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Monday, August 31, 2009

I told my Mom and Dad!

So, today I called Crazy Mom and told her the news. She was very excited. Then, I went to lunch will Silly Dad and he didn't quite understand Monkey's shirt at first. But, then he got it, and surprised we were having another so soon. LOL.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

4 Weeks!

This week marks the beginning of the embryonic period. From now until 10 weeks, all of your baby's organs will begin to develop and some will even begin to function. As a result, this is the time when she'll be most vulnerable to anything that might interfere with her development.Right now your baby is an embryo the size of a poppy seed, consisting of two layers: the epiblast and the hypoblast, from which all of her organs and body parts will develop.The primitive placenta is also made up of two layers at this point. Its cells are tunneling into the lining of your uterus, creating spaces for your blood to flow so that the developed placenta will be able to provide nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby when it starts to function at the end of this week.Also present now are the amniotic sac, which will house your baby; the amniotic fluid, which will cushion her as she grows; and the yolk sac, which produces your baby's red blood cells and helps deliver nutrients to her until the placenta has developed and is ready to take over this duty.
From: www.babycenter.com

Friday, August 28, 2009

Belly Pic- 3W6D

Ok, so here is my preggo belly pic. I have only a few pics of my belly with Monkey, so I promised myself I'd take more pics this time. This can basically be my starting photo. Although my pants are already starting to feel tighter. I'm blaming most of it on feeling so bloated.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

We told MIL and FIL!

We just got back from dinner with MIL and FIL (mother and father in law). I put Monkey in his Big Brother t-shirt. It took them only a few moments to see the shirt, then realize what it meant! They are very excited.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

I told one of my BFFs!

Tonight I told one of my bffs, Princess, and she was happy, but I could tell a little disappointed maybe. I'm not sure if disappointed is the word, but I know she really wants to have a baby. And we'd talked about being pregnant together, since before Monkey was conceived, so I think she's just feeling a little down. I really tried not to make a big deal out of it. And I'm going to try to not talk about it around her, unless she brings it up. I just think its best, just to be considerate of her feelings. Although, she did say she's going to be waiting about 10 months, after a vacation she's planning, to start trying again. So, we'll see.

1st Dr. appointment set

I called Dr. G and made my first appointment for Sept. 21st. I'll be just about 7 weeks at that point. I really hope they do an u/s. They did when I was pregnatn with Monkey. I also kind of hope Dr. G will be able to give me some good news. I'm wanting to do a VBAC, but she can only do those at one hospital, which my insurance requires me to deliver at a different hospital. When I was in for my annual exam, I asked her about this, and she said she'd see what she could do once I got pregnant. So, I'm hoping to work something out, otherwise I'm going to have to go with another Dr. I really want to make an attempt at a VBAC.
If you are wondering what a vbac is- here is some information.

Such a big secret!

So, I still have not told a single person IRL. I can't believe I've kept this secret for 3 whole days! I think it has helped to have my online friends to spill the beans to. I really can't wait to tell my 2 BFFs, but I want to tell them in person, so I have to wait for the right opportunity. Superdad just HAD to tell someone, so he called his BFF, whom he's know since elementary school, and told him the news. But, other than that it is our secret. Which is kind of nice and special, but I still can't wait to spread the news. :) I'm still feeling pretty good, seeing as it's still so early, but I'm having this horrible numbness and wrist pain. I bought a wrist band today, and it seems to be kind of helping. I really should try to limit my typing, but all my time is spent online.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Carpal Tunnel???

