6 WEEKS PREGNANT!

Dear Peanut,

This week you are developing your nose, mouth, and ears that I will be spending so much time kissing in eight months! Right now you have an oversized head and dark spots where your eyes and nostrils are starting to form. Your emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and your arms and legs by protruding buds. Your heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as mine— and blood is beginning to course through your body. Your intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to your lungs has appeared. Your pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of your brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, you are a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil.

Mommy and I are tempted to take a sneak peek at you through an ultrasound, but want to be sure we are in the window of a definite heartbeat....since it is sometime this week that yours will start beating if it hasn't already.....PRAYING YOU ARE HEALTHY AND GROWING ON TRACK!

Love, Grandma Dason

5w5d- MORE SPOTTING :-(

Caitlin woke up around 3am this morning to use the bathroom and noticed some more spotting :-(  It is old blood (brownish, old red color) when she wiped.  No cramps, no pain and no new bright red blood and on pelvic rest!  She went back to bed and tried not to worry....but it didn't work....she made herself so nervous that she threw up!

I feel so helpless right now.....nothing I (we) can do but continue praying to God that this blood has nothing to do with the baby, since all other signs point to a good pregnancy. 

Praying for you Little Peanut and Mommy (oh yea...and Daddy)!

UPDATE (Sunday evening):  The spotting stopped.....none the less, the worrying continues!

5w3d-BELLY PICTURES!

 

I love these belly updates!  5w3d!  Caitlin had her first bout with morning sickness this morning after her cup of coffee (Yes...this is her only vise!....But once a day won't hurt the baby).....She also is having a hard time bushing her teeth/tongue without gagging!  Her sense of smell is in full force.  Her co-worker's fish dinner about did her in!  She is also experiencing a dull pressure in the ovary area....more so on the right.  She is definitely bloated which shows in the pictures!  She also has a heaviness feeling in her uterus.  Her breasts have been sore on the sides even before the BFP, and now they are sensitive to touch (especially the nipple area) and feel fuller.  All of these are wonderful pregnancy signs that everything seems to be on track.  Waiting for an ultrasound to see a heartbeat seems so far away.....Not sure what is worse....the 2WW between ovulation and testing or this time frame until an ultrasound! 

5w2d- SMELLS!

Your Mommy called after her 12 hour shift today.  Not only is she exhausted but she is having a hard time taking some smells.  The patients' food, wound dressing changes and some bathroom smells are REALLY  getting to her....she has to breathe through her mouth rather than her nose in order to get through some patient care!   YUCK.  Sorry to tell you this Mommy....but this is just the start of this new heightened sense of smell in this pregnancy adventure!  I remember having this problem throughout my whole pregnancy with you.

5 WEEKS PREGNANT!

Dear Peanut,

According to BabyCenter.com, you are growing at a furious pace. At this point, you're about the size of a sesame seed, and you look more like a tiny tadpole than a human. You have of three layers — the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm — which will later form all of your organs and tissues.  The neural tube — from which your  brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout .  Soon in the ectoderm layer you will  start to develop  skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel. Your heart and circulatory system are beginning to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, your tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue.  The third layer, or endoderm, will house your lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as your thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to you, are already on the job.  SIMPLY PUT....YOU ARE A MIRACLE FROM GOD IN THE MAKING!

Mommy had her first OB appointment yesterday and based on all the blood draws, you seem to be growing right on track!  She was hoping to get a sneak peek of you through an ultrasound....but it was a resounding NO.....This OB waits until the 9th or 10th week.  Well, Mommy and I can't wait that long!!!!  That's a whole 4 weeks away!  We want to see this little miracle in the making sooner, so Mommy made an appointment for 2 weeks from now with a local private ultrasound place.  Why two weeks and not now....We want to be sure to see a heartbeat.  So rather than going toooo early in the pregnancy, we can wait a tad bit longer (just not a month longer!).  We are praying that we see and hear a nice, strong, healthy heartbeat, with a little one measuring right on track!

Mommy had her teeth cleaned today.  Normally this process is a piece of cake for her.....but not this time.  The smell of getting her teeth cleaned about made her hurl on the dental assistant!  Luckily the nauseous feeling went away when she was done!

I am already soooo in love with you!  I have a feeling your older cousin, Nevaeh is going to be a little jealous of sharing my love....but she will have to learn to share!

