Low dropping levels but HB found?

[Literati_Love]

That sucks that your workplace changed so much while you were gone (for the worse). I hate when managers abuse their power and stop caring about their employees.

That job at the hospital with fewer hours but same overall pay would be awesome! Wouldn't it be great to have a bit more time with Hunter if it meant you could still be doing fine financially? I understand being nervous about taking mat leave at another place, though.

My hCG was 185 at 15 DPO which is actually on the higher side of average for that stage so I am pleased with that (despite your levels being sky-high at that time with Hunter)!

I won't be making anything for Christmas dinner. We won't really be doing anything fancy just the two of us. Our main Christmas is our Christmas with my family. My mom will probably make turkey, stuffing, spinach salad, brazilian rice, steamed veggies, cranberry sauce and some jello salads for supper. Well, technically I promised to make the stuffing while I'm there to help her out. But yeah...I won't be cooking anything at home! And on dh's side we are all lazy so we are going to order Chinese food! What sort of breakfast are you planning? A big Christmas breakfast sounds sooo good.

Oh no! I am sorry AF got you! a 10-day LP is not great... you're right. Did you ever get your progesterone tested like you were going to? It might be worth mentioning to your doctor about your short LPs. I am sure it is very fixable and it would be good to fix now before you start TTC. But don't worry - I am CERTAIN you will get your rainbow baby next time you get pregnant!

It sucks you have to work on your birthday. I always used to book my birthdays off work but for the past couple years I have worked and it isn't too bad because I usually just celebrate with dh on the weekend instead. They definitely lose a bit of their fun when you're older, but I still always enjoy a bit of indulgence for my special day. Going out to supper will be a nice treat! Maybe your dh will let you pick out a movie to watch that night?

That is weird you had morning sickness with your m/c. I guess they aren't always related to your hCG levels. Yeah, I've definitely heard MS can show up later as well. While I'm still not feeling nauseous, I've been gagging and dry retching at certain smells for the past few days so I kind of wonder if MS is coming. I honestly have to plug my nose to go into the break room at work now!

Thanks...I'm glad you have a good feeling about this baby.

Wow, that is very hot! I like when it is hot, but I prefer when it cools down nicely in the evenings to a more bearable temp (like 20ish)

Yeah, it's awful that work consumes our live even outside of it. I am sorry you spend so much time dreading it on your days off.

Yes, I am quite excited for Christmas...and I only have 7 more work days left, so that's nice! It feels like it's taking A-G-E-S to come, though!

 

[Literati_Love]

Hey! Just an update to say my doctor just called and on Monday my levels were above 8,000 so that is a very good doubling rate and I am very pleased! I can finally start feeling optimistic about this pregnancy!!

 

[detterose]

Yeah me too Not so sure about finding a new job though, I feel a bit guilty as my boss brought me in a birthday card and cake and then sent me home early to enjoy the rest of the day. Little things like that make it hard!

OMG wonderful news on your hCG levels. 8000 is terrific! I am glad you are feeling more optimistic now So you should! Are they arranging an early scan for you? I hope so!

Wow that sounds like an epic Christmas dinner, lucky you! Could understand why you wouldn't make anything extra for you and DH then! At the moment, probably the usual bacon, eggs, hash brown, sausages etc. Nothing too fancy or big because I know I will be the one cleaning up

No I completely forgot about getting my progesterone tested actually. But once AF finishes, I need to book in somewhere for a Pap smear, I never feel comfortable doing them at work. So I might ask them to do a check for me, I would like to rule out endometriosis actually as I always had terribly painful AFs as a child and get shooting pains during DTD which can apparently be a sign and short LPs are also a symptom! So for peace of mind, I think I will ask them to rule that as a possibility.

Well like I mentioned above, it wasn't too bad as my boss sent me home early. OH booked us into a really fancy restaurant called Kobe. Our dinner was absolutely amazing, the most beautiful steak I have ever had in my life! And dessert was a giant macaroon with a cookies and cream centre filling, it was the size of a burger! I got so very spoilt! A new coffee machine, a Polar FT4 watch, Justin Bieber DVD , chocolates, a photo of Hunter that you saw and my mum gave me a lot of money too

Maybe you will just have nausea like I did? Which is good for reassurance and also because you aren't actually full blown vomiting

I forgot to mention I got to take the 23rd of work so now I only have to work the 30th of Dec and 3rd of Jan, wahoo

How are you!? Any plans for the weekend?

 

[Literati_Love]

Yeah, that would definitely make things hard as things get personal when they do nice things like recognize your birthday. This past birthday my boss took me and 2 other girls for lunch and we couldn't tell anyone because she didn't want anyone else to feel jealous. I don't think she's taken anyone else out for their birthday so I felt quite spoiled. It's things like that that do boost morale a bit and make you more inclined to stay with your job. I am hoping that your job just really improves so you don't have to look for new work.

I don't think I will get an early scan. My doctor is away from the office now for a while and I won't see her til my appointment on the 30th. At that point I will ask how early I can get in for a scan but I am guessing I'll just get the one u/s somewhere between 9-12 weeks. I would only get an early scan if I had spotting...but I am really hoping that doesn't happen and right now I would be content if maybe we could just hear the heartbeat at 8 weeks. Is that even possible?

