Saturday, April 25, 2009

30 Weeks Belly Picture


Not much to report since my last post, but thought I'd add the belly picture that Brad took this morning. We were ATTEMPTING to make it to Zoo Atlanta for the free educator day. It didn't happen. We got all the way there and discovered that everybody and their MAMA had the same idea. The parking lots were so full that they were closed and there wasn't even an open place to parallel park on the side streets. If that wasn't bad enough, my car's thermometer was reading 87 degrees. That was enough for both of us to say "forget it!" We went shopping in some cool new live-work-play shops nearby and called it an afternoon. We made it back to our neck of the woods in time for our Sonic Happy Hour fix and a nap (that we're about to take!). Tonight we're meeting Josh, Carolyn, and Miss Kaitlyn for dinner and we can't wait!

This may be TMI, but I found it interesting, so I thought I'd share. I know that I've been getting up a ton of times each night for my ever frequent bathroom trips now that the baby
seems to think that my bladder makes a great pillow. I was curious as to how many times I get up. I knew that I wake up exhausted and never feel like I've gotten enough sleep, but I didn't know the exact number of times I was awake. Last night I took a tally. 7 times in 8 hours. That's sad. It's, on average, once an hour. The way I've got it figured, even if Emma is up every 2 hours, I'll STILL be doing better than I am now! Not to mention, I'll be able to come back to bed and sleep on my STOMACH (a huge reason why I'm not comfortable - I've always slept on my stomach). Just another reason that I'm excited for her to get here already!

Here's one more picture. Brad swears that you can't tell that I'm pregnant from the back. Have I mentioned how much I love my husband????




Thursday, April 23, 2009

30 Weeks, Chubby Cheeks!


How precious is our girl????? Brad and I saw those cheeks and flipped out! I've never seen a 2-D ultrasound that showed such chub! I can't wait to be kissing those sweet little cheeks. 10 weeks, and counting!

We had a great doctor's appointment today! I had an ultrasound to check on my cyst (which has grown bigger - 8cm across). Of course, we also got to take a good look at Baby Em and she looks great! She's weighing in at 3lbs 6oz. She's in the 66th percentile for her gestational age. The ultrasound machine predicted her due date (based on several key measurements) as June 30. They still go with the earliest date, which happens to be July 5th for me. Apparently, the earlier the ultrasound, the more accurate. The date that I've been going with is the one that several ultrasounds have shown - July 3rd.

Anyway, the doctor reviewed my lab results from last time. There were only trace amounts of protein in my urine this time, which was much better. I passed my glucose test with flying colors. I talked to him about my cardiology appointments last week and he really wants to talk to the cardio doctor himself, so he's going to be calling him. Not so sure that he liked how non-chalant the cardiologist was. They also haven't received my test results from the cardio, so they'll get that too. He said that if there were any damage being done to the baby because of my crazy heartbeat, they would look for a number of signs. One would be decreased amniotic fluid, another being lack of growth or a discrepancy in the size of her head vs. abdomen. Everything checked out perfectly with our girl, so he's not terribly worried. Her heart rate was 135, which is perfect. He said that he really wants me to take it easy and keep my feet up. He also mentioned the possibility of me having to stop working early if things continue. We only have 23 or so more days until summer, so I'm sure I'll be fine for that long.

Speaking of work - I got my results yesterday from the Holter heart monitor that I wore for 24 hours last week. My heart showed no arrhythmia, just a really fast resting heart rate. It averaged between 140-150. They really want it below 100. It only dropped below 100 once, and only briefly while I slept. I asked how high it got. The highest was 185 and was at 7:00 AM - just as I walked in the door to work! I cracked up.

So for now we're waiting on my OB to hear back from the cardiologist and make sure that they are in agreement to leave things as is. As far as the cyst, the doctor feels certain that it still won't go away on it's own. He says we have the option to choose to do an elective C-Section and remove it then, but neither of us really wants that. After a ton of thinking, I'm really hoping that I can deliver the old-fashioned way and have the laproscopic surgery after. He says that it's an outpatient procedure, usually done about 6 weeks after delivery. 5 days of recovery at home. Of course we'll see how it goes. If she's breech (like I was), or my heart rate is too high for natural delivery, we'll HAVE to go the C-Section route. We're praying and keeping our fingers crossed that things work out for a natural delivery (well, as natural as can be with a REALLY BIG epidural!).




Saturday, April 18, 2009

29 Weeks



I feel like there's not a lot to update on, because the biggest happenings of the week were cardiology related and I already talked about that. I'll try to dig up some more tidbits that may or may not be of any interest.

We bought Emma's baby book this week. I had looked at several stores and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something that was bound (several were like spiral notebooks!) and something that had places for lots of extra "stuff." My favorite part of looking at MY baby book is the stuff - the hospital bracelet, the clipping of my hair, notes, etc. I finally found exactly what I was looking for - after ordering 3 from Barnes and Noble.com! It's really old fashioned and has a lot of vintage art. SO cute.

