The Askew Family

6 month pictures

2010-01-18T19:48:00.011-06:00

Here are a few of the pictures from his 6 month photo shoot. You can see all of them on my facebook page. We go tomorrow for his 6 month check-up. I can't wait to find out how much he weighs!

Museum

2010-01-06T07:17:00.007-06:00

On Sunday we took Jackson to the Anniston Museum of Natural History. He seemed to really enjoy it. Here are a few pictures.

Through the months

2010-01-06T06:38:00.009-06:00

I cna't believe that my baby is 6 months old. He has grown so much over the past 6 months and is learning new things every day. He has just learned to sit up on his own without falling over! I am so proud of him and I can't wait to see what the next six months has in store.

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

Video of Jackson

2009-12-30T20:30:00.003-06:00

Go here to see a video of Jackson....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smWcQbjLhXw

Question

2009-12-23T06:32:00.002-06:00

If I am super cute will Santa bring me more presents??

Santa

2009-12-17T20:18:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-10T16:30:00.003-06:00

Roll Tide

2009-12-08T07:41:00.003-06:00

Enough said!

Look At My Teeth!

2009-12-08T07:39:00.003-06:00

I got them both the day after Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T08:28:00.005-06:00

What is That?

Jackson "The Football" after Trick-or-Treating. We only went to 2 houses and he seemed to enjoy it.

Pictures

2009-10-22T19:36:00.005-05:00

Jackson's first Tailgate

Jackson the Football

Mommy's little pumpkin

Jackson in his new "jumpy" seat. He really liked it.

Pregnant...

2009-10-21T21:37:00.003-05:00

Not now, but one year ago today we found out that we were having Jackson. It is amazing to look at him now and where we were a year ago. He has grown so much in a year. God had blessed us so much with Jackson and that journey that we went on to get him. He is truly our little miracle.

3 months

2009-10-09T06:56:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that my baby is 3 months old! I know everyone said it would go by fast but I never imagined it would be this fast!

Baby Dedication

2009-10-09T06:49:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Jackson's Baby Dedication at church. It went really well. After the dedication we went to lunch at Classic's on Noble. It was super yummy! Jackson had to remind us all it was his day though by having a "massive" blow-out the included a total outfit change including the shoes! It was everywhere!!! This one is going in the baby book for sure!

We have a thumb sucker!

2009-09-24T20:19:00.003-05:00

Game Day

2009-09-15T20:50:00.005-05:00

Game Day - September 12, 2009

Jason, Casey Jackson

Jason, Casey, Jackson and Emma

Baby Dedication

2009-09-15T20:47:00.005-05:00

We have the date set for Jackson's baby dedication at church. I can't believe how old he is getting and how big he is getting. Here is what the invitations look like.

I found his outfit today. It is a white with blue trim bubble. It is so cute. I am now looking to find his shoes and socks.

First Zoo Trip

2009-09-07T21:28:00.004-05:00

7 1/2 weeks old

2009-08-27T07:29:00.003-05:00

6 weeks old!

2009-08-14T08:41:00.006-05:00

I can't believe that my baby is now 6 weeks old today. Time is just flying by now. He is growing up so fast. He can now focus and see objects and he is really smiling now too! It is so cute! Hopefully soon I can catch one of his smiles on camera. I have to go back to work on Monday and I am not looking forward to it. I know that he will be fine but I just want to stay home with him. Anyway, here are a few more recent pictures.

Growing Strong

2009-07-20T21:13:00.004-05:00

Jackson has officially hit the 2-3 week growth spurt. He is about 9 pounds now and is cluster feeding (eating every 45 mins for about 4 hours). He is wearing me out! The good thing about the growth spurt is that when he gets into a deep sleep he is out for at least 3 hours.

I will be going to the lactation support group again this Wednesday. I can't wait to weigh him and see just how much he has gained. Last week he was 8 lb 3 oz. He also has his first doctors appointment on Thursday. He has outgrown at least one outfit that I know of. He is growing so fast! I can't believe that he is over 2 weeks old.

Jackson got to take his first bottle on Friday. He did really well with it. I think Jason really enjoyed getting to feed him.

We also took him to church for the first time on Sunday. He did pretty good. Everyone was very excited to get to see him. He loved the music part of the service. Here is a picture before we left.

New Siggy

2009-07-14T09:18:00.002-05:00

Just thought I would share my new siggy for the blogs and boards.

Pictures

2009-07-07T19:00:00.005-05:00

I have been asked for some additional pictures so here you go....

Jackson Has Arrived!

2009-07-03T22:33:00.003-05:00

7 lbs 12 oz
20 in
1:38 pm

Happy Birthday Jackson Howard Askew!

He is perfect in every way. We are all doing great!!

The Time Has Arrived...

2009-07-02T09:27:00.003-05:00

It seems like yesterday that we were sitting in Dr. Houserman's office getting the news that we were once again pregnant. God has blessed us so much through this fertility journey. It has been a roller coaster for sure but all the pain is going to pay off very soon. We have to be at the hospital at 5:00 tonight for overnight induction. I imagine Jackson should arrive sometime Friday afternoon to early evening. Dr. Daniel has informed me that if he is not here by 8:00 pm then we will take him by c-section. Please pray that everything goes smooth and that Jackson cooperates and tolerates labor well.