Well, that sounds like an amazing breakfast! Not really "the usual" to me at all! hahaa. It IS too bad you will have to clean up afterwards but it will be worth it! You are making me super excited for Christmas now! haha.

I definitely would NOT get a pap smear at my workplace! I don't blame you for going somewhere else!! Good idea to rule out endometriosis. I've actually always been worried I have that as well because I've had such painful and heavy AFs. I am still not totally convinced I don't have it, but as long as I can have a healthy pregnancy I guess I don't really care too much. Sometimes I'm just a hypochondriac so it's probably just that. But I hope hope they can rule that out for you so you don't have to worry!

Wow! That restaurant sounds just lovely! I am glad your birthday meal was so delicious! You definitely got very spoiled with all those presents and money! Are you going to do some shopping for yourself?

Well...I had my first real bout of MS on Thursday! In the morning I felt VERY sick and just kept getting huge waves of nausea and dry heaving. I had to plug my nose to go in the staff room because of all the smells but even still I was gagging just at the thought of the smells! The nausea went away as soon as I ate, but then I was STARVING all morning and couldn't seem to snack enough to keep the hunger away. I came home from lunch and got hit with a big wave of nausea in the middle of eating and I ended up vomiting. I also got a nosebleed, which I haven't had in over a decade! Anyway, I felt totally fine after that episode so it wasn't really that bad and was just soo lovely for reassurance. I've felt better the last couple days...just a bit prone to gagging in the morning but not nauseous like that. I think it's definitely tied to low blood sugar and I've been making sure to eat lots.

OMG YAY! I'm sooooo glad you got the 23rd off of work! It will be SOOOO nice having that whole week off now! I am so happy for you! Woohoo!

I am doing very well! I am feeling dangerously optimistic about the pregnancy now! I still haven't had any spotting and I'm just feeling really a lot more relaxed about it for now. Today I am celebrating Christmas with my BFF. We will get some Starbucks, have some girl talk, exchange gifts, and go out for supper! It's going to be a good day. Then tomorrow after church we're getting together with a friend to catch up on Once Upon a Time and then we have our usual Sunday Night Dinner with my family. What about you? Any big plans?

 

[detterose]

Aww yes it is very nice things like that that make it hard. My boss has told me countless times she thinks of me as a daughter. Her daughter is around the same age and has a 6 month old, so she tends to watch out for me a fair bit, I will admit. It was just the lying recently that made me feel very disrespected.

Well, the 30th is coming around fairly fast! It will be here before we know it. How long does it normally take to get in for an ultrasound over there? Usually for free appointments, it can take up to a week, sometimes two but if you pay for it you can pretty much get in the next day. Will you have the nuchal translucency scan done? I can't remember to tell you the truth. I know they can measure it from as early as 5 weeks depending on growth of baby. But I don't think I actually heard it until my doctor did a Doppler on me at about 16 weeks. I think you can from maybe about 10 weeks??

Oh really? What is the breakfast norm over there? Bacon and eggs is big over here for these sorts of occasions

Hahaha yes, last Pap smear I went to a family planning clinic. I would just go back there but they lost their funding and had to close down which is really sad, it was a great place. So now I actually have to try find a nice lady doctor elsewhere! Yeah same here, my mum took me to the doctors at the age of 14 to go on the Pill to try to reduce the severity of them, so from the age of 14 til 21 I was always either on the Pill or Implanon. They say that endometriosis improves after having a baby and I have to say that some of my AFs since I have barely noticed. Like the one I am on now, I had no warning that she had arrived, no cramps or anything! But I also sort of contribute that to using fish oil and the B6.

I would like to, but I will save the money as OH sent himself broke with my birthday and Christmas shopping and our electricity bill is due soon. So unfortunately doing the responsible thing, damn!

Oh wow! Definitely sounds like a good case of MS hit you! I bet that made you feel better (in a strange way) But it is a very good sign! How strange about the nose bleed! I can't remember the last time I experienced one. I definitely remember the low blood sugar feeling. It got to the point I kept snacks at my desk to have something to nibble on all day. Horrible feeling

Yes! I am so excited as it gives me another day to prepare for Christmas! Lots of baking to be done!!!

I am glad you are feeling much more optimistic. You deserve to know what it's like to be happy and excited over new life! I bet the Christmas celebrations with your BFF will be lovely!! Sounds like a wonderful idea. I saw my BFF briefly last night, she dropped over a bottle of wine and tub of ice cream for me for my birthday and said my birthday present is still on its way! I would have just been happy with the wine and ice cream how lovely that you have a Sunday night dinner! That must be a really nice tradition for you.

Well it's Sunday here now, I will probably stay home for the morning as Hunter is unwell again. Then I have my dress fitting for my BFFs wedding at 1pm, so that's the only thing on the agenda at the moment! Maybe even a nap at some point!

