Mini Me or He

Donald Trump Combover

2009-11-18T22:33:00.003-08:00

When Katherine's hair gets matted from her hat, it reminds us of the donald trump combover. Lol.

37 Days Old

2009-11-18T22:33:00.001-08:00

Duane and I posted some new pictures of Katherine. It is hard to believe how much is has already grown. I had to put away a couple more sleepers that are two short. I pulled out some of the smaller 3-6 month sleepers which she is swimming in except for the length. She only had two 0-3 months that fit.

Today when we were giving Katherine a bath I noticed her hands have really grown too. She is starting to get more control of her limbs. She can hold her right arm pretty steady near her face. The left one is still all over the place. I suspect that she will be a righty.

Katherine's neck is getting stronger. She can hold her head up for short periods of time. Yesterday when I was laying with her, she rolled over part way. She is better at it when she is swaddled up.

Duane and I both enjoying holding her and looking into her pretty blue eyes. She is on a decent schedule and doing really great.

She was weighed yesterday and is up to 9 lbs. 5 oz.

Here is a link to some pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128840&id=697312060&l=760f770511

Baby Spoof

2009-11-11T08:52:00.001-08:00

Duane and I found some of these to be very humorous.

You will have to click on the image to clearly see the cartoons.

Bad Hair Day

2009-11-06T23:54:00.001-08:00

See what happens when you put a hat on Katherine right after her bath:

Talk about a bad hair day!

Fun Pictures

2009-10-27T15:00:00.001-07:00

I wanted to get some pictures of Katherine before she starts growing and is no longer so tiny. Duane and I took these today. She was a pretty good sport about it until the end. I am pretty sure she does not like the pink dress. For the last picture we had to give her a binky and then remove it. She held out crying just long enough for me to take the picture. Mean mom and dad. Hopefully one day she will thank me...

Week 2

2009-10-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Katherine got her first bath at home this week. She cried almost the entire time. She was smiling at the begining before she knew what was coming.

Trying to nibble on dad's finger:

She is bright red here:

A little happier:

We tried three different baby formulas because Katherine was gassy. She is not a picky eater, as she took them all including soy.

Katherine doesn't mind the car seat when it is sitting on a running drier. However, she hates the swing and bouncy chair. Go figure?

Katherine loves to be held and be close to us. Except when we take too many pictures. When she gets really upset, mom is the only thing that calms her down.

Coming Home

2009-10-25T18:49:00.001-07:00

The hardest two days of my recovery from the c-section was the last day in the hospital and the first day home. The last night we were at the hospital Katherine did not sleep all night. She cried almost non-stop. At first I just blamed it on the nurses for coming in every two hours to check her. Then the first night we came home Katherine cried-screamed again all night. By this point we were pretty tired. Duane and I only had two hours of sleep the two previous days. So we ended up passing Katherine back and forth every 30-60 minutes to keep our sanity.

By Friday Duane was really concerned that Katherine wasn't getting enough to eat. My milk still didn't come in yet. So we made an appointment to go in to see the lactation nurse. I am glad that we did. Katherine had lost quite a bit of weight she was down to 7lbs 2oz. from 8lbs. 8oz. Katherine is one of those "happy to starve" babies. She would latch on only long enough to get a little to eat, then go to sleep.

The lactation nurse had me start pumping and supplementing with formula. We could see an immediate difference in Katherine. Her eyes were bright again and same happy self as the first few days. Needless to say we were thankful.

I am still pumping and we are supplementing with formula. Not sure if my milk will ever come in enough to support her completely. Today we were able to feed her more milk than formula and that made me feel good. We will see how that goes. I am going to start taking fennelgreek an herb that is supposed to help. So we will see.

We were sad to see Clarelyn Duane's mom leave on Friday. She was great company and such a huge help. Clarelyn cleaned the whole apartment for us and helped with the baby so we could rest. Plus made us meals and did the dishes. Having her here was a huge blessing.

Katherine and Grandma Elgan:

Some little things about Katherine...

-Katherine likes the sound of running water

-Her whole body turns bright red when Katherine is mad

-Katherine makes a lot of strange noises

-For the most part Katherine is very well tempered and easy going. However, make her mad and she is feisty

-Katherine is like a clock rising up after about 3 hours to eat

Katherine's Birth

2009-10-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

The Thursday before we had Katherine I had failed my stress test. The stress test had indicated that she was moving less. I had noticed that Katherine was moving around less. I just figured it had to do with her getting bigger and having less space. A radiology technician came up and did an ultrasound right away. She scored perfect on the ultrasound test, so they sent me home. We thought everything was okay.

Monday morning I woke up bleeding. Here I thought that I had been sweating. I have been a furnace since 7 months. I am glad that I got up and checked it. When I stood up the blood would not stop running. So I woke Duane and told him something was wrong and to grab me a towel. I told him we needed to go to the hospital right away. So I wrapped myself in the towel and he grabbed the delivery bag then out the door we went.

Luckily we are only about a 1/4 mile from the hospital. It was really scary. I wasn't feeling her move. I couldn't help think how awful it would be to loose a baby at 40 weeks, especially since she was old enough to survive outside the womb. I said a little prayer and felt comfort everything was going to be alright.

