Friday, December 20, 2013

1 Step Foward... 2 Steps Back!

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us"

Getting over a miscarriage isn’t something you can read about in books, or blogs or even through talking with people who have gone through this. It’s something that you have to just go through on your own. Sadly there are no tricks in helping with it, though everyone has advice for you. I’ve gotten some really sound ones, and some really insensitive ones. But as horrible as it’s been, every day I keep getting a little stronger and a little more sane. Some days are worse than others, I think the timing of the holidays has both helped and hindered me a bit. All the lights and cheer makes me feel a million times better, but at the same time I just have to see a little smiley baby all dressed up in their holiday finest to remember that all I really wanted for the holiday was that perfect chubby cheeked baby of my own. But I can finally say that the good days far outnumber the bad ones and I think my mental state is finally getting back to a good place.  Sadly though I had thought my body was finally getting back to normal too, but in the end it seems to just be holding on. In the beginning of my pregnancy my HCG levels weren’t quite right, and were very slow rising. Now on the back end of that they are very slow falling. Right after the miscarriage my numbers were slow dropping so I tried acupuncture to try and see if that would help. It really seemed to help, my numbers started to drop drastically each week and all the relaxation with neddles in me seemed to help me feel better and better with each appointment. But now 6 weeks after, my levels are still hovering somewhere between not pregnant and just barely pregnant.  Which puts me in a state of limbo… I’m still stuck with blood tests, now we’ve progressed from every week to every other week. I get to spent Christmas Eve getting another ultrasound (#6 for me in the last 4 months!). But more importantly we have to most likely put off trying for another baby for another month, which I think is the most devastating thing behind this. The hope of another baby has been one of the few things that has kept me positive during all of this, the idea that I had to go through all this pain and sadness so that I can get the baby that I was meant to have.  And I know in my heart that we are meant to have a baby, wither it is one we can have natural, one that we will need a little help with to get, or one that is born to someone else who we will have the honor of raising as our own. But even knowing that someday I will get to meet that perfect little chubby faced baby that is meant for me, you can’t blame a girl for being impatient to squeeze those chubby little cheeks!

 

Friday, November 1, 2013

Our littlest Angel...


"Each new life, no matter how brief, forever changes the world."

We live in a society now where we share everything, we instagram the pictures of our food (and pets!), we use twitter and foursquare to show where we have been and use facebook for every announcement wither it’s happy or sad… and yet there are some things we just don’t talk about.  If I had lost a relative, or a friend we all know I would be posting how much I missed them, share stories of their lives and help heal through condolences and friends. But what happens when you lose something that people didn’t even know that you had… what happens when you lose that perfect and tiny baby growing inside you. When that happens you usually hold it in, and cry and grieve more privately. 

10 weeks ago after only a few months of trying, Dan and I were surprised and ecstatic when we found out that instead of having the flu we were in fact having a baby.  I did a lot of jumping up and down, maybe even doing a little jig of happiness as I waiting for Dan to come home to tell him… After 3 pregnancy tests at home and a trip to the doctors office it was confirmed that yes I really was having a baby, due the beginning of June. But that is when the rollercoaster begin. The nurse informed me that although I was pregnant my hormone levels were really low. What I remember most is her just repeating that it’s really really early and those numbers are often off when it’s that early but could I come back in for some more blood work. What I didn’t know then is that they estimate that 80% of women will have a miscarriage at some point in their life, most of them not even realizing that they were pregnant and just believe that they got a late and heavy period… But Dan and I thought no that’s not us, and chose to focus instead on this little thing growing inside me. After the second round of blood work the nurse started to get a little worried. My levels were still not doubling as they should, could I come back in for more blood work. At this point we started to worry. The doctors told us that 30-40% of 1st pregnancies result in a miscarriage. After a night of praying and lot of crying I got my 3rd call back from the nurse to tell me well looks like my levels were finally going up a bit better, but that my progesterone had started to drop so they were putting me on medication, and with that everything should get back on track… and for a few weeks it looked like it was.  We told our parents and some of our friends, but for the most part we wanted to keep this to ourselves… and then 3 weeks ago during our 1st ultrasound I got to see the little heartbeat.  Once you see the heartbeat they tell you that the risk of miscarriage goes down… what they forget to remind you is that 1 in 5 pregnancies still result in miscarriage. But at that point we thought we were in the clear… we nicknamed her Bug, cuz she was going to be my little cuddle bug. I referred to her as a she and imagined pink tutus and ballet shoes… Dan referred to Bug as a he, imagining lego sets and watching Notre Dame Football games together.  That’s the thing about losing a baby, even one that you haven’t met, you lose that future you imagined. Last Tuesday I went back to the doctor a bit worried, and was told by the nurse and the doctor that I had nothing to worry about but sure they would do an ultrasound and just see how everything was progressing. In the end sadly there was something to worry about, she couldn’t find a heartbeat this time… I was sent to a specialist at the hospital, and Dan and I were told the same thing. Although the baby should have been just over 9 weeks, it had stopped growing around 6 weeks. The tell you all the statistics and try and make you feel better by telling you how common it is, how since I’ve gotten my miscarriage over on the first I should be good for the next 4 kids, that it’s nothing we did, and there was nothing that we could have done to prevent this… in fact we did everything right. I took Prenatals for 8 months before,  I tried to avoid BPA’s and every type of toxin, we spent most our paychecks at whole foods buying the healthiest and organic foods. But it just wasn’t meant to be. In the end I had the official miscarriage at home with Dan. I think god every day for my amazing husband who has been my rock through all of this… Also for my amazing family, and support system that are my friends.  I’ve found it does help to talk about, helps to write about it. I’ve been shocked at the amount of my friends that have gone through this. And I’m deeply saddened knowing that there will be even more that will go through this down the road. The physical pain has finally started to lesson, and I managed my first walk to the beach today… but the emotional pain is still there. And I imagine it will be for awhile. But while this one wasn’t meant to be, I’d like to think the next one will be. And in the meantime there is another little angel over that rainbow looking out for us.