 

[detterose]

Just thought I would check in, see how things are going? I hope you are well. X

 

[Literati_Love]

Hey! Sorry I haven't replied in so long. I had a crazy busy weekend, and then I've been utterly exhausted all week. Went to bed at 7:30 on Monday night and went to bed at 8:30 last night (after having a 3-hour nap before that).

Well, I hope your boss quits lying to you because that's certainly unacceptable. Sounds like she's pretty nice otherwise.

I think it depends how long it takes to schedule an ultrasound. Probably about a week, generally? I am not sure if I'll get an NT scan. Frankly, I never had any idea what that was before and I just googled it but still don't know that much about it. I will get whatever the typical scan people get around 12 weeks is. So if that's what it is I'd probably get it. I don't plan on getting any genetic testing done, though.

Bacon and eggs is definitely the norm here, but you listed every food in the book! A very big and hearty breakfast you will be having, that's for sure!

Yeah, I also went on the Pill when I was 14 due to extremely heavy and painful AFs! Since the m/c my AFs have been much less painful, though (but still heavy). Who knows. I'm sure there are people like us who don't have endo.

Oh no. That's a boring way to spend your birthday money. But at least you have it because not paying bills is very stressful.

Yeah, this week my MS has been pretty bad. It was the worst on Monday although I never actually threw up. I just felt awful ALL day. Tuesday and Wednesday I threw up, but the throwing up gave some temporary relief so overall I felt a bit less nauseous throughout the day. But now I'm panicking because my MS has been almost non-existent today. I am hoping it's just because I got SOOO much sleep last night. I know I am capable of having on-and-off symptoms because after being so sick on Thurs, I felt generally fine from Fri-Sun but when I got my blood work on Monday, my levels were up to 38,762...so very clearly still good. Ugh, I just wish I didn't feel the need to put so much weight into my symptoms. I really wish I'd been able to get an ultrasound done.

Woohoo! I am planning on doing my baking on the 23rd as well! Hopefully with the time off I'll have a chance to reply more.

My BFF and I did have a lovely time on Saturday! We caught up on months' worth of news and had a lovely meal out together. It sounds like you had a nice, short little visit with your BFF as well! And yeah, I definitely enjoy the tradition of Sunday-night dinner with my parents!

How was your week? Just ONE MORE DAY OF WORK left for us! I bet you can't wait. Work has been crazy busy for me trying to get things done for the holidays. Has it been the same for you? How is Hunter? I've enjoyed the pics you've been posting.

 

[detterose]

Yeah it was the first time that I am aware of... well I hope it was.

NT is to check for the possibility of Down's syndrome etc. but yes it's generally the 12 week scan. We have history of DS on my dad's side, so we had it to double check.

Yeah I am sure we won't even get through half of our breakfast

Very true. I still haven't had an opportunity to get into a doctor yet. AF lasted a week this time so she was still hanging around on my day off, so I didn't want to book in for a pap then. I will probably try book in for the new year.

It was a very boring way to spend it! I think it's cruel to have electricity due the same time as Christmas!! The electricity company are total Grinches

You will have some days better then others, don't stress over it too much. I had days where I had all this energy then the next I would almost fall asleep at my desk. But don't stress too much when you hit 12 weeks and your symptoms are non existent!! Everything seems to calm down then through your second trimester.

Luckily it isn't long til your appointment now. I hope you can convince your doctor to send you for a scan before 12 weeks for some peace of mind and to finally see your precious little bean.

Yes I am so relieved that I now have 9 days off. Although I have to go in on Tuesday morning for an urgent pre employment medical. They begged to be booked in and the girls who are working over Christmas don't know how to do them. Luckily it shouldn't take too long, but I am still kind of annoyed.

I bet it was lovely to have had a big catch up with your BFF. Do you feel your friendship has fully healed now?

Work for the last week was quiet actually. But hectic like you said, trying to finish everything off for the holidays. I just dread coming back to what will be waiting for me!

Hunter is well. Still not sleeping great. We have had a horrible few weeks. Frequently waking and staying up for hours. I am taking him into daycare on Monday so I can go back to sleep for a few hours for my sanity, I am absolutely exhausted. Then use the rest of the day to finally wrap presents without him destroying them and do some cooking I feel terrible to send him to daycare when I don't have to work but I really honestly need the break just for a little bit.

 

[Literati_Love]

Ooh ok. I guess I'll just talk to my doctor since I'm not really sure what the norm is here! I just want to see my baby's heartbeat!!

Yeah, good idea to just wait til after the holidays. No point wasting a perfectly good vacation day with a pap test.

Electricity companies ARE total grinches! They should average it out over the year so you only have to pay 11 months and don't have to pay anything in December!

You will have some days better then others, don't stress over it too much. I had days where I had all this energy then the next I would almost fall asleep at my desk. But don't stress too much when you hit 12 weeks and your symptoms are non existent!! Everything seems to calm down then through your second trimester.

Yeah, I'm really trying not to stress. It's so hard because I don't know what a "normal" pregnancy is for me. If I knew that this was my norm with a healthy baby, I could probably relax a lot more. But you're right, my appointment isn't too far away now at all. Even though I obsess about my pregnancy every minute, in a way I am surprised that I am already 7 weeks (+1 day)! That's further than I've ever gone before so I am quite pleased about that at least. And after Christmas I'll already be 8 weeks, all things going well.

