39 Weeks

Even though I'm almost 40 weeks, here's my 39 week update.  The Alpha Mom update for this week says this about baby:

Your Baby:

• Is full-term, almost done, probably about a medium-well on the Burger Scale.
• Is about 20 inches long and over seven pounds, maybe, depends, who knows.

I had my checkup on Monday with a doctor I've only seen one other time and the first thing she said was "has anyone told you that you have a big baby?"  I told her no but she wanted me to come back on Tuesday for an ultrasound just to make sure the baby isn't getting "too big".  I returned on Tuesday and the ultrasound only took about 15 minutes.  The nurse took some quick measurements of the baby's head, abdomen, leg, etc. and told me her estimated weight is 8lbs 2oz.  I asked what the variant was and she said 1 lb, so she's anywhere from 7 lbs 2 oz to 9 lbs 2 oz (Lord, help me).  I think she's probably in the 7s or 8s but we'll find out soon enough :).  The nurse said the baby is measuring perfectly for how far along I am.  She tried getting a good view of baby's face but things were pretty squished.  The nurse did tell me that Elise has chubby cheeks and I laughed.  When I told Jason his response was "shocking".  I guess she's going to have the Kowing cheeks too.  Lucky her! ;)

Not much new has happened this week.  I'm still bulbous, uncomfortable, and having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions.  I've never looked forward to being in excruciating pain so much in my life ;).  I'm still having issues with pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel in both hands, especially my right.  My right thumb (tip), middle and index fingers are numb because my hands are so swollen.  It's really annoying.  And my left hand is starting to randomly go numb too, especially when I try to grasp things.  When I talked to the doctor about it, she said she could refer me to an orthopedic practice to get a steroid shot in my wrist but when I called them to schedule an appointment (last Tuesday), they didn't have anything available until this Friday.  I didn't think it was worth it at the time, but maybe I should've just scheduled the appointment, just in case.  If/when I go into labor, I'm a little concerned about how I'm going to grasp anything to bear down when it's time to push. 

I'm still working full-time and everybody at work seems to be pretty understanding.  My boss especially knows not to mess with me (too much) because I can be a bit touchy at times.  I try to be as pleasant as I can but I still have my moments :). 

There are more things I can post but they would probably run into my week 40 update, so I guess I'll leave them out for now.  I did go eat the eggplant parmigiana at Scalini's Italian restaurant last night... there are over 300 women who have gone into labor within 48 hours of eating that so I figured I would give it a shot.  When I was pregnant with Logan, I made the recipe myself (they have it posted on their website) and it didn't work but people told me "you have to GO there!" so we're putting them to the test.  It has been about 26 hours, so there are only about 22 left... although I did eat leftovers for dinner tonight so does that extend the time out another 24 hours?  Hmmm... we'll see :).

Here are my weekly updates:
Contractions: I've been feeling them multiple times each day but nothing close together or consistent.
Cravings: Not craving anything.
Weight:  My total is up to 34 lbs
Swelling:  Hands, feet, ankles, etc.  The carpal tunnel is really aggravating and uncomfortable. 
Things to do: Install the infant car seat, put decals on baby room wall
Heartburn:  Zantac 2x daily
Stretching: Nothing new :)

My 40 week checkup is tomorrow and I'm sure the doctor will actually "check" me (up to his elbow, yikes).  I'm hoping I'm at least a little bit dilated & effaced but we'll see.  Will update soon with my 40 week post, just in case something happens :).

28 Weeks - Introducing: Elise Rose

Happy 3rd trimester to me!

And I think we've finally settled on a name, folks!  We have gone back and forth (and back and forth and...) on the name over the past few months and keep coming back to Elise.  Jason first thought of the name while thinking of a Lotus Elise (yes, a car) when I was pregnant with Logan and when we looked it up, it means "consecrated to God".  Wanting to have a little more detailed definition, I looked up 'consecrated' and here are a couple of the main definitions: to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of a deity. to devote or dedicate to some purpose.  Now, I believe that everyone has been given a special purpose but I pray and believe that this little girl will be set apart to serve the Lord.  As for the middle name, we had originally chosen Noelle since she will be born in December and I've always loved that name but it just didn't feel right.  I was thinking about it earlier this week and my mom's middle name, Rose, just seemed to fit and gave me the warm fuzzies.  Jason says her first and middle names are too pretty to yell together, but so is Elise Noelle so we'll just have to get over it ;).  I will probably end up calling her Ellie or Leesie or something like that but we're pretty confident that her name is now set :).

