Wednesday, March 30, 2011

34 Weeks

Once again, I'm posting late, so I apologize but a lot has happened in the past week!  First of all, I got a job offer!  Jason and I were both pretty surprised that they called me.  I had an interview with this company a couple of weeks ago and I never expected to hear back from them just from the fact that I'm 8.5 months pregnant :P.  The HR manager called me on Tuesday morning with a verbal offer and I accepted :).  I went in on Friday morning to fill out some employment paperwork and assuming everything goes through ok, I should be starting either this Friday or next Monday.  I had to take a drug test and physical this Tuesday and those were the last steps of my pre-employment screening.  I'm hoping I will get the "ok" from the company soon so that I can formally announce the company and position :).

Jason and I went on a little "babymoon" trip to Savannah over the weekend.  We left around lunchtime on Friday and got there just in time for dinner.  We didn't have any set plans for the weekend, which was nice :).  We basically did whatever we wanted to.  This mostly involved walking within about a half mile radius of our hotel, visiting a lot of little shops, and eating a lot of good food :).  I got tired pretty fast most of the time, but Jason was great about walking suuuper slooooow for me.  I think we both had a really good time.  My favorite part was just spending time with Jason, since when we're at home we're usually busy with work or doing stuff around the house and rarely just sit down together.  We drove back on Sunday afternoon and have been playing catch-up ever since.

Our main priority is getting the nursery set up right now.  I ordered some replacement parts for our crib and they should be here in a day or two.  Once we get those, we (ha... I say "we", but I know it will be Jason) will put it together.  I bought a crib mattress on Monday, so now Logan will have a place to sleep, yay!  We just need a dresser and glider/rocker and the nursery should be set :).

I packed Logan's hospital bag last week for our trip, so if you'd like I can do a post on the items that are in it.  I might switch a few things out after my baby shower this weekend, but everything should be pretty much the same.

I got my teeth cleaned on Monday morning and the hygenist said that I have a mild case of "pregnant gingivitis", which is pretty common at this stage in pregnancy.  My gums have been bleeding a little and are more sensitive than usual, but she said it should go away soon after Logan is born.  I had my 34 week prenatal checkup on Monday afternoon with a midwife that I hadn't met yet and it went pretty well.  She tried listening to Logan's heartbeat, but as usual, he was difficult and was moving around the whole time.  He even kicked the doppler, which she laughed about.  She said it's a great thing that he's so active.  The only not-so-good thing about that appointment is that my blood pressure was a little high.  I don't think it's necessarily preeclampsia, because there are a few symptoms that I don't have, but she was a little concerned.  I have an ultrasound tomorrow (Thursday) and she said if my blood pressure is still elevated then I need to come back and see her again next week.  I'm praying that it will go back to normal, because I don't want any complications!  I definitely don't want something to happen that will require a c-section.

I keep telling people that Logan has been all knees and elbows lately.  He's definitely getting bigger and it feels like there's a big baby inside of me, imagine that :).  Whenever he moves, I have a pretty good idea of which body part I'm feeling... usually it's a foot, knee, or his butt, but every once in a while I'll feel his hands and elbows.  I think I felt his head last night too.  I think he might be starting to "drop" a little bit, which I'm looking forward to.  I assume that's why my pelvis has been hurting more lately.  I do seem to have a tiny bit more breathing room, though, which is nice.

I've been getting a lot of looks from strangers lately.  Yesterday, a woman at the post office saw my belly and said "ooh, you're almost there!"  I smiled and said, "yeah, only 5 weeks left".  She asked if I've had any problems and I said no and then she said "well you're glowing!"  Ha... it was interesting, but she was sweet :).  At least she didn't come up and start grabbing at my belly.  That would've been a bit too much :).
Anyway, here are the development details for this week:
  • Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. Measuring about 17.5 inches long, he now weighs over 5lbs! And from this week, until 2 weeks before birth, he will continue to gain about a half pound of weight every week. Unlike the first trimester, the weight between all babies in the third trimester is much more variable. Some babies weigh more and are taller; some babies weigh less and are shorter.
  • Also unlike the first trimester, by week 34 not much is changing. Your baby continues gaining weight through the development of subcutaneous fat and with that weight, is probably gaining strength in his movements. You may even be startled by a sudden jab to the ribs or be able to see a punch to your belly from the outside!

