Baby and appointment update...

Things are going wonderfully! I will be 25 weeks tomorrow. At my appointment today, my bp was still back down in the normal range (120/72...amazing what feeling movement can do for you), I've lost another pound (13 lbs below my starting weight), and my uterus is measuring 3+ weeks ahead (with Marty I was consistently 2 to 4 weeks ahead) so I get an u/s on Monday!!! The nurse seemed very surprised that I was already able to see his kicks from the outside (she remarked "but he's not that big yet" LOL). In fact, Gabe kicked so hard at one point this afternoon that he made my book {that was resting on my tummy) jump.

I am starting to get really excited about this!

Finally took another belly pic

Does it look bigger to you?  I know Gabe is growing because of where I feel the kicks...but I swear I have trouble seeing the belly growth...LOL.

Duh...I figured out the difference. The first pic was in regular clothes while this outfit is maternity wear.

I finally bought something for the baby.

Of course, I have other baby stuff I have bought or saved in the past. However, I had not bought anything specifically for Gabe at any point in this pregnancy. I was in Wal-Mart today and decided he had to have this...



This was really a huge step for me. Hehehe...I think I was hyperventilating when I was in line at the check out counter...just the thought of actually buying something specifically for Gabe did that to me.

Its been a while since I've done an update on me...

So I guess its about time.

I have been on strike this week...LOL. This has been my week to recover from Vacation Bible School. VBS went incredibly well. We ended up having 62 kids registered and about 30 volunteers. On the 24th (Sunday after VBS), a group of kids sang a few of the songs from VBS in church and I led the procession into church in my ringmaster costume. Why a ringmaster costume you ask...because our VBS theme was Davey and Goliath's Circus Spectacular. The majority of the people seemed to enjoy it but I'm sure my ringmaster costume in church ruffled the feathers of some of the old fuddy duddies.


I've done a little laundry and a whole lot of stitching (cross stitching and crocheting) this week. Other than that, I have done nothing.

My pregnancy is going great. I am 21 1/2 weeks right now and I truly can't believe it. Gabe is doing great. I would swear he is doing barrel rolls in there on a daily basis. I am starting to really get excited about this now:) I finally got brave enough to unpack all my maternity clothes about 6 days ago. I am still about 10+ punds below my starting weight so they still aren't a complete necessity but the maternity bottoms (shorts, skirts, etc) are a LOT more comfortable than my regular stuff now.

Grrl's having a baby...

or by now, Gefilte is probably here. I have been obsessively refreshing both Grrl's and Danae's blogs but still no news. I'm going to presume that no news is good news because I KNOW that "Something Good Is Happening"! Keep Grrl, Mr Grrl, Sarah and Gefilte in your prayers. I can't wait to hear all about it!

GEFILTE IS HERE...say some prayers because he is having a bit of breathing difficulties and is in the NICU for now.

Come on in and see the u/s pics...

of my beautiful baby BOY!!! Yup, thats right, our new family theme song will be "My Three Sons". Gabriel Michael looks PERFECT. All the measurements average together to put him 1 day ahead of his gestational age. It was so cool. Our ultrasound tech is AWESOME. She pointed out all the body parts to me...and I do mean everything...the 4 chambered heart, the 3 vessel cord, 2 kidneys, lungs, tailbone...all of it. And, of course, as is typical for my kids, Gabriel had no qualms about showing us who he was.

I made it through the 1st day of Vacation Bible School...

And things went really well. We ended up with about 50 kids and about 30-33 volunteers. No one gagged too badly at my singing (LOL) and everyone seemed to have a good time. I AM SOOOOOOO TIRED! How tired you ask? Well, Marty wanted me to read a chapter of HP6 to him and I could barely stay awake to do it. OMG...being the director of VBS while I am pregnant was the heighth of stupidity.

LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO ULTRASOUND TIME...don't know whether to run and hide or be so excited I can't stand it. LOL

My big u/s is on Tuesday at 3:15!

