Pregnancy: Part 3 - First Trimester

Hello all!

I left off last time with how we ended up telling different groups of people about the upcoming arrival of Baby W, so I'l pick up right there.

We left Rob's parents' house the Wednesday after Christmas, but that morning, I had been a little concerned. I had had some unusual bleeding that morning that was combined with cramping. Of course my go-to is to look up questions on the computer and that was a huge mistake. We left around lunchtime, and I just had a huge knot in my stomach. I called my mom to get her advice, and she asked me some questions. Because I was cramping, she encouraged me to call my doctor. We hadn't even had an appointment with my OB yet, but I did have an appointment scheduled for 2 weeks later. I spoke with the on-call nurse, and after a run-down of questions, she encouraged me to come in the next morning.

I went to sleep a little worried that night, but tried not to let it consume my thoughts. Rob and I went the next day to give blood and to be checked out. My OB was not there that day, so I saw another doctor in the practice. She said that we were probably too early to see anything on a sonogram (I was about 6 weeks) but she checked everything else out, asked me a ton of questions again, and then sent us on our way. She told me to come back in two days for more bloodwork, so they could compare my HCG levels to make sure my hormone levels were rising correctly. After I had done that, they said the blood work results would be back in a few days.

Waiting those few days was not fun. I felt like I couldn't continue to think that I was pregnant because of the bleeding (which had lessened, a good sign), but I wanted to because I didn't know that there WAS something wrong. It was emotionally very confusing. Lauren and Trevor were in town that next weekend, so I went over to the Prewett's house to spend some time with Lauren and Isla. It was so tough not telling her then what I was struggling with mentally and not being able to share my fears and/or excitement.

On the way home, on a whim, I called my OB's office. I just wanted to know either way, just to have some solid answer to hold on to. I wasn't even sure they were going to have the information, but if they did have it, I didn't want to wait until Monday to know. The front desk clerk answered and transfered me to my nurse practitioner. Hearing her voice on the other line made my heart beat faster. And then she said the words I was waiting to hear, "Well, you're definitely pregnant!" I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. She told me that she would see me in a few days (for my regular 8 week appointment). I immediately called Rob and told him the good news. We were both very relieved and happy to just have an answer.

We continued to keep things under wraps from most. We wanted to wait until the 12 weeks mark to make sure we were out of the clear. Secretly, I think because we had had the scare of bleeding, I was a little bit leery to tell others. I just didn't want the pain of having to tell someone at a later date that we had lost the baby if that were to ever happen.

We went in giddy and excited (with a small side of anxiousness) a little bit later for our 8 week appointment. We sat in the waiting room, exchanging smiles and holding sweaty hands.

When our sweet Nurse Practitioner (Kathleen) came in, my heart started to beat a little faster. After what seemed like a million questions, she began the sonogram process...not the abdominal kind, but it didn't matter. We just wanted to see our little bean. Right away, it popped up on the screen, and a few seconds later, we saw the sweetest little flicker we have ever seen. I immediately started to cry, just overcome with emotion that we actually had a little life in there, that we were actually about to walk down the road that led to parenthood, and just amazed that the Lord had entrusted us with this little human being. It was such a sweet moment.

Our little peanut. :)

Our first "family" photo.

 Right after that, I started getting a little sick with morning sickness. Nothing was unbearable, and Rob was very sweet to help make me / go get me things that I could stomach. I switched to taking my prenatal vitamins to right before I went to bed, and that helped a little. I only vomited a few times, and most of the time, as long as I was eating little snacks constantly (a little challenging to do when nothing sounded good) I was pretty fine. 

I also started taking weekly photos after that appointment. Baby's first tennis tournament. :)

When I was 11 weeks and 5 days, we went for another appointment. We "graduated" to the belly ultrasound, and it was so fun to see our little one squirming and wiggling around. We were all smiles as the tech checked everything out with measurements, etc. We couldn't believe how much Baby W had grown in less than 4 weeks!

We talked to our OB, Dr. Sara Jurney, for the first time since finding out we were expecting and she answered some questions for us. It was so fun to talk with her, and just realize with her every answer that we were really going to have a baby. We left the appointment a little bit later with our cheeks hurting from smiling so much. 