YAY for 9 days off! I see from your instagram that you're enjoying a nice beverage to kick off the holiday. So nice. I do kind of miss alcohol but am glad to be abstaining! I asked my mom to make non-alcoholic mulled wine this year for Christmas. That is SOOOO annoying that you have to go in on Tuesday because no one knows how to do a pre-employment medical!!! You sound so calm about it! I would be livid! Hopefully you're in and out of there VERY quickly and can go back to relaxing and fun!

I bet it was lovely to have had a big catch up with your BFF. Do you feel your friendship has fully healed now?

I don't know if our friendship is quite 100% healed. I think we feel 100% better about each other again and there aren't any hard feelings and we're back as good as we can get...but I've noticed I'm less comfortable sharing some of my feelings now (like how anxious I am about the pregnancy). We can still share all the TMI things that other people wouldn't discuss, but I just don't feel comfortable sharing my feelings about certain things when I know she probably won't understand and might just turn it around on herself. So, things are great, but I do have to choose my words more wisely now.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I know I'll be coming back to a mountain of work, and my boss will expect it to be magically done immediately. haha, oh well. Let's just focus on relaxing right now!!!

Wow, that is horrible that Hunter is still not sleeping well. That is so tough! Don't feel terrible for taking him to daycare on one of your days off. Honestly, I've thought about that lots and I think I would probably do that on occasion as well when I have a baby so that I can catch up on sleep or get errands done baby-free. You are already paying for daycare and you are EXHAUSTED. You might as well take advantage of the service that is already there and catch up on some extra sleep and get some things done. At the end, you'll be more refreshed, which means you can be there for him more later. I think you'll both benefit!

 

[detterose]

Yes, I can't wait to see the U/S photos!! It will be interesting to see whether or not your dates are spot on. I remember my first scan with Hunter was off by a few days and didn't make any sense and then the next one he caught up.

Haha exactly, not a nice way to spend my holiday at all

Yeah I think so! Or at least delay it til the new year sometime!

That's very true, you would not really know what is the norm and what isn't. But everything sounds like it is travelling a lot more smoothly this time! I also can't believe you are already 7 weeks! How fast has that gone?! But by 36 weeks, it will slow down and drag Then you want it to hurry up so baby comes!

Oh yes, what will be your excuse for not drinking around the people you haven't told yet?! That will be tough to hide at this time of year. The drink went down very well though Definitely not the last of them I am annoyed, I wish they would train up the other girls to help in cases like this considering they closed our department so there was no need for me to work over Christmas. So in situations where they are desperate for one, then at least someone else could help out. Oh well, I still get paid so I can't complain I guess and it would only be an hour or 2 out of my day. Luckily OH doesnt work til the afternoon so he can watch Hunter while I go into work.

That's fair that you feel you can't divulge every detail of how you are feeling with this pregnancy after how she reacted last time. I don't think she will really understand unless she went through it, so it is hard to find the right words. Best to just avoid the situation altogether if you can help it.

Yes! Less talk of work, more enjoying our time off with our family I think! I am going to get my hands on some Christmas movies to get me more into the festive mood rather then thinking of work!

Yeah, he is far from improving. Last night he got up 3 times. OH got up to him this morning and let me sleep in til 8am though and then brought breakfast in bed, so that was nice! But I will still definitely be using daycare to my advantage tomorrow. And OH and I might even go see a movie if we still have some spare time after all the baking and presents are done!

What have you got planned?

 

[Literati_Love]

Yeah, I do wonder how my dates will be. I am quite sure I ovulated late in the evening, around 9 pm, so I'm not sure if then if my baby would seem a day behind if I got an ultrasound early in the day? I'm not sure how 'precise' their growth is. I think the earlier scans are less accurate with dating than the ones around 12 weeks.

Yeah, I'm actually surprised I'm past 7 weeks as well. The first couple weeks went by -very- slowly but now that I am past the point I never made it to last time it does seem to be going by more quickly. I believe you that it will totally drag by 36 weeks though! I am already anxious to meet this baby, so I'd imagine I'd be downright fed up with being pregnant by the time 36 weeks rolls around!

Well, last night I said 'no' to every drink offered and never gave any excuse. I just acted like I didn't really want anything. I am sure everyone was suspicious, but no one let on. At my fam's house, my sis and her bro-in-law are the only ones who'd be suspicious (my mom already knows, and my dad doesn't really like the idea of drinking anyway), but my sis does know we've been trying and about the miscarriage, so she might just think I'm not drinking because of the TWW? Hopefully no one says anything. I'm not ready to tell yet.

That's good your dh is going to be home to watch Hunter when you go into work. I hope you enjoy your day today with Hunter in daycare! That sounds just lovely. A Christmassy movie definitely sounds like it is in order. I loooove doing that to get into the spirit. Today I need to wrap dh's last present, hopefully do a bit of cleaning (but I'm sooo lazy), and also get a bit of baking done. I am feeling utterly unmotivated to do any of that, though, so we'll see how it goes. I hope you ended up going to see a movie after your day off! How did your day end up going (it's weird how different our time zones are)?