I found out that the hospital does have WIFI so we should be able to update with some pictures shortly after his birth. Thanks for all the prayers and continued support.

A few more pictures

2009-06-21T16:50:00.004-05:00

I was not too fond of the last pictures that we posted so I had Jason take a few more. I hope you like these better.

38 Weeks

2009-06-19T20:42:00.004-05:00

My appointment was mostly uneventful yesterday. I am still the same as I was the weeks before. Hopefully something more will start happening soon. Dr. Daniel did say that he thought Jackson would weight in the high 8 lbs. We will find out soon enough I guess.

I also had Jason take a belly picture tonight in the nursery. Please don't look at the hair or make-up but you can see the belly. Think it's big enough?

36 weeks 4 days

2009-06-09T16:21:00.002-05:00

Dr appointment went good toady. I am 1 cm dilated and +1 station. We have an induction date set for July 3rd. So one way or another he will be here by then. Everything else is still good. I go back next week to check the progress.

Nursery Pictures

2009-06-03T07:23:00.005-05:00

Pictures

2009-05-29T19:04:00.007-05:00

I have finally gotten some new pictures uploaded. I am going to try to take a new belly picture this weekend but I did get some of the most recent ones up. Here is the link to all the belly pics.

http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll253/cnkos/Belly%20Pics/

Also here is a picture of the bassinet (Thanks Ann!!!) and the travel system.

35 weeks

2009-05-28T14:53:00.004-05:00

Things have been crazy lately....

I had a dr's appointment scheduled for 1:00 today but I was not really feeling well this morning so I decided to go in early. Everything went good except that I didn't get to see me regular OB (he was in surgery). The bad feeling I had this morning was due to my blood pressure they think. It was 90/69. I thought it was my iron but they said that was fine. They did not really give me any explanation for my blood pressure but said to drink lots of fluids. The u/s tech was not there today for some reason so we have to wait until next week for the u/s. He did do a cervix check since I have been having a lot of pelvic pain and pressure. Jackson is head down and I am fingertip dilated, -1 station and 75% effaced. I don't think we are going to make it until July.

On the crib thing, I called yesterday to see if it was in b/c 2 weeks ago they told me it would be in no more than 2 weeks. (Note - I am not upset with the place I ordered the furniture from but rather with the company that makes/ships the furniture - Munire) So of course its not there. She says she has a truck coming on Tuesday and it might be on that one. I asked her to call the company (Munire) and check on it since I have been waiting since Feb. She called me back and for some reason Munire has pushed my crib back to the middle of July!!!!! She was so mad but I was almost in tears! She told me that she can get me this other style crib in the same suit as what I ordered or she can give me my money back and we can try to find it somewhere else.

I did not like the other crib choice but I called her back and asked when it would be in if we decided to get it, middle of June! I said that would just not work as he might be here by then and I want a crib before he arrives. I have the bassinet but I still want the nursery finished. So we started calling tons of other baby stores within a 4 state radius to see if anyone had it in stock. Of course they don't. However, there is a place in Birmingham (Storkland) that has it on display on the floor. I spoke with them today and they are going to sell it to me off of the floor. I kinda hate to do that since lots of people have touched it and stuff but I really don't have another choice. If I pick another crib that is not part of this suit then it won't match everything else in the room. So anyway, we will pick up the crib on Saturday.

Other than that, work has been crazy since we are short one person already and everyone is in a panic about when I am out for 8 weeks. We also have VBS at church in 2 weeks and I am in charge of the music/choir and I am kinda freaking out that Jackson could arrive before or during that time. I have lots of help but still. I also found out that I have an insurance co-pay/deductible due to the hospital every time I go in for the NST (which is once a week). It can be up to $175 each time. So far we are up to almost $500. We are kinda freaking out about that but luckily the hospital will do a payment plan with us. That was totally unexpected!

I have my last baby shower on Sunday at church. I am very excited about that. We have already purchased the travel system (stroller/car seat combo). After this shower we will be making a trip to Babies R us I am sure to fill in the gaps of stuff we are missing. I have the bags all packed up for the hospital now too. We are getting ready but Jackson needs to stay put for a few more weeks.

Interesting night

2009-05-13T11:32:00.003-05:00

I went to the hospital after work yesterday for my weekly NST (non-stress test). I was supposed to be for today but since I was not feeling him move much yesterday I went ahead. When I was walking across the parking lot in the hospital I noticed that my tummy just felt “not right.” It was kind of tight and just not like I had felt before. So I told the L&D (Labor and Delivery) nurse what I was there for and the tightness and they put me in a room and hooked me up. We got his heartbeat right away and he almost instantly started kicking at the Doppler thing. One nurse stayed in the room with me getting all my info and stuff while the other one went back out to monitor the reading. She came back in a little bit later with a big cup of water and said that I was having some “irritability.” I was not real sure what that meant but I drank the water. Come to find out it meant contractions. They just weren’t like super strong or regular.

