29 weeks

Today was possibly the first day my tummy felt uncomfortable. It feels warm, itchy, and like it is being pulled outward. The baby must be growing. We are moving right along now.

I had a doctor appointment yesterday. All went very well. The doctor was very impressed by my glucose readings. He said not many people are able to do half as good a job as me. That made me feel good. I've been working really hard and really limiting the foods that I normally enjoy. I've probably had one cookie in the last 5 weeks, and cookies are my favorite. We had an ultrasound, and it's a little harder to "see" the baby since he is taking up so much room in there. We did get a pretty good view of his face (non-3D), but his eyes look very cutely-spaced, and he was yawning. He was moving around a lot, right down to wiggling his toes. Dr. confirmed again that he is a boy. He said it's blatantly obvious. SO fun! Baby, here is one of your little feet!

I can't wait to cup your little foot in my hand. I can already tell that you are just so sweet.

Things were looking pretty positive as far as getting everything all set for you...that is - until we learned that we can no longer stay at this house. We need to be out by the end of July. I don't really know where we will go or how we will manage this. I'm sure we'll have a place to stay of some sort. Regardless, you'll be loved and well cared for. This really isn't anything someone should have to worry about with just 10 weeks left of her pregnancy. But, such is the pattern of my life, isn't it? I'm getting quite used to it. However, even though I am used to it, I don't know how many more times I can handle things like this.

That's about all the updates I have for now. The doctor told me that everything is pretty much done as far as your development. You're just gonna do a little more growing. I have a Group B strep test coming up, a couple more appointments, and then we'll be going every week for some special monitoring. He said I'll get to wear a monitor just like during deliveries...so I'll really get to hear your heartbeat and your movements. I'm praying you and I are both healthy when the Big Day comes (your birthday, that is)!

Little You at 29 weeks! (Doctor says you were head up/breech at the time of the ultrasound....but there's plenty of time yet).

26 Weeks

Hi! I'm just stopping by to write a quick post about week 26 of this pregnancy. I met with the dietitian and diabetes specialist yesterday and learned a bunch of new things about the diet I will have to follow as well as glucose monitoring. I am READY to do this and do all that I can for myself and the baby.

It is kind of fun to check my glucose at home. The strips look just like the ones we have at work for the Novameter. The lancet contraption is a little different, but after playing around with it once, I got the hang of it. I hope my fingers heal quickly - it kind of seems torturous to have to poke myself 4 times a day! Every other day, I have to check for ketones with a reagent strip. It's just like a miniature at-home lab! See?!

I don't think it will be hard to adjust to this new diet - eating more mindfully is something I have been wanting to do for a long time, and now I finally have the motivation to go for it! They would also like for me to walk for 10 minutes following each meal. Although difficult at the time, this is even more reason why my new job will be much more convenient.

Otherwise, things are going really great! I made a newborn checklist on Amazon.com and was able to order a bunch of stuff from it, all of which has arrived! It was like Christmas! I found some adorable newborn gowns (there is nothing more precious than a freshly-bathed, sweet-smelling, soft-haired little baby sleeping away in a gown), bassinet sheets, crib sheets, diaper bag, etc. I also contacted a seller on Craigslist and bought a bouncer for $25. It washed up great, and is pretty much exactly what I had in mind.

The stripy cat is also a little something I ordered for the baby. Before Brody was born, I bought him a little bear, and he still snuggles it to this day. So sweet to see...

About a week ago, John and I (with some help from the kids) cleaned and rearranged our bedroom, since we'll be sharing with the baby for awhile. Johnna and I put together the bassinet - the same one Jemma and Brody slept in as newborns.

It looks so snuggly soft with the blankie in there like that. I can't wait to walk over to it and see a real baby sleeping away all snug as a bug. I wonder who he is and what he will look like!

I've also been keeping my eye out for a nice used dresser. However, Ikea has some really nice looking drawers/wardrobe that also happens to be a changing table. I've never had a changing table before, so this could be rather nice...Also, it converts into a desk for when the baby gets older. My mom agreed to go halves with me on the price, so I'm hoping to take a trip up to Ikea soon. That would mean I could start putting away and organizing baby clothes.

Last but not least, I've been picturing the baby's coming home outfit. A coworker of mine gave me some of her son's old newborn clothes. There are little corduroy overalls that say something about Bear tracking. I also picked up a little orange and yellow tie-dyed onesie. That seems like it would be super cute, but we can wait and see! Oh yeah! This is also something we need and one that is almost perfect for my taste: carseat and stroller:

I love the clouds! And Baybee, I sure love you! Can you tell? Can you tell I'm excited?

