Angie's Pregnancy Blog

Keeping tabs on Lucy...

2006-10-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

If you'd like to keep up with the baby, I've created an online baby book for friends and family. You can view it here: Lucy's Baby Book.

Also, I've posted some portraits of Lucy on my studio blog. You're welcome to view those as well! Here's the link: Newborn Portraits

Hope you'll keep in touch!

Announcing the arrival of..........

2006-09-20T19:12:00.000-05:00

Lucy Madison Vinez.

She made her arrival into the world on Monday, September 18, 2006 at 2:54pm.

We got to the hospital around 6:45am. They hooked me up the the IV right away, and had the pitocin started by 8am. At 9am, they broke my water, and put in my epidural. I then told the nurse it shouldn't be too long at all. Ha, ha, ha!!!! Lucy was determined to prove me wrong!

By noon, Lucy still hadn't dropped, and I was only dilated to a 4. We were going crazy, and talk of a c-section was being tossed around, but I refused to even listen.

At 2pm, I started to feel some pressure. They checked me again, and I was at a 6. By 2:20pm, I couldn't stand the pressure anymore and asked the nurse to come check me again. I was fully dilated and ready to push. Only problem was, a lady in the room down the hall was ALSO fully dilated - and we had the same doctor! LOL! So, the doctor had the anesthesiologist give me a shot to numb me so that I wouldn't feel the need to push while she went and delivered the other baby. I literally had to keep my legs crossed, because all I wanted to do was push that baby out! The doctor made it back into the room by 10 minutes to 3, and Lucy was OUT 4 minutes later! Just a couple of pushes and she came right out. After all that waiting, when she decided she was ready, she was really ready! She was 8lbs 3oz and 21 inches long. She popped out looking JUST like big brother Jace. Same big round head and squished up nose. I love it! Oh, and BOY, does she have hair! No wonder I had heartburn so bad! She's not a fan of bows or barrettes, though, so I'm going to have to work with her on that!

She is just perfect. A nice healthy size for a 2 vessel cord baby, and just as healthy as a horse. She's looking a little yellow, so we need to get her back to the doctor tomorrow to check her bilirubin levels, but she's just as gorgeous as can be.

I'm sure you want to see pictures now, so here you go:

She is just a living doll. The kids all adore her, and the boys are thrilled that she's home with us now.

And, the name.......... Zander is the one that picked it out. He and I were watching the Chronicles of Narnia together one day, and he leaned over, grabbed my belly and said, "Your name is baby Lucy." We didn't even know if it was a girl or not, but I LOVED the way Zander said Lucy so much that I called Gene and told him that if this baby was indeed a girl, we were naming her Lucy. So, there's the story behind the name!

It's good to be home! I feel great, and couldn't ask for a sweeter little addition to our home. I'm sure I'll have tons more pictures to share soon. I've got some birth announcements to get printed!

Thanks for letting me share! And thank you for all the prayers during our pregnancy. God sure does take care of us!

Yesterday's appointment.......

2006-09-13T06:15:00.000-05:00

A date has been set!!!!!!

Ms. Tinkerbell will be making her appearance sometime on Monday, September 18th.

I got to my appointment and they hooked me up to the monitors. I was contracting like crazy (nothing new), and the doctor came in to check my cervix. Would you believe it? NO CHANGE. Still dilated to a 2, and Tink is still floating high in the fluid. She has no desire to even drop.

I asked the doctor if we could talk induction, and she said that any time next week was fine. I picked Monday, because Ashley has the day off school and it'd just be easier on everyone to have everything scheduled and ready to go.

I need to report to the hospital no later than 7am. It's SO exciting!!!!!!!

I'll keep you posted as I can!

Today's appointment....

2006-09-05T21:33:00.000-05:00

About as exciting as the last one. Only, this time, I didn't have an awful doctor with extremely long fingernails! The doctor I saw today (another woman) was the polar opposite of the doctor from last week. Today's was kind, gentle, had very short fingernails, and even seemed like she genuinely cared about me & Tink.

I got there, and because it was a holiday weekend, they were totally backed up. I waited in the waiting room for almost an hour, and they took me back and hooked me up to the monitors. Tink wasn't moving much at all, and I was contracting like crazy, so they used the stupid shocker thing about 15 - 20 times (I lost count) trying to get Tink to move a bit. She finally did, but then she was moving too much and kept coming off the heartbeat monitor, so they couldn't measure her heart rate very well. Add to that the fact that I was still contracting like crazy, and they left me hooked up for well over an hour. The doctor then checked me, and GUESS WHAT?! Still dilated to a 2! NO PROGRESS. Absolutely nothing at all. And, Tink hasn't even dropped yet. Apparently, she enjoys bouncing around in the amniotic fluid.

I am so bummed. My daddy's 58th birthday would have been tomorrow, and I had been hoping and praying that she would come that day, kind of in honor of him. But, she seems to like it in there too much and has absolutely no plans of coming out any time soon.

SIGH. I hope you all enjoy waiting, because it may be November or December before this kid decides to come.

As promised below....

2006-08-30T09:53:00.000-05:00

Here are the ultrasound pictures from yesterday. I marked them all up so that you can tell exactly what is what. (Click on them to make them bigger!)

And, check out the adorable little outfits Gene & I picked up for Ms. Tinkerbell at a local children's boutique:

Cute, huh?! :) I can't wait to see this little girl all dressed up!

Thanks for looking!

Back from another doctor's appointment....

2006-08-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

Not much new to report, but I did get some darn cute pictures of our little Tinkerbell!