Since Sunday I've been having a aching/tingling/numbness in the middle finger of my right hand. I think it's Carpal tunnel syndrome. Ugh!
"Tingling Hands (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)
That telltale tingle… Here's why aching hands are common during pregnancy, and what you can do about them.What it is: Numbness, a "pins-and-needles" sensation, or aching in the hands and wrists, especially noticeable at night. What causes carpal tunnel syndrome: Pregnancy swelling puts pressure on a key nerve in the wrists and causes the same aching and tingling symptoms most often associated with ergonomic strain and repetitive motion. (Of course, if you're pregnant and having ergonomic strain or doing repetitive motion, you're twice as likely to experience it.) What you need to know about tingling hands: If you're feeling these symptoms more at night, it's because the fluids that accumulate in the lower part of your body during the day are redistributed elsewhere, including your hands, when you lie down. (Kind of reverse gravity.) And of course, if you've been at a computer all day long, nighttime leaves your carpal nerve with a double whammy. Luckily, though, this symptom should disappear after delivery as your swelling diminishes. What to do about tingling hands:
If you work at a computer, or do any other activity that requires repetitive motion, like playing the piano or filing, take frequent hand-stretching breaks. If typing, type gently, making sure your wrists are straight and your elbows are higher than your hands.
Try not to sleep on your hands.
Use a pillow to prop up your arms at night.
Shake your hands and wrists out frequently. At night, you can hang your hand over the side of the bed and shake it.
It may help to limit or avoid caffeine and stay away from tobacco (which you should definitely be doing, anyway).
If you're in a lot of pain, try a wrist brace. Ask your practitioner which kind to buy.
Acupuncture might help — ask your practitioner for a recommendation."

From http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/carpal-tunnel.aspx

3W3D.. I still can't believe it!

I just can't believe I'm actually pregnant! I just had it in my head it would take us at least a few months this time. But, here I sit, pregnant! Woo-hoo! Little Bean is due 5/8/10.





Monday, August 24, 2009

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Aug 22-Aug 26

Sat, August 22nd ,2009
22th day
luteal
5 days to your next cycle.
• A fertilized blastocyst will implant itself into the uterine. The point of implantation becomes the origin for the placenta and umbilical cord. Note that impantation can occur several today, but also several days from now...

Sun, August 23rd ,2009
23th day
luteal
4 days to your next cycle.
• Shortly after implantation, the growing embryo will signal its existence to the maternal system. One very early signal consists of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that pregnancy tests can measure

Mon, August 24th ,2009
24th day
luteal
3 days to your next cycle.
• The level of hCG is increasing, but still too low to measure with a home pregnancy test. The level will double every 2 or 3 days.

Tue, August 25th ,2009
25th day
luteal
2 days to your next cycle.
• a hCG blood test may now see an increased hCG level. It is still too early for a home pregnancy test measuring the hCG in the urine test.

Wed, August 26th ,2009
26th day
luteal
1 days to your next cycle.

What is an implantation dip?

The term implantation dip is often used to refer to a luteal phase dip that occurs around the time of expected implantation (7-10 days past ovulation). While this pattern does not always result in pregnancy, the term is often used because of the timing of the dip and because this pattern appears with greater frequency on pregnancy charts than non-pregnancy charts. There are a couple of factors that may help to explain why this pattern appears with greater frequency on pregnancy charts.

Research on implantation dips-

11% of charts that showed ovulation but did not result in a pregnancy displayed this pattern.
23% of charts that showed ovulation and did result in a pregnancy showed this pattern.
Of the pregnancy charts that showed this pattern, the most likely days for the dip to occur were between 7 and 8 days past ovulation.
The data suggest that this pattern is indeed more likely to result in a pregnancy.
Remember, though, if you have this pattern, it does not necessarily mean that you are pregnant. It is just increasing your probability.
No matter your chart pattern, you can still be pregnant as long
The above information is from http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Implantation_dip_study.html

8DPO, implantation dip?

Here is my chart so far. I'm really hoping that today's dip is an implantation dip. My bbs have been extremely sore and tender, and I've been very tired. Other than a little cramping, bloated feel, I've been feeling pretty good. I can't wait until Monday. I almost poas this morning, but I know it'd be a waste. I mean, Monday may be too soon anyways. I'm just really hoping for an answer soon!!!! • A fertilized blastocyst will implant itself into the uterine. The point of implantation becomes the origin for the placenta and umbilical cord. Note that impantation can occur today, but also several days from now...

Friday, August 21, 2009

CD 21

The morula's rapid cell division from 16 to 32 to 64 now reached 128 cells. A cavity is formed within the ball of cells. It is now called a blastocyst or blastula. Very soon the blastocyst will have so many cells that individual cells are no longer recognizable

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Going crazy waiting! 5dpo

So, now I'm 5dpo and really can't wait to test. I told myself the earliest I will test is 10dpo, so Monday. And I now have a pee party buddy. A friend from online is going to be testing Monday with me! It'd be really nice to get a BFP, but I really think it'll be too early. Oh, well, at this point I'm just hoping I can make it to Monday! Tomorrow I'm going to visit Crappy G-ma (my Mom). I guess it's pretty mean to call her crappy, but that's the first thing that came to my mind. Anyways, that's a whole different story, but at least visiting her for the day will keep my mind off this dreaded wait. 4 days to go...

