We had another appointment today, which means another ultrasound. The babies are all doing terrific! They are weighing in at 1.5 pounds (identical), 1.6 pounds (identical), and 1.7 pounds (fraternal) each. Dr. Hintz was able to get a very good view of the baby's heart whom he couldn't see as well last time and it looked great. They are looking so good! Dr. Hintz also said that if I can get another 3 weeks, the babies will have a long hospitalization, but will do well in the long term. That seems surreal to think that they could be here as early as that, and obviously we don't want that, but it is still amazing. I didn't think that they were moving as much as they had been previously, but was mostly concerned about the baby on the left. He just didn't seem to move at all. I found out why today. His back is facing out and he is facing towards his brothers, so I AM feeling him move, just in the middle instead of on the side where I thought I should be. I was very relieved! Mr. Fraternal (Flipper) was on the left side at my last appointment, and today he is all the way over on the right side. Shocking that he has enough room to still move around like that, but Dr. Hintz said there is plenty of room still for them to be able to move around. I am amazed because it doesn't FEEL like it, but apparently it looks like it in there!I am still doing terrific. My urine did have a +1 protien, which isn't terrific, but also not alarming at this point. My blood pressure was fantastic (for me) at 118/80, so that is part of why the protein isn't such a concern yet. I am having more swelling but not near as bad as it has been in previous pregnancies. My cervix is fabulous and hasn't thinned at all, which means it is still at 7 cm. He said it is probably the best triplet cervix he has seen and better than even most singletons! Ahhh, at least something is great about me! So, other than being incredibly uncomfortable, health-wise I am great!Next time I have to have the glucose test done...YUCK! I am soooo not looking forward to that, but I guess it has to be done. There is no getting out of it, either, because with Aidan I was one point over on the one hour and OK with the three hour, so it has to be done. I am putting some new pictures of the babies on the site. There are a couple in the photo section and I added one to the front page. Thank you so much for your continued prayers....keep them up because this is definitely the best pregnancy I have had and all the glory goes to God!!!

Glucose Testing

I continue to be in awe of the miraculous gift that has been given to Steve and I every day. God is so amazing to me and constantly revealing Himself in ways I could never have imagined. I had my glucose tolerance test today…disgusting! After being extremely ill Monday through Thursday, it was not helped AT ALL by having to drink that nasty stuff. I will say today’s was better than the orange nasty I had with Aidan, but it was still so gross. I have no idea if I passed or failed, but am thinking that I probably didn’t do too well. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.We had another ultrasound today. Dr. H did an umbilical cord study on the identical babies this time. It was very stressful because I had no idea what he was doing and he was very quiet. I really thought that something was wrong. It took about 30 minutes for him to do it. He also did a biophysical profile on each baby. He suddenly said that the umbilical cords were terrific and babies were moving, hiccupping, swallowing, and everything they were supposed to be doing fantastically. He got some really good videos of them hiccupping and swallowing that were really cute. He also got one picture of the two identical (we think!) babies face to face. That is absolutely amazing and I will post it under the photos section. Babies B and C, which we believe are the identical two right now, but he also said he really can’t guarantee that at this point, are both breech and on the top. Baby C, the singleton (we think!), is vertex and buried pretty deep down. He couldn’t get any good shots of him. He tried to move him and turn him manually (VERY painful) so that he could get a better shot, but he just couldn’t. Each of the babies is growing at an amazing rate. One baby is 3.05 pounds, another 2.6 pounds, and another 2.8 pounds. All excellent sizes. Doctor assured me that we will be bringing home three babies. This is the first time he has ever actually said that. He said that we are completely out of danger really and everything from here on out is essentially bonus time for the babies. He said that he has delivered a fair amount of singletons at the babies’ sizes and they have done well. He also said that at this stage (29+ weeks), the rate of mortality in one of the babies is about 1 in 200, so less than 1% and the rate of long term disability is about 2%. [Probably TMI following --] My cervix is still measuring way huge. Today is was 5.51 cm. Last time, it was 7 cm. Normal, singleton pregnancy is 3-4 cm. He showed where the one baby’s bag was bulging down and in a “normal” person, that would be causing the cervix to dilate and I would be in labor. However, in my highly interesting body, it is pushing on the right side of the cervix, moving it out of the way instead of pushing directly on the cervix causing it to dilate (like it should be). He said at this point, I will more than likely NOT go into labor on my own and if I DO deliver early, it will be because of pre-eclampsia, not dilation or anything else. I had protein in my urine again today and my blood pressure is rising still. Plus a lot of swelling in my hands, feet, and face again. Pretty much all over. My weight was a bit of a problem. I have been trying so hard to gain, but after being so ill, I am now down to lower than I was at my first OB appointment and at that point, I had already lost a lot. So now I have lost even more again. He said that he would overlook it this time because he knew I was really sick, but he does want me to work on it. The nurse also said my urine was extremely concentrated, but he said that was OK also because he knew how sick I was. And told me to keep pushing the fluids. Everything going as well as it is at this point is nothing short of a miracle and God. There is simply no human way to explain pregnant with triplets, who are growing exceptionally well and doing so well, and NOT on bedrest. It is almost unheard of. I am just so in awe of everything that is happening with this wonderful gift. And humbled by all the prayers being said on our behalf. It is greatly appreciated, more than I could ever express.Steve and the boys are going to his family’s Christmas Sunday and I will get my very last day for a very long time, all alone, to luxuriate and do nothing. I am pretty excited. I think that may very well be my best Christmas present! Then on Monday we are able to stay home for the first Christmas ever and just enjoy it as our own family. I am looking forward to that, also. I am no longer allowed to travel, so that is why I am not attending any festivities.I wish everyone a very blessed Christmas and safe New Year!