We also had to do a urine test and a cervix check. She said I was maybe a fingertip dilated but still very thick and high so they were not concerned. I had to stay out there for 3 hours, I also got a bag of fluids and 2 more cervix checks. I did not dilate any more and the “irritability” mostly went away. I did start spotting due to all the cervix checks and me being on the heparin. They told me to be on pelvic rest (due to the spotting which has since stopped) until I go back to the OB next week and to come back if I start having contractions.

Jackson has been much more active today. Not so much kicks but lots of rolling and flipping. I think he is running out of room for sure. I can also tell that I am really beginning to get uncomfortable. I don’t know that I will make it a full 7 weeks but hopefully I can at least make it to 37 weeks. Only God knows for sure.

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T13:21:00.003-05:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. I do not really consider it my first but partial first. I feel like a Mother and pretty much consider myself one at this point but still not my "first" Mother's Day. Anyway, Jason was so sweet. He got me a card that sings, 2 disney movies on dvd (Jungle Book and Pinnochio), a spoon rest that I had been wanting, a wall hanger for Jackson's room, and pj's and slippers for the hospital stay. I was so surprised! I thought I would probably get a card but that would be it. I have the best husband in the world and he is going to make the best daddy!! (I am not so secretly hoping that Jackson will make his appearance in time for Jason's first father's day this year)

Also, I went to the dr on Friday. Everything is going good. I had lost one pound and got scolded pretty bad for that. I am not sure how I can loose weight eating all the stuff I have been lately. I also asked Dr. Daniel how big he thought that Jackson was at this point (32 weeks exactly). After feeling my belly he said he felt a little big and wanted an u/s to check fetal weight. *****Drum Roll Please******* Jackson weighed in at 4lbs 7oz!!!! He said that was pretty much right on track just a tad over average. He also said that he should put on "at least" a half pound a week until he is born. With eight week to go that puts him at a minimum of 8lbs 7oz at birth if I got to 40 weeks! He said that he would check it again later and that if it was looking like a 10lb baby we would need a c-section. I hope we don't get to that point!!! Hopefully if he is getting that big he will induce a little early.

Otherwise, everything is still good. I can tell that Jackson is beginning to run out of room in there though. He now has the ability to kick all over at the same time and sometimes it hurts!!

Behind Again

2009-05-08T07:50:00.010-05:00

So I realized that I have not posted anything in quite sometime and I have had a lot going on. Where to start?

Well, last Friday (May 1st) I fell taking Bogey to Petsmart to get a hair cut. I tripped over the slopped handicap curb. I landed on my knees, hands, and chest. I do not think I hit my belly at all but I was not taking any chances. I headed to Dr. Daniel's office to get everything checked. After an internal exam, ultrasound, blood work, and Non-stress test (NST) at the hospital, everything was fine. Jackson, however, did NOT like the NST. He tried for the entire 45 mins I was hooked up to kick the stuff off my belly. After she took it off, he did not move again for nearly an hour. I think he was worn out!

Saturday, (May 2nd) was my 1st Baby Shower at Chris and Brandy's house. It was so much fun and we got lost of stuff we will need with Jackson gets here. Best of all was that I got my breat pump. I have been trying for a week to get the pictures up but I have just been tired!

Wednesday, (May 6th) I went back to Labor and Delivery (L&D) for another NST. I have to have the weekly until he arrives just due to my past history and such. The test went fine however being in the actuall L&D room kinda freaked me out. I have been assured that this is a normaly reaction when actually start thinking about the delivery. I guess you mind just kinda blocks those thoughts out. Like maybe I'm just going to be pregnanat forever. Hopefully the Baby Bootcamp Birthing Class with help with that. We have it scheduled for May 16th.

Today I have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Daniel from the fall and I guees just a routine check-up. I am still measuring right where I should be and weight gain is perfect.

Here a few pics from this past weekend. I will get the link out when I get them all online.

Here is me holding the door hanger that Brandy made for Jackson when he is born to hang at the hospital. It is beautiful!! (Thanks again Brandy!)

Jason and I the day after the shower.

31 week belly pic

Shower Cake (it tasted as good as it looked!)

Here I am in Jackson's room going through all the presents from the shower and tring to get things put away. Thanks again for all the great gifts!!!

4-D Ultrasound

2009-04-22T13:04:00.005-05:00

We had out 4-d u/s done today. It is amazing what technology can do. It was so neat to get to see his face. We also wanted a shot of his privates but he would not cooperate with that. He had his knees tucked up to his chest and his feet crossed. the tech said she thought he weighed about 3 pounds. Here is a link to the pics we got of him...

http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll253/cnkos/Jackson/

Enjoy!!

Here is a sneak peak of one of the pictures.

7 months

2009-04-15T10:47:00.005-05:00

Whats been going on.....

