2nd Pregnancy Journal ~ 1st Trimester

Weeks 0-4

Reflection on Weeks 0 - 4 of 40 (Sept 11 – Oct 24, 2004)

Again -- the medical world considers the 1st day of your last period (LMP) as the 1st day of pregnancy -- even though conception won't occur for 2 weeks, more or less!  This terminology took some getting used to in our 1^st pregnancy, but I’m well versed in it now.  With Jake, the end results of those numbers were only off by one day, so we stuck to the LMP terminologies for practical purposes.  The LMP method of dating a pregnancy relies on ovulation occurring on the 14^th day of a cycle, calling this event the start of Week 2 in a pregnant cycle.  I didn’t O until CD 24 in this cycle, which renders LMP dating useless in my case.  For this journal, I will refer to my date of ovulation as the start of Week 2, ignoring the 23 rather than 13 days of my cycle prior to that point, and work from there to record my thoughts. With that said... 

Journal time again! :)  We’re happy to report that not much assistance at all went into bringing us back to this point once more!  Since my cycles regulated after Jake was born (shocking in itself), I’ve had continued (albeit different) fertility problems.  We consulted our Reproductive Endocrinologist in October of 2003, and left the office with a plan to start trying to conceive (TTC) Baby #2 after the holidays.  Well, Life happens & we didn’t become serious about tackling my new fertility issues until the Fall of 2004.  Unbeknownst to us, Baby #2 was naturally being conceived while we were at our 1^st visit to start fertility treatments with Dr. Tidey on October 4th (2 weeks)!  Ah, the sweet irony of that!  No one thought I’d ever get pregnant without intervention, least of all me!  And there we were discussing late ovulations with short luteal phases, and talking drugs & more IUIs with Dr. Tidey at the very moment that God, or Mother Nature, or Fate – or a grand combination of them all, was working a miracle without medical assistance! Our trip to the Zoo with Jakey after our appointment was, as it turns out, our first adventure as a family of four!! :)  Two Week Wait (2WW) be damned, I consider myself very lucky these days to get even 8 days from ovulation before my period, so...  The evening of my 10th day post-ovulation (Thursday, October 14^th (3 weeks & 3 days), right after Joey – with continued morning-n-night sickness & a full/sore chest), I got two pink lines on a home pregnancy test!!  :)  BFP!!!! :)  I couldn’t even believe it...I was shaking with joy when I brought the stick out to have Kraston confirm what I saw!  We stood in the kitchen, hugging & kissing, in a gleeful state of shock & disbelief!!  From the beginning, I was worried about the sticking power of an unmedicated conception...  Staying pregnant with an extremely short luteal phase (5, 6, 7 days, such as I’ve had since Jake) was not something we left solely to miracles.  The morning after our +HPT, I called both the R.E. and our OB to begin progesterone supplementation.  I still spotted on 13 & 16 DPO.  When they were finally back, my initial blood tests confirmed the pregnancy wouldn’t have lasted the weekend without the supplements.  The 1^st 14 weeks of this pregnancy are considered high risk due to my recent history of low progesterone levels after ovulation.  Because of this, we intend to wait far longer than we did with our 1^st pregnancy to announce the news even to our parents.  Not sharing has stifled our celebration a bit this time, but not our excitement!!  

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Week 5 of 40 (Oct 25 - Oct 31, 2004)

I had my 1st OB appointment with Dr. Jones’s office on Wednesday, October 27 (5 weeks & 2 days).  At the confirmation visit I was officially listed by the nurse practitioner as being 6w5d along, based on a CD-14 ovulation.  They’re officially saying I am due June 18th – all of which is wrong.  I ovulated on Cycle Day 24 of this cycle, and thus we are really due on June 27, 2005. :)  These are important distinctions to make in regard to prenatal testing & labor induction, so I will be sure that Dr. Jones is on the same page I am concerning my cycle chart when I see him on November 10^th.  Ignoring the discrepancy in dating our pregnancy, all indications via blood tests are positive thus far.  My test results are as follows:                  