On to this week's happenings.  I had my 28 week checkup on Wednesday immediately followed by another ultrasound.  I saw another OB doctor (there are 3 at the practice I go to) and she was super nice.  She said she had looked at my glucose test results and I did awesome... she measured my fundus (?) and said my belly was right on track for being 28 weeks along.  In total, I have gained about 15 pounds and she said that's perfect for where I am and my blood pressure was still around 110/70, which is great.  The ultrasound was just as good if not better.  They checked all of the baby's measurements and she is measuring right on track (or possibly a few days ahead).  Her estimated weight is 2 lbs 13oz and we saw her moving and kicking, clenching her fists, and I think she even blinked a couple of times.  The doctor spent quite a bit of time looking at her heart and we could see the 4 chambers and he said the arteries were in the perfect position and the blood was flowing correctly.  Having experienced everything we have with Logan's heart, those words were especially comforting.  At the end of the ultrasound, the doctor said that everything looks perfect and he sees no need for me to come back unless my OB says otherwise.  With Logan, I had ultrasounds as frequently as my OB appointments, so it will be a strange yet nice change to not have all the extra appointments :).  I kind-of have the strange feeling of, "wow, this is normal!" I'm feeling very blessed right now :).

Movement
As usual, this girl is very active.  I keep thinking she's doing jiu jitsu or flashdance or something in there.  This afternoon I felt a foot move about 4" across my belly.  She's currently head-down so she's been punching my bladder and kicking at everything else :).

Appetite
My appetite is pretty normal, I'd say.  I've been eating regular snacks between meals but I haven't been seriously pigging out.  I've been enjoying fresh pineapple but I think I might have an allergy to it because after I eat it, part of my tongue gets red and swollen and it hurts for about a day.  Not sure what that means, but I guess I'll avoid eating it for a while.

Size
I might just exclude this from future posts because it's going to be the same every week.  My belly is large and in charge.  I get comments almost daily from people I know as well as complete strangers.  I'm trying to keep a level head about it because it's nothing I can really control.  I'm just thankful that I'm healthy and she's healthy.  I feel very secure with my body while I'm pregnant because I feel like my body is doing everything it needs to in order to bring a healthy baby into the world.  I just look like I'm smuggling a basketball :).

Contractions
Nothing yet that I can think of.  I thought I was maybe having some the other day but I kinda forgot that I had eaten an ice cream bar and... I'm a bit lactose intolerant when it comes to certain dairy products.  I texted Jason about it (he was in Boston) and he said "trust me, I know gas" and he was right.  *Ahem*  Anyway... no contractions yet :).

Pain
The sciatic nerve pain I was experiencing last week has pretty much gone away.  I'm guessing the baby has changed positions and I'm very grateful :).  I can actually halfway control my waddle now since I can walk without limping.

Nesting
I haven't really done much of any nesting yet.  I did get some fabric to sew a couple of Boppy pillow covers but haven't finished them yet.  They're on the list :).  I'm planning on pre-making some meals to freeze (I did it with Logan and they were SO helpful) but I'm waiting to do that until sometime in November.  Let me know if you're interested in helping ;).

That's about it for now.  Will be back in another week!

20 Weeks & Ultrasound update

I'M HALFWAY DONE!!!!  I had to get that off my chest :).  I'm so excited.  To whoever has been pregnant before, I'm sure you know what I mean when I say that every new milestone reached is not only exciting but also a relief.  20 weeks is a big one... 24 weeks is next.  If the baby were to be born at 24 weeks, doctors would legally be required to try to keep her alive.  That one is kind-of happy and sad at the same time, but I won't go into that :). 

Lots of things have been going on this week.  I had my 20 week ultrasound today and it was great.  Jason went with me this time, which was nice.  They confirmed again that we're having a girl (yay!), so I celebrated afterward by buying her a sweater dress :).  It's my first baby purchase this time around and I'm afraid I'm going to go on a baby-clothes-shopping-spree soon.  Someone please stop me.  Anyway, back to the ultrasound... baby girl was moving around a lot so she made it difficult for the doctor to see her heart as well as he hoped, but everything looked good from what he could see.  She "appears" to have a perfect heart, no holes, no artery transposition, etc. which is what we've been praying for.  The doctor mentioned the amniocentesis again but I think the look on my face told him we were still declining because he didn't push it :). 