Once we got to the hospital they rushed me over to the birthing center right away. The nurses put me on a heart monitor. I was so relieved when I heard her heartbeat and knew she was okay. Doctor Richards got there a few minutes later. He told me that I needed to have a c-section. I was actually relieved.

It turns out the problem I had with the placenta was not resolved. The placenta either had a tear or ruptured. Luckily for us my cervix was still closed. It is also good this happened before I had gone into labor. It could have been really bad for both us. The nurses told us it was good we got to the hospital so quickly. Since we were able to respond so quickly, the baby was not compromised by the problem with the placenta.

Because of the bleeding the staff prepped me for an emergency c-section. They were worried that I might have to be put to sleep for the procedure. Luckily I was able to be awake for everything. Within an hour of leaving home we had Katherine. The minute she was born was the most amazing moment in my life. Words can't explain it. I am thankful that we were both well and I could be awake to experience it.

Recovery wasn't too bad. I had the baby shakes for a while. I was glad when that passed. The medicine they gave me really cut all of the pain. Later that day I got up and walked around the birthing center. Each day I tried to walk more and more. It has made all of the difference in my recovery. The fourth and fifth days were the hardest. After that, it got considerably better. Thank heavens for our recliner. It was so much easier to get in and out of than a bed. It is going to be a while until things are back to normal. However, for the most part it isn't too bad. I really thought it was going to be a lot worse.

My mother-in-law came and helped us for a week. That really made the transition from the hospital to home much smoother.

The lesson I learned from this whole experience...The only thing certain in life is that nothing is for certain. In the blink of an eye everything in our life can be turned upside down. I am thankful and grateful for God's mercy and his blessings. Ultimately he is calling the shots, we are just along for the ride.

Week 40 - Welcome Katherine Claire Elgan

2009-10-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to some pictures of the baby. It was a really crazy week. Everything happened so fast that I didn't even have time to change out of my nightgown or brush my hair before we went to the hospital.

We will be adding more down the road. Needless to say, things have been busy here. Good, but busy! I hope to soon write a post about her birth details and give an update on what is new since then. It is amazing how much can happen in a short period of time!

In the meantime...

Katherine Claire Elgan
10/12/2009 8:11 a.m.
8lbs 8 oz.
22 inches long
Hair: Dark Blond-lots of it!
Eyes: Blue

Click Below for Pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128840&id=697312060&l=760f770511

38 and 39 Weeks

2009-10-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Not much has changed here. I had my appointment and the cervix is still closed. Monday they have me scheduled for an ultrasound to check baby's weight and fluid. I go back Thursday to see the doctor again and they will re-check the cervix. The doctor said, we will decide then if we are going to do the induction or wait longer. In the meantime, I will continue with the stress tests bi-weekly.

For the most part I don't notice the baby moving. I have to really pay attention to notice if she moves or not. Well except when I am sitting in the recliner. She likes to slip up under my right ribs. This week every time I felt her move, I would put my hand on my belly. Always the same thing, her bottom moving as if she is rolling over. Then one day I saw my belly make a strange movement. I put my hand on the belly to feel. It felt like a little foot or knee. I was so excited that I made Duane come right away so he could feel it too. That was fun.

I am still pretty comfortable. It is getting harder to lift my legs up and roll over in bed. I had some swelling in my feet and ankles this past week. I think some of that was from stress.

My dear friend and grandfather passed away last Friday on my mom's birthday. I was sad that I would not be able to travel for his funeral today. However, I was able to write him a nice eulogy and help with other things from here. That made me feel better.

He was a good grandfather. Worried about everyone but himself right up to the end. My aunt said, everyday he would ask if I had the baby yet. Last week she finally told him I had the baby and everything was fine because he was worrying so much. He passed away shortly after. I find comfort that he is in a better place now. I am pretty sure he has arm wrapped tightly around my grandma. He probably won't let her get too far out of his sight. Unfortunately for grandma, she won't be able to turn down her hearing aid when she wants to tune him out. :)

Here is a picture of the ever expanding belly...I am not sure how much more it can stretch!

Week 37

2009-09-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe we have made it to 37 weeks already! Yikes when I was looking at the blog the baby ticker said 18 days to go. That doesn't seem possible. Where did the time go?

I had my doctors appointment on Wednesday. The doctor checked the cervix and it is still unchanged. No dilation yet. I wasn't surprised as I haven't had contractions. So I will go back again on October 2nd to get checked again. In the meantime, I will continue with stress tests twice a week. So we will see. Looks like we are going to have an October baby after all.

Overall I still feel about the same as usual. I am thankful for all that I can still do like reach my feet and sleep through the night. Though I have noticed rolling over at night is getting more challenging.

I am 1/3 through the school semester already. I was doing my school work while sitting in a recliner with a laptop. However, as the belly gets bigger the laptop is getting further away. I am starting to have a hard time seeing the screen. Also peanut for some reason slips up under my right rib cage when I am reclining. It wasn't bad before, but she is just getting too big for it now. So I will need to start sitting up at a desk. Luckily the placenta situation has cleared up enough to allow it.

