Merry Christmas

Christmas with a three year old has been pretty fun this year! This is the first year that Anna's really been interested in specific things and has talked about Santa coming. All season she's been very cautious about seeing Santa and him coming into our house. She decided she wanted to visit him at his house in our down town area. She was all excited until her turn was next... she was very shy, quickly ran to get his candy cane and ran back to Tim and I. She refused to sit on his lap and made me hold her to get a picture next to him. But... it was improvement from two years ago - no tears. :)

Our family has been very lucky to celebrate Christmas several times over the last couple of weeks, with lots of family and friends. Anna was gifted with lots of fun toys from family and Santa. Daddy and I got her a new twin bed, rug and shelving unit for her "big girl room". With all the focus on Brother lately it was nice to spoil her a bit over the last few weeks.

Christmas looks a lot different this year than I expected it to at the beginning of the year. I thought we'd be celebrating the twins' first Christmas with two little wiggly six month olds, but instead, we hung their stockings to remember them. Although there's still sadness of them not joining us, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Brother in less than two months! We have lots to be thankful for this year, despite the challenges we've been faced with.


From our family to yours, we hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

30 & 31 Weeks

Thursday, December 7th - 30 weeks
Something about getting to 30 weeks today really gets me excited and feels like an accomplishment. It's like we're in the home stretch! The longer you're in there, the less nervous I get about you being born early. I know that nothing is guaranteed, but I feel like as each week passes, your chance of survival just increases that much more.

Your movements have been getting so much more interesting. You're still sitting pretty low, but because you're getting bigger and running out of room, your movements are a lot more noticeable from the outside, especially when I'm reclining or laying. It's so fun to watch you jerk around and guess what we're seeing - a head, your back, legs, arms?! Sometimes it feels like you're doing the worm! You've had some really strong kicks/punches lately which always catch me off guard! But this is absolutely my favorite part about being pregnant. I love feeling you move all day long and I especially love watching you move in the evenings. Every little (or big) jab is an excellent reminder of how lucky we are that you're still doing well. Along with your movements, comes some tightness in my belly sometimes. I can't tell if these are Braxton Hicks or just the way you're positioned at the time. They don't hurt too bad, just a weird tight feeling and don't typically stick around for long. I know it's pretty normal to be having Braxton Hicks around this time (and I think I did with Anna). I'll have to run it by my nurse on Monday and see what she thinks.

Sunday, December 10 - 30w, 3d

Your room is painted! It was a big deal for me to get the room painted because it's one step closer to becoming your room and farther away from being the office. I love the blue we chose - it looks excellent on the wall and on your crib.

One wall is blue and the rest are gray

Your room is far from done and ready, but I feel like we made good progress this weekend. It's going to be tough getting anything done the next two weekends because of family Christmases, so I foresee Daddy working some evenings after work to keep going on some projects. We're quickly running out of time before you're here, but I don't care, I'm getting so excited!

Your little head or booty sticking up!

Monday, December 11 - 30w, 4d
I had an appointment today with the nurse practitioner at MFM and everything is going well. Sugars have been decent the last two weeks and your constant movements let us know that you're doing well, too. Your heart rate was 140s-150s today, my weight gain is good (about 13lbs so far) and that's about it. Nothing exciting, which is good. Even though we're within single-digit weeks of you being born, we need you to stay comfy for several more!

Thursday, December 14 - 31 weeks
We're two months (and one day) away from your official due date! I'm heading to CF clinic today, so I'm curious to see what my numbers look like. I started inhaled TOBI about a week ago and it slowly seems to be helping. I'm guessing (and hoping) I won't have to go back until after you're born. I am not looking forward to the long drive today!

Monday, December 18 - 31w, 4d
My clinic appointment went well on Thursday. My lung function remains at 85% and my small airways even increased slightly, so that's always good to hear. I'm not a big fan of the way TOBI is making me feel (scratchy cough, dry mouth), but it seems to be helping for now. Dr. Dowell did say that I am welcome to stop TOBI at any time and get back on Cayston. I'm coming up on two weeks on TOBI, so I'm hoping to stick it out the full four weeks to introduce my lung bacteria to a new med that it hasn't been exposed to in years.
The doctor wants me to come back one more time in January, but as long as I'm feeling well, I'm not planning on going. I do not have enough sick days to cover my maternity leave, so I don't want to use up one more before I have Brother.

We celebrated our first family Christmas on Saturday with Tim's whole family. It was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone! Anna had a good time with her cousins, even took a nap for a while in between all of her fun. It was all fine and dandy until Anna threw up four-five times on the way home. It's an hour drive between Grandma's and home, but Saturday night took us about two hours. The poor girl was complaining of a stomach ache about 20 minutes into our ride, so we figured she had to go to the bathroom and told her we'd stop at the next gas station....until we heard the all too familiar sound. :( We pulled over and got her cleaned up as best as we could. Thankfully she had received some new clothes and jammies that day, so we changed her into those. This happened three more times on the way home and we were quickly running out of things to clean her up with and things to change her into. It was a long, exhausting, late night.
It turns out, whatever she had eaten must not have agreed with her. Even though we all ate the same stuff, her body did not like something. She ended up puking up absolutely everything in her tummy, even after we got home. Finally, around 4am, she was done and was able to get some sleep. Thankfully, when she woke up yesterday, she was on the mend. She was able to keep down water, then some medicine, then apple sauce and toast. By early afternoon, I had to keep her from jumping on her bed - she was feeling back to normal! I'm really grateful that she didn't have a fever to go along with it and that it only lasted those 12ish hours. I'm also very glad that she is feeling back to herself and can go to school for these last few days before break, and that Tim and I didn't get sick right along with her.

28 & 29 Weeks

Thursday, November 23 - 28 weeks
Happy Thanksgiving! I am beyond thankful to be having such a normal, easy, healthy pregnancy this time around! I'm so excited to officially be in the third trimester now -- you'll be here before we know it!
Today was a busy, but productive day. Daddy finished the ceiling in your bedroom and hung your ceiling fan. Tomorrow I'm hoping he'll clear out the room so we can finally paint the walls! We also started putting up our Christmas decorations around the house today. I'd love to get a tree soon so we can put the presents around it, since they've been wrapped since Halloween. This year we have six stockings hanging along the mantel. Mommy, Daddy, Anna, Baby A, Baby B and yours. :) It was a little sad seeing their little stockings and name plates from last year, but I plan to keep them up in memory of your brothers.

Sunday, November 26 - 28w, 3d
Back to the daily grind tomorrow and finally another ultrasound! We had a great, relaxing yet productive weekend. I always look forward to this weekend because we get to spend so much time together as a family. Its the longest weekend we typically have off together all year.

I'm really looking forward to your ultrasound tomorrow because it's been six weeks since you've been measured and about a month since we've had an ultrasound. I'm sure you're going to look so much bigger! I just hope you're not getting too big.

Tuesday, November 28 - 28w, 5d
I had your appointment yesterday and everything went very well. You are definitely not too big, in fact, measured small-normal at around the 13th percentile. At first this concerned me a bit because the last time you were measured, you were in the 45th percentile, so that seemed like a big drop to me, but the nurse assured me that they aren't worried at all. She said you could have been going through a growth spurt the last time you were measured.

