Pics...

More pics of Aaden.....

Just can't resist!!!

Aaden has arrived!

After 44 hours of labor, I ended up having a somewhat emergent C-section on June 9th. I started taking some oral medicaion on June 7th to soften my cervix and that started some mild contractions. On June 8th I started on IV pitocin which brought on stronger more painful contractions. I ended up begging for an epidural after trying Stadol and Phenergan which only made the pain worse if that was even possible. It was a long day and around 1am on June 9th, Aaden started showing some signs of distress on the monitor. I spiked a fever at 3am and had major racking chills. I had a intrauterine monitor and Aaden had a fetal monitor on him so they were able to monitor us both closely. I was maxed out on Pitocin and was having very strong contractions every 3 minutes for about 2 hours. When the OB came to check me and I hadn't made any progress in those 2 hours, my hours of labor and opportunity to have a vaginal delivery were over. I was ok with the decison to have a c-section at that point because I was beyond tired. I didn't know if I even had anything left in me to actually push him out when the time came.

I was so tired when they were wheeling me into the OR. They started numbing my lower body through my epidural while I was still in my room so I was no help getting myself to the OR table. I started to panic because I couldn't take a deep breath because the epidural was numbing my chest wall. Very scary feeling and very unsettling. I thought at one point if I didn't calm down, they would intubate me and knock me out and I would miss his arrival into this world. Chris came in and was holding my hand and that made me feel a little better. It seemed to take forever before he came out. I didn't hear the 1st cry but Chris was videotaping and got some good footage. I then heard him cry and I was told to look to my right. The OB held him up for me to see. He was so angry looking and crying. The poor guy...pulled out of my warm body into this cold room with bright lights. It was so reassuring to hear him crying while I was laying there. The NICU team was there in case he had issues with breathing but soon they brought him to Chris to hold.

Throughout the surgery, I could feel a small window of discomfort that turned out to be a part of my uterus. Ow. As they were closing me up, my epidural was wearing off and the pain was getting worse. When they were done stitching me up, they warned me that they had to push down on my uterus to expel what was in there. The pain was unreal! I'm not sure but I think that was how the placenta was delivered. I have to ask about this at my follow up appointment. I got to finally hold Aaden after they moved me to my bed and they wheeled us out to the recovery room. Chris was there waiting for us. Shortly after, they took Aaden to check his blood sugar and suddenly he was whisked away to NICU. His blood sugar was less than 20 on two checks. I was so tired and in so much pain, I couldn't think straight. I knew he was in good hands. Chris looked stressed. Soon I was moved to my new room on the 2nd floor and Chris came in with my bags and some info from the NICU. He was exhausted and seemed overwhelmed by everything and having the baby in NICU and he headed home to get some sleep. I managed to fall asleep for brief periods of time.

The next 4 days I spent recovering. I could barely get in and out of the bed and turning over in the bed was brutal. Aaden spent a few days in NICU and was then transferred to the CCN. I managed to get to NICU on Tuesday night to see him. It was overhwelming to finally see him. He looked good but had an IV and was on the monitor. While in NICU, I was able to feed him and Kangaroo him which was awesome. At night in my room, I was grateful I was able to sleep but it felt wrong to have a baby in the NICU and not be with him.

I went home from the hospital on June 13th and Aaden was discharged onthe 14th. My one night home without him was spent in my hospital bed at home with a fever of 102 and the shaking chills. They presumed it was from a possible bladder infection and I started on antibiotics. If Aaden had come home with me, Chris would of been on his own because I would of been of no use that night!

We've been home for about a week and I'm loving it! Finally we get him all to ourselves! We've had visitors and my mom comes a lot to see him. Too bad he always seems to be sleeping when his Grammy is here. I'm still pumping because of latching issues but at least he's getting some breast milk from me. My nickname for him is "Sweet Cheeks". I love those cheeks! I am so excited for every moment with him and I'm excited to see what our future together will bring:)

Here we go!!!!!

At 7:20am this morning, my water broke!!! Thankfully Chris was home and was just about to get into the shower before he left for work. We called the OB who told us to come on down to the hospital. After soaking a waterproof pad and about 4 towels, 3 pair of underpants, we made it. No real contractions yet and the OB doesn't feel any reason to rush into Pitocin. We are going to wait and see what happens naturally and go from there. I'm on IV antibiotics to prevent an infection and to cover me in case I am Group B strep positive since I hadn't had that test yet. They took the culture in WETU because the pediatrician likes to know if mom was positive or not. My cerclage was removed successfully by my OB once I got up to the LDRP room. I feel so relieved to have that out.