From the measurements they took, baby weighs approximately 14oz, which is perfect.  They said the baby is usually about a pound around 21 weeks.  I just hope she isn't trying to beat her dad in the birth weight category.  He was 10 lbs 12 oz!!!  Yikes.

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I was feeling movement to the right of my belly button and I wasn't sure if it was baby or digestion (because of my hernia repair sensitivity) but I now know it is definitely the baby.  She is head-up near my right ribs and it feels like she's standing directly on my bladder.  I can't see any movements from outside my belly, but I'm sure that will happen soon.  She seems to be just as active as Logan was.

Other than her weight, she is supposed to be around 10 inches long from head to toe.  She's a growing girl! :)  Based on everything the doctor saw, he said I don't need to come back for another 8 weeks so that will be sometime in September.  Crazy how fast time is flying by :).

Now we just have to come up with a name... some of the ones we've been arguing about are Brinna, Elise, Annabelle, Annalie, Anna/Annie, Suzie, Kendall, Noelle (middle name), Joy, Emmy, etc....  God knows what her name is, so I guess I should just chill out and we will figure it out soon enough :).

Have a great week!  I'll be back next week with the 21 week update.

16 Weeks + Ultrasound Update

Before too much time passes, I need to write this so I won't forget anything :).  What a week it has been!  I had my regular appointment last week (which I think I posted about...) and had a follow-up ultrasound yesterday with the perinatal doctor.  This was scheduled three weeks ago following my ER visit.  They wanted to check the placenta and also look at the baby's growth to check for signs of genetic problems.  I don't know why but just a few hours before the appointment, I became extremely nervous and anxious.  I tried eating lunch but it just made me feel more sick to my stomach (maybe because it was Burger King? Hmm...) so I resorted to praying :).  I talked to my boss at work and he helped me talk myself through it.  I told him my specific prayers and the verses I was leaning on and he basically said that there's nothing the enemy can come at me with when I stand on the Word.  I was still a little nervous, but felt better :).  I headed to my appointment and said a prayer on the way.  Once I arrived at the perinatal consultants' office, I was pretty much at peace.

The ultrasound went smoothly.  The nurse conducting the ultrasound kept asking me questions and I kept thinking, "is she just trying to distract me from what she's looking at?"  I pushed that paranoid thought aside and focused on watching our sweet little baby.  While watching the baby move around, the nurse asked if we wanted to know what the sex of the baby is and I said yes.  She asked if I wanted to know right then and I said "well... if I happened to see something, I guess I would find out", so she told me we're having a GIRL!  I would've been ecstatic either way, but we're both really happy :).  Anyway, she finished taking pictures and the doctor came in.  He looked at everything, confirmed that I still didn't want to get an amniocentesis, and told me the baby looked perfectly healthy from all of the measurements they took.  He said that they almost never get a good look at the heart at this stage, but the baby cooperated beautifully so we could see 4 chambers in the heart and he said the arteries looked like they were positioned perfectly too :).  He also looked at the umbilical cord at my request and said there are 3 vessels.  This may not seem very important to the average parents, but Logan only had a 2 vessel cord, which is one of the indicators that there was a heart defect.  I go back in 4 weeks for a follow-up ultrasound (and Jason will be with me at that one) and they will check everything again, but I am convinced that the baby is completely healthy.  Thank the Lord for his faithfulness!!!

On to the basic stuff:

Skin
I think my hormones are balancing out, finally!  My skin seems to have settled down a bit, which is very nice.  I was getting tired of trying to find the ideal skincare products for what has been going on.

Bloating
I think the bloating has gotten a lot better too... I just have to be careful with what I eat and I need to eat small meals more frequently throughout the day.

Weight
I have no idea what I've gained, but I'm hoping little to nothing.  I need to do better about eating healthier, though.  That will involve bringing more leftovers from home and not eating as much fast food, which means better meal planning on the front end.

Overall
I'm feeling pretty good.  My nausea has subsided for the most part and I'm not quite as tired as I was... but Logan is cutting a molar, which has thrown his sleep schedule off and ours along with it.  I just can't seem to get caught up on sleep :P.  I read my 16/17 week posts from when I was pregnant with Logan and I wasn't really feeling pregnant at the time because I wasn't nauseous and I wasn't huge pregnant yet.  I'm kinda at that stage again right now, which is nice but strange at the same time.

Movement
I'm feeling little movements throughout the day, like the baby is rolling around.  I can't wait to feel real kicks :).

