I haven't had time to update. And this will be really short because she will be waking soon for another feeding.
Keira was born November 21st at 7:38am. We were scheduled for induction at 6am, but she decided the night before that she wasn't getting evicted, she will make up her own mind. We arrived to the hospital at around 8pm, and ended up needing a little extra help with pitocin to get going to what they wanted. They shut that off though by 2am. More on birth story later.
She was 7lbs 14ozs, and 20.5 inches long. 3 day check up she dropped a pound, and we're struggling with jaundice issues. She's had to go daily for blood work and been bordering the line of needing readmitted. We're waiting on results from today. She's eating and peeing/pooping great now, so I'm hoping we are going to have lower numbers and can stop checking. It's heartbreaking to watch.
Overall, things are going great. Absolutely love her and can not believe she is mine to keep! I can sit for hours just staring at her in awe. Kristopher loves her and is an amazing big brother.
Pics and more story to come later. Just wanted to update that she is finally here!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Closer
Half way through week 36 now. It's getting so close!
Stats:
So, that's about it for now. Next appt is next Wednesday.
Stats:
- Weekly visits with the doctor.
- Weight gain, a little over 1lb, total gain, 14 I think they said.
- Baby has lowered more and is "entering birth canal." Yay for head down but wow the pressure at times!
- BP was awesome
- Asked about birth control once she's here. I said not sure. I really don't know. Take chances that breastfeeding will keep my period away? Assume that the 12 years we've been married and this is the first surprise pregnancy means we are safer? Really not sure. I do know if this somehow ends in a c-section, they already have authorization to do a tubal. I don't want multiple surgeries like that. I've read a lot of mixed info on tubals after delivery, and I'm not sure I want to do that right away because I don't want to risk messing up the breastfeeding experience. I'm really hoping that works out for us.
- All baby stuff is washed, ready, car seat installed, baby bag packed. We are READY!
- Hospital bag is all done except grabbing tooth brush when it's time to rush out the door. And I want to throw some snacks in there for while my husband is hanging out. Last time I remember him not eating anything because he didn't want to leave me, and he didn't eat earlier in the day because I wasn't eating either. So, snacks would be a good thing to have in there so he can get something.
- Having a lot of pressure this week, and a lot of braxton hicks. At times, it gets time-able, and I get to the point of almost calling for the sitter and ready to head in, and it magically slows down. I doubt I'll make it to the due date at this point, but this little girl has proved that she has a mind of her own and I have no control of this situation. Ha.
- Food is not agreeing well. GI issues similar to when I had gall bladder attacks. If it's not living in the bathroom after a meal, it's reflux for hours later that nothing helps cure.
- And final part for this week. Sleep SUCKS. I feel so exhausted all the time, but I can't nap. Even when I do take the time and try. Bedtime, very uncomfortable. I've taken to curling up on the couch and watching tv for a while, drifting off, zombie walking to bed, then tossing and turning for a few more hours. By the early morning hours, I do eventually crash, just in time to have that wicked alarm go off and ruin my good sleep. I am sure I'll get more sleep once the baby comes.
So, that's about it for now. Next appt is next Wednesday.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Can count by days!
It was pretty exciting to log on to the tracker app I have on my tablet, and see that we are down to days. DAYS!! It usually says weeks and days. Now it just said 32 days to go! That's exciting, but scary all in the same!
This entire pregnancy, the doctors have bumped me up to the nearest "even" number of weeks. I started at 9 weeks, they made it a 10 week appt. This week, I'm half way between 35-36, and they called it the 35 week appt. Either way, I'm going weekly now through the end.
This week:
This entire pregnancy, the doctors have bumped me up to the nearest "even" number of weeks. I started at 9 weeks, they made it a 10 week appt. This week, I'm half way between 35-36, and they called it the 35 week appt. Either way, I'm going weekly now through the end.
This week:
- Gained 2lb. No complaints.
- BP was higher, but still at a "normal" for their books. I have some hand and feet swelling for sure, and don't feel 100%, but it's still a normal number so no concerns on their part.
- Because Kristopher was early, they wanted to do the group b strep swab early. That was tolerated I guess. At least it is over.
- I'm 1cm dilated, cervix is softening and not as high. Right on target for what they want to see at this point.
- Baby is in fact head down. I doubted this all last week, because of pressure up high, and various times that there was a lump on one side, and feet at the other. Turns out, she just learned how to stretch those legs out. She's low enough that they don't think she will be turning on us.
- Feeling pretty uncomfortable lately. Pressure and braxton hicks pretty much every day, but never enough to start to count or track it as anything potentially laborish.
- All clothes are washed, pack n play is set up with bassinet feature, clean sheets, etc.
- Baby's bag is packed, mine is almost done.
- Installing car seat some evening this week!
- Baby swing brought into the living room to prepare the dogs for baby gear to be around. They are already use to it.
So that's the baby update.
Home/cyber school update.
We have a decent routine going. We're able to get lessons done without much struggle, and he's starting to become a little more independent with it. Right now he's working on a live math lesson with his teacher, and he loves when they do this type of thing. His grades are awesome. He's in gifted and talented math & science, and then regular 3rd grade for everything else. The G&T classes he's passing with either an A or A+ and it makes him so happy to see that score update each time we submit the tests.
Anxiety and stress level has been reduced a lot, and he sleeps pretty good now. The past few mornings I actually have to wake him when I come up to get Daniel ready for school. That is actually something extremely rare.
As time goes on, he's been sharing little parts of things that happened at school that really bothers me. I am starting to see why he had such struggles at the end of the day. He held it together so well there, and never let on he was not happy. But now, he seems very happy and settled. I hope things go just as well when the baby arrives.
That's it for today.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
34 Weeks!
I'm getting a tad bit nervous. It's getting so close. I'm very ready to meet this little girl, but at the same time, scared of all that comes with that. Not ready for the labor part. Not ready for the recovery. And bleeding again. I'm already sleep deprived, and moody, so I'm assuming adding the baby to that is going to just make me sleep deprived but with a baby to snuggle, so I should be ok.
Appt on Monday went well. Since Kristopher is no longer in an actual school during the day, he went along. It was the first time he got to hear the heartbeat, and he found that pretty cool. Baby cooperated this time and we got to hear a good solid minute of it. Then, I got my flu shot. First time ever. Had to brave it though because he had a lot of anxiety about getting his, and he has asthma so it's beneficial for him to have one each year. I guess the shot wasn't too bad. Hopefully it helps keep the house germ free this winter. The boys both got theirs on Thursday. Kristopher kind of panicked when it came time and cried more than he has since he's been a toddler. He also tensed up, and had some soreness after. Daniel did fine.
Back to baby appt. No weight gain, and a big lecture about eat more snacks. She told me to snack before going to bed, which I can not do because of reflux issues. I have to have a few hours between eating and bed before I can comfortably lay down. The other night we had a late supper at almost 7:30, and I was still suffering while trying to sleep at 3am. It was a long night. Either way, I eat all day, and do not restrict calories or types of food. If I was not pregnant, this kind of eating would seriously make me gain 10lbs a week. The baby had "awesome growth" in the 2 weeks, so she let it go at that. This week, she's head down, and seems to be staying. I've probably just jinxed myself by saying that. Size wise, she is definitely running out of space at this point, and movements have slowed a lot. It's amazing the difference a week makes. Last weekend she was still doing the hard pokes and jabs, and you could see my belly jiggling all over the place pretty much all day. Now, it's slowed, and I feel more pressure towards the crotch movements, or feet kicks into the ribs. Not that I'm complaining....This way, I can actually feel the shape of those tiny feet when I put my hand against, and I find it completely amazing. Her nickname this week is little foot. :)
The weather has finally turned to fall here, which was extremely welcomed. The feet and hand swelling has gone away. I actually feel kind of chilly lately, and we've had a lot of rain this week so I broke out the sweatshirts. Oh and that's another thing. Pulling out winter clothes, I've discovered I have NO shirts that fit. I don't wear stuff that is tight to begin with, and always covers enough that it didn't rise up and expose my belly while not pregnant. I assumed that stuff would fit now, just be kind of close to riding up. No. It's exposing the belly at least 2 inches. I have a ton for after baby, but as of right now I have 2 hoodies, and one maternity shirt. I am torn on if I should buy a few more to hold me over the next few weeks, or just tough it out in short sleeve and wear a light jacket when I get cold. I know as soon as the bulk of this belly deflates, my shirts will fit and I won't need anything new for winter.
Cyber schooling is going well. We got caught up on lessons this week since all his books arrived. He has an awesome laptop as well that they sent, and I've found it a little easier because he can have some independent time learning to use that, and in a central location on things that require independent work. Before, he was restricted to our desktop and in a more distraction filled place. He really enjoys math, next in line appears to be social studies and science, and language arts is his trouble area. He gets annoyed by that because there is a lot of writing, and yesterday he had to write a report for me to scan and submit. He struggles with the writing side of things. Overall though, he's really liking the new school approach and his night time anxiety has pretty much vanished. I still feel it's the right choice for us. I'm just hoping to get into a steady routine for it by the time the baby arrives and steals most of the day. Must get this to be more independent starting, so he doesn't have to wait on me while I get her settled....
Appt on Monday went well. Since Kristopher is no longer in an actual school during the day, he went along. It was the first time he got to hear the heartbeat, and he found that pretty cool. Baby cooperated this time and we got to hear a good solid minute of it. Then, I got my flu shot. First time ever. Had to brave it though because he had a lot of anxiety about getting his, and he has asthma so it's beneficial for him to have one each year. I guess the shot wasn't too bad. Hopefully it helps keep the house germ free this winter. The boys both got theirs on Thursday. Kristopher kind of panicked when it came time and cried more than he has since he's been a toddler. He also tensed up, and had some soreness after. Daniel did fine.
Back to baby appt. No weight gain, and a big lecture about eat more snacks. She told me to snack before going to bed, which I can not do because of reflux issues. I have to have a few hours between eating and bed before I can comfortably lay down. The other night we had a late supper at almost 7:30, and I was still suffering while trying to sleep at 3am. It was a long night. Either way, I eat all day, and do not restrict calories or types of food. If I was not pregnant, this kind of eating would seriously make me gain 10lbs a week. The baby had "awesome growth" in the 2 weeks, so she let it go at that. This week, she's head down, and seems to be staying. I've probably just jinxed myself by saying that. Size wise, she is definitely running out of space at this point, and movements have slowed a lot. It's amazing the difference a week makes. Last weekend she was still doing the hard pokes and jabs, and you could see my belly jiggling all over the place pretty much all day. Now, it's slowed, and I feel more pressure towards the crotch movements, or feet kicks into the ribs. Not that I'm complaining....This way, I can actually feel the shape of those tiny feet when I put my hand against, and I find it completely amazing. Her nickname this week is little foot. :)
The weather has finally turned to fall here, which was extremely welcomed. The feet and hand swelling has gone away. I actually feel kind of chilly lately, and we've had a lot of rain this week so I broke out the sweatshirts. Oh and that's another thing. Pulling out winter clothes, I've discovered I have NO shirts that fit. I don't wear stuff that is tight to begin with, and always covers enough that it didn't rise up and expose my belly while not pregnant. I assumed that stuff would fit now, just be kind of close to riding up. No. It's exposing the belly at least 2 inches. I have a ton for after baby, but as of right now I have 2 hoodies, and one maternity shirt. I am torn on if I should buy a few more to hold me over the next few weeks, or just tough it out in short sleeve and wear a light jacket when I get cold. I know as soon as the bulk of this belly deflates, my shirts will fit and I won't need anything new for winter.
Cyber schooling is going well. We got caught up on lessons this week since all his books arrived. He has an awesome laptop as well that they sent, and I've found it a little easier because he can have some independent time learning to use that, and in a central location on things that require independent work. Before, he was restricted to our desktop and in a more distraction filled place. He really enjoys math, next in line appears to be social studies and science, and language arts is his trouble area. He gets annoyed by that because there is a lot of writing, and yesterday he had to write a report for me to scan and submit. He struggles with the writing side of things. Overall though, he's really liking the new school approach and his night time anxiety has pretty much vanished. I still feel it's the right choice for us. I'm just hoping to get into a steady routine for it by the time the baby arrives and steals most of the day. Must get this to be more independent starting, so he doesn't have to wait on me while I get her settled....
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Mixed updates
This was our school change week. It happened a lot quicker than I expected and to accept our new journey, we had to unenroll from regular public school on Wednesday. We got acquainted with the cyber program on Thursday, and Friday, finishing a couple lessons and then just filling the rest of our "school" time with other educational things. Reading, trip to the library, setting up our work station, etc. We took a long walk to the park and came home and researched the types of ducks we found and both learned some new things. Already, his anxiety has improved so much. He's actually sleeping awesome again as well. Monday we have the big evaluation that I've been waiting on for a good year now. They will finally give him the aspergers diagnosis from the person who needs to do so, and we can finally get the extra help and support we need for him. I'm going to push for an IEP even though we are doing cyber school, just in case he decides he wants to go back to public school in the future. That way the fight is not an option if it's already in place.
Baby related. I'm 33 weeks. Wild child turned breech again and is loving the fact of hanging out at the top of my belly. I have to sleep with 3 pillows as support or I wake up with vomit in my mouth from the crappy digestion I have going on, and her crazy flips at night. Still love the movements, I just wish we could get them a little bit lower and not make me feel like vomit all the time. She is so strong. The movements are always to the point of seeing my belly wiggle and jiggle around. The only person who has yet to see is my mom. Something about her around makes the baby just stop moving. It doesn't matter how long she is here, the movements are non existent, or very very slow like she's trying not to be seen. My "34 week" appt is Tuesday. I am debating about asking to be rechecked, because the occasional pressure and pinching feeling is back more frequently. I still have a few braxton hicks per day, and they are starting to become a little painful at times. They told me to watch for 4 in an hour, and I'm not near that yet. I'm just nervous because of how early I experienced stuff like this with Kristopher. And especially if the baby is going to remain breech, I'd like to know what's going on. We're about 45 mins from the hopsital, with good traffic. I know every labor is different but Kristopher's was pretty quick for a first time, and I was 3 cm dilated from 35 weeks till fully hit at 37 weeks. He was born right on the 37 week mark. We're just getting close and I'm a bit parinoid.
