3 family visits in 3 weekends leading up to 3rd trimester

It has been too long since I posted, but we have been making good use of our time. I posted pics and and update from when my mom came into town. The following weekend, Matt's parents visited and we went to my first Ga Tech game. They beat Clemson who was #5 in the country at the time (totally overrated). Then the weekend after that, we drove with the dogs with Ali to meet Jen at my dad's cabin in North Carolina. Dad literally built this cabin himself and it is so amazing. I always pictured small cabin, kinda rustic, but he has built an enormous house on the top of a mountain outside of Boone, NC. It was the first time any of them had seen me all preggers and we had so much fun. The dogs loved bouncing through the fields and we all hiked up to the top of some mountain where you could see for 50 miles around. It was a great trip and I finally got a good night sleep there after tossing and turning for about 2 weeks straight.

These 3 great weekends lead right into my 3rd trimester. I cannot believe I have already been pregnant for 7 months, but then again I can. I feel like I announced my pregnancy ages ago and Matt and I joke all the time that it really takes a long time to grow a baby. But I feel like I am in the final stretch and know that it will go quickly.

We are going to Dallas this weekend for a little 'babymoon.' I had never heard that term before a few months ago, but apparently couples take a little trip before the baby comes to relax and enjoy a little time alone together before their lives change completely. So we are going to Dallas and plan to see a rodeo, maybe catch the new Twilight movie, and go to Nick and Sam's for dinner. I am dreading the flight, but looking forward to a whole weekend alone with Matt.

After that we head down to Orlando for Thanksgiving and my sisters are throwing me a baby shower. I am excited to see friends and family, but again...not excited about the drive. Oh well, I will pop on the heated seat, lay back, and relax as much as possible.

I can't find the cord to my camera to download pics, but have a few from the phone of the nursery with chair and bedding. Grace really thinks that this is her new room and she sleeps in there and rolls around. It is pretty cute. I can imagine her sleeping on the floor while Harrison plays and naps.

Grandma visit and Nursery

My mom's life has been a little crazy with her job stuff and now my Grandparents are moving in with her. We have been trying to schedule a time for her to come visit and she finally made it up last weekend. She had not see me since I was like 9 weeks pregnant and we were dying to see eachother. So Friday she drove up and we spent the weekend working on the nursery. Matt had already put together the crib and we had the dresser and the room was painted. I needed her creative touch for window treatment, arrangement above the crib, and I wanted to get a bookcase and endtable for the rocker. We went out Friday and I showed her the bedding that I have ordered. It is on backorder and I am so glad that I ordered it a month ago - it is scheduled for delivery on Nov 29! Then we shopped and shopped. We always have a hard time getting started because she has way more vision than I do and our styles are also very different. But in the end, Harrison has a nursery just how I pictured it, but taken up a notch with Grandma's amazing design creativity.

I will hit 26 week this Thursday and by some accounts that is the end of my 2nd trimester. There is no denying that I am a pregnant lady! I still feel very good, but have started to get a litle uncomfortable trying to sleep. I set out for a 3m run last night and made it about a mile before I had some pain at the bottom of my growing belly. So I just walked the rest and then grabbed the dogs and walked them for a total of about 3.5miles. I am worried that my distance running is over for now, but am learning to enjoy the walks and time with the dogs. (Although, it would be amazing if Grace could poop before we left so I did not have to walk 2 dogs plus pick up and hold poop. Oh well!) I start prenatal yoga this week with a friend who is due 2 days before me. It is a 6 week program and is supposed to be amazing. I am skeptical just because I have always found yoga boring, but there is no denying that it is good for me and will be good for the resst of my pregnancy and beyond. So I will go on Thursday with an open mind and try to get the most out of it.

Matt still has class 3 nights a week and it is so hard to be away from him. I feel horrible, but by the time he get home at like 9:15 I am already in bed and falling asleep. So we are very limited in our time together during the week. And we are booked with visits and trips until Thanksgiving. His parents come this weekend, next weekend we drive to NC to visit my dad and my sister will be there, then we have a trip to Dallas and then Thanksgiving. I think we have one more weekend at home before Thanksgiving. Time is really flying by and I am glad for that. I feel like we are doing a good job getting ready for Harrison while not getting too overwhelmed.

