Pregnancy// Weeks 14-17

 Weeks 14-17

Due Date: July 20th 2021

 

Weight Gain: Starting weight was 123lbs and now I’m 126lbs.

 

Sleep: I am sleeping great! 

 

Best moments these weeks : I had my 16 week ultrasound, Saw baby jumping and kicking like crazy.

Movement: I am feeling some movement, But nothing defined. My doctor confirmed that I have an anterior placenta so that's why I'm not feeling as much as I did in other pregnancies.

 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Finally starting to feel more normal. No more throwing up and have some of my energy back.

 

Symptoms: Some braxton hicks if I’m on my feet too much, still a lot of acne but I’m guessing that's from the progesterone I’m still on. 

 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

 

Looking forward to: My 20 week scan in just a few weeks. Can't wait to get a better look at the baby. Hoping to feel more kicks soon too.

Instagram http://instagram.com/seschloneger

Baby Registry https://www.babylist.com/sarahanne?view=guest

Pregnancy//Weeks 9-13

 Weeks 9-13

Due Date: July 20th 2021

 

Weight Gain: From the beginning of this pregnancy I’ve lost 6lbs, Now i'm back to my starting weight

 

Sleep: Sleeping great, But always tired!

 

Best moments these weeks : At the beginning of my 9th week I was able to find the baby's heartbeat on my doppler Such relief, and at 11 weeks we had my first doctor's appointment and got to see the baby again, the baby was moving and waved at us. So thankful for this sweet little one.

Movement: feeling the slightest of little flutters, but not much of anything yet.

 

Anything making you queasy or sick: YES! Anything sweet, or just food in general. morning sickness has hit HARD. but instead of being sick in the morning  it mainly hits in the afternoon/evening.

 

Pregnancy purchases: A few sweet little rainbow outfits and a gender specific outfit since we did a Sneak peek gender test.

 

Symptoms: Tired, Nauseous 

 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, but so ready for the sickness to go away.

 

Looking forward to: Almost out of the 1st trimester, I’m excited to hopefully start feeling real kicks and see the baby again in the ultrasound.

 

Instagram http://instagram.com/seschloneger

Baby Registry https://www.babylist.com/sarahanne?view=guest

Pregnancy//Weeks 4-7

Weeks 4-7

Due Date: July 20th 2021

Starting weight: 123lbs

Sleep: I've been waking up around 5:00am and not getting back to sleep so feeling like I could use a nap in the middle of the day,

Best moments these weeks : Because of my history of miscarriages they decided to do an early ultrasound at 6 weeks, and we were able to see the baby's heartbeat definitely the BEST MOMENT!

Movement: nope. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Prenatal vitamins, and smelling anything sweet. I've thrown up about every day since 6 weeks.

Pregnancy purchases: Baby onesie.

Symptoms: Tired, queasy, 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and anxious  

Looking forward to: Every week that goes by is a huge milestone, but I'm especially excited to pass the 11 week mark.

Instagram http://instagram.com/seschloneger

Baby Registry https://www.babylist.com/sarahanne?view=guest

Loss // Part 3

In this blog post I will be very raw and real in describing what our miscarriage was like emotionally and physically. 

After our second miscarriage, for the next several weeks I took pregnancy tests to make sure my hcg levels were going down properly. It’s such a weird feeling taking a pregnancy test and hoping for a negative test but Finally I got a negative test and I knew that if I took a test again it there was a line it was from a new pregnancy not from our loss..

about a month later March 2020 I woke up in the morning and took a pregnancy test. But I got busy with the kids and didn’t look at it in the time frame. (Most pregnancy test you need to look at about 3-10 minutes after taking it. Any longer and the result is considered invalid) 18 minutes later I remembered the test and go look. There is a faint line! But it was after the time frame so I didn’t get my hopes up. I’d just test again the next morning. Later that afternoon I decided I couldn’t wait anymore and while the kids were having quite time I took another test. Stayed in the bathroom so I wouldn’t forget it. And set my timer for 3 minutes. Beep beep the timer goes off. I look and there is definitely a second line. I cry. And can’t believe it. We are expecting! So I fall to my knees and thank God for another sweet blessing and pray over our sweet baby in me. I call the next day and get in that Monday to get a blood hcg test and progesterone level checked.

