I Failed

Okay, I'm a dunce.

I went for my 1 hour Glucose Tolerance Test this morning.

Yep, you guessed it!

I failed.

In fact, I failed it when I was pregnant with R.J. too.

The bad news is that when you fail this initial 1 hour test, they usually have you come back and do either a 3 hour or 5 hour test where they draw your blood at various timed intervals.

Trust me, by the time you are through with that series, your arm feels like you've been an intravenous drug user.

The good news is that my doctor (God love him) said that even though I failed, he is not making me go through the additional testing this time around with this baby.

His rationale?

He said that since I am already taking the oral anti-diabetic drug called Metformin, which was originally prescribed for me while dealing with my secondary infertility issues (evidently studies have shown that Metformin combined with the fertility drug Clomid improved chances of pregnancy in women with elevated insulin levels), he felt that I am being medically monitored closely enough without having to endure the prolonged testing.

So, yes, I am a dunce, but I guess I'm also a teacher's doctor's pet too...LOL!

Nevertheless, I suppose that cutting out those McDonald's breakfast burritos is probably wise, don'tcha think?!

It Just Doesn't Happen That Much In The South

Hi, readers!

Thanks so much for bearing with me and understanding my absence from the blog lately. Trust me, it's not because I don’t want to be here.

I am a legislative liaison and the Alabama Legislature is now in session and work has just been super busy and I feel like I've been running a marathon ever since January 12th (when they convened), but not today.

Wanna know why???

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

S-N-O-W!

Yep, we finally got some!!!

So, needless to say, no work for me today…YIPPEEE!!!

Okay, all of you out there with (fill in the blank) _____ feet of snow…don’t laugh at my pics.

We are just happy as can be to see even the hint of white stuff here in Dixie!






















When it started snowing this morning my son said, "Hey Mom, come and see this. You know, it only happens once in a lifetime!" LOL!

Poor kid, I didn't have the heart to tell him that growing up in New Jersey I saw snow every year, sometimes two or three times in one winter!

Enjoy my sweet child, enjoy!

Let's Talk...

Theme for the day…discharge.

Sorry if it’s too much information for you, but by now if you've been reading my blog you know I am pretty much a right-to-the-point sort of chick.

Okay, okay, I guess I can call it whatever politically correct word you want me to, i.e. leakage, wetness, leukorrhea, etc. but whatever it’s called, it’s a nuisance and a scare all rolled into one.

Nuisance not only because it requires me to change my panties on timed intervals, but also because it has the consistency of wallpaper paste albeit a tad bit more watery.

So, instead of being able to celebrate the fact that my good ole’ relative Auntie Flow is on a 40-week vacation, I still have to dig into my “monthly” stash to catch this progesterone induced gunk.

Why is it a scare you ask???

Because with every awareness of some sort of dribble “down there” it’s like starting me off at a track meet…3, 2, 1, gunshot - - I’m off…to the bathroom that is.

Yep, off I go running to the potty, and with my eyes closed and a quick prayer said, I glance down (first one eye open, then the other) hoping not to see any type of "colored" stuff a.k.a. blood.

At this point you all might be saying, "But Tracey, you are half-way through your pregnancy, surely you aren't afraid of bleeding at this point?"

Well to be completely honest, I guess my early on spotting/bleeding episodes during this pregnancy still have me a bit freaked out. And, while I know that “spotting” (and perhaps even light bleeding) is completely common and/or normal at some point during pregnancy (especially early on), personally, at this point, the more wallpaper gunky, the better.

So, girls, it looks like I won’t be avoiding the feminine hygiene aisle just quite yet!

Bring on the panty liners!!

Take A Look...

Look over to the left column and scroll down.

I've added a Watch Me Grow section.

Just posted my 18 week pic for you all to see the belly that is growing right in front of me!

Here's a peek:



18 weeks and growing

A Block Of Cream Cheese

A block of cream cheese...8 oz. - - that's what our Little Speck weighs. Pretty amazing!

We had our regular OB/GYN appointment yesterday and I lucked out with another ultrasound, only this one was recorded on a DVD, so we got to keep the memory of watching our son moving around, and boy was he ever!

Honestly, after watching that and knowing what I know about who is responsible for the creation of life, it baffles me that there are people out there who deny the exist of our God?!

I am measuring exactly on target and so far, I've gained 13 lbs. total. Doctor didn't seem too upset and believe it or not, I'm not either which is so different than how I was when I was pregnant with R.J.