On April 7th we went for our 7 month check up. Everything is going wonderful. I have gained about 10 lbs total, Jackson's heartbeat was good, my glucose test was negative for diabetes and blood pressure was fine. I got a lot of 3rd trimester information. We are also scheduled for Baby Bootcamp (prenatal class at the hospital) for May 16th. I am also now pre-registered at the hospital.

Beginning at 32 weeks, I will have to get weekly NST's (non-stress tests) at the hospital. He is wanting to monitor me very close at the end to make sure Jackson stays healthy and if there are any issues that they get caught early.

We go for our 4-D u/s on April 22nd. I can't wait to see him again and be able to see what he looks like. My next appointment with Dr. Daniel is on April 28th. I can't believe how far we have made it.

I have my first baby shower on May 2nd. I can't wait! The crib will hopefully come in by the first of May. His nursery looks really good so far but will look much more complete when the crib comes in.

Other than that, things seem to be moving along both a rocket speed and slow. We only have 2 and 1/2 months to go but it seems like forever away. at the same time looking back it does not seem like it has been over 7 months. I love being pregnant and being able to feel him move around inside me but at the same time I can't wait to meet him and see who he looks like and what his personality will be.

Belly Pic

2009-04-01T20:50:00.003-05:00

Here is my latest belly picture. I am 26 weeks 5 days. On Friday I will be exactly 3 months till my due date. I can't believe how far I have come!!

25 weeks

2009-03-22T21:04:00.003-05:00

We finally got in the glider for the nursery. I love it! It looks great in the nursery and is super comfortable. I hope the rest of the furniture comes in soon. We took a 25 week belly shot in the nursery so you can see the chair also.

Nursery Update

2009-03-16T17:24:00.003-05:00

We got the nursery painted this past weekend thanks to mom and dad! It looks great! The color is a little lighter than I had thought it would be but I think it will look really good with the dark furniture. All we really have to show at this point is the window so here it is....

23 Weeks

2009-03-09T20:44:00.005-05:00

I had Jason take a 23 weeks belly picture tonight. I am slightly burned after spending the weekend out in the sun. I am sure I will be in trouble when I go to the dr tomorrow.

Here is another on with my clothes on. (that sounds bad!)

We're Moving....

2009-03-04T13:06:00.003-06:00

Well, Jason and I aren't moving but Jackson is! He is moving all over the place. His kicks are getting stronger everyday. Jason got to feel him kick for the first time on Sunday. It is so neat to be able to feel all his little movements. I am sure the knees, elbows, fingers and toes are not to far off.

The nursery is really beginning to come together as well. I bought the new ceiling fan today and we are in the process of picking out paint. We finally have all the junk out of there and we hung the curtains just to get a feel for how it will look.

I'm planning on taking another belly picture this weekend. I will post it as well as some of the update to the nursery. I am so ready to have it painted and get the furniture in there.

Thank you all for the continued prayers for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Please continue to pray as we still have 4 months to go!

Emma

2009-02-21T10:48:00.003-06:00

I just had to share this beautiful picture of Emma.

Nursery Decor

2009-02-21T10:12:00.007-06:00

I wanted to share what we have picked out for the nursery bedding. I ordered the material swatches and love them. The colors are great. We are going to order the bedding soon and plan to paint in March. The furniture should also be in sometime around the middle of March. I am so ready to have things put together.

We are planning on painting a light beige color and using the blue and brown as accents. I think it will look beautiful with the cherry furniture we have ordered.

Ultrasound

2009-02-19T22:50:00.002-06:00

You can view the 19 week ultrasound for Jackson by clicking on the link below. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYE3UOvSrdw

20 Week Belly

2009-02-15T13:58:00.003-06:00

Here is my 20 week belly shot.

I felt him move!

2009-02-14T08:45:00.003-06:00

Last night fir the first time that I really know of I felt Jackson move. We were listening to his heart beat with the fetal doppler. We can also hear him kick with the doppler. Well last night, I could hear him kick and I felt it so I know now what it feels like. It is a very strange feeling. I really do have a person in my belly! As I sit here and type this he is moving too. SO COOL!!

I also think that he is going through a growth spurt or something this week because I woke up in the middle of the night starving! I have not done that since 1st trimester. I got up and ate and then woke up this morning hungry again.

Today is also the day that we are going to Birmingham to register and look at all the baby stuff. I am so excited about that. You will have to look at my registry tomoor for all that cool stuff. I am registering at Babies R Us. (I will also register at Target and Walmart)

Still in shock

2009-02-12T10:49:00.004-06:00

I still can not believe that I am almost half way through and that we are going to have a son. It just seems so sureal. He really has an identity now it seems. We are going shopping this weekend and I can't wait! It will be so much fun just to be able to look for stuff with someone in mind. Jason is already trying to find Jackson a "Game Day" shirt for football season. I am just so excited.

We Know!!!

2009-02-10T13:09:00.003-06:00

The baby was not very cooperative and after much jiggling, rolling, smashing and moving we finally got a peak.....

It's A Boy!!!

We are super excited. Jason cried. It was so sweet. Jackson Howard will make his debut this summer.

1 more day!!

