I’m going to be a dad, again

If you haven’t been around here in the past few days, or if you missed my not so subtle hint the other day, I am pleased to report that I am going to be a dad for the second time. We are very excited to finally be able to share the news of our pregnancy.

My wife is nearly 13 weeks along with baby number two and everything seems to be going right according to plan. We’ve obviously known for a little while now, yet have been reluctant to say anything. As a result, it has made writing interesting blog posts difficult these past few weeks.

Our first OB appointment was about six weeks in and the initial blood work indicated that my wife’s progesterone levels were at the low end of a normal range. Despite receiving a prescription to help improve her levels we were on edge for the five days in between receiving the news and our first ultrasound.

Because of the previous miscarriage the first was scheduled at just over seven weeks. When we heard that heartbeat pounding along at 179 beats per minute we were more than relieved that things were on track. As it turned out the progesterone levels weren’t really low, rather the lab methodology varies and the doctor we saw at the first visit is originally from New York where based on their system my wife’s results would have been deemed to be low.

For whatever reason the lab results were well within the normal range based on the methodologies employed here. When my wife’s regular OB informed us of this I was quite pissed about it because it isn’t like this information should have been new to the other doctor. Not only was he not new to the practice, but he saw my wife when she was pregnant over two and half years ago.

If nothing else it just reinforced my belief that things like this are why they call it “practicing” medicine. Given the sleepless nights it caused us in the days leading up to the first ultrasound, I wanted to “practice” my baseball swing on the windshield of his car that our co-payments helped him purchase.

This past Monday we had an ultrasound and blood work done for the nuchal translucency test to round out the first trimester screenings. We should have the results back early next week, but if the ultrasound measurements are any indications, things couldn’t be much better.

Armed with a fresh batch of ultrasound pictures and my in-laws in town for the holiday we broke the news to the grandparents just in time for Christmas. We decided to go subtle by letting little man deliver the message.