Pregnancy: Week 1 - Week 23

Ben and I found out we were pregnant in January when I was 6 weeks along. We were blessed enough to get ultrasounds the next week to see not 1 but 2 little munchkins. Sadly, one was measuring a little behind and they could not find a heartbeat. It stopped growing at around 7 weeks. However, the other baby is doing great and we feel so blessed, and a little overwhelmed, that we get another addition to our family. The due date is September 17th. We are currently 23 weeks along.



Ultrasound at 7 weeks 2 days. 

 Baby A measuring at 7 weeks 2 days.

 Baby B measuring at 6 weeks 4 days.

8 week baby bump. 

 9 Week baby bump

 9 week 2 day ultrasound.

 11 week 4 day ultrasound. 

13 week baby bump.

 15 week baby bump.

15 week 5 day ultrasound in Emergency Room.

At 15 weeks 5 days I woke up around 1:00AM and delivered Baby B that we had lost at 7 weeks along. We didn't know at the time that was what was happening so we were pretty scared. We ended up in the emergency room where they told us we were losing the other baby. After an ultrasound at 3:30AM we were all shocked to see Baby A healthy, kicking, with a heartbeat and plenty of fluid. I was put on bed rest because we still didn't know what everything meant. We spent the next day in Provo getting another exam and ultrasound. And that is when we learned that we probably had delivered Baby B and my doctor is optimistic that it will not affect Baby A. My cervix had completely closed back up and my bleeding had stopped.  However, I needed to meet with a high risk pregnancy specialist for more evaluation. I was on bed rest until Tuesday.

We were so blessed by wonderful friends who took care of us. Melinda Firth came in the middle of the night and stayed with the kids while they slept. I got so many calls and texts throughout the day. Staci Scott and Melinda brought us dinner. Rebecca Cottongim took care of Lucy after school and took her to Circus practice. Lyndsey watched the boys during our doctors appointments on Friday and Tuesday. Liz Allen brought over treats and then ended up taking care of the boys on Monday when I was bed rest. Saturday Stephanie Mitchell brought over flowers. Emily Collier brought us dinner on Monday. Ann Staley brought us dinner on Tuesday and watched the boys on Thursday during my doctor's appointment. Wednesday Becca watched the boys.  And the wonderful thing about it was that these were all Relief Society sisters, but none of it was setup by the Relief Society. They are all my dearest friends who just took charge and saw a need and filled it. We are so blessed to be strengthened by these wonderful families and neighbors.

16 week 2 day ultrasound. 
 On Tuesday we got to see the baby again. We found out we were having a girl and we were thrilled. The baby was still looking healthy with a heartbeat of 159 bpm. Dr. Young said I didn't need to be on bed rest anymore so I came home and made Cadbury Eggs with pink filling to reveal the gender to our dear friends. I dropped off thank you cards, flowers, and Cadbury eggs to everyone that had helped us out over the weekend. We also gave one to Lucy and she is so happy to be getting a baby sister.

16 week 4 day ultrasound with Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist

I drove to Provo to see a specialist and he said everything looked great and that I could resume regular activities. He said that from what he could see we should expect a healthy pregnancy. I do not have to see any more specialists as long as I don't bleed again. I was one happy mama!

17 Weeks. 

 19 Weeks. 

 20 Week Ultrasound. 

Our baby girl looked healthy and strong at our 20 week ultrasound. Her heartbeat was in the 150s. I had gained about 25 pounds total but only 1 pound since the last appointment at 16 weeks. I weighed about 160 pounds. I have been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions and feeling a lot of pressure. I started to feel faint movement around this time. She was breech at this appointment. She was measuring about 5 days ahead like she had been at previous appointments which would make my due date September 13th. 

I have been a little more emotional this month since miscarrying Baby B. I feel blessed to know that there is an eternal plan and that God knows what is best. However, I still mourn that little baby. When we were told that Baby B had stopped growing, it was sad but bearable. But delivering that baby did something to me. It felt more real. I felt like I was stripped down to my raw emotions. My love for that miscarried baby became real. And my love and connection to our surviving baby became a strong force in my life. I was overwhelmed and feeling scared to have a fourth child in the beginning of my pregnancy. Then on the night we thought we lost her too, all of those fears disappeared and all I wanted was for her to be healthy and in my arms. A mother's love is powerful and I could feel my fierce love for her grow exponentially. I still have bad days full of tears when I think about that night but they are becoming less frequent. I have more happy days than not. I am so grateful for this little miracle that stayed strong despite the trauma and chaos that was going on just outside her little sac. We are blessed to be an eternal family.


22 Weeks. 
During this week I began to feel her movement a lot more. My feet are starting to hurt from the extra weight but overall I have a lot of energy and am feeling great. I have been getting Restless Leg Syndrome at night and it is annoying but doable. This pregnancy I have been eating a lot of salads and baked potatoes and drinking a lot of clear sodas. If I had a room full of green salads, baked potatoes drenched in sour cream with sauteed mushrooms and some Sprite I would be a happy girl. 

23 Weeks.