I'm still in shock that I'm here in a hospital bed listening to his heartrate with an IV going. I am having some very mild contractions at times but it's more like uterine irritability than anything else. Sunday I will be 36 weeks. I'd like to make it till then but if it happens sooner, I'm told he will most likely do very well and may have a short stay in the NICU or the CCN for a few days. He may not be able to go home with me which was my main goal. I need to prepare myself to leave her possibly without him. That will be really hard for me.

Work friends and mom have been here to visit. My GD is suddenly behaving. It will be interesting to see what my blood sugar is tomorrow. So far I am having a stellar day although I didn't take any insulin this morning and didn't eat till lunch. I had way more carbs than usual at dinner and took my insulin and my blood sugar was perfect. They go by calories here, not carbs. Now I'm thinking I would have starved less on a calorie diet than what I was following. Oh well.

My baby boy is going to have an early June birthday. Tomorrow is Corinne's 20th birthday. Wouldn't it be interesting if Chris has 2 kids with the same birthday by 2 different women??

Almost there.....

I think I'm still in shock that I am past the 35 weeks pregnant milestone and heading to the 36 week mark! What happened??? In my mind, I had 34 weeks as my end point and now I can't believe this is happening! I'm still not feeling ready to deliver this little guy but maybe you never feel ready. I finished all my Childbirth and Breastfeeding classes and now we wait till the cerclage is removed which should happen on June 12th.

Today I had my BPP u/s and everything looks good once again. Then we had an appointment at the MFM office with the NP about my GD. My blood sugars are still not quite controlled and she increased my doses. I feel like this is a joke at this point. It's like they string you along and tell you once you're controlled you'll be able to "cheat" a little. Yeah right. I think the plan is to never get you under control. I'm almost at the end here and at this point, I've had enough. I can't cave into any food cravings I have. And what else is there for me to really enjoy right now other than food? Certainly not this hospital bed which by the way, will be going back to the DME company this month:)

I did get to see the Peri who put my cerclage in. I love this man and we got to thank him and brag that we made to almost 36 weeks after he predicted I may be luck to make 28 weeks. We made his day. And I asked him if he would take me to the OR to remove the cerclage with an epidural if my OB was unable to remove it in her office. He said he would. I hope he's actually available if that happens. I've decided if my OB can't get it out in the office, I'm not going to the MFM office to have other's try because I'm sure it's going to be horribly painful especially since it's been in there for so many weeks!

My breastfeeding class was interesting. The instructor happens to live on my street. Talk about having a resource! She gave me her phone number when we left and I've got a feeling she will be stopping over to check on me in the future.

The boy is growing!

We went for our 1st of many biophysical profile u/s's last week and Aaden weighed in at 4lbs 10oz! He's right on target according to my "What To Expect" book. He passed all the tests he had to. We saw him take a practice breath. The tech had to use the buzzer to get him to move. He was snoozing away.

I found out I will be induced at 39 weeks unless something happens sooner. My OB said she wouldn't stop labor after the 36 week mark or maybe she said the 35 week mark. If something was to happen, it would be a sign the baby needed to come out. I am officially 33 weeks today! Wow. Can't believe I am still hanging out in this hospital bed in my living room. I am about 4 weeks away from having my cerclage removed. How I dread the thought....that is so going to hurt:(

Tomorrow I am having another u/s. This will start my weekly trips to the OB office for u/'s and NST's. My 1st NST will be on Thursday. I'm hoping to skip out to get my driver's license renewed since it expired back in March. At least then I'll feel like I have a bit more control and I can take myself to appointments after 34 weeks. My mom offered to take me to a few appointments which is sweet of her. She is so excited for this baby.

Childbirth class has been kind of fun. This week we are going on the tour of the LDRP. And we are supposed to see a film on c-sections and practice pushing. I'll be skipping the pushing part. Not a good idea in a lady with little if any cervix left.

My insulin doses are being increased every few days. I think finally I've plateaued with the current dose. Tomorrow they will increase again and hopefully I will see a difference. It's been crazy. My stubborn body has been resisting all this insulin! I keep wondering where the heck it is going since I'm not using it. Kind of scary if you think about it.