A few hours later, when I was working after school, I got a call from my OB office. I was a little nervous, since we had just left from there, but I answered it and found that it was Kathleen, our nurse practitioner. She asked if I had some time to chat, and at that point I knew something was wrong. Basically, the short end of what she said was that after we had left, Dr. Jurney had looked at our sonograms closely and was concerned about a few things, mainly the thickness of Baby W's nuchal fold. This is a measurement of the thickness of his neck. All babies have somewhat of a thick "neck" before they develop a little more, but she was concerned about the measurement at that point in the game. My heart dropped as she told me some of the reasons why this could be so. She mentioned Trisomy 13, 18, and 21 and a few other genetic disorders. I took notes furiously as she talked because I knew I wouldn't remember a word she said to me. Everything suddenly felt like a blur. I kept thinking...a few hours ago, we were on cloud 9. Everything seemed like it was just crashing down. 

I got off the phone feeling numb. I immediately called Rob and told him through short breaths and tears what Kathleen had told me. He was stable and reassuring, but I could hear the concern in his voice. We both left work to go home. Luckily we had something to attend for that evening, as it kept our minds busy for a while. But when I think back to that night and picture it, things look dark and dim. We talked later that night and decided that we really needed to talk directly to Dr. Jurney. 

I called the office and left them a request to have her call me. The next day, I got a call after school again. Honestly, I think I was hoping to hear from her that she wasn't as concerned as Kathleen had let on. That there was only a marginal possibility that any of those things might be real. But I got off the phone even more anxious and worried after speaking with her. Dr. Jurney suggested genetic testing (something that we were against initially). I got off the phone so confused and so overwhelmed with all of the options. I called Rob and he just let me cry. I called my mom on the way home to work, and she told me that she and Stephen were going to come to Houston the next day to be with us. Rob and I just sat on the couch last night and weighed the options. It really was an awful night. I felt so low. But Rob prayed for us, prayed for wisdom that we would make the right decisions, that Baby W was growing and developing just like he needed to, and that His will would be done in the situation. It was then that we placed our little peanut in God's hands. We had to swallow the thought that our little one wasn't really ours - this was far more difficult than I ever realized it would be, and our little one was just a few weeks into his or her development. It was amazing how quickly we were attaching to Baby W in just a few short weeks. 

We decided to get the genetic testing that Dr. Jurney had suggested. It is called the Harmony test, and it tests for the main types of genetic disorders. I went the next day and gave blood. I had a knot in my stomach, but I knew that knot would stay if we didn't have some kind of answer. Waiting those 2 weeks was pretty rough. My grandfather, Papos, whom I was very close to passed away during that time too. It just seemed like everything that could possibly go wrong was happening. I will say, though, that because of his death, I was able to be surrounded by family for a few days which was great medicine. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I got a voicemail on my phone while I was at work. It was a lab technician from the company I had done my testing through. She let me know that there was less that 1 in 10,000 chance that our little baby had a genetic disorder. Tears pricked in my eyes, but I was so relieved. I immediately called Rob to let him know, and it was such a relief to know that things were looking so positive.

It took a few weeks for things to feel normal after the roller coaster of that event, but we were happy to put that behind us and move past the 12 week hump!

More soon,

Pregnancy - Part 2: Letting Everyone Know

Hello all!

The first trimester went by very quickly for us. Since we found out around 5 weeks and then the holidays were right after, it seemed to fly.

We found out on December 17th that we were expecting, and December 21st we headed to the Hill Country for Christmas. We arrived that night in Kerrville to my mom and step-dad and my older brother and sister-in-law. On the drive there, Rob and I had talked about not telling anyone in our families because we were so early on, but we looked up fun ways to eventually tell everyone. But because we found out on my mom's birthday, we actually wanted to tell her secretly at some point while we were there.

