I have definately grown - my girth is now 44"!!!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Great News....
I just heard back from my insurance company that my work benefits are through and they have accepted my short term disability claim, and I might be entitled to a top-up on my maternity leave for 6-8 weeks. Who knew?? LOL.... This means that my maternity leave doesn't start until the day the baby is born, not the middle of September :)
Monday, September 24, 2007
34 Weeks
Ummmm... where did last week go? Just seems like I posted my 33 week pic and its time to do it again! I'll be taking a new picture tomorrow morning... hopefully without such a grumpy face. (hee hee)
I got to my fetal assessment and the OB resident (teaching hospital) took me in right away. She tells me she going to look at the baby first, then see if she can get a clear reading on where my placenta is. The baby is doing good. She's approx 6-6.5lbs, head is down (Yay!!) and has these wonderful chubby cheeks. She was very active during the fetal assessment, I guess she wasn't impressed that she wasn't getting her afternoon nap! The OB resident then left to discuss with the others in the department and make the decision to call the Perinatologist in to do the vaginal u/s. Next thing I know, Dr. Reid came in, took a look via the abdomen then decided to to go vaginally. So I get myself ready for it, he comes in, and does the assessment. 10 minutes later he says one side looks good, the other side has membrane over the cervix, so he can't say if I'm in the clear yet. Come back in 4 weeks. I looked at him, said "Ok... hopefully she's still in there in 4 weeks!"... he grumbled something and left the room. I had Anika at 38 weeks... I'm 34 weeks tomorrow, there is a good chance of me going early again with this one. So I get my appointment for 4 weeks, jump in my truck and head over to the OB's office. I ask Krista, Dr. Awa's nurse if I had to do a urine test today... she said no.. but you are getting your Group B test today. LOVELY!!! Good thing I cleaned up nicely down there this morning... had no idea that BOTH dr's would be going down there! Dr. Awa and I had a good conversation about this placenta problem, and that Dr. Reid wanted to see me in 4 weeks. He thought that was a little too close to my due date, especially with me being early with Anika. So my next fetal is in 3 weeks - Oct 15th, and we will see then. I asked my OB what he thought was going to happen. He said that if I was his wife or his best friend, he'd tell me to wait it out. Worse case scenerio - my water breaks, and I start to bleed, they would do an emergency c-sec. He said that its good that my labor with Anika was short because that will move things along a lot faster, and the likelihood of the placenta causing problems even tho its low are slim. He did schedule me in for the c-sec just in case, but he figures I will go into labor on my own before that date. We decided that we aren't going to tell people the date of the c-sec and leave it as a surprise... sorry.
Thats about it for today. My next appointment is on Oct 10th with Dr. Awa, then I think I start with my weekly appointments. I can't believe we are 6 weeks away from my due date!! Adrian says that this little princess will be here in 2-3 weeks. My afternoons from here on in are going to be dedicated to getting my rest because lord knows that once this on is here there won't be much sleep happening!
I got to my fetal assessment and the OB resident (teaching hospital) took me in right away. She tells me she going to look at the baby first, then see if she can get a clear reading on where my placenta is. The baby is doing good. She's approx 6-6.5lbs, head is down (Yay!!) and has these wonderful chubby cheeks. She was very active during the fetal assessment, I guess she wasn't impressed that she wasn't getting her afternoon nap! The OB resident then left to discuss with the others in the department and make the decision to call the Perinatologist in to do the vaginal u/s. Next thing I know, Dr. Reid came in, took a look via the abdomen then decided to to go vaginally. So I get myself ready for it, he comes in, and does the assessment. 10 minutes later he says one side looks good, the other side has membrane over the cervix, so he can't say if I'm in the clear yet. Come back in 4 weeks. I looked at him, said "Ok... hopefully she's still in there in 4 weeks!"... he grumbled something and left the room. I had Anika at 38 weeks... I'm 34 weeks tomorrow, there is a good chance of me going early again with this one. So I get my appointment for 4 weeks, jump in my truck and head over to the OB's office. I ask Krista, Dr. Awa's nurse if I had to do a urine test today... she said no.. but you are getting your Group B test today. LOVELY!!! Good thing I cleaned up nicely down there this morning... had no idea that BOTH dr's would be going down there! Dr. Awa and I had a good conversation about this placenta problem, and that Dr. Reid wanted to see me in 4 weeks. He thought that was a little too close to my due date, especially with me being early with Anika. So my next fetal is in 3 weeks - Oct 15th, and we will see then. I asked my OB what he thought was going to happen. He said that if I was his wife or his best friend, he'd tell me to wait it out. Worse case scenerio - my water breaks, and I start to bleed, they would do an emergency c-sec. He said that its good that my labor with Anika was short because that will move things along a lot faster, and the likelihood of the placenta causing problems even tho its low are slim. He did schedule me in for the c-sec just in case, but he figures I will go into labor on my own before that date. We decided that we aren't going to tell people the date of the c-sec and leave it as a surprise... sorry.
