2000 Pregnancy

June 14, 2000
4 weeks 1 day

We’re pregnant again!  I just can’t believe we’re going to have another baby.  John and I decided to start the IVF process in March in hopes of having more children.  Unfortunately that attempt failed.  We gathered our strength (and finances) and started IVF again in May and today we found out that it worked!  My beta HCG level was 90 which is good and strong.  I’ll have a repeat blood test done on Friday and assuming the number doubles (which is should) then I will have my first ultrasound around the end of the month!  We’re on top of the world – we’re going to be parents AGAIN!!!!!!!

By the way, the picture above is one of the embryos that was transferred back into my uterus on June 2, 2000.  We had 3 embryos transferred and they were all 8 cells.  Amazing to think we all started as just a couple of cells.  It truly is the “miracle of life”.

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June 16, 2000
(4 weeks 3 days)

Whew!  My beta HCG doubled and was 181 today.  That indicates that thus far we have one very healthy baby.  We won’t know for sure until June 30th whether we’re carrying multiples but all indications point to a singleton.  We personally don’t care as long as he/she/they are healthy.  We’re still on cloud 9 and don’t intend on coming down for quite a long time!  LOL  Now starts the long wait until the first ultrasound!

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June 30, 2000
(6 weeks 3 days)

I personally never thought this day would ever get here!  We had our first ultrasound today and everything looked perfect.  We have one very healthy little peanut. It doesn’t have a heartbeat yet but the doctor wasn’t really expecting to see one at 6 weeks 3 days. He was very pleased with what he saw: cervix closed, uterus enlarged, gestational sac 24mm and fetal pole 4mm. I go back next Friday and he said we should see a heartbeat then. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see a heartbeat today but I remembered that we didn’t see Carter’s until 6w6d and Nathan’s until 7w1d. When I go back next Friday I’ll be 7w3d so we should definitely see something then.  It still hasn’t sunk in that I’m going to be a mommy again!  WOW!

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July 6, 2000
(7 weeks 2 days)

Not a lot to report.  The morning sickness is really knocking me for a loop this pregnancy.  I guess it’s getting its revenge because I had very little morning sickness with the boys.  We have our next ultrasound tomorrow.  We’re both scared and excited.  I just pray we see a healthy heartbeat!  Wish us luck!

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July 7, 2000
(7 weeks 3 days)

What an incredible ultrasound we had today!  Our little Munchie had a beautiful and strong heartbeat!  S/he measures 11mm and had a heartrate of 140bpm.   The doctor was extremely pleased and released us to the care of our OB today!   YIPPEE!  Looks like we’re going to have a “normal” pregnancy this time!!

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July 17, 2000
(8 weeks 6 days)

I had a great consult with my OB today!  We pretty much just discussed my medical history and the future of this pregnancy.  The doctor is VERY pleased with the way things have been going.  I asked about when he would schedule my c-section and he said 38 weeks.  If things keep going smoothly, that would make my delivery date February 6th!  Sounds like a great day to have a baby!  We talked about the possibility of preterm labor and although we both agree that this will probably go full term, there is obviously a slightly higher risk because I delivered so prematurely with the boys.

The most exciting part of today was when I heard the baby’s heart beat!   I rented a home doppler unit so I can listen to the heart beat any time I’m feeling a little nervous.  Up until this morning, the baby has been too small to hear anything.  Well, today it was going loud and strong at approximately 156 beats per minute!  Glad to know Munchie is doing so well.

I have my full exam and ultrasound with the OB this Wednesday so I should have more to report as well as a cool picture!

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July 19, 2000
9 weeks 1 day

We had an awesome OB appointment today!  I can’t believe how much Munchie has grown in just 2 weeks!  Munchie measured 2.43cm (just shy of 1 inch) and weighs approximately 1 gram (the weight of a paper clip).  His/her heart rate was a beautiful 179bpm!  We even got to see his/her little feet kicking – what an awesome sight!  The doctor is extremely pleased with how things are going!  It is so cool to actually be having a “normal” pregnancy!

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July 25, 2000
10 weeks

We had a bit of a surprise ultrasound today!  I woke up from my morning nap and had a slight bit of spotting.  I actually wasn’t concerned because the same thing happened with the boys.  I fed them lunch and then called the doctor, who of course said to come in immediately.  Munchie looked perfect.  She/he is measuring 3.53cm (1.4 inches) and had a heart rate of 175bpm.  It was so amazing to see him/her doing a little jig in my belly.  It was also a shock as to how fast babies grow – a ½ inch in less than a week!  WOW!

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July 30, 2000
10 weeks 5 days

My pregnancy is going amazingly well!  I’ve only had that one incidence of spotting – whew!  Friday night John heard the heartbeat for the first time – what an amazing sound!  Most days I’m just in awe of the fact that I have another miracle growing inside me.  I just can’t imagine anything greater than children!