P.S. I can't forget to mention that my mom and dad picked up a crib from one of my high school friends, and she included a bunch of bedding as well as a lamp. The theme is Forest Friends, and the quilt is A.dorable! Everything is coming together!

Just about 26 Weeks!

I have a lot to write about since my last post. Today I find myself nearing the end of the 25th week. It is hard to believe that week 27 marks the 3rd Trimester! I've been feeling absolutely great. This growing bump hasn't yet inhibited the things that I enjoy doing (although picking up toys and shoe tying have become more challenging). Any "inconveniences" are quickly forgotten because carrying a little one around with me 24/7 is one of my favorite things about pregnancy. I'm never alone, and, even though I can't physically SEE what the baby is doing, I can imagine him and feel his pokes and prods. I know that I love him already and that he will love me. So much love...between me and someone I haven't officially met yet. That's the excitement and wonder and beauty of it all!

I had a doctor appointment a couple of weeks ago. My mom and dad were in town, so while my dad went to look at campers, we took my mom along with us into the appointment. I had my 1-HR Glucose test that day and also an ultrasound. My mom has never seen an ultrasound before and isn't that familiar with recognizing various baby parts, so my doctor was AWESOME about taking extra time to point some things out to us. He showed us the baby's heart beating, he showed us the baby's stomach and bladder, and also verified again that the baby looks like a little boy (it's always good to have reassurance on that since sometimes those little ones can be little tricksters!). He also measured the baby's head, which showed the baby to be spot on as far as growth goes. I was a little surprised and relieved, as it was around this time during my pregnancy with Brody that they told me he was measuring big. Don't get me wrong, Brody is and was a beautiful, healthy little baby, but it was a little scary hearing the doctor's concern about his size, inducing, etc. Plus, he never stayed small for very long! Since this is my last little baby, it would be just fine by me if he started out small and stayed tiny for a looooong time!

Well, everything went well, until I heard from the nurse that I failed my glucose test. They want the glucose result to be less than 140, and mine was 142. I've never ever had to the the 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test, but this time I would have to.

The test itself wasn't that bad. The drink didn't make me gag, although the fasting bit was a little rough. I brought my books in to read, but I didn't end up reading them. They had computers set up for patients to use, so I browsed different sites the entire time. I set up a wish list on Amazon for the baby, so I had fun looking at all the different things and adding favorites to my wish list. In fact, I have a bunch of my newborn essentials ordered, and they should be arriving this week! It will be just like Christmas!

When I was done at the lab, I went to the mall and got a felafel sandwich at Massad's with french fries. For as hungry as I was, I ended up throwing away some of the fries. It wasn't even all that satisfying. Anyway, I ran a few other errands and then went home. I just felt kind of "off" all day from fasting and then drinking all of that sugar.

To make a long story short, I failed the 3-HR. :( These were my results:

Fasting Glucose: 88 (they want <95)
1 HR reading: 172 (they want <180)
2 HR reading: 168 (they want <155)
3 HR reading: 153 (they want <140)

Soooo...needless to say, if 2 of the 4 are high, you have gestational diabetes. I am going in on Friday to meet with a dietitian and then a diabetic nurse. I've been trying to eat better over the last few days, but I'm excited to meet with actual specialists and learn more about what I can do. I'll have to adjust my diet a bit and check my glucose periodically each day.

Otherwise, things have been going great. After my next doctor appointment, I will be going every 2 weeks! Yesterday, John, the kids, and I cleaned our room! We went through boxes, tossed stuff, and brought some things to the thrift store. We even switched the furniture around, and I washed the walls and the floors. Johnna and I set up the bassinet! I know we are still 3 months away or so, but it feels like it is time to start organizing. I think it might help the kids adjust better, too, if they are already getting used to the idea of seeing a 4th little persons belongings out and around the house.

My mom and dad picked up a crib from one of my high school classmates. She also included some themed items such as a quilt, sheets, wall hangings, a lamp, and some other things. The theme is "forest friends." So adorable! It's nice to know we have a crib again. One of these days, I'm hoping to get up to Ikea. My mom and I are going to go in together on a changing table/wardrobe. It's so cute - I'm eying up the white and green. It's exciting that we now have space for it to go. Can't wait to start putting little outfits away.

Overall, I'm excited! I will also be starting a new job soon that will eventually allow for me to be home during the day until 2! I think this will make things easier, because I'll be able to be at home more with the newborn...just one of the many, many perks about this new job.

BIG Update!

