Loving Big Brother

A couple of times a day, Mark gives Lima Bean a kiss by kissing my stomach.  Yesterday, he did this while I was sitting on the couch with Henry.  Henry saw Daddy lift my shirt a bit and kiss the baby.  He must have thought this looked fun, because he proceeded to copy Daddy.  He lifted my shirt and gave Lima Bean a big ol' wet smooch!  Then, seeing the reaction he got from Mark and me, he did it again and again and again!  After giving the baby a kiss, he would look up at Mark, give a huge grin, and clap his hands!  I thought I would die from the cuteness.  It was the absolute most adorable thing, and I even teared up in my emotional pregnant state. 

A few photos of the adorable big brother, who has been a little neglected on this blog during all of the Lima Bean posts.  Not to worry, though, he is definitely not hurting for attention from Mark and me!

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Seventeen

I had no memory of wearing this sweater in the 15 week picture until I uploaded it.  Ah, well: at least you can see how much bigger the bump is two weeks later!

How far along: Seventeen weeks as of Wednesday, February 5, 2014. 
Size of baby: Lima Bean is about 5 inches long from crown to rump and weighs about 5 ounces, as much as a turnip.
Maternity Clothes: I tried to wear a pair of maternity jeans this week, but they were too baggy because I stretched them out so much last time.  They literally wouldn't stay up.  So, still wearing regular pants.  I can wear one pair as is, and the rest I have to wear with a belly band.  I have plenty of long tops, so no need for maternity shirts yet, although I have a couple that are shorter that I have worn.
Movement: Still feel movement, and it is getting stronger and more frequent. 
Sex of baby: We will find out in less than three weeks!
Sleep: Fine.
What I miss: Deli sandwiches and soft cheeses.
Cravings: Finally feeling like Mexican food!  It was so funny--it's all I wanted during Henry's pregnancy, but this time, I have craved Asian-inspired and Italian food.  This week I made honey lime enchiladas and they were outstanding.  Still have that "sweet" undertone I have been craving, though.  Also, deli sandwiches.  I want a turkey sandwich!!  I already have my order ready for my first post-baby lunch: Boar's Head spicy chicken, pepper jack cheese, honey mustard and onions on sourdough.  Mmmm...just have to wait approximately 23 more weeks!
Symptoms: Tiredness, bad skin, some sharp waves of abdominal pain that I think is round ligament stretching.
What I'm looking forward to: The anatomy scan.  Soon!

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Sixteen

How far along: Sixteen weeks as of Wednesday, January 29, 2014. 
Size of baby: Lima Bean is 4.5 inches long from crown to rump, the size of an avocado, and weighs about 3.5 ounces.
Maternity Clothes: I have worn two sweaters so far.  I can still fit into four pairs of pants, two that are made of extra stretchy material and two that are normally too big, and still are too big, actually (although I suspect not for long!)
Movement: Still feeling Lima Bean a couple of times a day.  Mostly when I am going to bed at night, probably because I'm relaxed and still.
Sex of baby: We will find out in four weeks!
Sleep: Just fine.
What I miss: Over easy eggs, soft cheeses.
Cravings: Salads, mint oreos (to counterbalance the salads), barbeque chicken.  This baby is all about dishes with sweet undertones.
Symptoms: Mostly just horrible skin and a little extra tiredness.  Some days are worse than others, even if I get the same amount of sleep the night before.
What I'm looking forward to: The "big" ultrasound where we see Lima Bean again!

Other notables: I had my 16 week appointment this week.  Mark had a work obligation, so I took Henry on my own.  He has gone to every appointment so far, because I keep scheduling them on days I don't work!  He does great because I always bring crackers for him to snack on and he gets fawned over by everyone at the office.  We heard the heartbeat again (152 bpm) and I had a pretty long discussion with my doctor about attempting a VBAC.  For now, that is the plan.  Henry's C-section was the result of a multitude of circumstances that all aligned to make it very hard for me to have him normally--my water broke, so I had 24 hours or so from then to give birth; I wasn't dilating on my own so I had to be on Pitocin; Henry's cord was wrapped around his body, so the increased Pitocin contractions were squeezing him too much and causing his heart rate to decelerate.  Anyway, all that to say, my doctor thinks the C-section wasn't because of my physical body structure, which was great to hear.  I know VBAC rates aren't great, but I am hoping I can achieve it.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Fifteen

