregnant/Husband Graduates

Even though my husband just a few days prior had his fainting episode, he still wanted to travel back to see family.  He also had recently learned that he was going to be graduating with his Bachelors degree.   So, it was really important for him to walk across that stage.  Graduating from college is such an honor and it would have been horrible for him to miss this experience.  So we set off on our 1,000 mile trip.

At the time I was in my third month.  I didn't really know how I would hold up traveling for that distance.  But, it had to be done and I would just have to rough it out.  I made sure to bring plenty of snacks, since I was still having some trouble with nausea.  I also took a pillow and blanket in case I could sleep some, but usually that never happens.  All together this trip would take us 15 hours to drive.  When we reached around 10 hours into the trip I started to become pretty uncomfortable.  Between the backache and swollen feet, I wasn't a happy camper.  In a normal circumstance I wouldn't recommend traveling this long of a distance for someone who is pregnant.

We arrived at a my brother's house later that night and I was never so happy to get out of the car.  That following Saturday was my husbands graduation.  I can say one thing, even though I was miserable during most of the drive, it was well worth it to see the smile on my husbands face.  We got to see family for two weeks before we had to head back.  Unfortunately, we only had 2 weeks leave saved up and that used up all our vacation.  But, we wouldn't be able to see family again until the next year, so it was worth it.  All together in those two weeks between driving back and forth, we drove 2,500 miles.  I really don't think I would have been able to do it if I would have been further along in the pregnancy.

Health Concerns For My Husband

After everything we had been through together it was all looking up from here.  Our first trimester was almost over, the risk of miscarrying was going to drop drastically when we reached this milestone.  We had just decided to announce to the world, aka Facebook, that we were having baby!  We had planned a trip to go back to Kentucky/Ohio to visit family.

It was a Sunday afternoon and we were laying on the couch.  My husband had been having dizzy spells for almost a year now, daily.  But, after a while you get us to it and don't pay much mind to it anymore.  My husband got up to get something to drink.  When he stood up I seen out of the corner of my eye him bracing himself against the wall.  I knew he was dizzy and it would pass in a few seconds.  The split second I looked away I heard him hit the floor.

I jumped up running to him.  When I reached him he convulsed so hard, hitting his head and arm against our french doors.  I didn't know what to do, so I grabbed him holding him for dear life.  I didn't wanting him hurting himself anymore than what he already had.  After fighting me for a minute he began to calm down and come to again.  He had no idea what had happened, completely blacked out.  What do you do when you see someone you love in this situation?  Panic!

I began running around, not knowing what to do.  So I called the one person I knew that would know, my mom.  She got me to calm down and take breath.  It wasn't good for me to be panicked, Eric needed me to be strong.  Plus, it wasn't good for the baby.  I took him to the ER and after running test we didn't get any real answers, only bruises and a pump knot on his head.  They told him that he might have hypostatic hypertension.  Which basically means his blood pressure drops suddenly if he gets up to fast.  He was told to eat healthy and no more alcohol. 

Needless to say, I worry about him even now. 

Seeing the High Risk Doctor

It was time to go see the high risk doctor.  We had been waiting two weeks and it was finally time.  We were hoping that everything looked okay, but we wouldn't know until they did another ultrasound to see how my cervix was looking.  I really don't know if we could take any more bad news.  We first met with the ultrasound tech and she took some pictures for the doctor to look at.  It was so amazing to see how much the baby had developed in such a short amount of time.  We were only 10 weeks and the baby had changed dramatically.  It's so amazing to see how a life develops in the womb.  

When the doctor came in he began to explain to us that we were seeing him only for a precautionary reason.  According to him everything looked perfect.  My cervix was a good size and there was no concern for thinning at that moment.  It was such a relief that we finally went to the doctor with nothing to worry about.  He wanted to see me monthly just to keep an eye on everything, but for once no bad news!  

Can Working Out Improve Infertility?

When I first learned about my infertility I dove myself into working out.  My infertility issue was hormonal.  I wasn't producing the right amount of Lutenizing hormone, which makes you ovulate.  The doctor had a theory that it was due to me being on birth control for so long, 9 continuous years.  

