Christmas

Well, Christmas is officially over and we definitely can't complain. We have been blessed this year with a new little guy or girl to look forward to in May! Here is a recap of what we have been up to the last few days...

Brett and I headed to Wichita on the 23rd to spend Christmas with his family. On the way there, we decided that instead of waiting until Christmas day to share our news, we would probably have an opportunity to do so that night. We needed Brett's parents and grandparents to open their gifts at the same time in order for it to work. As it turned out, Grandpa Sonny was bowling that night and got home after Brett's dad had already gone to bed (he had to work the next morning).

On Christmas Eve, we traveled to Great Bend to have lunch and spend time with the Brack side of the family. We had to keep our secret for the day since Brett's parents did not know yet. We gave Brett's grandparents a gift box (with their great-grandparent mugs) and told them they had to open it after we left since it was the same thing Brett's parents would be getting. I had left a note explaining that we wanted to tell them in person that we were expecting but we had not told Charlie and Tammy (Brett's parents) yet. Brett and I were alone on the way back to Wichita so he gave his grandma a call... from the sounds of it, they were very excited!

That night, we thought maybe we could get the word out but Grandma and Grandpa Weber had their lights out by 8:00... so we ended up waiting until Christmas morning just as planned. We went over to the farmhouse and handed out gift boxes to Brett's parents and grandparents. I told them they might be mixed up since they were wrapped identically.

(Here is an example of what the Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt mugs looked like.)

When Tammy opened their box, she noticed that it said "Grandma" and immediately switched boxes with Grandma Joyce. When that mug said "Great Grandmother" she caught on right away. Our plot had worked just as planned!

Enter the password "brett" to see the video embedded in the blog.


Needless to say, we had a great Christmas and will hopefully have an even better one next year when little Austyn or Kyler is with us!

Telling Cindy's Family

Well, it is Christmas time. And that means it is time to start telling people that we are going to have a baby by the end of May.

Prior to this past weekend, the people who knew we were expecting were my parents, Brett's brother Ryan and his wife Jessica, my co-workers, our friends Andy and Sarah, and five of my best girlfriends from college. We started off the weekend by telling some friends from college, Lynch and Sadler, on Friday night. I think they were pretty shocked and equally excited.

Then on Saturday it was time to break the news to the Olberdings. I had come up with a plan on how I would be breaking the news to our families. I ordered mugs that said things like "Great Grandma" to give as Christmas gifts.

So that is what I gave my mom's mom. It took her a little while to figure out what I was trying to tell her... at first she thought I messed up and got the wrong mug.

Enter the password "brett" to see the video embedded in the blog.


But when the family started putting the puzzle together, it stirred up a lot of excitement. My aunts couldn't believe it... they had all been well aware with my fertility problems so there were tears in many eyes. Poor Traci missed the excitement. She went up to get some beverages and have a bowl of soup when our 8 year old cousin told her what was going on. Don't worry, we have the whole thing on video. My aunt Sherry and by brother were shocked that my parents kept the secret for so long - it was over 2 months!

On Sunday we went and told my dad's parents in the same way. They didn't catch on either. Although to their defense, they were already great grandparents so it wasn't quite as obvious. When I told them there would be 4 great-grandkids by June, they thought my cousin was expecting twins (she has two kids and one on the way this June). We can't be at that Christmas because we need to go see Brett's family so I emailed other members of the family to get the word out.

We are glad that everyone is as excited as we are and can't wait to meet little Kyler or Austyn. Oh, and we are not finding out the gender of the baby for those of you who have been asking.

We will be telling Brett's family on Christmas day and I will post on that later. Merry Christmas!

The Name Game

We have finally decided on a boy and girl name! Middle names? Don't push it. :) We are not shy about sharing the names. I know a lot of people don't like to disclose. So if you don't like them, get used to them before May!!!