Waiting for Aadens furniture to be delivered. I'm hoping it comes soon so we can wash all his clothes and I can put them away and set things up. My glider is up in his room so I have a place to sit and won't have to stand for too long. I also started to pack my bag for the hospital. We are so taking some of the candy and cookies in that awesome gift basket I received from the rehab ladies I work with. I pray this diabetes goes bye bye when labor starts!

Baby Shower....

I made it!!! My main goal since bedrest began and I did it!! It was overwhelming to see everyone since I've been here on "house arrest". People were sincerely happy for us and some of the messages they wrote in the cards are still bringing tears to my eyes today. We got wonderful gifts and things I didn't even think of. Both my mom and MIL did a fantastic job with the planning. My mom even had a recliner for me. I was wiped out when we got home. Chris and I went through the gifts last night again and today it took me all day to go through things again and make my list for thank you's. I finally feel prepared to bring our little man home. I didn't realize that some of my anxiety was because we didn't have anything for the baby in this house yet. Once the furniture comes it will be awesome to get his room set up. Hopefully that will happen in the next few weeks.

Wednesday we start our childbirth classes. I hope we aren't the oldest couple there but I have a feeling we will be. Oh well...should be interesting.

Picture...

Here's a picture of our sweet little boy....the u/s tech was amazing and very patient to get this picture for us! After seeing this, all I want is to hold him! Grandma Susie has a copy of the picture framed and carries it around with her:)

Almost 31 weeks!

Can't believe I finally made it into the 30 week zone!! Went for an OB appointment today. All looks well. Cervix remains closed and high. My weight was up just 1lb which I was surprised at since I've been doing well on the GD diet and looked like I lost another 1lb on my scale. It may be fluid gain. My toes felt tight the other day and I keep reading that water weight starts now.

My GD is another story. I will be starting insulin tomorrow. The Glyburide just wasn't enough. My blood sugars fluctuate so much. I can eat the same exact meal 2 days in a row and get a 20 point difference in my glucose reading. Today my blood sugar was high after breakfast and I ate less than usual because I had to eat quick before leaving for the appointment. Weird. We stopped at the pharmacy and picked up the insulin so I will start that tomorrow. I was told the insulin doses are conservative so I may not see any improvement. I meet with the NP at the MFM office next week. Hopefully she can find the right dose for me.

Sunday is my baby shower! This was my main goal that I set out to make 11 weeks ago. Can't believe how close I am!!! I also finally got the courage to call a daycare near my house and spoke to the owner. She may have an opening coming up and asked me to call her back in a few weeks. Hopefully something will work out for us. Then again, when does anything go right for us???

Gestational Diabetes

So lets add another problem to the list. Yep. GD. This complication was totally expected by me since I have PCOS and IR and I'm overweight. Even though I was expecting this, it still bites. At least I had meals to look forward too. Now I have to follow a diet. I went to see the NP at the MFM office yesterday and I started on Glyburide. She thinks I will need Insulin but the Peri on call that day wanted me to start with the pills first. I failed the one hour glucose test so bad I didn't even need to do the 3 hour. It was 258. They said if you score over 200 it's an automatic that you have GD. We talked about all the complications that GD can bring. More doom and gloom. Chris was annoyed by the appointment mainly because the NP was so chatty and he had to go back to work. It looks like I will have more appointments down the road and twice a week starting in week 32. Great. It's not that I mind leaving this house but it's a pain that someone needs to bring me. I'm going to have to ask my mom and MIL to help out too. I don't think Chris can handle it. He's already slacking on cooking dinner, etc. I've been on my own. I have no clean pj's and had to ask repeatedly to get my sheets washed and dried. I actually had to go down the cellar yesterday to get underwear so I threw my sheets in the wash. Last night after I ate, I cleaned the kitchen and yesteday I managed to clean 3 stains out of my new carpet in the family room from the cats. Those hairballs have got to go...or else the cats need to go. I'm starting to sound like Chris. Oy.

Trip to WETU

Last night we went to the hospital because I saw a few spots of blood and thought I was having some cramping. I also felt a few contractions. I had 1 contraction on the monitor over a 4 hour period. I had a pelvic exam and they checked for any signs of infection which was negative. There was no bleeding he could see. My cervix was closed and my cerclage was holding strong and in the right place. They did a test called something like a fetal fibrinogen marker(?) that can predict if you will deliver within the next 2 weeks and it was positive. My heart skipped a beat but the OB Resident explained that you can get a false positive if you have any bleeding or if you are on prometrium. It had been 24 hours since my last prometrium dose but it still may have interfered with the results. They didn't feel I was in imminent danger of delivery and said they were not going to give me the steriod injection for his lungs yet. They like to give that if they think you are going to deliver prematurely in the next week. I did have 2+ketones in my urine from my sugars being so high but they weren't too concerned and suggested I drink even more water than I already was.

