Friday, February 28, 2014

Clinic & 15 Week Update

Today I had my first CF clinic appointment since becoming pregnant. And to be completely honest, I've been feeling like total crap the past few weeks. Thanks to my stupid insurance change, I was supposed to start Tobi a week or two ago, but it's still being approved, ugh! So since I haven't started the antibiotics yet, I knew my PFTs were going to be pretty low today.

It started a few weeks ago, when I felt like my lungs became flooded with mucus over night. It came on so suddenly and not like a typical CF chest infection, that I was thrown off. I had an increased cough and increased mucus production, but it wasn't really a different color, just so much more. Of course I tried to fight it myself, but it got to the point where it was interrupting my sleep and making me completely exhausted, so I called in the "big guns" aka: Tobi. Now, I haven't been on a full month of Tobi since August, so I really thought it would help clean me out... but insurance decided to get in the way of that...thanks insurance! Then on top of it, I started developing some crazy sinus infection which has clogged my sinuses so bad that it started coming out of my eyes yesterday morning, I know, lovely! So I've been doing two sinus rinses a day for about a week which temporarily help, but it wasn't enough. All I have to say is... thank goodness I had my appointment today!

Anyway, so my PFTs were down, as I expected. My FEV1 was 69% - I've never seen numbers that low, but I can't say that I was surprised. My doctor didn't seem as concerned as I thought she would and she said that my PFT graph looks symmetrical and looks much better than how I'm feeling, so that relieved me a bit. She also wasn't too concerned because thankfully, I have plenty of options right now. I'm starting my Kalydeco back up tonight after being off of it for nine weeks - I'm glad that I was able to stay off of it during the critical development period of my pregnancy. I'm also going to start Tobi whenever my insurance decides to cooperate. As for my sinuses, I'm going to continue my sinus rinses followed up with some Nasonex. I'm hoping that the combination of these things will get my lungs back to normal soon before Baby starts squishing them.

As far as my pregnancy goes, everything is going very well, today is the last day of my fifteenth week. As I said before, I'm proud of myself for not exposing Baby to Kalydeco, or any antibiotics, during its first trimester. This week I've been pretty exhausted...I feel like I'm feeling more like I should have first trimester now in my second... but I think I'm finally on the right path to feeling better. This week, the baby was the size of a naval orange and could sense light shined into the belly even though its eyes are still fused shut, and can now move all of its limbs and joints now. I can't wait to feel Baby move soon!

14 Weeks

Thursday, February 20th

Today is the last day of my 14th week and its starting to feel much more real. My belly is becoming more obvious and we were able to see you again today at your ultrasound. Your heartbeat was 150bpm and we were able to see your arm & leg bones, your spine, kidneys and bladder.

I'm also pleased to know that you are healthy! We had the Harmony screening done (blood test) to check to see if you were at a higher risk for Downs, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18 and Turner's syndrome. The results came in on Tuesday and everything looked great. You are not at any higher risk for any of those things. Daddy and I were also able to find out what you are because they could tell from your DNA!!! We're not sharing with everyone until March birthdays, so that Aunt Katrina and I can share together. Your sex was confirmed today during your ultrasound, too, so it's for sure. :-)

I've gained about a pound since my last ultrasound which puts my total weight gain at 3 pounds so far. Today the doctor said I should gain 25-30 pounds this pregnancy... I'll try my best! Health-wise, I've been feeling pretty junky. The last week or two, I feel like my lungs have flooded with mucus and I've been coughing a lot. I feel like this is how I should have felt when I stopped Kalydeco in December, but it's just now catching up with me. My MFM and CF doctors are fine with me starting Tobi, so I should be starting that within the next few days and really hope that helps get all of this crap out. I also have my CF appointment next week, so I'm curious (and a little nervous) to see my lung function, but so excited for everyone to see my belly and your adorable pictures!

Here are a few of your pictures from today!



Friday, February 21, 2014

A Normal Post?!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've written a normal blog post. Things have been going very well for us this winter since finding out I'm pregnant. It's been a long time coming, and so fun sharing the experience with our friends and family! We've already had three ultrasounds and I'm now 15 weeks along with our little munchkin. I have my first CF clinic coming up since getting pregnant, and I'm so excited to see everyone there.

In other news, we've got two Great Strides events coming up this spring, in April and May. Those will be super fun this year, and next year we'll need a stroller! If you'd like to join my team or donate to either walk site, please go to www.cff.org/greatstrides and follow the very simple directions. They all have a free Great Strides app which is very easy to use.