Baby related. I'm 33 weeks. Wild child turned breech again and is loving the fact of hanging out at the top of my belly. I have to sleep with 3 pillows as support or I wake up with vomit in my mouth from the crappy digestion I have going on, and her crazy flips at night. Still love the movements, I just wish we could get them a little bit lower and not make me feel like vomit all the time. She is so strong. The movements are always to the point of seeing my belly wiggle and jiggle around. The only person who has yet to see is my mom. Something about her around makes the baby just stop moving. It doesn't matter how long she is here, the movements are non existent, or very very slow like she's trying not to be seen. My "34 week" appt is Tuesday. I am debating about asking to be rechecked, because the occasional pressure and pinching feeling is back more frequently. I still have a few braxton hicks per day, and they are starting to become a little painful at times. They told me to watch for 4 in an hour, and I'm not near that yet. I'm just nervous because of how early I experienced stuff like this with Kristopher. And especially if the baby is going to remain breech, I'd like to know what's going on. We're about 45 mins from the hopsital, with good traffic. I know every labor is different but Kristopher's was pretty quick for a first time, and I was 3 cm dilated from 35 weeks till fully hit at 37 weeks. He was born right on the 37 week mark. We're just getting close and I'm a bit parinoid.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Weekly update
I'll start with the baby update. I had my appt Monday, and gained 3lbs. My regular scheduled appt was canceled and they squeezed me in with the high risk doctor just to get the appts all adjusted. She was awesome. She was so impressed to be dealing with a "normal" person. (HA!!!!) and spent way more time asking me questions than anyone has this time around, or with Kristopher. A little lecture about weight since my total gain is low, but then said she felt the belly and baby felt right on target. Apparently pregnancy is a good diet approach for me? Baby didn't fight the doppler quite as bad this time. She did slowly creep away, but it was after a good 30 second reading. It was entertaining to watch the little wave of movement that went across, and then the sound slowly disappearing like haha you can't find me now!
This week, I have a cold. Broke down and took sudefed for it, and then had a mild allergic reaction. So the rest of the time I have been toughing it out. I think it's almost on the way out of here.
Other news. We just made some huge decisions regarding Kristopher and school. If you've followed me for a while, you'll know he has clinical anxiety. We've struggled with it since 1st grade when the school did not challenge him to his learning ability. I'll back up here to where my real complaint in this school process had started. September 1st is the cut for kids to start kindergarten. Kristopher's birthday is the 3rd. He was denied starting, and we tried to fight by testing him to prove. Testing ended up being horribly expensive, and there was no guarantee that they'd let him go because socially, he was on a lower level. So he started when he was turning 6. Kindergarten teacher was awesome. After he proved himself to her by reading her some chapter books, she had him bumped into 1st grade reading. They told me they could not do a total bump of the grade because socially and fine motor skills were "low average" for his age. Either way, he loved Kindergarten. 1st grade, anxiety hits hard. His teacher did not give the option to go to higher groups. She offered enrichment, but by taking way social time and he viewed it as a punishment. He hated going to school, nights were horrible, and I quit fighting just so he would be happy and get thru the days. 2nd grade, better teacher, but still not pushed to his potential. Diagnosed with clinical anxiety and potentially aspergers syndrome. He started anxiety meds, and was tested at the end of the school year for gifted. Now we are at 3rd grade. We got the gifted results and were told that he did not score high enough when tested by the outside party. He did qualify based on assessment tests, our tests, teachers test and guidance, but he had to pass the other person and he was nervous. He told me that she wasn't very friendly and he felt very nervous with her questions. So, denied gifted classes, and anxiety hits an all time high this year. Doubled his meds. School has become a "job". He does like it, and listens amazingly. But at the end of the day he comes home and falls apart. I refuse to bump his meds up anymore. So the decision has been made, we are pulling him from public school. We are going to start cyber school within a week or 2. Enrollment is already 2/3 of the way done. He is so excited about it! I am too. They said after placement testing is done, he will be separated into classes based on his ability, not his age or grade level. If he proves he can do 4th grade work, he will move to 4th grade. If he needs a mix of 3rd and 4th, that's what they will do. He will not be bored anymore! I'm really looking forward to this. I've had different judgement from others already. Saying he's not going to be socialized enough, saying he's going to drive me crazy. Basically, they can all shove it. We're joining homeschool gym at the YMCA, so he will have 2 hrs a week of traditional gym (and swim!). The cyber school has groups all around us for social time, and over 500 field trip options to pick from a year. He will still be socialized. With a better mix than our district.
Daniel (our foster) will still remain in public school because he needs a classroom setting. So Kristopher will still see the people at school and still participate in after school activities. I think it will all work out just fine for us.
Well that's it for now. I got to run to the school now. Ready for the weekend! Watch for a new update next week.
This week, I have a cold. Broke down and took sudefed for it, and then had a mild allergic reaction. So the rest of the time I have been toughing it out. I think it's almost on the way out of here.
Other news. We just made some huge decisions regarding Kristopher and school. If you've followed me for a while, you'll know he has clinical anxiety. We've struggled with it since 1st grade when the school did not challenge him to his learning ability. I'll back up here to where my real complaint in this school process had started. September 1st is the cut for kids to start kindergarten. Kristopher's birthday is the 3rd. He was denied starting, and we tried to fight by testing him to prove. Testing ended up being horribly expensive, and there was no guarantee that they'd let him go because socially, he was on a lower level. So he started when he was turning 6. Kindergarten teacher was awesome. After he proved himself to her by reading her some chapter books, she had him bumped into 1st grade reading. They told me they could not do a total bump of the grade because socially and fine motor skills were "low average" for his age. Either way, he loved Kindergarten. 1st grade, anxiety hits hard. His teacher did not give the option to go to higher groups. She offered enrichment, but by taking way social time and he viewed it as a punishment. He hated going to school, nights were horrible, and I quit fighting just so he would be happy and get thru the days. 2nd grade, better teacher, but still not pushed to his potential. Diagnosed with clinical anxiety and potentially aspergers syndrome. He started anxiety meds, and was tested at the end of the school year for gifted. Now we are at 3rd grade. We got the gifted results and were told that he did not score high enough when tested by the outside party. He did qualify based on assessment tests, our tests, teachers test and guidance, but he had to pass the other person and he was nervous. He told me that she wasn't very friendly and he felt very nervous with her questions. So, denied gifted classes, and anxiety hits an all time high this year. Doubled his meds. School has become a "job". He does like it, and listens amazingly. But at the end of the day he comes home and falls apart. I refuse to bump his meds up anymore. So the decision has been made, we are pulling him from public school. We are going to start cyber school within a week or 2. Enrollment is already 2/3 of the way done. He is so excited about it! I am too. They said after placement testing is done, he will be separated into classes based on his ability, not his age or grade level. If he proves he can do 4th grade work, he will move to 4th grade. If he needs a mix of 3rd and 4th, that's what they will do. He will not be bored anymore! I'm really looking forward to this. I've had different judgement from others already. Saying he's not going to be socialized enough, saying he's going to drive me crazy. Basically, they can all shove it. We're joining homeschool gym at the YMCA, so he will have 2 hrs a week of traditional gym (and swim!). The cyber school has groups all around us for social time, and over 500 field trip options to pick from a year. He will still be socialized. With a better mix than our district.
Daniel (our foster) will still remain in public school because he needs a classroom setting. So Kristopher will still see the people at school and still participate in after school activities. I think it will all work out just fine for us.
Well that's it for now. I got to run to the school now. Ready for the weekend! Watch for a new update next week.
Friday, September 20, 2013
31 Weeks
This is flying by! I can't believe how fast it's going.
Last week I started feeling a lot of braxton hicks. I don't remember feeling it at all with Kristopher, so it was definitely a little bit scary. I rested all day Thursday, and still had them occasionally. On Friday, I talked to the nurse and she said if I was staying super hydrated, and still continued to feel the tighteness (and also I had weird vaginal pinching feeling in the cervix area), to go to L&D to be monitored just in case. So, Friday evening I drank as much water as I possibly could, crashed on the couch and around 7:30 decided I should probably get checked just to be safe. We had a busy weekend planned and I was scared to do anything with the occasional pinches and my belly would get super hard. It was not like a real contraction though, so I felt safe enough to make the trip alone.
I got there, and they did a urine test to rule out any UTI possibility. Then, got hooked up to the monitors. The first 20 mins, I had one small contraction, but with no pain. They said they believe it was simply braxton hicks going on. The baby was pretty good about being monitored during that time, and was moving around nicely, good 20 min heart beat reading. All was good. They said they had to check me due to the pinching feelings, and it was determined that I am already 1 cm dilated!! She said the cervix was really high still, so that's not too uncommon with it being a 2nd pregnancy. They said to stay there while they ran it past the ob in charge, but chances are I'd be on my way shortly. A few minutes later they came back in and said that the OB would like to keep me for another 2 hours of monitoring and to make sure that I do not dilate anymore in that time frame. So, back to the monitor. At this point, the baby was fed up with all this attention. She was moving all around to try to get away from the band that monitored her heartrate. 15 mins later she was completely off the monitor, all squished up at the upper part of my belly. The nurse came back in and readjusted the band, and she moved about 10 mins later, all the way low. They came back in a 3rd time, and put the band right around my belly button and pulled it pretty tight. It kept her heartrate on there then. That part was pretty uncomfortable because my belly button is in between the inny and outty stage, depending on how the baby is positioned. It seems to be more sensitive over my scar from the gall bladder surgery. Of course, baby fought this, but wasn't able to avoid it anymore. I had a few more contraction spikes on the monitor, but it was really just a little pressure and rock hard belly feeling. No pain. After my 2 hrs were up, they came and checked one more time and there was no change in dilation so I was sent home with the assumption that this is just braxton hicks and the little discomfort I feel is because my child is a circus preformer. I was told if I feel pain, pressure, leakage, or these BH end up coming in a timeable fashion, to immediately head back in.
Since the L&D trip, I've had maybe 1 or 2 times a day that I feel them, but it's still not really anything painful. She's very active still, finally head down and seems to be moving a little lower. The pinching feeling has gone away thankfully, and I don't have any leakage issues going on. I'm curious if the dilated part is truly because I've gone through this before, or if it is a sign she is going to follow in Kristopher's fashion and come early. He was exactly 3 weeks early and he played these games with me at 35 & 36 weeks. And with him, I was checked at 35 weeks and was already 3cms. So, who knows what point that started. I do know when I was checked earlier in this pregnancy, I was told the cervix was tightly closed, so I'm a little confused on their theory of it being common for 2nd pregnancies just being that way. Of course, I'm just thinking way too far into all this. She will come when she's ready. The part that makes me feel ok about it at this point is that I know she's a fighter and no matter what point she comes, she's going to be ok now. I just feel a little scared knowing that I'm down to single digits on weeks left, and it's so uncertain as to when this will happen.
I washed baby clothes this week. That was fun. Somehow, I have collected quite the collection for 3 month size. She may only wear the stuff once each, but at least I won't be overwhelemed with laundry in the beginning! I want to get a few more newborn size sleepers. Kristopher was 7.7 and almost 21 inches, but I remember the first week or 2 all the 0-3 stuff was way too big on him. I had my mom get some newborn but we were washing a lot of clothes that first week or so till he finally fit better into the stuff I had already. This time, I figure if I have too much, maybe someday she can use that itty bitty stuff as baby doll clothes. :) I'd rather have too much than not enough. The only things I need to do yet is set up the pack n play, bring up the swing to the living room, and I want to buy a few more packs of diapers. Everything else, I think I'm set with. I even started to put a few things into the diaper bag so that her bag will be packed. I do need to buy myself a few things for afterwards and then maybe I'll even go as far as starting to pack my bag just in case she's early. The next few weeks I have a ton of appts for the boys and just other things in general, so I don't want to risk not being prepared. I'm a little bit OCD at the moment.
And to end this today, I want to say that colds during pregnancy really should be illegal. I have been fighting what I thought was allergies for about a week now, and last night I started having the really bad sinus pressure and drainage. I slept like crap, and today my eyes and nose are constantly watering. It's turned from allergy to cold. And it sucks. Planning a weekend of laying around and doing nothing. Hopefully by Monday I feel more normal. Monday is the "32 week" appt. And my friend is going along and we planned lunch and shopping afterwards. Hoping to feel better for all that.
Last week I started feeling a lot of braxton hicks. I don't remember feeling it at all with Kristopher, so it was definitely a little bit scary. I rested all day Thursday, and still had them occasionally. On Friday, I talked to the nurse and she said if I was staying super hydrated, and still continued to feel the tighteness (and also I had weird vaginal pinching feeling in the cervix area), to go to L&D to be monitored just in case. So, Friday evening I drank as much water as I possibly could, crashed on the couch and around 7:30 decided I should probably get checked just to be safe. We had a busy weekend planned and I was scared to do anything with the occasional pinches and my belly would get super hard. It was not like a real contraction though, so I felt safe enough to make the trip alone.
I got there, and they did a urine test to rule out any UTI possibility. Then, got hooked up to the monitors. The first 20 mins, I had one small contraction, but with no pain. They said they believe it was simply braxton hicks going on. The baby was pretty good about being monitored during that time, and was moving around nicely, good 20 min heart beat reading. All was good. They said they had to check me due to the pinching feelings, and it was determined that I am already 1 cm dilated!! She said the cervix was really high still, so that's not too uncommon with it being a 2nd pregnancy. They said to stay there while they ran it past the ob in charge, but chances are I'd be on my way shortly. A few minutes later they came back in and said that the OB would like to keep me for another 2 hours of monitoring and to make sure that I do not dilate anymore in that time frame. So, back to the monitor. At this point, the baby was fed up with all this attention. She was moving all around to try to get away from the band that monitored her heartrate. 15 mins later she was completely off the monitor, all squished up at the upper part of my belly. The nurse came back in and readjusted the band, and she moved about 10 mins later, all the way low. They came back in a 3rd time, and put the band right around my belly button and pulled it pretty tight. It kept her heartrate on there then. That part was pretty uncomfortable because my belly button is in between the inny and outty stage, depending on how the baby is positioned. It seems to be more sensitive over my scar from the gall bladder surgery. Of course, baby fought this, but wasn't able to avoid it anymore. I had a few more contraction spikes on the monitor, but it was really just a little pressure and rock hard belly feeling. No pain. After my 2 hrs were up, they came and checked one more time and there was no change in dilation so I was sent home with the assumption that this is just braxton hicks and the little discomfort I feel is because my child is a circus preformer. I was told if I feel pain, pressure, leakage, or these BH end up coming in a timeable fashion, to immediately head back in.