28 weeks

Twice in one week...I'm getting good! I just wish I could remember to take weekly pictures, because they do change weekly.

27 weeks

I am now 27 weeks. This was taken before Austin's Cub Scout meeting. I no longer fit into my Cubmaster shirt at all...not even with leaving it open, so I don't even bother. Last meeting before Christmas and my "maternity leave" from Scouts!

DON'T Measure Your Fundal Height!!!

So yesterday someone on my multiples list was talking about uterus measurements. I have been very curious about this because for some reason, Dr. Hintz doesn't do it. I think because he does an ultrasound at every visit, he can see clearly that the babies are OK, so he skips that. At any rate, I still want to know what I am measuring. So, they explained how to do it (which is simple) and I did it. I was HORRIFIED!! I never should have done it! I got 43 weeks and I couldn't possibly believe that I had done it right, so I made Steve do it when he got home. He got 42 weeks by pulling the tape a little snugger and trying to be "nice." WHAT!?!?! I knew that I have been miserable and FEEL huge, but I had NO IDEA I would measure that big. By the way, I am *only* 24 weeks pregnant! Maybe there is a good reason behind Dr. Hintz not doing it after all...We have our next appointment (and ultrasound) on Wednesday. I am looking forward to seeing the babies again. I always start to get a little nervous about a week or so before appointments and it is so reassuring to see them moving around and growing. Because I really don't feel like I look like I am growing. Although people are starting to look at me funny when they ask when I am due and I tell them March 6. Then I usually explain why I am a smidge larger than some! And other than hiccups, the babies are not moving nearly as much as they were even a week ago. Just thought I'd update with my fascinating measurments. I'll update again next week after our appointment!

