"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. " -Helen Keller

Friday, October 28, 2005

GABE LOOKS PERFECT...

he is big, healthy, and, most importantly, whatever extra fluid was around his heart is GONE! Thats right...NO MORE EXTRA FLUID AROUND HIS HEART! The peri is really pleased with how well we are both doing and says there is nothing to worry about.

I am 34 weeks 1 day and his estimated weight is 6 lbs 7 oz...somewhere around the 78% for size.

Hehehe, you know how last week we didn't get a good face shot because he was transverse...

Well, this time we didn't get a good face shot because his head is so far down in my pelvis. I guess he is playing hide and seek already.

Monday, October 24, 2005

The "Peg Bundy" pregnancy look...ROFL

Back in the summer of '04, I got these pants off of eBay...my faux leather maternity pants. The thought of them amused me too much to not buy them, so I snatched them up. Pair them with the animal print shirt and you have a Peg Bundy pregnancy look (for those of you who remember Married With Children).


BTW, I have decided not to be worried about Gabe. Any baby that has a heart rate of between 150 and 160 and a kick count of 20 in only 15 minutes HAS to be okay!

Saturday, October 22, 2005

New Belly pics of me and ultrasound pics of Gabe...





Gabe's face...half of it is in a shadow because the little twerp is transverse.

Gabe's profile...the little letters on the pic are labeling the nose, lips, and chin

Gabe still isn't shy...LOL

Gabe's leg, foot, and toes.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Can you say some prayers for Gabe?

I had another u/s and a NST on Wednesday. Gabe passed the NST with flying colors and the u/s showed him looking so big and strong and healthy and...it found a possible problem. They found fluid around his heart. This is one of those things that could be absolutely nothing or it could be big and bad. My doc says he is not overly concerned because Gabe had just passed an NST with flying colors...good heart rate, good reactivity, etc, etc. And, my doc says that none of the signs that would indicate this being on the big and bad end of the spectrum are there...other than the fluid around his heart, everything looks perfect. No inappropriate fluid elsewhere in his little body...and that is a good sign. My doc also says that if the mom (me) catches a virus, this can cause fluid to accumulate around the baby's heart...and I have been sick (bad cold and diarrhea). So, given my history and given the fluid, they have set me up for an appointment with a perinatologist next Friday. I'm not sure what all he will do at the appointment...possibly blood work...and I will have another u/s at the peri's office. Depending on what they find, they could decide to order a fetal echocardiogram to watch the blood flow through Gabe's heart. I also have a NST on Monday and one on Wednesday.

When I'm being calm and logical, I truly believe that everything will be ok...but, when emotions overtake logic, I am so damned scared. This just isn't fair. I wanted one part...only one part...of this pregnancy to go normally and now that has been shot to sh*t. Just when I had really started to relax and enjoy everything...just when I was starting to believe that everything would be ok, this happens and I have to worry again. I am so very tired of nothing going normally.

*btw, on Wednesday, I was 32 weeks 6 days and Gabe was measuring 35 weeks 2 days. His estimated weight was 5 lbs 2 oz (about the 77% for size).

Friday, October 14, 2005

Me, myself, and my kids...

Guess I should included the hubby too, huh?

My week of insanity started last Friday (don't worry...Gabe is fine)...and it better end this Friday. It started off with my going to my doc (primary care NOT OB)...my breathing had felt tight for a few days and it just wasn't getting better. Turns out I had a mild case of bronchitis that caused an asthma flare up. I think if it had happened when I wasn't preggo, I probably wouldn't have even noticed. So, I am on antibiotics and an 8 day course of prednisone (standard course of treatment when dealing with an asthmatic). I am so glad I went in because I feel sooooooo much better (even after only one dose of each).