I went for a couple small walks the past week, which felt good. Unfortunately, walking has aggravated that old problem I have had with my hip since 2004. It quieted down quite nicely with being on the bed rest. I had forgotten how much it bothered me, as it aches awfully. I will have to take things slow to keep that manageable. I went to PT on Tuesday and that helped considerably. At least for a couple days anyway.

Weeks 35-36

2009-09-16T12:22:00.001-07:00

Monday I had my last ultrasound. As the baby gets bigger it has been harder to see her face. She is weighing about 6.7 oz. and measuring right on schedule. She is still head down with her little hands around her face. This time her feet were up under my ribs. When the tech was doing the ultrasound I noticed that she was taking pictures of the placenta much higher on my right side than usual.

Today we met with the doctor to get the results on the placenta. Duane and I were quite surprised by the results. The placenta moved up above the cervix 2.2 cm. The placenta needed to be 2 cm above the cervix for vaginal birth to be an option. The other good news is that I am off bed rest. I still won't be going too many places because of the swine flu and other colds going around. Duane is starting to get a sore throat and I am hoping not to get it too!

Since I have lupus, I will continue to have stress tests twice a week. I will also have the baby early too. The doctor checked my cervix and it still has a long way to go yet. I will go back in another week and they will check it again. They will induce me sometime before 39 weeks to avoid any possible complications that could arise because of the Lupus.

At my stress test on Monday the nurse told me I had a contraction. I didn't feel the contraction, so it must have been a small one. I guess as time goes on, that I will start having more of that occurring. I am just glad I don't have to worry about the placenta anymore.

34 Weeks

2009-09-08T09:49:00.001-07:00

We went and saw doctor Trinh on Monday. The placenta is still covering the cervix about 8mm. The doctor told us that the placenta needed to be 2cm above the cervix. At this point we are pretty doubtful that placenta will move that much in two weeks. We go back to the hospital on the 14th for out last ultrasound. On the 16th we will meet with the doctor again. We will find out then if I am having the c-section and when. It will be sometime late this month.

Friday Duane and I met with the doctor who is going to be the baby's doctor. Dr. Lawrence is very nice and we think that she will be a good doctor. If I have the c-section she will be come and be present for the procedure. While we were visiting with Dr. Lawrence she told us the swine flu is going around pretty bad here among the students. She recommended that Duane and I both avoid public places as much as possible. As well as using anti-bacterial hand sanitizer and washing our hands if we do have to go out. Over the weekend I read an article on the national news that stated that over 2,000 students in Pullman (7 miles west) have had swine flu. Hopefully, I can make it a couple more weeks without getting sick.

I have been going for stress tests twice a week and everything is going well with those. Baby's heart rate is good and no signs of any contractions.

I noticed this week that either the baby is lower or she grew a lot. When I sit down I can my belly resting on my lap. Duane thinks my belly still looks the same so who knows.

Happy Anniversary

2009-08-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

Duane and I celebrated our 6th anniversary! This year Duane did all of the cooking with a little instruction. We had our traditional dinner of pork, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes. Duane did a great job and it tasted wonderful. It has been a really exciting year for us with the pregnancy. This year will be the last for a long time that it will just be the two of us. We both look forward to the changes the next year will bring.

Finally a changing table...

2009-08-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

We finally found a changing table for the baby! I didn't think we were ever going to find one. We haven't seen too many for sale. What ones we have seen, were too expensive for us. This changing table is much nicer than I had expected to find in our price range. This type of changing table usually sells for around $75.00 + used. To buy them new they cost over $200.00. Baby and wedding stuff is always so overpriced for some reason.

Duane pointed out all the flaws and talked the owner down to $20.00. The drawers had been taped shut from being moved and there was some tape and sticky adhesive left over. I knew that with a little bit of rubbing and Windex that it would come right off. One of the legs was lose which made it wobbly. The bolt fastening the leg on underneath just needed tightening. That only took Duane about a minute to fix. It was dusty and dirty from being in storage somewhere. Once wiped down it looked great. There is only one little scuff on the bottom drawer and a couple tiny marks. It really is in excellent condition. Very solid too.

Sometimes I wonder why people don't take the time to clean things up to sell. With a about 10-20 minutes of effort this changing table could have been sold for three times what we paid for it. I am not complaining after all, their loss is my gain.

32 Weeks

2009-08-18T22:58:00.001-07:00

Everything is going well here. I am at 32 weeks and 1 day today. We went for an ultrasound on Monday. They were checking to see if the placenta moved up at all. It is still partially covering the cervix. So I will go back in 4 weeks for another ultrasound. If it hasn't moved up, then I will have the c-section. The vaginal birth is safer, so I guess it is my preference. However, for the most part I don't really care either way.

The baby was weighing approximately 4lbs. 9oz. She is still ahead of schedule based on her size. She is head down now and still has her feet and hands right up around her head. It looked like she had her toe in her mouth. We went in for the ultrasound right after breakfast and she was moving around a lot. For the most part I still couldn't feel it. I learned this week that women with a tilted uterus generally feel the baby move less. I think that is the case with me.

This week the doctors started me on stress tests. I will have those twice a week until the baby is born. Nothing is wrong, it is standard procedure for women with lupus and the placenta previa. It monitors the baby's heart beat and checks for any contractions. My test on Monday looked great.