When we got to my mom's house, we were all just hanging around and waiting on Price to get there. Laura made an odd request that we take a picture that night, and that she just wanted to be better about documenting things with pictures. She had my mom and I stand by the tree and Austin (actually videoing) told us, "Ok, now smile, Mom, and say, 'I'm going to be a grandma!'" We were so happy to hear the news and were so surprised. Of course, I immediately wanted to know all of the details. I figured out we were 2 weeks apart to the day, and it was so hard to keep all of the excitement inside! Rob and I went to bed that night talking about how fun it was going to be to go through pregnancy with Austin and Laura, and to ultimately raise our kids together. Cousins two weeks apart!

The next morning Laura and I were on a run and, of course, we were talking all about the pregnancy. There came a point in time where she just kept talking about how wonderful it was to be surrounded by family that could pray for you and support you because they knew of the pregnancy and how nice it was to finally let the news out. I finally just made her stop on the side of the road and told her that I was expecting. It was a fun moment to share, just the two of us.

With Laura in the know, I knew we would have to tell everyone else. It was just too fun of a coincidence that both of us were pregnant and due in August.  That night we opened presents with the family. I had gotten an ornament and had written "Baby W's First Christmas - ETA August 2013."  I waited until the last present had been opened and then handed my mom one that I had hidden.  Her reaction was so much fun, and it was a blast getting to celebrate with my family once they knew.

The next evening, we headed to Rob's parents' house in Boerne to be with his family for Christmas Eve and Christmas. We did a similar number with his parents in letting them open the last present and them finding an ornament. They were very excited, and we spent the next day and a half talking about babies and future plans. 

I told a few of my closest friends on New Years at the Prewett Ranch. Rob and I had recently gone on a trip to New Orleans, and so I pretended to let them look through our pictures from the trip. This is what they found at the end of the roll :)

For others that we had over to the house (my Bunco group, other close friends, etc.) we just left our sonograms up on the refrigerator and let them find them find out that way. It was fun to see a slight confusion on their face at first and then put two and two together. 

Any way we did it, telling people that we were expecting has been one of my favorite parts of the pregnancy so far. People have been so sweet and warm to congratulate, and we have had so much fun with it. 

More soon!

Pregnancy - Part 1: TWO Blue Lines

Hello all!

I hope this finds you all well! My last post revealed some big news for us, so I thought I would try and play catch up (mostly for myself) on my pregnancy and our journey to a family of three. I haven't posted anything yet, so I will start from the beginning.  Warning: This might contain detailed and yucky details. Boys, beware. :)

Rob and I had talked about starting a family and we knew that it might take me a while to get pregnant for a number of reasons. That being said, we decided to pull the plug in October. (See, I told you it might be detailed and yucky.)

Fast forward 2 months...Rob and I were headed out to dinner on December 15th. It was the 4 year anniversary of our first date, and we were going out to celebrate. I had been feeling a little funny for the past few days. I decided to take a pregnancy test because I knew I would probably be drinking that night. I was in a hurry, so after...well, you know... I quickly took a look and...nothing. One line in each panel. I quickly threw it away and headed off to the our dinner, thinking that it was dumb of me to have even taken a test. I hadn't even missed my cycle yet. We had a lovely night enjoying each other and reminiscing about the past four years. How time flies!

Two days later, Rob and I were having a normal evening at home. He was in the kitchen thawing out some meat for dinner, and I still couldn't shake that feeling of being a little off. I was super tired after school each day (and a few other odd indicators) and I was just stumped. I was supposed to start my cycle that day and didn't, but it still wasn't that odd since I was sure my body was just trying to get over being on birth control. On a whim, I decided to take another pregnancy test. I repeated the same steps as two days before, waited a little bit and looked at the stick. Again, one line in each panel.  I set the stick down on the sink, and as I washed my hands, I just chalked up my tiredness to it being such a busy time with holiday parties and activities and to my kiddos at school being super excited about their Christmas break. I finished up at the sink, dried my hands, and as I reached over to throw the stick in the trash can, I saw them. Yes, THEM. Two blue lines making a plus sign in the first panel. My heart beat a little faster as I pulled out the instruction sheet from the linen closet even though I knew what it said. With shaking hands, I reread the instructions. They hadn't changed. After making sure I wasn't mistaken, I began to cry. A wave of a million different emotions welled up in me. I was overcome with excitement and joy...we were going to have a BABY! We were going to start a family. This was it. A moment I had thought about for so long. But then, I was instantly nervous and scared at the same time. Our lives would forever be changed. Were we ready?

