Our little Miss is SIX whole pounds.
36 Weeks + 3 Days (Growth Scan, NST, BLOOD THINNER CHANGE)
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
I don't think I've felt this excited or confident about Tatum's arrival like I did yesterday morning.
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
I walked into my OB appointment shaking, scared, and expecting the absolute worst news of my life. The last two weeks have been hell and saturated with worry and fear - I was just there to confirm that my suspicions were correct. Sitting in the waiting room was the longest wait of my life. It felt like time was going by so slowly and I was just left to sit and continue to rack my brain of all the reasons why this pregnancy failed. When they called my name back I started shaking again. I love Debbie, the ultrasound tech. She ushered me back and started some casual conversation like always. She had no idea that I was there for a scan pertaining to pregnancy. Apparently she thought it was just a gyno visit. I made sure to rush and get prepped so she could start the ultrasound immediately.
About a minute into the transvaginal ultrasound - Debbie shows me the screen. There was a BABY in my uterus! I immediately started bawling. Thank you JESUS! Debbie continued the scan and no more than a minute later she turned the screen to me again and says, "Oh, Mama! Here's another baby!" WOAH. At this point I cannot control the amount of tears running down my face. One healthy baby was a dream... two babies in my uterus was... it was just.. more than we could have ever hoped for! I could not contain my shaking, tears, or loud sobs of joy. Everything after that moment was a little blurry. I remember Debbie going over the measurements of Baby A and Baby B and they were measuring about three days apart - but also exactly right on based on my ovulation date.
Debbie printed out photos for me and a sheet of the measurements from the ultrasound. I had a hard time walking back to the waiting room. In fact, Debbie was holding my arm and sat me down in the waiting room. I was in complete shock. She got me some water and I sat there and waited to be called back to see the midwife. I remember calling Justin almost immediately and then sending him the picture while we were on the phone. I asked him to look at his phone and when he did:
Justin: Baby A and Baby B? Twins? We are having twins?!
ME: Yes, babe. Twins!
He was over the moon. I could not believe it.
♥- Leilani
About a minute into the transvaginal ultrasound - Debbie shows me the screen. There was a BABY in my uterus! I immediately started bawling. Thank you JESUS! Debbie continued the scan and no more than a minute later she turned the screen to me again and says, "Oh, Mama! Here's another baby!" WOAH. At this point I cannot control the amount of tears running down my face. One healthy baby was a dream... two babies in my uterus was... it was just.. more than we could have ever hoped for! I could not contain my shaking, tears, or loud sobs of joy. Everything after that moment was a little blurry. I remember Debbie going over the measurements of Baby A and Baby B and they were measuring about three days apart - but also exactly right on based on my ovulation date.
Debbie printed out photos for me and a sheet of the measurements from the ultrasound. I had a hard time walking back to the waiting room. In fact, Debbie was holding my arm and sat me down in the waiting room. I was in complete shock. She got me some water and I sat there and waited to be called back to see the midwife. I remember calling Justin almost immediately and then sending him the picture while we were on the phone. I asked him to look at his phone and when he did:
Justin: Baby A and Baby B? Twins? We are having twins?!
ME: Yes, babe. Twins!
He was over the moon. I could not believe it.
♥- Leilani
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
My appointment last week didn't go the exact way I expected. For the past 28 weeks we have gone in, everything has been normal, and then we are on our way... My 28 week appointment didn't exactly go that way. Before pulling out the fetal doppler and measuring my fundal height, my provider went over test results from my maternal serum intergrated screen (that I had done over 10 weeks ago). The risks for having a baby with open ntd, down syndrome, and trisnomy 18 are all within normal range. The numbers are 1 in 6200, <1 in 10,000, and <1 in 10,000 which are pretty good odds if you ask me. The issue wasn't anything more than my elevated HCG level when the test was taken. Elevated HCG serums can be seen in completely normal pregnancies, multiple fetuses, preeclampsia, etc. My provider said that since I haven't had a pregnancy result in preeclampsia, that the chances of that occurring this time around are slim. She even gave me the go-ahead to fly to New York for Christmas, which was reassuring because I know if this had indeed been more on the serious side, she wouldn't allow it.
The outcome of my results sent me to the ACD clinic to have a growth scan done of Olivia last week, and every four weeks until I deliver. They want to make sure that my elevated levels aren't impacting her growth in a negative way. That being said, every ultrasound has shown a completely healthy and growing baby. My fluid levels have always been good, Livy's organs/measurements have always been on track, and we've had no worries. The same applies after having a growth scan this past Thursday. I went in a little nervous just because at 20 weeks, everything was golden... but a lot can change in two months, so I had my prayer warriors already at work.
