April 18, 2004: Here's here!

Read the (very long!) birth story!

April 15, 2004: Big baby

We had an appt today for an ultrasound to check the size of the baby. We're in the 92% percentile for the baby's gestational age. So, if we go all the 40 weeks, could be another big big baby! At 36w5d, he is estimated to be about 7.5 lbs (give or take 0.75 lbs). The heartbeat was at 148 bpm. He's got chubby cheeks and lots of hair!

I'm close to 4 cm now. So despite lots of contractions lately, I feel like I'm progressing slowly. If I go into labor now, I get to deliver. So send those labor vibes...I'm ready to hold our little guy!

April 9, 2004: I'm in the clear!

Well, I had an appt today (36 weeks today!). My Group B Strep test came back negative and my complete blood count came back normal. For once my urine was good and wasn't spilling over sugar. We listened to the heartbeat, too.

The best news is that I'm allowed to start getting off of bedrest - yippee!! If I go into labor, I can deliver and we will likely go home with our baby. Since 37 weeks is considered full term and I did one round of steroids, the baby's lungs should be fine. We've scheduled an u/s for next Thursday to check the size of the baby.

I'm so excited. Dr. Baer was very proud that we made it this far, he had thought for sure I would deliver to early. I have my family and friends to thank for getting me through the past 4 weeks of bedrest.

Thank you for everone who took at least one shift, and most who took many more - bringing us lunch/dinner, playing with/reading to/entertaining Zander, helping with laundry/cleaning and so much more: Grandma (& Grandpa), Haley, Caitlin (& Declan/Keric), Candy (& Michele), May (& Madison/Hunter), Rose Ena (& Robby), Lanel (& Dave/Nic), Sam, Jimmy, and Krystal (& Sam).

April 2, 2004: 35 Weeks!

I had an appt with Dr. Baer today. We listened to the heartbeat. He also measured me, and I'm right on track for 35 weeks. He did an internal check and I'm still at "a good 3 cm." He also said that the baby's head is really low and predicted that when I finally do go into labor, it will go quickly. I told him that the baby dropped a couple of days ago and totally changed my body silhouette.

He also did a routine Group B strep culture, and we should get results on Tuesday. I also got paperwork for a complete blood count which looks at the blood for anemia, infections, and any abnormal blood cells.

New bare belly photos are now in the pregnancy photo gallery.

March 26, 2004: Hanging in there...

I had an appt with Dr. Baer today. The nice uneventful kind where he says, "Things are going well. Keep doing what you are doing." Which means stay on bedrest. The good news is that we are now at 34 weeks, and at 99% survival rate. This survival rate stays the same from now until 40 weeks. So we made it to that first milestone.

Our next goal in keeping the baby from being born, is to make sure that he has time to mature his lungs and organs so that he can come home with us instead of having to go to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for a few days or weeks. Each day in the womb, until about 37 weeks, means less chance of staying in the hospital.

March 23, 2004: I must be doing something right

My fetal fibronectin test came back negative! YAY!

But, I still have to stay on bedrest. BOO!

You know it's bad when you look forward to getting allergy shots and going to the dentist just to get out of the house.

March 19, 2004: Sometimes I loathe technology...

Ack! My laptop display is going out on me...so far it's been tolerable for email and some work, but not for graphics. I'm going to have to take it in next week to be looked at. Oh no!

The good news is that I've been given the okay to get a pedicure. No results yet on the fetal fibronectin test.

March 18, 2004: More bedrest

Another appt with Dr. Baer today. So far, I have not progressed any farther than 3 cm, which is very good. He did another fetal fibronectin test. We should get test results tomorrow or Monday.

My friend Candy set up a schedule and is coordinating with friends and family to help me out during the day with Zander. Once a week, we spend the day at Grandma and Grandpa's house for a change of scenery, and Zander just loves playing in their backyard. Here's how the shifts break down:

• 9-11 AM: Breakfast, which Gaynell covers every day except Friday, when Doug works from home
• 11 AM - 1 PM: Lunch, where someone brings us lunch
• 1-3 PM: Naptime, many times Gaynell is there doing chores like laundry while Zander and I sleep (Thanks Grandma!)
• 3-6 PM: Afternoon, where whoever comes is pretty much a playmate for Zander until Doug comes home - Mondays and Wednesdays are covered by my mother's helper Haley

I am so lucky to have such a great network of friends and family to help me through this time.

