Our new house!

This past week has been very busy in the world of real estate for us.  We got a contract on our current house with a closing date of January 25, 2013 and we went under contract on a new house!  We are a little nervous about the inspection going well on our current house.  The new buyers got a good deal on our house, we ended up settling a little below where we felt comfortable, so we verbally agreed it would be an "as-is" price unless there is something really dangerous with the inspection (they used radon as an example).  We are worried they might find something in the inspection that will make them want to walk away.  It could be that they see too much damage to the wood floors or something else that isn't dangerous, but enough of an expense for them to fix to cause them to walk away.  The inspection was scheduled for this past Wednesday, but we had a good snow storm that day, so it was rescheduled for Monday (Christmas Eve), which is the last day they can have it inspected before their inspection period ends.  So finger's crossed all goes well with that and then we can finally get excited about the new house!

The new house we bought is actually a dirt lot!  It is a Richmond American house, the Andrew floorplan, and we get to pick all of our finishes!  I have always dreamt of getting to build a house from scratch, but never thought it would be a possibility.  New houses get expensive very quickly.  Brian and I went on kind of a whim to look at some homes that they had already built that they were selling right now.  There was one that was built that would have served us just fine, but as we started looking, we realized this lot was available in a neighborhood closer to the tech center that they are building in.  We had heard they didn't do any 3 car garages in this neighborhood so we hadn't even looked there.  It turns out, not only is this a 3 car garage, it's a way bigger lot!  Plus the prices are are a little lower, for whatever reason, so we can afford to get a finished basement and still stay within our price range.  All in all I think it will be perfect for us!  When we were touring the lot there were a lot of neighbors outside.  Many homes on our new street just closed in November, so everyone is new.  Everyone on the block has young kids or babies and is similar age to me and Brian, so we are hopeful we will have some fun neighbors to hang out with!  We both grew up in neighborhoods like that and it has always been a dream of ours to have friendly neighbors, and our current neighborhood does not meet that goal.  The home to the left just had the basement dug out and the home to the right has the foundation poured, so all of us will probably move in within a month or two of each other, which will be fun.  Our plan will be to move in with mom and dad from end of January to whenever our house is completed.  They are VERY very generous to allow us and our two little Italian Greyhounds and Jacob to move in with them (Gracie will live with Brian's Uncle Mark).  Living with my parents will allow us to save a lot of money as well to help pay for rear yard landscaping, blinds, and a refrigerator and other miscellaneous things once we move in.  

In other news, this year will be Jacob's first Christmas!  Last weekend we met John, Sommer, Emma, and Landon at Park Meadows bright and early and waited in line to see Santa.  I thought Jacob would scream or be in a bad mood by the time we got up there, but I fed him a bottle in line and when we got up to see Santa, he actually behaved really well!  I have another picture of the three kids (Jacob, Emma, and Landon) that is so cute too, but I don't have it digitally, so this will have to do.  How freaking cute is my baby?!  Jacob has three teeth on the top of his mouth all breaking through at the same time, so he has been a little congested and fussy, but really not too bad considering what he's going through!  I was worried he was getting an ear infection, because I really don't know how you tell - the symptoms are very similar to teething - but this morning he was in better spirits, so here's hoping it is just teething!  His right front tooth and the two on either side of the middle front are coming in right now.  So he will have a total of FIVE teeth!  Foods we're eating now are bananas (love), sweet potato (love), peas (like), avocado (like), baby oatmeal (tolerates), and butternut squash (doesn't like).  We are going to do peaches this weekend.

6 Months Old!

6 months old!

Jacob is 6 months old!  We just got done with his 6 month appointment, and he is doing great!  His weight is 18 lbs 2 ounces, 60%, his height is 27.75 inches, 80%, and his head is 17.25 inches, 50%.  He is surpassing all milestones except for getting up on all fours in a crawling position.  Today we saw Dr. Lisa for his appointment.  She was very good and talked to Jacob in a baby voice.  He has really liked all of the doctors we have seen at this practice so far, they are great with kids (I guess that's why they're pediatricians!)  They have advised us to - gasp - turn off the video monitor so we don't hear every time he wakes up unless he really screams.  I am not quite ready for that, so maybe we'll just turn the volume down a little bit... :)  Jacob is still waking up twice a night and she said it is completely habitual right now, he doesn't need the nourishment.  I do love my bonding with him during the night, but I am also constantly tired.  We'll see.  She also advised it's time to ramp up the solids, so we will start giving him two meals a day and some little cheerios or puffs to get used to putting solid things into his own mouth. 


