Follow Up to the Fun

Hey there.  You all are amazing, I just want to say that.  The response to my previous post was overwhelming!  So many kind words were shared and I just want you to know I appreciate the gesture SO much.  Also, it's worth noting that was my most viewed post ever!!  Again, THANKS.

I did receive a few requests for some kind of follow up, so I'll backtrack a little and bring us forward to present too.  At some point, I will try to share our TTC story, but I have really struggled with finding the words, so I won't make any promises right now.

First, how did I keep the news a secret from my husband?  Well, it was only two days, and I did have a friend or two available to entertain my "IS THIS FOR REAL" and "AM I DREAMING THIS" moments.  At one point I decided I better buy another test because surely it wasn't a good idea to trust the results of just one test.  Thank goodness two pink lines appeared almost immediately that time.  No third guessing there.

Sorry if you're one of those people who don't like test pictures. 

Alex, was however, a bit on the suspicious side (because: NFP) but I was mostly able to avoid any blatant questions/lies in the short time before orchestrating the reveal.  He was most suspicious about the sudden/random urgency to drive 2 hours for a "photo shoot" at the last minute.  Waiting until the end of the photo shoot to actually share the news really helped because he'd given up hope that something was fishing was going on by that point.  #winning

We had our first doctor appointment at around 6.5 weeks, or that's what the baby measured then anyway.  The doctor's original calculations would have put me closer to 7 or 8 weeks, but my calculations were spot on from the measurements (again: NFP).  I couldn't believe me eyes when we saw the little heart flutter on the screen for the first time.  It was the coolest thing ever!

Three weeks later, we got a second set of pictures via internal ultrasound and that time we got to hear the actual heartbeat.  We were even able to take home this super adorable little photo series where the blob-looking image had evolved into something that actually had a head, torso, and four limbs.  The photo was incredibly clear and we started referring to it as our gummy bear (see the resemblance?).

Also, the photos served more than just as a means to reveal the news to Alex.  We used them to reveal the news to our parents too!  Using the same "practice photo shoot" story, we told our parents we had some semi-professional photos we wanted to share with them.  Each time, we would start with general couple-like photos and then click through to one with the "We're having a baby" sign and pause, waiting for them to get it.  They didn't get it immediately but once it registered in their brains, the cheering began.  We'd then proceed through the series of photos, explaining the reveal and letting them get a kick out of Alex's response . It was great.

Now, we're past the 13 week mark and the photos were used to create an announcement card that was sent to family and friends, then shared on social media.  For your viewing pleasure, I present:

As for how I'm feeling, I think some days are better than others.  I don't think I'm entirely past the queasy, fatigue stage, and recently the headaches have started.  People tell me that's normal, and I really hope it is because if I give myself too much time to think about it, I start imaging the adenoma on my pituitary growing out of control since I'm no longer taking medicine to prevent it from doing so.  (Prayers, maybe?) Aaand...I MIGHT be starting to develop a bump (probably not.), but my pants are definitely feeling tighter and so my search for maternity-comfort has begun.  At the very least, I may be living in flowy dresses for my work conference next week.

Don't look for a bump here - this was taken in early July.

In any case, this post is getting super long so I'll stop there.  Next time we'll switch gears as I share about our weekend in New Orleans for the Garth Brooks concert last month.  ...Can't let the blog become everything baby, now can we?

;)

-Lauren

P.S.  I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful.  Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss.  Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day.