I will post a combined update for my ultrasound and 35 weeks this weekend.  I'll let you know how big my little snugglebug is... I'm so excited to see him again! :)  Thank you for your continued prayers.  If you could, please put in an extra request for my blood pressure.  I want labor and delivery to go as smooth as possible and I also don't want to be put on bedrest, especially after just accepting a job offer.  Also, keep posting your guesses in our baby pool... just click on the banner in the upper right part of the blog and it will take you there :).  Hurry, because he could be here anytime!!!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

33 Weeks & Ultrasound Update

Today I am 33 weeks and 2 days along, which means less than 7 weeks to go until my due date :).  I've been feeling pretty good for the most part and I'm still fairly mobile.  I have trouble getting up from the couch and out of Jason's car, but am ok otherwise.  I only have a couple of complaints this week, which I think flow over from the past few weeks... The first one is pelvis/lower abdomen pain.  Every time I get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night or stand up from sitting for an extended period of time, I have to stand up very slowly because of the pain.  I assume it's normal for this stage of pregnancy, but I'm going to ask the midwife about it when I go in for my 34 week checkup next week.  The second complaint is sleep deprivation, which has been a problem for a couple of months now.  I know it's normal, but I really wish I could stock up on sleep now so that I'll be well rested when Logan arrives :).  I keep having to turn over because my back, hips, and legs hurt... and last night I had to get up to go to the bathroom 6 times!!!!  My doctor told me to limit my water drinking after 6pm, but I feel bad and get really thirsty if I don't drink much.

I had my 32 week appointment on Tuesday and it went well.  Since there are so many doctors and midwives at Kaiser Permanente, I've seen just about all of them at least once.  The doctor I saw this week I had only seen one other time and it was a few months ago.  As soon as he walked in, he said "we're all thinking of you and your baby", which kind-of surprised me.  He made it sound like everyone knows us and is familiar with our situation, which was nice.  He then said, "but thank God that we live in a day and time where heart problems can be caught early and taken care of".  He was very reassuring and made me feel very cared for :).  He asked about my ultrasound this week, which was Wednesday, and he said "oh good... we'll just check the oil and tire pressure today and Dr. Hamner will check the timing tomorrow".  Leave it to a man to relate pregnancy to car maintenance ;).

My ultrasound was on Wednesday with Dr. Hamner and it went pretty well.  His nurse, Sharon started the ultrasound by taking Logan's measurements and other general information.  She gave us a few pictures (which I haven't had time to scan, sorry!) and tried to get a good picture of him in 3D again, but he wouldn't cooperate.  The umbilical cord was floating in front of his mouth and he kept his hand in front of his face.  She printed a picture anyway, but about all you can see is the top part of his face.  He was asleep for her part, but as soon as Dr. Hamner came in to look at his heart, he woke up and flipped over, which made it so that he couldn't get a good view of anything.  He tried looking for about 40 minutes and was getting pretty frustrated, but I think he was finally able to see the things he needed to.  At the end, they told me that Logan is 4lbs 4oz and is still doing really well.  He still has the heart defect, but he's growing, strong, and active :).  So for all of you who guessed 9.5lbs or higher in our baby pool, you might want to enter a different guess ;).

On Friday, I went with my friend Christina to get a massage.  She got a regular one, but I obviously had to get a maternity massage.  I was hoping they would have a table with a hole for my belly, but they didn't ;).  Instead, the masseuse had combined 2 pillows to create a body pillow so that I could be comfortable and she would still have access to my back.  It was really nice... I requested that she use tangerine aromatherapy, so that's what the massage oil was scented.  She said that the right side of my back was really tense and she worked on that side for a while, but I probably should've said something to her when it started hurting (she was digging in a lot with her thumbs).  Today (2 days later) my back feels a bit bruised.  Even so, I still really enjoyed the massage and it was nice to be pampered for an hour :).

Finally, yesterday Jason and I got maternity pictures taken by a friend from church.  I think she took close to 400 (or more), so I'm hoping there will be some good ones to choose from :).  I told her that even though I'm pregnant, I don't want to look fat.  I know that's a difficult request, but I have faith in her ;).  If anything, I can just keep the belly pictures that don't include my face, ha.  I'll try to post some here and on facebook when they're ready :).