Thats about it for today. My next appointment is on Oct 10th with Dr. Awa, then I think I start with my weekly appointments. I can't believe we are 6 weeks away from my due date!! Adrian says that this little princess will be here in 2-3 weeks. My afternoons from here on in are going to be dedicated to getting my rest because lord knows that once this on is here there won't be much sleep happening!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
WIe have some good news :)
I have some good news to report...
I had my appointment with Dr Awa today. He is still thinking that everything is going to be ok. He said the cord being low is ok at 32 weeks. Its at 35-36 weeks that it is a cause for concern. He also said he can't make any judgement calls on the placenta until the fetal assessment on the 24th happens... we don't know how far away it is from the cervix right now. Oh... AND.... she has turned... her head was down in my pelvis area, which is good... now if she'd only stay that way ;)
Sooooo... at the moment, I'm in the clear for not having a c-section.
I am also officially off of work due to the low placenta and bad sciatic nerve problem, until the baby comes. He feels that we shouldn't put any undue stress on me which would affect the baby, so for the next 8 or so weeks, I will be home, trying to relax.
My next post will hopefully be of the nursery. Adrian is going to paint it on Sunday. I'm excited to get this done. When we told Anika that we are going paint the baby's room, she quickly asked "what color" with a concerned look on her face. When I told her brown and pink, she said "it better not be the pink that I like".... I guess we haven't gotten to the stage where she is really excited for the baby to come. LOL
Adrian is also going to start pulling out the crates of baby clothes, so that I can go through them, wash them and get rid of the stuff that we aren't keeping.
Thats about it for now. I will try to post on Tuesday of next week with pics of the baby's room.
Oh... and we are still nameless. If you have any suggestions, please email them to kathrynheidinger@gmail.com
I had my appointment with Dr Awa today. He is still thinking that everything is going to be ok. He said the cord being low is ok at 32 weeks. Its at 35-36 weeks that it is a cause for concern. He also said he can't make any judgement calls on the placenta until the fetal assessment on the 24th happens... we don't know how far away it is from the cervix right now. Oh... AND.... she has turned... her head was down in my pelvis area, which is good... now if she'd only stay that way ;)
Sooooo... at the moment, I'm in the clear for not having a c-section.
I am also officially off of work due to the low placenta and bad sciatic nerve problem, until the baby comes. He feels that we shouldn't put any undue stress on me which would affect the baby, so for the next 8 or so weeks, I will be home, trying to relax.
My next post will hopefully be of the nursery. Adrian is going to paint it on Sunday. I'm excited to get this done. When we told Anika that we are going paint the baby's room, she quickly asked "what color" with a concerned look on her face. When I told her brown and pink, she said "it better not be the pink that I like".... I guess we haven't gotten to the stage where she is really excited for the baby to come. LOL
Adrian is also going to start pulling out the crates of baby clothes, so that I can go through them, wash them and get rid of the stuff that we aren't keeping.
Thats about it for now. I will try to post on Tuesday of next week with pics of the baby's room.
Oh... and we are still nameless. If you have any suggestions, please email them to kathrynheidinger@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
32 Weeks... Fetal Assessment Update
Lets start with another picture...
Here I am at 32 weeks 1 day... taken this afternoon.