The Winner


A lot of people have asked me about food cravings. I haven't had any real "cravings" in a long time, but I REALLY did early on in the pregnancy. Brad was about to kill me over a few. I wanted Mexican food several times a week, which he obliged. I fell in love with Sonic Cherry Limeades which I previously couldn't STAND. After the morning sickness went away, so did my obsession, but I've picked it back up since then :) I also developed a serious addiction to pickles. I was a pickle snob - they had to be Claussen pickles. I also had a few weeks there when I really had to have Texas Pete Hot Sauce flavored pickles. I know, I know. It grosses me out now too! The thing is, I discovered that at the peak of my morning sickness, eating a pickle after a meal helped me to keep it down.

My morning sickness is back. It's not nearly as bad or as regular as it was earlier on, but it's there. It's also not just in the morning anymore. Today we grabbed Chick-Fil-A so that we could get a nice, long nap. I ate 2 bites of my chicken sandwich and knew that if I ate any more, it wouldn't be pretty. On the plus side, the morning sickness HAS helped me to not gain a ton of weight!

Speaking of weight, people who are comfortable around me ask me all the time, and I'm not ashamed of the answer. I haven't gained ANY weight so far. Let me explain, I weighed X when I got pregnant (which, by the way, was nearly 10 lbs less than when I miscarried my last baby). Due to the morning sickness and just general lack of appetite (which has continued throughout pregnancy - I still can't eat a "full" meal) I lost 6 lbs. Last week at my doctor's appointment, I was back to exactly the X lbs. that I weighed when I started. I guess you could say that I have gained 6 lbs, but I like 0 better! Although I think I look like a brick house, it's all Miss Emma at this point. Most of my "this week in your pregnancy" emails say that I should have gained upwards of 20 lbs by now and will likely gain another 11. If I only gain 11, I'll be one happy camper! On the other hand, if I pack on the pounds between now and then, I'll be just as happy knowing that I can blame it all on my sweet little baby.

If you know me, you know I'm a bit goofy most of the time. I decided to give Brad a good laugh and try on his pants. I won't embarrass him by telling you what size they are, but you've seen Brad. He's not tiny. His pants wouldn't button around the belly!!! We both got a good laugh!

Can't think of anything else to mention, so I'll wrap it up. Everyone at work has told me that I really "blossomed" this week. She's definitely making my belly stick out farther than in past weeks! Can't imagine how much bigger I'll be in July.....wow.


Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Good News!

Today's cardiologist appointment was SUCH a relief! Here's what happened. I was scheduled for a treadmill stress test. Mom and I got there and they hooked me up to the electrodes and did a quick EKG. At that point, my resting heart rate was 147. The nurse said "That's not normal girl!" She soon followed that with "I don't feel comfortable giving you this test. I don't want you to have a heart attack." She left to speak with the doctor to make sure it was safe and then told me that she was still uncomfortable being responsible. She found another nurse who WAS, and she performed the test. In the meantime, my heartrate went back and forth. At the lowest it was 129, 150 at the highest. Keep in mind, this was all while sitting down.

It's supposed to take you between 6-9 minutes of walking on the inclined treadmill to get your heart rate as high as they want it. It took me 4 and 1/2 minutes and they stopped just before I reached their max heart rate. I was winded because of the incline, but didn't have any other symptoms. My blood pressure stayed perfect the entire time, which was good. We then met with the doctor. He said that it doesn't appear that I have any arrhythmias (irregular heart beats or patterns) and that it seems that I just have a really fast heart rate while pregnant. He reassured me that it isn't doing any damage to Emma, and that my heart looks perfectly healthy and strong - just faster than it's supposed to be. He wants me to come back in mid-June to have another EKG and echocardiogram before I deliver. After that, he expects everything to go back to normal, but assured me that he'll be at Northside if I need him to be while I deliver, though he doesn't foresee any need. I'm SO relieved! So now it's onwards and upwards - less than 80 days left!!! On another great note - only 27 more school days!!!


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Quick Update

Just wanted to give you a quick update on my cardiologist appointment yesterday. I wish that I had more information to give, but I don't yet. The doctor did an EKG which was normal, with the exception of my heartrate of 120. According to my OB, high-normal for a pregnant woman is 110. The doctor thinks that there's a good chance that the "palpatations" that I've been having are my body's way of dealing with the extra heart-strain of pregnancy. When you are pregnant your body has a good deal more blood in it than it did before. That makes the heart work quite a bit harder to pump the blood throughout the body. I'm hoping and praying that this is all normal. The truth is, I have no clue what this point in pregnancy is supposed to feel like. I am dealing with the back pain and shortness of breath, getting dizzy when I stand up, lack of sleep, etc. pretty well. I just know that when my chest feels tight and I feel like I'm going to pass out after I've gotten dressed in the morning, something's not right.

