Another Roller Coaster - Part 2

I was officially pregnant! Doctor appointments were in full swing as well as my intake of folic acid, prenatal vitamins and morning sickness. I had no nausea throughout my first pregnancy but this was an entirely different story (I'm convinced it was a precious girl). About 6 weeks into my pregnancy I started to have some spotting. I immediately called my doctor who reassured me that spotting could be totally normal throughout the first trimester but wanted me to continue with my hcg bloodwork to confirm my numbers were still increasing. Up until now my hcg numbers had been steadily increasing (doubling every couple of days as they should be). I remember going in on a Friday morning and retaking bloodwork that Monday. My hcg had gone from 7,057 to 7,228 over the weekend (which was not a good sign). About that time is when I started spotting - doctor was concerned so had me go in for another ultrasound to make sure this was a viable pregnancy. He prepared me for ectopic or "chemical" pregnancy because he said my hcg numbers were almost too low and that combined with spotting and my numbers not doubling made him think this pregnancy was not viable - he didn't exactly tell me those words but he didn't have to...he had said enough. 

I had already prepared myself for the worst - not a viable pregnancy. My husband came home early that day to go with me me to my appointment, I was in tears all morning! Mom was watching Ryder Jeremiah and was encouraging me as only a mother can. Without saying a word she knew how to soothe my aching soul. My ultrasound was scheduled for 1:30pm. Seems like 1:30pm took forever to get here. I already knew the ultrasound drill - drink 32oz of water an hour before your appointment. Pretty sure I overdid it on the water because I felt like a walking water balloon by 1pm and my bladder was ready to give way with every step I took. 

1:30pm rolled around and as the ultrasound technician took me back she asked my husband to stay in the waiting room. As she began the ultrasound, I laid there crying my eyes out. I was already an emotional wreck. It just HAD to be a viable pregnancy - my hormones were already skyrocketing! About 15-20 minutes into the ultrasound she pointed to the screen (because she's a technician she's not really allowed to give me information because a radiologist has to "translate" the ultrasound). Pretty certain she felt sorry for me so she pointed to the screen and that's when I saw the most beautiful flickering thing I had ever seen - our baby's heartbeat! Instantly my heart doubled in size and I just knew this baby was going to prove doctors wrong. Hcg numbers? Spotting? Cramping? That's got nothing on our baby! I continued to sob again but this time happy tears as I whispered Jeremiah 1:5 "before you were in your mothers womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart." Shortly after that, my husband joined me in the ultrasound room and the technician showed him our baby's heartbeat. We both wanted to burst out into happy tears (we technically did at our lunch following that appointment). 

That ultrasound confirmed that we had a strong heartbeat and growing baby measuring at about 6 weeks and 2 days.  which set my due date for December 23. I couldn't wait for Christmas time (not that this differs from any other year), but this Christmas would be extra special. A special Stocking baby for the Stocking family! 

The next morning I met with my OBGYN and he told me how surprised he was that the ultrasound not only showed a viable pregnancy but a strong heartbeat. He immediately put me on progesterone suppositories as well as bed rest any time I was spotting. I was told to "take it easy" (which isn't very easy when you have a 9 month old). I went out and bought Ryder a "big brother" shirt and was already putting together some final ideas for the pregnancy announcements. 

Well the two weeks that followed this very exciting time of our lives were filled with more ups and downs of the pregnancy. My doctor continued to monitor my hcg levels which continued to not increase as they should. I had another ultrasound to confirm the baby was growing and yet again, everything looked fine. Two weeks filled with more spotting, bed rest, cramping but we had already reached 8 weeks. I was 2/3 out of my first trimester - I counted every day, hour, minute. I was almost there! My second trimester. I had read statistics on miscarriages after a heartbeat had been identified and 90-95% of pregnancies made it to full term. I was also looking up stats on miscarrying after 8 weeks - the chances of it happening was less than 5%. I was consumed with googling miscarriages, signs of miscarriages and birth statistics.  Considering the odds of our first baby's cleft there was just NO way I would miscarry this baby. After all we had been through with Ryder J, this was the baby that was going to fulfill all those desires we had! Sure it was starting off a little rough but that's fine, Ryder's pregnancy started off perfect and ended rough so maybe this would be the exact opposite.

And then came the morning of Wednesday, May 14th ....