38 weeks- Welcome Lucas

So, it has taken me a little while to get back to blogging after the birth of our son Lucas. It just has been a little hectic around here.
So first things, first. His birth story. On Monday September 17, I was scheduled for an OB appointment to check my blood pressure. Jenn & my mother went with me. I knew that when I got up and got dressed for the day, I would not be returning home for a while. I was right. My bp was too high, and the midwife said "today's a good day to have a baby". Mom was on shock, not prepared to be going to the hospital so soon. She thought shed have more time to get ready, and my dad was at home with no clue. Jenn was as ready as I was to meet our son, so she was excited. I was calm, actually. Like I said, I knew I would not be returning home.
We arrived at the hospital around 11:30 AM, checked in and we were escorted to the birthing suite. Within 30 minutes, I was on a pitocin drip of 2. This would increase by 2 each half hour until it was time to push (was the plan) a few hours later, the contractions were getting really strong, but I just wasn't dialating fast enough. The midwife on call (Jesse) was very nice, and so were our L&D nurses. They gave me an epidural, which was wonderful! I was more scared of that pain, than birth, but it should have been the other way around. The epidural was a breeze, and it made the pain go away. At about 6:00 PM, the gave me a catheter and they also tried to manually get me to dialate a bit more. That got me to 6 cm. that's as far as I got. The contractions were getting faster, but with each one, Lucas's heart rate was getting too fast. He would spike after the contraction, which was not normal. It's ok for his HR to spike during a contraction, but after is not good. So, Jesse decided to take me off the Pitocin to see if Lucas's HR evened out. For 30 minutes we waited, and it seemed that he was ok. So at about midnight, we started Pitocin again at 1 mll drip. Within 20 minutes Lucas was reacting badly again, so that was that. Something was wrong, and Jesse said that she was not going to continue playing with this baby. A c-section was ordered. I was just glad that something was happening. After 11 + hours of laboring, we were going to get to meet our son. I was immediately prepped for the c-section, my parents were ushered out, Jenn was taken to get scrubs on, and things were rolling along. I was taken to the OR, where a larger team that I imagined was needed for this type of thing was waiting, including my surgeon, (OB) Dr. Grana and 3 anesthesiologists, plus several nurses. They moved me to a narrow table, and started introducing a host of medicines that would make me completely numb from the waste down. At one point I was shaking so violently, I thought that I would cause Dr. Grana to slip with her scalpel. I had them use extra medicine because I felt the metal tool that they tested on me before cutting. I apparently have a high tolerance for pain meds. Jenn was now by my side, and they were ready to start. The surgery took no more than 20 minutes, I think. I was a little out of it, and honestly don't remember too much. I just know that at 1:51AM I heard our son cry. That's the sound I was waiting for on pins as needles. I knew that as long as I heard that sound, that he was okay. He was thrust in front of me for a moment, all covered in stuff, then I was vaguely aware that they were weighing him, poking him and testing him, and Jenn had cut the cord and was taking pictures. I'm not sure how long this went on, but eventually he was all bundled up in Jenn's arms and I was stroking his face. He was here, I was out, and Jenn had already texted pictures to her parents and mine. He was then placed in a cart, and Jenn went with him while they finished up with me and wheeled me back to my room to recover for a bit. That was when I was finally able to hold him. He was so little (still is).. And was completely content in my arms. A surge of love, fear and protection hot me all at once. Wow! That is what motherhood feels like. He weighed 6 lbs 11 ounces and was 19 & 1/4" long. This was our story.

36-37 weeks

With my parents arrival, it has been quite hectic. But, it has been absolutely great to have them here. We are all looking forward to the arrival of little Lucas. Unfortunately, I have been put to bed rest. My blood pressure, has spiked which has made my mother very nervous as well as our doctor. We were sent to the hospital for several hours of monitoring and eventually let go home.
Who knew, that lying around could be so exhausting. Monday, we have an appointment back at the doctor to see how my blood pressure is doing as well as doing an ultrasound and a nonstress test.
Mom seems to think that the arrival of little Lucas is just about a week away. The nurses at the hospital seem to agree with her. We shall soon see, in the meantime I'm laying around, watching movies, and being taken care of by my awesome parents & loving wife.