Love,
Grandma Dason

4w6d-FIRST OB APPOINTMENT

Caitlin received GREAT news today!  BETA #4 on 4w5d is 2713 (we were shooting for 1820!).  The OB congratulated her on her pregnancy!  During the exam, he did not see any new blood or old blood lingering around, however he did say she has a friable cervix, which is likely the cause of the bleed.  Of course not knowing what friable meant, I had to look it up.  In other words she has an irritable, blood engorged cervix.  He put her on pelvic rest (no sex) for the first semester (first 1/2 of pregnancy)....Not what newlyweds want to hear!  He also put her on progesterone suppositories 50mg 2x per day until 12-14 weeks into the pregnancy as a precautionary measure stating that it could help support a pregnancy until the placenta takes over.

Caitlin also sees a hematologist for a blood disorder called MTHFR (homozygous C677t)  which is a clotting disorder.  Right now she takes low dose aspirin, and 1 mg. of folic acid in addition to the prenatal vitamin Neevo DHA for MTHFR patients that contain easier-metabolized folic acids (MTHFR patients have trouble metabolizing folic acid, a vitamin ESSENTIAL to proper neural tube, brain, and other organ system development in the fetus).  The picture below is the bruising left from the prenatal blood workup today....OUCH!  She may have to switch to lovenox shots once a day, but the OB will leave that decision up to the hematologist, since she already had a bleeding episode....from the picture below, perhaps low dose aspirin is enough to keep the blood thin??? Can you imagine what her belly would look like from a shot each day, if she bruised this easily from a simple blood draw on aspirin?  She did have a trace of protein in her first morning urine and was encouraged to drink 8-10, 8oz glasses of water daily.

The OB gave her a due date of Sept. 24, 2012, which is one day earlier than I predicted due to ovulating on day 15 rather than day 14.  We were hoping to get an ultrasound to confirm the age of the gestational sac, but his office does not do them this early.  He set her up for an ultrasound in 4 weeks!  UGH!  Not sure if we have the waiting power to see this little peanut's heartbeat. We might break down and pay for an elective ultrasound with a private company near us.  Until we get little peanut's measurements, I will stick with my date, since we know when she ovulated....unless peanut's measurements show otherwise.  :-)  Pregnancy symptoms so far....tender breast (on sides), gas, tired all the time, and a scattered baby brain!  Luckily no morning sickness....fingers crossed!

4w5d-4th BETA

Well, today Caitlin had her 4th blood draw, We are hoping to see the HCG numbers above 1820.  The brown spotting stopped yesterday morning.  THANK YOU GOD!  The hpt test line remains as dark as the control line and not getting lighter....which is reassuring.  Plus she is not having any pain or cramping.  All of these are  good signs.   Hopefully she has a strong BETA tomorrow and sees a gestational sac during tomorrow's ultrasound.  These last 13 hours will creep by for sure!  I hope I can sleep tonight!

4w4d-STAYING POSITIVE WITH BELLY SHOTS

4w3d-SPOTTING-EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT!

Around 6:00 this morning, Caitlin called crying.  She went to the bathroom and wiped....red blood was on the toilet paper.  Of course her first thought was a miscarriage.  By the time Joe made it back from his trip into work and I made my way over to her, she had pinkish/brown left when she wiped.  To play it safe, we decided to take her to the emergency room to get checked out.

A few good signs....not bleeding bright red anymore, no pain, no cramping, and her cervix is closed.  Next steps were to check her HCG numbers and do an ultrasound.  The doctor said he didn't expect to see a gestational sac since she is so new into the pregnancy, but maybe something would show up and explain the bleeding.

Since we didn't have her HCG results back from yesterday, we were guessing that her numbers should be around 600 this time, since they were 221 on Tuesday.  They took Caitlin down for the ultrasound.  Of course no gestational sac showed up....No surprise there, but her right ovary's blood vessels looked enlarged.  Maybe an ovarian cyst?  Or maybe a simple broken blood capillary near the cervix?  They really didn't give her a definitive answer.   I do remember hearing her being wheeled back down the hall to our room with Joe and Caitlin in good spirits........As soon as she was wheeled into the room, she proudly announced that she had ROCK STAR HCG numbers of 910!!!  Even though she had some blood this morning....all signs are pointing to a good pregnancy right now.....even with the brown, old blood showing up each time she goes to the bathroom when she wipes.  :-(    The doctor did tell Caitlin that it is more common than some may think to have some bleeding during pregnancy...especially in the 1st trimester.  Saying many prayers!

