A Word from Daddy

As I have read through Sarah’s posts, I’ve noticed that there is not much about what the husband has felt or seen. So, here is my first post.

I remember back in Sept. of 2006 when this journey began. Before then I never wanted kids, but over time something was missing. I cannot explain the feeling, its something that once you feel it you know what it is.

The longer we tried to conceive, the more emotional the ride got. Sarah would cry or would get down on herself and it was up to me to keep her thoughts positive, even when I was trying to deal with my own emotions. I will admit I was getting to the point where I didn’t think it was going to happen.

The day she told me that she was pregnant I went to cloud nine for days. She also told me that we couldn’t say anything….I can’t keep secrets! I was allowed to tell one person (What’s up EM!) I spent the weekend by myself, I would be just walking through the house and get a little sick to my stomach, thinking about being a dad. Actually, for about a week, I had some morning sickness!

The next week, on Father’s Day, I was nervous about telling our parents. At one point Sarah wanted to back out, I was about to bust, she knew I had to tell. My parents were so happy (I think I saw a tear in my dad’s eyes as he “went to shave”) When Sarah gave her dad the card, well this story is in another post, but this is GrandChuck and GrandApe’s first grandchild!

I never knew what the phrase “Time stood still” meant, until we went for the first ultrasound. When I heard that heartbeat, there were no other sounds in that room, there was nothing else on my mind (probably for the first time since I was kid), and at that moment it all became real to me.

Since then we have had another ultrasound, Sarah is staying hungry and sleepy, I have put on some sympathy pounds and the nursery is getting closer to being ready. For once in my life I now have a dream that has something other than a car or a “project” in it, this is all a new concept for me!

We've Got Movement!

Had my third ultrasound this morning. Everything is looking great! The baby is measuring 3.3 cm (about an inch and a half) and the heartbeat was 178 bpm! We could see arms and legs, too. It was absolutely amazing! The doctor moved my due date to February 16 (from the 18th) because the baby has been measuring ahead.

Dr. Kennedy said we might see movement at this ultrasound, so we sat there staring at the screen, straining our eyes to see even the tiniest little flicker. I was praying, "Please move, baby, please move." Then I started patting my stomach. As soon as I touched my stomach, the little thing started wiggling around like crazy, kicking its legs and bringing its little arms up to its face. Tim and I were in awe to see how active the baby was! Luckily we got the whole thing on tape so the grandparents will be able to see.

Tim is in charge of taking digital pictures of the ultrasound pictures, so hopefully he'll get a good one and send it to me so that all of you can see our little wiggle worm! And here it is!!!

10w ultrasound

Leaving Comments

I know a few people were having problems setting up accounts in order to leave comments. Therefore, I've changed the settings to allow comments from anyone. This means that anyone can post a comment now without having to sign in (or create an account). I hope this makes it easier for everyone because I love to hear from ya'll! You can just click on Name/URL and just type in your name (URL can be left blank).

Week 9 Update

Just wanted to check in now that I'm (about) at nine weeks. Things are still going well. I've been very fortunate not to have morning sickness, although some nausea and indigestion has been plaguing me. Overall, things are going great!

Tim and I have been continuing to work on the nursery. We installed a new sheetrock ceiling, recessed lighting, chair rail, and a closet. Below the chair rail is painted a rich, chocolate brown, and above the rail is cream. We are leaning towards incorporating earth tones and muted colors when we pick our bedding and furniture. Here is an example of some bedding we found at Ikea that we really like.

Ikea Hokus

As time goes on, we'll pick out more of our favorite things, and I'll post them here so that everyone can let us know what they think.

Our next ultrasound is Monday, so I'll definitely have an update (with pictures) on that day.

Yup, the Little Bean's Still There

After seeing the little one the first time and hearing the heartbeat, I think that relieved a lot of my anxiety. However, when we got ready to go in for our second appointment on July 7th, all the worry came back. But then the ultrasound screen came on, and we saw a baby that was FIVE times bigger than the one we saw two weeks earlier.

