Because If I Said Anything At All, I Would Say Too Much

That's what I've thought these last several weeks as I've held onto a juicy secret that's kept me far away from really blogging -- the secret of my newest pregnancy. I know it's not really a secret to too many anymore since I announced it yesterday on Twitter and Facebook, but I wanted to publicly announce it here for those who read by blog, but are otherwise disconnected from every other waking moment of my life.

Today, I'm 9 weeks and one day pregnant. We've known for five weeks and two days. On ultrasounds, the baby's been measuring two days ahead, but due dates aren't really relevant in my situation -- they're more of a general guide to a c-section date. If I were reproductively normal and if I were allowed to carry to term, I'd be due on August 11th. It's going to be a long, hot Texas summer!

A couple of people have made the connection of this pregnancy's timeline to Zachary's, so to clarify: this pregnancy is 2 weeks ahead of my landmark dates with him. I'll be 24 weeks pregnant when we honor the 2nd anniversary of his birthday and dying day in April. Zachary was born prematurely at 22 weeks. Thus far, I've been okay with the similarity in dates, and I'm hopeful I will continue to be as stable as time passes.

So far, I'm feeling great. I don't normally have issues with morning sickness, and I haven't been sick during this pregnancy. I have been very, very sleepy, but that's because of my unbelievably good progesterone levels. It would be nice to say this has been a completely uneventful pregnancy, but that wouldn't be true. This pregnancy is a miracle, and has been fraught with unusual circumstances from the start. (You can read more about our pregnancy journey and about earlier events on my newly non-secret baby blog: www.about-the-baby.blogspot.com)

We're hopeful that the worst is behind us. My blood hormone levels are monitored with lab work every three days, and once a heartbeat is heard or seen on ultrasound, the rate of miscarriage falls to less than a 5% chance. We've seen a healthy heartbeat and a growing baby now five times by ultrasound, so we're hopeful that reduces our risk further. Despite the projected good outcome, my care team is still very cautious and I'll be expected to see my OB/GYN or Perinatologist once every other week, rotating between the two for check-ups and sonograms for the duration.

We're so grateful for this pregnancy, and thank God for the many, many miracles He's already done. We'd appreciate your prayers as we progress.