2009-02-09T09:57:00.003-06:00

Only one more say until I have the chance to see my baby again and possibly find out the gender. I pray that baby cooperates. Also, today is the last day you have to vote for what you think the baby is going to be. I think that girl is in the lead so far. I will update tomorrow as soon as I am able to.

I am falling behind

2009-02-02T06:59:00.005-06:00

I have been informed that I am falling behind in my posting. There has not really been anything going on so I felt I had nothing to tell but let me see what I do know.

I am 18 weeks pregnant now and have really only gained about 2 pounds (I lost a total of 18!) As of yet I don't think I have felt the baby move, if I have then I missed it or thought it was gas or something. I am still listening to the heartbeat several times a week. As of lately the heart rate has been between 135 and 145.

We have 8 days until we can hopefully find out what we are having. We are planning on going to Birmingham on the 14th to order the furniture and hopefully register at Babies R Us if we know what the baby is at that point. I am praying that this baby cooperates and lets us see what it is.

That is really all I have at this point. I will update again if anything changes.

Still Waiting...

2009-01-14T13:54:00.005-06:00

Everyone always says that your pregnancy flys by and I am sure that it will at some point but wow! I am so ready to have a real baby bump, I want to know if it is a boy or girl, I am ready for people to quit asking me if I just don't feel good because they see me walking funny and they can't yet tell that I am preganant. I know the time will come and that I will go by so fast that I will want it to slow down but right now I am just ready! February 10th can not get here fast enough!

Overall I still feel really good. Today though it feels like I have concrete blocks tied to my feet. I am having lots of pulling and stretching in my pelvis but I know that it is all normal. I am looking forward to the 3 day weekend. Mom and dad are supposed to come up and help me paint and get a few other things done in the house. I know it will be lots of fun. I love doing things in the house and getting to see the finished product.

14 week appointment

2009-01-06T13:13:00.002-06:00

My appt. went well today. Heard the heart beat and everything was just as it should be. I go back on the 16th for the 2nd part of the blood test (alpha-feta protein?). I did not have an u/s today but I go back in 5 weeks (Feb 10th) to find out the sex! I am so excited. He wanted to wait until 24 weeks but I begged him to do it earlier. I am glad he agreed!!

Where has the year gone?

2008-12-30T07:14:00.003-06:00

It is so hard to believe that 2008 is almost over. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have a great New Year. Jason and I are in the process of cleaning out closets in some kind of effort to get ready for baby. We have a LOT of stuff!!! We have redone Jason's bathroom. It looks much better. I will post some pics when it is totally finished. I should have taken some before pictures but I did not think about it.

I go back to the Dr on January 6th. I have been able to find the heartbeat with the Doppler daily so that makes me feel much better. The first trimester blahs are starting to let up. If I could just get rid of my cold/sinus infection/whatever it is I would be much better. Thanks again for all your continued prayers.

Please be sure to vote if you think we are having a boy or a girl. I think at this next appointment I should get the date that we will find out.

13 Weeks!!!

2008-12-26T08:56:00.002-06:00

I am 13 weeks today!! I finally made it out of the 1st trimester! I am super excited! We also found the baby's heartbeat with the dopler on Tuesday. I have NEVER made it this far!! Please keep praying!!

11w6d

2008-12-18T14:03:00.003-06:00

My appt went really well this morning. They did do another u/s and now the baby is hanging upside down. It was measuring 12w2d I think. I got a pretty good picture. I won't go back now until Jan 6th. I also got the u/s done on top of my tummy. I have never had one of those. Very neat. Also, the heartbeat was 159. We are getting very excited now. It is really starting to sink in. Please keep praying that everything continues as it should.

Today's Appt

2008-12-11T16:31:00.003-06:00

The appointment went very good again today. We got to see our little bean again. He/She had flipped over and the head was at the opposite end as last week. I got some really good pics though. Everything is measuring right where it should be. We also got to hear the baby's heartbeat. They did not tell me how fast it was beating though. I will try to remember to ask next week when I go back. They are going to see me every week for a while. I am glad that they are keeping such a close watch on me. Please keep praying that everything continues to goes as it should. We are on God's plan!!!

Ultrasound Pictures

2008-12-05T19:06:00.004-06:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get these pictures up. I hope you can see them. If the image is too big (i.e. you can only see half or it) click on it to open it in a new window. I am not sure why these are so big.

Here is a picture at 8 weeks 5 days.

Here is one at 9 weeks 5 days. Look how much more the baby has grown in a week!

I have another u/s done next Thursday. I will be 10 weeks 6 days for that one.

Last Re Appointment

2008-12-03T09:22:00.004-06:00

Today was my last appointment with the doctors in Birmingham. I am kinda sad to be leaving them but super excited that that means I am still progressing well. I am also excited about saving gas!

My u/s today was great! The baby is almost to big to see with the internal u/s. The tech made that baby mad and it moved all over the place. It was so cute! We got a great picture of the face, arms, and legs. I am going to try my best to figure out a way to scan them.

Tomorrow I go to the OB for the first time. I am glad to be getting back to him but I hope that he monitors me as well as the dr's in B'ham did.