I can't find the cord to download pics from my camera so I have included some from the phone. Enjoy!!

Grandma had a stroke

My sisters and I grew up very close to our family and there is an 'Orlando' crew. Two of my mom's sisters plus my grandparents have all lived in Orlando since I was in 5th grade and we saw them often even before that. My grandparents are in their late 70s so of course they have had some health issues. Grandpa has bouts with dimentia (or so they think) and he is just slower than he used to be. He will still suprise you with a smart-ass remark though just to keep you on your feet and remind you that he is paying attention. Grandma has taken care of him and they have lived on their own.
On Monday, my grandma had a stroke. She has been in the hospital since and will have to go through intense therapy hoping to get her speech back. The bad news is that her speech and comprehension are pretty lost. The good news is that she never had any level of paralysis and that even in the last few days her speech has gotten better. However, this has totally rocked my world. I keep thinking of how scared and frustrated she must be. I also, selfishly, think how sad I will be to go through a baby shower and have a baby that may not get to know his great-grandma.
My mom is bearing the burden of helping to take care of Grandpa and organzing in-home care with the help of her brothers and sister (as much as they can). She has a job interview today so if she gets a job, which she needs, what will happen to my grandparents?? While I know that I cannot just drop everything and drive down and help, part of me wishes that I could. My mom is amazing and has helped shield me from what is probably a very sad situation and has helped me to stay focused on my sleep to stay relaxed and keep little Harrison happy and healthy. I appreciate that she is doing that, but worry for her own health if she does not get the necessary help with her parents. UGH! Getting old really stinks!!
This was just a sad update that I felt I needed to get tracked as part of my pregnancy. I realized today (on Friday) that I have been so tired all week and it is probably due to dealing with, or burying, the stress and sadness I am feeling for Grandma.
Get better, Grandma - little Harrison wants to meet you!

Joy and Fear

One of my best friends, Nina, was in town for the night last night. She recently moved to London and I wish she was closer. Nina is a great blogger. She writes funny, insightful stories and gave me some blogging tips. So I am going to try to get more emotional (hard for me, I know) and share more about the emotional side of my pregnancy. Here goes...

Contained excitement is probably the best way to describe my day-to-day emotions. I am not sure if this is from all the years of disappointment trying to get pregnant that I am not able to let myself really freak out or if that is just my personality. Grandma asks me with every big appointment "Did you cry?" and I really have not. Maybe I shed enough tears with the bad news that I feel like it is finally time to dry up and enjoy this amazing blessing.

But if you get me talking, you will probably get annoyed - I love being pregnant. I feel so lucky that I have felt well and have a healthy little boy growing inside of me. Every week I get email statuses telling you what to expect: 22 weeks will bring stretch marks, exhaustion, leg cramps, back aches. Yuck! So I read the emails every week and it seems that all the good stuff happens (baby moving more, belly growing) and none of the bad. I love the way my baby bump looks and enjoy showing it off with new maternity clothes. I love my thicker (yes, even thicker than normal hair) and nail and the 'glow.' I love the way Matt looks at me like I am getting cuter every day and when we spoon in bed and he notices how much I grow every day.

I am very much a person that stays in the moment when the moments are happy. People have started asking me about labor and fears about bringing the baby home or raising him. I have not really thought too much about that except in 1 area: breast feeding.

Breastfeeding: I am not sure if our parents are telling the truth, have forgotten, or maybe it was just not a topic for conversation with their friends, but apparently ALL mothers back then breastfed with no problems. UGH! If that was truly the case then we are one messed up generation. Not only do people in my age group have much more trouble getting pregnant...it is very common to have trouble breastfeeding. I have seen first hand how hard my friends try and how heartbroken they are when it does not work. But probably half of the moms I know were not able to successfully breastfeed after the first few weeks. So this is my one and only fear right now. I know that this is what is best for the baby and will sacrifice to make it happen. So we will attend a breastfeeding class in December and I will make sure to have a lactation specialist on hand if I need. But even with that, I am worried that for whatever reason it will not work out.

