Progesterone Shots are History... for a few weeks!

This week we hit the 11 week mark which is a major milestone as I finally get to quit the daily 5pm intramuscular (read buttox) injections of progesterone that have helped me to keep this pregnancy thus far. My baby's placenta has finally taken over the progesterone production so I get a few weeks off! Once we hit week 16, I will add back in Progesterone shots, but only once a week. Progesterone has been proven to effectively decrease the incidence of pre-term labor for women in subsequent pregnancies so we are adding it to our routine this time.

I thought that I would be completely shot free this week, but alas, my body disagreed. I went to the endocrinologist on Monday and saw my OB in the afternoon. Both were not happy with the trend of my fasting sugars and the sugar readings 2 hours after lunch and dinner. My OB was most concerned about the fasting, so I am now taking 6 units of insulin daily in addition to the metformin which I take to manage my blood sugar. For some reason, my body is more sensitive to carbohydrates with this pregnancy than it was last time. Oh swell... more shots it is...

Monday is the date of our NT scan (first trimester screening). We will be checking out the baby for Down Syndrome as well as other common cromosomal abnormalities. In addition, we will be doing the paperwork for my cerclage which should be the following Monday. We have a lot going on in the next couple of weeks. Keep us in your prayers please!

Only one more week of daily shots!

That's right, we have made it to week 10, which means I have exactly 7 more progesterone shots to do. That is totally worth celebrating!!! Those shots hurt... and they make your butt itch. Ugh! :( I cannot wait to do the last one next Thursday! That's something to be thankfull for, now isn't it?! :)

This week was rather tough for me as you might expect. It is the one year anniversary of Rafe's death and Solomon's birth. For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to work Wednesday too. What was I thinking? I didn't get very much done. The more I got emotional, the more I wanted to hurl. I actually did at breakfast which really got my day off to a great start.

Our high risk OB appointment went great this week. We have our NT scan scheduled for 11/30 and then will have the cerclage on 12/7. Those dates are not that far off. :) I went online this week though and googled the McDonald cerclage which I'll be getting... probably shouldn't have done that... now I'm thinking I'm going to tell the anasthesiologist to just knock me out i/o having an epidural for the procedure... I don't think I want to be conscious when my high risk OB is tying me up like a turkey...

And finally, I want to extend hugs and support to some friends of ours that are going through a very tough time right now. Having a miscarriage is one of the worst things in this world. Given that 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, it makes you wonder how any of us were lucky enough to make it, you know? Having suffered 2 miscarriages myself, I always hated it when people would tell me it was meant to be, or something must have been wrong. What a person going through this really wants to hear is that their friends are there for them. Because, even if something was not right, that little embryo was their child, and embodied their hopes for the future, even if just for a very short time. You are both in our thoughts and prayers!

We've made it to 9 weeks!

One of us almost didn't make it though. Let me describe the situation, and you tell me if I should allow Sami to continue to breathe....

Last night, we went out to dinner with friends at The Cheesecake Factory. Now, I do not get to go out much anymore, as I spend most of my time on the couch, so I am stuck eating whatever is available here at the house. And, my stomach is so small now that anything gives me heartburn and I can hardly eat much at one sitting. But, it is the Cheesecake Factory, you know?!?!?

I ordered my favorite pasta, Thai Chicken Pasta, and barely made a dent in it. I asked the kind server to wrap it to go, because I had to save room for cheesecake - it is the freekin Cheesecake Factory! Of course, I'm gonna get dessert! To start with, Sami was all like, "I'm not gonna get dessert", but then the rest of us did, so he finally ordered a tiramisu.... he has issues alone for not ordering cheesecake, but whatever. Did he finish his dessert, NOOOOOOO. When he saw me stop eating because I didn't want to send myself into a sugar coma, he stopped too, and we both had our desserts boxed up to go.

Now, here's where the story gets interesting. He says he waited a whole hour after we got home, but that is impossible, because Gray's anatomy was still on when I heard him make his first comment. He said my cake was "VERY GOOD!". I thought to myself at the time, "he's just fooling around, he doesn't really mean it... he's not THAT crazy!". Boy was I wrong! When I went to get milk later to help combat the heartburn that haunts me 24/7, I noticed both dessert boxes were no longer in the fridge. Yes, you read correctly, he finished off his, and ate mine! Now, you tell me, should I let him continue to breathe? Who eats a pregnant lady's Cheesecake Factory cheesecake? As of this morning, he's still in the doghouse, and I am not sure when I am letting him out!!!!

