Surprise, We’re pregnant! I am thrilled to finally share this news with all of you! We are currently 13 weeks along and will be welcoming a sweet little one in August. We found out at the beginning of December and it made the holiday season that much more special.
OUR JOURNEY TO PARENTHOOD
If you saw our announcement on IG you know that our journey to parenthood hasn’t been the easiest. In April of 2020 when we realized that pandemic life was how it was, we decided we didn’t want to put our life on hold. We were ready for a baby. When we made this decision to start trying we had no idea what to expect. I had been on birth control for the past several years, and I had no clue how long it would take my body to regulate. In April, I officially went off my birth control and we started trying. To our surprise, I received a positive pregnancy test right after Mother’s Day. We were SHOCKED to say the least and were so excited to start our family. Chase and I have the hardest time keeping secrets and we immediately told our families.
SOMETHING IS WRONG
When I was about seven weeks along, I started experiencing pain and spotting. I knew that some pain was normal during pregnancy and I just shrugged it off. I didn’t get concerned until a couple days later. I distinctly remember the night I knew something was wrong. Chase and I were watching tv and I stood up to let the dogs outside. When I stood up, I immediately had the sharpest pain I had ever felt that radiated from my stomach down to my crotch. The sharp pain subsided after a bit of rest, but a dull ache/crampy feeling was still there along with the spotting. The next day I went to my doctor and had some testing done. Due to still being early in my pregnancy, I had a blood draw to see if my HCG levels were doubling. Doubling levels are typical of a normal pregnancy. I had my first draw and then 48 hours later I had a second draw done. After my second draw my doctor knew that something was wrong due to my levels not doubling. I immediately went in for an ultrasound and we discovered I had an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy, or extrauterine pregnancy, is when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus or somewhere else in their belly, often in the Fallopian Tubes. Unfortunately, these pregnancies are not viable and surgery or medication is needed to remove them. I feel very fortunate to have discovered my ectopic pregnancy so early on and I received a injection of Methotrexate to remove the pregnancy. If more time would have passed there would have been a higher chance for tubal rupture and surgery would have been required.
DECIDING TO TRY AGAIN
Chase and I knew we wanted to try again as soon as we could. We were heartbroken from our previous experience and I felt that the only thing that could make me feel better was to get pregnant again. As the months passed by, I got more and more impatient. We relied heavily on our faith. I knew our time was coming and our rainbow was in store. Flash forward to December 4, 2020. Chase and I were coming up on day 10 of the 2 week wait. If you’ve tried to conceive you know how long this wait is! I knew it was still early to test, but I have zero patience. 🙂 I took a test and saw a very very fait line-so faint that Chase wasn’t convinced. In a very hopeful way I continued my day and prayed that this was our month! The following morning Chase had his first board exam for dental school. I remember waking up and pulling a test out of the bathroom cabinet. I had barely slept that night because I was so anxious to take a test. I decided to use a test that would tell me point blank if I was pregnant or not pregnant. Sure enough, PREGNANT! I couldn’t wait to tell Chase when he got home from his test. 🙂 It was a very happy day!
QUESTIONS
I’ve had a few questions come through that I want to touch on.
1.How did we know we were ready to start trying?
For us it wasn’t a clear answer. We really enjoy our life as it is now, but we felt like we were ready for more. In July we will celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. We have loved every minute we have spent together, just the two of us, but we are ready to love something more than us. We know this is the next step and we are ready to embark on the journey of parenthood.
2. Do we know the sex yet?
Not yet. We will found out in about 2 weeks and can’t wait! Chase and I both have our suspicions. 🙂
3. How am I feeling?
I am feeling great! I have been SO lucky and experienced very mild nausea. I also love working out and I have been so fortunate to be able to continue working out. There are so many great prenatal workouts on YouTube that I’ve been doing lately.
4. What pregnancy symptoms have you had?
The main thing I noticed was extremely tender breasts. They were so tender that I couldn’t face the shower head when bathing. I found a soft and comfortable bra that I have been living in that has helped a ton! I’ve also had several food aversions have been feeling exhausted. This is picking up a bit since I’m now entering my second trimester.
5. How did I tell Chase/our families?
With Chase being so present in this experience he was around it all. He knew what was happening and with this being the case I didn’t plan an extravagant reveal. When we found out about our first pregnancy I picked up a special children’s book from the bookstore and wrote a special message inside. We still have this book sitting on our bookshelf. 💛 I also did a fun reveal for our families when we found out about our first pregnancy, but this time around we just told them the news. I did wrap up a cute onesie for family at Christmas and that was a very special gift to give. Maybe I will share the video one day. Everyone was THRILLED!
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS
Our experience was hard, but I know so many of you have gone through similar experiences that have tested your faith. Our journey is just beginning and I could not be more excited. I want to thank you each of you. Thank you for your support and for following along on this journey. If you are longing to be a parent, please know that Chase and I are praying for you. Your time is coming!
We love you all! Thank you for stopping by!
XO,
Riley and Chase
