28 Week Ultrasound

Well a huge weight has been lifted.  The concern with the Placenta Previa is no longer!  At my ultrasound, the doctor confirmed that the Placenta has moved with the baby, which is pretty typical.  Tyler had a job and missed the most of the ultrasound, which was unfortunate (he came in after the technician had taken the images but before the doctor came in).  The technician took a lot of measurements and pictures because she said the baby was "giving them".  Finally cooperating!  She even took some 3D imaging, which was so awesome.  Stats were as follows:
-HB 144
-Weight: 2 pounds, 12 oz
-Height: Measuring within a day of my due date

We had a bit of an issue at the beginning of the appointment.  I couldn't find my doctor's order before leaving the house and figured they might not need one since this was a follow up from the last ultrasound.  Well, when we got there they said they couldn't do it without one, and my doctor's office didn't open for another 35 minutes, grr!  My Mom and I decided we would drive over to my doctor's office because it was very close and they weren't answering the phone.  I was able to get another order and we were back for the ultrasound and were seen around 9:10 am.  Only 50 minutes behind which really isn't too bad considering.  And I of course found the original doctor's order later that day.  At the end of the day we got some great news and another chance to see our little girl!

 I think she has Tyler's nose and my cheeks! 

 I just love this picture!  She looks like she's practicing her fainting skills!

I had my checkup with the OB later that week as well.  I also got my one hour glucose test at the appointment.  We will wait for the results, and I now start seeing the doctor every 2 weeks!

Making My List and Checking it Twice!

Tyler and I took a birthing class the next week at the hospital.  We learned some valuable information, but what I really took away from it is this baby can really come at anytime.  Which starts to freak me out because we still have a lot to do as far as the house is concerned and getting our lives organized!  Now, technically, not everything has to be done before the baby, but I know once the baby comes we won't have quite the same time that we used to.  I also want to take a Newborn Care class and a Breastfeeding class, which I have yet to sign up for.

I made it a priority to make our "To Do List" and work out a game plan on how to accomplish these items.  I have tasks we need to complete each weekend, as well as during the week after work.  The stuff during the week will be really difficult to stay on task with, so hopefully those freezer crockpot meals will come in handy as they will take an item off the list immediately - dinner!  The weekends are also tough to get everything done since Tyler usually works all day Saturday.  But I know my schedule needs to be fluid and what I don't get done just moves to the next week.  There are items on the list from laundry, cleaning, organizing to crafting and DIY!  It also helps to get some dates written down for when we already have commitments, and won't be able to get stuff done around the house.

Next week I have my 28 week ultrasound and my checkup with the OB.  I also went ahead and scheduled an eye doctor appointment and Tyler and I will do a "meet and greet" with the Pediatrician's office we are looking at going with.  Let's hope this little Pickle stays still enough for a picture, because she is a mover!

Food Prep

The following weekend I worked on prepping some yummy food.  Tyler and I have a really hard time getting dinner prepared.  We seem to go in cycles where we will do really well making dinner, and then the following week be so burned out that we eat out or order in.  It's really difficult when we both get home around 6 or 6:30 pm and then have to make dinner.  By the time dinner is made and we have cleaned up and done the dishes, it's 9 pm and we're exhausted!  Tyler had to work on Saturday, which we got MORE snow, so I figured I'd try doing some frozen crockpot meals.  We went shopping on Friday night and Saturday I worked and worked and worked.  By the end of the day I had made a lot!

1. Blueberry Buckle Bread (similar to coffee bread) for breakfast:

2. Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie for dinner, plus biscuits from scratch.  Turns out the only cookie cutters we have are to make dog biscuits, so we had some fun shapes:

3. 8 Freezer crockpot meals, plus egg cups (with veggies) for breakfast and strawberry banana muffins for snacks/breakfast:

Now to keep on track and actually make some of these!!