I went in today for a special injection that helps the baby's lungs develop. I will go tomorrow for another one. They are doing that just in case I have to have the baby early because of the placenta. If the placenta would tear or I start to dilate, then they would have to take the baby. I am getting further, so the baby is much more developed. Usually the lungs are the last thing the doctors are concerned about. I am not too worried about it. I did have some spotting after all my appointments on Monday, but it was really minor. In the future, I won't schedule more than one-two things on the same day. I haven't had any major problems and the placenta is only partially touching, so I think that I will make it to at the least 36-38 weeks.

This past month I gained 1 lb. again, which is good. Next month the baby will start gaining more weight, so I probably gain more. She really grew a lot the last two weeks. I can feel her move more now, but it isn't uncomfortable. Since she keeps her hands and feet down near her head. I see her bottom shift around and it sticks out. It is neat to see and feel. I have really been enjoying this connection with her.

I had to go for a second diabetes screening two weeks ago. The nurses at the doctors office didn't give me good information about preparing for the first exam. I found out when I was getting instructions for the second test, that I didn't fast long enough. With the low acid count in my stomach, I have to usually fast longer than a normal person. The test required a 12 hour fast. From past experience with stomach scopes, I know it takes longer than 12 hours for my stomach to completely empty. If I fast 14 hours, then that is enough. The second test was a long one - 3 hours long. I had to drink a ton of water to keep hydrated. By the time we got done and got something to eat it was 19 hours since I ate. I actually wasn't too hungry, but was starting to feel weak as we were sitting down to eat. It wasn't fun, but than again it wasn't that bad either. The second test came back normal, so that was good. My blood pressure has been great, around 100-110 on the top and normal levels on the bottom.

I can't really complain. I don't have a lot of the problems/aches/pains that most women have with their pregnancies. The tendinitis in my right wrist has been acting up. So I haven't been on the computer very much lately. I guess it is acting up from doing more with my hands from being on bed rest. I am starting to feel warmer than usual. I feel most comfortable around 68 degrees. Once it gets around 78+ than I start to get warm. However, as long as there is air flow, then I am usually okay. Overall, I really don't feel much different than normal. I am really fortunate.

Duane and I still don't have a name picked out yet... We have a list of names we like, but nothing really jumps out to us. Chances are we will end up naming her after she is born.

I finally got my pickled eggs that I have been craving. Duane used the beets from his parents garden to make them. They were a little bitter since we used regular vinegar instead of the apple cider vinegar. We also didn't add enough sugar. Now that we have made them once, we have a better idea of what to do next time.

Today all I could think about was raw sauerkraut. Our anniversary is on Sunday, so we are planning to make our traditional pork and sauerkraut dinner. I am looking forward to it!

I am glad to be home and not going anywhere for a long time! We spent most of our summer either packing, unpacking or living out of a suitcase.

28 Weeks

2009-07-24T17:03:00.001-07:00

Tuesday I went for another ultra-sound to measure the baby and check the placenta at 28 weeks and 2 days. The placenta is still low (8mm is covering the cervix). I had the same ultra-sound tech (Deb) as last month and she was great. She took more videos of the baby and pointed out some cool things.

We could see the baby doing phantom breathing or practice breathing. Babies don't breathe in the womb, but they do practice to strengthen their lungs before birth. We could also see the baby's pupil and iris move. I am not sure how that is possible, but it was cool. She also has some little tuffs of hair too. Surprisingly, the baby's feet and arms where both up by her forehead.

Peanut is still measuring large for her age. I am measuring around 30 weeks. The estimated date of delivery based on measurements was Sept. 30th. She weighed approximately 3 lbs. and 4oz.

Here are some videos/pictures:

Practice Breathing and Heartbeat

Hair

Eye Moving

Face

Cramped Space

Feet and Hands up near the forehead

Thursday I had my appointment with Dr. Minudri. It was the first time that I saw this doctor in the practice. We have to see all three of the doctors in the practice because you don't know who might deliver the baby. So far I have liked all of the doctors.

Since I do have lupus there are some additional precautions/testing that has to take place. Next month I will have to start getting stress tests every two weeks. They have been measuring the baby every month with ultra-sound to make sure she is growing approriately. Next week, I will go for the normal gestational diabetes test and for some lupus screening. Most likely I will have the baby early before there are any complications. The doctor meantioned anytime after 36 weeks. Most likely at or before 38 weeks.

My chances of the placenta moving are still good. Between now and delivery the baby will double in size. If it does not move up, then I will have the C-section. I have heard that C-sections are a lot better for people with lupus anyway. Since the placenta is low I will be on bed rest for at least another month. The doctor said chances are that I might be on the bed rest for the duration or late into the pregnancy.

We were excited to get things set up since we now have furniture for the baby's room. Duane found a cheap dresser and glider rocker at yard sales. The dresser is older, but still in good shape. The nice thing about older furniture is that it usually made a lot nicer. For $10.00 we couldn't pass it up. I think it has character and I love the layout/design of the dresser. It has a long drawer at the top and smaller drawers down the left side. They are just the right size for baby clothes and easy for me to open. I wanted something tall with at least 5 drawers and a armoire for storing items. Most dressers with armoires are short and wide. I don't like that design because it seems like such a waste of space.

