9w0d- MOMMY's VIEW!

This is Mommy's 9 week pregnant belly from her view! The belly has popped much sooner with this pregnany....plus Mommy still has a progesterone bloat going on!  Soooo dang cute!

8w4d ULTRASOUND

Despite spotting light pink a few days ago.....Baby Thompson continues to show appropriate growth each week measuring 7w5d with a strong HB 156!  We saw the brain, spine, arm/leg buds and the amniotic fluid, which means the kidneys are functioning!!!  It is amazing the difference from last week to this week!  A true miracle in the making!!!

8w1d- CRAVINGS!

Guess who just got out of bed at 10 pm to make waffles! Haha!

8 WEEKS PREGNANT!

Dear Baby Thompson,

Mommy is 8 weeks pregnant with you!  Wow time is flying by.  Your big sister is keeping us busy!  Mommy continues to have all the normal pregnancy symptoms....for example, when she brushes her teeth, she has a hard time not puking.  Her gag reflex is in full force.  Little Miss Gracyn is sooooo concerned for Mommy and keeps asking "Mommy OK?"  Mommy is doing great aside from the sickness and extreme fatigue!  This week she went out and bought maternity dress pants for work.  During the last pregnancy, she was able to wear scrubs to work, but now is in more of an administrative nursing position!  These new pants allow her to breathe!  Her non pregnancy pants were just too uncomfortable ....even unbuttoned!

As for you, we will know more at the next ultrasound on Tuesday evening.....will you continue on your normal growth pattern of about a week behind schedule, or will you start to show a growth spurt?  We continued to be reassured that this is a healthy pregnancy since you've had a strong heartbeat since 5w6d, with appropriate growth since!  On the next ultra sound we hope to see arm and leg buds.....hopefully more! You should be between the size of a blueberry or maybe even closer to the size of a raspberry!  Sometime this week, you will measure about a 1/2 inch from crown to rump.  This week, your lips, nose and eyelids will form and soon your tail will disappear!  We hope to see your heart beating in the 150's or more as you spontaneously start to wiggle!

We love you!!!!

FIRST BABY GIFT!

ULTRASOUND COMPARISONS!

Ultrasounds 8 days later.....on left baby is measuring 5w6d with HB of 105 and the ultrasound on the right shows our baby measuring 6w5d with a strong HB of 130!!!!  GROW BABY GROW!!!!

7w4d- SPOTTING AND ULTRASOUND

Caitlin woke up to more light pink spotting today.  After a few wipes, it was completely gone.  Que the freak out!......an ultrasound was set for the evening to check for peace of mind.  This made for a VERY long day and to top it off, Caitlin couldn't shake her morning sickness.  After lunch she said she vomited so fast and hard that it spewed out of her nose and when it the toilet water, she got slashed!!!!   YUCK!!!!  On the way to the ultrasound I was confident the little bean was fine because Mommy was soooo sick.  We made a few pit stops to and from the ultrasound place.  Baby bean is growing right on schedule ....still measuring 5-6 days behind....at 6w5d with a nice strong heartbeat of 130!!! The tech is not concerned about the measurement since appropriate growth and a strong heartbeat are present!!!!  I know the dates concern Caitlin, but I keep reminding her that if the ultrasound techs and OB are not concerned, then she shouldn't be concerned.  She needs to let go of her anxiety and enjoy the pregnancy!  Hard to do after experiencing a miscarriage with the last pregnancy!  Little Miss Gracyn kept saying that she wanted to see the baby in Mommy's belly (she knew we were going to the ultrasound place). Tooooo cute!

7w2d- SICK!

Wow, Caitlin is far more sick during this pregnancy.  Week 7 has started off challenging in the morning sickness department.  Often Caitlin is VERY hungry, but keeping the food down is another thing!  After she pukes, she feels much better....but having vomit spew out of her nose is making for trying times.  Caitlin says it feels like something has invaded her body!  (Ummm, yep!) Another symptom that she noticed today was lactating boobs!  That didn't happen until she was about 7 months pregnant with Gracyn!  Maybe it is due to the fact that she breastfed Gracyn and her boobs just know what to do this time?  Who knows!  At least all these symptoms are signs that the pregnany is progressing nicely!  And.....it's been a week since the last spotting episode! :-)

7 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!!

Dear Baby Thompson,

Do you know that Mommy and Daddy have already picked names for you?  If you are a boy, you will be named Emerson James (after your late grandfather on your Mommy's side of the family).  If you are a girl you will be named Emersyn Mae (after your Great Grandmother on your Daddy's side of the family).  Either way you will be nicknamed Em!

Mommy had a roller coaster of a week with you, spotting, whacky HCG numbers and emotions.  The ER doc said she had a SCH (bleed), the elective ultrasound tech believes you were a twin and the second baby didn't stick...the bleed was a second sac!  The OB ultrasound tech said the vanishing twin syndrome made sense with all of the evidence (hcg, and bleed), but found no evidence in the uterus.  meaning all has resolved....We will never really know the truth, but I am leaning towards the twin theory!  Bittersweet theory, but we are lucky to have one healthy baby with a strong heartbeat!!!!