35 Weeks

As our 35th week comes to a close, we are feeling quite anxious. It feels like I have been pregnant for an eternity, and each week, I get more and more tired and ready to be on maternity leave. Our little guy is doing great though, and that is what matters most. Lately, any movement is really uncomfortable for me...Jenn hates seeing the pain on my face. My mantra, is "just 4 more weeks".
We pretty much have everything we need for Lucas. Toys, teethers, paci's, bouncers, saucers and not to mention the massive amount of diapers that we have managed to accumulate. Our friends and family have been (and continue to be) very generous with everything that they have bought for him/us.
Recently, I was having a rough day, and Jenn came home with a package from her Aunt Linda. Linda is one of the most amazing people I have ever met, with a heart of gold, and a generous nature. She has gotten Lucas so many precious things! But that day, she sent a card with sweet and encouraging words, and some really comfy slippers (for the hospital) for me and Jenn. Thanks Aunt Linda, you are the bestest! We are lucky to have you in our lives. It is kind of amazing how something small can make your day, or week. I hope I can do that for someone soon.
We went to Wilmington yesterday with our friends from Maryland (Jenn & Shannon). We had a great time with them in town, not to mention we had the whole weekend off. The downside is, that I am exhausted from walking around in the humidity. I feel that every step I took, I was getting closer to the ground (from the weight). So the fun was mixed with some discomfort, but worth it. That was probably our last mini trip before our bundle of joy makes his appearance, so awe ate good food, had some Kilwins ice cream, and saw some sights before we are locked away from the world for a few months. :)

34 weeks

Had a doctor appointment this week that got moved up. Thought I was leaking amniotic fluid, just paranoid. Third trimester is no joke. Everything just gets amplified. Gas, swelling, fluids, headaches... My mom doesn't like our doctor. She (and we) believe that you should choose when you go on maternity leave. My body just can't handle these long retail days anymore. I get home, barely able to move due to the massive amounts of swelling in my legs. My parents are due to arrive sometime in the second week of September. That is my goal to leave work... Maybe mom can convince my doctor. After all, at 36 weeks we start going to see him every week. There have been major changes to our OB lately, as I've mentioned, but now there is one more. One of our doctors (Seidel) is MIA. They have told us that he is on family leave, and they don't know when he is coming back, so that means that we will surely have Shashadri or the midwife to deliver Lucas. That kinda sucks, because we really loved Seidel, and now we are settling. It's too late to switch doctors, and Seidel is nowhere to be found. It's kind of suspicious. We wonder if something happened to his family, or he has left the practice. The office is really vague. Ugh! Oh well, I guess the dr doesn't entirely matter, as long as we are taken care of.

35 week belly

34 week belly

He won't let me rest!

33 Weeks

Still swollen, and feeling larger every minute... but still happy and postitive. Our little dude is really active lately... From what I have read, he should be calming down now that he is getting so much bigger. Not our guy, Lucas is kicking and punching all over the place. Sometimes it hurts if I am laying on my side, and he punches on the that same side. It literally has taken my breath away. I guess I am pretty lucky that he is sitting lower, and not using my rib cage as a punching bag. Ever since I started prilosec, I have had no heartburn! That is something really exciting, let me tell ya. That was my worst complaint throughout the whole pregnancy, it was horrible, and it was every night. Those are magic pills. If you are suffering, I would talk to my doctor about using that OTC medicine. Just make sure that your doctor clears you to take it.
Being only 6 weeks from seeing our little boy has got me extra emotional lately. I find myself day dreaming about his little face, and taking walks around our neighborhood in the nice fall weather. I know that it is still a little far off still, but it gets me through the times that I am at my crankiest. :)
Our last baby shower is upon us on Sunday, and we are really looking forward to seeing our NC family, and sharing in this special time with us. Jenn's mom has kept everything pretty hush-hush, and I have only seen the invitations (I put them together, and addressed most of them). She is an amazing woman, Jenn's mom. We are lucky to have such amazing parents. We will post pictures of the baby shower when we get home on Sunday evening... with lots of baby gifts, I am sure.

