34 Week Check-Up

I had my routine baby appointment today and thankfully everything continues to go well. My blood pressure was perfect, as usual. My belly was measuring fine. And the best part is they haven't once mentioned my weight gain! (With Tennyson I got a mini-lecture at what seemed like every appt). I do love sporting a pregnant belly, except for the times it gets (ahem) in the way. Haha!

At my last appointment I sat down and talked to Dr. Aamodt in-depth about doing a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). All along that has been my plan and I knew either way there is an increased risk (however slight) with a vaginal birth or another c-section. They gave me a consent/waiver form about doing a VBAC some months ago, so we went over that point by point, which was very helpful. Some of it was encourgaging (like 70%+ of women go on to have successful vaginal births post c-section) and some of it was not so encouraging (like RMH does not have an anaesthesiologist there 24/7 should something go wrong and therefore does not condone VBACs).

Today I left feeling a little more discouraged because I really wanted as little medical intervention as possible with this baby, but since I have had a c-section I HAVE to have an IV and I HAVE to have a monitor. The good news I can still walk around, theoretically. I realize all this is subjective and since I was 8cm by the time I got to RMH last time this little guy will mostly likely come pretty fast.

So basically my plan is to just pray about this whole baby-birthing experience. I realize no matter how it goes the MOST important thing is not HOW he's born but that he (and I) are healthy and safe when it's all over. I wanted to share the main prayer points I have on my heart should you feel so inclined to pray them for me and Baby Boy as well:

1) Pray that the baby will go head down. He's obviously not in position as of yet because he's still rocking rolling in there......alot!
2) Pray that he doesn't weigh too much. Since Tennyson was 8 lbs. 2 oz. at less than 36 weeks Dr. A wants to do another u/s at 36 weeks to check on his weight. If he does weigh a lot (9-10 lbs.) this may prompt the need for another c-section due to the risk of rupture.
3) Pray that I go in to labor on a day Tom is home from Harper's Ferry, or at least that it happens early/late enough in the day that it's not an issue.
4) Pray that my sister can get here quickly to take care of Tennyson.
5) Pray that the baby doesn't come too quickly and specifically that my water will break after I get to the hospital.
6) Pray that I am able to successfully do a VBAC.
7) But most of all, pray that Baby Boy is healthy!

There are many more specifics I am praying will fall into place, like which doctor is on-call, the nursing staff, that my doula gets there in plenty of time, and that breastfeeding will go better than it did with Tennyson.

Lord, just give me peace as I await the birth. Give Tom and I the wisdom to make the best decisions possible regarding our baby's birth. And we are believing that you will answer all our prayer requests AND MORE!

Baby Update ~ 32 Weeks

It's hard to believe I am 32 weeks along today and that I am at the point where I'll be going to the doctor every 2 weeks! I don't know where the time has gone, although I think it has a lot to do with me chasing around a very active little boy this time around. I was telling Tom it's interesting how different my pregnancies have been. Thankfully, with this baby I haven't had as much heartburn, and I am carrying so differently. With Tennyson I gained a lot more weight and it was all over, but with baby #2 I just have a "ball" out in front. And my cravings are totally different than what I had with Tennyson. It's mostly been fruits and veggies with this baby. I guess it proves you can't assume you are carrying a certain gender when you can have 2 of the same and your pregnancies be completely different. (Besides I've heard that from just about every mom I know.)

Mentally I am preparing myself for this little guy's arrival in 4 weeks since Tennyson came at 35 weeks and 5 days. (Which means, of course, that'll I'll go to 39 weeks. Haha!) But it would be so great if he were born early, so long as he's healthy, because I am due the very first day of school, August 24th. Can you believe it?! What timing! It was great having Tom home for 3 weeks after Tennyson was born, so we're hoping for the same with this baby.