24 Week Checkups

The Monday (President's Day) of our Nursery & Office Reorganization Weekend I also had my 24 week checkups with my OB and my Endocrinologist.  

At my last appointment with my Endocrinologist, the bloodwork came back and my TSH levels had risen.  So he increased my dosage and wanted to see me at 24 weeks to recheck my levels.  Everything went fine at this appointment and the bloodwork came back normal, so my next appointment (and probably final appointment before the baby) will be at 33 weeks.  

I also had my 24 week checkup with my OB following that appointment.  Everything also went well, and I scheduled my next appointment for 28 weeks and the 1 hour glucose test.  Also at 28 weeks I have the additional ultrasound to check on the Placenta Previa, which was a small concern at my 20 week ultrasound.  I am nervous, but also excited for the additional ultrasound and another chance to see our little girl.  My Mom is also going to join me for this ultrasound, which will be so cool for her to see!


Here's an unrelated picture, but it is our first clothing purchase!  Carharrt overalls that we found on sale!  Adorable!

House Prep - Nursery & Office Redo

My Mom and I have been working these past few months on setting up the nursery and organizing the baby things we already have (thank you family!).  In our house, we have 3 bedrooms on the main level, and a den in the basement (no windows).  When we moved into our house, the back bedroom (next to the master) became the guest room, the smaller bedroom became the "eventual office" but ended up being a jumbled room full of boxes and odds/ends, and the den in the basement was the backup guest room (blow-up bed on the floor).  When I found out I was pregnant, my Mom and I spent a weekend rearranging rooms and moved what was the guest room (back bedroom) into the basement, and then the back bedroom became the nursery.  Here are some pictures of the "after":

Guest bedroom in basement.

Nursery set up in back bedroom on main level.  Crib is to the right (not pictured).

Once we found out the gender, we spent an entire weekend going through clothes that my sister gave us, and moved the girl clothes to the nursery.  We felt so accomplished and had the closet all set up with all of the baby things and a list made of what I already had and what I needed to register for.  We started to look at what fabrics my Mom had for nursery decor (and what she had already made for my niece's nursery) and decided a good weekend to paint would be over President's Day since we both had a 3 day weekend.

We were looking at paint samples in the room on Thursday evening so I could go buy the paint on Friday and we could start on Saturday, and Tyler came in with a curveball: He wanted to switch the 2 rooms on the main level - the back bedroom (which we had already set up as the nursery) would be the office, and the smaller bedroom (or "box room"/eventual office) would become the nursery.  

We had previously discussed bedroom layouts when my Mom and I moved the guest room into the basement and turned the back room into the nursery.  However, Tyler didn't like that the back bedroom buts up to the carport and he didn't want that to be an issue (him working in the carport and the baby sleeping).  What it really boils down to is the back room in our house has been the guest room, then the nursery, and now he wants it to be the office!  It took my awhile to wrap my head around this, but we decided it was best to switch the rooms.  What that really meant was a weekend of painting 1 room just turned into a huge undertaking.  Luckily we were able to call in reinforcements for some help!

We decided the order of business would be as follows:
-Move everything out of back bedroom (new office) - Tyler & I did this Friday night.  Everything baby related got put into the dining room.
-Paint the back bedroom - My Mom came to the rescue and did this Saturday!
-Move "stuff" out of the smaller bedroom (new nursery) - Our wonderful neighbor, April, came to the rescue and helped us take stuff out, go through items, donate, trash, etc, on Saturday.  Everything that we were keeping got moved into the living room and put in piles (office, craft, Shannon, Tyler, etc).
-Move furniture from smaller bedroom into the office - We were able to do this Saturday night while the paint was drying!  This room is very multipurpose - I have a craft area, a makeup/jewelry area, and Tyler has his office area, so it really took a long time to figure out the best layout!
-Paint nursery - My Mom once again came to the rescue and painted the nursery as well Saturday night and Sunday morning.
-Move baby furniture and stuff into the nursery - Tyler's Mom Sandy came up Sunday afternoon to help and we were able to get the nursery set up, and the closet re-organized!
-Move office items into the office and organize - We worked on this on Monday, along with other odds and ends.  I also had a snow day on Tuesday, so Sandy stayed until Tuesday afternoon and we were able to get a few more things done.  When she left (Tyler had to go to work), I got some much needed rest since we worked all weekend!