With my first pregnancy, I was so obsessed about gaining weight (and I did...60 lbs - - EEK!). With this pregancy, I decided to throw that obsession out the window. After all, this is the miracle baby we have been waiting for and me being healthy and him being healthy is all that matters. I'll deal with the weight gain or should I say, weight loss, later...after he's here and safely in my arms.

My next appointment is in 4 weeks when I get to do the lovely glucose screening. YUK!

With R.J. I failed it the first time (well gheesh, nobody told me not to eat that morning!!!) and so I had to come back and do the 3 hour test where they take blood from you every hour (not fun).

Anyway, I passed the second time around thankyouverymuch.

We also scheduled our 4-D ultrasound for the end of March. This technology wasn't available seven years ago when I was pregnant the first time, so I absolutely cannot wait to get the first glimpse of our son without him looking like a skeleton face.

So folks, it looks as if we are cruising right along now. In two more weeks, I'll be half way through the traditional 40 week time frame.

Honestly, I cannot believe that! But oh, how happy I am!

In the meantime, grow little man, grow!

Hallelujah!

Well, we’re back…it was a long day!

Okay, truth be told…we dragged it out longer so we could eat at our favorite place in Birmingham, AL where we got the ultrasound done.

Onto the good news...

The Level II ultrasound went terrific with a capital "T"!!

No abnormalities seen at all!

HALLELUJAH!


We went from a 1 in 230 chance of Downs to a 1 in 460 chance of Downs, and since my age only related risk (according to those pesky little medical charts) is 1 in 40…we are taking our 1 in 460 and celebrating to high heaven!


Praise God!


We also found out that our testing for Trisomy 18 and Neural Tube defects came back negative as well…


Can I get a Praise God again?!!


Oh, and guess what else???

IT’S

A

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

BOY!

There’s no doubt about it…RJ is going to have a baby brother.

Just Look and See (really, there's no mistaking it...LOL!)

Oh, and Here’s His Sweet and Precious Face

So, after we got the good news, Michael and I decided we wanted to surprise RJ when we picked him up from school today, so we stopped and got some blue balloons and one that says, “It’s A Boy!”

Of course, I had to get some pics...(I am a scrapbooker after all…LOL!)

RJ Seeing The Balloons For The First Time

Happy Big Brother!!!!

Holding Onto Those Balloons!


Happy Dad!


Happy Mom!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your kind words, thoughts and prayers.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can now finally start to really enjoy this pregnancy.

I hope you all continue to follow me on this journey.

17 weeks down and 23 more weeks to go!

When The Word POSITIVE Does Not Necessarily Equal Good Pregnancy News

I got another call today from Birmingham, AL...you know, that's where the Maternal Fetal Center is located where I did the NT Scan a few weeks ago. I posted about it here and here.

Well, this time, I did not get the same cheerful, "You are Screen Negative" phone call.

Nope, today I got this..."Tracey, we have the results back from your quad blood screen, and combined with your NT Scan results, and your age, you have tested SCREEN POSITIVE."

Gulp, okay Miss Genetic Counselor what exactly does that mean? Oh, and pardon me while I put my cell phone on hold and go throw up.

Trying to hold back my tears, I listened to the rest of what she had to say.

"Tracey, we have assessed you as having a 1 in 230 risk of your baby having Down Syndrome. However, this does put you at a less than 1% chance that the baby will in fact have Down Syndrome, but we recommend you coming in for a Level II ultrasound for further risk assessment."

I will do whatever is in this baby's best interest Miss Genetic Counselor. By the way, what was the cut off for me to have been considered Screen Negative?

"Well, Tracey, you would have had to have been assessed at having a 1 in 250 risk ratio. So you are really not that far off."

Close, but no cigar then huh, Miss Genetic Counselor?

I hung up and called my husband and then the tears started to flow. He reassured me that this news was not all doom and gloom, and for me to try and look at it this way...

If he filled a glass jar with 230 pennies and painted one of them with a red dot on it, then blindfolded me and asked me to reach in a pull out just one penny, what are the chances that I would in fact pull out the penny with the red dot on it?

Bless my husband's heart...I guess that did help a little.

Our Level II Ultrasound is scheduled for next Wednesday at 7:40 a.m. (CST).

Dear Heavenly Father, I am once again asking you to continue to keep me and this precious babe cradled in your arms as you have been doing all along. I cannot walk this journey with out you dear Saviour. Please help me to be strong and faithful and without fear. Amen.