Okie dokie, here are the development updates for this week:

  • Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. Measuring about 17 inches long, he weighs around 5lbs. And from this week, until 2 weeks before birth, he will gain about a half pound of weight every week.
  • The bones in his skull are formed, but aren't fused. They actually don't fuse entirely until early adulthood, allowing room for his brain to grow through childhood. Because they aren't fused, the bones in his skull will be able to overlap, helping him to fit through the birth canal during delivery.
I forgot to mention that I've been buying little things for the nursery lately :).  I got a lamp, night light, a name sign for his door, and a couple of other random things.  Our goal for the next few weeks is to find a dresser, glider, and possibly a nightstand.  Please leave a comment if you know of any good (and affordable) furniture places.  

Don't forget to enter your guess in our baby pool via the banner on the right side of the page.  You can guess multiple times and you don't have to register for an account ;).  

Monday, March 14, 2011

32 Weeks

Wow, I just looked at the baby growth (fruit) banner at the top of the blog and it says 53 days to go!  Once again, I'm posting this entry a little late, so in only 4 days I'll only have 7 weeks left.  Hold on just one second so I can regain my composure :).  Whew!

I'm so excited that we get to meet Logan soon, but thinking about his arrival is bringing up some concerns, such as where he will sleep.  We need to put his crib together and we also need to buy a dresser and glider/rocker for the nursery.  And don't even get me started on our bags for the hospital!  I do have my cosmetics and toiletries bag packed (if you know me well, this shouldn't surprise you ;)), but I need to pack the other important stuff too.  I'm a 'list' person, so I'm sure I'll be creating multiple excel spreadsheets very soon: one for Logan's bag, one for my bag, one for things we need to do in the nursery, one for groceries to buy for when my parents are visiting, one with nesting to-do's, etc.  If you can recommend any items that we should take to the hospital or leave at home, please let me know in a comment.  Everyone seems to have different preferences, but it's still nice to know what people used and didn't use.

I've been feeling pretty good for the most part.  My lungs are definitely squished, though, which is making breathing a lot more difficult.  Just sitting here, I feel like I can't catch my breath.  This means that Logan is growing, though, so I'm ok with it :).  He's been really active again this week and I'm having fun feeling him.  Sometimes he'll be throwing his elbows around and punching at my bladder while kicking at my ribs.  I think Jason's getting tired of hearing me exclaim "whoa!"  I can't help it, though.  No matter how many times I feel Logan kick, he still surprises me :).  He's a strong little boy!  And now that I know he's head-down, I can't help but smile and pat his bottom when he sticks it out the side of my belly :).

A couple of things haven't been so pleasant lately, though.  One is my pelvis expanding.  I've been getting some random pains and every once in a while, it feels like Logan is pushing outward on it.  The other thing is that I've been getting really tired.  I think it's due to multiple factors, mainly a growing baby in utero, sleepless nights, and general exhaustion.  I try to do what I can, but I end up taking a lot of breaks so that I can rest.  I'm sure it probably won't get any better as I get closer to my due date, but I'm praying that I'll get caught up on some sleep before Logan gets here because I definitely won't catch up once he's here!

I booked the flights for my parents to visit in May.  They'll be here from May 5 (day before my due date) through the 19th.  I'm glad that they are able to stay with us and I'm also grateful for their help :).  I'm just hoping that Logan cooperates and comes either before or during their stay.  I can't imagine him being later than the 18th, though :P.

Oh, Jason and I also booked a hotel in Savannah, GA for a 'babymoon' at the end of the month :).  We're going to take a quick trip and spend some time together before Logan gets here.  We don't get away very often (and usually not by ourselves), so it should be really nice :).

I had my second baby shower this past Saturday and it was a lot of fun :).  I got to see some of my best friends from college and we spent a lot of time laughing and talking about the good ol' days.  We (Logan, Jason, & I) were blessed with a lot of great gifts, including a Graco Pack 'n Play, a high chair, diapers, a crocheted blanket, and lots of other items that will be put to good use!  I already put the Pack 'n Play together and now I can't wait to see Logan in it :D.  I have one more baby shower for family & church members and I'm really excited about it :).