Tyler posted some embarrassing pictures on Facebook of what our living room looked like during the process, which I am going to NOT remind myself of the chaos and only post the pretty after pictures.

My new craft area and reading chair!

Old sewing cabinet that I use as a vanity for makeup/jewelry (this used to be in our bedroom, but I never got to use it since Tyler is usually still sleeping when I get ready for work).

Tyler's Desk Area.

Nursery!

We still have a ways to go with both rooms.  There is still some organizing to be done in the office, which we will continue to work on.  We have both successfully used the room already and are really liking having a place to do office and craft things!  Of course, as we use the space we are finding things that work and don't work.  As far as the nursery, most of the things left are decor related and I think my Dad is going to come put up some crown molding.


I think we made some serious progress!

I'm feeling movements!

I'm finally feeling movements!  I think I felt my first one on Tuesday, January 27.  I was lying on my side watching tv and all of a sudden felt this poke up by my rib.  It did it maybe 3 times, and then nothing else.  I texted my sister immediately, and she wasn't so sure it was movement since it was so high and it seemed more like a muscle spasm.

That next day at work I started to feel a few more pokes, so then I was really starting to wonder if these were kicks!  Then the next day, this little girl started moving and grooving!  These were definitely kicks.  It was so crazy, as soon as I got to work and sat down I got about an hour of poke here, poke there.  She must have been enjoying life!

I was so happy to finally feel something and to know everything was as it should.

Here's a bump update (not with my board - so bad!!) at 22 weeks:

Gender Reveal!

I have not been good about posting recently, I'm sorry!  So I will do my best to catch up on the past few weeks.

We had our 20 week ultrasound on Monday, January 12.  We had the same technician as we did with our 12 week ultrasound, which was nice.  Baby Pickle was not super cooperative for all of the measurements, and it took a bit of body repositioning on my part, but they got everything they needed.  Tyler and I found out the gender at the ultrasound, but waited to tell our friends and family that Wednesday evening.

We met at TGIFridays for dinner and an extra special dessert that I baked.  Everyone was so excited and could hardly wait for dessert.  People kept trying to ask us questions to get us to spill the beans, but we were good and didn't fall for it :)  Tyler's Mom also happened to be in town for a work meeting, so she got to participate as well.  We attempted to skype my sister in Chicago (I'm not sure how much she comprehended "at the moment") and we called Tyler's sister after.  When it was ready for dessert, everyone took a bite at the same time to reveal a special color in the inside of the cupcake............. PINK!  It's a GIRL!!

Tyler and I still hadn't quite wrapped our head around that one since we were thinking it was a boy, but we are so excited to welcome this sweet baby into our family!  And now I can finally start thinking about nursery colors and clothes!!  Here's a few pictures from our ultrasound:

At the ultrasound, they were somewhat concerned with how close my placenta was to the cervix (placenta previa) and suggested another ultrasound at 28 weeks.  A lot of times the placenta moves as the baby grows, and hopefully this will be the case and the follow up ultrasound is just a precaution.  That week I also met with my OB for me 20 week checkup.  She hadn't gotten the results yet from the ultrasound, but everything checked out great at my appointment.  Next appointment would be in another 4 weeks!

Happy New Year!

The New Year brings us into 2015 and into full baby prep mode!