Work has been going well. Teaching first grade is so different from Kindergarten, but I am really enjoying it. My class is full of personalities and they've been keeping me on my toes this year, but its been so fun watching them grow and progress.

Tim's been keeping busy between working, plowing, and continuing to work on our house. Currently he's working on refinishing the floors in baby's room, we just removed the popcorn from our ceiling in the living room, and we'll be painting in there soon. We've definitely had a busy, eventful, but wonderful winter. Sorry to keep everyone in the dark for so long, but we wanted to make sure everything was going well before we shared the news. Stay tuned for many more updates. :-)

Saturday, February 15, 2014

13 Weeks

02/11/14 - Tuesday
This week my belly has really began to show! I don't know if its because I'm finally not trying to hide it anymore, but its definitely becoming more obvious! I can still suck it in if I really try, and its not super hard, but definitely there. Last Friday, the start of my 13th week and second trimester (!!), I had some blood work done to make sure you're developing properly and who knows what the other nine vials were for.... Haven't gained anymore weight, so that puts my first trimester total at two pounds gained which I am very proud of... thank you for not making Mommy sick!!
This week your biggest development is fingerprints! You are the size of a peach and your head is only a third the size of your body now. You're nearly three inches long and probably weigh around one ounce. Other than that, there's not too much going on. I'm still feeling well and eating normally. Hopefully I'll be getting my new glucose monitor in the mail soon so I can continue to monitor my sugars.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

12 Weeks

Wednesday, 2/5/14
I'm 12w5d today and only a couple days from officially entering the second trimester...already! I'm so excited that our news is finally public so I don't have to try to hide you anymore, especially at work! It was getting hard to find clothes that weren't fitting to my body to hide my little belly. I'm definitely still in the awkward stage where I don't quite look pregnant, but I don't really look fat either...can't wait for my bump to be obviously a baby bump!

This week your big developmental milestone is reflexes. Your fingers are starting to open and close, your mouth is starting to make sucking movements, your toes will curl, and your eye muscles will clench. They say that if I poke my belly, you'll move in response, but you're still too tiny to feel. I cannot wait to feel you!!! Your eyes are now on the front of your head (apparently they were on the sides...yikes!), your ears are in place and you should be around two inches long now - the size of a plum this week. It's amazing that at only three months along, that all of your critical systems are now fully formed and from here on out you'll just be maturing and growing! Everyone is so excited about you and love the crib that Daddy's making, too!! This Friday I head back to the OB for an "in-take" appointment which doesn't sound very exciting -- just a meeting with a nurse and then some blood work. But then in another couple weeks we'll go back for your next ultrasound! Yay!

11 Weeks

January 30, 2014 (Thursday)
Today is the last week of my eleventh week of pregnancy... almost at the end of the first trimester already! There isn't much to report from this week aside from some extreme cold days off school which resulted in me being pretty lazy. Now I'm back at work and trying to fit in everything we've missed. I also told my boss about my pregnancy this week because a discussion about next year came up, so I thought I'd better fill him in on my need for maternity leave. He was excited for us and gave me a couple suggestions for subs to call for my maternity leave. He also promised to keep quiet until we made our news public.... which I'm sure is just killing him! :)

I'm still feeling very well, no nausea. I've been monitoring my blood sugars this week to really try and keep them stable to avoid gestational diabetes as long as possible. Since I'm at risk for CFRD in general, it puts me at a greater risk for developing gestational diabetes. Hopefully with constant monitoring and a good diet, I'll put off the need for insulin as long as possible.

I'm also in the awkward "is she fat or pregnant?" stage now and its extremely annoying! I can't wait for people to know! It's not a definite baby bump yet, but I'm hoping it'll look more obvious in the next couple weeks. I was hoping to make our announcement this week, but we're having some technical difficulties over here, so it's looking like it's going to have to be next week. Tim's building the baby's crib and his tool broke trying to cut some of the wood. So last night we went and bought him a new tool, and within five minutes, the new blade was broken because the wood is so hard. I'm not sure what the plan is now, but I just know it's going to take a bit longer than expected. I was a little sad last night, but I'd rather have a safe and sturdy crib. By the way...I can't wait for people to see it... it so awesome!!

10 Weeks

 
10 weeks - 1/17/14
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Yay, we've made into double digits! Currently, I'm ten weeks and one day, and feeling awesome still. Although I've noticed some big changes over the last few days. I've started growing a little belly and things are definitely not fitting the way they used to, and its a little tricky to hide. To most people, especially those that still don't know, I'm sure it just looks like its my usual CF belly, but this picture was taken on an very empty (starving) non-bloated belly...so I think its my growing uterus...which is apparently now the size of a grapefruit. I'll update much more after our ultrasound on Wednesday, but I wanted to share how excited I am about my tiny little baby bump and I can't wait to fully embrace it without having to hide it!


