Half Way There

March 17th marked the half way point for the pregnancy.

On March 19th, I went in for another appointment with Dr. Murdock. Nothing remarkable. Everything seemed fine.

On April 7th, I took a tour of the hospital. It's a very nice facility. The majority of the tour was spent addressing the needs/concerns of those who will be doing vaginal deliveries.

Level 2 Ultrasound

On March 3, I had the Level 2 Ultrasound at Texas Perinatologist office, which showed no abnormalities. It was a huge relief! However, I had a feeling that something was wrong with the baby and I couldn't really shake the feeling even after the positive news. It wasn't a scarey feeling, but I felt like I was being prepared for something.

During the ultrasound the technician said "It looks like he has outdoor plumbing." It took me a few minutes to even realize what that meant. Kind of funny, right? So, it's a little boy. I was a little surprised, but just relieved that he appeared healthy.

New OB

On February 11th, I picked up all my records from Dr. Shows' office. She left a nice note on my paperwork saying that she'd miss me. I will also miss her. She was very good to me.

On February 14th, I met with Dr. Murdock for the first time. Her nurse, Elsie, took me back to an ultrasound room and talked with me for several minutes. I really liked her. She had previously worked at the practice with Dr. Shows, and said she thought I would really like this practice even better. It inspired extra confidence; however, I was sure that I had made the right choice. I guess I felt like I had been guiding by the Lord in the choice.

When Dr. Murdock came in she spent probably 20 minutes doing the ultrasound and watching the baby move. She was really enthusiastic and positive as she talked with me. She asked me lots of questions and thanked me for bringing my medical records. We talked a lot and I knew I had made the right choice.

She asked if they had told me the sex of the baby yet. I said No. She asked if I wanted to know. I said sure. She said she wasn't absolutely positive, but if she had to guess she'd call it a boy. She also commented several times on how active he was. And, he was! I was already starting to feel little flutters of movement constantly.

Appointments, OBs & the Ultrascreen

On January 8th, I had my first regular OB appointment with Dr. Shows. We discussed the pregnancy, and she showed me pictures of her new little girl. She seems a little distracted, understandably so. We discussed doing the ultrascreen tests that I've always turned down.

Prior to going in for this appointment, I knew I would be asked if I wanted to do the triple screen to test for Down's Syndrome. I knew I was at high risk due to my age. I've always turned these tests down in the past due to the high incidence of false positives. I have never wanted the extra stress. This time I opted to have it. I felt like if there was a problem, it would be beneficial to know ahead of time so that we could have the right specialists available at the delivery. Also, I wanted to be able to prepare the children.

I also started to feel like I needed to deliver at a hospital closer to home. Dr. Shows only delivers at the Northeast Baptist Hospital. I had a good experience when I delivered Deborah there, but everyone else I talked with had negative experiences.

I had also started to feel like I needed a new OB. It was tough to think about that because I have really enjoyed seeing Dr. Shows. Additionally, she helped to diagnose 2 health problems that had been ignored or denied by other OB's. I felt a sense of loyalty to her, but eventually I realized that I was receiving spiritual promptings to deliver at the hospital closest to my home.

I started the process of finding a new OB. I asked several women at church about their OB's. The Northeast Obstetrics & Gynecology practice kept coming up over and over again. In fact, out of the 2 dozen or so women I spoke to, only 2 of them went to other practices. Everyone I spoke with had rave reviews for the North Central Baptist Hospital. I heard nothing but positive comments about the hospital and the nurses there.

Eventually I settled on Dr. Tammy Murdock with the Northeast OB/Gyn Associates. I did not find anyone else who was already her patient. But, after reading her bio online, I knew she was my first choice. Several things attracted me to her. First, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering. It seems most engineering majors understand the need to be detailed and exacting. I like that. Additionally, she is the Chief of Obstetrics at North Central Baptist Hospital.

When I called to schedule an appointment with her, they took all my information and said they would call back to schedule the appointment AFTER they had verified my insurance benefits. So, I waited... and waited... After about 2 weeks, I called them back to follow up. I was assured they were getting to me and would call me back as soon as they could.

In the meantime, I had my ultrascreen blood work done. The following Monday, Dr. Shows called to discuss the results. It was abnormal, as we expected. My age related risk is 1 out of 72 for Downs. The blood test adjusted it to 1 out of 238. (Their cut off is 270.) Dr Shows recommended that we see a high risk OB around 15-16 weeks. Depending on the results, they may recommend an amniocentesis. She reminded me again that the tests just indicates RISK. It is not a diagnosis.

HcG Numbers & Sonograms

On December 3rd, I went into the doctor's office to have the results confirmed. They took blood work that morning and again on December 5th. On December 6th, they called to say the numbers were increasing adequately and it seemed to be a viable pregnancy. I felt great joy!

On December 10th, I had my first sonogram. I measured at 5 weeks.

On Christmas day, I had a little spotting. So on the 26th, I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Shows office. She was out for the day, so I saw Dr. Wratten. She did an ultrasound and everything appeared to be fine.

I'm PREGNANT!

I went downstairs and said to Dwight, "It looks like I won't need to have that test this week." He was completely confused and motioned for me to come sit with him. So, I went over and sat on his lap. I repeated what I said and he asked "Why?" So, I whispered to him. He is really excited also! I can't believe I'm pregnant again. I'm so excited. I'm thrilled that my dr's were wrong. :)

It looks like my due date will be 8-8-08, just 3 days before I turn 40. Whewhoo!

Two lines?????

To satisfy Dwight I bought a home pregnancy test today. I've been drinking a ton of water all day and while I know they say you can test at anytime of day or night, I figured I should probably wait till morning. Then my curiosity got the best of me... afterall, there are two tests.

Can it be two lines?



I'm shaking! I'm so excited! I must go tell Dwight....

An HSG has been ordered...

I spoke with my OB and she is sending the orders for an HSG. I will need to schedule it once I start my next cycle, which should be the beginning of December. It has to be done sometime during cycle days 5-9. I'm nervous about it and still a little unresolved about doing. However, I've decided to have it done in hopes that it will give us more information on why I'm so tender.

It will also give us a more clear picture of whether my tubes are really completely closed or not. It should be interesting. It seems like it's a long time away though. I'm anxious.

Back to pre-pregnancy size

I love this picture! Not only does it show off just how cute David was/is, but it also remind me that I looked good just 6 months after having a baby! But, I really am not saying that to boast. I worked hard to firm things back up! Thanks, Dwight, for always helping with the kids so that I could work out.