I took off Christmas Eve this year so we were able to spend Christmas with Tyler's family.  Unfortunately Christmas night I came down with a really bad stomach virus.  I was sick all night and ended up camped out on the bathroom floor.  On the plus side, Digger got a companion for the night since we had him locked in the bathroom because he had a few accidents the last time we visited.  Friday I spent recouping on the couch and we came home that evening.  Almost everyone got sick the next night, but not nearly as bad as I did.  Saturday we had tickets with my friend from work to go see Virginia Tech play in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, MD.  Luckily we WON and Tyler didn't get too sick to where he couldn't go to the game.  That evening we spent resting and finally felt 100%.  On Sunday we helped celebrate our neighbor's daughter Leah's first birthday at a party at their house!  

I worked Monday-Wednesday the next week.  Our other friends in the neighborhood had a small get together on New Year's Eve, which was so nice to be able to walk to something!  We hung out until midnight and then headed home.  On Thursday, some people from the neighborhood organized a 2-3 hour hike through the park by our house.  We took the dogs and they had a blast!  They passed out almost immediately when we got home for a nice nap.  We then went over to my Mom's house to visit with my sister, Amanda, and her kids, who were visiting from Chicago.  On Friday my Grandma (Geeda) came up, and we had Christmas and celebrated my Dad's birthday.  Saturday Amanda left to return home, and we worked quite a bit on the house.  By 1:30 pm we had accomplished: I worked out, Cleaned/organized our front hall closet (the shoes have a "home"!), Picked up around the main level, 1 load of dishes, 4 loads of linens, Started to clean out the carport (reorganized some heavy car parts, raked up the leaves, etc), Cleaned the baby jumper and stroller, Chased Digger in the pouring rain (that dog!), Tyler built a fire and we ordered pizza!  And all that in 4.5 hours!  It helped that we had a couple over that helped us from 10-noon with the carport.  After I realized how much we accomplished, I relaxed for a little enjoying the fire and then we went to see a movie.  Then we went over to my Mom's for dinner as she was having her family over to celebrate to holidays.  A lot in 1 day!  Sunday was spent being lazy (Tyler had a home inspection) and another dinner at my Mom's to see my Grandma before she went home on Monday.

I am now 19 weeks!  How the time has flown.  Tomorrow I have a checkup with the Endocrinologist, and then our 20 week Ultrasound the following Monday, followed by my 20 week checkup on Thursday with my OB.  I can't believe in a week we will find out if we're having a boy or a girl, and I will be halfway through my pregnancy.  It really just makes me freak out just a little because we have a lot to get ready for little Pickle!

In other news, I have just signed up to become a consultant for Jamberry Nails!  I just started using this product and really love it!  So if you're reading my blog, and want to try some out, let me know and/order through my website: shannonsmall.jamberrynails.net.  I will be having a launch party in about 2 weeks, and my consultant kit will be in at the end of this week with my samples!  Yay for pretty nails that LAST!

My next post you will find out if baby Pickle is a boy or girl!!!

16 Weeks

Some of you are receiving our Christmas Card this week and visiting my blog for the first time -- WELCOME!  We are so happy to share this news and we hope you find the blog useful to find out what's been going on with our new "pickle" (nickname my brother-in-law Andy came up with this past weekend).  We certainly have a lot to be thankful for this year!


I feel like I am really starting to "pop", what do you think?!  I'm starting to notice I don't bend quite like I used to.

15 Week Checkup

Everything went swimmingly at my 15 week checkup.  I got the hear the heartbeat for the first time, which was really neat!  Heartbeat was 150 bpm!

My doctor said she thought I was measuring 2 weeks early.  We'll see if that means anything!

I have been feeling really good.  It's nice that work now knows and I don't have to worry about what I wear.  I have been a lot more interested in food.  I haven't had any cravings, but have been more interested in "comfort foods" (think mac & cheese, grilled cheese, pb&j).

I have only gained 6 pounds so far, which I think is really good.  Working out has for sure helped.  The strangest thing is really feeling my belly stretch.  The baby is so small but I feel like he/she is doing bear stretches in there!