We had the ultrasound first. It was going well until I started to black out. Apparently, Tink hit the nerve that send the blood supply to your brain, and it almost knocked me out. We tried everything - moving positions, sitting up, getting on my hands and knees, I just couldn't shake the feeling like I was going to pass out. So, they finished up the u/s as quick as they could, and they sent me off to the exam room.

Because Tink looked SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good on the ultrasound and passed some measurement test, they didn't do the fetal monitoring today.

The doctor that I saw is the only doctor in the practice (so far) that I HATE. Even Gene didn't like her, and he can find something good in everyone. Anyway, I asked her how I'll know when I'm really in labor if my contractions don't hurt. Her response? "Well, if they're coming every 3 minutes, you need to go in." I told her that they DO come every 3 minutes (or less) and I was not going to take a trip to the hospital every day and every night just to be sent home. I spent 8 1/2 hours in triage on Thursday and they sent me home, so why the heck would I go back?! She just continued to insist that I go in if they're every three minutes. So, I turned to Gene and said, "Looks like we're leaving for the hospital right now." (In the most sarcastic tone I could muster.)

She checked my cervix and I'm still at a 2. No progression at all, even though I haven't stopped contracting once since Thursday. Go figure. I'm really upset, though, because she HURT me when she checked me. She had these amazon nails, and she scratched me! Now I keep having this awful brown discharge, and I know it's from her stupid exam.

She did tell me that if I continue to contract but not dilate, that they'd schedule an induction for 39 weeks. So, it looks like this baby will be coming sometime around September 16th. At least now I know how to plan, and I know I've got 2 1/2 weeks to make sure I'm absolutely ready for this baby!

I'll have to scan the u/s pictures later because they are really cute. You can totally see her chubby cheeks, and that she has a TON of hair! The u/s tech said I need to bring a bunch of bows with me to the hospital, because she's going to pop out with a head full of hair. Sounds like she'll be the exact opposite of all my other kids! Oh, and she's still growing a couple of days behind where she should be, but she's measuring about 6 pounds, which is really, really good for a two-vessel cord baby. And, her cord looks good - no sign of any knots or anything else that shouldn't be there.

So, there's the update! No baby comin' any time soon!

Never shared these with you all....

2006-08-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

Back in July, I had a very sweet photographer friend come into town to take some maternity portraits for me. We wanted to do them early, because we just weren't sure how early Tink would be arriving, or what sorts of problems we might endure.

She took these at exactly 32 weeks along. She did a fantastic job, and I can never thank her enough. These will forever be special to me. Here's the link: http://www.vinezfamily.com/maternity.html

And, if you're ever in Michigan and need portraits done, I highly recommend Beth. You can check out her website here: http://www.betheggertphotography.com/

Thank you, Beth! I owe you - BIG TIME!!!! Love ya, girl!

Spent most of yesterday at Labor & Delivery...

2006-08-25T07:20:00.000-05:00

And I was really hoping this was it! No such luck, though.

I called my doctor's office around 12:30pm yesterday. I had been cramping all day Wednesday, and I spent Wednesday night throwing up. On Thursday I spent the morning feeling like a Mack Truck had run me over. I just didn't feel right at all.

Around 2:30, the doctor's office calls me back and says that I need to go into labor and delivery. They need to make sure Tink is handling the stress of how I'm feeling ok. Gene had been home and sleeping for about an hour, so I woke him up. We found a ride for MIL to come up here to watch the kids, and around 3:20, we finally got to the hospital.

The hospital we'll deliver at has a triage room that you have to go in before they actually send you into a room. Stupidest thing ever, because there are always 12 people in there at the same time. I hate it! Anyway, they hooked me up to the machines, took my blood pressure (really high), and let me lie there for awhile. After about half an hour, the nurse comes back in, and doesn't like how fast/hard my contractions are, and doesn't like the fact that my blood pressure is so high and Tink's heart rate is so fast. They decide I must be dehydrated, so they gave me 2 full bags of fluids and took a bunch of blood. After the first bag, the contractions were still just as strong, and coming one on top of the other. The doctor comes in, checks my cervix, and says, "You're at a 2 right now. If you dilate anymore, we'll admit you and let this baby come. I'm not going to do anything to stop your labor." YIPPEE!! It was such a relief to hear that, especially after going through what I did with both boys. So, I laid there for hours on end, and at 8 o'clock, he came back in to check me again. Shock of all shocks, no change. Tinks heartrate is better by this time, and my blood pressure has gone down as well. The contractions haven't even slowed down by this point, though.
The doc then orders an ultrasound. They want a Level II to make sure the baby is ok, and then they want a trans-vaginal to make sure my cervix is all right. After that, we can go home.

We wait for u/s to get up there for ever, she finally does everything, and by 10:30, there's still no "official" report. (The u/s tech did tell us that everything looks ok, but Tink is now measuring a few days behind, rather than ahead of schedule like she was before.) Well, by this time, I'm so worn out, hurting SO badly from lying in bed, I walked out to the nurses station and asked if I could just go home and they could call me with the report. The nurse apologized up and down and said that would be fine. So, they discharged me around 11 or so, and we came home.

I'm still contracting constantly, but my cervix just isn't doing a darn thing. I go back to the doctor on Tuesday, unless the contractions worsen.

Here's the thing, though, my contractions NEVER hurt - not even when I'm in full blown labor. I've never once had consistent contractions that send me to my knees, so I'm terrified that I won't know when it's really time.
The girl that was in the triage room next to us cracked Gene and I up the entire time. On the monitors, you could see her contractions AND mine. Every time one would hit her, she'd start with the lamaze breathing, and just act like she was about to die. Funny thing was, my contractions were about 4 times as strong as hers, coming one on top of the other, and I couldn't stop laughing because she was in so much pain. (I'm bad, I know, but come on!)