At 7 weeks and 5 days, the baby measured 1.6 cm. And the heartbeat had increased to 175 bpm! It was astonishing to hear how much faster and louder the heartbeat was the second time. This time we could make out a head and body. Also, the doctor videotaped the ultrasound for us, so we were able to bring that home and show our parents.


7w5d ultrasound(2)

You can see the head at the bottom of the black circle, then the body in the middle, and the yolk sac on top. The yolk sac will disappear when the placenta and umbilical cord take over in a week or two. It is absolutely amazing to know that something less than an inch long has a heartbeat and is already getting distinguishable human features.

My next ultrasound is July 21st, and the doctor said at that time, we should be able to see legs and arms!

First Time We Saw Our Little One

June 24th was our first ultrasound. The doctor told us we probably wouldn't see much since I was only about 6 weeks along, and that it was unlikely we'd hear the heartbeat. But when we finally saw the screen come up, there was our tiny bean tucked into a perfect gestational sac complete with yolk sac. The baby was measuring 0.29 cm., right on schedule. And then the doctor switched over to the Doppler and we were absolutely amazed to hear this fast and strong heartbeat! I couldn't believe that something so tiny could have such a definite heartbeat. In fact, it was 123 bpm!

The Best Father's Day Ever

After I got my big fat positive (BFP), I went in to the doctor's office on Thursday, June 12th, for an HCG Beta test to verify the pregnancy test. I got the results later that day and it was 345, which is a great number!

The next Sunday (June 15th) was Father's Day, so that was the day we picked to tell both of our parents the big news. We were going to have a cookout at Rock Creek Park that afternoon with my family, so before church, we went to his parents' house. The previous week was both of their birthdays/anniversary, so we took cards to them. On the inside of Tim's mom's birthday card, we wrote, "Your present has been backordered until February 2009...Get ready for #5!"

She laughed about the present for a minute and then realization dawned over her and as she realized we meant grandchild #5. She started crying and calling both of his sisters, and his father was so happy for us, too. It was awesome!

So then we had to go to church and continue to keep our secret! I had gotten my dad a book for Father's Day, which I gave him at the cookout. I then said I had forgotten his other gift in the car and went to get it. It was another book. As he unwrapped it, he saw the title, "Grandpa Rules." He gave me a funny look, and I told him to look inside.

Coming February 2009

CBE BFP

He just seemed stunned, and then he and mom started crying and hugging us. My papaw and some other family were there, so they found out, too. It was the best way I think we could have told them! The next day, June 16th, I went back to the doctor's office for my second HCG Beta test. This time it was 1,818, which means the doubling time was about 40 hours!! Doctors want to see it at about 48 hours, so my little one was growing up a storm over the weekend!

Telling Tim

So I took the pregnancy test on Saturday morning, June 6th. Tim was gone, so I tried to think of a clever way to tell him when he got home. For the past few months, we've been working on our back bedroom, tentatively preparing it to become a nursery. So I hung a note on the front of the door that said:

Grand Opening
February 19, 2009

Then it was time to hurry up and wait for him to get home. When he finally did get home, he sat down, ate a sandwich and watched TV. I was ready to explode! He ALWAYS comes home and goes straight to his bathroom (which is next to the back bedroom) and washes his hands. But NO, on THIS day, he washed his hands in the kitchen!

Well, he eventually walked toward the bathroom, stopping short as he read the sign. He turned towards me and said, "What does this mean?" I said, "What do you think?" I guess he finally understood because then he screamed, "Are you pregnant?!?" I started laughing and crying, and he ran to me and hugged me (then he started laughing and crying, too).

The whole thing was very emotional, but I think it's a memory we'll both cherish for a long time.

Another Pregnancy Blog

It may be cliche, but I've decided to keep a blog for my first pregnancy. This will feature all the fun details of the journey toward motherhood (if we're doing cliche, why not be corny, too). So here's a little background. And I promise, I'll eventually explain the name of the blog.