I'm now 8 months pregnant and starting to get very tired. I had my fetal assessment on Monday, and things haven't changed for the better at all. As a matter of fact, there is another problem that has been added to my list of pregnancy problems. To recap... about 12 weeks ago we found out that my placenta (I feel like I should be naming it), was low. In theory, it should have moved up into a favorable position, as my uterus grew. I then had a fetal assessment 8 weeks ago, and it was still low. Then a week ago, I had to go to the hospital because I was having horrible pains in my right side under my ribs.... turned out the baby was transverse(horizontal)... creating problem #2 because it was more than likely not going to allow my placenta to move up. So as expected... at the fetal assessment - the baby is transverse, my placenta is low, AND.... the cord is before the baby, laying right where the baby's head should be. Like really... how much more could go wrong? The fetal assessment nurse (I think her name is Luba) said that I am more than likely going to have to have a c-section, and that the cord before the baby is extremely dangerous. If my membranes were to break, we have no idea what would come first... the cord, the placenta or the baby ~ and if it were the baby... which end of the baby. Needless to say, I'm spent. Emotionally drained. My mom spoke with Michelle (a nurse on the high risk side of L&D) and she said that its not uncommon for a doctor to admit the mama a MONTH BEFORE the due date! PARDON ME???? A MONTH????
I have my next dr's appointment tomorrow afternoon. I have a list of questions that I am going to have to ask as this isn't the way it was supposed to go. I will up date tomorrow night after my appointment. I also have another fetal assessment with the Perinatologist on September 24th, which will give us some more insight of where the placenta is in relation to the cervix.
That's about it. Can't say that this pregnancy is borning.... thankfully its a reminder that it will be my last one :)
Friday, September 07, 2007
Anika's first day of school... (sniff sniff)...
Well, its happened. The day has come where Anika was off to Kindergarten. How can she possibly be old enough to be in school, and get on that big school bus?? But she woke up this morning in the best mood ever, and announced to whoever was in the neighborhood "Today is my first day of school!!"
We had 3 outfit changes (not sure where she gets that from), her hair being up, to wanting it down, wanting some up & some down, to back all of it being up.
Michelle (my neighbor), who is Garrett's Mom - Garrett is Anika's husband... we took the kids to the bus.... watched with a tear in our eye as the kids got on, then raced home to her house to get in the van and make sure the kids got off the bus and arrived at school without any problems. Everyone thinks that our little 5 year olds look so big, until they are on the playground at school with grades 1-6 with them.
All went well and they had fun their first day of school. Anika had the biggest smile on her face when she got off the bus at 3:47pm, and couldn't wait to tell us all about her first day :)
Here are some pictures of the big day!!
Garrett, George & Anika waiting for the school bus
Garrett & Anika....
Anika posing with her backpack...
Cheese!!!!!
Anika, Garrett Jonson, Noah Saltell, Dainnon (not sure of his last name)
Bye Mom... don't worry about me.. I have my boys!!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
My trip to Labor & Delivery...
This little lady that I am housing is really giving me A LOT of grief... and she's not even here yet!
Tuesday night I went to bed, only to wake up at 1:30am in an unbelieveable amount of pain on my right side, high up just under my ribs. I tried to reposition myself and fall back asleep but it didn't work. I couldn't get comfortable. I headed downstairs and flipped on the tv. I couldn't sit without being in pain, or lay down. What is going on? Maybe a shower or bath would work. I started up the water and layed in the tub for 30 or so minutes hoping it might relax me. As time went on I became more and more uncomfortable. I finally woke Adrian up at 2:40 and told him I think something is wrong with me... not the baby as she was moving around. I looked on-line to see what it might be. There was a variety of things but the one thing that caught my eye was appendicitis (sp??)... it described the pain as a stabbing, burning sensation and that is exactly what I was feeling and it didn't let up at all. Adrian and I talked for a bit, and decided I should call the OB on call. The Dr called me back right away, and thought it would be a good idea for me to come in and be checked especially if the pain was getting worse.
By the time we dropped Anika off at my Mom's and got to the hospital it was around 4:30am. They hooked me up to the monitor to make sure that I wasn't contracting (which I was sure I wasn't), and waited for the dr to come in. She did a few physical tests on me, and waited for my urine analysis to come back from the lab. A few hours went by and still no answer. Finally my nurse came back and said that they had lost the first urine sample, and they wanted to send a new one off to be tested. By 9:00, another OB came into see me, and said that they had ruled out problems with the kidneys, gall bladder, and that my u/a came back ok, so it wasn't appendicitis.... THANK GOD! However my little girl is laying horizontally across my belly which is stretching and pushing on my oblique muscles which is very painful. We will know more on Monday when my fetal assessment is done, however the OB felt that with the baby laying sideways that the chances of my placenta moving up was probably pretty low. Her head is pretty much blocking it from moving up, and the placenta is preventing her from turning head down... bugger!