20 week ultrasound pics

It's a Boy!!!

We found out on Tuesday September 20th that we are having a son. The appointment was so much fun. We got to see both hands with 10 fingers, both feet with 10 toes, limbs, head, profile, umbilical cord, all chambers of his heart. Then at the very end we saw that our first child will be a boy. We are thrilled beyond belief. Both of our families are so female-dominated that it will be a very new and unique experience to have a boy in the house. My sisters and I always wanted an older brother and my children will have one. My dad finally get a boy. This kid is going to be spoiled by his 5 aunts (my 3 sisters and Matt's 2 sisters) and everyone is so excited.

19 Week Update - belly pics and crib!

For comparison: pic on the left at 5 weeks; pic on the right at 18 weeks

Matt did his first fatherly duty and put the crib together. Of course, Marley was there to help the whole time. His parents bought us the mattress last weekend and Matt popped Gracie in there like a baby. It was too cute and I could not get the camera quick enough. The dogs love the nursery and that is our new hang out place.

Allison was in town 2 weekends ago she and Heather helped me to update the registry. We are registering at Babies R Us and Pottery Barn Kids. We have added pretty much everything we need except the gender-specific things. So those will come later. Man, kids need a lot of stuff.

Matt's parents visited last weekend and we had a great time doing a little shopping and hiking at Amicalola Falls. It was really pretty and the weather is finally getting cooler.

Other than that, everything is just super. I am officially wearing pretty much all maternity clothes and have told Matt to NOT LET ME SHOP anymore. I have gone a little overboard buying a lot of stuff. But if I am going to be preggers I might as well show of my cute belly.

I feel like I am into the 2nd trimester time when you get back to regular energy level. I am boot-camping 3-4 times a week plus running after bootcamp and on my own. The weather at night and in the morning is just too nice to sit inside. I am able to stay up until after Matt gets home from class. I am more hungry recently, but with the way this kid is growing I am not suprised.

We have our next appt on Sep 20 and will see the baby and find out the gender. I can't wait!

17 Week Update

Let the belly bands and maternity clothes begin! Last week, I had to officially start wearing belly bands with all of my clothes. Pants that fit 2 week before are now way too tight. The good news is that I can still fit into all of my regular clothes except in the belly area. So I can wear them with a belly band. The picture to the right is from Friday after work. That is the first official maternity shirt that I have worn. I have a lot of room left to fill, but Matt thought I was super cute at Costco so snapped a picture. Today, I am wearing maternity slacks for the first time to work. If people don't know that I am pregnant they probably can't really tell when I am in work clothes. But when I go to boot camp in the morning in spandex pants and tank tops - the belly is all out there.

We had our 16 week checkup on Monday and heard the strong heart beat. The doctor took my first belly measurement and I have gained about 5 lbs so far. I swear a few of those pounds are in my chest alone! We go back at the end of Sept for our 20 week ultrasound and will be able to find out the sex of the baby then. WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

Allison is coming in town this weekend to hang out before we leave on Monday for the US Open. I am stealing some time with Heather to go do some registry stuff. I want to get all the non-gender specific stuff nailed down - stroller, car seat, bottles, breast pump, pack n play, etc. We also might hit up some consignment stores for more maternity clothes. It is crazy how much I think my belly has grown already and how much more I have to go!!!

Matt started class for the fall semester this week so he is gone 3 nights a week until after 9pm. I get soooo lonesome for him by the time Friday rolls around, but it is nice to be able to go to sleep early without sacrificing time together. I am still rocking boot camp 3-4 times a week and hope to go running tonight. Running is a relative term now as I can only manage about a 12 min pace to keep my heart rate below 140 (alright maybe I stretch it to 155 or so). But I still manage to burn about 750 calories each bootcamp with 60mins of boot camp plus running 1m afterwards. It feel so good to sweat it out a few times a week.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Picture Julie Andrews singing on the bed with the Von Trapp kids while reading this, please.

