Week 9

Well time flys when your having fun right? Well not sure...I am 9 weeks today, getting closer and closer to that 12 week mark makes me happy, I wish it would just get here already though. But the baby has had no problems. As you can see from the ultrasound picture, you can actually make out the little head and where the back is...it is crazy how the baby is growing from week to week. I had my first appt with my new OB this week, even though I dont meet her until my 12 week appt, I was really impressed with the office and the Nurses I did see. On Monday we got an ultrasound, and the littles ones heartrate was at 162. This is the first belly ultrasound I have had, so its great to not have to do the fun kind anymore. And the tech actually saw and I saw too, the baby move around. It was so crazy and so wonderful. So the baby is doing perfect...I love "it" (by the way I hate calling the baby it) so much already and cant wait to meet him/her.

So the baby is doing great, which is my main concern...but me on the other hand.....have had some rough days........I have been pretty sick for about 3 weeks, just gagging and dry heaving really, and this week started the throwing up. On Wednesday I was throwing up everything, including gatorade, so I got put on an IV of fluids. I have felt better after that. I am losing weight, which I think it pretty common, but I am not eating very much at all. I am trying to figure out ways to get some calories down but its not working out to great. But I will throw up everyday of the 9 months, if thats what needs to happen. (Im hoping it will end soon though)

Heres whats going on in Week 9 with the little one....

Your Baby's Development
The tail at the bottom of your baby's spinal cord has shrunk and almost disappeared by this week. In contrast, your baby's head has been growing — it's quite large compared with the rest of the body and it curves onto the chest. By this week, your baby measures about 0.6 to 0.7 inches (16 to 18 millimeters) from crown to rump and weighs around 0.1 ounces (3 grams). The tip of the nose has developed and can be seen in profile, and flaps of skin over the eyes have begun to shape into eyelids, which will become more noticeable in the next few weeks.
The digestive system continues to develop. The anus is forming, and the intestines are growing longer. In addition, internal reproductive features, such as testes and ovaries, start to form this week.
Your baby may make some first movements this week as muscles develop. If you had an ultrasound now, those movements might even be visible, but you won't be able to feel them for several more weeks.

After many tears and talks with Cecil and me getting H1N1 Vax, I did decide to get it this week. I was nervous with it being so new and being pregnant and all, but pregnant women and kids were in top priority.......and Mooresville was struck with a tradgety this week.......A beautiful young 27 year old mother to a 9 month old baby, was taken to Heaven yesterday after fighting for her life for 5 days, after getting H1N1. I followed with her family for the 5 days, it was so awful. God was just ready for her yesterday. I played basketball with her in high school, she graduated a few classes before me, but I remember her being so beautiful and honestly one of the nicest people I have ever met. So for me, it was clear, I stood in line on Thursday with all the other pregnant women and kids and got my shot. I did what Cecil and I felt was right for the baby and myself. Please pray for the families of Jamie Blackwell Loveless, pray for them to have strength during this time. And please pray for baby Gavin, whos mom will live on through him forever.http://thelovelessfamily.weebly.com/

My next appt is Nov 23rd, I will be over 12 weeks and I get to meet the doctor. But it will be the longest I have been without an ultrasound, so Im sure I will be a nervous wreck the entire time. Thats the nice thing about IVF, you get many more ultrasounds and really see how the baby grows from week to week in the begining, I will miss that! But I know if just means the baby is doing fine and healthy. Please continue to say your prayers that both of us stay healthy and the little one stays as strong as it has this far. This baby is so blessed to have so many people love it already! It is going to be one spoiled little baby. Also Please keep Jamie's family in your prayers. I know she will be greatly missed.

xoxo-Kari

7weeks & 5 Days......

So we had our last appt with my RE (the doc who did our IVF) It was kindof sad to leave all the people that have been so wonderful the past few years, but we are so happy to get released to our new OB. I have my first appt with our OB on Monday! Things are moving right along, we couldnt be happier.

So at the appt today we did another ultrasound, and we could actually see a head and the start of arms and legs! And not only did we see the little heart pounding away, we got to hear the heart beat as well. Up until now I have not cried at an ultrasound-I think I have always been in shock, but hearing the heartbeat did it for me, the water works started. It is a moment Cecil and I will always cherish, and Im so glad he was there to share it with. The tech said it was a very strong heartbeat! Thank God for miracles........