I am so excited and so very scared at the same time. The little one is defintiely making its presense known. I feel movement all the time and Vic felt little baby flutters for the first time Thursday night.

My kids are a bit ticked off that I won't let them come to the u/s but I can't get over that little niggling background fear and say "Yes, you two can come." Oh well, they can come if I have another u/s later on.

Vacation Bible School starts Monday and I will be out of town until Sunday night (niece's b-day party).

Warning...pregnancy pics ahead...

I finally broke down and took some belly pics on Sunday July 3rd. I'm not sure if I should be happy I'm looking pg...or scared that its already caught up with my boob size. I am 17 weeks 3 days in the pics.
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Hey y'all...sorry I haven't posted in a few days.

I have been so swamped with Vacation Bible School stuff that it isn't even funny. I have probably put at least 15 hours into it this week. You know you are in trouble when you start dreaming about it. The good thing is that I have ALL but one volunteer lined up.

The kiddos have been in Tae Kwon Do day camp all week and have hada fabulous time. Every day I have gone to pick them up, Master Donna has had a funny story to tell about one of them. She also told me how polite and well behaved my boys are. I told her I was glad the lesson we were teaching were sinking in after all since they didn't use there manners at home...she just laughed.

I'm down at my parents' house right now. They are taking my boys, my nieces, and my siter up to Norfolk for the 4th of July. I was invited too bu t I have too much left to do for VBS. Hehehe...at least thats my story and I'm stitcking to it. They will take off tomorrow morning and I'll head on home. I don't have to be back until Thursday afternoon. Woohoo...thats 4 completely kid free days. The kiddos are going to the Aquarium, the zoo, driving go-carts, and going to fireworks at the military base up there. I don't think they'll even have a chance to miss us.

And, thank you so much for the prayers for Pam. They were obviously heard and answered. When she had her ultrasound on Wednesday, they saw the baby and the heartbeat!!! The best guess is that she ovulated a bit late and the swimmers were still hanging around.

As for me and my pregnancy, I have decided that the little shit is going to be just as contrary as both the big brothers. The only time I am consistently feeling movement is when I lay down to go to sleep at night. Only two and a half weeks until my ultrasound and then we'll hopefully know whether its a boy or a girl.

Its been an interesting couple of days...

Not bad at all...just interesting. I think I might survive being in charge of Vacation Bible School. I almost have all my volunteers lined up and I have just about everything else in line. Its still driving me crazy but it looks like it might actually come together.

And, yesterday Marty (my oldest) had on a red tie-dyed shirt my mom bought for him. Well, evidently, whoever made thsi shirt did NOT rinse the excess dye out before they sold it. Marty and Joey got into a water battle outside and, by the time they were done, Marty's shirt had bled red dye all over his body. Marty looked like he had the world's worst sunburn (pics to come later).


Finally, I got THE BEST NEWS today!!! Remember how I asked you to pray for my friend Pam. Well, it seems like those prayers are working. On Thursday, her hcg levels were in the 6000+ range. As of this morning, her levels are up over 17,000. They haven't repeated the u/s yet (I think that is scheduled for Wednesday) but, with her hcg levels doubling at about a *64 hour rate, evrything else looks PERFECT at this point. YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY

*remember, after you hit 6000, doubling times slow down SIGNIFICANTLY

Please say a prayer for my friend Pam...

I just got a call from her and it appears that she is going through yet another miscarriage. My heart is breaking for her. I am so very sad.


***Updated to say that Pam's bloodwork shows her hcg levels have more than doubled...but her u/s yesterday didn't show a yolk sac or fetal pole. Please say lots of prayers that this is just a slow starter and that the next u/s shows a beating heart.

I took a HUGE emotional step regarding this pregnancy...

