Baby Pictures!

Our first ones! About 8 weeks!

I know this little bean looks like a blob, but they're OUR little blob!

Let me clarify and say that when I say "they're", I'm using a non-gender specific word to describe our ONE baby. There is only ONE!

The Blessing of Sickness

Today has been a struggle in the "morning" sickness area. All day has been a sudden urge to run to the bathroom. Though those feelings are very uncomfortable and just are inconvenient at best, they are a wonderful reminder of the growing baby I carry. Even though the feelings are tough to cope with at times, I feel blessed to have the reminder and know this is part of the process.
However, I must say that I don't understand where the term "morning" sickness came from. This is really an anytime, anywhere sickness. All I have to do is think about something unappealing and suddenly I debate running to the nearest bathroom. I smell someone's perfume, think about meat, or just sip water and I could just lose it right there. This whole week I've lived on crackers and easy mac just because those are the things that don't trigger it, although the easy mac is beginning to get gagging affects.
Thanks for your continued prayers! This week is certainly better than last week, sickness and all. God is truly working a miracle. =)

Prayerful Heartbeats

I can't even begin to express how overjoyed and blessed I am feeling today! After a week of uneasiness, unsureness, worry, and of being a depressed, nervous wreck, today, God blessed me with the ultimate gift, and just what I needed today. A heartbeat.
Just a couple of little heartbeats on the ultrasound at an appointment I wasn't sure how it would turn out changed my entire week. Wow! God is certainly good, and that alone is an understatement to capacity.
My doctor was fairly certain we wouldn't hear one today, so I figured I would just to see that our baby is just looking good, but no, our baby is also sounding good! I can't even tell you how much God has met my needs this week. Just WOW! My doctor was impressed indeed, and I knew deep down that it was a HUGE answer to the many prayers for Baby Ruhlig.
Looks like we're about 5 and a half weeks today too, which makes complete sense, as I thought we were almost 7, but it could help explain why baby looked so small on Monday at the ER.
I just can't thank you enough for your prayers, and please, keep them coming! Know that they are certainly being answered to the fullest, and I'm just in awe of God's amazing provision and power through this.
How He loves us!

The Power of Prayer

After a week of being a nervous wreck, I got the call from my doctor this morning that the numbers are going up, which is a great sign that miscarriage isn't happening! I can't even tell you how relieved I was, and I had tears of joy!
I have really learned a lot about the power of prayer just this week alone, and I am convinced that God has huge plans for us whether it all goes our way or not. I have never felt such an outpouring of love and support both from people I am near and dear to, and those I haven't spoken to in years! Just incredible.
I do still have the spotting going on, but tomorrow my doctor is doing an ultra sound to reassure me and hopefully get to the bottom of things. I do know that tonight I can actually sleep though, and hopefully push the thought of miscarriage out of my mind.
I just thank you, thank you, thank you, for the prayers and words! I can't tell you how encouraged I am by them and just how much I have already seen God move through this entire experience. This is only the beginning, and I know it will be quite a ride, as this week alone has me convinced of that.
Again, I couldn't have done this without your prayers and most importantly, without God walking beside me this whole time.

Prayers for Peace

Well, it certainly has been a long and nerve-racking week for us.
Over the weekend I had some light spotting, which is not always a huge concern, but is always a good idea to get checked out. Since it wasn't severe, we waited to call the doctor on Monday, in hopes they would get us right in and get things figured out, but since there was no openings, they told us to go straight to the emergency room.
Long story short, after 6 hours of poking and prodding, we did get to see our little "bean" in there, and things looked good, but the spotting was still persisting. Maybe not as much as the weekend, but it was still there after all was said and done. The baby looks smaller than expected, but that could be because we are actually further behind than we thought (4 weeks instead of 6).
I had a follow up with our actual doctor on Tuesday, whom I haven't even met yet, and he did warn us that this could be the beginnings of a miscarriage. Not that it for sure would be, but that it could be. Words I didn't really want to hear, but are reality.
The rest of this week will consist of blood work to make sure my hormone levels are still climbing to ensure that this is not a miscarriage. I have blood taken today, and we hope to know more by Friday.
Waiting is tough, and not knowing what is going on is even tougher. I just ask for some hefty prayers for us and the baby this week. Nothing is certain, but God is, and that's all we need.
Pray for peace of mind, for good outcomes, and for the baby's health. Thank you all so much!

Fears and Worries

Like every first time, or even second time mom, I've struggled with some fears today. I've struggled with the fear of opinions and of what to expect when all these changes take place. And since doctors won't even make an appointment with you until you're eight weeks, I fear of doing something wrong, or not knowing what is "normal" when it comes to pregnancy and taking care of myself and my little one. I have fears almost every time I go to the bathroom, scared I'll find something that I don't want to find. (Sorry if this is too brutally honest, but it's my reality right now.)
I worry about where the heck we'll live, since currently a one-bedroom, overpriced apartment is hardly holding us now. And obviously, I worry about finances along with that.

Just pray that I can stop worrying about it all and that I can have the confidence to know that God's got this.