2010 is going to bring great things!!!

Most importantly our precious baby bean!  First though in order to get through 2009, you gotta get through the holiday season....which thankfully has been very easy so far.  Of course like every other Christmas season the hustle and bustle is like every other year, this year though one great thing was different, well two.  First is the pregnant part and the second part was about 6 inches of beautiful fluffy white snow!!!  We never get snow, especially nothing of any accumulation so to get 6 inches was really impressive.  As much as I loved it, I was sort of glad to see it go.  See here in Virginia we just don't function in snow like other states that are used to it.

Somehow we survived :). 

I did enjoy being with family this Christmas, but more enjoyed that we just kept everything really low key.  I was sorry that we were not able to travel to see all of our family, but we felt that staying close to home and having a relaxing holiday was the best option for this year.  Especially since this is probably our last low key holiday now that the baby will be here for next Christmas.  Don't worry though, because even though the bump was not surrounded by tons of people, the baby still felt VERY loved.  I guess this is the beginning of when the holidays are no longer about a bunch of adults getting together.  The baby is the star now! 

The baby sure did make out too in the gift department.  The Cannon grandparents sent a pack and play, books, toys, onesies, and a blanket lovey.  Papa B gave us and the baby some moohlah so that we can buy this little bundle a nice crib and Derek bought his baby a play mat (ironically the one that I had been looking at online and he didn't even know!), a baby monitor, some bibs, and a toy.  This baby is so loved already.  And our whole family is very blessed.

I've always been told I was sweet.....

Now apparently that means both in personality and literally.  So my saga continues....I was diagnosed this morning with Type II Diabetes.  So what that means in terms of the baby is that as long as we get it under control, the baby should manage just fine.  The problem with Diabetes and pregnancy is the fact that my blood sugars cross the placenta, so the baby's pancreas thinks that the baby has high blood sugar and starts producing more insulin.  This is problematic because insulin in a baby can actually increase growth.  This is why you hear of women with Type II and Gestational Diabetes having larger babies.  After birth however the baby's blood sugar can actually drop and cause some issues.  So I think we should probably avoid all of that! 

I am all set up with a meter, which I will use to jab my finger 4 times a day (for now) and will probably end up on insulin before New Years.  Hopefully though once my blood sugars get to some sort of stable place, then alot of the other issues I have going on will rectify themselves.  My protein issues with my kidneys may be causing my high blood pressure and my diabetes may actually be perpetuating the protein issues.  Hopefully when I get the Diabetes under control, everything else will just fall into place.

My main goal is to make sure this baby bean, whom I love so much, has every opportunity to grow and thrive in a healthy environment, which is me.  For now that means dropping out a huge percentage of carbs out of my diet.  Sad I know, but you do whatever you need to for your children right?  In the meantime please keep me and the bean in your thoughts and prayers, we are going to be going through a lot of changes!

And since I will be eating lots more vegetables from the garden.....here's a peak at my other garden for the last few weeks!

Stubborn Bean...

We had another photo session with Baby Bean today.  This one was much more detailed to make sure that the baby's anatomy was correct, you know, two hands, two feet, heart and stomach on the correct side of the body and a few things that look at risk for Down Syndrome.  So all checked out, two hands, two feet etc, except for when it came to looking at the things needed to figure out the risk for Down Syndrome.  Now don't worry, in the end our risk for Down Syndrome came out to be 1 in > 10,000 but getting there was the chore.

The ultrasound tech needed the baby to be on its back in order to get a good profile shot to measure the neck folds and look for a nasal bone.  Well for a good twenty to thirty minutes or so this baby WOULD NOT turn from being on its side.  No matter what we tried:  nudging with the u/s wand (on top of my very full bladder I might add), putting me upside down, turning on my side and coughing several times, baby Cannon wouldnt move.  Eventually the tech threatened to go get the doctor and left.  We suppose that this stubborn child thought we had given up because when she came back, she tried one more time and the baby had gotten into the right position...for about 30 seconds, then turned back on its side.  It was just long enough to get two neck measurements and see the nasal bone.  Stubborn bean.

So all news was good, there was still some blood behind the placenta which the doc just wants to keep monitoring throughout the pregnancy.  Because it is close to the edge of the placenta, it does put me at greater risk for abruption (separation of the placenta from the uterine wall)  but for now its a watch and wait game. 

Pop goes the weasel....

