Week 13: Bump Update

Week 13

January 13 (My 27 Birthday)

size of baby: tangerine, 2.5-3 inches

total weight gain/loss: negative 6

maternity clothes: just maternity pants 99% of time- will wear some maternity shirts for fun if I feel like I look pregnant, not just fat- it is has been super cold though so I stick to indoors (i.e. sweatpants)

gender: God has the answer to this one. however, I'm still thinking boy. I already call the bathroom between Aschers room and the nursery the "boys bathroom" 

movement: occasionally at night or when I drink a lot of cold water

sleep: ehhhh...hit or miss. I'm super nasally and uncomfortable in general so I don't know if its baby or head thats causing sleep problems. Probably both.

cravings: nothing really this week- everything makes me vomit

what I miss: eating whatever I wanted and not worrying about if it was going to come back up

symptoms: fatigue, nasal congestion, food aversion, headaches, itching, dizzy and my best friend, VOMIT is back. UGH! 

thoughts: I turned 13 weeks on the 13. My birthday! It was fun! Mom was here and we hung out around the house and when Justin got home we went and looked at some more furniture places for game room. However, I ended my birthday with major throwing up. UGH! 

Big Brother (Ascher) news: We walked to the park down the street this week for the first time. I was hoping that getting out of house would help me feel a little better. We ran around and swung. Justin stopped by on his way home from work. It was a fun little family outing we had.

Weekly Photo:

Week 12: Bump Update

So I realize I am way behind considering tomorrow I'll be 18 weeks. I kept a written journal next to my bed and now am just transferring it over to the blog.

Week 12

January 6, 2014

size of baby: lime, 2.5-2.8 inches

total weight gain/loss: negative 6- thanks to vomiting everything

maternity clothes: I am totally showing more than I was with Ascher. Mostly I am just wearing pants. I can get away with maternity shirts too but stick with normal shirts for now. However, normal pants are super uncomfortable. Granted, I spent most days in sweatpants or pjs pants. 

gender: We don't know yet. I think boy. Justin doesn't have opinion yet. 

movement: sometimes I feel flutters at night. I asked the doctor was it possible for me to already feel flutters and he said the location of my placenta (the back), the fact that this is my second kid and the fact I am a tiny person he said it is absolutely possible so I chalk those butterflies I feel when I lay down at night to the little human inside.

sleep: can't breathe at all when sleep, already have to lay on side. On Saturday my nails turned purple and I was up all night. I called doctor on Sunday morning and he said if it happens again go to ER- thankfully it was a one time thing but still terrifying not being able to breathe. I kept thinking if I can't breathe, is the baby getting oxygen? 

cravings: popsicles, lemonade

what I miss: being able to breathe easily/take a deep breath and not getting winded so easily

symptoms: uncomfortable (I used to laugh when women would complain that they were already uncomfortable so early on but I take it back- I am so uncomfortable!), tired, nasal congestion, no vomit all week!!! (PTL) however, still nausea and food aversions (NO ground beef-YUCK!)

thoughts: Justin and I had a date night for my birthday at the Cheesecake Factory. I was in heaven!! We went furniture shopping for game room then to dinner. It was a great night with my man and really the first time I've felt like doing anything. 

Big Brother (Ascher) news: mom fail: didn't write anything down

Weekly Photo:

Weeks 4-11- Bump Update

These are more just my little notes I took during week 4-11 rather than a whole synopsis.