Since the L&D trip, I've had maybe 1 or 2 times a day that I feel them, but it's still not really anything painful. She's very active still, finally head down and seems to be moving a little lower. The pinching feeling has gone away thankfully, and I don't have any leakage issues going on. I'm curious if the dilated part is truly because I've gone through this before, or if it is a sign she is going to follow in Kristopher's fashion and come early. He was exactly 3 weeks early and he played these games with me at 35 & 36 weeks. And with him, I was checked at 35 weeks and was already 3cms. So, who knows what point that started. I do know when I was checked earlier in this pregnancy, I was told the cervix was tightly closed, so I'm a little confused on their theory of it being common for 2nd pregnancies just being that way. Of course, I'm just thinking way too far into all this. She will come when she's ready. The part that makes me feel ok about it at this point is that I know she's a fighter and no matter what point she comes, she's going to be ok now. I just feel a little scared knowing that I'm down to single digits on weeks left, and it's so uncertain as to when this will happen.
I washed baby clothes this week. That was fun. Somehow, I have collected quite the collection for 3 month size. She may only wear the stuff once each, but at least I won't be overwhelemed with laundry in the beginning! I want to get a few more newborn size sleepers. Kristopher was 7.7 and almost 21 inches, but I remember the first week or 2 all the 0-3 stuff was way too big on him. I had my mom get some newborn but we were washing a lot of clothes that first week or so till he finally fit better into the stuff I had already. This time, I figure if I have too much, maybe someday she can use that itty bitty stuff as baby doll clothes. :) I'd rather have too much than not enough. The only things I need to do yet is set up the pack n play, bring up the swing to the living room, and I want to buy a few more packs of diapers. Everything else, I think I'm set with. I even started to put a few things into the diaper bag so that her bag will be packed. I do need to buy myself a few things for afterwards and then maybe I'll even go as far as starting to pack my bag just in case she's early. The next few weeks I have a ton of appts for the boys and just other things in general, so I don't want to risk not being prepared. I'm a little bit OCD at the moment.
And to end this today, I want to say that colds during pregnancy really should be illegal. I have been fighting what I thought was allergies for about a week now, and last night I started having the really bad sinus pressure and drainage. I slept like crap, and today my eyes and nose are constantly watering. It's turned from allergy to cold. And it sucks. Planning a weekend of laying around and doing nothing. Hopefully by Monday I feel more normal. Monday is the "32 week" appt. And my friend is going along and we planned lunch and shopping afterwards. Hoping to feel better for all that.
Monday, September 9, 2013
(Almost) 30 week appt
As I've mentioned many times, the doctors have me almost a week ahead in the chart. So, today was the "30 week" appt. I go every other week now. Feels kinda weird to be at that point already, but I love to get that reassurance.
So here's the recap of the appt:
So here's the recap of the appt:
- 28 week blood work was "awesome". No GD. No low iron. All bloodwork they did was perfect numbers.
- Total weight gain, 8lbs. No change in 2 weeks, which I found weird because I definitely feel bigger. And, today was much cooler and I went wearing jeans, heavier clothing. I got asked if I'm "limiting portions" and double checking that I eat all meals. I said yes, plus I feel like I'm snacking all day. I'm not sure why the weight gain is so low, but I truly am eating tons. Not pregnant, I would have blown up by now!
- BP was awesome. No concerns there.
- Baby is HEAD DOWN! And curved to the right in an arch. I knew this, due to the running out of room feeling and could feel her butt pushing out the other night. It's so funny. She was sleepy while in there, so this was the first time ever that they were easily able to get a heart rate reading. 136 today.
- We talked about movements. I got a weekly update email, and it mentioned that if you don't feel your baby move at least 10 times per hour, to contact the provider. I thought that was extreme. Most days, she's clearly very active. To the point of complete strangers now being able to see movement when we are sitting nearby in a waiting room and my belly is bouncing all around. It's funny. But anyway, she also has her very lazy times. There are even times that I worry because I've been really busy, and have not noticed any forceful movements. All it takes is laying down though and it normally gets her going. She likes to sleep while I'm running around all crazy apparently. So, when I saw that email, I did worry a little. Thankfully, the doctor confirmed that it's crazy to expect that frequent of movements, and that babies do have sleep patterns now. Which I was right on with this one. She's got a little schedule already. Her very awake times are 6-8am, 2-4pm, 6-7ish, and then 8:30/9 (bedtime)-10 or 11. And usually at 3:30 when my husband is up to get ready for work, she has an awake spell then too. I was told if I get concerned because of lessened movement, drink ice water, lay down, and as long as there are 6 kicks in half hour, we're good. Less than that, they'd want to monitor.
- Also talked about braxton hicks contractions. I know I've had a few. They were not painful really, but definitely enough that I realized what it was. And occasionally I wake up in the middle of the night and my belly will be rock hard and kinda crampy, but again, it's not a real contraction that I should worry about yet. I think I had this around this point with K as well.
Overall, great appt, no complaints. Go back in 2 weeks. Taking a friend along with me that day and afterwards we are going to do some more baby shopping. I'm trying to get as much as I can ahead of time, and October is cramped with appts for the boys so I can have a month off from constant running when she arrives. If I go as early as I did with Kristopher, I have 8 weeks. I just want to be fully prepared before that time. So next appt will be shopping. After that I'll spend my free time in October washing things, packing hospital bag, and resting up for the big day. I'm starting to get nervous. This is the final stretch!! Last trimester is here!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
28 Week Appt & Back to school!
I had my 28 week appt yesterday. And the boys started school. I'm so glad that I scheduled it this way, and did not opt to do the glucose test sooner. It was rough. I was told that I could eat, give it an hour, then drink the drink. Then I had to be at the lab and have the blood drawn exactly one hour from the time I finished the drink. So, I got up early. Ate a breakfast sandwich (whole wheat egg sandwich thing), and promptly got horrible reflux from it. I suffered through getting the boys ready, not wanting to take Tums since I didn't know if it would mess up the test. Get the boys to school and settled in, and start on my drive to the doctor, while starting the drink. I drank it pretty quickly and it isn't as horrible as everyone says. Maybe it helps that I've done it several times, like orange kool aid and also like orange soda? Either way, drinking it was not the problem. It was the reflux that only got worse after finishing it. By the time I got to the dr, I was gagging and dry heaving from how bad the reflux was. Nothing would come up, which I guess was good, but I was suffering. I went in, with 40 mins to spare till the bloodwork. I explained my issue to the receptionist, who said she wasn't sure on the Tums. After 2 trips to the the bathroom dry heaving, she went and asked the midwife, who said 1 tums was ok. She saved the day! I was able to get it under control enough to get thru the remaining wait, get the blood work done and then take another. Finally relief.
After my blood draw, I had a little wait till the appt. Appt was pretty boring. Gained 5lbs. Yay for ice cream and tasty cakes! They are happy with the total gain (9lbs so far) and my blood pressure was awesome. Heart rate was a fight as usual, and she kicked the doppler multiple times and made the midwife search for her. That is the longest part of the entire appt I think. The 5 mins to search for a good spot to get a good reading on the doppler. I find it hilarious, and love the experience. I also ended up getting my DTAP Vaccine, since I haven't gotten any vax's since entering 11th grade. oops. So, they did that and my arm feels like someone beat me.
I start going to the appts every 2 weeks now, which is pretty exciting. We're nearing the end!!
This past weekend was a huge community yard sale, and my mom and I went. We ended up getting a collection of itty bitty socks, awesome boppy pillow, and some other random cute clothes. I got some deals in the target baby registry bundle, coupons for really good savings on some things, so I bought a pack of diapers and wipes, some bath supplies, and ordered myself some breast pads and cream. I discovered old navy has some awesome camis that slide down enough that I am sure I can avoid investing in a lot of nursing tanks, and are so cheap. I bought a few different colors, and one nursing tank from target. All I absolutely need for this baby is to get a few more packs of diapers to have ready, and some nursing bras for myself. I'm starting to get anxious to have her here already!
The boys are in school now, and my house is so strangely quiet. I've gotten a lot of cleaning done, and took a mini nap earlier today. I then spent over an hour going through all the clothes again, and I think I may by some baby detergent and start washing later this week. Kinda early though I guess... Must find some projects to occupy the days...
After my blood draw, I had a little wait till the appt. Appt was pretty boring. Gained 5lbs. Yay for ice cream and tasty cakes! They are happy with the total gain (9lbs so far) and my blood pressure was awesome. Heart rate was a fight as usual, and she kicked the doppler multiple times and made the midwife search for her. That is the longest part of the entire appt I think. The 5 mins to search for a good spot to get a good reading on the doppler. I find it hilarious, and love the experience. I also ended up getting my DTAP Vaccine, since I haven't gotten any vax's since entering 11th grade. oops. So, they did that and my arm feels like someone beat me.
I start going to the appts every 2 weeks now, which is pretty exciting. We're nearing the end!!
This past weekend was a huge community yard sale, and my mom and I went. We ended up getting a collection of itty bitty socks, awesome boppy pillow, and some other random cute clothes. I got some deals in the target baby registry bundle, coupons for really good savings on some things, so I bought a pack of diapers and wipes, some bath supplies, and ordered myself some breast pads and cream. I discovered old navy has some awesome camis that slide down enough that I am sure I can avoid investing in a lot of nursing tanks, and are so cheap. I bought a few different colors, and one nursing tank from target. All I absolutely need for this baby is to get a few more packs of diapers to have ready, and some nursing bras for myself. I'm starting to get anxious to have her here already!
The boys are in school now, and my house is so strangely quiet. I've gotten a lot of cleaning done, and took a mini nap earlier today. I then spent over an hour going through all the clothes again, and I think I may by some baby detergent and start washing later this week. Kinda early though I guess... Must find some projects to occupy the days...
Thursday, August 15, 2013
This weeks update
Today will be very random. Lots on my mind, and the boys are very distracted with toys and legos. It's so quiet around here!
M was moved this past weekend. It almost didn't happen, do to some cold feet on behalf of the new family Friday night, but it got straightened out and we got her moved Saturday. The last day was very difficult. She had an attitude of no longer caring at that point, and was basically an F You attitude. I know I shouldn't take it personally, and with all the times she's moved from home to home, she's probably just assuming we're the same as all the rest. She knows we will still be seeing her when her brother has visits with the rest of the siblings, but part of her thinks that she's gone from here, we are the past, never to be seen or talked to again. I get it. I just have to pretend like it doesn't hurt after all I have done, and went through with her. I'm told that transition to the new home is going "rough" and that behaviors are on an all time high level. They don't get the whole honeymoon phase we had for 2 months with her, because they already have known her, and she's seen them a lot over the past year. (Her friend's family went through approval so they could take her till permanency could be found.)
The boys are doing great with her moved. The attitudes and just general feeling of the house is very relaxed and less stressed now. As weird as it is, coming back after she was totally moved out, did not feel too weird. I guess it really was meant to be. On Tuesday, the boys helped me take apart Daniel's bed, and we moved his stuff over to her old room. He now has his very own room for the first time ever. He's very excited. Kristopher went through his toys, and actually parted with a lot to give him a very full stash for his toybox. They have been playing apart for part of the day, and then they take turns playing in each others rooms and get along great. I find myself with a lot of free time now because I'm not having to constantly linger near doors to make sure no one is saying hurtful things from room to room, or creating drama. This means evenings I am able to have our supper done, or almost done by the time my husband gets home. The kitchen is able to be cleaned up right after, and we can relax together after dinner because it just flows so nicely with how things are now. Yesterday the boys and I went out to the library and spent over an hour there. Today I think we will go to the park for a walk because the weather is awesome.
Baby related. I'm having some sciatic nerve pains that just really suddenly hits and I can barely walk. It goes away as quickly as it comes, so that's a good thing. I usually take it as a sign that I need to chill out and rest. I'll be 26 weeks in 2 days, and amazed with how fast this is flying by. She moves very frequently, and pretty much always able to feel movement from the outside as well. If I'm sitting, I can also see the movement out of the corner of my eye at times. It's really fascinating to me. Last week I had a couple jabs that were actually kind of painful, and she was positioned oddly enough that it was rib jabs. it caused me to jerk forward while sitting. Luckily she moved shortly after, so I won't complain, but for the most part it's all fun movement.
In 2 weeks I do my glucose testing. I'm not too worried about it. I would assume if I had anything to worry about, I'd have some kind of signs at this point.
3-4 weeks, I'm going to do the 4D ultrasound at the special place I found. I really want to do it this time around because I'm pretty sure she will be the last baby. I'm feeling like I'm getting too old to keep up with all this. I love the experience, but I'm going to talk to the dr about the possibility of tubal. If I have to have a c-section for any reason, I want it done then. If not, I am not sure when, or what we will do for birth control. Looking back, I'm glad we had the big gap between kids, and I want to give her the same chance Kristopher had with all the attention. It will be different since we do have the boys this time around, but their ages will make this a lot easier. I don't know if I can handle another pregnancy, if it was to happen while she is young, and still keep up with the schedule the boys have. I really feel like she will complete our family, so I am ready to make some decisions and talk this through with the doctor.
Adoption news.
Parental rights were terminated on June 17th. Bio mom appealed the termination within her allowed 30 days. The files are now sent to the bigger courts for review, and that process can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year. Daniel has been with us long enough that we are classified a pre-adoptive home, not just a foster home. We fully intend on still adopting him, and he's finally getting excited and open to the idea of adoption. There is no possible way that the decision will be overturned for the termination, it's the just rights she has and she decided to make it hard on everyone else and use it. There is so much bad and wrong things documented that she stands no chance. Her own lawyer had tried to get her to just sign off voluntarily so she didn't have all this legal crap to do, but she refused. So now we wait. It just sucks because I was hoping to submit our adoption paperwork and truly have our family complete by the end of the year. At least we know it will still happen someday, just going to take more time. It sucks that he's finally ready for the process to start, and now there is a hold up. He's too young to totally understand what all that means, so he is just being told that the courts take a while to put all the paperwork through and for us to get a hearing. Blame the courts seems to work. Either way, baby will be coming first, then hopefully by spring, he will be legally ours as well.
