Week 9 Update

Had my week 9 ultrasound and everything is good. I thought that I was going to have a First Trimester Screening in two weeks and if it showed any issues I'd have CVS. But as it turns out I'm allowed to go straight to CVS and skip the screening. I'm supposed to have it in about a week and a half. I was just reading about it and it makes my stomach turn. Well, If I got through an amneo with no problem I should do just fine with CVS. I think I even get to find out the sex of the baby! Can you imagine knowing that before the end of my first trimester?!

Burnsville

One of the places we're researching as a possible place to move to is Burnsville, MN. Isn't that funny...Burnsville? We spent about an hour online studying various aspects about it. What a nice little suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul. We looked at about 25 houses online and they were more expensive than we were expecting but I've been thinking about it and you get what you pay for. We can't expect to live in a really nice town without paying for it. Besides, Minnesota has GREAT public education so we're taking that into account. I need to see what the current statistics are but it's been #1 or #2 in the country for several years. Note to self: It probably wasn't very smart for us to move to NC/SC where public education is not any better than in Arizona! On the flip side, I do believe that no matter how good or bad a school is, it's really the teacher your child gets that makes the most difference either way. You can live in a terrible school district but have a great teacher and visa versa. Besides, I'm not counting in anyone to educate Tyler more than myself. It's my responsibility to be his primary teacher.

We're going to try to take a trip to MN soon so we can check it out. :-)

Moving?

Rick and I are toying with the idea of moving. We like the Carolinas but we don't necessarily think we want to plant roots here. Here are some places we're thinking about and we'll do extensive research on: Minnesota, Maine, California (I've already lived there twice and Rick once) or we may even jump ship and leave the US altogether to go to Canada.

Minnesota has always interested me because it is ranked #1 or #2 in education over the past several years. Tyler would be able to have his backyard hockey rink there.

Several things would have to fall in line in order for us to back to California. I really don't see it happening but I'm open to it.

Maine is just plain interesting! Perhaps we should visit first! I remember Rick and I were totally convinced that we wanted to move to New Zealand. Then we went there for a vacation. As the old saying goes, "It's a nice place to live but I wouldn't want to live there!" What culture shock.

Canada...I should pick Nicola's brain about that one. Again, Tyler would be able to have an backyard hockey rink. I think America has lost most of it's appeal.

It's all fun to think about because there's no hurry. We have a stable life here and things are good. Just wondering where we're meant to settle down.

Notice I didn't write that we want to move back to Phoenix? I know, I'm surprised, too.

Ty Ty

Last night at dinner Tyler belched.
In unintended unison Rick and I asked, "What do you say?"
Tyler said, "Thank you."
We couldn't help but laugh.

Week 7 Update

I had an ultrasound yesterday. I was not expecting to see the little heartbeat but it was beating like a champ. For the first time, I allowed myself to be happy about this pregnancy. I'm sure you can appreciate that. The tech was even able to tell me which ovary the egg came from which I though was interesting. I didn't know they could see that! I rarely feel anything from my left ovary but frequently feel mild pain from the right ovary. Based solely on that information I concluded that my left ovary didn't work properly. Ha, not the case because this fetus' egg came from the left. Go figure.

I told Dr. Phillips I had stop taking the progesterone gel because it was making me so sick. He wasn't thrilled about that and wants me to back on it. I said, "Can't we check my levels first and if I need to back on it I will?" He agreed to that. That gel makes my pregnancy symptoms worse although I don't think he believed me when I told him that. He said that the fact that the fetus is measuring exactly as it should be and that there is a heartbeat are good signs.

I have another ultrasound in two weeks at week nine. Two weeks after that I'll have the first trimester screening which entails a Level II Ultrasound and blood work. If that screening shows anything alarming I'll have CVS at week 12 or 13. If I can get past week 13 with not indicators of any 'issues', I think I'll be able to believe the pregnancy is viable.

Loathing

Dear Hormones,
While I know that I need you in order to be a human being, too much of you is simply horrible. You just gave me a crying spell in which I felt an overwhelming sadness. Don't you know I have a preschooler to care for? Thank goodness he was upstairs playing and didn't see his mommy break down. You become worse when I'm pregnant. It's like there is this wild hormonal party in my body. I ask you to take the party down a few notches to a dull roar.

I am bound and determined not to let you win! I've been learning many things about how our brains work and I feel that I can tame you! In fact, I was just able to talk myself out of feeling miserable during the crying spell I just had, so there! I wanted to roll up in a ball on the floor but instead I told myself, "You're not really sad about anything. Something must spiking with your hormones and your brain is just playing tricks on you." (I can tell the difference between being genuinely sad vs. hormonal sadness based on how quickly a spell comes on.)

