Peru!

Hello everyone,

We have safely landed in Peru and are enjoying ourselves. We are shopping, eating, eating, eating, and well shopping!

I will not be posting anything until I return on Jan 4th! I forgot my downloading stuff for my camera :( Either way, I have lots to tell everyone when I get back.

It will soon be told whether Turtle is a little boy or girl.... :)

First Trimester Done!

I wish I could say, where did the time go? But to be honest, I have felt these last weeks pass by with each second! It doesn't help that work is slow and my expectations are high. However, I am happy to report, that we have safely made it through the first trimester! These past 3 months have come with many pleasures, heartburn, bloating, and not to mention anxiety but it has been a journey that I hope to experience again! It was nice to finally be able to tell people why I had a sprite in my hand at the Christmas party, etc. LOL I know they were probably thinking something was up anyway. Anyway, this was a busy week...

Let's start with Wed. So Wed morning came and Christian and I went to our weekly doctors appointment. This was a little bitter sweet for the 2 of us. We were excited to see Turtle again and also excited to almost be past the "high risk" period...but then that excitement quickly turned into despair as we realized this would be the last morning I heard my name echo down a doctors office and Dr. Werlin would no longer be part of our weekly lives! I never thought for a second that I would feel amongst friends in a doctors office, but geez, sometimes that place reminded me of an episode of Cheers. I will dearly miss my Patch Adams! okay, I can't write about his anymore.

Let's move on to Thurs shall we...so on Thurs. morning Christian and I went to UCI medical center for our first trimester screening. This is ordered for all Dr. Werlin's patients. The purpose for the test is to determine if the fetus has any signs of Tri 18 or downs syndrome. Since many of his patients are older, I think somehow this test became common practice. Anyway, based on just blood analytics that were done Turtle had a very low chance of either, and better yet, after the ultrasound the chances were even less likely! What a blessing from god! (oh, keep praying people! we are not done yet! lol). We got a really good ultrasound picture but like always, it is blurry! (soon, Christmas is only 4 days away, I will no longer have blurry pictures for you guys). I asked the technician is she could tell if we were having a boy or a girl and she was unable to tell. So, the wait continues on that front.

Check out Turtles legs!

This morning I took some belly pictures. Now, for whatever reason they are not doing me justice! or at least they don't look like I feel, crap, maybe they do!

Why Turtle Secrets???

Okay, so I am soon going to make this blog public, so I decided maybe I should explain where "turtle secrets" even came from. Ill do my best to explain.

So when I started the blog I wasn't pregnant so calling it baby Spaulding or something like that seemed well, presumptuous at best. So I decided, to name is something way out. I tried things like "secret garden" etc etc since the first few blogs (and it could have been months of blogging) would really be just a place for me to get out my thoughts about all of the fertility stuff specifically. Since, fertility is generally so secretive, I just thought something with the word secret would be appropriate. Hence the secret in "turtles secrets"

So why turtle? well, this is the odd part. Ever since North Shore (yes, that North Shore) I have been in love with the nickname turtle for a human! lol. Well, needless to say Christian would never allow me to even look at our child with the thought of calling him/her turtle, I thought why not calling the baby or the trials to make the baby, turtle now? So, then came out Turtles Secrets.

Turtle (the baby) is the secret or at least has been a secret from most people.

So there you go. I thought of changing it to a different name, but in true Claudia fashion, naaaaaa...

Haley's a mom!

This year has been the year of first time moms! At one point, like 10 of my close girlfriends were pregnant! It was crazy. Well, most of them are moms now, and yesterday, Haley graduated into the "first time mom" club~

Elle Ryan is beautiful!



Congrats to Haley and Sean! They will make great parents!

Random Thoughts...

I have noticed a few things...first, I wake up a little bloated but not so big were I am "showing." However, by the end of the day, I am HUGE! like my belly is just enormous!

I'm pretty sure I have gained weight but I am never that girl that doesn't work out but eats well and see's a 5 lb weight drop. Not so lucky. My body breaks down without any exercise. Good thing is, I get to start doing some minor workouts in just a few weeks. I can't wait to start swimming again.

On another note: I graduate Dr. Werlin's next Wed! That is going to be a sad day! I asked him if I could keep calling him and of course he said yes. Some how that made me feel better.

Anyway, Ill take another belly picture next week. And I am not as lucky as some of my beautiful pregnant friends that did show until they were 5 or 6 months. Just be warned!

11 weeks!

Today we went in to see Dr Werlin. It was by far the best ultrasound to date! The baby was all over the place. It was hard for the doctor to capture a good picture since Turtle just wouldn't stop moving. (of course I couldn't feel a thing!). It was magical to see all that happening.

Too bad we didn't get a better picture of some other stand still (we got it on the VHS tape though), this is the best we got...but it is looking more human now...a little alien like but soon Turtle will look like me and Christian!

What you see in this picture is the baby sticking out his arms and legs and the camera and you can even see turtles eye sockets. Next week we go in for a more detailed ultrasound..so hopefully the picture is better!

It's Christmas Time!

I just love my house this time of year! over the course of the last few years, I am pretty sure I have bought out Target, Walmart, whatever of any decorations. I just can't get enough.
There are a few special parts of my decoration ceremony...it really has become an event.