In other developments I have been having a horrible time getting to sleep and staying asleep the past few weeks. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to correlate with whether I take a nap or not, but a lot of time I have trouble falling back asleep (after one of my many trips to the bathroom) because Baby Boy is doing sumersaults and kung-fu in my belly ! I tell you what, if he's this active outside the womb we're going to have one crazy, fun household! The past few days he's been turning over and rolling from side-to-side in there, and I have to say, it gets a little uncomfortable. But I am thankful I have plenty of room in there and don't have the shortness of breath or feet in the ribs that most other pregnant women have. There's something good about being 6 feet tall, huh?

So that's the update on Baby Boy Bates for now. I go to the doctor tomorrow for my 32 week check-up. Should be pretty routine: weight, blood pressure, belly measurement, heartbeat check, and Q&As. Of course the best part is hearing his heart beating. *sigh* Such a sweet sound.

Baby Update and Then Some

Well, I am officially (as of two days ago) in my third trimester! Welcome Week 28! I had a baby appointment today and all went well. I am measuring exactly where I should be, and by that I mean my belly, and nothing out of the ordinary to discuss with the doctor. I did have my glucose test today and, despite me having enjoyed a bowl of ice cream last night, passed with flying colors. Even my hemoglobin was right where it should be. Haha! Like I was worried about that. :-)

I feel like this pregnancy is flying by. I can't believe that I am already at the point where I will be going to the doctor every two weeks! I told Tom this little boy of ours is going to be here before we know it, especially if he comes at the end of July like Tennyson did. But since getting past the exhaustion and morning sickness of those first 14 weeks or so I have really enjoyed being pregnant. I enjoyed my pregnancy with Tennyson, too (except for that horrid rash, of course). I don't care that I have stretch marks. I don't care that I can't bend down....as well. I don't care that my skin looks like it did when I was in middle school. Every pain, every spotting scare, every restless night and the constant trips to the bathroom were/are SO worth it! Besides what woman with a healthy self-image doesn't feel sexier when she's pregnant!!!

Though it has been more challenging with having a very, very active little boy to keep up with at the same time. I have to note that has been incredibly nice to not have to get ready for work every day and leave the house. And I am especially glad for that now that summer is fast-approaching! Ahhh, I can stay in my nice, cool house all day if I want!

The other exciting thing going on here is that Tom's LAST day of school is tomorrow! We both can't believe his 7th year at BRCS is coming to a close. It's crazy! But the BEST, the very best part about that is he will be home 5 days a week now, with the other two days being spent doing what he loves in Harper's Ferry. I am so excited for him! Tom is really in his element up there, doing living history. If you get the chance to go see him in action do it! He's amazing to watch!

So that's the update from here, excluding all the new things Tennyson is doing. But that's for another post.

A Trip to UVA (And Finally the Ultrasound Photos!)

As mentioned in the "Big Announcement" post the ultrasound tech had detected a white spot on our little guy's heart during the 20-week ultrasound, so the doctor gave us the option to go to UVA to get a specialist to examine it. Mostly they were concerned about the risk of Down's and, there was no way we were going wait til the birth to make sure he was okay. Unfortunately, the soonest they would do it was at 22-weeks, and I assure you that is an eternity when you're worried about your child.

I know all of you reading this were faithful in praying for us during those incredibly long two weeks, and for that we can't thank you enough. Even though we were scared and worried we still felt the love and prayers! I can't imagine how rough it would have been on us without all your prayers and words of encouragement!

It's hard to believe it's only been a little over a week since we went to UVA to get another ultrasound for Baby Bates. Here's the (somewhat brief) story of how things went. I put Tennyson down for a nap and once my sister came over and Tom got home, we regrouped and Tom and I headed over to Charlottesville. Originally I was dreading the long ride there, thinking I would surely have an emotional break down on the way, but we both felt at peace. Arriving at UVA without incident (and with time to spare) we parked, registered at the OB ultrasound desk on the 8th floor, and waited and waited and waited for them to call my name. Okay, so I was definitely getting nervous then. Knowing all that NOT knowing was coming to an end.