Tim and I have been trying to conceive since September 2006. I think we had just gotten home from a seven day cruise when we decided, "Hey, let's throw away the birth control and see what happens." Obviously, we assumed we'd be pregnant pretty quickly. By January (with no bun in the oven), we decided to try a more proactive method - FAM (fertility awareness method).

So here's a public service announcement (and sort-of advertisement): every woman between puberty and menopause should be REQUIRED to read "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" (TCOYF). It teaches you way more than you ever wanted to know about your body and your monthly cycles, but it is incredible information. So for the next 12 months, I charted my basal body temperature, my cervical fluid (definitely TMI, so I won't get into it) and used Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKS) to identify when I was ovulating.

By the next year, having no success and starting to lose that loving feeling, I made a call to the Center for Applied Reproductive Science (CARS) and began seeing Dr. Kennedy. All my bloodwork came back normal and my initial ultrasound didn't show any problems, so he suspected an ovulatory disorder since my cycles were very irregular and usually on the long side. He prescribed 50mg of Clomid to be taken Cycle Days 5-9.

On the day after I took the last pill, we left for a family vacation at Edisto Beach, South Carolina. This is also where we had our honeymoon. We were joined by Mom and Dad, Aaron and Mallory, and Daniel and Amy (for part of the trip.) It was a blast!

We arrived back home Monday, May 27. Everything seemed to be going well. I knew I had ovulated on May 28th, so by Saturday, June 6th, I was starting to get antsy and decided to pee on a stick (take a pregnancy test).

Imagine my complete shock when there was a beautiful little PLUS sign on the test, rather than the minus sign with which I had become very familiar. When looking at my chart, I realized that the miracle had happened while we were on vacation in Edisto, one of our favorite places in the world. Thus, the name of this blog.


So, all that being said, I hope to record all the incredible events that will (with God's help) lead to a healthy, happy baby in February 2009. I hope to post soon about how I told Tim, how we told our parents, our first and second ultrasounds and much more!

Monday, July 28, 2008

A Word from Daddy

As I have read through Sarah’s posts, I’ve noticed that there is not much about what the husband has felt or seen. So, here is my first post.

I remember back in Sept. of 2006 when this journey began. Before then I never wanted kids, but over time something was missing. I cannot explain the feeling, its something that once you feel it you know what it is.

The longer we tried to conceive, the more emotional the ride got. Sarah would cry or would get down on herself and it was up to me to keep her thoughts positive, even when I was trying to deal with my own emotions. I will admit I was getting to the point where I didn’t think it was going to happen.

The day she told me that she was pregnant I went to cloud nine for days. She also told me that we couldn’t say anything….I can’t keep secrets! I was allowed to tell one person (What’s up EM!) I spent the weekend by myself, I would be just walking through the house and get a little sick to my stomach, thinking about being a dad. Actually, for about a week, I had some morning sickness!

The next week, on Father’s Day, I was nervous about telling our parents. At one point Sarah wanted to back out, I was about to bust, she knew I had to tell. My parents were so happy (I think I saw a tear in my dad’s eyes as he “went to shave”) When Sarah gave her dad the card, well this story is in another post, but this is GrandChuck and GrandApe’s first grandchild!

I never knew what the phrase “Time stood still” meant, until we went for the first ultrasound. When I heard that heartbeat, there were no other sounds in that room, there was nothing else on my mind (probably for the first time since I was kid), and at that moment it all became real to me.

Since then we have had another ultrasound, Sarah is staying hungry and sleepy, I have put on some sympathy pounds and the nursery is getting closer to being ready. For once in my life I now have a dream that has something other than a car or a “project” in it, this is all a new concept for me!

Monday, July 21, 2008

We've Got Movement!

Had my third ultrasound this morning. Everything is looking great! The baby is measuring 3.3 cm (about an inch and a half) and the heartbeat was 178 bpm! We could see arms and legs, too. It was absolutely amazing! The doctor moved my due date to February 16 (from the 18th) because the baby has been measuring ahead.