10/15 -  p4: 13.7;  ß-hCG:   85  - 11dpo

10/18 -  p4: 29.0;  ß-hCG: 230  - 14dpo

10/20 -  p4:  n/a ;  ß-hCG: 644  - 16dpo 

Still, we really won’t feel secure in the knowledge of Baby #2 until that 1st heartbeat is seen via ultrasound!  Though we certainly won’t be out of the woods, it will be a real comfort to see for ourselves that things are going well...  For now we anxiously await our 1st glimpse of the newest addition to our little family!  The first ultrasound will be with Dr. Tidey on November 1st! :)  While Momma & Daddy are in Richmond, Jake has big plans for a day with Grammy & Papa (formerly known in this forum & others as Gram & Gramps).  Oh, how great Jake is going to be as a big brother!  He really is a kind person already, when it comes to the dogs & other kids – and his favorite adults, of course.  I have told him several times now that there’s a baby in Momma’s belly – Jake’s one of the only people who know, after all!!  He now lifts my shirt & kisses my tummy, then says “cover up” as he puts my shirt back in order.  Too cute! :)  Two boys will share the nursery, & our spare room will serve as a guestroom & play room for the kiddies.  A girl will claim the spare room for herself...  Either way, our family is so blessed & will soon be complete!

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Week 6 of 40 (Nov 1 - Nov 7, 2004)

Well, we saw a tiny shimmer on Ultrasound at Dr. Tidey’s office Monday! :)  The heartbeat was just barely visible, and not able to be captured on film yet.  We did get a picture of the pregnancy itself, though. :) 

At 6-weeks, Jake’s heartbeat was so clearly visible...it’s a bit scary to not see the same thing with Junior.  But 6-weeks is a pivotal point in development & Dr. Tidey assured us that there’s nothing to fear since we did see the beating, even if it wasn’t as bright as Jake’s.  We told my parents & brother the news over dinner when we returned from Richmond!  We’ll tell Kraston’s folks as soon as we can get them both on the phone, and his brother shortly thereafter!

Getting pregnant with Jake was a long & lonely road, which would have been so much harder than it was had it not been for the infertility support group to which I belonged.  I was mere days away from composing my reintroduction message, gearing up to begin Clomid again, when we discovered this pregnancy!  But this time, I did not start down the road alone.  Both of my best friends are on the TTC path with us!  TTC alongside the two friends who mean the most to me...well, I’m just so grateful for their offers of support!  I’m thrilled to share that Leigh is 10 days further along in her 2^nd pregnancy than I am, truly due on June 18^th.  Tracy is in the 2WW now for what will most likely be her last cycle TTC Baby #2 for some time, should ol’ Aunt Flow come knockin’...  It’s not that we’re in a race or any such thing, but being pregnant together would really be/is already quite a kick!  :)  Sandy, my cycle buddy in Jake’s pregnancy & an otherwise stranger, was a great person to lean on as we went through every stage of our pregnancies together.  (I hope she’d say we held each other up!)  I can only imagine how wonderful it will be to have Leigh & possibly Tracy sharing this experience with me!  Though, truthfully, Tracy & I will find it difficult to act as support through each other’s labor the 2^nd time around, if we’re due so close together!! :)

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Week 7 of 40 (Nov 8 - Nov 14, 2004)

It’s been a heck of a weekend...  With Leigh’s daughter already in a 1/2-body cast, Tracy’s daughter having a seizure, and Kraston fracturing his wrist, I’m grateful to have the past week behind us, & good things to look forward to this week.  The girls are both hanging in there, perhaps a tad better than their mothers!  And Daddy will have his wrist set today.  We rescheduled our OB visit for Friday (Jake’s 2^nd birthday) instead of Wednesday, just incase his doctor postpones the setting due to excessive swelling, or other complications.  Kraston doesn’t want to miss an opportunity to see Junior!  There are no set plans for another ultrasound at this appointment, but we’re hopeful Dr. Jenkins will do one to get my correct due date on record at Williamsburg OB/GYN.  Our doctor is also supposed to send word down from Richmond, so he should be of some help in that regard, too.  The Williamsburg contingent of our family now knows, and we were able to share our news with Kraston’s parents on Sunday, but still have not caught Uncle Zoom at home!  We shall spread the word at Christmastime (13 weeks) to the rest of the world! :)

Our OB appointment went wonderfully well! :)  It was great to be back there on Jake’s 2^nd birthday – like coming full circle! We had an ultrasound at 7w4d with Deloris, which dated Junior at 8-Weeks with a crown-to-rump length of 15.9mm, and showed a heart-rate of 163.  