I thought I was doing really well on my weekly picture taking, but it seems weeks 11-14 skipped by with no pictures... opps :)

15 Weeks and the Cat's Out of the Bag!

We have made the announcement to immediate friends, family and work!  I am now 15 weeks along and feeling much better.  Obviously some days are better than others.  I'm still finding it hard to get in the recommended servings of fruits, vegetables and water!  Who wants to eat that stuff?!?  Not when you could have french fries or potato chips :)

Everyone was very excited for us.  We actually got a lot of "I knew it!" so I guess it's about time we have a baby!  I have my next appointment this week and I'm excited to see how things are progressing.  I have started to wear some maternity dress pants since they are oh so comfy!  At this point, it's really hard to tell if I've just gained weight around my midsection or if I'm pregnant.

5 more weeks until we find out if we're having a boy or a girl!!  Can you tell I'm really excited?!?

12 Week Checkup

I had my 11/12 week checkup at the OB on Thursday, November 13.  Man was I nervous!  When the doctor saw me she said I had great growth in my belly.  Which was nice because it felt like all bloat to me at this point!  She wanted to find the heartbeat using the belly doppler, which was exciting since I have yet to hear it!  She tried to find it for a few seconds and was unable to (it felt like an eternity!) and instead of making me freak out, she took me to another room to look on the ultrasound.  She quickly found the baby and saw the heart beating just fine!  It was amazing to see how much the baby had grown.  The first ultrasound was a little spec, and now I could actually see a head and make out a body!  In all of the commotion, I forgot to ask for a picture or take on on my phone!  Luckily, my 12 week ultrasound at Washington Radiology was on Monday!

That weekend we headed down to Roanoke to tell some exciting news!  We were also celebrating my birthday, and after presents I told everyone we had 1 more souvenir from Jordan we wanted to give them.  I had the old ultrasound in picture frames, and gave one to Sandy, Sarah and Tyler's Dad Claude.  They opened them at the same time, but Sarah finished first and immediately screamed!  Sandy knew something good was coming and once everyone had it open they were so excited!  Hugs came and we discussed how far along I was, baby names, etc.  Sandy said she had a feeling this week that we were coming to tell us some good news!  And Sarah said she was wondering when we would be making this announcement since she knew we had been trying for some time.

It was a short weekend, but it was nice to just relax for a bit.  And since they all knew, I was able to be extra comfy in maternity shirts :)

Monday morning we had the 12 week ultrasound.  Again, I was quite antsy and really had to pee since they make you come with a full bladder!  Everything went well with the ultrasound.  They had some trouble with the baby's position (he/she was resting on my hip), but were able to get the shots and measurements they needed.  The doctor reviewed the scans and everything looked good.  The baby's heartbeat was 167.  Both Tyler and I were amazed at the little bean flipping about, and kicking her/his arms and legs!  It reminded me of Finding Nemo where the sea turtles are riding the Great Barrier Reef!  I think it got really real for both of us, and we were excited that everything seemed to be progressing just fine.

My next OB appointment will be in 3 more weeks and I scheduled my 20 week ultrasound for January 12, 2015.  I can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or a girl!

The Next Few Weeks

I went to the OB on Monday, October 6, for more bloodwork.  Results were good!  My HCG levels are now 50,259 ("normal" range for 6 weeks is 158-31,795).  Then Tyler and I got to get our first ultrasound on Wednesday, October 8.  There is a really, really, really tiny baby in there!!  She dated me to 6 weeks, 2 days, which goes right with my calculations of my ovulation date.  My next appointment will be in another 5 weeks, and I scheduled my 12 week ultrasound as well.  The next 5 weeks will be an eternity!!

We decided to tell my parents that weekend.  They were both very excited!  I had started a 6 week bootcamp workout class with my Mom on October 11, and I didn't feel like I could keep it from her much longer!

