So, I have been thinking of all sorts of different posts that I could put up on here. Complaining about how sleep is getting harder, how much I feel like I have become less productive and more of a big bump on a log the last few weeks, how much weight I put on in 3 weeks, or the fact that I'm only 1lb off of where I was at this same time in my pregnancy with Ellie (wanted to cry when my dr. told me that), or maybe even talking about all the work we have done on both Elizabeth's room as well as the baby's room. But really, it's mostly complaining, isn't it? And I guess that's not what I want this to be.
I am actually very proud of all the work Mark and I put in last weekend on the kids' rooms. We pulled off the closet doors in both rooms and put up curtains to allow for Ellie's dresser to be in the closet and for our file cabinet to fit in the baby's room. My parents brought over a new dresser for Ellie and we moved the dresser/changing table to the baby's room, and in that process also reorganized closets and got rid of ever MORE stuff that had just been sitting, that was a good feeling. All the bags of boys clothes are now out of the baby's crib, and size NB to 3months have all been washed and about 1/2 have been folded and put away. The rooms are still in process, but the big stuff is now out of the way and it's up to me to get some design work done and decided on. I probably pushed myself too hard, but it's getting closer to being done, and that's the important thing!
I have another ultrasound tomorrow to check on the growth of our little monkey, and in a few more weeks I will be switching over my shots from Lovenox to Herparin. This is a pain in the butt as my shots go from 2x a day up to 3x a day, and I have to draw the shots myself, but it also means that I will only be a few weeks away from the end.
February 14th is the day I am looking most forward to right now as that is our consultation with Dr. Steinman at Children's Hospital. Unfortunately, with Mark's new job, he won't be able to join me, but I have an amazing dad who is going to come with me that morning ... I didn't want to do it alone. I am anxious to hear what her plans will be depending on the severity of the clubfoot, as right now I am looking through all my baby clothes and realizing that cute little footie pjs just won't work if he has to have a cast or with his boots.
The other part of Mark's new job is that he will have very little (paid) time to take off once this lil guy comes. It's something we knew would happen, and we are very lucky that Boeing pre-loaded 1/2 of his first year vacation when he started, so he has a full week of vacation time, but that's it. My mom has a few days she can take off along with Spring Break at the beginning of April where she can lend a helping hand, but it is a little daunting to think that only a few days after monkey arrives, i'll be on my own with 2 little ones at home. I know that I have some amazing neighbors who have already offered to help if needed, but i'm trying not to become overwhelmed by the thought of only having Mark's help for a night or 2.
All in all, i'm doing well, trying to make time fly by as it seems to be slowing down little by little every day now. Elizabeth will be 2 in just a few weeks, so i'm trying to focus on getting her party planned and ready (and maybe have the baby's room almost done by the time we have 20 people over to our house!), and tackling one or two small projects every night when I get home from work, even if it's just vacuuming the house, or posting a few more items to Craigslist. Less than 8 weeks until my due date, so i'm preparing myself (and work) that I'm looking at 6-10 weeks before he comes ... so close, yet so far away! :o)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
(late) 28 week update
So, we had to push our ultrasound out a little farther than 4 weeks due to the fact that I wanted to see 'my' doctor.
I saw both my regular OB as well as my perinatologist today, so it was full of appointments, but luckily they are both at the hospital which is quite convenient.
The 28 week appointment went as normal, checked the heartbeat which was right around 140, and talked about a few issues I have been having (mild pubic symphysis) and knowing that everything is happening without contractions so we are good!
The big questions were to be answered at my high risk doctor for our growth scan. The little guy was (finally) head down, but I know for a fact that he doesn't stay there long, so we'll see how long that lasts! He was also sleeping which didn't help us considering he was facing my back so a good profile picture was not easy to get.
I have my last 'internal' ultrasound today because I no longer have placenta previa!! The placenta was about 5cm away from my cervix (which is still nice and long even though i've been having a handful of braxton hicks), so I am cleared to deliver however this little guy wants to come! Thank you Lord!
