7 Quick Takes

--- 1 ---

In case you missed my announcement on Wednesday, we are expecting a baby on (or around!) March 5th. We are so, so elated! I'm offering up the difficulties of this pregnancy (general pregnancy stuff but mostly progesterone issues which I'll post about sometime) for those dealing with infertility and subfertility. We pray a weekly rosary on a rosary that was custom made just for Penny with our intentions being Penny's health and the list of people we have. If you want to be added, please let me know and we would love to pray for you! The rosary is a powerful tool... 2 people dealing with subfertility have gotten pregnant so far! Mary is quite the intercessor ;). In fact, we prayed a beautiful novena to her the cycle we got pregnant. 

This is how we showed up to my parents' front door in SC on July 4th, totally unexpected :). We had to sit in the car around the corner for about 20 minutes because when I first called my mom was in the shower. LOL it was torture!!! 

--- 2 ---

I have many more letters to Penny but not sure if I should keep posting them or not. I have to admit, it does make for a very easy post once a week and I enjoy sharing them, but I'm not sure how I'll ever catch up! I'd like to eventually just write them here but I think I'm still about 7 behind. Apparently I have lots to say to that little one! I'm already sad for the future hypothetical 2nd child who I'm sure will not receive this kind of attention!

--- 3 ---

I have seen such a beautiful outpouring of love and support since I became pregnant. I love seeing so much good in people! I went straight to Cathsorority with the news because I knew I'd have tons of people praying for me, and pray they did (and still do!). From there, I had one amazing friend give me almost an entire wardrobe of maternity clothes (half of it before we had ever met in real life, and the other half the first time we got to meet!), and another who I've never met sent me a gift card to Motherhood Maternity. Another worked with me to custom make the rosary for Penny that I talked about in the first take. It will be prayed on all through pregnancy and given to Penny as a First Communion gift one day. Yes, there were lots of tears on all occasions. It's been a great inspiration and reminder to me to pass that kind of love on to others!

--- 4 ---

Ok, I was attempting to not have all my takes be baby related but I can't help it. I promise I will blog about other things soon! Steven and I agreed, upon finding out we were pregnant, not to buy baby stuff until 12 weeks, especially since I was having progesterone scares. Well by the end of that day, it had been moved up to 8 weeks. And by 8 weeks, I had about 5 outfits of every size through the first year, an ergo carrier, a marvel avengers ring sling for Steven, furniture anchors, and some Melissa and Doug toys. OOPS :). How could I not? I was too excited AND I kept finding things in thrift stores and consignment stores for awesome prices. I love me a bargain, and a bargain on something OMG SO CUTE is even better. We aren't finding out the sex, so I had NO incentive to wait on clothes! We celebrated new life from the very first day and I wouldn't want to do it any differently! 

Someone loves the ring sling, someone else does not.

--- 5 ---

Cravings thus far: Barbecue, Mexican, Pizza, Eggs, Nuts, Beef, Wendy's Berry Almond Salad, Ice Water. Steven loves our baby even more now. Luckily, this baby mostly does not enjoy sweets so that's a win-win. PCOS develops in the womb (since eggs and ovaries develop in the womb) so I'm trying to stay away from high GI foods and sweets. Luckily my severe craving of protein has made that pretty easy! 

--- 6 ---

Shout out for Creighton and Napro. Do you know that the average woman has to miscarry 2-3 times before her doctor will do a simple blood test to check for progesterone deficiencies? Doctors often time to not have a woman come in until 6 weeks. It's hard to even type this, but Penny would have been GONE by 6 weeks. Thank God for my doctor who had us come in the very day we had a positive test and got me started on progesterone. If you chart and have any indication of low progesterone, please request that your ob test it early on or, ideally, before pregnancy! I've kind of been a nervous wreck (Steven would laugh at my word choice 'kind of') but seeing our little baby kick, squirm, and stick its arms out on ultrasound this week has totally put me at peace! Thank God for our doctor! 

My favorite ultrasound even though it's the hardest to make out. Baby is looking at us with hands up on either side of his/her face. Peekaboo mom and dad! 

 --- 7 ---

You'd think my Friday question would be baby related, but it's not. We buy big packs of chicken (we buy natural, antibiotic free and stock up on sale) and put 2 pieces in each freezer bag. But we keep having to throw chicken away due to freezer burn! It's not sitting in there for more than a few months and we are using actual Ziploc freezer bags. What am I doing wrong? Freezer set tooo high/low? I hate throwing away money and wasting food. 

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