Chayton's 1st trimester...small bumps in the road

I've never had a 1st trimester like I did while pregnant with Chayton.  A few weeks after my first appointment, I had a miscarriage scare.  The startling symptoms began one morning, and along with them came the fears.  The doctor had me come in that day to do an ultrasound.  The car ride to the office was miserable and frightful.  Gene, being the level-headed, optimistic one in the relationship, assured me that everything was probably fine and all my worry was for nothing.  Me, being the pessimistic one, managed to talk through every bad scenario on the 15 minute ride to the doctors.  I already began grieving the loss of my baby, which I had assumed would be found with no heartbeat on the pending ultrasound.  Most of you reading this know that Gene was right and I was wrong.  That day we saw and heard a strong heartbeat on the ultrasound.  I never felt so relieved.  

I also had slight morning sickness all through the first 14-ish weeks...meaning I threw up once, hated being around cooking food, and loved laying on the couch, away from the kitchen.  I know, that can hardly be considered morning sickness compared to what some of my friends have gone through.  But, as us pregnant women are told, a sick mama means a healthy baby, right?  

As God would have it, the timing of my first semester occurred during Gene's summer break.  He basically cooked every meal and helped with the kids all summer long.  Literally the week he went back to school was when I began feeling better.  Only God could have timed that so perfectly.  I began cooking up a storm again and loving it.  I felt like myself again.  It was wonderful.  "This pregnancy really has been planned by God," I thought.

I started feeling better, so the whole fam went on a blackberry and plum pickin' adventure one gorgeous day.

By the middle of August, everything seemed great.  I began prepping for homeschool and actually had energy to play with the kids again.  But, it was only a few short weeks later when I began to experience extreme pain in my side.  That's when things got interesting...and intense.  I guess you can say that's when the trial really began.