I get the call the next day my hcg and progesterone look good. What a relief.

I had planned on going in a few more times to recheck levels. But I just felt peace and to just trust him. Even though my progesterone level looked good I decided to use progesterone cream. My doctor okayed it. And said it wasn’t needed but wouldn’t hurt anything. We are so excited I just feel such a peace about this pregnancy and I’m so thankful for that. 

Four weeks

Seven weeks

Five weeks rolls around and I feel SO nauseous and any kind of food makes me gag. No headaches thankfully but lots of morning sickness feeling. Not quite threwing  up. But enough that I felt like this was a viable pregnancy. Even though I felt awful I was so thankful! We are getting our little rainbow baby. Our little ray of sunshine. 

At Eight weeks we go in for our ultrasound. But right now is when corona virus is going on so when we walk into the hospital we are asked to wear masks. We put them on and head to the clinic for the ultrasound. We get inside. I lay down and she starts the scan. She looks for awhile and asks if I’m sure of my dates. I say yes. And she asks if I’ve had any spotting or cramps. I hadn’t. She decides to do an internal ultrasound and starts scanning again. Asks agin if I’ve had any bleeding or cramping. Thats when I knew. At 8 weeks we should have seen baby. But all I saw was a little spot. Not moving no flickering heartbeat. Still having to wear the mask silently start crying. As she doing the ultrasound. I ask her if the baby has a heartbeat. Already knowing what I saw, but trying to cling onto my last shard of a hope. She says she can’t tell me and I need to talk to my doctor. She leaves the room. I can’t breathe. I rip off the mask and gasp for a breath. Still hardly feel like I can breath. Not again. Not again! John sits with me as I cry silently. This can’t be happening again. A nurse comes in and says the ultrasound Tech wanted the radiologist to take a look at the ultrasound and baby. And then he would talk with a doctor and then they would talk to me.

The radiologist was helping in a surgery so we had to wait. We sit in the room for a hour. I’m trying not to cry as I want to be able to really hear and know what the doctor is saying. Finally she comes in. It’s confirmed. Baby has no heartbeat and I am having a missed miscarriage. Baby stopped growing two weeks ago.

We talked about our options, Since my body was showing no signs of miscarriage we had a few things to think about.

1. I could wait and let myself miscarry naturally.

2. I could have a D&C where they remove everything in a surgery.

3. I could take a pill to induce miscarriage.

We went home and tried to rest the rest of the day.

But the stress and emotions of what was happening was hitting me hard. So hard I was physically sick. Throwing up, weak, headaches and couldn’t concentrate on anything. I prayed about it and talked it over with John and decided if I didn’t show signs of miscarrying naturally we would do a D&C since our previous loss was very traumatic for me mentally and physically and very hard on John as well. John is getting into his busy season on the farm and soon wouldn’t be able to be home much and I knew especially If I had a miscarriage like last time I would need him there. 

Three day later we went to the hospital for the D&C. Even with this virus stuff going on John was able to be with me before and after surgery which I am SO thankful for. We did one last ultrasound to triple check, then went in to the surgery.

After surgery and recovery we went home and I rested the rest of the day. My recovery went very well physically and had hardly and bleeding and no cramping. Within a few days I was feeling more myself physically which I am so thankful for. Emotionally I know I still have a lot of healing, I added my pregnancy photos and journal to my box from my previous losses. It’s funny how simple things like that can be so healing.

Some days I feel so frustrated and overwhelmed.

Why do we have to go through this all over again, waiting for my body to heal, waiting for my pregnancy tests to be negative. Waiting for test results to come back. Waiting, Wondering. Wondering when will we be able to have a pregnancy that has a happy ending.

We were able to tell from testing that the baby was genetically normal and was a baby girl.

