Good News

Today I'm feeling very blessed and thankful. Everything looked really good with the baby. They couldn't see anything of concern, she looks healthy. The dr said that there are a few conditions that can't be seen on ultra sound, but she is not concerned about them, as they are very rare.
My fluid levels were just up slightly from last week, so hopefully that will not get any worse. They will not try to do an amnio reduction unless I get to the point of not being able to tolerate the high levels of fluid. I am still considered at high risk for premature delivery. I will be getting double checked for gestational diabetes, just in case I have developed that sometime over the last few weeks.

This baby is quite the little chunky monkey. Last Tuesday she was weighing in around 2.14 pounds. Today she weighed in at 3.6 - 3.9 pounds. I will be going back in 4 weeks for a growth scan. Thankfully the baby is head down already, as I could see her running out of room to turn pretty quickly. Thank you for all of the prayers that have gone out for our little one. I don't think we could have received any better news today.

Worried

Yesterday marked the 28th week of my pregnancy. I found out on Tuesday at my checkup, that I am measuring no where near 28 weeks. The doctor was first concerned that I have been having flank pain again and shortness of breath when I am sitting upright. He grew even more concerned after he measured me. I was sent straight to the lab to have blood work done and an ultra sound of the baby and my kidneys. The doctor didn't tell me how far I'm measuring, other than I am way too big. So I came home and tried to measure myself. The top of my uterus should be somewhere around 3 to 3 1/2 inches above my belly button, it's 6 1/2 inches (which is where it should be at 37 weeks.) No wonder I feel like I can't breathe.
I found out that there is a couple of issues going on. First, the baby is measuring in the 95th percentile. They classified our not so little baby at high risk for macrosomia (big baby.) I was also diagnosed with way too much amniotic fluid, which is a condition called polyhydramnios. I don't have kidney stones like the doctor thought. I don't remember what he called the problem with my kidneys. Basically, urine is backing back up into my kidneys because they are being smashed by my uterus. It also explained the shortness of breath, as my lungs are being squished as well.

None of these things are wonderful, the least concerning is my kidneys, as they will recover after delivery. My lungs could become a problem though. If that becomes the case, they will have to do a procedure to remove fluid from my uterus or put me on some kind of medication that would reduce the baby's urine output. If I have to do either of these things, I would have to receive steroids to mature the baby's lungs, as both of these things, along with the other issues, put me at high risk for premature delivery.

There are many things that we are worried about. The macrosomia and too much amniotic fluid alone, put the baby and I at certain risks. Unfortunately, the polyhydramnios does put the baby at increased risk for some very serious things that could be very wrong with her. These things are so serious, I'm not even going to write about them, as I can not let my mind hardly go there. While it's not super likely that there is something wrong, (since they didn't see anything at my 18 week ultra sound,) there are multiple conditions that will need to be ruled out.

On Monday morning I have to go back to maternal fetal medicine for another ultra sound and meet with a perinatologist. I have read that there is a correlation between big babies and too much amniotic fluid. I'm hoping that's all that is going on, a big baby producing a lot of pee. So if you wouldn't mind, we could use a few extra prayers coming our way, that all will be well with our little one and that my body will tolerate what is taking place.

Hopefully my next post will be full of good news....with a few new pictures, of our not so little baby girl.

A Little Cat Nap

Everyone needs a little nap sometimes...

27 Weeks

Hello third trimester....which means I'm slightly more than 2/3rds of the way to this baby girls due date. For some reason, it sounds like forever. Thankfully I haven't had any more "kidney stone attacks." The sciatica has calmed down and I only have random shooting pains on my right side, but nothing like what was happening a few weeks ago.

I really need to try and force myself to go to bed before midnight every night. Since school started, I'm averaging between 5-6 hours of sleep every night before my crazy morning routine gets started for the day. I'm naturally a night owl and have never been a nap taker, but I take a daily morning nap that generally lasts 2-2 1/2 hours during the school week. One thing I really miss is our old water bed that we got rid of about 10 years ago. (Ok, how 80's does that sound?) I really missed it when I was pregnant with Jacob and I really miss it now. There are no pressure points on the body with a water bed and it's heated. I never had trouble sleeping when I was pregnant with the girls, but I toss and turn all night with aching shoulders and hips with this pregnancy. So my 5-6 hours of sleep at night is probably a little less than that, with all the turning I do constantly and a few trips to the bathroom thrown in as well.