 

[detterose]

Yeah our 12 week and 18 week scan were much more accurate. But sometimes babies just measure smaller/bigger than what they really are also.

I could totally understand how the first few weeks would have dragged for you. I hope they tend to go a lot quicker for you from now on because it certainly can seem like a long time til you finally get to meet your little cherub! Then you look back and wonder where all the time has gone

Completely understandable that you don't feel quite ready to tell people. Hopefully no one clues on before then, especially around new year!

We had a nice day, I did all my baking and OH did most of the presents. We went to lunch also which was lovely. Then I got a call at 4pm from daycare saying he had a temp of 38.6. So I rushed over to get him, he was up at 4.30am with a fever of 39 degrees then again at lunchtime today So he isn't too well. I think it's from his teeth. So I took him into work with me while I did the medical incase he got it again, so that way I could take him into one of the doctors. But he was fine the whole time.

Then we rushed to the shops this afternoon to get OHs present. I got him the new Playstation and a game. So now everyone is officially finished! Woohoo!! It feels awesome when you finally get all the presents wrapped Do you have any traditional movie you watch?

Hope you have a lovely Christmas!! Its 4pm here now, not long!!!

 

[Literati_Love]

Well, hope this doesn't shock you too much, but I'm already 8 weeks today! My body celebrated by puking twice. I think this week flew by since it was Christmas so I wasn't really thinking about the pregnancy as much.

I think my sister probably suspects a little, but my mom said she's been trying to keep her off track and just saying things like how I'm not drinking because we're TTC, etc. So that's nice! My mom accidentally let it slip that my sister's sis-in-law (not related to me) is pregnant...and I was actually surprised that it still gave me a stab of jealousy and sadness. I think deep down I was hoping that no one would get pregnant, or at least I wouldn't find out about it, until I was safely out of the first tri. This also means that this girl will make my sister an aunty before I will. Not fair since really my sister should be an aunty already in March. Also, it doesn't help that they didn't -want- this pregnancy which also feels like a stab. I know lots of babies are accidents (like Hunter!) but when you've been trying so hard for so long, it sort of feels like a punch in the stomach when someone implies they don't really *want* their pregnancy.

It will be difficult to hide that I'm not drinking on NY Eve and at my work Christmas party on January 3rd. But there is no rule that says I have to drink at every function, so people should just bug off! Do you have any plans for NY Eve? My dh and I are hosting our 3rd annual board game party with just a few couples. It's become a nice tradition for us since we got married. It's a compromise because dh likes to go out and party, but I prefer to stay in and watch movies. This way we still get to socialize, but it's manageable and comfortable for me because we know everyone so well.

I'm glad you had a nice day off on the 23rd wit Hunter in day care, but how awful that he ended up getting sick at the end of it! Is he doing well now? Awesome present for your dh. I'm sure he loved that! We don't have any traditional movie that we always watch, but on the 23rd my dh and I watched "Love, Actually" together as our little 'Christmas Eve' movie.

SO...Christmas has already come and gone and I didn't get to hear about it! I haven't had much chance to get online being with family. I saw on your instagram that your Christmas Day wasn't very good? What happened? How was your Christmas Eve? I hope you still had a nice time overall and everyone loved their gifts. Did you get any nice presents?

Christmas with dh's side was nice...nothing too special or fancy. Then Christmas with my family was lovely. We played lots of board games, ate lots of food and just had a wonderful time. My sis and her husband are over at the in-laws' now, but they are going to be spending Saturday at my parents' again so we will go over there to spend one last day with them on Saturday. I got lots of nice gifts. DH spoiled me with diamond earrings (which were actually a gift to me for holding his little baby ). He also got me some maternity clothes (i wanted mat jeans already because I'm SOO bloated ), some body butter, nail polish, lip gloss, etc! My parents got my a couple books, a nice zip-up and a nice sweater (that will nicely hide my baby bump and can be worn when I'm pregnant!), some nice odds and ends and some money. My sister also got me some nail polish, socks, a headband, lip balm, etc. And on dh's side we got a popcorn maker, a bottle of wine (which I guess dh can have ), and some gift cards. And everyone seemed to enjoy the gifts we got them, which is great!

Well, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying your days off! I got a very late start on today by sleeping in til almost noon so I'm not sure how much I'll actually get accomplished today.

 

[detterose]

Oh my goodness! 8 weeks already! How awesome is that, it feels like its flying by. You will be turning 12 weeks around Hunter's first birthday, how crazy is that?!

How cool is it that your mum has your back and is trying to keep people off track I am sure they will be pleasantly surprised by your announcement when it is time. Aw, it must be hard to accept others pregnancies still, I don't blame you. I also think it would also be more nice to be pregnant alone as it would be a lot more special for you. I certainly hope that when we TTC, that there aren't too many other pregnant people. At the moment, I know of at least 10 that I can think of right now! 11 if I include you So there will be a lot of babies due from February through to August next year!