32 Weeks

Our 32nd week was pretty good. We had an OB appointment that lasted all of 5 minutes, but we waited for over an hour to be seen. Apparently there are a lot of changes in staff, and some issues been going on in our practice, which makes our wait times kind of ridiculous lately. Jenn's cousin, Mindy waited for 4 hours one day! My patience would have worn off at about an hour and a half, personally. Other than that, the lack of sleep continues, I have even more frequent bathroom breaks, and not just in the middle of the night. I feel like I am in the bathroom once an hour, sometimes twice. This little guy must be sitting right on my bladder. At the end of the week we took care of Mindy's daughter, Avery. It was nice to hang out with a little one, it made me feel like it was practice for our own. I have always said that I would go into labor early, and I am calling it at 36 weeks. My parents are against this completely, as they will be on vacation in Cape Canaveral for that week, and then will be heading our way soon after that. We are ready for my parents to be here... it will be really nice to have another set of eyes to tell us what we still need to do, and also have my mother cook for us! She actually went shopping for all the Cuban ingredients that we can't find here, so she can cook our favorite things. Jenn is especially excited for some Colombian empanadas that were promised to us by a family friend.
Everyday I feel like I am bigger, and it is harder to get around, but I remain positive, and try and keep my sense of humor about waddling around at work and at home. Some nights I have to go and sleep a while on the leather recliner sofa to be able to get some relief in my shoulders. For some reason, they are really hurting me now. I also have had some pretty bad swelling in my feet and ankles. The doctor pretty much told me to suck it up buttercup... you are in your third trimester, it is summer, and you only have a few short weeks to go. I was hoping for some sympathy...not so much.

31 weeks

This week was looooong! I felt at the end of it, that I was 10 lbs bigger, much slower, and exhausted. Baby Lucas continues to grow and develop and he is kicking and punching like an MMA fighter. Jenn continues to be fascinated by putting her head on my belly and feeling him kick her. She tells him to stop, but I know she loves it. We have been continuing to get the house ready for guests, and the baby consistently. We are really ready to see our baby boy! Patience is not our strongest virtue.

30 weeks

30 weeks was pretty great for us. We had our friend, Melissa in town for our 2nd baby shower. This one was given to us by 3 of my coworkers (and friends). It was beautiful and fun! They came in, decorated the house, brought the food, and cleaned up. Stress free for the mamas for sure. We are so thankful to have such great friends.
I continue to grow, and so does Lucas. He is even more active, which sometimes keeps me up at night. Our 30 week OB appointment went well, we finally got to meet the other Dr. in our practice. He is very nice, and we are pretty comfortable with him, should he be the one to deliver our son. We now go to the OB every 2 weeks, so week 32 we will see him again.
I keep saying that we will go early. Not sure why, I just feel that Lucas will want to meet the world sooner, rather than later. I say 36 weeks, and I have learned that 37 weeks is actually considered full term. We shall see, either way, we are just a few short weeks away from meeting the most important man in our lives.

29 Weeks

Our 29th week was a busy one. This little guy has been pushing and making me quite tired, but our house is looking amazing. It has been remodeled (the kitchen), power-washed, and the lawn has been mowed. We are looking forward to the end of this coming (30th) week beacuse we have friends coming in from out of town, and we have our 2nd baby shower. This is the all friends one, so this should be really fun.
I know this is bad, but I have really been looking forward to going on maternity leave sooner, rather than later. I am so tired at work, I can barely function, and I feel sore in EVERY part of me. TMI- but every part is true.
I woke up this morning (Monday of our 30th week) and my rings did not fit on my hand, my shoes were super tight and uncomfortable, and I felt like I gained a metric ton overnight. I guess the bloating was bound to catch up with me sooner or later. So, I skipped wearing my engagement ring (which I hate doing), and I went to Target to pick up some balet flats. I had to get them an entire size larger than my usual size to make sure they were comfortable.
I think the nesting stage has finally set in for me, because the last few days I have been kind of acting crazy at home, wanting to get everything done as fast as humanly possible. I have also started to fill my hospital bag. It is kind of overwhelming actually. I have this super long checklist that I printed off from babycenter.com and it is just so much stuff... I read blogs and comments saying that you will not even unpack 50% of that stuff that you bring. I am going to focus on my personal items, Jenn's items, and an outfit to take our son home in.... the rest should be provided by the hospital right??? I hope so.
I have been thinking a lot about how and when I will go into labor. I am hoping it will be at night in my own home, so my wife can drive us, and I don't have to depend on someone from work taking me to the hospital. I also hope that he stays pretty close to the due date, so my parents don't have to drive all night to get to us.
The wait continues... Lucas is the size of cabbage.

28 Weeks

Things have definitely been better this week compared to the last one. We had 3 appointments yesterday (all baby-related).