Dr. Kennedy said we might see movement at this ultrasound, so we sat there staring at the screen, straining our eyes to see even the tiniest little flicker. I was praying, "Please move, baby, please move." Then I started patting my stomach. As soon as I touched my stomach, the little thing started wiggling around like crazy, kicking its legs and bringing its little arms up to its face. Tim and I were in awe to see how active the baby was! Luckily we got the whole thing on tape so the grandparents will be able to see.

Tim is in charge of taking digital pictures of the ultrasound pictures, so hopefully he'll get a good one and send it to me so that all of you can see our little wiggle worm! And here it is!!!

10w ultrasound

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Leaving Comments

I know a few people were having problems setting up accounts in order to leave comments. Therefore, I've changed the settings to allow comments from anyone. This means that anyone can post a comment now without having to sign in (or create an account). I hope this makes it easier for everyone because I love to hear from ya'll! You can just click on Name/URL and just type in your name (URL can be left blank).

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Week 9 Update

Just wanted to check in now that I'm (about) at nine weeks. Things are still going well. I've been very fortunate not to have morning sickness, although some nausea and indigestion has been plaguing me. Overall, things are going great!

Tim and I have been continuing to work on the nursery. We installed a new sheetrock ceiling, recessed lighting, chair rail, and a closet. Below the chair rail is painted a rich, chocolate brown, and above the rail is cream. We are leaning towards incorporating earth tones and muted colors when we pick our bedding and furniture. Here is an example of some bedding we found at Ikea that we really like.

Ikea Hokus

As time goes on, we'll pick out more of our favorite things, and I'll post them here so that everyone can let us know what they think.

Our next ultrasound is Monday, so I'll definitely have an update (with pictures) on that day.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Yup, the Little Bean's Still There

After seeing the little one the first time and hearing the heartbeat, I think that relieved a lot of my anxiety. However, when we got ready to go in for our second appointment on July 7th, all the worry came back. But then the ultrasound screen came on, and we saw a baby that was FIVE times bigger than the one we saw two weeks earlier.

At 7 weeks and 5 days, the baby measured 1.6 cm. And the heartbeat had increased to 175 bpm! It was astonishing to hear how much faster and louder the heartbeat was the second time. This time we could make out a head and body. Also, the doctor videotaped the ultrasound for us, so we were able to bring that home and show our parents.


7w5d ultrasound(2)

You can see the head at the bottom of the black circle, then the body in the middle, and the yolk sac on top. The yolk sac will disappear when the placenta and umbilical cord take over in a week or two. It is absolutely amazing to know that something less than an inch long has a heartbeat and is already getting distinguishable human features.

My next ultrasound is July 21st, and the doctor said at that time, we should be able to see legs and arms!

First Time We Saw Our Little One

June 24th was our first ultrasound. The doctor told us we probably wouldn't see much since I was only about 6 weeks along, and that it was unlikely we'd hear the heartbeat. But when we finally saw the screen come up, there was our tiny bean tucked into a perfect gestational sac complete with yolk sac. The baby was measuring 0.29 cm., right on schedule. And then the doctor switched over to the Doppler and we were absolutely amazed to hear this fast and strong heartbeat! I couldn't believe that something so tiny could have such a definite heartbeat. In fact, it was 123 bpm!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

The Best Father's Day Ever

After I got my big fat positive (BFP), I went in to the doctor's office on Thursday, June 12th, for an HCG Beta test to verify the pregnancy test. I got the results later that day and it was 345, which is a great number!

The next Sunday (June 15th) was Father's Day, so that was the day we picked to tell both of our parents the big news. We were going to have a cookout at Rock Creek Park that afternoon with my family, so before church, we went to his parents' house. The previous week was both of their birthdays/anniversary, so we took cards to them. On the inside of Tim's mom's birthday card, we wrote, "Your present has been backordered until February 2009...Get ready for #5!"

She laughed about the present for a minute and then realization dawned over her and as she realized we meant grandchild #5. She started crying and calling both of his sisters, and his father was so happy for us, too. It was awesome!