Needless to say, I don't think we're going to have any issues with you getting too big by the end of this pregnancy. I think we're actually going to be more aware that you're not too small...just like we did with Anna. Your estimated weight was about 2lbs 7oz which is right on track according to the nurse and my apps, so that's really good. I thought you looked so big in there, and completely squished. You were moving all around while the tech was measuring you and had your legs in front of your face pretty much the whole time. Every now and then you'd peek out between your legs and we'd see your nose and lips. You were also clapping the bottoms of your feet together at one point which was pretty funny. We also saw you practicing your breathing, which is excellent that you're doing that already.

I'll go back in two weeks for just a regular check-up, no ultrasound. And then after that, I go back right after Christmas and I'll be 32 weeks, so that's when the appointments will start happening twice weekly because of the gestational diabetes. Speaking of, my sugars have been better - although, not the best when we eat out at Chinese or Culver's! But, for right now, they are not increasing my insulin since overall the numbers seem to be getting better, so I was happy about that. Yesterday, I also got the whopping cough vaccine, so that I can pass some of it on to you before you're born.

Monday, December 4 - 29w, 4d
Wow, December already - that means you'll be here in just two short months! I'm so excited! I can't wait to snuggle your little squishy self! Although, it's going to be a long two months because the last few days my discomfort has really kicked in. I've been having a hard time getting comfortable when sleeping, standing/walking for too long makes me hurt, and standing after sitting or laying is not fun either. I don't know how I'm going to make it another two months - lots of sitting.
A coworker made the comment yesterday, "you better watch it because that's how it all started last time". I didn't even think of that, but she's right. I was getting really uncomfortable like this a few weeks before I had the boys. But somehow, this feels different. This feels like normal pregnancy progression discomfort. I'm not having any leaking or discharge and Brother is moving around all the time, which is really reassuring. I go back to the doctor a week from today, so we'll see how I feel then and I'll definitely be bringing it up if I become concerned.
In other news, we are still completely stuck on what to name you! I thought we had it narrowed down to a couple choices, but then we look at lists again and add/change things. I really hope we can choose soon because it's driving me crazy! I had a dream the other night that we had you home from the hospital for a week and you still didn't have a name. Your name is going to end up just being Brother! Ha!

26 & 27 Weeks

Thursday, November 9 - 26 weeks
Good morning from Milwaukee, Brother! We'll be spending the next three days here learning about teaching science with several of my coworkers. I'm really happy that I'm feeling well enough to walk all over for the next few days - there would have been NO way I could make this trip when I was pregnant with your brothers.

You were so squirmy this morning, as soon as I woke up. It was a nice thing to wake up to. :) I'm excited to see what Daddy and Anna get done at home, while I'm gone, on your room. Last week Daddy was able to put drywall on the ceiling, so now he just has to patch the hole in the wall between your room and the kitchen, then I'm hoping we can start painting before he does the wood on the ceiling.

Thursday, November 16 - 27 weeks
We made it to another "viability milestone" this week, according to my app, because your lungs "are developed enough". Your organ systems are mostly developed by now, so the rest of the time will be focused on developing your brain and growing some fat on your little body. The closer and closer we make it to your due date, the more excited I am about bringing you home, and the more it's becoming a reality. You still have lots of growing to do, so stay cozy in there for several more weeks, please.

As I get closer to my third trimester, and since I'm officially a gestational diabetic, they're going to be keeping a much closer eye on both me and Brother. Once I hit 32 weeks, I'll be seen twice a week! One of those days will be a non-stress test and the other will be an ultrasound. Since I'm now on insulin, which seems to be helping, they want to monitor Brother's growth and fluid level, especially as this pregnancy progresses. As long as he's not getting too big, he'll hopefully be able to stay in there for a long time.

I'm supposed to be starting a meal-time insulin (faster acting) with dinner, but I'm waiting on Walgreens (or, most likely, insurance) to tell me it's approved. The overnight insulin I'm on seems to be helping my fasting sugars, especially now since we increased the dose to 8 units before bed. Everyone involved in this process - CF doctor, CF dietician, high risk team, and high-risk OB dietician - have all been communicating really well with each other, keeping my CF in mind and Brother in mind. It's really nice to have support from all sides and I'm glad we're all finally on the same page about insulin. They all tell me that my sugars are basically going to get more uncontrollable as I continue to progress through this pregnancy, and that I'll probably have to continue to increase my insulin dose until Brother is born. It was frustrating at first to see my sugars all over the place, even after eating healthy meals, but I'm glad I'm not doing anything wrong. It's just a combination of baby growing, CF, and pregnancy.

This week, the waddle is in full-effect. Brother is sitting very low and sitting/standing for too long makes me uncomfortable - also, transitioning from sitting to standing, or the other way, is sometimes uncomfortable. I can only imagine what it's going to be like teaching in January with an even bigger baby to lug around, but I know I can handle it.

I'm looking forward to getting more done on Brother's room over Thanksgiving weekend. That's the one time of year where Tim and I have 4 days off together, and we are typically very productive. Brother's room needs a ceiling and some paint on his walls before we can start with the fun part - decorating! I can't wait to get his crib up, start arranging his furniture and washing/organizing his clothes!

Wednesday, November 22 - 27w, 6d
The ceiling coverage began last weekend and will hopefully finish tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to painting the walls in your room because it's going to start making it seem more like "your room" instead of the office still (or as Anna still calls it, my "treatments room").

I started a mealtime insulin on Friday night that seems to be helping. It feels really good to be able to eat what I want now without worrying too much about my sugars. I'm hoping that keeping them in better control will help keep you healthy when you're born. At my last OB appointment, they checked my A1C level and it was 4.6 which is actually lower than it was at the beginning of my pregnancy, so I was very pleased. I'm looking forward to your appointment on Monday because they're finally going to measure you again. I can't wait to see how big you're getting. Your big movements are getting more visible from the outside, and your smaller movements are getting more noticeable throughout the day, even when I'm standing, and you've even had the hiccups a couple times within the last week or two. :)

I just can't wait for you to be here - I can't wait to snuggle you! Bring on the third trimester and let's hope it goes by just as quickly as the last two have!

Anna - Age 3

Anna, Anna, Anna....
I've been updating this blog so much about your brothers and this current pregnancy, that I haven't mentioned too much about you. You've gone through a lot of changes this fall and you've been such a trooper about all of them!

First school picture - priceless!

• You started preschool and you're doing so well!! 

You've been in school for a quarter and a half and I feel like you're already changing so much. You really seem to enjoy school and are always happy to go and have a smile on your face when I pick you up. Daddy and I had your first parent-teacher conference and your teacher had nothing but great things to say about you. You know almost all of your letters, can write your first name, know all of your colors and shapes, and can count objects correctly up to ten. You seem to have Daddy's personality at school - quiet and inquisitive, but that's okay with us. You're social when you're around your friends & cousins outside of school...just like Daddy. :) We're so proud of you and love watching you learn how to make friends and navigate your way through your first year of school. 