Here are some things that I particularly love about or during my pregnancy so far (in no particular order):

- Eggs
- Spicy foods (no big change there)
- Orange juice
- TONS of WATER (I have to carry it with me everywhere or else I die of thirst)
- Milk, cottage cheese, any cheese
- Having an excuse to go to bed at 8pm
- Shopping for new maternity clothes (got my first deliveries this week)
- Having enough energy to go to boot camp and work out 6 days a week
- Everyone expects you to have a belly, so no need to suck in...let it all hang out
- Boobs getting bigger every day
- So far, just my belly (and boobs) are growing and I can wear all my normal clothes (with rubber band extender for some pants/shorts)
I know that I am lucky for not feeling sick and having plenty of time to get to bed early. I hit 15 weeks yesterday so am looking forward to 25 more wonderful weeks.

13 wk Ultrasound 7/29/2011

We had our 13 week ultrasound to test for Downs Syndrome. The baby does not have it, but the appointment was so cool and we got to spend 30 mins with the doctor watching the baby and trying to get it to turn the right way. The pics don't turn out great after being printed, scanned, and attached. In all pics you can see the profile and the head is at the bottom. The first arrow shows the spine. It was like a delicate line of pearls. The 2nd pic most clearly shows the profile of the face. Our baby is adorable already hehe. The last one is super cool. You can see the side view of butt, thigh, knee, calf, and foot. So amazing!

The baby was 12 cm which is almost 5 in and that is just butt to head (crown to rump is what they call it). We go back in 3 weeks (when baby is 16 weeks old) for our next ultrasound and will hopefully get to find out the sex. YAY!!

A gun or a crib?

Ah the age old debate. Matt got an unexpected bonus from work. So we want to do something a little fun with a bit of it and then be responsible and pay down his car with most of the money. This story will show how differently men and women think about priorities and babies. Matt sent me the link for some gun that he apparently loves. We already have one hand gun at home for 'protection' (read "entertainment") and Matt wants a .45 now. (I am not from a gun family, so this is all very odd to me. But I respect his desire to protect his family and his need for a hobby.) After getting the link for the gun (not cheap, by the way), I replied with a link to a crib that I really like. Here is the email chain that ensued:
Matt: I like it. Almost as much as I like that gun.
Nancy: Oh, I am hearing the start of a compromise. I get the furniture and you get the gun. hehe
Matt: Does the baby really NEED furniture?
Nancy: Do you really NEED another gun? I would say the baby needs somewhere to sleep more than you need a gun. Smarty pants!
Matt: Dude we have like 3 beds, a couch, and bunch of dogs beds. It'll make em tough.

I love the idea of the baby chilling in the dog bed while Matt cleans his guns...is this our future?!

For reference, here are the choices. We are open for votes.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/fuo/2407914021.html
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=243330189#PIC

12 Weeks

I can't believe that the first 12 weeks are over. I guess I only knew I was pregnant at 4 weeks, but still...I have known about this wonderful miracle for 8 weeks. The more I read, the more I appreciate and am amazed by what can happen from a little cell to a baby with heartbeat, limbs, fingernails in just 12 weeks. It is truly amazing! I also know that I am so lucky that I have felt good. This week, I have been really tired, but going to bed at 9pm helps with that. Poor Matt hardly even got to see me on his one night off of class. I passed out on the couch watching the Braves game last night. He had to wake me up and help me get into bed. Then I slept straight through until 7:15 when my alarm woke me up from a dead sleep and a strange dream.
I have had this dream before where some records got messed up and I am told that I have to go back and repeat a year of high school. Everytime I throw a fit and get all mad. How could I have to go back to HS when I have graduated college, own a house, car, dogs, have a husband?? WHAT!! Anyways, I guess that is the one recurring dream that I have...maybe reflecting my un-fond memories of high school.
Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, and Jackie come in town tomorrow for the night and the we are driving to Nashville for my cousin's wedding on Saturday. That means I have sheets to wash, house to vacuum and pick up, flowers to plant (well, I may have to skip that) tonight so that everything is all ready when they get here. Matt is kinda upset he is not coming to the wedding. We both love Nashville and would love a night on the town. But there is just not time on this trip for that so we will have to do it another time. Plus organizing boarding for 4 dogs is expensive and just not fun. So Matt has a day at home alone with the puppers.
I just ate lunch at my desk (leftovers from our favorite pizza place) and am off to a meeting. Until next time...

