"Indefinate" Bedrest

According to my OB, this is my current status. I saw her on the 23rd and the 25th for follow-ups. My blood pressure was okay, 128/86 (on the 23rd) and 130/80 (on the 25th). No protein in the urine, which I am constantly grateful for. Katie did great on the NST. I measured in right at 32 weeks, (I was 31wks, 6days at the appointment) and everything is looking good, relatively speaking.

I was really hoping to be able to make it back to work, at least for a short while, but Dr. A wasn't having it. She said that going back to work would only increase my blood pressure more. :o( So here I am, sitting tight for a few more weeks. Dr. A said that her goal is to make it to 37 weeks. As long as there are not any further complications, we will plan on an induction at the hospital nearest my house. I really like it there, but it is a small (albeit brand new) unit without a NICU. My doctor feels that inducing there will be safe for myself and the baby if I am at 37 weeks, and there is an excellent transport team for the downtown hospital if need be. Of course, if my status changes, and/or I have to be induced prior to 37 weeks, I will deliver downtown...I am really hoping that doesn't happen.

Having a common goal and knowing that Katie is doing well despite my blood pressure "issues" provides me with some reassurance, but I am super nervous about the induction. I have become fairly well educated on PIH, and while I feel confident in our plan, it's the complete opposite of what I had initially envisioned. I guess things just don't always go according to plan. I pray that Katie continues to do well and is in excellent health before, during and after delivery. I have faith that my doctor will take care of me and see me though my pre-natal care, delivery and post-partum recovery. And I hope, hope, hope that our induction is successful and without the need for a c-section.

Couldn't resist

As it becomes more evident that an early induction is in my future, I thought this quote I found on Maybe if You Just Relax was an appropriate comical representation of some of my emotions:

"I always thought I would be one of those people who went two weeks past her due date. I obviously thought very highly of my uterus, and assumed that I was running a Ritz-Carlton type of operation down there. Nobody would think of removing my baybee from my four star uterus! It's like a world class vacation resort in there!

As it turns out, I was running more of a Motel 6 operation. And the general idea was to get her out in one piece without giving her a wicked case of bed bugs or Hep C. "

3D/4D Ultrasound

Yesterday, Paul and I went to get a 3D ultrasound at BabyVision Ultrasound. My mom had been looking at these with me for a long time and afforded us the opportunity to catch a sneak peak at Katie. We had such a great experience; the staff was so friendly and the technician was patient with us while Katie tried to hide her face. Imagine that!! :o)

She is so stubborn. She kept putting her arms and hands in front of her face and the umbilical cord into her mouth. We finally got some head shots of her, and she looks JUST LIKE her daddy. The technician said the placenta is anterior, and she is very crowded. I can't imagine how much bigger my tummy is going to get in the next few weeks, but she definitely needs more growing room. Her head is down in my lower left quadrant, her belly is right around my umbilicus and her legs are up near my sternum and diaphragm. This would help explain why I get so short of breath. :o)

Katie yawning

She looks so peaceful!

Kaitlyn Marie

31 week Appointment

B/P: 128/86
HR: 100's
Fundal Height: Did not measure
Fetal Heart Tones: 120-160's
Weight: +11 lbs pre-pregnancy

Paul and I went in for a short appointment today for an ultrasound (number 4). We had a biophysical profile performed where they "grade" the baby on her movements, amount of amniotic fluid and whether or not she is "practicing" breathing on her own. Our stubborn girl was not really in the mood to move and was in a food coma after a yummy breakfast of bean and cheese tacos. :o) Whoops, that might be mommy and daddy's fault, Kaitlyn.

After much shaking of my tummy, she finally decided to move her legs and arms a few times and flip over. And she did take a couple of "practice breaths," so all looks good at this point. Before we left, Dr. A had the nurses place me on the NST (number 6 in as many days). It was about this time Katie decided she was awake and moving all about. :o) She has a mind of her own, already...

Kaitlyn's Heartbeat while in the Hospital

1st Hospital Stay

If I was caught off guard at Friday's appointment, I was definitely thrown for a loop at Monday's follow-up! My doctor told me she wanted to see me twice this week. Once for a normal appointment and once for an ultrasound. My blood pressure was 140/90, no protein in the urine. Rose, my doctor's assistant, placed me on the NST before I saw the doctor, and Katie proceeded to kick and flip and move about. She must like to hear her own heartbeat because she always gets active when we do this test.