• We've had three babysitter changes since the beginning of the school year.

Due to scheduling issues, we're now on your third babysitter for this school year. I think it was harder on Daddy and I than it was on you. We are really proud of the way you've handled all of the changes and are even more proud of your recent behavior. 

• Your first haircut!

I trimmed your hair for the first time the other night! I was cutting Daddy's hair and we joked about cutting yours, too, and then we did. I just trimmed an inch or two off the very back and a less on the sides. It was your "first haircut" and you did really well - just sat there for the most part. You can't really tell that I cut it, but your ends were getting pretty nasty, so I'm glad I did it. 

• I think you're going to be an excellent big sister! 

You've always loved playing with your baby dolls, but lately you've been playing with them a lot more and I think it's because we're talking so much about Brother coming. I can't wait to see the two of you interact together and see how much you love each other. You've been helping Daddy get his room ready and helping me organize his clothes. You love to go shopping for him and always want to pick out cute outfits or fun toys for him. I'm really looking forward to January/February! 

• You've literally grown so much - you've already grown over an inch since your third birthday and gained over a pound. :)
• You are slowly getting out of the tantrums and fits that you were having a few months ago....thank goodness! Bed time has been a lot better for you lately. 
• You love being independent and doing things for yourself - brushing your own teeth, taking a shower by yourself, washing your hair, picking out your clothes every day, getting water from the fridge in your own cup, zipping and buttoning your coats/clothes, packing your lunch...
• You love listening to the Sing! soundtrack every single day in the car. You love to dance, color, draw, write, and paint. 

• You're in swimming again this session, but don't seem as into it as in session's passed. I don't know if it's because you have an older, male instructor, or if you really just hate going under water that much, but sometimes you just don't like to go. Typically once you're there, you love it and don't want to leave. Your teacher is wonderful with you, extremely gentle and patient, so I'm tempted to keep you in next session, too. I think it's really good for you, plus it gives you something to do each week. 

You started off three with some not-so-fun behaviors, but you seem to slowly be getting better. It's fun having conversations and playing with you. You're fun to be around and I love watching you grow! ~Love, Mommy (or "momma" as you've been calling me lately)

24 & 25 Weeks

Saturday, October 28 - 24w, 2d
We've made it to "viability" gestational age. I had my last cervical check on Thursday and everything looked good. Brother looked completely squished in there, but the tech assured me that he still has plenty of fluid and was just in a weird position. Even though Brother could be viable if he were born now, that thought is terrifying. He's still too little and has a lot more development to go. I feel like this entire pregnancy has been "one week at a time" and I'm still in that mentality. Although, as the weeks progress, I get a little bit more confident that we are going to be bringing this little guy home with us later this winter.

As you can tell from this week's picture Daddy is making progress on your bedroom. Two weekends ago he tore the ceiling out and then last weekend he put in new support beams. As soon as he gets the brakes fixed on the truck then he'll be able to go buy some drywall to patch the wall leading to the kitchen. Once the ceiling and walls are done, we'll be able to paint and then finally start decorating. :)

Monday, November 6 - 25w, 4d
You're so wiggly this week! Your movements have been getting stronger and a bit more noticeable from the outside when I'm laying down or reclining. It's fun to feel you stretch out, roll around, flip, and flail your arms and legs. You're getting bigger and heavier which is making me a little uncomfortable when I'm standing for a while or get up after sitting for long and I'm also noticing that I'm starting to waddle...

I started insulin last week - been on it a week now. I've been struggling to keep my post-dinner and fasting sugars in control, so I felt it was the best. The dietician at the OB's office told me it's basically going to be harder to control with diet the further I get in this pregnancy. Between my CF, your placenta growing, and my hormones, my sugars are going to continue to rise until you're born. In order to keep you safe, we all decided that I needed to start insulin at night. My CF doctor and CF dietician don't want me to cut carbs or anything out of my diet, so that I'm still getting the proper amount of calories, but I'm noticing that carbs really do make my sugars spike, so I'm trying to make a balance. It's been tough and I'm guessing my insulin need will also increase as the pregnancy progresses. It's all worth it though, whatever I can do to keep you safe and to keep my hunger satisfied -- I'm constantly hungry, still!

SHARE Walk

Last weekend, Katrina, Isaac, Tim, Anna and I attended our first SHARE Walk together to remember and honor our twin boys who were born prematurely in February.

We got there a little too early, because I wanted to make sure we could get the "Veitengruber Twins" added to the list of babies names that they would read aloud during the ceremony. They were first on that list...and then we had about a two hour wait until the ceremony and walk actually started. Luckily, the weather held out for us so Isaac and Anna were able to run around to burn lots of energy. They had so much fun and even did a silly little photo shoot together.

There was a huge crowd there that day supporting each other. It was a very unique environment - one of sadness, but also the hope and love of everyone coming together. They started off by saying a few words, thanking everyone for coming, reading a couple poems and a couple of women shared a beautiful song. I would guess probably over 200 babies' names read at the beginning of the ceremony. Most people were very respectful and quiet during the reading of the names. Each family raised their pinwheels, released balloons, or showed their support any time their baby's name(s) was read. It was a humbling experience - some families had several babies' names read aloud, one family had 5! I couldn't even imagine!

After all of the babies' names had been read, they did a dove release that was really cool. Then we finally were able to all walk together. We chose the one mile route since we had already been there for an extra two hours. Anna and Isaac did a wonderful job and were such troopers all morning.

After the SHARE Walk, we walked to the little down town area where we found a pub to eat in - we were all starving! We even walked through a little historical scavenger hunt that was....interesting. Anna and Isaac had a lot of fun together, and I'm really glad our families were able to spend the day with each other. I look forward to making this a nice tradition for us every year.

22 & 23 Weeks

Friday, October 13 - 22w, 1d
We had your anatomy scan yesterday and everything went very well. My cervix is staying long and thick, no signs of any issues. You looked wonderful! You're measuring right on track, 45th percentile, and weighing about 1lb, 1oz. You were moving a ton during the scan - we saw you grab your toes, kick them above your head, and you had your hands by your face a lot, but we were still able to get a few really cute pictures of your face.

In two weeks, I'll go for my last cervical check. I'll be 24 weeks and that's when they stop checking my cervix unless they absolutely have to (having negative symptoms) because technically you'll be "viable" if something were to happen, but you need to stay in there for a long, long time still. Over the last month or so, I was worried to stop these cervical checks because it has brought a lot of peace of mind for me, but to see that you're doing so well and that my body is still hanging in there, I'm feeling better. Soon, I'll be far enough along where I'll be back to getting more frequent ultrasounds anyway, so skipping one or two might not be that big of a deal. I'm sure, if for some reason I'm really stressed about it, I'm guessing they'll do one for me.

