The Lowdown on Baby Number Three

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Your wishes of congratulations just warm my heart! I am just over the moon about our news :) Thanks for sharing the excitment with me!

So, as you know, we've been trying for about 12 months. I've been charting my temperature (to track ovulation), taking Vitamin B6 and Vitamin A (to help lengthen my luteal phase), using natural progesterone cream (to balance my hormones), and I had just recently started taking an 81 mg low dose baby Aspirin (which I read helps increase blood flow to the uterus to help implantation).

And you know what worked?

Um, probably none of it :)

Based on my previous charts, I was pretty sure I'd be ovulating on Easter weekend, while at my parent's house in Tucker, GA. This was a bit concerning to me since Brian doesn't celebrate Easter (unless you count stealing the kids chocolate bunny for himself celebrating) and wasn't planning on going with us. Thankfully we were pretty sure his "swimmers" weren't really the issue in our infertility, and since they can "tread water" for 3-5 days, we just made sure we were friends a lot that week prior. Actually, he was probably glad I went away for the weekend so I would quit pestering him to do it :)

I was so excited to get a nice pre-ov drop on Saturday and a nice rise on Sunday in my temperature.

There I am,  blissfully unaware of the miracle that is taking place :)

We return home that Monday and we all go back to the daily grind. I watch as my temperatures slowly start to fall.

And I cried. And decided to stop all this crap that we were doing. I needed a break. So, just a few days after ovulation, I stopped taking my vitamins and progesterone cream and taking my temperature. I didn't, however, stop taking my 81 mg of aspirin because I found that it really helped keep my daily headaches at bay.

I made an appointment with PREG (Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group) for a consultation on June 1st. I was going to quit researching why I wasn't conceiving on the internet and finally leave it up to a specialist.

The next weekend was Mother's Day weekend. I had 4 photography shoots lined up. My calendar showed me that my cycle was supposed to start on the Friday before.

"Just great. It will probably start during a shoot out in the wilderness and I'll be scrambling to find a bathroom."

But it didn't. It didn't start all weekend. But I was NOT getting my hopes up. I had falling temperatures, remember? Just like every other month. When you are pregnant, your temperatures rise and stay risen. Mine were certainly not.

Then Monday came around again. I had two pregnancy tests left from the big box.

I could scarcely believe my eyes....

No frickin' way.

My hands were literally shaking as I pick up the test and run and shove it under my husband's nose while still in bed. Um, let's just say being woken up like that was not on his list of favorite things. He was much happier with the news later. Although he pretended to cry because that's just Brian :)

I came upstairs and posted to my FB that I was having a great morning. Immediately, 3 of my best friends messaged me/called me: "Are you pregnant??" So, yes, I told them immediately. I can't keep news like that from my best friends!

Throughout the week, I made sure to tell my mom in person and a few other close friends as I saw them. But I wanted to keep it from my kids. 9 months is a long time. The closer I could get to my 2nd month of pregnancy, the better. Besides, I wanted to wait until Jayce had a "visual" of the baby through u/s or could at least hear the heartbeat.

However, my trip to the ER changed that. By the way, the intestinal blockage and pregnancy are totally unrelated. It is just a coincidence, I promise. I've been sick at least two other times during my pregnancies and I am sure that neither one effects each other.

But because they had to rule out ectopic pregnancy and check to see if everything was okay, I had an ultrasound at 5 weeks, 6 days gestation. Everything looked perfect!

Jayce says, "So, when they were looking at your tummy with the x-ray, they found a baby in there?" Um, sure.... I'm going to let him think that! I had to promise him that in all my sickness, I would NOT throw up the baby by accident :)

So, I made it 6 weeks without telling most people. I know, I know, I know... tradition usually calls for 10-14 weeks to wait. I'm sorry, I just can't. The only reason I waited with Jaina is because I had no idea I was pregnant and didn't even test until 8 weeks and didn't even go to the doctor until 14 weeks. With Jayce, I told everyone 10 days after I ovulated!

Here's how I see it...

Miscarriages happen. They are devastating. If I am going to have a miscarriage, I want the emotional support of my friends and family with me. The same people that are sharing the joy in this pregnancy with me would also be there to comfort me if there is a loss. I am not a private person; I wear my heart on my sleeve. I would never want to go through a miscarriage alone with just me knowing what had happened.

I do respect people's decisions to wait to share news, I really do. Its just not for me.

So, as I write this, I'll be 7 weeks along on Sunday. I'm extremely tired about 3 or 4 o'clock every afternoon, but other than that, things are great.

I still haven't passed the bowel obstruction, though. So I'm on a really easy-to-digest diet until that happens. I can't wait to eat whatever I want again!

Thank you, again, for all your well-wishes. We are so excited!!