Uncommon Julia

Belly Pics!

2012-01-11T14:02:27-07:00

I'm attempting this update from my phone, since that's where most of my belly pictures now reside, and since I figured that its the sort of technological advancement I should endeavor, given my career and lifestyle.

Still, it may go awry... Let's see, shall we?
This was taken around 18 weeks, and I'm near 20 now, so just add a bit to this in your imagination.

Hey, whaddaya know! It worked!

I realize the title says "pics" plural, but you have to let me progress at my own speed.

As far as a general health update, baby boy and I are both doing very well. One of us is more neurotic than the other, but I'm not one to name names. I've turned the corner on the weight loss and I'm now at -9, which is better than -12. And we all know I'll make up every bit and then the 30 (screw 25) lbs. I'm meant to gain on top of that.

Baby Boy is really active and healthy and doing all the things he should be. Thankfully, our new specialist "gets it" and earned a permanent place in my heart by giving me a more in-depth look last week to spare me from an emotional breakdown. (There was a ton of movement, then there was less; add brusque tech with not much feedback, ergo: freakout.)

Life is good, if chaotic, and I'm smiling way more often than not.

It's a beautiful, HEALTHY baby... (UPDATED)

2011-12-08T20:22:42-07:00

BOY! It's a boy!

!!!!!

He's super active and gorgeous and has perfect hands and feet, and was flexing and reaching and kicking.... (ahhhhhhh!)

The doctor was great. I asked that she do some additional scanning herself because I'm sure their techs are wonderful, but she's the expert. She discussed each of my pain points and it seems that there have been big improvements in diagnosing placental issues since last I gave birth.

At this point, there are no signs of arthrogryposis, but we'll scan again in two weeks to keep an eye on continued healthy development. In fact, she volunteered that she had no problem getting me in for a scan if I just needed a sanity check. Somehow, just that peace of mind means flip outs are less likely.

And, as an added bonus, if all goes well this healthy baby boy would be definitive proof that it was not the sex-linked form of fatal arthrogryposis that Thomas had, ergo: the girls are not carriers and neither am I!

Such wonderful news all around. Thank you all for your prayers and unflagging support. Now I'm off to woozle a few blue newborn onesies.
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Jenny F. Scientist astutely pointed out that I may be mistaken about the X-linked recessive inheritance, and what we can extrapolate from a healthy boy. Sadly, she's right (though I know she wishes I were the right one this time).

I re-read and shored up my knowledge, and it's a 50/50 chance for the X-linked recessive to be inherited by either boys or girls. Any boy who did inherit it would be lethally affected; any girl would be a carrier, and not display the traits of the disease. But it's totally possible to have both unaffected girls and boys.

For us, as we likely won't have another child, this simply means that we'll want to continue to monitor any scientific developments around the x-linked recessive, lethal form of arthrogryposis (there are two other non-lethal x-linked forms identified at this point) to see if they ever find the marker and develop a test for carriers.

Further, it would mean that THIS little boy did NOT inherit it. Which is still a big reason to celebrate!

A wee bit nervous

2011-12-08T07:02:56-07:00

We have our first maternal fetal medicine appointment this afternoon. Everything has been going well - certainly NBHHY - but it's unavoidable that the errant flashback pops up now and then.

So prayers, please, for a nice, healthy baby with everything in its proper location and performing its proper function. This is our first visit to this particular doctor (my specialist in Houston isn't accepting my current insurance, but does accept what I'll have come January). Let's also hope she's competent and thorough... with a soft spot that causes her to give us lots of pictures and video.

I'll be 15 weeks tomorrow. Only Thomas, Hannah, and Caroline made it this far, so our odds are looking better and better.

A funny thing happened on our way to buying a house. Updated

2011-11-22T08:32:24-07:00

Remember the house we were in the process of buying? Remember how I said that all the frustrating delays were a sign that we should slow down and take a deep breath? Well, I was right. In a way. We did need to take a big breath.

But not in the achieve-zen-and-hunker-down-for-the-long-haul sense. We needed that breath as the last gasp before a surreal and wonderful deep water dive.

Just days after writing that post, and just days before finally successfully closing on our new house, we discovered some huge, huge news: We were pregnant.