Baby
She is the size of an avocado now (about 4.5" long) and they estimated her weight at the ultrasound to be 6oz.  She's growing and right on track :).  I saw her little hand and foot on the ultrasound and they're perfect :).

Thank you for all your prayers over the past couple weeks.  They were felt and very much appreciated :).  Until next week... God bless! :)

38 Weeks

I can't believe another week has flown by.  It seems to be going faster and faster :).  This week has been a very busy one.  I had my 37 week checkup on Tuesday as well as another ultrasound.  My checkup went well and it was the first time the doctor actually examined me to see if my cervix has dilated or effaced at all.  He began by saying "let's see if we can touch your tonsils", lol.  It was a bit awkward, but I figure that for him it's business as usual.  Anyway, I'm not dilated or effaced at all.  He told me "first time babies don't just fall out" so it sounds like Logan still has some baking time left :).  He made sure to tell me when to call Kaiser (if my water breaks, if contractions are 5-7 minutes apart for at least an hour, etc.) and when to avoid calling.  I'm feeling pretty prepared right now, but that may change when labor actually begins :).

My ultrasound was immediately after the checkup and it went really well.  Logan was in a perfect position for the doctor so he was able to get some great views of his heart.  Everything is the same, but Logan still has a strong heartbeat and he's still very healthy.  He moves around a lot and is a pretty strong little guy!  His estimated weight right now is 6lbs 8oz, but there's a variance of 15oz, so he could be about a pound more or less.  Either way, he should be less than 8lbs when he's born, which I think I can handle :).  They gave me some pictures, but since he's so squished in there, you can't really see much.  They did get a pretty good one of his foot, though, which is kinda hard to miss ;).  The nurse didn't take a picture of his hair, but she showed me where he has a little bit on his head, which is exciting :).  I thought this would be my last ultrasound but they told me to come back in 2 weeks if I'm still pregnant.  Ugh.  I was hoping to be done with them.  While I do love to see Logan, I'm ready to see him *for real* instead of just on a screen.

Jason and I worked hard on the nursery this week and it's almost completely finished, yay!  The crib is ready, the nightstand and dresser are built (thanks to my awesome husband), the changing pad is attached to the dresser, the slipcover is on the recliner, the clothes are washed and put away, the wall decor is up, and everything else is in place except for the curtains.  I'm returning the ones we bought earlier and getting a different set that isn't so cheap :P.  The only thing left is to remove all of the boxes and packaging material from a corner of the room, but that's it :).  It's ready for a baby!!!  Once everything is in place (this weekend), I'll try to post a "nursery tour" video :).

Logan continues to drop in my pelvis and is sitting on some nerves.  My entire pelvis area as well as my left leg (all the way down to my foot) have been really achey the past few days because of this.  Everything I've read says it's normal, so I guess it's just one more thing you don't hear about until you're pregnant ;).  I should make a list of these things so that other girls can be forewarned :).

My parents fly in from Oregon in 2 weeks and I'm really excited to see them!  I know they're excited to meet another grandson, so I hope he cooperates and comes on time so that they'll have plenty of time to spend with him :).  I've started to prepare for their stay by making and freezing meals.  I've only made 1 so far, but I have about 3 more meals (casseroles, etc.) to make and freeze in the next week or so.  I'm trying to get as much done as I can now because Logan could be here anytime!  I'm also trying not to get burnt out, though, so it's a very delicate balance.

Well, I think that's about it for now, so here are the details for this week:

• Congratulations! You've reached the final weeks in your pregnancy (if you haven't delivered already!) Your baby has probably reached his birth weight now. Most babies weigh somewhere between 6-8 pounds when they are born. Boys are usually longer and heavier than girls.
• All his internal organs are ready to support him in the outside world. He has also developed healthy amounts of baby fat over the past week and his immune system is developing and will continue to develop after he is born. His fingernails and toenails have reached the end of his fingers and toes and might even need a trim after he is born!
• Mom, how are you feeling? Have you noticed any electrical tingles in your legs and inside of your pelvis? Yes! These tingles are caused by your baby hitting nerves as he settles down into your pelvic area. Have you noticed any sharp, shooting pains? Yes yes! The baby is probably resting on your sciatic nerve. The best thing to do is try to get some rest and put your feet up!

I don't know if I can give you anymore help with guessing Logan's weight, so make sure you enter as many guesses as you want in our baby pool ASAP!!!  Time is running out :).  No, there isn't a huge prize other than beating everyone else who enters a guess... but sometimes that's better than a prize ;).  I'll post the winner as soon as I'm able to after he's born :).  Keep entering guesses! :)

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 ;).  

