2nd OB Apt. (Friday June 12, 2009) 9 Weeks and 5 Days

I went back to the doctor on Friday. I had been nervous for days about making sure things would be OK with the baby. My mom was with me and she was sure that everything was fine. It was. I was so glad to have the opportunity for my mom to go because this has been a dream of hers for a long time as well. They actually did a quick, regular (meaning not a vaginal) ultrasound and the baby had grown so much. It looked like a little turtle to me ... awww... my very own little turtle. It was also kicking its little legs. Of course I couldn't feel it but it was really cool to see. I was in the room with an older ultrasound machine and it wouldn't print a picture but.... my beloved Blackberry came to the rescue and I took a snapshot of the screen which turned out really well. Here's baby Brittain-Goodlett:



It's head is on the right followed by arms and legs as you move to the left.

My doctor's nurse practitioner (who is really great) did my medical and genetic history. She asked if I wanted my mom to walk out and I said no. She reminded me that these questions were very personal and I told her I was OK with that. By the end, she told me that she could see why I didn't mind my mom sitting in on my answers because basically I had led a clean life. Praise God for His mercies and His strength that have led me to do just that. I Pray that my child will do just the same.

I was given a book entitled "Joy" which goes through everything about pregnancy and having a baby at UT. YAY! A NEW BOOK. I just love books. I was also scheduled for another appointment in 2 weeks (it was June 26 but I changed it to June 25 @ 10am so we can go camping the 26th) for a whole workup. I will have an exam, plus all the girly checkup stuff, and blood work to recheck my thyroid, to check my blood sugar, and a prescreening for cystic fibrosis and down syndrome. Please Pray that these tests (especially those prescreenings) come back normal and that the baby is healthy, if it be God's will.

After leaving the doctor's office, I headed to get lunch at my favorite... Japanese. After eating, I filled out a card for my RE and her staff and then stopped and got a box of Krispy Kreme donuts for them. I dropped that by along with some meds and I enjoyed letting them know how big of a blessing that they had been to me throughout this journey.

That night (I was exhausted), I went to my beloved friend Deanna's baby shower. Deanna and I have been going to the same doctors for over a year and we have been friends since childhood. She was the infertility success story I blogged about in December as she found out she was pregnant on December 12th. She is getting ready to have her twin baby girls: Emma Grace and Abigail Alene. They are actually due on my birthday August 21 though she probably won't go that long. Here is a picture from her shower that I stole from another childhood friend's album:

Pray for a safe delivery and healthy babies for Ms. Deanna as well. She is so excited!

God is so good... I'm gonna steal Elaine's signature verse because I feel that it truly applies to my situation as well as Deanna's and so many others. I was not counting on going to Deanna's shower even though I truly wanted to. I couldn't go to my friend Kim's shower a couple of months ago. Then I found out I was pregnant and a huge load was lifted off my shoulders.

I still think about my infertility. I still sit in Church and cry as I think about these past two years and what God has done in my situation. I still consider myself a survivor of infertility and that's why I am sharing all these updates on this blog. My story isn't over. I have a lot to still go through but with God, I truly believe that it will all be just fine (even if I do stress over it at times) and I truly believe that I will hold my baby later this year and cry as I see the miracle God has been orchestrating since my birth. He knew I would have the issues that I have. He made me that way. He gave me a unicornuate uterus and He gave me this precious soul that is growing in it and I praise Him for that. I trust that He knows best just as He has all along. And so the verse that Elaine shares so often definitely applies in my life as well:

^{Jeremiah 29:11} For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.


Much love,

Beta Levels at 4 weeks and 3 days

My levels went up to 116. I was really happy about that. God is so wonderful! It's been a long, long day. I've had drama trying to find out those levels then major drama trying to get the progesterone in oil I was suppose to have had overnighted. They messed up and sent it regularly and I had to have it today. Ended up having to drive 40 minutes away to get the meds from a different pharmacy until these get here. The devil does not want me to have an easy time. All I have to say is, "Get off my back satan in the name of Jesus Christ!" And that will work!

Acid is flowing and I feel little twinges in my side. Little bit of brown earlier but sort of like what you have a couple days after your monthly friend. More than anything... EXHAUSTED!

I did make it to church tonight and I'm so glad I did. You should feel the spirit in our church especially when there is no noise and just Prayers and tears being shed on the altar. It's amazing! God is doing great things at Binghamtown!

Progesterone level was checked today and I will get it back in the next day or so. Just keep Praying that everything will work out throughout this whole pregnancy. Much love to all of u!

Ps. Pray for Baby Logan, a 2 year old at our church daycare who was just diagnosed with cancer after a tumor was found in his belly. Also, Pray for little Zoey who just had open heart surgery today and had a 50 percent chance of making it!

Genesis 30: 22 - And God remembered Alesha, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

So ... God did remember me. I am pregnant! Can you even believe that? I still really can't! Here's what happened:

I spotted yesterday... not enough to hit the paper really. I really thought that it was over, but I felt the peace of God. I felt it as I posted my blog entry last night. This morning I woke up to sore boobs. I still was pretty unsure. I went to work and was talking to my coworkers about how I thought it was over for the month. They kept saying that they had spotted during their pregnancy, too.