Level 2 Ultrasound

Yesterday we had our Level 2 ultrasound. Dr. Hintz had told us to plan on four hours, but I guess I didn’t really think it would take that long. It did. We got there at 1:20 and we left at about 5:15. It was a VERY long day to say the least! He did give me breaks after each baby for about five minutes to go potty, get up and walk around, and get off laying on my back. He dictated each baby during that time. After the first baby, both Steve and I thought that he was finished with two babies instead of one!He looked in detail at each baby’s brain, heart, kidneys, gallbladder, bladder, bones, everything! He said that he couldn’t believe what great views he got of two of the babies hearts and he was really able to look at them in depth. The third baby is a flipper, so he didn’t get as great a look, but still got a very good look at it. Everything with all three babies is absolutely perfect!!! There is nothing wrong with any of them! That is such a relief. Baby A (Mr. Flipper) was breech like everyone else, then one minute later he was head down, then another few minutes would pass and he would be transverse. He REALLY liked to move around. He was also the last one to be looked at and was buried pretty deep in my pelvis when he was transverse, so that could be why he was uncooperative. All three babies are measuring at 20 weeks, 5 days and I am 21 weeks, 2 days, so they are still doing very well. Baby A (identical) weighed .83 pounds and was the smallest of the three, but not by much at all. Baby B (the other identical) weighed .86 pounds and was the largest of the three. Baby C weighed .84 pounds. I forgot to ask him how long they were, but they are really very long, which surprised me. All three when breech had their heads way up high under the top part of my rib cages, with butts down by hips and legs over to the side from that. Steve and I are still trying to figure out the report he gave us of each baby so we can figure out just how long they each were, but it is Greek to us! And it really doesn’t even matter, considering they are doing so great! Dr. Hintz gave us a disk with over 200 images on it of each of the babies, plus six live action movies of them. That was really neat to be able to show Austin and Aidan. They both lost interest in it pretty quick, but at least they got to see it.The very best part of the day came at the end when he checked my cervix. I dread having it done, but it was excellent. The first time he measured it it was 4 cm and he was certain it couldn’t possibly still be that long, so he had me go to the bathroom. Then he measured it again and it was 7 cm!! It hasn’t started to shorten AT ALL and he said he has never seen anything like it at this stage. Shirley, his nurse thought it would be hilarious if he had to induce triplets. He said he didn’t think THAT would happen, but he did say that he is pretty sure I will go very far. That is so reassuring! For once a part of me that doesn’t work is turning out to be a huge blessing!!I put some pictures of the babies on the front page and I put a few more under “my photo gallery” for your perusing pleasure, if you so desire. They are too big to get anything more than the tops of three heads on one picture and he didn’t save that image, so they are all individual. Some have various parts of the other babies’ in with them, though!Thank you so much for all of your prayers…God is so great! We are feeling so privileged to daily be able to witness God’s awesome power!!

20 weeks

(20 weeks front)

(20 weeks side)

(20 weeks side)

I finally had the guts to take a picture. This is 20 weeks.

Baby Names

I think that we have finally decided on first names for the boys! We are thinking they will be named Nathaniel, Noah, and Ethan. We are still deciding on middle names, which is still difficult, but at least we have some first names! Things have been going pretty well yet. I am tired and sore, but that is to be expected. We have our level 2 ultrasound on October 25. This is the one where they will look at each baby in detail to make sure they are all doing well, growing as they should be, and to check for birth defects or anything that may need to be addressed at their birth. With Aidan, it took about an hour and a half, this time my OB wants us to plan on at least three hours and probably more. I hope he's putting potty breaks in there!!I am still working on how to figure out our scanner to get pictures of the boys up and hopefully, some belly shots also. That has been incredible this time. I am, at almost five months, about the size I was with Aidan when I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant! It is so amazing to think of three little babies growing in there. They are getting more and more active as they days pass, also. Wow...they are all starting to move all over! It is so neat to feel!! Aidan loves talking to the babies and kissing my tummy. He gives each baby a kiss and talks to them all the time. He can say Noah pretty well, Ethan is pronounced "Efan," and Nathaniel is "Bafano." We'll keep working on it. Austin and Aidan began sharing a room yesterday. Austin's room has a lot more space than I realized! Aidan was quite annoying last night, though, and wouldn't quit talking to Austin. When Austin ignored him, he would just climb into bed with Austin. Tonight, Austin has 4H, so I am putting Aidan to bed while Austin is gone and hopefully he will be asleep long before Austin gets home! Thanks for all the prayers!