10 Weeks - Ultrasound and Public Announcement

We had our 2nd ultrasound yesterday and our baby has arms, a head, a body, and legs! I know, of course it does, but you can really see it now. Troy said it would look like a gummie bear and for sure, it does. Baby Riggs measures 3.62cm (1.4in) which makes it 10 weeks and 4 days old. It is hard to imagine that 10 weeks ago this thing did not exist and now it has arms and a beating heart. We heard the heartbeat (181bpm). Basically, I am a rockstar at growing babies...conceiving, not so great, but once it gets going I kick ass.

Mom got in town last night for a visit. She is going to help get the nursery cleared out and organized. We will go crib shopping too.

For whatever reason, this 10 week checkup was a big one for me. I think knowing that our chances for miscarriage are now under 2% and that it has arms and stuff has just made it that much more real. I am really going to let myself get excited and start preparing the house for a baby. We obviously have plenty of time, but I might as well get going while I feel good and am not chubby with a baby.

I promise to get mom to take some belly pics. She swears that she could see a little bump, but that was late last night after dinner and a Gigi's cupcake. ANYONE would have a bump after that. hehe.

So glad to finally share this with all of our friends and co-workers. This is the beginning of such an amazing journey and we can't wait to share it with you all.

Feeling Great; Daycare search

Last week, I had a horrible cold and cough and lost so much sleep. I just knew that after I got better, I would feel so much more like myself. We had a very busy weekend with the ALR Bark for Art event, but I managed to slip in a nap on Saturday and we slept in until 11:30 on Sunday. And that was all that it took...I feel great. I am actually able to stay up until 10pm (I know, super late!!) and even made it to boot camp this morning at 7am. My stomach is finally settled and I get hungry for normal foods and actually feel good after eating. I know that I have to take it a day at a time and this may not last, but I am enjoying it while I can.

I was chatting with Jenni about work options and she reminded me about the CRAZY Atlanta daycare market and that I need to start looking. We are researching all possible options and daycare is one of them (not my favorite, but still an option). There are not any daycares near our house, or at least not any that I would consider. With Matt in class I will likely be responsible for drop-off and pick-up duty most days. So we are looking at Perimeter near my office. There are some great daycares around here and we have our first tour today at Goddard. I am totally overwhelmed by the idea of handing our little baby over to someone else for 9 hours a day and paying so much money for it. Daycares in Atlanta are between $1000-$1400 per month for infants...AAGGGHHH!!

Oh well, we need to research all options to make sure that we make the right decision for our family. If only Marley and Grace could be like Nana in Peter Pan and watch the baby. Could I teach them to change diapers and feed a baby?? Maybe that is option #3.

I totally owe you all picture, but there is not much to show. I can tell that my midsection is not quite as tight as it was 4 weeks ago, but nooone beside me would notice.

First Ultrasound @ 7 weeks

Last Friday 6/17 we hiked up to Alpharetta and had our first ultrasound. The doctor wanted to confirm a few things:

1. Is this an ectopic pregnancy? Nope, baby is planted firmly in the uterus where it is supposed to be.

2. Are there multiple embryos? Nope, we have a 'singleton' (as Dr. Lewis calls it)

3. Is there a heartbeat? Heck yes!!!

Everything looks just great (see picture). Here is a translation of what you are looking at. The white background is my uterus. The black bubble is the embryonic sac where the baby will grow. The little white fuzz in the left side of the black bubble is the baby. As of Friday, it was .85cm long which translates to 6 weeks and 6 days. So our due date might be a little after Feb 2nd.

We got to see the heartbeat which is basically a little white flicker on the screen, but it was there for sure. That was soooo amazing!! Given all of this news, Dr. Lewis said our chance for miscarriage is under 5%. I am such a numbers girl that finding that our odds are down from 15% (that is the general % for first trimester miscarriages) to under 5% really made me realize that we are having a baby.

