12/9/2015: OB Appt

Today was the first of our bi-weekly appointments. Nugget's heartbeat was easily detectable and is again in the 140s. My fundal height was normal so he/she is right on track with their growth.

We got a bunch of questions answered which was really helpful. Even though they were mostly delivery-related and that won't be for a few months, I feel better having a better concept of what will happen. I don't do well with the unknown.

We signed up for childbirth classes that are offered in the office by a L&D nurse from the hospital we will be using! It is a bit cheaper than the in-hospital classes and I feel better knowing the nurses are familiar with our offices style of work which really encourages natural birth. After speaking with the midwife today, we will also be signing up for a hospital tour just so we are familiar with our surroundings and J doesn't get lost on me while I'm in labor.

Here are the numbers from my gestational diabetes and anemia blood tests last month:

• Sugars: 103 (Less than 140 is passing)
• Hemoglobin: 11.6 (More than 11 is passing)

At some point we will have to decide whether we are delivering with a doctor or a midwife in the practice. With a doctor, we would mostly be working with residents and nurses. With a midwife, they would be present throughout labor and could coach us through it. I'm leaning towards midwife right now, but J and I will have to decide what we think is best.

12/5/2015: More Shopping

After some light pampering (we were both in desperate need of hair cuts), we got brunch at the place we love and decided to stock up on some more cloth diapers. 

Today we bought some more newborn diaper covers, prefold diapers, and fasteners. We will be building our stash slowly until Nugget comes just about every time we get paid. If I remember, I'll post some photos of what we have so far since the patterns are just too cute.

12/4/2015: More Nursery Shopping

We decided to check out our local IKEA to finally get the crib, dresser, and other odds and ends we need for Nugget's room. It was a pretty productive trip, but the crib we love is out of stock, unfortunately. Hopefully it will be restocked soon. In the meantime, I'll be checking like a crazy person.

Until we get the crib, there is plenty to do. We have to apply the polka dots to the accent wall (still waiting on those to be delivered), install the baby monitor, organize the closet, get some things we've bought over the years out of storage, and assemble the goodies we got today.

12/2/2015: GD Test and Anemia Test Results

I decided to call the doctor's office for my results even though I know that no news is typically good news.

I officially passed the GD test and my anemia results are normal too! Yay!

11/30/2015: PT Appointment

I met with the PT doctor today. Unfortunately, I am one of the "lucky" ones experiencing this kind of pain. It's all due to the hormone relaxin, which loosens all the ligaments in the body in preparation for birthing the baby. She prescribed me a support belt, the use of a handicap placard for parking, and gave me a packet of exercises. If they don't seem to help or the pain gets worse, she wants to me to come back in.

I am also on restriction now from stairs, standing, or walking far distances. She specifically instructed me to save my steps each day so I wouldn't be in too much pain.

I guess this is the trade-off for not really having morning sickness? Oh well.

11/28/2015: Black Friday and Small Business Saturday Deals

We decided to take advantage of some deals this weekend and get a few things off our must-have list. 

We now have our baby monitor and nursery curtains en route for us to install and a nice start to our cloth diaper stash! The local store where we are registered was having some great deals for small business Saturday so we decided to check it out. I'm so glad we did! 

We ended up getting a few newborn cloth diapers, diaper covers, and quite a few all-in-one diapers. Because we spent over a certain amount we also got a free wet-bag, pair of baby leggings, and, the most exciting part, a free Tula baby carrier, which is the exact brand I wanted! Now we just need someone to buy the one J loves and wants to wear.

11/25/2015: OB Appointment and GD Test

My appointment went pretty well today. The doc was able to find Nugget's heartbeat right away and it was at 140 bpm. J and I joked that the kid is right on the line of boy or girl according to the old wives' tale and it's cracking us up. Nugget is all about Team Green, too, I guess!

Since my pelvis has been hurting (aka feeling like I'm a wishbone being pulled apart), Doc wants to me to bring it up with the PT doctor I'm seeing in a few days. I hope it will bring me some relief.

The results of my GD test will be back in a couple days because of the holiday. I'm hoping I passed, but I'm not feeling super confident. The glucola is pretty hard to choke down and I didn't feel very good afterward.

