Timeline of Baby Craziness

August 7th: Decide at the last moment not to skip our last fertility treatment cycle with Reproductive Science Center in San Ramon, CA.  We thought we'd take a break as we moved and got settled in Los Angeles . . but, no.

August 29th/30th: Two POSITIVE home pregnancy tests!

August 31st: I have my first blood draw to test for hCG.  The doctor calls with the results during Sacrament meeting, during our talks!  Run out and listen to voicemail right away.  HCG level is 226, a great-looking start.

September 2nd: I have my second blood draw.  My hCG has more than doubled to 592 and my Progesterone is at 25, looking great.

September 3rd: We leave Walnut Creek.

September 5th: We arrive in Los Angeles.

September 8th: I call UCLA Health and make first appointment with a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor for 6 weeks.  That's when our fertility clinic would have seen us.  Also begin having major fatigue.

September 9th: I am having cramps and panic because of previous ectopic pregnancy.  Call the doctor and she has us come in right away - the pregnancy is in the uterus!  We go to the beach.

September 11th: I begin vomiting . . bad.  Only 5 weeks 4 days pregnant.  Doctor thinks I might have a bug because it's so bad, so early.  It's not a bug.  First trip to Urgent Care for IV fluid hydration and Zofran.  Zofran is prescribed.  I begin feeling miserable.

September 13th: Ben's triathlon where he wins and I am not present.  Totally, totally sad.

September 15th: First "official" OB appointment.  I am 6 weeks.  I see the baby and hear the baby's heart beat!  Everything looks fine.  I still feel miserable.

Also Ben's first day of orientation.

September 19th: I barf in the sink and then go to a job interview.  I get the job and am supposed to start the following Tuesday.

September 22nd: I can't keep down water.  I vomit bile and blood.  Call the doctor, she has me come in.  Ketones are off the chart and she sends me to the hospital to be admitted through the ER because they don't have a bed for me on the OB floor.  Doctor says its Hyperemesis Gravidarum.  (See helpher.org)  Only 0.5-2.0% of women get it.  It's what Princess Kate has.

September 23rd: I don't start job.  I am released from the hospital that night.  Current medication list: Zofran, Vitamin B6, Reglan, Benadryl, Prenatals, Fish Oil.

September 25th, 1:30 am: We are back in the ER.  One of the medicines I am on, Reglan, can have crrrazy side effects.  They give me a Benadryll shot and take me off Reglan.

September 27th (?): Urgent care for IV fluid hydration.  Things are not going super great.  Add Phenergan to medication list.

October 1st: Urgent care for IV fluid hydration.  I eat 2 scrambled eggs and 2 pieces of bacon and keep them down!!!  Doctor and I arrange for home health care through Alere.  Old insurance expires, new insurance begins.  Total hassle. Insurance has to pre-approve Alere.

October 2nd: I go to hospital to have IV placed in my arm.  Ben is in school, so a girl I don't know from the ward takes me and holds my hand.

October 4th: Alere nurse comes to get me set up.  For the next week I give myself a liter of IV fluids each day through my IV.  I am also connected to a Zofran pump.

Me, my IV fluids, and my Zofran pump.

My handy-dandy Zofran pump.

Zofran infusion site.  I change it (well, Ben or Mom pokes me) every other day.

October 6th: Bad day.  Call Mom crying.  Decide to go home to Merced for a while.

October 9th: 9 week appointment, baby and heart beat look great.

Picture actually from 8 week ultrasound.

October 10th - October 25th: Merced and Mom taking care of me - what a blessing!!

October 26th: I attend church for the first time in 2 months!  I get to meet all the ward members who have been bringing us meals, care packages, baked goods, etc.  Wonderful ward.

October 27th: Twelve week appointment.  Nuchal Translucency scan = awesome ultrasound.  Ben is there.  Baby jumps!  Baby looks like a human!  We see arms, legs, brain, stomach, heart, head, nose, . . and what is most likely a PENIS!  Our eyes are teary and we are elated!  Baby looks great and is measuring 12 weeks 4 days at only 12 weeks 1 day!  Cloud 9!  So humbled, so grateful.  Can't believe it.  PURE. HAPPINESS.

October 30th: I've had a rough couple of days and have lost 3 more pounds, making my percentage of body weight lost now 11%.  :(  Just taking it one day at a time, trying to stay hydrated and trying to eat.

October 31st: We announce we're pregnant!  I just want to shout it to the world!

Notice the bow tie!

Malibu Triathlon . . . 1st Place!

This blog is way, way, wayyy behind and there is MUCH for ya'll to be updated on, but let's start here.  This happened a week after we moved to Los Angeles . . a month and a half ago!

The weekend before UCLA Anderson orientation began, Ben competed in the Malibu Nautica Triathlon, Olympic distance. . . and he WON his division!!  That's a 0.93 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run.

Typically Ben races against those in his age group, but let's be honest, most triathletes are smaller skinny mini's . . and Ben is my tall, burly man! So it's not always the most fair fight.  This race had a division called "Thunder Thighs" and while I am against those words almost completely, this time it meant male racers between 185 and 199 pounds.  So, he competed in the Thunder Thigh division and totally dominated with a total time of 2 hours, 5 minutes, 34 seconds.  Woo!  (The picture says 3 hours, but the Thunder Thigh division started an hour after the first wave.)

Unfortunately I was not able to be there to ring my cowbell and take one million pictures, but the triathlon took all of these pictures for free!  Thank you, thank you!

Now we just need to display that GOLD MEDAL!  :)