I had been in the room for about 20 minutes when my doctor appeared and informed me that she wanted to keep me overnight at the hospital to run some tests on my kidneys, liver, and blood and to have me do a 24 hour urine test. I was disconnected from the monitor and sent on my way. Mom was able to leave work and met me at the hospital with an overnight bag and pink roses for Kaitlyn and me. I finally got a hold of Paul (he wasn't able to get my text messages) and let him know that we were both okay.

A very nice nurse, Catherine, took me to my room, Labor and Delivery Room 5, and got me admitted. She placed me on the NST, again, and rechecked my blood pressure. Surprisingly, it was coming down and stayed between 130/80's and 120/70's. We only got two readings over 130/80 the entire time I was there.

I didn't have to wear a fashionable hospital gown nor get an IV, so it was a relatively pleasant stay. The hospital is brand new and had all kinds of fancy amenities such as room service and free WiFi. I had a lot of visitors the first day (so the nurses kept telling my visitors, lol!) and the time passed really quickly. Leslie, Tara, Irma, and Jonathan came to see me that afternoon. Tamara, Paul and Mom were able to come that evening once they got off of work. I didn't get much sleep after everyone left because the hospital bed was not so comfortable. My legs and bottom kept falling asleep where the bed comes apart for delivery. I am sure the post-partum beds are a lot more comfortable than the delivery beds. Regina was my nurse overnight.

First thing Tuesday morning, Dr. A stopped in to let me know my "blood pressures in jail look really nice" and that my labs all came back normal. They were just waiting on my 24-hr urine test to finish and if my protein counts were low, I would be able to go home. My nurse, Kelly, placed me back on the NST to check on our little girl, who was doing great! It is such a blessing that during these last seven months our little angel is doing so well.

My urine test came back around lunch time at 170mg/24hr, and I was released home with my mom. It appears that this test was a little high, normal is 30-150mg/24hr, but Dr. A said she would release me to home bedrest if it was under 300. I had this same test August 5th and it was 163.8mg/24hr, so it hasn't increased too much.

I am praying this is the last time I have to be admitted before December 29th so that Katie can get bigger and her lungs can mature as much as possible.

Kaitlyn's Baby Shower

Noemi and Denisse, two of my very best friends, hosted a shower for Kaitlyn and I on November 14, 2009. We had such a great time! So many friends and family were able to attend, including my Grandma and (great) Aunt Rikki from Oklahoma. I was so touched by the outpouring of love from everyone who came or sent well wishes. It is a beautiful thing to see how many people care about us and are just as excited as we are to meet Baby Katie! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of ladies in my life.

I took about 90 pictures from the shower, so I am not able to host them all on this website. But I will be placing the pictures on my webshots account and will provide a link to them here. I have included a few that I just had to share.

My mom-in-law, Me, Mom and Grandma

Noemi, Me and Denisse

Gift and Cake Table

I measured in at 12 pieces of toliet paper.

Tamara in the lower right had half a roll for me!

We received so many precious and SOFT things.

Kaitlyn's very own Strawberry Dress, made by my Grandma.

My mom was so excited to see all the gifts for Katie, too!

I can't thank everyone enough for all they have done for Kaitlyn, Paul, and myself. And to Denisse and Noemi for the hard work they put into hosting this wonderful event. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

30 week Appointment

My first Non-Stress Test

B/P: 138/90

HR: 80's
Fundal Height: 30cm, which is right on track
Fetal Heart Tones: 150's
Weight: +12 lbs pre-pregnancy

I don't think I could have prepared enough for our appointment today. I was expecting it to be very uneventful and be on my merry way with a note for return to work on light duty. Instead, we had a long appointment and an order for "BEDREST" from my doctor. :o(

As you can see, my blood pressure is still high, although it has been higher than that at work. I still do not have protein in my urine (thank the Lord), and we are hoping to prolong delivery as long as possible, provided that my blood pressure doesn't get crazy high (160/100's), my kidneys, liver, and other organs are functioning well, and Katie doesn't show signs of distress.