Austyn is still the girl name. That one was easy to agree on quickly. I had liked some other names that Brett was just not into (like Julia or Ava). He didn't really have any suggestions after we discussed Austyn. This was a good choice for us for a couple of reasons. First, we both have cousins with the same name (both boys). One is spelled Austin and the other is Austen. We chose Austyn so that it is a little more feminine and different than each. Second, we love the city and have many great and fun memories from visiting. Thanks for moving there Mark, Becky, and Chris!

It took us a long time to agree on a boy name. We had come up with a few that we agreed on... Gavin, Damon, and Devin. But none were really "the name." Brett liked Jacoby which I hated. And I liked Carter and Kyler which Brett wasn't a huge fan of. After discussing the names with some old college friends, we finally decided that Kyler was it. Thanks Uncle Sadler! ;)

So now little Austyn or Kyler needs a middle name, which won't be nearly as stressful. We though about using Gavin as a middle name for a boy, but that gives us KGB as initials. Guess we'll have to keep thinking...

Maternity Leave & Funny Story

I met with my HR guy at work on Friday. And I get 12 weeks of maternity leave. Woo hoo!!

I had to share this story because I thought it was hilarious.. Brett went to a concert this past Friday with some friends of ours. Afterward, he decided to go to a Christmas sweater party. As it turns out, he had quite a bit to drink. So while they were at this party, he was relieving himself and Andy was waiting outside to use the restroom. Brett told him to come in and that's when he told Andy that I was pregnant! Of course Andy asked, "why are you telling me this now, here?" Anyway, the whole thing cracked me up so I thought it would be a fun story to share with the whole world. Sorry B!

In other news, I am getting pretty excited about telling everyone at Christmas. I have started packaging the gifts. That will be a story for a future post though.

16 Weeks

Nothing too eventful has taken place since the last post but I will update with what has occurred. We have told some more people and I have had a couple more appointments.

First, we went to Florida over Thanksgiving to visit Brett's brother and sister-in-law and told them that they were going to have a niece or nephew while we were there visiting. We spent Thanksgiving and that Friday and Saturday at Disney World before going to their home in Jacksonville for our Thanksgiving meal and some QT with them. It was a lot of fun and nice to see them. Brett seemed a little more relaxed about the baby after telling and talking with his brother.

When we got back, I went to the doctor to check up on everything since I had been bleeding just a tiny bit. They checked the heartbeat and it was completely normal so they said it was nothing to worry about. That was a big relief. I would guess it was just a result of all the extra walking I did at Disney. At work, I finally told my boss. It went really well and I am meeting with our HR guy this week to go over the policies, etc.

As if I hadn't already done enough traveling, we road tripped to Dallas for the Big XII championship game with some of my family. It was a lot of fun and a great game even if the result was not ideal for us Nebraska fans. The good news is that I was able to keep my secret from my mom's sisters (even though I had to do some innocent lying). The scary news was that when we got home, I was bleeding a little more than before.

I had a doctor appointment today (we got back last night) and told my doctor about my newest scare. She checked the heartbeat which was perfect but decided to do an ultrasound to make sure everything was looking okay... and it looked just fine. Phew! She said I should be able to go home for Christmas as long as everything still looked okay in two weeks when she checks me again. Oh, and I passed my diabetes test so it will be a very merry Christmas!

Perinatologist Appointment - 14 Weeks

Today we had our first appointment with the perinatologist - a specialist. We first met briefly with a genetic counselor who addressed the HLA-B27 gene. This gene can cause a few rare diseases which my mom and some of her siblings have. A med student sat in on our discussion. Basically, there is nothing that needs to be done at this time. It is just something that is good to know about in case the baby or I ever have symptoms of the diseases caused by the gene.

The main reason we were there was to meet with the perinatologist for any issues with the baby such as growth restriction or preterm labor and what we could/should be doing between now and delivery to help. The baby is sitting pretty much right in the middle of my stomach and no longer to the right. B and I thought it looked pretty crowded in there from the ultrasound. The measurements were all fine so the baby is growing at a normal rate which is excellent. There were two pieces of information that are not exactly good although they are not a big deal right now. First, the baby is breech (head up, rump down). This is bad because although most babies can turn to be head-first, ours probably won't have enough room to do so. Second, the placenta (I know, gross) is not in the ideal place. They are just going to keep an eye on it for now. It may be fine.