Please continue to pray that everything progresses just as it should!

Also, some of you have wondered when my due date is, it is officially July 3rd!

9 Weeks!

2008-11-28T11:17:00.003-06:00

I am 9 weeks pregnant today!! We went to the Re again on Wednesday and got to see the baby again. It also moved during the u/s! The nurse said that once we see the heartbeat and movement that my chance of miscarriage drops to 5%. We were super excited to here that. I will try to get a pic of the baby up soon. I am feeling pretty decent. Not great but ok. There are some very strange symptoms that you have that no one ever tells you about though. I am having a LOT more symptoms than I have ever had before so I am feeling pretty confident in saying that I am pregnant. We are not out of the woods though so please keep praying. We have 7 more months to go.

I also am so happy to be back home. I do not like South Texas!! It is so good to be back where people speak English as a primary language! Three weeks was such a long time to be home.

I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

So Far So Good...

2008-11-03T16:00:00.003-06:00

Re appointment went really well today. Mom got to go with me since Jason had to work. We got to see the sac with the fetal pole in it. It was measuring right where it should. My numbers are also looking very good. My beta is up to 6274 and the progesterone id up to 53.2. All that is good. I also got a picture but since I have no scanner I don't have a way to show it. I am feeling better about it but I won't feel great until I get back from Texas.

My flight leaves out of Atlanta at 10:00 in the morning. I will fly back the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I go back to the dr that next day. Please pray that I have a safe flight and trip and that this baby continues to grow like it should.

Emma's 1st Halloween

2008-11-01T06:49:00.003-05:00

I just had to post this picture. She is so cute!!! Emma was Lil Big All for Halloween.

Another good report

2008-10-29T06:59:00.003-05:00

I went back to the Re yesterday for more b/w to check the hcg and progesterone levels. The progesterone needs to stay above 25 and mine was 41. The hcg level should double every 48 hours. Last week it was 34 so this week it should have been around 370. My hcg level was 609!!! I go back next week on Monday for more b/w and an ultrasound!

For those of you wondering though, I am still going to Texas with work. I fly out on November 4th and fly back home the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I am really excited about going. I will be really busy which will help me keep my mind off of worrying about how things are going with the pregnancy. I am going to take it easy but I know that everything is in God's hand and he is in total control.

Please continue to pray that everything keeps progressing like it should.

Answered Prayers

2008-10-21T19:03:00.003-05:00

We are pregnant again!! My beta hcg level was 34.8. I go back in a week to have it check again and make sure it is rising. We are praying now for a very sticky bean that will make it the nine months plus. God is so Good!!!

Nervous

2008-10-21T08:23:00.003-05:00

Today is the day when we find out if the last round worked. I am really nervous. I am trying to stay positive and convince myself that everything worked and that I am pregnant. I am very aware that no matter what the outcome that God is still in control and that he will continue to guide us down the path that he leads.

IUI - Let's make a baby!

2008-10-10T20:30:00.002-05:00

OMG…it was so awesome!! I got to see myself O!

Jason had to be there at 7:30 and I had my appt scheduled for 9:00. We got breakfast in between. The nurse calles us back and they tell me that they are going to do the iui, then do an u/s to check for follie collapse and fluid. So they did the u/s and the follies were still there and big.

She kept looking for fluid but could not find any. She told me that I might not have o’d yet but she wanted to get the u/s tech to take a look and see what she thought. So after about 15 mins the tech comes in and gets to looking and she is telling me what she is looking for. She focus’s in on one of the follies and starts kinda pushing on my belly to try to get a different look. Right then I ovulated!!! I saw it!!

Within like 10 to 15 seconds my follie went from 1.8 or 2.0 to nothing!! It was so cool. I feel like everything was timed just right.

The other follie had still not released but she said it probably would with in an hour or so.

I go back on the 21st for the beta. I am trying not to get myself to pumped up but I am really feeling good about this one. I might just get my twins!

CD 13

2008-10-10T20:29:00.001-05:00

I left my house at 6:40 this morning to go to my Re's office. It usually takes me just over an hour to get there. Well, it was raining and there were several wrecks on the interstate. I did not get to the office until 9:00!!! Luckily everyone else was late too. Also, I was soaking wet!!! Aside from that everything was good. I have 2 follies on my right side, one is 1.5 and the other is 1.8. Nothing on the left side. My estrogen is 268. I can’t go back for the IUI on Saturday (due to work) or Sunday (I have to sing at church) so I am going to trigger tonight and IUI on Friday. Since I really wanted 2 eggs they would have let me go another day or two but due to my schedule I can’t. So I went home and did a little more follistim to hopefully give the 1.5 a chance to get to 1.6 so I can have 2.

Let's Get It Started......Again!!!

2008-10-05T21:36:00.003-05:00

We had a great time in New York City and are now back and doing the fertility thing still. We have decided that we are going to do the Follistim injections with IUI October, December and January. (I will be in Texas for 3 wees in November with work) If we are not pregnant by then, in February we are planning on moving forward with IVF. I really hope that we don't have to do IFV just b/c it is so expensive.