Well not the weasel, but perhaps my belly!  I have noticed in the last few days my belly has started to poke out a bit :)  It's funny because, clearly I do not have a small belly by any means so I was wondering what this sucker would do when I started showing a bit.  Just getting a little rounder and fuller, mostly at the top.  A few people at work have noticed this week too!  It's definately tougher to find existing shirts in the wardrobe that look ok.  I've always been a little weird about the belly especially since it's not, well, smooth.  I have lots of hills and valleys!!  So since I do not have the beautiful round bump, I am settling for the expansion of my hills and valleys, but I'm not liking the wardrobe right now for sure :( 

Ahhh the joys of being pregnant!

At the end of one chapter, begins another

Time sure flies when you are having fun.  Atleast that's how the saying goes :)  We've got two weeks left in the first trimester, it's amazing to think that just 8 weeks ago we were getting our very first pink line!  All in all I have to say that this part of my pregnancy was nothing what I thought it would be.  Sure I had all the typical worries of those in their first trimester, but not much of the typical symptoms.  I had three days of queeziness when we first found out we were pregnant, and that's it!  No nausea, no running for the toilet, and no stuffing my face with food just to make it go away.  I was no stranger however, to the fatigue.  To my surprise however, I found out the the fatigue is actually related to the growth and development of the placenta not the actual baby.  Maybe since its so full of stuff that's why some cultures eat their children's placentas. Don't worry, that thing is not coming anywhere near my mouth.  I'll take a multivitamin to get what I need.

I am excited to see what else is to come for the next 29 weeks (plus or minus).  Of course I say that now, ask me again when I am complaining of not being able to sleep, heartburn, not being able to bend over to put my socks on and just all in all feeling like a beached whale.  Sounds like a ton of fun!

Here are the comparison pictures for this week and next!

Checking in on the Garden...

I have been so distracted for the past few weeks that I forgot to put up more comparison pictures.  Here they are for weeks 8 and 9.  Hard to believe that Bean has gone from a sweet pea to an olive in just a few short weeks!

PHEW!!!!

False alarm!  Well kinda.  I saw the kidney specialist today and the news is much better.  Turns out that the protein that was claimed to have been so super high, actually isn't.  Turns out, per the kidney doc, that my OB jumped the gun a bit and in fact he does not begin to be concerned about kidney damage until the levels are TEN TIMES what mine were.  So while I am thankful that my OB is on the side of jumping the gun rather than sitting back and being care free, I am more thankful that it does not seem that I am having significant issues with my kidneys.  In fact he said that aside from the "little bit" of protein, my kidney function is just fine.  Phew! 

Now of course he is going to run me though the gammet of testing just to be sure, including an Ultrasound and an impressive number of tubes filled with blood.  He will see me back in a month and probably follow me though the pregnancy and possibly do a biopsy when the pregnancy is complete.  Until then though, Derek and I are sighing a HUGE sigh of relief!

And the plot thickens

So if you have been following my pregnancy journey thus far, then you know that despite having little to no pregnancy symptoms, it certainly has not been a smooth ride.  Well it got a little bumpier today.  Don't worry, the bean seems to be doing fine, but its mama is having some health issues that do not seem to be related to the pregnancy.  In an interest of sparing you the gory details, due to my recent blood pressure extravaganza I had some labs done, one of which shows some issues with my kidneys. 

Of course there are about a million different reasons for the kidneys to misbehave, but there are three resonable options for me.  Atleast these are the ones that I can come up with.  So it could be related to my high blood pressure, though at this point I do not know which came first, the chicken or the egg, both can cause issues with the other.  Another reason could be undiagnosed diabetes.  And the one I am hoping for is that the lab value that we got could be related to recent strenuous exercise, and the four days prior to the test I was walking ALL OVER NYC.  I go to the kidney specialist (the nephrologist) tomorrow afternoon to find out more details.  I'll keep you posted.  Until then keep us and our bean in your thoughts and prayers please :)

Bean is a movie star!

We had our second ultrasound this morning to follow up on bean's small size and the blood that was hanging out behind the placenta.  I love having ultrasounds since I have had very mild pregnancy symptoms, they allow me to have a great deal of reassurance when I can see the bean and its tiny little flicker of a heartbeat. 

Well bean did just great, measured 9 weeks 0 days (one day ahead of itself) and made up for its growth by 4 days...yay bean!!  The heart rate today was 177, up from the 145 of last visit and the blood behind the placenta is dissolving and going away!  The coolest part was when we got to see our little one wiggle on camera.  Bean's gonna have my rhythm, I can tell already!  We also saw bean wave its little arm. 

I found out today that because of my slightly elevated blood pressure, I will also be followed by a perinatologist because I am at a slightly higher risk.  Which I suppose is fine by me, as many people as we have, both here on Earth and those up above, watching over our precious cargo the better.  And, I'll get more ultrasounds along the way! 