The ultrasonographer finally came and got us. (I think we only sat in the waiting room for 25 minutes but again it seemed like forever!) She was nice, though lacking an interesting personality. She proceeded to measure and get photos of everything on the baby. She looked at his brain, kidneys, stomach, face, and spent lots of time trying to get photos of his heart, including the arteries. She measured his fingers, skull, arm bones, leg bones, etc. Tom and I were very quiet during these 30 minutes or so. Though she explained what she was doing we weren't sure why or if what she was seeing was good or bad. But we soon realized she was strictly there to get the proper photos and measurements and the doctor would explain everything to us.

When the doctor came in we felt much more at ease. I am just trying to set the picture (and document for memory's sake), but she was a big, black woman with some sort of Carribean accent and was as nice as she could possibly be. (Thank you Lord for giving us someone who was compassionate and sincere!) She also brought an intern with her for observation, but it was fine. She proceeded to tell me about the risk of having a Down's baby with that "marker" in the baby's heart and for someone my age (30) was about 1/658. (The risk of Down's goes up with the mother's age and has nothing to do with the father's.) If she didn't see that spot she could reduce the odds by 80%. The only way to know for sure if he had a problem was to do an amniocentisis, something I knew I was not willing to do even before we went to UVA. And once she said the risk of miscarriage with an amnio was 1/270 we all agreed it wasn't an option.

Tom later said while she was telling us all this he was thinking, "Bottom line it for me." And I was kinda thinking the same thing. I just wanted her to lay it all out and tell us what she saw. She explained the different markers for Down's: short legs/limbs growing slower than the rest of the baby, crooked pinkie finger, no/under development nasal bone, abnormal sized kidneys, club feet, a gap between the first and second toe, tongue hanging out, and issues with the pulmonary arteries in the heart. As she went over each one she then said our baby had NO issues with ANY of them, just that "spot" on his heart, which is essentially a calcium deposit. She said about 8% of people have it and it's no big deal. What an amazing feeling to have such a heavy burden suddenly lifted off us!!!

So yes, God answered our prayers, ALL our prayers! To know that we were having a healthy baby was an indescribable relief and we were renewed with joy and excitement over welcoming Baby Boy Bates into our home in just a few short months! (During those two weeks we kind of felt like we were just going through our day and couldn't think of anything but the potential problem.)

Finally here are photos from the 20-week ultrasound. Unfortunately, we didn't come home with any great photos from UVA. (In fact, my doctor's office had a much better machine than than they did.)

His sweet profile

It's definitely a boy! He was proud to show it off!
(That made his Daddy proud too! Hee hee)

Just look at how cute he is!

This is how he stayed for a lot of the ulrasound - with feet and arms up over his head!

Thank you, Lord, for this precious, healthy baby boy! We can't wait to meet him!

Revised Baby Tally

I just remembered the baby tally I started a few weeks ago and was wondering how things were shaking out. So in case you are curious, like me, here is an updated baby tally (of the 10 pregnant ladies I know):

Boys - 5
Girls - 2
To Be Determined - 3

Hmmm, I have a feeling it might be the year of "the boy." My brother and sister-in-law found out last week they are expecting a boy, so that will make 8 grandsons for my parents! I LOVE it!

I will be working on finishing up the Cocoa-Vegas Part 2 post and a detailed one about our visit to UVA this afternoon. Hopefully I'll get those done this weekend, in between bookkeeping, lunch with a friend, and cleaning out the closets in Tennyson's bedroom. I am purging BIG time in prepartion for a Memorial Day yard sale at my sister's, and his closets are the last stronghold. Baby Boy is my motivation. I must get ready for his arrival in a few short months!

The BIG Announcement and an Urgent Request for Prayer

Last Thursday was the day, the big day, when we went for that 20-week ultrasound (and my 4th for this pregnancy)! We put Tennyson down for a nap, left him with my sister-in-law, Hannah, and headed out to the doctor's office. It was especially exciting because we had invited my parents to come along. Since my youngest sibling is 20 years old, I figured my parents would love to see how much ultrasound technology has changed and what a fun way to tell them what their next grandchild would be.

The ultrasound went well, and since I drank a soda on the way there the baby was very active! The ultrasonographer asked if we were finding out what we were having and we confirmed that we were. Well, she had literally just put the probe on my belly and said..........