As for his foot, the doctor had a hard time getting a really good view of it as he had his ankles crossed, but it still looked like a mild to moderate clubfoot. We will be getting a call from one of the genetic counselors from our doctor's office to go over some of the referral information and get us in touch with Children's Hospital. We are hoping to get over to the hospital sometime before Mark starts his new job (another huge praise!!) in just a few weeks. The appointment will be nothing more than educational with a lot of 'it could be a false positive's' thrown in there. We really won't know the severity of the situation until he arrives, but with the trend of the clubfoot, we will be set up at Children's and have a game plan for when he arrives and know what to do with the severity of the foot.
I am at peace about the foot, they made no comment about his cyst, and the rest of the pregnancy I give to God. I am in the final stretch, a little over 11 weeks to go, and all of the important things continue to look good.
Now, I just have to find the time and motivation to get moving on his bedroom!
I saw both my regular OB as well as my perinatologist today, so it was full of appointments, but luckily they are both at the hospital which is quite convenient.
The 28 week appointment went as normal, checked the heartbeat which was right around 140, and talked about a few issues I have been having (mild pubic symphysis) and knowing that everything is happening without contractions so we are good!
The big questions were to be answered at my high risk doctor for our growth scan. The little guy was (finally) head down, but I know for a fact that he doesn't stay there long, so we'll see how long that lasts! He was also sleeping which didn't help us considering he was facing my back so a good profile picture was not easy to get.
I have my last 'internal' ultrasound today because I no longer have placenta previa!! The placenta was about 5cm away from my cervix (which is still nice and long even though i've been having a handful of braxton hicks), so I am cleared to deliver however this little guy wants to come! Thank you Lord!
As for his foot, the doctor had a hard time getting a really good view of it as he had his ankles crossed, but it still looked like a mild to moderate clubfoot. We will be getting a call from one of the genetic counselors from our doctor's office to go over some of the referral information and get us in touch with Children's Hospital. We are hoping to get over to the hospital sometime before Mark starts his new job (another huge praise!!) in just a few weeks. The appointment will be nothing more than educational with a lot of 'it could be a false positive's' thrown in there. We really won't know the severity of the situation until he arrives, but with the trend of the clubfoot, we will be set up at Children's and have a game plan for when he arrives and know what to do with the severity of the foot.
I am at peace about the foot, they made no comment about his cyst, and the rest of the pregnancy I give to God. I am in the final stretch, a little over 11 weeks to go, and all of the important things continue to look good.
Now, I just have to find the time and motivation to get moving on his bedroom!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Already?!?!
Yup, braxton-hicks, already. I have been getting them now for a few weeks, they come and go, mostly when I get up out of my chair, later in the day, or earlier if I haven't had enough to drink, but sometimes they are just out of the blue. It seems a little early to me to be practicing this stuff already, but I guess I won't be concerned until they decide to become more frequent than they already are (every day to every few days lasting anywhere from 5 minutes total to under an hour) or if my doctor seems concerned.
Hey, maybe this means this little guy will be a little early and labor will be a breeze? :o) Okay ... so a girl can wish, right?
Hey, maybe this means this little guy will be a little early and labor will be a breeze? :o) Okay ... so a girl can wish, right?
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
I get knocked down ...
But I get up again? I mean really, should I even try to get up again?
I started off this pregnancy totally gung-ho to stay healthy, exercise, stick with my strength training program, and keep all those muscles I worked so hard for. And then started the bleeding and the previa was diagnosed which threw me onto bed rest for over a week, and then off yoga for at least 2, and slowly got back to working out. I was finally back into a more consistent workout routine, including my strength class and even some personal training sessions to help get some ideas of exercises to be working on, and now, hemorrhoids.
I know, what a wonderful and glorious subject, but I'm not kidding you, I am crippled. I should have been taking care of some of the early signs of this whole issue a while ago, but this weekend I was pretty much parked on the couch and looked like an old lady trying to get up and down from any sort of position. I am currently better, but stool softeners twice a day, fiber supplements, around a gallon of water and it is SLOWLY getting better.
I looked at my husband on Monday night and just started crying. Is the world against me staying in shape while I'm pregnant, or is my shape destined to be round and pudgy? I know I'm over exaggerating a little bit, but it really is defeating and deflating and makes getting back up again so much harder. Maybe it's a sign that I need to slow down, but I really am not doing too much.
Here's to praying it goes away quickly and does NOT come back!