That's it for now. It's warmed up a little bit and I think I'll head out to a park with the boys. We need some fresh air and sunlight. :)
M was moved this past weekend. It almost didn't happen, do to some cold feet on behalf of the new family Friday night, but it got straightened out and we got her moved Saturday. The last day was very difficult. She had an attitude of no longer caring at that point, and was basically an F You attitude. I know I shouldn't take it personally, and with all the times she's moved from home to home, she's probably just assuming we're the same as all the rest. She knows we will still be seeing her when her brother has visits with the rest of the siblings, but part of her thinks that she's gone from here, we are the past, never to be seen or talked to again. I get it. I just have to pretend like it doesn't hurt after all I have done, and went through with her. I'm told that transition to the new home is going "rough" and that behaviors are on an all time high level. They don't get the whole honeymoon phase we had for 2 months with her, because they already have known her, and she's seen them a lot over the past year. (Her friend's family went through approval so they could take her till permanency could be found.)
The boys are doing great with her moved. The attitudes and just general feeling of the house is very relaxed and less stressed now. As weird as it is, coming back after she was totally moved out, did not feel too weird. I guess it really was meant to be. On Tuesday, the boys helped me take apart Daniel's bed, and we moved his stuff over to her old room. He now has his very own room for the first time ever. He's very excited. Kristopher went through his toys, and actually parted with a lot to give him a very full stash for his toybox. They have been playing apart for part of the day, and then they take turns playing in each others rooms and get along great. I find myself with a lot of free time now because I'm not having to constantly linger near doors to make sure no one is saying hurtful things from room to room, or creating drama. This means evenings I am able to have our supper done, or almost done by the time my husband gets home. The kitchen is able to be cleaned up right after, and we can relax together after dinner because it just flows so nicely with how things are now. Yesterday the boys and I went out to the library and spent over an hour there. Today I think we will go to the park for a walk because the weather is awesome.
Baby related. I'm having some sciatic nerve pains that just really suddenly hits and I can barely walk. It goes away as quickly as it comes, so that's a good thing. I usually take it as a sign that I need to chill out and rest. I'll be 26 weeks in 2 days, and amazed with how fast this is flying by. She moves very frequently, and pretty much always able to feel movement from the outside as well. If I'm sitting, I can also see the movement out of the corner of my eye at times. It's really fascinating to me. Last week I had a couple jabs that were actually kind of painful, and she was positioned oddly enough that it was rib jabs. it caused me to jerk forward while sitting. Luckily she moved shortly after, so I won't complain, but for the most part it's all fun movement.
In 2 weeks I do my glucose testing. I'm not too worried about it. I would assume if I had anything to worry about, I'd have some kind of signs at this point.
3-4 weeks, I'm going to do the 4D ultrasound at the special place I found. I really want to do it this time around because I'm pretty sure she will be the last baby. I'm feeling like I'm getting too old to keep up with all this. I love the experience, but I'm going to talk to the dr about the possibility of tubal. If I have to have a c-section for any reason, I want it done then. If not, I am not sure when, or what we will do for birth control. Looking back, I'm glad we had the big gap between kids, and I want to give her the same chance Kristopher had with all the attention. It will be different since we do have the boys this time around, but their ages will make this a lot easier. I don't know if I can handle another pregnancy, if it was to happen while she is young, and still keep up with the schedule the boys have. I really feel like she will complete our family, so I am ready to make some decisions and talk this through with the doctor.
Adoption news.
Parental rights were terminated on June 17th. Bio mom appealed the termination within her allowed 30 days. The files are now sent to the bigger courts for review, and that process can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year. Daniel has been with us long enough that we are classified a pre-adoptive home, not just a foster home. We fully intend on still adopting him, and he's finally getting excited and open to the idea of adoption. There is no possible way that the decision will be overturned for the termination, it's the just rights she has and she decided to make it hard on everyone else and use it. There is so much bad and wrong things documented that she stands no chance. Her own lawyer had tried to get her to just sign off voluntarily so she didn't have all this legal crap to do, but she refused. So now we wait. It just sucks because I was hoping to submit our adoption paperwork and truly have our family complete by the end of the year. At least we know it will still happen someday, just going to take more time. It sucks that he's finally ready for the process to start, and now there is a hold up. He's too young to totally understand what all that means, so he is just being told that the courts take a while to put all the paperwork through and for us to get a hearing. Blame the courts seems to work. Either way, baby will be coming first, then hopefully by spring, he will be legally ours as well.
That's it for now. It's warmed up a little bit and I think I'll head out to a park with the boys. We need some fresh air and sunlight. :)
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Busy week
Approaching 25 weeks in 2 days. Also, foster daughter is moving out on Saturday. I originally had mixed feelings, but after experiencing a few days with just the boys while she does some transition sleepovers, I completely feel the decision was in everyone's best interest. We've had some great days together and they are so relaxed and happy. The updates I've gotten say she is as well. So it's all good. I hope they can give her the help she needs, and get her to the goal of adoption. It's definitely been quite the journey with her!
Baby related, Miss Keira is crazy active lately. The weekly update thingy on facebook app says that she can hear now, and I 100% believe that! When my husband comes home at night and starts talking, she gets pretty wild. She's also getting very strong. Still doing flips, because some days I feel movement that seriously feels like if I look down, I'll see feet hanging out of me. Then, we had 2 nights ago where she was really high, and I had some hard core rib kicks. Almost to the point of painful, causing me to jerk forward in shock. Of course, this was also while trying to snuggle with Roxie, who looked confused at first, and tried to settle back in. Then another would happen, and she would look back at my stomach, then give me the saddest puppy eyes. After the 3rd one, she got down and went to the other side of the couch and stared at me like I was crazy. I tried to get Kristopher to feel her moving that night, but he was scared to actually touch hard enough to feel and kinda just hovered his hand over.
I find all this movement so amazing this time around. I know I enjoyed it with him, but I also know I took it for granted. I was a lot younger, and never thought then that it may have been the only time. So the fact we get to experience all this 9 years later after being told so many times it was never going to happen, is amazing to me. The movements are so strong that I can watch my belly move, and some nights while we are watching tv together, I'll just sit there and stare at my stomach jumping all around, and be so much more amused than that tv could ever give. I'm so thankful for this 2nd chance to experience it! And she's quite the performer too! :)
Baby related, Miss Keira is crazy active lately. The weekly update thingy on facebook app says that she can hear now, and I 100% believe that! When my husband comes home at night and starts talking, she gets pretty wild. She's also getting very strong. Still doing flips, because some days I feel movement that seriously feels like if I look down, I'll see feet hanging out of me. Then, we had 2 nights ago where she was really high, and I had some hard core rib kicks. Almost to the point of painful, causing me to jerk forward in shock. Of course, this was also while trying to snuggle with Roxie, who looked confused at first, and tried to settle back in. Then another would happen, and she would look back at my stomach, then give me the saddest puppy eyes. After the 3rd one, she got down and went to the other side of the couch and stared at me like I was crazy. I tried to get Kristopher to feel her moving that night, but he was scared to actually touch hard enough to feel and kinda just hovered his hand over.
I find all this movement so amazing this time around. I know I enjoyed it with him, but I also know I took it for granted. I was a lot younger, and never thought then that it may have been the only time. So the fact we get to experience all this 9 years later after being told so many times it was never going to happen, is amazing to me. The movements are so strong that I can watch my belly move, and some nights while we are watching tv together, I'll just sit there and stare at my stomach jumping all around, and be so much more amused than that tv could ever give. I'm so thankful for this 2nd chance to experience it! And she's quite the performer too! :)
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
24 week appt
Today was what the OB called my "24 week appt" even though I'm still in the 23rd week. They are really annoying about sticking to the weekly schedule, but back when it was all being set up, I refused to wait basically 5 and half weeks between visits, so I'm just a little behind their schedule. However, this was a different and new doctor (to me) and when she measured me, she said I'm measuring right on target for 24 weeks. That makes me feel really good.
So, today weight was up 4lb from last time. Total weight gain for pregnancy is 3lbs. Doctor asked "why is this so low? I don't see any huge drops in weight." Well, I have no idea. I eat like a pig. The only reason I've managed to get the 4lbs in the past month is due to eating ice cream every night. For a good week, it was take out from a local shop, and giant sized sundaes. That obviously got expensive, and I got bored with my usual, so this week I bought ice cream for here. Either way, it's one of those big time cravings right now and it's all I can do to hold off till evening to enjoy it with my husband. The 2nd fun part of the ice cream, is it creates baby dance party time and lately, he's been able to feel her crazy movements. And to add to the whole gain complaint, I was classified overweight to start with, and while the belly is clearly growing, and the boobs have really jumped in size, I think it's safe to say that the "stored fat" came in handy. HA! All joking aside, she isn't concerned since the uterus growth is right on target for the weekly appt schedule.
Blood pressure was great. Baby's heart rate was 154, and she fought them again to get that steady reading. Several times her movement and kicking made this growling like sound across the doppler and it sounded pretty disturbing. The doctor and I looked at each other and laughed, and she said don't be concerned, that's just the sound of hyper movement. I still find it pretty hilarious the way she squirms and tries to hide from the doppler. Some really intense kicking while she was fighting it. This girl is going to have quite the personality!
Next appt is in 4 weeks, and I was sent home with the yummy orange drink for the glucose testing. Apparently it's done differently than it was basically 9 years ago with Kristopher. This time, I am allowed to eat breakfast, then wait an hour, then drink that drink within 5 mins of starting it. Then show up at the lab and tell them what time I completed the drink, and have the blood drawn. So much easier than trying to chug it in the waiting room, and then waiting an hour for the test. I'm not too concerned with the test and don't feel I have anything to worry about. They will also be checking iron levels, and I forget what else she said will be checked. I'm also way way way overdue for some vaccines, and they want to do something at either the 28 or 30 week appt.
After the 28 week appt in 4 weeks, I'll begin the every 2 week trips. That happened fast!!! They went ahead and scheduled all the 2 weekers and the final 4 weeks are every week. I'm scheduled all the way to the week following the due date, just in case I need it. I'm really hoping she follows Kristopher's pattern, and comes a little before the due date. Obviously I want her to remain safe and healthy, and not come too early. He was born at 37 weeks on the day. She could do the same and I'd be happy. Thanksgiving is the week after the due date, and it would be nice to be a little recovered by then. Whatever happens though, we're fine and will work through it. I'm the one who hosts Thanksgiving, so if she's very new around then, it looks like we may miss out this year.
So overall, it was a great appt, pretty boring and no concerns. The perfect kind of appt!
So, today weight was up 4lb from last time. Total weight gain for pregnancy is 3lbs. Doctor asked "why is this so low? I don't see any huge drops in weight." Well, I have no idea. I eat like a pig. The only reason I've managed to get the 4lbs in the past month is due to eating ice cream every night. For a good week, it was take out from a local shop, and giant sized sundaes. That obviously got expensive, and I got bored with my usual, so this week I bought ice cream for here. Either way, it's one of those big time cravings right now and it's all I can do to hold off till evening to enjoy it with my husband. The 2nd fun part of the ice cream, is it creates baby dance party time and lately, he's been able to feel her crazy movements. And to add to the whole gain complaint, I was classified overweight to start with, and while the belly is clearly growing, and the boobs have really jumped in size, I think it's safe to say that the "stored fat" came in handy. HA! All joking aside, she isn't concerned since the uterus growth is right on target for the weekly appt schedule.
Blood pressure was great. Baby's heart rate was 154, and she fought them again to get that steady reading. Several times her movement and kicking made this growling like sound across the doppler and it sounded pretty disturbing. The doctor and I looked at each other and laughed, and she said don't be concerned, that's just the sound of hyper movement. I still find it pretty hilarious the way she squirms and tries to hide from the doppler. Some really intense kicking while she was fighting it. This girl is going to have quite the personality!
Next appt is in 4 weeks, and I was sent home with the yummy orange drink for the glucose testing. Apparently it's done differently than it was basically 9 years ago with Kristopher. This time, I am allowed to eat breakfast, then wait an hour, then drink that drink within 5 mins of starting it. Then show up at the lab and tell them what time I completed the drink, and have the blood drawn. So much easier than trying to chug it in the waiting room, and then waiting an hour for the test. I'm not too concerned with the test and don't feel I have anything to worry about. They will also be checking iron levels, and I forget what else she said will be checked. I'm also way way way overdue for some vaccines, and they want to do something at either the 28 or 30 week appt.
After the 28 week appt in 4 weeks, I'll begin the every 2 week trips. That happened fast!!! They went ahead and scheduled all the 2 weekers and the final 4 weeks are every week. I'm scheduled all the way to the week following the due date, just in case I need it. I'm really hoping she follows Kristopher's pattern, and comes a little before the due date. Obviously I want her to remain safe and healthy, and not come too early. He was born at 37 weeks on the day. She could do the same and I'd be happy. Thanksgiving is the week after the due date, and it would be nice to be a little recovered by then. Whatever happens though, we're fine and will work through it. I'm the one who hosts Thanksgiving, so if she's very new around then, it looks like we may miss out this year.
So overall, it was a great appt, pretty boring and no concerns. The perfect kind of appt!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Ultrasound take...7?
I think today was ultrasound number 7. Almost 22 weeks, and that's a lot of ultrasounds! Either way, today was schedule as a recheck since she was quite uncooperative 2 weeks ago at the big scan, and the spine, kidney's and heart did not get the greatest measurements.
Right off the bat, let me start by saying that I've been having very disturbing dreams of something happening to this baby/pregnancy. It's always cord related issues in the dreams, and due to the way she flips and moves all crazy. I'm terrified that something will go wrong still. A girl I use to be friends with lost a baby at 7 months due to the cord forming a perfect knot a few years back, and that stays in my mind. So, I'm paranoid by the crazy movements, and more so by the lack of movement. Last night was a night that I did not have the usual late night dance party on the bladder upon going to bed, so bad dreams came due to my worrying. There was not much movement again today, just faint flickers that I wasn't 100% convinced on as I rushed around to get everyone where they needed to be before my appt.
So, we go in, and they get me all ready, and as soon as the wand hits, I see the baby not moving at all. And the way she was positioned, there was not heart beat going wild on the screen. I immediately felt sick. Then, all of a sudden movement sprung into play as they pushed along, and she rolled over so I could really see the heart beating fast as usual. Such a relief! I need to figure out a way to stop worrying so much.
