OB appt and glucose test

Today I had my glucose tolerance test. I dont mind drinking the drink, so it wasnt bad. My biggest problem is trying to drink it in 5 minutes... I like to sip my drinks, so I rarely chug-a-lug! I dont know when i'll find out if I passed the test or not... but hopefully I did!

In the middle of the test, I had an OB appt. My doctor got called out on an emergency, and another doctor was in surgery, and another doctor was out of the office... so that left 1 OB and 1 PA left in the office. So, I saw the PA today... she seemed a little overwhelmed, afterall, I dont think she really deals with OB patients as much as GYN patients. So, she did a good job considering the circumstances. Anyways, I measured big still- 27 weeks (i'll be 26 weeks on tuesday.) And baby's head is down still, so thats good! Lets just hope she stays that way!

I go back in a couple weeks for my other ultrasound to check the baby's kidney to see if its dilated still. If it is, then they will just do an ultrasound on the baby after the she is born. My OB told me at my last appt that its really not a big deal and its so common. So, we're excited to see her again, and get another verification that she's really a "she!"

So, I dont go back now until early August. Thats 6 weeks away, and I dont know if the receptionist meant to do that or not (usually you go every 4 weeks.) I'll be 32 weeks then!!!! YIKES!!! Also, at around this time in the pregnancy, you schedule all the rest of your appts until you deliver, because after my next appt, i'll go every 2 weeks, then the last month i'll go every week. It was really surreal scheduling all those! It felt like I can finally see a light at the end of this long tunnel! We're almost to the home stretch now!!! WOW!!!!!

Latest belly pix

I'm 25 weeks and 3 days pregnant today.... its been almost 2 weeks since my last belly pic, so here's the latest:



I've lost my chin, and my face is so fat, and my boobs are disappearing! Unfortunately I have never been blessed with growing boobs during pregnancy.... but that is probably a good thing!!:) Of course, I cant blame that on this pregnancy... that was already beginning to happen after gaining 15 pounds after the miscarriages last year! Needless to say, after having to look at my picture every 2 weeks (belly pix), and post them here in complete embarrasment, I am seriously motivated to get back in shape after the baby is born!!!!!
On a more positive note, my belly grew!! I'm so glad! I have felt like it hasnt grown at all in the last month, but it looks like it has! I woke up this morning and felt bigger, and noticed that my shirt was getting tighter and shorter around my belly! Horray! That makes me feel better because I took a big leap today and ordered the crib! I was so nervous ordering it, and I still dont feel the same excitement that I felt when we ordered Jadon's crib. I guess i'm afraid i'll jinx it or something.
Here's the crib:
http://www.simplybabyfurniture.com/071119.html

Anyways, saturday we are going to the coast. Lincoln City has a kite fesitval in June and October (and an indoor one in March), so we thought it would be alot of fun to go to that with Jadon. Plus, he loves the beach! And its supposed to be 70 there tomorrow! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

Can you guess what this is?

Any guesses what that is???? I'll give you a clue- its not poop!

The other night, Derek was trying to dish up some chocolate ice cream for himself, and it was really hard, and I think his hand must've slipped and the scoop of ice cream went flying under the microwave stand. We died laughing when he moved the microwave stand and that is what we saw! Good times!! :)

Our cute son

Took some videos and pictures of Jadon in the last couple of days and thought i'd share them with you since they are so cute!

This video is of him singing a song from Little Einsteins. It goes "This is my new song, you can sing along, I love when you and I sing a song." When he sings "love", he crosses his arms trying to do the sign for love. Oh yeah, and the balloon was from our Day out with Thomas... it was a weiner dog, but he took it apart and was using it as a microphone and a weed eater. Yes, a weed eater. He has a weird fascination with yard tools that make noise, and can match each sound with the correct lawn tool- ie- lawn mower, weed eater, leaf blower, etc.

This one was just a cute one of him drinking through a fun straw.

And here's just a couple cute pictures.

What a ham! Anyways, we've been really busy this week, Jadon and I have had alot of errands to run, and Derek is CRAZY busy at work with a big project. I have even devoted many of my "breaks" (my hour long break when Jadon is napping) to helping Derek out by being his test subject. And even some evenings when i'm dealing with a hungry, cranky toddler, and trying to cook dinner at the same time. I keep telling him I should get paid for my services, but I have yet to see a paycheck. ;)

Our day out with Thomas (beware: picture overload)

Today we FINALLY got to go spend the day with Thomas the Train! After months, then weeks, then days of telling Jadon that we were going to go ride Thomas, it finally happened!
It was alot of fun! The drive up to Hood River was good- no traffic problems and clear weather.