CD19

The zygote's rapid cell division from 2 to 4 to 8 now reached 16 cells. By this day the ball of cells is called a morula.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

CD 18, agonizing 2ww

I don't know why, probably because last time we tried to conceive we got pg the first time, so this time I think it'll happen again. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I really feel pregnant! I know, it's probably too early to "feel" pregnant anyways, but I still do. My bbs hurt and I'm so tired, plus food and drinks have just been tasting different. And, it also seems like I'm peeing frequently. Plus, my ovaries have this full feeling. Weird, I know, but that's just how it feels. Here is my chart up to today. It's very promising that my temps are staying up, I hope it continues.

Monday, August 17, 2009

CD 17, Fertilization?

• If fertilization of an egg has occurred, the egg and sperm united are called a zygote. It will travel through the fallopian tube, making its way to the uterus.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

CD 16, What may be...

• 24-30 hours after fertilization the first cell division (mitosis) takes place.
• Progesterone raises the body temperature to provide a fertile environment for the ovum by 0.25 °C to 0.5 °C (0.5 °F to 1.0 °F), thus women who record their basal body temperature on a daily basis will notice that they have entered the luteal phase.

Monkey is 16 months old!

I can't believe it's been 16 months since my little Monkey came into the world. At times I wonder if I'll be shorting Monkey of something, by having another baby while he's so young. But, I mostly think of all the things he will be gaining. I think giving him a sibling will be one of the best gifts I could ever give him. At least I really hope so! With our timing, I'm really thinking blue! I'm hoping they will be the best of buds!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

New site I found...

I just found this new site, FertilityTies, and entered my information from FF. It says I ovulated yesterday, the 14th. YAY!

Start of the 2ww

During the next 10-12 days I know I'm going to be agonizing over this! Am I? Am I not? What's going on??? These are some of the Early Pregnancy Symptoms I'm going to be looking for, and (over)analyzing.
Specific early symptoms of Pregnancy:

1. Frequent urination: There occurs a feeling of frequent urination as a sign due to the related hormonal changes inside the woman’s body because there happens a stretching of the ligaments over the bladder and thus bathroom trips are common signs for her to b occupied every time experienced inside the house.
2. Implantation bleeding: The egg attaches to the wall of the uterus and a pregnant woman experiences a spotting where usually as discussed above the bleeding isn’t so much strong or heavy by nature.
3. Tender Breasts: The breasts become painful to touch upon due to excessive tenderness and soreness. The size of the breasts also slightly increases by nature as the breasts become increasing sensitive to environmental factors which are responsible for the sensitivity of a pregnant woman.
4. Cramping of the muscles & Joints: There is experienced a slight contraction in the uterus with slight cramping at the joints and muscles. It is according to gynecologists the very first symptom of pregnancy.
5. Sickness in the morning: An another iconic attempt as an early sign of pregnancy syndrome is the way how a specific body is telling you mentioning about excessive but sudden changes of hormones of the body-building cells. A pregnant woman in morning sickness difficulty has an increased sensitivity to smells and tastes of certain peculiar food dishes available. The symptom which is synonymous with pregnancy causes the morning sickness to happen at any time of the day till night.
6. Tests of Pregnancy: A safe home testing kit for pregnancy is non-intrusive and rather a cost effective method available in hand confirming that a woman is pregnant. A pregnant woman if isn’t assured of conception can have herself tested with a blood or urine test by any physician or urological clinic where she is confirmed to have positive results about pregnancy.
7. High body-temperature & dizziness: The basal body temperature increases substantially after conception due to pressure atop the uterus reaching the cervix of a woman’s body. If the body temperature remains high even when she is not menstruating then it mans she is having early sign of pregnancy. Even dizziness and fatigue grapples her out of working schedules which is normal or even abnormal for her to demand rest every now and then. Many women have had the spells filled with unusual fainting or unconsciousness.