I love to create my village! I know, Christian thinks I am crazy, but it gives me such satisfaction, I just adore every part of it. Next is the Tree. I have collected ornaments and they are all so special to me. And last, my garlands! I basically put them on anything I can. LOL

Our Tree...

The Mantel! Look even turtle got a stocking this year!

My Village, lights turn on on all the structure etc..

Village Part 2 (there are actually several parts)

I didn't want you to think I was crazy now...


Happy Holidays everyone! The count down is on! 2 weeks until Christmas, better yet, 2 weeks until presents, and 2 weeks until vacation! YES!

My Monsters...

Here is a picture of my not so small puppies!

Brooklyn is on the left weighing in at 107lbs last month, and Jersey is on the right coming in at only 76lbs...Jersey is my angel...and well Brooklyn is Christian's dog! lol

(Brooklyn (10 months) and Jersey (almost 2))

First Belly (bloated) Pic!

Oh and on a funny note, or for most other people at least, I am officially in my fat closet! Not sure what the heck happened, but I have a total belly. I took this picture last week and you can see the belly starting..now okay, it is not huge nor really that noticeable, but after a meal, holy cow! (literally). Anyway, I will take another at 12 weeks then every 2 weeks after. (to be honest, that was always my favorite part to see! how big did she really get??, I know I'm messed up.)

10 Weeks!

Well I must say, time is flying by...well not flying but I can't believe there is only 19 days until Christmas and only 13 days until I am done with my 1st trimester! Truthfully, I can't wait until my first trimester passes and my chances of miscarrying go down. This has created a lot of anxiety for me.

This week, like normal, we went to see Dr. Werlin to check the development of the baby and my progesterone levels. Everything looked good with both, and we couldn't be happier! Here is the latest pics! (I know the quality sucks, but I have asked Santa for a new scanner, so hopefully in 19 days we won't have any more blurry pictures).

Look aunt's and uncles, I have legs!

One another note, I also had a preliminary appointment (mainly to start up with the standard lab work required by the state) with my new OB/GYN. Dr. Robinson was referred to us by Dr. Werlin so if he trusts in her, so will I.

Well, I didn't get to meet her, but I did get to meet the nursing team. The head nurse was hilarious and did all she could to make me feel comfortable and like I was amongst friends. She had to ask me a series of questions...one she asked like this: "so do you shoot up? between the toes right, I am on to you girls"...like what! I just looked at her in shock, but we had a good laugh. I guess she is kinda right, like really what heroin addict in going to walk into a doctors office pregnant nonetheless and admit to being a user! Pretty stupid question!

She went over the protocol of what to expect and I left the office, and burst into tears! (hormonal remember). I couldn't imagine not seeing Dr. Werlin every week, hearing his voice, his laugh, he is my PATCH ADAMS! I can't do this without him. It is so weird how vulnerable you become and how much trust you put into a total stranger. After my mini panic attack, I called a close friend and made her tell me about her OB experience. You see, the nurse went over the remaining months and how and when the doctor would see me. She said Dr. Robinson would see me once a month, and we would do "an" ultrasound at 18 weeks (HELLO "AN" like in "ONE"). I must have looked at her like she had lost her mind. I mean, really, I am a fertility patient, I am high risk damn it! Test me Test me Test me. But, I then had to come to terms that I don't want to be high risk and since all this started all I wanted to be was normal. And here I am, being treated normally and I freaked. The nurse did say that she would do an ultrasound if it was needed etc but most of the time it is not needed.

Why I freaked: well one reason is because I'm just a little nuts, and the other is because I am really concerned with my progesterone. The nurse assured me that they could test my progesterone weekly but that the doctor would only see me monthly. See, after week 12 the placenta takes over progesterone production and most of the time the mother is no longer in need of supplementation. Catch that word...I did...."most" of the time. You see, that is not good enough for me! I need to know.

So what Christian and I have decided to do is to ask Dr. Werlin what we could and should expect from our OB. Are 6 dr's appointments and 1 ultrasound sufficient for someone like me? Will a doctor test my progesterone levels weekly? Am I being absurd??

Answers to these questions next week.

Extra Nervous!

This week is a big week for me. I am almost 9 and 1/2 weeks and the last time I was pregnant, the baby stopped developing around this time and I ended up miscarrying at almost 11 weeks (I was not considered high risk then, and was not being monitored weekly). Although, this pregnancy has actually been a lot different than the first, my nerves are a little more heightened this week.

Things I am feeling now that I didn't before: nauseous!, waking up at least 3 times a night to go to the bathroom, TIRED, and I'm already showing! I mean really...I don't understand it. Plus, my progesterone at the last visit was doing really good. (My progesterone with the last pregnancy at 8 weeks only came in at 13). So, I am hoping that all of those "extra" symptoms means this one is going to make it!

Seriously, I am constantly telling myself, that my body is meant to do this, assisted or not, and that everything is gonna be just fine. My brain says that, but my heart is just still a little scared. So Wed. is a big day, I will actually be 9 weeks and 5 days. Then the following week, well that week, is going to be a big relief as well. Then, the next one and the next one, oh my, there are a lot of next ones! lol

Thanks for listening...be back Thurs.

Bye for now.