Mom and Denisse went with me to the appointment, and we all got to listen to Katie's heartbeat on the monitor to see how active and healthy she was doing. This test is called a "non-stress test." They put monitors on my stomach to measure her heart-rate and if I have contractions, measure how frequently those are coming and evaluate how Katie responds to each contraction. Fortunately, there were no contractions and she had a nice heartbeat ranging from 120-160.

Despite everything going on with me, she seems to be staying active and thriving. :o)

28 week appointment

Me at 27 weeks, 5 days

B/P: 138/90

HR: 100's

Fundal Height: 28cm, which is right on track

Fetal Heart Tones: 130

Weight: +3.5 lbs since last visit, +7.5 lbs pre-pregnancy.

Well, this morning's appointment could have gone better. This was the first time that I went by myself, although I don't know if having anyone there would have helped because I would have stressed regardless.

My blood pressure is still elevated, but more than last time. I have been getting migraines about once a week since the last appointment, but I can't get a B/P reading to correlate with the headaches as I forget to take it when I am in that much pain. I don't have anymore swelling that normal: I can still wear my rings and take them off with the same ease, my legs still have swelling but not more than usual, and I can't really tell that my face is swollen. I am not showing any protein in my urine, which would indicate preeclampsia. At this point, my blood pressure is classified as "Gestational Hypertension." My doc talked about putting me on blood pressure medications, but does not feel it would be as beneficial to me at this point because my hypertension is not chronic in nature, rather, it is directly related to the pregnancy. With delivery, my blood pressure should return to normal.

She did tell me to talk to my boss about working reduced hours and/or what the policy is for bedrest, which I know a little about the latter. I would really like to work on cutting my hours a bit rather than all together for FMLA and maternity leave sake, but I will talk to my manager about that tomorrow or Monday. I have to check my B/P at work and call in some readings to the clinic tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be any higher than now or she will be more willing to put me on bedrest, I'm sure. I have a repeat blood pressure check on Tuesday so that she can check my urine for proteins again. Then God-willing, we will be going to Virginia to see Jonboy swear in as JKR, Esquire. :)

We are going to take it day by day at this point and see how my blood pressure is, how my urine looks (gross, huh?), and how Katie is growing. I have an ultrasound on November 13th to make sure that she is growing appropriately. I will be 30 weeks and 3 days by then. If my blood pressure keeps trending upwards and/or I start to have protein in my urine, I will be diagnosed with "preeclampsia" and will most likely have to take steroids to help Kaitlyn's lungs mature more quickly for an early induction and delivery. That is the scary part for me. Ultimately, I want Katie to be as healthy as possible and for her to come out in her own time, but I understand there are significant risks if I become preeclamptic or severely preeclamptic. It looks like if an induction is planned, I will be delivering downtown as opposed to near the house, and they have an exceptional NICU.

The best news is that Katie seems to be growing well and doing just fine at the moment! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We are so excited to meet our baby girl, but we are hoping she can stay in her cocoon baking as long as possible. :) I am trying to think about lots of blood pressure lowering thoughts and take it as easy as possible.

Nursery

So I think that we have everything done for Katie's room with the exception of hanging some things on the wall. It looks so cute and peaceful! I love just sitting in the rocking chair looking around. Here are some pictures from around her room.

Looking into the nursery from the doorway.

Rocking Chair and Bookcase

Crib and Changing Table

Dresser/Changing Table and Doorway

Kaitlyn's Crib

Random Update

Well, I am growing and getting bigger, as is Lil' Miss Katie. I really need to take a picture to update our progress, hopefully tomorrow or Saturday. We get to dress up on Saturday and go to a fancy dinner with Paul's company to celebrate the store selling $500,000 in one month - a feat that Paul has accomplished 3-4 times before, but it was a first in this particular stores 20+ year history. He brought in more than 20% of their sales that month!!! We are soo proud of Paul. He is such a good husband, father, and provider.

The nursery furniture started coming in on Tuesday. Paul supervised the delivery and assembly of the crib and dresser. My mom and dad gave Katie the most beautiful crib! I will post some pictures when I get home. Paul put some of the bedding in the crib and sent me updates at work so I wouldn't miss out on the fun. :) The room is coming together, but definitely looks smaller with the furniture in place. The only thing left is adding the bookcase (Paul is picking it up tonight) and a little decor! I am super duper excited. I love just going in her room and sitting in the glider.