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!!!!

Well, we finally had another u/s today. We were supposed to go in yesterday, but my doctor had a family emergency, so he canceled. Based on his appearance and silentness, he should not have been in today, either. He just really wasn't himself. Anyhoo....the babies are doing GREAT! They are measuring about a week ahead of schedule, which is excellent, and they are all almost the exact same size, which is also excellent. Their little hearts were beating away and you could clearly see all four chambers today on all three babies. He printed off two pictures of faces and one of “the goods” and in one of the face pictures it looks like the baby is smiling at us. In some ways, it reminds me of what Aidan looked like when I was pregnant with him. They are still pretty skinny, of course, so that worried Austin a bit. One is still more active than the other two...starting to worry me a tad! Fluid around all the babies is terrific and my cervix is staying the same size/length with no thinning whatsoever. Which means the contractions I am having really are just BH and not worrisome. Thank goodness!Sooooo.....we also were able to find out what they were. They were REALLY proud of themselves and put it ALL on display. I knew Baby C (fraternal) was a boy, and I was right. I had no clue about the identical babies. ALL THREE ARE BOYS!!!! We now have FIVE boys!!!! Steve and the boys and I are all very excited. I think Austin was the most excited, though! Now we just really have to work on names. I have a couple that I really like, but I am not sure about the third or if hubby agrees on the other two. Although he picked one of them. We have time to pick them out though! Anyway, we appreciate any and all prayers said on our behalf...the babies are doing great and God is wonderful!!! Keep saying them please!Trista and her SIX boys!

First OB Visit

Today’s ultrasound and doctor’s appointment went terrific! The babies are all doing excellent and he was very reassuring about everything, also. (This will probably take a while to explain everything, so I thought I’d put that in there first….if you don’t want to read further, you don’t have to!)He did his regular history, but since I’ve had him for the last four years and I’ve seen him several times a month for the last year (except the last three!), he just wanted to update everything. That was pretty painless and didn’t take him long. Then he did a quick exam, thankfully no pap!!! Then it was time for the ultrasound. The babies were really active…it was so neat to see! They all have allof their little baby parts. We saw hands, feet, toes, fingers EVERYWHERE!!! Baby A or B was waving away to us and Dr. Hintz waved back and said “hi baby!” and the baby waved again! It was so cute to see and was so funny! We very clearly saw baby B’s foot, too. Their little hearts were a beating away, too. It was so reassuring to see everyone in there and it is nothing short of a miracle to witness God’s creation(s) like that. We discussed pre-term delivery and he said I have a few really good things going in my favor. I have had two full-term, healthy babies and my cervix is extra long. Both are excellent indicators that I shouldn’t go too super early with these three, but again, nothing is guaranteed with triplets. He said that the average gestation of triplets is 33 weeks, but 35-36 is certainly not unheard of, and neither is earlier. So, we’re still on a guessing game with when they will get here, but it certainly doesn’t sound like nearly as early as we feared!He also thinks that I will have “minimal” bedrest….not at all what the doctors in Iowa City had said. He said that the benefits of it aren’t that great, so he doesn’t anticipate too much time in bed. Thank goodness!!!He said the two identicals DO have a membrane between them and showed us that. There is another one between the identical babies and the “fraternal,” “singleton,” or “The Boss” (as Granny calls him!) and that one is much thicker. It was fascinating to see the difference. They are all measuring exactly the same size and correct for dates, also. He also said that even though they have a membrane (which completely demolishes the chance of cord compression or strangulation), because they are identical, the instance of twin to twin transfer is 100%. But, 85% of identical twins have a pretty minor degree of it and 15% have it so bad that it causes death in both babies. He measured the nucal fold and said that they will be OK and not have serious issues with it. He said the thicker the fold is at this stage the higher the likely-hood of it becoming fatal. Baby B’s was 1.7, which he said was excellent and VERY normal, and Baby A was “way too active” to be able to get a good measure on it. However, he said that what he did see of it is definitely normal and he’s not concerned considering that Baby B’s is so good. So we are very relieved to hear that! Dr. Hintz said that he will do an ultrasound at every appointment because he said you can’t get accurate heart rates and measurements any other way with multiples. So, we’ll have lots of pictures by the time they arrive! We will get our scanner hooked back up and then I will post today’s picture on here, also. All in all, today’s visit was fantastic! We go back on September 21 for another visit. Until then, everything is great!Thanks so much for all of the prayers….God is great and I am feeling so blessed to be able to experience this miracle!!!!