One issue I've been having has been my fasting blood sugar in the morning. I talked with the nurse practitioner about it yesterday, and about the possibility of going on insulin in the evenings. She set me up with an appointment with their dietician at the end of the month, and in the meantime wants me to really control my diet, especially in the evenings to see if that helps. I haven't been doing the best about laying off the carbs in the evening, so I'm going to really try to up my protein intake to help fill me up after school and after dinner to help keep my post-dinner sugar lower, and then my fasting sugar lower. As much as I don't want to have to go on insulin, I feel like it might make things a lot easier, especially as I get further along. We'll see how the next few weeks pan out. Right now, Little Brother is not showing any signs of being affected by my sugars, so that is reassuring.

Wednesday, October 18 - 22w, 6d
Daddy felt you move for the first time last night. We were laying in bed and you were moving a ton, so I asked him to feel and you gave several big movements for him. It was really cool! Other than that, this week has been pretty uneventful. I'm starting to notice your movements more throughout the day, but the most I feel you is usually after I'm done with my Vest in the evening.

I've been really trying to eat better after school and at night. The problem is, even with eating frequently, I'm not feeling full. I'm used to eating a large meal at dinner, but I've been cautious about what I'm eating and I'm not filling up like usual. I hope I don't notice a decrease or slow down of my weight gain. If it does start to impact, then I'm going to continue to push for insulin.

Wednesday, October 25 - 23w, 6d
Not much to report, but I feel like I've been neglecting the blog lately. I don't remember the last time I've been this busy, holy cow! I feel like I never get a moment of free time lately. Tomorrow afternoon I have my last cervical check, then I have to pick up Anna from swimming, and we have to rush to get to her first parent-teacher conference. I hope you're a flexible little guy because it's going to be go, go, go all the time when you're born, too.

Daddy and I are still completely stuck on what we're going to name you. I thought we had it narrowed down to two choices, but after a long discussion about it this weekend, we can't agree and have added some more "maybes" to the list. Who knows...at least we still have some time, I suppose. Although, this pregnancy is flying by - which has been so nice.

Physically, I've been feeling really good. Last night you were shifting around my belly and laying diagonal - it was really obvious to feel (and Daddy could see) where you were laying, it was pretty funny. Anna isn't quite patient enough to feel you move - or maybe she just doesn't care! I know that there have been times where I've had her feel my belly while you move, but she always says, "Oh, I felt him!" at the wrong time...haha! Maybe when you're a bit bigger and she can actually see you moving around in there she'll be more interested.

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day

The month of October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, where families from all over share their experiences of losing a baby during pregnancy or their child shortly after. Specifically, October 15th, is Remembrance Day.

After joining this community on February 5, 2017, I realized how large it really was, but at the same time, how little I had heard of it. Losing a child(ren) is not something that people speak about often because it tends to make others uncomfortable. But I'm lucky to have people in my life who embrace our twins as members of our family and talk with me about them sometimes.

Their footprints were about the size of a small paper clip.

I can't believe it's been over eight months since I gave birth to our twin boys. So much has happened since then, but not a day goes by that I don't think about them. Some days are harder than others, especially with being pregnant again, but I feel like I'm doing alright considering what a tragedy our family has been through. Losing our boys has made me appreciate what I have even more. When a family goes through a loss, it's unexplainable, but it puts in perspective how precious our family is to us and how quickly things can happen.

There are only three pictures I have of our little boys. I couldn't bring myself to take more in the moment at the hospital. I'm sad that we don't have more, but I'm happy that we have these.

Baby B on the left/top, Baby A on the bottom/right

They are extremely special to me and I'm very glad to have them.

I believe that Baby A's feet are on top of Baby B's feet

I am also very happy to have my tattoos of their footprints so that I can carry them with me forever.

I will never, ever forget the two little guys that were supposed to join our family in the summer of 2017. Instead they decided to make their arrival quite too soon at 19 weeks, 4 days, so we were unable to bring them home. It's weird, in a way though, if it weren't for their passing, we wouldn't have Little Brother growing right now.

I still am struggling with "everything happens for a reason". That used to be something I really thought was true, until this happened. I cannot think of a reason that this would happen to our family, but as much as it sucked, we have learned to accept it as part of our reality.

We love you so much, Baby A and Baby B. We promise to keep you in our hearts and memories forever! ~Mommy, Daddy, Anna and Little Brother

20 & 21 Weeks

Friday, September 29th - 20w, 1d
We made it to the half way mark and it feels so good!! Yesterday I had my appointment and the nurse practitioner said that my cervix "looks perfect" and neither of us have any current worries right now. I'm having no pain, no unusual discharge, no cramping, etc. I feel huge, and I'm clearly much bigger than I was with Anna at 20 weeks, but all that I care about is that Little Brother is growing well and my body is holding steady -- both of those things are happening, so I'm very happy.

In two weeks, Tim and I will go in for Little Brother's "big" scan, where they do a nice, long ultrasound to examine every little inch of his body. The twins were born the day before their big scan, so I'm a little nervous as we approach this time, too.
As I'm learning, the anxiety never fully goes away, it's just presenting itself in different ways. At the beginning of my pregnancy, I was terrified to be excited or get attached to the idea of another baby. I was sure that we would going to lose the pregnancy and I didn't want to get my hopes up. Once we knew things were progressing well, I was having anxiety in between and up to each new doctor appointment. I was afraid that I'd get to an appointment and there wouldn't be a heart beat anymore. Recently, I needed to get past the 19+4 mark, and now that we're there, I still can't fully let my guard down. Although everything about this pregnancy has been extremely normal so far, I am too afraid to get my hopes up completely. Of course I'm still embracing this pregnancy - we're still buying little outfits for him, thinking of how to get his room together (clearly from the pictures, that's still a major work in progress), thinking of names, etc., but something in my mind won't let me 100% relax about this pregnancy, but I'm not surprised. Just because we hit 20 weeks, doesn't mean that he can't be born at 22, 23 or 24 weeks. Who's to say he's not going to come early in the 30s?! Heck, I might need to be induced because he won't come out on his own (I'd be okay with that!), but we just never know. I am happy to say that I am much more relaxed during this pregnancy than I expected to be, but there's always going to be something for me to worry about until he is here safely in my arms - IN FEBRUARY and not any sooner!

Monday, October 2nd - 20w, 4d
Baby movements!! You started moving around noticeably at the Cardinals game Friday night that Daddy and I went to. Since then, I've even been able to feel several little bumps outside of my belly with my hands! This is what I had been waiting for! What a sigh of relief every single time I feel a nudge! It's like you're telling me, "Hey mom, I'm still in here and I'm doing well." :) I can't wait for them to get a bit more noticeable so that Daddy and Anna can feel them, too!

This weekend was a good one, but had it's moments. Daddy and I had our first night out together in a long time. We went to the Cardinals game Friday night and spent the night in St. Louis. We picked up Anna to find out that she has an ear infection. After that first dose of medicine, you would never know it! She's back to her ornery old self again, but is a bit more tired than usual. I also got my flu shot on Saturday while we were picking up Anna's antibiotics...'tis the season for germs....

I worry about having you in the middle of flu season. I'm going to be very protective of you (and myself) when you're born. I don't want anyone coming to visit you in the hospital and will probably limit the amount of people that see you right after you're born, too because I'm worried that one or both of us will get sick. We were bringing Anna everywhere with us right after she was born, but in the middle of winter with sick people everywhere, I definitely think we're going to be staying home quite a bit more with you.