I have been feeling so/so. During weeks 25 and 26 I got a migraine so bad that I threw up. That was definitely not pleasant, and I hope we can keep those at bay. I believe my allergies are acting up this week, too, as I have been sneezing, coughing and achy, but no fever (thankfully). I got my flu vaccine awhile ago and the H1N1 vaccine at work on Tuesday. Paul went in for a few fillings on Tuesday, also, and he ended up with an unexpected wisdom tooth removal. So it has been an eventful week at our house. We are both trying to stay healthy and strong.

Two of my best friends are hosting a shower for me on the 14th of November and I am so excited!!! I can't believe that we are inching closer and closer to January. Next Tuesday is "officially" the beginning of the third trimester!!

99 Days

Until I am due!!! I can't belive how fast days 200-100 went by. The second trimester has been SO MUCH better than the first, even if I was throwing up and sick during a lot of it.

Kaitlyn got to celebrate today by talking with her Grandpa overseas. He even got to see how big she was getting in my tummy because I got a new web-cam!!

January is going to be here before we know it...

Kaitlyn's Room, a work in progress

So yesterday, Paul woke up and declared he had energy. Surprisingly enough, I had some, too!! So I set off to Home Depot to purchase the paint we picked out the week before, and Jon and Paul disassembled the desk and took it to mom's house. We moved the bookcase out the week before and decided to move the extra chair to our bedroom. Her room is FINALLY empty.

I am definitely not in shape as this morning I woke up so sore!!! It took longer to set up, tape, and clean up than it did to actually paint, but we got it accomplished. I can't wait to see all the furniture and decorations come together. It won't be long!

The color is "Barely Pink" by Behr.

Swine Flu....

I found out today, after I had been there for 6 hours, that one of my patients was positive for Swine Flu. Good times. I'm sure it will be fine. I am very careful about washing my hands ALL THE TIME, but still....

23 week Check-Up

23 weeks, 2 days
This shirt looks much different than 8 wks ago...

B/P: 130/90, repeat of 128/86
HR: 80
Fundal Height: I don't know, she didn't say
Fetal Heart Tones: 150
Weight: +7.8 lbs since last visit, +3.8 lbs pre-pregnancy.

This appointment was pretty much routine. My blood pressure is up...but that isn't really new. I am looking at my B/P at week 7 and it was 128/76, so it has kinda been on the border the whole time. She was concerned about it and had the girls re-check it. Not much improvement in my book, but she proclaimed "that is much better!" at the reception desk. I have to go October 5th to have them re-check my blood pressure, and my next appointment is actually in 5 weeks on October 29th.

I weighed myself before I went in at home and my scale said I was 214.6 lbs, however their scale said 217.8 and she rounded to 218. My doctor didn't seem concerned, but I think 8 lbs is a lot in 4 weeks! Although my scale said 4 lbs in 4 wks. That's much better. I will just continue to keep an eye on it. I am not supposed to go over 230 lbs for my overall gain, so I am trying to keep a slow and steady pace.

Kaitlyn kept kicking the Doppler when they were checking her heart rate. It was actually pretty cute. You could hear the "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" of her heart and then "bllleepp" where she would kick. She is moving around more this morning than usual. She is typically awake in the evenings.

The last four weeks have been nice. I didn't get sick during week 20. I threw up during 21/22 weeks but only once, and I felt better that day. So far week 23 has been uneventful. I had a migraine Monday (week 22) but that was the only thing dramatic for the past four weeks. It has been nice to have somewhat of a reprieve. I don't feel 100%, but I have felt the best I have in a long, long time.

We finally decided...

upon a name!!!! Paul and I had brainstormed some names while Meghan was here over the 4th of July. We had narrowed our list down to two after we learned we were having a girl, and I told Paul to make the final decision from there. After a long, and careful weighing of "the pros and cons of each name," our daughter will be known as....





Marie is after my materal Grandma (my mom's mom).

19 week and 2 day checkup

I am kinda late in posting about our last appointment. I have been soooo busy with work. Today I am off for one day and back for two. Then one off and back for two again. I just haven't gotten a lot of sleep. :( Anywho, the appointment went really well.

