Gratitude

I've got a funny story :) Oct 18th I found an old pregnancy test left over from when we were trying to get pregnant with Lily. It was going to expire "Oct 2009". *Of course* I couldn't just throw it away - sheesh, what a waste - so I decided, at 7 at night, to pee on the test before I threw it away. Imagine my surprise when IMMEDIATELY two lines appeared. I yelled for Mike "Do you think I should wait the full 3 minutes before I start to panic?" He said yes. So we waited. To find out what I had already begun to suspect. See, when I'm pregnant, joy of joys, I sprout facial hair. Not a lot, but enough to cause me some concern. I had even told Mike days before, "I'd better be pregnant if I'm having to pluck my chin". Lucky for us both, we ARE pregnant! Before you get all "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" on me, let me explain - I've been nursing Lily all along and haven't gotten my first period since before her birth. So not my fault for not knowing! I called Dr. Sironi's office and set up an appointment to come in and do a blood test to kind of estimate when we should come in for our first ultrasound. They said we should probably wait until the middle of November to make sure we were far enough along. That Thursday (the 22nd) after playing a few hours of volleyball with friends, I started bleeding. That really scared me. I called Dr. Sironi's nurse (I love Jenny!) and she calmed me down, told me to take it easy, and reminded me that if I wasn't cramping, it probably wasn't a miscarriage. Well, the bleeding didn't stop for two weeks, so I called to bump up our ultrasound - just to make sure everything was ok. We went in on Nov 5th and found out that we are 8 weeks along (YAY!), the baby's heartbeat is great, and that the reason I'm bleeding is called a venous lake. It's like a varicose vein, but mine happens to be in my uterus. Dr. Sironi thinks the baby implanted on the venous lake and that is what is bleeding. It seems like it will bleed until the placenta completely covers the vein, but that it's not harmful to the baby. The plus side is I haven't been nauseated! With Lily, being morning sick until my 3rd trimester, nausea was commonplace. I'm really thrilled that I haven't been as sick with this baby (yet!).

I've been doing a lot of sewing that I can't post yet - Christmas presents - but I'm so happy that I've gotten better at creating things without a pattern. Mike let me buy a serger secondhand and that is really exciting too ... if I can just get the tensions set correctly :-P

Lily has been a sweet bug the past 2 months, so cuddly and happy. I am so blessed to have gotten her as my first baby. Heaven knows if I'd gotten a difficult baby first, it would probably be our last!

I'm so thankful that Mike has worked hard to get through school. He graduates in 4 weeks. He's interviewed with dozens of companies, has had five great second interviews, and has already gotten two job offers. I am so proud of him and the hard work and long hours that he's put in. I know our family will be blessed because of his decisions.

I'm thankful that we are pregnant - and I keep reminding myself that as I get a little nauseous or tired. I am so looking forward to meeting this little one in June.