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.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
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...
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
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!!
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.
Friday, June 3, 2011
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!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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.
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.
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