Ok, this is getting pretty long, so I'll start to wrap it up.  Here are the development details for this week:
  • Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. Measuring roughly 16.5 inches long, he now weighs about 4 1/2 pounds! And from this week, until 2 weeks before birth, he will gain about a half pound every week.
  • He is sleeping approximately 90 to 95 percent of the day (HA!  I don't believe this). Most of his wrinkles are disappearing, especially on his face, as more fat is deposited under his skin. His hair is becoming thicker with each passing week and you may even be able to see it on an ultrasound! He will also begin to settle in the head-down position, as his birth is fast approaching.
I have my 32 week checkup tomorrow morning and we go in for another ultrasound on Wednesday to check his growth.  I'll try to post an update with any news we get following the ultrasound.  Thank you again for all of your prayers!  We are grateful for each and every one of them :).  Also, thank you for entering guesses in our baby pool... although I don't appreciate some of the 10+ pound weight guesses ;).  Make sure you keep entering, though!  I can't wait to see who is closest :).  Have a blessed week and I'll be back to post again soon :).

Monday, March 7, 2011

Ultrasound #5 & Consultation

Jason and I went downtown today to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for another echo ultrasound and a consultation with a surgeon.  The ultrasound was pretty quick and straightforward.  The technician told me that Logan is head-down (yay!) and that the bulge I've been feeling on the right side of my stomach is his behind.  She then spent the rest of the time taking pictures of his heart.  Logan was pretty active the whole time.  He had the hiccups when she started and he spent the rest of the appointment kicking and turning :).  The technician was still able to get all the pictures she needed, though, and when she was done we met with Dr. Mahle.  He said that the results were consistent with what the cardiologist found at our last ultrasound.  Logan still has L Transposition and VSD (the hole in his heart).  He didn't really give us any other information, though.

After the ultrasound, a woman took us on a tour of the cardiology wing - the ICU and Step-Down area, which is where we'll be staying when Logan has his surgery.  We'll have a room with a tv, vcr (yay!), dvd player (whoa technology!), fold-out bed, and shower.  Honestly, I'm just glad that they offer an area for us to stay so that we can be right there with Logan while he's recovering... even if we won't have much to do :).  While we toured the ICU, we got to see a baby that had surgery this morning.  She was still under anesthesia, but we got to see all the tubes and wires that Logan will be hooked up to.  It was sad to see, but I'm sure it'll be much harder when it's my own baby :(. 

After the tour, we met with Dr. Kirshbom, who is the Assistant Chief of the cardiology department.  He just talked with us about Logan's heart and the different options we'll have.  Unless God performs a miracle, Logan will have to have surgery.  It could be as simple as fixing the hole in his heart, which is a pretty common defect and procedure.  However, in Logan's case, it could be much more serious of an operation.  The doctor said that they may need to do a "double switch" procedure, which would basically put the ventricles of his heart back to where they are supposed to be and also realign the major arteries so that everything works properly.  There are risks with both surgeries, but there are also benefits to both of them.  It sounds like if we don't have the "double switch" surgery, Logan will probably have more heart problems when he reaches his 20's and 30's.

While we were talking to Dr. Kirshbom, he told us that Logan's heart condition is pretty rare.  He said that CHOA only does the "double switch" operation about 3-4 times each year.  It sounds like they do it more than any other hospital in the country, though, which is slightly reassuring.  He also said that the children who have had the operation seem to be doing very well, although they have only been doing it in Atlanta for the past 10-12 years, so it's still fairly early gauge the results.

Anyway, he gave us a lot of good information and answered a lot of our questions, but basically told us that we won't know which direction to go in until Logan is born.  Once he's here, they will do an echo on his heart, which will make things easier to see than when he's in the womb.  He said that I shouldn't have any problems with going full-term and delivering vaginally, which is what I want.  He also said that Logan should be able to wait a few months (or more) before requiring surgery.  It will most likely need to be done sometime between 5-18 months, though.

So basically, everything is up in the air right now.  We'll probably need to go back in another month to check his heart again, but we won't know much until after he's born.  I guess right now we need to pray that things will be clear so that we can make the right decision.  We would appreciate your continued prayers for his heart, health, and guidance for us.  Thanks for reading and I'll try to keep everyone updated :).

Friday, March 4, 2011

31 Weeks

Holy smokes, time is flying!  I'm now into single digit weeks-til-my-due-date!  I can't believe it :).  This was a pretty decent week with the exception of a few things.  First, my head cold got worse and now I'm fighting a sinus infection.  Second, I've gotten more and more tired and it seems like smaller tasks are taking more energy to complete.  My lungs are nice and squished, so I sound like I ran a mile after walking across the room :).  Finally, my feet and ankles have been swelling up a bit for the past few weeks and I just plain don't like it.  It comes with the territory, though, so I'll get over it :). 

