Merry Christmas!

Well Christmas is here and the Wynn's are happy!  I had a great visit with my family in California.  My favorite part was telling my Grandma, I wrapped a framed ultrasound photo and when she opened it the look on her face was priceless! She is so happy to have another great grand baby as was my dad, aunts and cousins!   It was really special to share the news!   What a great Christmas 2010 has been already!

I will be 16 weeks/ 4 months pregnant on Christmas Day! We will be spending Christmas in Dallas with Wade's family so I will be in good company with my also pregnant sister in law, Melinda!

 Quick update on how I am feeling!
My waist line is still expanding though I still don't feel like I have a defined baby bump.  Half in maternity clothes, the other half trying to squeeze every last stretch out of my pre-pregnant wardrobe.  I seem to have meltdowns frequently lately while getting ready.....this new body is very different and I know I have a LONG way to go yet!   I have had constant back pain for almost 3 weeks now so the heating pad and huge pillow I sleep with at night are my friends!   I have been stretching, walking and doing prenatal yoga and that definitely seems to help. Today my sciatic nerve pain popped up on my left side so I dropped the high heels mid day and resolved to flats while working.   Energy levels are still down and some days I am so tired but I think that is just par for the course!

As for funny stories I definitely have to document my craving for bean burritos with green sauce, red hot sauce AND cottage cheese..... yes at the same time!  This just sounds so good to me!  I have also been craving avocados this week. I am craving protein but just not in meat, chicken and other meat just doesn't sound good to me for the past couple weeks.   Today I met a customer for lunch and I ordered so much I think I saw her jaw drop, she just chuckled and said yes now I know you are pregnant.  I left with TWO to go boxes.    I was on the treadmill this morning and happened to turn it to TLC " A Baby Story" and watched the story of two twin boys being born as I cried until the front of my shirt was wet!  Yea probably a pretty funny site a pregnant lady speed walking on the treadmill with tears everywhere!  A little emotional you think! Hormones???

Well that is it for now a little Christmas cheer!  My next doctors appointment is Jan 3rd and then the big one is Jan 17th where we will find out the sex!  SOOOO excited for this one!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Flying Home to tell the Family!

I am about to get on a plane in a couple hours and I am so excited and anxious to share our big news with the rest of my family in California!  I know it seems like the whole world must know by now but I assure you they do not and it is about time to tell as I am going to burst!  Not to mention the fact that my belly is getting bigger by the day.... week 13 has definitely been a transformation for the baby bump!

I am taking baby bibs & great grandmother gear to make Christmas gift surprises so I hope it all works out how I envision it will.  I probably shouldn't have expectations but you know this is BIG news...... we will see I will defiantly post when I get back!

It will be so great to spend time with my mom in person, we have so much to chat and share these days!   We will have to try and hold ourselves back from the baby stores.............still 6 weeks left until we find out the sex well guess we could get neutral stuff.... humm .....

CALI HO!!!!

First Trimester DONE!

Hi there!  Well I have been falling down on my blogging job, I haven't updated in many weeks!  We had an appointment today and saw baby so I knew I needed to post! We had our 12 week NT/Nuchal Translucency scan today. The NT is a routine ultrasound examination in which the baby is seen by abdominal ultrasound.  They assess the gestational age by measuring the crown-rump length and  also look for any major problems.The Nuchal Translucency is a collection of fluid beneath the fetal skin in the region of the neck and this is present and seen in all fetuses in early pregnancy. The fluid collection is however increased in many fetuses with Down's syndrome and many other chromosomal abnormalities. It is called a 'translucency' because on ultrasound this appears as a black space beneath the fetal skin. It is this black space that you can see measured during the ultrasound scan.The nuchal translucency test will also check whether your baby has a visible nasal bone. In the past few years it has been seen that approximately 3 in 4 babies with Down's syndrome do not have a visible nasal bone at the time of the first trimester screening test. If the nasal bone is visible at the scan then this will reduce the chance of the baby having Down's syndrome.  Our tests came back positive so all is well so far though we are waiting for a detailed breakdown of bloodwork.  So that is all good news!

During the ultrasound the technician needed baby to face my belly and baby was adament about staying on it's side.  It was so funny she kept prodding & jiggling my belly and moving the wand all over to get baby to move, we were able to see movement for the first time it was SO cool!  Baby was moving it's hand, jointed at the elbow already, toward the mouth and also stuck the foot straight out! He/she was being stubborn for a little while but she finally got the pictures she needed for our tests!   We got some great photos!  Side profile is very strong too, we saw the nose so clearly it is just amazing!