Bean goes to New York City

Derek and I just returned from a long weekend in NYC for his birthday.  Before we left I was really nervous as to how I was going to feel while we were there.  This first trimester is challenging because you never know when, if ever, the lovely morning/all day sickness is going to arrive.  I was nervous that it would appear while we were in New York. Thankfully it stayed away!  I have been so tired these past few weeks and that certainly did not give me any relief this past weekend.  After walking all over the city and climbing a million subway stairs, this pregnant girl was exhausted every day.  We even had to go back to the hotel one afternoon so I could take a nap.  All in all me and the bean we did well with all of the hustle and bustle of New York.  Can't wait to return with bean again in a few years so we can have an excuse to go do all of the child friendly things like ride the ferris wheel in Toys R Us.

How does your garden grow?

I found it interesting to see how big (or small) the baby is in comparison to things that we can relate to in life.  Here are some pictures to give you an idea :)

Week 3-4 (poppyseed)

Week 5 (appleseed)

Week 6 (sweet pea)

Week 7 (blueberry)

Bean's first picture

Here are our bean's first pictures...bean is a little small (only about the size of a sweet pea) so it is hard to see much. But it is the white blobby thing in the big black circle. Oh and as far as the tech could see there is only one bean :).

Our first ultrasound was this morning. It makes it all so real once you see that white blob with a flicker of a heartbeat, something that will grow into a little rascal that you will love with all of your heart. Its truly endearing.

I went in thinking that I was 6 weeks 6 days and the bean measured 6 weeks 3 days. However, based on their calculation it should be 7 weeks 4 days, based on a date calculation that does not apply to me because I do not have perfect cycles. So the 6 week range is probably correct. Unfortunately there was a small amount of blood behind the placenta, which according to my OB is not horribly concerning (she said her level of worry was 3/10..with 10 being very worried) since the beans heart rate was 145. Though this coupled with a potentially small bean, could be worrisome, and so we will go back for a repeat ultrasound in two weeks.

None the less, I feel very blessed that we were able to see as much as we did (of course the first thing I looked for was that little flicker!). I am sure everything will check out just fine in two weeks, and can't wait to see our bean again!!

The best thing since sliced bread.....

What is this wonderful thing that I have brought into my life you may ask? Full panel maternity pants. I think I am in love. It brings a whole new appreciation for Joey from friends, belly to the table, decked out in Phoebe's plaid full panel maternity pants ready to devour the entire Thanksgiving turkey. The heck with all you skinny girls who wear those little hipster maternity pants......this girl needs full support! I have been paroozing the Internet for sales on maternity clothes, and I believe I have found my debit card's worst enemy for the next 9 months...Old Navy Maternity. Cozy, roomy yet supporting, and all the summer stuff is super cheap :) Bring on the belly.... I'm ready!!...or at least my wardrobe is!

And I thought getting pregnant was going to be tough....

That was nothing compared to the constant fear and worry of something happening to this precious bean. I have read so many heart breaking stories of miscarriages and losses that just like I analyzed every "pre-positive test" symptom, I seem to be doing that "post-positive test." I suppose its the very early nausea that I felt, which initially sounded dreadful, but haven't felt very much of the past two days has sent my mind spinning. It's amazing how you don't realize how much you miss something until it's gone. Who would've thought one would ever "miss" feeling nauseated. But I suppose its the whole, "I have to see it to believe it" phenomena that makes this so challenging. Since I cannot "see" our little bean right now, I want to feel it, just so I know its real and that it is safe :) I suppose for now, I'll just keep spending money on more tests just to make sure it's still there!

Pregnancy symptoms 101

Now that I have documented my journey through trying to conceive, its time to move the train to the next station.... PREGNANCY! It was so fun to tell my closest friends of our great news! Some screamed with joy, some still groggy from my early morning phone call, but all with big supportive "Congratulations!" for the parents to be.

I am currently somewhere between 3 and 4 weeks pregnant so we will still be waiting a little while before we shout it from the mountain tops for all to know. Its funny how as soon as you see that little line, amongst all of the nervousness, joy, and excitement comes worry too. I suppose that worry never goes away as long as you are a parent, but it sure does start immediately. There are so many risks and things that can happen during pregnancy that your mind becomes a whirlwind of "what ifs." I am pretty sure many a women have gone completely insane during pregnancy for this exact reason. One of the first things I worried about is whether it will be a sticky bean. You hear so many stories of early losses that you can't help but wonder "Is that going to be me?" There is no way of knowing, which is probably for the better, but also cause for most of the insanity.

Other than the tornado of emotions, I haven't had feelings of much else. Lots of gas, a little queesy yesterday, and a raging sore throat this morning (which some would speculate whether its truly an early symptom of pregnancy, but lots of women have experienced it). From time to time I have had some mild cramping, but with all this extra air in my body right now, its hard to tell which is which.