So, due to her being sleepy at first, she didn't fight the tech. We were able to get great measurements of the spine, confirmed for my mom that she is in fact really a girl and to prove that there was no penis hiding. Kristopher laughed at her for that because "the last person said it is very clearly a girl, no boy parts are there!" Apparently she doesn't mind showing off her stuff either, because when the tech said we need to wait for her to open her legs better to show, she did. It was like it happened on command. So after all that, the next step was to try to get kidney measurements. That apparently was the final wake up call, and she suddenly went from comfortably positioned head down, and low, to total flip, pushing up high and back to breech. Then, she fought the process. We did get the measurements and when it came time to the heart, she would punch and swing her arms all around. It really looked like she was pushing to make the tech move away. What was told to be a 10 minute scan, was a very entertaining half hour show. This time it did not feel so uncomfortable, and I am not bruised.
Baby Keira is growing amazingly, and in some of the video clips they included this time, I think I can see little hair moving when she moves. It's in every clip. I hope she has some hair! Then I can add hair bows and all that fun stuff to my list too!
We waited for about 10 minutes while the doctor reviewed the scan, and they came back to say that everything looks great, our baby is healthy and I do not need to reschedule. They wished me luck on the rest of the pregnancy, and sent us on our way.
I've decided I'm going to schedule the 4D scan for the fun of it, and probably around 30 weeks. They said the best time is between 28 and 32 weeks, and it would work really well the week that I'll be 30 weeks. I think since this is probably the last time we'll experience it, and such a shock to begin with, we need to do it. I can't wait to see what her features look like. The website is amazing the definition that can be seen. They have a lot of the 4D scan, and then as a newborn, and it's so cool to see how much it shows. I'm really excited for that.
The only thing our disk had this time was pictures of the spine and heart, and a few video clips which I can't upload to here. No other pics to share at this point.
Yay for a healthy baby though! And almost 22 weeks. :)
Also, the exciting part of this week was that my husband finally got to feel her move. Very strong little punches or kicks, and it seemed to be in response to his talking. I'm so excited that he can be apart of this now as well. He was pretty happy that night. The dogs have also felt movement, which is pretty hilarious. Roxie has a habit of laying next to me on the recliner, and will lay her nose near or on my belly. She's been kicked and gives me the saddest look trying to figure out why I'm making her move when she's comfortable. Of course it makes me laugh, so she truly believes it's me doing it to her.
Off to try to sleep. Hopefully without bad dreams tonight.
Right off the bat, let me start by saying that I've been having very disturbing dreams of something happening to this baby/pregnancy. It's always cord related issues in the dreams, and due to the way she flips and moves all crazy. I'm terrified that something will go wrong still. A girl I use to be friends with lost a baby at 7 months due to the cord forming a perfect knot a few years back, and that stays in my mind. So, I'm paranoid by the crazy movements, and more so by the lack of movement. Last night was a night that I did not have the usual late night dance party on the bladder upon going to bed, so bad dreams came due to my worrying. There was not much movement again today, just faint flickers that I wasn't 100% convinced on as I rushed around to get everyone where they needed to be before my appt.
So, we go in, and they get me all ready, and as soon as the wand hits, I see the baby not moving at all. And the way she was positioned, there was not heart beat going wild on the screen. I immediately felt sick. Then, all of a sudden movement sprung into play as they pushed along, and she rolled over so I could really see the heart beating fast as usual. Such a relief! I need to figure out a way to stop worrying so much.
So, due to her being sleepy at first, she didn't fight the tech. We were able to get great measurements of the spine, confirmed for my mom that she is in fact really a girl and to prove that there was no penis hiding. Kristopher laughed at her for that because "the last person said it is very clearly a girl, no boy parts are there!" Apparently she doesn't mind showing off her stuff either, because when the tech said we need to wait for her to open her legs better to show, she did. It was like it happened on command. So after all that, the next step was to try to get kidney measurements. That apparently was the final wake up call, and she suddenly went from comfortably positioned head down, and low, to total flip, pushing up high and back to breech. Then, she fought the process. We did get the measurements and when it came time to the heart, she would punch and swing her arms all around. It really looked like she was pushing to make the tech move away. What was told to be a 10 minute scan, was a very entertaining half hour show. This time it did not feel so uncomfortable, and I am not bruised.
Baby Keira is growing amazingly, and in some of the video clips they included this time, I think I can see little hair moving when she moves. It's in every clip. I hope she has some hair! Then I can add hair bows and all that fun stuff to my list too!
We waited for about 10 minutes while the doctor reviewed the scan, and they came back to say that everything looks great, our baby is healthy and I do not need to reschedule. They wished me luck on the rest of the pregnancy, and sent us on our way.
I've decided I'm going to schedule the 4D scan for the fun of it, and probably around 30 weeks. They said the best time is between 28 and 32 weeks, and it would work really well the week that I'll be 30 weeks. I think since this is probably the last time we'll experience it, and such a shock to begin with, we need to do it. I can't wait to see what her features look like. The website is amazing the definition that can be seen. They have a lot of the 4D scan, and then as a newborn, and it's so cool to see how much it shows. I'm really excited for that.
The only thing our disk had this time was pictures of the spine and heart, and a few video clips which I can't upload to here. No other pics to share at this point.
Yay for a healthy baby though! And almost 22 weeks. :)
Also, the exciting part of this week was that my husband finally got to feel her move. Very strong little punches or kicks, and it seemed to be in response to his talking. I'm so excited that he can be apart of this now as well. He was pretty happy that night. The dogs have also felt movement, which is pretty hilarious. Roxie has a habit of laying next to me on the recliner, and will lay her nose near or on my belly. She's been kicked and gives me the saddest look trying to figure out why I'm making her move when she's comfortable. Of course it makes me laugh, so she truly believes it's me doing it to her.
Off to try to sleep. Hopefully without bad dreams tonight.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Picture timeline
Forgot to post a picture. Here's our ultrasounds so far.
Very 1st, approx 5-6 weeks, just starting to form:
2nd, detecting heartbeat and seeing baby! They estimated 7 and half weeks here:
And now, 19 weeks. It's a girl! And you can see the mid kick action because she hates the ultrasound and dopplers! The part I find funny is the placenta looks like one of those speech bubble things. If I was being creative, I could write something in there, but I'm too lazy. Maybe I'll do that for the baby book....
Very 1st, approx 5-6 weeks, just starting to form:
2nd, detecting heartbeat and seeing baby! They estimated 7 and half weeks here:
And now, 19 weeks. It's a girl! And you can see the mid kick action because she hates the ultrasound and dopplers! The part I find funny is the placenta looks like one of those speech bubble things. If I was being creative, I could write something in there, but I'm too lazy. Maybe I'll do that for the baby book....
Trying to decide....
I came across this 3/4D Ultrasound place locally. For a 35-45 minute deal, it's $155+ tax, and you get 6 printed pictures, cd with 30-50, and DVD of the entire scan. They recommend between 28-32 weeks for the best quality. I'm really tempted to do it. And $155 is way less than what I've been paying for my ultrasounds! Since this was really unexpected, and probably will be the last time I experience it, I'd really love to get a few of those shots. We had one scan the day before Kristopher was born, while I was in L&D for monitoring, but they did not give us a picture. It is truly amazing how much features they show. So, I'm trying to decide if I should take the plunge and do it. What's one more scan after the 7 or so I've already had!
I'm 21 weeks tomorrow. Miss Keira is quite the active little creature most days, but I noticed yesterday afternoon that I wasn't feeling much movement. Bedtime came, and I still did not feel anything, and usually that's the most active time. When we lay down in bed, and we're talking, she starts bouncing off the walls in there. So, I got back up and we had ice cream. Some more talking from her daddy, and I felt 2 different kicks/pokes. Not the usual strong stuff. I started to worry, and did not sleep much. Same thing was going on this morning. I had a dr appt for one of the foster kids, so I figured by the time that was over, if I was still feeling the same way, I'd call and get in for a heart beat check and end my worries. While sitting in M's appt, (over top the a/c vent of all places) the baby woke up and went wild. Movement has been pretty frequent when i sit down today, so I feel much better. I think the problem was that she moved. She seems to be sideways, and pushing up high in the uterus. The bottom of my belly now looks a little wiggly and gross, but the top is really popping out more and feels really firm. Movement is also higher. And, it's kind of harder to breathe as easily in certain positions. I'm hoping position changes again, and we can get out of the breech category! I don't want a c-section....
A highlight of my week has been feeling movement when Kristopher is nearby and talking a lot. She seems to respond to his voice! I can't wait till the movement is strong enough that others can feel. He is going to be so excited to see her responding that way! As I've been buying things here and there, he's been along for most of it. He tells me multiple times a day that he can't wait for his baby sister to be here. I think they are going to have a very special bond!
I last blogged about changes in placement with our foster kids....(I think?!) and our 9 yr old is going to be moved elsewhere. Her needs are way more than we are able to provide, and they want her in a home that she is the youngest, or only child and can get more therapeutic services. She's been really acting out more and more, and shows a lot of hatred and resentment towards anything baby related. She's also becoming aggressive and rude towards the boys, and just seems miserable no matter what we do to help. She isolates with any family activity we try to do. Her brother however, has really made a turn around with bonding, and has said he never wants to move, and "never wants another family." Because of his progress, the caseworkers have decided it was in the best interest of both to split the kids. If things continue to go so well with him, they will talk more in September/October to see how we're feeling on the adoption scale, and it's very possible that he could be adopted by the end of the year, or shortly after the new year! I said in the beginning of the year that there would be huge changes, and I never imagined that we would go from 1 kid to 3, and one of those be a brand new baby of our own!! Aside from the stress and drama that the 9 yr old makes, I feel pretty satisfied with where I am in life now.
And apparently the computer chair is the perfect place to get movement to happen more. Reclined back, and I think she's having a dance party. I love that I get to experience this!!
I'm 21 weeks tomorrow. Miss Keira is quite the active little creature most days, but I noticed yesterday afternoon that I wasn't feeling much movement. Bedtime came, and I still did not feel anything, and usually that's the most active time. When we lay down in bed, and we're talking, she starts bouncing off the walls in there. So, I got back up and we had ice cream. Some more talking from her daddy, and I felt 2 different kicks/pokes. Not the usual strong stuff. I started to worry, and did not sleep much. Same thing was going on this morning. I had a dr appt for one of the foster kids, so I figured by the time that was over, if I was still feeling the same way, I'd call and get in for a heart beat check and end my worries. While sitting in M's appt, (over top the a/c vent of all places) the baby woke up and went wild. Movement has been pretty frequent when i sit down today, so I feel much better. I think the problem was that she moved. She seems to be sideways, and pushing up high in the uterus. The bottom of my belly now looks a little wiggly and gross, but the top is really popping out more and feels really firm. Movement is also higher. And, it's kind of harder to breathe as easily in certain positions. I'm hoping position changes again, and we can get out of the breech category! I don't want a c-section....
A highlight of my week has been feeling movement when Kristopher is nearby and talking a lot. She seems to respond to his voice! I can't wait till the movement is strong enough that others can feel. He is going to be so excited to see her responding that way! As I've been buying things here and there, he's been along for most of it. He tells me multiple times a day that he can't wait for his baby sister to be here. I think they are going to have a very special bond!
I last blogged about changes in placement with our foster kids....(I think?!) and our 9 yr old is going to be moved elsewhere. Her needs are way more than we are able to provide, and they want her in a home that she is the youngest, or only child and can get more therapeutic services. She's been really acting out more and more, and shows a lot of hatred and resentment towards anything baby related. She's also becoming aggressive and rude towards the boys, and just seems miserable no matter what we do to help. She isolates with any family activity we try to do. Her brother however, has really made a turn around with bonding, and has said he never wants to move, and "never wants another family." Because of his progress, the caseworkers have decided it was in the best interest of both to split the kids. If things continue to go so well with him, they will talk more in September/October to see how we're feeling on the adoption scale, and it's very possible that he could be adopted by the end of the year, or shortly after the new year! I said in the beginning of the year that there would be huge changes, and I never imagined that we would go from 1 kid to 3, and one of those be a brand new baby of our own!! Aside from the stress and drama that the 9 yr old makes, I feel pretty satisfied with where I am in life now.
And apparently the computer chair is the perfect place to get movement to happen more. Reclined back, and I think she's having a dance party. I love that I get to experience this!!
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
It's a......
We had the ultrasound on Monday! It's a baby....GIRL! She's very stubborn, and did not cooperate very well with the ultrasound. We got most of the measurements, but they were unable to get her to turn and do the spine & kidney stuff. She also did not cooperate to get enough for the heart either, although the doctor came in and said not to worry, what she did see looked great, we just need to get more measurements and details. So, I go back in 2 weeks for another scan. I think that makes ultrasound number 7 or 8 for this pregnancy. I have lost count. I was so sore after between the pushing of the tech, and the pushing back of the baby. I even had some bruising the day after.
Kristopher was beyond thrilled to get to go to this and see his little sister. He is very excited to have the role as a big brother to a baby sister, and says he's going to protect her from all the bad things in the world, and help her learn new things when she's big enough for him to teach her stuff. I think he's secretly excited because he thinks baby girls are easier than boys, given the last 3 he's been around on a regular basis between fostering and babysitting have been colicy boys. The last baby girl he's been around ended up being his little shadow as she got older, and they still have such a special bond. I'm excited to have her here, and see how they bond.
It's amazing how much ultrasounds have changed in the 9 years since we've experienced this. We were able to see so much! And, they do not give print out pictures anymore. We were given a cd with many pictures, plus 4 short video clips. I have one of the kicking, one of the baby swallowing, and then a few of just hanging out and you can see the heart beating. It's so amazing. :)
After the ultrasound, I had my ob appt. Everything was good there, and I gained "almost 2 pounds" so they didn't yell at me this time. BP was good, but after explaining how I've been getting headaches and describing them, I was told to try really hard to lower my stress and relax more. She even recommended checking my bp when I get the headaches that cause the throbbing, but as of the visit things were great so no concerns. The biggest stresser right now is our 9 yr old foster daughter, and due to the amount of issues, she will be moving to a different home before the next school year starts. That was a really hard decision to make, but it's pretty clear to everyone that we are not the appropriate match for her. She needs more of a therapy trained home, or somewhere with a lot less children/older children only/or only child home. Her brother is staying though because he's bonded really well, and starting to become open to the idea of adoption. He definitely wants to stay here, expresses that wish to his therapists and caseworkers, and recent evaluation for him shows that it would be damaging to remove him as well. For her, in almost 6 months they do not show any real bonding or attachment, and she's expressed not wanting to stay. But anyway, there's a partial look into my stress, and I'm trying really hard to give myself time and space when things get hard and not let it get so bad. In the past week, I've been able to control the headache enough that I don't have to take anything, and it goes away once I give myself a break. So that's a good sign.