Anyway, the rest of the weekend was spent shopping more for your room - I think we finally settled on a color scheme of gray and dull navy blue - and then working on homework for me. Things are super slowly coming along for your room, but we're getting there. We are getting ideas down, it's now up to finding the time for Daddy to get the work done. Hopefully he'll make some good progress this month - can't believe we're in October already! November and December will fly by because of the holidays, and then it'll be a month before you're here already!! This pregnancy really is flying by! :)

Friday, October 6 - 21w, 1d
Your movements are slowly getting stronger and more noticeable throughout the day and I love it! I've had Anna try and feel a couple times, but of course you always stop. I think you're going through another growth spurt because of how big I'm getting. I'm really looking forward to your anatomy scan next week!

This week has been exhausting for me, work-wise. Yesterday I feel like I just hit a wall. After school I was trying to get work done and my head was just pounding, to the point where I laid my head down at my desk and closed my eyes for a little while until I was able to find someone in the building with some Tylenol. I don't know if it's all just catching up with me, or if I was just overtired yesterday, but it sucked. I ended up coming home after getting Anna and laying in bed for a little while, forced myself to complete my master's homework in my room with the lights off, ate dinner and went to bed (I even skipped my treatments because the thought of vibrating with a massive headache did not sound so appealing). Of course now I'm kicking myself this morning for skipping my treatments, but I know that one time is not the end of the world. There's always just so much to do between work, being evaluated this year, working on my master's, keeping up with housework, planning Little Brother's room....I just feel like I can't ever get a break!

I know I shouldn't complain. I'm very lucky to be in the situation I'm in. I'm so lucky to be healthy enough to be pregnant again. I've come across an amazing opportunity to get my master's done over the next year or so. I really do love my job and my family. But I think it's starting to hit me how much I really got myself into this semester! :) I'm about halfway done with my master's classes, so we're starting to get into the bigger papers/projects now which just feels like more busy-work. But, that's life and I know I'll be really happy when this part is over and done!

18 & 19 Weeks

Thursday, September 14th - 18 weeks

I'm having some anxiety about this afternoon's appointment. I'm just nervous. The closer I get to that 19 week mark, the more anxiety I've been feeling. I'm glad that we're going camping this weekend, it'll help keep me a little distracted. But it's also going to bring up more emotions because this is the first year of camp without Alayna or our boys. We're quickly approaching the one year anniversary of our niece's death which makes me really sad. It also happens to fall on this pregnancy's 19+4, which is how far along I was when I lost the twins. How in the world did those two days happen to fall together - what are the chances of that?

I just want to see your body moving. I still am not feeling much of anything, so I need some reassurance today. Getting through the next two weeks is going to be difficult. I never made it to my 20 week appointment with the twins, so that's going to be a big deal for me this time around.

Evening update: Ultrasound looked great today! My cervix was measuring nice and long and you were moving all over the place. The tech didn't spend a ton of time just watching you (she was down to business), but did comment a couple times about how much you were moving. Now beings the two week wait until my 20 week ultrasound. I think it's going to be a long two weeks, but I'm sure we'll get through it. I also think it'll be a nice little milestone to hit, but don't think that my anxiety will stop there. Nothing says that once you're past a certain number of weeks that you won't miscarry. Just because we get to the 20 week mark doesn't ensure that everything is good to go for the second half of the pregnancy. I'm hoping the rest of this pregnancy goes as quickly and as smooth as the first half!

Friday, September 22 - 19w, 1d
Here we are, in our 19th week. I'm glad to say that, so far, I haven't been having too much anxiety about Monday (19+4) and I've been feeling really good pregnancy-wise. I had my CF appointment yesterday and my lung function is unchanged since June, so that's great. I really think that my extra-busy schedule has helped keep my mind from wandering too much lately.

Pregnancy symptoms I've been having: Pregnancy brain! I swear the farther along I get with this little guy, the more of my brain cells he is zapping! I feel like a total ditz lately, forgetting silly things all the time! Another symptom is stretching -> my belly is stretching and so are my boobs. It's like my body is finally kicking into gear and growing this baby. And...to grow the baby, of course he needs food. I've been SO hungry the last couple of days! Little Brother must be going through a growth spurt because I feel like I'm needing to eat every couple of hours. This week at work I haven't been able to make it between breakfast and lunch without eating a protein bar or something, then I'm usually starving again by the time school's out at 2:15. I've gained about 4-5 pounds so far in this pregnancy, which I think is pretty normal considering my weight was higher to begin with.

I'm just really looking forward to the next few weeks, but then I worry when I say that because, 'what if it doesn't come'? I want to feel his movements more. I want to have lots and lots of ultrasounds. I want to watch my belly get bigger. I want to start decorating his room. I want this to stay a reality, all the way until February.

Monday, September 25 - 19w, 4d
We made it. At this gestational age, on February 5th, your twin brothers were born just a couple hours apart. It feels good knowing that things have been going so smoothly this pregnancy. It's tricky, though, because it's not like that worry is going to vanish now that we've made it past the time when they were born. There's absolutely nothing that says just because we've made it this far, we're in the clear. It's just a different worry now. I feel like each week is an accomplishment. Each week I get further along with you, the happier I am with my body and the closer (slowly) we are to you being full term and us bringing you home. Even though I still have half of my pregnancy to go, I feel like there's a teeny tiny light at the end of the tunnel and the path to get there may have some worries and anxiety, but it seems doable at this moment in time.

I can say with certainty that this day was much easier, emotionally, than I expected it to be. I really think that's because everything has been going so "normal" so far. I feel like that's the word I've been using to describe myself a lot lately, especially when people ask = normal - and I like it. I don't have any mucus-y discharge. I don't have any leaking. I don't have any bleeding. I don't have any cramping or pain. I am not uncomfortable to the point where I have to sit all the time. I don't feel like you're going to fall out because there's so much pressure down below. I can work without feeling worried or in pain. I can play and take care of Anna (although I try not to lift her too much) without getting completely uncomfortable. Yes, I feel huge. I think my belly is about twice as big this time around as it was with Anna, but I don't care. If I have to be huge to carry a healthy baby, then I'll take it. Seeing my belly grow means that you are growing and that's all I can ask for right now.

At this point in my pregnancy I feel much more relaxed than I expected to. I've learned that stressing about things isn't necessary or helpful. Of course sometimes those thoughts take over and I have to deal with them at the time, but they definitely aren't as frequent any more. I think I'll still have a touch of anxiety before every doctor appointment, but that's okay. I hope that I can continue going every two weeks for the rest of the pregnancy, but we'll see what they say.

I can't wait to feel you moving more often. It's still very few and far between, and small little pops and flicks - nothing too big yet. But, I know how big you are right now, after holding your brothers on this day. It's not surprising that I'm unable to feel the movements of your tiny little body. I can't wait 'til you're bigger and stronger. I can't wait for Anna to feel your movements and see your body shifting in my belly. There are so many things I look forward to, but they day you're born (far, far from now) is definitely the most anticipated one.

