Laying the smack-down!

Yesterday - at my OB appointment - Little Man was was given the word... Helen (my Nurse Practitioner/midwife) says he has to come early...! ...she's leaving for Ireland on Nov 14Th. You heard that Little Man!! We're ready for you whenever you want to come :)

Sleep - or lack there of...

I really don't remember having so much trouble sleeping when I was pregnant with Abi. I know its common, but ever so frustrating. I'm exhausted, but when I lay down I just can't sleep. Last night I finally fell asleep around 2am. I think I might get more sleep after the baby comes!! So - by all means come early, Little Man!

Reaching for new heights!

This afternoon I was standing at the kitchen sink doing a few dishes with my head in the clouds (as seems to be my usual state recently!) and suddenly realized the kitchen light was turning on, off, on, off, on, off... My little lady just realized that she can reach her first light switch!! And let me tell you - she is VERY pleased! :) My little lady is growing up all too quickly! Gosh, I love her so!

PS... I thought all light switches would be placed at a standard height? Apparently not - there are only a few she can reach right at the moment.

I should also mention that yesterday I cleaned the car - scrubbed every inch - and installed the infant car seat. So glad to have that done! I feel more ready now. This morning I took Abi and we went to MOM's group. I was wondering what Abi would say when she saw the seat in the car. She took one look and said, "Oh, Mamma! Its so cute! That's for my baby brother!!! He's going to talk to me!!" Such a little sweet-heart. She's very excited to have her baby brother! :)

"Little Man Milo Timeline"

Yeah - so its only been 6 months...! Worst I've done since starting my blog years ago. Oh, well - having a 2 year old and being pregnant is hard. Period. That is my only excuse. ;)



I've wanted to do a time-line on this pregnancy from the beginning since a lot has gone on, but I'm only just now getting to it. I'm stuck sitting here trying to stop contractions, so here goes!

May 2009 - time to start hoping for baby Milo #2
2/6/10 - last period
3/8/10 - Dr. appt with PCP for sore throat. Pretty sure I had Strep, but they said no. Rapid strep was negative, now have to wait for cultures to come back. Had blisters in my throat for 3 days - I know they're wrong!! ;) I had mentioned there was a chance of pregnancy in case of the need for abx. Pregnancy test was negative... so frustrating!
3/9/10 - I don't believe I'm not prego - buy a test... There is a VERY faint + but I'm afraid to believe it and tell Kris I'm not sure what to think. Its been a long road and I don't want to get my hopes up...
3/10/10 - I call Kris and ask him to pick up another test on the way home from work - the result is the same... a VERY faint +... My throat is still killing me and I can't eat. Call the Dr to find out about my throat cultures, but they came back negative also. Try to get back into the Dr's but they have no appts left for the day. Went to urgent care where my rapid strep is positive!!! Head out with a script for abx (pregnancy OK'ed just in case.) On the way home I'm talking to Amy who informs me that there is a lot of Strep going around that is resistant to Abx - so if It doesn't get better I might need different abx - heart sinks...
3/12/10 - Still can't eat - can hardly drink... Call PCP - they won't give me a script and I have to go back in! New abx and I finally start to feel better in a couple days! Woohoo!!
3/15/10 - Just one more prego test to be sure... Now that I'm feeling better I might believe it... Its +!!! A very dark, clear, obvious +!!! Woohoo!!! Can it really be??? We've been trying so long and I was loosing hope!
3/19/10 - First GYN appt - to confirm what I already know.... We are finally having another Baby!!!
3/20/10 - I have a little spotting, but I had that with Abi so I'm not terribly concerned - only lasted a day...
3/23/10 - first U/S - they say its too soon to "date" and I'll have to come back in 2 weeks...
3/27/10 - Spotting starts again.
3/30/10 - Still mild spotting off and on - Call GYN. They are concerned and want an U/S, but they only do them on Tuesdays and its too late in the day. Have to wait a week for the U/S. But while I'm on the phone find out from my GYN that I have an infection and need to start abx immediately as the infection usually causes a miscarriage and also can keep you from getting pregnant in the first place. (No wonder I couldn't get pregnant for almost a year!!!)
4/6/10 - U/S appt - seems to go well, but I don't know what they're looking for. Call from GYN to inform me that I have a Subchorionic Hemorrhage. I'm told to be on complete lifting restrictions and to do as little as possible. Ummm - how does that happen with a 2 year old at home?? Work is telling me not to come in till I can lift - stress!!
4/13/10 - U/S to re-eval Hemorrhage. It has reduced to half the size!!
4/20/10 - U/S again - Hemorrhage is almost gone, but I'm told to continue with the restrictions for another week and then I can return to work. GYN wants me to get the 12 week (where they check for abnormalities) U/S at the hospital. I didn't do that one with Abi, because no matter what - this is our baby! But they really want me to get it done so they can double check the bleed. I say OK. Why not, right?
5/10/10 - U/S at Belleview.
5/20/10 - Phone call from Helen (my Nurse midwife.) "Jessamyn, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Your blood work is negative, but the U/S came back borderline for Down's Syndrome." My heart seems to stop for a minute, but I pull it together for long enough to ask questions. She advises me to get an amnio so that I will be prepared and not worry about it for the rest of the pregnancy. I call Kris and cry, but we decide to go with the amnio - I just have to wait 3 weeks to have it done! I spend a couple days crying a lot, and then God gives me such peace! No matter what happens, it will be OK! But it is still a rough time off and on for weeks...
6/10/10 - Amnio day - I'm nervous, but Dr McCarthy and the U/S tech are awesome and put me at ease. Now to wait for the results.
PS... ITS A BOY!!! We're so excited!!!
6/23/10 - Call from Helen again with amnio results.... ALL IS WELL!!! We are having a healthy baby boy. We can start to relax and enjoy the pregnancy. :)