We left home at 9:45am, and got to Hood River at 11:45am. Then we park, and board a school bus (which Jadon was thrilled about because he loves buses) and it shuttled us to the Day Out With Thomas event area. We had 2 hours until our train ride, so we went across the street and grabbed some pizza for lunch.

Then after lunch we went back to the event. They had all kinds of fun (and free) little booths of fun things for young kids to do.


First off, Jadon got a temporary tattoo of Thomas on his hand.


Next up I made him stand next to a poster of Thomas so I could get his picture. Of course he wouldnt smile for nothin'... he is much like his mommy and gets overwhelmed in large crowds, plus he had so many things to look at.

They had a bunch of bubble bowls set up with big wands for making bubbles with, and he enjoyed that. If you look closely, you can see a smile. ;)


There was a big, open tent set up with arts and crafts type things, and several sets of Thomas the Train toy tracks set up. Those were a hit with all the kids.
Here he is using stamps on a Thomas picture. He had alot of fun with the stamps.


Here I am helping him make a necklace out of noodles. He wasnt very interested in that. It was hard to get the noodles on the string, even for me.


Then it was time to ride Thomas!


When I ordered our tickets way back in March, I picked one of the back trains to ride on so that if we went around a corner, Jadon could see Thomas up ahead of us on the tracks. Turned out to be a good pick because there was only one other family in that car with us. So we basically got the whole car to ourselves! Unfortunately there was too much vegetation to see Thomas on the tracks in front of us on corners. The train ride was a half hour long, and it was very lulling, Jadon looked about ready to pass out several times. I felt like curling up on the seat and taking a quick snooze too.

No, thats not a whale Jadon's sitting next to. Derek insisted that he get a picture of the two of us on the train.

After the train ride, we stopped and saw Sir Topham Hat. Alot of the kids were afraid of him and threw fits when they were supposed to stand next to him for pictures. Jadon was one of those kids (was afraid of him... he didnt throw a fit though.) So, this is the best (and only) picture I got of him and Sir Topham Hat. Poor Sir Topham Hat!

Next stop was the balloon artist (is that what they are called???) Jadon got a weener dog.

Finally we headed to the gift shop, where they had another train set up and it ran all by itself, and I think that was the highlight of Jadon's day. He saw this train going and he was all smiles as he watched it.

Next stop was the little petting zoo, to which I failed to get any pictures. The sheep were sooo friendly, and came up to him and let him pet them alot. He really liked that also and kept talking about it in the car. By then we were beginning to get pooped, so we decided to board the bus and head back to our car. As you can see, he was exhausted.

We had planned to stop at Multnomah Falls on our way home, but shortly after we got onto I-84 after leaving Thomas, we ran into a torrential downpour. The day started out a little gray, and I thought for sure we'd have a few sprinkles at the event. However the sun came out and was there the whole time until shortly before we left when some gray clouds started rolling in. The forecast had been for p.m. showers, so I wasnt surprised to see the clouds... I WAS surprised at the flood of rain that we ended up getting on our drive. I'm telling you, i've never driven in rain like that before except in Florida. It was so hard to see, and finally when we got to Multnomah Falls, Derek decided to get off the interstate and wait for the rain to pass. Visibility was pretty much nothing, it was horrendous, and needless to say, I was a nervous wreck. We didnt get out and see the falls since it was pouring, and Jadon was passed out anyways. We waited for a bit, but the rain wasnt letting up, so we got back on the interstate and headed off with caution. It continued to pour the rest of the drive, and there were massive puddles all over the place. On top of that, it was getting to be rush hour, so traffic was awful.

We stopped almost as soon as we saw a sign for Portland, and decided that the first Food sign we saw, we'd get off and eat at. That turned out to be Elmers. While in Elmers, it continued raining hard. When we finished and went to get back on the freeway, the traffic was still horrific, so Derek thought maybe we'd find a mall nearby and could wait it out a little so we didnt have to deal with that traffic. Well, I dont know where the heck in Portland we were, but we didnt find any malls or anywhere to go for that matter, so we tried to head back but since it was rush hour, it took us 45 minutes to finally get back on the freeway. Then from there it didnt get much better. The rain stopped shortly after we got on the freeway though, and it looked like it hadnt even rained the rest of the way home. We didnt get home until 8pm, and Jadon was full of energy after having sat for so long, so we let him stay up for awhile and burn some energy off...(plus he hadnt pooped yet and he doesnt go a day without pooping, so we knew it was in there waiting to come out!)

Overall it was a fun family outing, but a horrible drive home. We did get a family picture taken with Thomas, but I will have to order it. Anyways, its late and time for bed now! I'm so wiped out! Hopefully we'll all sleep good tonight!

Another milestone reached!