Little Brother, we love you so much and can't wait for you  are so excited for you to join our family. We will wait as long as needed to meet you. Please stay in Mommy's belly for at least 19 more weeks. As much as we'd love to cuddle and love on you, it's not time for you to arrive just yet. We promise to continue to talk to you, read to you and take care of you until they day you are born.

Clinic Day

Just a quick post about my clinic appointment today.

I've been feeling really good, CF-wise, the last couple of months. A few weeks ago I was having some sinus issues, but I'm not sure if it was a cold or just allergies/change of weather. Whatever it was, thankfully it didn't stick around long and didn't get into my lungs. 

Today's appointment went well. As usual, I dreaded the three hour drive to Chicago (and would be okay never going to the city again if it wasn't for my amazing doctor). I made good time and was even called back right at my scheduled appointment time. I was a little nervous to do my PFTs today because when I was about this pregnant with the twins and did PFTs, I'm convinced it played a part in what set things in motion into their labor about a week or two later. Either way, this is a different pregnancy and I'm feeling completely different - in a good way. My lung function is stable at 85% today, which I was glad to see, but not surprised. My weight is slowly, steadily increasing. Doctor said I looked and sounded really good, and honestly, there wasn't really much to talk about this time around. I'll be going back in three months...and hopefully then again after I have Little Brother (even though I know she'll want to see me again). Overall, it was a successful clinic day and I'm glad that my body and lungs are cooperating with this pregnancy! 

16 & 17 Weeks

Thursday, August 31 - 16 weeks
We're 16 weeks along in this journey and I cannot wait for my doctor's appointment this afternoon!

It's been almost 5 weeks since my last appointment, and it's been 8 weeks since my last ultrasound! Today I have a feeling of excitement for my appointment, and that feels a lot better than nerves and anxiety. I haven't had any terrible dreams in the last couple weeks, although we are approaching the timing in my pregnancy when I started getting uncomfortable and having issues. I really don't like comparing the pregnancies, because carrying two babies is completely different than carrying one, but it was so recent, it's hard not to compare sometimes.

I've been feeling so good lately, pregnancy wise, though. Sometimes, I don't feel like I'm pregnant at all, which is wonderful. Of course I have some groin and low uterus stretching when getting up after I've been sitting/laying for a while, but I know that's perfectly normal for this gestational age. I have very normal energy level -- considering how exhausted I am from back to school and starting my masters, I'd say that I've been feeling really good.

At my last appointment, they told me at 16 weeks they'd start checking my cervix to monitor it for any changes. Today, we start that. It's a little nerve-wrecking to watch for your cervix to begin failing, and hoping for the best, but going off of the way my body's been feeling, I think we'll be in the clear today. I should be going back every two weeks until 24 weeks, which is what they told me last time. I don't know what's so significant about 24 weeks, but we'll see what they say today. I just can't wait to look at that screen and see Little Brother's body moving all around, look at his face developing and just watch him for a little bit - soak it in, realize that this is really happening again.

Update after appointment: It was SO good to see you, little brother!! The ultrasound tech and I were both surprised to see that you were basically folded in half today! I can't imagine you're that squished yet, but maybe you just like to fold up -- just like Anna did. You looked good. We were able to watch you move your arms and legs a lot, wave, open and close your mouth, and just wiggle all around. It was also confirmed today that you are indeed a boy. It was so reassuring to see all of your fingers and toes, your beautiful little face and perfectly growing body.

My cervix is holding up very well. They don't want it to be under 2.5 and mine was measuring a 5, so I was (and doctors were) very pleased. I'll be going every two weeks for an ultrasound to check my cervix, placenta, and fluid around baby. This will end at 24 weeks because technically then baby will be "viable", so placing a cerclage (stitch closing the cervix) is not seen as effective at this gestational age - this is what was explained to me this afternoon. I'm hoping that everything continues to go well.

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around bringing home another baby. It just feels very surreal. I think I'm still struggling to really accept that we'll be having another child in our house later this winter because I'm still afraid to get my hopes up. I see my growing belly. I saw him moving all around today. I'm slowly starting to feel the beginning flutters. But I still had to tell myself at the ultrasound today, "that's my child". I feel like I'm on the outside looking into someone else being pregnant. It sounds weird to put it into words - I don't know how to explain it. Of course I'm excited to have another baby, but I still have this fear in the back of my mind that we won't be bringing him home.

Friday, September 8th - 17w, 1d
Hey little brother! It's been a week since your appointment and just another week until I'll see you again. It's a good feeling knowing that I'm going so often right now. This was about the time I started to feel off and funky with the twins, so it's really reassuring to feel so normal right now. I really cannot complain about this pregnancy at all.
Your little flutters are becoming a little more noticeable, although still few and far between. I'm excited for when they get stronger so Daddy and Anna can feel them - I think Anna's going to love that!

Daddy and I have started talking about names for you. We have a couple ideas, but nothing that we absolutely love yet. We plan to keep your name a secret until you're born - most likely because it won't be decided on til then anyway!
We also bought you a new stroller this last weekend. We were up visiting friends and we all went to Buy, Buy, Baby and they had a nice stroller on clearance for super cheap. We took it back to our friends' place to see if we liked it and we did. We got such a good deal. So now we'll plan on selling Anna's old car seat/stroller combo so that we can get you a new car seat that fits in with this type of stroller. Your closet is full of stuff - diapers, wipes, clothes, toys, books, etc. I'm getting excited to start working (watching Daddy work) on your room. Hopefully once things settle down for him at work he'll be able to start spending time on it.

Monday, September 11 - 17 w, 4d
Not too much to update here. I've been feeling really good the past few days. I haven't felt much movement from you, but I know it's still early. I'm really looking forward to my appointment on Thursday. It's just an ultrasound - no doctor visit. Just looking forward to more good news.
Daddy, Anna and I went to Hobby Lobby this weekend to try to get some ideas for your bedroom. They had some cute stuff that gave us a few ideas, but nothing set in stone yet. Daddy has a lot to do in your room before we can even think to start decorating. I can't believe we're almost half way through this pregnancy already. It feels like it's flying by! I know February is going to be here before we know it.

Wednesday, September 13 - 17w, 6d
I've started to have a fear creep slowly back into my thoughts over the last day or so. I'm terrified that when I go for my ultrasound tomorrow that you aren't going to be moving. I'm so afraid that you won't have a heart beat.
Physically, I've been feeling just fine and I have had no signs of issues, but something is making me really nervous. I don't know if it's because things are finally starting to settle down with work, school, home, etc., so I'm thinking about you more often. I don't know if it's because we're just getting closer to the day when the twins were born (19w, 4d), or the anniversary of when Alayna died. There's a lot of sadness approaching and I guess I'm just expecting something else to go wrong, too.

14 & 15 Weeks

Saturday, August 26 - 15w, 2d
Little brother, I already feel like you've got the "second child syndrome" where we're forgetting about you....don't worry, I think about you every single day! But finding time to write to you during the first couple weeks of school has been really hard! That picture above is already over a week old and I feel like I've grown a little more since then. You're about 4 inches long now, according to my app, and can bend your arms and legs now.