Its been a busy few months since then... finishing the landscaping in the yard, doing over the spare-room to be Abi's new big-girl room (including spackling, sanding, tons of painting, and sanding and painting my old bed and dresser!), and starting to prep for the baby. There is still more to be done but its all coming together... Abi adjusted fabulously to her new room and bed. She LOVES her new bed and sleeps great! Just have to do up the finishing touches on her room and get to decorating to babies room. Wish it wasn't so expensive to get a couple rooms ready!!

Tonight I'm doing nothing... Spent the weekend working and at 2pm started having contractions - every 4 minutes for 90 minutes... not good. 33 weeks is a little too soon. I think I'm just tired and dehydrated. I forgot to drink at work all day and never sat down! Called the Dr. and they said I was right - rest and rehydrate!! So I'm trying. As long as I sit still I don't have a single contraction, but the second I stand up they start in again. ...so its been a sit around and do nothing night... :) I'm awfully blessed that Kris is so good to me - even though he doesn't feel well at all this evening. I love you, Honey!

PS - last night I started an afghan for the baby. I realized that I've made several, but none for my own kids - gotta fix that situation!!

Hmmm

I should blog sometime - its been awhile. Hmmm.... guess I'll think about that tomorrow... :)

The things they say!

Last night Kris was putting Abi in the car and had her sippy cup in his hands. She looked at him and said, "Mine!" ..."Not yours!" ..."Don't touch!" ...and no I'm not making it up - I kid you not. OH MY! What are we in for? :)

Please don't do that again...

I wasn't aware of Abi ever trying to climb out of bed before... but she got an idea in her head and it was done - not with any great finesse - just done. She was tired Wednesday night; Corey and Patrick had been playing with her and it was an hour passed her bedtime. I put her in bed and somehow thought that she was asleep. Kris and I were talking, and I was on my hands and knees cleaning up the mud in the entryway... ...I've never heard a more heart stopping crash. Nor have I ever made it up 6 steps and down a hall faster - Kris right on my heals. She cried for a couple minutes and then was fine - couldn't even find a bump or bruise - and she was ready to "play toys!!" None the worse for wear - she was ready to go. After 20 minutes of hugging, smothering her with kisses, telling her never to do that again (what do you mean she doesn't understand that?) and letting my heart rate slow to a speed not indicative of serious cardiac issues, we put her back to bed. As she lay down she said, "Fall!" "Fall!!" "I fall!!" ....Yes you did, baby girl, please don't do that again!

... and so I leave you with a couple pictures of a genius 1-year-old and other "ideas" she has recently come up with!

Happier day :)

This is my little babe with her table and chairs - the ones she can't stay away from all day long... the ones she loves to play tea-party at... the ones at which she will sit and beg us to "sit, sit, sit" with her all day long :) I love this little babe!

OK, so I went to the Dr. today. I had to wait in the waiting room for 45 min (at 9:30 in the morning - pretty far behind for being that early!) but the good news is - he didn't think it was my disc issues but more of a repeated sprain. He gave me a script for some muscle relaxers so hopefully that will help! I'm tired of back pain, and I'm sure my poor husband is tired of me having back pain!

I'm late getting home from work this evening... Late for a reason that I don't mind at all. Someone stopped me on my way out the door to ask me about my church. I have no idea how she new what church I go to. I don't always talk a lot about such things at work because I don't want people to feel that I cram things down their throats. I find it a hard balance.... but tonight I was sooooo happy! That someone would ask meant they felt comfortable talking to me about my faith. I say all this to say that it also brought up questions in my mind... questions on a lot of things, but one thing I can't get off my mind. How would I deal with it if a couple living an "alternative lifestyle" asked to join our smallgroup? I have so many questions and not so many answers. We love sinners, just not the sin - and thank God for that because we all have plenty of sin in our lives! Hmmm.... I don't think I can even put my thoughts into words right now - my head is tired, but I want to think about this a bit... I think I need to do some studying and contemplating...

