Chloe

Like most of us that blog I wanted to do this as a sort of an online journal. I've been meaning to write a post all about Chloe and how blessed we are to have her....


After more than 1 1/2 years of trying I was finally able to get pregnant. One night was I was feeling so much pressure and pain in my lower back I really needed to take some pain medication. I took a pregnancy test to be sure it was safe, and it was negative. I was about to take the pills when I felt like I should try some stretching and heat instead. Luckily it worked, because a couple of days later when I took another pregnancy test... it had 1 1/2 lines. PREGNANT at last!!! or maybe not... what was with the 1/2 line? I wasn't totally sure if I was reading it right. I looked at the stick and then the instructions, back at the stick then back to the instructions. Finally I took the stick to Ryan and said something like 'Honey, I need you to double check this with me.' He was stunned and figured if I was pregnant enough to make the 1/2 line, then I was really pregnant. I took another pregnancy test the next morning to be sure... and yeah 2 lines. Hooray.


I was so concerned that I would lose the pregnancy we didn't tell anyone for a long time. I explained away my intense exhaustion by wondering aloud if perhaps I had mono again. We finally told some of our immediate family members when I was 12 weeks and then the rest found out a couple of weeks later on Christmas. Larae and I were pregnant together for a few weeks, but she didn't know it.


During the secret time, there were multiple occasions that I had to cover my tracks. I went with Ryan's sisters for some Thai food when I was only a few weeks along... that was rough. (later when I was about 20 weeks we went back to the same restaurant and I was fine... loved it in fact.)


I kept it a secret from all but my closest friends at work until I was about 27 or 28 weeks. That's about when I started to show. Chloe spent so much time up in my rib cage she was well hidden until then. My ribs are still bigger around than they were before. She never left my rib cage, looking back she had no where to go since she was so big.


Besides heartburn from day one, freezing cold all the time, complete exhaustion and additional back pain all went well for the first half, but soon after it became public knowledge things went down hill. My upper abdomen started to go numb, I could feel the heartburn still (of course) and pressure if Chloe pushed up on me, but to rub my hands on my belly... I felt nothing. The pain in my back grew higher and more intense. I had to do physical therapy to avoid bed rest, including pool sessions. Now I know why hippos are so at home in the water. I started retaining water in my hands and wrists, and developed pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. I could feel only my pinkies for the last couple of months. My ankles ballooned and I had to wear compression socks. Yeah try pulling those puppies on when you can't bend over, you can't feel most of your hands and you've got a crappy back. My slippers were the only 'shoes' I could wear and at the end even they didn't fit.


I wanted to so much to be done w/ pregnancy. Please don't misunderstand, I loved the fact that I was creating this little person, and I read everything I could get my hands on to see how big she was and what was developing right then. I really got into all of that. I loved hearing her heartbeat at the doctor, seeing her in my 20 week ultrasound. It was all so miraculous and faith building that only Heaven Father could make such an amazing situation. But I was miserable.


Speaking of the 20 weeks ultrasound, Chlo didn't want to participate in that. Every time the tech would try to see her face, Chloe would bring her hands up to her face. Every time she tried to see if we were having a boy or a girl, Chloe would cross her legs. We were finally able to determine she was a girl. (I remained some what nervous that we would get prepared for a girl and then end up with a boy.) I loved watching her little heart beat like crazy in that ultrasound.



That's enough for now, I'll finish the story later.