**STATS**
Weight: -4 lbs pre-pregnancy
BP: 122/70
Fetal Heart Tones: 152
Fundal Height: umbilicus

Paul had to work, so this was the first appointment he missed. Denisse went with me and said that she was really excited to hear the baby's heartbeat on the monitor. My headaches were really bad the Tuesday and Wednesday before my appointment; I threw up at work Tues and stayed home sick on Wed. She told me to make sure I take the Imetrex as prescribed to try to keep them manageable. She also told me if I needed a note to work all days for 8 hour shifts, she would write one for me. I really, really like my 12 hour shifts, even if they are long, because I have more days off to rest, get the nursery ready and make my appointments. 8 hour days just go by too quickly and I am still exhausted when I get home.

Speaking of the nursery, I have not done one darn thing. LOL! I did put the bedding that I like on our Pottery Barn Kids registry, however, because there is a Labor Day sale. I really want to rush out and buy it, but I have been restraining myself. Mom bought the baby a whole bunch of cute clothes and the most adorable pink flip flops the other day. And last weekend, Paul took me to Eden's Baby to purchase some cloth diapers. They didn't have a whole lot in the store since they had a big sale for tax free weekend, but we found some we liked and registered with them for more. I know I have plenty of time left, but I feel like I should get busy putting everything together.

Dear Baby Girl,

You should know that you are one loved little girl. I can't think of any two men that love you more than your Daddy and my Papa.

Every morning when your Daddy gets up, he kisses you good morning and tells you how much he loves you. And every day before I leave to go to work, he kisses you again and tells you to be a good girl for mommy. He loves to rub on my belly and talk to you about the dreams he has for you and the fun we are all going to have. He even talks to you about the guns and ammo he has in mind to purchase to keep the boys away! I think he is a little ahead of himself.

And you should see your Grandpa. He tells everyone he meets about you. He calls to check on me during the day and tells me "to tell Baby Marie that he loves her and to be a good girl!" Before he had to out process for Afghanistan, he had your picture from your seven week ultrasound on his desk, and he would show all of his patients his "grand baby." He is the proudest Grandpa I have ever seen.

You are so loved already, and we can't wait to meet you when you are all done bakin' in my tummy. But stay in there longer cause you're not quite halfway through yet! :o) We love you!!

Love,
Mommy

It's a....

GIRL!!

The technician was super slick when she told us, we didn't even see the picture. She was looking around at the spine and said, "It looks like... you're having... a... lil'...girl." and off went the wand in a different direction. Then she says "Yep, it's a girl." So at the very end, we asked her, "Are you sure it's a girl?" Haha. She went back to the bottom and took this imagine. She pointed everything out to us (yeah, I can't read these things) and sure enough...IT'S A GIRL! Mom, Papa, Paul and I were all smiles!!!

We are still debating on the names. I think we have it narrowed down to two. (Gabriella and Kaitlyn). I told Paulie that he should decide. The middle name will be Marie, however, after my maternal grandma. It has been such a wonderful day. What a blessing the Lord has given us.

Perinatologist Appointment and Level II Ultrasound

17 weeks, 6 days

Weight: -3 lbs
BP: 120/60
Fetal Heart Rate: 148

We had our appointment with the Perinatologist this morning. We were scheduled at 10am, so we got there a few minutes early to fill out the paperwork. They had a sign by the window that said to pay $5 if you wanted your ultrasound on a disc, so of course we had to do that. What a pleasant surprise!

I did the standard: pee in a cup, weight and blood pressure before being seen. My blood pressure was actually good this time - YAY! The technician that did the U/S was very nice. She took lots of measurements of the baby, starting with the head. She got the spine, abdomen, kidneys and legs. The femur and the head are measuring 18weeks and 2 days. All the other measurements were right on track or a day within the due date. She was having a difficult time getting a few shots of the heart, the tailbone and the lips. The baby was being stubborn....wonder where that comes from? lol.

When the doctor came in, she was able to collect the other measurements, and we got a good profile picture. She said the baby looked great, she was happy with my blood pressure and she said that she didn't see any markers for chromosomal defects or abnormalities. We haven't gotten the results from the triple screen back, but based on what she said/saw, I am assuming that it will be just fine. Also, the doctor said that pending no further complications, she won't have to see me again unless my OB wants more ultrasounds.

We did find out the sex, but Paulie is waiting to tell his momma in person tonight, so I will post a separate post with the sex after 5 pm. We are both over the moon excited!!! Here is a profile shot of the baby for now.