(CLICK HERE)

It was so good to see the baby clearly this time!  In keeping with Dr. Tidey’s report, Dr. Jenkins updated my due date to June 27, 2005 right off the bat.  We discussed VBAC, and came to the agreement that (baring unforeseen circumstances) I will have a natural delivery if I go into labor prior to my due date.  If by my 39-week checkup, I’m not dilated at all, a 2^nd c-section will be scheduled for 40w1d.  That’s the plan Kraston & I are comfortable with, too, so we’re all on the same track. 

In other news, Tracy shall catch another train...she’s not pregnant this cycle.  They’re putting a 2^nd baby off until Tracy’s career path is stable once more, as her boss hopes to run for statewide election next year.  So looks like it’s just me & Leigh Beigh in for that long haul to June... :)

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Week 8 of 40 (Nov 15 - Nov 21, 2004)

Well, I did have additional spotting on Sunday (41dpo, 7w6d), but I think I’m taking it all in stride.  I trust now that some spotting is within the realm of normal.  We’re doing everything we can for Junior at this point, and just need to keep focused on December 20^th, the start of Week 13.  That’s when the rate of miscarriage drops dramatically & the baby’s hormones really start to support the pregnancy more than my own.  I’ll go off the progesterone supplementation right around the New Year.  These jellybeans really are icky, I must say. :-P  And I’ll be glad to be done with them, but I’m willing to go to any lengths for this baby!! :)  I still can’t believe we’re really pregnant!  And that we did it on our own!  I can’t believe Jake is TWO either...  It’s like I’m in a suspended reality where all my dreams are coming true! :)  My baby is growing into a strong and healthy little boy & now we’re having another one! :)  Jake’s birthday party was fun, lucky fella – it was like a Christmas Morning preview!  I can only image what a scene next Christmas will be, with 2 kiddies in front of the tree... :)  I had all these illustrious plans for making 3 stockings last year that never came to fruition.  Now I have another to add to my list!!! :)  Everything is falling into place...I really can’t believe it’s actually happening!  I hope Jake handles the transition from only child to big brother well enough.  Mom says I just loved Mike, and called him “my baby” without any really big problems adjusting.  May the expansion of my own family go as smoothly!  We’re on the cusp of starting to potty-train now that he’s two, but I’ve read all sorts of things that say you might as well wait until after the baby is born before tackling that.  It seems to me though that potty-training a 2-½ year-old & nursing a newborn are not things one ought to attempt at the same time...  We’ll have to see how it goes for Jakey when Junior makes his/her June appearance! :)  Speaking of Junior making appearances, I’ve started to notice my clothes getting tighter!  I went to put on a pair of jeans on Jake’s birthday, and they were too tight to comfortably wear!  Leigh says she’s actually wearing her maternity pants at just barely 9-weeks!  I find this rapid change just shocking.  In my 1^st pregnancy, I was just about at my 18^th Week before I started reaching for maternity clothes.  I don’t think I’ll make it out of my 10^th Week before I need to wear them now!  With Jake, I didn’t even shop for maternity things until I was in my 2^nd trimester!!  This time, though, Amazon.com was having a big sale & I just couldn’t resist daydreaming!! :)  Kraston placed an order from my wish-list even before our 1^st ultrasound, which was apparently not as silly as it felt at the time! :)

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Week 9 of 40 (Nov 22 - Nov 28, 2004)