So, there's the whole ordeal. The good news is, if I go into labor, they won't stop me. Bad news is, I don't think my body knows HOW to go into labor on it's own. So, I plan to discuss all of this with the doctors on Tuesday and see what they think.

I'll keep ya posted. Double fudge brownies to anyone who made it this far!

Yesterday's Doctor's Appointment & Fetal Monitoring...

2006-08-23T09:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I was able to talk the doctor out of sending me to the hospital. (((SIGH)))

Got there, they hooked me up to the monitors, and I was contracting - strong, fast, and HARD. The doctor came in after half an hour and asked if I was feeling them. DUH. For the past few weeks. So, he tells me they're going to watch me for awhile longer. Another hour goes by and the contractions show no sign of slowing down. Doc comes back in and says, "Ok. You need to go to the hospital and get a shot." I reply, "No. I don't." I explained to him that this is what my body does. Shots don't help, Mag Sulfate doesn't help. Nothing helps. My body contracts but won't dilate.

I told him that if he checked my cervix, he'd find that I hadn't dilated at all in the past two weeks. I was a fingertip dilated then, and I would be this time, too. He tells me that there's NO way I'm not dilating. The contractions are too fast and too hard and he just KNOWS I'm going to have to go in. He said that if I've dilated just a teeny tiny bit more than the last time, I have to go to the hospital immediately.

So, he checks me. Gets this look on his face, and I asked, "No change, is there?" Nope. Nothing. Not even any additional effacement.

If the contractions get to the point where they send me to my knees, I have to go in to the hospital immediately. DUH. But, I narrowly escaped this time!

Also had my Group B Strep test done. Hopefully that'll come back just fine.

Next Tuesday is an ultrasound, more fetal monitoring, and a tummy & internal check. Should be lots of fun!

There's my exciting update. At least I'm not at the hospital right now! Jace's birthday party is next Saturday, so I just need to make it past then!

I'll keep ya posted!

Another doctor's appointment update....

2006-08-15T22:12:00.000-05:00

Get used to seeing these regularly! :)

Had another visit today. Met another one of the doctors and he was very nice. He and Gene hit it off really well, and I think Gene's hoping he's the one who will deliver. (I still want Doctor Wilson from last week's visit, but would be just fine with today's doctor.)

Anywho - I told Gene that he was coming with me today, because if I ended up in the hospital again, I wanted him THERE with me!

We got to the OB's office and they took me back and did the normal stuff - BP, urine sample, weight check. SIGH. I passed the mark that I absolutely did NOT want to pass with this pregnancy. Guess there's nothing I can do about that now except try to keep from putting too much more on!

After that, they took me back and hooked me up to the monitors. I had just eaten a little bit before the appointment, so luckily, Tink was quite mobile today. No need for the shocker this time! (Gene was a bit disappointed. He wanted to see it! Silly man!) They left me on the machines for awhile, and I only contracted a handful of times. I had been so worried, because I'd spent most of the morning contracting! Luckily, they were pretty tame during the fetal monitoring.

After awhile, the doctor came in and said that everything looked great. He could tell that Tink was moving quite a bit, and he commented that the contractions seemed to be doing better than my last session also. He didn't even want to check my cervix! (YIPPEE!!!) He said that I was given the "all-clear" until my appointment next week.

And, that confirms it. From now on, I will be shaving my legs and taking my husband with me to each appointment. I was prepared for *anything* today, and didn't even need to be! I love updates like that!

I'm still on restrictions, and I still need to take it easy, but I'm feeling really good right now. Can't complain about a thing! Maybe I'll get lucky and we'll have an easy few weeks ahead of us! How nice would that be?!

I go back next Tuesday for another tummy check and more fetal monitoring. Then, the week after that, I have an ultrasound, more fetal monitoring, AND a tummy check. That's going to be a heck of an appointment!

I'll keep you posted!

Oh my gosh! Where has the time gone?!

2006-08-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

I have SO much to update on!!!! Things have just been utter chaos around here with Zander's birthday, followed by Ashley's birthday and now we're getting ready for Jace's birthday! I need a break!

Ok, let's see..... where should I start? Oh! How about the July 31st ultrasound with the perinatologist? Well, I am THRILLED to report that it went really, really well! They checked the baby out completely (still a girl!), and she's growing just fine. At that u/s, she was about 4 pounds 11 ounces, which puts her in the 61st percentile for weight. Wonderful news, considering 2 vessel cord babies are normally smaller. It doesn't appear that there's any threat of Downs Syndrome or other abnormalities. Her kidneys, lungs and other organs all look perfect. They checked the amniotic fluid and she has plenty of it left. And, the blood was flowing nicely through her cord, so it's not looking like there's a knot. (Jace had a true knot, and I have 2 friends that lost babies this summer because they had true knots in their cords. I'm a little paranoid.) The perinatologist gave Tink a clean bill of health and told me I don't need to come back to him! I can finish out the fetal monitoring and future ultrasounds at my regular OB's office. We couldn't be happier!

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and started the fetal monitoring. I got there and they did the normal BP check, urine check, weight check... fun stuff. Then, they hooked me up to the monitors. The nurse came back after about half an hour and asked if I was feeling the contractions. I told her I was, and she asked if the baby was moving much. I told her no, because the baby doesn't like it when I contract. So, the nurse pulls out this thing and sends a shock through my belly. I screamed (LOL!) because I totally wasn't expecting that, but Tink started moving - for a second. She told me she'd be back, and I waited for another half an hour. Then the doctor came in and asked about the contractions again. He couldn't get over the fact of how fast they were coming and how strong they were. He shocked the baby again, and stood there and watched the monitors for about 10 minutes. He left the room and came back 20 minutes later with the Fetal Fibronectin test. (The test to determine if you're actually in pre-term labor - had it with both Z & Jace and it was negative both times.) He did the test and decided I needed to head to the hospital immediately for closer monitoring.