As for me, still pretty sick. I am eating a little more now, I regret it afterwards, but at least Im getting some things down. I am still trying to take it very easy and stay away from sick people. Im starting to get some heartburn sometimes. I am not having many cravings at all yet, because NOTHING sounds good every. I have a few times craved buffalo wings and meatball subs........so meat I guess, and I am so not a meat eater. But I give my body what it wants......

As for other life, I have volleyball sectionals this week and also Cecil had football sectionals this week, so our seasons are coming to an end. Our house is coming along, slowly but surely.......painting is pretty much done, wood floors have started to go in......we hope to be in by Thanksgiving...Which is the last day of my first trimester...so a great milestone and an awesome thing to be thankful for this year.

Our Due date is June 4th 2010, seems SO far away, but things are moving along pretty fast, a lot faster then I would have thought.

WEEK 8

Your Baby's Development
Marveling over a baby's tiny fingers and toes is one of the joys of the first day of life. Those fingers and toes are just beginning to form this week, and the arms can even flex at the elbows and wrists. The eyes are becoming more obvious because they’ve begun to develop pigment (color) in the retina (back of the eye).
Also, the intestines are getting longer and there isn’t enough room for them in the baby’s abdomen, so they protrude into the umbilical cord until week 12.
By now, the beginnings of the buds that will develop into your baby's genitals have made their appearance, although they've not yet developed enough to reveal whether your baby is a boy or a girl.


I will update after our first OB appt on Monday. Again the prayers are much appreciated!

xoxo Kari

Week 6 Ultrasound

So we had our 2nd ultrasound last week. I was still a nervous wreck. THis is the first ultrasound Cecil has been too. I cant believe the difference in just one week. We actually saw the baby, not just the fetal pole and sac. (in the pic above the round white thing is the yoke sac and the thing to the right of it is the baby!) And then we saw the most amazing thing, the little heart just beating away. It was to early to hear it but we def saw it. One of the greatest moments my husband and I have ever had. Everything still looked great, my levels looked great, the baby was measuring right on time. We go back this Wednesday for another ultrasound and then I get released to my OB! I will update again after Wednesday. Please keep us in your prayers, that Wednesdays looks as good as this one!
Today I am 7 weeks and 3 days pregnant, so I will hit the 8 week mark this friday. Everyday is a miracle to me, hitting everyweek is a milestone. I am feeling pregnant, that is for sure. I am loosing weight actually because I am not eating hardly at all, which doesnt make me happy. But the thought of food just makes me gag. I have only thrown up once, but have gagged myself many times, expecially when I brush my teeth. I am just very nauseous most of the time, I do get a break every so often and start to feel good but then it always comes back. I am very tired. I am still pretty crampy, which makes me a nervous wreck, but I have been crampy the entire time.......and no matter how many times I read on the internet that it is normal to be crampy in early pregnancy, it doesnt matter....I am still freaked out. I also have 2 ovarian cysts that are giving me some pain as well, well I hope thats what it is. They showed up on my ultrasound.

I cant believe Im only about 4 1/2 weeks till Im done with the first trimester. Its going slow, yet fast. Im ready to be out of the first tri, so maybe I can actually relax a little, but proably not!

Please, Please keep this little one in your prayers, your prayers have done wonders so far, I know they have. Just ask him to stay and stick around with us for the next 7 months! I have faith this is going to work out!

xoxo~ Kari

House Update

So I havent done a house update in awhile. We kindof took a little time off to concentrate on IVF. So we are a little behind but its okay. We had tile work done in our baths and entry way this week. MY master bedroom has walls that our ready to paint and the bathroom and walk in closet is added! (I am so happy, my closet is going to be huge....I have been wanting a huge clost forever) The kitchen drywall is done and the walls just got painted. Cabinets will be going in in the next few weeks. All new lighting is up! All paining will be done this week. But the big news is this coming weekend, our wood floors will be going in! That is like one of the final steps...after that we can start moving stuff in. I will post pics after this weekend of our progress! We are hoping another month and a half and we will be in! Just in time for the holidays.