How far along: Fifteen weeks as of Wednesday, January 22, 2014. 
Size of baby: Lima Bean is about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs about 2.5 ounces, the size of an apple.
Maternity Clothes: Nothing except one maternity sweater I purchased from Ann Taylor Loft.  It is not long at all, though, and I doubt I will be able to wear it past 21-22 weeks.
Movement: Finally feeling a little bit of movement again!  It is very infrequent, not even every day, but the pulsing sensation is back.  It is always a big relief to feel Lima Bean moving and shaking.
Sex of baby: Leaning towards girl.  We will find out in about five weeks!
Sleep: Just fine.
What I miss: Sodas and over-easy eggs.
Cravings: Oreo desserts.  Milkshakes, McFlurries (which I would never usually order), you name it.  I am going to have to rein in the eating or I will gain too much weight!
Symptoms: Fatigue is getting better.  I still try to get over eight hours of sleep a night, but I don't feel the need to nap all of the time like I used to.  Skin is still bad.
What I'm looking forward to: Hearing Lima Bean's heartbeat again at my 16 week appointment.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Fourteen

How far along: Fourteen weeks as of Wednesday, January 15, 2014.  Officially out of the first trimester and into the second!
Size of baby: Lima Bean is stretching out.  She is 3.5 inches from crown to rump, about the size of a lemon, and weighs about 1.5 ounces.
Maternity Clothes: No, but I had a heck of a time finding something to wear to a client meeting this week.  I work for an awesome law firm that allows us to wear jeans, which I do nearly every day.  So, I have a closet full of business casual clothes I never wear unless I am taking a deposition, going to court, or meeting with a client.  I tried on every suit I own the night before the meeting, even the ones that are normally too big in the waist, and none of them fit!  I ended up wearing a top with an elastic bottom that kept the suit pants up while unbuttoned!  I made sure it wasn't noticeable first, of course.  But I am thinking I will need to invest in a maternity suit.  I hate spending the money on something I won't wear for long, but I know I will need it at some point during this pregnancy.
Movement: No movement yet.  Hopefully I will feel Lima Bean in the next couple of weeks!
Sex of baby: Thinking girl, but we'll see. 
Sleep: Sleeping fine.
What I miss: Having dressy work clothes that fit!
Cravings: Sweet foods.  Chocolate chip cookies, mango, strawberries.  I found a recipe for honey sesame chicken and literally drooled thinking about it for two days until I finally made it.  It was just as delicious as it looked.
Symptoms: Fatigue, bad skin.  Eating sweets probably isn't helping my cause.
What I'm looking forward to: Warmer weather so I can wear dresses.  Unfortunately, with the way this winter is going, I don't think I will get my wish for quite some time.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Thirteen

How far along: Thirteen weeks as of Wednesday, January 8, 2014. 
Size of baby: Lima Bean is nearly three inches long, about the size of a pea pod, and weighs nearly an ounce.
Maternity Clothes: Staying out of maternity wear for now.  I am down to four pairs of pants that fit.  Luckily, long tops have been in fashion for awhile so I'm set with those.
Movement: Haven't felt anything for awhile.
Sex of baby: Thinking girl, but we'll see. 
Sleep: Sleeping fine.
What I miss: Options for lunch at work.  There aren't that many places to eat near my office, and now that I can't eat deli meat or prepared salads (chicken salad, tuna salad, etc.), I am really limited.  I have been grabbing a veggie sandwich and soup from Subway nearly every work day.  That is going to get old soon!  Maybe I should just start bringing lunch from home.
Cravings: Chocolate pie with whipped cream.  I wanted this so much that I took it upon myself to purchase ingredients and make it.  Not that it was difficult: I used a pre-made pie crust, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream in a can.  But it was still delicious!
Symptoms: Fatigue, bad skin.  Hoping the fatigue will ease up as I enter the second trimester.
What I'm looking forward to: Telling people our happy news.  I haven't told many people yet, mostly because I have just been so busy.  When I'm not at work, I'm chasing after Henry, and once he is in bed, I am too tired to do anything except sit on the couch and read.

