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Friday, July 13, 2012


I had an ultrasound this morning. The doctor's goal was to see how healthy the baby was... called the biophysical profile. Main thing was to see his heart and if the diaphragm was beginning to work to show that he has potential to breathe on his own... and it was!!  Another thing that it indicates is that he has enough energy to physically do it. The ultrasound technian said that sometimes you can't see this in an ultrasound until past 30 weeks. I'm at 26, so that is very good news!!  Everyone that has monitored me has said that the baby looks "great."  They didn't try to get a measurement on my scar because they know it is thin and becuase of baby's position, it is not likely to get an accurate reading anyway.  So, in an ultrasound now they are just looking to make sure everything is in tact and that nothing is coming through the scar. I was so glad to have the ultrasound completed and recieve positive news before the weekend! 

The first picture is his face profile with mouth open. She said she could see his tongue too, but I can't tell.
The other is his hand. He literally waves to us almost every ultrasound and we love it!

So I'm up again at 430am! Made it a little longer tonight than last and in general, I'm more comfortable. I think I'll take the nurses up on a sleep aid Friday night. As far as I know I will be getting ultrasound Friday. We may be able to see the lining more clearly or we may see baby boy in the same spot since its only been 2 days since my last ultrasound. Praying to see things more cleary which will give us a little more breathing room. Thank you to everyone who has reached out! I truly love hearing from you & am overwhelmed by those willing to help. My friend Jennie is sending out a meal calendar to those interested in helping that way. I would love a visit from anyone who is up for that too. My boys are pretty well taken care of for July. I had planned ahead since we knew this was a possibility. It looks like August will be a little more tricky with childcare since my babysitters will be going back to school/work & Luke doesn't go back until aug 27. Not sure how far I'll make it, so we are trying to take it one week at a time. Most urgent prayer right now would be that we could make it to a minimum of 30 weeks which is around aug 10 & that I wouldnt end up in an emergency situation (doctors tell me that an emergency isn't likely). Pray for Michael as he is adjusting to all this as well... Adding full time dad to his full time work schedule & juggling being with me. My parents have been a huge help too. I am so thankful for my family and community. You guys make this so much easier on us and we are are truly grateful!!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

So here I am... July 11 (about 25/26 weeks). Baby boy's head is head down and right up to my scar on the inside of my uterus and my bladder is right up against it on the outside. They were not able to measure the thinning of my scar as in the past which has been the goal of every ultrasound. My high risk dr was at another office and I had a new ultrasound tech, so I was already a little on edge since I wasn't seeing "my regulars." The intern sends my images to the doctor & Michael and I wait. The practitioner walks in & says I need to be admitted to Baptist. No stopping at home. I lose it. I'm thinking "can't I just stop at home and get my things? Can't I just wait another hour so I can see my kids after VBS?" I was expecting this ultimately, just not so abruptly. I'm also afraid this means baby s coming much sooner than we thought. Michael is awesome... Totally with me every step of the way. I am admitted and my nurse Melissa is awesome! I've seen both high risk and regular OB today and they tell me it is still the goal to get me to 34 weeks. I'm thankful and relieved that it's even a remote possibility. The thought of being in the hospital for 8 weeks is overwhelming. But we want baby boy to get as strong as he can. I got a steroid shot to help his lungs develop a little more quickly. he is already around 2+ pounds and at 25/26 weeks, that is big. I don't typically have big babies so there is only one explanation for that... God! I can definitely say I haven't understood what He is up to, but not once have I doubted that He has been & will continue to be with me every step of the way! After being in bed a couple hours, my back was already hurting. This may be a long visit. I can get up for 1-2 hours at a time, then lay for 2 so that is nice & similar to what I was doing at home the last couple weeks. Just my scenery has changed. To a parking lot to be exact. My room is nice though. I do have dvd & 19" tv! The boys think my hospital "hotel" is awesome because my bed has a speaker on it and moves up & down. They will get to watch movies here with me, so they think that is the greatest. There are other "long timers" here at baptist as they have named my kind. All here for different reasons, but here until the baby comes. I, of course ask, if we can meet & hang out in the halls :) & they say some do. The nurse offered her iPad because my laptop isnt connecting. I've been up almost every hour going to the bathroom. They tell me the more I drink water and the more empty my bladder is, the less contractions I'll have (which ultimately can be a strain on my scar). They say they will leave me alone for the night unless I need them, but I've been up since 3am. I will get ultrasounds 2 times a week and unless im having pain or my scar pulls apart, then baby will stay put. Ive been told my next ultrasound is likely on Friday. I will probably post daily if you want to come to the site for updates. I appreciate you!

The story.... Ever since Luke was born (2007), Michael and I have wanted another baby. I had an issue at Luke's delivery via c-section that might not allow us to have another one (basically it's called a uterine window & after healing would increase my chanes of reoccurrence and potential inability to carry the baby to a healthy term). We weren't ready anytime soon... We had our hands full with two toddler boys! We didnt linger much on it until 2009 we met with doctors & had semi-unclear advice. We pursued other appointments, lots of prayer and looked into adoption for the next two years. In january of 2012, we were ready to make our decision. We went away for a weekend to seek clarity & pray. There is no way to describe what happened that weekend... Except we totally felt God's presence & peace. We decided that week to move forward with having a biological child. February 7, I found out I was pregnant! I was excited, shocked & scared. We meet with my OB and they seem somewhat optimistic saying things like "there are possibe risks, but I don't think they are likely." I was filled with hope. At 13 week ultrasound a different doctor, my new high risk dr, was telling me to prepare for hospital bed rest at 24 weeks. We were deflated, but we planned on it. We found out in May, we were having a another boy! Ultrasounds have been going as planned & things are looking as good as they can. We hit 23, then 24 and for three weeks the was little change in the thinning of my scar. We were hopeful yet again.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

I love to try new recipes. Unfortunately, the resto f my family really doesn't! This is one of the best I've tried in a while, so I wanted to share it with you...

Baked Barley Risotto With Butternut Squash

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 50m
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small butternut squash (about 11/2 pounds)—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 onion, finely chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
5 ounces baby spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more for serving
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large oven-safe saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the squash, onion, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the barley to the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil; cover the pot and transfer it to oven. Bake until the barley is tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
Stir in the spinach, Parmesan, and butter. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Merry Christmas!










Our early Christmas gift... Lucy!


oh what fun!

Seeing Santa... Meeting Dasher





playing bingo


my dad's entire side of the family