It seems to me that writing about the baby naturally tends to fall around my doctor appointments. Yesterday I had a gigantic doctor appointment, well, two appointments really. The first was the 20 week ultrasound. During the 20 week ultrasound, the ultrasound technician takes a really close look at the baby's development. Some of the things that are assessed include:

* the shape and structure of the baby's head; any brain abnormalities can be spotted by this point
* the baby's spine - do all the bones align? Is the spine completely covered by skin
* baby's abdominal wall, to make sure it covers all the internal organs at the front, as well as check the placenta, umbilical cord and the amniotic fluid
* baby's heart: does it have 4 chambers? Are the valves working properly? How is the blood flow, veins, and arteries?
* baby's stomach, kidneys, hands, arms, and feet. By measuring the length of the bones, they can estimate if the baby is growing at the proper rate and estimate how much the baby weighs at this point.
* placenta and cervix - is the placenta in the correct place?
* gender!

We had this appointment first, at 11 o'clock. My second appointment with my actual obstetrician was at 1:00. This gives the radiologist time to look over the baby's scans and report any remarkable findings to my doctor. Needless to say, our second appointment was very short and sweet, and that is because: not a single thing wrong was found during the ultrasound! The baby is developing perfectly and no defects were noticed! Baby is measuring one-week ahead, which is OK because it still matches our due date of September 8th. My OB also told us that the placenta is in the right place. Sometimes the placenta can lie across the cervix, which is really bad because it could cause complications during birth. I was also told that my cervix is "long" (ew...LOL), which is also a really great, normal thing because this means that my chance of pre-term labor is less than 1-2%. Baby is healthy and headed to bake til term!

Here are some pictures from the ultrasound:

Baby's Face, looking rather like a skeleton, but that's A-OK - it's our baby!

Baby's little profile, so sweet

Baby's two little feet

So, what about the news we have all been so anxious to hear? Little girl or little boy?! What did you think? I suppose you can tell by the background, but this little baby is....

There was a lot of suspense, as when it was time to look at the baby's gender, they found that this little BOY had his legs crossed at the ankles, and the umbilical cord ran straight down the middle. However, when they finagled from a different angle, they were able to confidently say that, although not guaranteed, that the little baby looks like it is a BOY.

To be honest, I was a little surprised! I had a few small feelings that it might be a boy, but then again I thought our chances of a girl were higher since we already have two little girls at home. I am beyond excited that Brody will have a little brother. I'm beyond excited that we have been blessed with two beautiful girls and now two beautiful boys. Could it really be any more perfect? Of course, if this little one turns out to be a girl, she will be loved just as well...but a BOY! How surprising and wonderful! I can't wait to go shopping - I want to right now!

A few other things I want to talk about are other milestones that have gone on with this pregnancy. I can most certainly say that the first baby kicks were 100% real baby kicks felt at 17 weeks (April 1st). A mere two weeks later (approx 19 weeks) on April 12th, I could feel faint kicks with my hand lightly resting on my tummy! I think this is a little different than with Brody because I remember going to my 20 week ultrasound and still really unsure of if what I might be feeling were his kicks. I had wondered when I would know for sure. So...is this little guy going to be wiggly and energetic like our Jammerz? Time will tell!

The other thing that I would like to mention are a few fun facts about what our little guy is up to at the moment. At 20 weeks, he looks like this (although illustrated baby looks like a girl) :)

He's pretty much fully developed, just needs to work on growing and gaining weight. The baby's ears are fully developed and is able to hear things from outside the womb, including Mama's voice. If baby could read, I would want him to know that lots of people already love him and we are so excited to welcome him to the family in September!

Movement?

This just in: So, it is Monday, March 2nd, and I will be 14 weeks pregnant very soon. I am wondering if I feel some movement from the baby? It is just a slight tickle very low in my tummy. It seems a bit earlier than with my other pregnancies, but it isn't unheard of. I've never been able to pinpoint exactly when I feel the babies move. I think it's because I go back and forth between thinking that I do and then decide that it wasn't afterall. I've felt these little tickles for the last 2-3 days, so we'll see if they keep up or get stronger! -Melissa

February 25, 2015 - 2nd Prenatal Appointment

Hi again! I have a little bit of catching up to do. Today marks 4 weeks since my last doctor appointment. Things have been going really well as far as the pregnancy goes. I am still really tired all of the time, and I notice I start to get more "sicky" feeling the more tired I am. So, around 8:30 or so every night, when I start feeling sloshy, I know it is time to go to bed. I've also been taking my prenatal vitamins at night, because something about them makes me feel worse nausea-wise. Laying on my tummy is no longer an option. It just feels too uncomfortable: on my side seems to be best. (I know it is always the BEST feeling when you are able to sleep on your tummy again after the baby has been born). :)

Showering and brushing my teeth still makes me cringe, but I think it is getting better. Things I've wanted to eat more than usual include: veggie burgers, donuts, pop/flavored drinks, warm breakfasts, and mac and cheese. I also kind of feel like eating pepperoni pizza, but I'll settle for a piece of thick crust cheese pizza. In fact, on my to Michigan the other week, I dined-in by myself at a Pizza Ranch! Haha! I've been so desperate for French fries, I've gone through the McD's drive through a couple times. YES - DRIVE THROUGH! Me! Alone! Crazy. I think I need to start eating a little healthier, but that should get better as my favorite fruits start being "in season." I foresee a lot of smoothies this summer!

