World, meet Caden Bradley :D I had a targeted ultrasound today, which is just a really in-depth scan where they measure every bone in his body they can find, take a peek at his heart valves, check his spine and kidneys, and all around just make sure he's doing what he should be doing. We also got our first stills of the 4D. And our first profile shots. In this first one he's all wadded into a little ball, with his hands up by his forehead and his feet by his hands. In the one below, he's sucking on one of his hands. You can see his thumbnail there by his little nose, and then he's got his fingers, from pinkie to pointer, shoved in his mouth. He's almost 1 and a half pounds now. My handsome little monster :)
Had a rather unique ultrasound today. Apparently there's some linkages between high-risk pregnancies, which is what mine was labeled for the first almost 16 weeks, and what's called "short cervix". If the cervix is less than like 1.8 inches, it's called "short" cervix, and that can lead to premature labor. I qualified to have a free ultrasound done to measure mine, and I'm happy to report I'm nice and long. I was also petitioned to post a new belly shot. So here I am at 21 weeks (got a new ticker). And yes, this is me officially in maternity pants. Buy-bye zippers! (and actually, that's really nice!!)
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! Since this is our family blog, feel free to leave a memory about either of us.
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. :)
You wouldn't believe what I had to do to get this image to stay upright instead of flopping back sideways when I'd upload from my photo well. So enjoy it, hehe. Here's a belly picture of me at about 17 weeks :) No hiding it now, I can't even "suck it in" and fake a flat tummy anymore.
Yup! That's right. Had my appointment on Friday, and we gots us a little bitty boy on board :) No real question as to what that "third leg" was this time, hehe. The images don't show it, heh. But WOW. The ultrasound was amazing. We got to see a lot of it in 3D, and holy cow. It was unreal. And actually made this all seem so much MORE real. I really have a little dude in there. We could watch him play with his mouth, his hands up by his face. He wiggled so much this time. He pulled a really cute "gah, too much light!" pose, kind of throwing his hands up in front of his eyes, palms out. And getting so big; about 6.5 inches head to foot, and a whopping 3 ounces. That's my boy. He's on his side facing the camera here, sitting Indian-style and with his hands bunched in fists by his little tummy. His face is kind of down towards his chest, so all ya really get here is a noggin view. He was kind of squashed in this one. He's on his back. His legs are all bunched up over his tummy and chest, his feet almost at his head.
I saw this video on Youtube the other night, and cried. I don't think I've ever laughed and cried happy tears at the same time! Whomever says that animals can't feel and are purely instinctual creatures needs to watch this.
And if you don't believe the video...here's the link to the story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-452820/Christian-lion-lived-London- living-room.html
Branden and I got to go down to Provo tonight and see the woman we met while we lived in Washington; she was here for her daughter's wedding. Bashawn "adopted" me the first week we got there, took me in, fed us, mother-hen'd me, and all around took care of me when I was so far away from my own mom. I could not have made it up there without her, and she's proof that the Lord watches out for us at just the times we need. We love you Bashawn!
A few of our own pictures from Leicha's wedding. She looked wonderful, so happy. And the scene was perfect (even the backhoe sitting in the yard next door, hehe).
Yep, 'nother belly picture. Not a huge change, at least from the outside. Baby was SO active this time, we could watch it wiggle and squirm - it was on its back then squished its face to the "camera" then rolled over and gave us a bum shot. Unfortunately I don't have the ultrasound images to go with this, the OB was on his way to a delivery at the end of my appointment so he kinda forgot to pull a still image from the machine. Oh well, next appointment in 2 weeks I'll have one for sure :)
I've reached another blessed milestone - the "morning" sickness is gone. Unfortunately, it's been replaced by insomnia. Lately it doesn't seem to matter how bone tired I am, when I lie down at night my body won't settle, so I end up not sleeping at all. The last 4 nights or so I've been getting about an hour and a half's worth of sleep each night. I've heard that insomnia is normal but normal or not, it's downright annoying.
And I'm not just talking about my belly taking on more shape. This is baby at 11 weeks. And you can actually tell it's a baby now. Its little legs are there on the right as it's lying on its back lounging about. The best part about seeing this much progress from 3 weeks ago? I got to hear the heartbeat :) The doppler was strong enough to pick it up, and it was clear as a bell. Just thumpin' away like a pro. And in about 4-6 more weeks, we should be able to find out whether our little circus peanut is a he or a she.
So we went to the cabin again this weekend. We had great weather for the first 2 days, and on the third, it snowed. The first picture is Branden staring perplexedly at the fire he was trying to make in the firepit outside with winds thwarting his Boy Scout prowess with flame. The second picture was of the snowman we built on Saturday morning. We named him Osgood. He melted within about 3 hours.
So, we've hit a milestone. Today I'm officially 5 days past when the last pregnancy went to pot. This required the first belly picture :) I'm 9 weeks in this. I can't believe I already have a little pouch! Way to go junior! I have another appointment on the 10th, and I can't wait to see how much the little one's developed since my last visit 3 weeks ago. All's going well so far. Now if I could just convince baby to stop making me sick at night!
This was our impromptu mini-vacation up to the family cabin last weekend. There was snow on the ground the first day, but then by that night it was gone. I want to go back!
After some careful thought and some praying, Branden and I decided we needed and wanted to try again. So we did. And here's the result :) I've just come home from an appointment. At 7 weeks, this little one is so much stronger than what the last was at almost 9. The heartbeat was SO clear, and just goin like gangbusters. In the image (it enlarges when clicked on), the left of the top + mark is pointing right at the back of baby's head, and the top of the bottom + is pointing right at baby's heart. If we're destined to meet this one, we will on January 4th :)
It's been a couple of weeks now, and while I knew it would come, the force behind the sorrow reality brings is always a bit surprising. This was miscarriage #3, though with this one, I'd carried for a lot longer than with the other 2. It's startling to realize how many hopes you have, how much love, for a little soul one day you realize you were never destined to meet. Suddenly the dates you'd planned on, the little daydreams, mean nothing anymore. It's nothing I didn't expect and I know it doesn't last, but still...I have to admit...I'm having a pretty hard time.
Branden's boss who heads the Northwest Region of the company, sent this bouquet this afternoon. They're so bright, and it was so thoughtful. Thank you, Bill.
Man, that's such a hard mantra of faith to uphold sometimes. Just a few days after we were able to announce that I was expecting, we have to go back and un-tell the news. Thursday night I started cramping, had some spotting. By midnight the cramps were so extreme I went to Ogden Regional's ER where the bleeding only got worse. We got home around 4 am Friday. At around 6:30 the pain was so severe I couldn't stand up straight and felt faint. I passed an excessive amount of blood and tissue, and then by 7 am the cramping stopped almost entirely. I went in for an emergency visit with my OB at 9 and an ultrasound confirmed what I'd pretty much already guessed by that time - I lost the baby.
It was a clean miscarriage though, and I don't require any procedures to clean out any residual elements of the pregnancy so that's a blessing. For now I'm okay. I think perhaps I'd made peace with things when I realized what was happening. We understand these things happen for reasons. Sometimes, though, I think we wish we could have a peek at those reasons.
Say hello to our little grain of rice with a heartbeat. Branden and I just got home from my doctor's appointment. I'm 8 and a half weeks along. If you look to the right wall inside the 'black hole', the baby is marked (the picture enlarges if you click on it). If things go well, I'll be due on or around the 24th of October!
