Linus: You ass-cally rabbit.
While at the nail salon...
Eileen: I want dragon nails. (chooses a deep blood red/purple)
Nail Tech: Oh, that's an old person color. (offers hot pink)
Eileen: No. Dragon Nails. My nails will breathe fire and roar.
Eileen: I'm going to be a princess for Halloween and Daddy you're going to be a big daddy princess.
Linus: Why do I have to do this!?! It's not even on my honey-do list!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
So Over It and So Close
I am 38 weeks pregnant today. It's been a roller coaster of a week. At my appointment last week we learned I had not gained weight, my blood pressure was up, the baby had not grown, and his heart rate was a little low. An ultrasound confirmed the baby's lack of progress. After the ultrasound on Thursday, there was a flurry of phone calls between the doctor, myself, the radiologist, and an obstetrician. In the end it was decided that I was not going to be induced just yet. This left me in a puddle of tears, not so much because I really wanted my baby induced that day but because of what it meant---my baby wasn't doing well and my doctor was leaving for another country in a couple of days right when everything got scary again. Did I mention that at my doctor's appointment I also learned I would not be getting the back up doctor I wanted, but rather my last choice instead?
Fast forward many tears and a few days later, I met the new doctor. She's alright. She's nice, seems competent, looks/dresses like a nun, and has a crazy looking nurse. After gorging myself on food all weekend (I was told to eat to my heart's content. I took this to mean eat until you're uncomfortable), I gained some weight for the first time in a month or so and my blood pressure was back down to where it normally sits. Even better news was that the baby grew and his heart rate improved. He is still measuring behind, but at least he didn't fall further. I had a nonstress test. The baby is not a big mover and shaker and takes quite a bit to be woken up. It took some convincing, but he finally cooperated. I had my first biophysical profile ultrasound which was really reassuring because it showed that the cord is functioning properly and my fluid levels are still high. It immediately reduced some of my fears and stress.
Unfortunately, some time in the last 24 hours the baby decided that after many months he no longer liked being head down and is now breech. Ugh. I plan to do lots of downward facing dog in the next week. I may also give my acupuncturist a ring. I'd like to avoid doing an external version to flip him if possible. If it's not one thing it's another. Geesh.
I am soooo close to being done and soooo tired of this pregnancy, or rather the stress this pregnancy has brought. Despite this newest development I am focused on growing this baby and keeping him inside until my due date. Fingers crossed.
Fast forward many tears and a few days later, I met the new doctor. She's alright. She's nice, seems competent, looks/dresses like a nun, and has a crazy looking nurse. After gorging myself on food all weekend (I was told to eat to my heart's content. I took this to mean eat until you're uncomfortable), I gained some weight for the first time in a month or so and my blood pressure was back down to where it normally sits. Even better news was that the baby grew and his heart rate improved. He is still measuring behind, but at least he didn't fall further. I had a nonstress test. The baby is not a big mover and shaker and takes quite a bit to be woken up. It took some convincing, but he finally cooperated. I had my first biophysical profile ultrasound which was really reassuring because it showed that the cord is functioning properly and my fluid levels are still high. It immediately reduced some of my fears and stress.
Unfortunately, some time in the last 24 hours the baby decided that after many months he no longer liked being head down and is now breech. Ugh. I plan to do lots of downward facing dog in the next week. I may also give my acupuncturist a ring. I'd like to avoid doing an external version to flip him if possible. If it's not one thing it's another. Geesh.
I am soooo close to being done and soooo tired of this pregnancy, or rather the stress this pregnancy has brought. Despite this newest development I am focused on growing this baby and keeping him inside until my due date. Fingers crossed.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Family Portraits
St. John Parish is putting together a parish directory. After lots of reminder emails, they get you in with the promise of a free family portrait. Despite not really feeling like being uber-pregnant was the best time to do pictures, I did my duty and signed us up.
I tried to dress us in colors that sort of went together. I let Linus pick his own outfit, although I wouldn't let him wear his black velvet jacket due to the fact that it was over 80 degrees (and it would have messed with the color scheme). Considering the pictures were taken by the same people who do school pictures and yearbook photos, they aren't half bad. Linus gave the poor photographer a run for her money.
We ended up buying a couple of pictures. We have almost no pictures of the kids together so we had to take advantage of it.
Like I said, they aren't amazing but sometimes it's nice to just have a record of yourself as a family. We'll do nice family pictures after the baby is born.
I tried to dress us in colors that sort of went together. I let Linus pick his own outfit, although I wouldn't let him wear his black velvet jacket due to the fact that it was over 80 degrees (and it would have messed with the color scheme). Considering the pictures were taken by the same people who do school pictures and yearbook photos, they aren't half bad. Linus gave the poor photographer a run for her money.
We ended up buying a couple of pictures. We have almost no pictures of the kids together so we had to take advantage of it.
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| Official family portrait for the St. John directory. |
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| I look better in this one. |
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| Linus is not without distinction. |
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Never a dull moment in pregnancy
I'm now 36 weeks pregnant. Woo-hoo. Life has been pretty full recently. My sister and her dog lived with us for 3.5 months and just moved out this past weekend. We spent Labor Day weekend celebrating Dave's birthday and getting the house in order. Finally being able to nest was wonderful. We are now more or less ready.