Thursday, 1/23/14
 I got to see and hear you yesterday and it was a huge sigh of relief for me! After barely having any symptoms for a month, I wanted to make sure everything is still going well in there. It is! You look like a real baby now! You were moving around like crazy during the ultrasound - moving your arms all around, kicking your tiny little legs, and moving your head up and down, it was fascinating! I can't wait to start feeling all of your movements everyday! Your heartbeat was also a nice, strong 175 beats per minute... which wives tales now say you're a girl... so who knows! In another ten weeks, we'll find out!

The doctor, a high-risk specialist, was wonderful! Everyone was extremely nice and the doctor was extremely knowledgeable about pregnancy and CF. She's had several other CF women as patients, and told me that I'm by far the healthiest she's seen...I've even gained 2lbs already! She's impressed with my lung function, which makes me proud because I've been working so hard over the last few years to be in the best shape possible for a pregnancy. Right now we're focusing on watching and maintaining my blood sugars to try to avoid gestational diabetes as long as possible. I'll go back in two weeks for an "intake" appointment with a nurse and to get some blood work. Then two weeks after that, I'll go back for the next ultrasound! I'm really hoping Tim isn't so busy at work then so he can see the next ultrasound because it's such an amazing experience.
After yesterday's great appointment, I decided it was time to keep spreading the news. I called my parents last night who were very surprised and excited! My mom kept saying, "This is so exciting!" I also emailed all of my mom's side of the family and have gotten very excited responses today. Hopefully by the end of next week, our news will be "Facebook public" so I can stop trying to hide being so happy & excited!!!

Here are some of the pictures from yesterday's ultrasound:
The best profile shot we could get without you moving too much!

Waving! 

This is my favorite picture from the day because
I've never seen an ultrasound picture like this before!
It's a view of your face!
(Don't worry, she said it looks normal! :) )

9 Weeks

1/13/14 - Monday
Today I am nine weeks and three days pregnant, and still barely feeling a thing! The only constant symptom I'm having is sore boobs - other than that, sometimes Daddy and I forget I'm pregnant. The other day I was convinced that I was starting to show, but I really think its just some of the weight I must be adding on. My first appointment with the high-risk OB is next Wednesday, and I'm getting very excited. I'm can't wait to see and hear you again!

This week you're looking much more human according to my apps, and are now officially a fetus. You're nearly an inch long and the size of a green olive or grape. Your heart is finishing dividing into four chambers, your sex organs are established (although we won't be able to distinguish them until at least 17 weeks), your heart valves and tiny teeth are starting to form, and your embryonic "tail" is finally gone..."hopefully", daddy says. :-)

Oh yeah, you received your first gift in the mail last week from Aunt Catie, and your second card on Saturday from Tony & Brittany. Aunt Catie (mommy's best friend), got you three adorable little onsies, one of them says "Auntie Adores Me". They are purple and flowery because she thinks you're a girl...but if you're not, she said she promises to take you shopping. According to the old wives tales and Chinese conception chart, you're going to be a boy, but I'm thinking you're a girl. We haven't had a baby girl on Dad's side of the family for a long time, so they're really hoping that you or your cousin are a girl, but I think it'd be pretty funny of you were both boys. Then there would be six boy cousins, age four and under!

I'm hoping that as long as everything goes well at your ultrasound next week, we can tell everyone about you soon after. I know that so many people are going to be excited for your arrival, but no one will be as excited as your dad and I. :-)

8 Weeks

Tuesday, 1/7/14

Today I am eight weeks and four days pregnant, and am feeling pretty similar to last week. I haven't noticed much of a change without my Kalydeco except this itchy throat cough the past couple nights, so I'll probably be calling the doctor today to see what she thinks. I'd like to stay off for at least this month until you're a bit bigger, but we'll see. Two weeks from tomorrow I have my first appointment with the high-risk doctor, and I can't wait to see and hear you again! My apps are telling me that you're moving like crazy in there, but you're still too tiny for me to feel. This week your hands and feet are now gaining little webbed fingers and toes, you're losing your tail, your breathing tubes and lungs are developing, nerve cells are starting to connect in your brain, and you're starting to form your taste buds.