With a face full of tears, I walked into the kitchen and Rob was still at the sink. I reached around him and put the stick in plain view. He waited a second or two and then said, "What?" That was it. That was his response, and kept on with his business. He turned around to look at me and said it again. "What does that mean?" "Babe!! We're pregnant!" I told him, now laughing that he wasn't understanding. "No way," said my engineer of a husband. "You've got a positive and a negative there. That can't mean pregnant." I literally had to go and get the instructions again to prove to him that I wasn't pulling his leg. When it sunk in, we laughed and cried together in the kitchen and just thought about the enormity of that night...What it meant for us as a couple, what it meant for us as a family to be, and all that was in store for us for the next 100 years. What a rush, and what a blessing that the Lord had given us.

I pulled out my phone and figured out that I was just 5 weeks along, and then calculated that my due date would be in August. And then I started thinking, wait a minute...I took a pregnancy test two days ago. How odd that it didn't read positive then. I rushed into the bathroom and fished out stick #1 (gross, I know). Sure enough, there THEY were again: two blue lines making a plus sign. I just hadn't waited long enough the first time! I showed Rob and we had a good laugh. I guess good things really do come to those that wait the whole instructed 3 minutes. :)

We went on a walk a little bit later that night and talked about baby the whole time. We were so excited, and we just couldn't stop smiling. We knew it was the start of a long journey, but we were thrilled to be walking down that road together. I will never forget that night and the joy that we felt.

I never knew pregnancy would be a roller coaster, though, and we were in for some rocky times. I'll write about that soon.

Until then! More soon,

The Ups (and Downs) of 2012

Hello blogger friends!

I hope this post finds you all well and enjoying a great 2013! It's been a while since I posted last, but I have decided that I am going to quit saying I am going to do a better job. Because I probably won't. :) But every now and again it is nice to update this thing and stay in touch with my friends that are on.

2012 was an interesting and exciting year that also brought with it some heartache. I know that that is just life and that is how it will always be, and it is comforting to know that God is with us in all of those times. He is always present, holding our right hand, and walking us through the trials and joys that He brings us to. In 2012, we lost Rob's Nana, my sweet SIL lost her dad, I left Stanley Elementary to start a new job at First Baptist Academy, I had my first minor surgery, we had some big family changes with my mom announcing her upcoming marriage, we got broken into and my purse got stolen, we hit the three year anniversary of Dad being gone, my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, we lost my grandmother, and most recently, we lost my grandfather. It has been a rocky road, but I have never been more thankful for a supportive husband, a family that loves spending time together, friends that are like sisters, and a Savior that is ever present. 2012 has taught me much, and I can only take good away from learning experiences. (And who wants to focus on the tough stuff, anyway!)

2012 also brought some incredible, wonderful memories. There have been many blessings and joys that we have celebrated this year, and it was a blast to get to share them with loved ones and friends. Here are some of the highlights.

Rob and I celebrated two years of marriage in Roatan, Honduras. It was the kind of vacation where you explore all day and then the next day do nothing on the beach. It was perfect. It was beautiful. It was the best way to reminisce on the past few years. Love him!

We had the privilege and gift of attending the U.S. Open this year, which has been a bucket list item for  Rob for quite a while. It was incredible and something that we will never forget. We loved New York and hope to make it back soon.

We added a new member to our family this year, my step-dad, Stephen. Mom and Stephen's wedding was tough in some very predictable aspects, but he has been a huge blessing to our family and to my mom. Getting to know him during the holiday season has been a joy, and we look forward to him becoming a larger part of our lives soon.

We spent a week in Virginia with my family this summer and had a wonderful time. I am truly thankful that our family makes getting together a priority, and I am even more thankful that we enjoy that time immensely. We are blessed, indeed.