I started off this pregnancy totally gung-ho to stay healthy, exercise, stick with my strength training program, and keep all those muscles I worked so hard for. And then started the bleeding and the previa was diagnosed which threw me onto bed rest for over a week, and then off yoga for at least 2, and slowly got back to working out. I was finally back into a more consistent workout routine, including my strength class and even some personal training sessions to help get some ideas of exercises to be working on, and now, hemorrhoids.
I know, what a wonderful and glorious subject, but I'm not kidding you, I am crippled. I should have been taking care of some of the early signs of this whole issue a while ago, but this weekend I was pretty much parked on the couch and looked like an old lady trying to get up and down from any sort of position. I am currently better, but stool softeners twice a day, fiber supplements, around a gallon of water and it is SLOWLY getting better.
I looked at my husband on Monday night and just started crying. Is the world against me staying in shape while I'm pregnant, or is my shape destined to be round and pudgy? I know I'm over exaggerating a little bit, but it really is defeating and deflating and makes getting back up again so much harder. Maybe it's a sign that I need to slow down, but I really am not doing too much.
Here's to praying it goes away quickly and does NOT come back!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Holding back
Inasmuch as we found relief in our last doctor's appointment, I have found myself having a very hard time buying too much for this little guy. I spent a decent chunk of change on a nice double stroller (that just arrived!), but every time I look at clothes online for Ellie, I look at the boy stuff, but I am reluctant to buy.
Is it because I fear that something severe is going to be wrong? Maybe. I don't know if I had mentioned this before, but one of my very best friends lost her son a few months back. He was stillborn, and it shook me, pretty hard. When I found out she was pregnant we had just finished going through the process of ridding my body of the ectopic pregnancy. Our babies would have been due within weeks of each other. I guess this has impacted me more than I have really given thought. I felt so bad when she lost her little guy, almost guilty. My pregnancy ended before it hardly began, and even though it was a rough few months to finally get it all gone, I didn't go through what she went through. And now, as she is dealing with her pain, I have a little guy growing inside me with a future unknown, but looking more and more positive every time we go to the doctor. (her little guy had some similar prognosis, not sure what exactly was going on, but looking good) I hurt for her, and in that, I fear for myself.
All I can really do is pray for peace. The fear doesn't consume me, and I cherish the feeling of monkey's soccer games, but I need to let go a little. Buy a few items for the little man, and work on making his room a place that he can come home to, a place that I can rock him to sleep and feed him in the middle of the night. I just hate that my friend can't do that, and I ache for her in ways I never thought possible.
It is my goal to work on focusing on the positive instead of dwelling on 'what could be.'
Is it because I fear that something severe is going to be wrong? Maybe. I don't know if I had mentioned this before, but one of my very best friends lost her son a few months back. He was stillborn, and it shook me, pretty hard. When I found out she was pregnant we had just finished going through the process of ridding my body of the ectopic pregnancy. Our babies would have been due within weeks of each other. I guess this has impacted me more than I have really given thought. I felt so bad when she lost her little guy, almost guilty. My pregnancy ended before it hardly began, and even though it was a rough few months to finally get it all gone, I didn't go through what she went through. And now, as she is dealing with her pain, I have a little guy growing inside me with a future unknown, but looking more and more positive every time we go to the doctor. (her little guy had some similar prognosis, not sure what exactly was going on, but looking good) I hurt for her, and in that, I fear for myself.
All I can really do is pray for peace. The fear doesn't consume me, and I cherish the feeling of monkey's soccer games, but I need to let go a little. Buy a few items for the little man, and work on making his room a place that he can come home to, a place that I can rock him to sleep and feed him in the middle of the night. I just hate that my friend can't do that, and I ache for her in ways I never thought possible.
It is my goal to work on focusing on the positive instead of dwelling on 'what could be.'
Monday, November 28, 2011
*Sigh* of (partial) relief
We got to see our little man again today, and along with that, got to see my regular perinatologist which I was just as excited about. A quick side note: anyone needing a high risk doctor should see Dr. Wall ... he is absolutely amazing and I couldn't have been referred to a better doctor!
Anyways, back to our little monkey (his new nickname for his raucous bouts of monkeying around in momma's belly!). Here is the biggest highlights of the ultrasound and meeting with the doctor:
1) My placenta has moved! It's not quite to the 'magical' 2cm mark to deliver vaginally, but it most definitely is not complete like it was 4 weeks ago. It actually amazed me when she said it wasn't complete anymore as it had hardly moved from week 14 to 19. But that is a huge blessing, and it should only continue to move further away from the cervix. Hallelujah!