Fast forward to about 10:15 a.m. My students were switching classes and even though I was not planning to check my voicemail I kept looking to see if I had any. At that time, I realized I didn't have any. I was putting my phone back in my desk drawer and it started ringing. The number that showed up was a Knoxville number. I decided to answer it so I went behind my chart stand in my classroom so I would be on the phone in front of my kids. It was my doctor who proceeded to speak in a chipper, sunshine voice. She told me my test was positive. I was like, "Are you sure?" She said yes.

I was in shock. Complete shock! I stepped outside my classroom to continue talking. I told her about the spotting and she said that she definitely wanted to check my progesterone to be sure it wasn't getting low, especially since I was spotting yesterday (which didn't alarm her). She wanted it back today so she wanted me to drive to Knoxville to UT for the blood work. She told me that my HCG level was 29. She said it was a little lower than she wanted but that she wasn't worried about it as long as it kept doubling. She told me she was faxing all the orders to have the progesterone and the repeated HCG testing done over the next few days.

I was so shocked. I literally slid along the wall to the teacher next door, who was my 2nd and fourth grade teacher, and I said, "It was positive." She looked at me like what? I repeated it and she started screaming. I then went looking for my mom and found her in the teacher's lounge. I told her it was positive and she started screaming, "WooHoo!" I then called my husband who thought I was kidding! HAHA Then my friend Tina in the office and then my friend Deanna and Kim and my mother-in-law....etc. My momma called my dad, aunt, and brother. My aunt and brother knew all along... they just kept telling me that I was pregnant. My aunt said that God was speaking to her the whole time and letting her know that. She is such a blessing to me!

I walked around in a daze the rest of the day and left an hour early to head to UT. My mom and I were so exhausted driving. I was on the phone the entire way there. I had my blood work done and then got a call from my niece who is in Kindergarten. She told me that a little bird had told her that I was going to have a baby and then she proceeded to talk about what she was gonna do with the baby and etc.

Finally, at about 8pm I made it home after a pit stop at my mom's to see my dad and brother. I talked to my little cousin (she's in Pharmacy school and not really that little) and then I hit the shower. I took my digital test right before the shower just so I could see the word and there it was ... Pregnant!

I am still in shock! I Praise God for this blessing. I admit... I am nervous about all the levels and everything turning out ok. But God is good and He is faithful. I truly believe He will bring this to pass. Please... continue to Pray that everything goes well. That the progesterone is ok and that the HCG levels continue to double. I will keep you posted.

Thanks for all the Prayers you have Prayed and will be Praying. I love each of you more than you know even though I haven't met most of you!

Most of all... THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER.... SO MANY BLESSINGS YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON ME. I AM SO UNDESERVING. I AM NERVOUS BUT ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT ELSE YOU ARE GOING TO DO. THIS CHILD IS YOURS FIRST AND FOREMOST AND I DEDICATE IT'S PRECIOUS NEW FORMING LIFE BACK TO YOU EVEN NOW ON THIS FIRST DAY THAT I KNOW OF IT'S EXISTENCE. THANK YOU PRECIOUS JESUS FOR THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR ME AND THE HOPE THAT I HAVE IN YOU!

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Love in Him,

Infertility Victory! Congrats Deanna!

CONGRATS TO MY DEAR FRIEND DEANNA! SHE'S PREGNANT! GOD IS STILL WORKING MIRACLES! LOVE U GUYS! God is soo good!

Laproscopy This Friday!

So let me tell u from multiple experiences.... God is soo good all the time even when we feel as though He isn't hearing us. God took my situation yesterday and answered it perfectly. The insurance lady at the doctor called me back and said that they had scheduled my surgery for this Friday ( perfect because I have a 4 day weekend this weekend) and that it was covered... not all of it but the majority! How awesome! I couldn't have set it all up this way if I had have tried! God is soo good to me. He blesses me even when I'm not blessing Him. I really feel that the surgery will be a better fit based on the fact that nothing is working thus far and the fact that my mom had bad endometriosis. Hopefully, PRAYERFULLY they will find simple things to fix and then I'll get pregnant! Please keep Praying! Thanks for lifting me up!

My Friend's Update

So, I've asked you all to be Praying for my friend Deanna who is also going through infertility. I haven't spoken with her yet, but I did talk to her niece yesterday who told me that during the exploratory surgery the doctor found endometriosis. The doctor (the same RE as mine) burned it off and told her that her chances of conceiving were now tripled! Keep her in Prayer as she begins a new journey of TTC!

An Infertility Victory! Congrats Kim!

My lovely friend Kim, who teaches diagonally from me, has overcome the infertility woes again and is pregnant via In-Vitro. Kim had this done about 4 years ago and had her son Lucas who is a cutie.



She had it done again last August and unfortunately she lost her babies a few weeks later. But God has a perfect plan and I really feel like this is a part of it. Please Pray for the health of her and her 2 newly implanted embryos. I'll keep you updated!

Ps. Please Pray that my follicles are large enough this Tuesday when I go for my vaginal ultrasound appointment at 4 pm in Corbin. I really, really, really want this to be my month. I would absolutely love to be pregnant alongside my dear friend.

One more request, my good friend that I have grown up with and been friend with for years is also going through infertility. Deanna has been at this longer than I have. She just had IUI and unfortunately it didn't work this time. Please Pray for Deanna to be blessed with a child as well. She is such a wonderful person and she's been a good, Christian girl her entire life. Pray for her.

And as always, keep Praying for my blogger friend Beth, who was actually the inspiration for this blog.