I had the joy and honor of helping welcome Miss Isla Joyce Prewett into the world in June. She is growing like a weed, and is as cute as ever. Lauren and Trevor are wonderful parents, and Isla is a joy to all those around her.

I started a new job at First Baptist Academy in August, and it has been a true blessing. The families and staff that are there are incredible, and I love my sweet little first grade team of 3 and my kiddos. God has truly blessed me with the opportunity to work in such an encouraging and positive environment.

Rob and I spent a week in San Diego in February. Part of the trip was for business and then we extended our stay for a few extra days. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there (business dinners, wives at the San Diego Zoo, shopping in La Joya, and then our time alone in downtown San Diego). It was a great trip.

We hosted a baby shower for Lauren in March and it was a blast prepping for Baby P. Lauren was as beautiful as ever and I think the shower turned out pretty cute.

Jonah celebrated 9 years of life this year in April. He is still as active and sharp as ever, and we are thankful. We love our little buddy! Here's to many more!

As usual, we enjoyed the time we spent at the ranch this year. Good memories are always made, and we always can't wait to make it back there. We are so thankful for our own little get-away spot in the beautiful Hill Country.

Rob surprised me with a spur-of-the-moment trip to Galveston the weekend before school started. He is so good about pampering me in the midst of stressful situations. I must say, going into the first day of school after a relaxing weekend with my main squeeze was good for the soul.

I celebrated my 28th birthday this year amongst good friends. It was a great weekend, and I am thankful that I have such great friends to share life's celebrations with.

We spent our Thanksgiving in Alpine, Texas this year with my mom and Stephen, Price, and about 10 hunters. It was a really fun experience (while very different from our usual Thanksgiving traditions at my mom's house) and one that I will never forget. I was thankful for the opportunity to get to know Stephen a little bit and also to be around his two children.

Christmas season this year was loads of fun. First, I found out I am going to be an AUNT! My brother and sister-in-law, Laura, are expecting their first baby around August 7th and we are thrilled. My side of the family enjoyed an early Christmas together and then we headed to Boerne to share time with Rob's family Christmas Eve and Christmas. Time spent in both places was wonderful and heart-warming. It was a great reminder of the love that we have surrounding us in our family members. It was probably the best Christmas we have had together in a few years, and we are thankful.

We spent some time in New Orleans with my brother and sister-in-law after Christmas. It was a quick trip, but it was fun to spend some time just the four of us, as that rarely happens. They headed back to Maryland shortly after. We hope to see them again soon!

But the TOPPER for this year, by far, is that we found out that we are expecting a BABY in August!!!! We were thrilled to find out, and then quickly had the huge spectrum of emotions that followed: anxiety, happiness, fear, joy, morning sickness, :) etc. (Hopefully this is all normal!) We found out on March 16th that Baby W is a BOY and we couldn't be more excited!!  We know that God has planned this little baby's life and we are thankful that He has entrusted him to us as his parents! Laura and I are two weeks apart, and I cannot begin to tell you how exciting it is to walk through this pregnancy with a sister and friend. How exciting! Hang on to your hats Maxwell clan; August is going to be one crazy month!!!

 So there is our 2012 in a nutshell! What a wild ride it has been, and what a growing one. In this past year and in the coming one, with all of the change that has happened and will continue, with all of the grief and joys, with all of the goodbyes and new beginnings, I can't help but remember that God is with us.

More soon!

Mallory

We Did It: 2 Years. Part 1

Hi all! Rob and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Roatan, Honduras this summer to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. It was a great, relaxing, and fun-filled trip, and I am so glad that we got to celebrate this way.

On the plane, ready to play! 

Gorgeous view of the island from the plane.

After we got settled into our place, we were fitted with the Jeep that we rented for the week. It had been a good 10 years since Rob had driven a standard, but he did a great job of driving with the locals (they were pretty ruthless!) and avoiding the massive craters that were on the roads due to small earthquakes and the wear and tear of it being an island. 

All smiles. We're off!

We grabbed some groceries at a local grocery store and found it to be surprisingly pristine (and pretty pricey). We knew we would probably be eating out most of the week, so we just grabbed the basics. 

