Benjamin Button's Story
May, 2011 - Pulled the goalie! (took my last BCP) and thought, the very first month when my AF was "late" that I was TOTES preggles! (despite all the stark-white negative HPTs...)
Sept-Dec, 2011 After the puzzling "really late" AF, I attempted to chart. But then, CD1 began arriving on average every 18 days - I had (what I'm assuming were) all annovulatory cycles for the next 4 months... I visited my OB/GYN trying to get some preliminary questions answered, when she suggested the first step: a Sonohysterography (aka SIS - saline infusion sonography)
Jan, 2012 - SIS is performed, and everything "looks clear." At this point, it's been 8 months since we pulled the goalie and I'm getting impatient. Antsy. Nervous that something is wrong... But the SIS must have just cleared out my long-unused tubes, because I was able to chart a nice clear ovulation in late February, which led to....
March 19, 2012 - my first BFP! I was armed with the "cheapies" - arm loads of Wondos, which I tested on daily, and watched as the line got darker and darker...
April 6, 2012 - Finally the first ultrasound arrived - 6w1d and there was a sweet, teeny little heartbeat we could see...
April 17, 2012 - 7w4d - a follow-up ultrasound, to check in on little blueberry, who was doing just fine...
May 15, 2012 - 2 days after Mother's Day, and just 3 days before our NT was scheduled for, a niggling feeling (along with some questionable spotting) had me heading into the doctor's, only to discover my intuition was correct - there was no heartbeat anymore. It was 11w4d.
May 16, 2012 - DH and I spent the hours after The Appointment curled up in bed, under mounds of comforter, numb and fielding texts of apologies from family and friends... The next day was our D&C.
June-July, 2012 - We spent the first few months after the D&C in a TTA status. I was charting (it was somewhat difficult to get back into the swing of things after the BBT sat unused for 3 months...)
We spent these weeks doing our BuggyList things - 6Flags roller coasters, hot yoga, etc.
August, 2012 - Then, it was finally time to TTCAL... one month passed. I ovulated later on (average CD 22), so cycles felt like they dragged by... Another month passed.
Hurricane Sandy happened. E's grandfather passed.
And then...
Nov 12, 2012 - BFP#2. I fell to the ground in tears, immediately hoping and praying that this would be our Rainbow... (And then continued to test daily. And requested betas - watched them double appropriately...) Then it was finally time for:
Dec 6, 2012 - Our first peek showed a happy little blueberry, with a FHR of 130 at exactly 7weeks... The doctor didn't hesitate to move up our next u/s from 12w, based on the previous loss (a missed miscarriage.) So 12 days later,
Dec 18, 2012 - at 8w5d, we could see our little gummy bear and little chubby waving arms... all was ok with a hb of 181! (Old Wives Tales say a high heart rate usually means girl - mommy started to envision pink ribbons and curls!)
Jan 11, 2013 - NT scan showed kicking, so-far-healthy baby! We went public (i.e. announced on FBook - it's not public til it's posted there!)
Feb 14, 2013 - We decided to book an elective u/s for our Valentine's Day... E began to cry (like a baby!) when he heard the tech announce, it's a BABY BOY!!!!
Mar 8, 2013 - our in depth A/S showed a healthy 14oz baby with perfect anatomy... the love story began!
July 17, 2013 - Two days before a scheduled c-section for a double-footling breach baby boy, labor began. We went to the hospital after a suspicious "leak" and arrived to discover contractions that were 4-5 min apart, and that I was a cm dilated! Into the OR we went for a CS, and at almost 5pm, Benjamin arrived!
4:57pm
7lb0z
19.5"
The Tale of Baby Buggy #2
January 23, 2015 - CD1 arrives, we had decided to begin TFAS in January - here we go!
February-March 2015 - The first cycle had a LP of 12 days - GOOD! Second cycle had a LP of only 9 days... NOT GOOD... researched a bit on "natural" ways to lengthen an LP - start mixing into diet things like walnuts, kale, Prenatal vitamins (I knew I was forgetting something in this TTC process!)
April 13-14, 2015 - Between 8-9DPO, I get violently ill with (I guess) a stomach bug. We're talking vomiting every twenty minutes for a span of at least a few hours... I, for some reason, decided to take an HPT on recovery day (9DPO) and see the faintest (FAINTEST EVER) shadow of a line...
April 15, 2015 - Tax Day! And I'm officially calling a BFP this cycle with a (still squinty) second line = BFP! EDD is 12/27/2015
May 8, 2015 - First OB appointment and ultrasound! Overjoyed to see "cardiac activity" but disappointed (and scared!) to measure 4-5 days behind (according to O-date.) We set a "check-in" ultrasound for the very next week...
May 12, 2015 - The MFM performs a "viability" ultrasound (billed as such due to lack of appointments at OB office before our international travel 2 days later...) And sweet success - baby TOTALLY CAUGHT UP in growth! Little Bear measured at 7w1d with a FHR of 154bpm!
May 21, 2015 - I totally cheated and did something I shouldn't have at 8w3d... I folded and got out the doppler - and FOUND THE HEARTBEAT! my PGAL brain was so relieved!