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 :).

Ultrasound #4

I got to see my little sweetheart on Valentine's Day, which I think is pretty fitting :).  Ellen (Jason's mom) joined me for the ultrasound since Jason is still in Brazil.  It started off with the cardiologist doing her portion of the ultrasound, which obviously focused on Logan's heart.  After looking at it for about 45 minutes, she told us that Logan's heart defect is called "L Transposition".  She told me to only look up information on websites such as Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (and a few others), but I haven't been able to find anything that's really informative that deals with babies in utero.  She did give me a couple of pictures, though, so I'll post those after a brief explanation.  Bear with me, because I'm not a doctor, so I hope I can explain it so that it's easy to understand yet still accurate :).


There are 4 chambers in the heart.  The bottom 2 chambers of Logan's heart are backward, meaning the Right Ventricle is actually on the left and the Left Ventricle is on the right.  Also, instead of the Pulmonary Artery and Aortic Valve crossing, they are aligned next to each other (parallel).  The cardiologist said that these aren't necessarily bad things, though, because "2 negatives make a positive".  Even though these things are backward, they still match up in the right way so that the blood is pumping like it needs to and the heart is functioning well.  He also still has the hole in his heart, but the cardiologist said that while Logan is in the womb, this is actually necessary.  I don't remember exactly what explanation she gave for it, but I believe it has something to do with the mixing of the blood or something (sorry!).  Anyway, the way I see it is that God knows more than I do and has proven once again that He is in control, not me ;).  The hole will have to be fixed eventually, but we don't yet know how soon that will be.


One potential problem is that his Pulmonary Artery is bigger and pumping more blood than the Aortic Valve.  What this *may* do is cause the Aortic Valve to shrink a little -or- not expand as much as it needs to in order to pump enough blood.  If this is the case, he will probably have to have surgery within a week of being born.  We are praying that this won't be the case!!!  I don't like the idea of my days-old baby having heart surgery :(.  


We are supposed to set up an appointment to meet with the cardiologist in a few weeks and she would like us to talk with one of the surgeons.  She said that he can give us the pros and cons of the surgery that he will need.  We also go back for another ultrasound on March 15th to check on Logan's growth.  At this ultrasound, he measured right on track and weighed 2lbs 8oz :).


One surprise at this ultrasound was getting to see Logan in 3D :).  The nurse secretly switched the ultrasound probes and all of a sudden, I was watching my little man's face!  It was the most precious thing I've ever seen :).  And while we were watching him, he smiled!!!!  Ahhhhhh... he melted his mommy's heart! :)  Even though we couldn't get a 'great' picture of his entire face, she still printed 2 pictures for us and they're amazing.  I'm even more excited to meet him now :).  He is the perfect mix of his mom and dad :).


Anyway, here are the heart pictures, if you'd like have a visual of what I described above (you can click on them for a larger image):

Also, here are the 3D pictures of him :).

The second one is my favorite :).  He has the cutest little face!  I could look at it all day :).  Anyway, I hope this was informative for you and fairly easy to understand.  Please pray for his aortic valve to expand like it needs to so that the blood flow will be even.  Also, please pray that he will continue to grow and thrive in his momma's tummy :).  Thank you for stopping by to check on us.  I'll try to keep you updated on any new developments :).

Ultrasound #3 & Amniocentesis

We had our 3rd ultrasound today with the same doctor as last time.  His assistant started out by doing a complete ultrasound with all of the measurements of little Logan.  He cooperated for the most part, especially when she was looking at his boy parts... he seems to be very proud of those ;).  Once she was finished, the doctor came in and reviewed her pictures & clips and he then did another mini-ultrasound to look at the heart for himself.  Here are the things he told us:

The baby still has a hole in his heart (VSD).  While this can sometimes close on its own, he said the hole is a "little bigger" and may require surgery, probably when he's around 5-6 months old.  His heart is on the left side of his chest, but it's positioned (twisted?) toward the center.  What this means is that they just need to keep an eye on the anatomy of his heart to make sure that everything is there and where it should be.  As for his arteries, I'm not sure if I misunderstood him last time or what, but he said that his concern with Logan's arteries is that they can't get a good picture of the blood flow out of his heart (leading to his lungs/brain).  This doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't flowing to those places, it just means they haven't been able to see the flow clearly.  We're praying that it is flowing!  Finally, the last time I was there, he said that Logan's kidneys were a slight concern because when he urinated, a small amount of the urine went back into his kidneys.  However, today he said that it seems to be correcting itself, so that's a big "Praise God" :). 