1. Was my ultrasound for my gallbladder. We won't know the results until tomorrow it seems, but I continue on my non-fat diet, and am feeling better. Last night I had some bread that apparently was not fat-free, and I felt it immediately. I had to take a pain pill, and was able to sleep after that.

2. 4-D ultrasound! We were able to see our little guy yawn, swallow, and open his eyes! We got a ton of pictures, and a video of the whole thing as well. Everyone keeps saying he looks like me/my dad. I feel so excited to meet him now! We might be a little biased, but Jenn & I think he is the most handsome child on the planet... :)

3. Lastly, we went to our regular OB appointment. Now starts the biweekly visits, so we will be seeing a lot of Dr. Seidel and the crew at Physicians for Women in Cary. They are really great there, so it makes the visits really enjoyable. On our 30 week appointment, we will see Seidel again, but after that, we will rotate into the other 2 people who might have a hand in delivering our bundle of joy. One is a Dr., the other is a nurse-practitioner.

From now until the baby is born, we have tons to do and get done, and its a little overwhelming. Sylvia and Ken (my amazing in-laws) will be coming over on Sunday to help deep-clean our house, after having to give away our pups. We miss them so much, but their lack of destruction, hair & time consumption has really made a positive impact on our daily lives now.

After that, we have people that will be coming in and out of our home... Friends from Texas, Arizona, and Maryland (not to mention my parents from FL). And, we have 2 more baby showers that we need to get through. We hope baby Lucas will stay put until at least August 19!

27 weeks

So, this week has not gone by as smoothly as it could of. A few days ago I started to feel a sharp pain in the middle of my back. I initially thought that it was gas or heartburn, but after taking my usual relief medications, nothing seemed to help. The pain would come and go, but on the 3rd day it was unbearable, and I was seriously in tears. I took the day off yesterday, and went to my OB. Dr. Seidel confirmed what I suspected, it was my gallbladder. Yay! Not!!! After a day of eating no fat at all, and resting, I feel loads better. It also helped that he gave me a pain pill :) At 27 weeks I have to completely change the way I cook and eat. Today I went grocery shopping, and spent a long time thinking about, and looking at the labels on my food. I finally wrapped my head around it, and I think that I can find creative ways to cook with no fat, and make it taste good. We shall see.
Not that I have a choice in the matter, as I have to do this to insure that I don't have to have surgery before the baby is born. Maybe this is the kick I have needed to really change my lifestyle, and get super healthy for my wife and child.

26 Weeks

The third trimester is just around the corner (28 weeks), and I already feel a lot less awesome. I am out of breath, have constant heartburn and acid at night, and my back is killing me! The joys of pregnancy, right? Other than these lovely occurences, we are doing quite well in the Dawson-Rodriguez hosuehold. We continue chipping away at the long list of items that we want to get done before Lucas graces us with his presence. Jenn is a total rockstar, with all the stuff that she gets done, with no help from me. I try and help as much as I can, but with this head of cauliflower inside of me, it makes it pretty hard.
My parents are in Spain right now, and they send us emails and post pictures on facebook. It looks like they are having a great time, but I didn't realize how I would miss talking to them every day. I normally call my parents 3-4 times a day just to chat or ask a question, and now I find that I want to talk to my mama and daddy! I am needy dammit! LOL! Alas, they come back on the 7th, so I should be able to survive until then. Belly pictures to come. :)

25 weeks

This week was really hectic. Jenn has been very ill, and the stress of all that has been taking a toll on the house and us. The house a slightly a mess, and we have a few little projects that are half done, and our kitchen sink has decided to start leaking into our cabinet. Yay! I guess when it rains, it pours. But I do see the clouds starting to part, Jenn finally got some medicine that seems to be helping, we got a quote on fixing the sink mounting, and I will be working on cleaning this evening after work.
On the pregnancy- everything is perfect. Our little guy continues to grow and kick stronger every day. He even kicked Jenn's face the other day while she was laying on my belly. She thought that was awesome.
Work is really grating on my nerves lately, though. I find myself dreading it, as my patience has severely diminished, and customers seem extra whiny and annoying. The summer heat is also getting to me, and the short walk from the car to the store tends to get me really light-headed and overheated. Ugh! There is still so much summer to go, too. Oh well, I will continue to trudge along, knowing that in 14 weeks, our little boy will be in our arms (approx).

