18 weeks

 

 

(18 weeks)

 

(10 weeks)

 

I put my 10 week picture up for comparison. And I wore the same shirt on purpose. Anyway, I won't keep you all in suspense. We did get to have an ultrasound at my doctor's appointment yesterday and we did find out the sex.

 

We're having a BOY!!!

 

Of course, we've known it the whole time. We've known for 9 years that our first child would be a boy. And for all you disbelievers out there who thought it would be a girl just because we said it was going to be a boy, here's proof...  

 

 

If you can't tell, his little legs and feet are sticking up and his bum is toward the bottom. Here are just a couple more ultrasound photos for my own record.

 

 

Baby's head is toward the left facing up in the above picture. The picture below his head is on the left facing down with his spine along the top.

 

 

The doctor said that baby looks great and I'm right on schedule. I'm recovering well from my gallbladder surgery and I finally got a prescription yesterday for my nausea. I couldn't take it anymore! I tried to avoid medication but until this nausea lets up...I need some help.

 

We've had baby's first name picked out for 9 years but have been debating on his middle name for quite some time. We've finally made a decision and his full name will be...

Blake Daniel Glover
 

Blake is Jaren's father's name (and Jaren's middle name) and Daniel is my dad's middle name. 

We're super excited about our baby boy! It feels like we've been waiting 9 years to meet him. I suppose I'll have to wait 5 more months but I'm sure he'll be well worth the wait! :)



Surgery

We went in and talked to my OBGYN a few days after my hospitalization from the gallstones and he said he would prefer that I have my gallbladder taken out now while I'm in the beginning of my second trimester. He said this is the best time to have it done. He's worried if I decide to wait until after the pregnancy, I could have another attack in the critical development time between 24 and 32 weeks. This could send me into labor early and mean more complications for baby.

There is still risk of miscarriage just by going under for surgery but Jaren and I both feel the greater risk is not getting it done. I have been faithfully watching my diet to avoid anything that will send me into another attack but the doctor said that may not be enough. I could still have an attack while eating as healthy as possible. With that said, I go in for surgery tomorrow morning. It will be an outpatient surgery and take about a week to recover. We're just praying for the best so baby will be alive and healthy after it all. I've really appreciated the love and support of our friends and family in our journey to become parents. Your prayers on behalf of baby and I would be greatly appreciated! I'll definitely keep everyone posted on how everything goes.

14 weeks

 

My belly doesn't seem to be too much bigger in this picture but it is. I certainly feel bigger and am having a harder time fitting my belly into some things. I've officially switched to maternity pants because they're more comfy. I tried the rubber band thing with my regular jeans and it just didn't work. Oh well.

 

I'm still struggling through sickness. Though most recently I've had another pain to deal with! I started having extreme upper abdominal pain last Friday night. It got so bad Jaren took me to the hospital. They did an ultrasound to make sure baby is alright and he was fine. Thank goodness! Then they moved the ultrasound to my liver and gallbladder. Sure enough, they found gallstones. Yuck! It seemed to take FOREVER for them to finally get me some pain medication. But once that stuff hit, I was very loopy and could hardly lift my own arms they felt so clumsy. But the relief from the pain was wonderful!

 

Jaren was, of course, very concerned and trying to do whatever he could to help me...which was pretty much nothing. I felt bad but I didn't want him touching me because of how much pain I was in. I tried to be nice and hold his hand when he offered it. Maybe when labor comes around, it won't be so pleasant for him. We spent about 5 1/2 hours at the hospital. It was the middle of the night so poor Jaren just curled up in the corner of the room on the hard floor to get some sleep. The nurses gave him a blanket and pillow which was nice. Every time they gave me some medicine to take, it shortly came back up. The next day my throat was so sore and hoarse because of how many times I'd thrown up. Horrible!!

 

Saturday I could only have clear liquids/food which consisted of Jell-O and chicken broth. I just tried to take it easy and spent most of the day preparing my talk and lesson I was giving in church the next day. Though I'm not in pain anymore I'm still feeling after effects. I think my body will be recovering for a little while. They said they don't generally like to remove the gallbladder while a woman is pregnant so I will just have to be really careful for now to avoid another attack. Honestly, I don't WANT my gallbladder removed. I don't care what anybody says, it's useful and I'd like it to stay there. Anyone have any ideas on how to safely and naturally get rid of gallstones while pregnant?

 

Aside from that fun adventure, nothing else is new. We're still waiting to hear news from our foster agency. In the mean time we're still getting kids bedrooms ready and finishing projects on the house. I feel like there's no end to those! We'll let you all know when we have news. I don't mind so much that it's taking a little longer though because I'm hoping the extra time will allow me to get feeling better before we get kids!  

A few firsts

Jaren and I both have experienced a few things for the first time in the last month. I had my first doctor's appointment with my OBGYN. This also meant the first Ultrasound! We took my very first "pregnant belly" picture before we went to the doctor. This is me at 10 weeks:

 

 

 

And here's our first ultrasound picture of little baby:

 

 

It was so cool to hear the heart beat and see the baby. I know I've sure been feeling pregnant but it was exciting to see that there really was a little guy in there! He was perfectly still right up until the end when he started waving his little T-Rex arm at us. He loves us already! :)

 

Since I have been SO sick, I begged my mom to come out and help me with our house projects we're trying to finish up before we get foster kids. My mom is the hardest working woman I've ever known. She exhausts Jaren and I just by watching her. She was a maniac! She gave herself a challenge to see how much she could accomplish before she left. She got way more done than I imagined she could. I helped when I could get off the couch. But she pretty much made all the meals, kept my kitchen spotless, and still finished a ton of things on the house! We sure appreciated it! I also went shopping for maternity clothes for the first time with my mom. :)

 



 

After my mom left, of course the kitchen didn't stay spotless and I could hardly get up to clean it. Jaren came home one day determined to help clean. He walked into the kitchen and looked around at the mess (not a big one mind you) and said "I miss your mom." My response, "Because the kitchen was always clean?"

"Yeah."

Thanks again mom! Come back soon!

 

In preparation for an exponential growth in our little family soon, we bought a minivan. This was also both mine and Jaren's very first brand new car. I never wanted to be a minivan mom but I do love my new Honda Odyssey!  

 

 

We splurged and got the Rear Entertainment System. One day we'll be making a very LONG drive to visit family and this will probably save us.

 

 

It's just so pretty! My only complaint is that I can't truly enjoy the new car smell because this crazy, pregnant, super smelling nose of mine doesn't like it. How lame is that?! At least it's not a bad smell though. I just don't enjoy it.  

 

 

A few more miscellaneous things:

I am now 11 1/2 weeks. My belly has grown even more in the last week and a half.  I'm super sensitive to smells (of course) and my taste buds are super picky now and sensitive to certain textures. I now know what it's like to NEVER want to do your hair or makeup or even get dressed in anything other than completely comfortable (frumpy) clothes. What's the point? I feel lousy and nobody cares, right? Maybe when (if) I start feeling better that will change. Hopefully! Jaren has been a trooper. He's still super sweet and understanding even with my mood swings and me feeling like garbage all the time.  I think I'll keep him around! ;)