We got home a little after midnight last night. I was grateful to be home and hope and pray Aaden stays put in there for another 10 weeks at least!

Still pregnant....

That's the good news. The bad news is my cervix measured 0.7cm again this past Tuesday at the ultrasound. The MF doc who was on seemed nervous. He sent me to WETU to be monitored for contractions. Luckily, there were none and we went home. My regular MF doc wasn't on. I wasn't worried. I don't feel any different. Plus the baby's head was down and I just assumed the pressure of his head on my cervix would make my cervix length measure what it truly is. If they told me I was measuring less than what I was before the cerclage, I would of been worried. I am seeing an OB on Tuesday now to be checked and we'll go from there. I've been lying flat more during the days now to try and take away any pressure I can. I will be 26 weeks down tomorrow and starting week 27. Slowly but surely I'm getting there. I will be packing a bag and taking it to all appointments just in case. Hopefully it will act like garlic around my neck and keep me from having to be admitted.

Plugging along...

I saw my OB yesterday. My cervix remains closed (yeah!!) and she guestimated it was at least 1cm in length. I had to pee in the cup as usual and when I was done I was short of breath and wiped out (how pathetic is that??!) The nurse checks my BP and it's 160/88. She had me lie on my left side for about 10 minutes and she rechecked it. It was 120/74. That's better. That's what I get at home with my machine.

I was expecting my visit to be emotional but it wasn't. My OB actually seems optimistic with all that has happened and I finally felt a little relieved to not hear more bad news. I know that anything can still happen but I'm getting sick and tired of thinking about doom and gloom every minute of the day and night. I did tell her I was afraid to buy anything or think too far ahead. She understood my fears. I will see her next in 4 weeks which will bring me to almost the completion of 28 weeks. That's when I'll breathe a sigh of relief. My gut tells me I'm going to make it. I'm still hoping for 34 weeks. My OB told me to not get my hopes up that if he comes at 34 weeks he will be going home with me. She said even babies born at 35 weeks usually stay in the hospital a little longer than the mom. That was good to hear. Now I'm hoping for 37 weeks which is considered term. I so want to come home from the hospital with my little bundle of joy. I think I'm watching too many baby shows on TV....

Some friends from work came to see me Tuesday night. They are so awesome. I knew I worked with a bunch of wonderful ladies and they proved it the other night. They brought dinner, a gift from everyone and some frozen meals some of the staff on Wesson 4 made for us. I was overwhelmed. It was so wonderful to hear some work stories and feel like I was still a part of the group. I realize how much I miss work and the people. Well...maybe not work so much..but definitely the people!

Update....

Here I am at home in a hospital bed......for how long...who knows??? We went to see the Peri last Wednsday and his latest comment was..." I'm hoping you can make 28 weeks". What??? What happened to 32 weeks??? My ultrasound was ok but the membranes are sitting on the cervix and basically the stitch is all that's keeping our little guy in there. Wasn't what I wanted to hear but I'd rather be given the honest truth than some fluff and puff reassurance that everything is going to be ok. He also told us that there happened to be a lady in his office at the same time we were there who he gave this same exact speech to when she was 14 weeks along. She was 34 weeks that day and spent most of the time in the hospital. There is hope that I can make it to a safe delivery date and that's what I'm trying to concentrate on. I think I've had a few contractions but nothing regular or very strong. I also noticed I only feel the baby move and the tightening on the right side of my abdomen. I don't feel anything on the left. Not sure if this means anything but I will ask my OB on Wed. when I see her.

That's all for now. I now live in our living room. I'd rather be home than in the hospital so I'm not complaining. The cats are loving the bed too.

Baby steps....

We finally got some encouraging news today for a change. Had an appt. with the MFM and my cervix remians closed!!! Yeah!!! He said there was no sign of bleeding and everything looked good so far. He also mentioned that this first week after having a cerclage placed was the most important week. I assumed from his comment that if the cerclage wasn't going to hold, we would of found out today or sooner. I'm taking it all as good news. He told me to keep doing what I'm doing which is basically nothing.