Fair Updates

Things are continuing about the same. I have been pretty nausous the last couple of weeks, and the computer makes it worse, which is why I am not on very often. I was given a prescription for Zofram yesterday, but that's like gold, so I am saving it for when I REALLY need it!I have also been incredibly tired. I am amazed by the amount of time I can actually sleep if I'm allowed! Sunday I went to bed at 6:15 and didn't get up until 8:30 Monday morning!We are anxiously awaiting our next appointment back with my regular OB on August 22. He is on vacation now, so couldn't get me in any sooner. We will have an ultrasound that day, also, so we are looking forward to that!

Austin had his 4H fair last week. He did awesome! He recieved a blue ribbon for his photo and was talked through what he could change for next year, which was great. He also recieved three blue ribbons for his rabbits. The two does (Thumper and Pippa) recieved first and second place of their class and Thumper went on to win Reserve Grand Champion (second place) of the entire group!! It was very exciting! Austin also earned Reserve Junior Showman (second place) for his showmanship!! We are so proud of him. He did such a good job and really accomplished his goals. His hard work of the last six months really paid off. We were approached by a couple of different breeders who suggested that we show the two does in a "professional" show, so we are considering the show at Cattle Congress in September.

All in all, it was a very exciting first fair experience!Please continue to keep me and the babies in your prayers...we need them!!

How Many Babies Did You Say??!!??!

haven’t updated in a while because I wanted to get my thoughts together before this post. I don’t even know if it will make sense even still, but I will try!We went for our ultrasound on Thursday afternoon. I didn’t sleep at all Wednesday night, I was so nervous. I felt like everything was OK with the baby, but it is still nerve racking knowing that you are going in to make sure the baby has a heartbeat. Steve didn’t sleep much, either, but still did pretty good.Steve took me out to lunch before our appointment, but my stomach just doesn’t handle much these days. I try to eat, though, because I sometimes feel better after I eat. Just depends on what it is. We got to the appointment early and they got us in early, which was great. We were in there and she said my uterus was ‘acting up’ so she went to the ovaries first. She wasn’t saying much and that panicked both of us. She did point out that I have a large fibroid on the right and a smaller one on the left and that they are OK right now and not interfering with the baby. Then she finally went in to look for the baby. She didn’t say anything again for a while, and Steve and I just kept looking at each other. Then she finally said she was going to go to the sac on the left first. When she used the word ‘sac’ I was positive there was no baby. She looked it over, then said, OK…this baby is alone and we will call it baby C. Hello!?!? I said you mean there is more than one baby? She said, we’ll go over to the right to that sac. And, again, I thought, ok, a sac, no baby. Inside that sac were TWO BABIES!!! She said because of the fact that they are in the same sac, they are identical twins. Amazing!! They are facing each other and it is so neat to see. She can’t see a membrane separating the two right now, but she did say that she saw two yolk sacs, which means that there is a very high chance there is a membrane. If there isn’t, that can be dangerous because they can strangle each other as they get larger. She said usually if there is no membrane there is only one yolk sac, too, so we feel pretty good there is something there. It is so early that it can be hard to see it all. The babies heartbeats were as follows: Baby A: 140; Baby B: 133; Baby C: 140….all excellent! The rate of miscarriage after seeing a heartbeat is less than 5%, so we know they are OK. They are measuring terrific, also. The doctor and nurses informed us that the identical babies have nothing to do with infertility treatment….it was all God. He is so awesome and deserves all the glory for these babies!Of course, the doctor wasn’t pleased there were triplets and immediately discussed selective reduction with us. We told him absolutely not and he informed us it was his “medical duty” to let us know we should strongly consider it. Bodies aren’t made for carrying more than one baby and I am immediately a high risk pregnancy. We told him that morally and emotionally there is no way that we would even consider selective reduction. We were upset because they discussed this with us before and said that they would be cautious with triggering and they would cancel the cycle if there were more than three follicles. So, I didn’t get it, but we got past that.I am able to go back to my regular OB for now. He will see me unless I go into premature labor and then I will be sent back to Iowa City. I don’t have my first appointment with him until August 22nd (he will do another ultrasound) because he is on vacation before that. How am I going to wait that long?!?! I guess I don’t have a choice!The fibroid is causing some pain, especially when I am really active during the day. I have discovered that I really need to take it easy….when I push myself I get exhausted and am in pain. “Morning” sickness has been horrid, but that’s to be expected. The tech had asked how I was feeling and when we saw three babies we knew why I was so sick. We went back to DBQ this weekend and told everyone. It was exciting and I was so glad to finally be able to tell everyone I was pregnant!Please keep us in your prayers to keep these babies healthy and right where they should be at least until February!

