She likes Chocolate Donuts & Oreos

Well obviously. She is a girl! And part Vega. So chocolate foods are going to of course turn her right on. This baby is MOVING, people! I started feeling her kick or slam into the walls of my insides last week and it is so cool. An exciting reminder that she is healthy and growing and full of life!

Also, here is a first baby bump photo for you all to see. I am getting large. It's normal to grow way faster during a pregnancy when you already had a full-term one within recent years. So even though I am only 4.5 months preg, I look more like 6 months along.
(Yes, I know it is totally generic to take photos of myself with a cell phone! If you must know, my husband is working late at a "hack day". Don't ask me what that is.)

15 weeks, 4 days.

I am officially going to publish this whole bunch of blog posts about the Baby Girl Duncavage #2! I've been saviving drafts until all was well and ready to make public. We are so happy and excited to grow our family to size 4! Now you all know, so here goes the big blog post push!

Please go back in time to read all new post posts. And if you want a recap of my first pregnancy (Nova Alexandra), please feel free to go even further back in the blog to re-live that magical time as well.

Don't forget to FOLLOW THIS BLOG or just watch for post notices on my facebook page.

It's a Girl!!!

These ultrasound pics were taken during the CVS procedure - which was very uncomfortable and not a smooth operation, but did end up being successful at getting enough placental tissue to culture and test. The results were all negative for everything we tested for! That's very good news for us. Now we have nothing major to worry about! Annnnnd.... we found out she's a baby girl in there! Just what Brett and I were hoping for (although Nova wanted a baby brother, sorry my love).

Week 7.5

Brett and I had an apt today with a genetics councilor at UCSF. She surveyed us on our family histories and then gave us the low down on some options we have on how I and this fetus can be tested and screened for any chromosomal abnormalities. We decided to go ahead and schedule a CVS for three weeks from now. It will tell us most accurately whether or not we have anything to worry about. Since we don't want to worry at all and get going feeling all the happy exciting stuff about the pregnancy we think its worth it to find out asap. The CVS is a bit invasive as it requires cells and blood from the placenta. There is a 1/350 chance it could cause a miscarriage. But we are optimistic and not scared! An extra perk is we could find out the baby's sex right then! We are impatient people and like that.

Made it to 6 weeks!

All good signs so far of a viable preg. Whilst getting Nova ready for preschool yesterday I started to dry heave and had to run to the toilet twice to puke only saliva. Felt terrible so like I predicted last week, I'm eating my words. But felt better today if not completely exhausted! Nova is running circles around me and not napping. Now when I so need to nap myself. So I've been slamming lattes all day. I know I will need to cut down on caffeine but seriously cannot imagine life without it.

Ever so faint positive test.

Taken May 27, 2012 first thing in the morning.



It is said that there is no possibility of a false positive result on a pregnancy test. This is a photo of mine at 1.5 weeks after ovulation. I had taken one a few days before and the result was negative. I was bummed and got wasted for a couple days as is my usual way of handling disappointment.  Then I tried again and got a barely noticeable second pink line! Goes to show how just a tiny bit of HGC hormone can begin to show up on a urine-based test. FYI, a healthy pregnancy HCG count should double every day you are "with child".

Week "5"

So far, so good. I am officially one week past a missed period. I have stopped drinking my regular one alcoholic bev a day and am anxiously awaiting some fun signs of a healthy pregnancy. No "morning sickness" yet, and I know I will eat these words soon, but I am ready to get some cuz it's supposed to mean your hormones are doing their thing and creating the parts deep inside to allow the big bunch of baby cells to grow and thrive.
Now I am on the lookout for a good Midwife or OBGYN who will be willing to let me try a VBAC when (if) the time comes. Nova was born (c-section) in Denver under the Kaiser medical system. This time around we have a UCSF-based medical group as our primary family care (under coverage of Aetna Insurance). I am taking any and all advice from San Francisco Bay Area women on recommended prenatal care. Comment here please. Thanks!

"4" Weeks, No Jinx!

I'm going to begin again. Three years after I first began writing this blog. I won't publish any posts until I am quite sure this new pregnancy is viable. It will be my little secret for (hopefully) a few more weeks. And then (hopefully) I can let the world know our big news.
Brett and I have tried for another baby the last 5 months and now it seems we have been successful! Today I am 4 weeks pregnant, meaning of course, actually only 2 fetal age weeks. If this sticks and all goes well, I'll be going to a midwife or OB doc next month. I know I should be more nervous because we have had 2 miscarriages since 2008 - 1 a year before Nova was born and another 1 year after she was born. That second one may have been twins but, at about 7 weeks, growth stopped with no heartbeat(s). I had to have a D&C the week before Christmas. It was sad and really spooked Brett. So it took another full year for him to be ready to try again.
Here we are the last day of May, 2012! And I am not so nervous, but rather very excited! I hope this mother's intuition is telling me that there is nothing to worry about; that this pregnancy will last and the tiny poppy seed embryo inside me will be healthy and perfect. Oh please let this be true! I want another baby so bad! A little sibling for Nova and a child to love me as much as Nova loves her daddy. Fingers crossed....
Not publishing this yet. Saving as a draft until further notice. So as not to Jinx the situation. Stay tuned!