Look at Me!

Sorry everyone! Mommy and Daddy didn't get a video of me today. I was taking a nap and the lady buggin' me decided not to record. But I did leave you with a picture! Look at me, I learned how to suck my thumb! And it sure feels good to stretch out my leg up in the air. Mommy tells me I won't have this much room in a couple months. This is the life though!

Goodbye Naval Hospital!

Today I had my first appointment at our new Doctor's office. First a little background... we have, of course, always gone to the hospital on the Naval base here in Jacksonville. Tyler's insurance we were under, Tricare Prime, covers everything 100% on base for the entire pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum. Our first appointment on base at 10 weeks and 5 days (including the ultrasound) was less than desirable. To save time (mine and yours, but mostly yours) ha, I'll just say the facilities are not nice, the majority of the staff is unprofessional, and the atmosphere is not a very welcoming one. The appointment was not personable in any way and we were very disappointed, to say the least.

And here is the part where I gush over how awesome Tyler is! He spent 2 full weeks diligently researching doctors and hospitals in Jacksonville. And several visits to the Tricare office getting ALL the wonderful details about switching to Tricare Standard (which allows us to see civilian doctors). This requires us to pay some out-of-pocket expenses so he wanted to be certain the financial information/coverage details he was getting were right. So, thank you so much Tyler for putting so much time into finding good care for me and the baby. You are the best!

We decided to make the switch on our insurance to ensure we get the BEST medical care we can find! We found a group of 4 doctors at Women's Physicians Of Jacksonville that we really liked. However, we really wanted to deliver at Baptist South, and this group delivers at St. Luke's Hospital. We decided to go with the doctors at WP of Jax anyways since both hospitals were about the same distance from our house and we knew St. Luke's was still a nice hospital as well. So we settled for the doctors we wanted at our second choice hospital.

And here is where God steps in (once again) ...... we go to our appointment today and one of the first things they tell us is... "We are now switching to Baptist South and will be delivering there exclusively starting in September." !!! We couldn't believe it. We are getting the doctors we wanted and at the hospital we wanted!! There was NO way WE could have made that happen, haha. Another wonderful blessing.

Here is a link to my doctors: http://www.wpjax.com/staff.php
Today I saw Dr. Wrennick, but they said I will see all them throughout my appointments. That way come delivery time, whoever is on call will be delivering and I will be familiar with all of them. The facilities at the office were VERY nice. Today we met with a total of 5 staff members and had a good experience with all of them (Front desk lady, Nurse, Dr., Benefits/Finance lady, and checkout/scheduling lady). All caring, considerate, and professional.
* When we were checking in at the front, I asked the lady if I would be peeing in a cup because I needed to pee. She said yes, so I told her I would wait then. She said she would let the nurse know. We sat down for maybe 10 seconds and they called me right back (and we were still early!) just so I could pee in the cup. haha
* It was mostly just a new patient appointment and meet everyone type of thing. But it was much more personable. The Dr. asked when we met, got married, where Tyler was stationed, ect.
* The only baby related thing they did was listen to the heartbeat! This was the first time we heard it, 13 weeks and 2 days. She said it was in the 150's and sounded great! And of course we could not stop smiling after hearing it! SO, SO awesome!!!

We are SO happy with our decision to go through the headache of switching insurance and researching the benfits and coverage and switching Doctors! And especially thankful that they just happen to be switching to the hospital we wanted too! It has been such a huge worry on both of us and we feel so relieved now.

P.S. I already go back again tomorrow for another ultrasound! They are going to do the first trimester screening (base didn't do it). And we get to bring in a DVD and they record the whole ultrasound for us!!

13 Weeks

13 weeks... 189 days to go. It is hard to believe I will have a baby in my arms come Christmastime =)

I'm not going to do a survery today since I just did it a few days ago. I am just going to leave you with some pictures. I took a few pictures at 5 weeks (right after we found out) and baby was the size of a sesame seed (Yes, the one on your hamburger bun!) And I also have a couple more belly pictures I haven't shown yet.

In the beginning...

Then I snapped a 9.5 week picture after I came in from the pool one day....

You can see a little bump right under my belly button.

Then I have the 12 week picture I posted in my last blog...

And this final one is my (just about) 13 week picture, another "after the pool" shot...

It seemed like my bump moved UP, and now I think it will be moving OUT from here on, haha.

Sorry for the lack of face in most of these pictures. I pick the worst time to decide to take these and just don't want my face in them. I'll try and do better about that.. I feel headless in these pictures.

Today, baby is the size of a small peach.. 2.9 inches long and weighs just .81 oz.