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August 8, 2000
12 weeks

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August 11, 2000
12 weeks 3 days

I had my nurse appointment today.  My official weight is down 3 pounds and my blood pressure was good and strong.  The nurse measured my fundus height (uterus) and I’m measuring perfect at 12cm (you generally want 1cm for each week pregnant).  She had trouble finding the heartbeat so she did a quick ultrasound.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture but I could see that Munchie was fast asleep – it was so precious to watch!  Munchie had a great heartbeat of 166.   According to the old wives’ tale, based on the heartbeat I’m having a girl – can’t wait to see if it’s true or not!

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August 18, 2000
13 weeks 3 days

Go ahead and start laughing because when you read the rest of this you’re going to laugh anyway…..  I did the “Drano test” today.  It’s a test where you add urine to 2 tablespoons of Drano and wait to see what color it turns.  According to people who’ve done it, it’s about 90% accurate.  I didn’t get to do this with the boys because it won’t work for twins so I thought what the hay – I’ll do it this pregnancy.  Anyway, if you believe the test, it looks like a baby girl for us!  I don’t hold any weight to these wives’ tales but it’s fun playing around and guessing!

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August 26, 2000
14 weeks 5 days

I felt the baby for the first time today!  I was standing in line at Babies R Us and I felt a flip flop in my belly – what an incredible feeling!  This is the part of pregnancy that I like the best!

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September 1, 2000
14 weeks 5 days

I had another nurses appointment today.  My blood pressure is still good and my weight is now down 4 pounds.   My uterus is measuring a little large at 16 weeks and Munchie’s heartrate was 153!   All in all it was a great appointment!

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September 9, 2000
16 weeks 4 days

I got “noticed” today!  Up until today, I’ve had to tell people that I’m pregnant – well not today!  We were at Cracker Barrel and as we were being seated, a waitress came out of the kitchen and said “Wow, 2 little ones with another one on the way (or is it 2 more?)”.  I was so excited I could have hugged her!  I’ve been feeling very self-conscience since no one was noticing that I was pregnant – if they don’t notice that you’re pregnant then you must just look fat!

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September 11, 2000
16 weeks 6 days

I had a great OB appointment.  I’ve gained 3 pounds but I’m still a pound under my pre-pregnancy weight.  My uterus is measuring 18 weeks and the heartrate was 160.  I told Dr. Bayouth that I’ve been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions so he decided to do a quick ultrasound.  Munchie has changed SO much!  He/she is measuring 17 weeks 2 days and is perfectly healthy!!!!  We tried to find out the sex but he/she wouldn’t cooperate!  I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get a picture but I’m thankful that Munchie is doing so well!

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September 19, 2000
18 weeks

We had a huge milestone in the pregnancy this morning – I felt Munchie kick!!!  I’ve been feeling the little bubble/flutters for a couple of weeks but this morning there was an undeniable kick (several actually!).  This is the part of pregnancy I just love!!!

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October 5, 2000
20 weeks 2 days

Not much has been happening with the pregnancy which is a good thing!  After my hilly twin pregnancy, it’s nice to have a nice calm pregnancy!  Munchie is doing great and kicking up a storm.  We go back to see the OB in 2 weeks and will hopefully be able to pursuade him to do another ultrasound – maybe then we’ll know if Munchie is a he or she!!!

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October 14, 2000
21 weeks 4 days

As you can see, I’m getting quite the belly!  I can feel Munchie moving all the time now and so can John – what a wonderful feeling!

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October 18, 2000
22 weeks 1 day

I had a wonderful appointment with my OB today.   I was able to get a sonogram and guess what ……… IT’S A BOY!  Munchie finally has a name — Andrew ‘Drew’ Trillin.  Drew weighs approximately 1 lb. 4 oz and was measuring perfectly!  All organs are in the right place and functioning beautifully!  We are still planning on a scheduled c-section around 38 weeks so it looks like we’ll be meeting Andrew in about 16 weeks!  WOW!  Time is flying now!

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October 31, 2000
24 weeks

I can’t believe that I’m 24 weeks pregnant!  We have officially hit the “viable” stage.  If Andrew were born now, there would be a 40-70% chance that he would survive.  Although I’m not about to test those stats, it is comforting to know that he at least would have a chance!

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November 15, 2000
26 weeks 1 day

I had an OB appointment today and for the most part everything went well.  Andrew is measuring 27 weeks even though I’m only 26 weeks, blood pressure was good and weight was ….. well we don’t need to go there!  LOL   The bad news was I failed my one hour glucose tolerance test which tests for gestational diabetes.  I have to go tomorrow for a 3 hour glucose tolerance to see whether or not I have “GD”.  Wish me luck – I can’t imagine the holidays without goodies!

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November 17, 2000
26 weeks 3 days

It’s official – I have gestational diabetes.   I’m so depressed!  I really thought that I was going to make it through this pregnancy without any complications.  Guess I was wrong.  I spent most of the day sulking and feeling sorry for myself.  I know it’s not the end of the world and will only last for 12 more weeks but it’s still depressing.  For now the doctor wants me to monitor my glucose levels and maintain a 2000 calorie diabetic diet.  I go back in a week and a half to see how things are going.

