Third Pregnancy Recap - First Half

Even though I haven't blogged in FOREVER, I want to at least get this info in writing before I forget it all.

I had a suspicion I *might* be pregnant towards the middle to end of February, but every test I took was negative.  I was crampy, nauseous, moody, and had twinges in my uterus I had only felt when I was pregnant before.  Finally on Monday, February 27th, I got the faintest of positive tests.  I then proceeded to take 3 more that day, and they all showed up as positive.

I told Joshua that Monday night after he got home from Lane's basketball practice and the kids were asleep.  We were both shocked, but excited.  I had always wanted a third child, but this came as quite the surprise!

Over the next few weeks I had multiple blood draws to check my HCG and progesterone levels, which took a while to increase.  I also started supplemental progesterone as a precaution.

At our first ultrasound, baby measured 6w1d and we saw a heartbeat, but it was slow (~95bpm).  We were then told to come back two weeks later to recheck, and when we did everything was progressing as it should.

I spent the first 10-12 weeks very nauseous and exhausted.  It was hard to keep the secret at work because I just felt so miserable all of the time, plus my belly always starts to pop right away.  We also held off on telling the kids until after the first trimester.

Because of my history of preterm labor/delivery with Owen at 32w6d, I started receiving the Makena injections at 16 weeks to hopefully reduce the risk of this baby being a preemie.  The first shot was given in the office, and every other one Josh has given me at home.  This will continue until the end of my 35th week or baby is born, whichever comes first.  Owen thinks its hilarious that Daddy gives me the shot "in the butt" (intramuscular injection in the back of my hip), and Lane is terrified whenever I have to get it and hides in the other room.

Also around 16 weeks I started having Braxton-Hicks contractions quite frequently, so I try to really keep my water intake up, lie down whenever I can, and just listen to my body.

I have an anterior placenta this time around, which has made feeling this baby much more difficult; its like all of the movements are muffled instead of stronger like with my last two pregnancies.

We found out during our 20 week anatomy scan that this baby is a little GIRL, which completely surprised me.  I was so sure we were having a third boy, and I even had his name picked out.  I cried when the tech told us her gender, because I was so surprised and excited.  It seemed so strange at first to be expecting a girl, but it now feels "right" and like she was always meant to join our family.

That's about it for the first half of this pregnancy!  I am trying to savor every moment, no matter how uncomfortable, because this is likely our very last baby.  Fingers crossed we make it well into the third trimester before we meet this little girl!