When I update next, I'll post a picture from the ultrasound, but for now I need to edit a little to block out some personal info since this is public.
Oh, and baby's name is going to be Keira.
Kristopher was beyond thrilled to get to go to this and see his little sister. He is very excited to have the role as a big brother to a baby sister, and says he's going to protect her from all the bad things in the world, and help her learn new things when she's big enough for him to teach her stuff. I think he's secretly excited because he thinks baby girls are easier than boys, given the last 3 he's been around on a regular basis between fostering and babysitting have been colicy boys. The last baby girl he's been around ended up being his little shadow as she got older, and they still have such a special bond. I'm excited to have her here, and see how they bond.
It's amazing how much ultrasounds have changed in the 9 years since we've experienced this. We were able to see so much! And, they do not give print out pictures anymore. We were given a cd with many pictures, plus 4 short video clips. I have one of the kicking, one of the baby swallowing, and then a few of just hanging out and you can see the heart beating. It's so amazing. :)
After the ultrasound, I had my ob appt. Everything was good there, and I gained "almost 2 pounds" so they didn't yell at me this time. BP was good, but after explaining how I've been getting headaches and describing them, I was told to try really hard to lower my stress and relax more. She even recommended checking my bp when I get the headaches that cause the throbbing, but as of the visit things were great so no concerns. The biggest stresser right now is our 9 yr old foster daughter, and due to the amount of issues, she will be moving to a different home before the next school year starts. That was a really hard decision to make, but it's pretty clear to everyone that we are not the appropriate match for her. She needs more of a therapy trained home, or somewhere with a lot less children/older children only/or only child home. Her brother is staying though because he's bonded really well, and starting to become open to the idea of adoption. He definitely wants to stay here, expresses that wish to his therapists and caseworkers, and recent evaluation for him shows that it would be damaging to remove him as well. For her, in almost 6 months they do not show any real bonding or attachment, and she's expressed not wanting to stay. But anyway, there's a partial look into my stress, and I'm trying really hard to give myself time and space when things get hard and not let it get so bad. In the past week, I've been able to control the headache enough that I don't have to take anything, and it goes away once I give myself a break. So that's a good sign.
When I update next, I'll post a picture from the ultrasound, but for now I need to edit a little to block out some personal info since this is public.
Oh, and baby's name is going to be Keira.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Bought some baby stuff!
Well, the updates are not as frequent as I'd like... Here's the latest:
I'm almost 18 weeks. We have the ultrasound scheduled for July 1st and we are definitely hoping that this little wild one will cooperate and let us see boy or girl. We're taking Kristopher along because the last scan looked really good, and I would assume if there was any concerns they would have brought it up right away. The fosters won't be going along, which some feel is wrong but 1 will be at extended school year class, and the other is too immature to sit through the scan without distraction and drama. I do feel a little bad about that and will probably add drama to some issues we're having around here of late, but Kristopher is mature enough to to this and really wants to be included. As he's said, he's waited "forever" to have a sibling and it's a once in a lifetime chance. So, he's going. And he's saying he doesn't care if he has a brother or sister, he just wants everything to be ok with the baby, and we're going to do a little baby shopping after to get it something gender specific. (Hopefully!)
I've felt movement for a few weeks now, and it's getting to be a consistent thing in the past week or so. I've discovered if I try to sit up too fast from laying down, or twist odd while sitting up, I get a horrible little jab which feels amazingly hard for how little it should be. It's enough that I have to grab that area and stop moving for a second to recover. It was doing what felt like flips one day last week, and I pushed my husband's hand against that spot and he actually felt a little push back. We're really loving this experience! I can't wait till he can feel it consistently, and I think I'll be even open to allowing others to feel occasionally as well. Belly was off limits before, but this time around I just want to enjoy everything and share the experience with those who are excited for us. It's weird how much has changed.
My nausea seems to be going away, unless I end up really stressed and then I end up dry heaving till I can stop. I've been lucky to avoid the vomit, but dry heaving is pretty bad as well.
I am able to eat more of a variety and feel like I eat a lot. The scale says I'm down another pound, which is concerning because I really can't eat much more without actually being sick. I am sure that the baby is growing though and the belly is very noticeable. I've outgrown all normal clothes.
Today a foster friend posted on facebook that they were having a yard sale, and selling off all their baby gear. I saw they had the swing we liked from babysitting kids, and the last foster baby and went out and got it for an amazing deal. She also gave me a floor gym that lights up, pack of newborn diapers and few other random baby things. So I guess it's safe to say I've officially gotten the baby something. Not brand new, but hey, it won't use either of these things long anyway.
One issue I've been getting lately has been headaches. I'm not sure if it's baby related, or if it's stress related. The kids are out of school, and we're having a lot of regression with our 9 yr old foster daughter. There's not much support from the system at the moment, so it's been hard to cope with. These headaches start at the base of my neck, and work their way up and by the time it's fully covering my head, I'm down and can't function. I've tried different pillows, and sleeping positions to see if it's that, but I can't pinpoint exactly what it is. I'm going to bring it up at the next appt and see if I can get a referral to a chiropractor to see if that would help.
So, my guess for ultrasound day is that this is a girl. There's a lot of differences between this pregnancy and Kristopher's, and I'm not sure if it's age and difference in my lifestyle now, or gender difference. It's definitely way more active than he ever was this early! Either way, I don't have a preference to gender. I just really want to know so I can feel like I can prepare a little better. It drives me crazy to know that I have to wait another week and half even though if they'd do it today, they'd probably be able to see. I want to know!!
I'm almost 18 weeks. We have the ultrasound scheduled for July 1st and we are definitely hoping that this little wild one will cooperate and let us see boy or girl. We're taking Kristopher along because the last scan looked really good, and I would assume if there was any concerns they would have brought it up right away. The fosters won't be going along, which some feel is wrong but 1 will be at extended school year class, and the other is too immature to sit through the scan without distraction and drama. I do feel a little bad about that and will probably add drama to some issues we're having around here of late, but Kristopher is mature enough to to this and really wants to be included. As he's said, he's waited "forever" to have a sibling and it's a once in a lifetime chance. So, he's going. And he's saying he doesn't care if he has a brother or sister, he just wants everything to be ok with the baby, and we're going to do a little baby shopping after to get it something gender specific. (Hopefully!)
I've felt movement for a few weeks now, and it's getting to be a consistent thing in the past week or so. I've discovered if I try to sit up too fast from laying down, or twist odd while sitting up, I get a horrible little jab which feels amazingly hard for how little it should be. It's enough that I have to grab that area and stop moving for a second to recover. It was doing what felt like flips one day last week, and I pushed my husband's hand against that spot and he actually felt a little push back. We're really loving this experience! I can't wait till he can feel it consistently, and I think I'll be even open to allowing others to feel occasionally as well. Belly was off limits before, but this time around I just want to enjoy everything and share the experience with those who are excited for us. It's weird how much has changed.
My nausea seems to be going away, unless I end up really stressed and then I end up dry heaving till I can stop. I've been lucky to avoid the vomit, but dry heaving is pretty bad as well.
I am able to eat more of a variety and feel like I eat a lot. The scale says I'm down another pound, which is concerning because I really can't eat much more without actually being sick. I am sure that the baby is growing though and the belly is very noticeable. I've outgrown all normal clothes.
Today a foster friend posted on facebook that they were having a yard sale, and selling off all their baby gear. I saw they had the swing we liked from babysitting kids, and the last foster baby and went out and got it for an amazing deal. She also gave me a floor gym that lights up, pack of newborn diapers and few other random baby things. So I guess it's safe to say I've officially gotten the baby something. Not brand new, but hey, it won't use either of these things long anyway.
One issue I've been getting lately has been headaches. I'm not sure if it's baby related, or if it's stress related. The kids are out of school, and we're having a lot of regression with our 9 yr old foster daughter. There's not much support from the system at the moment, so it's been hard to cope with. These headaches start at the base of my neck, and work their way up and by the time it's fully covering my head, I'm down and can't function. I've tried different pillows, and sleeping positions to see if it's that, but I can't pinpoint exactly what it is. I'm going to bring it up at the next appt and see if I can get a referral to a chiropractor to see if that would help.
So, my guess for ultrasound day is that this is a girl. There's a lot of differences between this pregnancy and Kristopher's, and I'm not sure if it's age and difference in my lifestyle now, or gender difference. It's definitely way more active than he ever was this early! Either way, I don't have a preference to gender. I just really want to know so I can feel like I can prepare a little better. It drives me crazy to know that I have to wait another week and half even though if they'd do it today, they'd probably be able to see. I want to know!!
Monday, June 3, 2013
15 week appt
I've made it to 15 weeks! It's still amazing to me that I am actually pregnant amd walking in for the appts seems like I'm dreaming.
Saturday I was having issues peeing and after talking to the on call nurse, it was determined best to go to the ER. I had weird pressure when I had to pee, pretty constant urge and after going I still felt like it wasnt empty. So, I go to ER in a panic since the kidneystone ordeal had been a lot of testing and waiting. Turns out, they did the urine test which came back totally fine, did an ultrasound and determined that my bladder was able to empty and the baby is just positioned in a way that it is using my bladder as a trampoline. It was crazy active. And it looks like a baby finally! We waited around to hear from an OB on if they wanted any other tests, which was decided no to, and we were sent on our way.
Since the trip and now knowing its positioning, I make myself wait before going. Its still a weird feeling though.
Today I had my regular scheduled appt and was told the urine is still negative for anything. Appt news is we heard the heartbeat by doppler, which took some time because it kept moving and kicking when she pushed it against me. I could feel it again which was also really cool. I have lost another 2lb and was reminded to eat every few hours even if I dont feel hungry. I already feel like I eat a lot, and the nausea is getting less frequent so I know I am eating a lot more. I am a little concerned by losing weight, but they didnt seem to be yet.
Next appt is scheduled for July 1st and the big ultrasound is going to be right before my appt. I am pretty excited for that. We do want to know the sex, and I'm thinking of taking kristopher along too. The other 2 wont settle and behave long enough for back to back appts like that.
Saturday I was having issues peeing and after talking to the on call nurse, it was determined best to go to the ER. I had weird pressure when I had to pee, pretty constant urge and after going I still felt like it wasnt empty. So, I go to ER in a panic since the kidneystone ordeal had been a lot of testing and waiting. Turns out, they did the urine test which came back totally fine, did an ultrasound and determined that my bladder was able to empty and the baby is just positioned in a way that it is using my bladder as a trampoline. It was crazy active. And it looks like a baby finally! We waited around to hear from an OB on if they wanted any other tests, which was decided no to, and we were sent on our way.
Since the trip and now knowing its positioning, I make myself wait before going. Its still a weird feeling though.
Today I had my regular scheduled appt and was told the urine is still negative for anything. Appt news is we heard the heartbeat by doppler, which took some time because it kept moving and kicking when she pushed it against me. I could feel it again which was also really cool. I have lost another 2lb and was reminded to eat every few hours even if I dont feel hungry. I already feel like I eat a lot, and the nausea is getting less frequent so I know I am eating a lot more. I am a little concerned by losing weight, but they didnt seem to be yet.
Next appt is scheduled for July 1st and the big ultrasound is going to be right before my appt. I am pretty excited for that. We do want to know the sex, and I'm thinking of taking kristopher along too. The other 2 wont settle and behave long enough for back to back appts like that.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Movement
I am 14 weeks and 5 day. I felt fluttering 3 seperate times today. Some may say its to early, but its a feeling that even almost 9 years later, I know was for sure, the baby. And of all days to feel that little surprise, I really needed it after the crappy day I had.
So thankful to get to experience this again and I can not wait till it becomes a regular feeling!
So thankful to get to experience this again and I can not wait till it becomes a regular feeling!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Kidney Stones
Well, in the past 2 weeks, I've had some adventures.
We left for vacation on the 3rd. Apparently visiting the emergency room states away was in the plans, because that's what I did. I started with this constant urge to pee that Saturday night. It didn't hurt like a UTI, but was very annoying. I'd pee, and then 5 mins later be like I was ready to pee myself. When I'd get to the toilet, I'd barely pee. Still, no pain though. That went on all evening, and after bed. I woke up at 1am though with pain in my left side. It was too high to be uterus pain, but it still freaked me out. It was like nothing I ever felt before. Somehow, I went back to sleep till around 6:30, and it just continued to get worse from there. When the kids got up, we fed them breakfast, and I tried to eat. I couldn't eat or drink, and the constant urge was still there still, but at that point, I was not able to pee much and it was starting to hurt from having to go so bad. I suffered till around 8:30 when I finally told my husband that it was time to find an ER.
We got there by 9, and I was immediately taken back to a room. He could not come back with me since we had no one to help with the kids, so he camped out in the waiting room and entertained them while we both mentally freaked out.
They asked my pain level, which I growled was worse than I remember labor being. They gave me a cup to do the urine test, and told me to change into a gown. Somehow, I was able to go for that. And when I did, there were 3 little chunk things in it. Sorry that's gross, but the best way I can describe it. That pee hurt, but after that, I had to go again and peed for what felt like several minutes straight. After that, the pain level went down to barely anything. When they came back in, it was to start an IV and they gave me zofran for the nausea (which is still here pretty much daily) and they had offered morphine, which I declined. They were also going to put in a catheter, but since I was able to update that I peed and passed something, and was able to go just fine after, they said we could wait on that. They took 4 tubes of blood for I forget what, sent off that and the pee cultures, and an hour later took me for an u/s to check the baby and the kidney's. They were very involved with checking the baby, and ovaries and anything else they could while in there, and the radiologist came in special to see everything during the ultrasound and to reassure me that the heartbeat looked great and baby looked to be right on target. They did not let me see the screen though, and I was not given any pictures this time. Next was the fun of the kidney u/s, which was very uncomfortable and felt like they were pushing with the intent to break ribs. The results of that was the left kidney was swollen, but clear of stones.