2) The cyst on lil monkey's brain is going away. Now, that is a good thing, but it's also common. 99% of the Choroid Plexus Cysts will be gone by birth, most resolving around 28 weeks. We expect that next time they won't even be able to see his cyst. Again, I want to stress that it is a marker, not a given, that he has a chromosomal issue, and it's great that it's going away, but it's not anything that would have caused issues after birth either way.
3) The clubfoot is NOT severe. (Deep breath taken here) It still looks like the lil man has a slight clubfoot, where his right foot does not lie in line with his leg like his left one does (it turns slightly inward), but by no means is it severe. The doctor even said that we could potentially see it fix itself over the next few months depending on how his little body is developing, and his right side may just be lagging a little (just like his Great-Papa Roberts). We will continue to have monthly growth scans so we'll see what he looks like in another 4-5 weeks and if he continues to look like he has some severity of a clubfoot, we will be referred to Children's before he is born.
The most important parts are that his brain, heart, and other structures are all healthy and normal. The doctor obviously cannot rule out a chromosomal issue, but moved our odds to 1 in 1000. Again, we won't know ANYTHING until this little guy arrives, and this roller coaster is on an upswing and I guess I am preparing myself for another dip in the tracks, but praying that it won't come!
As the doctor was getting ready to leave he looked at me and said, "you just have the most interesting pregnancies." Not so sure that is the best thing coming from a doctor who works with high risk patients all day long, but I guess I know that I'm in good hands no matter what happens!
Anyways, back to our little monkey (his new nickname for his raucous bouts of monkeying around in momma's belly!). Here is the biggest highlights of the ultrasound and meeting with the doctor:
1) My placenta has moved! It's not quite to the 'magical' 2cm mark to deliver vaginally, but it most definitely is not complete like it was 4 weeks ago. It actually amazed me when she said it wasn't complete anymore as it had hardly moved from week 14 to 19. But that is a huge blessing, and it should only continue to move further away from the cervix. Hallelujah!
2) The cyst on lil monkey's brain is going away. Now, that is a good thing, but it's also common. 99% of the Choroid Plexus Cysts will be gone by birth, most resolving around 28 weeks. We expect that next time they won't even be able to see his cyst. Again, I want to stress that it is a marker, not a given, that he has a chromosomal issue, and it's great that it's going away, but it's not anything that would have caused issues after birth either way.
3) The clubfoot is NOT severe. (Deep breath taken here) It still looks like the lil man has a slight clubfoot, where his right foot does not lie in line with his leg like his left one does (it turns slightly inward), but by no means is it severe. The doctor even said that we could potentially see it fix itself over the next few months depending on how his little body is developing, and his right side may just be lagging a little (just like his Great-Papa Roberts). We will continue to have monthly growth scans so we'll see what he looks like in another 4-5 weeks and if he continues to look like he has some severity of a clubfoot, we will be referred to Children's before he is born.
The most important parts are that his brain, heart, and other structures are all healthy and normal. The doctor obviously cannot rule out a chromosomal issue, but moved our odds to 1 in 1000. Again, we won't know ANYTHING until this little guy arrives, and this roller coaster is on an upswing and I guess I am preparing myself for another dip in the tracks, but praying that it won't come!
As the doctor was getting ready to leave he looked at me and said, "you just have the most interesting pregnancies." Not so sure that is the best thing coming from a doctor who works with high risk patients all day long, but I guess I know that I'm in good hands no matter what happens!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
ugh!
I thought the 2nd trimester was supposed to be when I felt the best. My first trimester was scattered with side effects of being pregnant, but nothing ever stuck around, so I figured that things would continue to go well. I was wrong. The past few days I have just felt like crap. This little guy is constantly getting into uncomfortable positions with his favorite (and my nemesis) where one of his feet is pushed into my left hip, but that's also along with jumping on my bladder or stright down on my cervix. I can honestly say that Elizabeth NEVER moved this much, and most definitely never got herself into such uncomfortable positions, and I have at least 15 more weeks of this, and he's only a fraction of the size he will become. I am also getting an upset stomach, and I just lack energy or the gusto to get things done. I'm just praying things get better!
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