19 Weeks!

Today I am 19 Weeks 1 Day Pregnant - 

18 More Fridays

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125 More Days

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   2990 More Hours 

Until We Meet Our Baby Boy!

 

Jase is super pumped!

He kisses my baby belly good night every single night. 

He tells the baby numerous times a day how much he loves him.

And daily, I am reminded how blessed we are.

Again knowing, the best gifts in life, are often a surprise.

Gestation in this Picture: 18 Weeks 4 Days
Gestation Now: 19 Weeks 1 Day

(Only 4 Weeks and 3 Days until I can officially say this is the longest I have been pregnant!)

Heart Rate: 154
Baby Weight: 9 oz

Cervical Length:  LONG and Closed!!! WOOHOO

Today, my cervix is holding strong and the baby is healthy.

Today, we are one day closer.

Today, we choose faith over fear.

Every day we are reminded how thankful we are, 

and we focus on living for today, not the what ifs of tomorrow.

Today, I am 19 Weeks 1 Day Pregnant - (I just like saying that!)

My motto for 19 Weeks -  "Does this shirt make me look fat or pregnant?"

This week seems to be the in between stage where you look in the mirror and wonder if that is a baby bump or the 3 pieces of pizza you consumed for dinner....

I know I need to be watching my food intake just a little bit better, considering that my lack of activity, bed rest, and high risk pregnancy, puts me more at risk for excess weight gain and gestational diabetes.

On a good note, we tested my blood sugar Tuesday with a  lovely number of 83.

This is great news considering I crave cake and sprite... 

both of which should be consumed in very limited moderation.

List of Things I Can't/Shouldn't Have - 

1. Alcohol (duh)

2.  Sugary Foods and Sugary Drinks 

3. Limited Caffeine 

4.  Diet Soda

5. Exercise

6. Sex 

7. Employment

List of Things I Should Have - 

1.  Water ... This is the easy one.

2. Healthy Food - Protein and Vegetables  (Does Casey's Veggie Pizza Count?)

Although, let me be honest, I need to be a little better about #2 on both lists during this pregnancy!

I wish my pregnancies were easy - I would love to say that I have no worries.  

In the back of our minds, we know that this is still a high risk pregnancy, 

we know the what ifs, and the issues that could occur.  

We know the struggle of Brennon going to work, some weeks he is at work more then he is home.

We know the struggles of a one-household income with  two-household bills.

We know that this pregnancy will be over in a few months, 

and the bills adding up will slowly be paid again.

To battle my worries, I continue with limited activity, modified bed rest, while relaxing and taking life easy, and working on a healthy diet.... because, we know that I am not the only mama with a high risk pregnancy. I know that someone else is praying for the things we have right now.  I know there are mamas with incompetent cervix who are praying just to make it past 19 weeks.  I know there are mamas who are battling infertility right now, that just wish they were pregnant.  I see you Mama and I am praying for you too.  I am reminded that God doesn't give us the dream, if He doesn't have a plan to make it happen.

We Know Faith,

We Know Hope,  

and We Know LOVE

because God is doing new things in our lives.

We know that the struggles, the sacrifices, and the worry will all be worth it, 

when we hold our baby in our arms.

Because, more then anything - 

We  know that each day we are closer to our goal of a healthy baby.

We hope and pray for the opportunity to bring a full-term baby home from the hospital.  

We hope to experience the joy of holding a strong, breathing baby shortly after birth.

To hold my baby with tears of joy instead of tears of sorrow.

The tears leak down my face, as I pray silently for all of those things, and I know, 

worry does not change the future, it robs today of it's joy.

So, today, I pray for my sons, for my pregnancy, for my body to be healed.

I will remind myself how great my body is doing right now and I will focus on that, 

not the worry of the next few weeks.

Upcoming Appointments - 

June 27th - OB Appointment and Perinatal Appointment Ultrasound with Anatomy Scan (because my baby refused to stop moving during the last one) and Cervical Check

July 13th (22 Weeks Pregnant) Ultrasound and Cervical Check

I will make it to 37 Weeks!

Until next time - 

Melissa

A prayer always for my sons!

18 Weeks!

Here I am!!! 18 weeks pregnant and almost to the half way point - my halfway point!  

5 MONTHS PREGNANT!

A lot has happened since I updated last.  

Of course if you are on my Facebook page,  you know as much as I do about this pregnancy.

At 16 weeks pregnant, we started weekly progesterone shots!

I am thankful that I haven't had an side effects from the shot, 

and I secretly believe that Nurse Brennon enjoys giving the shot every Friday morning.

At 16 weeks, we also found out Baby #4 is a BOY!

Jase is pumped to be a big brother, and he has told us all along that this baby was a boy, 

even though, mom and dad was sure the baby was a girl.

We have our names narrowed down - who knew that naming boy #4 would be so difficult?!

I am still hanging out in my bed / chair - allowed up for 2 hours at a time.

I feel really good - I don't feel high risk, and I know I have a couple more weeks before the baby is big enough to cause changes to my cervix - but I am following this advice to give my cervix as much relief as possible because I will stay pregnant until 37 weeks! We are extremely hopeful that the cerclage, progesterone, pelvic rest and restriction activity will allow us to carry to term.

I am still practicing my daily affirmations of Faith.  I will stay pregnant until 37 Weeks!

I have a great team of doctors who are knowledgeable and care about me and the well-being of this baby and pregnancy.

In my heart, I also know that this baby was a gift from God.  Brennon and I were sure that we would not have anymore children.  We were always told, that we couldn't have an unplanned pregnancy with out doctors, timed sex and monitoring.  Now, I know that we can.  

When we least expected it, we became pregnant.

I remember when we were struggling with infertility, well-wishers would always say, "It will happen when you least expect it" - I hated that comment.  I wanted a baby now, not when I stopped trying.  And here we are expecting - when we least expected.

Who knew, loosing 35 lbs, finding peace with having just Jase, and a few beers would allow us this blessing. 

I feel different this time - maybe because I wasn't forcing my body to get pregnant with Femera, or timing my sex during ovulation, or every other day, making sex a chore you marked on the calendar, accepting that we were blessed with our family exactly how it was. 

Maybe it is overcoming the disappointment of the unknown and owning this pregnancy, knowing that with God on my side, the best doctors, and a loving, dedicated husband we can overcome all obstacles in our way.

Hey, guess what.  I think I have found my zen in the second trimester!

And, my blood pressure has never been so great.

Up Next:
Tuesday, June 13th -  Anatomy Scan - Praying for a healthy baby and strong cervical length!