19 weeks was a doozy.

19 weeks today! I feel like the last 10 days we've felt pretty much every possible emotion in the human spectrum. 

Last week we were coming off of some major wins with all the success Scott had at work and with the app. Once we got approval for the app to be in the App Store the next few days were filled with getting things ready for the launch party. 

Tuesday night everything was set up to get a group skype going with family to toast and cheer as it went live in the App Store. I went downstairs to grab wine glasses and martinellis and made it back up stairs only to double over in pain and drop the glasses before I could sit down. Once Scott got me to the couch and I could get my legs kinda tucked up and compress(is that the right word?) the sharp shooting pains weren't as bad, and I was not going to take away from this party. This was about 11pm. We had a blast skyping and launched the app successfully! 

We were headed to bed around 1am and I got up to walk to my bed. Not very far at all and the sharp pains and cramping got way more intense. I curled up into a ball on the bed and started breathing really hard. Things were not getting better. 

I called my Mom crying and told her what was going on. (So grateful she was awake.) Sobbing into the phone to your Mom that you are terrified you're going to lose another baby is something I wish on no one. She got me lined out on calling the Dr. And calling her back. Our Dr. Has an answering service that will page him. We called twice and the service didn't pick up. Panicking even more I called my Mom back and she told us we could call the charge nurse at labor and delivery at the hospital. We were able to get through and she was able to get us through to my Dr. Who sent me immediately to the ER. 

Scott got me in the car and got us to the hospital in record time. Thankfully there was literally no one in the ER. We got checked in and in a room pretty quick. 

We waited for awhile to see a Dr. And then they decided to do bloodwork, urine test, IV and an ultrasound. 

While they were running labs, I sat on the bed with my knees tucked up to be relatively comfortable. We had been there close to 2 hours before the ultrasound guy came in. I wished so badly there was another bed for Scott to sleep in. Oh we were so exhausted, physically and emotionally. 

I can't even describe how wonderful it was to immediately hear a strong heartbeat of 151, and see him with his signature hands behind his head move. Everything looked great on the ultrasound, and a few minutes in he decided to give us a show flipping around and swimming. He even gave us a sassy thumbs up like "how could you possibly be worried about me Mom & Dad?"

His little thumb is up at the bottom of the screen. I immediately relaxed after seeing our little sasspot so happy and comfortable in there. 

A little while later the Dr. came back with all of our lab results and no answers. Which is kinda good, but also had me a little nervous. The sharp pains and cramps had gone down. It had been over six hours since it started.  

I asked what if it happens again? Should I come in? Did I overreact? Thankfully the Dr. Didn't think we were crazy and told us if it gets bad like this again to come straight in. They also told us if we had been 20 weeks we would have been sent straight to Labor & Delivery. I was so grateful to be headed home to rest in my own bed. 

Coincidentally I had an appointment scheduled with my regular OB at 10:15 that morning. So we went home and slept for four hours and headed to the Dr.  Sleepy. That appointment went great, and he found the baby's heartbeat in less than a second. He also agreed that if that happened again we don't even need to call him and head straight to the hospital. He also agreed with the ER that this was an isolated event and since the baby was just fine it might not even be related to the pregnancy at all. 

He didn't put me on bedrest and even said I can still go to Arizona for our vacation when my brother comes home from his mission. On the condition that I don't end up in the ER between now and then. 

Scott the Wonderboy stopped for breakfast on our way home from the dr. Tucked me in and went straight to work. I am so grateful we live in TX and he works for such a wonderful company. He has the freedom to work from home, and there's no way this baby or I would get through the pregnancy without him. We're laying pretty low over here. Increasing my water intake from 125oz/day to something higher than that. (They ruled out dehydration, but I'm not taking any chances.) 

In the 36hrs we've been home from the hospital the app has generated some serious social media buzz and downloads which I can't help but see as a blessing for all of Scott's hard work and dedication to taking care of his family. 

Next thing on the list for all three of us is a lot of naps, and then some more naps. 