My next thyroid appointment was on Thursday, October 23.  More bloodwork, and the results actually came back within the normal range.  So I am sticking to the dosage, and will continue to get monitored throughout my pregnancy.  Next appointment date in another 5 weeks.

That weekend we went to visit my sister and family in Indiana, outside of Chicago.  We had a great weekend of eating unhealthy (when in Chicago...) and doing lots of fall things!  We were able to squeeze in Maddie's Fall party at Preschool, a visit to the pumpkin patch/apple orchard, Blaine's 2nd haircut, Trick-or-Treating at the South Bend Zoo, a walk along the beach of Lake Michigan in New Buffalo, MI.  Not to mention eating ice cream twice!!  Maddie made sure to take me to her spot in town, Valpo Velvet, and then we ate at Oinks in New Buffalo.  And we fit all that in 3 days!  We told Madeline while I was there that I was pregnant (to make sure she didn't accidentally jump on me or kick me) and her reaction was priceless.  She got so excited, ran up to me and said "There's a baby in there?!? How do you know?  Can you feel it?"  I told her when she comes to visit next for Thanksgiving and Christmas she'll start to be able to see my belly grow.  She could hardly wait!

I have been very tired and nauseous these past few weeks.  My clothes are still fitting fine, but I can tell a little belly starting to poke out (either that or bloating, hard to tell!).  No food cravings yet, but certainly food aversions.

My Mom had my younger sister, Marianne, and her husband, Andy (or as we like to call them MariAndy), over for a birthday celebration on the evening of November 2.  I told them the good news, and they were really excited!  It was nice that the whole family now knew!

My next appointment is 1 week and 2 days away from today.  I am a nervous wreck.  I am thinking she may do an ultrasound since it has been awhile since I've seen her.  We wanted to wait for this next appointment before we tell Tyler's family just in case something were to happen.  I'm praying for the best, but there is always that chance.  We will go down to Roanoke that weekend of November 15 and break the news.  There will be some excited family members!

New Updates

Well, it's been quite awhile since I've posted anything.  And I think the saying "No News, is GOOD News"... that's right, folks... I'm pregnant!!! (start your happy dance now)

Two days before we left on our trip to Jordan, I got my latest round of bloodwork back from the OB.  Turns out I have a thyroid issue, as well as they said I am Vitamin D deficient!  I scheduled an appointment with a thyroid doctor right when we got back from Jordan for their earliest appointment available, which was during the week of October 1.

I took a positive pregnancy test the afternoon of Friday, September 19.  I had intended to wait until my missed period to test, which would have been that Monday, but my sister talked me into taking the test early!  I got home right before 5 pm, took the test, waited and waited and waited, and then -- boom.  Positive!  Tyler was not home yet so I left the test on top of the toilet, knowing he would see it as soon as he went to the bathroom.  I was actually outside turning off the garden hose (right under the open bathroom window) and Tyler's head popped out and he said "did you see this?!?"  Surprise! 

I immediately called my sister with the good news.  We were both pretty shocked.  I tried to call my doctor to set up an appointment, but they were already closed.  So I would have to wait until Monday morning!

That weekend we actually went to visit my Godparents in Blacksburg.  It was so hard to not say anything.  We had a wonderful weekend visiting and ate a lot of good food!

On Monday I called both my OB and the thyroid doctor to see if they could see me any sooner since I had the positive pregnancy test.  They were both able to squeeze me in on Wednesday, September 24.  My appointment went fine with the OB - and the urine and bloodwork confirmed I was in fact pregnant!  My HCG level was 957 (over 10 is pregnant).  I then went to see the thyroid doctor, where they also took more bloodwork and got me started on the medicine while waiting for the results.  There is no risk to the baby whatsoever with the medicine, however there could be harm if I went untreated.  So, next round of appointments with the OB in 2 weeks and the thyroid doctor in 4 weeks.

