Why Does It Feel Like a Race?

October 8, 2011
My appointment on the 4th didn't bring the disappointment I had set myself up for. There's some growth and the beautiful flicker of a tiny heartbeat. I've never felt such relief. It didn't last long though. My next appointment isn't until November 1st and I'm already on pins and needles. It feels like an eternity until then. I just need to keep making it to the next appointment. And then the appointment after that.

A friend came over to drop off her dog for us to watch while she goes to Vegas for her birthday and in our catching up she revealed that her sister has had two more miscarriages since her first one. Her first one was just before we lost Robin. These girls have been like sisters to me for most of my life, but it's always felt like the oldest has had to beat us to every one of life's milestones. When we told her I was pregnant, she practically dragged her husband to bed the minute after she heard the news. I took some slightly sick pleasure when I learned she had miscarried, everything was still perfect in my world and she wasn't going to beat me at this. I was already pregnant and my baby would be born first and there was nothing she could do about it. But then Robin died and I felt like that was part of some universal punishment for being happy that she had failed at something for once. But that means that since March she's had three miscarriages. She's not letting her body heal because of her drive to not fail. Now she apparently needs to see a specialist. I haven't told them I'm pregnant. I'm going to try to keep it from both of them until after the point where we lost Robin. I could say that it's because of compassion, I don't want to stress her into thinking she has to keep trying repeatedly to get her baby, but it's not. I mean, I care that she's messing herself up. But I just want to be able to continue through this pregnancy without anyone's ill wishes. I know she would have them, and she'd probably feel bad about it. But I can't stand hearing people's newborn news still and I'm getting a second chance.

This baby isn't a trophy though. This baby is our child that we've promised to love and teach to love. It feels like a race but the only thing I want to care about is making it to each appointment and not leaving without hope. I want this baby so much, and I don't want to do anything physically or emotionally or spiritually that could jeapordize the outcome.
 

Scared to Death

September 28, 2011

For the past few days, I've been having some cramping and constant lower back pain and once in a while I get a light brown discharge. I didn't tell Mike until last night because I didn't want him to worry. I called the doctor's office this morning and the nurse said that if the symptoms persisted, I should go to the hospital to be monitored. I know it's stupid, but I don't feel like doing that yet. When I first woke up, the pain had actually gone away and I felt fine. Now I have cramping on m...


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Letter Writing

September 22, 2011
Mike kind of pushed my hand in telling people sooner. He's told his parents and so I felt the need to inform mine just to keep peace with them. I've written them a letter (actually a card and two additional notebook pages, front and back.) I typed it out in Word just to get the a feel for what I wanted to say and what I'll be telling others as well. I've posted it below. That is the rough draft of it. I tweaked a few things and added a few things as I was writing it down. I don't know how wel...
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Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best

September 21, 2011
That's the motto we're going with right now.

I had my first OB appointment for this pregnancy yesterday. It's awful sitting in that waiting room and in those exam rooms. I keep thinking that I shouldn't be there. I should be home with my baby. I pass a door and I think, "That's where they found no heartbeat" and "That's where they put us so I could try and pull myself together." Sometimes I think I should have found a different doctor but for some reason I want to give them another chance.

Dr....
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Courage

September 14, 2011
I don't know what happened to me in the past five or so years, but I've become a real girl. But I've not quite grown up. So it's not at all unusual that I DVR'ed The Princess Diaries movies. I actually just finished reading the books, so I wanted to see what artsy liberties Disney had taken with the movies (turns out, more than a lot). But there is a line that struck a chord with me, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear."

Tha...
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Here We Go Again

September 12, 2011
We got a positive pregnancy test yesterday morning. September 11th, a day I always remember but without negativity. I believe if a nation continues to recall that day with such unhappy thoughts and feelings it will only attract more negativity. Mike's mom had planned a beach barbecue for yesterday and I was hoping to get a positive result so I wouldn't be completely misunderstood. She wanted to celebrate the summer birthdays and Robin's due date was August 10th, the same as my oldest brother ...
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Ortho Prep

September 9, 2011
I got the spacers for my braces in yesterday. And of course, before bed I floss and pop one out so I had to go back today. I feel like there's giant pieces of steak stuck between my teeth and it's crowding my already cramped my mouth. It hurts so much I think I'm beyond the point of tears. They kept telling my ibuprofen will be my best friend. But all I can take is Tylenol. Mike asked me if I'd be mad if it turned out I wasn't pregnant and was staying away from painkillers needlessly. I told ...
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Trying Not to Be Negative

September 7, 2011
I took a pregnancy test this morning, it was negative. I'm not completely down and out yet, though. I know it's still pretty early to tell, and the HCg levels might not be detectable yet. I was just feeling very antsy, and now I have something to tide me over and demands patience of me. If another one comes out negative, then I'll probably be in a very deep funk. But I won't mire in that puddle of self-pity until I really have a reason to.
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The Waiting Game

September 4, 2011
I've never been good at waiting for anything. I open presents early and I don't like arriving somewhere too early to just sit around and wait. But now, this is the worst type of waiting game. To find out if I'm pregnant or not. I went to Borders' closeout sale and there a few interesting pregnancy books that I picked up. I still have all the ones I bought when I was pregnant with Robin, but there were a few that caught my eye like Pregnancy Dos & Don'ts (Elisabeth Aron, M.D.), A Green Guide t...
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I Think It's Time

August 31, 2011
The fertility stick finally showed two double lines this morning. We've been "practicing" just in case I might have read something incorrectly. But I think this one is correct. Not to be too graphic but the coinciding discharge matches what the stick says. I'm pretty sure I've entered the fertile days before ovulation. Now I'm really feeling iffy. What if all the "practice" actually did more harm than good. Like his swimmers have been flowing too freely so they aren't as strong. Or what if I'...
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