After we unloaded at the house, we headed out for drinks in the West End, which could be considered Roatan's downtown. We actually got caught in a downpour while walking around, but had a great time scrambling and spending some time at a quaint little bar on the water. 

We had some pretty great recommendations on restaurants and plates to be sure and grab while on our trip, so the first night, we headed to Tong's. I kid you not, I had the best Chicken Pad Thai that I have ever consumed at this restaurant that night. (So much that we went back at the end of the week for the same dish.)

The most common local beer of the island. Rob's drink of choice for the week :)

Dessert at Tong's. Fried plantains with coconut ice cream. Divine.

The next day, we headed out to Jonesville, a little town about 30 minutes from the West End in hopes of finding the well-known (but hard to find) Hole in the Wall. The infrastructure of the towns was really interesting and there was almost no signage. BUT, one car ride, a few wrong turns, and several pieced-together conversations later, we arrived at a parking lot that had a sign saying to park there for the restaurant. As if he could see us coming from a mile away, as soon as we parked, a man driving his boat was heading our way from the open water. Clyde confirmed from the water that we were there for the restaurant and motioned for us to come to the edge and hop in his boat. (Clyde, as it turns out, had lived in Jonesville his entire life and knew everyone that we ran into. His daughter actually owned the Hole in the Wall.) After getting in, he taxied us across the water and down a bit to an open air restaurant built on the side of a cliff. 

We were in luck, Clyde told us as soon as we docked, because that day was the all-you-can-eat buffet day. Unfortunately, the main dish was lobster (which I can't have) but Rob was like a kid in a candy store. Everything was so fresh.

I, however, preferred the drinks. The famous mixed drink of the island is called a Monkey La-La. It seriously tastes like a chocolate shake with alcohol in it. (Come visit us, we have the recipe!)

And we couldn't leave the restaurant without signing the wall saying we had actually arrived there. Such a fun experience!

After lunch, Clyde toured us through the mangroves before dropping us off at our jeep. If you can imagine, at several points during our ride, boats were coming in the opposite direction, but Clyde clearly had done that a time or two and we avoided any contact. Crazy.

The next day was Monday, and Rob headed off pretty early to his first scuba dive. He had a great time, and I spent the morning reading in the hammock, drinking delicious coffee, and gently swaying in the breeze. (I told Rob he could scuba as much as he wanted to that week :) I was finishing the Hunger Games trilogy and couldn't get enough of them. Our unit was on the third floor, so our view made it feel like we were in the top of the canopy. In the mornings, we were often woken up by exotic birds. It really made the experience fun. 

That afternoon, we headed to our first snorkeling excursion. We met our tour guide, Christopher, and throughout the day, he took us to several cool spots around the island that might show us some neat aspects of the island water. He first took us to a large coral reef. Roatan is on the map because their reefs are in such great shape, so the fish and reef were really fun to see. The colors were incredible.

Getting ready.

Next, he took us to a spot where we got to see thousands of starfish. For some reason, they all flock there and stay. Their colors were crazy.

I got my first injury of the trip when some sea grass stung me while looking at the starfish. It felt like a jelly fish, but didn't sting as long. 

After that, we grabbed lunch after that at one of Christopher's favorite restaurants. It was a neat tour, and we had pretty good weather for it. 

That night we grabbed dinner in West End at a pizza place that was just ok. The island life is so chill there, and we quickly slipped into their ways. We grabbed some drinks at a favorite bar, Sundowners, and then called it a night. 

The next day was our actual anniversary. We decided to spend it beach-side, and I'm glad we did. The water was beautiful, drinks were delicious, and I loved relaxing and remembering what I was doing two years prior. We have such fun memories of our wedding day, so it was fun to reminisce. 

That night, we headed to a nice dinner at the Black Pearl, and it was the perfect setting for our dinner that night. 

We finished the evening watching our rehearsal dinner and wedding videos. I loved seeing our wedding again, and it was neat to be reminded of our vows to one another. 

I'll finish the rest of our trip when I have more time. (School starts on Tuesday and I am procrastinating....major.)

More soon!