Nothing New

It's been just over a month since my miscarriage, and not much has changed since then.  I did go see an OBGYN, and everything looks "normal".  I have another appointment scheduled in 3 weeks where she will do bloodwork to check for thyroid, vitamin deficiencies, etc., to make sure I'm in tip top shape for when we try again!  The only news I have is we've booked our trip to Jordan (with a stopover in Dubai) which will be happening in 4 weeks!  We will be gone for 15 days (including travel) and are quite excited (and maybe nervous)!  And we also found a deal on a flight to Chicago that we could just not pass up, so we will be going out to see my sister and her family right before my birthday in October.  Happy 28th Birthday to me!  These next few weeks will be busy as we prepare for our trip: getting travel insurance, making travel plans, and packing.  It will be an incredible experience and I cannot wait!

Progress

Well, it absolutely PAINS me to say this, but I have had a miscarriage.  I started to have some cramping and bleeding on Thursday when I got home from work.  I decided to stay home from work on Friday, since my new doctor's office didn't open until 8:30 am and I knew if they wanted to see me I'd basically leave work when I got there to drive back to Arlington.  Although the doctor did not see me, they ordered bed rest and to monitor my symptoms.  I tried not to move on Friday (other than to get food and go to the bathroom), and took it easy Saturday and Sunday as well.  When I called the doctor again Monday to report my progress over the weekend (the cramping and bleeding stopped Saturday morning), I was able to move up my initial new patient appointment a week to July 9.  I really wanted to get checked out and get some blood work taken to make sure things were still progressing.  My sister recommended I call my current gynecologist and see if they would be able to do blood work.  I called them and luckily they squeezed me in and said they wanted to see me ASAP because of my symptoms.  My doctor was concerned about the bleeding, and ordered some blood work.  He called me today after getting the results, and the blood work came back negative.  Although my doctor said this is never good news, it is good news that we know that I can get pregnant.  I knew this could be a possibility and had already tried to mentally prepare, but I was still not expecting his news.  I cried in the bathroom at work for about 40 minutes, while texting my sister and a few other friends I had reached out to.  My doctor recommended we wait a full period cycle before we try again, just to make sure everything has sorted itself out.  I am really sad and it's just so crazy how up and down you can go in exactly a week.

My Fourth Pregnancy Test

The only plus about the bogus pregnancy test was I got to share a very special moment with my sister, Amanda.  The day dragged on yesterday, but finally it was time to leave and I jumped in my car and couldn't get to my Mom's house any faster.  Amanda was waiting there for me with a plastic cup in hand and ordered me upstairs.  I took the test and we anxiously waited outside the bathroom for the test to finish.  This was my first time having someone else there, so it was nice to not be the only one pacing about.  She went in to check on the test, and came out of the bathroom with it in hand and smiling, so I assumed it said "pregnant".  She asked if I wanted to know and showed me the test and it did say "pregnant".  We hugged (and cried!) and were just both relieved.  Amanda said she had a dream 2 nights prior that woke her up at 4 am that I had taken a pregnancy test that came back positive so she had a feeling I was in fact pregnant.  I took a picture of the test and we hid the evidence since my parents would be coming home any minute.  The best part is we were surrounded by a 1 and 3 year old and neither of them had any clue what was going on.

Tyler didn't come over until later for dinner.  Everyone was already there (my parents, Marianne & Andy) since we were having our last meal together before Amanda and the kids went back home to Indiana.  When Tyler went to get a beer in the basement, I followed him and showed him a picture of the test that said "pregnant".  Once he realized what he was looking at, his eyebrows raised (in a shocked and surprised way) and he gave me a hug and a kiss.  And we both said, well it's done now!  We were both really kind of shocked, and I still don't think it has set in.

The rest of the evening, Amanda and I continued to talk in code, which I don't think anyone else caught on.  I've got some calls to make to the doctor, and a bunch of things to read on what I can/can't eat, use, etc.  I was really happy to have shared that special moment with my sister since she has been there a lot for me in the last few months that we have been trying to get pregnant.  What a great memory!