Oh and I have a new favorite quote from Matt (previous cutest quote was "Come cuds" short for Come Cuddle, after we saw the 3rd positive pregnancy test). He had been at Tech studying all weekend and got home Sunday after dinner. He walked upstairs (where I was already getting ready for bed) and said "We are going to have a baby." Yes, folks it is just hitting us.

Other than that, I owe you all 7 week belly pics and general update. Stay tuned...

The Big Reveal

So far, the best part about being pregnant (other than the fact that we are FINALLY going to have a baby) is announcing it to our friends and family that have supported us on this long journey. We decided to only tell close friends and family. Here is a quick timeline of telling friends and family and some memorable quotes and memories.

Friday May 27
I got the call from the doctor with the positive blood test and of course called Matt first. While we had already seen the 3 positive home tests, this was confirmation. It was a pretty quick conversation - we were in shock.
Dan: From there, I grabbed my friend Dan. I have worked with him for over 3 years and he has been there after all the good and bad news. I popped into his work room and made him come to a conference room and told him. He was so excited that he could barely sit down.
Heather: Then I called Heather who was anxiously awaiting news of the blood test. Heather has been my sanity through all of this. After trying for 7 years she went through in-vitro and has a handsome son, Tanner, and then got pregnant on her own right away with Madi. She has listened to me complain and has given me tips and encouragement for the last 3 years.
Whitney A: Matt had to tell someone too - how can you keep this inside?! He called his friend Whitney A and told her the good news.
Jenni: I have worked with Jenni for over 3 years and have known her from back when we both worked at Accenture. She is my career mentor and the woman I admire most in this profession. After an account meeting, Dan and I pulled her into an empty room at the Jabian office. She said this was to become the new lactation room - "how appropriate," I said, "since I am pregnant." Since finding out she pops in over email or IM to see how I am feeling and if there are any updates.

Week of May 30
Mansi: She has literally held my hand when I cried after bad test results at work. Matt and I vacation with her and her husband and she is an amazing friend. I was dying to tell her so pulled her into a conference room at work. YAY!!
Nina: I was supposed to have dinner with Nina on Tuesday, but had to reschedule to Thursday. I made fish tacos and the 4 dogs jumped all over her (as usual). She was so excited and plans "to spoil this child."
Whitney I: Matt's work friend was out in Italy getting married when we found out, but he told her as soon as he could steal her attention away from Bob at work. She freaked out, pumping her arms over her head, and asked if she could text me. I got the sweetest text with well-wishes and congratulations.
Kristen: When Matt told KK, she kept slapping his arm and leg in suprise.

