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.

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.

(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:

• 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!