5/20/14

Baby #2 - From TTC to Positive Test

(This post covers October 2013 - February 2014)
Now that the cat's out of the bag, i thought I'd write a bit about the pregnancy journey so far.
Fair warning, I will be writing about trying to conceive, ovulation, periods and pregnancy tests... so if you don't want to read about it... Don't.

As soon as Kaleb turned 2, we knew we wanted to start trying to have another little one. Well, actually we had talked about it for some time before, but we kept going back and forth. Honestly, I thought I would want more babies right away, but after having Kaleb I realized I needed more time before starting down that baby road again.

But, just like with Kaleb, when the time finally felt right, it felt RIGHT! So we started trying in October of 2013. Now, with the first time we tried (with Kaleb) I got pregnant right off the bat. So, even though I kept saying "It can take 6 months to year to get pregnant." I DID NOT think it would take longer that one MAYBE two trys - tops.

Well, figuring out my ovulation days via calendar, we tried in October. I got these bulk pregnancy test off of ebay (because oh my goodness they are so expensive in stores!).

They're a little ick at first because basically they're dip sticks. They came with a little cup for your dipping convenience... yeah. But they're basically the same things you get at your local pregnancy test store without the casing.

Anyway, They say you can test up to 5 days before your missed period, so of course, 5 days on the nose I take the test- negative. I then take a test EVERYDAY until the bitter flow of disappointment arrives.

We then try in November... on every ovulation day.

I again take the test for five days until its clear I'm not pregnant.

We debate about trying in December, because the baby's due date would be within days of Kaleb's birthday, but we both wanted to be pregnant so bad, we decide at the last minute to try this cycle anyway. But it didn't matter, because after 5 days of testing, I'm still not pregnant. (you would think I would stop testing early by now, but that didn't happen.)

So we try in January... We had just moved to our new home, EVERYTHING was chaos... I was still organizing still unpacking. Add that to the fact that I still wasn't pregnant and I was just a ball of stress.

We tried... and after the calendar said my cycle was over, I decide to take an ovulation test (that came with the pregnancy tests) just to be sure. I was skeptical because I read that they were notoriously inaccurate, but I was desperate. The test said I was still ovulating, and I didn't really believe it... I also didn't really do anything with the information.

We just continued on as a married couple, not the time-keeping-baby-making-Nazi I think turned into when I "knew" I was ovulating.

Well, February rolls around and its 5 days before my period, so I take the test - negative. The next day - negative. I'm just done. My hope is gone.

I know we only tried for four months and so many people try longer and have much MUCH greater struggles, but going from "pregnant on the first try" to five months and nothing, I was surprised and so sad.

It was February 9th, A Sunday and the day I was supposed to get the red devil in my belly (New Girl, 50 Shades of Day) But hadn't yet. Were at church and I didn't have any... lets say 'protection' with me in case I did start. So, knowing I would I rushed home and as I grabbed some, I had to push aside my pregnancy tests. I stopped for a moment... could I be pregnant?
No, no I had taken two tests already and I wasn't. I was resigned to not being pregnant for a while. Maybe I needed to lose more weight (my "fix" for everything, though I haven't really done it yet), maybe Kaleb would be older than 3 when we had another one, would that be so horrible?

Feeling defeated I went back to church and carried on with my day.

That evening, after dinner and as Kaleb was taking a bath, I realized I still hadn't started. So, with guarded hopes I took the test.

Kaleb was next to me in the bath as I stared at that VERY faded blue line.

I was shocked. I was happy, but I was shocked.

Emotion filled me. Filled me to the brim.

I still didn't totally trust it though. I had to take another test. An expensive one from the store. Maybe my whole batch was wrong.

My plan (for about 10 minutes) was to put Kaleb to bed, somehow convince Blake I needed to leave, confirm my pregnancy and if I was pregnant, tell him in some really cool way on Valentines day.

Well, we got Kaleb out of the bath and in to jammies. I got through story time and when we had family prayer, I just started crying.

Blake came over to me, asked "whats the matter?" and held me. I managed "Nothing! I think I'm pregnant. The test said maybe but I don't believe it."

He did. Right away he did. But I went to the store any was and took a "proper" test. One of those digital ones so I could be sure. No faded lines, just "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant".

We cried, and were so thankful.

We decided not to tell anyone for a while, to make sure everything was going to be OK.

(I called my cousin and grandma, but they kept it under wraps.)

Anyway, I'm now 18 weeks and want to write a WHOLE lot more about my second pregnancy experience so far, but this post is already crazy long, so I'll save it for later.

We are so thankful for our little one and cannot wait for these next few months to be over and to just hold her and have her become a part of our family.

Baby #2 - From TTC to Positive Test

4/29/14

A 2014 Update

I love video.
Watch this.
(and excuse the growling and occasional ignoring. He was playing his Innotab)

Yup. We're expecting our second baby - our first little girl - and Kaleb is going to be a big brother!
I'm 15 weeks pregnant.
She's due October 20th and so far everything is so good.