I was completely wiped out after getting up this morning and taking a shower. I had to rest before I could blow dry my hair and finish getting dressed. Yikes! I knew I would get deconditioned but I didn't think it would happen so soon. My BP was elevated at the MFM office but when I took it at home, it was better. Not sure if my BP machine is accurate or not but it always seemed to be. I think some of my high BP may be anxiety and a little "white coat syndrome". You can't help but worry that you're going to get bad news since that's mostly what Chris and I have recieved along this journey.

Next Tuesday we go for a cervical length u/s and then stop and see the MFM afterwards. He will decide then to release me to my OB and let them monitor my cervix but he wants me to have all my u/s's in his office so he can follow as well. I'm happy with this plan. It makes me feel like I've got 2 sets of eyes watching me and the baby.

Another rollercoaster ride to deal with....

It seems things have taken a drastic turn for us. We went last Tuesday for another routine u/s at the Maternal Fetal Medicine office. Baby looked good but my cervix did not. It was extremely short (0.7cm or mm) and 50 % effaced. We met immediately with one of the Perinatologists who explained how serious this was and what the risks and options were. We were shocked. The reality of losing this little guy hit home. I had an exam and there was no sign of any infection to explain it. It seems my cervix just thinks it's time to deliver. After a long discussion and some tears we opted for me to have a cerclage placed. I also started back on Prometrium supplements. I went to the WETU so they could monitor me for contractions which thankfully were not happening. The doctor was able to book my surgery for the following morning and we headed home. I also learned I was to be on bedrest till the baby comes. I took this one harder than my manager and coworkers but I know it's best for the baby.

The next day we headed off to the hospital. I cried several times before even getting to the OR. There was a 1-5% chance of a m/c from the cerclage procedure and that was all I could think about. Then I learned my best anesthesia option was a spinal. I freaked. I was going to be awake for the surgery. I was mortified that I would be helpless if something happened to the baby in the OR. It then took 4 or 5 sticks before they got the spinal needle in to the right place. It was hell but not quite the hell that was to come. I hated the way my legs felt. I couldn't feel anything but the entire ordeal was weird and I couldn't wait for it to be over. The doctor then came behind my drape and told me everything went as well as he hoped except I sustained a small vaginal tear. I could of cared less. The baby was ok. That's all that mattered.

I went to recovery and they brought Chris in soon after. I was transferred shortly after to the L&D unit to be monitored for preterm labor. I ended up being straight cathed which took away the pain I was feeling. My legs slowly returned and then the pain started. I ended up with crippling neck pain and then a headache. The nurse knew it was from the traumatic spinal and called anesthesia. They came to see me and finally agreed that's what it was although the first doctor didn't think so. They offered a blood patch which meant another needle in my back but the pain was so unbearable I agreed.

The epidural went in smoothly on the first try but when they injected the blood into the space, the pain in my neck area intensified so much I lost it. This was where the CSF loss was hitting so that's why it hurt there. They ask you to take as much pain as possible to ensure a good patch and I pushed it to the limit. I had to lie flat for 2 hours. I needed to pee so I used a bedpan. Another first. I felt so much better afterwards I was thrilled and we went home later that night.

I woke up later that night with a headache. By the morning I had the excruciating neck pain again. I wanted to cry. I didn't want anymore needles in my back, plus my back was really sore from all the puncture sites. I layed down flat and found it helped so that's where I've been since. The headache is getting better finally.

I've had some weird pains in my pelvis since the cerclage. Nothing lasting and nothing that would indicate labor. I'm worried I'm still effacing and trying to dilate. The doctor said he would be happy if I made it to 32 weeks. I'd like to see 34 weeks. I'm hoping the bedrest is the key. I go on Wednesday for a follow up appointment and pray we get some encouraging news for a change. I can't even look at my last set of u/s pics. It's too terrifying to think we could of lost him and could still lose him. I believe the joy of pregnancy is not in the cards for us.

Plugging along...

I've been laying low for the most part. Still in disbelief this is really happening! I've come down with another cold again only this time it's in my chest. I missed 2 days of work so far. I think I'm feeling better today, just a little tired. Went for my 3rd OB appt. today and I met one of the new OB's in the practice. He was nice but I expected him to be more friendly since he's on the younger side. The first thing out of his mouth was about my weight which didn't score any points with me. He asked me what my goal was with my weight. I told him I reached my goal today. And I did. I really don't want to gain any more weight although I know I will. I guess my new goal is to not gain more than 10 more lbs. He told me I could diet just not an extreme diet like Atkins or no carbs. I need to watch the portions and watch the fried foods. And I need to move more except I feel like I go from one cold to another and I am just completely wiped out especially after a day of work.