I post to a cross stitch board over on iVillage. I've been there for over 4 yrs and those ladies have been an anchor for my sanity through our infertility problems. Last night, I finally added my due date and a pregnancy ticker to my signature line.

I know some of you are probably thinking..."Whats the big deal?" Well, for me, adding that info was a huge step in admitting I am really and truly pregnant and that its beginning to look like its going to happen. I was able to tell everyone there quite some time ago about the pregnancy but I hadn't been able to put that info (due date) in a form that would stare me in the face every time I visited that board. The last time I added info like that was when I was pregnant with Eva last summer and, within a week of adding it, we had lost her. It still kind of scares me that I added my current due date to my signature line.

And, my due date is 12/8...I am 15 weeks 5 days today.

Back from the OBs...YAY...

The appointment went well. My BP was a bit better but still elevated (but it isn't elevated away from the OBs office). As soon as the doc got the doppler out, I spiked my heart rate way up...guess I was fooling myself into thinking I was calm...LOL. Because of that, he was having trouble telling if he was hearing my heartbeat or the munchkins...so he pulled out the portable u/s machine. I didn't get any pics but I got a quick peak at BABY. The heart was thumping away and everything looked good. My big u/s is scheduled for the afternoon of July 19th.

Also, because I have a history of pre-eclampsia (when pregnant with Marty) and I've had elevated pressure at my appointments, my doc is having me do a 24 hour urine collection just to give us a baseline to work with as the pregnancy progresses. Its a PITA but I will admit it makes me feel good that he is being so thorough.

Finally, I told the doc that I would agree to a scheduled c-section and quit bugging him about a VBAC if he would solemnly promise me two things...1) I would not have to have my arms strapped down while in surgery & 2) that I could be the first one to hold this baby. He said he didn't see why not. He said he would gladly leave my arms unstrapped as long as I promised not to reach down...LOL...no chance of me doing that.

Sooooo, it looks like I'm really having a baby...barring any disasters.

Oh yeah, we told the boys this afternoon and they both started cheering.

And, I am officially 10 pounds UNDER my starting weight.

My hubby is such a sweetheart...

I had forgotten that when I'm pregnant I shouldn't mention how much I want something too loudly. Saturday night I went searching in our pantry for pink lemonade. Why it had to be pink lemonade, I don't know. All I knew was I was tired of soda, water, and milk. I wanted something tart. Of course, I didn't find any. And, I thought I was muttering under my breath when I said "why would I expect there to be any just because I want some" but I must have been louder than I thought. Vic heard me and asked what I was looking for and immediately offered to stop what he was doing and go buy me the mix for it. I love my hubby...I know he's a great guy...and things like this continually reaffirm it.

As for other pregnancy updates, I have an appointment tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I get home.

Sorry its been so long since I updated. I got hit with the mother of all migraines this Sunday. It lasted almost 24 hours...and, yes, I was taking my meds for it. They just didn't make a dent in it. I have never had a migraine last that long or send me running to the bathroom that many times. UGH. At least the migraines haven't been as frequent now that I'm out of the first trimester.

Not much to update here...

all seems to be calm on the pregnancy front. My bruised belly is getting bigger while I still manage to lose weight. I've lost another 3 pounds since my OB appointment 2 1/2 weeks ago.

I am finally back among the land of the living. That lovely cold my son gave me became bronchitis and it was kicking my butt. I went to my regular doc last Friday and got the antibiotics that were necessary to get rid of the bronchitis (thats when I found out I'd lost 3 more pounds). I am almost completely over the coughing and hacking...Thank God...and should be back to regular posting.

A HUGE THANKS to sweetisu, Jen P, Ana, the Barrenness, anonymous (was that you Penny?), Marivic, Jenn, and Angela for offering their opions on VBAC vs. sceduled c-section. I'm still pondering the question but will let you know my decision as soon as its made.

QUESTIONS...

These questions are courtesy of Sweetisu...check out her blog, she's a really cool lady! If you'ld like questions asked of you, just let me know.