I am pleased to inform you that Olivia is still completely healthy, she's in the 58th percentile for growth (8 percent higher than our anatomy scan), and she's already weighing in at a whopping three pounds! I got to see so much of her features, including all the hair she already has. I watched her move her sweet little mouth and hands... It was emotional for me to see this growing girl so active on screen. Justin had to head back to the field for a couple of days, so this was actually the first "big" ultrasound that he missed. I knew he was bummed, but he waited for my texts to confirm how the appointment went.
Overall, I'm extremely thankful that this pregnancy has been smooth and consistently healthy. The scary thing about opting to take genetic screening tests is that you never really know what the outcome is going to be. My provider reminded me that the margin of error is often a lot larger than it needs to be. Some people are just on the borders of the higher end of normal, but still create pause for concern. I'm just glad that the "red flag" was about me, and not our baby. In the coming days I have to take my one hour glucose test, urine sample, and decide wether or not I plan on getting a dtap during this pregnancy. I didn't receive a dtap during my pregnancy with Ava bug, so I am definitely swayed towards not doing so with Olivia.
I got some sweet images of our Livy Bean, so I thought it'd be fun to share a couple of those:
♥- Leilani
The outcome of my results sent me to the ACD clinic to have a growth scan done of Olivia last week, and every four weeks until I deliver. They want to make sure that my elevated levels aren't impacting her growth in a negative way. That being said, every ultrasound has shown a completely healthy and growing baby. My fluid levels have always been good, Livy's organs/measurements have always been on track, and we've had no worries. The same applies after having a growth scan this past Thursday. I went in a little nervous just because at 20 weeks, everything was golden... but a lot can change in two months, so I had my prayer warriors already at work.
I am pleased to inform you that Olivia is still completely healthy, she's in the 58th percentile for growth (8 percent higher than our anatomy scan), and she's already weighing in at a whopping three pounds! I got to see so much of her features, including all the hair she already has. I watched her move her sweet little mouth and hands... It was emotional for me to see this growing girl so active on screen. Justin had to head back to the field for a couple of days, so this was actually the first "big" ultrasound that he missed. I knew he was bummed, but he waited for my texts to confirm how the appointment went.
Overall, I'm extremely thankful that this pregnancy has been smooth and consistently healthy. The scary thing about opting to take genetic screening tests is that you never really know what the outcome is going to be. My provider reminded me that the margin of error is often a lot larger than it needs to be. Some people are just on the borders of the higher end of normal, but still create pause for concern. I'm just glad that the "red flag" was about me, and not our baby. In the coming days I have to take my one hour glucose test, urine sample, and decide wether or not I plan on getting a dtap during this pregnancy. I didn't receive a dtap during my pregnancy with Ava bug, so I am definitely swayed towards not doing so with Olivia.
I got some sweet images of our Livy Bean, so I thought it'd be fun to share a couple of those:
Happy Tuesday all!
♥- Leilani
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
So it looks like some of my fears were let go yesterday morning and I couldn't be more relieved about that! I woke up completely nervous with the stomach knots and all. when I first got to my appointment I wasn't feeling like overly hopeful, but I was still anticipating at least one good follicle. I got my blood drawn first and then they quickly took me back to one of the ultrasound rooms. Waiting for the nurse to come in was the worst. I was almost shaky at that point. We have a very small window for success here because Justin leaves so soon for school. I really think that's why I'm feeling even more anxious about this assisted cycle. I needed my ovaries to get it together now, because later isn't an option. The nurse checked my right ovary first.. this is the easiest ovary to find. There was a distinct, but small follicle growing. It measured about 12.5 (ish) mm. I was pleased that there was a follicle, but disappointed that it wasn't bigger. I held on to hope because I knew that my left one always delivered. The left side is the side I'm pretty sure Ava bug came from... Yeah, it's weird that I know that.