Not sure if I've felt him move in there. Occasionally I feel something but it can't tell for sure it's the baby. Hopefully it will get more obvious very soon. We are going for another u/s next week on Tuesday. Hopefully all will look well again. I haven't bought anything yet. I'm still too scared. Maybe after this u/s I'll feel more confident. I want to make sure he's growing on target. There's still so much that could go wrong, it's frightening.

We've come up with a name for him but I'm not sharing just yet. I have told some work people and everyone so far loves it. I want to be the one to tell family so I must be careful who I tell and when or else someone who likes to blab will be on the phone telling everyone before we get the chance.....just like they told everyone we were having a boy before we could tell anyone. You know who you are.

Looks like we are joining.....

....the BLUE team!!! It's a boy!! We went for our Level 2 u/s and met with the genetic counselor, not in that order. Chris endured about 20 minutes of listening to all that could be wrong with the baby and decided he had heard enough. There has been nothing but doom and gloom between the OB and now the Genetics group. I know they have to educate you about the possibilities but can we just be happy to be pregnant??? Chris abruptly interrupted her speech about chromosomes and asked if we could just get on with the u/s already.

We had a great u/s tech who did lots of measurements, pointed out some parts and finally was able to get a view of his little "package". We got some good pics. She told us that everything looked fine to her and a doctor would be in to go over the pics as well. The Perinatologist came in and did a quick u/s again and said he didn't see anything unusual but would like me to come back in 4 weeks since the heart was still too small to see the 4 chambers and they could take another look at all the organs when they were a little bigger. So we go back on February 18th for more pictures.

My belly is starting to bulge. I'm still able to wear my stretchy work pants. Haven't had to break out the maternity pants just yet but I've got some really comfy ones to wear. Still can't believe this is really happening. Time was creeping by last year and now it feels like it's speeding by. I can't wait to meet our little boy but I want to enjoy being pregnant too. I know we still have a ways to go.

Moment of panic...

Ok...so maybe getting a fetal doppler has it's drawbacks. I had been able to find the heartbeat quickly over the past week or 2 and last night, I just couldn't find it. My heart was sinking especially since I felt great yesterday and had energy from I don't know where. Finally, after about 20 minutes of trying, I heard the heartbeat. It kept disappearing so I guess even now, our little one it still moving around in there. Whew! It was such a relief to hear. And can I just say without jinxing anything, I really DO feel great? The fatigue has lifted. I was able to put the tree away yesterday and get my house back to normal. Today I cleaned out a closet, did laundry, cleaned most of the house, broke the sugar bowl cover and glued it all back together with Krazy glue. It may not sound like much but I've been in a vegetative state for the past few weeks.

I am having trouble remembering things. A few weeks ago, I was leaving for work and had NO thought to the fact that Chris's car was parked behind me in the driveway. I wouldn't even have looked had he not come out of the house shaking his head dangling his keys at me. I thought he was telling me I took the wrong keys off the key rack. If he hadn't come out, I would of popped my car in reverse and let the car start rolling out. We live on a dead end street so there's no chance of anyone coming so I rarely look in my rear view mirror when I'm backing up. Trust me, that will change once our little one is here and mobile. Almost a big oops!

My next OB appt. is on Wednesday. I'm dreading the lecture about my weight. I guess I got a little carried away around Christmas and New Year's. Plus my appetite was returning and I felt like I had to make up for lost ground. Oh well, I may need to breastfeed till I'm 50 to lose all this weight afterwards!

Heartbeat

We finally heard the baby's heartbeat with our home doppler on Friday, the day after Christmas! I was able to hear it again today as well. It's still going strong in the 150's. It's a nice relief to be able to hear it for reassurance. Tomorrow I will be officially 13 weeks. I am entering into the 2nd trimester. I hope this fatigue eases up soon. It's with me all day now. I started exercising a little bit today on the treadmill. I read that can help give you some energy and I feel like I need to do something since I've overindulged this past week between Christmas cookies and candy. It's been a non stop eating fest at work and home. I don't want to gain too much weight before my next OB appointment or else I fear hearing a lecture. I'm hoping for a slow and steady gain over the next 6 months.