New Doctor

Today I went to my high risk specialist for the first time. Her name is Dr. Chatman, and I really like her a lot. Luckily John was able to go with me, so we were both able to listen to what she had to say and ask any questions. She is very laid back, and instantly made us both feel at ease. She spent a lot of time with us talking about what to expect, and making sure she answered any and all questions we had. We both left feeling very impressed with how personal she was, and not just "in and out" like so many doctors seem to be these days. I even wrote her a thank you note when we got home.

Dr. Chatman definitely helped calm my anxiety about being "high risk." She assured me that they just want to keep a closer eye on things, and in the end, I will probably enjoy it because I will have an ultrasound every time I go to her. She said most women just get an early one and a 20 week scan, and that's it. We got to see our little kidney bean flipping around, and she assured us that everything looks and measures perfect at this point, so just keep doing what we're doing.

First OB Appointment

I had my first doctor's appointment today. I did not have an OB, so I had to find a new doctor. I knew that because I was already 35, my pregnancy would automatically be considered high risk, and I would have to see a specialist in addition to a regular OB. I checked with my insurance company and found the preferred high risk specialist in this area, and she is in a building right next to the hospital. So, I just picked an OB whose practice is in the same building. I figured if it worked out well, it would be convenient for everything to be right there in the same place.

I had already started quietly telling a few people at work about my pregnancy. I told my principal, and the school nurse, just in case any problems were to arise. I was still excited, but nervous to spill too much, in case there was a problem. Some of the teachers I work most closely with definitely knew something was "up" with me already, thanks to all that nausea and super tiredness.

John was able to be off work for the morning, so that he could go with me. Over the week leading up to my appointment, I had done way too much *gasp* internet reading, and had completely freaked myself out that surely something was wrong. I already had all of my new patient paperwork filled out when we arrived, and thankfully we didn't have to wait too long. The nurse took us back, and got my vitals. I don't think we waited too long in the room, but it sure seemed like forever at the time. The doctor came in and we both took to her immediately. She is very personable, and took time to answer our questions and concerns without ever making us feel rushed.

She did an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy, and assure us there's only 1 baby in there. I was anxiously awaiting hearing the heartbeat for the first time, and it didn't disappoint. It was a moment I will never forget, and I cried tears of joy. John was able to capture the whole thing on video. I was instantly relieved that we heard a healthy heartbeat, and everything looked good. The baby was measuring about a week smaller than my dates were giving, so she gave us an official due date of April 28.

The first picture of our little kidney bean

Big News!!

We are expecting!! We were going to try and keep it to ourselves for a little while. We especially wanted to wait until I had seen an OB, and confirmed that, at least at this early stage, things were ok. It didn't happen . . .

Here's the story:

Around mid-August, I started experiencing some early symptoms. Moodiness, nausea, etc. I didn't think much about it, as I experience some of the same things most months right before my period. I was busy getting my classroom ready - which involved moving from one hallway to another. Despite all of the years I've been teaching, I still feel this rush of pressure to get everything done before school starts, and inevitably fall short. I didn't give much thought to being late, because of the stress.
A couple more weeks passed, and those pesky symptoms seemed to be hanging around, but I kept telling myself I would probably start "today or tomorrow." John and I had been trying off and on for around a year, without any success, so my morale about any baby possibilities was pretty low. Especially after hitting the dreaded 3-5 last year that officially made me old in the world of obstetrics. There were a couple of months that I was late, and really got my hopes up, only to be heartbroken. I wasn't really willing to venture down the "infertility" road. I still had a sliver of faith that if and when it was meant to happen, it would.

So, I was already 2 weeks late before I even mentioned anything to John, and then in some sort of early-pregnancy emotional meltdown, also told my mom. I told myself that if we got to Labor Day weekend, which would mark 3 weeks late, I would take a test.

The weekend came, and John and I went out to the store for a few things, including a test. As soon as we got home, he wanted me to run right upstairs and take it. I was coming down with a cold, and I didn't want to disappoint him again, though, so I said I was going to take a nap and would do it later. When I woke up, he was downstairs with Kassie, so I went to the bathroom. The test turned positive almost immediately, and I could barely keep myself from screaming. Tears instantly formed, and I said "thank you, God" about a hundred times. When I finished up I *casually* went out and called John to come upstairs. As soon as he saw my face he knew, and we both started crying as he grabbed me in a huge bear hug. I kept telling him "this isn't how I wanted to tell you." I always had these cute ideas for how I wanted to tell my husband, but it just didn't happen.

We quickly agreed that we weren't going to say anything for a while. I especially wanted to tell our families in person (at least as much as possible). I wanted to do something cute and creative to tell our parents. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans . . . Apparently Kassie had seen the test in the bag when we came home, and asked John about it, and he couldn't keep his mouth closed. I was worried about how fast the word might travel from the mouth of an indiscreet teenager, so we went to plan b. Throughout the weekend, we slowly told our families, and John's other daughter, Kaitie. My mom had the biggest reaction, by far, with an ear-piercing scream!! I would have loved to wait until we could tell everyone in person, but it was also fun to share when we were in the giddy excited stage, too.

So, the news is out there . . . we are having a baby. I'm due April 28, 2012.

Here's our proof!

I had to get another test, just to make sure the generic one wasn't "faulty."

Happy daddy-to-be!

Mommy-to-be, who was under the weather

Let's Try This Again

I want to keep a blog. Really, I do. I follow several blogs, and I really enjoy reading them. I guess I have felt our lives aren't all that exciting . . . not really blog-worthy. I'm going to give it another shot, though, and see how it works. I'm sure, like anything else, it's something you have to make a habit.

Our biggest event in the last 8 months is that we have become full time parents to a 13 (now 14) year old. Many events led to the change, and it's too much to really go in to. John's older daughter, Kassie, came from Germany in January to live with us. It has been quite a challenge for us to jump into parenthood with a teenage girl. Even though John has been her father since birth, he hasn't been able to spend a significant amount of time with his girls in the last 7 years.

It has been challenging, and trying on all 3 of us, but we are figuring it out 1 day at a time. Kassie really seems to like it here, and is doing well in school. She has made a lot of friends that she really enjoys spending time with, and we feel we are doing what's best for her. I think the biggest difference between starting with a baby and starting with a teenager is that a baby doesn't know when you screw up, and a teenager has no problem pointing it out to you!! We're learning as we go, and trying to create a responsible, respectful citizen out of it al!