The glider is like brand new and the owner said, she didn't use it much. The padding is so plush and soft. I was surprised at how comfortable it was when I sat in it. Plus it was too cheap $20.00 to pass up too.

This week Duane finished setting up the nursery. Here are some pictures:

Buterflies and Stars (my friend Julie gave us these) - really cute as
they move around with a breeze

Crib and Bedding - We picked the crib up for free at a yard sale.
Duane sanded, primered and repainted it.
We also have some winnie the pooh pieces that match the set too
including crib sheets and a comforter. They are all really cute too.

The Dresser

Glider

26-27 Weeks

2009-07-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Duane and I managed to get all moved into our new apartment. It was a lot of work in a short period of time! We had 17 people show up to help move things and it took about 2-3 hours. I am pretty sure the free pizza had something to with the high turnout for the move.

The worst part was prepping the apartment after the move. It made for a really long day (9 am until after midnight). We didn't get any help with the cleaning (should have offered more Pizza :)). I had to help Duane because it was too much for him to do alone. I just focused on doing the tasks that could be done sitting down. We never did finish everything on the checklist, but we did the best we could.

Duane has been pretty fast at unpacking things. We only have about a dozen boxes left to go through and some pictures to hang. Then we will get the nursery all set up!

We really like the new place. Having the extra room has made a huge difference. Not having an office for our desks and office furniture made the rest of the old place so cramped. I am so glad we decided to make the move. I will be able to put the baby down on the floor to play and have room for a swing in the living room.

We are in one of the highest apartments in the complex. Off of our deck we have a beautiful view of Moscow and the rolling hills beyond. At nighttime I like to look out at all the lights. It sorta reminds me of when I lived in Pennsylvania Place a high rise building. The nice thing about the set up is the ground is flat where we are. We exit out the back of the complex, so we don't have to worry about hills in the winter. It also seems to stay cooler. We haven't had to use any airconditioning.

As far as the baby goes....I am starting to feel her move. It is still pretty sporadic. I think what I am feeling is when she rolls over or makes a large movement. I don't feel anything inside, rather just movement against the outter wall and my skin moving on the outside.

Next week we go back for another ultra-sound of the placenta and basic measurements. We are hoping things have moved up. I haven't had any bleeding since the end of May, which is good.

Ultrasound 24 Weeks 4 Days

2009-06-26T14:44:00.001-07:00

I went for my ultrasound today to check the placenta. The placenta is still partially covering the cervix. The tech also took some nice pictures and videos of the baby. It was so amazing to watch the baby open her mouth, move her tongue and stretch out. She is so beautiful.

This last month I gained 1lb. according to my weigh in at the doctors. The baby gained just about a 1lb. too. She is now measuring two weeks ahead and a little over 2lbs.

Here are some of the videos and pictures from my visit:

Her Kicking her feet (which I can't feel)

Baby's Face

Baby Moving Her Mouth and Tongue - Notice the Heartbeat too

Heartbeat

Stretching out (I couldn't feel this either!)

24 Weeks

2009-06-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

I had my 24th week check up today. They baby's heart beat was around 148 BPM. The doctor has me scheduled on Friday 6/26 for another ultrasound to check the placenta. She also wants me to have measurements done more often because of my auto-immune problems.

Every once and a while I feel something in my belly. I am pretty sure it is the baby. For the most part it feels like some gas. I had Duane put his hand on my belly when I felt it happening. Duane thinks that he might have felt something move. Generally, it is pretty random and hard to catch. The other day I looked down and saw my belly move. However, I didn't feel anything. I guess that I am not as sensitive.

Duane and I have a list of possible names for the baby. I doubt we will name her until after she is born and we can see her. In the meantime, I started calling her my little peanut. Duane is calling her peanut too.

Over the years we have picked up odds and ends of baby stuff. Some of it is from friends/family and yard sales. Last week my friend Julie gave us a bunch of clothes. I can't get over how cute the little girl clothes are. We managed to get everything washed up and sorted into tubs by size. I am pretty much set for clothes through 18 months.

We have made good progress on getting the things ready for the baby. The two big things we are looking for right now are a dresser and a changing table. I would like to get a tall 4-5 drawer dresser and lightweight changing table with shelves. No luck so far on craigs or at yard sales.

Duane set the crib up and it looks nice. It is a lighter weight white one with wheels.

It's a girl!

2009-06-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

I finally had my midway ultra-sound today. The biggest news is that the baby is a girl! Duane is officially out numbered.

The baby is doing great. She is measuring about a week ahead of schedule and weighs 1.2 lbs. The ultra-sound tech mentioned that she has long feet. I guess she must get that from Duane!

Baby's profile:

Baby's torso and spine:

Baby's Leg and foot

Baby's bottom and femur (the arrow is pointing to the lack of a boy part between legs)
All Pictures
Prego me

Week 20

2009-05-29T13:38:00.001-07:00

The scheduler messed up and they didn't have me down for a 20 week ultrasound. I am scheduled for next Friday 6/5.

I was having some spotting again, so I went in for an ultrasound of the placenta on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the placenta moved down instead of up. Now I have full previa instead of having a partial previa. So now I am on pelvic bed rest for at least the next month. There is still time for the placenta to move up as the womb grows.