Definitely bittersweet news. 

After talking with my Dr we ran more testing on me, but every test we ran showed everything was normal.

But through it all, God has shown himself and His grace, His peace, His faithfulness and His Love. We’ve been so overwhelmed by all the prayers, thoughtful messages and gifts, we have felt to loved and cared for.

I don’t know what the next chapter in our lives looks like. But I do know that God is working and moving in our lives. And even in these incredibly hard storms, He will see us through.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Instagram http://instagram.com/seschloneger

Loss // Part 2

In this blog post I will be very raw and real in describing what our miscarriage was like emotionally and physically. 

After our chemical pregnancy in August 2019 we really wanted to get pregnant right away.

November 18th 2019 I got my positive test. So excited yet so many emotions. I called my doctors right away for a confirmation and went in a few days later. Got the call they got their positive test and set me up for my ultrasound and first appointment.

Five and a half weeks pregnant I started feeling some morning sickness, mainly just off in mornings and then when I was about six weeks I started getting really really bad headaches. I usually get headaches in early pregnancy. But these were worse then I had ever had. Like I couldn’t move or think. Seven weeks three days roll around and we have our ultrasound.

 We go in and put the wand on my belly. They said baby seems a bit small so they need to do the internal ultrasound. Once they do that they see baby and I can see his/her heart beating. The only issue is baby was only measuring six weeks. I knew my dates couldn’t be that far off. But since the babies heart beat was good and strong at 164 and the doctor wasn’t worried. I did a bit of research and read several success stories of moms who’s babies measured small but had caught up by the next ultrasound so I pushed that to the back of my mind and tried not to worry. Eight weeks we announced to everyone and were so excited. At about nine weeks my headaches started to fade and I started to feel more normal. I worried for a little while. But remembered around 9 weeks is when the placenta takes over so it’s normal for some symptoms to fade.

At ten weeks five days right before I went to bed I used the restroom and there was a tiny bit of brown blood. Like basically nothing. But it was there. I tried not to worry. Said I prayer and went to bed. Ten weeks six days, I woke up the next morning feeling normal had and no spotting at all. Phew so happy it was nothing. The kids and I had planned on going to a friends house that afternoon so since I hadn’t had any spotting I decided to go. A few hours after I got there I had slight pink spotting. Not a lot. But more then before so I went some and took it easy the rest of the night. I decided that if I was still spotting in the morning I would call my doctor. Eleven weeks and I woke up and I was having more pink spotting. Called as soon as the doctors office opened and they scheduled me for a ultrasound at 11:00am and It was currently 8:30am I get out of bed to check on the kids and suddenly I feel this huge gush and I look down and my pants are covered in blood. I run the the bathroom and sit in the tub just gushing blood and clots the size of my fist. I knew I was loosing our baby. And I sobbed in the shower. Finally got myself cleaned up. I pulled on a pair of non maternity jeans that hadn’t fit the week before. And they fit, My belly was gone. I had a decent bump before. Now it was gone. And I just knew our baby was too. I Tried to help the kids with what they needed. But had to go to the bathroom because of bleeding and had to stay in there. John gets home and we drop the kids off at my in-laws and we go to the clinic. 

I go into the ultrasound and she starts checking things out. Nothing is said. I see nothing recognizable on the screen. Finally I ask her if she sees the baby. She said no unfortunately I do not. I already knew that I probably lost the baby. But still was holding onto a slight hope. Now I knew. And I just couldn’t believe it. We are brought to a Different room and our doctor comes in and confirms that we did loose the baby. We leave the clinic and head home, when we were almost home I started to feel really warm. Suddenly I wake up to John saying “ Sarahanne! Sarahanne! Are you ok?” I had passed out. I composed myself and felt well enough to get out of our truck and go inside. I start walking up the stairs and into the bathroom and wake up again to John holding me as I’m slumped in the bathroom floor blood everywhere. He’s able to help me to the toilet and I start passing clots the size of about two fists combined. He helps me in bed. I drink some juice and lay in bed. I can’t think. I can’t speak. Cramping so painfuly, So weak I couldn’t do anything. John sat with me as I rested for awhile. Finally I feel well enough to drink and eat a cracker. I spend the rest of the afternoon in bed and couldn’t get out of bed without Johns help.