Weekend of June 10
We left Atlanta at 2 to drive down to Orlando to tell our families in person. We started planning the trip 2 weeks before and it worked out that all of my sister plus Neena and Tailor would be in town in addition to the normal crowd.
Jen and Ali: Our first stop at 10:30pm was to Jen's new apartment. We chatted for a bit and then I told them I had one picture from the Italy trip on my camera that I had not loaded online yet. I showed them the positive pregnancy test picture. Ali was a bit confused, but Jen started crying right away. They were so happy. I can't believe that Ali did not cry (she is usually the crier), but Jen did enough for all of us. They insisted that we all go straight to Mom's house even though Mom was tired and had said she would just see us in the morning.
Mom: She was suprised to see us all at her house after 11pm. We caught up and then we did the same reveal with the picture. She immediately ran out the garage and came back with a baby cake - for real!! She said that she knew and was prepared. Matt asked her if she had a cake ready every time we came home just in case hehe. We cried and told her the whole story...and then on to Riggles' house.
John and Debbie: It was after midnight when we got to their house. Debbie woke up for us and Matt said he had a blog to show her. We pulled up this blog and she was so happy. Again...she said she knew. How do these moms know?!! We woke John up and told him the news and he whipped out a bottle of port that he had just gotten to celebrate when Matt was going to have a baby. It was really strong stuff - not sure I should have even sat close to Matt while he was drinking it.
Jackie: She got in town Saturday so we told her after we got back from the beach on Sat evening. She kinda already knew since I had to give her such a strong hint just to get her to come in town. Troy&Lindsay, Jack&Kellen: I went out to the beach with Ali and met up with this crowd on Saturday morning while Matt fished with his dad. I told the girls and Lindsay got goosebumps and a little teary-eyed. Her son, Easton, is 6 months old, so we have a built in playmate for Baby Riggs. Kellen was so excited and her and Jack are hoping to add another munchkin to the pack along with us.
Orlando Gullickson Crew: Mom had everyone over for Grandma's 76th birthday. We ate appetizers, dinner, and started to open gifts. I told Grandma that I had something. I gave her the rosary that we got for her at The Vatican and then showed her the picture of the pregnancy test saying that we brought back another gift, but it would not be ready for 9 months. She immediately started crying and did not stop for 30 mins. The rest of the family was so excited. Aunt Gina had just drilled me about the in-vitro updates (that I had to lie about) and was especially suprised. Neena and Aunt Mary apparently knew something was up and whipped out a gift (our first baby outfit) that they had bought for the occassion. I thought we were so smooth, but our familes know us so well. Jackie also gave us a baby name book and a picture for the first foot print. I told the full story of our trip and how we were on the verge of IVF when we magically got knocked up. I made the mistake of telling about how Matt thought I was 'glowing' on the train so Uncle Dennis poked fun at him for that.
Amie and Josephine: We called Josephine and told her that Aunt Nancy is going to have a baby. She was too distracted by her Nintendo DS and told us all about the dragons. I guess babies are not high on her excitement list..hehe. But Amie got on the phone and was so happy.
Ella and Molly: Ella was at a birthday party, but we told her and she was so happy. She just exclaimed 'Oh, oh'. Molly hopped on the phone and said she was in the corner at the party crying. So sweet!!! Matt had a longer conversation with her yesterday to fill her in on the whole story.

All-in-all it was a great weekend and we are so lucky to have friend and family that already care so much about us and little Baby Riggs.

5 week update (well, 5.5 week update)

I am still feeling pretty great. Yesterday was the first day that I felt mildly nauseous at all. It really started after work and was pretty mild. I made grilled cheese, yogurt, and fruit for dinner (my new favorite meal) and relaxed while getting caught up on General Hospital. Then I took the dogs for a walk and felt better. When Matt got home from class he brought me a QT donut which always makes me happy.
I am still just so tired. I could take a nap every day. Friday night I zonked at 8pm and slept 12 hours and then still took a nap Saturday afternoon!!! It is crazy that something so small can suck up so much energy.
I am eating pretty much normally. I get hungry more often and am trying to have healthy snacks around. I am focussing on eating more fruits and veggies and getting 3 servings of dairy. These are good rules for everyone, but it took getting knocked up for me to really focus on this. I do go from starving to really full very quickly. I am not sure if I am eating more or are just filling up quicker.
All in all - I feel great so far.
Oh and I posted some 5 week belly pics on the slideshow at the top left. Nothing fun to see yet, but someday soon I will look back at how skinny my belly was. Enjoy!!

First Doctor Appt

Yesterday morning we met with Dr. Lewis for our first checkpoint. He did another pregnancy test (of course it was positive) and a pap smear and then we just got to chat. This was Matt's first appointment with me and he did really well. We go back next Friday for our first ultrasound. We will hear the heartbeat and find out if it is just one baby or multiples. I can't wait!!!

We got a lot of fun reading that I spent too much time on last night. The food limitations are not as severe as I initially thought. Deli meats and caffeine are not that big of a deal.

The biggest change was that I can exercise, but need to keep my heartrate under 140 beats per minute. WHAT!!! Dr. Lewis said that as your heartrate increases your body will send blood to the vital organs like heart and lungs and brain and away from the baby. So, I took the foster dogs for a run last night to see what 140 bpm feels like and I could barely run at all and keep it that low. I emailed Torrie (my trainer from boot camp) with the restriction and I am going to go tomorrow, but I am seriously concerned that this will put a hurting on my working out. Of course, I will do what he recommends and do not want to put the baby at any risk.

Other than all of that, the appointment was great and I can't wait to go next Friday for the ultrasound.