I made my appointment for next week, and called Gene while walking out of the doctor's office. I wanted him to come to the hospital with me, but I had the carseats and he had the kids. We called everyone we knew, trying to find someone to watch the kids so he could come. He ended up getting to the hospital almost an hour and 15 minutes after I did! GRRR.

They gave me a shot of Brethine to stop the contractions, and had me give a "clean-catch" urine sample. The brethine didn't stop the contractions, but it did really slow them down. So, the doctor came in after quite a bit of monitoring and told me I was free to go.

I really didn't want to start this already. In fact, I even told the doctor that if I wasn't contracting, I'd be worried something was wrong! But, they have to do what they have to do, so I had to go in. I'm just praying this doesn't turn into a weekly thing. I'll be hooked up to the monitors every week, and I already know I'm going to contract. I did it with Zander AND Jace. It's just what my body does.

But, overall, I feel good, and I don't have much longer to go. Scary thought, though, because I don't have half the stuff we need for this baby! Anyone seen that darn money tree I thought I planted?

My next appointment is August 15th. I promise to do better about updating then!

And to think, I'd been doing SO well!

2006-07-15T21:35:00.000-05:00

The contractions have started. Not so bad that I've had to go to the hospital yet, but they're definitely on that path. Suddenly, everything about my pregnancy with Jace is flashing back. Please, oh please, let them calm down. Things had been going SO well!

My problem is that I'm taking on too much. Too many photoshoots, and not enough relaxing. I need to reverse that, no matter how badly we need the money.

I think I'm going to be taking a break from sessions sooner, rather than later. I just can't risk putting myself into labor over a photoshoot. I just pray that my clients can be understanding and will just book holiday sessions instead!

I don't go back to the doctor until the 25th, so I've got a ways to go. Just hoping these contractions stay under control until then!

I'll keep ya posted!

Stomach flu + pregnancy = LOTS of fun!

2006-07-12T07:57:00.000-05:00

HA!

This past weekend was pure craziness! I'm still trying to recover from it. First, it was Z's birthday on Saturday. It's SO hard to believe that he's 3 now! He's such a big boy, too! We decided that once he turned 3, there would be no more pacis and no more diapers. He's done great without either, and I am SO proud of him!

On Sunday morning, I woke up feeling just fine. I got ready for church, and sat on the floor to help Z go potty. No sooner had I sat down, then I REALLY didn't feel good! Spent the rest of the day with my head in the toilet - or the sink - whichever I got to first. All day long, I couldn't hold anything down. No water, no soda, no crackers. Absolutely nothing. By the end of the evening, I was contracting pretty heavily - probably from being dehydrated. I went to bed early, and around 2am, I woke up and it was like someone had flipped the switch! I felt totally fine again. Weird.

The next morning, I got out of bed, and there was this crazy rash all down my legs. I called the doctor and they had me schedule an appointment for Tuesday morning.

There was absolutely no reason for me to take a trip to the doctor's office. After waiting almost an hour to see the doctor, she measured my uterus, listened to the heartbeat and said, "Ok. We'll see you in two weeks. Go ahead and cancel the appointment you have set up for next week." Grrrrrr. Why the heck did I even show up? Now my weekly/bi-weekly appointments are going to be screwed up, and I'll be visiting the doctor just a few days before I go back to the perinatologist. Go figure.

But, at least Tink seems to still be doing well. All the contractions make me nervous, but they aren't as bad as they were with Jace or Zander. Thank heavens. By this time, with both of those pregnancies, I'd already had a round of Mag-Sulfate. I'd love to avoid that this time!

My next appointment is the 25th, and then I visit the perinatologist for another u/s on July 31st. At least it seems to be getting here quickly.

I'll keep ya posted!

Another OB appointment

2006-07-06T11:20:00.000-05:00

Had another routine checkup yesterday. All in all, it went pretty well. I looked at the scale - wishing I hadn't now, but what can one do?! My bloodpressure is finally back into a normal range - which is great!

We went over some of my concerns again - mainly the fact that my belly really isn't that big (although my butt seems to be doing ok in the growing department), and that Tink isn't very active.

The doctor measured my uterus and said that it's still growing... it's just very long and very high, which is why my belly doesn't seem very big. But, it does seem to be growing right on track. She also checked the heartrate and it was a perfect 152.

Everything looks really good. I do need to slow down a bit (doctor's orders) and not take on so much. Absolutely no more weddings until the baby is born, and if I do a photoshoot, I need to take a break as often as I can and drink plenty of water during the session. Most likely, I'll need to stop working altogether at 32 weeks, just to help ensure I don't go into preterm labor.

I go back in 2 weeks, and then 2 weeks after that I'll start the fetal monitoring.

Things are about to get interesting!

Regular OB appointment today....

2006-06-20T18:23:00.000-05:00

Pretty standard appointment. Just a tummy check, listen to the heartbeat and my one-hour glucose test.

They changed the stuff you drink, and the stuff today was NASTY! I'll take the old carbonated stuff over this any day! Anywho - here's hoping the blood test comes back fine.

