My journey through motherhood and this little thing we call life...

Monday, August 24, 2009

Just out of curiosity....

For those of you that have already voted in my poll, did you vote based on your gut instinct or the sonogram? Leave a comment and let me know...I'm curious!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

And we're having a..............

Today was a day full of excitement for the Hingley family. "Why?", you ask. Well, let me just tell you, friends!

We got to see our little baby today!!!

You see, since I go to a group of Midwives, (who believe in as little intervention as possible...unless absolutely necessary) I've only had one ultrasound...TEN WEEKS AGO. A lot has changed since then and we aren't scheduled for another one for two more weeks, (and you know me, I just cannot wait to "open my presents") so my friend offered to scan me today. What a wonderful gift she gave us! She spent a good 30 minutes looking at our little one and provided us with some precious photos.

Maria told me that she is 89.7% sure that the baby is a !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, so we are waiting to tell everyone until it's made "official" by our September 8th appointment. I'm pretty darn happy with that percentage though and think we've got our answer.

Since I technically can't tell you what we're having yet, I thought I'd have a little fun and see what you all think it is. Here are some pics for you to drool over (oh, is that just me that gets all misty over this babe??):




Ok, now go and vote (on the top right sidebar) for what you think the sex is! Happy voting!!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Ohhhh baby, baby!

Hey there, y'all! As usual I meant to post earlier than this, but things have been crazy. We got back from our fantastic trip to the country on Saturday night, then had company for the rest of the weekend. I probably got to reunite with more friends and family over the last few days than I had in years (most of that I can attribute to my PPD which made this extrovert an extreme introvert).

William and I were able to visit with 13 of our family members, ride 4 wheelers (don't worry, I didn't take it out of first gear), go fishing in the dark, make s'mores by the riverside (I finally got to try my pregnancy craving for a s'more made out of Reeses instead of plain old Hershey's....GO TRY IT NOW!), sleep in late, eat some of the most delicious and fresh veggies I've ever had, and recharge our quickly draining batteries. Needless to say, a good time was had by all.

Today I had my 16 week Midwifery appointment and it probably could not have come at a better time. Since my teenage years, I've had hyperglycemia (managed by diet). During my pregnancy with William I never had any problems with my blood sugar (aside from the dangerously low levels I had during the blood-glucose test) and this pregnancy was proving to be the same until today. Sheesh, my body is falling apart quickly! Basically what happened was that I laid down to take a nap with William and when I woke up, I was extremely jittery and light-headed. Usually eating a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter takes care of the shakes, but this time was different. I was shaky the whole time I was getting ready, during the drive over (where I had to pull over to get sick), and was on the verge of passing out when I got to the Birthing Center. It was so embarrassing to meet the third midwife in the practice (for the first time) with clammy, sweaty skin, and jittery muscle spasms. Basically what we found out was that my blood sugar and pressure were both low, thus my headaches and dizziness. I was sent home with the orders to rest and drink plenty of fluids (I am sipping on my Mickey Dee's sweet tea now), so William had to fend for himself this afternoon (I know, I win Mother of the Year).

On the up side, the baby's heartbeat was great- in the 140's, and we have an appointment on September 8th to find out our sweet baby's sex (ahem, a girl). This was also the appointment where we were offered the Maternal Serum Triple Screen Test. Sean and I have given this test a lot of thought and prayer over the past month, and we decided that we did not want to go ahead with it (unless our Midwife advised otherwise). Our reasoning behind this decision (because we did get it with William) is that the statistics just aren't good enough, for us, to merit the test. Basically, if the test came back with a low risk of our baby having a neural tube defect, Trisomy 18, or Downs, it doesn't mean that our child does not have one of these defects- it just means the chances are low. If it came back with a high risk, that too is not a sure fit. Our baby could be perfectly fine, thus causing us unnecessary stress and worry (you know how I am with worry). We would not do anything different if our baby was sick, so we decided the test would be unnecessary. Furthermore, the Midwife I met with today told me that she, personally, did not like the test. I asked her what percentage of the practice's patients got the screening. Are you ready for this? Her answer was 20%. Seriously?! Enough said, for me. I did not get the test.

Please pray that our baby continues to grow normally and beautifully. I am trying ever so hard to not worry, but I can't help to think about all the "what-ifs". I'll keep you posted with our updates and thank you for keeping up with our family's story. G'night, all!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Hi ho, hi ho, it's out of town I go!

Hey there, friends. I just wanted to post with a quick update. I am going out of town for the next few days to visit family so I'll be "roughing" it in the deep, dark woods. The baby and I have been doing quite well and he/she has let up on me tremendously! The morning/all day sickness is gone, and so are any/all of my infections. I have an appointment scheduled for early September with the infectious disease doctor and one next week with my midwife. I'll keep you posted with how both appointments go, and please keep us in your prayers. It has been such a relief to feel better and have control over my life again.

William is being such a sweet boy- loving on my tummy and giving "his baby" kisses. He's going to make such an excellent big brother! Speaking of which, we should be able to find out the sex soon...so stay tuned! Have a wonderful weekend and I'll chat with you next week!