Third Times the Charm?! I Think Not...

I haven't even thought about posting in awhile because I didn't have an update since the last post.  We are still trying, but are still not pregnant.  It has been really difficult to try to predict my ovulation, since my temperatures are not consistent and really bounce back and forth.  This is our 5th month of trying, and I know that's not a really long time, but when you have it on the brain it really seems like a long time.  

So far, I have waited until a missed period (or at least what I thought was a missed period) to test since I don't want to waste the pregnancy tests!  The bad thing with that is the suspense is always grueling just waiting!

My third pregnancy test was taken the morning on Tuesday, June 17.  We were visiting Tyler's family the previous weekend, and I decided I wanted to wait until we were back home since I wouldn't necessarily have privacy to take a pregnancy test, and I didn't think I could keep it a secret if I found out I was pregnant!  That morning I really dreaded getting up, because I didn't want to disappointment if it said "not pregnant".  I finally dragged myself out of bed and took the test... only to find out the test was a dud!  Oh my goodness, this is some cruel joke because I didn't have another pregnancy test!  So bummed as I was, I had to go to work and try not to obsess over it.  I went on my lunch break to buy another test and then waited to test when I got home from work.  And waited, and waited... the day could not drag on any slower...

My Second Pregnancy Test

I took my second pregnancy test on Friday, March 14.  I was so anxious to see the results and I tell you what, those 2 minutes you wait are excruciating!!  Much to my disappointment the test said "NOT PREGNANT".  Now I was thoroughly confused because I thought I was 5 days late and took again to the internet.

Once again, I was schooled in how the female body works.  I didn't know that your ovulation date determined when your period would start.  I know by tracking my BBT that I ovulated on day 21 of my cycle (which is considered on the late side), and then your luteal phase lasts 12-16 days before your period starts.  So I thought my period was late based on my average 28 day cycle, but in actuality because I ovulated late my period "due" date was actually not the same.  And wouldn't you know on day 14 of my luteal phase my not so friendly "friend" showed up right on time (of the "real" time).  Major bummer  :(

So back to the drawing board we go and I continue to try to chart out and make sense of the female body!

My First Pregnancy Test

(Days leading up to my very first pregnancy test)

I've been counting down the days to see if my monthly "friend" would visit me this month.  My cycle has been very consistent since stopping birth control.  I decided in advance to wait until the morning after I was 2 days late to take a pregnancy test, which would be Tuesday, March 11.  I consulted with my Sister, and freaked out with her when I really was 2 days late.  I could hardly sleep Sunday and Monday night, I was thinking so much about it!

(Morning of my very first pregnancy test)

I leapt out of bed (well not really since I had to move the dog from his slumber to allow me to get out of bed!) and ran to the bathroom.  I kept thinking I hope my "friend" didn't come.  My Sister had already texted me 20 minutes prior saying she couldn't sleep she was so anxious (and let me remind you that she is an hour ahead of us, so it was 5:00 am her time!).  I took the test and anxiously waited for the results... and waited... and waited.  "NOT PREGNANT" flashed across the screen.  My first reaction was "OMG NOOOOOOOOOOOO" because I thought for sure it would say "pregnant".  I texted my Sister the not good news and tried to hold it together.  All I wanted to do was crawl back in bed and ditch work for the day.  My Sister suggested re-testing in 2 days assuming I was still late.  She also shared some positive hope and said she knows someone who doesn't test positive until a week after her missed period.  I tried to not think about it too much until I could google more info!  Once I got to work I read from several forums that the pregnancy tests are different from person to person.  Sometimes, people know their pregnant days before their missed period, others not until days after their missed period.  I'm really hoping I'm in the latter and that I might actually be pregnant but the hormones aren't showing up yet.  Now to anxiously wait another 2 days, and going to the bathroom frequently!!