The left side took a good two minutes to try and find. The nurse tech actually went over previous images that my reproductive endocrinologist took just to find it. For all the ladies that have had transvaginal ultrasounds... we are troopers! It honestly felt like she was deep sea diving with the ultrasound wand. SO. MUCH. PRESSURE. When Ruby (the nurse) finally found my left ovary, it was worth the pain. There, in the middle of the screen was a big, juicy, follicle. It measured at 16.5mm and I was ecstatic. The goal with these assisted follistim cycles is to get at least 1-2 mature follicles. While the 12.5er is still small, these follicles grow 2mm per day. That means, in another day that 12.5er will be the same size as the one on my left ovary, and the one on my left ovary will be at 20.5 (ish) and that's the goal size. 20 mm is the magic number. In the next moments so much stress, fear, and emotion were just released. I was so happy and I didn't want to leave without having that big follicle printed out. After the nurse printed a copy for me, I immediately called Justin. I just couldn't believe it. That appointment verified that we really do have a fighting chance with this cycle.
Here's a glance at the budding follicle.. I am so geeked over this potential baby!
♥- Leilani
The left side took a good two minutes to try and find. The nurse tech actually went over previous images that my reproductive endocrinologist took just to find it. For all the ladies that have had transvaginal ultrasounds... we are troopers! It honestly felt like she was deep sea diving with the ultrasound wand. SO. MUCH. PRESSURE. When Ruby (the nurse) finally found my left ovary, it was worth the pain. There, in the middle of the screen was a big, juicy, follicle. It measured at 16.5mm and I was ecstatic. The goal with these assisted follistim cycles is to get at least 1-2 mature follicles. While the 12.5er is still small, these follicles grow 2mm per day. That means, in another day that 12.5er will be the same size as the one on my left ovary, and the one on my left ovary will be at 20.5 (ish) and that's the goal size. 20 mm is the magic number. In the next moments so much stress, fear, and emotion were just released. I was so happy and I didn't want to leave without having that big follicle printed out. After the nurse printed a copy for me, I immediately called Justin. I just couldn't believe it. That appointment verified that we really do have a fighting chance with this cycle.
Here's a glance at the budding follicle.. I am so geeked over this potential baby!
I have another appointment tomorrow to see where my follicles are at and to measure their growth. I'm praying we get to trigger shot this week. My estradiol levels looked really good yesterday. They jumped from 65.5 on Thursday to 114 on Monday. I believe the magic number with that is 200. I wanted to give a quick shout out to some of my prayer warriors! I know you've heard me say this before, but I have such an amazing group of people supporting my family. The messages, the calls, the emails.. you guys, seriously.. It's more than I could have every imagined. I don't think Justin and I would be able to handle this emotional experience as gracefully without all the love we receive. It truly does make a difference in our lives.
I took a video from yesterday's appointment and I plan on taking a video during my appointment tomorrow, so stay tuned for that! Documenting this journey has been everything I have hoped for and more. Fingers crossed we get good news tomorrow and we'll be able to get to work at trying to conceive this second babe of ours.
Happy Tuesday all!
♥- Leilani
Sunday, February 22, 2015
So, it finally happened. That dreaded feeling I was waiting for throughout this fertility process. That sinking feeling when you think about what you are going to do, or how you are going to feel if your cycle is unsuccessful. I keep telling myself that it'll be okay, I have a "plan b" to keep myself occupied in the next couple months if I'm not pregnant.. truth is, I don't want a plan b. I want a plan a. I never really realized how much I wanted a second baby until I finally loosened up the reigns with my first baby. I never realized how amazing it truly feels to have this supportive papa bear along for this journey that is completely passionate about being a father. I also never really realized how my small jokes about creating a baseball team was semi true. I want a large family. I want more babies. I want this baby. I want my chase for Howl baby # 2 to be successful. That is what I've been calling our experience lately. Chasing. I feel like with this "trying to conceive" journey we are literally running after this next baby. For so many selfless reasons and a bucket full of selfish ones. I look back on this past summer and I don't know where my mind was. I guess it was a good thing we weren't trying for a baby back then (considering), but I'm shocked it really took this long for me to realize that I'd like to be a mama to another sweet child right now.
Justin and I started reading parenting books again.. we started talking about birthing plans again, and we started trying to figure out what kind of birth we'd like to try with this next one... All of this talk is fun, naive, and scary. Scary because we truly don't know if these next few months will allow for this type of talk. We don't know if picking out names is necessary or looking at cute baby clothes. The unknown is such a scary feeling and I'm trying my hardest not to succumb to all of the things we don't know. I have found the silver linings in our journey and I hold them dear to me at all times. They remind me that not everything associated with fertility is uncertain. I feel happiness knowing that the medication is working this time and I've got my fingers crossed that tomorrow's ultrasound will show growing follicles that are ready to be released sometime in the next week. I remember going to that ultrasound when we were trying for Ava bug.. so many follicles. So many potential children.. It's both weird and fascinating to be able to experience that. You are literally looking at your future kids.