I am feeling better, however the pain seemed to be back last night. Not sure why its only happening in the evening, but with some tylenol and a shower right before bed, I was able to bunker down and get a little bit of sleep.
Ciao for now...
Me
Tuesday night I went to bed, only to wake up at 1:30am in an unbelieveable amount of pain on my right side, high up just under my ribs. I tried to reposition myself and fall back asleep but it didn't work. I couldn't get comfortable. I headed downstairs and flipped on the tv. I couldn't sit without being in pain, or lay down. What is going on? Maybe a shower or bath would work. I started up the water and layed in the tub for 30 or so minutes hoping it might relax me. As time went on I became more and more uncomfortable. I finally woke Adrian up at 2:40 and told him I think something is wrong with me... not the baby as she was moving around. I looked on-line to see what it might be. There was a variety of things but the one thing that caught my eye was appendicitis (sp??)... it described the pain as a stabbing, burning sensation and that is exactly what I was feeling and it didn't let up at all. Adrian and I talked for a bit, and decided I should call the OB on call. The Dr called me back right away, and thought it would be a good idea for me to come in and be checked especially if the pain was getting worse.
By the time we dropped Anika off at my Mom's and got to the hospital it was around 4:30am. They hooked me up to the monitor to make sure that I wasn't contracting (which I was sure I wasn't), and waited for the dr to come in. She did a few physical tests on me, and waited for my urine analysis to come back from the lab. A few hours went by and still no answer. Finally my nurse came back and said that they had lost the first urine sample, and they wanted to send a new one off to be tested. By 9:00, another OB came into see me, and said that they had ruled out problems with the kidneys, gall bladder, and that my u/a came back ok, so it wasn't appendicitis.... THANK GOD! However my little girl is laying horizontally across my belly which is stretching and pushing on my oblique muscles which is very painful. We will know more on Monday when my fetal assessment is done, however the OB felt that with the baby laying sideways that the chances of my placenta moving up was probably pretty low. Her head is pretty much blocking it from moving up, and the placenta is preventing her from turning head down... bugger!
I am feeling better, however the pain seemed to be back last night. Not sure why its only happening in the evening, but with some tylenol and a shower right before bed, I was able to bunker down and get a little bit of sleep.
Ciao for now...
Me
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Pregnancy Photo's
On Saturday, we had out last family of 3 photo done.
Anika needs to take a family photo on her first day of school, so we decided to get something done.
At that time, I decided that because this will more than likely be my last pregnancy, I'd get some pregnancy photo's done...
Here are a few...
Anika needs to take a family photo on her first day of school, so we decided to get something done.
At that time, I decided that because this will more than likely be my last pregnancy, I'd get some pregnancy photo's done...
Here are a few...
Saturday, September 01, 2007
30 Week Dr's Appointment....
I had my appointment with Dr. Awa yesterday.
Seems like he feels that me being at work and everything that I'm experiencing with the shortness of breath, chest pains, restless legs/body, sciatic nerve problem are not good for me or the baby so he has pulled me from work for at least 1 week. Adrian came to my appointment with me because we both feared that I might just brush all of this under the table and not mention anything. Immediately after telling him all of this he said that I am living my life as tho I'm not pregnant, in terms of my limitations. He said to us.. "I don't know what kind of personality you have, but you have to stop trying to please everyone around you, and let people take care of you.... you are growing a baby inside of you. You don't want your stress level to get to a point where you can't function properly at home or at work, and you are snapping and biting everyone's head off." My husband replies in the background..."too late!", and I follow up with "I should have brought my 5 year old daughter, who has told everyone that we are living in different houses!" poor kid probably wishes at times that I didn't live here. I know I have been moody and crabby and snappy. I will be the first one to admit that. However letting go of responsibilities is hard for me. Especially when it comes to work. This is a very hard lesson to learn, and even harder to swallow. I am a pleaser. I HAVE to make sure that everyone around me is taken care of. I have to make sure there are no riffs between people. Me not being at work and taking care of my #1 client who I am very very passionate about and have worked with their team for 6 1/2 years, is very difficult. I can't seem to cut those strings. They have been great with support, telling me that I have to take care of myself and the little lady... I also have my 5 year old that I can't forget about who it seems like I have been pushing a side because I can't function when I get home at 5-5:30. This week off will be good for her and I. Aghhhhhh... I'm starting to get emotional... and its only 6:39 Saturday morning.