I swear I have felt you move a couple times over the last week, especially last night. I could have sworn you were flailing your arms & legs temper-tantrum style for a couple seconds yesterday evening. Either that, or it was just a ton of gas bubbles at once (doubt it). It's mostly been tiny little flickers here and there which I'm not 100% sure are from you, but I tell myself they are because it's reassuring to me.

I am really looking forward to seeing you on the ultrasound next week! I haven't been able to see you since you were eight weeks along (and you looked like a blob), so I'm very excited to see how developed you are and to see your little face! I'll now be going every two weeks from 16-24 weeks so the doctors can monitor my cervix. I'm very glad that I haven't been having any weird or strange feelings/symptoms. We're approaching that time in my pregnancy where it started happening with the twins, so I'll definitely be on high alert over the next month or so! I can definitely tell you're growing though because my belly is finally starting to get hard (it's been a CF belly for a while) and I've been experiencing stretching and groin pain from my expanding uterus. I know these are good things, but I worry about having the discomfort so low again. It just brings back lots of memories from this past winter. I'm guessing I just carry my babies low - which is good for my lungs, but makes me nervous that you're too low....not quite yet, but as you grow bigger and start putting pressure down there.

In other news, I've been feeling pretty good. I'm getting ready to start Cayston back up again next week which should help give my lungs a boost for my appointment at the end of September. School is overwhelming at this time of the year, but it always is. I'm also beginning my Master's degree (something I never thought I'd do), so that's putting some added stress on my plate. But, I've got a great local support system and when it's over, it'll be an amazing feeling of accomplishment.

12 & 13 Weeks

Friday, August 4 - 12w, 1d
One more day!! Tomorrow everyone will be finding out about you and your cousin during Anna's birthday party.

Saturday, August 5 - 12w, 2d
This is it, folks! Anna's third birthday party day is here and people will be finding out about two more babies entering our family this winter, very soon! I didn't sleep the best and I'm tired already (it's only 11:30am), but I know we're going to have a fun afternoon. Anna is very excited that it's "party day" and what she thinks is her birthday. I put her down for a nap a bit ago hoping that she'll get a little sleep before the exciting afternoon, but I can hear her playing in her bed, so we'll see how that works out. Hopefully she'll crash. Well, I'll update more this evening!! :-)

Thursday, August 10 - 13 weeks
Things have been so busy that I haven't written in a while. We celebrated Anna's birthday on Saturday, announced this pregnancy that evening, then recovered from the party basically the rest of the weekend. Everyone was so surprised (mostly surprised about Elise!!) at the party about your announcement. Grandma and Shirley were a little suspicious because Anna's been talking about "the baby" at Grandma's lately, so they were waiting. Grandma is also very excited to have two little babies again later this winter. I am so excited for these two cousins to grow up together as Anna and Liam have. :)

OHH, how could I forget, we found out if you're a boy or girl on Monday!! I can't wait to share! I was planning on sharing on Anna's birthday, but decided to hold it in just a little bit longer. Maybe on the first day of school next week. :)

It's been nice having people know about this pregnancy. It's nice to have the support of other people and to not have to hide my growing belly. I've been feeling really good lately and my stress level has been manageable over the last week or so, which has been really nice.

Tuesday, August 15 - 13w, 5d
We're starting to get back into the school grind.  Yesterday was my first day back and Anna's Open House. Daddy was able to take her to drop off her supplies and meet her teacher. She loved it! I've got a very large class this  year, 27, double what I had last year. It's going to be tough, but I know we'll make it work.

Sunday night into Monday I had a dream, again (this is my second one), that you were born too early. When I have dreams like that, it takes me a long time to fall back asleep because I just keep thinking about all of the "what-ifs". I had myself convinced at 2:30 that morning that later in the day I was going to call MFM and schedule an extra appointment to check on you for my own sanity, but by the time I got up for the day and was distracted by work, I felt a lot better and never called MFM. I really don't think these feelings of anxiety will ever go away, although I'm glad they are few and far between, for now. I'm guessing as we approach 19-20 weeks, when I lost the twins, I'll be having a few more worries, but for now I'm going to just keep going day by day.
I've been feeling pretty good, although I think you've grown a bit this last week because I'm feeling some stretching and I feel a little bigger. I feel a little pop or flick every now and then, and I'm sure it's gas, but I let myself think it's you, just to reassure me that you're moving and grooving in there. :)

Back to School

Happy first day of school from Daddy, Mommy, Anna and little brother! :-)

We survived the first day of school!!! Anna had her first day of preschool and I began my sixth year of teaching. I'm so glad Tim was able to take the day off and bring Anna on her first day...even though I was sad it wasn't me. Tim said she walked right up to her teacher in the lobby when she called her name and walked down the hall with all of the other kids without looking back. What a big girl!!

As soon as I was out of school, I rushed home so I could go with Tim to pick her up. We pulled around and she was trying so hard not to smile huge when she saw us ready to get her - it was so cute! Her assistant got her into the car, buckled her, told us how sweaty she got today and that she had a good day. :) It took her a minute when she got in the car, but once I got Anna talking, she talked for a long time! She was SO excited! She told me about school, she told me about her imaginary friend, and absolutely anything she could think of, she was just so happy.
We decided to celebrate this big day with some ice cream from Krekel's after. :) Anna enjoyed a strawberry cone with sprinkles, and Tim & I split a chocolate. She played outside for a little while this evening, ate dinner, took a bath, read some stories and was in bed by 8:00pm. She's been so tired this week because she's been getting up early, that I'm curious to see how late she sleeps in this weekend!

Highlights from Anna's day:

• Wearing her new school shoes (even without socks, oops!)
• Cold water - she was "so, so sweaty"
• She found a Bubble Guppies book in her classroom and read it
• The teacher read a "school book" and "pirate book" 
• There were "ten kids in my classroom" 
• Our neighbor asked Anna how her day went and she replied, "Great!" 
• She told me all about how they got cold water in cups without lids. She drank it "carefully and slowly". Then she threw the cup in the garbage and washed her hands, but the soap wouldn't work at first. 
• She sat on the carpet that had a pattern on it

Overall, I think she had a wonderful first day. She's excited to go back tomorrow! I am so happy that she had such a positive experience today. 

On my end, I had a pretty good day, too. 23 of my 27 students showed up today, so that was kind of nice. The students were all very excited to see each other and were a bit chatty, but they seem to be a good group. I'm excited to see how this school year unfolds - my partner and I have some cool ideas for this year. :) 

Anna and I are both completely exhausted, but I'm sure we'll both have a great next two days. I am looking forward to sleeping in this weekend and relaxing. Every year I forget how stressful and exhausting the beginning of the year is, but it's also so exciting and fun to start over with a brand new class. 

10 & 11 Weeks

Friday, July 21 - 10w, 1 d

Here you can see my day-to-day belly

Ten weeks, it's hard to believe. I feel like summer just began. I feel like we just went through IVF. It also means that we're just two weeks out from spilling the beans about you, little bean, and your cousin! Although, around town, I haven't really been hiding it physically. Some of our friends know, and the most important people will find out your sister's birthday party, so who cares if people in town know - who are they going to tell?