Yesterday's HCG number came in at 546! (16 hours later it was 910).  She is suppose to get her blood drawn again on Sunday morning and see the OB on Monday at 9:00am.  He may do another ultrasound at that time to see if something shows up.  On Monday, she should be 4w6d (since she ovulated late) .... the OB has her dated two days ahead 5w1d according to LMP.   She may still be to early in the pregnancy to see anything on the ultrasound.  We are praying that her HCG  is at least 1820 from Sunday's blood draw!

By the way,  I told my mom (Caitlin's grandma) what happened today, she told me that she experienced the same thing for the first 3 months when she was pregnant with me and I turned out to be just fine!  So here's to thinking only positive thoughts from here on out!

4w2d-YEP MORE PEE STICKS!

 

The second blood draw was today at 3:00....exactly 48 hours after the 1st one.  We are all hoping for the numbers to be 442 or above.  By the look of the hpt strip above things are looking great.  We'll know for sure tomorrow sometime in the morning!  

Tonight after dinner, Caitlin got real flushed and sweaty, but it was short lived.  Hopefully she can escape morning sickness and enjoy this pregnancy from the start.  (Which I know she is so far!---She glows!)

4w1d- 1st BETA and SYMPTOMS!

The first BETA is in at 4w0d- 221!!!!!  Wow, a nice strong number!  The nurse told Caitlin she definitely was pregnant!  Even though Caitlin already knew this from the hpts, it was nice to hear those words from the OB's office!   Next blood draw is tomorrow around 3:00 and she should have the BETA level back by Friday sometime in the morning.  Can't wait!  While she was out buying her prenatal vitamins, she decided to buy one more Clear Blue test to see how strong the line is now.  The last Clear Blue was four days ago with a faint line.  This time, the pregnancy line showed up before the control line and is darker than the control line at 4w1d!  :-)  Below is an HCG level chart I found on the web:

As for pregnancy symptoms, Caitlin's breasts (on the sides) have been tender and she is/has been extremely tired before she even realized she was pregnant.  The biggest symptom has been a problem with GAS  :-(   For the last several days she has had TERRIBLE gas.  So bad that the smell is turning her stomach.  She laughed when she told me....said she was making herself sick!  HAHA.

4w0d- First Appointment

Caitlin had her first OB appointment but was disappointed to find out that she does not get to see the doctor until her HCG numbers reach 1000.  She had her first blood draw and should get a baseline HCG tomorrow.  The tech gave her paperwork to fill out and prenatal vitamin samples.  Based on her LMP the tech said she is 4w2d, but Caitlin knows she ovulated late, since she tracked the LH surge.  I predict she is 4w0d....Time will tell with an actual ultrasound to measure little Peanut!

 OPK- 3w6d and 4w0d

       HPT- 3w6d and 4w0d

3w6d- Name?

It's official....Mommy named you her little Peanut!  :-)

3w5d- OPK TEST USED AS HPT?

Did you know that you can use an OPK test to detect a pregnancy?  The above picture is proof at 3w5d. She did one yesterday or the day before that picked up on the hormone as well, but I didn't take a picture of that one.   I wanted to know how, so I googled it.  This is what I found:

HCG and LH
Let's take a closer look at LH and HCG. Both hormones are glycoproteins, meaning they consist of a protein with a sugar attached to it. If you remember from high school biology, proteins can be broken down into chains of amino acids. HCG and LH can be broken up into two units or "chains", one subunit called alpha and the other beta. If you look at the alpha subunit, the chains of amino acids are identical. In fact, HCG's alpha subunit is identical to the hormones LH, FSH, and TSH, all produced in the pituitary gland. HCG is the only one of these alpha subunits that is not produced by the pituitary, but rather the placenta.
We know that the alpha subunits are identical, but what about the beta subunits? The beta subunits of LH and HCG are also very similar in structure. Not only are they similar in structure, they are also similar in function. This is why you will see HCG injections used as an infertility treatment. HCG injections are used to replicate the LH surge of the menstrual cycle to induce ovulation.
Where HCG and LH differ is HCG's beta subunit has about 30 extra amino acids attached to the end of it. Home pregnancy tests are designed to specifically look for this HCG beta subunit.

OPKs as HPTs
OPKs are intended to detect LH. Since LH and HCG are nearly identical, OPKs will also detect HCG. The reverse is not true for HPTs. Home pregnancy tests will only detect HCG. So in theory, yes, and OPK could detect pregnancy.

Reasons not to use an ovulation prediction kit for a home pregnancy test
OPKs cannot distinguish between LH and HCG. Getting a positive OPK only confirms that you have either LH or HCG in your system.