I had my gestational diabetes screening and test for anemia. I've never had GD with any of my pregnancies, but I was anemic with Kelsey. The test results were normal for GD and I thought the results were normal for anemia, but then the drs. office emailed me and said that I was anemic. The baby was measuring large 3 weeks ago at my last appointment. The dr. told me he thought I might be having a large little girl. I told him that I had been hoping that since this baby was a girl, she might be a little smaller than the last baby I delivered and that I really didn't want to have a big baby. (The dr. just laughed at me, and told me he has delivered quite a few big baby girls.....I don't know what I think of that.) Since she was measuring on the larger side at my 18 week ultra sound, and still is measuring large, I will probably have another ultra sound in a few weeks to check on her weight. I really am hoping for a 7 pounder when she arrives....hey, I can hope right?

I'm sorry that this post is kind of full of complaints. We women know what were getting ourselves into, and we choose usually to do it again a few times. Somehow, it never seems so bad and hard once our little ones our placed into our arms though. (I think I'm still in a little denial that I actually have to give birth to this baby :)

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school. Everyone was in a pretty good mood. I have been up since 5 o'clock this morning, not because I needed to be of course...just couldn't sleep.

Jacob was off to his first day of 4th grade. How is that possible?
Emily was off to 7th grade...wow!

Kelsey was off to her very first day in high school. I'm excited for her, but it makes me sad at the same time. She is growing up so fast. This morning I figured out how long ago it was that I started high school....22 years....what!?!

24 Weeks

So I'm beginning to become a little concerned as to where this little lady is going to fit for the next 3 months. She is already spending a lot of time curled up under my right ribs and it doesn't feel very good.

The last few weeks have been a little trying to say the least. I have had kidney stones, sciatica, tail bone pain and lots of braxton hicks contractions....sigh.

I love feeling her kick, it's something I've always really missed after each of my kids were born. I can hardly wait to meet her :)

Summer Camping Trip

A couple of weeks ago we took the kids down to camp down on the Oregon Coast. The first night we camped in Cannon Beach and the next two nights we camped in Nehalem Beach. Kelsey brought along her good friend Nicole (aka Nico.) The older girls camped out in the tent, while the rest of the family camped in our new/old pop up tent trailer.
Last spring, my brother and Mike bought this 1973 trailer. Besides the colors not being too beautiful, it really is in pretty good condition.

One night, some kind of little critter was up on the side of the trailer scratching away, right behind my head and Mikes. I think it was trying to figure out how to get inside.

After listening to it for a few minutes, I asked Mike if he was awake and did he hear what I was hearing. He told me yes and that the noise was really starting to freak him out. All of a sudden the sound was on the other side of the trailer scratching right next to our feet. I finally grabbed the flash light and shined it right where I was hearing the noise. The little critter must have gotten scared because it was silent after that.

There were a few things that went on with our camping neighbors that was a little annoying.

If you have a annoying, yappy, barking dog that is going to bark at every single person walking by....leave it home!!! No one wants to listen to it for 48 hours.

Just because you are having a family reunion and take up 3 slots, doesn't mean it's okay to make LOTS OF NOISE every single minute you are awake (along with your stupid dog.)

If your 3 year old accidentally poops his pants, don't sit and scold him for 10 minutes while your wiping his poopy bottom, where your neighbors have a full view of it while their trying to eat dinner. Take him out of view to spare us your child's poop smeared rear.

Don't come to a state park to set up camp after quiet hours have begun. No one wants to listen to it at 10:45 pm and 12.a.m., two nights in a row.

If you have really annoying neighbors, it's okay to smile while you use your air pump after quiet hours because you forgot to do it earlier....it's a little pay back.

Camp fire time...

and of course a little beach time.

Over all, we had a pretty great time and look forward to doing it again.