3 hours later, the doctor came back to tell me that my urine had blood in it, definitely had tissue and possible stones, but ruled out a UTI. Also, he'd have to also do a pelvic exam to rule out any vaginal bleeding. After that, I was free to go.
Since passing whatever that was, I've been fine. My OB did not need to see me since I felt fine, did not have any negative reports from the hospital, and said to call if I feel the need to come in. At this point, I didn't see much point in going to do a repeat of what they did, and being unable to hear the baby anyway due to this stupid tilted uterus subject. I'm still scheduled for 3 weeks from now, and I think I can wait that out unless I have anymore weird issues come up.
So as of today, I'm a little over 12 weeks. The final week of the 1st trimester. I am so happy to see it going so quickly, and will feel a lot more comfortable once I can feel this kid moving around. I've decided that as much as I wanted to be at this point, I really dislike the early stages of pregnancy. I still feel really exhausted, nauseous, and now I have a cold/allergies to add to the mix. I feel like crap because I have not felt good enough to take my vitamins in over a week now. I've tried multiple kinds of prenatals, but have developed an awesome gag reflex to the size of the pills. I have tried flintstones like the midwife suggested, but can not stand the chalky taste and it's all I can do to choke down one of those. Today, I spent another $12 and decided I'll give gummies a try. I did find that I can deal with the kids gummies, but it takes 8 of those to get the required amount of folic acid and iron! And at that point, it causes stomach issues. So, here's to hoping that the gummie prenatals will do the trick. Hopefully at some point, I get back into the ability to swallow pills again and can take the others that I've invested so much into.
We left for vacation on the 3rd. Apparently visiting the emergency room states away was in the plans, because that's what I did. I started with this constant urge to pee that Saturday night. It didn't hurt like a UTI, but was very annoying. I'd pee, and then 5 mins later be like I was ready to pee myself. When I'd get to the toilet, I'd barely pee. Still, no pain though. That went on all evening, and after bed. I woke up at 1am though with pain in my left side. It was too high to be uterus pain, but it still freaked me out. It was like nothing I ever felt before. Somehow, I went back to sleep till around 6:30, and it just continued to get worse from there. When the kids got up, we fed them breakfast, and I tried to eat. I couldn't eat or drink, and the constant urge was still there still, but at that point, I was not able to pee much and it was starting to hurt from having to go so bad. I suffered till around 8:30 when I finally told my husband that it was time to find an ER.
We got there by 9, and I was immediately taken back to a room. He could not come back with me since we had no one to help with the kids, so he camped out in the waiting room and entertained them while we both mentally freaked out.
They asked my pain level, which I growled was worse than I remember labor being. They gave me a cup to do the urine test, and told me to change into a gown. Somehow, I was able to go for that. And when I did, there were 3 little chunk things in it. Sorry that's gross, but the best way I can describe it. That pee hurt, but after that, I had to go again and peed for what felt like several minutes straight. After that, the pain level went down to barely anything. When they came back in, it was to start an IV and they gave me zofran for the nausea (which is still here pretty much daily) and they had offered morphine, which I declined. They were also going to put in a catheter, but since I was able to update that I peed and passed something, and was able to go just fine after, they said we could wait on that. They took 4 tubes of blood for I forget what, sent off that and the pee cultures, and an hour later took me for an u/s to check the baby and the kidney's. They were very involved with checking the baby, and ovaries and anything else they could while in there, and the radiologist came in special to see everything during the ultrasound and to reassure me that the heartbeat looked great and baby looked to be right on target. They did not let me see the screen though, and I was not given any pictures this time. Next was the fun of the kidney u/s, which was very uncomfortable and felt like they were pushing with the intent to break ribs. The results of that was the left kidney was swollen, but clear of stones.
3 hours later, the doctor came back to tell me that my urine had blood in it, definitely had tissue and possible stones, but ruled out a UTI. Also, he'd have to also do a pelvic exam to rule out any vaginal bleeding. After that, I was free to go.
Since passing whatever that was, I've been fine. My OB did not need to see me since I felt fine, did not have any negative reports from the hospital, and said to call if I feel the need to come in. At this point, I didn't see much point in going to do a repeat of what they did, and being unable to hear the baby anyway due to this stupid tilted uterus subject. I'm still scheduled for 3 weeks from now, and I think I can wait that out unless I have anymore weird issues come up.
So as of today, I'm a little over 12 weeks. The final week of the 1st trimester. I am so happy to see it going so quickly, and will feel a lot more comfortable once I can feel this kid moving around. I've decided that as much as I wanted to be at this point, I really dislike the early stages of pregnancy. I still feel really exhausted, nauseous, and now I have a cold/allergies to add to the mix. I feel like crap because I have not felt good enough to take my vitamins in over a week now. I've tried multiple kinds of prenatals, but have developed an awesome gag reflex to the size of the pills. I have tried flintstones like the midwife suggested, but can not stand the chalky taste and it's all I can do to choke down one of those. Today, I spent another $12 and decided I'll give gummies a try. I did find that I can deal with the kids gummies, but it takes 8 of those to get the required amount of folic acid and iron! And at that point, it causes stomach issues. So, here's to hoping that the gummie prenatals will do the trick. Hopefully at some point, I get back into the ability to swallow pills again and can take the others that I've invested so much into.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
10 week appt
I am really starting to suck at these updates. This first trimester is flying by, and I really haven't kept much record of much of it.
Here's what's been going on....
Still feeling nauseous most days. I've found that if I eat quickly in the morning, snack by 10, lunch by 12, and keep going on the snacking every 2-3 hours, I can keep it semi under control. I don't take anything for it normal day to day, but if we have an overload of appts and stuff where I know that I stand a chance of getting too hungry feeling, that triggers the barfy feelings and I will take half of a zofran. The zofran does help a lot, and was the magic pill to be able to drink water again. But, on the days the nausea and gagging was exceptionally bad and I took 2 in 1 day, I would get a migraine. So, cutting in half and just being very careful about eating and drinking seems to be the answer. This time around, I've only thrown up 2 times. Both triggered by stressful situations. With Kristopher's pregnancy, I was horribly sick daily, vomitting multiple times and losing 18lbs before getting medication to help me through the days. My chart says I stopped meds at 26 weeks. I feel thankful that this time around it's less stressful, and that I can stop at the gagging.
I'm down about 10lb from March, prior to finding out. That was lost within the first week of finding out, and I think a lot of that has to do with the changing in what I drink. I was drinking a lot of coke prior to finding out, and now soda makes me feel worse. Plus, I'm only able to eat small amounts with the nausea. I have not gained any weight since the first appts, but no one is concerned. I have outgrown all my jeans, they can not be fully zipped and I've done the hair band trick for now to keep them up. I bought one pair of maternity jeans and they are pretty comfortable.
Monday I had my 10 week appt, which was technically the first appt at the OB. This is a new practice for me, so I'm going to see each of the doctors first, but am told that I really will have no choice in which one will deliver, so it's no point in picking a favorite I guess. This appt I had the midwife, and she is pretty nice. Since I was overdue for the breast exam fun, she did that. And then it's apparently standard procedure to do some STD swabs on new OB patients, so they did that. And, I'm told that now that I'm 30, they only do a pap every 3 years, so I'm good till next year on that. Then, she tried to get the heart beat by doppler, and was unable to find it. For a very brief second, she picked up very slight whooshing of a heartbeat but said it was so short of a catch of it that she didn't know if it was the baby or mine. She did an exam and determined that I have a very tilted uterus, and it was tipped back too far to get the heartbeat by doppler till the uterus grows some more and the baby is bigger. So, she left me in the room alone freaking out, still half naked in stirrups, while she searched down an ultrasound machine. 15 minutes later, she came back and did the belly u/s and detected the baby. It was very blurry that way, but I could tell that it has definitely doubled in size. I could see arms this time and it looked more like a baby than a blob. Because of how blurry it was, I couldn't truly make out the heartbeat, but she claims she saw it and was smiling and seemed satisfied. She made me touch the screen and directed me in which way to move my finger till I was over top the spot where she claims it was at. It was a little different coloring on the blur, so I'll trust them on that.
Since I've had multiple ultrasounds now, and my test results all come back perfect, she wrote down to come back in 5-6 weeks. That way by next time, the uterus should have grown enough to do the doppler check, and then I'll be more on schedule for their 4 week schedules. I go back June 3rd, and then every 4 weeks till August 26th, then I guess I'll start on the 2-3 week schedule. Yippie.
The big u/s will be around the first to 2nd week in July due to the holiday falling then, and we do plan to find out the sex if this kid will cooperate.
We're leaving on Friday for the beach for 5 days, and after that vacation is over, I'll gladly have the next month or 2 speed up some more. I think I'll start to feel better and more relaxed with this pregnancy once I can feel this kid moving. I was originally planning to buy my own doppler to listen to the heartbeat, but it seems by the time that will be possible, it will be about time that I'll feel it regularly so no point.
Here's what's been going on....
Still feeling nauseous most days. I've found that if I eat quickly in the morning, snack by 10, lunch by 12, and keep going on the snacking every 2-3 hours, I can keep it semi under control. I don't take anything for it normal day to day, but if we have an overload of appts and stuff where I know that I stand a chance of getting too hungry feeling, that triggers the barfy feelings and I will take half of a zofran. The zofran does help a lot, and was the magic pill to be able to drink water again. But, on the days the nausea and gagging was exceptionally bad and I took 2 in 1 day, I would get a migraine. So, cutting in half and just being very careful about eating and drinking seems to be the answer. This time around, I've only thrown up 2 times. Both triggered by stressful situations. With Kristopher's pregnancy, I was horribly sick daily, vomitting multiple times and losing 18lbs before getting medication to help me through the days. My chart says I stopped meds at 26 weeks. I feel thankful that this time around it's less stressful, and that I can stop at the gagging.
I'm down about 10lb from March, prior to finding out. That was lost within the first week of finding out, and I think a lot of that has to do with the changing in what I drink. I was drinking a lot of coke prior to finding out, and now soda makes me feel worse. Plus, I'm only able to eat small amounts with the nausea. I have not gained any weight since the first appts, but no one is concerned. I have outgrown all my jeans, they can not be fully zipped and I've done the hair band trick for now to keep them up. I bought one pair of maternity jeans and they are pretty comfortable.
Monday I had my 10 week appt, which was technically the first appt at the OB. This is a new practice for me, so I'm going to see each of the doctors first, but am told that I really will have no choice in which one will deliver, so it's no point in picking a favorite I guess. This appt I had the midwife, and she is pretty nice. Since I was overdue for the breast exam fun, she did that. And then it's apparently standard procedure to do some STD swabs on new OB patients, so they did that. And, I'm told that now that I'm 30, they only do a pap every 3 years, so I'm good till next year on that. Then, she tried to get the heart beat by doppler, and was unable to find it. For a very brief second, she picked up very slight whooshing of a heartbeat but said it was so short of a catch of it that she didn't know if it was the baby or mine. She did an exam and determined that I have a very tilted uterus, and it was tipped back too far to get the heartbeat by doppler till the uterus grows some more and the baby is bigger. So, she left me in the room alone freaking out, still half naked in stirrups, while she searched down an ultrasound machine. 15 minutes later, she came back and did the belly u/s and detected the baby. It was very blurry that way, but I could tell that it has definitely doubled in size. I could see arms this time and it looked more like a baby than a blob. Because of how blurry it was, I couldn't truly make out the heartbeat, but she claims she saw it and was smiling and seemed satisfied. She made me touch the screen and directed me in which way to move my finger till I was over top the spot where she claims it was at. It was a little different coloring on the blur, so I'll trust them on that.
Since I've had multiple ultrasounds now, and my test results all come back perfect, she wrote down to come back in 5-6 weeks. That way by next time, the uterus should have grown enough to do the doppler check, and then I'll be more on schedule for their 4 week schedules. I go back June 3rd, and then every 4 weeks till August 26th, then I guess I'll start on the 2-3 week schedule. Yippie.
The big u/s will be around the first to 2nd week in July due to the holiday falling then, and we do plan to find out the sex if this kid will cooperate.
We're leaving on Friday for the beach for 5 days, and after that vacation is over, I'll gladly have the next month or 2 speed up some more. I think I'll start to feel better and more relaxed with this pregnancy once I can feel this kid moving. I was originally planning to buy my own doppler to listen to the heartbeat, but it seems by the time that will be possible, it will be about time that I'll feel it regularly so no point.
Monday, April 15, 2013
8 weeks
Well my updating sucks as usual.
I'm 8 weeks now. Last week we saw and heard the heart beat! It was 132bpm and so amazing to see/hear! I have an estimated due date of around 11/23/13.
We told the kids, because my nausea was still pretty severe. Kristopher was starting to freak out because of how little I was able to keep up with around the house, and was so worried about if I was going to bounce back and be ok. We told him first, and he had some anxiety about it. He's doing much better now and looking forward to our "new" family by the end of the year.
We told the other 2 the next day, and the following day I think every aide and teacher in the school knew because they quickly told everyone they could.
Friday I got a script for Zofran called in. I finally am starting to eat and drink a lot more. Especially drinking. That makes me feel much better because for 2 full weeks, I could barely drink or eat anything. I was living on pretzels and ginger ale. I still struggle to drink plain water, but found some other things that are not so overloaded with sugar that I can get down and stay hydrated. And I'm able to eat much better. Yesterday I did not take anything, and still managed to be able to eat and drink fine. Today though, I woke up feeling blah, and have already had to take a pill to be able to get over that. I hate taking something, but I need to be able to function around here.
Things to note for my memory of all this. I have pushed out of most of my jeans. I have one pair that is a bit bigger, but my favorites, can not be buttoned anymore. When they say you show faster with your 2nd, they aren't joking. I bought a few maternity shirts because between my boobs growing an entire cup size, and now the stomach, not much fit comfortably (or appropriately). I also bought a pair of maternity shorts, because we had a heat wave and none of my jean shorts fit. I forgot how comfortable maternity can be! Going to be living it up in my stretchy clothes this summer. :)
I had my first ob nurse consult. I lost 7lbs from the week before I found out. All lab work came back great, and they actually won't be doing another ultrasound now till 20 weeks. That part makes me sad because they are so reassuring to me to actually see it. I don't want things to rush too fast, but if we could fast forward to when I can feel movement, I'll feel a lot better.
That's about it on the pregnancy. Here's the 7 week scan....
I'm 8 weeks now. Last week we saw and heard the heart beat! It was 132bpm and so amazing to see/hear! I have an estimated due date of around 11/23/13.