Waiting...

I am getting so excited for Thursday that I can hardly stand it. It seems like the last three weeks have just d-r-a-g-g-e-d by! I am more and more convinced there is more than one baby in there. I have checked several different hCG calculators and it is high for a single, and even high for twins. I am so excited to see how many are there and just keep praying that there is a heartbeat. In my heart, I just feel this deep reassurance from God that this baby is OK and everything is going to be fine. I also feel this tug that there is more than one...but have a question as to whether we will actually *have* more than one baby. It's a weird feeling and I don't understand it at all...but I guess all will be revealed this week! I've been feeling more nauseous as the days go by. And it is completely unpredictable. Some days it is constant all day, others it is in the morning, not in the afternoon, then back in the evening, other days are different than that, too. Ugh! And it is just a general icky feeling...not like a real sick, sick feeling. Which I guess is good, but I don't like feeling so icky all the time. I've also still been really dizzy at different times and have some "stretching" type cramps on my right side. It feels more like a pulled muscle than anything is really "wrong." And it is beginning to happen on the left, too. I have been super tired and very irritable, too...I feel so bad for the boys. I have had a short fuse and have tried to be nice, but it isn’t working all the time. I also feel very “full” up top…I don’t know if that is because I nursed until just six months ago or if it normal for everyone, and feel very full and bloated down below. I SWEAR my uterus is already way enlarged…I guess that is normal with a third pregnancy.Steve is excited and nervous also. He's thinking about it more than I realized. We talked about it again and he keeps saying that Thursday is a big day. I keep tossing out different names for him and he keeps telling me that when the snow flies, we can discuss names. I am not one to wait, so I guess I'll just name her! ;)(I'm just kidding!!) I think he's trying to not get my hopes up too high in case something isn't right...but no matter what, this is a baby and I am pregnant and it isn't something that will just be "written off" if there is no heartbeat. He understands that, but is trying to protect me, also. I told Austin today that on Thursday we might have some big news for him when I get back from my doctor's appointment. We haven't told him point-blank yet that I am pregnant, but he's gotten enough hints. So he got really excited and asked me if maybe the shots and medicine have worked. I said we will find out for sure on Thursday. So, now he's excited too. I just don't think this is something that would be a great idea to just drop on him...if at all possible, he needs *some* warning. It is getting harder and harder to not tell my family! We went to dinner yesterday with my mom and uncles and grandparents and I SOOOO badly wanted to tell them. Steve said to go ahead, but I just want to be sure that there is a heartbeat before I tell everyone. I told him if anyone asked if we were ever going to have any more children, though, I would have jumped and said something. Noone did, though. :( Oh, well!Please keep us in your prayers for Thursday and pray for a healthy baby and a strong heartbeat! I will update as soon as possible Thursday afternoon. Our appointment is at 1:30 p.m. and we have a couple hour’s drive to get there and back.