I had my 30 week checkup on Tuesday and it went well.  I met another midwife and she was very nice.  It was a bit awkward, though, because I don't think she was any older than me so it was just... different.  I've seen plenty of movies where the patient asks "how many babies have you delivered?" because the doctor is so young and inexperienced, but I never thought I would want to ask a doctor/midwife that question ;).  Anyway... if she's the midwife on call when I go into labor, I'm sure she'll do a great job :). 

So far my total weight gain is 16lbs and I'd really like to keep the total under 20.  Logan should gain another 4+ pounds, though, so I'll have to be careful with what I eat.  I'm also trying to go on walks whenever I can, but sometimes I get cramps or pains afterward.  There seems to be a fine line between getting exercise and pushing myself too far. 

Logan has been pretty active, especially since Jason got home.  He hasn't been doing much today, though, so I'm praying that everything is alright.  Maybe he's just in a different position that I'm not used to.  He had the hiccups when I woke up this morning.  It seems like a lot of pregnant women are annoyed by baby hiccups, but to me it's just another indication that he's doing well. 

We have another ultrasound near the Children's Hospital of Atlanta on Monday.  Afterward we'll meet with a surgeon for a consultation.  I'm praying that Logan's heart and arteries are developing like they need to so that the surgery will be minimally invasive.  Ideally he wouldn't have to have surgery at all, but we're leaving that in God's hands.  I will try to post an update when we get home.  In the meantime, we would really appreciate your prayers!

I think that's about all I have for now, so here are the development details:
  • Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. Measuring approximately 16 inches long, he weighs about 4 lbs. 4 whole pounds, wow! And from this week, until 2 weeks before birth, he will gain about a half pound every week.
  • As you've probably noticed, he is moving around quite a bit in there! It's not uncommon for his continuous movements, which may feel like somersaults, to be keeping you up at night. His arms, legs and body are also filling out as he continues to develop fat underneath his skin, making those kicks and prods feel even stronger than last week. You may even see an arm or a foot move slowly across your belly!
As always, thanks for reading and for keeping Logan (and us) in your prayers :).  Don't forget to enter your birth guesses in our 'baby pool'... just click on the banner on the right side of the page.  

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

30 Weeks

Wow, only 10 to go!  Time is flying by :).  This week was pretty good considering Jason was gone for most of it.  I've been getting really tired lately (especially since the dog keeps waking me up at night) and haven't gotten a chance to catch up on any sleep I've missed.  Jason left Brazil on Friday and finally made it back to Atlanta on Saturday.  I'm SO glad he's home :).  Life is so much easier with him here and I feel a lot safer.  One night this week, the dog and I kept hearing noises in the house and I was very freaked out.  I ended up locking both of us inside the bedroom, I left the tv on, and put our gun under my side of the bed.  I prayed a lot and finally fell asleep, but I didn't sleep well at all.  I'm sure the sounds were nothing to worry about, but I just hate being in the house alone at night.

I went to a consignment in east Atlanta on Friday night with my friend Christina and I was a bit disappointed in it.  I expected them to have a lot more furniture and other items that were on my list (dresser, crib mattress, glider, etc.), but they either had none or only a few that weren't in the shape I wanted.  I did end up getting a boppy pillow and breast pump, though.  I just need to replace the accessories to the pump and I'll be good to go.  I bought it for $50 and it was on my registry for $280, holy moley!

I don't think I have much more to talk about right now, so I'll keep it short.  Here are the development details for this week:
  • Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. Measuring close to 15 1/2 inches long, he weighs about 3 lbs. He now almost fills up your entire uterine cavity and his arms and legs have grown much plumper, thanks to the continued growth of subcutaneous fat.
  • By 30 weeks, his eyelids open and close. He will keep his eyes closed for most of the day though. When his eyes are open, he will be able to track light inside of your womb, though his vision isn't "perfect" or 20/20. Lanugo, or fine hair that once covered his body, will start falling off this week.
  • In the coming weeks, the volume of amniotic fluid in your belly will decrease as your baby continues to gain weight and take up more space.
Please don't forget to enter your guess for Mr. Logan's birthdate/weight/length, etc.  Just click on the banner on the right of my blog and it will take you where you need to go.  You don't need to register to enter guesses.  And you can enter as many times as you want! :)