Here’s the brief story:
We got pregnant at the end of March. Super excited. How are we going to be able to keep this quiet?! I’m dying to tell everyone I know! We schedule our first doctor’s visit and prepare to tell the family at a gathering on Mother’s Day.
The Friday before, I start to bleed. In a panic, I call the hospital and they confirm my fear: it’s likely a miscarriage and I just have to let nature take its course. We’re devastated. Over the next two weeks, the bleeding continues and the other pregnancy signs start to go away. The nausea passes, the tenderness in my body passes, the fatigue continues but that’s explained away by the trauma the body has just gone through. We mourn the loss of our first baby.
In early June, I go in for my annual physical. The doctor asks if I’ve had any changes to my general health. Why yes, I have, now that you mention it. We discuss the miscarriage and she’s very sorry for me. She proceeds with the exam and as she’s poking around in there, she frowns: “Your uterus is fuller than I would expect for someone who had a miscarriage a month ago. I’m going to have them do some bloodwork to see if the pregnancy hormone is still elevated. My fear is that you never passed the fetus and now your body still thinks its pregnant.” Things just went from bad to worse.
Friday night, 5:30, the doctor calls back with the lab results. “I’ve taken the liberty of scheduling an ultrasound for you first thing Monday morning. The OB and I are worried that this may be a molar pregnancy.” It’s not good when doctor’s do the scheduling for you–as if I would have dilly-dallied so long that things would have gotten worse.
Monday morning. Chris and I head to the hospital. We’ve read up on molar pregnancies over the weekend and things are looking pretty bleak. Worst case scenario: no further pregnancies for a year, a possibility of chemo treatment required. We’re anxious as can be waiting for the ultrasound. We finally get in there and the tech squeezes the official goop on my belly. We look at the screen and there’s a baby on screen. Chris and I thought we were looking at the dead baby, which freaked us out, but the lab tech was so jolly about it all. “And here’s the heartbeat, and see, that’s the hand, and…” Whoa. Stop the trolley. “Are you telling us that the baby is alive?!” “Oh, yes! Look at it swimming around in there. It looks to be a very healthy 13-week old baby.” Do you laugh or cry at this point? We did both.
Charlene said,
June 10, 2008 at 2:38 pm
The last couple of months must have been traumatizing!!! And you, just naturally being so (over the top) draumatic!!!! Chris, while seeming so unperturbable, was probably pulling his hair out!!! (Your Dad is jealous, of course, that Chris has the hair to pull out!!)
Will you need to send Nathan to more schooling to help develop a more pleasing and accepting personality for the baby??
We LOVE you both & are SO HAPPY for you! See you there in August, then looking forward to your Seattle trip in September!!
XOXO Charlene & Dad
Cindy Torrey said,
June 11, 2008 at 11:44 am
Yay! Congratulations!!! Now Nadia will finally have a cousin…errr, second cousin would be the official name…but anyway- YAY!!!! I am SO super happy for you both!!!
)
Karen Louann Lewis said,
June 11, 2008 at 12:01 pm
HOLY MOLY!!!! That was so fast that you guys got pregnant. And I am so sorry that you had to go through all that confusion and heart ache. BUT WHAT A STORY Baby Young will have! And with your attitude and sense of humor, it will be a blast to tell over and over!!!!
I’ll be praying for a healthy baby! YEAH!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Hugs!
Karen
CMax said,
June 11, 2008 at 1:40 pm
AHHHHHHHH! WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOO!!! Yeah! Yeah! So sorry for the trauma you had to go through — that’s awful! But what great news!!
Hooray for the world, baby Young#1 is cookin’!!!
Caroline E Young said,
June 11, 2008 at 9:06 pm
As hard as it was to go through the first part, it must have that much more sweeter to find out it wasn’t true. I really wish that I could be up there to see the whole thing unfold before my eyes. I know have something to look forward all year long.
Aunt Arlene said,
June 12, 2008 at 7:43 am
I am MAD WITH JOY !!! How lucky that little guy/gal will be to have such
wonderful parents. I am going to the FATIMA SHRINE here in Holliston to
to say a special prayer and light a candle for your baby’s safe journey through the tunnel of love. Congratulations to the Grandmothers to be !
Can’t wait to hug you both !
Love you
Aunt Arlene
Carrie Ehrfurth said,
June 12, 2008 at 1:48 pm
W00T! A baby! I’m so happy for you guys. The ultrasound picture is so amazing! Baby Young is already so cute! Cute face, cute belly… I’m imagining it laying back with it’s hands glasped behind it’s head, totally chillin’, wondering what all the fuss is about. Good times. Congratulations!
Grandmother Jane said,
June 12, 2008 at 9:09 pm
I was speechless, can you imagine that! This isn’t a dream? It’s for real? Seeing the image is a medical miracle allowing a glimpse into the baby’s protected world. Chris and Elizabeth, you have a mission! It will be fun and will take you places you never dreamed you’d go. Immediate leaps into the future- who will be the first grade teacher? Will Mr Orlovsky still be the musical director at GSA? Will she/he be president of the USA? One wonderful day at a time.
Take good care of yourselves, times just got better.
Linda Kuzyk said,
June 13, 2008 at 9:12 am
OMG! Now, this is totally cool!!!! I am on beyond zebra excited and happy for you both. Your lives will never ever be the same. Your lives will be enriched beyond…beyond…I guess there are no words to use for this one. It’s the best trip of them all. Well, maybe being a grandmom is even better? I am also thrilled for my sister, whose life will also be enriched beyond…beyond…here we go again! Elizabeth and Chris…congratulations!!!!! I am so happy for you. Love, Aunt Linda
Kim Saucier said,
June 13, 2008 at 9:52 am
Wow, what an experience. I can only imagine what that experience must have been like – having been through 4 miscarriages I know how awful they are but what an awesome ending (or beginning!) to the story! I hope all goes well from here on out and you guys will be great parents!! Congratulations from Matt and I.
Love, Kim
Grandmother Ann said,
June 13, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I have to agree with grandmother Jane. I, too, was speechless!!! Chris and Elizabeth stopped by my house after they left the hospital, and without saying anything, handed me the ultrasound pics. So I stare at this cute little baby and wonder who it belongs to?? I finally ask Elizabeth if she is pregnant?… What a surprise and what a GREAT BIG HAPPY ONE!!! My daughter is going to have a baby! Her husband, Chris, is having one, too ! And Jane and I are gonna be GRAMMAS!!! I must add that the ultrasound photos also showed the little forming head, face on with two little eyes, a nose and a mouth, plus another showed two little tiny feet with 5 toes on each foot. Just amazing! And what a story they will have to pass on to the little one. He or she will know he or she is really loved. At this point, I’m thinking seriously about getting in some cabinet and drawer latches! It won’t be long…..:-)