About Us

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After an 8 year battle with infertility and countless struggles, our family is finally complete. This blog chronicles the journey it took for us to start and build the family we always wanted. Background on the blog (started in 2012, just days before I found out the embryo transfer for our son worked).... I decided to start a blog after realizing I have only been able to make it through my TWW's (two week waits) with the help of Google and with the openness of other women suffering from infertility sharing their own stories and giving others hope. I have time and time again found my exact symptoms on other women's blogs and felt an overwhelming sense of calmness they provided me. I thought it was time to pay it forward and hopefully provide this same thing to other women on their own journeys.

Monday, May 28, 2012

22w2d - Nursery decals are up!





22w0d - Nursery furniture assembled!

A big thank you to my hubby and father in law for setting these up!  (Their room location has since changed but I'll post a photo of the nursery once it's complete.)




Saturday, May 26, 2012

22w0d - Weekly update


(spaghetti squash)

(papaya)

How Far Along: 22 weeks!

Gender: BOY!!!!!!

Size of baby (from babycenter.com) Your baby has stretched to the size of a spaghetti squash and weighs almost a pound. (Length: nearly 11 inches.)

My baby this week (from babycenter.com):   At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.  If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: A few excellent nights of sleep have transpired.  A few restless night have too.  We've been starting to take a couple mile walk each day and that definitely has been helping my sleep.

Best Moment of the Week:  Last night, 21w6d, as I was watching TV the baby was kicking up a storm.  I pulled up my tshirt and sure enough I saw my belly move when he kicked!  :)

Movement: Yes.  Gradually gaining strength.

Food cravings:  I get so full so quickly now.  I just ate breakfast courtesy of my amazing father in law and I feel like I am going to explode!!!


What I Miss:  Being able to fully contribute to yard work.  I weeded a smidge yesterday and I was beat after only a 1/2 hour.  I'm getting so big it's hard to maneuver on the ground!!

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Getting the shower invitations mailed out.

Milestones: Seeing my baby's kicks.

Emotions: Pretty cranky this week.  Poor Mike!

Symptoms:  Nothing new.



Saturday, May 19, 2012

21w0d - Weekly update



(length of a carrot)

How Far Along: 21 weeks! MORE than 1/2 way!

Gender: BOY!!!!!!

Size of baby:  Your baby now weighs about 3/4ths of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot.

My baby this week (from babycenter.com):   You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: It has been good since we have been in our inlaws king size bed.  The last two nights have been in a queen size bed (now that the inlaws are home) and it has been horrible.  Thursday night was the worst!  I went to the bathroom and got back to the bedroom only to knock my lipgloss off the night stand.  Of course I HAD to have it so I started searching, in the dark, with no glasses for it.  Mike came over to help me and of course neither of us could find it.  On top of it all, I was absolutely S-T-A-R-V-I-N-G so he grabbed me some cookies (nutritional, right?) from the kitchen.  It barely made a dent.  Took me forever to fall back asleep after all that drama!!!

Best Moment of the Week: Several.... 1.  Celebrating Mother's Day pregnant.  2.  Mike felt the baby kick!!!!   3.  Registering at Babies R Us (although this was more like a chore, not that much fun.)   4. We chose a name!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Movement: Yes.  Gradually gained strength.

Food cravings: Not specific cravings but I am often ravenous and need food ASAP.

What I Miss:  My house still!  We are staying with our inlaws while a few rooms are painted (including the nursery) and the wood floors in the kitchen are refinished.

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Getting the shower invitations mailed out.

Milestones: Mike feeling the baby kick on Thursday.

Emotions: My temper was pretty short during my crappy sleep story up above.

Symptoms:  Nothing new.  My belly is growing exponentially though!


Thursday, May 17, 2012

20w5d - Mike felt a kick!

So today was the first day that Mike felt a kick by resting his hand on my belly!!!    Typically when I get in bed for the night the baby kicks a few times before settling down.  So, we timed getting in bed at the same time.  Sure enough, a mere second after we lied down, and Mike put his hand on my belly, our son kick and he felt it!  It was really neat to be able to share that with him!!  :)

Saturday, May 12, 2012

20w0d - Belly Shots!

Sure have popped from 4 weeks ago!!



20w0d - Weekly update


(length of a banana)

How Far Along: 20 weeks!!!!!  HALF WAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!

Gender: BOY!!!!!!

Size of baby:  Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now (although our measured roughly 14 ounces at the OB on Thursday!). He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

My baby this week (from babycenter.com):   He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: Pretty good this week!!!

Best Moment of the Week: Several.... getting to the half way mark!  And seeing our baby on Thursday at his sonogram!  :)

Movement: Definitely.  Love feeling kicks!  Can't wait until Mike can too.

Food cravings: Nothing really.  Cravings have been under control.  Lately I've been indulging in baked doritos.  :)

What I Miss:  My house!  We are staying with our inlaws while a few rooms are painted (including the nursery) and the wood floors in the kitchen are refinished.

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Registering at Baby's R Us today!

Milestones: Finding out the gender!

Emotions: Pretty rough this week since I had my big exam on Wednesday.  My temper was pretty short.

Symptoms:  Nips are getting darker (sorry randomly reading folks).  :)


Thursday, May 10, 2012

19w5d - Test results and sono

Sorry, I cannot get into my house to scan the photos (it's being painted and there are fumes).  But just to let everyone know the sonogram and blood results went perfectly!  Our son passed with flying colors the down syndrome screening and has a less than 1 in 5,000 chance of having the defect!  His upper lip also looks good so he does not have a cleft lip!   Everything else on his body looked perfect too.  The only thing is the sonographer couldn't get a good enough look at his heart so we are going back in 7ish weeks for another sono.   :)

Saturday, May 5, 2012

19w0d - Weekly update


(heirloom tomato)

(mango)

How Far Along: 19 weeks!!!!!  (More than half way through full term (37 weeks)).

Gender: BOY!!!!!!

Size of baby:  Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato.

My baby this week (from babycenter.com): Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.  Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Stretch Marks: No.

Sleep: Well, it was great until last night.  Last night was TERRIBLE.  Up several times and each time was for an hour!!

Best Moment of the Week: Finding out we are having a son!!!!!!!!

Movement: Yes. Though not as much yesterday.  I listened to his heartbeat today so everything is OK I just wish he'd start grooving in there!

Food cravings: Haven't been craving much this week.

What I Miss:  Nothing this week!  I am too happy to miss anything!

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Thursday for the hour long ultrasound to measure everything on baby Schloss!  :)

Milestones: Finding out the gender!

Emotions: Pretty mellow this week.

Symptoms:  Nips are getting darker (sorry randomly reading folks).  :)