I'm not sure if I shared this with you guys, but we opted NOT to sign that little paper that says if you have multiples you'd like to have a "selective choice" surgery. Basically, you'd be getting rid of some of the fertilized eggs. Five kids, four kids, two? Whatever happens, we are ready. We knew what this process could potentially bring us, and we are ready. I am so ready. For the past two weeks this has been the bulk of the discussion in this home. Heck, even Ava has caught on which is why she's been toting her baby around EVERYWHERE lately. I wanted to write this out mainly for me, but also for others. Especially if you are trying to conceive right now. Some of these moments leave us in a dark place. Sometimes they leave us feeling extremely sad or overwhelmed. My message to you would be to hold on. Find support and don't be afraid to admit when you're scared. These situations aren't easy and talking about it can sometimes make it a little easier to bare.
That being said, good thoughts, good vibes, and prayers are all welcomed for our family right now. I'm praying so hard that our journey to this next baby starts from this cycle!
Happy Sunday all!
♥- Leilani
Justin and I started reading parenting books again.. we started talking about birthing plans again, and we started trying to figure out what kind of birth we'd like to try with this next one... All of this talk is fun, naive, and scary. Scary because we truly don't know if these next few months will allow for this type of talk. We don't know if picking out names is necessary or looking at cute baby clothes. The unknown is such a scary feeling and I'm trying my hardest not to succumb to all of the things we don't know. I have found the silver linings in our journey and I hold them dear to me at all times. They remind me that not everything associated with fertility is uncertain. I feel happiness knowing that the medication is working this time and I've got my fingers crossed that tomorrow's ultrasound will show growing follicles that are ready to be released sometime in the next week. I remember going to that ultrasound when we were trying for Ava bug.. so many follicles. So many potential children.. It's both weird and fascinating to be able to experience that. You are literally looking at your future kids.
I'm not sure if I shared this with you guys, but we opted NOT to sign that little paper that says if you have multiples you'd like to have a "selective choice" surgery. Basically, you'd be getting rid of some of the fertilized eggs. Five kids, four kids, two? Whatever happens, we are ready. We knew what this process could potentially bring us, and we are ready. I am so ready. For the past two weeks this has been the bulk of the discussion in this home. Heck, even Ava has caught on which is why she's been toting her baby around EVERYWHERE lately. I wanted to write this out mainly for me, but also for others. Especially if you are trying to conceive right now. Some of these moments leave us in a dark place. Sometimes they leave us feeling extremely sad or overwhelmed. My message to you would be to hold on. Find support and don't be afraid to admit when you're scared. These situations aren't easy and talking about it can sometimes make it a little easier to bare.
That being said, good thoughts, good vibes, and prayers are all welcomed for our family right now. I'm praying so hard that our journey to this next baby starts from this cycle!
Happy Sunday all!
♥- Leilani
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Due to the GI problems that have been persistent since I was well into my second trimester, my O.B. put in a referral with Tricare for me to get a level two ultrasound done. I was really pleased with my visit today. I got to see an extensive look at Ava's growing organs, measurements, and her facial features from a 3D image. It was my first time having a 3D image done and I was in awe at how well I could see my little girl's features.
I was able to see the four chambers of her heart. Her heartbeat was at 150 and it's so strong. The tech was able to show me the hair on her scalp as well.
Ava is weighing in at 3 lbs 12 ounces. Apparently this is on the smaller side. She's still in the normal range but the doctor wants me to come back in about three weeks to make sure that she continues to keep growing as she should. Everything with her was perfect and as it should be. It's a huge relief for me knowing that my GI issues are not effecting her growth.
They did look at my liver, kidney's etc. And they found no issues which is good and bad. Good because it's better to not have any issues with my vital organs, bad because I'm having persistent pain that is unidentifiable and is most likely going to occur the remainder of my pregnancy.
Overall it was exciting to see my little pudding pop so active ! I can't believe she was head down. I doubt she'll stay this way for the rest of my pregnancy, but the doctor said it's possible. I got about an entire roll of ultrasound pictures of this little girl today, So I have continued to put together her baby book. I think we have 5 pages left until It's all filled up. It's nice being able to look back at her 6 week ultrasound and now. The time has definitely flown by.
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