One potential hiccup: my blood pressure was a little high (just the bottom number) so I had to get a cuff for home and I'll be checking it once a day per doctor's orders. If either number is over 140/90 I have to call the office. I really hope this doesn't become pre-e but it's out of my hands so I'm trying to remain calm. I do wonder if it was high because of anxiety since I was texting J and making sure she wasn't lost (she had to meet me there today).

While I was checking out and making my next appointment (in only 2 weeks!), the receptionist gave me the pre-registration paperwork for delivery. I had to double check with her because I can't believe we are that close already! She also gave me the list of pediatricians and how to interview them.

We are doing Thanksgiving at home with just the two of us tomorrow since plans with family fell through. It will be a nice, relaxing (I hope) day!

11/12/2015: More Baby Movement

Since I felt Nugget move yesterday morning at work, I spent the evening at home with J trying to get her to feel it too, but Nugget was stubborn and wouldn't cooperate.

Fast forward to this morning: my alarm had gone off, but I was laying in bed trying to will myself awake when I felt Nugget move a little. I let J know and she put her hand on my stomach and after a few seconds Nugget kicked one of his/her hardest kicks yet. J felt the baby move this morning before work! So exciting!

11/11/2015: Baby Movement

I felt baby move for the first time from the outside while at work today! It was so surreal it actually startled me a bit. I hope J can feel him/her soon!

In other news, we reached viability last Saturday which feels like a huge milestone.

11/6/2015: J surprised me!

I got home from work today to J cooking me dinner AND the nursery all painted! 

I was so surprised because I called her today from work to ask when the painters were coming and she said tomorrow. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the nursery to find it all painted and ready for us to decorate! I love her so much!

11/5/2015: Cloth Diaper Class

Today we had our cloth diaper class. We both feel so much better about using cloth now that we understand a little more of the lingo!

They went over each type of cloth diaper, cloth wipes, how to care for them, and a variety of dos and don'ts. The handout alone was worth the $15 it cost to take the class, in my opinion. In it, they listed the quantities we should expect to have in our stash so Nugget has the appropriate amount of diapers. It was nice to hear the feedback about different brands and get someone's first-hand experience too.

We can't wait to start building up our stash now!

11/4/2015: Nursery Shopping & Baby-wearing Class

Today was a busy day! We both took some time off of work to recuperate from my sister's wedding weekend and to prep for baby. On the agenda today: IKEA and baby-wearing class.

We were able to get some cute puppy sippy cups for Nugget as well as the rug for his/her room and some cute puppy dog tail hooks. Can you tell we love dogs? Though we planned to get a lot more (crib, dresser, etc) we decided to wait a bit until the room was painted since our house is not big enough to store an extra room of furniture. It was good to look at everything, though. We even decided to change a few different items after seeing them in person.

Later on, we had baby-wearing class. I am so glad we went. It was so nice to hear about the different types of carriers and the brief history of baby-wearing, but we also got the opportunity to try on different ones! J and I like a similar style of carrier, but we each have our own brand preference. I really liked the Tula and she really liked the Chimparoo Trek so we will be registering for one of each. We are both excited to wear Nugget!

10/28/2015: OB Appointment

Today's appointment was nice, easy, and quick thanks to Nugget's cooperation! The PA was able to find his/her heartbeat right away so that was nice. Again, it was in the low 140s.

She reiterated that the anatomy scan looks great and baby is measuring perfectly. One hiccup: the back and leg pain along with the limited mobility I've been experiencing is not normal for how early I am in the pregnancy. So the PA is recommended I see a doctor and possibly start PT. Hopefully my pain won't be too bad this weekend since my sister is getting married. Fingers crossed!

I will be doing the one-hour glucose test at our next appointment. Hopefully I can pass! This is the last time I'll be waiting 4 weeks in-between appointments, then it will be 2 weeks, then eventually 1 week.

10/25/15: Baby Registry Part 2

Another Sunday, another day registering for baby gear. We started a second registry at a big-box baby store so that our baby shower guests, many who live out of town, would have more to choose from than the one local option.