The ultrasound tech had a hard time looking at the cervix. The baby's bottom was covering the cervix. The baby was also not very cooperative. I had to roll over a couple times to try and get the baby to move its bottom. Then the lab tech tried to take some pictures of the baby for me. However, the baby would not hold still long enough to get any good pictures. It is amazing to me that the baby can be moving around like that and I still do not feel it. The tech thinks it might be a girl, but wasn't sure. I guess we will find out in another week or so.

The baby's heart beat was 140 BPM at my appointment yesterday. The nurse said the baby was really active when she checked the heartbeat. The nurse could hear the baby moving around on the doppler.

Pictures from Tuesday's Ultrasound. I know it sounds awful but these pictures sorta remind me of Skeletor from He-man.

Weeks 17-18

2009-05-18T15:07:00.001-07:00

Nothing too eventful has happened with the baby the past two weeks. I still haven't felt the baby move yet. However, we have had some other exciting things happen.

I was glad to finish my semester with 3 A's. It was hard, but I managed to pull it off. Duane finished his semester with graduation. He is glad to be done!

We have both enjoyed a nice visit with his parents. They came up the day before graduation and will be going home tomorrow. Duane will go down with them for a couple weeks and help get the garden started.

I decided to take the summer off from school. It feels strange not having any school work. This is the first time I have taken a break after nine consecutive semesters. Now I just have to decide what to do with my time.

We have our next doctor's appointment in 10 days. Hopefully the baby will cooperate and we will determine the gender.

CONGRATS DUANE!!

Week 16

2009-05-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

Made it to the fourth month mark! We don't go back to the doctor for another month. Duane and I are anxious to find out if we are having a boy or girl. We don't care either way.

I received a call from the OB doctor. He said, my B12 level is outside of the normal range, but not in the low range. On something like the contingent range. I am not sure what that means. The doctor was going to prescribe me 100 mcg of B12 injection. I told him that I was already taking a 1,000 mcg injection every month. The doctor was surprised by how high it was and didn't want to increase it. He also didn't seem really sure what to do or know too much about it.

I am going to go by the hospital and have a copy of the report sent to my doctor in Pennsylvania. He has a lot more expertise on the B12 anemia and how it should be handled. I will be curious to see what he has to say about it. My stomach must not absorb the B12 very well at all. I have been drinking a lot of milk and eating other foods that are rich in it. All this along with the shots.

It isn't very common for people to have B12 anemia because the liver stores a 3 year supply of it. I think it only occurs if the stomach doesn't absorb it correctly.

It has been really hard sleeping. I went two nights of waking up every 30 minutes. One of the mornings I had a little vertigo from moving back and forth so much. The third night I was so exhausted that I slept through the night. Sleeping on my sides is so hard because the bursitis in my outer hips. I have been putting a body pillow under my back, so I am not completely on my side. That helps some.

On the light side of things...between me and my pillows, Duane has about a foot of space in the bed. He is such a good sport about it. Sometimes Duane will lay right up against me and that makes my back feel good.

Duane presented his senior design project today. I went down to the student union building to observe. He did such a great job and I was so proud of him. He worked so hard on this project for months. I am glad that I went and shared that experience with him. Duane has one final that he will finish on Monday. Then he will be done! Yippee.

I took a test yesterday for my HR class (BUS412). I didn't do as well as I would have liked. I studied so hard too. The test consists of a lot of memorization, which has been hard for me this term. There is an optional final. If my grade is boarder line, then I might go for the optional final. I know that I will be really disappointed to get a B, especially if I am close. I have had A's in all of my classes here at the U of I. So we will see.

I have two seven page papers to write. One I haven't started and is due on Tuesday. The second paper I am about half way through. I have an outline for the second paper and just need to elaborate on my points. I have two more weeks to get that one finished.

Then I will be taking a little break. I am thinking about taking psychology for the second half of the summer. It is a 100 level class, so it should be easy.

Placenta Previa

2009-04-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

I had some bleeding yesterday, so the doctor had me come in today. They did an ultrasound and said that I have a thing called placenta previa. The placenta is lying unusually low in your uterus, next to or covering your cervix. This is bad because it can cause bleeding and premature birth. The placenta has to be delivered after the baby. So it causes problems with delivery. So we will see.

Hopefully the placenta will migrate up away from the cervix. I still have time for that to happen. In the meantime, I have to take it really easy.

If there are no problems, we go back May 28th. It was neat seeing the baby. It is a lot more developed than last time. It actually looked like a little baby.

Here is an article on the Placenta Previa:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_placenta-previa_830.bc?page=1

Pregnancy Test

2009-04-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

I realized that we never wrote about how we found out I was pregnant. I guess I should preface this by saying, I have never bought or taken a pregnancy test before this baby. I never had a situation where I thought I was pregnant or anything like that. I know pretty pathetic at my age.

I started feeling nausea a week before I was late. The thing that seemed so strange to me was that the nausea started every evening at 9:00 p.m. It was like clock work. Then the unheard of happened, everything sweet looked gross. Now that never happens :) I am on a 25 day cycle, so when 25th day came and nothing happened...I was suspicious. Another thing that never happens.