I went this morning for my day 10 follie check. I have 10 on one side and 12 on the other. They are all pretty small at this point. I go back on Wednesday (day 13) and hopefully I will still have at least 2 good size follies.

I have enjoyed our break while we had it but I am also glad to be proactive again. I will do my best to keep you updated.

Heading to the Big Apple!

2008-09-11T11:52:00.002-05:00

Jason and I are going to a trip to New York City! We are leaving on Friday, September 12 and will be back on Sunday the 14th. We are so excited. We are going to a Yankees game on Saturday and then going to knock around and see the sights! I will post some pictures when we get back.

On the TTC front...we have decided to go back to the Re next month. I called and have everything set up so assuming I don't get pg in the next few weeks then we are back on the fertility shots and such.

Casey

Taking a break....

2008-06-27T16:27:00.002-05:00

Sorry I have not posted an update in a while. This last attempt was not successful. I never really felt like it would be though. I can't really explain that feeling though. We have decided to take a small break from everything fertility. August will be 3 years that we have been trying and we are emotionally, physically and financially drained. I think a short break will do us good. Besides, we did get pg twice on our on so maybe we will get lucky. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Please continue to pray that God gives us the direction that we need to get to the point to get our greatest blessing. Continue to check back for updates.

CD 13...

2008-06-06T13:00:00.002-05:00

Went to the RE again this morning. I have one dominant follice measuring 1.6 and a slightly smaller one measuring 1.2. There are still several much smaller ones but I am not counting those. I'm going to have one more night of Follistim and then do the Hcg trigger on Saturday night and then back to b'ham on Sunday. The nurse said that the follie needs to be 1.8 to trigger and that they usually grow .2 everyday. Please pray that my follicle continues to grow and that everything happens as it should.

CD 10 Update

2008-06-04T09:41:00.004-05:00

I went to the RE on Tuesday for a CD 10 follie check. Everything went well. I have 2 measurable follies at just over 1 cm. I have several smaller ones that can't be measured. (they have to be at least 1 cm before they will measure) I am to keep taking the injections and go back on Friday morning to get the checked again. They need to be at least 2cm before I can do the trigger shot to make me ovulate. So I am praying for nice big follies on Friday. I am hoping at least one of the smaller ones will catch up also. You can view some additional information at the web address listed below.
www.northernfertility.com/proc_serv/diagnosis/ov_phys.htm

Emma

2008-05-28T21:22:00.003-05:00

Here is one more pic of Emma. This is the first time I have seen her. She loves her Aunt Casey.

Let's Get it Started!!!

2008-05-28T21:18:00.002-05:00

Finally we are back in the game. AF showed up on Sunday so I went in on CD (cycle day) 3 which was on Tuesday for b/w and an u/s. Everything looked great. I have 16 follies on one side and 11 on the other. I took my first shot of the Follistim tonight. Piece of cake! I will go back next Tuesday for more b/w and u/s and see how the meds are working. Hopefully I will have 2 or 3 mature follies at that time and can go ahead with the trigger shot to make me O (Ovulate). I am super excited and I really am praying that we only have to complete one round of this.

Update

2008-05-22T16:03:00.002-05:00

I went to the Dr again yesterday for my post-op appointment. Everything went well. She wants to do some chromosomal testing on Jason and I to make sure everything is OK. I had it done after my last m/c but she wants to do it again anyway. We won't have the results of that for at least 2 weeks. Otherwise we are just waiting on AF (aunt flo) to show up and then I go back in for baseline blood work and then start the Follistim injections.

On another note....Emma is back in the hospital. They got to go home yesterday with instruction to come back this morning for another billirubin/jaundice test. It was elevated enough that they want to keep her for 48-72 hours. This is not uncommon in preemies (they are considering her that since she was 3 weeks early). Basically she gets to get a sun tan under the lights.

Emma Gail is Here!!!

2008-05-20T09:31:00.005-05:00

So baby Emma made her grand entrance into the world yesterday. She arrived at 9:39 am (number sound familiar to anyone?)and weighed 6lb 7 oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. It was a hard day for me, don't get me wrong, I am so excited that she is here and that Chris is finally a daddy but it just made me miss even more what I don't have. It also really made me miss the first baby we lost. It is hard to think that I would have a 1 year old if that pg would have made it.
I have an appt with the RE on Wednesday and mom is going to meet me there and then we will probably go to Tuscaloosa to see them. I am excited that I am finally an aunt and the mom is finally a Mimi.

Still Waiting

2008-05-04T22:18:00.003-05:00

We are doing good. Weird to say but I think we were prepared for another m/c. I am ready to get started again. I hope it does not take another 2 years to get pg again. I have an appt with the Dr. on May 21st. I assume that if I start before then that I can call and go ahead and start the shots as planned before I got pg. I am just so ready to move on.