24 weeks

This little guy is so active! Lucas is always squirming, kicking, or just dancing. It's great to know that he is thriving in there, but sometimes it makes me nervous. I have this fear that he is so active because he wants out so bad, and wants to meet the world too quickly. I thank God, that we are past the 24 week mark where he would be considered a viable baby (with lots of help from the hospital) but I hope he holds on until much later.

22 Weeks

Our little boy has a completed nursery. This, thanks to his grandparents on both sides, and his proud mamas, this little guy is set! The nursery looks so amazing, we are so happy with it. Abuelo and Abuela have bought him many nautical decorations, and grandma and grandpa helped pick out the crib set.
I am feeling pretty great these days, with the occassional heartburn. I notice that my stomach being pushed up so far makes it really difficult to eat large meals, so the stuff I was able to eat before, gives me a lot of trouble for the rest of the day. Burping is the biggest hinderance. But, I will manage happily. Jenn is amazing through all of this. Anything I need (and somethings I don't), she is right there with it.
We took our hospital tour on Thursday, and all the people who were on the tour with us were much farther along than us. There was one lady who was due in 2 weeks! We really felt like our asses were on fire, but we DO work retail, and our days off don't always alow us to take the time to do stuff like this; at least that is what we are going with. :)
I think that by the time this child comes along, we are going to be the most prepared parents on the planet... if you know my wife, you will know that is true.  

21 Weeks

Aside from the constant heartburn, and the gas, our pregnancy has gone quite smoothly. Our little guy is growing beautifully, and our trip to Miami was much needed. My mom and sister worked their tails off to make it super special, and we can't thank them enough for all they did. We got our nursery funiture delivered this morning, but I haven't been able to see it all in the room yet, Jenn's mom came to take delivery of it. I am so excited to see it in there! Our next OB appointment is not until the 14th of June, when they will test me for diabetes. So far, my pregnancy has been so great, the docotr isn't worried. Better safe, than sorry though. Our son is approx. 10.5" right now, and abou the size of a banana or carrot. He is getting so big! I feel him squirming, kicking and generally messing around in there quite often. He likes to keep me up before bed. Jenn has even gotten to feel him kick a few times, when they are on the stronger side. Pretty soon, she will be able to see his little hands and feet pushing out, and she can't wait to poke him! Speaking of pushing, the little fellow tends to sit low and push down quite often. I feel bad for wanting to push him up, he can't be very comfortable in such a tight space. But, jeez...I am not so comfortable myself!

20 weeks

This week has been pretty great. Jenn & I headed down to Miami (& we are here until next week) for our first of 3 baby showers. My mom & sister worked very hard to make it super special. All of our guests had a great time, and little Lucas was blessed with lots of little clothes, toys & funds. He is already spoiled! He has been very active this week, mostly at night. Jenn felt him kick for the first time as well. Our little guy is an athlete already. It's been raining every day so far, so no pool or beach time for us, but we have 3 days left, so we are crossing our fingers.

19 week belly

19 Weeks

This week has been pretty great so far (despite being sick with a slight cold). I finally started feeling our little boy move. At first I thought it might be gas, but I remembered that my OB told us that anything below the bellybutton line was ALL BABY, and that all my other organs have been pushed up (to make it simple). So, when I started to feel movement below my bellybutton it just made our day! I can't wait for Jenn to feel our little munchkin too, but that will take a few more weeks.
Our newest venture is painting our little one's nursery. This has been a cause for lots of discussion lately, as we don't know just how far we want to take the theme we have chosen for him. We have however, finally made the decision on the crib bedding, so yay! I think we are trying to keep the nursery under wraps until is it completely finished, and we are closer to our due date.
Next week we leave for our first baby shower in Miami. I am so excited to see all our family and friends there, and spend some time relaxing as well. I want to remain mostly in my bathing suit, lounging in my mother's pool. But, the best laid plans... ya know? We shall see. I am trying to convince them to take us to the beach one day, that would be amazing! I love the ocean, and always feel at peace when I am around it. We just need to keep my wife lubricated with sunblock. :)

Bump 17 Weeks

17 Weeks

A nice uneventful week on the baby front...which is good. We listened to the baby's heartbeat last night, and noticed that when we pushed, it moved. I think we annoyed our little one. Only a few short days until we can (maybe) find out the sex of our little "it". We are so excited, we can hardly wait. I really want to know what color to make those stripes in the nursery (or Jenn, rather). Our local Babies R Us is closing and reopening in a larger and better location in October, but we are a little worried on how that is going to affect people's baby shower gifts. I guess we worry too much, it will all be just fine.

