A Recap:
As ya'll probably know, we were being treated for "unknown infertility" for a couple of years before we were given the opportunity to have an IUI. After a few weeks of hormones and drugs and hormones and belly injections and hormones and drugs, we had our first IUI (more on that weird experience later).
4/5 Weeks: We were extatic, relieved, surprised and bumbled to discover that the very first attempt was successful! We were in the shoe department at the NEX looking for sandals when the doctor called to confirm our positive pregnancy test result. I bawled right there next to the Nikes. He scheduled for us to have an ultrasound the following Monday to make sure it was a viable pregnancy, and so it was.
The following weekend, we broke the news to our immediate family. (more about that later, too)
6 Weeks: Oh, hello nausea. I was not looking forward to meeting you. Honestly, weeks 6-9 are pretty much a blur. I was so nauseous - but thankfully not throwing up - that all I could do was lay on the couch and whine. I began removing almost everything from my diet: sauces (which meant no pasta!), salsas (no Mexican food!), spices, tomatoes, bananas. Everything made my stomach upset. I felt like I had drank too much, and was hanging my head thinking "If only I could throw up, I'd feel so much better..." but knowing that throwing up would not make the nausea go away.
9 Weeks: I discovered Sea Bands. I don't know why I waited so long to buy them. We were travelling two hours to Long Beach for Mama Chela's 90th birthday and I just couldn't be sick. A few days before hand, I bought the bands and for the first time felt like I could get off the couch! I didn't feel great, but at least I could leave the house.
We made it through the party, and made our announcement to Mama Chela and my husband's father's side of the family who were in attendance. I spent nearly all night under the heater (it was an outdoor party) but was thankful that there was plenty of plain beans and rice and tortilla chips to eat :)
During this time, just about all I could eat was plain bean and cheese burritos. And cereal. And ginger ale.
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| Still pretty nauseous! |
Around this time, we prepared our announcements and included them in our Christmas cards. Just after Christmas we posted our announcement photo online. I supposed I started to show a little bit, a very little bit. Really, I just looked (and felt) like I had overeaten.
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| Starting to feel better! |
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| Thumbsucker! |
17 Weeks: I felt baby move for the first time! It was just a flutter, but once I recognized it, I felt it all the time. Such a weird, exhilarating feeling.
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| Baby's moving! |
18 Weeks: Hubbs felt baby move for the first time! I read somewheres on the interwebs that if I could feel the baby move, chances are he could, too. So every night I made him hold his hand on my belly while we watched TV until he could feel it. I admit, his reaction was a little less than I had hoped for: he looked at me in utter surprise and excitement for just a brief moment, then was distracted by the ending of the episode of Dexter he was watching. Turd.
At the end of the week, I had my first cystoscopy to follow up on the bladder abnormality they found during my trip to the hospital two weeks prior. Bladder mass was confirmed, and stumped the doctors, so I was put on hold for a few days until they could decide what to do.
19-20 Weeks: By this time, I was feeling GREAT. I woke up feeling wonderful every day. I was excited to dress my little belly and get out of the house. My appetite was coming back and I was able to eat some of the foods I had given up earlier on. The doctors decided that the unknown mass in my bladder could be quite a problem and it had to go as soon as possible. They scheduled me for surgery.
While we patiently waited for the impending surgery (and I thought hubbs would go all-gray), we had an ultrasound to find out the sex of our little one. We swore every day that it didn't matter either way. Knowing all of the trouble we had gone through to get pregnant in the first place, we were just happy to be having a little one at all. But... as soon as the tech let out that three letter word, b-o-y, hubbs let out a viking growl unlike any I had heard before. I got a great laugh out of his reaction, and just teared up a tiny little bit.We met with our midwife a few days later and she told us baby boy was in the 49th percentile and looked perfectly healthy!
21 Weeks: Surgery. It knocked me off my feet more than I expected, to be honest. The spinal anesthesia, I was told, was stronger than an epidural but not quite as strong as what you'd get for a C-section. It was such a weird feeling not being able to walk. Or pee. Overall, it went well and we were able to go home that afternoon. I slept it off for a couple of days and felt generally fine, but it really set me back a couple of weeks. I had been feeling SO good before the surgery, but really had to take it easy afterward and didnt do much outside of the house or school. I had a few crappy days followed by a few good days, then a week of "Whoa, I'm not all better yet" days. Baby was safe and happy and moving as he should, so that's what really mattered.
23 Weeks: Biopsy results came back as "low malignant potential", which means I do not have cancer now, but I need to go back after the baby is born to have it looked at again. Additionally, I ate a whole pan of brownies in two days. I even took it in the car with me so I could eat while driving... Naps don't seem as necessary as they used to, but I still like them :)25 Weeks: Um, where'd this belly come from?! It popped out overnight, I swear! One day I was just a little bloated and then suddenly there was a baby bump. And it moves. That's the weird part! Seeing a lump in my belly where his bum is poking out is quite the experience.
We toured the birthing center this week and really like it. Now we just have to cross all fingers and toes and hope that our insurance will allow us to go. I met with an OB/GYN doctor as she was curious to do a check-up after my surgery (I'd never seen this woman before, only the midwives). She was a little patronizing (she kept calling me "kiddo") and tried to explain to me that water births aren't safe because they're not sanitary and lead to infections, "you know, like when you get a pedicure." ...Right. Because the rise of infectious pedicure deaths is a big concern these days... She made me get a vaccination (which I don't like to do) and take the glucose test 3 weeks early. I wasn't prepared to take it that, I had Jack-in-the-Box on the way to the hopsital for gawds sake. Ugh. I felt like I was being held hostage by the hospital and our insurance. It was not a great day, so please send us good juju so that we can be allowed to go to the birthing center!
26 Weeks: I got a semi-surprise trip from the girls (I expected one, but the second was a surprise!). We had a great girls weekend, complete with mani-pedis, The Melting Pot, and lots and lots of baby shopping :) Baby Dojo has quite the monster wardrobe now! He's moving so much, and poking out in weird places. I'm waddling a lot, too. Oh, and sleeping has become quite difficult. I am waking up at about 3-4 am and lying in bed for hours until I can fall asleep again.
Which brings us to the present: And that's a wrap!
Let's do this again real soon, okay? ;)
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