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November 29, 2000
28 weeks 1 day

I had my 28 week OB appointment today.  The doctor was very pleased with my glucose levels even though I “failed” a couple of the tests.  He said I just need to try a little harder but if that’s the worst I do then I’ll be okay.  Truthfully, I haven’t been following the diabetic diet at all – I’ve just been modifying what I normally eat by eating smaller portions.  In fact, the few times I did fail was when I was trying hard to be “good”.  Go figure!  Andrew doesn’t appear to have grown any in the last 2 weeks so Dr. Bayouth has ordered an ultrasound for next week.  The doctor and I both believe it’s just because Andrew was laying differently today but it’s better to be safe than sorry.   My cough has also gotten worse so he changed my medication and said if it’s not better in a week I’ll have to have a chest x-ray to see what’s going on.  Other than that, it’s great to finally be in the third trimester – the countdown has begun!

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December 7, 2000
29 weeks 2 days

I had a wonderful ultrasound today!  Andrew is really getting big – approximately 3lbs 6oz!  That’s almost exactly what the boys weighed at this stage in pregnancy.  The ultrasound was really clear today and you could see Andrew practice breathing and you could even see him open and close his eyes!   At one point I swear he smiled at us.  The rest of the appointment was pretty uneventful (except for running around all over town).  I still have a terrible cough after 6 weeks so the doctor ordered injectible antibiotics which of course I had to run all over town trying to find and then bring back for him to inject.  Then he wanted a chest x-ray which was unscheduled which of course translates to “long wait”.   All in all though it was great seeing Andrew and confirming that he is indeed a big healthy boy!

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December 27, 2000
32 weeks 1 day

With all the pictures of Carter & Nathan, I thought it was time for a couple of pictures of Andrew!  🙂  Funny, I feel about 3 times bigger than these pictures show!  🙂

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January 10, 2001
34 weeks 1 day

I’m not quite sure how but I was able to survive the holidays.  We all had a blast celebrating Chanukah, Christmas and New Year’s in the new house.  We have so much to be thankful for.  I had my OB appointment today and things are going relatively well.  I’ve lost 1½ pounds, my BP was excellent at 118/68, Andrew’s heartrate was 150 and he’s measuring 34½ weeks.  The only down side is I have to start insulin.  My blood sugar levels are not real, real bad but bad enough to warrant insulin.  To begin with I’ll take 10 units half an hour before breakfast.   He’ll check me in a week and see if that needs to be changed.  Here’s hoping the gestational diabetes doesn’t get too much worse.  Oh, I almost forgot the best news of the appointment – he agreed once again to schedule the c-section for 38 weeks.   Soooo, unless Andrew has plans of his own, his birthday will be February 6, 2001!

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January 17, 2001
35 weeks 1 day

I had my OB appointment today and we’re getting really close.  I was having contractions every 5 minutes so the doctor gave me some medicine to stop them.  Had I been a week further into the pregnancy he would have just let mother nature take its course.  Sounds like Andrew is just as anxious to meet us as we are him!

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January 27, 2001
36 weeks 4 days

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January 29, 2001
36 weeks 6 days

I had the most exciting OB visit today — we scheduled my c-section.  Barring Andrew making a surprise entrance, my c-section is scheduled for February 6th at noon!  I can’t believe that in 8 short days I’m going to finally be able to put a face to the name!  I can’t wait!

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February 6, 2001

Andrew’s Birthday!

Today was the day!  Andrew Trillin was born today!  John and I arrived at the hospital at 10:00 for a 12:00 scheduled c-section.  By 11:30 they still hadn’t taken us back so we asked a nurse what was happening.  She told us that there had been 3 emergency c-sections so we had been pushed back.  At 12:00 they took me back to the pre-op area and started prepping me for surgery.  My blood pressure and pulse were quite high from all the excitement so they gave me a little something to bring those down.  The epidural went in quite easily and before I knew it we were off to the OR.  Once in the OR, things started happening really quickly.  They got me all prepped and before I knew it, the surgery was underway.  Unfortunately, just like my previous c-section I felt the surgery once they got through the skin layer.  The anesthesiologist stopped everyone while he gave me more medicine in the epidural.  Unfortunately that didn’t work either so I ended up having nitrous oxide.  That seemed to do the trick.  Sadly, the anesthesiologist told me that I have a nerve that will probably never take to any type of spinal anesthesia so the bad news is I will probably always feel my c-sections (epidural or spinal) unless they knock me completely out.  Things got back underway and Andrew was born at 1:11pm weighing 7lbs 5.4oz and 20″ long.  He was absolutely perfect and Daddy got to cut the umbilical cord!

Andrew was taken to the nursery to get checked over while they finished putting me back together.  Before long I was out of recovery and settled into my room.  An hour or so after I go to my room they brought Andrew to me – what an incredible feeling!  Since I have never had a full term baby, I kept thinking they were going to come take him from me and put him back in the nursery – but they never did!  LOL  The first night was a little rough as he had his days and nights mixed up but otherwise John and I are on top of the world!