Good News

Hi Baby,

Today marks the day where I have officially been aware of you and kept you healthy and strong inside my tummy for longer than I did with Leila. I know it's not much, but it feels like a milestone to me. Last time, with your sister, I found out that I miscarried exactly one week after I found out I was pregnant.

Today, I have known about you for one week and one day.

And it feels great!

I don't know if you realize this or not, but you gave me quite the little scare a few days ago.

Because I lost your sister to miscarriage, my doctor said that I should come in right away the next time I found out I was pregnant to get my hormones tested. That way, if I miscarried last time because of low progesterone levels, they could give me a supplement to prevent that from happening in my pregnancy with you. Don't worry about what progesterone is or why I need it. Basically, it's a bunch of mumbo-jumbo doctor talk that maybe someday you'll learn to decipher when you and your spouse start a family...a long time from now :)

But the point is, when I got the test done on Tuesday, my hCG (the "pregnancy hormone," if you will) was looking good, but my progesterone was a bit low.

Before finding out the test results, surprisingly, I've been really calm, peaceful, and confident.

I haven't read into any pains I've felt too much (though the cramps did get pretty bad one day, which made me nervous).

In general, I've been able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fact that you are growing inside of me.

And your daddy and I have done so much planning and hoping and dreaming about the future already! (Just last night, for the first time, your daddy asked me whether I think you are a boy or a girl. He said he thinks you're a girl. I said I also kind of think you're a girl, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to think that, since I thought that last time. Since there's a 50/50 shot, if I thought our last baby was a girl [really, during that pregnancy, I was convinced], aren't I required to think you're a boy, just to even out the count?)

But when they told me that my progesterone was low, I got nervous all of a sudden.

What if there is something wrong already?

The twelve week mark seems so far away right now!

When I called in to get the test results, the doctor put me on a progesterone supplement right away (which I have been taking religiously, so hopefully that's doing something for you!). Then, she told me to come in again on Thursday (two days after my first test) to see how things were progressing.

So I did.

I got the results yesterday.

When the doctor looked at my chart, her exact expression was, "Oh, this is excellent!"

Apparently, child of mine, you have really multiplied those hCG levels the past couple of days...even more than she expected!

Good work - I'm so proud of you!

My progesterone, on the other had, stayed at the same level...but at least it didn't get lower.

They are going to have me come in next Thursday (one week after starting the progesterone supplements) to see how things are looking.

And I'm expecting just as much of a "wow" reaction from the doctor next time as I got this time, okay, Little One? Keep on growing and developing for me and daddy, please!

On another note, your daddy is so careful about what he lets the two of us eat.

He has taken it upon himself to eat all the unhealthy food in the house so that you don't get any wasted calories from fun and delicious stuff like sugar.

He told me the other day that my pregnancy is going to make him gain weight...what a laugh!

Believe me, I can see how much he is "suffering," being the only one allowed to eat junk food!

Here is how a typical day goes down for us:

Daddy packs my lunch while I get ready for work.

When I'm done getting ready, he feeds me.

He starts slow, with a yogurt.

At least one full glass of water (if not two).

Some fruit salad (mango, pineapple, blueberry, and kiwi - yum!).

Then he offers me toast.

I say, "No thanks. I'm full."

He says, "It's not about being hungry, it's about keeping Baby healthy!"

Then he makes me drink an entire glass of Green Machine Naked juice (my least favorite Naked juice, thank you very much).

He will eventually convince me to eat a hard-boiled egg or some dried fruit before I leave for work, but that's about it.

When I get to work, I see that he has packed the following in my lunch: a cup of tea, two full nalgenes of water, a ziploc baggie full of dried mangoes, a ziploc baggie full of craisins, a fairly large fruit salad, at least one yogurt (if not two), a very large container of whatever type of leftovers I will be eating (this week, stir fry), two hard-boiled eggs, and some cheese (for the protein and calcium). And, believe you me, he would be sending me with more food, but I always happen to have leftovers from yesterday's lunch waiting for me at work (shocker, right?).

Yesterday, when I left for work, he told me not to come home until I had finished my entire lunch.

To which I replied, "Okay, see you next week."

He also called me at work to see if I had run out of food and needed him to bring over more.

Haha.

Then, I get home from work, and I am given cheese and crackers (and possibly yet another yogurt) as a snack before dinner. More cheese than crackers, let me tell you.

When we have dinner, I have a large plate of whatever is on the menu with a full glass of chocolate milk.

One thing you will learn about your mommy is that I hate milk (which is no excuse for you not to drink it, by the way, so don't even try to use that against me in the future).

So, my drinking milk - even chocolate milk - is a sacrifice of love for you.

Then he tries to convince me to drink another glass of Naked juice.

Then he makes me drink at least three full glasses of water before bed.

Then, right before bed, he tries to feed me an evening snack, like cereal, yogurt, leftovers from dinner, or fruit salad. Or maybe a granola bar. Or more cheese and crackers.

Let me tell you, I'm starting to understand why pregnant women gain weight - it's not because of the baby, it's because their husbands won't stop shoving food down their throats!

It is endearing, though, and very cute.

He just wants you (and me) to be healthy so bad, Baby.

So don't hold it against him...I certainly don't!

Anyway, just thought you might like to know how your existence has made your daddy slightly loopy :)

I love you, Baby - keep growing!

Love,

Momma