This week has been a very long one. I don't know how I am going to wait another two weeks before we get to see this baby and make sure she has a heartbeat! I was doing pretty good...generally just tired, a little sore up top, dizzy, but that was about it. I had a little icky feeling earlier in the week, but I am pretty sure it was from going off my medication as I have been fine the rest of the week. Then, this morning, it hit. Ugh! I didn't eat breakfast right away and as the morning went on, I felt ickier and ickier. I finally gagged a little, but nothing happened, then had toast and laid down for a little bit. I felt better after that. I haven't had an upset stomach prior to that, but my diet has been pretty un-exciting, also. I think for most meals this week, I have had Campbell's Vegetable Beef soup, minus the beef (I pick it out). Today I added a peanut butter sandwich to it to try to get a little more protein and that went over OK. I have only wanted the soup for some reason...nothing else really sounds that good right now. The only other thing I am mildy (trying to remain *mildly*) concerned about is I have a very slight pain on my right lower side. It pretty much hurts all the time, even when I am not pregnant, so I am thinking it is nothing. Plus I also have some pain on my left side, so I am thinking it is probably just normal stretching, but my mind works overtime all the time, so I am thinking the worst things right away. Something to keep in prayer!I got too excited this week and told Aidan about the baby. I knew he wouldn't tell anyone and I knew he had no clue really. He didn't get it at all. He was fascinated when I showed him where the baby was, then pulled on my shorts to "see" the baby (had to explain that one), then stuck out his tummy and said his baby was in there. It will be interesting to see what happens as this progresses and then when the baby actually comes. I have tried to talk Steve into telling everyone in the family earlier and I am going to tell my family as soon as we see the heartbeat...he can wait for his family if he wants to, but I cannot wait 12 weeks this time! We know that the baby will be fine if we see the heartbeat, and even if it isn't, I would like some support if something is wrong. I am going to take Aidan to the fair in my dad’s town on the 27th, so I’ll tell my mom and dad that day. The next week Austin has fair here and I thought, if Steve wants, we can tell his family that day. We did it his way last time and I just really want everyone to know and share our excitement this time!

I'm Pregnant!!!!

We have been trying for another baby with medical help since November 2005 and since Aidan was born on our own. In November, my doctor didn’t seem very positive. He did a suppression cycle and then we began medication in January. We had six IUI’s prior to returning back to Iowa City’s infertility clinic in the end of May. Since we know what worked with Aidan, we started the same protocol immediately. Then began the nightmare of injections, ultrasounds, and blood tests. On June 14, we went in for our IUI. Everything looked great, except one number. The nurse who did it said that with that one number being a little low, the pregnancy rate dropped drastically, so this cycle would not count towards our total of four. So we tried not to get our hopes up, but she still gave us some hope.We went about our “normal” lives for the next two weeks and went on vacation. I was exhausted and moody, but figured it was just PMS.On June 28, I went to Allen in Waterloo at 8:30 a.m. to get our hCG blood draw, so I could go off the progesterone and start everything all over again…so convinced was I that it did not work. I waited and waited and waited, and finally, at 5:30, the nurse from the clinic called. The number was 196…an EXCELLENT number that meant I was, indeed, pregnant!!! I was so excited and couldn’t believe it. I asked her three times if she was sure she had the right person and even took a home test at 3:15 a.m. to be positive it was correct. We are now waiting to go in for our first ultrasound on July 20, which will be seven weeks. That will check to make sure the baby has a heartbeat, and with a number like 196, to see if there is possibly more than one! There were three really nice follicles, so technically, there could be three babies, but we highly doubt it. They don’t think my one side works very well and on the side that does work, it only had one follicle. I guess only time will tell.Please keep me and this baby and our family in prayers these next few weeks and months. We can use every prayer we get…it has worked several times and it will work again! God is Great!!!