I made us an appointment, which I was glad for, but it didn't make too much difference since they were pretty busy. They handed us a scanner and sent us on our way! Thankfully, I thought to ask for their baby registry checklist before we were sent off or we may have been totally lost.

It's hard to register for things like bottles, pacifiers, etc since we don't know what will work for this baby. I was glad that J and I were on the same page about some of the items being overkill and unnecessary.

My back and leg have really been bothering me if I'm on my feet too much (this was an issue last week too) so I had to pop a squat in a display glider. Afterward, I had a little crying meltdown because I was feeling so overwhelmed by the cost of everything and the sheer volume of things we "need." Luckily my wife is amazing and just comforted me.

We were able to push through and finish the registry and we even picked up a few things that we need because they were marked down on clearance! Once we got home, I hopped onto the laptop to finish up our checklist and make sure everything was pretty much set. Whew!

10/18/15: Starting the Baby Registry

We started the baby registry today at a small business near us after a great brunch at one of our favorite places. It was such a good day!
It was a little overwhelming and we didn't get far since the whole process was reliant on an iPad with slow wifi, but we started it. Since we are cloth diapering, we decided to go with this store because they have an extensive collection of all things clothing diaper-related and we have heard great things to boot.

Since we were a bit overwhelmed, we decided to sign-up for the store's cloth diaper and baby-wearing classes which take place in a couple weeks. I hope registering will be less stressful once we have a better understanding.

10/14/15: Anatomy Scan

We got to see Nugget for over an hour today thanks to our anatomy scan! He or she looks perfect in every way, which is an amazing feeling of relief. I feel ready to start the registries, nursery, and other planning finally! We even got to see Nugget in 3D which was crazy cool.

Poor J, before our appointment my resolve for not finding out the sex was waning. I'm glad she convinced me to stay strong. The surprise in March will be well worth it.

According to the tech, Nugget is measuring around 12 oz. right now, which from what I've gleaned from Dr. Google is on the larger end of the scale. J just looked at me and said "Good Luck." Nice, huh?

The baby is still a bit of a stinker, though. They needed a measurement of his/her heart but apparently Nugget had had enough, rolled over onto his/her stomach, and curled up like a cat. It was pretty funny.

Here are the pictures from today's scan:

10/1: First movement!

I just felt Nugget move more than I have before! How exciting!!

9/30: OB Appointment

Well, we have a stubborn kid on our hands. After the routine urine sample, vitals, and Q&A with the midwife, she got the doppler out so we could hear baby's heartbeat. Of course our child decided to hide out and completely refused to cooperate. Since the midwife could hear some movements I wasn't too nervous, but I was getting a bit anxious for her to find it!

She decided to get the portable ultrasound machine out so we could see Nugget and the heartbeat. So our kid is laying with his feet up and hands near his head, almost as if he's relaxing in a hammock! It was pretty funny. Then at one point he moved an arm and it looked like the motion that accompanies a portion of my alma mater's fight song (which I've been playing for him) so that made me happy.

Before seeing Nugget, we got the genetic testing stuff sorted out. I think the midwife read the report wrong or was trying to correlate issues that don't necessary correlate. Oh well. It's settled now.

I think I've been feeling Nugget here and there. It's just short little flutters so I never know when to expect it. Can't wait for it to happy more frequently!

I have to schedule the anatomy scan and come back in for blood-work since my former OB never sent the records, which is just grand. Makes me more confident in my decision to switch! Our next OB appointment is on 10/28.

9/16: Genetic Counselor

I called the genetic counselor the midwife referred me to after my last appointment. I felt like I needed to explain some of the background to the receptionist and I am so glad I did! She had the genetic counselor look over the file before making us come in for an appointment because it didn't seem like it was 100% necessary. The genetic counselor looked everything over and confirmed what Dr. K and Counsyl told us previously: I am not a carrier of Fragile-X! Whew!

I was supposed to go back in to see the midwife today, but I rescheduled for two weeks from now since the genetic counselor said all was well. Next appointment is 9/30.

9/4: PCP Appointment

I had to bit the bullet and visit the primary care doc today. My left knee has been really hurting and it's gotten to the point where I can hardly walk on it. I haven't injured it recently so I'm not sure what's going on, but it is the knee I tend to have issues with. My blood pressure was really high today, which is unusual for me. The nurse said it's probably due to my pain level.

