Doubling our numbers

What a great new year it'll be!

I knew that 2013 would bring great things for us! We'll get the greatest thing of all come August this year- a new child for our family! We are doubling our number of children and extremely excited about it. This baby really is a big deal to us, because we've wanted it for so long. We had been trying for a year and even had a miscarriage before we were blessed with this little one. When I was pregnant with Cage, I was always saying how awful being pregnant was and how much I hated it. But when we struggled to have another one, I vowed that I would look at pregnancy as a blessing and cherish every good and sick moment of it. And it's taken a lot of prayers, but my attitude has undergone a remarkable transformation. I'm not saying that I was always perfect and never complained, but I just had a different perspective of it all.

Ugh, cravings and aversions 

We first found out I was pregnant beginning of December. I was already late with my period, but I didn't want to get my hopes up by taking a test yet. I didn't know it, but the anxiety was killing Dave too. Finally, one Sunday after church, he said, "Just go take a test!" We were so excited/scared when we saw the positive results! The first doctor appointment I went to, I thought I was 7 weeks along. But when they did the ultrasound, the sac wasn't developed very far and there was no fetal pole or fetal heartbeat. The doctors thought I had miscarried again. I felt so distraught. I honestly didn't know what to do with myself. They wanted me to come back in a week and make sure that I wasn't just behind on calculating my date. That week was one of the hardest of my life. I lost 2 lbs just from the stress of thinking I had lost another baby. I don't know what I would've done if it hadn't been for my amazing, caring husband. Even though Dave was just as stressed as I was, he didn't show it at all. He kept reminding me to think positive and tried to ensure me that everything was alright. I'm so thankful he's such a good actor! And as it turns out, he was right. The next ultrasound, they found the heartbeat almost instantaneously. I was nearly 2 weeks behind on how far along I thought I was. I'm glad I was the one who made a mistake here! We announced it to our family on Christmas day. We put the ultrasound pictures in an envelope under the Christmas tree and addressed it "To everyone, From the Eyerlys". I know, how cool are we? My little brother Josh opened it Christmas Day and didn't understand what it was at first. But everyone else did and were very excited! Later that day, we Skyped with Dave's family and showed them the ultrasound pictures too.


I've definitely been sick this pregnancy, but I tried to remember that a sick mommy means a healthy baby! And from the beautiful ultrasounds, it sure seems like that's the truth. I started getting sick around Christmas time in Arizona. I feel sorry for my family because they had to put up with a couch potato nearly the whole holiday. Since then, every day it came on, about 4:30 pm. Poor Dave, he almost never had dinner ready when he came home. He really stepped up. Having two sister-in-laws with hyperemesis gravidarum, I cannot complain too much. I didn't throw up once and haven't been very nauseous. For some reason, when my body goes through morning sickness, I just get incredibly painful stomach aches. It was the same way with Cage. I'll be grateful and take that over the nausea though! In the early weeks of this pregnancy, I got an awful sinus infection. I literally could not get off the couch. If my sister-in-law Kelli and friend Star had not helped out with Cage that week, I honestly don't know what I would've done. That was the worst week ever. Thankfully the infection went away within a week. That truly is a miracle for me. I've had those sinus infections last 2 months in previous winters. Anyway, and after the 12 week mark, I think it's turning around. I'm not so sick that I'm incapacitated anymore. So hopefully it's only downhill from here!

Look at my dorky glasses!

We get to find out the gender on March 11. And with either sex, we're in trouble because we cannot find any names that we like. We know that we want an Italian name for a girl. For a boy, we're just not sure at all. I'll probably have to put up a name suggestion post soon and have you guys vote on names for us. I guess we do have 6 more months to figure it out.

I have had a strange connection to this baby that I did not feel with Cage. Dave and I think it could be a couple things. 1) It's a girl so I'm naturally more connected to it. 2) Because of the miscarriage, I just bonded with this one differently. 3) Because I understand the feeling I'll get when I hold this baby for this first time, I'm naturally more excited about it.

 So that's pretty much been the first trimester for us. Cage doesn't really know what's going on. He did get excited to see the ultrasound though and wouldn't let go of the pictures they printed for us. If you ask him if he wants a boy or a girl, the answer changes daily. Dave thinks (or maybe just really really hopes) that it's a girl. I have no idea. I was wrong with Cage so I don't want to attempt a wrong guess again. I'm a sore loser :-) I've always thought to have a family of four boys would be the coolest thing in the world. But then when I saw my  niece Eva in a dance recital, I thought, "You know what? Having a girl could be really fun too. I like dance recitals, I can do that." So we'll see! What do you think?

This baby was SO CALM during it's ultrasound. Cage was always moving around and kicking when we saw him. Does that mean Dave and I are in for a super chill baby? Here's to hoping so!