Pics 16 weeks

16 Weeks

    

     4 months and counting! I am starting to feel the weight of this baby now. My insides have all been pushed up, and the baby is sitting below my bellybutton. I get winded pretty easily, and my GI tract has definitely felt the effects of the slow-down. I am forever burping, farting and getting acid indegestion. Fun! I wouldn't want it any other way though.
     We went to or 16 week OB appointment yesterday expecting to finally determine the baby's gender. Well, no cigar. I guess it was a miscommunication, as our doctor insinuated at our last appointment, that we would maybe get to see the baby's sex at our next appointment (and we had read that we could start checking at 16 weeks), but at our office, he does not like to do the ultrasound until 18 weeks, so the countdown begins again. At least that is only 11 days away. Not too bad! I was thinking to myself, what 11 days difference would make, but when you look at it from the perspective of the child's gowth, that is another whole inch! This baby is growing quickly! I have gained 6 lbs from our last OB appointment, which I have read is normal. All the weight is centered in my belly, so luckily, I don't look all-over big (yet, at least).
     I rented a fetal doppler as a surprise to Jenn, for her upcoming birthday. This thing is so cool! We noticed that the doctor uses the exact one that we ordered, and so that made it even nicer. It took about 10 minutes to figure out how where the baby was, but after some trial and error, we were able to hear our baby's strong and fast heartbeat (147 bpm). We recorded the video, which I hope to post on here shortly. Check back for it!

Hello 2nd Trimester!

Today is the official start to our second trimester. Wow! I can't believe that our pregnancy is a third over! The baby is the size of a lemon right now, and growing hair. It can even make facial expressions, and suck it's thumb! I would love to see that. I had to buy some maternity pants yesterday, as I can't button- up my work pants at all. My mother has also bought me 3 shirts, and 2 pairs of leggings, all good for days off and after work. The nursery looks like a hot mess, but that is because there are random baby items sitting on the floor, and the half-completed changing table is sitting in peices around the room as well. I can't wait until we find out whether it is a girl or boy so we can pick paint colors! We are so excited about our trip to Miami, which is about a month and a half away now. The baby shower preparations are in full swing now, by abuela and tia. I am feeling really good, but slightly nervous about things like driving around with an infant, and giving it a bath, but I have this sense of joy that is overwhelming. I find myself rubbing my growing tummy, and daydreaming of family vacations; watching Jenn walking around with the baby in her baby bjorn at Disney. This is going to be the greatest adventure of our lives, and I love that there is a lifetime of memories just waiting to be made. I am trying to focus on the "fun" of being pregnant, trying not to jump too far ahead of myself, but its so hard!

13 Weeks and Counting

Before you get pregnant you think you know absolutely everything there is to being a parent. Then the reality of how much has to be done before that baby gets here starts to set in. We have been to more baby stores in the last few months than I have ever been in my entire life. I have learned that it is not as simple as just picking the pretty carseat. You have to do the one that is the safest, the one that will last the longest, the one that has the best wawrrant, the one that has extra bases, the list goes on and on. I will say the people at BuyBuybaby have been amazing in helping us with each decision. (from furniture to pacifiers) We ordered the crib and chest of drawers this week and I can't wait for them to come in so we can start organizing the nursery. I have ordered the changing table and it is almost put together so I will be very happy once that is all done. My wife has been such an amazing pregnant woman. Although she gets upset every now and then with clothes not fitting, she has been a rock. She questions her beauty but she is more beautiful today then the day I met her. She takes everything each day at a time and makes sure the baby is safe and growing strong. Our child will be so lucky to have such an amazing mother as I am the luckiest girl to have her as my wife. -Jenn

12 Weeks and Mahem



On Saturday night (last week) we had a little scare. At about 2 in the morning we rushed to the hospital because I started to bleed. The blood was not strong, nor very dark, but  was enough to scare the heck out of us. After about 2 hours at the hospital they took my vitals, blood, blood pressure, and checked the baby. All were fine and strong. The source of the blood was unknown, but the on-call ER OB said it could be the start of a miscarriage. We were so worried. We stayed home from work on Sunday, and then Monday morning we called our OB. They changed our week 12 appointment to that day, and we came right in. The baby was absolutely fine, and our nerves were calmed. My placenta tore slightly away from my uterus, which was causing the bleeding. It was a tiny rip, so there was nothing to worry about. The placenta is completely intact, and the baby is measuring exactly what it should at this point. After a few days off from work, and lots of rest, everything is fine. I am so happy that our OB is so amazing, and funny. Dr. Seidel is the best! Our next appointment is on April 18th to hopefully find out the baby's gender. Jenn and I are always switching between "he" and "she", and "it". I would love to just call "it" by name, Little Kelly or Lucas!

