Its been a while since I've documented anything on here! This is a good one!
This summer, Mike and I talked a lot about when we would like to have another baby. We both felt it was appropriate to stop prevention at the end of June, and we had scheduled our fertility appointment for the end of September, so we could start the process of trying for another baby! We expected it to take us quite a few months to conceive. We hoped that the next baby would be about 3 years younger than Lyla!
At the end of July and throughout August I wondered if I could be pregnant, despite the low probability. I was experiencing morning sickness symptoms and mood swings. So I took a test at the beginning of August and it was negative, I took another a few days later, and it was negative again, so anytime I felt like I could be pregnant after that, I would dismiss it.
At the beginning of September my nausea was getting bad, I had woken up in the middle of the night for two weeks, just to eat a piece of fruit so I could ease the nausea and fall back to sleep. On September 5, Mike came home to an exhausted, grouchy me. And I started crying over the silliest thing. We went for a walk and came back and I told him I NEEDED mint ice cream. He told me to get a pregnancy test while I was out- I rolled my eyes and told him I had already seen two negatives. At 9:30 pm, I begrudgingly took a pregnancy test, sure, that I could not be pregnant.
It was positive. I sat there speechless and shocked. All I could say loudly enough for Mike to hear was oh. my. gosh. He came running. I was flooded with SHOCK. Shock that we conceived naturally, shock that I had been pregnant for a few weeks without knowing, shock that I WAS PREGNANT. I felt happiness, love, and fear all at the same time. This baby is due right before Mike's finals, it is also due right as we are supposed to be moving into our new home!
We had our first appointment at 7 weeks. We heard a good steady heartbeat from the ultrasound! That was relieving, but we still weren't in the clear with this new pregnancy. I was already showing an early sign of preeclampsia. My blood pressure at that appointment was 157/92- which is very high! Back in March during a routine check up with this same doctor, my BP was 109/74 so in the normal range! The doctor told me to cut out all caffeine, and eat a diet low in sodium and high in protein, and to maintain a regular exercise routine. He also told me to take a daily baby aspirin. He told us that it was more than likely we would need an early induction for this baby, and to plan on it being at least 3 weeks early again due to preeclampsia risks.
We went back to the doctor on the 25th for another ultrasound. The baby was much bigger this time than the last, the doctor was able to get a much more accurate reading, and determined the baby was 9 weeks, so he set our due date for April 30th! My BP reading at this appointment was MUCH better, I am not sure if its the aspirin, the diet, or the fact that I was a lot less nervous for this appointment, but I was so happy to see that something was working!
We had another appointment today at 12 weeks- yet another ultrasound just to make sure things look good! The baby passed and the doctor doesn't need to see me for 4 weeks- which is GOOD news! We are hoping to avoid preeclampsia this time around! Or if that isn't possible, that I will be able to carry the baby at least into the month of April!
I am so full of gratitude that there's a sweet little baby inside of me. Growing. Developing. AND I LOVE IT. Fiercely. I cannot wait to meet this little one. I am so excited to watch our family grow and change. And, I believe in an all knowing, all powerful, God. Who loves me, Mike, Lyla, and this little one. I know that we have followed spiritual promptings to get to this point, and I know that God has a plan for us. I am trusting in that plan.
Here's to a growing baby, family, and belly!
Brookeydee