Nothing new has really changed. I think I am starting to show a little. I can't suck it in anymore so I guess I can officially blame my tummy on the baby. I also have to pee a lot more often and have to get up during the night to go.

I told two more co-workers last week. They are good friends that I thought should know before the rest of the office. I am planning to tell my boss next week which I'm sure will go fine but I am not necessarily looking forward to it.

12 Week Ultrasound

We had our 12 week ultrasound today. This one was to test for any genetic disorders, etc. Things like spina bifida and chromosome abnormalities I believe is what we tested for. We decided to go through with these tests since my insurance covers them and so that we would be aware if there was any type of problem.

I didn't know but the ultrasound was a 3D one. You can sort of see the face shape. I posted a picture. It is a little dark since I couldn't use the flash or there would be a reflection. The technician commented on how active the little thing was. She said I would probably be feeling a lot of movement after the next few weeks. She was having trouble getting the pictures she needed because of all the moving around Vegas Baby was doing and had to tap on my stomach to get him/her to get into a good position for a picture.

We also got a goodie bag at the doctor's office today. It had a bag with bottles and formula which was a big wake-up call. Although a little early - it expires about 2 weeks after the baby is due. We also got a run down of what we need to do to get registered with the hospital. It seems like such a long ways off but I'm sure it will fly by.

My next appointment is with the perinatologist on the 23rd. I'm not sure what they will do, I am guessing a physical exam. Ultrasounds are so much more fun!

Almost 12 Weeks

I am really excited that I will have made it through the first trimester as of this Thursday. I had another doctor appointment today. No sonogram but we did listen to the heartbeat and it sounded great. The doctor appointments so far always make me feel much better. I found out that I need to be drinking a lot more water. It helps with infection now and my nurse told me to get used to it because labor will be much easier if I am really hydrated (less painful, etc.). That's enough to convince me!

I also get to stop taking one medication which is awesome. I take progesterone twice a day and it is hard to remember. Plus, it has to be refrigerated so I almost always get to bed or ready to head out the door then realize I need to take it (and it is not fun to take). I also get to stop taking Metformin in two weeks. That one is three giant pills that I have to take with my evening meal. It is a pain when we are not at home or if I am not feeling like I can keep my food down. The downside is that two weeks later I have to take a diabetes test (this medicine is due to me having low blood sugar which throws off my hormones, a side effect of PCOS).

The most interesting thing I found out at the appointment was that the doctor thinks people will be able to tell by looking at my stomach that the baby is more to the right. It won't be terribly obvious but I should expect people asking if it is always sitting on the right. It will be interesting to see if we can tell.

Is it bad that I am already sort of going through a nesting stage? I think it is more that I am such a planner. We decided to furnish our basement. I wanted to get a huge comfy couch down there for a nice place to relax when I am huge and miserable in the spring and when we are trying to get some rest next summer. So we bought a big sectional, a 46" LCD TV, and a TV stand. It will be nice for the New Year's party too... which is still on pregnant or not! We are also going to have fully-furnished guest rooms so lots of beds for guests to stay in. I have planned out where I want each piece of furniture. Now if I just had some extra cash to redo my kitchen, put drywall in my living room, and remodel the garage entryway so that my car actually fits. That is probably asking a bit too much!

The other thing I have been trying to get done is scrapbooking. I have sooo much to do but I want to get caught up before I have another person's life to document. I got a ton of pictures developed and picked up supplies this weekend so I need to get to it.

Next on the agenda is another appointment on Monday. We will be doing some prenatal testing just to see if the baby is likely to have any genetic/chromosome disorders, etc. Insurance covers it so we decided to go through with it just so we are aware of anything that may be a challenge when the baby gets here. After that I have an appointment with a perinatologist (a specialist) on November 23 just to see if there is anything else we should be doing as a result of my condition. Then I have another appointment with my doctor on December 7 to check for diabetes and do a sonogram. My doctor said that I will have around 10 sonograms throughout the pregnancy... one of the positive effects of having to get out of work to go to an appointment every couple of weeks.