Too cute

Just wanted to share the bassinet my parents got the baby. Tee-hee

11 Weeks!

Sleeping is a luxury lately, as I find it difficult to get comfortable, and having to go potty frequently, so going in late this morning to work was a blessing in deed. I got up on my own (after trying to fall back to sleep), got a nice warm shower, washed and dried my hair (then styled it), and put some make-up on. I havent work make-up to work since I found out I was pregnant. LOL. My coworkers said I looked extra glowy today. Continuing with the good stuff, my amazing wife has told me that she is taking me to the Outer Banks in hopes of seeing some of the wild horses, and spending some much needed quality time together (tomorrow). We are staying in a hotel on the water, with a ocean view, and she is curently looking for more stuff to do on the island. I am super excited! It has been all about the baby lately, and our days off have been filled with trips to babies r us, buy buy baby, and target. Not to mention the doctors appointments, and the online searches for changing tables. Needless to say, we need to take some "us" time before we can't (for the next 18+ years LOL).

10 Weeks & Loving it

Jenn and I wake up every morning to read our various apps on being pregnant, and the development of our little fetus. We love seeing how quickly our little one is growing and looking more and more like the little human that we will meet ina few short (not so short) months. Today is officially 10 weeks pregnant, and the fact that baby is growing hair and nails is crazy cool! Today also marks my 30th birthday, and Jenn & my 1 yr wedding anniversary. It is a big day indeed! Unfortunately, we both have to work today (boo), but we celebrated with a lovely dinner last night, and some time spent with an old friend afterward. As we move forward, my pregnancy symptoms do too. Yesterday we were getting ready for our night out, and I literally went through every item in my closet. I tried on several things, and nothing made me feel pretty, and unlike a fat blob. I am not even showing that much yet! Everything just seemed so tight and uncomfortable, I sort of had a melt down. Jenn did not know what to do. I began tearing up, and then I could not control myself and went downstairs and just let go. The waterworks that continued were unlike anything I have ever felt. I knew in my brain that me getting bigger was a great hting! I am pregnant with our first child after a 1 yr stuggle to get here, and yet I could not make myself stop crying hysterically. I threw my face into our pile of clean laundry and I cried. I cried LOUD! Jenn texted my mother and told her that I was having a melt down, and she started to call all of our numbers trying to get a hold of one of us. I did not call her back until we were already on the way to the restaurant. My mom didn't help really, lol. She just tried to remind me of things that I already knew in my head to be true. These darn hormones!!! It's all for the greater good though.

9 weeks- little dancer

Our baby looks like one now!!! We went for our first OB appointment on Wednesday, and we met one of our doctors, and the staff. Everyone is so nice, and Dr. Seidel is a riot! We stayed speaking with him for quite a while, and he eased our minds about a lot of things. The nurses were super friendly as well. We did another vaginal ultrasound, and we saw that our baby has grown perfect little arms and legs. We got to hear the thump thump thump of its heartbeat, and we got to even see the baby move around!!! It was the coolest thing I've ever seen, and my beautiful and amazing wife would agree. We both got very emotional. We go back for another check up and scan at 12 weeks. They will then measure the back of the fetus's neck to test for abnormalities. We are praying for a positive outcome, but our doctor has instilled a nice sense of peace in us, and thinks there is nothing to worry about.

7 weeks

Coming up on 8 weeks!