To get my mind off of everything I began working out.  Something I had always done, but for the last year I had only been a runner.  I did some research online to find a good workout program.  I came across something called BodyRock.  It is a free daily workout program using H.I.T.T training (High Intensity Interval Training).   I began their month challenges 5 days a week.  It was great to do and gave me something to look forward to everyday.  I never realized how big of an impacted it would have on me and my life.

After 3 months of doing the workouts I found out I was pregnant.  I had to ask myself, was it the combination of working out with this program and prayer?  I truly believe the answer to this is yes.  Research shows that working out helps to balance out a woman's hormone levels.  I think the key was the type of exercises being preformed with this program.  Apparently, running wasn't enough because I had been doing that for 7 months and nothing had changed.   Then magically after 3 months I was expecting my first child.  I really believe that this type of exercise can impact hormone levels enough to change a women's body chemistry.  

If you are suffering from this same type of infertility I would suggest trying this program.  I will attach a link to their website for those who are interested.  You never know it could change your life too. 

 http://www.bodyrock.tv/

LEEP = High Risk Pregnancy

At this point we were so ecstatic that everything seemed fine with the baby.  The pregnancy was just to early to detect during the first visit.  I was officially 7 weeks, due date Nov. 22, 2012 Thanksgiving Day!  As the doctor went over my records she began to ask me about my previous surgery I had a few years earlier.  I had a LEEP procedure, which is a removal process done in cases of woman that have precancerous cells on their cervix's.  When I had the procedure done I was never told about the side effects, something I should have ask about, but didn't.  My OBGYN began to explain the worries with this procedure and pregnancy.  Narrowing of the cervix that can cause infertility may occur.  Also, after a woman has had a LEEP procedure, she has a higher risk of delivering a baby early due to the thinning of the cervix.  This was a concern for my doctor.  She said that I would not only have to see her, but also a high risk specialist.  I could look at this two ways, worried that I might deliver early, which was a high possibility either way.  Or I would get more ultrasounds and see my precious baby, I chose the second one. 

Our next step was to contact our insurance company, Tricare and wait for a referral.  Those reading this that are military understand the long process of waiting for approval.  It always seems to be a hit or miss of whether it's an easy process or not.  Luckily, for us this time within a week we had our referral.  You might have to jump through loops every once in a while, but overall military coverage is great and well worth the hassle. 

Our appointment was set to see the high risk doctor in 2 weeks.  Now it was just waiting until then. 

Waiting

Those two weeks were two of the hardest of my life.  Not knowing what was going on.  Waiting to see if I was going to start having symptoms of a miscarriage.  Up to that point I hadn't had any previous signs, but never experiencing something like that, how would you know what it felt like?   Spending countless hours on the internet trying to figure out what was going on.  If I wouldn't have had the support of my husband I don't know what I would have done.  All of the experiences we have faced together had made us grow so close over the last year.  He was always so optimistic, telling me that everything was going to be okay. 

The second week was the hardest.  It seemed that the days would creep by.  All I wanted was for our doctors appointment to get here!  I would try to redirect my focus on doing other things, but it was always on my mind.  

On the morning of our doctors visit I was a nervous wreck.  As we were driving we neither one spoke, just held each others hands.  I was trying to hold back tears as I watch the cars pass by us on the interstate.  I was trying to prepare myself for the worst, but mentally I just couldn't grasp it.  When they called us back my heart was going a hundred miles an hour.  It didn't matter if I was ready or not the time had come for us to find out one way or the other.  

When the doctor put the ultrasound up to my belly I remember holding my breathe.  I just couldn't breath until I knew one way or the other.  I was praying to God to let us hear or see something.  After a few seconds we heard what we had been longing for, a heartbeat.  It was hard to make the baby out, but they knew it was in there and that was all that mattered.  Our prayers had been answered, there was our baby, our little peanut. 