A friend brought us dinner and John brought the kids home. We had to tell the kids that our little baby went to heaven. They were sad. Especially Cort. But they handled it well. The next day we had someone watch the kids so I could rest. I could hardly get out of bed without feeling too weak to stand. Over the next few days we had someone help with the kids as I still didn’t feel comfortable having the kids alone since I was so weak. A week gos by and I feel a bit more myself. I go into a appointment to talk things over with my doctor. She said that the loss was probably caused from chromosomal abnormalities, And since I’ve had three healthy normal pregnancies she said that that’s the most likely reason. I asked about testing for me with hormones and such. But since I hadn’t had three losses and our first was a chemical most insurances wouldn’t cover any testing.

I got myself a heart ring to remember our sweet baby just like I did with out first loss. I want our babies to be remembered even though I only got to have them for a short time. I embroidered a fabric to match our ultrasound and bought a little box to keep all the pregnancy photos, journal and special things from my pregnancy.

I’ve been amazed by the way Gods blessed us with peace and comfort. when I was expecting again I had fears. But I didn’t want to live in fear so prayed against any fear, and for the time I was pregnant felt a great peace that this pregnancy was going well. Then when we miscarried I cried out to God. “why would you give me a peace with this pregnancy if it was going to end in a loss..” But then I felt God telling me that he gave me that peace so I could Enjoy the pregnancy, even though I only got to have this baby two months. They were filled with Joy, Love and peace. If I had been living in fear I wouldn’t have enjoyed the pregnancy and I would have been robbed of the Joy we had. I’m so thankful for the peace God gave me so we could celebrate and cherish the time we had. Even now we are feeling Gods blessings pouring down on us.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Christmas 2019 Stockings

Here are my children's stockings, Clara is Two, Hazel is almost Four and Cort is almost Six.

I do stockings a bit different. I try to keep things more minimal, and quality vs quantity.
For right now the kids get their stockings and one wrapped gift under the tree.
I'd rather buy some items the kids, But also John and I will love for years to come vs spend less and get something cheap that will break in a week or two.

Because of that, I shop for stockings all year round, finding deals and used if possible.
Some of these items will have links, other will not because they are no longer available,
 But I tried to link something similar if possible.

If you have any other Questions feel free to message me!

CLARA

Clara is always wanting to color with the big kids, so we got these Twistables crayon colored pencils.

I bought this Magnetic Animal band set a few years ago on clearance, I know Clara will have so much fun with it.

Clara loves treats so we got her these Jelly Beans as a fun treat.

I got a wooden tree at Hobby Lobby that I painted as a Christmas tree.

Years ago I bought a lot on Ebay of  Little critters used. they were all in great shape so I saved them for the kids on different holidays, so Clara got this Little critters Sheep set.

Clara's been needing some nice Mittens as winter approaches.

Last year I found some American Girl Matching sets on clearance, She's still too small to fit the girls ones, but she will love dressing up her Bitty baby she got for her birthday with these new PJ's.

We got her this Maileg Mouse that was just too sweet and adorable to pass up.

Clara loves to play school while I do school with the older two, this Chalkboard will be perfect to draw and play with.

HAZEL

We got Hazel this adorable Queen Maileg Mouse that I know she will LOVE playing with and bringing with her.

We got her some Twistables  colored pencils to use on her Dress a Fox coloring book.

Last year I found some American Girl Matching sets, Shes still too small to fit the girls ones, but she will love dressing up my old Bitty baby with these new PJ's.

Hazel is getting more and more into letter and sounds, she will love these Chalkboard to practice.

I found some fun dress up jewelry Hazel will have fun with.

Hazel needed a new water bottle, Cort was gifted a Klean Kanteen and we've been so impressed with the quality we got one for Hazel.