He loves putting his feet in his mouth!

Poor nugget has been cranky lately.  He has had an upset tummy, constantly pushing, and much more poopey diapers.  Today while getting him dressed after his appointment I noticed another tooth was just breaking through on top right, next to middle tooth.  The middle tooth on top right (I guess his top left) is really swollen, so we'll see, but that could be why he's been extra fussy lately.  I have gone down to nursing just morning and night now.  We have had so many changes at work, it has been very busy and I was having a hard time squeezing pumping into my busy day.  My original goal was to nurse for 3 months, then 6 months, so I made it 50% to 6 months and now I'll see if I can go another month or so doing morning and night, which the doctor said gives him all the great nutrients and benefits of nursing full time. 



5 months old!

I never posted his 5 month picture, so I will attach that as well as other pictures from the last month as well.  I think from 5 to 6 months he's actually slimmed down a bit, probably from being so active!



Sitting in the Bumbo
at Grandma's house

In other news, our house is on the market!  We listed it for sale on November 21, so about two weeks ago.  We have had a lot of showings, but still waiting on an offer.  Needless to say it has been a very stressful two weeks keeping a house spotless with a baby and 3 dogs (and making it look like a baby and 3 dogs don't live there!)  Hopefully my next post will have good news on that front.

All mommy wants for
Christmas is a Silent Night!

 

Here is the first Christmas onesie picture.  We hope to go with John and Sommer to take the kids to see Santa at some point this month for the photo-op!  I took this picture at the crack of dawn this weekend when I was up with him exhausted.  That smile makes it all worth while though :) 

Cold & Flu season has arrived

The season's first yucky bug is making its way through the Mendelsberg casa right now.  Thursday night I got sick with a terrible case of stomach flu / food poisoning that kept me in bed all day Friday.  I tried to stay away from baby J which left the burden on Brian to take care of him.  I am still feeling under the weather 4 days later with nausea, headache, weakness, and exhaustion.  Brian woke up with a sore throat and headache.  Jacob woke up with snot yesterday and had several messy diapers, so I think everyone is under the weather but apparently all beating to our own virus!  Let's hope we all get well and don't pass our respective viruses onto each other. 

You sure do realize how hard it would be to be a single parent in times when you are so helpless.  Thursday night and Friday I could not have taken care of Jacob if I had to.  I would have had to have help.  Even Brian being healthy can only handle so much of being a sole provider and taking care of the house while I was sick.  We're lucky to have a pretty good routine down and we're lucky to have each other, and especially little baby J :)

Jacob is growing like a weed (what's new!)  He hasn't been weighed since his appointment, but he is outgrowing many of his 3-6 month outfits (at 4.5 months old).  He is getting stronger every day.  He is starting to sit up on his own very briefly and he'll even pull himself up to a seated position if he can grab your arm or a pillow to help pull himself up.  He's really reaching for things now too.  In his jumperoo he will reach for the toys around the jumperoo now and his feet can just about reach the floor!  When I was so sick all weekend I took a few baths for my achy body and we would put Jacob in too (might as well bathe him while we're at it).  He loved it, like a big pool for him, but warm!  He laid on his back and just kicked and kicked and smiled and had the best time.  He doesn't even get too mad when you take him out, he's just very content around the water all together!

We have started solids!  We started last week with some baby oatmeal and did it a few times, but Jacob would cry and not swallow any of it, so we took a few days rest.  We got him a new highchair a few days later, and put him in it yesterday.  He was content to sit in it and play with his toys for quite awhile (in baby language quite awhile is 30-45 minutes).  We fed him some baby oatmeal in the chair and he's actually starting to swallow some of it.  We may try avocado in the next day or two to see if he likes that any better than the oatmeal. 