So then we had to go to church and continue to keep our secret! I had gotten my dad a book for Father's Day, which I gave him at the cookout. I then said I had forgotten his other gift in the car and went to get it. It was another book. As he unwrapped it, he saw the title, "Grandpa Rules." He gave me a funny look, and I told him to look inside.

Coming February 2009

CBE BFP

He just seemed stunned, and then he and mom started crying and hugging us. My papaw and some other family were there, so they found out, too. It was the best way I think we could have told them! The next day, June 16th, I went back to the doctor's office for my second HCG Beta test. This time it was 1,818, which means the doubling time was about 40 hours!! Doctors want to see it at about 48 hours, so my little one was growing up a storm over the weekend!

Telling Tim

So I took the pregnancy test on Saturday morning, June 6th. Tim was gone, so I tried to think of a clever way to tell him when he got home. For the past few months, we've been working on our back bedroom, tentatively preparing it to become a nursery. So I hung a note on the front of the door that said:

Grand Opening
February 19, 2009

Then it was time to hurry up and wait for him to get home. When he finally did get home, he sat down, ate a sandwich and watched TV. I was ready to explode! He ALWAYS comes home and goes straight to his bathroom (which is next to the back bedroom) and washes his hands. But NO, on THIS day, he washed his hands in the kitchen!

Well, he eventually walked toward the bathroom, stopping short as he read the sign. He turned towards me and said, "What does this mean?" I said, "What do you think?" I guess he finally understood because then he screamed, "Are you pregnant?!?" I started laughing and crying, and he ran to me and hugged me (then he started laughing and crying, too).

The whole thing was very emotional, but I think it's a memory we'll both cherish for a long time.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Another Pregnancy Blog

It may be cliche, but I've decided to keep a blog for my first pregnancy. This will feature all the fun details of the journey toward motherhood (if we're doing cliche, why not be corny, too). So here's a little background. And I promise, I'll eventually explain the name of the blog.

Tim and I have been trying to conceive since September 2006. I think we had just gotten home from a seven day cruise when we decided, "Hey, let's throw away the birth control and see what happens." Obviously, we assumed we'd be pregnant pretty quickly. By January (with no bun in the oven), we decided to try a more proactive method - FAM (fertility awareness method).

So here's a public service announcement (and sort-of advertisement): every woman between puberty and menopause should be REQUIRED to read "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" (TCOYF). It teaches you way more than you ever wanted to know about your body and your monthly cycles, but it is incredible information. So for the next 12 months, I charted my basal body temperature, my cervical fluid (definitely TMI, so I won't get into it) and used Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKS) to identify when I was ovulating.

By the next year, having no success and starting to lose that loving feeling, I made a call to the Center for Applied Reproductive Science (CARS) and began seeing Dr. Kennedy. All my bloodwork came back normal and my initial ultrasound didn't show any problems, so he suspected an ovulatory disorder since my cycles were very irregular and usually on the long side. He prescribed 50mg of Clomid to be taken Cycle Days 5-9.

On the day after I took the last pill, we left for a family vacation at Edisto Beach, South Carolina. This is also where we had our honeymoon. We were joined by Mom and Dad, Aaron and Mallory, and Daniel and Amy (for part of the trip.) It was a blast!

We arrived back home Monday, May 27. Everything seemed to be going well. I knew I had ovulated on May 28th, so by Saturday, June 6th, I was starting to get antsy and decided to pee on a stick (take a pregnancy test).

Imagine my complete shock when there was a beautiful little PLUS sign on the test, rather than the minus sign with which I had become very familiar. When looking at my chart, I realized that the miracle had happened while we were on vacation in Edisto, one of our favorite places in the world. Thus, the name of this blog.


So, all that being said, I hope to record all the incredible events that will (with God's help) lead to a healthy, happy baby in February 2009. I hope to post soon about how I told Tim, how we told our parents, our first and second ultrasounds and much more!
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