Other notables: I had my 12-week appointment with my regular doctor this week.  It was pretty uneventful, with the exception of hearing sweet Lima Bean's heartbeat!  Going strong at 161 bpm.  The nurse also commented on how busy Lima Bean is--it took awhile to get her to stay in one place long enough to get a good heart rate.  Oh, no, what are we in for?!  I also got tired of waiting for the results of the first trimester screening, so I called and asked for them.  Lima Bean has a less than 1/10,000 chance of having trisomy disorders, which was great to hear.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Twelve

How far along: Twelve weeks as of Wednesday, January 1, 2014.  Entering a new year, soon to enter a new trimester!
Size of baby: Just over two inches long, the size of a lime, and about half an ounce.
Maternity Clothes: Still no, but I am taking advantage of my comfy, stretchy leggings and long tunics.  I can wear a few pairs of pants still, too.  I also bought a new pair of "skinny" maternity jeans at the mall while shopping with my mom.  Now that's an oxymoron if I ever saw one.
Movement: Well, the pulse beats I had been feeling stopped.  So maybe it wasn't the baby moving after all.  The strange thing is that I was talking with a coworker, who happens to be due with her second baby two days before I am, and she said the same thing about fetal movement.  She thought she felt her baby really early at 10-11 weeks, but then the feelings stopped around 12 weeks. 
Sex of baby: Thinking girl, but we'll see.  I honestly don't care.  I would like to have a daughter to have a shopping and movie buddy, but I would also love for Henry to experience having a brother.  So either way, we will be happy.
Sleep: Still sleeping like a rock!
What I miss: Being able to have a glass of wine when going out to dinner.
Cravings: Chick-fil-a chicken strips.  I had to have some when my mom and I were shopping at the mall, and I scarfed down all three in a matter of minutes.  Also, Indian food and spaghetti and meat sauce, and my soup and sandwich kick is going strong. 
Symptoms: Still tired, still have acne.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting the results of my blood work back. The screening ultrasound went well, but I want to have the comfort of the percentages, too!

Other notables:

We had our first trimester screen ultrasound this week, on January 2.  The place we went for it was packed when we arrived.  Plus, the office was short-staffed, probably because people were still out for the holidays.  We had to wait over an hour to be seen!  Not only were we bored, but I had to have a full bladder for the ultrasound and I was about to burst by the time we were called back!  But other than that, we had a wonderful experience.  This place specializes in ultrasounds, so their equipment was much better than we had seen before in doctor's offices.  The image was much clearer, and they had a huge projector screen, so Mark and I didn't have to look at the tiny computer monitor to see Lima Bean.  Lima Bean looked great.  Heartbeat was 167 beats per minute.  She has a clear nasal bridge and little fluid behind the neck, so the risk of Down Syndrome or other trisomy disorders is low.  Plus, we were able to see her spine, and it looked good, so hopefully the spina bifida results will be negative.  We also saw her brain, which looked normal.  The ultrasound tech commented on how busy Lima Bean was--didn't want to stay still!  I am only slightly joking when I say I worry about whether this kid is going to be one of those kids who never sit still!

We asked the ultrasound technician if she was able to wager a guess about the sex (but not to tell us if she could), and she said sometimes she can tell this early, but she couldn't with Lima Bean.  Looks like we will have to wait another 8 weeks to find out!

Some photos of our sweet baby:

Close-up of Lima Bean's head and profile.  Look at that adorable nose and lips!

Lima Bean from head to toe.