Happy Thanksgiving, Junior! :)  It’s a rather sad Brennan tradition that someone is always sick on Turkey Day.  This year, Momma is the lucky Brennan.  I came down with a bad cold or some such thing on Tuesday and it is still going strong.  The advice is to avoid all unnecessary medications during pregnancy, so I dutifully battled my 2-½ day bout of fever with Tylenol only 1^st thing in the morning & right before bed.  Halls are my best friend, however, as I’ve got a wicked soar throat to boot.  Sickness aside, we had a lovely Thanksgiving feast with the Brennan’s of Williamsburg.  It was strange to celebrate with no out-of-towners at the table, since Nana Kathleen is now a regular at Sunday Suppers!  I went to put on my last remaining pair of jeans-that-still-button in dressing for Thanksgiving dinner...they didn’t quite fit.  So, in reaching for elastic-waist pants that do, I thanked Kraston (again) for his maternity purchase made in October!  I now need to get the pants hemmed so I can actually wear the clothes I’ll need shortly.  I’ve also started to notice a numb sensation in my left thigh, which happened with Jakey, too.  I suppose trips to see Grammy at work with Dr. Walsh are about to become more frequent – much to Jake’s delight!

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Week 10 of 40 (Nov 29 - Dec 5, 2004)

This weekend we (Daddy & Papa) installed one half of the base units for our fireplace-surround entertainment center.  A project we began just before Jake’s 1^st birthday is finally underway again.  Grammy & I painted the cabinetry last year, but mounting the cabinets to the walls just never happened.  (There’s a lot of that which goes on here....)  With Kraston’s wrist still healing, my dad was a great help to him.  And with daylong morning sickness on top of this head-now-chest cold, my mom was a huge help with Jake.  Kraston is switching libraries on Tuesday, from J (6 minutes from home) to W (22 minutes away) – the end of lunches with Daddy.  I have a chiropractic appointment on Wednesday, with plans to Christmas shop with Jake & Grammy afterwards.  And then we have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday!! :)  So there’s a busy week ahead for all of us! :)   Week 10 +4 Days  Our appointment with Dr. Jenkins went wonderfully well! :)  Junior has a heartrate of 178bpm, and a crown-to-rump length of 45.1mm.  S/he’s measuring at 11w2d when I’m only 10w4d along, so growing like a champ.  

 The best part of the ultrasound was seeing the baby jumping in my womb as though there were a trampoline in there!  We were able to see the actual bones of the hands & feet because s/he was so active!  There’s a little person bee-bopping around inside of me!!!  It’s quite unreal to me still, but we sure have seen it with our own eyes! :)

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Week 11 of 40 (Dec 6 - Dec 12, 2004)

I feel so pregnant!  Dr. Jenkins joked the 1^st time we saw him that I’d wake up one day looking and feeling 20 weeks pregnant when I wasn’t even close.  Well, that time has come!  I only hope all the pressure & leg cramps he warned of will hold off for a little longer!  This baby is becoming more a reality with very day that passes.  With Grammy’s help, I began the much-anticipated Christmas Stocking Project.  We completed the bodies of four stockings, and all that remains are the little trim details! :)  Three of the four will hang on our mantle this Christmas, with Junior’s ready & waiting to take its rightful place beside them next year.  Kraston & I also discussed how to tell the world our news this week.  We’d previously decided to skip the holiday update with our cards on account of my just not feeling up to writing it!  Well, with Dec. 20^th as the start of my 2^nd Trimester, and our “tell all” date...Kraston thought perhaps Christmas cards would be the most effective way to spread the word after waiting so long.  So Mommy’s project for the weekend will be to compose our yearly review after all.  And Daddy plans to continue the Fireplace Built-In Project...the countertop awaits!  Our humble home of two years is really coming along...

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Week 12 of 40 (Dec 13 - Dec 19, 2004) Well, this is it – Week 12 is finally here! :)  I can’t believe I’m just days from the 2nd trimester!  Auntie Tracy & lil’ Emmie are planning a visit this weekend to meet Junior, and see the rest of us, too.  We’re all going to see Santa Papa (as Jake calls the jolly old elf) at the Polo Club, which ought to be an adventure...  We intend to let the word of Junior spread from there, as it’s becoming pretty obvious that another babe is on the way!  I’m still fairly nauseated from morning to night, and brushing my teeth is a torturous routine because of that.  But it’s all worth it!!  Every dry-heave is a comforting reassurance that Junior is still bee-bopping around! :) --Back to Top of Page--