Next week we are 8 weeks pregnant. I have been very lucky in not having very bad symptoms. My biggest complaint is fatigue. I am worn out after only a couples of hours at work or out and about. A midday nap helps, but those are only possible on my days off. I haven't been throwing up or getting nausea very often, and my gas has gotten a lot better since the first few weeks. Our little bambino/a is the size of a blueberry right now, and by next week will be the size of an olive. One thing that Jenn & I love to do is to read our different pregnancy apps to find out what is actually going on in there. These little things grow so quickly! We are 4 weeks away from our second trimester, and our families are getting baby fever. For the past few days I spent a good part of each day discussing baby items, baby showers, and all sorts of baby related things. I kind of love it!
On a sadder note, we have decided to give our dogs to someone else. It is someone they know well, so they are going to a good home. This decision has been a really hard one to make, but a necessary one. Between, lack of time for them, the danger aspect, and the house full of a Husky's winter coat, there is just no way to keep them and the baby healthy and happy. We have spent a lot of time, money & emotions on getting pregnant, and the last thing we need to to put that child in an unhealthy enviroment. Maybe when the baby is a little older we will get a smaller, more easily handled dog...or at least after we have our second child.

The Announcement

This week we are 6 weeks preggers. We had our first OB appointment yesterday and we now know that there is 1 healthy baby in my belly. We got to see the little heart beating, it was amazing. Next week we will go back to Carolina Conceptions one last time for another scan to make sure everything is progressing normally, and then they release us to our OB. The doctor said that I could stop the progesterone, and that our little bean is perfect and growing on track. We are so thrilled! Our mothers are really happy as well. We also decided it was safe to announce our pregnancy to Facebook. Our immediate family and some friends knew already, but now everyone does. We had many well-wishes and we feel so blessed to have the support that we do.

5 weeks

Tomorrow is 5 weeks. In a week and a half we go for our first OB scan. They will be able to tell us if there are multiples. Omg. We are kind of expecting it though, so we are taken by such surprise. I haven't had too much of nausea, but I have such bad gas. It's coming out of both ends constantly. Partly due to the pregnancy, and partly due to the extra progesterone that I have been taking. It was great seeing the positive pee tests. It was amazing getting the official positive from the blood test. And, it was also fantastic getting told my hormone levels are beautiful. I am still very careful. The first trimester is the most dangerous. I am taking it easy, and allowing my wonderful wife and parents to take care of me. I am tired very quickly, and I also have heartburn often, so I am trying to avoid all of the trigger foods.

Pregnant!!!

Too excited to write a whole post, but here's the scoop. We are pregnant, and oh so happy!

One More Day

One more day before we find out if we are expecting. My stomach is in knots. Literally! My stomach has been killing me. I also have so much gas!!! I read that it might have something to do with the progesterone suppositories. I don't know how I will handle another negative, so for my sanity's sake, I pray that we see a positive on that pee stick. In one way, I want to test by myself, so I could be upset by myself. Or to plan something special to tell Jenn that it was a positive. I will probably get killed by my wife if I keep it to myself.

5 more days

Jenn asked me this morning if we could test now. I promptly said no way and went on with getting ready for the day. 🐵

1 Week and Counting

Real or Imagined Symptoms

1. Gas
2. Frequent Urination
3. Tender Breasts

Tomorrow marks a week that we did the insemination. I feel okay, but a little anxious. My parents will arrive the day after we get the news, and it is hard not to think of fun ways to tell that that we will be having a baby (or two). If I don't get pregnant this time, does that mean that I am defective? I mean, I should be getting pregnant. My follicles are beautiful, my lining is thick, and we had a good spermy count. I am praying hard, and Jenn is talking to my belly every night (and sometimes morning).

4 follicles

So we had another baseline this morning at 7:30 (ay dios mio). Everything looks really good so far, and I have produced 4 mature follicles. My lining is on track, and then Saturday morning we will have another look to make sure we can take the ovidrel that evening. We are really excited and, like my coworker said... Talking this baby into existence. Wish us luck and fertile thoughts.

The injections start

So I have been taking Chlomid again for 5 days and today I started the menapur injections. Jenn was especially nervous this morning with having to mix up all the potions into the needle. But, we got it done this morning at 9AM and then we were off to work.
Current medications:
Chlomid
Menapur (2 vials)
Gonirelax (sp?)
Ovidrel
Progesterone
Prenatal Vitamins

So, I had been taking prenatals for almost a year now, getting my body ready for needing to carry a child. I had been doing fine swallowing these huge pills, and then 2 weeks ago I could not do it any longer. The pills started to get stuck in my throat, and it would take about 10 minutes of me coughing, choking, and throwing up to get it down. Yesterday, I borked down and bought gummy prenatals. LOL. They are actually tasty, but they are a little pricey as you have to take 2 of these at a time.
Mom and dad get here in less than 3 weeks, and we should get the news while they are with us. Wouldn't it be great if I got the BFP, and was able to share it with them here?!?