But hey, next week we're halfway! 

18 week update! Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

Yesterday we met with the Maternal Fetal Specialist. I would probably rate my stress and anxiety level at a 10-11 leading up to the appointment. Our family knew about that, so when the appointment went for 2.5hrs there was some definite panic that things were not going well. 

We're happy to report out of all the possible outcomes we really got the best one. 

We got to the Specialist's early and did vitals first, then we went into another room where we talked with a nurse about genetic testing. I finally had to apologize to the nurse that we were both making a couple of jokes, because we were so stressed out laughing was the only way we were going to get through the appointment. She thought we were a breath of fresh air and took us seriously.

We opted for some genetic testing just because of how traumatic this pregnancy has been. Just a few simple blood tests. 

We had been there over an hour before we got to the ultrasound. This was our big anatomy scan so she worked on me for about 30mins. 

Everything is measuring perfectly, and their little noggin is even a few days ahead of schedule (within reason). Which was a huge relief to me. I've been working with the nutritionist and have only gained a pound this month. I think the average is usually about 4lbs a month. 

Baby was sleeping and so stinking low she kept thwapping my stomach with the ultrasound to try and get them to move. She was working pretty hard,  but after all the great measurements we finally got the one we wanted. A son! We're having a boy! 

We were so excited, right after she told us Scott touched my arm and asked if I was okay. I was silent and shook my head yes. Poor Scott thought I was upset it was a boy. Turns out the ultrasound gel for my tummy isn't supposed to itch and burn. I was trying to focus and get through the ultrasound, I was so determined to let her get all her measurements. I finally asked if it was supposed to itch and burn and I guess it's not. Slight allergic reaction/sensitivity. So now I know I can ask for hypoallergenic gel. And I promised Scott I would speak up in the future.. Oops! 

After the ultrasound tech finished she went to go get the Dr and Scott was beaming. He was walking back and forth and talking about all the things we wanted to teach our son. All I could see was matching BYU hats and a chubby little blondie following him around while he mowed the lawn. It's perfect, I never knew this is exactly what I wanted. 

Plus he's going to be a Mama's boy and what's better than that? ;) 

Scott is the only boy in his immediate family, so I'm pretty excited we get to carry on the family name. 

We do still have the placenta complication, but the Dr. Isn't really worried about it. It didn't really make sense to me how the placenta was supposed to move without detaching. She explained it's like if you put a dot on a balloon and as you inflated the balloon the dot would change position. So that's what we're hoping for. I'll go back in a month for another apt with the specialist, but we're so grateful the answer wasn't bedrest at least for another month. And the best news of all, no travel restrictions so I get to be there when my brother comes home from his mission. 

It's crazy how quickly things changed once we knew we were having a little boy. Scott had promised me that after the app was finished we could paint the upstairs. He finished a few days ago and this morning he woke me up by telling me he just got back from Home Depot getting the rest of the painting supplies. We know what we're going to name him, but are keeping it a secret til he gets here, but we prayed for him by name last night during family prayer and it was such a sweet experience. 

I slept for nearly 12hours last night. Yesterday couldn't have gone better and I am so relieved. Now we can buy outfits and paint the nursery and do all of the fun stuff with a whole lot less worry. So happy 18weeks to us! 

We love you sweet boy, keep growing big and strong! I hope you get your Dad's baby cheeks. 

17 Weeks!

This week was h.a.r.d. I'm not a crier by any stretch (unless we're watching a movie about the Olympics.) and there were some definite tears shed this week. Mostly due to lots of flem and not being able to breathe. I've tried to write this post at least five times today, but my mood changes every 10minutes so I'm not getting anywhere. So I made a list of thoughts.

1. Praise whomever made amoxicillin, because I really thought we were headed to the hospital this week. 

2. I'm really excited for our ultrasound this week. 

3. I need it to be a girl, not because I want a girl, I want a healthy baby boy or girl. I need it to be a girl because that's what my gut tells me and I need to be right about something. I need a little victory. 