Jacob's first taste of oatmeal last week, not such a fan yet!

4 months old!

On the 1st of this month, Jacob had his 4 month birthday.  Time is going so fast! 

A few days ago, he had his 4 month check-up at the doctor.  He is passing everything with flying colors.  He was in a great mood for Dr. Emily smiling and kicking his legs.  He weighs a whopping 16 pounds already!  His weight is 75%.  His height is 90% and his head is 50%.  So we have a big boy on our hands!  He got 3 injections and an oral vaccine, so my sweet boy was cranky and slightly feverish for 24 hours afterwards.  Glad to have that behind us. 

He is already rolling over from his back to his stomach!!!  This makes me very nervous as the second I put him to bed at night he arches his back and promptly flips over onto his belly to sleep.  The first few night I would go in and flip him back over, but he always flipped back over again.  It was a losing battle.  Most mama's would be so proud their baby was meeting a milestone so ahead of the curve ball, but it made me very nervous.  I have been worried about SIDS since before he was born, and SIDS risk doesn't decrease significantly until 6 months of age.  I always assumed that's about the time he would start rolling over, not at 3.5 months!  The pediatrician said as long as he's doing it on his own, he should be okay.  I am so glad we have our breathing monitor on his bed even more now.  It helps me get at least a little sleep at night, although I still wake up frequently to check the video monitor.  The video monitor and the breathing monitor are my two favorite things we have for him, they definitely give me peace with things! 

We definitely have a mobile boy now.  Last week I put him on the couch like I have always done and turned my back to load up my pump for work.  Next thing I hear THUNK followed by screams.  When I turned around he had rolled off the couch and was face down on the hardwood floors!  I felt like a terrible mommy.  I hadn't even walked away, just turned by back for a minute!  Thankfully our couch is pretty low to the ground and he was okay and calmed down after a few minutes of holding him.  We have learned our lesson.  He is either strapped in his nap nanny, swing, or if I'm right there, on the couch with pillows blocking him, but even that is not very safe anymore!  I am anxious for him to start sitting up so I can put him on the floor on a blanket or something as another option. 

 
Jacob loves grabbing his feet right now.  You can see in his 4 month picture he is grabbing it.  He is starting to really stare at his toys and put them into his mouth.  He's less into his pacifier now and more into toys in his mouth or his hands. 

He also loves his doggies.  He will follow them with his head around the room and he giggles when they come lick him.  He is also very much a daddy's boy right now.  Brian is home with Jacob 3 days a week when I'm at work, so they spend a lot of 1:1 time together.  Here is the most adorable picture I took of my two favorite boys last night.

Baby Jacob is 3 months old!

Time flies with baby Jacob in our lives.  Last Saturday was his 3 month birthday and it's amazing how much he's changed in 3 months.  Here are his birthday pictures from his first 3 months. 

Wow, every month he has changed so much!

Here are a few other recent pics that I love of him.

 

Current things Jacob likes doing is smiling and laughing, trying to roll over, sucking on his paci, being held, taking showers with Daddy, eating (drinking bottles, 4-6 oz), swinging in his swing, and going on car rides.  He has not been a great sleeper but the past 3 nights he has just gotten up once which has been like Christmas morning!  We are crossing our fingers this trend will continue. He has been sleeping in his own room in his crib for the past week and a half.  Before that he was in the cradle or pack and play in our bedroom.  It was a hard move for me, but we have enough videos and other devices monitoring him that I feel a little better :)  We are so in love with our little nugget we can hardly take it!

Baby is here!

One week ago today, my baby boy came into this world.  Jacob Sam was born on 6/1/12 at 10:38pm weighing 7 pounds and 20.5 inches long.  He is perfect, but he did not come into this world easily!