Unfortunately, the doctor I saw today (not my usual PCP) wasn't super helpful. He said there isn't anything they can do (x-rays, meds) except for physical therapy since I'm pregnant. However, he didn't seem to mind blaming it on my weight.

I really wish doctors would try to exercise more critical thinking instead of just blaming everything on my weight...oh well. I hope this pain goes away soon.

9/2/2015: Appointment with New OB

I've been so annoyed with Dr. P and her office that I've decided to bite the bullet and switch OBs completely. The last straw was the super-rude receptionist that was indignant about me working and needing an early or late appointment. It's times like this that I really miss Dr. K's office! They were so flexible and helpful. Too bad they can't stay with me through delivery.

Anyways, I found a new OB practice at a better hospital with an actual NICU and I had my first appointment today. I saw one of the midwives and will be seeing whoever is available since the person delivering me will be whoever is on call when I get to the hospital. It's a good way to meet everyone before Nugget makes his/her appearance.

I had another ultrasound today and Nugget looks good. Today's heart-rate was 147 bpm! Even higher than last time.

The midwife was great. She answered a lot of my questions and was very thorough. Unfortunately, she said I am a carrier for Fragile-X, which I was never told about before. I underwent Counsyl testing before starting IUIs and the full report, which I pulled after the appointment, says I tested normal for Fragile-X. I'm not sure if she's reading report correctly because when I downloaded it today I thought I read the same thing but it was actually just a heading---not a part of the results. She referred me to a genetic counselor and wants me to come back after I meet with them.

Needless to say I am stressed about this, but reading the report made me feel better. Hopefully the genetic counselor can sort this out!

8/27/2015: NT Scan

We had our NT scan today! Everything is measuring right on schedule and Nugget looks amazing. He/she was sucking on his/her hand at one point and then at another point opened his/her mouth in a sassy way (to us at least) at the same time the tech was really trying to jostle him. Nugget's heart-rate was measuring at 143 bpm, which my Googling tells me that Old Wive's Tales say Nugget will be a little girl.

I had some blood-work taken for genetic screening. If I don't hear back, that's a good thing.

Here is our little Nugget! Today we made it Facebook official---it's really happening! The white mark by his/her face is his/her hand.

8/11/2015: First OB Visit

We had our first OB visit today. I had to get my annual exam done which is even more uncomfortable pregnant, if you can believe it. After that, we got to see Nugget who is measuring right where he/she is supposed to. Unfortunately, the machine they used didn't give us a print out.

I am considering changing OBs and hospitals now. Apparently, the birthing center we hoped to use has an (arbitrary, IMO) BMI limit. I'm way over that limit so our only option is to deliver in the hospital. At one point my OB mentions that I shouldn't gain any weight or else she would probably have to do a c-section....I felt very unnerved that at only 10 weeks and 3 days pregnant she would bring up a c-section. I would prefer a practitioner who allows me to labor as long as it's safe to do so. Her jumping to that conclusion based simply on my weight makes me think that she'd push for a section regardless. I am so not interested in that!

In other news, because apparently the theme of the appointment was me being such a fatty, the OB requested that I do the 1-hour glucose test. I had some blood-work taken as well.

Our next appointment is in September. In the meantime, I'm going to start looking at other providers.

7/10/2015: First Ultrasound and last RE Visit

We got to see Nugget today! He or she is measuring right on schedule (5w6d) while their sac is measuring almost a week bigger (6w4d). Dr. K said that was fine and not to worry. We also got to see the heartbeat today which we weren't expecting. Dr. K said that because we can see the heart this early our risk for miscarriage is less than 10%!!!

We are officially released to my OB/GYN, Dr. P. Our next appointment is August 11th. We will be 10w3d pregnant by then.


The little white spot is our baby (next to the X).

7/6/2015: Beta #6

23dpo today and my beta level is 3497! Doubling time of 46.62 hours.

They want to have us come in for the first ultrasound this week as well as our last appointment with Dr. K for her to release us to my OB/GYN. Unfortunately, I got their message after they closed so I will be calling first thing tomorrow morning.

Tonight we are going to take our first "belly" photo.

