SIXTEEN WEEKS TODAY

Where do I start!

I've been wanting to do this blog since I first found out I was pregnant. I thought I was motivated..and something was driving me to do it.....to take the time to document this journey. However, it's taken me until now to take a deep breath and have the courage to start typing. I think I was scared....and just couldn't invest the emotions to put thoughts to paper/electronically for fear we'd lose the baby early on....or we'd lose the baby right at the beginning of the danger zone. At this point, I feel like I need to begin this journalism journey to accompany the pregnancy. I also intended this to be a way to update our friends and family on the pregnancy....so hopefully it will be useful in that capacity as well! I think this blog will mostly be for me to vent-to journal-to express myself. I hope that I don't offend anyone or have anyone mis-iterpret anything....it's just going to be a way I can truly express myself and I hope people understand. This is our life...this is our journey...the good and the bad. There are joys, sorrows, and sometimes disappointments...there are times when it's important to be able to express how you feel. Thanks for understanding!

Today I am 16 weeks pregnant! It's been somewhat uneventful....just a couple bumps in the road...and just very scary for us..especially as we entered our 14th week two weeks ago through today. Our danger zone with both Faith & Robby started at the 14th week and proceeded through the 18th week of pregnancy. With Faith, we gave birth to her close to 15 weeks. With Robby, we went into labor with him for the first time at 14 weeks/4 days (this past Wed in gestation comparing with this baby). I was in the hospital for two nights the first time we went into labor and also had a cerclage put in. Post that hospitalization I went into labor 4 more times through week 18 when we gave birth to him.

We did our first "marker" test via blood work and had our neucal fold translucency/ultra sound evaluation. The neucal fold went well (measurements of the baby ok, etc). Although, the blood work came back a week later with a higher chance of Downs. For the average 41 year old the chance of a Downs baby is 1 in 39. My blood work came back at a chance of 1 in 36. I'll have the Quad screening/blood work done this Thursday-and we'll see if the numbers come up any. We have perspective...and it is what it is. We just pray and hope that the baby is healthy and ok...and will remain living, growing, and will thrive inside of me through the full term mark!

The other bump was a spotting situation on a Saturday morning and the following Monday a couple weeks ago. Luckily NOTHING since. The reason why this was threatening to us is because I spotted a very little bit with both Faith and Robby prior to going into labor with each of them. It happened right on the 14 week mark-and it was on cue.....so it was cause for great concern.......but there is nothing the doctors can do! We were just scared. I think the word "scared" is going to be a common theme in this blog........sorry....this is real...and IT IS VERY SCARY for us!

My next doc appt is on the 15th-and as I mentioned the Quad test will be done at the same time. We have our anatomy scan with our other doc at the end of the month....and YES we want to find out if it's a boy or girl. Hayes will attend that appt with us so he can see the baby on the ultrasound and find out the same time we do. He thinks it's a boy...but, he says "she" alot for some reason. We'll see!

I have so much more on my mind and more to share or say I should say....but, I think I just needed to get my feet wet with this crazy blogging stuff..and start to experiment a bit. I still want to add a piece that tells the beginning of our journey...hopefully I'll figure it out!

Happy Saturday night.....Saturdays are a good day for us...it marks each week of completion for us...which is such a miracle to us!

Grateful for WEEK 16......for my husband...and for my lil guy Hayes! We truly feel blessed........mem