This shot is showing the neck and fluid level.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Eleven

How far along: Eleven weeks as of Christmas Day--Wednesday, December 25, 2013.  We told my family about Lima Bean on Christmas Day!
Size of baby: Lima Bean is just over 1.5 inches long and is about the size of a fig.  She is now almost fully formed.
Maternity Clothes: Not yet.
Movement: I still think I am feeling some movement with a few little "pulse beats" here and there. 
Sex of baby: Thinking girl, but we'll see.
Sleep: Lots of it!
What I miss: Nothing specific.
Cravings: Indian food.  Also, soup and sandwiches.  Specifically, grilled cheese and tomato soup. 
Symptoms: Fatigue and acne.  I bought new face wash with the hope that it will help, but I am doubtful.
What I'm looking forward to: Next week's ultrasound!  As usual, I am anxious to learn that everything looks ok.  Our new doctor uses a different company to do the screening, so we will go there for the ultrasound and blood draw.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Ten

How far along: Ten weeks as of Wednesday, December 18, 2013.
Size of baby: A kumquat (still don't know what that is).  Lima Bean is a little over an inch long and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce.  Big news: Lima Bean has now completed the most critical part of her development!
Maternity Clothes: Not yet.
Movement: I think I am feeling movement, but it seems way too early.  I remember what it felt like when I first felt Henry move--little pulse beatings in my abdomen that would beat a couple of times and then stop.  This is the same feeling.  Given that I am only ten weeks, it doesn't seem possible, and I even googled whether I could actually be feeling movement this early!  Results seemed mixed.  Who knows, but it does help reassure me.  I don't want to use the fetal monitor to try to confirm, because then I will get upset if I don't hear the heartbeat.  So we will go with "maybe" for now!
Sex of baby: Thinking girl, but we'll see.
Sleep: Lots of it!
What I miss: Nothing specific.
Cravings: Barbeque potato chips.  Not so out of the ordinary for me.
Symptoms: Fatigue.  Also, acne.  Ugh--I had perfectly clear skin with Henry.  Not so much this time.  My skin is worse than it ever is normally.  Hormones to blame!  I also have not been spared from the stomach issues I normally deal with when not pregnant.  When I was pregnant with Henry, my stomach only acted up once or twice.  It was heaven.  This time, while it is better than normal, it is much more problematic than it was last time.  Sigh...one perk of pregnancy I thought I would get that isn't panning out that way!  Oh, well.
What I'm looking forward to: Telling our families, which we plan to do over Christmas by having Henry wear his Big Brother shirt to announce the news!

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Nine

Ugh--terrible photo of me.  Focus on the bump instead!

How far along: Nine weeks as of Wednesday, December 11, 2013.
Size of baby: Lima Bean is about an inch long, the size of a grape, and weighs just a fraction of an ounce! 
Maternity clothes: Nothing yet, although I think I've got another few weeks or so before I will run out of pants that fit!
Movement: None.
Sex of baby: Still leaning towards girl.
Sleep: Just fine.  I don't think that being able to sleep will be a problem for me.
What I miss: Again, not worrying about everything I do and its effect on Lima Bean.
Cravings: Carrots and ranch dressing.  Yum!  And kind of healthy!  Also, I indulged my craving for peach ice cream when I saw that Harris Teeter carries it.  It's not something I would ever buy normally, but Henry and I have been enjoying it as an after-lunch treat.
Symptoms: Fatigue. 
What I'm looking forward to: Spilling the beans to family members soon!

Other notables: On Sunday, December 8, Henry, Lima Bean, and I took a tumble down the flight of stairs connecting our first floor to our basement.  I was carrying Henry and slipped after the first step.  I then slid down the entire flight of stairs on my back/butt, trying the whole way to catch the hand rail to stop myself.  But because I didn't want to drop Henry or harm him, I wasn't able to do it.  Talk about scary!  I burst into tears after the fall because I was so worried that it could have harmed Lima Bean.  I called my doctor, who said that at this early stage, the baby is so wedged into the uterus that it is very unlikely anything could have happened, but I could come in for an ultrasound to be safe.  Of course, it snowed early this week, so the first time I could go was on December 12.  But Lima Bean looked fine, as you can see above.  Her heart beat is now 180 beats per minute, and she is still measuring two days behind (so 8 weeks, 6 days).  The ultrasound technician checked for tears to my uterus, and all is clear.  Thank goodness.  And it was so neat to see how much Lima Bean has grown in just 10 days!  Looking so much more like a baby.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Eight

