The "back" story

IF you didn't get to see my first post I just want to begin by saying that I've always loved reading my friend's blogs and I work on our blogs/websites for work so I thought why not use this amazing tool to document our story as parents to be and keep these moments for a lifetime! Thanks for reading I hope you enjoy hearing bits of our Meitler Minutes that happen each day!

This is our story and I begin by saying that I am SO thankful for all of our blessings!
I guess to play a bit of catch up...Jared and I recently celebrated our 2.5 year anniversary as husband and wife! Kids have always been a topic of conversation in our lives since we started dating, I blame this on my background and career in Early Childhood and Jared's love of children from small teeny tiny ones to even college aged "kids" we both are people-people and knew we wanted to start a family quickly after becoming engaged and married. Who knew that our life journey would have many ups and downs in just the first few years together. We both are very career driven and wanted to start/finish graduate school and begin our "real" jobs before bringing beautiful babies into this world. Guess it is just our sense of pride in accomplishments that helped drive us to accomplishing this task and working so hard towards our goals. I always say that somehow we have found a balance in each other and our commitments to other people in this world that has worked so wonderfully. Ok so back to the baby story...I have in the past had some issues (no details necessary) with my female parts so after trying to "let it happen" because that is what everyone or at least we thought worked for all couples wanting to create families for about 2 years. I called my wonderful OB and asked to discuss the issues we were having...this of course is something at the age of 26 that I didn't really want to deal with or think about, but Jared and I both knew that something needed to be done.

Come to find out after blood tests....and ultrasounds...and more blood tests that "something" was PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome. Read more here: http://pcosfoundation.org/about-pcos if you are so inclined :) I found out that this is actually very common and I know personally 5 women who also have or were diagnosed with PCOS and have gone on to have their very own beautiful, healthy, wonderful children. I was unaware of the symptoms, the causes, and all that came along with PCOS, how it affects the female body and reproduction. This was the reason for not having regular cycles...So I read and read and read and read and most likely was even more stressed and confused when we arrived for our first appointment with Dr. Welch to discuss INFERTILITY treatments. This is the scariest word for a young couple who have dreamed of having a family together. Though Jared and I had discussed many options before hand we knew that if conception for us wasn't going to work we WOULD adopt. So Dr. Welch threw out many words and options and we decided together that we would start with cycles of Clomid and to jump start my cycles prometrium. Read more here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000752/ She very honestly told us the pathway and that 80% of couples who begin cycles of clomid conceive within the first 6 "cycles" mind you this can take up to a year. This was encouraging for us so we started the very next day! This was in July, 2011. Many days of waiting later I could start the 5 day cycle of clomid...I did just that and of course took the pill at the EXACT same time each day. Many prayers were involved and sent up during this time that it would work and we would be able to experience gods greatest gift. So we I went back to the Dr. for more blood work and yes another ultrasound. Ultrasound looked promising there was actually an egg ready to be released?!?! what you'll never guess the excitement and crazy things I said to the ultrasound tech :) she of course said something I'll never forget "you know what to do...or at least I hope you do" (hahaha). So we went to work (again no details necessary) somewhere around 8/12/11 the magic happened (haha). I was set to have more bloodwork done in a a few weeks and then again in a month before beginning our next cycle of clomid. The two week apt was bloodwork that check my progesterone levels which should have been somewhere in the 18-20 range if I had indeed ovulated and mine were a 3.5...yes a 3.5....Dr. Welch's nurse called and said, "it doesn't look promising" (this was a rough day) so we waited the two more weeks and then had the month apt to get started on another cycle of clomid.

So 9/16/11 we woke up...it was a Friday which is one of Jared's days off and I was off for the Dr. Apt that day. I walked into the bathroom and just on a whim took a pregnancy test...as you can guess I had taken MANY of these in the past 2 years so I knew what to do. (By the way I was 100% sure that it was going to be negative as we had only just finished our first cycle of clomid and most women I've talked to have gone through MANY cycles before conceiving successfully, and my progesterone levels were so very low). I always just left them sit on the sink and went to do other things. This time was so funny...Jared was still sleeping so I got dressed went back into our bathroom and looked down....the faintest second line appeared. This was even shocking to me who-was so used to praying for a second line to appear that often times Jared had to come in and look because I would believe there was a line. THIS TIME THERE WAS A LINE....see picture below...I know hard to believe that the faint little second line was right!!! So I said..."um...Jared...you should get up and come look at this"

 The loving amazing and supportive husband he is got out of bed...came into the bathroom and said "well huh...that's different" hahahaha I can still hear it today! I just started laughing and saying it can't be right? Jared being the level headed person in our relationship said "Well we'll find out soon enough!" So we headed to the Dr's office. First things first...more bloodwork....to test if I was indeed pregnant before starting another round of prometrium and clomid. The nurse looked out the window in the lab...called my name and I walked up to see her. She said "you are pregnant" I of course began laughing as I do when I'm overcome with many emotions and looked back at Jared who of course though acting as if he was reading a magazine heard every word she said clear as day. I was already 5 weeks along. Thus begins our journey to becoming a mommy and daddy to the greatest gift! We know that this gift is partially due to our guardian angel Jared's loving mom, Sundra who is keeping us in his good grace and watching over us and baby M since last April.

Here beings the weekly count-up to MAY 18, 2012
I was started on some extra meds to keep my progesterone levels up which made my first 14 weeks the roughest part of the experience so far! I will never forget the day Jared said "I'm so glad you can finally eat again" after NOT having an appetite and feeling a car sick nauseous all day long for about 9 of the first 14 weeks.

Week 5: find out that we are getting an amaizing gift
Size:  same as a poppy seed! See here for each week:  http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=21&scid=mbtw_preg23%3A1337

Week 11: hear the heart beat for the First time and remember saying "It's real :)"-174
Week 12: baby's first flight (went to FL for our NAEYC conference)
Week 13: Got the flu....only the second time in my life and honestly the worst... AND...are those butterflies in my stomach or fish running into the side of a fish bowl?!

Week 16:Dr apt: Heart Rate:  151 still anticipating 4 more weeks of waiting to find out if it's a boy or girl............
Fun Fact: the baby responds to Jared's voice when he talks to my belly :)

Week 20: December 30th, 2011- ultrasound IT'S A BOY :)
Measured: 20 cm
Heart Rate: 142 
Fun Fact: Best Jared quotes "The pressure's off" and "I willed it to be a boy...I wore a blue shirt and I didn't shave..."
Size: Banana-Length: about 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom, and 10 inches from head to heel.

Week 24:
Had our 24 week apt on Friday :) I'm definitely growing;
Measuring: 25 cm which according to Dr. Welch  is "just fine"
Heart beat: 145
Size: equal to the length of an ear of corn (might be why I feel as though I'm constantly stretching in the mid region) 11-12 inches and about a pound and a half (that's plus 4oz from last week)
Fun Fact: This week Jared got to feel him move and see him move for the first time! It's not just me telling him "there he goes again" Jared's response "is he partyin?" :)
*He is definitely most active between 12-2pm and 9-11pm and by active I mean dancing so much on my bladder that I have to use the toilet about 5 extra times :)

Funniest book I've read so far: "Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy
Funniest book Jared is reading: "What to Expect When Your Wife is Expanding" by Thomas Hill

Best nausea/heart burn medicine: None....Eating Starlight Peppermints
Best snack: Pistacios and m&ms or Beef Jerky
Food I love even MORE: pickles, mandarin oranges, and cereal (not mixed all together)

Well that brings you up-to-date on the baby Meitler story :)
~With Love and Laughter~ Beka &Jared