4. I started crying in the middle of the night just because my husband is going to be such a good Dad. 

5. Every once in awhile I see pictures of twins and I'm jealous that both my babies aren't coming in December. 

6. Current hobbies include snap chatting reviews making fun of the Bachelorette, and yelling at the tv during Master Chef Junior. 

7. Sometimes I wonder if I share too much, or should find a different outlet when things are stupid hard rather than posting about them. But really every single time my tribe likes/comments/commiserates with me and I feel better. 

8. Currently debating waking up Scott to see if he wants to go with me to go get stuff to make smores. It's 1:41am. 

9. Listening to Harry Potter before bed really calms me down and helps me sleep. 

10. It's July 1st! Month 2 of Summer hibernation! I was scrolling through the call log on my phone and it's filled with Dr's, Scott, my sisters, and my mom. 

11. During the holidays at Kneaders it was so stressful, by the time I hit December 1st I would only answer my phone for people I considered to be in Tier 1. Those people in #10 + family are Tier 1 currently.  All of the Dr's appointments and paperwork and worrying about the placenta is really just about all I can handle right now, it's not that I don't try and be social (I'm still trying!) but a lot of days what's on my plate is all the emotional energy I have to give. While I feel good about being able to recognize that, it also wears on me because I want to be a good friend, visiting teacher, etc. So if you're one of those people not mentioned know that I love you and keep trying. You never know when there's a good day we can take advantage of! So many emotions! 

12. I gave up on pretending to have all my baby updates all shiny and perfect. They really haven't been since week six, but I really like how they're coming together. Because they're honest and they're a real snapshot of what pregnancy was like for us. I do try and look for something that genuinely made me happy that week. 

13. This week that happy thing is realizing how much joy we get as a couple from doing hard things together. This pregnancy has been HARD. But dangit we're still laughing and planning and talking to the baby and enjoying the process. Because nothing makes us happier than knowing we're parents and we're working and fighting to get this baby home. We make a great team. 

***this blog is sponsored by pregnancy hormones and not being allowed any ADD meds until after the baby is done nursing. ***

15 Week Update

*UPDATE* No diabetes for me! Talked to the Dr. And everything came back clear. Wasn't even close to the line. We are thrilled to have one less thing to be worried about. 

I admit, I was kinda naive after we got pregnant. I kinda figured the hard part was over. Getting pregnant was supposed to be the hard part. Every time we would celebrate another month of being married we would joke "the hard part is over." Lately that's become our joke when we're handed a new hoop to jump through. 

 On Wednesday we met with our OB for the first time and it went really well. Both of us felt really comfortable with the Dr. And he took lots of time to make sure he answered all of our questions. 

We got to see our beautiful baby who is looking good and wiggly. And super healthy. Following the nutritionist's plan is paying off! Woohoo! 

We're pretty good at not freaking out until there's something confirmed to freak out about and having faith that it will all work out. So far it has. 

At the appointment we also learned that my placenta is covering my cervix. Which isn't a good situation for Mom. Baby would be just fine, but it causes a lot of complications at delivery. We have a very good chance of it moving on its own which is what we're hoping for. I posted a little bit about it on Facebook and there was an outpouring of support of friends who were in the same situation and everything worked out just fine for them. Which was a much better experience to read rather than reading about complications online. I highly recommend not looking up those complications. 

I get that our odds of things working out are pretty good, but I'm still very much feeling the anxiety and intensity of the situation. Right now things are not 100%,  and I will be nervous until things are in better shape. It's always that tough inbetween stuff that seems to get me into trouble. We will continue to meet with our regular Dr. And Nutritionist each month, but we will also be adding a Maternal Fetal Specialist about every two weeks. Lots of appointments and tests, but we have been in the whatever it takes to get the baby here safely camp since Day 1, and it looks like this is what it's going to take. 

