Hurst Family: A Baby Story

I've said this before, but I want to say it again because it's a hard realization for me: This is our final round of infertility treatments.  What began 8 years ago, will end on December 26th with either a positive or a negative result.  I'm trying to prepare for this but can I even? I saw my previous blog post currently has over 3x as many views as the second highest viewed post in the last 8 years.  That leaves me curious and wondering where everybody came from and what led them to my blog.  I don't know.  But what I do know is that God is working mysteriously in my life right now.  I'm on this unfamiliar path that is really pushing me out of my comfort zone but by staying obedient and in prayer, I'm learning and I'm seeing God in my life in ways that I haven't really noticed before.  Everywhere I go I meet new people who are in some way or another connected to the infertility world.  Each person has their own story and is at a di...

It's been since mid-February that I've written.  Let me go ahead and get you up to speed on the past 9 months. Evan Matthew was born February 21.  To make a long story short, like my labor was, I went the caster oil route this time.  As Kellen chanted "chug it, chug it, chug it" I held my nose and swallowed the slimy goo mixed with orange juice around 8pm.  Three hours later, I was in active labor.  Two hours after that, I was holding Evan in my arms.  He cried, I cried, and I shook like I was having a seizure, because apparently that's what happens after delivering a baby.  He was a little guy coming in at 7lb 4oz and 20.5".   So, today marks my little Evan's 9 month birthday.  He is thriving; pulling himself up on the couch, fireplace (safe? probably not), stairs and crawling around this house at speeds that I should probably be recording.  And then there's my firstborn, Khloe.  She's ginormous.  My mini-me is the most...

I went grocery shopping today and now I'm exhausted.  Although it's a good thing that I stocked us up on food and supplies just in time for this baby to show up, I'm still amazed at how much of my energy was sucked out just walking through the store.  And how bad my hip, leg, and all my bones hurt!  I can't tell if this baby's head is smashing my hip bone or passing through and into my quad.  I found out yesterday that my doctor is out of the country on vacation until next Monday.  I was so frustrated when I got this news, and I realize that doctors need vacations, but I really don't understand why I wasn't told beforehand that she would be leaving the country during my final week of pregnancy?!  So needless to say, I've been having a hard time getting answers to my questions.  I called yesterday to let them know I've woken up the past 3-4 days with swollen hands and calves/ankles.  I haven't had hardly any swelling this pregnancy, and having i...

I had my 36 week appointment today (at 36w4d).  I'm 1.5cm dilated and already starting to thin out.  I'm not too surprised by this because I remember being about 2cm dilated at this appointment with Khloe.  Then, I was a quick 5cm for most of that final month of pregnancy.  It's interesting what I can actually remember from that pregnancy 5 years ago.  There are moments during my labor and delivery that still stand out in my mind.  One of the biggest memories is the blood transfusion had to have after birthing Khloe...and then the rough recovery process that occurred afterward. You'd think that, with this being my second pregnancy and all, that I'd feel a little bit more prepared and ready for it all to go down, but that is far from the case!  I know my previous experience was not typical, the recovery process was much longer for me than an average pregnancy, and the traumatic experience of it all is still considered really uncommon (less than 4% of ...

I'm just over 8 months pregnant, 32 weeks and 4 days to be exact.  I really can't believe how long it took to get to this point and I still have some time left to go.  This pregnancy feels like it started in December 2014.  Probably because it basically did. It was around that time, in late December 2014 when we dove back in to the world of IVF.  I had previously spent much of 2014 dialing in hard on my diet and my workouts (for the sole purpose of "I can" and "I will" and because that's where my passion lies) and thoroughly enjoying how I felt and the body I created through all that hard work and determination.  I knew the following year was going to be devoted to IVF and [hopefully] a pregnancy.  Having succumbed to this life consuming, self sacrificing treatment before, I knew how challenging it was and that challenge motivated me greatly to make the most of myself before those days would engulf me.  My endorphins were pumping that summer.  I...

I have attempted to write again at least 4 times, but the struggle is that it's taking every ounce of my soul to restrict myself from complaining about all things pregnancy.  I WANTED THIS.  Yes, I did, I really did....  There is no doubt in my mind that God gives us "pregnancy brain" so we forget how hard these 9+ months can be on us. Speaking of pregnancy brain, what else was I going to talk about?  Oh... One more week until I officially enter the third trimester and I'm having the worst mental struggle to date.  This pregnancy began with OHSS and I have looked 6+ months pregnant for 6+ months now.  I would consider everything to be "normal" at this point, but my back has taken a serious beating having carried weight out front for so long.   Sleep is a rarity these days.  Maybe a full body cast would help?  I could flex and see my top two abdominal muscles up until a month ago, now they are stretching and the excruciating pain of that i...

I'm almost 20 weeks (5 months) pregnant AKA halfway there!  I'm still such a weirdo for not fully grasping the realism of this baby-in-utero situation, but I am oh so excited to go Tuesday October 13 for our ultrasound to check on this babe and find out if it's a boy or girl!  I'm hoping and praying that all goes well at this appointment and we can focus on naming and welcoming a new child to our family. [Stay tuned Oct 13 for the big announcement!] Here lately, I've been spending more time in the gym and am really feeling good.  I know that feeling good is a big bonus in the second trimester so I'm taking advantage of it and hoping to continue moving throughout the third trimester.  I feel differently this pregnancy than I did with Khloe and I owe 99.9% of that to continuing to get myself to the gym.  Now I will say, my goals are different while pregnant.  It took me a few weeks to get over myself and realize I had to take it easy.  Humbling myself ...