After my doctor dropped the bombshell on me at my last appointment that he was going to be in France until right before my due date, I spent a few days in shock/frustration/tears. I really hate confrontation, but I knew that I really needed to talk to him in order to be okay with things. I put on my big girl panties and made an appointment to sit down and talk. I wrote a nice long angry letter (which was very cathartic) and threw it away. I went into the appointment with a few talking points to stay on track. The talk went well. He didn't rush me out, he listened, and we talked for a good 45 minutes. It was important to me that he understood that there had been a breach of trust. I've had a pretty close doctor/patient relationship with him over the past 6 years so I am hoping things work out okay and I'm able to forgive him. Right now I've told him I just need to see how the birth goes.
Things ended on good terms which was good because that night I woke up with contractions every three minutes. After 3 solid hours of contractions (painful but not so intense) I went ahead and called since I was only 35 weeks. The contractions eventually stopped, but it provided us with a nice dry run of how the actual birth might go.
As of right now, I don't technically have a doctor while mine is away. The doctor we both agree would be a good choice has been on a vacation. I do have someone now, who I feel very comfortable with, to cover the pediatric part of things should it be needed. The downside to your family doctor being your OB and then taking off to France unexpectedly is that you are also out a pediatrician. It's really hard to not know who is going to deliver your baby or who you are even going to schedule your OB appointments with. After having so much happen during this pregnancy, it's hard to not have control over the one thing I thought I did.
Unfortunately, at the 36 week appointment there were concerns. I recently stopped gaining weight/have lost weight despite the copious amounts of ice cream I consume daily. My cute pregnant belly is actually measuring small. Today I got to go in for an ultrasound. The ultrasound tech and I became pretty tight during Eileen's pregnancy and I've gotten to see her a few times this pregnancy as well. This is good because due to a scheduling snafu I was not on the schedule, but she saw it was me and made room :) While my fluid levels are amazing, the baby is small. His head is measuring on track but the rest of him is not. Since the baby is not dangerously small, we are in a wait and see mode right now. I see my doctor on Tuesday. Hopefully, the baby will do some growing. I'll probably get to have another ultrasound. Let me tell you, with this recent development I'm even less thrilled about being passed off to someone else.
My prenatal yoga class has been my saving grace this pregnancy. With so much stress, having directed breathing every week for an hour and time to myself is incredibly helpful. I've had the same instructor for all three kids. Linus' pregnancy is legend in the yoga studio.
I'm looking forward to no longer being pregnant. I'm trying to find ways to enjoy it since I don't think I am going to do it again. I just have to pray that it's all going to work out and in a few short weeks I am going to have a healthy, precious baby boy in my arms. In the meantime, God this pregnancy sucks.
After my doctor dropped the bombshell on me at my last appointment that he was going to be in France until right before my due date, I spent a few days in shock/frustration/tears. I really hate confrontation, but I knew that I really needed to talk to him in order to be okay with things. I put on my big girl panties and made an appointment to sit down and talk. I wrote a nice long angry letter (which was very cathartic) and threw it away. I went into the appointment with a few talking points to stay on track. The talk went well. He didn't rush me out, he listened, and we talked for a good 45 minutes. It was important to me that he understood that there had been a breach of trust. I've had a pretty close doctor/patient relationship with him over the past 6 years so I am hoping things work out okay and I'm able to forgive him. Right now I've told him I just need to see how the birth goes.
Things ended on good terms which was good because that night I woke up with contractions every three minutes. After 3 solid hours of contractions (painful but not so intense) I went ahead and called since I was only 35 weeks. The contractions eventually stopped, but it provided us with a nice dry run of how the actual birth might go.
As of right now, I don't technically have a doctor while mine is away. The doctor we both agree would be a good choice has been on a vacation. I do have someone now, who I feel very comfortable with, to cover the pediatric part of things should it be needed. The downside to your family doctor being your OB and then taking off to France unexpectedly is that you are also out a pediatrician. It's really hard to not know who is going to deliver your baby or who you are even going to schedule your OB appointments with. After having so much happen during this pregnancy, it's hard to not have control over the one thing I thought I did.
Unfortunately, at the 36 week appointment there were concerns. I recently stopped gaining weight/have lost weight despite the copious amounts of ice cream I consume daily. My cute pregnant belly is actually measuring small. Today I got to go in for an ultrasound. The ultrasound tech and I became pretty tight during Eileen's pregnancy and I've gotten to see her a few times this pregnancy as well. This is good because due to a scheduling snafu I was not on the schedule, but she saw it was me and made room :) While my fluid levels are amazing, the baby is small. His head is measuring on track but the rest of him is not. Since the baby is not dangerously small, we are in a wait and see mode right now. I see my doctor on Tuesday. Hopefully, the baby will do some growing. I'll probably get to have another ultrasound. Let me tell you, with this recent development I'm even less thrilled about being passed off to someone else.
My prenatal yoga class has been my saving grace this pregnancy. With so much stress, having directed breathing every week for an hour and time to myself is incredibly helpful. I've had the same instructor for all three kids. Linus' pregnancy is legend in the yoga studio.
I'm looking forward to no longer being pregnant. I'm trying to find ways to enjoy it since I don't think I am going to do it again. I just have to pray that it's all going to work out and in a few short weeks I am going to have a healthy, precious baby boy in my arms. In the meantime, God this pregnancy sucks.
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