Thursday 5/31, I checked into the hospital at 6pm.  They started my IV (it took three tries, for some reason my normally fabulous veins kept "blowing out" and it did NOT feel good).  I ordered dinner and they put in the vaginal suppository to help start dilation.  I should have been a little crampy overnight as I began to dilate but pretty much right away I started getting contractions 3 minutes apart.  At first they didn't hurt at all, just like the braxton hicks, but by 10pm they started getting more intense.  They had given me an Ambien to help me sleep and that didn't help at all, the contractions were too hard.  They were unable to start an epidural on me until 5am the next day because I had just taken my last Heparin shot, so from 10pm to 5am I was in QUITE a bit of discomfort.  I called my mom to come over for my epidural and my parents arrived about 4:30am.  The nurses thought due to how quickly I was progressing, it should be a pretty quick delivery, that was great news!  The epidural was a little uncomfortable and weird having something put into your spine, but compared to my 3 blown out IV's, it was nothing!  I was pretty comfortable for several hours waiting to finish dilating, but started having too much sensation in my left leg and a really specific pain in my left hip/thigh that was very hard to explain.  Meanwhile my right leg was completely numb, I couldn't wiggle my toes or anything.  They sent in the anesthesiologist who tried to pull out the epidural a little bit in hopes of fixing the pain.  That did not work, so they ended up having to redo the epidural.  I was very upset because epidurals scare me and having to go through that once was bad enough.  But given how bad my pain was everyone talked me into redoing it.  It ended up being a great decision and I was much more comfortable.  Just at the very end of labor did I start having that left hip pain again, but it was more bearable that the first time.  Plus I got movement back in my legs.  So now it was about 6pm and I was dilated to 9cm but my body stalled out.  My OB said that it was taking too long for that last cm and she recommended a c-section.  I started crying and was trying to get on board.  After 24 hours in labor I didn't want to have to "give up".  She agreed to let me push for a few times to see if we could get the baby's head to stretch out the last cm and on my LAST try we did it!  She told me she wouldn't let me push more than 2 hours, well I ended up pushing for over 3 hours.  They thought they might need to vacuum him out because he was getting stuck on my tailbone but once they gave me more drugs in my epidural I was intent on getting out the baby on my own.  Finally he arrived at 10:38pm.  When I looked up after he was born and saw the clock I was shocked how late it was - even though it felt like it had taken forever, I was surprised it had been so long.  But Jacob was here!

When Jacob came out they let me grab him the rest of the way out and hold him on my stomach.  His cord was wrapped twice around his neck, but once they got that off and rubbed him a bit he pinked up.  He did not cry though!  I was so worried because they say they want to hear them cry right away so I kept asking if he was okay.  As a result he did not do great on his APGAR scores, he got a 6 and an 8.  The nurses gave him his vitamin K and Hep B shot and he STILL didn't cry!  Finally when they gave him his bath he started crying, it was good to hear that little squawk!  

I was surprised that all of the family had waited around the whole labor, most of them had been there all day expecting the baby to come earlier in the day.  Brian, Ali, mom, and Brian's mom were in the delivery room with me, and we ended up needing everyone's help with how long the labor went on.  Everyone came in and said a quick hello to me and baby and then headed out.  At this point it was 27 hours of labor and me and Brian were exhausted!

We stayed in the hospital for a few days and came home on Sunday.  While in the hospital, we took part in a Code Pink drill.  Since Brian works in the ER, he knows all of the security guards and once they found out we were having a baby there, they asked us if we would be willing to participate in this drill, where we pretend our baby has been kidnapped to see how the floor responds.  I was not too thrilled about it, but they used a doll to represent Jacob and took Jacob into a room with a nurse, so he was very safe.  The bad part was after the drill, we were infamous.  All the nurses and lactation specialists all knew it was us and gave us some teasing about it because we gave them hell for awhile :) 

We were sent home with Bilirubin lights for Jacob as he had developed Jaundice.  Our first two days home with him were a blur of exhaustion that I had never felt before.  Even now, my days and nights all run together and are broken up by his feedings every two to three hours, but I'm getting more used to the sleep deprivation. 

The other great news is last Wednesday 6/6, my nephew Landon was born at the same hospital (Sky Ridge).  So these two little cousins will be 5 days apart in age and they are both boys, so hopefully they will get along well and be best friends.  I never had any cousins close in age to me or that lived in town even, so that will be neat.  The other cousins that live in town: Owen, Kate, and Emma are also all very excited about the new babies, so it will be fun for them all to be in town together.