In the ultrasound it kinda looks like Baby Daly is smiling like they're really proud of themselves. During the ultrasound they were putting on a show for us "hey Mom! Look what I can do!" I didn't think something the size of a pear could have such a big personality. I'm pretty crazy about having a firecracker come to our family. 

Maybe it's because I'm their Mom, but doesn't that smile look like they're proud of themselves? 

They also wanted me to go get tested for diabetes and discuss genetic testing. 

During fertility treatments I had to do tons of bloodwork. I'm pretty hard to get blood from, the needles don't really bother me. The poking and not getting any blood bothers me. Most of the time to get a good vein they have to take blood from my forearm or my hand. Neither of which are good places to get large amounts of blood from. Turns out my veins are really deep and they roll. 

Once we graduated to the OB I had to go do another bloodwork panel this time at a different place. Which turned out to be a miracle. Yvonne is a magic blood lady and managed to get a vein first try in the crook of my arm. The least painful spot. Yesterday when I had to do the glucose/diabetes test thankfully she was working again, and worked her magic and got it first try. It was a really big tender mercy for me to have her work on me. I really appreciate medical people who are really good at their jobs. 

I was kinda hoping that my bloodwork would show I was anemic because I am so stupid tired all the time. Everything came back looking 100%. In fact my Dr. Got super excited I was so tired. We are so close to getting out of the river, and I can't wait to have some energy back. One of the complications if the placenta doesn't move would be bed rest. Which at this point I don't know what I'm so scared of, we're pretty much there now. 

Looks like we'll be sticking to a steady diet of naps, water, and Drs. Apts. for now. 

But we have a healthy baby! 

Also I'm sorry for saying placenta so many times. 

Hurry up, and wait. Mental Toughness and learning a new kind of fight.

All my life I have had an insane competitive drive. I am an athlete, and for   20 years of my life countless hours were devoted to practice and working out and learning techniques like combat visualization to reach goals and championships. Learning how to work hard for a goal, and loving how it feels to reach a goal is invaluable. I applied these skills to college and my career. I knew what I needed to do to reach those goals. There was a period of time during my career where I was thrown into huge situation after huge situation and my mom reminded me that I thrived best in back against the wall type situations. My whole life I had been prepared for that. I knew what it's like to hold your breath and dig a little deeper to finish the fourth quarter. 

For the past year and a half I felt like I was stuck in that fourth quarter, but I had no idea how to finish that game. I didn't know how to fight for this goal because the whole thing was out of our hands. And I love the fight, because I know that given the chance to fight, I will either win, or I will be at peace with losing. The hardest thing about losing Baby B, was feeling like I didn't even have a chance to fight for them to survive. In the passing weeks I've realized that I fought like hell to get them here, to create them. To carry them as long as I did. That baby was real, and they are one of my biggest accomplishments. I've made peace with it. 

Knowing how fragile that can be taken away from me, my desire to fight, and to protect, and to get Baby A here safely is incredible. And while the future is unknown, I refuse to let anyone or anything put negativity into my life. I don't have the emotional capacity to deal with doubt. Getting this baby here safely is using every single ounce of mental toughness and energy I have. Which is why I'm grateful to surround myself with people who are supportive and excited for us. 

And with this being a completely different ball game I've learned that the fight and the work is different. It's about resting, and staying down when my body needs it. It's about not pushing myself too hard. This week the fight included going to the nutritionist and learning how to get Baby A all the nutrients they need to grow big and strong.  It means accepting that I'm not in control. 

I haven't blogged in awhile because we're very much in the Hurry up and Wait stage of the process for the 100th time. You hit a milestone and then it's more waiting. Which is important. It takes a long time to grow a human. Both Scott and I keep having dreams about what our sweet baby is going to be. I'm very excited that we'll find out what we're having in the next few weeks.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to be writing boring filler posts about our day to day. That means the baby is still growing, and still healthy and I'm not high risk. Which is very exciting for us! 

This really is the greatest thing we've ever done. We're living a daily miracle. :)