It is important to discuss some of the other differences between OPKs and HPTs. LH is present in the body at all times. HCG is not. WIth OPKs, they detect a sudden increase or "surge" of LH. The typical amount of LH that is in the body at any given time is between 5-20 mIU. Therefore an OPK is looking for a surge above this typical amount. Most OPKs look for a level around 30-40 mIU. However, there are some tests that detect lower levels of LH. You can easily see how testing with a more sensitive OPK could result in a false positive. Newer OPKs look at a combination of LH and estrone-3-glucuronide, E3G, which may be helpful to further pinpoint ovulation.

Home pregnancy tests on the market are very sensitive testing at 25 mIU and below. This is more sensitive that the typical OPK. So even if you could get a positive on an OPKs, you would most likely get one sooner on a home pregnancy test. Because OPKs are designed to detect LH and not HCG , it is not recommended to use an OPK for an HPT.

So if I am understanding this correctly, the first time she used the OPK and got a positive line, I am assuming it's safe to say that her HCG levels were between 30-40 and now with the darker line, she is well above the 40 level.  Probability is more like double between 60 and 80ish with the test line being darker than the control line :-).  So I am guessing that the time the HCG blood draw on Tuesday, which is 4w0d, Caitlin's HCG number should be well above the 100 mark which is a healthy number to have.
Time will tell!

3w5d-ANOTHER TEST! :-)

 Proof the line is getting darker.  Or should I say reassurance! :-)

Mommy's favorite picture to look at! The start of their little miracle from God! :-)

3w5d- LINE GETTING A LITTLE DARKER :-)

Yep, another EPT strip was dipped with concentrated morning urine.....line getting a little darker as the days pass.  Great sign!  Tues. at 3:15 can't come soon enough for the doctor's appointment and first blood draw.  Should have the first HCG level  sometime Wednesday morning :-)  Here's some extra prayers that the number is a strong one and then it doubles or more with the second blood draw.

SHARING THE PREGNANCY NEWS!

Caitlin and Joey are telling close family about the pregnancy, but waiting until a heartbeat is seen on the first ultrasound before sharing with others.  Here's how they are telling Caitlin's Dad:

When they shared with Joey's parents, they gave them a baby blanket.   I am sooooo happy for them.  Saying extra prayers that this pregnancy goes smoothly and a healthy, happy baby is born around Sept. 25th!  I'm already in love with this baby!

3w4d- STILL PREGNANT :-)

Since the Clear Blue "pregnant" sign fades away after 24 hours, she took another one .....just to be sure!  Not to mention the several EPT strips she has peed on in order to see the red line grow darker over time ....Today there is a definite light line vs. the faint (playing tricks on eyes) line from yesterday.  Yep, I'd call it an obsession, but a good obsession! 

3w3d- FIRST BELLY PICTURE!

SURPRISE GRANDPA!

Caitlin and Joey stopped by tonight to surprise Grandpa with the news.  Nevaeh handed a bib to Grandpa and at first he didn't get it....then Caitlin said, "You're going to be a TaTa again for a second time!"  This news brought him to tears.

 Here's the bib that we will treasure forever!

 

Caitlin (22 yrs. old), Joey (23 years old) and Nevaeh (22 months- Baby Thompson's cousin).  See the crib in the background?  This is Courtney and Caitlin's crib from when they were babies!  I've saved it all the years and set it up for Nevaeh.  Now the new Baby Thompson will get to use it!  We are soooooo excited!  When Caitlin told Nevaeh that she had a baby in her belly, Nevaeh asked if she had a crib in there too!  HAHA!

OMG !!!! IT'S POSITIVE!

OMG....It is 4 days days before Caitlin's period is suppose to start (10 days past ovulation, since surge was on calendar day 15, not 14), but the suspense was killing her, so she broke down and took an early pregnancy test.  She saw a VERY faint line....so faint that I had a hard time seeing it on my phone and she was wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her.  Next best thing....go to the store and take a Clear Blue pregnancy test that takes the guessing game out of trying to read a faint line.  Sure enough, she is pregnant!  She is due around Sept. 25, 2012!  Tonight when Joe got home, she surprised him with two onsies (one with the word Daddy, and one with the word, Mommy) on them.  She put the pregnancy test on top of the onsies!  He was speechless and over joyed! I wish I could have been a mouse there with a video camera when he found out! 

 The doctor's appointment is set for Tuesday at 3:15!  This is a holiday weekend (MLK Day), so she has to wait for blood work and HCG numbers  :-(

TTC!

Last period started Dec. 19th, 2011 and LH surge on calendar day 15! Which was January 2, 2012.  Time for the baby dance.....Baby Dust, Baby Dust!!!!