So on day 27 I was in Wal-Mart shopping. I decided to pick up a pregnancy test. Holy cow was I surprised at the cost. So of course I bought the cheapest one. I get home and showed Duane. I was quite proud of my purchase. Then it turned out to be an ovulation kit. Yes pretty embarrassing. I am the female, I should know these things. Doh. So the next day Duane goes back with me to pick one out.

Since these tests are so expensive, we decided that we would wait a few more days to test(30 day mark). Well I made it to day 29 and couldn't wait any longer. It was around 10:00 p.m. So I gave it a shot. The little strip changed colors right away. Now I have heard horror stories about these tests. Like they are hard to read and you need a PhD to figure them out. So I thought it could not be this easy. So I am reading the instructions again and rambling. I was so anxious to find out, but the test took three minutes. So Duane made me leave the room until it was done. I set the kitchen timer to be sure and waited.

After the three longest minutes of my life were over, the answer was...YES! We were so happy. After five years of marriage finally our first pregnancy. I called the doctor the next day and it is has been a pretty crazy learning experience since then.

The hardest thing has been keeping it a secret for the most part. Only our family and couple friends know. We are planning to tell everyone once we make it another month along.

Weeks 12 - 13

2009-04-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

At the begining of week 12 we had our next doctor's appointment. We were able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. The baby's heart beat was 160 BPM which is good. We don't go back to see the doctor until April 27, 2009.

I was having cramps. It turned out to be spasms of tendons that attach in the front and rear of the pelvis. Prior to the pregnancy I had problems with my back and hips. I have tendon elasticity, which causes my hips to come out of enlightenment easily. They rotate forward and backwards beyond normal ranges. During pregnancy, hormones can cause the pelvis tendons to become even more movable. So the pregnancy has made my existing issues worse.

It seems to be the worst when I am laying down. When I lay flat on my back I can not move my legs at all. It is a strange feeling. I have to roll over to my sides before moving my legs. So pretty much I only lay on my sides anymore. I have a king sized pillow (about the same size as a body pillow) that I have been propping behind my back. It seems to help quite a bit.

I am in physical therapy and that is helping. My therapist has told me to try and walk now as much as I can. I may not be able to do much further down the road. My therapist also ordered me a special belt that is supposed to help stabilize the hips. So we will see...

I am starting to be less nauseated, which is great. I have actually been really lucky here. I have heard some pretty awful stories from other women.

Here is a link to my personal web-site where I embedded the audio file of the heart beat. From my personal site there is another link to click. Once you click on that link, it should pop up a download dialog box.

http://www.school.elgans.com/Baby.html

Weeks 10 - 11

2009-03-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Duane and I had a nice visit back east with family and friends. I picked up a bunch of maternity clothes, which I needed. I went shopping in Pittsburgh with my sister-in-law Diane. Diane was a big help picking out clothes that are more flattering to my body shape. We went to a couple stores and she ended up giving me some of her maternity clothes.

The main purpose of our trip back east was for a doctor's appointment. My body is creating a very high level of a hormone called gastrin. It only exists in two conditions: Atrophic Gastritis and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. I saw about half a dozen doctors in the west who where unable to determine which condition was causing the hypergastrinemia. This was mostly because it is rare.

I found a doctor at the University of Pennsylvania who is an expert on hypergastrinemia. My appointment went really well. The doctor thinks there is a low risk of the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which is good news. I will have to go back after the baby is born and have a test done that will conclusively determine the problem. There are some conditions related to the Atrophic Gastritis that can effect pregnancy. So I have to go and have some tests done to make sure those are not present.

Last weekend I started to have some phantom cramping. I guess it is common for some women in the earlier stages of the pregnancy when the placenta is expanding. I also think that I might be having some PH issues as well.

I have noticed a fluttery feeling in my chest sometimes. When I went to the doctor in Philadelphia, he mentioned a pregnancy heart murmur. I just need to check with the obstetrician to see if the murmur could have any impact on the dilated left ventricle in my heart.

We go back to the doctor on the 30th and I am excited about hearing the baby's heart beat.

Week 9

2009-03-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

This week the baby gets fingers, more defined eyes and toes. The baby is about the size of my thumb.

Last month they ran a boat load of tests on me. The main concerns pertained to my lupus. Lupus creates something called anti-ana. This anti-ana directly targets the baby (sends a blood clot) and can cause miscarriage. In the past, I have had boarder line numbers for the anti-ana so it was a concern.

We were quite surprised when the test results all came back within normal ranges, which would be a negative for the lupus. This hasn't happened since the Lupus started a long time ago. Sometimes this happens during pregnancy. I still have all of my normal aches and pains. Actually my back, feet, hands and TMJ have been awful since I went off my meds.

However, I have noticed some increased energy and overall happiness. Mostly, I wake up and feel like I had a good night's sleep (even if I didn't sleep well). In contrast it is like going from black and white to color. It is amazing to me what a little change can do.

I am off all my prescriptions. I stopped the worst ones (class C) right away and gradually off the safer ones (class B). I have been on a bunch of medicines for over 10 years. At night I am just taking an OTC decongestant and that is it. Pretty amazing.