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

Apparently he was more than happy to show it off! Hahaha!!! Of course, Tom and I could not have been more excited! It's SO great that Tennyson and his little brother will be almost exactly 2 years apart and they will share that special bond as they go through life together. Aside from it simplifying things (clothes, long-term living arrangement, etc.) it will be so nice to say "the boys" instead of "the kids." We would have been fine either way, but we are beyond thrilled that Tennyson will have a little brother!!!

The little guy has his arms AND his feet over his head most of the time, so that made it difficult for her to get some great shots of his face. The most adorable part was when he yawned and we could see his little tongue moving! AMAZING! He also tried his best to suck his toes!!! What a personality already! We saw his little heart beating away, his fingers, his 1o little toes, and his sweet little face. I laid there crying, thinking about what an amazing gift we'd been given in this baby boy.

Once the ultrasound was over and my parents went on their way we went for the routine doctor's visit. Of course, since we waited a few minutes we made a few hurried phone calls to share the big news! The doctor came in and said that everything looked fine, but..... (Now at this one little word my heart jumped into my throat.) "there was one little problem." A little problem!!!! Are you kidding me?! When it comes to my unborn baby no problem could possibly be "little." I looked at Tom sitting across the room and looked back at her, waiting, waiting for what she would say next. She proceeded to tell us that there was a white spot on his heart. That it could mean nothing or it could mean a chromosomal problem, such as Down's. She assured us that everything else looked fine, and that it was just that one issue, but still my heart was breaking. I don't know HOW I kept it together. She didn't make it sound urgent, by any means, but offered us the chance to go to UVA and get a more in-depth ultrasound, which I immediately responded that I wanted to do that.

While we waited for the girl who coordinates all the UVA appointments I broke down in the hallway and then again after we left the office. (Later that day they did call to confirm the appointment. We have to wait TWO weeks because they don't do the type of ultrasound we need until 22 weeks.) I spent most of Thursday crying and Friday in shock. Today was the first day I started to feel somewhat hopeful that everything was going to be okay. I know we serve a big God, an Almighty God, a God who can do ALL things, but I am still human. I am worried sick about my precious baby boy. I am trying to trust, but still find myself saying, "But what if he's not alright?"

So I am asking for anyone reading this to please pray. Please pray first and foremost for our little one. That he is okay and that the spot is GONE when we go to UVA. And pray for peace for Tom and I. Tom is "handling" it better than me. The blessings of a calmer, and perhaps more trusting in our God, husband. We will keep you all posted, but won't know anything until April 23rd. Thank you in advance for your prayers!

As I sit here typing I feel his strong kicks within me, and I like to think he's telling me, "It's okay, Mommy, I'm fine."

Psalm 139
¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

AMEN.


PS- For all you on Facebook, please do not comment on our baby's gender, as Tom wants to tell his fellow teachers when school is back on Tuesday. Thank you!

Boy vs. Girl

Obviously our baby's gender has been on my mind lately. Okay truthfully, I can't stop thinking about it. Before I elaborate I should make it clear that 1) if I HAD to pick what I wanted I probably could (but I don't get to choose), and 2) there are good things about having a boy or having a girl. So all that to say, Tom and I both are totally fine either way and have no really strong feelings about boy vs. girl. We are just praying for a healthy baby and a safe delivery.

With Tennyson I knew in my soul he was a boy. Never a doubt in my mind for a day. But I was still impressed that my organized, planning self didn't give in and find out for confirmation. Not so for Baby Bates #2. I am beside myself and wonder how I am possibly going to make it 3 more weeks before finding out if we will be bringing home a girl or a boy.

And maybe out of boredom (or the urge to create another list) I started a Baby Tally. I know 10 people right now that are pregnant. 10! And these aren't just people I met once, these are friends, relatives, or people I see on a regular basis. It's crazy! As of today the tally is: 2 girls, 2 boys, 3 aren't finding out, and 3 are TBD. And I just realized that everyone I know that has given birth in the past 3 months have ALL had boys! Maybe it's because I am a "numbers" person, but I just find it interesting.

