How far along? 32 weeks
- 2 check ups a week started. We started going two times a week. Monday for non-stress tests and Thursdays for biophysical profiles. This week, the appointments went well. Non-stress test was with an associate and they said it looked fine and I was sent home. Thursday's ultra sound went well and showed some growth and we got the ok to go to Katie Nelms' wedding in Illinois.
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| all those wisps on the top of the head are hair apparently! |
- 2 check ups the week again. Monday went great and showed everything to be well. The ultrasound showed everything to be well, movement, practice breathing, and position good. It also revealed she had hair! We were referred to a high risk specialist to check on the placenta placement and her head size and see what she thought.
How far along? 34 Weeks
Total Weight Gain? +27 (from 9 week appointment)Stretch Marks? nothing new
Sleep: pretty crappy
Movement: she moves a lot!
- We went back to regular appointments. On Tuesday we met with regular doctor and had a normal 15 minute appointment! It was great to be normal again!
- We met with the specialist (Dr. Steele). She did a very extensive ultrasound and she found that the placenta is still only 1 cm away but I could go with a normal birth. We will need to have meds on hand if bleeding gets out of control. She also said the head size is small, but she is assuming it is familial because my head is tiny and my body is normal. They did find something interesting around the heart. They said it could be nothing but they just wanted a heart specialist to look at it.
Total Weight Gain? +28
Stretch Marks? nothing new since Nolan
Sleep: pretty much like crap
Best Moment this Week: Normal appointments!
Miss Anything? being able to bend in half. Contractions are getting a little stronger and more annoying so I would love them to go away for a while unless its the read deal.
Movement: Lots!
Food Craving? nothing really
Anything making you queasy or sick? no
Bellybutton in our out? Waaaaay out
Wedding Rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time? Much moodier this time than I was with Nolan.
Looking forward to? meeting this sweet baby girl (and seeing that hair they are talking about!)
Labor Signs? Just the lots of braxton hicks!
- Tuesday was our normal appointment. Based on what Dr. Steele said, our doctor said we could go back to normal appointments. We can deliver at the local hospital, and all the tests they ran to rule out viruses and strep B all came back negative. So far, everything is great! Light at the end of this scary tunnel. We were excited to go to the cardiologist to rule out anything else and go back to being normal OB patients.
- Thursday was our pediatric cardiologist appointment. We went in thinking they thing they saw was going to be no big deal. After almost 2 hours in ultrasound, the actual cardiologist coming in and checking live ultrasound, and then 3 specialists looking over the film it was discovered that baby girl has what is called double aortic arch. We could accept that, we knew there was an extra something going on, but we really didnt think it was a big deal. Then, they explained what this could mean for us. Apparently, this arch could be parallel to each other and there would be no problem with having 2 of these arches, but there is also a chance that it makes a vasular ring. This ring would go around the trachea and the esophagus causing difficulty breathing and swallowing.
- We will need to deliver at a sister hospital that is further away but also has Children's hospital of Wisconsin (Fox Cities)
- We will need to have the hospitalist on staff to check her out. We need to have them listen for wheezing and labored breathing. If she is really struggling, should could need a breathing tube inserted. We also have to have a nurse watch the feedings to make sure that she does not choke.
- We will need to do the pulse-ox test earlier than they normally do on infants to make sure she is getting enough oxygen while breathing and they will need to take her blood pressure on her hands and feet on both sides (apparently their blood pressure can be different on the 2 sides)
- She will need an echo done on her heart right away. This is because they cannot see very well to confirm/deny the vascular ring because of all the bones and her size while in the uterus. They will need to see if first hand on her chest.
- Depending on what the echo shows, she may need a CT scan. These CT scans are only available in Milwaukee's Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
- If it is indeed a vascular ring, they will need to do surgery regardless in the first 3 weeks of her life. This will also be at Children's. It will be about 3 days in the hospital. It is not open heart surgery, but one that goes through the armpit.
- We will also need to test for 22Q. Apparently this is a genetic disorder in which can lead to malformations of the heart and other body parts, physical limits, and learning disabilities. We will do a blood test when she is born to test for this as well. When they know if a child has 22Q it allows them to start treating the symptoms right away.
- There is no more we can do prenatal, so all of this will begin when she is born. It is up to our OB (O'Leary) to see if he would want to induce to have all this controlled or let me go naturally and the staff would respond accordingly. We will find out tomorrow.
How far along? 37 Weeks
Today. We shall see what tomorrow brings....maybe another blog post with an update. We shall see!
Nolan has started sleeping with stuffed animals and a blanket! He is so smiley even at bedtime it is so great!
smarty pants counting
Nolan was fascinated with my post it notes. I let him play. He was working on fine motor skills, why not.... haha he sat on one and he looked like a little bunny and it was just the cutest thing!
Somehow, the little stinker was in the garage when I brought a box downstairs and when I came upstairs literally seconds later he was in the living room watching Mikey and had already dumped out a box of baking soda!
We walked in the Pig to Pig walk (34 weeks). 4 miles from one Piggly Wiggly to the other. I made it! I was not fast, and I am pretty sure our group was last, but we made it! I was pretty proud of myself!
We went to the Timber Rattler game for the School Reading Incentives program. (34 weeks). Nolan didnt watch much of the game but liked the mascots, the playground, and the cotton Candy!
We took maternity photos (35 weeks). I love how they turned out! These are just a sampling from EllieFay Photography & Design!
Just drinking my juice and drawing with chalk on the pavers by the windmill.
Spelling his name! He is getting so smart!
He has become obsessed with sitting in the dog kennel and even watching Mickey from in there. The dogs (and we) don't get it but he's happy. I don't lock it and he's aloud out I promise I am a good mom.
Safety first! Nolan puts on his own "hat." Nailed it.
Nolan meets sprinkler, 2016.
I have also decided to be staying home next year with the 2 beautiful children. I am going to miss teaching so very much, but I am not going to regret a single second with my babies. So in addition to all the above, I have been moving out of my classroom I have made a home for the past 4 years, writing report cards, end of the year activites/obligations/check out, etc, writing long term sub plans in case I leave early, AND working my butt off as an Usborne Books & More consultant so I can earn some income with a ton of flexibility while home with the kids.
If you have made it this far, I thank you! You must really care about this crazy life I live. If you would be interested in looking at Usborne Books to support the new business, let me know!
Thank you everyone for the prayers, thoughts, and love as we enter this final few weeks of this pregnancy and this blog transforms into a birth story and then a story of life with 2 littles, a stay at home mom, and an Usborne Book Consultant.....My how our world is changing in a matter of 3 weeks.....