We told the kids, because my nausea was still pretty severe. Kristopher was starting to freak out because of how little I was able to keep up with around the house, and was so worried about if I was going to bounce back and be ok. We told him first, and he had some anxiety about it. He's doing much better now and looking forward to our "new" family by the end of the year.
We told the other 2 the next day, and the following day I think every aide and teacher in the school knew because they quickly told everyone they could.
Friday I got a script for Zofran called in. I finally am starting to eat and drink a lot more. Especially drinking. That makes me feel much better because for 2 full weeks, I could barely drink or eat anything. I was living on pretzels and ginger ale. I still struggle to drink plain water, but found some other things that are not so overloaded with sugar that I can get down and stay hydrated. And I'm able to eat much better. Yesterday I did not take anything, and still managed to be able to eat and drink fine. Today though, I woke up feeling blah, and have already had to take a pill to be able to get over that. I hate taking something, but I need to be able to function around here.
Things to note for my memory of all this. I have pushed out of most of my jeans. I have one pair that is a bit bigger, but my favorites, can not be buttoned anymore. When they say you show faster with your 2nd, they aren't joking. I bought a few maternity shirts because between my boobs growing an entire cup size, and now the stomach, not much fit comfortably (or appropriately). I also bought a pair of maternity shorts, because we had a heat wave and none of my jean shorts fit. I forgot how comfortable maternity can be! Going to be living it up in my stretchy clothes this summer. :)
I had my first ob nurse consult. I lost 7lbs from the week before I found out. All lab work came back great, and they actually won't be doing another ultrasound now till 20 weeks. That part makes me sad because they are so reassuring to me to actually see it. I don't want things to rush too fast, but if we could fast forward to when I can feel movement, I'll feel a lot better.
That's about it on the pregnancy. Here's the 7 week scan....
Monday, April 1, 2013
Back again with a huge update!
I originally made this blog private, because I noticed some really disturbing information across the little tracker thing. I started a new blog, which if any followers on here would like that link, please leave me a comment and I'll get back in touch with the new link, just to prevent any other issues. I'm not sure if I'll continue here, or not. Depends on what happens next now that I'm public again.
Anyway, I'm back with a huge update. And I do know that it is April Fools Day, but this is very much NOT a joke.
Last Tuesday (March 27th), this happened:
And I started hyperventilating. Clearly, this was a HUGE shock. We had never used birth control during our entire marriage of going on 12 years. It took almost 3 years of trying to have Kristopher, and at least a year of treatments. Anyone who's read this blog for a while, will know about the studies and trials I took part of, and the extra treatments on my own as well. Nothing ever worked. We gave up trying, and was in the process of trying to decide if birth control was a good idea or not at this point in our lives (mostly for the fact of balancing out cycles) when this happened. My last period was in mid January. I had spotting for 2 days in Feb, near the end of the month. From the beginning of March, I had discovered that my boobs were very tender and had that progesterone increase type of feeling. I started to note that, because I wanted to be prepared for when that period hit. After several weeks, and no show, I started to worry. Boobs bumped up a cup size. I gained some weight which seemed odd because my activity level was up and eating was not. So anyway, I tested and the test line was there in less than a minute, very deep purple. I started shaking. I called my husband shrieking to try to explain what I just discovered. I wasn't upset, just so shocked because it's the last thing I actually expected. I have never seen a positive test without going through treatments. I did not know we could actually do it on our own! So, the next call was to my doctor. I haven't been there in almost 2 years, so I wasn't sure what to do next. They were awesome, and scheduled me for the very next day.
And I learned that I was 5-6 weeks. Pretty early. Ovulated from the right side, and it showed the giant spot in which it happened. The ultrasound only shows the sack and the little yokey blob. The doctor was very excited though and seemed very positive. And gave me 2 "first pictures".
I go back on April 9th, hoping to see a baby and heartbeat formed by that point. Then, they can give me a real due date. At this point, we're estimating between November 17th and the 27th. Thanksgiving baby.
So we told a few people, but are keeping it very quiet with most of the family, and especially the kids. I do not want to tell the kids, till we're sure everything is going ok. We're still planning to go through with this adoption, so our family really truly has taken a huge jump in size this year! Anyone who reads this from facebook. Do NOT comment anything to my page about this....definitely not coming out on there for a few months.
Symptom wise and how I'm feeling....Boobs still hurt. My belly is all bloated, and I don't like the feeling of my jeans against that. I do not like anything sweet at the moment. I have a cold and extreme coughing at night. I pulled something in my upper stomach last night from the intense coughing. I'm hoping that things are better tonight. I have been drinking a ton of water today and daytime has not been too bad. I'm trying so hard not to take anything for it, but was given the clear to take delsym if needed. I'm scared to though since this is so early and all the important stuff is still forming. I have extreme sense of smell and taste, dispite the cold. And today, nausea has been a struggle. I know that it's good signs, and trying to focus on the positive of that. I have already had a real wonderful shame moment. Today I was at M's therapist appt and had to excuse myself from the room because a coughing fit triggered gagging. I ran down the hallway to the bathroom, and proceeded to cough, then dry heave for like 10 mins, right in the bathroom attached to the waiting room. So when I come out, everyone is staring at me morified, I'm shaking like crazy and tears still from the gagging....Good times to look forward to I guess. If I can stick to nausea and avoid the vomitting this time around, I'll feel very good about that.
So, I really wanted to come back on here and share this news since so many of you had followed me during the trials and TTC journey before. If anyone is still out there reading, and wants the other link in case I have to close this down again due to spam, please let me know. I am really going to try like crazy to document every part of this new journey because the first time around I did not do so great with that. I want to remember all these details and do a better job this time around.
Anyway, I'm back with a huge update. And I do know that it is April Fools Day, but this is very much NOT a joke.
Last Tuesday (March 27th), this happened:
And I learned that I was 5-6 weeks. Pretty early. Ovulated from the right side, and it showed the giant spot in which it happened. The ultrasound only shows the sack and the little yokey blob. The doctor was very excited though and seemed very positive. And gave me 2 "first pictures".
So we told a few people, but are keeping it very quiet with most of the family, and especially the kids. I do not want to tell the kids, till we're sure everything is going ok. We're still planning to go through with this adoption, so our family really truly has taken a huge jump in size this year! Anyone who reads this from facebook. Do NOT comment anything to my page about this....definitely not coming out on there for a few months.
Symptom wise and how I'm feeling....Boobs still hurt. My belly is all bloated, and I don't like the feeling of my jeans against that. I do not like anything sweet at the moment. I have a cold and extreme coughing at night. I pulled something in my upper stomach last night from the intense coughing. I'm hoping that things are better tonight. I have been drinking a ton of water today and daytime has not been too bad. I'm trying so hard not to take anything for it, but was given the clear to take delsym if needed. I'm scared to though since this is so early and all the important stuff is still forming. I have extreme sense of smell and taste, dispite the cold. And today, nausea has been a struggle. I know that it's good signs, and trying to focus on the positive of that. I have already had a real wonderful shame moment. Today I was at M's therapist appt and had to excuse myself from the room because a coughing fit triggered gagging. I ran down the hallway to the bathroom, and proceeded to cough, then dry heave for like 10 mins, right in the bathroom attached to the waiting room. So when I come out, everyone is staring at me morified, I'm shaking like crazy and tears still from the gagging....Good times to look forward to I guess. If I can stick to nausea and avoid the vomitting this time around, I'll feel very good about that.
So, I really wanted to come back on here and share this news since so many of you had followed me during the trials and TTC journey before. If anyone is still out there reading, and wants the other link in case I have to close this down again due to spam, please let me know. I am really going to try like crazy to document every part of this new journey because the first time around I did not do so great with that. I want to remember all these details and do a better job this time around.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
So busy
Things have been so busy around here. Our kids moved in on the 29th of January, and things have not calmed down since.
We have a girl who is 8, and a boy who is 6. They are with us with the intent to adopt, and parental rights are being terminated by May. The "rule" is that we have to foster for at least 6 months before we could schedule the adoption hearing. I was told today that we are looking at July-August before they would become officially ours. The goal would be to have it happen over the summer break so they could start the new school year adopted and with their new last names. Pretty exciting and I know that every single one of us is on the same page and wants to see that happen.
The birth mom has requested to meet us, and may actually sign off rights instead of have them terminated by the courts if she feels more comfortable with us than she did at their last home. Things were pretty bad at the last foster home, to the point that the agency has decided to drop them. CYS has also been notified and these people will not be allowed to foster ever again. They are lucky their own children are not removed from their home. But enough on that.
Both kids have ADHD, and I now have all 3 established in therapy. We've been having some struggles with K for some time, and I finally had his big evaluation on Monday. We have a few more appts this month before getting a formal diagnosis, but it appears that he has clinical anxiety, and also asperger's syndrome. Possibly some ADHD in there as well. Things got pretty bad with his anxiety in the past few months, that we had to put him on medication to help with that. It really does seem to help him, but it's kind of soon to know for sure. I don't know 100% that it's the med, or the fact that he believes that it will "take all his worries away". Either way, we're starting to get better sleep and he's doing better. Next week he has an evaluation with a feeding clinic to meet with a dietitian that will go over pretty much how the entire digestion system works, how what you eat effects your body, etc. Also to discuss some sensory issues with food that we've discovered over the past year or so.
So between getting the new kids established, Kristopher's appts and life in general, we've been pretty busy and I've been spending less and less time actually on the computer. I still check other's blogs through my phone while sitting in the said appts waiting rooms, but commenting has taken to the back burner for now.
And back to the kids....The girl has already started calling us mom & dad because she desperately wants to be apart of a real family and to be ours forever (her words) and within a week had started it. The boy is mixed and a little more guarded because it's a little confusing to him and he's moved a lot with being so young. It's pretty cool though when they get excited about something the way K does and gives us a giant hug and calls us mom or dad. :)
I'm in a much better place mentally now and love our new family. I promise to update more because I know I want to look back on this experience later and remember all the early details. I actually miss the blogging and even if no one is still around to check in, it is an awesome journal of the entire experience. Plus I want if anyone out there comes across this, to hopefully be of some support and to know that you are not alone out there.....Anyway, better run. Just wanted to finally update. :)
We have a girl who is 8, and a boy who is 6. They are with us with the intent to adopt, and parental rights are being terminated by May. The "rule" is that we have to foster for at least 6 months before we could schedule the adoption hearing. I was told today that we are looking at July-August before they would become officially ours. The goal would be to have it happen over the summer break so they could start the new school year adopted and with their new last names. Pretty exciting and I know that every single one of us is on the same page and wants to see that happen.
The birth mom has requested to meet us, and may actually sign off rights instead of have them terminated by the courts if she feels more comfortable with us than she did at their last home. Things were pretty bad at the last foster home, to the point that the agency has decided to drop them. CYS has also been notified and these people will not be allowed to foster ever again. They are lucky their own children are not removed from their home. But enough on that.
Both kids have ADHD, and I now have all 3 established in therapy. We've been having some struggles with K for some time, and I finally had his big evaluation on Monday. We have a few more appts this month before getting a formal diagnosis, but it appears that he has clinical anxiety, and also asperger's syndrome. Possibly some ADHD in there as well. Things got pretty bad with his anxiety in the past few months, that we had to put him on medication to help with that. It really does seem to help him, but it's kind of soon to know for sure. I don't know 100% that it's the med, or the fact that he believes that it will "take all his worries away". Either way, we're starting to get better sleep and he's doing better. Next week he has an evaluation with a feeding clinic to meet with a dietitian that will go over pretty much how the entire digestion system works, how what you eat effects your body, etc. Also to discuss some sensory issues with food that we've discovered over the past year or so.
So between getting the new kids established, Kristopher's appts and life in general, we've been pretty busy and I've been spending less and less time actually on the computer. I still check other's blogs through my phone while sitting in the said appts waiting rooms, but commenting has taken to the back burner for now.
And back to the kids....The girl has already started calling us mom & dad because she desperately wants to be apart of a real family and to be ours forever (her words) and within a week had started it. The boy is mixed and a little more guarded because it's a little confusing to him and he's moved a lot with being so young. It's pretty cool though when they get excited about something the way K does and gives us a giant hug and calls us mom or dad. :)
I'm in a much better place mentally now and love our new family. I promise to update more because I know I want to look back on this experience later and remember all the early details. I actually miss the blogging and even if no one is still around to check in, it is an awesome journal of the entire experience. Plus I want if anyone out there comes across this, to hopefully be of some support and to know that you are not alone out there.....Anyway, better run. Just wanted to finally update. :)
Friday, January 25, 2013
Break
I took a little break, but now I think I'm ready to be back and update on everything going on here.
We met new kids earlier in the month and within an hour I felt a connection to these kids and just knew that they were the ones for our family. We had them again last weekend and still went really well and bond just got stronger. They are going to be moving in next week, and by summer will hopefully be able to be legally ours. Adopted! To protect the privacy of all that and since everything is public, I'm going to keep details kind of private for now. We are really excited though to have this waiting part of this journey over.
I am officially done babysitting. It's something that has been coming for quite some time. I finally have had enough and it was getting to be too much on K. He's been having some struggles and the age difference was just getting to be too big of an issue. Yesterday was our last day and I feel at peace about it. And clearly when the kids move in and I have all 3 of my own involved in things, there would not be time to make babysitting work out with the hours it was. I want to be more available for my family and for evenings to be less crazy.
That's it for now. Just a short update. School is dismissing early today for snow that is not even here yet. Yay!
We met new kids earlier in the month and within an hour I felt a connection to these kids and just knew that they were the ones for our family. We had them again last weekend and still went really well and bond just got stronger. They are going to be moving in next week, and by summer will hopefully be able to be legally ours. Adopted! To protect the privacy of all that and since everything is public, I'm going to keep details kind of private for now. We are really excited though to have this waiting part of this journey over.
I am officially done babysitting. It's something that has been coming for quite some time. I finally have had enough and it was getting to be too much on K. He's been having some struggles and the age difference was just getting to be too big of an issue. Yesterday was our last day and I feel at peace about it. And clearly when the kids move in and I have all 3 of my own involved in things, there would not be time to make babysitting work out with the hours it was. I want to be more available for my family and for evenings to be less crazy.
That's it for now. Just a short update. School is dismissing early today for snow that is not even here yet. Yay!
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