March 12, 2004: I love technology

Okay, so I did do one thing...I kept our appointment for a keepsake ultrasound. Today we had one of those new 3D/4D ultrasounds done. I actually did leave the house, and unfortunately, it was on the 2nd floor in a building without an elevator, but stayed seated nearly the whole time. The ultrasound tech was really great. She took her time and showed us a lot of our baby. The pictures didn't turn out as clearly as I had hoped, but what we saw was really cool. The baby stayed asleep the entire time, despite pokes, prods and repositioning to try and get him to wake up. It was a really good experience. Take a look at some of the still photos. We also got a videotape of the entire ultrasound.

March 11, 2004: The bedrest continues

Well, I'm now definitely confined to bedrest for the duration of the pregnancy. I had an appt with Dr. Baer yesterday and things were going okay, until he did an internal check and found out that I am already 2-3 cm dilated and about 80% effaced. And this morning I got a call that my 2nd fetal fibronectin test came back positive.

I'm now on a prescription of Terbutaline to help prevent/stop contractions and have been told to lay around as much as possible. It's definitely more serious now. I can feel a lot of pressure when I do have to get up (change position, go to the bathroom, etc). The Terbutaline makes me shaky and raises my heartrate, which just makes me more tired easily. No more driving, no multiple trips up and down the stairs, no picking up Zander... It's going to drive me nuts, but I really don't want to have this baby too soon if I can help it.

The goal is, of course, to have a full term baby that we can take home with us after birth. Ideally, this would happen after 36 weeks. Making it to Friday, which is my 32 week mark, is a good milestone as well. Basically each day the baby is not born is another day he is not in an incubator in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

March 8, 2004: Bedrest and the importance of the support of family and friends!

Doug is on a business trip now until late Wednesday night. Doug's mom, Gaynell, aka Grandma, came this morning to watch Zander so I could go to my dental appointment. Turns out my root canal cannot be retreated, so I will lose a tooth! But the specialist recommended that I wait until after the birth to do anything.

Gaynell stayed and watched/played with/fed/changed Zander until I picked up my mother's helper Haley at 3:00 PM. After Haley left at 6:00 PM, my friend Candy came over at 6:30 PM with dinner for us. She helped me get Zander fed and then bathed and ready for bed. Gaynell came back at 9:30 PM to spend the night with us.

To be honest, I've never been one to ask for help, but I really don't want to take any chances that this baby will be born too soon and require a stay in the NICU. I'm so grateful for everyone who is offering to come over and just offering positive thoughts and keeping us bathed in thoughts, prayers and good vibes.

March 6, 2004: Spoke too soon...preterm labor

Today was quite eventful. This afternoon, I started feeling funny, and then started experiencing contractions, very uncomfortable ones. They were definitely different from my normal Braxton-Hicks contractions. I asked Doug to get me some food to eat, and I thought maybe the contractions would go away after some time. They didn't. So, I called the Labor & Delivery and spoke to one of the nurses, who told me to come in and get checked.

They hooked me up to the monitor to check the baby's heartrate and my uterine contractions. I was having contractions every 1-3 minutes! So they gave me shot of Terbutaline/Brethine to stop the contractions. It is a muscle relaxant, which had the unfortunate side effect of making my heart race. So much so that I was unable to receive the follow up shot 30 minutes later - my pulse was 135.

It did stop the contractions, though. It seemed I would be able to go home as soon as they got the results from my fetal fibronectin test, which they assumed would be negative.

Unfortunately, it came back positive. Which meant that my risk of preterm delivery was higher than normal. So, I had to get a shot of corticosteroids to help the baby's organs and especially lungs mature more quickly, in case of a premature birth. This is one of those shots they give in your bottom, and it was the most painful shot I can ever remember getting. I also got instructions to come back in 24 hours for another shot.