Then, I ran home to get Marty so I could take him to get the new lenses in his glasses. That was easy but I was sooo tired at that point because I was a bit sick. When we left there, we were going to run to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. I started down the ramp to the highway and got caught in the traffic from this wreck (btw, just heard the UPDATE on the news and found out there were 70 cars involved in the accidents...not just 40). It took me an hour and a half to get one mile down the highway to the next exit...and, of course, I had both boys in the van...UGH. Before I got caught in that traffic, I had beautiful, polished fingernails...it frazzled me so badly that by the time I got off the highway all my fingernails were bitten off. Traffic was sooooo bad on the secondary roads that I knew there was no way to get to Wal-Mart. When I told the boys we weren't going to get there to get their treats, they went into a meltdown...understandable given the circumstances but certainly NOT acceptable. I was sooo frazzled that I went into my own crying meltdown...can we say HORMONE hell? Of course, Joey started sobbing and saying they didn't mean to make me cry which made me feel like crap. We all survived it though and I made it home to feed them and finish the cleaning before the baby shower on Saturday.

The baby shower was a bright spot. My family and my inlaws were all here...even my hubby's cousin's wife (my cousin-in-law?) and her son. The wonderful Miss Margaret and her family were able to come (YAY!!!!). Also, my bestest friend Jennifer and my friend Lisa from down the street and her family were all here. I think it was a total of 11 kids and 11 adults (12 once Vic was able to join us). My nieces were soo cute when I told them Gabe could hear them if they talked to him...they both introduced themselves and were talking to him. Everyone was so sweet and brought the nicest gifts even though I had tried to tell them gifts were nto necessary...that I just wanted to celebrate Gabe's imminent arrival (ONLY 7 WEEKS AWAY!!!!!!!!). Obviously, with all the kids and the men here, this was not a traditional shower and I think that made it MUCH better. We all sat around chatted, ate yummy snacks (thanks mom!), and had cake. The kids ran rampant through the house and played outside despite the fact that EVERYTHING was still wet from the rain. Between having a delivery date and having gotten a crib, pack and play, and the stroller/car seat today, I think I am really beginning to believe I am having this baby. I am still in a bit of disbelief over all this.

My hubby is back on night shifts this month (it started this past weekend) and I have the worst time making myself go to bed when he is on nights. It also seems that I have hit an insomnia stage with this pregnancy (boy I hope it ends soon...the insomnia that is). This all joins together to mean I have been up until a gawdawful hour many nights this week.

And, there are a few nasty bugs going around here and poor Marty caught one of them. He came home from school on Tuesday doing ok but, by dinner time, he was complaining that his tummy hurt. Initially, I thought "oh, this will pass" but that thought disappearred when his dinner didn't stay down. He got sick again Wednesday night. He didn't get sick today but it wasn't until the late evening that we got anything except chicken noodle soup into him. I may keep him home tomorrow just to be on the safe side. He has completed all his school work for this week so it wouldn't be a big deal.

I had a non-stress test today and Gabe did not cooperate at all. I should have been in and out of the office in no more than an hour...maybe a few minutes more. But nooooooooooo, the little shit let us get a good heart tracing for about 10 minutes and then decided to play hide and go seek with the monitor. Despite the fact that we could sit there and watch my belly jump, we tried for about half an hour and could not reacquire his heartbeat for more than a few beats at a time. Since my OBs office is literally attached to the hospital, they had me go over and had the NST done on the really powerful machines in L&D. Gabe passed his NST with glowing results...lots of movementand a nice variable heartrate. I got out of there a full 2 hours later than I had planned. Oh yeah...I regained anpother 2 1/2 pounds. That leaves me 3 1/2 pounds below my starting weight.

That delay meant that I had an hour and a half to get lunch, deposit a check, get some necessities from the grocery store, and make it to Marty's school to pick up his homework before the teacher's left. Believe it or not, I managed to get it all done.



Also, I have finally added a section to my web page for Gabe. The link is http://home.earthlink.net/~chfdcpt/thehatchery.html I've got all the belly shots, shower pics, and other stuff in one location now.