I didn't look at the scale, because I know what it'll say and I just don't want to go there right now. Doc did say my weight looks great, though, and as long as I'm growing, it means the baby is growing, too. She's such a good liar! :)

I went in there with my notebook full of questions to ask about the two-vessel cord. My main concern is what this all means, what precautions will be taken, and what exactly I'm at risk for. I had someone (on a message board) tell me that if my baby isn't delivered before 37 weeks, she'll either be severely brain damaged or she'll die. (Nice, huh? Just what i needed to throw me into freak-out mode even more!) I *needed* to hear a doctor's point of view on that, so I asked her. Her response was, "Whoever told you that is an idiot. If we can get these babies to 40 weeks, that's our goal, just like any other pregnancy." Talk about a weight off my shoulders.

We did spend a lot of time talking about what I can expect... after 32 weeks, I will be on heavy fetal monitoring. Every week or two, I will be in their office, hooked up to the monitors. They'll monitor Tink's heart rate and if I'm contracting or not. Also, after 32 weeks, I will have ultrasounds at almost every visit, just to make sure she's still growing and her kidneys and other organs are still developing. I will also have to start keeping a log of the kick counts I get every day, several times a day. If nothing else, this baby is going to have LOTS of people looking out for her and watching her every move.

I have to start going back every two weeks now, just to get my uterus measured so they can get a jump on any problems that might arise before 32 weeks.

They didn't have the results from the perinatologists report, so we'll most likely go over those at my next appointment as well. They're not sure whether I'll have the ultrasounds after 32 weeks with the perinatologist or if it'll be all right to just do them at their office. That's something we'll discuss after my ultrasound on the 31st of next month.

All in all, things are looking up. My next appointment is Wednesday, July 5th, and I'll have another update then. (If not beforehand!) :)

Monday's Perinatologist Appointment Update...

2006-06-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

The appointment went well. The perinatologist was SUPER nice. They spent over an hour measuring the baby, checking her heart, her lungs, her kidneys, her brain.... everything. They did turn on the color display for the cord several times, but they didn't really focus on the cord as much as I had hoped. She does have 2 vessels, not three. However, she is still measuring ahead... she's now measuring 25 weeks 6 days - which is fabulous! She's almost 2 pounds now, too. So, if anything were to happen, the odds of her survival are tremendous. They wanted a good look at her face, but my stubborn girl would NOT flip over for anything. I think I should have had that Snickers bar before the appointment!

The doctor is a bit concerned about Downs, but not much. He said it's one of those "it could happen, it could NOT happen" sort of things. But, isn't that true with any pregnancy? There are also concerns for other chromosomal abnormalities, but, again, it's one of those "it could happen with any pregnancy" sort of things.

I am doing better now. I got to see her again - we confirmed that she is, indeed, still very much a girl, and she's still doing really, really well at this point. I will probably worry until the next ultrasound, though, just because it's typically after 25 weeks that they stop growing (if they're going to). BUT, I'm trying not to dwell on that. This isn't in my hands, and I have to trust that we'll get through this and she'll be just fine.

After the appointment, they let us tour the maternity ward. OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!! I wish I had delivered ALL my babies here! It is amazing! You start in a private labor/delivery room. The room is gargantuous. Big screen tv in the room, a couch that pulls out for Gene to sleep on.... absolutely amazing. After you have the baby, you move to a private recovery room where you stay until discharged. These rooms aren't quite as big, but they're still about twice the size of the last hospital room we stayed in. Comfy beds, HUGE shower, just a beautiful room altogether. They have two nurseries - a NICU and the regular nursery, and we got to tour them both. And, we met little Anna who was only about an hour old. Just gorgeous. So, now I'm really excited and can't wait for September to get here.

There's the official update. Good news thus far. We go back on July 31st for another u/s to verify that she's still growing ok, and see if any abnormalities have developed. Then, we go from there!

I'll keep you posted.

Got a phonecall from the doctor's office today....

2006-05-26T14:32:00.000-05:00

Apparently, no one actually read our ultrasound report before telling us everything was just fine. It seems that everything *is* fine with the baby. She has no abnormalities, she's growing great - we have a healthy little girl right now.

The problem, however, is with her cord. It appears that there are only two vessels in the blood cord - there are supposed to be 3. This would be of huge concern right now if she wasn't growing or if there were any abnormalities. Luckily, there aren't. BUT, leter down the road, as she gets bigger and requires more nutrients, more blood, etc., the fact that there are only two vessels could present a huge problem.

So, we'll be meeting with a perinatologist on Monday, June 5th in the afternoon. He will do another ultrasound, with more detail, and pay more attention to the cord. Then, we'll figure out where to go from there. If she does, indeed, only have two vessels, I'll be having an ultrasound done pretty often - so they can check her measurements and stats and make sure she's still growing on track.

SO not what I needed today. I've been worried about her cord, because of what we went through with Jace (complete knot), and here, I should have been worried for an entirely different reason.

I'll keep you posted and let you know what the perinatologist has to say!

Another appointment update...

2006-05-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

I made Gene meet me down at the doctor's office for this appointment - for a couple of reasons. 1. He's back on 12's and we never get to see each other, and 2. We were told we'd be getting the results of our ultrasound.

My biggest concern was talking to the doctor about the blackouts I've been having. I don't compeltely black out, but I do get very dizzy, and lose all control of my body - it lasts about 15 - 20 seconds, but it happens at least once a day, if not more. It can happen while driving, while sitting at the computer - anytime. Very, very scary.

Well, they took my blood pressure today, and it was really low. They've determined that the blackouts are being caused by my fluctuating bloodpressure and the fact that it can go so low. They're thinking that this is caused by dehydration. I now have to drink a minimum of 2 gallons of fluid PER DAY. I am not looking forward to that at ALL.