Time to change the topic...
Yesterday was Anika's last day at daycare. I was sooo sad for her. She has made a lot of really good friends at WPCC. I hate that she is going to lose that relationship with them. She loved little Nathan (who was a little guy who always got blamed for things that went wrong). She was the only one who was able to calm him down when he went hystarical. Sierra is going to miss her. Poor Sierra was soooo sad the first week when her Mom left her at the daycare, and litle Miss Anika, held her hand and told her "Its ok... I'll play with you... its fun here! Just stay by me." Then there are the 3 some of Emily, Erin and Anika. 5 year old little girls, who couldn't wait to play with each other everyday. She loved her teachers and her teachers loved her. How could we possibly thank everyone of them there who played a little part in Anika's daycare world. When I asked Anika what she'd like to do for her last day of daycare... she wanted to bring candy. LOL... Picture 18 2-5 year olds hopped up on a sugar rush... those teachers would have been diggin' into their little brown paper bags, needing a drink real quick. So I suggested a pizza party! Well.. it was a hit. We ordered 4 large pizza's and had them delivered for lunch. I think for Anika this was her gift of saying thank you... to each of them, who touched her little world in a different way. When she came home I looked out the window, and saw her skipping up the driveway, gift bag in hand and a crown on her head... It then hit me that she's going to be ok... she has her friends on Burmac Road, who were waiting for her when she pulled up. She will be starting a new chapter in her life, going to school, and making new life long friends... just like I did when I started school. So... Cheer's Anika... I am so proud of you... so proud of what you have accomplished as a 5 year old!
This next week is all about me, and bringing my stress level down. It is about me reconnecting with my family, my daughter and most of all with my little baby that is growing inside of me.
Sorry this is such an emotional post... but it had to be done.
Cheers :)
Seems like he feels that me being at work and everything that I'm experiencing with the shortness of breath, chest pains, restless legs/body, sciatic nerve problem are not good for me or the baby so he has pulled me from work for at least 1 week. Adrian came to my appointment with me because we both feared that I might just brush all of this under the table and not mention anything. Immediately after telling him all of this he said that I am living my life as tho I'm not pregnant, in terms of my limitations. He said to us.. "I don't know what kind of personality you have, but you have to stop trying to please everyone around you, and let people take care of you.... you are growing a baby inside of you. You don't want your stress level to get to a point where you can't function properly at home or at work, and you are snapping and biting everyone's head off." My husband replies in the background..."too late!", and I follow up with "I should have brought my 5 year old daughter, who has told everyone that we are living in different houses!"
Time to change the topic...
Yesterday was Anika's last day at daycare. I was sooo sad for her. She has made a lot of really good friends at WPCC. I hate that she is going to lose that relationship with them. She loved little Nathan (who was a little guy who always got blamed for things that went wrong). She was the only one who was able to calm him down when he went hystarical. Sierra is going to miss her. Poor Sierra was soooo sad the first week when her Mom left her at the daycare, and litle Miss Anika, held her hand and told her "Its ok... I'll play with you... its fun here! Just stay by me." Then there are the 3 some of Emily, Erin and Anika. 5 year old little girls, who couldn't wait to play with each other everyday. She loved her teachers and her teachers loved her. How could we possibly thank everyone of them there who played a little part in Anika's daycare world. When I asked Anika what she'd like to do for her last day of daycare... she wanted to bring candy. LOL... Picture 18 2-5 year olds hopped up on a sugar rush... those teachers would have been diggin' into their little brown paper bags, needing a drink real quick. So I suggested a pizza party! Well.. it was a hit. We ordered 4 large pizza's and had them delivered for lunch. I think for Anika this was her gift of saying thank you... to each of them, who touched her little world in a different way. When she came home I looked out the window, and saw her skipping up the driveway, gift bag in hand and a crown on her head... It then hit me that she's going to be ok... she has her friends on Burmac Road, who were waiting for her when she pulled up. She will be starting a new chapter in her life, going to school, and making new life long friends... just like I did when I started school. So... Cheer's Anika... I am so proud of you... so proud of what you have accomplished as a 5 year old!
This next week is all about me, and bringing my stress level down. It is about me reconnecting with my family, my daughter and most of all with my little baby that is growing inside of me.
Sorry this is such an emotional post... but it had to be done.
Cheers :)
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