Quick Update

I can't begin to chronicle the journeyings-both physical and spiritual-of the past week or two yet. As Legolas says in the Lord of the Rings movies, "I have not the heart to tell you; for me the grief is still too near."

What I can do though is let you know when my next two dr. appointments are:

• I have an ultrasound this Friday, Oct. 15th, at 9:00 A.M. (w/an 8:45 check in). Mike will be joining me for this one and I am very happy about that. Baby is going to be 6 months along as of Sunday, so we are excited to get to see her again at this stage. The only thing I am not particularly thrilled about are the 32 oz. of water I need to drink and hold in for the procedure. But such is life, and really that's no big deal.

• My 6 month OB/GYN check up with Dr. Galitz in on Tuesday, Oct. 19th, at 11:15 A.M. This should be pretty short, and we'll listen to baby's heartbeat and probably discuss Friday's ultrasound and how the baby's heart is looking, etc. So I am looking forward to that as well. I plan to attend this appointment on my own as they are usually only 5 minutes or so long, and Mike would lose about 2 hours of work in travel time and office waiting time to be there. Besides, I kind of enjoy doing some of this stuff on my own. It's just easier. :)

In the meantime, I am just EXHAUSTED. I went to bed last night before 8:30 had even rolled around and man did I need the rest. I haven't felt fatigue like this since the baby was building placenta a couple of months back. It's like hitting a warm wall and thinking, "Hm. I seem to have hit a warm wall. It's so cozy! Maybe I'll just...just...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...."

ha ha ha! I'm serious. I constantly feel the need to nap, even if I've just awoken the moment before. So yeah. Tired.

Baby's kicking me pretty much 24/7. I think she must be going through some kind of growth spurt, too, which would help explain the lack of energy. I also think that my recent trip took its toll on me. My last day up in Idaho I barely moved off of my brother Joseph and sister-in-law Mary's couch. I was spent. When I got home I weighed myself and saw I had actually lost a teensy bit of weight in the week that I'd been Home, but no worries, I am back to normal plus another pound or so nowadays. I'm still not back up to my pre-pregnancy weight, but my dr. says I am gaining just right, so nothing to worry about there either. I am actually very grateful for the lost weight from the morning sickness that is allowing me to stay more slender throughout this whole process. I have always been scared of gaining a lot of weight during pregnancy and not being able to recognize myself by the end. This way I am still able to eat as much as I need and want, but not get too chubby.

Oh, one last thing is an update on the genetic counseling appointment for the breast cancer BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. I called to book my appointment when I got home last week and a nice nurse named Jo is now trying to get me pre-approved for the actual BRCA tests now, too! We briefly discussed my family history and she said it would most likely take her a week or two, but she thought it was worthwhile to try to get everything set up for the same visit to save me time and trips over the hill to Los Angeles. Honestly, I couldn't agree more with her. Please keep this matter in your prayers on my behalf if you would? Genetic counseling is a good step forward, but to be able to be approved for the actual BRCA tests would literally be a dream come true. Especially now that I know I am carrying a daughter in my womb, the intensity of needing to know whether I carry one or both of these genes has gone through the roof. This knowledge will also benefit my neices and my maternal cousins. If I can get tested then it clears the way for each of them to be tested as well, and then they can better plan for their own futures. You get my point, I'm sure. Precaution leads to prevention; knowledge to planning.

More soon.

Love,

Autumn