So we will keep an eye on the Lupus and pray it stays at bay.

2nd Ultra-Sound

2009-03-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

We had our second ultra-sound today. It doesn't look like the second baby made it, but we do have a very healthy one. The little heart was beating away. We could see little legs, arms, and beginnings of fingers, which was exciting. It was also moving it's little leg around. The baby is measuring 22mm vs. 6mm two weeks ago. The doctor said the baby is measuring 8 weeks and 5 days.

We go back in four weeks for another peek. By then the baby will be 12 weeks.

Baby book week by week

2009-03-01T15:46:00.001-08:00

We picked up this book at a yard sale some time ago. We have enjoyed looking at these images that show the actual size of the baby. If you click on the images below it will show a larger copy that is much easier to read.

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Second Appointment

2009-02-18T14:56:00.001-08:00

We had our first ultrasound today and we saw not one, but two little embryos. In the early weeks you can sometimes see a heartbeat flicker and that is a good indication that the baby will be alright. One of the embryos you could see the flicker of a heartbeat, but on #2, a heartbeat wasn't visible. The Dr. said that it is sometimes too early to see a heartbeat and that #2 might still be ok. We will go back in two weeks and it should be evident by then if #2 has a heartbeat and will make it as well.

I received a priesthood blessing from the bishop today and we are praying for it to work out, for #1, and #2 to be healthy and for my pregnancy to go smoothly. Please keep us in your prayers.

First Doctor Appointment

2009-02-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Today we went for our first appointment and met with a nurse. She calculated that I was 5 weeks and 1 day pregnant. That puts my due date around October 13th. The doctors office gave us a bag full of goodies. Including a book titled "Your Pregnancy and Birth". There is a stack of papers we need to fill out.

I also received a packet including some consent forms for different screens. Such as Nuchal Translucency (early screening for genetic disorders at 6-7 weeks), Risk Profile Test (Quad screen for genetic disorders at 15-20 weeks), Amniocentesis, and Cystic Fibrosis. You can opt for the exams or opt out. Does anyone have any opinions about these?

Next week they will give me a list of important events. Including the weeks I will come in to see the doctor. I will have a bunch of blood work and urinalysis done. They will also do an ultrasound which should show the baby's heart beat. The heart at this stage is too small to hear, even with amplification, but it can sometimes be seen as a flickering in the chest. The nurse said, the baby will look more like a little pea than anything. However, she said we should be able to see the little sack it is in.

Around 10-12 weeks you can hear the heart beat with a Doppler instrument. At 20 weeks you should hear the heart beat with a stethoscope. Around the same time, they will be able to determine the gender of the baby and it should start moving around.

I have had a terrible respiratory infection. So the nurse gave me a list of medications that I can take sparingly, as needed. I sure hope I can kick this thing. I go back next week and meet with the doctor.

School

2009-02-07T16:08:00.000-08:00

I was struggling to stay up with my course work. So I decided that I needed to drop one of my classes. I am taking BUS412-Human Resource Management (HRM) and ENVS101-Environmental Science. These were the last two classes that I needed to take on campus. The rest of my classes can be finished on-line over the computer from anywhere.

I talked to both of my teachers (both men) to let them know what was going on. The science teacher has a strict attendance policy and was not willing to work with me. The business teacher on the other hand, is very willing to work with me.

I know that the College of Southern Idaho offers science classes on-line. So I decided to drop the science class. It was early enough in the semester that it wouldn't be a problem.

I won't have any homework in the business class, but we do have to put together a portfolio. I have that almost complete. Since I had already put so much effort into the class, I didn't want to drop it. I am also taking a one credit course that is exactly the same project. So it should work out well.

After I dropped the science class it was a huge relief. I know that it was the right choice.

My adviser is allowing me to do some research on records management procedures for credit. So have another 1 credit class. I just have to do some research on the topic and write a 6-7 page paper. It is one of those things that I can work on as I am feeling up to it. My adviser will work with me too. If I needed an extension at the end of the term, it is doable. So now I am taking 5 credits which isn't bad.

Heartrate

2009-02-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

I can never remember much for long. So I decided to start this blog to record thoughts and experiences that we have while I am pregnant. I have been amazed at how such a small little thing can change so much and quickly.

The first thing I noticed was my heartbeat. I didn't know that I was pregnant at the time or that pregnancy could change your heartbeat. I noticed last week that my heartbeat felt faster a couple times.

Here is a cool site that shows the progression of pregnancy. From what I have read so far it is pretty accurate. They use a little humor which is cute.

http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/4-weeks-pregnant.html

According to the site:

"Once Mini Me or He implants in your uterus and that placenta starts to grow, your heart starts beating more quickly. You might be putting in an extra 15 beats per minute (even when Taye Diggs isn't onscreen). Until your blood volume catches up to all that extra pumping (which it won't do for a number of weeks), you're likely to feel tired most of the time."

Last week I started to feel nausea for the first time and some minor cramping. I don't have typical "Morning Sickness". It was starting around 9 pm, then 8 pm and now around 4 pm. I would rather have "Evening Sickness" so I am not complaining! However, this is really the begining and we still have a long time to go.

Everyone asks how Duane feels about becoming a dad. He is literally on cloud nine!