Today I got my Progesterone refilled! For me, that was just another milestone to gladly be reached! After getting it, I got back into my car, and felt so relieved and happy to have reached this far that I almost cried. This pregnancy has been nothing but milestones.

First trimester, every day that passed successfully was a new milestone reached. Also, making it to each appt was a milestone. Other milestones: Getting to second trimester, making it to 16 weeks when i would start the progesterone shots, feeling baby moving, making it to the big ultrasound, making it to 24 weeks (viability).

From here, I have so much more confidence in this, yet i'll always be guarded because it still seems like its too good to be true, and I know alot can happen still. I know i'll get alot of negative comments about my pessimism, but thats just how I am. Right now, id rather not be in oblivion to things that could still happen, and then find out something has gone wrong and be completely dumbfounded. Like i've mentioned in previous posts, I like to be prepared for things. BUT, with that said, I am slowly beginning to relax more and more and I am thrilled and beyond belief and so grateful to be where I am today!

I keep looking at her ultrasound picture, and I am blown away by it. Its the most beautiful thing i've ever seen. To know that the little head in the picture is IN me, moving around and growing. I didnt feel much that way with Jadon. Mostly because the thought of labor/delivery scared the you-know-what out of me, but also because i'd only had one miscarriage and thought that i'd never have another one again. Having had several, I look at pregnancy in a completely different way now. My heart aches for women who struggle to get pregnant, or to stay pregnant. I wish with all my heart that I could do something to help them. I know how frustrating it is to feel like your body is letting you down in doing what it was created to do. To see pregnant women all over the place, to hear about people popping babies out left and right. Its such a frustrating and hopeless feeling. Its also something that so many people cannot understand. But, at the same time, there are alot of people who can understand.

When I got pregnant this time, I joined an online support group for women who are expecting after having had a loss. It has been so great to hear that I am not the only one who feels the way I feel, knowing that there are so many women out there who are pregnant and scared out of their minds that they will lose yet another baby, and at the same time, being able to share the excitement and triumph of reaching each new milestone. Seeing that I am not the only one who has horrible dates burned into my memory- Feb 2nd, the day my first little one was due. June 5th, the day I lost my first little one. Feb 17th, the day my 2nd angel baby was due. July 6th, the day my 2nd angel baby grew wings. November 1st, the day my 4th angel went to heaven.
BUT, amidst all of these bad dates, theres also some wonderful dates too: April 18th, the day Jadon was due... March 13th, the day he chose to come instead. And of course August 16th, the day I married my best friend! I'm hopeful that October 6th will be another positive date to add to my growing list of dates!

Well, I did not mean for this to go on like this. The purpose of this post was to celebrate another milestone on this crazy rollercoaster!

VIABILITY!!!

Today i'm 24 weeks, and to the point where the baby would have a chance to survive outside the womb if for some reason she was delivered now. I've been counting down the weeks until this day since about 16 weeks! From what i've heard, babies born at 24 weeks have about a 40% chance of survival with intensive neonatal care. By 26 weeks, theres a 60% chance, and with each week that passes, the odds increase dramatically from there.

She let me know that she was doing ok last night while I was laying in bed by moving around like CRAZY! And when I woke up this morning, she started in again. I can now breath a *little* sigh of relief to have reached this milestone.

Housework

We had a good weekend... well, one that I consider to be a good one... I dont know how Derek felt about it. ;) Saturday I spent the day painting Jadon and the baby's room. I still have one wall to put a second coat on, and then the top 2 inches of the walls right under the ceiling. It turned out fantastic! Even better than I had hoped it would! I did a taupe color because it needed to be something that would work for both boy and girl since Jadon will be sharing a room with his sister. I LOVE the color, and in my opinion it makes the room look bigger. I told Derek it looks like an expensive color... like one you'd find in a model home or something. I am absolutely thrilled with it! Once I get the room completely done, i'll post pictures.

Anyways, so all day saturday I spent the day painting while Derek watched Jadon and made meals. It was really weird and nice to have the meals made already, rather than being the one making it! Needless to say, by the end of the day I was exhausted! I woke up today with every muscle in my body sore, and my shoulder has been killing me. I also felt crampy, so I'm pretty sure I overdid it with the mad painting! The baby was also not moving much at all that I could feel, and between that and the cramping, I was feeling pretty worried. Thank the Lord for that doppler!!! I have checked on her several times today to make sure she's still in there ticking away. I think I may keep the doppler around until I deliver because on days like today, it is really reassuring to have and to hear the little heart beating away.