There is so much more to post, but I will leave it here for now and try to be better keeping up in here now that I am on leave with all my time to focus on this new baby in our lives.  More to come!

T minus 2 weeks!

Two weeks from tonight I will check into Sky Ridge to begin my induction of baby boy Mendelsberg.  At my last ultrasound appointment at Obstetrix baby had only gained like 4 ounces in two weeks and he should have gained at least a pound during that time.  This indicates that the marginal insertion for the cord placement may be starting to affect baby.  I also lost more weight, argh.  So, the doctors said that after 39 weeks there is no more development that occurs and he will do better in the outside world, so we should schedule induction for 39 weeks.  This will also allow them to wean me off of the Heparin which will allow for a safer delivery (and allow me to get an epidural!!) too.  After working with my primary OB's schedule, she said I will check in May 31st at 6pm and have baby boy the next day, June 1!  We were a little hesitant because that is Shayna's birthday (Brian's sister), but my doctor goes on vacation the beginning of the following week, so that is really the only day that will work. 

It is crazy how close it feels!  This weekend is our last weekend to get things done before baby arrives since Brian works all of Memorial Day weekend, so we have a packed schedule trying to see friends, hair appointments, get last minute stuff for baby, etc. 

I am really trying to enjoy these last weeks of being pregnant because I guarantee I will miss it someday, but I am so uncomfortable and even though baby coming feels real, it still doesn't feel like it will happen.  I am part of an IVF support group online and we often talk about those of us who get pregnant have PTSD from the process and it makes it hard to trust that we might actually get a real live baby at the end of this.  One girl who has her twins home safely with her now still says she doesn't feel like she will get to keep them.  It certainly makes us very appreciative mothers, but it is sad that the stress from infertility may continue to haunt me for awhile. 

I keep having dreams every night of delivering him and getting to meet him.  Last night in my dream his head came out, the rest of his body was still inside me, but he saw me and smiled and giggled.  Obviously a newborn cannot do that, but it was a great feeling to see my baby and that immediate love I felt. 

I will continue weekly appointments up until I deliver at my OB and they are going to do another ultrasound to check growth in a week or so.  It is just so weird to me that I keep losing weight and my uterus is measuring behind now, which they said could be that he's just settling into my pelvis so the measurement isn't as accurate, but as I stated above, I'm a little on edge about feeling like he's okay, so any time they suggest I can get another ultrasound I am all over it.  Only thing that keeps me sane is that his movements are still very frequent and there is a calming effect to knowing that they say an active baby is a happy baby.  With how much he's pressing on my bladder sometimes I stand up and half expect my water to burst because there is such a full feeling down there!  I will try to post an update before he's delivered with final thoughts.

33w6d

For the first time on this journey, I feel like I can see the finish line in the distance! 

I had my 34 week checkup yesterday afternoon.  Mom and Brian's mom came along since they were doing an ultrasound as well.  Everything looked great except that I've lost 4 pounds.  That made me really concerned for the baby because you should not be losing weight at this stage of the pregnancy.  The doctor herself rechecked my weight and indeed I have lost weight.  I am back to my 28 week weight and have only gained a total of 13 pounds now.  While I was at my OB they measured my uterus which was measuring on track and baby's heartbeat was 125, so he was doing well.  I was still nervous so was really happy to be going across the hall to my high risk doctor for an ultrasound.  The nurse doing the scan said "well this baby has no idea you've lost weight!"  He is 5.5 pounds already and seemed as happy as a clam in there.  It was really reassuring.  I do find myself getting more paranoid now that the end seems to near, like anything could just snatch this dream away from me at any time.  When she started the scan she was looking at the baby's head and I thought it was the torso - of course there was no heart beating since it was his head and I almost had a panic attack!  Thankfully all was well and baby is measuring a little bit ahead.  Gosh, at this rate already having a 5.5 pound baby I could deliver a 12 pound baby!!