None the less, we are super excited and very blessed that it only took two months. Some women struggle with infertility for years, which must bring on more heartache and disappointment than I can even fathom. Now hopefully this bean stays put!!! Stay stuck bean, we already love you!

BIG FAT POSITIVE

BFP! BFP! BFP! Can you believe it? I almost couldn't as that tiny little pink line came into view within seconds. I started shaking and my heart started racing.

The funny thing is, I really didn't think we would get a BFP this month...our timing wasn't so great, but over the past week two things were different for me. One was being super gassy, it was sort of ridiculous :) The other was a "girlie" symptom that I will spare you from. That's it. None of the other classic symptoms, and it was a little too early to say that I had missed Aunt Flo.

I got the urge to test Friday night, two nights ago, sort of on a whim. I got a barely faint line, thought my eyes were playing tricks on me so Derek and I went to dinner. When I got home the line had dried a little darker. So I took another. Still very faint line. I posted pictures of the tests on one of the Trying to conceive message boards and received lots of "positive" feedback. I was so nervous, and wanted to tell Derek, but needed a bigger fatter line before I could believe it myself. So the next morning, I broke out my more expensive tests and sure enough within seconds I had a very legitimate pink line.

I wanted to do something cute and creative to tell Derek the news, but he woke up within minutes of the positive test, so there was no time, and I was not going to be able to keep it from him. The night before was hard enough. Poor guy was still half asleep when I approached him, positive test in hand, and held it up. His first question was "what is that?" and his second was "is that for real?" Once he believed it to be true, we both got teary eyed and hugged. It was super sweet.

Chin up

Last month did not turn out to be a big fat positive. I learned some valuable lessons though...

1. Pregnancy tests with blue lines have a VERY HIGH rate of false positives.

2. Watching your temperatures is good for only the first half of your cycle, beyond that, its pointless and stressful.

3. It doesn't really matter when our wonderful happens.

I am actually glad the first month is out of the way, sure I wish that we only had to go through the agony once, but it is much less stressful this time. Hopefully less stress means more success!! Back to waiting.....

A big fat..........MAYBE????

The waiting game for the BIG FAT POSITIVE is excruciating. Truly excruciating. Some girls have said that the 2 week wait gets a little less nerve wracking after you experience it a few times, but I would love it if I only have to go through it this once :) :)

It is interesting though that everything you feel you attribute it to being pregnant...even if you know it is WAY to early for something to happen. From every little twinge, cramp, feelings of nausea or even a runny nose make you think that you are experiencing that because you are pregnant.

Speaking of pregnant.....I am trying not to get my hopes up, but I did pee on a stick this afternoon and got a very faint blue line. Some say that the tests with a blue line are not reliable and often give a false positive, so I am trying to patiently wait a few more days. The digital one that I took this morning said negative, but they are also not very sensitive and I am still 5 days away from my scheduled visit from Aunt Flow.

For now though, I'll keep my fingers crossed!!!

Progesterone Poisoning

Who knows if that is really what it was or just a result of the crazy indigestion that I have had going on for the past three days, but this morning as I was getting ready I had this overwhelming sense of nausea. It came on like a ton of bricks, had me contemplating running to the bathroom for about three seconds, then it vanished as quickly as it arrived. I won't make too much speculation about it, but I'll just say that it was weird for sure.

I just completed my five days of taking a fertility enhancer and to my surprise, I have not had any side effects. I thought for sure I would become victim of the hot flashes or mood swings...but so far so good. One thing that I have noticed is that my temperature has been on the higher side of my normal for the past five days without much fluctuation. Wonder if this is due to the medication or it's just because? Who knows. I am glad that at least for now I don't have to take anything other than a multivitamin, I had a small case of juvenile Alzheimer's and contemplated a pill box. I couldn't remember what pills I had taken and not taken. They say pregnancy makes your forgetful, maybe I'm just preparing for it! Yep that definitely sounds better than juvenile Alzheimer's!!

Let's get this show boat on the river!!

I am so incredibly excited to begin my journey into the unknown of becoming a parent. First I suppose, we should make a little bundle of joy, which we are hoping will happen this month. We were married 6 months ago, on Valentine's Day and it was always our plan to start trying in August. So here we are.

Now, I had to have a few kinks in the system worked out before we could officially start trying. In an interest of sparing you the details, I'll simply state that I start a "fertility enhancer" tomorrow and I have an endocrine appointment at the end of the month. So hopefully the moon will be full and the special sauce will be in the water! Wish us luck!