Update on our little "monkey wrench"

Thought that would be a cute little nickname for our bun in the oven.  The most wonderful monkey wrench ever, but still brings things to a splendid halt and forces us to change gears in a sense.  :-)  Since Tom's a plumber, it was just that much more fitting!

I am feeling well, no nausea yet - symptoms are peeing a lot, Tom's sweat smells like vinegar to me, being hungry for little meals often, my back is sore and legs are achey (cal/mag and a body pillow are helping with that).

I had labs drawn on Monday this week and then the appt with my NaPro Dr. H. on Wed.  I like her a lot.  We got the results from the labs, went over general health info and chatted about future care.  My hcg level is good (1300's), which means that the baby is doing well.  My progesterone was at 10 and they'd like to see it at 25, so my corpus luteum (on the ovary) is not producing progesterone like it should in order to keep my uterine lining thick and nourishing for the baby to nestle in real good.  I got a prescription for natural compounded progesterone injections and am starting 200mg twice a week with labs every 2 weeks to check levels and adjust meds as needed.  Dr. H. should be able to take care of monitoring all that long-distance (good since she is 2 hours away), and I will start care with the local homebirth midwife at 12 weeks.  They are intramuscular injections in a thick oil carrier, so pretty painful.  Tom has commited to administering them, he is so amazing!  The official diagnosis is Corpus Luteum Insufficiency Syndrome.

I am so thankful to my Creighton teacher LaDean Barnes for her care over me.  As soon as I e-mailed her telling her I was pregnant, she insisted that I call Dr. H's office and get labs done and in for an appt asap to get progesterone checked.  I did not realize the urgency of this or how common it is an issue for PCOS ladies (weak ovaries).  She likely saved our baby's life.  Thank you LaDean!  It was so good to see her after my appt for a hug and to chat a bit.  She has been hugely responsible for starting the Fertility and Women's Health center in Richmond and getting the NaPro doctor there.  I was the very first patient at the center and I am amazed at God's hand in this!  If I had not worked with LaDean and learned all I did through Creighton, I likely would not have known my ovulation date and that something was up as soon as I did.

There are so many things to be thankful for and answered prayers that I am still realizing as I look back.  Two that stand out to me right now:  I prayed over the years that when I became pregnant, it would clearly be the Lord's doing and He would receive all glory.  I also prayed that at some point in my life I would be surprised by a pregnancy test turning +.  Both of these were answered clearly.  Fun stuff!

I am having such a hard time concentrating on anything else right now!  I really need to be getting lesson planning all finished up by the end of the month and I will be starting school (high school for Heather!) Sept 4.  I also have a lot of office work to catch up on.  In addition, we really need to figure out soon what we will be doing for housing - we clearly need more space but are uncertain of the best way to do that.  New home?  Market not good for selling now though... Adding on?  Garage with storage space and really minimizing our belongings?  We also are looking long-term at having the space to care for our parents as they need/want it.

See what I mean about a monkey wrench?  I can literally see us at this crossroads of  New Baby / Caring for Parents / Starting High School / Housing Needs...  what does God have planned?  Either way, I have much work to do in the next 8 months cleaning out the house and de-cluttering while schooling.  :-)  Prayers appreciated!

In the meantime, I am loving the subtle changes in my body and my husband's smile whenever he hugs me with a new light in his eye, the way the kids are more willing to help me when asked, thinking of the future with a baby in it.  I can't stop adding things to the Baby Registry on Amazon and even looking at maternity clothes.  I am determined to enjoy each moment and thank the Lord for each and every day with this gift of a child.  He loves this baby more than I do even, and I know He knows what is best for each of us and will be with us through whatever the future holds.  It is an amazing thing to be the vessel for such a miracle as new life and I am awed that He has blessed us with the opportunity to parent this fabulous little monkey wrench.