14 weeks

It is so hard to believe that we are 14 weeks into this 40 week journey with baby #4. Charlie and I shake our heads in disbelief all the time.

Many people ask me how I have been feeling.....GREAT!! We are into our 2nd trimester now. The 1st trimester was a "breeze" compared to the other ones. Kaitlyn was a "little sick", Ryan and Anderson I dry heaved ALL day long...and I physically got sick with all 3 of these babes several times thru the first 12 weeks. I have yet (knock on wood) gotten sick with this one. My "morning" sickness would typically start around 6 or 7 PM when Charlie would be home from work...PERFECT! He is SUCH an amazing help. He would come home from work, get dinner going, cleaned up and the kiddos to bed. Thank God for Charlie, he is and incredible Dad and husband.

Now, that "sickness" seems to have passed. I was SO SO SO tired the first few weeks. There were days Charlie would come home from work with my head on the kitchen counter, the family room a MESS, as I stirred a pot of spaghetti sauce! ;) But, we would have dinner on the table, I would just be asleep about 1/2 hour later.

Around 8-9 weeks, I started to get insomnia. I DO NOT remember this with the other kids!! YIKES! It sucked....especially those that know me...I LOVE my sleep, LOVE IT! So, that was hard for me. Luckily, this too passed.

Now, I feel great. Unfortunately, I am starting to have contractions. This is a long story, that I will save for another day.....I want to watch the Ol*ympics b/4 I fall asleep (sorry, selfish of me). But, I am trying to take it easy and rest....per Doctor's orders!

We had an ultrasound at 5 weeks and 6 days with this baby...to date the pregnancy. Charlie came and we saw the "little piece of rice" with the heartbeat. It was AMAZING! It was after this ultrasound we started to tell our family. Which....I will put in another post one day....remind me! It was cute.

Then, another ultrasound at 9 weeks. The doctor wanted to see me at 9 weeks and it was too early to use the hand held Doppler to detect the heartbeat....so, they sent me for another ultrasound. It was INCREDIBLE to see......now the baby had arms, legs, hands, etc....in only 3 weeks times it changed so quickly. I was in tears with joy. Charlie too.

Finally, we had the most recent ultrasound at 12 weeks for the 1st trimester screening.....the perinatologist (sp? and too tired to look it up) we are seeing wanted us to do it....and it is something we did with Anderson anyway. (this test is "so new" that they did not offer it with Kaitlyn or Ryan....mind you they were only 4 and 2 when I had Anderson's done....and when we did Anderson's.....only 1000 facilities across the country were even authorized to do the test. It is a NONINVASIVE way of testing for various problems with the fetus.

We had our 1st trimester screening on Monday of the week we left for Portland. It was GREAT! Charlie and I, again, were shaking our heads in amazement watching this baby move and groove in my belly....when it was only 6 weeks ago a piece of rice. Words can't describe what a miracle it had been watching it grow over the past 6 weeks so closely. The ultrasound tech said...based on where we were TODAY, from everything SHE CAN TEST...the baby looks to be 100%! We cried, simply cried. It has been a LONG LONG time since we have heard such words in a doctor's office. Obviously, we ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS yet....we CONTINUOUSLY pray for a healthy baby...but, relieved that everything to this point could not be any better.

GULP, SIGH, BREATHE, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!

Next ultrasound with the peri on Thursday....PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Makes my stomach turn thinking about it. It will be a high level ultrasound checking "more in depth".....GULP, SIGH, PRAY!