Last Monday, I left off where we had just gotten the call that not only was I pregnancy, but I was most likely carrying twins! Thus begins, the first trimester!!!

The first thing we did was put on our We’re Gonna Be Parents! t-shirts that I’d bought right after we’d started this crazy IVF process! My mom was still with us and I’m so glad I was there to see her reaction – she could barely stand! The three of us heard to my dad’s office and, on the way, called Neil’s momma to tell her. I’d asked her the night before if she wanted us to wait to tell her in person or call her at work as soon as we’d found out. She didn’t hesitate – she wanted to know ASAP! Her reaction was just a good as my mom’s, maybe better! She wasn’t expecting to hear from us so soon and she just giggled throughout the whole conversation – so sweet! Dad was in a meeting when we got there but I interrupted by standing in the window of his office, knocking on the door, and pointing eagerly to my t-shirt. He came out immediately, grinning bigger than I’d ever seen! He started tearing up and shaking, which made me tear up! We weren’t there very long – he had to return to his meeting but that was OK. Neil’s dad was just waking up to get ready for work and we wanted to tell him in person. When we got home from telling all the parents, we stepped out back to take a picture of us in our t-shirts and texted the image to our siblings and closet friends.

Two days later, on Friday, Neil & I left for a weekend in Ft. Wayne Indiana to visit our best friends and their littles one, where I spent two full days lifting above my limit.

I had a blood draw the next Monday and my level was still twin-high. They scheduled a 4th HCG level blood draw for the 11th and my first ultrasound on the 18th. On the 11th, my HCG level was still rising, but not as high as I thought it would for twins. That was my first clue. My first day back to work was suppose to be the 14th. I woke up that morning, saw Neil off to work, and then began getting ready myself. This is when I discovered the heavier than light spotting and immediately called my clinic. When the dr. told me to come in as soon as I could get there, I broke down. I didn’t know what we were going to find but my mom, Neil, and I drove down to Nashville in a quite car. They didn’t wait to find out via blood draw…the ultrasound showed only one baby. Dr. Vasquez confirmed what we were sad to learn: we’d lost one of the babies. Truth be told, I was more than relieve to see we hadn’t lost the pregnancy and still had at least one there but I had been getting excited for twins.

On Monday, August 18th, Neil & I went down to Nashville to have another blood draw and our first official ultrasound. One baby was still all they found but by then I had had the weekend to deal with losing the other. Trust me, I was still upset but when you think you might have lost everything, you’re happy with one. On the 18th, I was 6, almost 7 weeks along. Two weeks later, on eh 20th, the gross first trimester feelings began.

My mom, throughout all four of her pregnancies, only had one occurrence of “morning sickness”. I prayed that I would have a similar experience and I’m very pleased to say that I didn’t have one, NOT ONE single day of “morning sickness”. I did however, throw up two times – both migraine related. Oh the joys of estrogen induced migraines! It’s not something many people mention when they talk of pregnancy whoas. My OB said that if I had headaches before, pregnancy will only make them worse – and if I didn’t, I would start. As I write this, I’m 22 weeks along, and I’m still having said “headaches” but not nearly as often, thank God!

For almost two months – week 7 to week 14 – several times a day I experienced what I came to call the “15 minutes window”. Every 3 or so hours, for about 15 minutes I was hungry enough to actually eat. Before that 15 minutes window, I would feel so bloated that I never thought about food, but if I didn’t eat something within the 15 minutes, I would get an awful stomach ache. Nauseous, dizzy, no good feeling. Other than the yuck stomach ache throughout the day, I was incredibly bloated and once I was released from the IVF clinic in Nashville around week 13, I realized that is was probably more the hormones they had me on (I didn’t stop my nightly injections and pills till week 13!) than actually being pregnant.

At our first OB appointment, a couple days before turning 15 weeks, we found out we were MOST LIKELY having a little boy. We retuned for our 16 week appointment to learn that it was still a boy. I’m not going to lie, gender disappointment is a real thing, and I unfortunately experienced it. At first, Neil wanted a boy but then as the appointment grew closer, he realized he didn’t care what it was. But I had always wanted a little girl first, and then later a little boy. I had this perfect little world playing out in my head so I had a rough week between the two gender ultrasounds. I am thrilled to say that we are now BOTH more than excited that it’s a little boy!

Being self employed and working for a great Dr’s office meant that I was able to take it easy during my first trimester. My days were filled with bloating, eating way too often and too much, and napping at least 2 times a day. Sleeping at night – forget about it! Due to the IVF meds, I was often overheated and peeing 3-4 times a night.

Let’s just say, I am MORE than happy to be out of that first trimester and already halfway through my second trimester with one healthy little boy!