So, anyway, our doctor appointment! I was super duper excited, as the words of my doctor kept going through my brain: "the baby will be a lot bigger and look much different!" Not only that, but because the baby was such a small little blob last time, we would have a more accurate measurement and know more certainly how far along I am. Our appointment was set for 9:15, so again, the 4 of us climbed into the snow-covered van and drove to our appointment. We got there just in the nick of time, but ended up waiting until after 9:40! Not much was to be said, other than my blood pressure was taken (and was great). The doctor told us that my labs looked great. No anemia, I'm immune to German Measles, and negative for HIV/Hepatitis (I would sure hope so!). We didn't have any questions for him, so we went back to the ultrasound room again. On the way there, I overheard him tell a nurse that he had a patient upstairs "pushing," and that they would come and get him when it was time. So, he seemed a little preoccupied. But once we got to the room, the lights dimmed, John and the kids took a seat, and the doctor put the warm jelly on my tummy. It was time!

Almost immediately, he focused in on the baby. He or she certainly DID look bigger and different! It was so amazing to see such long arms and legs moving. That little person is in his or her little own world, growing and playing and being all secretive. It's so incredible to have a black and white peak of a portion of what is going on! The baby has a very strong, regular heartbeat - at 155 beats per minute. It is normal for the heart beat to slow a little as the baby grows (even though that is still a lot faster than a grown-up's heart beat). We also saw the baby's spine. His or her profile is so cute! It looked like s/he had its little lips pursed. Even our doctor told us that the baby is super cute! :)

Remember just four weeks ago, the baby was only the size of a kidney bean? Now he or she has grown to the size of a peach! The baby's measurements indicate that I'm 12 weeks and 6 days along. That means tomorrow I am 13 weeks and beginning the Second Trimester! The vocal cords and teeth are developing, and the fingers have tiny fingerprints. The intestines are also busy traveling through the umbilical cord up into their permanent home in the baby's tummy.

He calculates my due date to be in September. I think he said September 30th, but September 3rd would make more sense. SO...I'm sure next week we can clear up that miscommunication. For now, I will leave you with a super duper cute ultrasound picture of our Littlest One. If you picture the baby being swaddled and held in cradle position, that will help in understanding the picture. The baby's head is to the right, and you can see how the little lips are outward - and - what appears to be a tiny nose is close by.

I'm so, so, so happy all is going well!

January 28th, 2015 - 1st Prenatal Dr. Appointment

Our first prenatal appointment was 4 weeks ago on January 28th, 2015. Because I work through Mayo now, my insurance would have the best coverage if I stayed within the Mayo health system. So, I opted to go with a new OB doctor for this pregnancy. Johnna had school that day, so John, Jem, Badgy, and I all went to the appointment. That first appointment is always so exciting because it not only confirms the pregnancy test but it also gives you an idea of how far along you are. Babies are so mysterious. Here they are doing all of that important work in the womb (like growing) yet you know nothing about them. How old they are is a very important detail, in my opinion! :) I just love being able to read along and see what is happening week to week.

Before my actual doctor appointment, I had lab work done. What was really nice is the next day I was able to use our lab interface to look up my own results. All looked great from what I saw ;)

After we spoke with our new doctor, who is very nice by the way, we headed off to an ultrasound room. Within moments I found myself looking at a tiny little blob with a beautiful heartbeat. The doctor estimated that I was about 7-8 weeks along. According to Baby Center, webbed fingers and toes are beginning to poke out from the baby's hands and feet. The "tail" is beginning to disappear, and breathing tubes are beginning to connect the throat and developing lungs. The baby is only about the size of a kidney bean - yet so much is happening! The baby's heartbeat was fast and strong, exactly where they want it to be, at 178 beats per minute.

Because this is our *4th* time around, John and I really didn't have any questions for the doctor. We made an appointment for four weeks from then, and our doctor told us the baby would look *much* different then! How wonderful and exciting!

The kids are really excited about the baby. They are anxious to start buying baby things and help set up his or her room. It's fun now that they are a little older and can kind of understand what exactly is happening :)

A picture from our actual 8-week ultrasound!