We will be on vacation for week 14 with Tyler's family, but I'll be back at week 15 with an update and new picture!

12 weeks

How far along? As of today, 12 weeks/4 days... but I meant to post this when I was exactly 12 weeks.
Size of baby? The size of a PLUM! 2.1 inches long and weighs .49 oz.

Total weight Gain/Loss? Up 2 pounds
Maternity Clothes? None yet. I plan to make my clothes last as long as I can!
Gender? We don't know yet
Movement? In about 1 month or so, and I. can't. wait.
Sleep? Excellent!!! Enjoying it while I can =)
Symptomns? If I did this about a month ago, I could have listed every symptomn in the book. This week though = Running to the bathroom to pee all day, eating anything and everything all day long, still experiencing some of that awful tiredness, and just a little nauscea in the evening. (I think the vomitting is finally a thing of the past though!)
Belly Button? Still inny, but it is moving up! as my bump moves out, haha. Funniest thing!
What I am looking forward to? Another appointment with my NEW DOCTOR on Tuesday, the 15th. a.k.a. No more military hospital! I am now going to Women's Physicians of Jacksonville at St. Luke's Hospital.
Best moment of the week? All week I have been hearing, "You are starting to show!" It's fun having people notice my bump. In the beginning everyone said I probably wouldn't show until 4 or 5 months. So hearing that at 3 months, I am starting to get a little worried. hehe Just kidding. Right now I could hide it if I wanted to... but why would I want to do that?! ;)

I haven't decided if I am going to post weekly or just monthly updates. I think I'll shoot for weekly, but if I miss some weeks here and there I won't stress over it. This is such a fun way of documenting my pregnancy!

Secret Place

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!"

Psalm 139

April 15, 2010

April 15, 2010 is a day I will never forget. Much like October 17, 2003 (the day Tyler proposed) or May 29, 2004 (our wedding) or February 12, 2005 (the day Tyler came home from Iraq). I think we all have dates that will always stay in our mind… whether they are good or bad. But they stand out and we remember specific details unlike any other days. And April 15th is one of those days.

Nearing 6 years of marriage, we were in the midst of a struggle that very few people knew… starting a family. I never wanted people to know that we were “trying” because I wanted it to be a surprise when our time finally came. But when the months turn to years it becomes apparent that things are not going to go as planned. Without going into a whole lot of detail, we were told that we would need the assistance of modern medicine and a fertility specialist to get pregnant, most likely, in-vitro fertilization. Our chances of getting pregnant without assistance were just too low. Can I just stop here and say... I am so glad we have a God Who performs miracles even today! Who is bigger than anything we can ever imagine! Whose thoughts are higher than our own! Who loves us and knows the desires of our hearts and blesses us when we don’t even deserve it!

So on this particular Thursday, I was now about 5-7 days “late.” The thought of actually, truly, being pregnant doesn’t even cross my mind. I know our chances. I know how long it’s been. I now know what it is going to take to get pregnant and I just know I am not. (We had not even had our consultation with the fertility clinic yet) That evening, we go out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant, LaNapolera. My husband, being the crazy, exciting person that he is ;) convinces me… “Just take a test!” I finally agree to it. I’ve seen negative tests before… what’s another one I figure? We stop by CVS and bring one home. Of course I know that I am supposed to take it in the morning and it is 9:00 at night but Tyler is quite convincing. We shut the bathroom door and are hanging out in the bedroom. When we looked at the clock we realized over 10 minutes had gone by! I tell Tyler to get up and open the door and look at it first, lol. I am right behind him though as he opens the door and we both peer down at it at the same time. No mistaking it… 2 PINK LINES!

Tears instantly starting streaming down my face and I’ve never felt such an outburst of praise as I did in that moment. I kept thinking in my head, “God did this. He did it!” Tyler on the other hand, looked like he had seen a ghost. “There’s TWO lines!” he yelled over and over. We just embraced each other. I will never forget those brief moments in time. I think we can both say we have never felt so shocked or surprised in our lives. Once we got over the initial shock, Tyler said a precious prayer that left me in tears all over again. Then we grabbed the camera and snatched a few pictures (of course!)

I love how God works. Had we gotten pregnant earlier on in the previous years we would have never known what a miracle it was. He lovingly allowed us to get to the point of finding out that we would not get pregnant on our own, before bringing along this blessing. We can now do nothing but give glory to Him! There is always purpose in the pain. There is always purpose in the waiting.
I love that this child was prayed for many, many times and is a direct answer to prayer. Truly extraordinary!!!