Munchkin Face Part 2 of 3 (The Pregnancy)

I have been debating if I should write a post about my Little Munchkin Face for a while now, trying to decide if I would open up that part of me to all of you. I know I have mentioned several times about how he is my miracle baby, he is the most precious gift (not that my other children aren't which you will understand by the end of this 3 part series.) So, with all that said I will write each post about my baby munchkin face for the next 3 days (which will delay the party until Saturday and don't forget about the awesome giveaway going on right now here). So here we go...
On Friday, December 16 my little Munchkin Face, Lawson (or Aussie as we call him), will turn 2. He is the most beautiful, most perfect child I ever seen...
Sitting in the bathroom all alone waiting on stick to show me two lines or one, I was flooded with mixed emotions. If I was pregnant, this would be the 5th time in 6 years. I was excited by the prospect of having a new addition to the family but terrified that it would end tragically like it had twice before. After the Princess was born my husband and I had to 2nd trimester miscarriages, the first on November 19, 2005 at 18 weeks, and the second on April 26, 2007 at 16 weeks. Both due to what my O.B. referred to as being "unlucky." Then on March 27, 2008 we were blessed with our little Logi Bear (Logan)...

This time we were LUCKY, BLESSED, a miracle!!

None of my pregnancies came without complications. I always had HORRIBLE morning sickness to the point of having to be hospitalized for dehydration with ALL of them. But, that was just part of it, I figured.

So while I sat waiting and waiting and waiting I could not help but imagine the possibilities; good and bad. And then it came...2 pink lines. The hubba's birthday was coming up so I thought of a clever way to add this announcement to his bday. When we had friends over to celebrate his birthday we stayed quiet not wanting to "jinx" ourselves. The next day, I was so glad we did. I started having cramping and bleeding. We had not even been to the doctor to confirm yet and here I was calling the office to find out what to do. They told us to go to the E.R. to confirm yet another miscarriage. After several tests and exams we were sent home with a packet of information about miscarriage, advised to follow-up with my O.B. the next day, and were totally heart broken for a 3rd time.

That night was terrible; to say the least. I called the next morning for an appointment and got right in. My doctor is a total OPTIMIST and said that since it was so early in the pregnancy, it really was hard to find to a heart beat at this stage. He asked that we come back on Monday for an ultra sound to double check everything. WHAT??? There is still hope?? I have hope...

We went back on Monday and low and behold there was still a baby. But there was also a "mass" and continued bleeding. Modified bed rest (at home and in bed when not going potty or eating)and ultra sounds every 3 days...this continued through August! I have 2 photo albums of pictures from before Munchkin Face was even born. In September, there was still a mass laying next to the baby which we were told could cause a spontaneous miscarriage if it tried to resolve itself. So, the worry was not over and then we were also told that I had a slight Placental Previa but that it should not cause too much concern (remember this tidbit for later). I was just happy that we were still pregnant and could tell people and that I could do something other than lay in bed!

My books full of sono-pics... 

A pic of a sono pic. Baby is on the bottom right.

The BIG black thing with a line through it is the doctor

taking measurements of the "mass."

For the next couple of months life went on as normal, well as normal as normal can be with doctor visits every week or two. When he let me go a month without a visit I about lost it...but we made it. We also had to see specialist but that was just par-for-the-course after all of our previous pregnancies. They never determined what the "mass" was. All they did know was that it was fluid. We were told that it could have been a bleed from the amniotic sac, or just a bleed, they thought it may have been twins and we lost one. Really they had no idea but thought everything would be fine. Life was back to normal (whatever that is right?). Life was good!

I went on a weekend shopping trip with my girlfriends, played with the kids, cleaned house, etc. Life was good. After Thanksgiving my husband and I went to football game together and it was fantastic...minus all the walking. On Dec. 4 my bestie and I had fabulous evening out with dinner and a showing of WICKED. LIFE WAS GOOD!!!

On Dec. 11, an all to familiar feeling; I was cramping and everything that comes along with that. This time, even though my bleeding was minimal and they thought that I was maybe just dilating a little, I was put on hospital bed rest. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...the doctor came to visit. Bleeding was at a minimum. I asked to go home. He thought for a long while and decided that I should stay one more night. He suspected that I could go home the next day. I was disappointed but understood. The shift change came and I met my new nurse. She had just graduated from nursing school and was maybe 20. A totally wonderful and caring nurse. I was just glad that my day time nurse was gone since she had been one of my antepartum nurses previously (I thought she was a bad omen or something). She said that since things were going so well she would not bother me too much unless I needed something. I was content and life was good again. I was going home tomorrow...