As far as how I have been feeling, definately pregnant would be my answer!  Waist line is gone, noticed some love handles that I have never had before and ohh the chest area still hurts!  I do not have a defined baby bump but I am to the stage where I am sure that many are wondering if I ate way too much for Thanksgiving!  My least favorite symptom so far is sciatic pain in my right butt cheek.   I started noticing around a week ago and tied it to the low back pain and pressure I have had, didn't help that I did 2 days worth of yard work and was flat on my back the next day!   This pain is an intense shooting almost electric pain that makes it very difficult to put pressure on my right leg...........doc said today that this will last throughout the pregnancy! ARGH -   my job is to manage with heating pads & warm Epsom salt bathes - fun stuff! I have enjoyed my food cravings so far, spicy and comfort food like mac-n-cheese seem to be my thing.  I am also loving pineapple these days............wasabi almonds some strange combinations!  Zero food aversions, I like everything and am HUNGRY!   So with all this being said I really do feel blessed even though none of that sounds like a walk in the park! Listening to stories of other pregnancies I know mine could be so much more difficult, much of this just comes with the territory!  Lots of reminders that this is going to be worth everything!

Next appt is Jan 3rd, my 17th week, which will be a doctors visit without ultrasound. Past that I will have an ultrasound done around week 19-20 and this will be the one I can't WAIT for , we will learn the sex!  So expect that news the week of January 17th!    Well this happy mama is going to go eat some Spagettios for dinner ( haven't eaten these for probably 25 years!) Yes craving for sure!  Talk to you all soon!

Ultrasound #3 !!

Well I had my first OBGYN appointment today and was lucky enough to get another ultrasound! Whoo hoo!  I met Dr. Wingo for the first time, I have been seeing his wife that practices with him for years but she doesn't deliver babies so I moved on to her hubby!  Unfortunately Wade was in Texas for work so he missed this appointment but I made sure to send baby pictures! I liked Dr. Wingo very  much, he is very laid back and thorough.  Most of my questions were answered before I asked and when I did inquire about my painful/itchy boobs and gas he just said "you're pregnant!".  He laughed and said I would get pretty tired of hearing that answer but many of these things come with the territory.... I am learning this no one ever told me about all this fun stuff!

We talked at length about exercise and I have docs blessing to continue with limitations on weights and ab work.   I started working out again at 7 weeks, I was following strict instructions at the fertility clinic for almost 2 months of zero exercise!     I can already tell that this will be very important for my MS and pregnancy to build this into my routine.  Since I am so tired this first trimester I have found that working out in the morning seems to be the best bet since afternoons I am generally pooped out!  So I will do what I can do, when I can do it!

As you can see in the pictures above the baby is growing every single day, big difference from 6 days ago! I was in awe!  This ultrasound machine was so clear too, in the side profile you can clearly see the arm and leg buds and the umbilical cord, so amazing! The baby measures exactly 1 inch.  I could see the flicker of the heartbeat again which brings so much reassurance every single time!  I will never tire of seeing these pictures of our little miracle!

 Our next appointment is Dec 2, I will be 12 weeks and ready for another ultrasound. Past that I will see Dr. Wingo every 4 weeks, 20 weeks being our big appointment that we will be able to learn the sex!  I am REALLY dying for this visit, the nursery design is waiting for this news!  We did buy our first big piece for the nursery this weekend which I am SUPER excited about, it is a beautiful chest/dresser that will be used as the changing table. I knew I would have one big splurge in the nursery and this is IT! Thankfully my awesome husband allowed my vision of this room to start with this purchase!  It is a versatile piece that can be used in other areas of the house once the baby is done with diapers!   Don't worry I will send pictures once this all comes together :)

Ok well bye for now and thanks so much for reading :)            

2nd Ultrasound!!! 8 weeks & 4 days

                                            LOOK, LOOK BABY WYNN !!!!