Due to the weight loss, they are going to do another ultrasound in two weeks at my high risk doctor just to double check, even though baby seems fabulous right now.  They will also switch me from Lovenox to Heparin at that time.  The new news from yesterday is that while my regular OB originally said I could go naturally into labor and wait until the Monday following my due date for an induction (I'm due on a Thursday), the high risk doc yesterday said they want me induced between 39-40 weeks not to exceed my due date due to the heparin.  So it's looking like I will be induced the week of my due date (I don't want to go too early so trying to push it close to my due date).  My nephew is being delivered on the 6th, the day before, so in order to TRY to let those boys have their own birthdays I will probably do Tuesday for the induction (going in on Monday night) since Mondays in the hospital are insane, that is really the only day that will work.  Of course I still have to clear it with my primary OB's schedule, and we'll work with her, but that is what we're thinking would be best at this time.  Here's hoping if I do get induced that I have a better deliver than my sister's 36 hour induction with Owen!!

I had my baby shower on Saturday last weekend and it was SO great.  I have of course been dreaming of having a baby shower for my whole life, and even more so since we started trying to have a baby.  It was really great and I had a blast.  Baby boy got spoiled rotton, lots of really generous gifts.  Some mentionables are his stroller/carseat, pack and play, jumperoo, play gym, bouncer, boppy, cute clothes, and so much more.  Brian's family is very handy, and we got a homemade quilt for the bab and a fleece blanket, both from Barb, a crocheted hat from Brian's Grandma Juanita, and a knitted sweater from Brian's Nana Beverly.  This is going to be one loved baby.  We had about 28 people there and a lovely brunch was served.  Both sides of the family pitched in and it was really lovely. 

Brian got the nursery painted this weekend, an aqua/sky blue with navy blue curtains.  He is steam cleaning the carpets today, and then we will pick up all the furniture in a few weeks.  That will feel so good to get it all set up and ready for baby.  Heck since baby's already measuring at 5.5 pounds they said he could come at anytime and be healthy, which is the best thing to hear :)

28w1d

Wow, I have been a BAD blog poster the past 8 weeks!  Holy cow.  I am happy to say that I have entered the third trimester of this pregnancy and it feels so great to be at this point.  I am getting so excited to meet my baby boy, and even though there is 12 weeks left, it at least feels attainable now.  It has been a LONG 7 months!

I went in yesterday for my big 28 week appointment.  I started with my gestational diabetes (GD) test where I had to drink many ounces of a very very sweet drink.  I chose orange flavor and I regretted that decision.  I had to do a similar test before IVF and I chose lemon-lime that time and at least looking back at it, it seemed more bearable.  So I chugged that down and then had to wait an hour making sure not to have anything to eat or drink.  During that hour I went next door to Obstetrix for my 28 week ultrasound growth check of baby.

I love, love, love seeing my baby on ultrasounds.  He is so darn cute!  He has gotten so much bigger since our last ultrasound, really filled out.  His cheeks were like chubby racoon cheeks!  They were trying to take a 3D picture of his face and he was squishing his face up against my uterus so his nose was all squished, so funny.  The rest of the time he had his arms and hands up covering his face, he already hates his picture being taken :) 

His growth is great, right on track.  His head is measuring a week and a half ahead, which means again, big head!  As the nurse said to me, "that's why you get an epidural"...gee, thanks!  Another growth scan in 6 weeks at 34 weeks and then if he's still on track that will be my last ultrasound.

After the ultrasound I went back over to my primary doc and got my blood drawn for the GD test (I passed, woohoo!) and had my rhogam shot.  The shot is since I have O- blood and Brian is A+ since I am negative I have to get that shot to give me antibodies in case the baby has positive blood like Brian.  Once the baby is born they will check his blood and I will get a second shot at that time if he indeed has positive blood.  Apparently it used to be super dangerous, but now that they know about it it's not a big deal.  They checked my weight - at this point I have only gained 11 pounds (may be off by a pound or two since I had to fast for the GD test) which is incredible because with how much I've been eating even if I wasn't pregnant I probably would have gained 10-15 pounds!!  I will enjoy it while it lasts because my nights of eating vanilla ice cream with crunchy peanut butter will soon come to an end!