The amnio was honestly not very bad.  I just psyched myself out a lot beforehand because of the 5" needle and because Logan is a very active baby and I didn't want him to get poked.  The nurse and the doctor both reassured me that everything would be ok and when I laid down for the 'procedure', I was at peace (which I attribute to all of your prayers!).  They told me everything that they were doing:  swabbing my stomach with iodine, putting gel on my stomach to monitor the needle via ultrasound, and then inserting the needle.  I felt a poke and then it was ok.  I did feel the needle going in part of the way, but I tried to ignore it :).  Once in, we could see the needle on the ultrasound, right next to Logan's hand.  I was praying that he wouldn't move!!!  The doctor (probably trying to ease my fears) said "oh, sometimes the baby will grab the needle"... gah!!!  I prayed even more after he said that :).  Anyway, Logan was a good little boy and after about a minute of collecting fluid, the doctor told me "take a deep breath" and he pulled the needle out, which bothered me more than inserting it.  I could feel it come out the entire way and it felt like it was never going to end.  Bleh. 

The fluid is being sent to Emory and we should get the results back on 3 of the major chromosomal defects (10,18, & 23) on Thursday.  The other defects will take longer to test and we should hopefully hear back on them by the end of next week.  Depending on the results, we will either go back in about 2 weeks (if it's positive for a defect) or 4 weeks (if it's negative for defects).  We're praying that he doesn't have any chromosomal defects, which would mean they will have us come back to see a fetal cardiologist and they can just focus on the heart and how to proceed from there.

I did ask if having a natural vaginal delivery is still a possibility and the doctor was very encouraging.  He said that the majority of times that's the better option and healthier for the baby.  He said that I should be able to carry Logan full-term and have a vaginal delivery - the hospital may just need to have additional resources available for Logan as soon as he's "out".

I think I covered pretty much everything.  We did get another profile picture of Logan and he's just adorable :).  He already has his mommy tied around his finger ;).  We also got a couple pictures of his 'boy stuff' and we were able to see him kicking his cute little legs.  It's always a blessing to see our baby boy... I'm getting more and more excited about meeting him!

Oh, a couple of things I forgot.  Logan now weighs 1 lb 8 oz, which is right on track.  He's measuring at 24 weeks 2 days and according to my due date, I'm 24 weeks 4 days.  The doctor said that Logan looks great as far as his growth and development.  He has a strong heartbeat and his heart is pumping well, so we're thankful for a strong baby :).  We're praying for continued improvement and believing that his chromosomes are normal.

Thank you again for your prayers... we appreciate them more than we can ever say.  I will try to keep you updated with the results that we receive.

Ultrasound - It's a BOY!!!

What a great experience :).  While quite uncomfortable, the ultrasound was amazing!  It's hard to know where to start :).  The ultrasound technicians jumped in and started right away, which is much different than my regular checkups.  They started by taking measurements of the organs, bones, skull, brain, etc. and yes, they even counted to make sure he has 5 fingers on each hand ;).  The baby was being extremely difficult, though, because he kept moving the entire time!  Every time they would try to freeze the screen to take a measurement, he would move.  It was pretty funny.  They seemed to get a little frustrated a couple times, but we just laughed because we're the ones who get to raise him ;).  I always knew our kid would be stubborn!  It was so much fun to see the baby moving around, putting his hands in front of his face, kick, and everything else.  I had to laugh because I had told Jason quite a few times that it felt like the baby was doing log-rolls in my tummy... well, I was right!  He was sure having fun in there :).  Anyway, the technician said that all the organs and everything look like they're about 20 weeks along, so I guess my due date hasn't changed (I'm 20 weeks 3 days today).  We got quite a few clear looks at the sexual organs and it's definitely a boy.  Jason was very excited to find out his instinct was right ;). 

We would've been happy even if it was a girl, but just knowing is great because now we can focus on one gender and plan accordingly.  I can pick out cute little boy clothes for him to get dirty, toys, nursery decor, and best of all - a name!  We'll be working on picking it out while on the plane to Oregon tomorrow :).  Once we decide, I'm sure we'll share... but in the meantime, if you have any ideas, please let us know!  Just don't go too crazy ;).  Thanks to everyone who voted and I'll try to come up with another poll soon :).  Have a great Christmas!!!!