No-no's during pregnancy

Smoking, Alcohol (including beer and wine), Raw and undercooked meat, Radiation (x-rays, video display terminals), Caffeine (coffee, black tea, colas, chocolate, mate), DES (diethylstilbesterol), Aspirin, Antihistamines including Ephedra, Excesses of vitamins A, C, D, Heavy metals: lead, nickel, cadmium, manganese, Pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides. , Contact with cat feces, Prolonged exposure to extremely high temperatures
Avoid water skiing, snowboarding, surfing over the wave pool or exposing herself directly over the sea or ocean waves; horse-riding; playing her passionate part-time or full-time indoor or outdoor sport; excessive cycling whether indoors or outdoors; amusement park rides; Jacuzzis.


A short list of some of the top things you have to avoid during pregnancy. All worth it for that little bean!

CD 15, 1DPO

Ok, so my temp went up this morning! It's not quite as much as I was hoping, but up is up. I'm going to go ahead and figure myself at 1 dpo. If I get 2 more high temps, FF will give me CH and an O date of yesterday! Woo-hoo! That would be perfect timing since we BD yesterday morning. Now, on to the 2ww! Ah!



After ovulation, the follicle which held the egg transforms into the corpus luteum. It will produce progesterone for approximately the next 2 weeks. Progesterone helps forming a lining receptive for implantation and supportive of the early pregnancy.

Friday, August 14, 2009

CD 14, Did I miss it?

So, my opk today was negative (photo later) and I'm wondering if I missed my surge? If I didn't miss it, then that means I'm still waiting to O, and if I don't O in the next day or two, my LP is going to be too short, again!! Ugh! This is so frustrating! At least we BD this morning, so hopefully we've had pretty good timing. It just shows how dedicated I am, BD at 7:30am! My sleep is precious, but figured I'd squeeze it in before getting ready for work. LOL. Well, we'll just keep up the BDing and hope for the best! 13 days to T-day! Af is due the 27th, so if I don't test before then, I'll definitely be testing that day.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

CD 13, still waiting for a positive opk


Above are the opks from today, at noon. I can't really tell if they are darker or lighter than yesterday. Superdad and I made love last night, so hopefully the timing will be right. It was a very sweet, romantic night, even though the end of The Dark Knight was playing in the backgroud. Superdad's choice. LOL. Well, I think we should stick with every other day BD, especially since I have not got a positive opk yet.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Thinking of names

We've already decided on Alyssa Rose for a girl, but are very up in the air if we have another boy. Some of the names I like are Levi, Owen, Cole, Colton, and Weston.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Superdad's opinion

Last night I brought up our pending conception, and once again Superdad says he feels like I'm pressuring him. He says he does want another child, but wants to wait until January or so. BIG SURPRISE! He keeps pushing the date back further and further. I've been ready to start trying since before Christmas! I thought we'd both agreed on the end of Summer/August! So, after a long discussion he conceded to saying we could give it a try! I said since I don't really know when (or if) I'm going to O we'd need to start baby dancing tomorrow and at least do every other day, if not every day. He was pleased with that. :)
Some of my reasons for trying now:
  1. Age spacing I want- I think 2 years is P-E-R-F-E-C-T!
  2. I LOVED being pregnant in winter and having a spring baby
  3. Re-use the same maternity clothes and some baby clothes b/c of the season
  4. My job has the flexibility I need for both pregnancy and a newborn
  5. In the next few years I'm going to be finishing my associates degree and it won't be the ideal time to be pregnant

CD 11, another negative opk


This one has a very faint line, kind of hard to see, but still negative. This test was taken at 11:30am. Also, my temp went up this morning, but I'm 99.99% sure it was a fluke. Last night I had one too many glasses of wine, and stayed up too late. So, I didn't sleep well, woke up at 5am feeling sick, then when I woke up at 7am to take my temp I felt really hot. Don't know if it was our room, or me, but the temp definitely doesn't count.