But wait, let me back up. Lest you think this was a completely out-of-left-field shocker for us, I should do some 'splainin. Last summer, just before our engagement, I noticed that at the end of each cycle, I was actually disappointed to find that my birth control had worked as intended and that I was not pregnant by some lovely fluke. Patrick, too, had no bones about moving toward another child sooner rather than later. I was convinced that with everything else going so well, conceiving and successfully gestating a human would be the one place where things were bound to go awry. At the very least, it could take some serious time. And perhaps a surgery and some more invasive measures.

So after one final month where I had to will myself to take the pill, we decided to stop stopping a situation we very much wanted and see what happened. We both knew that there was a chance something could happen sooner rather than later, but that was a risk we were willing to take. I must say, though, when just two months (and one engagement and one house) later we found ourselves staring at a positive pregnancy test, I was honestly shocked.

And scared. And elated. And emotional.

It was a Friday, and that very day I called my RE and he fired off a lab slip for HCG and progesterone levels. HCG was nice, but the progesterone was low (just as it had been for Hannah and Caroline, so apparently, that's just how my corpus lutei roll). I began supplements right away, and then attempted a more laid-back approach to packing my whole house and renovating a foreclosure. While I worked full-time. And parented three girls. And suddenly found myself planning a fall wedding.

Patrick has been a saint. He's that guy that everyone dreams exists but never really thinks does. He meets needs I didn't yet realize I had. I really can't even explain it except to say that this journey so far has been entirely other-worldly, and I feel so so so blessed.

There's a lot more to the story, but at this point, I'm now 12 weeks 3 days, and we'll have our first trimester screen today. It has been a scary journey so far, but in keeping with the sacred principle of NBHHY, well, NBHHY. I've survived the worst fatigue I've ever experienced to date, nausea and a weight loss of 11 lbs. so far, and the trials of early pregnancy while moving, working, marrying, and parenting (but wait, there's more!).

And here's what we have to show for it!

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Update:

The ultrasound portion of the first trimester screening went great! The baby was moving, but managed to sit still for the nuchal translucency measurements - which looked perfect. And we saw nice flat feet, waving hands, kicking legs, and just the right amount of meat on those perfect bones. And, while you wouldn't want to go painting a room at 12 weeks 3 days, there seemed to be more of a "something" than a "nothing" in the bits department!! Sweet Jebus, we might actually have a boy!!

11-11-11

2011-11-18T10:24:53-07:00

I had good reason to disappear for so long. Remember how I last posted about the universe telling us to slow down? Well, apparently, that was just a pause before the big stuff started. Because big events were coming. And now, I shall endeavor to catch you up.

(Please note: Since I am aware of your reading proclivities, said events will be presented out of order, in deference to their relative level of interest. I'll do my best to hit one event in each entry.)

Last Friday, on 11-11-11, Patrick and I were married!

We had a family and close friends only ceremony on the deck of a favorite restaurant, right around sunset. There was a quarry lake behind us, and our pastor (who was just reassigned to a new church the week before) came back into town to marry us. Our three girls were the flower girls, decked out in dresses made by Patrick's mom. It was lovely. Perfect. Just what we wanted.

We had a reception a few hours later and all our friends and all their kids (there were a ton!) came to celebrate. Afterward, we sent the girls home with their grandparents and escaped to a nearby hotel for a weekend of lovey-dovey-ness and room service.*

Planning for the wedding confirmed what I already knew: Having amazing, talented friends is always a good thing. One friend designed the wedding invitations (digital, thank you) for free. Another, who is a former marine drill seargent-turned-regular corporate gig gal, now makes cakes on the side. She told us to consider it her gift to us. A third happens to be a stellar make-up artist, so she did our hair and make-up and make the girls and I look like glamourous screen starlets. Yet another is a spectacular photojournalist, and she documented the whole shin-dig for free! (I only have a smattering of pictures so far, but I promise to share more as soon as I have them.) Finally, a good friend agreed to take over the coordinating when it was clear to me (and everyone else, frankly) that I was in over my head.

Patrick and I exchanged our own vows, in addition to the traditional ones. We teared up. We hugged and kissed more than is traditionally allowed. It. was. amazing.

I know this seems incredibly brief, but in the interest of getting this posted, and moving on to the next events, I'm just going to run with it!!

Thank you all for hanging in there and checking in on me. My mom has been prodding (mostly gently) for a long time now, so I'm glad to finally come up for air and share the good news!