Left ya Hanging!

I first want to apologize to those still following this blog for my lack of updates. I assure you all is GREAT with Brad and I and the baby. It however was very touch and go for a while. Without going into too much detail I will catch you up on the past 16 weeks! We left off last after our first ultrasound with the fertility specialist. We had our second ultrasound at 10 weeks with them and all still looked perfect. It was an exciting and scary moment to leave their care and be released to my normal OBGYN. I was a normal pregnant gal! We saw her then at 12 weeks and the visit went great. I felt like I could actually take a deep breath and let myself relax and be truly excited about us finally having a baby. And then all heck broke loose. On Saturday Oct. 19th Brad and I had a relaxing morning; A big breakfast, a walk with Lincoln and then we headed to my grandparents’ house for a visit. I was out by their pond with Linc and all the sudden felt like I had started my period. I came inside and went to the restroom to find I was bleeding. I will always remember that moment. The complete wave of shock that came over me along with panic. I called for Brad and we left immediately. I called the Dr. on call and he said to go to the emergency room right away. Once there, and let me tell you how long that drive felt, I was checked and everything looked ok on the pelvic exam and we saw and heard the baby’s heartbeat. All was still ok, but they could not tell me why I was bleeding. I was sent home with threatened miscarriage papers and was put on bed rest until I could get in with my OB on Monday. Once home, the bleeding wouldn't stop. It just kept coming. That weekend we prepared ourselves for the 13 weeks of joy and blessings to be ending. On Monday my OB got us in right away. They took us right back to the ultrasound room and the minute she turned on the machine, Praise the Lord, the baby was there and moving and alive! After an in depth look around I had what is called a subchorionic hemorrhage. This is a tear in the uterine wall where the placenta comes apart from the uterus. At the size it was, it was not harmful to the baby. But if I didn't take precautions it could be harmful to the baby. We were sent home with the instructions to be on bedrest as much as I could. I could only go to work and come home. No dishes, no laundry, no lifting, no anything basically. I want to take a moment and say how thankful I am to have Brad as a husband. He not only had gotten a promotion at the beginning of October and was trying to balance work and home life, but he stepped up more than I thought he was capable of at home. Husband of the year award! At one point a few days into my bedrest he looked at me and said "I had no idea how much you did around the house to keep it going". Such a proud moment! :)

 I spotted for a little over 2 weeks and was an emotional wreck. I would cry at the drop of a hat and I still felt for sure that we were losing the baby. I guess this would be the time to inform all of you that in that ultrasound we also found out the sex of the baby! Brad and I are extremely excited to be welcoming a baby BOY in April! To go from thinking we had lost the baby to finding out we have a healthy baby boy growing was almost too much for me to handle. I probably could have been committed over those weeks! BUT, we made it through and at our 19 week ultrasound baby Howell was measuring perfectly, 100% healthy, and my tear was healed! God is good!! It took a few additional weeks but I am finally at the place again where I am excited and enjoying this pregnancy. I am currently laying here feeling our little guy move and kick and just feeling overwhelmed in a positive way this time!

19 Week Ultrasound

Thanksgiving was a very tearful day, happy tears with so much to be thankful for! Christmas was wonderful with family and friends celebrating the birth of the most important baby boy in history! And New Year’s brought the year our son will be born! We have started on the nursery and it is looking great! Brad has asked that I incorporate a sports theme into the nursery and I was less than excited about that! So I decided it was only fitting to bring basketballs in in small touches. We will see how it turns out! I know that anything can change in an instant but as of now, we are positive and trying to be as faithful as possible! This little buddy better be a perfect child as he has already given his parents a crazy ride!