Sorry this post is so long... I guess I should post more frequently!

2nd Ultrasound

We had our second ultrasound today. It was so amazing... we were able to see the baby moving around! Vegas Baby was kicking and punching like crazy. We might have our hands full with this one. Also, everything was measuring well and looked good. I am much more confident now that I know that the little one is growing and alive and kicking! Even though we had already heard the heartbeat, this ultrasound with all the movements really made me feel like there is a baby.

 And you can actually tell that it is a baby at 9 weeks... not just a blob!

We really wanted to wait until Christmas to tell anyone but we were just dying to break the news to someone. Plus, I thought it would be nice to be able to talk to someone who had been through this before.

The first people we told were my parents. It seemed like a great time since it was my dad's 50th birthday. My mom had called a day or two earlier saying that this milestone birthday was bothering him. We were throwing a surprise birthday party for him but she was still worried that he might not be real happy. So I told her I had a homemade gift for him that would cheer him up but I had to give it to him when it was just the four of us. When Brett got into town I pulled my parents away from the party and handed my dad a quick handmade card and grabbed my camera. I told him to read it out loud. "Just in case 50 didn't make you feel old... you are going to be a GRANDPA!"

I snapped a picture to capture the moment. My mom's mouth was so wide open. She gave me a big, long hug and had tears in her eyes. Dad was just as excited. We had prepared ourselves and everyone around us that it could take a long time for this to happen so it is shocking and exciting that we are actually expecting a baby in May. Now the true test is to see if the secret can remain a secret until Christmas when we are planning to tell the rest of our families. Don't let me down Mom & Dad... I convinced your son-in-law that you guys were secret-safe!

Beginning & First Ultrasound

I am still in shock and cannot stop thinking about being pregnant. I sort of hope that I "get over it" (to an extent of course) so that time goes by faster and I can focus on things like work or cleaning my house instead of spending every free minute learning everything I can about pregnancy. In the past few weeks, I had been complaining about weird things like my stomach feeling yuck, the "twins" hurting, and other random things. I thought it was nothing since my cycles are often long and we thought it to be pretty much impossible to get pregnant on our own. But Brett thought it was funny and kept saying things like "maybe I knocked you up" or "are you pregnant?". I took my first pregnancy test when I was around 4 weeks pregnant. It came back inconclusive... even though I had bought the kind that says "pregnant" or "not pregnant." I didn't think much of it at the time except that it was a waste of money. The next couple of weeks I continued to feel really nauseous and still no period so I picked up a cheap-o pregnancy test at the grocery store. I took that test on Monday (Sept. 28) in the morning and it was pretty clear that it was positive. I called my nurse and was told to come in for a blood test. My numbers were really good and we had an ultrasound scheduled.

Today (Oct. 1) was my first doctor appointment and ultrasound. It was really neat and sort of made it set in that there really is a baby growing inside me. Brett perked up from the Consumer Reports magazine when he heard the heartbeat. Wow! I had no idea we would hear the heartbeat that early. We also got ultrasound pictures to take home.

Going into the appointment, we thought I was around 8 weeks pregnant based on my last cycle. So we would have conceived around Aug. 15. However, the ultrasound showed that the size of the baby was consistent with someone 6 weeks pregnant. This makes sense due to the fact that my normal cycle had been around 45 days without medication (rather than the regular 28 day cycle). So, conception would have occurred around the end of August. When the doctor told us that we were actually 6 weeks, Brett had a "shit-eating grin," if you will, on his face. He was doing the math out loud and I realized what he was thinking. We were in Vegas at the end of August and he had been wanting to be able to tell people that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas. The doctor got a kick out of that story.

So now we are just waiting for my next scan which will confirm whether our "Vegas Baby" is growing at an appropriate rate. We are also trying not to tell anyone until we are well into the pregnancy due to all the risks. I can already tell that this is going to be difficult. Our goal is to wait until Christmas and I will be four months along.