So I did take a break between paint coats, and when I did that, Derek installed what he called a "poor mans sprinkler system." Just sprinklers hooked to hoses in a line, and hooked up to a timer. Our front yard is so difficult to water... it takes a long time because its long and narrow on the side, and then the front is too big to reach all areas. Plus, most of the time we turn it on and then forget about it until a couple hours later. So, hopefully this will save us a little on our water bill! It's not very pretty looking, but a sprinkler system is not in our budget right now, nor is it a high priority. For now, it works.

So, today I took it easy for the most part. Tonight after dinner the boys were in the backyard golfing, so I took some pictures. We also took another belly shot since its been 2 weeks since the last one (i'm trying to do it every 2 weeks to see the progression.) To me it looks like my belly shrank from the last picture, but Derek said it was because of the shirt I was wearing in the last picture. So, here's some pictures for you...some from today, some from a few days ago: By the way, does anyone else hate uploading pictures to Blogger?? I always end up having to rearrange the whole post after inserting pictures... very annoying and time consuming!

Jadon golfing tonight

After dinner being a ham for the camera

Another ham picture after dinner
Peeping Tom

Sleeping soundly in his bed

23weeks, 5 days belly shot

Another week has passed already!

Guess its been awhile again since i've blogged! I've been preoccupied with thinking about preparing for a new baby.... not to mention, pregnancy brain is in full swing, and probably will only get worse as time goes by! Its the weirdest part of pregnancy.... I remember having it with Jadon, and not being able to remember conversations that i'd had just recently with Derek (or anyone), or completely forgetting random things. I dont normally forget things. So, it almost feels as though I've exited from my own brain! I guess this must be what it feels like to be a dumb blond!! ;)

Anyways, the last couple weeks have been tiresome. Jadon's been testing us at naptime and bedtime, and last week was horrible. One day I stood outside his door for almost an hour just to keep putting him back in his bed! I tried letting him play in his room quietly for a little while so I could get a break also. That didnt work. All he does is get into trouble... messing with electrical outlets, his lamp, the baby monitor, etc. Plus, theres no way to keep him in his room so he kept running to our room and getting my hand lotions out and squirting them everywhere, or playing with the doppler.
Last week, nighttime was not any better. He wasnt going to sleep until 11pm, then he'd fuss himself into a tizzy, and start panicking to the point that he would start gagging and throw up. We've tried it all... and we really think he is just testing us. This week, i've been trying to put him down for nap an hour or so later than usual, because he is not tired at his usual time. However, then it interferes with his bedtime, and he's not wanting to go to sleep at his normal time.
Last night he finally stayed in bed and didnt get out once. He laid there talking for awhile, which he always does, but he stayed put (Thank you Lord!)
He's not ready to give up naps yet because I also tried that a couple days last week, and by dinner time, he was so tired he'd fall asleep eating dinner. So, its just kindof been a testing process for us to see whats going to work and whats not going to work. It feels like he is at an in between stage where he's almost ready to give up naps, but not quite yet. I feel its imminent though.

Also, he's getting his last molar in and has been chewing on his hands and shirt alot, so that could possibly also have something to do with the sleep issues, but I think its more of a toddler testing his parents thing. Needless to say, my patience was completely shot last week, and so I went out for chinese and shopping with a couple girlfriends on thursday evening just so I could get away and have a breather. It was helpful, and i've got more patience this week.

It dawned on me that I hadnt mentioned how my latest OB appt went. We had one last friday, and all went well as usual. Same heartrate of 160bpm (for baby, not me!) My uterus measured 24 weeks (at that time I was 22 weeks pregnant.) Nothing much else to report. My next appt I take my glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes. I cant believe that will be already! This is just flying by! A couple weeks after that i'll be entering the 3rd trimester! Then i'll really start hoping that these pain-in-the-rear progesterone shots do the trick and keep this little girl cooking for a little longer than Jadon did. The shots are becoming a dreaded task for both Derek and I on Wednesday nights. I hate it because most of the time it stings and burns like crazy, and sometimes for hours afterwards. Last weeks even left a welt, which is completely normal. The doctor actually said it looks like Derek is doing a really good job administering them. I dont think i'd want anyone else (other than a nurse) giving them to me. He is doing an awesome job! I'm almost halfway done with them though! I always remind myself before each one that its for a good cause and i'm blessed to be this far along to be getting them. Way back when I had my 7 week appt, I never thought i'd make it as far as 16 weeks, which is when I started the shots.

I feel very VERY blessed!

Well, I gotta go get the little man up from nap now!

First baby purchase

I made my first baby purchase last night. I haven't been able to bring myself to buy anything yet, and sometimes its hard just looking at things too, so I usually just avoid looking at baby stuff. However, last night I went to dinner and shopping with some friends and found an adorable pink onesie that said "My heart belongs to daddy" and I was going to wait until Fathers day to give it to Derek, but just couldnt wait.

Its going to be weird having girl stuff in the house!