I can assure you thought that while their pregnancy may not have been planned, they will most likely still treasure their little bean as much as you do yours. Sometimes life doesn't go the way we plan it to, but the end result is just as amazing, don't you worry

What a lovely tradition! Sounds like a lot of fun. I wish we had other couples to hang out with. I might see what my BFF and her OH will be doing. As OH has NYE off work. Maybe we will go to their house and put Hunter to sleep in the portacot they have or even just have them over here. One of us will be unable to drink though I guess, which stinks

Unfortunately he is still very grumpy and the night wakings are getting worse. I put it down to development and teeth His first molar was coming through the day after Xmas. But then yesterday it seemed to go back down! How awful is that?! So the poor thing is miserable. I have heard a lot about teeth going up and down but I never thought it would happen til I saw it myself!

We watched Bad Santa and Elf, The Grinch is my tradition Xmas Eve movie however I watched it 2 weeks ago when it was on TV, so OH didn't want to watch it

No, Christmas Day was horrible. Xmas Eve we were up half the night with Hunter just crying and not going back to sleep. Then he started the day at 6am with barely any sleep. So he was very uninterested in opening presents and was overwhelmed with the new toys, he pushed them aside and just played with his old things. So that was disappointing. Then OH went to work at 2pm so I was all by myself with a very cranky and overtired baby who refused to even have a day nap. He was up until 7pm that night and just screamed all afternoon and night. My BFF came to my rescue to keep me company for a few hours. So that was nice as I was falling apart by then.

OH got me a gift card to the movies and some money to spend on myself but I felt bad spending it so I spent $60 on some new shirts for myself and put the rest of the money into my savings account as it was looking pretty depressing post-Christmas.

Sounds like you had a wonderful time!! I am so jealous that you have two families to spend time with. It must be really nice for you. And sounds like you got super spoiled on both ends My family only buy for the children, as its less expensive that way. My dad was in another city for Xmas so I saw my mum briefly in the morning when she brought Hunter his present but the rest of it was alone.

Good thinking for the maternity clothes You will need them soon with the way this pregnancy is flying!

The days off would be nicer if they weren't so very tiring. Hunter is very cranky and tired so just follows me around the house whinging to be picked up then when I do, he hits me and pushes me away to be put back down He doesn't know what he wants, thats how tired he is. So its been a pretty miserable holiday

 

[Literati_Love]

That's neat I will be 12 weeks around Hunter's first birthday. That will be a very monumental occasion, provided I make it that far.

Wow, you do know a lot of pregnant ladies! I know 3 so far (besides my co-work who is due next month already, so I'm not counting her). You are right that it would seem a bit more special to be the only pregnant person. I would like to be pregnant alongside a close friend (like if my BFF and I got preg at the same time), but having so many others before me will make everyone sort of just forget about me. It kind of bugs me that I will be the 'later' pregnant one, when really I got pregnant before them all.

Yes, I am certain they will love their baby just as much once he/she arrives. Although, I think any parent after an m/c will have a very special appreciation for what it means to be a parent.

Well, if you had your BFF and her OH over, you and your OH could both drink. Would your BFF and her OH ever consider crashing at yor place so none of you would have to worry about driving home after? Or is your place too small? I hope you can find something fun to do, even if it means one of you won't be able to drink. If you do get to drink, be sure to have one for me!

Awww, that's awful that teething is wrecking poor Hunter's mood so much! And quite annoying that his teeth went up and down! I am not looking forward to the teething phases, I guess.

The Grinch is a good movie!! I didn't watch it this year. I did watch Elf a couple weeks before Christmas, so also didn't want to watch it again.

Ugh, I'm sorry your Christmas Day was so brutal! That does sound extremely unpleasant! And so awful to be alone with a grumpy baby for most of it. That was very nice of your BFF to come and keep you company for a while. I'm sure you really needed it for your sanity. Hopefully next Christmas will be much better for you, with Hunter quite a bit older and more able to appreciate his gifts.

That's nice about having some money to spend on clothes. I understand putting it in savings, but I wouldn't feel bad if you spent a bit more on yourself. You totally deserve it! The savings account will build itself back up in time. And I hope you can make use of that movie gift card soon with a nice date night.

Sounds like you had a wonderful time!! I am so jealous that you have two families to spend time with. It must be really nice for you. And sounds like you got super spoiled on both ends My family only buy for the children, as its less expensive that way. My dad was in another city for Xmas so I saw my mum briefly in the morning when she brought Hunter his present but the rest of it was alone.

Yeah, well on my side of the family there -are- no kids yet, so not a lot of people to buy for! On Dh's side I tried to get them to just a name draw for the adults last year so we could just focus on the kids since it gets very expensive buying for 5 kids and 6 adults, but they all refused. They don't get it, though, because we're the ones with the most nieces and nephews to buy for. Since we don't have kids, they just have to buy for us.

I'm sorry to hear your days off have been so exhausting. It sounds like Hunter is having a very rough go of things. I certainly hope you can salvage the last little bit of your time off. Perhaps he'll be in a better mood for New Year's. Hang in there!