They also told me that everything on the u/s was completely normal. That's all they told me, so while we were waiting to check out, I peeked at the u/s report. She's measuring a little big, but not too bad. According to the u/s, my due date should be Sept 18th. I'm not sure if they plan to change my due date or not, but that's definitely one thing I'll be asking at my next appointment. 5 days is a HUGE difference when you fight so hard to keep them in like I do.

All in all - we're ok. Next appointment is in 4 weeks, and it's the yummy GD test. Yippee! :) But, don't worry - I'm certain it won't be another 4 weeks before you hear from me. I still have more to buy!

I think I need to block ebay...

2006-05-20T14:13:00.000-05:00

I am spending WAY too much time - and far too much cash on ebay right now. You wouldn't believe all the adorable things you can find for a baby girl on there! That, and my dear friend, Natalie (also pregnant with a girl!) keeps sending me links to even more adorable items on the www.

Is there an ebay-addicts anonymous? If not, I think I may need to start one. This is seriously getting out of control!

Want to see some of the cute stuff I've gotten?
Adorable personlized hat for the hospital: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4781624273&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT (My hopes is this way the nursing staff will call her by NAME rather than "Girl Vinez" - that bugs me more than anything.)

A cute personlized headband: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4817607656&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT (Got a white bow with pink personalization. I'm obsessed with bows and headbands on baby girls. This will be the first of many purchases... not to mention all the bows I have left from Ashley's baby days!)

Adorable baby blankets:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4367661787&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT
and
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160000043242&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

And, I got this - not on ebay, though - Natalie sent this link to me: www.thegatedarbor.com Here's the picture of the comfycozy I got (Can't show you the *actual* one I got, because Tinkerbell's full name is embroidered on it!):

SIGH - so, as you can see. I'm truly addicted. And, yes, I have a list of things I *want* to buy, just don't have the money for them right now.

Is it just me, or are there more baby-buying-ebay-shopping-internet-bargain addicts out there? Tell me I'm not alone....

2006-05-16T12:50:00.000-05:00

Bought "Baby Tinkerbell's" crib bedding today! Here's a picture (click for larger view):

I got everything you see there, except for the lamp and the scrapbook. (Can't find the scrapbook anywhere - if you find it, let me know! LOL!)

Because this poor baby girl is going to have to sleep in the boys' room (which is BLUE and baseball themed), Gene and I decided that the crib will be *her* little sanctuary. I kept it in the same color scheme as the boys' room, so it won't clash too badly. (The boys room is navy, red and cream - the bedding set is red and cream, so it should fit in nicely.)

Someday, "Tinkerbell" will have her own room. Until then, though - this is just going to have to do! :)

I am really getting excited now. Feels like September is SO far away. Can't wait to meet our baby girl!!!

The BIG ultrasound....

2006-05-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

Had our big ultrasound today! I was so anxious that I woke up at 6 am and could barely function! I was going stir-crazy waiting for 1:30 to get here, so I took the boys and we left the house before 10! We ventured to the mall, then over to MIL's house so that she could watch them during my appointment.

At the mall, Zander HAD to make the baby a teddy bear at Build-A-Bear. His color choice for the bear? PINK, of course. I just knew he was jinxing us, but I decided to let him make it anyway. (Besides, everyone I know right now that's pregnant is having a girl. I knew the bear would have a good home, even if it wasn't with us!)

When 1:30 finally got here, Gene and I went back with the u/s technician. What a sweet lady she was! She explained absolutely everything she was doing, what we were looking at, everything. It was wonderful!!

Then, we asked to see the "money shot." We were both dying to know what this baby is. She pulled the wand down there, and lo and behold - IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We couldn't believe it! We made her keep going back down there to check, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind. This baby is all girl!

More importantly, the baby is healthy. Four beautiful chambers in her heart, a wonderful, strong heartbeat, measurements right on track. God has truly blessed us!

The u/s tech gave us some beautiful pictures of our sweet baby girl, which I will post below. Everyone is on cloud nine right now.

Things are going to get mighty interesting around here now! :) I can't wait!

Here are the u/s pictures (click to make bigger):

Another routine office visit today....

2006-04-26T22:12:00.000-05:00

Nothing really exciting. I finally got to meet one of the doctors in the practice I'm going to - there are 6 doctors, yet I've only ever seen the Nurse Practicioners.

The appt was really quick - all the fun vitals, weight check ( up almost 8 pounds since last time - YIKES!), tummy measurement, and a quick listen of the heartbeat (which was MUCH easier to find this time around).

The doctor was really nice - said the weight gain was due to the fact that my uterus has "popped." I'm already measuring big. Great... another little baby for me! HA!!!

We chatted for a few minutes, he made sure I had my u/s appointment set up, and that was it. Next regular visit is in 4 weeks.

I like boring appointments. I can handle boring appointments. Let's just keep this going the way today's appointment did!

By the way - the countdown is ON! 2 weeks until we find out what this baby is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll keep ya posted!

I rented a Babybeat!

2006-04-04T10:47:00.000-05:00

After the ordeal at the doctor's office, Gene and I discussed my renting a Babybeat. He knows how worried I am, and this would eliminate some of the stress.

So, I did it! Late Thursday night, I ordered one. It shipped out on Friday and was due to arrive here by Wednesday. Imagine my surprise when the package arrived YESTERDAY!!

I spent most of yesterday listening to the heartbeat. It took me no time at all to find it, and I was able to hold it there for quite some time. What a blessing!

Zander loves listening to the heartbeat, and wants to hear the baby in his belly, too. Jace, however, cannot stand it! He gets terrified whenever I pull the doppler out.