7/3/2015: Beta #5

From 508 on Wednesday to 1199 today (20dpo)!

Doubling time is 39.55 hours.

Last beta test is Monday then we will schedule the first ultrasound and the release to my OB/GYN!

7/1/2015: Beta #4

The nurse just called! The number is at 508 today (18dpo)!

Doubling time has increased a bit to 43.16 hours but she said everything was good.

6/29/2015: Beta #3

My levels (16dpo) went from 69.5 to 235! Doubling time is 40.97 hours.

Wednesday will be beta #4.

6/28/2015: Telling the family

J and I decided to tell my side of the family today. We know it's super early, but if God-forbids anything should happen, we will need their support.

We were having some family photos taken and beforehand decided to give my parents this:

Of course we filled it in for them. We have 36 weeks left until our estimated due date (EDD) of March 5, 2016 (based on LMP and when the IUI took place). 

Needless to say, my Mom started tearing up and my Dad even looked like he was about to. I am on strict orders to take it easy. Everyone is really excited for us which is great. I can't wait until we can meet the newest member of the family!

6/26/2015: Beta #2

My second beta level (13dpo) is 65.9!!! It has a doubling time of 40.53 hours. Next draw is Monday!

6/25/2015: Beta Results

My beta results from yesterday (11dpo) are 29! Yay! 

I go back in tomorrow for another blood-draw. We need the number to double. 

6/25/2015: 12dpiui

Still waiting on the phone call from the Doc (they just opened lol). I'm interested in seeing how my beta level compares to yesterdays' faint positives.

Here is today's FRER:

That's a pretty strong line. Compared to the others, it is much darker which is a great sign. 

6/24/2015: 11dpiui

I decided to POAS again today. This time I busted out one of the FRERs I have stashed away in addition to one of the Answer hpts I bought yesterday.

There is a faint line on all three tests (the strip is harder to see because it's so small).

Today we had an appointment with Dr. K to talk about next steps if this cycle doesn't work out. Basically, we can continue the protocol we are using, add injections, or move to IVF. Regardless of what we choose, I need to be focused on losing weight. I haven't been doing too well in that department, but I know it needs to be done and I'm just sick of feeling like crap.

J and I were going back and forth about mentioning the positive home tests to the Doc, but it did come up and we were honest. Dr. K decided to run a quick urine test and do the first blood-draw today. The urine test was positive and darker than the tests I took this morning (seen above).

Unfortunately, the machine was done for the day so they can't run my blood until tomorrow. I hope we see a nice strong first number!

6/23/2015: 10dpiui

I know it's super early, but I'm anxious for answers about this cycle so I've been POAS since Saturday, which was 7dpiui (days past IUI). I also have some cheap strip tests from Amazon that I'm trying to use up since they were not the Wondfos I thought I was getting and I just want to have everything related to trying out of the house if we end up taking a break (read: this cycle doesn't work).

I thought I saw the faintest of lines on the two cheapies I took this morning so I decided to test with a more sophisticated one when I got home from work. I was able to take this test around 6:15pm after a 4 1/2 hour hold:

Trying not to get my hopes up, but that's a definite line albeit a faint one. My beta isn't until Friday. 

6/18/2015: Progesterone Bloodwork

I had my blood drawn early this morning so they could determine my progesterone levels this time around.

The nurse just called to let me know my level is at 6.5, which does confirm ovulation. Unfortunately, the level should be greater than 10 in order to sustain a potential pregnancy.

Last time around my level was 5.5. This time around, I started the suppositories before they even checked the level so that could be the reason for the increase.

I will have my beta pregnancy test next Friday. Fingers crossed.

6/15/2015: Trigger vs. O Confirmation

Since we are paying out the nose just for the chance of a baby, I've been meticulous about tracking different information such as the time between trigger and when O is confirmed. Obviously, this doesn't show exactly when I O'd but it does show how long it takes for the trigger to have an impact. 

IUI #1

--Triggered 3/9 at 7am; Ovulation confirmed 3/11 at 7am = 48 hours

IUI #2

--Triggered 4/11 at 7pm; O confirmed 4/13 at 8:30am = 37.5 hours

IUI #3

--Triggered 5/10 at 9am; O confirmed 5/12 at 7am = 46 hours

IUI #4

--Triggered 6/11 at 8pm; O confirmed 6/13 at 9am = 37 hours

On average it takes 42.125 hours from the time of trigger to visually confirm O. 

