Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Pregnancy so far


Here I am at 15 weeks, but I am now 16 weeks.

Yes, I am pregnant.  No, I never thought I would have 5 kids, especially after spending years dealing with infertility.  I suppose it is just more proof that Brady and Carter really needed to be in our family.  In fact, my mom was teasing me about an "unplanned" pregnancy, and I responded that this wasn't my plan at all.  I had a plan for my life: get married, about two years later have our first, have another 2-3 years later.  End with 3, maybe 4, have a nice boy/girl mix.  If life went according to my plan, I'd have been done having kids 4 years ago, and instead I am having my 5th at 37!  Just a reminder that God is the one in control of our lives.

First off, because a few people have asked, and I know many more are dying to ask, was this a surprise?  Yes and no.  After Jackson was born, Dan and I discussed birth control options.  I can't take hormonal birth control due to my blood clotting issues, so we didn't have as many options, but seeing as how our biological children are 8 years apart, we figured our chances of conceiving were small anyway.  So we agreed to: if it happens it happens, if it doesn't it doesn't.  I thought in the back of my head, it is going to happen, while I know Dan thought, it's not going to happen.  Well, it obviously happened.

This pregnancy so far has been my roughest, but I know I still have easy pregnancies compared to so many.  I had my worst morning sickness this time around, from 6-14 weeks, I was so nauseous every afternoon.  I sipped ice cold water all day, and kept eating nonstop to take off the edge.  (Yeah, 12 pounds in the first trimester is proof that I never stopped eating.)  My poor family, I don't know what I fed them, because being sick when it's time to make dinner sucks.

I've had lots of the usual symptoms.  I've been tired; I have to pee all the time; insomnia, dizzy spells.  Luckily I am in the stage now where I am feeling so much more myself.  I craved sweets like no other the first trimester, but in the second I haven't had too many odd cravings.

Medically, this pregnancy is a lot like the last.  I have been taking my blood thinner shots every night.  I also had a subchorionic hematoma this time, just like with Jackson.  I bled with Jackson for 4 weeks, while this time I only had one episode that only lasted 24 hours, and the hemotoma is now gone.   My thyroid is crazy, just like last time too.  The doctor just keeps upping my dose, and I'm sure we'll just wean me back down when the pregnancy ends.

The kids are all excited.  Tyler wants a baby sister, while the twins say they want another baby Jackson.  Dan was shocked at first, but now excited. (I think his shock was mainly based on the fact that we are getting old, and when you tack 18 years on, we are going to be really old when this baby leaves the nest.) I really did feel someone was missing from our family the months before I got pregnant, and was so happy when I found out.  Overall we can't wait till the beginning of next year to meet this new little one.

5 comments:

Stephanie said...

Congratulations!! I am so excited for you!!! I'll be back on the Facebook bandwagon in a couple of months - so I'm sure I'll get more updates then. Really - congratulations. Awesome awesome awesome.

Angela S said...

Congratulations and we'll be praying for strength as you go through the next few months. I'm so excited for you!

Shelly Cunningham said...

I was just thinking about you last week and wondering how you and your beautiful family were... I guess you're GROWING! I am so excited for you! {I am crossing my fingers you get a GIRL!}
Love & best wishes,
Shelly

Charms said...

I am really happy for you guys! You are an amazing, amazing mom. Every Sunday I think when I am about to lose my mind, I think "If Angela can do it with 4 kids and pregnant, I can do it with 2 and pregnant!!! Thanks for the encouragement. We ought to get together again. Maybe a double date?

T Fowler said...

You have been blessed with such amazing kids! So excited for the new addition. I know the feeling of doing the math and thinking, "How old will I be when the baby leaves home?" That youngest/baby of the family is so much fun. This little one will have so many watching out for him/her (I'm hoping for a girl, but you raise boys so well at your house!).
Congrats!