I'm going to hold on to this for a couple of months, at least. It's nice being able to listen to the baby whenever I want. (As long as Jace isn't around!) ;)

Today's doctors appointment.......

2006-03-29T22:46:00.000-05:00

Yeesh. What a day. I'm glad it's almost over now! LOL!

I got to my appt 20 minutes late. I thought it was for 1pm, but it was for 12:30. LUCKILY, the doctor I was supposed to see got called away on an emergency, so they were running behind. Thank heavens.

I finally got back into the exam room around 1:15. We talked for a couple of minutes, she gave me some tips on how to keep my back from hurting so badly, and then she went to listen to the heartbeat. After 5 minutes, I began to panic. I'm 14 1/2 weeks, so it should NOT be so difficult to find now. After 10 minutes, I am in tears. 20 minutes, the sobs are now uncontrollable. She tells me it's ok. She can hear the baby moving, she just can't get it to stay still long enough to catch the heartbeat. She then tips the table back as far as it will go. Picture me lying on my back (which is killing me by this point!), with my feet in the air and my head pointed to the floor. She thinks my uterus is tilted, so that's why she's not able to get a reading. FINALLY, a half an hour after she started trying, she was finally able to catch the heartbeat for a second. It clocked in at 154 beats per minute - whatever that means. At least I heard it, but now I'm all worried. My old doctor's office would have wisked me off into the u/s room right then and there. I don't think I'm liking this big practice thing very much. Anyway, she then measured my uterus, and it's right on track. Good news there. It's not looking like twins!

My next appointment is in 4 weeks, and my ultrasound is scheduled for May 10th. That seems SO far away. I DID get good news, though. I went to give the billing department our $250 co-pay for the u/s and the lady said she just wanted to call and verify that that's what we owe. She called, and WE DON'T OWE A PENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The guy she initially talked to was wrong. If we decide to go out and get one done on our own, THEN we have to pay the $250 deductible. As long as this one is done in our doctor's office, we don't owe a cent. Yippee!

More updates soon. And, belly pictures will also be starting soon. You may want to shield your eyes! :)

Another doctor's appointment...

2006-03-02T23:05:00.000-05:00

I had another appointment on Wednesday, March 1st. It was the LONG appointment - blood test, full exam, all the fun stuff.

The best part was that I got to hear the sweetest sound...... a nice, healthy heartbeat, thumping away at a little over 160 bmp. It took quite awhile to find it, but once she did, I wished she could keep that doppler there all day. Amazing how one little sound can make you forget every bad moment you've had in the past week.

I needed that sound that day more than anyone can ever understand. I am so thankful that God has created this tiny miracle and that I am blessed enough to carry him or her.

Next appointment is in 4 weeks. Tummy check and another chance to hear the heartbeat. Can't wait!

Doctor's appointment today.....

2006-02-14T21:18:00.000-05:00

And what a day it has been!

I got up early, thinking that my appointment was at 10 or 10:20am. We left the house at 9:00 and I drove the boys down to my mother-in-laws so she could watch them. After I dropped them off, I started worrying that I was going to be late for my appointment, so I wanted to call and give them a heads up. I pulled out my appointment card and lo and behold, it clearly says that my appointment is at 1:20 PM - NOT 10:20am. Fabulous!

So, I turned around and headed back to MIL's house. Picked them all up and we decided to do some shopping before my appointment. MIL is in the process of redesigning her bathroom, and I've been put in charge of helping her get everything she needs.

Side note: for those that don't know already, my MIL is blind. She absolutely cannot see a thing. Keep this in mind as you continue to read the remainder of the story.

We head to Home Depot first. Get some tile for the wall, vinyl flooring for the floor, and all new knobs for the cupboards and drawers. No biggie... It's fairly easy to have MIL hold onto the back of the cart, put Jace in the seat and Zander in the back of the cart, and I lead by pulling the front of the cart.

Then, we head for lunch. Steak and Shake it is. Now, Gene and I have a hard enough time handling both boys in a restraunt ourselves. Now, it's just me and a blind woman trying to shovel food into two little mouths AND find a way to eat our own meals. SIGH. Not easy to accomplish at all. Jace does pretty well by himself, and Zander refuses anything but his drink. Ok, fine. Time for the doctor's appointment.

I get to the office, and thank heavens, they have this HUGE play area for the boys to play in. MIL plays guard at the door to the playroom, and soon after we sit down, I hear my name.

I had to meet with the billing lady first. I was going to find out exactly what our insurance would and would not cover. We've always had really sucky insurance in the past, so I expected this time to be no different. Was I ever surprised when she told me that our insurance will cover 100%! No co-pays, no out-of-pocket expense. NOT ONE PENNY. I could have died! This could not be more of a sign that this baby is timed exactly right. Anyway, we will have to pay a $250 deductible for our ultrasound. $250 to have a baby. Are you kidding me? We still owe the last hospital almost $1,000 from Zander and Jace's births! So, fabulous news there!

Then, I got back to get weighed, give my urine sample and get my blood pressure. All of which look fabulous - according to the Nurse Practicioner I saw today. I spent the next 45 minutes talking to the NP. We discussed my previous pregnancies, deliveries, post-partum, everything. She was SO nice and she wrote down everything. LOL! Talk about a book!

We've decided not to do any of the optional tests - no cystic fibrosis test, no down syndrome tests. Gene and I have talked about it, and we'd never do anything to terminate the pregnancy, so why bog down the pregnancy with worry? We know that God is in control and we will handle whatever he decides to send our way.