Week 4-6

• found out
• doctor appointments 
• happy but terrified I would lose this one too
• felt great other than being tired and headaches
• took nap every day with Ascher 
• back pain, mood swings
• blood tests- results were HCG was 486, Progesterone 19 (at 4 week 3 days)
• 4 weeks 3 days- told family (I couldnt hold it in)
• food aversion, morning sickness and nausea begins at 6 weeks  no vomit just yet but feel like major crap
• Thanksgiving was during this time

Week 7-11

• 7 weeks
• feel like crap, tired, nausea, boobs hurt, headaches, BP increase, dizzy
• vomit begins (7 weeks 4 days)
• 8 weeks
• sick, vomit, back pain
• 9 weeks
• tired, sick, vomit, craps
• 10 weeks
• vomit, tired, food aversions, cramps, nasal congestion
• Christmas week- threw up in many gas stations along our trips over holidays
• 11 weeks
• doc appt, down 6 lbs from starting weight
• bad week- lots of vomit- every day- every symptom you can think of

How We Found Out

October 12, 2013 is a day I will never forget. It is the day I lost our baby. The Lord really didn’t give me much time to sit around and grieve because I was so busy with packing and moving. When November 10 came and I hadn’t had a period I starting worrying. (which is crazy- it had only been 4 weeks and sometimes it can take up to 8 to get a period after a miscarriage). Now don’t get me wrong- we were NOT…I repeat NOT trying to get pregnant. I was terrified of getting pregnant. I had decided that we would get settled into new house, get involved, make friends then try again. Ascher was still young! So it had been 4 weeks and I wanted to start just so I would know my body was doing what it was supposed to and I didn’t have to start worrying about not having regular cycles/ovulating properly. But I wasn’t showing any signs of starting.

Sunday evening I ran to the pizza place by the apartment, ordered a pizza and walked over to Target while I waited for pizza to be ready. I picked up a pregnancy test and went back to pick up pizza. This whole time Justin thinks Im crazy and just wasted $8. I said well technically only $4, because I only needed to take one to prove I wasn’t pregnant. We ate dinner, hung out, picked up the apartment a little. My plan was to wait until morning and take it but I just couldn’t. I went and took it and when those two lines appeared I cried. I think my tears were pure fear. I took the test out to the living room of our little apartment shaking crying. Justin and I had already discussed that regardless of the outcome I would probably cry. If it was negative, I would cry because of the baby that was no longer there. If it was positive, I would cry because omg. So Justin had no clue when I came out if I was crying because positive or negative. Even though he was just like me and thought for sure it was negative. So when I showed him the test he still didn’t believe it. He thought that maybe it was leftover hormones still showing up from the last pregnancy. That’s when I had to confess that a few days earlier I had taken my last test I had from the last baby and it was negative. And now a test is showing positive. No way could it be the other baby. Of course, Justin being Justin still didn’t believe it. Neither did I really. It was all happening so fast. I was terrified. My body still hadn’t worked itself out. I still hadn’t had a period (since before getting off birth control). But I guess I made plans and God said alright Lauren…here is the REAL plan. MY plan.

So the week that followed I took two more tests. The 10th was the Sunday and the line was faint but it was there.

 The 12th I took a digital test and it said YES! (sad they don’t stay lit up YES forever) 

and then on the 14th took first response and the pregnant line was darker than the control!! 

I WAS THRILLED!! I couldn't hold it in any longer. We told our family via facetime and skype that night. (the 14^th)

The 14th I had my blood taken- my HCG levels were 486 and my progesterone was a 19. Now, if you remember back to the baby we lost. My progesterone wasn't even a 10 at 8 weeks. Now, this baby is a 19 at 4 weeks! I was ecstatic and cried. (go figure). I had to go back on Saturday and get my blood taken again to make sure it was normal rise before the doc would see me. So I went on Saturday and my nurse is so fabulous she called the hospital for me Saturday evening to check my results and HALLEJIAUH! A normal rise!!

Finally on the 19th we had our first doc appt. I was terrified. What if I got in there and there was no heartbeat or no baby at all. I go in and there it is. A little dot on the screen. Too early to see a heartbeat but there was a baby. (I was 5 weeks 2 days).

On the way home I stopped and got a smoothie. Well this place always puts up scripture/Godly quotes on their sign and this particular day was so perfect I cried when I read it. He is so so so good. 