We had our 2nd ultrasound this morning with a very positive outcome!  Wade and I were amazed to learn that our little baby has tripled in size!  Two weeks ago the baby measured 6.5 mm and today he/she was 19.5mm! Compared to our 1st ultrasound you could see so much more, the baby is much bigger in size and you can actually see the little nubs that will soon be arms and legs! In this picture the baby is facing front with the head at the top, can you see those tiny little hands and feet forming ??? The ultrasound tech said it looks like a little gummy bear, almost 1" long now!   We were able to see the flicker of the heartbeat AND hear the sound today which was REALLY neat!  Dr. Eblen says everything is progressing nicely, we still are on track for 8 weeks, 4 days today!  When we said goodbye she actually said that I handled the stress really well through this process, sure didn't feel like it sometimes but that was nice to hear!   Never thought I would spend 3 months of my life in and out of a fertility clinic but boy it was an amazing experience and was SOOOO worth it!  

So we officially graduated and said goodbye to everyone before we left today, definitely bittersweet!   They want us to bring the baby back for introductions which is really neat.  They have a special room for families to visit, pretty cool!   So this part of the journey is over, now on to our OBGYN for the next 31 weeks of our pregnancy!   I have already scheduled my first appointment for next Tues 11/9 at 1:00!

I feel so blessed today!  I know so many women that have children but I have never been able to truly appreciate this process until now, until you are pregnant yourself it is so hard to describe the feelings attached!  And for me this is only the beginning, lots ahead and I am sure I will be praising and admiring these women with a fresh perspective every step of the way!

8 weeks!!!

     

Hi!  I know it has been over a week since I have blogged, shame on me! I promise to start writing weekly updates!  I had to share with you the progress that our little baby is making, it just blows my mind that all of this is happening inside my body!

 I can report that over the past week or so I am definitely "feeling" pregnant, there has been many small changes!  From my bra size steadily increasing to my clothes fitting tighter around my middle things are changing!  I can't believe my waist line is going away this quickly, my books say that in the first trimester you MAY gain a couple pounds - YEA RIGHT not sure if this author has ever been pregnant???   I am a little nervous that I am getting big too fast but as my friends keep reminding me there is nothing I can do and apparently I am supposed to learn to "embrace" this :)   Going to work on this part :)

I had my first pregnant shopping spree which really consisted of my  just buying regular clothes bigger sizes, not that much fun.   Definitely don't have a baby bump yet so the transitional stage is tough trying to look AND feel cute.   I am anxious to shop in a true maternity shop and be able to rock the latest mama styles! :)

Ok well here is the update that I wanted to share!  Happy Halloween to you all, talk next week!

 Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. His arms have lengthened, too, and his hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart. His knee joints have formed, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.

The Heartbeat!!!!

What a WONDERFUL day! Wade & I found out that we have ONE baby on the way  AND saw the flicker of the little heartbeat!  I was in awe to see this little peanut size being in my tummy!  We were pretty relieved to learn that we were not having 4 or more..............I would have loved them all but whoa I still breathed a sign of relief! Wade had a dream last night that we were having triplets, not this time around! :)

We found out that I am 6 weeks and 4 days along, which means I will be 7 weeks on Saturday! My due date is 6/11/11 which is close to my 6/2 birthday, whoo hoo a June baby ( Gemini's are cool).  The heartbeat was 127 and the size was ideal to how far along I am.  Our doctor told us that at this stage we have a 95% chance of carrying a healthy pregnancy, music to our ears!   We can sleep alot easier now knowing we have healthy things happening!

I had an epiphany last week about the uncertainty and outcome of this pregnancy.   I think I was SO worried to be excited and I didn't want to get my hopes too high in case something happened.  I almost paralyzed my brain to prevent me from thinking about this little baby girl or boy,  nursery or due date! Amazing what defense mechanisms we have!    I was taking a walk and it dawned on me that I live my life every single day with uncertainty by having MS in my life! For some reason this really clicked for me, just because I could have a relapse tomorrow doesn't mean that I shouldn't be happy and thankful for today! So that did it for me, how cool that this perspective from having MS really plays a part in this BIG chapter of my life!   A hidden blessing!   So I am officially ESTATIC!!! :)   If something does happen we will face it as it comes and just rely on God's will in the meantime!

So the plan now is that I have another ultrasound on November 3rd, 11:15.  The doctor will make sure the baby is growing and all is well and then I will GRADUATE from the fertility clinic!  YAY! This is a big step, bittersweet  because I will always have some good memories of this time but also won't forget how many times I got poked and prodded and of course the huge checks we wrote to them!  So all is all I am HAPPY for this day!
So this will be around week 9, I will then move over to my regular OBGYN for him to manage the rest of my pregnancy!

OK well this is all for today!  So happy that I am able to write this great report!   GOD IS GOOD!!!!!
I know this isn't the best photo but can you see little peanut in there????