How Far Along: 8 weeks as of Wednesday, December 4, 2013.
Size of Baby: Kidney bean!
Maternity Clothes: Not yet, but it's only a matter of time.
Movement: Nothing I can feel.
Sex of Baby: I have had an intuition it's a girl since day one, but we will see if I am right. 
Sleep: As much as possible.  My biggest pregnancy symptom is fatigue and it has definitely hit me.
What I Miss: Not worrying about every little thing and its effect on Lima Bean.
Cravings: Peach ice cream, for some reason.  Such a strange thing to crave.  But maybe I was thinking about Lima Bean being born in the summer and peaches are associated with summer.  Who knows?  Will have to satisfy that one soon.
Symptoms: Mainly fatigue.  I do think the fatigue is a little better this go around than with Henry.  I am still exhausted often, but not as much as I thought I would be having to chase around a toddler while pregnant!
What I'm looking forward to: Our next doctor's appointment, which isn't until 12 weeks with my new practice.  But they will do the nuchal translucency scan to check for chromosomal disorders, so we will get to see Lima Bean on the big screen again!

Other notables: Seeing Lima Bean for the first time this week in our ultrasound!  I was so nervous about the appointment because of the antibiotics I took and just a general fear that something would be wrong.  But the baby looked great!  Such a relief. 

Meet Lima Bean

Here are our first photos of Lima Bean!!

Unfortunately they aren't very clear images, but it is hard to beat seeing the little person you created for the first time.  Watching the little heart flicker on the screen just takes your breath away.

I expected to be 7 weeks and 5 days, but I measured two days behind at 7 weeks 3 days.  The ultrasound technician said a few days' difference here or there is not concerning, as long as the baby isn't measuring a week or more behind.  My due date will remain July 16, 2014.

Lima Bean's heartbeat was a steady 150 beats per minute.  This is a normal rate for a 7 week, 3 day baby.

We asked this technician to tell us which side of the uterus the placenta is on, based on the theory that we were told last time that if it's on the right, the baby is likely to be a boy and on the left, a girl.  She had no idea what we were talking about and said the placenta doesn't even form until 12 weeks!  We followed up with the doctor, because honestly I was concerned that I had gotten such a different perception of the placenta formation than I did last time.  While the doctor hadn't heard of the theory, she did confirm that I do, in fact, have a placenta forming already.  Whew!  Remind me to request a different ultrasound tech next time...

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Seven

How far along: Seven weeks as of Wednesday, November 27, 2013.
Size of baby: Lima Bean is half an inch long and is approximately the size of a blueberry!  Henry's favorite fruit!
Maternity Clothes: Not yet.
Movement: Still none that I can feel. 
Sex of baby: Don't know yet.
Sleep: Sleep is my friend this week!
What I miss: Hmm, with family visiting for Thanksgiving this week, I miss being able to enjoy a glass of wine with others!
Cravings: French fries.
Symptoms: The fatigue has set in full force.  Luckily, because this week contained a holiday, I had more time to sleep.  Even with 9 hours each night, though, I still wanted a nap during the day.  Part of it was getting everything prepared for Thanksgiving dinner, I think.  It's more tiring hosting than you would think.  I was thankful (hardy har har) that I had other people around to watch Henry this week so I could rest.  I also had this weird hive-like rash this week.  It began the day after Thanksgiving with itchiness in various areas that would come and go.  By the end of the day, I began getting itchy welts that would appear and disappear after a half hour or so.  It was literally over most of my body (arms, legs, back, belly, etc.) but never all at the same time.  One hour, I would have a rash on my back.  Then that would go away and it would appear on my legs.  It drove me nuts!  And because of the pregnancy, I couldn't really take a steroid prescription cream for it.  All I could use was calamine lotion!  I was worried that it was pregnancy related and began googling rashes in pregnancy, but it didn't seem like my symptoms matched any of the common pregnancy rashes.  Plus, rashes in pregnancy usually happen in the third trimester.  I ended up concluding that I must have had an allergic reaction to something I ate or drank on Thanksgiving.  The rash was gone after a few days, thank goodness, and hasn't come back.  Very strange, though.
What I'm looking forward to: Seeing the baby for the first time next week!  First doctor's appointment is set for December 2.  I am so anxious to see this little one and make sure everything is progressing as it should.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Six