That wasn't even the worst part - I was put on complete bedrest until further notice. That means avoiding lifting, standing or sitting upright. With a toddler? Yeah right. I could be on bed rest for a minimum of 2 weeks, the nurse tells me. UGH.

I need to follow up with the booster shot of corticosteriods on Sunday night and an appointment with Dr. Baer on Monday.

March 5, 2004: 31 weeks and all is well!

We had our 31 week appointment today and things are going well. We listned to the heartbeat, and it was right around 150 bpm. I'm measuring on target for my date, as well. I did confirm that I passed my 3-hour glucose test. I had to pass 2 out of the 3 blood draws and I did just that. I actually failed the first hour blood draw, then passed the second and third hour draws. Whew!

We've scheduled our keepsake ultrasound (with 3D and 4D/video) for March 19, which is exciting. We didn't do this with Zander because it was so cost prohibitive when I was pregnant with him. I'm excited to be able to see actual features rather than the fuzzy grain of traditional ultrasound.

February 21, 2004: More belly photos

New bare belly photos are now in the pregnancy photo gallery. 29 weeks! Also some new photos of Zander having fun with my big belly.

February 20, 2004: On the mend...sort of

I think both Zander and I are on the road to recovery with our respective viruses/infections/colds.

However, I did go to the dentist today to find out that I have one cavity on one side of my mouth and on a tooth where I have a root canal done already, I might have to get it redone or they will have to pull the whole tooth. No fun!

And little Z4 is going to get a chance to "hear" his Daddy play a gig tonight in town. My sister is coming to watch Zander for me. Thanks, Auntie Berni!!!

February 18, 2004: Could it be?

I'm hoping no news is good news. I haven't gotten a call from the OB office yet about the 3 hour glucose test results. Luckily, the Girl Scout cookies I ordered came before I got a call. I just love those Caramel Delites!

Poor Zander...he now has an ear infection in both ears and he's teething on top of all that. I've got a full blown cold now, too.

February 16, 2004: Exhausted!

What a day. Zander has been coughing a lot and feverish since Friday. And he has been waking up all hours of the night crying. I'm exhausted.

After a trip to the pediatrician, a nebulizer treatment and a hospital test, Zander has been diagnosed with bronchiolitis, a complication from RSV. They sent us home with our own nebulizer for home treatment. We are now on a self-imposed house quarantine. It's going to be a long week!

February 13, 2004: 3 hour test

Friday the 13th, of course. It went as well as could be expected. They even let me lay down in a little room and I actually got some sleep in between blood draws. My arm looks like I'm a heroin user, but otherwise I'm okay. I stopped on the way home for a vanilla creme from Starbucks and a ham and cheese croissant from Dunkin Donuts - oh and a chocolate frosted donut. Hey, it could be my last one before I have the baby!

February 12, 2004: Sugar, sugar, sugar

I had my 28 wk appt today with Dr. Baer and when they tested my urine, the sugars were 4+, which pretty much maxes out the sugar test. I probably shouldn't have eaten gummy bears after breakfast before my appt. LOL!

I also had protein, indicating a urinary tract infection, so I'm starting antibiotics tomorrow, too. I haven't eaten since 8 PM and I have to go to Memorial Hospital for my test at 7:00 AM. UGH. Not looking forward to the blood taking.

If I do end up with gestational diabetes, I will be in very often for the last trimester getting extra ultrasounds. Which is kind of cool...I love getting ultrasounds.

The bad news is that I will be placed on a diabetic type diet.

The good news is that the baby's heartbeat was 150, and that he looks to be measuring on target so far.

I've also been having a lot of pressure in the pelvic region when I am standing or walking these days. Dr. Baer says its because Zander really stretched me out and now the new baby is going to sit lower earlier in the pregnancy. There may be scar tissue that's he's resting on as well. I've got the 36 pregnancy waddle 8 weeks early!