Shes sucking her thumb.

showing off her bendy legs and perfect spine.

Before anyone asks, we're not 100% on a name, but we do have some front runners.

(and for those of you who already know and have asked -- here is our baby registry http://www.target.com/baby/registry/QogbEhbRkPhX31f2G6yw3w )

So, yeah, I'll keep you posted. :D

A 2014 Update

9/10/11

Kaleb's Birth Story

The birth story of my baby boy, Kaleb.

As captured by the talented LDS photographer and friend, Ashley Perez.

It started on September 6, 2011.

My water broke just after I had finished making a burrito.

Figures, right?

Well, I changed my pants, finished my burrito, did a little primping and we made our way to the hospital.

I wasn't feeling any contractions at that point. Just excitement and relief that we would soon have our baby boy.

While preparing for our little one, we devised a birthing plan that included the use of "Hypnobabies".

An awesome program that helped me get through most of my pregnancy pain, including Sciatica.

The main part of our "plan" however, was to roll with the punches. If something happened not on our birthing plan, to just go with it and make it work.

Good thing too, because nothing went according to plan.

I did not think my water would break, but it did so I had to stay at the hospital the entire time.

I wasn't progressing hardly at all, so the doctors suggested pitocin.

I said "no" I didn't want to interfere if I could help it, so we waited another painful 4 hours and still nothing.

Blake (my husband) and I talked about it, and came to the conclusion; we weren't inducing labor (which we absolutely did not want to do) we were helping it along a bit.

So they pumped me full of pitocin and labor got intense very quickly.

I used the techniques learned from Hypnobabies through the coaching and support of my husband.

(and oh my goodness, he was amazing. So gentle and attentive. So loving and sweet. He was amazing)

However, 24 hours after labor started I was completely exhausted, and slightly delusional.

(apparently I was telling Blake about a man who wasn't allowed in the room...?)

Not to mention I had to constantly wear a fetal monitor around my belly, had the IV of pitocin in my hand and had to pee every two minutes. There was constantly unhooking, rolling over, hobbling, re hooking just to do it all over again.

Everything was so intense, and I was so exhausted, Blake made the executive decision to have me get an epidural.

I cried.

I felt weak and like I was doing the wrong thing.

Blake reminded me I had to have enough energy to push, or we would have to have a C-section.

(because my water broke, bacteria was able to enter my uterus and Kaleb and I were starting to run a fever)

So, I yielded and cried felt the most icky thing ever as a tube entered my spine.

However, two minutes after that, I watched the little contraction tracker shoot up and I didn't feel a thing.

You also have to have catheter put in when you have an epidural, and as gross as that sounds, I didn't have to get up every two minutes anymore so that was a relief as well

I started laughing.

Then I "passed out". (read: feel asleep from exhaustion)

Thats about when Ashley joined us.

Blake was reading Kaleb The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe almost every night so he, Kaleb, would know Blake's voice.

My mother in law cam in and felt my little boy squirming

Blake was so wonderful. He was comforting me here.

Trying to say hello to Kaleb

I was so very exhausted

... and a little delirious.

Blake was my rock

My little brother's came in to visit. (Dig my Hospital gown? I got it at Gownies along with another one that I wore the following day.)

My dad came by too.

When my fingers became too bloated for my wedding ring, I started waring Blake's Spanish CTR ring.

I started to feel the urge to push, and told my nurses. We got things ready. I started pushing.

For three hours I was pushing. I was so exhausted.

Blake said a silent prayer while things stalled. (I didn't know about this until we got the images back from Ashley)

There was about a minute in between pushes... I fell asleep each time.

Blake could see Kaleb's head!

Just a few more pushes and he would here... have I mentioned how exhausted I was?

Then finally, late in the evening on September 7, 2011, he was finally here.

See that cone head? Thats what happens when you hang out in the birth canal for three hours. His head is perfect now, in case you were wondering.

The first time I held him he was right on top of where he spent the last 9 months.

Because had a fever and possible infection, they took him away to clean and monitor him right away. Normally they would have just handed him to me and I could have held him. This is was saddest part of the day in retrospect, but at the time I just saying "make sure hes OK."

And Blake got to stay with him.

They handed him to me for a quick minute...

and I got to kiss him for the first time.

Then Kaleb and his daddy went to the NICU for bath and antibiotics. And my daddy came by to see how I was feeling.

Along with more family. I loved having them there for support.

It was a good thing Blake read to our little baby so often, because Blake was able to sooth him while I was getting stitched and squeezed and waiting to see my boy.

There is a painting at the hospital with a little red button in the center, and if you've just delivered you can push the button as you pass by and it plays Brahms Lullaby throughout the hospital.