Moving on

2008-04-23T08:35:00.002-05:00

On Friday, April 18th I had a D&C done at Brookwood Hospital in Birmingham. I was tired of waiting on the miscarriage (m/c) to happen. I went to the dr's on Wednesday (the 16th) and had all my bloodwork done and another u/s. The sack was still intact and my HCg level was still around 1600. If I had waited to have a natural m/c it would have been at least another week or two. So I am glad it is over with and now we can move on.
We are doing pretty good. This m/c was not nearly as bad as the first one. Hopefully this one will be our last. I go back to the dr in May to move on with the program. Next step is fertility shots.
I am just very thankful that God is in control of this whole situation and he already knows the outcome. That gives me such peace!!

Does it look like me?

2008-04-11T21:40:00.001-05:00

Check out my Avatar. Make your own at www.meez.com

Here we go again...

2008-04-10T17:42:00.004-05:00

So as quick as it began so it will end. We had another dr. appointment yesterday. Had an ultrasound and saw the sack. We should have been able to see more since I was just over 6 weeks. I also had blood work done. It was really starting to sink in that this was going to work and we were going to have a baby. The Dr. called today and said the news was not good. My beta level which should be over 10,000 was only 1500. My progesterone level had also dropped again which should not happen since I am on extra progesterone. She said all the numbers plus the ultrasound told her that the pregnancy was not going to survive. I am now to stop all the meds and let nature take its course. I have peace knowing that God is in total control of the situation but it does not make the pain any less. Please pray for us as we continue the journey.

I'm going to be a Mommy!

2008-04-03T13:32:00.003-05:00

Following up from my last post. We went to the Re on Wednesday and had some b/w (blood work) done and an u/s (ultrasound). Of course we could not see anything on the u/s. It is still way to early. I was only 4 weeks at that point. They said everything looked good and my beta hcg level was 95. (it was 58 the day before - it should double every 48 hours) They put me on heparin injections and progesterone. I have a mild clotting disorder that will never affect me but could cause small clots in the lining or placenta that would be very harmful to the baby. So Heparin injections 2 times a day in the belly. (My stomach is so bruised!!)

We had more blood work done on Friday (March 29th) and the beta level was 210. Everything seems good so far.

Our next appointment was on Tuesday, April 1st. We had another u/s. The tech thought we were farther along that I actually am so she was freaking out that she could not see anything. Once she realized that I was not that far yet (I was only 5 weeks and she thought I was 6 weeks) she said "oh, we are not really supposed to see anything yet." So, we had more b/w. The beta levels now were 892!!! It is really starting to sink in!!!

We pretty much told everyone after that appointment. We go back on Wednesday, April 9th. By then we should be able to see the baby and see how many there are!!

Can it be true??

2008-04-03T06:55:00.005-05:00

So finally after over 2 1/2 years of trying to have a baby we are finally pregnant again. It still does not seem real. This was a non-medicated cycle. I was getting ready to start the follistim shots next round. I had already called the Re (reproductive specialist) and asked for the meds to make me start since I was sure that since I was not on anything that I would not start on my own. I was still checking my temp every day. I was pretty sure that I did not even ovulate this month but the chart I was puttin my temps on said I did. I was really anxious to get started on the shots but I finally decided to wait until my chart said 14 days past my Ovulation date.

Day 14 arrives (Tuesday and Mom's birthday) and my temp, instead of dropping like it always has in the past on day 14, went up!!! I was very confused since I really thought I did not even ovulate. Well, there was only one way to find out, home pregnancy test.

I take the test and as I am finishing up I notice what appears to be a faint line. I can't really believe it. I am rubbing my eyes trying to focus to see if it is really there or I am just seeing things. At this point I need a second opinion. Jason was in the shower. I go to his bathroom and shove the stick in the shower and ask if he sees anything. He see the line too.

I am not getting too excited yet since I know it could be nothing. We call a friend that is a pathologist and ask if he can do a blood test to make sure. At 9:00 I go get the blood drwan and at 11:30 he calls and confims that we are pregnant!!!!

Here are the sticks that I took over the next few days. I already had them in the house and I really like seeing it turn positive. We called both the moms and told them but made swore them to secrecy.

We put in a call to the Re to let them know we were pregnant and to start me on the medicine needed to help me stay pregnant. We met with them on Wednesday for a consult and more blood work.

A little history

2008-03-11T15:43:00.003-05:00

So as a little background....we have been with an OB for a while and got referred to a RE (reproductive endocronologist) a few months ago after several months on clomid. I hated the new RE. We had 2 failed IUI's with him. Even his nurses got on my nerves. As a last resort and on the recommendation of a few other success stories I calles the ART fertility clinic in Birmingham. I got an appointment really quickly. I had a great first visit. They did more in the first 5 mins than the other RE did in 3 months!!!! I had such a good feeling when we left. I really felt/feel like this is an answered prayer. I just want to know that we are on the right path.
So now the game plan is to start injections in late March. I am really excited. One of the "side effects" of the injections however is multiples. I would LOVE to have twins but anything over that is really scary. I will take whatever God gives me. I know he is in control!!! Jason is scared we are going to have a litter! :) I hope that does not happen but whatever does happen will be for the Glory of God!!