Deployment & First Office Visit

Deployment & First Office Visit

This was absolutely the happiest moment of my life!  Knowing that God had blessed me with this wonderful miracle.  My husband left that Friday morning going into work.  Once I was alone I began to thinking about his possible deployment.  Everything had changed now, I didn't want him going anywhere.  I wanted him to be able to experience this with me.  But, unfortunately we wouldn't have that choice, it was up to the Air Force.  I tried to look at the bright side, if he left now, he would get back just in time for the birth.  I would much rather him be here for that instead of the pregnancy.   Later that day my husband came home from work.  He told me the best news, it seemed that they weren't going to deploy after all.

That following morning I began to have denial so I took another pregnancy test, it read positive.  On Monday I set up an appointment on base and got a blood test, a requirement for our insurance company, it came back positive.  After getting these results I called and setup a visit with my OBGYN.  

The morning of my doctors appointment I was so anxious and excited.  What was going to happen, would we get to see the baby, hear the heartbeat?  We had no idea what to expect, but was ready.  After the typical physical exam was done it was now time to get out the ultrasound.  My husband came up beside me and held my hand.  This was it, the big moment of seeing our baby for the first time.  As the screen came on we waited to see our little miracle.  As we set there waiting the nurse looks at us without saying a word.  She turns off the machine and we are so confused, why didn't see show us the baby?  She begins to explain that she can't find a heartbeat or the baby. 

I look at my husband confused and devastated.  What did this mean, I didn't understand.  All the test came back positive, how could she not see anything?  She began to explain to us what possibly could be going on.  I could have miscarried, in the process of miscarrying, or it was just to soon in the pregnancy.  She scheduled us back in two weeks.  Now we have to wait...

Could it be....

Pregnancy Journey

Since the reality of deployment was upon us, my husband wanted me to take another pregnancy test.   I was reluctant because we had just taken one a week prior.  We went out and bought another one, but I wasn't ready to take it just yet.  I told him that I would wait until the morning.  I knew taking it was the right thing to do.  If my husband did deploy then he had the right to know he was going to have a baby before hand.  

The next morning I was ready to take the test.  As we waited for the results my husband looks at me, asking if I'm okay.  I was feeling so many emotions between a possible deployment, never having a baby and feeling so alone in this situation.  It doesn't matter how much friends or family members try to understand what you are feeling and going through, they can't.  Only those that have been in similar situations will be able to relate to you. 

My husband looks at me and says, "What if we are having a baby?"  As he says this to me I see out of the corner of my eye the words we have been longing to see for almost a year, "Pregnant"!  

I jump up and down saying, "We are having a baby!!"  That moment I will never forget.  The overwhelming joying and happiness of knowing I'm going to be a mommy!  

Struggles with Infertility

My Pregnancy Journey

We decided to start trying for a baby shortly after my 29th birthday.  A woman automatically thinks that they will become pregnant as soon as they are ready.  Even though we were both ready emotionally and financially, it just wasn't happening for us.  Here we were 7 months later, still no baby.  I had my annual doctors appointment at the gynecologist that month in December.   I was told that my hormones were out of balance and I was not ovulating.  My options were that I could wait it out and see if things get back to normal, or I could start infertility treatments. The chances of getting pregnant were very slim.  After the initial shock and a week straight of crying, I did the only thing I could do, I prayed.

I asked God to give me the strength and the knowledge to know what to do.  I decided that I would put it in God's hands and what he wanted would happen.  I began to redirect my day into exercising and trying very hard not to focus on having a baby.  That following March I had notice I hadn't had a period yet, it had been 40 some days.  I spoke with my husband and we decided to take a pregnancy test.  As we waited those long excruciating minutes my heart was racing.  As I looked down at the bathroom counter grief filled my heart as I seen the words flash on the screen "not pregnant".

One week later, my husband came home from work.  He had a concerned look on his face and I didn't know what could be going on.  He sat me down and proceeded to tell me that he was told he might be deploying.  Through my mind I tell myself, we knew this would happen, we will have time to prepare for his departure.  I started going through my head what all I would need to do for our first deployment.  Then the shocker came, if it happened, it would be in the next 48 hours.