 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Week 9


How far along? 8 Weeks
Your Size: A Green Olive
Your Due Date: June 3rd
Total weight gain: 5 pounds
Maternity clothes? This week I totally owned the Maternity Jeans, and they were so comfy!
Sleep: Besides a few naps at work, not sleeping too well. Apparently these pesky little things called Night Sweats exist… though I like to think of them more like Night Terrors!
Best moment this week: You got to meet a Lion and a baby Tiger this week… very exciting!
Worst Moment of the week: Not being able to tell many people about you… that and the complete and udder nausea 24-7.
Miss anything? Missing my energy like crazy
Movement: Although I know I can’t feel anything yet, when we said goodbye to Daddy at the airport you were giving me little pangs- I swear you were saying goodbye too!
Food cravings: Fresh Squeezed Fruit Juice
Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything except fruit juice and bread seems to make me sick
Gender: No word yet… but now I’m starting to thinking maybe you are a girlie girl now that my cravings have switched to fruits
Labor signs: No.
Symptoms: PURE EXHAUSTION…
Belly button in or out? In! Though my belly itself is seeming very out.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time: Moody this whole week
Looking forward to: You get to meet your Great Grams this weekend

XOXO,
Mommy

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

My first pair of elastic wasitband Jeans...



My package of clothes from Gap Maternity arrived last night… like a little child I tore into it and tried on all my new goodies. Since I’m only 8 weeks along I’m not starting to show yet but 2 months of gaining water weight , fat from having to eat every few hours or get sick and not having any energy to stay up past 7PM let along go for a run or an yoga class has sadly made all my clothes a little tight and a tad uncomfortable… It was nice to have some clothes that finally had plenty of room for me to grow into them (why yes Mr. Small I do enjoy you being too big for me once again!)… besides a couple of super cute work dresses (already wearing one today, because why not it’s adorable!), a ton of my staples of Gap Tanks (made a bit longer and wider for the pregnant casual momma), I had also ordered a pair of jeans with a little belly band on them. My first pair of elastic waist pants… and I’m not gonna lie, they are amazing! Why don’t they make every pair of pants with little belly bands on them. They stretch with your belly (whose jeans aren’t a little tight by the end of the day) and felt more like leggings then jeans. I’m sure when I’m 8 months along I will find them tight and horrible but for now they are a little big with plenty of room for my belly to grow comfortably… no more unbuttoning that top button at work! After a month of feeling bloated and very unattractive all it took was some too big in the tummy dresses and some elastic waistband pants to put the spring back in my step! And tonight maybe I will even get to try out one of my new workout tops, that is if I finally have some of the energy back that I’ve been missing these last 2 months!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Week 8

How far along? 7 Weeks
Your Size: A Raspberry! Measuring only 6 weeks this week though, you’re a tiny Bug so far- only .60 CM.
Your Due Date: June 3rd… though the doctor thinks that may be pushed back a week.
Total weight gain: 4 pounds.
 Maternity clothes? More online shopping since I only have 1 more pair of jeans that fit! Thank You Gap for cute and cheap preggo clothes!
Sleep: Sleepy all the time during the day, but the dreams at night are getting weirder and weirder. Maybe you are going to be a creative little Bug!
Best moment this week: Seeing your strong little heartbeat.
Worst Moment of the week: Being scared that we wouldn’t see anything at the ultra sound.
Miss anything? My energy to go for a run
Movement: Still haven’t felt you yet!
Food cravings: Lemonade
Anything making you queasy or sick: yes, I seem to have afternoon sickness! But carbs and fries make life a little better!
Gender: No word yet… still not craving any sweets, so still guessing you will be a boy
Labor signs: No.
Symptoms: Crazy sore and itchy boobs, afternoon nausea, and a very sleepy lady!
Belly button in or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On. Except for the day this week I forgot to put mine on, and felt uber naked!
Happy or moody most of the time: More moody than happy this week
Looking forward to: Finally seeing a real baby bump!

XOXO,
Mommy

Week 7

How far along? 6 Weeks
Your Size: The size of a Blueberry
Your Due Date: June 3rd, 2013
Total weight gain: 4 pounds
Maternity clothes? Sadly already purchased a few, and wore my first maternity sweater over the weekend!
Sleep: Sleepy all the time during the day, but at night having the weirdest dreams ever!
Best moment this week: Your first trip to Grandmas house in New Jersey… plus your first Birthday Party and first wedding. You had a busy little week!
Worst Moment of the week: Squeezing myself into too tight spanx 2 nights in a row! Not gonna lie there may have been some tears involved.
Miss anything? Over the weekend, wine!
Movement: Not yet
Food cravings: Cheese & Meat!  
Anything making you queasy or sick: Haven’t been too sick yet, no vomiting and only mild Nausea.
Gender: Don’t know, but based on cravings I’m assuming you are a boy!
Labor signs: No.
Symptoms: Exhausted all the time!!!! Cravings & Hungry all the time! Getting full really quick, and then feeling sick when I am full, bloating, gas, belching like crazy! Your father says it’s like being married to a teenage boy now L
Belly button in or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time: I’m gonna go with Moody this week
Looking forward to: Hopefully seeing you next Thursday!!!!

XOXO,
Mommy