Mommy has all of the usual pregnancy symptoms....Heightened sense of smell, sore breasts, bloated belly, heavy feeling in her uterus, some cramps, constipation or diarrhea, tons of nausea and vomiting several times a week, plus extreme tiredness....especially after lunch!  She just wants to sleep, but with a toddler at home....that's impossible!  But taking care of Gracyn is helping the days pass quickly!!!!

As for you, you are the size of a blueberry! Your intestines are developing, the chambers in your heart are forming and your brain is expanding!!!!  Your eyes, ear buds, arms and leg buds are forming!  You also have an appendix and pancreas!  SIMPLY AMAZING!  A MIRACLE!

We love you!

BIG SISTER!

OB ULTRASOUND!

The baby is measuring in at 6w0d with a heartbeat of 111 !!!!   36 hours ago it measured in at 5w6d with a heart rate of 105!  We were able to hear the heart beating this time!  AMAZING!!!!!  The Ultrasound tech was pleased.  She looked for the SCH but couldn't find one!  Caitlin shared that at the ER visit she thought she saw two sacs, but only one baby....when they said it was a bleed, she didn't question them.....Caitlin did not reveal the fact that the elective ultrasound tech found a second sac, but she did tell this tech that she had a theory of the vanishing twin....especially since there is no second sac present today!  After listening to the whole idea with initial quadrupling beta, then the last questionable beta, plus seeing the second sac earlier, this ultrasound tech said her theory could be right!  She did double check for a second sac or bleed and nothing is visible now!   WOOT WOOT!  One thing we do know for sure....no chance for placenta previa this time.....this baby is not even close to the cervix!  She also thinks the placenta is posterior (Gracyn was anterior), so Mommy may not feel movement as early as she did with Gracyn, which is to be expected.  Even with the baby measuring behind, he/she is still within the normal range of development, so they are sticking with the original due date of March 6th, which makes Caitlin 6w5d pregnant!  The OB said she has a friable cervix (blood engorged cervix) with this pregnancy as well, which may cause spotting, so pelvic rest is still in place....likely for the whole pregnancy.  He also doesn't want her lifting heavy things and generally taking it easy!  ..... In today's picture you can clearly see the yolk sac!

1st ELECTIVE ULTRASOUND!

We have a baby measuring 5w6d with a strong heartbeat of 105!!!!  ......but let me tell you how this day evolved......it was stressful!!!!  The whole weekend was stressful with spotting on and off!  Today, Caitlin  waited patiently for the beta call from the OB's office.  Noon rolled around with no call, so Caitlin called and left a message....3:00 NO CALL..... I got off work and went to the OB office and the receptionist pulled up the notes.....not good....hcg is rising but not doubling. We were hoping for 4,900. And it came in at 3740......the OB wants to see her for an ultrasound on Wednesday, which is their first available appointment......WHAT!?  OMG how can she wait that long!  Next best thing...call a local private ultrasound place for an appointment. That place squeezed us in at 7:45 tonight!  We were preparing for the worst news.....especially when the abdominal ultrasound did not pick up anything.  Caitlin emptied her bladder and became friends with the internal cam.  With a tilted uterus it took a few minutes and my heart was already in my throat.....then all of a sudden it was there with a strong heartbeat flickering away!  We could not see the yolk sac, but the ultrasound tech assured us the baby had to be on top of it and hiding it....telling us that no yolk sac would mean no baby!  It was measuring 5w6d which is 4 days sooner than we thought!  How in the world can Caitlin get a positive HCG on 7dpo?  Well, the tech believes she has the answer!  She believes the pregnancy started out as twins, which would account for enough HCG to be detected that early!!!!  In the picture below, she pointed to the flickering baby (which made our hearts sing and tears flow).... Then she pointed to the white line just right of the baby.....that is a membrane which separated the two sacs!  The second sac is small and empty!  OMG!!!!!    We questioned the SCH that the emergency room doc referred to.....she didn't see it, and thought maybe what they saw as a bleed on the screen was actually the second sac!  Caitlin said the sac is much smaller than what she saw on the screen last Wednesday....soon it should be absorbed, and Caitlin may continue to spot due to the loss of the twin!  Bitter sweet news....but soooooo excited to see one lovely strong heartbeat!!!!  Now we can sleep tonight!  Tthe ultrasound tech has the date listed at top of pic at 6w5d....I reminded her we thought Caitlin was 6w3d....but she didn't change the screen...and baby Thompson  reminded all of us that guessing on last period can can cause undue stress.....especially when coupled with the fact that Mommy ovulates late....so 4 days off is not a concern!  Especially with a strong heartbeat!  The tech said that if we came in one day earlier, we may not have seen the HB!  WOW!!!!

6w1d- MORE SPOTTING :-(

Caitlin woke up to use the restroom this morning.  When she wiped, she had red blood on the tissue.  Two wipes later, brown old blood, then no blood.  :-(. This pregnancy is mirroring Gracyn's pregnancy except for the slower doubling time on the betas. Continued nausea and vomiting daily is a good sign that the pregnancy is progressing nicely...... Praying we see a nice healthy heartbeat on Wednesday!

