Quinn

After all that we've been through to have a child, fertility drugs and the deaths of our quads, we are pregnant again! The months following Emme and Jacob's deaths were incredibly hard. We didn't know what we were going to do, how we would cope. We did know that we wanted to have more children, but the fertility drugs are so expensive! We decided that I would go back to work part-time to get the medical insurance to cover part of the drugs. I took a pregnancy test on October 9, 2001, just to make sure I wasn't pregnant before accepting the position. It was negative.

My first day back to work was October 22, 2001. I ordered the drugs and was going to pick them up the first week of November 2001. However, On November 4, 2001, we were raking the yard (yuck!) and I felt very winded and sick to my stomach. Eric suggested that I take a pregnancy test...knowing it would be negative, but at least we could rule it out. We both knew there was a slight possibility that I could get pregnant without the use of fertility drugs (your body sometimes "resets" after pregnancy), but I never had my own cycle after Emme was born. Therefore, I assumed that I would not be able to get pregnant.

I went into the house and took the test. The second line was there before I could even put the cap on. I ran to tell Eric. We just looked at each other and laughed. We didn't believe it was true (after all we've been through, we wanted to be a little guarded about being excited). We decided to by a second test (different brand). I took that later that same day and it too was positive! We had blood tests done the next day...which told us that we were already 6 weeks along.

After all that we'd been through with the quads, we were terrified at the possibility of losing another baby. We decided, with the help of our Perinatologist, to have an abdominal cerclage placed. That surgery was done on December 14, 2001. That was a very painful surgery. Much worse than the C-Section I had when Emme was born. I am still feeling a lot of incision pain! Right after the surgery, I was put on modified bed rest. This just means that I am only allowed certain time out of bed (to shower, to eat, etc.). This arrangement is fine with us. It will all be worth it!

As of today, February 12, 2002, I am 20.4 weeks along. I feel great most of the time. This baby is moving a lot! I can even tell when it's sleeping.

We have decided to not find out the sex, we don't care what it is as long as it comes home with us! However, if family/friends keep asking us, we might cave in, so QUIT ASKING!!

First Ultrasound, 11-12-01. Baby is about 7.5 weeks.	Second Ultrasound, 12-3-01. The third ultrasound wasn't very legible.	Fourth Ultrasound, 1-10-02. Baby weighted 6 oz.
Fifth Ultrasound, 1-29-02. See the little arm and the fingers? You can almost make out a nose too!	Sixth Ultrasound, 2-11-02. This is the baby's right foot. You can even see all five toes!	Sixth Ultrasound, 2-11-02. Baby weights 14.5 ozs. Baby is facing front.