Pregnancy Details!

The secret is out! Our miracle baby is due to make his/her appearance in June, and we couldn’t be more excited!

If you missed my Instagram or Facebook post, I’m a little over 15 weeks along. I have been a little more hesitant to share this time with our history of miscarriages last year, but have finally felt ready to share in our excitement and also to celebrate the life of this precious little one!

As you may or may have not read in my social media post, my pregnancy has been considered “high risk” due to a large subchorionic hemorrhage (AKA blood clot) in the wall of my uterus. I had never heard of this prior to this pregnancy, but apparently they’re somewhat common. That being said, they’re typically small and resolve on their own, whereas mine is on the larger side which can bring more risk to the baby. When we first discovered the bleed, naturally my anxiety went through the roof. But, after some processing, researching, and lots of prayer, we are choosing to stay hopeful and positive that this baby will fight this thing! Unfortunately, this also means I am on “activity restriction” and currently can’t teach any of my group fitness classes, lift heavy objects, or be on my feet for an extended period of time. This has proven to be a little bit of a challenge for me as I truly enjoy being active, and it’s apart of my normal lifestyle. However, I’m choosing to look on the brightside! I’m learning to REST better, life is moving a little slower these days, and I recognize this is a temporary season in the whole scheme of things. I will do whatever I have to do to keep this baby as healthy as possible. Thank you so much for your continued prayers as we journey through these next several months!

Now for some of the details that I have a feeling some of you are curious about (as I usually am with pregnancies)!

When did you find out you were pregnant?

I found out pretty much as soon as you can find out! October 19th was the date, to be exact. It was a few days before my expected period, and I just felt like testing out of curiosity. I didn’t have any symptoms at that point. Throughout this past year of trying to get pregnant, I invested in the cheapie pregnancy strips you can purchase from Amazon. I had quite a few on hand, so I didn’t feel bad about testing. They are way more affordable and surprisingly very reliable! And hey, they gave me a positive result a few days before my period, so I’d say they’re pretty sensitive too!

How did you react?

Initially I was in shock because it happened much sooner than what is typical for us. It usually takes us several months to get pregnant, and this happened basically on our first “try” after our second miscarriage. And here’s some straight up honesty — I was really scared. Scared that we’d miscarry again, and scared that we’d have to journey through all the emotions of it again. But, one thing I’ve learned through pregnancy and motherhood is that it’s truly out of my control. Surrendering it to God is all I can really do. In that moment, I praised God and gave this baby’s life to Him. Yes, I was excited, but I was also hesitant to get myself too emotionally invested in the excitement just yet due to our history. And honestly, God has continued to test me in truly surrendering it to Him throughout the entirety of this pregnancy. I thought we’d be “out of the woods” after the first trimester, but then we discovered our complication that puts our baby at a higher risk. Needless to say, my faith has been tested, it has grown, and it has been strengthened through this process, and I know it will continue to be as well.

How did you tell Cody? And how did he react?

I was very casual in my approach to telling him. In fact, so casual that I think he was going to the bathroom (TMI? Ha!), and I walked past him and said, “So by the way, I got a positive pregnancy test earlier today.” He just looked at me in shock and said, “Wow! That was fast!” He hugged me and looked at me and just said, “Are you excited?” I laughed and told him that of course I was excited, but still a little hesitant after our last couple experiences. We both took a deep breath and reassured one another that whatever this pregnancy brings, we’d get through it together. Cody is one of the most optimistic people I know, and I’m so grateful I have his positivity and encouragement to walk through life with me!

Did you experience any pregnancy symptoms? If so, what were they?

I think this has been the worst of pregnancy symptoms I’ve experienced out of any of my pregnancies. My nausea and food aversions lasted the longest (started almost exactly at Week 6), and I’m just barely feeling more like myself within the past week or two (I’m a little over 15 weeks now). I still deal with the occasional bout of nausea or certain foods not being appetizing lately, but it’s definitely way better than it was for awhile. I had pretty horrible food aversions and was basically only eating fruit, carbs, and smoothies for several weeks. Bagels were my best friend! The nausea hit me hardest in the evenings. I’m glad it was in the evenings because I had Cody to help me with the kiddos and I wasn’t teaching any evening fitness classes. The exhaustion was also very real. I took naps daily and went to bed by 8-9pm every night.