 

[detterose]

You will! I feel so positive for this little bean Try to focus on the positives of making it to a new week each week and thinking about how big he/she is growing every day! Have you got an iPhone? I downloaded every pregnancy app there was for weekly updates! They are so fun!

I do! It's crazy, there is something in the water here! So I am trying to stay careful to not drink it til mid next year Awww but once their babies are born, everyone will be waiting for yours to come and then the focus will be on you alone! There is some upsides I know what you mean about being PG with BFF. I definitely want to be preg with my BFF next time!

Yeah our place is too small unfortunately Unless they were happy to get a taxi home or something. We will see But I will make sure I at least have one glass of wine on your behalf

It has been awful I know they warn you that teething is bad but it has effected every part of our life, it's horrible!! But I am hoping by Christmas next year he will have all his baby teeth or most. But yes, it was a miserable day. Was so thankful for BFF coming to my rescue or I would have been a wreck.

Oh I know but pay day isn't til Thursday this week so I felt as though we really needed that extra money just in case. Like for restocking the cupboards and fridge post Christmas! But I plan to use the movie card to go and see the new Justin Bieber movie with my BFF That's what OH got it for because he knows I am dying to see it, but he hates Bieber

Oh that is hard Especially when they weren't on board with your idea. Christmas can get so expensive with big families. But at least next year there will be another little someone to spoil

We'll update on the sleep front, it has gotten worse. His daycare teacher even said it is effecting his mood at daycare and his daytime sleep, so she suggested we do some controlled crying so he can learn to sleep on his own, as he has grown dependent on us going in multiple times a night to put him back to sleep or give him a bottle. It's to the point where we get 4 hours sleep a night, with an 11 month old, not a newborn!! So the first night was rough and heartbreaking. It's never been something I have really agreed with but I feel like this broken sleep is not doing any of us any good and we have waited so long for it to improve and it's getting worse not getting better I actually feel like I have a bit of postpartum depression again, that's how bad it has been getting. I love him more then anything in the world but it has been getting so hard here lately!!

 

[Literati_Love]

Thank you for your positivity. Yes, I already have SOO many apps on my iPhone and I check them every day! It is very nice reading about the baby growing each day. I have good days and bad days, but lately I have been feeling more optimistic as a whole. As more time passes with no bleeding and still symptoms, it seems promising. I had my first pre-natal appointment yesterday and it all went well. I got a dr's note to leave work when that nasty chemical is being used that my workplace was being rude about before. I don't think they can refuse a dr's note but I still feel really nervous about giving it to them.

She checked my uterus and she said it felt like the perfect size for 8.5 weeks, so that made me SOOO happy and excited. I never thought I'd feel so "proud" of my uterus' size! But it gave me so much hope. It was too early to try to listen for the heartbeat, but I managed to get an ultrasound scheduled for next Wednesday (the 8th of Jan) when I will be 9+5! That is the only scan I will get, as I opted not to get the NT scan. I really sort of made the decision on the spot but I think I just want to see my baby's progress right away and not worry so much about the other stuff. I believe that my baby will be healthy. I am glad my dh will be able to come with me to the u/s, and I just so desperately hope that it's all good news there. I am afraid of it being heartbreaking news again, and I'm not sure my workplace would be understanding of me missing more work after just taking this holiday.

Haha, I actually was discussing all the pregnant people we know with my BFF the other day and realized I know way more than 4! There are 4 I see regularly, but I know of at least 8-10! Yikes! And I'm sure there will be more soon. I think I am most upset that my sister will be waiting for two nieces/nephews at once, so mine won't be so exciting.

Did you figure out if you're having your BFF and her dh over yet tonight? I hope they would agree to taxi!! I hope you have a lovely time. You deserve the chance to just kick back and relax! I am looking forward to our NYE party, but I'm also nervous I won't be able to stay awake. I've had such bad fatigue lately. Last night I slept from 5:30 pm until 11:00 am. I fell asleep on the couch watching TV and COULD NOT open my eyes again for the life of me. I just got up to went to my own bed around 10 o'clock. This happened to me a few days ago as well. I get this HUGE fatigue attacks and can't even function. All I can do is sleep, sleep, sleep! But thankfully after getting 17 hours of sleep in a night, I'm usually able to feel a bit more "normal" for a day or two.

Wow, it really does sound like teething is affecting your entire life, in a very bad way! I forget if you said before, but is your mom or another relative ever willing to watch him to give you a break? It sounds like you are needing a break these days. You can't do it all on your own. A constantly crying baby is not fun!

Ooh! That'll be even better to spend your movie gift card with your BFF seeing a movie your dh doesn't want to see! Enjoy! hehe.

I am so sorry Hunter is having such trouble sleeping still. That is ridiculous to only be getting 4 hours of sleep per night with an 11-month-old! It's no wonder you are feeling down and depressed. That is totally understandable. I know you feel torn about letting him cry, but I honestly think sometimes that is a very necessary method to use to get your baby to sleep through the night. It can be painful the first few nights, but if you're consistent, people have a lot of success stories. You are not harming Hunter, and you are actually helping him because he needs to be able to sleep properly too! Hang in there, hunn! It sounds like you need some time away from Hunter just to have some girl chat and maybe have a nap. You are getting so overworked!