Post about previous post

Just wanted to make it clear after reading the poem thing I posted below that someone sent to me. I did not write this. While I like it because it talks about not treating your infertility as a huge problem, be thankful for the things it has brought you. I dont agree with the part about being anything better because we have been through it. I think women who have been through infertility have a different presective on things, but not a better perspective, and in no way, shape, or form are mothers who have been through inferility better then mothers who didnt. I dont like that part of the writing......there was a quote that a read from a lady that finally had a baby after 10 years of struggling and she said, "I wouldnt wish inferitiliy on my worst enemy, but I also would not want it taken away from me." I totally agree that it has made me the way I am today, it has made me love my husband more then I ever thought possible, but in no way to I think infertility is going to make me a better mother, awesome mothers come from everywhere and every story, adoption, surrogacy, infertility, teen mothers, and even when there is no circumstance and you just have a baby........Awesome mothers are every where and I would never think I am a better mother...EVER,, Im sure this time next year there will be times when I think I am awful mother, like Im sure everyone has felt at some point. I wanted to put this writing on my blog, to show not the part about being better because I dont believe that, but I want people to know, I am in most ways thankful for everything in my life, good and bad, it has made me the person I am today. SO please dont take it the wrong way....I know anyone that is reading this blog is beyond an awesome mom and parent...and how do I know that, because you wouldnt be reading it if you didnt care about what I have been through to bring a life into this world, and caring about any child coming into the world whether it be through IVF or not, makes anyone a great parent.

This blog is for everyone I know that has a child, because I dont know of any bad moms, they are all awesome!

Just didnt want anyone to take that the wrong way.........

Thoughts on Becoming a Mother
There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss and though they are good mothers and love their children, I know that I will be better.I will be better not because of genetics, or money or that I have read more books, but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed.I have endured and planned over and over again.Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.I will notice everything about my child.I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover. I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life. I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying for me.I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see.Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love.I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain.I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body, I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.I have prevailed.I have succeeded.I have won.So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.I listen.And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I have learned the immerse power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes.I have learned to appreciate life.Yes I will be a wonderful mother.

Our First Ultrasound

So I went in to my regular OB today (who does not deliever babies) to tell him we were pregnant since he has been there the longest during my venture through everything. Of course he was so happy for us. But I mentioned I have been having some pain, so he did an ultra sound. I WAS so nervous. My heart was racing, I hear so many stories about going to an ultrasound and there being just an empty sac. But there showed up 1 sac, it was alittle to soon for a heartbeat, I am a little over 5 weeks. But my doc said the sac was not empty, something going on it there! The pain is from 2 small cysts, he didnt seem concerned about them or the pain I was having. He said everything looked great.

We are still set for our ultrasound next week as well. Hopefully we will hear the heartbeat, there is chance it will still be to early, but hopefully not.

The chance of miscarriage goes way down after a heartbeat is heard. And goes way, way down after 13 weeks......I will be 13 weeks on Thanksgiving. I cant wait.

Please keep this baby in your prayers. Please pray for the little one to hang on for dear life for the next 8 months. I pray about 20 times a day, thanking God for this miracle and asking him to help this baby hang on. I love this little guy so much already. I really, really hope and pray that I will be holding them in about 8 months. This is the scariest thing I have ever been through. Everything scares me, and Im so worried at all times. Im sure I will be that way until he/she is in my arms.

By the way we did a Chinese Gender calander and it said we are having a girl. Its supposed to be 90% accurate. We will be happy with anything, just praying for healthy.

As far as me, I am feeling pregnant most of the time. Sometimes I dont feel any symtoms and its scares me. But most of the time I have the typical pregnancy symtoms...sore boobs, sick to my stomach, headaches, tired, cramps.............no throwing up yet, but the thought of some foods, make me gag. I am waiting for the throwing up to hit, I thought for sure today would be the day, I was so sick after I ate. But nothing so far, maybe I will be a lucky one.

Cecil, is very happy. Already a great dad to be. Making sure I am eating right, taking all my meds, making sure I am drinking enough. He tells the baby he loves "it." Makes me smile. Cant wait to see him with this baby for the first time, he is going to be awesome! I think I will have to fight him to hold the baby!

Thanks for prayers and please keep them coming. These next fews weeks are so important and vital for the baby.

By the way the picture above you can clearly see the sack, and more then likely there is just 1 baby in there. One can be hiding out, and we will find out next week!