The Big Reveal!

Before reading on, make sure you read the back story here and here.

June 26, 2011, 11:02pm: I tell Carl that I know I'm pregnant.

June 28, 2011, 5:30am: I take a standard pregnancy test - just the plus/minus kind. It looks as if there is a faint line. I don't trust it. I ask Carl his opinion - he says it looks positive to him. I insist he go to thestore at lunch and buy the digital kind that says "pregnant" or "not pregnant".

June 29, 2011, 5:45am: I take the digital pregnancy test. It says "pregnant". I immediately tell Carl.

June 29, 2011, 5:58am: I check the test again, it still says "pregnant".

June 29, 2011, 6:55am: I check the test again, it still says "pregnant".

June 29, 2011, 8:00am: I call the doctor to schedule blood work. Appointment set for July 5th.

June 29, 2011, 4:15pm: I check the test again, it still says "pregnant".

July 1, 2011, 10:00am: My mom stops over to see Savannah. Almost instantly Savannah tells her, "big sister" and my mom says, "what did you say?" and Savannah again replies, "Big Sister!". Not the reveal I'd planned, but I then explained to my mom the truth. She was thrilled. The rest of the day was spent calling my dad, Carl's family, our sisters, etc. Amid caution, everyone is thrilled for us.

July 5, 2011, 8:00am: Blood work drawn.

July 5, 2011, 4:00pm: Blood work results online - progesterone levels completely normal.

July 13, 2011, 1:00pm: First ultrasound. It's determined I am 5 weeks and 6 days pregnant - due date is March 8, 2012. We see the heartbeat. What an amazing little flicker to see! Heart rate was 111 bpm. We were given two ultrasound photos. While I think they are glorious, Carl says it basically looks like a blob.

July 13, 2011, 2:55pm: Meet with my doctor for the first appointment. She is happy with the ultrasound and all blood work. She schedules me for a second ultrasound after the previous miscarriage point.

July 21, 2011: I have now passed the point I miscarried the first time.

August 1, 2011: I have now passed the point I miscarried the second time.

August 3, 2011, 9:15am: Second ultrasound. Little Baby Poland looks much bigger now! We can see the outline of the head and little beginnings of arms and legs and hands and feet! The heart is beating strongly at 170 bpm. I carry one ultrasound photo in my purse, the others sit on my nightstand to be the first thing I see in the morning.

August 9, 2011, 7:01am: My belly shows the first really defined baby bump...still not in maternity clothes, but they will need to be pulled out of the closet soon.

August 10, 2011, 10:30am: Second appointment with the doctor. She said everything looks fine. I gave 4 vials of blood for all the prenatal tests (all normal). I asked if I could hear the heart beat on theDoppler, and she said it was too early. She also said that if she tried and didn't find it I would freak out (she knows me well!). She left the room to write up the lab work, then came back to told me to follow her quickly. So off I go, only to find that she was sneaking me into an ultrasound room between appointments so I could see (and hear!) the heart beat!! Everything was fine and amazing. She said I just looked like a sad puppy dog and she wanted me to see everything was fine. I really, really, have an amazing doctor. My next appointment is scheduled for September 7th with the doctor. My next ultrasound is scheduled for August 31st.

August 18, 2011, 1:27pm: I'm officially tired of looking "sort of" pregnant. Normal pants don't fit comfortably (at all!), especially dress pants. Maternity pants just sag. Five days a week wearing uncomfortable clothes makes for a very unhappy mommy-to-be.

August 19, 2011, 10:30am: I bought a BeBand at Target the night before. SO much more comfortable at work, and on the plus side, it exaggerates my little bump. Those who know I'm pregnant now can see the bump, and those who don't know yet are probably wondering if I'm pregnant or gaining weight. At this point I'm having trouble waiting another almost 2 weeks for my big reveal...I feel so much more confident than ever before and I'm starting to show a little...we'll see how long I last!

So of course our entire support group of friends and family are so excited and happy for us. Savannah is excited to be a big sister, and she often tells us the crib is for "LukeElla"....I have a feeling that regardless of her sibling's gender, he or she will be called "LukeElla" by Savannah. A boy will be Luke Asher (meaning light, blessed, happy) and a girl will be Ella Faith (meaning she, to trust). I have had the gut feeling that we will welcome a boy...but I could be wrong. I just am praying for a healthy pregnancy and baby. I also have a guess for the birth-day of the next little Poland. Savannah was 8 days early, and 8 days prior to my due date just happens to be February 29th...Leap Day. It would be fitting for my second child to have a holiday birthday...mine is Halloween, Savannah was born on Good Friday...so why not Baby Poland #2 enjoying a Leap Day birthday?! I haven't had nearly the morning sickness I had with Savannah...but I am exhausted a lot more! Of course, when I was pregnant with Savannah I could just rest often...but with a two-year old at home, resting isn't easy! I have been blessed to have Carl around on the weekends...he often allows me to nap when Savannah does, and recently some of my naps have been over 3 hours! I also have lost my appetite in the evenings, and in general I want plain, boring foods. Absolutely NO pizza. The idea of it makes me sick. I do like lots of fresh veggies...and hamburgers! I could eat hamburgers for every meal! I am still cautious, and my nerves have settled...but I don't think I will be truly at peace until I hold this tiny baby in my arms. Carl and I also haven't decided on how large we will attempt to grow our family. I always said if I became pregnant with twins, we'd be done...but the ultrasounds prove...it isn't twins this time. So now we are at odds...do we stop trying in light of my history...or do we try to have a third? Of course that answer doesn't need to be decided for quite a while...I refuse to make a decision until this little one is at least 2 or 3 years old. It very well may depend on the gender of little one number two...but either way we just pray for a healthy little baby and family!!!

*For the observant, I actually gave away the news back on July 7th, in my Mysteries and Riddles post. If you take the first letter of each paragraph and string them together, you will find the words, "I Am Pregnant". And for those curious, the answers to the other silly riddles are: a coat of paint, a deck of cards, breakfast and lunch, and finally a hurri-cane.