Tomorrow its back to work for me, so we'll see how fatigued I really am. As much as I'm so excited to shout to the world about you, I'm hoping to keep you a secret from my coworkers at least until after my next appointment - just to make sure everything's still going well in there.

7 Weeks

12/30/13
I'm 7w3d today, and thankfully haven't had many of the "typical" pregnancy symptoms and sometimes even forget I am pregnant, just because I've been feeling fine. I've been feeling kind of lazy, but I think that's mostly because I'm on winter break and doing a whole lot of nothing. My appetite came back with full force at the end of last week, and I've been eating a lot. There's something going on in my sinuses over the past few days, so I've been doing sinus rinses and started some nasal spray last night. I just can't wait to stop feeling so yucky - I've pretty much been sick or have a cold since November. But I really can't complain...poor Aunt Katrina has been super sick (lots of puking) with your cousin, so I will definitely consider myself lucky not to have that problem.

Little one, you've doubled in size since last week and are now the size of a blueberry. :) Your brain and heart are becoming much more complex, your kidneys are developing, and your arm and leg joints are forming this week.

Since these weeks are so critical for your development, Dr. Dowell and I decided to have me stop Kalydeco on Friday. The plan is to get back on in the second trimester once you're organs and major systems are developed, unless I notice that I'm feeling worse off of it, then I'll go back on right away. I was a little worried that I would start feeling awful when I stopped, but I honestly haven't felt a difference yet. Since its such a new medication, there's really no research on how it could effect you while you're still growing, so there's always that unknown risk (although I know several women who've gotten pregnant on K and had perfectly healthy babies). Its considered a category B drug, which means that I can be on it if medically necessary. So we're seeing how I feel off it, and if I start feeling crappy, then obviously its working for me and would be medically necessary.

Your daddy and I already have your first name picked out if you're a girl (we've loved it for a couple years), but we cannot agree on any boys names! We've finally started making a 'maybe' list, but nothing's jumping out at us yet. We can't wait to find out what you are! Daddy's also working hard on your room. When we first started working on it, it was just the spare bedroom, but its even more exciting getting stuff done knowing its going to be your room. We have colors picked out depending on if you're a girl or boy, so there's not too much else we can do (except refinish the floors) until we know what you are. We told Dad's mom's family this weekend, about you, and they're so excited too. Of course everyone said you need to be a girl, but I know they'll love you just as much if you're a boy! :-)

Week Six

December 23rd,
We got to see and hear you today and it was absolutely amazing!! Technically, I'm six weeks and
12/19/13 - six weeks
four days today, but you are measuring at six weeks and three days, which puts your due date on August 15th, 2014. The doctor said that everything about you is perfect. You are measuring at 6mm and your heart rate was 126bpm--old wives tales say that means you're a boy...we'll see--Daddy said
You're the gray blob toward the bottom of the black bubble. The
black area is the embryo sack where you'll live. The gray spot
above you is called the yolk sack where you're getting your food. 

you looked like a lizard-thing. We couldn't tell which end was your head and you looked like a gray little blob, but seeing your little heart flickering was the best thing we've ever seen.

Yesterday we had our Veitengruber Christmas and Daddy & I broke the news! I was over-analyzing when the perfect time to tell, so your Dad told Aunt Linda that she needed to come talk to me, so of course she knew. Then she told Aunt Lisa to come talk to me and that's when I told everyone that was on the plant room. They were all so excited and happy for us. Then Roger made me go and yell it to everyone who was sitting in the living room, haha!

And, even more exciting, Aunt Katrina is pregnant too! She's due on July 30, so you're going to have a cousin only a few weeks older than you. :-)

To celebrate our exciting day, your dad and I went out to dinner and then walked up and down every baby aisle at Target. He, of course, wants to build you everything instead of buy it -I'm excited to see what he makes for you!

Finally, I was "kicked out" of the fertility clinic today! He referred me to a wonderful team of MFM (maternal fetal medicine) specialists, also known as high-risk OBs that he knows. I know I'll be in a good hands working with doctors recommended by our fertility doctor. My next appointment is January 22nd and I'll be around 10-11 weeks then (maybe you'll look less lizard-like then). It sounds like I'll have at least monthly appointments just to make sure you're growing as you should, but also to make sure that I'm staying healthy, too. There's one perk to being high-risk...I might be able to see and hear you a bit more than during a normal pregnancy. :-)

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

YAY!!!!!!

I promised a good reason for my long posting delay..... well, here it is... Tim's current project:

Baby Veitengruber is due August 15th!!!!

I'm so excited to finally publically share this news!! Its been a long time coming and Tim & I couldn't be more excited!!!