How far along: Six weeks as of Wednesday, November 20, 2013.
Size of baby: Lima Bean is a quarter of an inch long, the size of a lentil.
Maternity Clothes: Not yet.
Movement: Nothing I can feel yet.
Sex of baby: Still leaning girl.  But I don't care (truly, I don't)--I am just hoping for healthy.
Sleep: Sleeping like a log, even with the stress of the week (see below).
What I miss: Not having to be so worried about the effects of everything on the baby.  I have an anxious personality and pregnancy exacerbates it.
Cravings: Still Chinese food.  I never had cravings for Chinese food when I was pregnant with Henry! Luckily there is a place nearby that I happen to love.  Also, pizza sounds amazing!
Symptoms: Slight Fatigue, sensitive sense of smell.
What I'm looking forward to: Seeing Lima Bean in our first ultrasound screening on December 2!

Other Notables: This week was not the best, emotion-wise.  On Tuesday, one day before I was set to travel to New York for a deposition, I had symptoms of a bladder infection.  I hurriedly went to urgent care (my new OB couldn't fit me in that day--boo), where the doctor said I had a slight infection and prescribed an antibiotic.  I started crying in her office.  I did not want to take an antibiotic this early in the pregnancy.  But I was concerned that if I didn't take it, the infection would worsen and I would be in New York with no relief.  So, I reluctantly took the antibiotic for a couple of days, while also making calls to my prior OB in Virginia.  I spoke to several nurses who kept assuring me it was fine to take the antibiotic, but I was still nervous.  Finally, my doctor herself called me and said that I may not have an infection after all and to try home remedies to see whether the symptoms faded.  So, I stopped taking the antibiotic after only 5 of the 14 doses.  The symptoms were gone by this point.  The next Monday, I was finally able to get into my old OB's office to take another test to check for infection.  The result?  Negative, of course.  This left me wondering whether I ever needed the antibiotic in the first place.  And upset that I took something which could, even if the risk is very, very small, cause damage to the baby.  The whole experience was stressful.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Five

How far along: Five weeks as of November 13, 2013.
Size of baby: Sesame seed!
Maternity Clothes: Not yet, although I don't think I will last nearly as long this time as I did with Henry.
Movement: Nothing yet.
Sex of baby: I have a gut feeling Lima Bean is a girl.  Right before I found out I was pregnant, I found a ladybug in our family room.  I had never seen a ladybug in the house before, nor have I seen one since.  I immediately thought to myself that maybe this little creature was a sign that I was pregnant and the baby was a girl!  I put it outside to explore our yard.  Who knows if the little ladybug was actually a sign--we'll find out in about 15 weeks!
Sleep: Fine.  I am already feeling a bit of fatigue, although less than I felt with Henry at this time.
What I miss: Nothing really this week.
Cravings: Spaghetti with tomato sauce and turkey.  We went to a diner this week with Mark's family and I ordered pasta with turkey meatballs.  Yum!
Symptoms: Some fatigue, but not too bad.  The nausea has subsided.  Still have a very sensitive sense of smell.
What I'm looking forward to: Seeing the baby for the first time in a few weeks!

Other notables: I had blood work done this week to confirm the pregnancy.  After our scare last week, it was very nice to get a positive blood test.