Birthday Balloon Release

We've had a lot of "firsts" already. Easter, Father's Day, my parent's anniversary, 4th of July dinner and fireworks, and my Dad's birthday.

All which his presence has been missed, including each day that has passed.

We went out to the cemetery as a family and brought him some flowers and a little laminated birthday greeting.

We gathered around him and sang Happy Birthday.....

and released our balloons with little notes attached.

Off the balloons went together....heaven bound, into the beautiful evening sky.

(The little frog I caught in the grass.)

Memorial Day

I have meant to post these pictures of the cemetery from Memorial Day weekend. The flags every where were so pretty.

Stars and Stripes Forever

by John Philip Sousa

Hurrah for the flag of the free! May it wave as our standard forever. The gem of the land and the sea, the banner of the right.

Let despots remember the day

When our fathers with mighty endeavor

Proclaimed as they marched to the fray

That by the might and the right

It waves forever.

He's a roof man, painter and gutter cleaner....

I asked my brother Brett if he could come over and climb up on our roof and help us finish painting one small section of the house that we had been unable to reach last summer.
I'm sure it's exactly what he wanted to be doing on a Saturday. On top of painting part of a wall for us, he decided he needed to clean all of our gutters and blow the roof off for us.

I'm sure he saved us hundreds of dollars last week.Thank you again for your spider man skills Brett.

22 Weeks

How come no one tells you how much more taxing on the body it is to be pregnant in your mid 30's than it is to be pregnant in your mid 20's? Is that why all the paper work at the doctor's office says I'm high risk and elderly? (Yes, it really says elderly.) All because I'm just a hair over 35....ridiculous I know.

This pregnancy is moving along so far at a pretty decent rate, although I think my poor body is already a little tired.

Can it just be December already?

Jacob's 9th Birthday

Today, my not so little boy turned 9 years old....his last birthday with a single digit number.

We celebrated with chocolate fudge cake, with dark chocolate fudge frosting, decorated with junior mints, chocolate sprinkles and a side of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

While I was frosting the cake, I kept thinking about how much my Dad would have enjoyed this cake...with a glass of milk of course. When Emily saw the cake she commented right away how much Papa would have loved this cake....we all know how much he loved his chocolate.

Jacob was thinking he only wanted us to give him money this year, but I couldn't quite bring myself to only putting money in a card...so he got one present and a card with a some cash.

A little cash....

and a R2-D2 remote control thankfully brought smiles to his face.

The dogs were taking all the love they could get from their Nana....it was hot today and some pregnant lady that lives in the house wouldn't let them sit on her lap today.

Some clothes and some more cash from Nana brought some more smiles to this little man who is already planning his next trip to Target.

Happy 9th Birthday Jacob.....we love you!!!

18 Week Ultrasound

We had our 18 week ultrasound today. Thankfully everything so far has checked out healthy for our little lady. As usual, this little one was moving around like crazy making it hard for the tech to get all the shots and she kept having to try over and over again to get everything that she needed....eventually she did succeed though :) The tech wanted to know what I had for lunch and if it was sugary. I told her no, just a tortilla with cheese and some cantaloupe....but then I remembered that I had eaten a small piece of lemon meringue pie in between breakfast and lunch...woops....the tech thought that might have been why our little one was acting hyper active.
She was weighing in at 10 1/2 ounces, which puts her in the 68 percentile for weight. I'm hoping that she will not be as big of a baby as Jacob. After delivering him, maybe this one will just slip on out!

Yes, my doctor was right...she is all girl. We are still working on names, but I'm hoping we are about there...I'm tired of her just being known as "she".

The little arrow is pointing to her left pinkie finger.

And last but not least...the lovely little alien baby picture...yikes!

My 18 1/2 week belly picture taken by Kelsey.

I have always loved this picture. This is a 18 week baby....it's hard to believe that our little one is so developed that she can suck her thumb.

For other news, I do really need to spend a little time playing catch up on things that have gone on over the last two months. The computer I normally use is acting up and almost all my pictures that I have taken are on it. I hate to post without pictures, so as soon as Mike works his magic on the kitchen computer, I will spend a little time updating.