Hazel is big into Sticker Book so this will be a fun thing for her to play with!

CORT

Cort has been loving anything History lately, These Liberty Kids DVD will be fun for him to watch.

We got this Long Sleeve tree shirt for him, He's always excited for new cozy clothes.

I love getting things to make Cort excited for school. He's still learning how to tell time by minuets, This Chalkboard will be a fun way for him to fill in the clock, do spelling words and draw fun pictures.

Since Hazel & Clara are getting a little Maileg Mouse, I thought he would have fun playing with them with his.

Cort has grown out of most of his gloves, these Gloves will keep him nice and warm this winter.

This Winter Activities book will be fun for him to work on in his free time,
Also new Twistables Colored Pencils will make it more fun.

Links

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/sesimeth1/videos

ThredUp http://www.thredup.com/r/PSKFAW

Instagram http://instagram.com/seschloneger

Amazon links are affiliate links

Loss // Part 1

October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, I felt like this was the right time to share with other mothers dealing with this.

Loss...

It’s something I haven’t had to deal with much.

And more specifically never had to deal with miscarriage. 

I’ve had 3 healthy and normal pregnancies and even though I knew it was a possibility. I never thought it would happen to me. 

Then suddenly I was part of the 1 in 4. 

The moment I got my positive pregnancy test I was so overjoyed. Thinking about what life would be like with 4 little ones running around. How far apart in age Clara and this new baby would be. I was so excited and yet it didn’t seem real.  The line was faint. But still definitely there. So I decided before I got too excited (too late). I would test again in 2 days to see a darker line then I would feel more comfortable.

Two days pass. I test again. Stark negative. No second line. Not even a hint of one. The next day I began miscarrying. I was heartbroken. Even though I had told myself not to get too excited. I had, I had dreamed of what life would be like with this baby. Gender? Names? Announcement? Then everything was gone. 

I had what is called a chemical pregnancy. 

Which is basically a very very early miscarriage. 

I was pregnant.  But unfortunately not anymore. 

I’m not a very open person with my emotions. I don’t like talking about them. At least not to many people. But I know that going through this hard trial will bring me closer to God, John and hopefully be an opportunity to reach out to others. 

God's plan is perfect. Even if we don’t understand. God's way is the best way. Even when it’s hard. When you don’t know what the future holds. 

We only knew about you a few short days,

And then you were gone. 

But you will always be in our hearts, and we can’t wait to see you in heaven someday.
And you, No matter how small, are so very precious and special to us

Links

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/sesimeth1/videos

ThredUp http://www.thredup.com/r/PSKFAW

Instagram http://instagram.com/seschloneger

Four years // Cort

Weight: Cort is 36lbs and 40.5 inches

Sleep: Cort sleeps great! Cort and hazel have been sharing a room and bunk bed for almost a year now, they both love it! Cort loves looking at a book or two before he falls asleep.

Milestones: Cort has officially started school! We are going through My Fathers World Kindergarten curriculum and he is LOVING it! each week he is more and more excited to do school and I love seeing how much he is learning, Each week he is learning a bible verse and its so wonderful to see him remembering biblical truths.

Eating: Cort has been the MOST picky eater since he was a year old. but hes finally eating more and open to trying new food! his favorite foods are pizza and mac and cheese!

Clothing: Cort is in almost completely 5t and some 6t clothing items ad size 10-11 shoes.

Development: In October we started having Cort take speech therapy classes through the school, We've seen a lot of improvement and he loves seeing "Mrs H" every week!

Loves:  Cort loves playing with his trucks, hes always building Lego creations! drawing and doing school, friends, puzzles and playing outside!

Looking Forward To: I'm looking forward to seeing Cort learn and grow into a wonderful boy, He is growing up SO fast!

Links

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/sesimeth1/videos

ThredUp http://www.thredup.com/r/PSKFAW

Instagram http://instagram.com/seschloneger

Instagram Shop https://www.instagram.com/schlonegersewing/