1. If you could live forever and ever, would you want to? Why or why not? While I would like to live for a very, very long time, I don't want to live forever. Even though there is enough to learn and experience to keep me occupied for the next millenia, I don't think I could stand the heartbreak of outliving everyone I love. Also, I have a very strong faith in God and do believe I will see the loved ones I've lost again. It would hurt badly to lose that opportunity.
2. What's your favorite food/dish? How often do you have that? Hehehe...for me, this question is harder than the previous one. One of my downfalls is that I love the pleasure of good food. My favorite really depends on my mood. My fil makes a beans and rice dish that is to die for and my hubby cooks some of the best pork roast you've ever tasted. As for my own cooking, I make a mean Beef Wellington, wonderful Taco soup, and a pretty damned good Anniversary Chicken (and, no, I don't know why its called that). Then, there are desserts...I could go on and on about that too. LOL Oh yeah...also love escargot, seafood of all types and persuasions, and my mom's turkey soup.
3. What is the one thing that you really want to try / do before you die? I want to go skydiving and drive a NASCAR race car at full speed around a track. I'd also like to go up in a jet and be involved in a mock battle (there is a place in Georgia where you can do that).
4. What was your most embarrassing moment? I'd have to say it was in junior high. I use to get the most hellacious periods. One day it hit about a day before I expected it and it soaked through the back of my pants...UGH. Never thought I'd live that one down. Also, my periods were so bad (unlike most junior high girls) that I would have to go change my pad or tampon a few ttimes a day. I think some of the other students were convinced I was sneaking smoke breaks.
5. What is one sexual fantasy that you always have, but will probably never become a reality? Honestly, my hubby and I have a very open sexual relationship. By that I mean we talk about all our interests and we are always willing to try something with each other at least once. Since I've never been into things like threesomes or anything too out there, it means I've been able to fulfill my sexual fantasies. Hell, when you are married to a man who can make you quiver from head to toe, what more do you need. I got really lucky. Not only did I marry my soulmate but he's the best lover I could ask for.

For more question and answer fun go visit
The Barrenness
Suz
And Jen P.

Save me from the doctors...LOL...

My poor coughing, hacking , sneezing self got to go have a consult with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist today. He decided that my OBs course of action was basically correct but that, instead of 150 mg of lovenox once a day, I should be on 40 mg twice a day. That will double the number of shots I have to give myself for the rest of the pregnancy. Now I really will know what a pincushion feels like.

Also, I have a question for all of you. Feel free to weigh in even if you haven't had any kids yet. Both my boys were born via c-section but it was never due to an inability to deliver but because of other medical/pregnancy related issues. A recent study (about 2 yrs ago) showed that risks of uterine rupture are a little higher than previously thought during a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). However, the risk is still VERY, VERY LOW...less than 3%. The specialist told me that my clotting issue should not effect any decision about whether to attempt a VBAC. Part of me really wants to try for a vaginal birth but another part of me doesn't even want any extra risk...no matter how miniscule. What would you do?

*Cough, cough* *Hack, Hack* ACHOO!

Can you tell I don't feel good? I caught the crud my boys (esp. Joey) had and its kicking my butt. I would just about kill for a dose of Theraflu but, of course, that isn't on the approved meds list. UGH

If I'm scarce, that is why.


*****I have made a miraculous discovery. I compared the ingredients list of Theraflu with the list of approved meds and they are all on the list! The cough suppressant in Theraflu is the same one in Robitussin DM. WOOHOO...I can have my theraflu!

12 weeks 1 day...

that means NO MORE PROGESTERONE FOR ME!!! Can you tell I'm happy to be able to ditch those suppositories?

I also bought a doppler. It came in yesterday and I did pick up the heartbeat for a few beats but the little shit aka the baby must have been moving and grooving because I promptly lost it again. Oh well, those few audible heartbeats were enough to make me happy.