So here I sit typing, feeling Baby Bates bumping a little because I just ate lunch, and wondering. Wondering and waiting. Come on April 9th!

Our Own Christmas Miracle

I am a firm believer that every life created by God is special, full of purpose, and nothing short of miraculous. Well, this Christmas Tom and I were blessed with our own miracle of life. I posted previously how Christmas has always been an extra special time of year for us and this year was no exception. Here's the story of how we came to find out another baby is on the way.....

We spent time in New Jersey with Tom's family from the 20th to the 26th and honestly I felt fine the whole week, indulging in daily naps. My clue that something was amiss was Christmas Day when I woke from one of those naps to the horrific smell of shrimp. Now shrimp was one thing I could not stand to be around when I was pregnant with Tennyson. I didn't immediately think, "Oh my gosh, I must be pregnant." Instead it was more like, "Hmm, that's strange." My next "clue" was the following morning when I awoke at 3:00AM with an urgent need to use the bathroom. The same thing happened again at 5:00AM and then a little while later, while snuggling with my sweet little boy, I began to feel nauseous. THAT was my first real thought that something was up. The last time I got nauseous (aside from the stomach flu last March) was when I was pregnant with Tennyson.

Anyway, we packed up our things and were headed back to Virginia by 10:00AM. We stopped in Harrisburg, PA at the Cracker Barrel for a long, leisurely lunch and about an hour into our trip I really, really started feeling sick. Tom asked if he needed to pull over, but I assured him I wasn't going to throw up in the car. A cracked window, allowing the cold air in, did the trick and I soon felt better. But I still felt a little off for the rest of the trip. Finally, we got back home around 6:00PM. It was SO nice! (I am such a homebody and don't usually enjoy traveling.) We got unpacked, got Tennyson to bed, and settled down to watch "Elf." Tom and I ate a little bit of food and I immediately felt sick again. I had to find out! I marched right upstairs and took a pregnancy test. Sure enough it was positive! Even though we've been trying I was still shocked! I went downstairs to tell Tom (who had no idea why I had left the living room so abruptly). Needless to say, we were ecstatic and sat there in disbelief. The only person we told that night was his mom, as kind of a belated Christmas present, because I wanted to tell my family the next day in person. (That's for whole 'nother post!)

Yes, every baby is miraculous, but there was something extra special God did for us......we got pregnant without the use of any fertility drugs!!! I had them in the cabinet, but was waiting for the appropriate time to take them. Knowing that everything happened naturally was such an unexpected blessing. It was a....relief in a way. God did above and beyond, exceedingly more than we had ever imagined! We believe there are no such things as coincidences. So of course Tom and I attributed it to God's sense of humor when I discovered the day I posted about trying to conceive, was most likely the very day we conceived this most precious gift.

And so it begins.....again

*A few posts ago I mentioned that there was "talk" of expanding our family, but....well... it was more than talk. After some more thought I decided to blog about our fertility issues for those of you that are willing to pray for us.*

Today marks Day One of our possibly long journey to get pregnant again. We've been trying for months, with no luck. It's been a little disappointing, but no where near what I was feeling when we were trying with Tennyson. The fact, that we have our dear, sweet, little boy makes this second "attempt" so much easier. Who has time to be stressed or depressed while chasing him around?!?!

So here's the monthly routine: I take medroxyprogesterone for 10 days, on day 21 I go to my doctor's office to get blood drawn, if/when I get my period I take clomiphene (clomid) from days 5-9. If I don't get my period by day 32 and the test is negative we have to reevaluate the dosages and begin again the next month. This is what we did before to get pregnant, and let me tell you, it was a loooonnnggg six months.

I realize that probably 90% of my friends have no idea what it's like have trouble getting pregnant, and for that they should be thankful. For those of you that can relate to fertility issues, I hope you find comfort in knowing you have options and you are not alone.

Thanks in advance to anyone who is willing to pray for Tom and I as we begin this challenging journey once again. What a longed for and cherished baby he or she will be.