Monday, August 10, 2009

CD 10, negative opk


This test was taken later in the day Sunday, about 4pm, no line at all. Pretty much what I was expecting.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

CD 9





Today is CD9 and my opk was negative, but I did have a very faint line. For some reason I'm feeling like I will ovulate earlier this month, but I don't know why. Today I believe my CM was on the creamy side, a little bit sticky.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Short Luteal Phase

While I had a moment, I wanted to post about the issue I've encountered. I've been charting for a few months, on fertilityfriend.com. It's the same site I used to chart when I was trying to conceive Monkey. This time, however, I've been notice my luteal phase is shorter than the 10 day minimum. It could be an error, or just a fluke, but for 2 months my LP was only 6 and 8 days. With an LP that short the egg does not have time to implant. Here is a little more detailed explanation, for anyone interested. This information is from http://www.ovusoft.com/.
The luteal phase is the time from ovulation to the next period. It is typically 10-16 days in length, but it is usually fairly consistent in length for an individual woman, differing by no more than 1 or 2 days from cycle to cycle. During this time the corpus luteum secretes progesterone while attached to the ovarian wall. Progesterone is what maintains the thickness of the endometrium to support implantation by a fertilized egg. If implantation does not occur, the corpus luteum runs out of progesterone and menstruation soon follows. If implantation does occur, the implanted zygote secretes hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a chemical signal which tells the corpus luteum to continue producing and secreting progesterone.
Luteal phase lengths of less than 10 days are considered too short for implantation to occur, and may thus indicate a problem with successfully achieving pregnancy. In such an instance, the egg may be fertilized, but the endometrium is sloughed off before implantation can occur. This condition is sometimes referred to as a luteal phase defect. If you suspect you have a short luteal phase, you should see your healthcare professional about it. Short luteal phases may be corrected with progesterone treatment
.
One treatment for LP defect is B6. So starting on CD1 I've been taking b6 (I actually started about a week before that). I'm really hoping it will correct this issue, and extra B6 really can't hurt.

Ovulation Tests (OPKs)

Here are the OPKs I am using. You can purchase these at Dollar Tree, for just a $1 each. Which is about the cheapest I have found them, except for ordering test strips online.


Below is my opk from today, cd8. I just HAD to POAS, so I tested a little early. It came back negative, which is what I expected. For positive results there would be a line under the test "T" that was as dark, or darker, than the control "C" line.






Books for Momma

Right now I'm reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which is like the bible on the trying to conceive forums. You will often see it referenced as simply TCOYF. So far it is a very interesting book. It has a lot of technical information about your body and cycle. The Conception Chronicles, seems to be more for laughs, I think I might check it out too.


Books for Monkey

I'm going to try to start compiling a list of some good books for Monkey. I want to try to make the transition easier for him, and explain what's happening, as best I can.











http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688170439/dayspacked-20

Boy or Girl?

Here is a new test, that tests your pH levels to determine if you are having a boy or girl. For the price of $34.95 it is kind of expensive, but I'll probably just do it for fun! Gotta get that bfp first! :) http://www.intelligender.com/

Chinese Gender Calendar

I used this same chinese gender calendar when I was pregnant with Monkey, and it said boy. It's now saying:

Results: It's a Boy if you conceive in Aug at age 25.

http://www.fortunebaby.com/chinesegenderpredictionchart.html?action=Y&age=25&month=8

TTC Supplies

Here is a list of everything I've purchases so far, for our trying to conceive journey. This list also includes the opks I used last month (just to get the hang of it).

1. Fertilityfriend.com subscription
2. 15 opks
3. 10 hpts
4. Taking Charge of Your Fertility (TCOYF)
5. Prenatals
6. Dha supplements
7. B6 vitamins
8. Only Child
Big Brother T-shirt

CD 8, Still waiting

Cd 8 here, and I'm just waiting to start using my opks tomorrow. I think I will plan on testing around 11am and 5:30pm.

Cycle:
Aug 01, 2009
Cycle Day:
8
Ovulation Day:
Not Detected
DPO:
N/A

Friday, August 7, 2009

CD 7, Waiting to O

Today is cycle day 7 for me, on our first cycle of trying to conceive. If we get pregnant this cycle my estimated due date would be May 8th. I think May 8th would be so perfect! Since I am planning on a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarean), I do expect to go past my due date, which is just fine by me! My chart as of today- is below.

Introduction

Hi! I'm Momma, this is my new blog for my adventure in trying to conceive, while also raising Monkey, my almost 16 month old. Superdad, my dear hubby, has finally given the green light, and hopefully we will have a bfp (big fat positive) soon! I work full time, while also going to school one night a week. So, life keeps me pretty busy, but that's the way I like it!

My Weight Loss Journey!

My Boys!

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