6 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!!

Dear Baby Thompson, 

This week, you should be growing like a weed!  Your nose, mouth and eyes are beginning to form on your oversized head!  You also have arm and leg buds!!!! Mommy will have an ultrasound next week and should be able see your heart beating with blood running through your body!  Right now you are a quarter of an inch long!  What a miracle!  

5w5d- SPOTTING! :-( and 5th BETA!

Oh no! Tonight after dinner, Caitlin started spotting pink, which eventually turned to brown when she wiped. Since it was after hours at the OB's office we went to the emergency room for piece of mind.  First good sign, the cervix is still closed!  Second good sign, she is not actively bleeding bright red and filling pads.  Third good sign, the ultrasound showed a gestational sac with a yolk in the uterus! And finally the last GREAT sign, Caitlin's HCG numbers continue to rise appropriately. Monday's beta at 5w3d was 1749 and today at 5w5d the beta was 3268!!!!  With 53 hours between blood draws, that is a doubling time of 58.77 hours!  Well within the 2-3 day window!  The ultrasound tech was not very friendly and didn't share much with Caitlin.....she was even short with her when Caitlin asked if she could see a fetal pole.....the tech said NO it is wayyyyy toooo early for that!  Well we know differently! But what is the point of arguing.......right now, knowing there is a gestational sac with a yolk sac and good hcg numbers gives us piece of mind!  So what is causing the spotting?  There is definitely a   bleed just above the gestational sac, called a subchorionic hemmorage (SCH), which is not uncommon in cases with clotting disorders like Caitlin has (MTHFR - two copies- thus the reason for the daily baby aspirin).  Next steps are to follow up with OB for more blood draws and an appointment to monitor the bleed. 

5w5d- SICK!

At work today, Mommy was feeling pretty weak, like she needed to eat something.  She grabbed some "straw fries" from the vending machine to fill the hunger pang.....but it didn't stay down long....even came out of her nose!   YUCK!  But then again, I guess this is a good reassuring sign that the pregnancy is progressing normally!

4th BETA

Caitlin got the 4th beta number for 5w3d of 1749. This is 63.8% with a doubling time of 67.55 hours.  The lady at the office told Caitlin they were pleased with her numbers....so no more blood draws.  Caitlin had to ask for the number.....the office doesn't usually give them out....probably because people like us analyze them wayyyyy tooooo much!  Caitlin isn't pleased with the doubling time because she continues to compare the numbers with Gracyn's pregnancy. But we are choosing to remain positive since the doubling time is within the 48-72 hour window and the OB office seems pleased with her progress!!!!  

FAMILY

This is the first picture for the new"Family of Four"!

BEST FRIENDS!

5w0d- HAPPY 4th of JULY 2014!

I think it is safe to say that Mommy is SUPER PREGNANT!  The picture below is a 24 hour window on the HPT.  Notice that the pregnant line is now stealing color from the control line!!!!  This makes Mommy soooooo happy!  In the belly picture below, Mommy's pants are officially unbuttoned for comfort.  The belly is popping quicker this time around due to a few factors.  First, the belly muscles are not what they use to be pre-pregnancy with Gracyn. Secondly, there is a definite progesterone bloat!!!!!  Mommy said that she definitely can no longer suck in the belly!!!!  

You are now the size of an orange seed and you look similar to a tadpole with a head and tail! Your heart is forming two chambers called heart tubes, which is already beating, but may not be detectable on an ultrasound yet.  You are also developing a circulatory system and your neural tube, which will soon connect your spinal cord and brain!  A miracle in progress!!!!! We are in love already!!!!!

4w5d-HPT

Looks like the hcg is continuing rise ! WOOT! WOOT!  4th beta is on Monday, July 7th!  :-).  We are hopeful that this is a healthy pregnancy !  All signs are positive sooooo far!  PRAYERS !

4w5d- YUCK

Well the heightened sense of smell has kicked in....washing dishes was a chore for Mommy last night....made her neausous! Today lunch came right back up!  Poor Mommy!  She also noticed a light brown discharge this evening.  Hopefully it doesn't turn into bleeding and spotting like she did with Gracyn the first half of the pregnancy. Prayers!!!!

4w4d

This is a 48 hour HPT, the line continues to get darker!.....This makes Mommy sooooo happy!

3rd BETA (4w3d)

The third beta came in at 312! If measured by the first beta, the doubling time is  37.05 hours, which is GREAT! ( I predict the first beta was on 3w5d, not 4w0d as chart shows, but this was the lowest day on the chart, so the trend line is actually above the red line).....We also know that the second beta was 108 on Friday (4w0d) At 10:00am and the 3rd beta (4w3d)of 312 after work on Monday, around 5:00 pm. which is 79 hours later.... The chart shows the doubling time 51.62 hours, which is still in the normal range of doubling every 48-72 hours! ....so if all in the normal range, why do we worry????? Worried that the doubling time is slowing down....with Gracyn the HCG numbers more than doubled every 2 days!...... The next beta is on Monday, July 7th.  Hopefully the numbers continue to rise appropriately!!!! PRAYERS!