So, okay, back to my baby now... we've officially made it to 9 weeks now. I'm sooo happy! One more week and maybe I'll breathe a little freer since we lost our first child sometime around week 9 or 10. We have our appointment with the high risk doctor on Tuesday to evaluate things and decide the date for my cerclage surgery. Time's really trucking on by!

This week we had our first OB appointment w/Dr. Reisler. That went pretty well. I asked the doc about a drug that would knock me out until week 26 so that I wouldn't worry so much, and he suggested Zoloft. He knows that I wouldn't take it though. :)

Sami chose to try to rat me out at the appointment too. Seriously, does he not understand that I could get away with anything thanks to all the hormones running around in my body!?!? Dr. Reisler was telling me to stay away from Deli meats and soft cheese, when Sami pipes up with, "She ate deli meat on Saturday!". I said, "It was cooked, Canadian Bacon!" Dr. Reisler then tells me that if it is ham, it is still deli meat and that it had to be warm and cooked. It was piping hot, I tell you. I replied back that Sami's only problem was that I ate ham! Sami then told the Dr that I like to eat Chef Boy R De. So what I ask you! It has a full serving of veggies now, and it is small enough for me to eat yet still feel satisfied. I finally looked Dr. Reisler straight in the eyes and told him that the only time I ever eat anything Sami doesn't approve of is when Sami does not cook for me, so how could it be my fault?! He smiled at that one and told us he's not a marriage counselor...lol :)

The appointment went fabulously though, and my silly husband keeps the office in stitches so they are looking forward to the next several months as they get to see us! Dr Reisler said be prepared for bedrest for sure between weeks 20 and 26, and perhaps earlier and later as well. So, bedrest, here we come!

Eight is Great!

So I woke up this morning thanking God for allowing us to have made it through another week. We are at week eight today, a step closer to getting away from the fear of miscarriage. I saw a report this week though that says we have a 92% chance of sucess with this pregnancy based upon the heartbeat we saw and heard Monday of 136 beats per minute... those are odds I like! Yet still, I worry... I'm good at it...

I swear I talk to my uterus as if it were a magic 8 ball sometimes. I worry if it is strong enough to support this pregnancy... if the pregnancy itself is viable... if it will stay closed with the help of a cerclage... you get the picture...

I went in to get my swine flu vaccine this week. I was patient #1 on their priority list and rushed in to get my shot as soon as they got their shipment since they only had 20. It was wonderful to see everyone. They were all so excited to see us too. Our OB had a waiting room full of patients, but took time out to come out and hug us. It's such as awesome feeling to know that you have such a wide reaching support team! I told my OB we'd confirmed that I have an incompetent cervix, and he said it would be our #1 priority to get me over to the high risk doctor then as soon as we near the end of the first trimester and get the cerclage(s) in place. Just a few more weeks!

Only 3 more days until I get to see my baby again!

Houston, We have a heartbeat! :)

What a stressful day! I didn't feel like doing anything at work because I was honestly just counting down the hours until 3:30pm. I told my hubby earlier in the day that we were leaving the house at 2:45, so, what does he decide to do at 2:40? Take a shower... yep... he has noooooooooooooo concept of time management and gets upset when I rush him. To top it all off, we had to get gas on the way to the doctor, so of course, we were 5 minutes late. FIVE MINUTES! AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I was highly upset over 5 minutes! It is the principle of the matter!

So, we get there, and have to wait, of course... but when they called us back, our doctor asked us how I was doing. I said "Terrified" and meant it... He asked about the spotting and if I'd had any cramping, which I haven't, thankfully. Mostly, I just feel sore after I spot, and I do not spot that much when it happens. Next, we did the sono, and found one healthy little baby in there measuring right on track. Then came the fun part. They can actually let you hear your baby's heartbeat at 7 weeks... can you imagine?! I cried... Not just from joy, but because hearing that racing heartbeat reminded me of that last week in the hospital last November when we were constantly checking the boys heartbeats and then finally couldn't find Rafe's. I sooooooo hope we get a better outcome this time.

Well, that's it for now. We have to get ready for the Day of the Dead mass tonight which is being said in memory of our boys, Solomon and Rafe. I pray that they are watching over us as we go down this road again.