To My Beautiful Child: HCG Levels Update!

To my beautiful child,

I went in for my follow up blood draw today which is one week after my first one and found out that the HCG level today was 8,245! Last week on the 28th of December (which shall forever be know and the best day ever), my HCG level was 524.

What will we do next week at our ultrasound? Don’t worry…you better believe I asked all of the details on the phone. We will hear your heartbeat!!! I cannot believe how fast babies grow. This week, you’re the size of an orange seed and by week 7 when we do the ultrasound you’ll be the size of a blueberry. How do I know this? Because I stalk the What to Expect When You’re Expecting app like a hawk…like any person who just found she was pregnant after trying for so long. You know, normal stuff.

For real though…a blueberry?! Good job growing so fast, baby! I’m impressed with you. Proud mama moment! I’m trying to eat lots of potato chips, rolls and cereal healthy veggies and fruits to help you. We will get your official measurements next week and we’ll also get to see if there are one of you…or two.  🙂

When I got the call today to report on my HCG levels, I was at work and I couldn’t stop beaming from ear to ear after I found out. Pure joy is the only way to describe it!

Most people don’t tell anyone they are pregnant until about 12 weeks because of the risk of miscarriage. When you’re doing IVF and you tell people, they know what you’re doing and what IVF leads to (pregnancy in case you’re still in the dark 😉 ) and it’s different, which I am totally okay with and I like that we’ve gotten to share our journey with so many. Of course the thought has popped into my head, “what if we have a miscarriage?” Well…what if we do? Is worrying about it going to help me in any way right now? That’s a big fat “nope.” I’m not going to let negative thoughts steal my happiness and joy right now, because right now I am pregnant and we are expecting you in September! There are a lot of unknowns and at any given time, I can find a million things to worry about it. I’m choosing not to worry about them and I’m choosing joy right now because I’ve found that’s the only way to truly live. I’m on the happiness train and I’m bringing you with me, my little baby!! (You don’t really have a choice right now as I’m your only mode of transportation, so hold on tight).

So…I went to work today with a loose blouse on and had every intention of keeping my jeans buttoned up the whole day and I’m here to report that it just didn’t happen. In fact, it lasted about 20 minutes…and that’s a stretch. I mean, you can’t win all the time. As of this morning, the scale told me that I have gained 6 pounds since started this 3rd IVF cycle and I can’t, in good faith, blame it on you. Mama likes to eat, okay? Maybe I can blame it on the hormones? I always saw overacheiving as a good thing, and I know I’m supposed to gain weight while I’m pregnant so I’m just trying not to be tardy on this one. The earlybird gets the…buttons popping off on her jeans? #winning

Well, my little orange seed, I just love you. You’re itty bitty tiny but you have your daddy and I’s whole heart. Your dad keeps saying things like, “I love you. Both of you.” We’ve been sleeping with the tiny little rabbit named Mallow that your Aunt Jocelyn gave you on transfer day. I make your dad sleep with it by his face because I can’t handle the cuteness…but mostly he makes the rabbit hop over to sleep with me 😉

We love you!

xo

Mama