11 week mark!

So, on Monday it was the 11 week mark. On Tuesday we had a doctors appointment. Not much to report from that. They took my blood pressure and that was all good – in fact that’s all they did!
We spoke a little about the 12 week scan and they also gave me the forms for the 20 week anatomy scan – which we also booked in for. Before you ask – yes, we are going to find out what the sex is. Its something that we have spoken about and we both agree with.

This week I have tried to get some confirmation from my doctor and also from health and welfare at work with regards to shooting. I have a requalification coming up in January which I would like to do, but also want to confirm that it wont harm the growing bean in any way – ie lead exposure and the amount of noise a firearm emits. To date, I have only had people dance around the subject.

Oh, we bought our first purchase for the baby… yes I know, early days yet, but it was too good to pass up. One of our friends here won a baby competition and the prize was a you beaut pram. She has been trying to sell it here for a few weeks now and I have been stalking her! ha! So, on Monday we went round and ended up buying it from her. Quite a flash one and should do us well for a long time – it is a Phil and Ted’s Promenade. Very reliable brand. Apparently it will be subject to “pram envy” so I have been told. Im sure I will find out in due course all the mother talk…

12 week scan next week which is very exciting. Cant wait to see what is growing inside – its arms and legs – it still seems such a strange phenomenon to me. To think I will be ‘baking’ something for nine months only to have our own baby at the end. Wow.

One of the ladies in Kununurra had her baby last night – well, possibly a small child may be the better reference as it was 9.4 pounds…. eek. Hope Nathans big head doesn’t get passed on…. sheesh….

Hopefully next week we can update with a photo from the scan!

Could I be one of the lucky ones?

So from beginning up until now at ten weeks and four days – I have not had many symptoms. It’s fair to say that I have not felt sick at all, no nausea. Not any food cravings apart from the initial salt overload. However I can not stand a particular salad dressing that I used to love – harissa dressing.

So, apart from my boobs getting sore and larger – which Nathan is happy about!! –  I can’t really tell that anything is going on. Which, call me silly, but I would love it if I were feeling sick – which would only double confirm that yep, its happening. However due to our unfortunate circumstances before, maybe nature is taking it easier on me now, and making me one of those small percentage who don’t get sick!

My belly isn’t sticking out at all, Im sure that will come in the next few weeks. I am happy to say that I will also be sharing this journey with a very good friend Kylie – who is just three weeks ahead of me! It is good to have someone to chat to about this stuff who is going through it as well! All those little things that you think may be silly to talk about at any other time, suddenly become important when you talk about it with someone who has experienced it also. Im sure there will be lots of laughter and possibly tears to come!

By the way, when there are photos of my belly, I will post them, but right now there is nothing to see!

The 1st antenatal appointment

The first doc appointment after the ultrasound was good. We went through the results and explained a few things in relation to exercise and eating etc. I am very glad that I have maintained somewhat of a healthy active lifestyle. It will only make it easier in the longrun. At that appointment we booked our first antenatal appointment.

At this appointment we met with our Doctor, who may or may not be the delivering doctor. In Kununurra you don’t really have a choice of Doctors as they are mostly locums travelling from Perth and Broome. It doesn’t bother me that much, just hopefully the Doctor who does deliver has a lot of experience and listens to me! Haha. Oh, when that day comes…..

My BMI was calculated to be healthy. The doctor was very frank and told me about weight gain and my body changing but he said to embrace it as that is what I was made for! Fair comment, but it will doesn’t make me pleased to think that stretch marks will become a permanent fashion accessory for me!

At ten weeks I had my blood tests for the First Trimester Screening. I thought the hardest part would be finding out if it was in the right spot. However I have come to learn that there will be a lot of hard decisions to make along the way. This first trimester screening is a little confronting in the fact that you have to decide whether you want to go through with knowing your chances of having a downs syndrome baby. Now, given my age and factors etc, I would be classified now as a low risk. However with the combined blood tests and next ultrasound, they will confirm my low risk status or rate me as high risk where further tests may be conducted. I don’t wish to think about this until that day comes where I have to make that decision. The ladies in the pathology know me quite well now as I think that have prodded more times in the last six months than in my entire life! That’s the good thing about Kununurra – you get to know the staff that live there. Very lovely people.