 

[detterose]

Aw, first prenatal appointment, how exciting! I bet that made it feel a bit more real for you as well. And it's lovely that you are measuring right where you should be Such wonderful news. Ohhh, I cannot wait to see ultrasound pictures!! I am so excited for you. It's SO awesome to see baby for the first time and by that point, little bean will have arms and legs waving about. I had one at 10 weeks and Hunter was bouncing around

Good to hear that you have got a letter from your doctor though. I wouldn't worry too much about your workplace. It's none of their business. Do you know when you might announce the pregnancy though, will you wait til 12 weeks or further??

I know, it's crazy how many women are pregnant! But your LO will be just as exciting, so please don't worry about that. I know you would love for it to be the only one, but believe me, you and your LO will be no less appreciated and loved!! And very much just as special!

Well OH and I ended up just having a quiet night in, we made pizza and garlic bread and had some quiet drinks and watched Will & Grace. BFF and her OH had a quiet one also as her OH went jet skiing early in the morning and she went to gym. I actually fell asleep at 9pm so I didn't see midnight! I did at 1:45am though when Hunter woke up I sooooo remember being that tired, it's awful! All you want to do is sleep, sleep and more sleep! A few more weeks and hopefully once your hCG level stabilises then drops off a bit, you will feel more human.

My mum is busy, a lot. So I don't really bother asking anymore. OH had two days off, so yesterday I left him with OH and went out to my friends to visit as she has been really sick with mastitis and not coping too well with the new baby and sleep deprivation. So I went and brought her some nipple shields and cabbage leaves for her mastitis and took baby for a bit so she could just put her feet up. Then today I went shopping with my BFF for a few hours and then I got back and OH went to see The Hobbit, so we both end up getting a nice break away from the neverending teething tantums!

Yeah, it has been rough but we have seen some improvement. Last night he only woke up once at 1:45am, but it took an hour of controlled crying to get him back to sleep. But it was so much better then 3-4 times a night with staying up an hour each time! So I only hope tonight is even better!! Fingers crossed. Well I did end up getting my girly chat and coffee today, we went to the shops and bought 1000TC sheets, new pillows and a few other little things. Unfortunately, when BFF and I are let out together, we spend too much money

How was your new year? Lovely I hope!!

 

[Literati_Love]

Yes, hopefully all goes well with the u/s. I am looking forward to it, but also can't help but think that there could be bad news...and if there is I don't even know how I will live. So that is a bit scary. But at least things seem to be going well.

I won't tell my workplace til at least 13 weeks but I am hoping to wait til 14 or 15. I feel weird about it and don't even feel like telling anyone. If my u/s goes well next week, we will tell my dad, my sister and her dh next weekend though. My sister has already asked if I'm pregnant (which I deflected) so I know we have to tell her soon. Not sure when we'll tell the in-laws yet. My dh likes everything to be fair, so I'm sure we'll have to tell his parents as soon as we tell mine.

Your NYE sounds nice. A quiet night in can be just what you need sometimes...although that is funny you fell asleep at 9 pm! Amazingly enough, with all the action of our NYE party, I managed to stay up past 3 am, but I sure was exhausted the next day! We had a pretty good night...it was fairly quiet too because only 2 couples were able to make it. The third couple bailed at the last minute because the husband had a cold. Oh well. We still had fun. I'm sure my Shirley Temple drinking was noticed, but one of the couples didn't drink at all either, so it wasn't as obvious that I didn't have a drink.

Wow, I'm so glad you've had a few breaks lately! That was really nice of you to go help your friend. Mastitis sounds just awful...I hope I never get it. I am sure she was very grateful for the little break you gave her. and I am glad you had fun shopping with your BFF! It is so difficult not to overspend!

I am glad there has been some improvement in Hunter's sleep now. Sounds like the controlled crying was the perfect method for you.

Well, I was back at work on Thursday, which was too bad. I dreaded it ALL day on Wednesday which sort of ruined my last day off. Work was fine, though, and I'm sure I'll survive now that I'm back in the swing of things. I took the whole morning off for my u/s on Wednesday so that I might be able to sneak in a nap after. How was going back to work for you?

 

[detterose]

Sorry for the late reply. It's been busy back at work! How did your ultrasound go? Hope everything is measuring right on track for you!

That's fair to wait til then. I think I waited til 16 weeks to tell most people at work as that's when we told OHs mother, as we had to travel to see her and tell her the news so we didn't want to announce it until then! I am sure your sister will be so over the moon when you spill the beans!!

Oh my goodness! I can't believe you stayed up that late. You would have been so tired! Sounds like you had a nice NYE/NY though

I am glad the return to work hasn't been too dreadful for you! I am sure it made the last week go a bit faster for you too! Good thinking on taking some time off for the US to nap after Work hasn't been TOO bad.. Bearable I suppose but it's a bit quiet at the moment! I suppose things will kick up again over the next few weeks as companies return to work.

Update on cycle, my cycle last 29 days this time. It seems like they just range between 27-31, is that normal?