And let’s be clear, while all of these “symptoms” were annoying and a little rough at times, I would take them all over again in a heartbeat if that means we can have a healthy baby. I also recognize that many women out there have it much worse, so no complaints here. Not to mention, it oddly gave me reassurance that things were progressing as they should. (FYI: That being said, I hardly had any nausea or food aversions when I was pregnant with Reese. So, I don’t necessarily believe that the sicker you are, the healthier your pregnancy.)

Have you had any cravings?

Not huge cravings. However, when I was dealing with my nausea and food aversions, I really loved tangy, tart, citrusy foods, such as orange juice, lemonade, tropical smoothies, acai bowls, oranges, sour candy, etc. As my appetite has come back, certain foods are starting to sound a lot more appealing to me again, but they’re not crazy strong cravings. Still loving on my bagels, I currently have a strong love affair with deli sandwiches, and peanut butter is back in my life again (thank goodness!).

Have you been able to stay active?

I taught all my classes up until 13 weeks. Fortunately, I felt my best in the mornings which is when all of my classes are, so I’m grateful I was able to continue it as it helped me feel a little more like “myself”. I just had to make sure I ate plenty beforehand and right afterward. I got put on “activity restriction” after my subchorionic hemorrhage was discovered at 13 weeks, so I haven’t been able to teach my classes since and have also been quite inactive since I’m supposed to stay off my feet. We occasionally take short walks to the park and around the neighborhood which is good for my soul, but not much beyond that. It feels unnatural to me, as I’m typically quite active, but like I said, I recognize this is temporary and I will do whatever I have to do to keep this baby healthy.

When will you find out the sex?

It’s funny — most people that know me simply ask, “When do you get to find out the sex?” rather than, “Are you going to find out the sex?” They know my planner Type A personality, and couldn’t imagine us not finding out as soon as possible. But, we are going to keep it a surprise until the end! Cody has always wanted at least one of our pregnancies to be a surprise, but I didn’t know if I could do it the previous pregnancies. This time around, since it’s most likely our last pregnancy and we already have a boy and a girl, I’m a lot more inclined to keep it a surprise. I’m actually really excited about it! And if I’m being honest, I’ve hardly thought about the gender up until this point because I’ve been so concerned about the health of this baby. I just want a healthy baby in the end — boy or girl!

Do Hunter & Reese know? If so, how’d you tell them?

We didn’t tell the kids until I was about 13 weeks along, which was right at Christmas, so we told them Christmas Eve morning. I was shocked Hunter didn’t notice my belly starting to poke out up until this point, as he’s often very observant and clues into things quickly. That being said, I’m grateful he didn’t because I wasn’t in a huge rush to tell him just yet. We had told the kids of our first pregnancy last year, and it was devastating to tell them that we lost the baby (Hunter specifically since he was older and understood better). Ever since our first miscarriage last year, Hunter in particular has wanted a new baby, so I was so excited to tell them.

We wrapped a box with a photo of the ultrasound and a piece of paper that wrote, “We are having a baby!” Hunter is just starting to read, so he was able to read it out loud and instantly got so excited with the biggest smile on his face. He proceeded to ask questions, and was a little sad to hear that we had to still wait until summer time for the baby to come. He wanted to meet him/her right away! Reese was disappointed that only paper was in the gift box, so she left the room and had no idea as to what was going on. Haha! But then she came back, and we told her that mommy has a baby in her belly, and she literally would not leave my side for the next hour. She was obsessed with my belly! She would lift my shirt up, and tell us to “be quiet” because the baby is sleeping. And then a few minutes later, she would tell us that the baby is eating now. It was just so precious. She still regularly “checks” on the baby by lifting my shirt (often times when I least expect it — ha!), and gives my belly a little hug and kiss. My heart melts every single time. They will both make the best siblings to their little brother or sister.

Well, I think that sums up most of the details! If you have any other questions, I’m an open book. I really am hoping to be around here in this blog space and on social media again now that I’m feeling more like myself these days! Talk soon!

***As I write this post and share in our excitement, I can’t help but think about and empathize with those that are in the midst of infertility and/or loss. I know these types of announcements and posts can be extremely difficult to read when you’re in the midst of it all. I want you to know that I’ve been there, and I’m sensitive to what you are going through. Do what you need to protect your heart during this sensitive time. My heart and prayers go out to you. Just remember, God is writing a better story for you and your family than you could ever write for yourself or even comprehend. Stay close to that truth. Hugs my friend.