So now, is the waiting game – waiting for our next ultrasound at 12 weeks. This will be exciting as we get to see our baby – who would be the size of a plum. Right now, it is the size of a date, next week it will grow a centimetre to be the size of a fig. And even more exciting is at ten weeks – the little speck is now considered a fetus. Not just a bunch of cells anymore!

The news we had been hoping for

The most nervous time for us was obviously the time between the initial home pregnancy test and confirming that implantation had occurred in the right spot this time. This was between the 6^th of October and the first ultrasound on the 11^th of October 2012.

This is where Kununurra lacks services. There is only an ultrasound technician at the hospital on a fortnightly basis. So, because we had the ectopic previously, I wanted an early ultrasound to make sure that it was in the right spot and that my other fallopian tube wouldn’t burst if it had been lodged in there.  I had already had a doctors appointment where a few tests had been conducted in order to see if implantation had occurred properly – which all resulted positively. So on the 11^th of October I went in by myself to have the scan. I only went by myself as at that time, Tylah was with us in Kununurra for holidays. We didn’t want her to know at that stage, should it not all work out. So I was as nervous as anything while the scan happened. Unfortunately they could not confirm the pregnancy as it was too early. Only the beginnings of a sac were noticeable. Which was still a more positive sign than anything I had received before – however still made me stress that little bit more… I would not be settled until we found something in my belly!!

So, another couple of weeks later – in October 2012 we had another ultrasound. This time, with Nathan in tow we sat nervously together. When my time came I was so focussed on the technicians face while he scanned my belly to see if he would show any expression should he find something. Needless did I know that Nathan was looking at the screen and could already clearly see the sac and the tiny flickering heartbeat. The technician casually spun the screen around for me to see and said, “can you see that flickering there, that is the heartbeat”….

When I found out that this was the case, I couldn’t help it but emotion overcame me and nothing I did could stop the ‘happy’ tears from falling. It was honestly one of the best feelings I have ever had. Knowing that it was in the right spot was pure elation. That was the first time that reality kicked in knowing that I was creating life within me. An amazing realisation. I suddenly felt very protective of what Nathan and I had created.

So, with our first picture in hand, we left the hospital ecstatic with the news!

the little peanut nicely on the wall of the uterus!

The beginning...... a positive HPT

The whole pregnancy thing to date has been quite an experience for us. The first time, going through the ectopic pregnancy, was a very emotional and hard time for us. Particularly me as I had to come to terms with knowing that something had been growing inside me, just not in the right spot. However I am a firm believer of if it’s meant to happen, it will.  Something was not quite right and my body decided to let nature take its course.

Therefore, after waiting the three months clearance time after having surgery, I was excited, albeit nervous also, to start trying again. Sure enough, the first full month after having surgery, it seems that we scored the winning shot…. So to speak.

I remember having quite a craving for salt – prior to peeing on the stick. Which was when I got my first inkling that maybe we were pregnant. Then, I waited until the day Nathan flew to Perth on the 6^th of October to grab out the pregnancy test kit. I waited till he got on the plane because I knew he would be funny about me testing before I was actually meant to test – it was still a day too early and maybe nothing would show. So needless to say, I went home and straight to the toilet. Five minutes later, those two little lines appeared.

I think I just stood in the toilet for a long time before I went out to the kitchen to ring Nath. However, of course he was on the plane, which had been delayed also, meaning that I wouldn’t be able to talk to him for another few hours… agony! Haha, all I wanted to do was tell him!

Anyway, a couple of hours later, I managed to speak to Nath, in a taxi who was on the way to Gail’s house, who was also very excited. Excited so much he had to tell the taxi man! An early second anniversary present for us!

I also tested the day after and got a stronger positive result – things were looking good!

So, our journey had begun… and what a journey it will be!

Welcome to our blog!

Hi there!

I thought you might be interested in keeping up with our progress whilst we are on this amazing journey. Seeing as though we live far away, we thought a blog might be a good form of communication in a diary type format for you to keep up with whats happening!

Sometimes it may be funny, not so funny or a little mundane as I am also doing this so I can keep it at the end to remind us and our kids of the journey we went through.

Hope you enjoy, its been quite a rollercoaster so far – who knows what the next few months will bring!

Love, Ange and Nath xxx