A few things...

The new year is hear and so must be the diet... I can't believe how much weight I've put on since this summer! Its time to stop feeling sorry for myself about not being able to get pregnant and using that as an excuse to eat like a stinking pig!! I have 25 lbs to loose - I'm starting now... I do hope my back gets better quickly so that I can go to the gym!

I'm so frustrated today - I've called 2 Dr's in the last 2 days and I can't get even one to care enough to talk to me on the phone! Yesterday, I called my Primary Care Dr. about my back - its a little better now, but on New Years Day I could hardly walk. He waited all day to call me back only to have his nurse call me and tell me I need to come in. I don't need to talk to a nurse - I am a nurse - I had a couple questions for my Dr! What happened to the days when there was common courtesy and Dr's cared? Ugh.... OK - so Kris talked me down off that ledge... I'm going to see the Dr. tomorrow - but not my Dr. of course because he's now off for the rest of the week! So then today I called my OB/GYN - I'm frustrated about not being pregnant and just wanted to chat for 5 sec to make myself feel better. The receptionist asked what it was about - when I told her what it was about she immediately said, "Oh, your going to have to come in - they won't want to talk to you over the phone." I asked, "Can't I even talk to someone to ask a couple questions??!" She took my number and said the midwife would call me back.... Two minutes later I get another call from the receptionist who informs me, "She said you really have to come in." I was so angry... "Can't anyone even give me 5 seconds of their time to tell me how long to keep trying before I completely loose heart???" She put me on hold for a second and then came back, "A year" was all she said. "Well, I'm not there yet" and I hung up. Seriously? I can't even talk to a Dr. to try to get some encouragement? It hasn't been a year yet, so they won't see me in the office, but they also won't talk to me over the phone... Great! So basically not a single Dr. that I see cares enough to give me the time of day??! I'm so angry - thanks for the encouragement Dr's - you all make me feel soooooo much better!!

p.s. I don't really think anyone reads this much - if you do, I'm sorry you read my ranting... If your a Dr. don't take it personally - I'm only referring to my current Dr.s...

Christmas

This was our picture to send out with Christmas cards this year... Its not perfect but I LOVE it. I didn't realize till a couple months ago how impossible it is to get a good picture of such an active toddler! She was actually jumping up to go look at the screen when this was taken :) I'm so happy to have a nice family picture again!!

So - I decided to make Christmas stockings this year. I had made two for Kris and I a couple years ago, but Abi didn't have one. I made a forth in hopes that there will be a 4th Milo next year - we shall see... They were pretty easy to do. The hardest part was hand sewing the piping (see the second pic) - even that was easy but time consuming. Of course I had planned to start much sooner than I did... I actually started prep for Christmas before Thanksgiving this year - something I've never done before! I was so proud of myself, but then Abi got sick and I got sooooooo far behind. I started these stockings the Friday before Christmas - but had them finished by Monday.

Poor little babe has been sick again... Hopefully we've reached then end of it! She just had a cold, but it was a bad one! We finally took her to the Dr. on Christmas Eve because she had had such a cough and it wouldn't go away! They weren't sure what was wrong - maybe an ear infection or sinusitis - but said that since it had been more than 2 weeks they were going to treat it with abx. So now - 3 weeks later and a couple days on some amoxycillin - she FINALLY seems to be sleeping better and I've only heard her cough once in the last 24 hours!! Yay!

...OK... so I started this post over a week ago and then life got so busy again that I haven't had time to finish it!

This was definitely my favorite Christmas!! Having Abi old enough to somewhat understand and then to be able to express her appreciation was heart melting!! We got her a little set of table and 2 chairs that are just her size and SHE LOVES THEM!!! Kris and Ty got them ready Christmas Eve night after Abi went to bed and left them set up in the living room. Christmas morning Abi woke up crazy early and I had her play with Kris in our room for a little while so I could finish getting things ready... On her way out to the living room she decided to make a pit stop in the bathroom to get her "pieces" (her shampoo etc....) So I said, "Abi, come here - I want to show you something!" She started to come out of the bathroom throwing a fit cause she wanted to do her own thing, but stopped short in the doorway when she saw the table and chairs. She stood like a statue for about a second and then a huge smile slowly grew on her face. She ran to the table, climbed up in a chair, put her hands over the table and leaned over and gave it a hug. Then she jumped up and ran back to me and gave me a huge hug.... ran back to the table.... ran back to hug me.... ran back to the table.... My hear melted. If that was the only thing she was excited about it would have been worth it, but it wasn't. She loved every since toy and enjoyed unwrapping immensely! (Though I must say - what is with the pulling off a tiny piece and handing it to me "tay-tchoo!", pulling off another piece and handing it to me "tay-tchoo!" she may be a little OCD like me!)

I think we just had the best Christmas that I can ever remember! I can't believe how having a child who is so excited about everything can make it all so much more magical! :)