TLC: A Conception Story

01/11/2012

Bari

Wow, it seems so strange that this is our last blog. With all that we’ve been through these past eight months, sometimes it feels like it's been eight years. And then other times, it seems like it was just yesterday that Chad and I decided to expand our family.

I am nearing the half-way point of my pregnancy now and will soon find out if baby is a boy or a girl. I truly have no preference either way. I love having a little girl and giving her a sister would create such a special bond between them. On the other hand, I know how much fun it can be growing up with a brother. We still have all of Lily’s clothes and toys from when she was a baby, so I won’t need to do nearly as much shopping if the baby is a girl--not that I mind shopping one bit!

Based on how different this pregnancy has been from Lily’s, I’m thinking it’s probably a boy. I never felt better when I was pregnant with Lily, whereas this time around,it's been one thing after another. I am still constantly nauseous and just last week I found out that the kidney pain I had been dealing is the result of kidney stones and a condition called hydronephrosis. Nothing can be done about either while I’m pregnant, so I have to deal with it for twenty-some more weeks--Ugh. I can finally felt the baby moving around a little and it's such an exciting feeling that it helps make up for the pain.

My nesting instincts kicked in super early and I have Lily’s room/nursery just about finished. We’ve had to do a lot of reorganizing to keep all of Lily’s toys accessible, but also make room for all of the baby things. I also passed my first semester of American Sign Language class with flying colors. I will be taking classes next semester, but then take at least the summer off to take care of the new baby. My goal is still to become a certified interpreter and use my teaching degree to teach American Sign Language at the high school level. We have a 25% chance of this baby being born deaf like Lily and know how special it would be for her to share that with a sibling since she is the only member of our family who is deaf. Whether this baby can hear or not, we will still use sign language because it was such a wonderful tool for Lily and will always be something they can share.

Lastly, I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you who has shared this journey with us. The support and sense of community we have felt from participating in A Conception Story has helped make the hard times easier and has made the good times that much more exciting to share. My goal in telling our story was to give hope to other couples facing similar circumstances. I wish you all the best with your own families, whether they are growing or just right as they are!

Chad

Well, the last few months have been quite an adventure. Unfortunately, our time with A Conception Story is coming to an end. Fortunately, we have had more highs than lows on our roller coaster journey to having a second child. Bari and I are both very grateful to the viewers, staff, and other participants of the program for all of their support, guidance and friendships. We hope that the end of the program will not mean the end of our relationship with all of you.

Bari has been having a hard time with the pregnancy these last few months. She has not been feeling well and has not been able to enjoy this pregnancy as much as the last one. She thinks that since this pregnancy has been so different from the last one, it probably means that the baby is a boy. I don’t really have a true gut feeling about it, and--believe it or not-- I don’t have a preference either. My only hope is that the baby is healthy and that Bari is able to have an uneventful and traditional delivery. I would love to have a boy to be able to share all of the father-son moments that every dad dreams about, but I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything with Lily. I can’t imagine not having her and I would love to have another little girl. I think our relationship is its very own kind of special. Whatever the gender of the baby, he/she will be showered with plenty of love and affection from our whole family.

Lily is so excited that she can hardly contain herself. When asked about her gut feeling, she mostly tells us that she is going to have a little sister. She has been practicing her big sister skills with her doll babies. She helps them go to the potty, get dressed, eat, and go to bed. She even cuddles with and kisses them when they are fake crying. I am sure that she will continue to be very helpful when Baby Hyatt comes along.

I really hope Bari starts feeling better soon. It gets to be a little tough when all she feels good enough to do in the evenings is curl up in a ball and lay down on the couch. I feel helpless knowing there’s nothing I can do to help her, besides small tasks like a foot and back rub, keeping her water bottle full, entertaining Lily, and washing laundry. Sometimes I feel like she has to do all of the work of nurturing our baby and I’m just standing on the sidelines cheering her on. I know she doesn’t feel like this, but it’s tough convincing me otherwise. At least I can help keep the trash cans emptied and the litter box clean!

Anyway, thanks again to everybody for all of your support over the last few months. It has truly been an enlightening and refreshing experience. Bari and I are both very glad that we decided to take the plunge and submit an application to be on A Conception Story. We have had a great time and hope that our experiences will help out someone else in the future. Thanks TLC.

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Watch all of A Conception Story online, or just watch Bari & Chad's Journey.