Excess hormones, I loathe you. I think you're evil. But you will not beat me or win try as you may.

Is it Just Me?

I think there's something wrong with me because I'm not a huge fan of the beach. We just got back from Jekyll Island and I couldn't wait to go home. (We went to Tybee Island and Jekyll Island back in May and I liked it better then.) Even when Rick and I lived eight minutes from the beach in Southern California, I remember that we would go look at the ocean a lot but didn't go to the beach much. A side note: Rick would live on a beach if he could.

I'd rather walk along the ocean or sit on a huge rock or bluff to gaze. I don't like baking in the sun, getting sand all over me and my stuff, or swimming in something so vast. I don't like not being able to see what I'm swimming in. Also, I'm not into just sitting there. I can do that inside in the comfort of my A/C.

And I did not know this but the Atlantic is more salty than the Pacific. Did you know that? I was in the water the other day and was SURPRISED by how salty it was. Gross. I think I've also become a beach elitist because I'm used to California beaches and I have to say they're prettier. I totally miss Laguna Beach.

Tyler had a grand time and so I'll keep going back. But seriously, people, what is wrong with me? Everyone I know practically worships the beach.

Blood Test Results

Blood test results from Wednesday:
HcG levels are good but progesterone levels are a bit low. Have started taking progesterone gel. Had more blood tests today and will get those results on Monday or Tuesday.

Leaving for Jekyll Island tomorrow. :-)

OB Visit at Week 5

Saw Dr. Phillips today and pregnancy was confirmed (as if there was any question about it....15 positive pregnancy tests can't be wrong). I had blood drawn and will have more drawn in two days. I go back in two weeks for my first scan. Trying hard not to be excited, it's just too soon. Been praying lots....

My Quirky Tyler

As most of you know, Tyler loves hockey. It's getting to the point that Rick and I are thinking we may need to move to Minnesota or Canada so Ty can have his own hockey rink in the back yard. Hey, that's how most famous NHL players get started, playing on their own rinks. Don't worry because we're not pushing Tyler to be some pro player or anything like that. :-) Here are some funny hockey quirks the kid has:

He has these reference points he creates while he plays. Sometimes the reference points are to signify where the nets would go but sometimes not. The best Rick and I can figure is that he's creating playing boundaries. As I sit and type this I can see a Cheerios box neatly placed as a reference point on the floor next to the TV. Other times he uses books, video game cases, or alphabet cards as reference points.

He combines different types of sports equipment to play hockey: a toddler baseball bat for the hockey stick and a football, soccer ball, or basketball for the puck. (Although he does have a couple different hockey sticks and several pucks but I guess he likes to be creative.)

He likes to shout out different hockey team names (he knows all 32 NHL teams) and hockey players (not all of them, of course). He calls Alex Ovechkin "Oh chicken" which cracks me up. When we play on the chalk board he'll tell me different hockey teams which means he wants me to write them out.

If he's trying to play hockey in the family room and the dog isn't laying on her blanket he'll say "doggy in the corner" which translates into "The dog is in my way of playing hockey and she needs to go lay on her blanket in the corner."

He wears Rick's hockey jerseys and this is funny because the jerseys are so big on him. It looks likes he's wearing a dress. Tyler has his own toddler-sized jersey but it cannot compare to Daddy's.

Today we went to Monkey Joe's and Tyler spotted a man with a hockey shirt on. Tyler kept following him around shouting out teams: "Bruins, Ducks, Devils, Red Wings...."
The guy had a sense of humor about it, thank goodness, but Tyler would not leave him alone. So eventually we had to leave!

Man, that kid is funny.

Who Knows......

I've taken about a million pregnancy tests in the past four days. Okay, I exaggerate, it's really been about eight and the results are confusing. Any feedback you have will be appreciated. I figured that the positive indicator lines would continue to darken each day or they'd get lighter. No matter what time of day I test, the lines are exactly the same as the first day I tested which was on Wednesday. I'm inclined to think that I'm pregnant but I could also make the assumption that I'm not. I still don't have any symptoms except for some minor menstrual-like cramps. I don't think that means anything either way.

However, reader, you'd be proud of me because I'm actually not obsessing about this. From past experience I know that just when you think you have your body figured out it'll do something off beat! Plus, I think my brain is protecting me from getting excited hence no obsessing. I go to the OB on Wednesday. Until then I've stocked up on my beloved dollar store pregnancy tests.

If I am pregnant at my OB visit on Wednesday, that will be one step of several. We shall see. :-)