I am really trying to enjoy each phase of this pregnancy, but I am so darn anxious to meet him it's hard to not just wish it was June already!  This may be the only time I get to be pregnant, so I need to slow down and enjoy this process.  My sister along with Brian's sisters are planning a baby shower for me on April 21st, so that will be fun to see my friends and get some fun stuff for baby.  We need to get his nursery painted and start getting ready.  My nurse yesterday was asking me if the nursery is all ready and I'm like "umm, haven't even started!"  Whoops.  There is still a long time left, but it would be nice to at least get it painted and get the carpets cleaned before I get too big and helpless. 

I start going to my doctor every two weeks now, so back for a quick check-up at the end of March.  Meanwhile baby is kicking me up a storm while I type this, I think he knows I'm talking about him :)

20w6d

I'm over halfway to the finish line to meet my baby!  Woohoo!  It has been a LONG first half, I am certainly hoping the second half of the pregnancy goes a little faster :)

Yesterday was my 20 week ultrasound check.  Brian and I went with both of our mothers, so there was a full house there.  Baby looked great, and drumroll....it's a boy!!  Everyone except Brian was so certain it was going to be a girl, so there was a lot of surprise for sure.  I think the only reason Brian thought it was a boy was because the embryologist on the day of my transfer kept calling it a "he" and mom said "well it could be a girl" and he said "whatever you want to believe", so Brian is certain that somehow he knew.  Well, logically we know there's no way he knew.  We didn't do the CCS testing and they can't do that without your knowledge because there is a slight risk of arresting the embryo, so unless he can tell by looks, which we know is not the case, he was just generically calling it a "he".  Regardless, a boy we shall have.  I spent a good part of yesterday wrapping my head around having a boy.  It seems so stupid, all I want is a healthy baby, I know that.  But if I can be honest here, there was something inside of me that wanted a girl because I know how close I am with my mom and I really want to have that relationship with my own daughter someday.  Since IVF was so expensive and risky, and of course no guarantee, there is a strong possibility this will be an only child for us.  So for awhile I had to come to terms that I may never have that.  So now my new goal is to have a really sweet boy who loves his mommy a ton, can be affectionate, and won't go off and move away out of state and never call when he gets older :) 

They checked the heart really well yesterday partly because of Kate's TOF and partly because there is a higher risk of heart defects with IVF.  We could see the four chambers pumping away and the artery was where it was supposed to be, so they can pretty much rule out TOF, but there is of course the chance there could be another small defect we can't see, BUT still a relief to have everything check out thus far.  Brain looked good, no spina bifida and no cleft palet.  Face was adorable.  They turned on 3D for a little bit of his face and it was so precious, I just can't wait to hold him.  He has long skinny feet, long legs, and of course his boy parts were all there and in tact.  The placenta has moved off of my cervix, so it's not previa anymore which is great news.  The only possible concern is that the attachment of the umbilical cord to the placenta is slightly off center, they call it "marginal placement", so I could be at a slightly higher risk of placental abruption, which is very serious, so I will pray that is not the case.  The cord itself looked good though, it was 3 stemmed or whatever it's called, so baby can get nutrients and bloodflow nicely. 

Next step is another growth check in 8 weeks.  Baby yesterday was 75th percentile for his head, so they're not too concerned but with the lovenox they want to keep checking that.  I have only gained 6 pounds so far, but apparently baby is getting what he needs, so that is great.  Never in my life did I think I'd have trouble gaining weight :)  I am up to taking two lovenox shots every other day and one lovenox shot every other day, so my dose is slowly increasing and I will have my levels rechecked on Thursday.  That shot sure the heck hurts!  Also as I'm getting a little bigger it's harder to find a place that's fatty enough to stick the needle, and I'm hardly showing, so I can only imagine when I really get big, yikes!  One day at a time I guess. 

So thankful and blessed that baby is doing well, and I am so thankful for all of you who continue to pray for baby boy Mendelsberg.  I feel very blessed and just CANNOT wait to meet him and hold him in my arms.  Here's hoping the next 19 weeks goes quickly :)