My next appt is in 2 weeks. It should have been 4, but the NP knew how badly I want to hear the heartbeat, so she scheduled it for 2 weeks from now. I can't wait to hear that sweet sound. It'll finally make all this m/s worth it all.

After the appt, MIL, the boys and I headed to the mall. The mall is NOT fun with this group. I'm sorry, but it is physically exhausting. I had Zander and Jace in the double stroller, and I tried to stand beside MIL and push the stroller "with" her. Needless to say, we didn't spend as long in the mall as MIL would have liked. I just couldn't do it!

So, we headed back to her house, and Gene and Ash met us down there for dinner. Now, we're home, the kids are in bed, and all is quiet in my house. Gene just left for work, so I think I'll put on my pjs and curl up in bed with today's episode of General Hospital. Thank heavens for Soap Net! :)

Thanks for reading my novel. More updates as they happen!

This morning sickness stuff is getting OLD.

2006-02-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

I am so tired of spending morning after morning with my head in the comode. Once I dry heave for a few hours, I'm fine - until mid afternoon when round two hits, and then again in the evening when I go for round 3.

Sea bands don't help, lemonade doesn't help, crackers don't help. Nothing I have tried even remotely helps. I have no desire to eat, but I'm hungry all the time.

The kids are all sick, and I've got pink eye in both eyes to top everything off.

Whine, whine, whine.

Sorry - it's been one of those weeks around here!

The missing bread has been FOUND!!!

2006-01-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

Call the National Guard, alert the media, get the word out that I really am an idiot!

So, I'm holding Jace's head in the freezer this afternoon. This poor kid, he and I have spent more time with our heads in the freezer over the past few days than I EVER want to admit. (We are battling a very bad case of croup right now, and the freezer is the only thing that works for him.) Anyway, I happen to glance up, and right on the top of the refrigerator is a half a loaf of bread. Exactly where it's supposed to be, and exactly where it has NOT been the past few days.

Gene was playing on the floor with Zander, so I asked him if he put it up there. He SWEARS that he didn't, but I don't believe him. I could NOT have missed something THAT obvious, could I?! Ok, well, maybe I could.

I swear that I looked on top of the fridge several times, because that's where I keep it. (We have no cupboard space or counter space for food, so it gets piled on top of the fridge. Only I must not have looked very well, because there it was..... plain as day.

Gene is having WAY too much fun making fun of me over all this. I seriously think HE is the one who hid the bread in the first place!

Oh, well, it's been found and properly thrown away. If it did decide to run away for the past few days, I don't want to know where it's been. We're better off buying a new loaf!

Appointment Update 1/26/05

2006-01-26T15:11:00.000-05:00

Today's appointment was pretty boring. It was basically a "we want to confirm that you're really pregnant" sort of appointment. They did another pregnancy test (came back positive - WOW! LOL!), then she did another internal exam (which I have no idea why, since I JUST had one 2 weeks ago, but whatever!), and we went over my past pregnancies, and talked about the hospital that I'll deliver at. Pretty boring, I told you! She did comment that there is definitely something in my uterus, and everything looks great. Yippeee!

I go back on Valentine's Day for my blood work and more boring stuff. Once I reach 12 weeks, then the appointments will get better, because I'll be able to hear the sweet little heartbeat!

That's the update for today!

The case of the missing bread....

2006-01-24T22:52:00.000-05:00

As I posted below, the morning sickness has been a killer around here. There are certain things I can and cannot eat. For example, I CAN eat saltine crackers or Cheez-its. Both are just fine. I canNOT eat peanut butter, or, as I discovered this morning, toast.

We had half a loaf of bread left when I went to make the toast this morning. Immediately after eating the toast, I lost it all. Fabulous. But, here's the kicker: I REALLY lost the bread! I went to make the boys a sandwich this afternoon and the loaf of white bread I had used this morning was nowhere to be found. I have searched the entire house, top to bottom, and Gene has looked as well. I've checked trash cans, cupboards, refrigerators, even the dishwasher. I have NO idea what I did with the bread. But, no fear - my boys did get to eat lunch this afternoon, and now all is well, it just wasn't made with the loaf of bread we had in the house this morning!

If this is the sign of things to come, STAY TUNED, because this could be one interesting pregnancy!

Set up my first appointment....

2006-01-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

I've switched to a new OB/GYN this time and when I informed them of the positive pregnancy test, (after THEY told me I wasn't pregnant!!), my first appointment is set for Thursday, January 26th. I'm sure it won't be an exciting visit - just draw some blood work, ask lots of questions, etc., because the baby is still so tiny, but I am excited to go and get started in this adventure!

The morning sickness is kicking my tail. I have to have something in my stomach at all times, or I feel so sick. And brushing my teeth is nearly impossible without gagging. Ah, the joys! :) But, I wouldn't trade them for the world. As long as this baby arrives healthy, I'll take whatever comes along.

The kids know. Ashley has already started praying that it will be a baby girl, Zander is convinced that there could be up to 5 baby girls in my belly, and Jace just walks around the house saying, "Baby dirlll." So sweet. And, as you can tell, we're all keeping our fingers crossed for a baby girl, but we're just excited God is blessing us again.

I'll keep you posted how the appointment goes!

Time to start a pregnancy blog!

2006-01-21T22:15:00.000-05:00

I'm still in shock, but on Monday, January 16th, I got THIS:

Gene and I are both excited, and because this will be my last pregnancy, I wanted to document everything. I already know I'm going to miss the kicks, hiccups and squiggles inside me.

So, sit back and enjoy the ride with us. The baby is due around September 23rd and you will be able to get all the updates, pictures, and information you can right here in the blog.