It says-
Give thanks to the Lord for his Goodness and Greatness.
He is Worthy.

up next: 
Weeks 4-6, 
Weeks 7-11, 
Weeks 12, 13, 14, & 15. 
(I still have to catch up on November, December & January...slowly but surely)

November: Family Photos

Back in November we took some family photos at our friends barn. It is a beautiful place on gorgeous land! My plan was to use them for Christmas cads however with the moving, babies (losing and getting pregnant), etc. Christmas cards got the boot. I then was going to send out New Years/We've Moved Cards- but by January I was sick as a dog and New Years cards was out. I figured one year without cards- I'll be okay. I'm just gonna make a fake card and put it in the Christmas scrapbook I do. Anyways- we went and took some photos- Ascher is at an age where getting photos of him smiling, standing still is near impossible. Most photos looked like this..

But we did manage to get a few cute ones...

I told Justin I want to take some more before I get huge and fat again. One last time family photos as just the three of us!! 

We interrupt to tell you...

So the main reason I have been so behind on my blog is because we have a little announcement to make. Back in August when Grandma passed away, the same morning Justin got a phone call offering him the job in Houston. So I got in the shower than morning and cried and sang to myself...You give and take away but my heart will choose to say LORD BLESSED BE YOUR NAME. So we clung to that over the next few months. Everything started moving 100 mph and life was crazy. So in October, when we lost the baby we said again...the Lord promises that we will grieve, but our grief will turn to joy and that once again he would take away from us- but during the time when he takes from us, we will chose to praise his name. SO...when shortly after we saw a baby on the ultrasound screen we were shocked and surprised and once again knew the Lord had given to us again. Baby is due end of July! 

Once I am all caught up on this blog thing I will write out the story of finding out, my weekly updates, etc. I am working hard to get caught up!! 

November: Kimberlys Bachelorette Party

The first weekend in November we trekked to NOLA for Kimberlys Bachelorette party! We drove down on Friday morning and didn't arrive until almost dinner. It takes quite a while to get to NOLA from Houston when we had to stop 800 times because one of us would have to pee. Five of us rode together in Kimberly's moms suburban so we had plenty of space. Once we got there we checked out our rooms, set stuff up and headed down to the hotels happy hour while we waited for the rest of the gang (who flew in) to arrive.

After everyone arrived we searched for somewhere to eat dinner. We finally found someplace that didnt have a forever long wait and we chowed down. I had a headache so I was happy to go with Jordan to pick up the rest of the friends flying in. We drove and picked them up, went back to hotel, they dropped off their stuff and met the rest of everyone out. Jordan and I stayed in and went to sleep .We are lame.

Saturday arrived and I got up to put my contacts in...well...apparently someone when they came in at 2 am knocked over my contacts (I am allergic to solution so I have to use special stuff that if gets knocked over my contacts dry out and if they don't dry out I can't put them in my eyes for 6 hours) so I was screwed. Thank goodness I brought my glasses. I was a total hipster all day.

We ate breakfast at hotel and headed over to the French Quarter where we landed at good ol' Pat O'Briens. We snagged a table outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I, of course, had to take a pic in front of the jute box where Mom first saw Dad 37 years ago…but mostly we just sat out on the patio and enjoyed each others company before deciding we were starving and needed some food!

After lunch we went back to hotel and took naps and got ready for lingerie shower and dinner out. We headed up to their room and had a good time opening presents and goofing off. 

 However, before long it was time for our dinner reservations so we walked down the street to dinner. It was a very fancy meal but it was very good!! By the time it was over it was well after 11 and Jordan and I again played the ol' woman card (Jordan is pregnant- and I was too but unaware of it yet, but played safe just in case) and went back to hotel. Kimberly had plenty of girls with her so weren't worried about her being on her own! It was such a fun night!!

The next morning we all got up and loaded up before heading to brunch together to talk about the memories we had made the past two nights. It was such a fun weekend and I am so glad I got to go and spend time with my besties!!! Love them!!