This picture is cuter, but makes me look bigger than I am

Third pregnancy + CF belly + previously pregnant with twins = Big belly already (especially since I'm still in my first trimester). I don't care anymore. I'm just embracing it. I'm hoping that'll make me realize that this is real. 

I decided to do our belly pictures in front of your room. Then throughout the progression of the pregnancy, we can also see the progression of your room coming together. As you can see, right now it's a HOT mess, but this was taken yesterday. Since then I've taken all of my school stuff to my classroom yesterday, and took all of our left over garage sale stuff to charity today, so it's already a little clearer. Daddy has a lot of work to do, but we've got time. :)

Monday, July 24 - 10w, 4d

I've been feeling really good over the last few days. There are still some things that don't smell or look appetizing sometimes, but if I remember correctly, that's going to happen for a while. Other than that, I've been doing well. I'm working on keeping my sugars in check, which sometimes I'm better about than others.

I think deciding to do the pictures in front of your room, plus Anna's upcoming birthday party, really has motivated Daddy to start working on your room. We're going to move my desk to the basement, my treatments into the living room, and the butcher block table to either the shed or the basement. Once we do that, we can focus on your room. We (and by we, I really mean Daddy) need to removed the popcorn from the ceiling and fix the bulge/crack. Then we're going to add the same type of ceiling that's in Anna's room (white-washed something, I can't remember what it's called - that's been happening a lot lately). Daddy will also have to drywall over where the doorway used to be to the kitchen. He also wants to add access to the attic through your room, but it'll be closed off for now. Then comes the painting, decorating and organizing. He'll be quite busy, but I'm excited to see it several months from now! :) 

Tuesday, July 25 - 10w, 5d
I am getting really sick of these progesterone shots! Daddy's been giving me one every night for exactly two months now. My skin has been super sensitive to everything since getting pregnant, so it gets really irritated if I leave a band-aid on for too long. My right side has been bleeding a lot after the last few times, and my left side is itchy and irritated. We're getting so close to being done, I hope. The fertility clinic said August 4th (next Friday!) would be my last one, but I'll be double checking with MFM on Monday.

Sunday, July 30 - 11w, 3d
My appointment is tomorrow afternoon and I'm getting nervous & excited. I know that you'll start to look slightly more baby-like and I'm excited for Anna to see you. I don't think the nerves before each appointment will ever go away.

Monday, July 31 - 11w, 4d
Just got back from my doctors appointment. We did not have an ultrasound today, but we (Anna and I) were able to hear your heart beat through the Doppler. It was a nice, strong 180bpm and the nurse said that you were moving around a lot. She had to keep searching for you - she'd get your heart beat and then you'd move! It was reassuring the hear your heart beat, twice, as well as the nurse telling me that everything sounded great. She could hear some little bumps that she said was from you moving around, too. I'm glad you're active and I can't wait until I can start feeling it myself.

Today, I also got my blood drawn to check for chromosomal abnormalities. This is also the test that will tell us your gender! I was really hoping we'd have the results by Saturday to add in with our pregnancy announcement, but the results take 7-10 days to get back, so we'll find out next week. That's still exciting and I can't wait to know.

I forgot to ask about when I can stop my progesterone, so luckily I have one of the doctor's cell phone numbers - I just texted her to ask. The fertility clinic told me August 4 (this Friday) would be my last day, but I wanted to double check with MFM.

She just texted me back & I can stop on Friday, woo hoo!! Daddy's going to be so excited, too. That means, he's done 70 progesterone injections (and I've done one) since May 25th!!

I go back to the doctor in a month, at 16 weeks, but from there they will check me every two weeks, from 16-24 weeks to make sure that nothing is happening with my cervix. She said that since I didn't make it to 20 weeks with the twins, it's technically considered a miscarriage, but they're going to treat it like a previous preterm labor because it basically was. So they're going to be extra cautious and check me every two weeks for a while to make sure my cervix doesn't show any signs of shortening or opening. If it does, then there are options, but hopefully we won't have any issues -- but it's nice to know that they're planning on seeing me a lot and they were so nice today about telling me to call WHENEVER and if I ever have questions or issues.

8 & 9 Weeks

Thursday, July 6 - 8 weeks
Anna and I got to see you today, little Bean! You pretty much just looked like a blob, but I saw your flickering heart and heard that beautiful sound. Your heart rate was 172bpm which is completely normal and you are measuring right on track. :)
My right ovary is still pretty swollen and has a couple cysts, but they said that's okay and I need the hormones from them to help support the pregnancy. I haven't been having any pain on my right side that I've noticed, so I'll have to keep that in mind over the next few weeks to see if I notice any pain/discomfort.
Even with seeing you today, I still feel anxious and a little stressed out. Today's appointment was reassuring, but it's like as soon as it was over, I started getting stressed for the next one, or what could happen in between. I feel like I'm going to be this way for the rest of the pregnancy. I know I just need to embrace this pregnancy, but it's hard. I'm so afraid something is going to go wrong.

Monday, July 10 - 8w, 3d
I've been having more typical pregnancy symptoms lately, which makes me think you're a boy even more. Looking back at first trimester posts from when I was pregnant with Anna and then the twins, I had similar feelings with the twins and basically zero symptoms with Anna.
I've been having more feelings of nausea throughout the day, and each day is different. Friday and Saturday, I felt pretty gross all day - nothing sounded good, but if I didn't eat, then I felt worse. Or after I ate I would feel like I might get sick. I haven't thrown up yet, but the nauseous feeling lingering around isn't fun either. I'm also very exhausted still. Sometimes I'll be tired enough to take a nap (like I did on Saturday at Chris & Sammy's), but other times my body just feels tired. Today and yesterday I've had lots of gas and bloating which is never fun. Of course I know that I should try to eat better, but sometimes I just eat what I can....and then feel sick after eating it.

It all sounds rough and miserable, but I really shouldn't be complaining. All of these symptoms are actually a little reassuring because I know they're normal in pregnancy and it means that my body is just reacting to the developing baby inside me. And after talking with a couple other CF moms, the bloating and exhaustion could be a symptom of the progesterone injection Tim gives me each night. According to the fertility clinic, my last day for those is August 4th. I'll double check with my MFM team at my next appointment (July 31), but its nice to see an end in sight.

Wednesday, July 19 - 9w, 6d
It's been an uneventful week in the baby-world over here. The nausea spurts are getting fewer and farther between and my exhaustion is manageable without a nap lately, but I'm still having some food aversions sometimes (I'm pretty sure that will last the whole pregnancy).
Starting last Thursday, at 9 weeks, I started checking my blood sugars. I know they're going to start asking me to do it soon, so I figure I might as well start. I've been doing pretty well, but my fasting has been over 100 and my dinners are usually a little high, so I have to work on those. But I can already tell what a huge difference in the management between one baby and twins! When I was pregnant with the twins, my blood sugars were constantly all over the place. This week, they've been about what I expect, so it's definitely less stressful and more manageable.