May 25, 2015 - After two unsuccessful doppler attempts, I was prepared to call in the "peace-of-mind" ultrasound (on Memorial Day weekend no less!) but just as I was about to give up on attempt #3 at exactly 9w, there was a sweet little heartbeat... approximately high 170's (via a 5-second count and some quick calculations...)
June 15, 2015 - A great NT scan shows a wiggly long-legged baby (and measuring, at 12w5d, 4 days ahead of ovulation-based EDD!) with a FHR of 176 (still high! GIRL?!)
(Because the baby measured almost 13 weeks, the tech did give a gender prediction (which she says she never does!))
Nuchal fold measured between 1.5-17 (perfect!) and little Gummi Bear already has two complete halves of his/her brain formed!
July 17, 2015 - Not only is our BigBoyButton a whole TWO YEARS OLD, but we decided (again) to book an elective ultrasound to find out/confirm the gender that our tech predicted one month ago! And alas, we are confirmed TEAM PINK! WE HAVE A DAUGHTER ON THE WAY!
August 10, 2015 - Anatomy Scan (re)confirms we are (still) Team Pink! Baby Girl shows "perfect" measurements and anatomy, measuring (via guestimation) at approximately 13oz! (She was also in the same breach position as big brother - head up, butt down! Good thing this girl was already slated for a RCS!)
February-March 2015 - The first cycle had a LP of 12 days - GOOD! Second cycle had a LP of only 9 days... NOT GOOD... researched a bit on "natural" ways to lengthen an LP - start mixing into diet things like walnuts, kale, Prenatal vitamins (I knew I was forgetting something in this TTC process!)
April 13-14, 2015 - Between 8-9DPO, I get violently ill with (I guess) a stomach bug. We're talking vomiting every twenty minutes for a span of at least a few hours... I, for some reason, decided to take an HPT on recovery day (9DPO) and see the faintest (FAINTEST EVER) shadow of a line...
April 15, 2015 - Tax Day! And I'm officially calling a BFP this cycle with a (still squinty) second line = BFP! EDD is 12/27/2015
May 8, 2015 - First OB appointment and ultrasound! Overjoyed to see "cardiac activity" but disappointed (and scared!) to measure 4-5 days behind (according to O-date.) We set a "check-in" ultrasound for the very next week...
May 12, 2015 - The MFM performs a "viability" ultrasound (billed as such due to lack of appointments at OB office before our international travel 2 days later...) And sweet success - baby TOTALLY CAUGHT UP in growth! Little Bear measured at 7w1d with a FHR of 154bpm!
May 21, 2015 - I totally cheated and did something I shouldn't have at 8w3d... I folded and got out the doppler - and FOUND THE HEARTBEAT! my PGAL brain was so relieved!
May 25, 2015 - After two unsuccessful doppler attempts, I was prepared to call in the "peace-of-mind" ultrasound (on Memorial Day weekend no less!) but just as I was about to give up on attempt #3 at exactly 9w, there was a sweet little heartbeat... approximately high 170's (via a 5-second count and some quick calculations...)
June 15, 2015 - A great NT scan shows a wiggly long-legged baby (and measuring, at 12w5d, 4 days ahead of ovulation-based EDD!) with a FHR of 176 (still high! GIRL?!)
(Because the baby measured almost 13 weeks, the tech did give a gender prediction (which she says she never does!))
Nuchal fold measured between 1.5-17 (perfect!) and little Gummi Bear already has two complete halves of his/her brain formed!
July 17, 2015 - Not only is our BigBoyButton a whole TWO YEARS OLD, but we decided (again) to book an elective ultrasound to find out/confirm the gender that our tech predicted one month ago! And alas, we are confirmed TEAM PINK! WE HAVE A DAUGHTER ON THE WAY!
August 10, 2015 - Anatomy Scan (re)confirms we are (still) Team Pink! Baby Girl shows "perfect" measurements and anatomy, measuring (via guestimation) at approximately 13oz! (She was also in the same breach position as big brother - head up, butt down! Good thing this girl was already slated for a RCS!)
October 5 & 14th, 2015 - After failing the 1-hour GTT (As I did with Button...) the 3hr GTT came and went, passed with flying colors (again, as I had with Button... any more pregnancies, I'm gonna just request we skip the 1-hr!)
November 14, 2015 - E's family (mom, aunt, sisters, cousin) threw a phenomenal surprise Sprinkle for baby girl! We also were able to keep our previously scheduled 3D ultrasound appointment (E let me make the appointment, which kept the sprinkle a total surprise!)
We got a peek at our NOW HEAD-DOWN little girl!
December 21, 2015 - a morning OB appointment (during which there were several contractions!) led to a L&D trip... lo & behold, once again - TWO DAYS before a scheduled c-section, Baby Girl made her (somewhat scary!) appearance!
4:09pm
7lbs11oz
19.5"
4/2017 Saw OB and finally got IUD placed!
I'm hopping around your blog and love that you included a timeline of your TTC journey. I am so sorry for your first loss. It must have been so devastating. It warms my heart to know that you got to bring home your little Benjamin (LOVE the name, by the way). I am sure that you have a little angel watching over you and your son now!
ReplyDeleteThanks Krystal - I am pulling & praying for your rainbow (but wow - not "Pull & Pray" as in birth control lol - I was gonna edit, but decided laughing at things like this are healthy =)
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