Health update

This may be a boring post (no pics) but many of you have been asking for updates on my and baby's health status.

Okay, so I am still failing in a major way at updating my blog. It's not because we haven't been busy. We actually took Little Pea to the Birmingham Zoo a couple of weeks ago and I've even been able to get out a couple of times since then. However, I am still battling the RA symptoms which doesn't make picking up the heavy computer seem very enticing. I'm still really sore in the mornings, especially with these cold mornings and nights, but the afternoons have actually been somewhat bearable, which is more than they have been for the past few months. We even walked down the block today, a MAJOR accomplishment for this prego with RA!

Baby #2 is doing great. We had our 12 week appointment last week, and though we weren't scheduled for an ultrasound we were able to get one. Normally, at 12 weeks, the doctor just listens for the baby's heartbeat on doppler (I think that's what it's called), but it's very hard to get the baby's heartbeat over the mother's when you're so early on in the pregnancy. So, after trying for a minute, my heartbeat was so loud that the doctor decided that we would just ultrasound to find the baby's heartbeat. And I was so glad! The baby has grown a lot and has a nice strong heartbeat. It was 164 at the appointment.

This pregnancy is definitely a lot different than my pregnancy with Little Pea. For one thing, I haven't gained any weight, probably because of the RA. You can't even tell that I'm pregnant, where with her you could tell I was pregnant at 10 weeks! Also, I've been a lot sicker with this pregnancy...lots more nausea and actual throwing up. Yuck!

Many of you have asked if I need anything. Thank you so much for your care and concern. It is definitely appreciated. The thing I could use most right now, other than prayer, is just encouragement. You can't even imagine how much I need it right now. Having this disease for 10 months now along with being pregnant for 3 months is really taking a toll on me. I know I must trust in God and that he has a plan for me in all of this. It's just hard and very lonely to go through when I can't really explain to anyone what it feels like. Not only does it take a toll physically, but also emotionally. Someday I hope to come out on top of all of this and be able to help other people that are in the same situation. Until then, keep praying!

I'll try to do better on updating my blog. My laptop is on its last leg, though, so it may be easier when I replace it. How long are these things supposed to last anyway?