Hidden Hiller Chronicles: Week Four

How Far Along: Four weeks as of Wednesday, November 6, 2013.
Size of Baby: Poppy seed.  So tiny!
Maternity Clothes: Not yet, thankfully.  But I am extremely bloated (which is a change from Henry's pregnancy where I never felt bloated), so I feel like I already have a tiny bump.
Movement: Not yet.
Sex of Baby: We will most definitely be finding out!
Sleep: Fine.  I didn't really have trouble sleeping during Henry's pregnancy, so hopefully that will remain the same this time.
What I Miss: Wine!  I like having a glass to relax at the end of the night, and I could have used one several days this week!
Cravings: Chinese food.  Strange thing to crave, because we don't eat it often.  But I HAD to have vegetable spring rolls and vegetable fried rice this week.
Symptoms: Nausea, which was the first demonstrative sign I was pregnant, another change from Henry's pregnancy.  It began even a couple of days prior to four weeks; I just couldn't handle the smell of certain things and that made me sick to my stomach.  I even vomited one night because I could not take the smell of the leftover food on Henry's high chair tray.  Also, extreme sense of smell, which attributes to the nausea. 
What I'm looking forward to: Just having another baby to love!

Details, details!

A few more details on our exciting news!

Anticipated arrival date: July 16, 2014.

Number of babies: One.  Ha!  This is always Mark's number-one burning question.  In fact, despite two prior ultrasounds showing just one fetus, when we had our twelve-week ultrasound recently, Mark wanted confirmation that there is just one baby in there!  Yep, just one; no extra stowaways for us.

Finding out: This is an interesting story.  I just had a "feeling" I was pregnant.  Nothing really demonstrative, just a feeling that something was different.  So, I took a pregnancy test one night.  It was negative.  I tried again the following night, thinking maybe it had been too early the night before: still negative.  At this point, I was already a couple of days past the time in the cycle when I had gotten a positive result with Henry.  So, I shook off the pregnant feeling and decided to go ahead with a flu shot I had scheduled for the following day (I did not want to get a flu vaccine in my first trimester).  The evening after the flu shot appointment, I was getting ready for bed and  out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the test sitting in the trash can.  Something told me to pick it up to look at it one more time.  This time, I noticed a slight pink line next to the dark control line.  I looked at it again: still there, but very, and I mean very, light.  I couldn't believe it.  But the line was so light I thought it could still be negative.  So I took another test the following morning and this time it was darker!  It was all I could do to laugh at this point: Best laid plans, right?  I decided it wasn't worth it to worry about the effect of the flu vaccine on the pregnancy, and just celebrate the good news!

Telling Mark: Interestingly, Mark was in Japan on a business trip when I found out.  He had been home for the two negative tests, so he left thinking I wasn't pregnant.  I had purchased the "big brother" shirt for Henry several weeks earlier because I wanted Henry to break the good news to Mark when the time came.  My plan was to have Henry wear the shirt when Mark first saw him when he returned from Japan a few days later.  I was so excited to tell Mark this way, and it was hard not to spill the beans when we spoke on the phone.  But, again...best laid plans.  Two days after I got the positive test result, I had a scare at work and thought I was losing the baby--or that I had never really been pregnant in the first place.  I freaked out and called Mark crying, telling him the whole story and saying that I was sure I was losing the baby or wasn't actually pregnant.  It was around 1 am his time, so not only was he disoriented because it was so late, but he left thinking I wasn't pregnant and now I was throwing all of this new information at him!  So much for the cute reveal I had planned!  A nurse at my doctor's office told me to monitor my symptoms and come in for an appointment the following week if things got worse.  Talk about anxiety during the next few days...but the symptoms subsided and I took several more pregnancy tests which each showed that I was, indeed, pregnant.  This baby just wanted to make things interesting for me! 

Sharing the news: Like last time, we told our parents almost right away.  My mom happened to be coming into town when I was 5 weeks pregnant, so we told her in person.  This time, we were able to share the news via Henry and his big brother shirt!  I texted a photo of Henry in the shirt to my dad....who didn't really get it, and I had to call him to explain what it meant!  We told Mark's parents by Skype that same weekend, again by having Henry wear his shirt.  It took a LONG time for them to notice the shirt...it was pretty funny! 

We waited to tell the rest of our immediate families until Christmas.  This pregnancy has been a bit more eventful than Henry's--details in the weekly posts--and I wanted to wait until closer to the end of the first trimester to share the news. 

And Then There Were Four

That's right...Henry is going to be a big brother!!

We are thrilled to announce that "Lima Bean" is expected to arrive in July 2014!!