Back to the doctor - he did an echocardiogram (ultrasound of my heart). During that, my heart went back and forth between 120 and 150 beats per minute. I was relaxed and laying down - no reason for a racing heart. I don't know the results of that because he hadn't looked at them at the time. They also made me wear a Holter monitor. It has 5 electrodes that connect to a monitor that I had to wear for 24 hours. I was able to take it off this morning and BOY was I glad! It itched and was even harder to sleep with. I go back to the doctor tomorrow afternoon and am doing a treadmill stress test and having the Holter read to see what's going on. Mom's going with me for moral support - mostly because I think it will make her feel better! I'll update tomorrow as soon as I know something definitive. Keep me in your prayers please!


Friday, April 10, 2009

3rd Trimester - 7 Months!


If you had told me in August (when I miscarried our first baby) that I would be in my third trimester by the end of the same school year, I would have laughed in your face. I still cannot believe that we're here. Things are going fairly well. I am headed to the cardiologist on Monday and will hopefully get some good and reassuring news at that appointment.

In happier news, Emma is growing well. She is kicking like crazy and has definitely developed a fairly predictable sleep/wake schedule. For example, she always wakes up when I get to work (around 7:00 AM) and is awake off and on during the day. She also wakes up somewher
e around 7:00 at night and keeps her Daddy and I company - and amused! - until bedtime. I can't wait to hold her and play dress up and just snuggle my sweet baby girl. It's been quite a long ride but I wouldn't trade a precious moment of it for anything in the world. Here are some pictures. I just love to go in her closet and look through all of the precious outfits that I (or her grandmothers) "couldn't resist."


Here is the outfit we plan to bring Emma home in from the hospital. It's a sweet little sundress with a matching diaper cover and little sweater. For someone who doesn't wear dresses, I can't wait to see Emma in some!





Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Hello, Complications!


I'm almost 28 weeks pregnant today and have been waiting for the 27-week post until I had my doctor's appointment this week. I was expecting my glucose test and a typical OB check-up. My glucose test went ok. I had one done several weeks ago and had no side-effects. This time, I got some low blood sugar shakes towards the end, which concerns me. The doctor told me to quit taking my metformin at my last appointment - it's a drug typically used to control glucose, but I was taking it to make me ovulate. My guess is that I failed the test, but we won't know the results for a few days. I spoke with the doctor about it and he says that if I failed it, it can be treated with a prescription. This was ok news.

The doctor measured Emma and listened to her heart - happy as a clam. She LOVED the glucose this time - she was doing the shimmy-shake in the waiting room!

I've also been having the weird episodes that I mentioned last week. I feel like my chest is heavy, I get light-headed, and feel like I'm going to pass out. My heart races and I can hear it in my ears. There's no correlation to activity or food. It's happened right after I've eaten, as soon as I get out of bed, walking down the hall, walking around the grocery store
, etc. It's happened off and on for the last few weeks and is a little scary. My thyroid tests came back beautifully, which is making the doctor think that it's "pregnancy induced tachycardia." Basically, your body has a lot more blood in it when you are pregnant and has a harder time pumping it effectively. Tachycardia means that I may have an irregular heartbeat, causing it to race at times and make me feel faint. He told me to lie down as soon as it happens, as a lot of women with tachycardia actually DO pass out. Scary. He said that he wants me to see a cardiologist immediately, and had his nurse call and schedule the appointment for first thing on Monday morning. They will likely do an EKG and make me wear a 24-hour heart monitor at home to record any incidences. He also said that they likely won't be able to treat it, but it is important to know anyway. I did some research later and am a little more calm about it. Many women get it and are very rarely treated for it because it isn't too severe and the meds for it are more dangerous than the actual condition itself. We'll see what the cardiologist says.

The last complication (haven't there been enough for one office visit!!) is protein in my urine. He didn't seem too terribly concerned with this. If it's in conjunction with high blood pressure (mine was my lowest ever) or swelling, it could mean preeclampsia, whi
ch could be dangerous. I am still able to wear my wedding rings and have no swelling in my ankles or hands, so he's thinking that it's nothing. After looking online, it could be as simple as a urinary tract infection or other kidney issue causing the protein. He said that often times in your third trimester your body doesn't filter things as effectively as it would normally.

You can see that this has been quite a day. I left the appointment completely devastated and terrified of what all of these things could mean. I've since calmed down and am trying to have faith that God is in control of all of these things. I've got excellent doctors who I trust wholeheartedly and know that if there is anything wrong, they'll find it quickly. I am
scheduled for another OB check up and an ultrasound in 2 weeks. I'll keep you all posted on my cardiology appointment. Keep us in your prayers, although I'm sure everything will be fine in the end.

Here's a picture of a precious onesie that I ordered a few weeks ago. As soon as I saw it, I HAD to have it - it's so true. I can't wait to see her in it!