Today's Blood Test and First ObGyn Appt on Monday

Matt sent me this picture - who wants to buy us our first baby gift??? Now whenever we get a good test result I tell Matt "Our baby is the shit."

I had my third blood test this morning and my hcg level is 3500. It is supposed to double every 2-3 days so we are right on track (up from 960 on Tuesday). Go Baby Riggs!!

Matt and I go in to see Dr. Lewis on Monday at 8am. I really hope that we will get to see something. I think it is still too early to hear a heartbeat (I think that is at 8 weeks), but seeing anything with our own eyes will really help to make this more real. Yes, we are still in shock.

5 week update

I still feel totally normal. I am working out (sorry, Mansi) just as I have been. I have scoured websites and asked every doctor and nurse. They all tell me to keep doing what I did before getting pregnant. I told them that I exercise 6 days a week with at least 3-4 really intense workouts. No worries, they tell me. So on to boot camp.

I am still more tired than usual. I could probably take a nap every day, but alas I have this work thing to go to 8 hours a day. I keep healthy snacks around and am starting to learn about all the things I am not supposed to eat...blue cheese, deli meats, too much fish, caffeine...and all the things that I should...3 serving of dairy, spinach for folic acid, lean protein. It is just a lot of information and I am trying to play it as safe as possible.

I am going to make Matt take my first 'belly pic' tonight so that we can create a running log as Baby Riggs grows. I am ready to get out of the office and enjoy the weekend. Later!

The (LONG) Path to Pregnancy

How did we get here?
Last year (2010) was full of procedures, drugs, and lots of tests to try to get me pregnant. Matt's numbers were "off the charts" and "amazing" which, as a man, he is very proud of. I was just glad that only one of us had a problem. So we just had to get me fixed. We tried IUI 3 times after using just Clomid alone - all with no luck. Finally, the Dr. Lewis referred me to Reproductive Biology Associates to look into In-vitro Fertilization (IVF).

In April, we had our first appointment with RBA and started another round of tests. Everything looked pretty good except for a few of my hormone levels indicating damage to my ovaries from the endometriosis. But that would just mean a different medicine regime. After the tests we were leaving for Europe for holiday and scheduled an appointment for May 24 when we got back. We went to that appointment and planned to do IVF with my next cycle, scheduled to start any day. We discussed the procedures, ordered the meds, went through genetic counseling, and plotted out costs. That night, while Matt was at class, I read through the paperwork, signed some crazy release forms, and put a check in the folder...and cried. I was totally overwhelmed by the process, the drugs, the money, the whole thing.

How did we find out?
I stayed home from work on Thursday to receive the drugs which happened to coincide with the day I expected to start my period. I had some HPTs at home so took one in the morning just for fun. Matt was in the shower and I asked him 'What do you see?". He confirmed the + result, but we were very cautiously optimistic. While this was my first positive test, we have had so much disappointment with trying to get pregnant that we are still very guarded. After 2 more positive tests at home, we were feeling a little better. Friday morning, I woke Matt up at 6am with a positive test and his response was a very groggy "Come cuddle."

The nurse was able to stop the delivery of the drugs and I went in Friday morning for a blood test. My hcg level was 160 which confirmed the pregnancy. WHAT!!!! I could not wait until after work to tell Matt so I called him. He was so cool and calmly excited, but said later that he was freaking out. We both told close work friends (you HAVE to tell someone this amazing news) and got the hugs and congratulations we needed. Matt actually IMd me "It can't be this easy." We were in shock.

Now that we know...
We spent last weekend (Memorial Day weekeend) relaxing and just amazed that this actually happened.

Yesterday I took another blood test and my hcg level is 980 which is progressing just perfectly. I will take one more blood test on Friday and then will get in with Dr. Lewis.

This does not feel real. I think that when we get to see or hear something that we will actually let ourselves celebrate.

Can't wait to tell Mom and Sisters

Hi girls, When I finally tell you and you actually start watching this blog please know that I have been dying to tell you!!! This is the biggest news of my life and I just want to share it in person. So until I can see you, I will update this blog.