6/13/2015: Another scan and IUI #4

According to the scan, my follicle has released what is hopefully a spectacularly healthy egg! My lining grew a bit more to 11.6mm so I hope that will give the embryo a nice cushy place to implant. 

Thankfully they were able to do the IUI just a short while later--we didn't even need to leave the office! The sperm analysis showed some great results. J even gave the boys a little pep talk before they were drawn into the catheter. I hope it works.

Sample #4 Analysis:

--60.8 Million Count

--59% Motility

--.5ml Volume

--18 Million Motile Sperm

There were almost twice as many motile sperm this time versus last time and the motility was about 10% better. Since I got pregnant with the last sample, I'm hoping this is good sign. 

I will go in for blood-work to check my progesterone levels this Thursday. In the meantime, I was able to convince them to let me start progesterone supplements on Monday, given last month's lost pregnancy. The nurse said it can't hurt. 

6/12/2015: Scanning for O

Our IUI won't be today. My follicle is still going strong, though it was a tiny bit smaller at 26mm. My lining grew a bit thicker to 11.5mm. Though the tech didn't say anything, I could see what looked like a cumulus oophorus which means I should ovulate sometime in the next 24 hours.

I hope we are ready to go for tomorrow, because the RE's office isn't open on Sundays.

6/11/2015: Mid-Cycle Check

Well, today is CD 13 for me. I am glad my mid-cycle scan was today, because my lining is at 10.7mm and I have one follicle on the left side that is measuring at 27mm!

I am supposed to trigger tonight between 7pm and 9pm. I'll be going in for a re-check tomorrow morning and, hopefully, we will have IUI #4 later on tomorrow.

6/1/2015: CD 3 on Cycle #4

My period showed up with a vengeance on Saturday. This has been one of my most painful periods in recent memory. Nothing like salt in the wound, right?

Everything looked good this morning for CD #3. I'll be back on June 11th for the CD 13 ultrasound. 

I hope this time works and the baby sticks.

5/28/2015: Results of 2nd Beta

I am no longer pregnant. My levels actually dropped today. I kind of figured this was the case when I got a stark white BFN last night on a FRER. That didn't make it any easier, though.

I am devastated. This baby was so wanted. We're good people and we can afford to support a baby. Why couldn't this have just worked out for us?

Looks like we'll be trying starting Cycle #4 in a few days.

5/26/2015: Beta Results

I just got the call from Dr. K's office...I'm pregnant.

I could tell something was up, though, because the nurse sounded like she had just told me it was negative. Turns out my beta level is only 6.1 today. A level of 5 or higher confirms pregnancy. Since my level is so close to the cutoff, she told me to not get my hopes up too high. I think realistically optimistic were her words.

They want to re-check the level on Thursday. The number should at least double by then.

Please stick little bean. We want you so badly.

5/25/2015: Home Pregnancy Test(s)

Well, I am at 13 days past IUI (dpiui) today. My beta is tomorrow in the morning.

I took a First Response Early Result first thing today with my first morning urine (FMU). There was a faint double line as you may be able to see from the picture below. Needless to say, I freaked out. J was still sleeping so I decided to just keep calm and wait to retest. Unfortunately, I dumped out my cup of FMU before the test had developed.



I held my urine for 4 hours (was hoping for longer, but couldn't make it) and took a First Response Gold Digital test. These tests just say "Yes+" or "No-" and nothing more. Well, mine said "No-" and I felt like I just had been punched in the gut. I'm not sure if my urine was too diluted or if I'm just not pregnant.

Part of me wishes I waited to take the digital with tomorrow morning's FMU, but I'm not sure it would have mattered. A lot of my research online has shown that the digital tests need a much high level of HCG to detect pregnancy than the non-digitals. I'm probably going to take another FRER or digital test, but I haven't really decided since HCG doubles every 30-72 hours. Not enough time will have passed for the line to be any darker.

So...I could be pregnant? Maybe?