Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Birthday Presents & A Big Shopping List
The second goal is to be completely ready for Baby K by January 20. On January 20th, in case you've been living in a hole and not reading my blog, is when I hit 27 weeks and 6 days, aka the dreaded day. That is when Julianna was born. I am determined to be ready before that day.
So, my afternoon was spent searching the internet for ideas for Julianna's present and finishing up my list of things we still need to buy for Baby K. What might we still need to buy for a baby? A whole crapload of stuff. We have all the big stuff, but going from a little girl to a little boy, there are things we cannot (translation: Joe won't let us) use again.
So, here's what we still need to buy:
crib mattress (we have one, but it doesn't quite fit the crib right)
1 more crib sheet
water proof pad (we still use Julianna's on her bed)
1 more changing pad cover (our pink one was donated to Emma)
newborn & 0-3mos onesies
hats
newborn diapers
size 1 diapers
sensitive wipes
bath sponge (we use this in the big tub instead of a baby bathtub)
baby shampoo/soap
baby powder
nice bibs
newborn pacifiers & a Wubbanub (google it, it's a LIFESAVER!)
nipples for bottles
A few more bottles
1 can of formula (just in case)
bottle brush
gas drops
Dreft (got to wash all those baby clothes)
I don't go back to the OB until January 19, which I am NOT happy about, so I am hoping all these preparations (birthday & baby) will keep me occupied so I don't freak out too much.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Our Christmas
Christmas morning, she slept until almost 8am! (but this morning was up at 6! what gives???) We didn't wrap her table and chairs daddy made her and she immediately went over to it and sat down. Then she saw the gifts under the tree and proceeded to put them all on the table and then sit down to open them. It was too funny!
Her face lit up when she realized this one was a Veggietales book.
The rest of Christmas Day was spent at my parents with aunts, uncles, my parents, my grand parents, and my sister and her family.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas
She wasn't even crawling yet. And now we can hardly get her to sit down for more than a few minutes. We're very excited to have 2 little ones at Christmas next year!
And speaking of our second little one, today is a major milestone for Baby K. Today, I am officially 24 weeks pregnant and Baby K is now considered "viable"! That is huge!!! If something should go really wrong at this point and he would have to be delivered he has a good chance of survival. I am in NO WAY saying that I would be ok with him being born anytime soon, but just knowing he would have a chance is a big relief. What an awesome Christmas gift!
We have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. Julianna is healthy and so far hasn't had any major setbacks due to her prematurity. My IC was caught in time to intervene and let Baby K gestate a lot longer. We have family that has been so awesome and helpful lately. This will be a great Christmas.
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Bed Rest Be Gone...At Least for Now
I had yet another ultrasound (and found out I will continue to have them at every appointment since I have the cerclage). Joe's mom took me to the appointment today since I still wasn't allowed to drive, and she got to see the ultrasound. I was glad she got to see the little guy (the tech even printed an extra picture for her to have). He looks really good. He did a complete flip during the ultrasound. He is measuring one week ahead and his estimated weight is a whopping 1lb 9oz!
The ultrasound revealed my cervix is now 2.6 cm. That means the cerclage has helped lengthen my cervix about 0.7cm. That is really good. Had my cervix measured less than 2.5cm today, then I would have had to remain on bed rest, but luckily I just squeaked by! SO, NO MORE BED REST!!!!! I still have some funneling, but Dr. O said he isn't too concerned because it hasn't gotten worse.
I still have some restrictions. I still can't pick up Julianna or anything over 15lbs. I am supposed to take it easy when I can. Keep an eye on any contractions or other symptoms of pre-term labor. Oh, and I am not allowed to run any marathons. Those are all things I can live with. I am just so excited to be allowed to drive and lead a semi-normal life again!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Almost Done!
I started out simple with some sugar cookies. No pattern needed for these goodies. Sew the cookie, stuff and finish sewing. Woohoo, super quick treats!
Next I tried a cupcake. I searched and searched the internet for directions on a cupcake, but alas, since I didn't have ink for my printer to print out the templates, I had to create my own. Luckily it wasn't too hard. Another super easy treat.
I was finally ready for something more tricky. I found a really easy tutorial by Megnificent Made for cake slices here, and just put my own spin on it (I used a sewing machine for a lot of my seams instead of hand stitching-much faster!) I also did some different decorations and such. This is Julianna's finished cake!
I just used a ribbon, velcro and a matching flower button to hold the pieces all together. I altered the directions from Happy Zombie to make the "whipped cream" for the top of the cake.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Santa!
They had some different stations set up so the kids could decorate sugar cookies, watch Rudolph, write letters to Santa or just color on the tables. Julianna chose coloring on the tables (not that we let her choose. Hello? 2 yr old and colored icing and sprinkles? That would be nuts!).
As soon as Santa arrived the kids went nutso! But then immediately all sat in a circle on the floor waiting for him to call their name so they could sit on his lap and get a gift. Julianna sat on daddy's lap waiting.
She was not a huge fan of Santa, but at least did NOT cry. She was much more interested in the present daddy was holding than the guy in the big red suit.
She very quickly unwrapped her gift...2 new wooden puzzles...ooohhh...aaahhh. Daddy only had to help with the ribbon. *So Santa, please don't use ribbons on Julianna's presents for Christmas morning. Thank you, her Mommy*
Friday, December 18, 2009
Every Year
Christmas is exactly one week from today, and I am sooooo unmotivated to finish her gifts. This happens every year. I make a huge list of gifts I am going to make and I start early. I get a whole lot done very quickly...and then completely fizzle out. Then the last week before Christmas (ok maybe the last few days before Christmas) I have to totally cram to get it all done.
I assumed this year since I was on bed rest, I would have lots of time to get things finished...but nope...I am going to cram to get the gifts done...just like every year.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Feeling Like a Crappy Mommy
Crap. We have managed to keep her germ free for a little over a year (minus a minor cold earlier this fall), but with a temp that high, we knew she must actually be sick. So she got a quick bath (by daddy) and put in some comfy fleece pj's (thanks daddy). Then daddy sat down to cuddle with her and I said NO!
I feel so badly that I can't pick her up and play with her like I did even a week ago. I've noticed she already has quit asking me for things, and asks daddy instead (sad). So I was very clear that I wanted to comfort my sick baby girl. After some arguing with Joe (he said no because he didn't want me to get sick and I countered with the fact that I have been around her for the last 2 days and I've already been exposed) he finally let her sit with me while he finished tidying up the house.
My mom is coming over tomorrow to take care of Julianna since Joe has to work and I am not allowed. I feel like such a crappy mommy. I felt crappy before she got sick, but now I have a sick baby girl and I can't do anything for her. I feel like a really crappy mommy. I just need to keep telling myself, that as crappy a mommy as I feel to Julianna right now, I am being a really good mommy to Baby K by staying horizontal. I just wish I could feel like a good mommy to both my kiddos right now.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Making My Blog Better
First thing I wanted to to do was make a button for my blog. I have been so jealous of other blogs that have cute buttons you can add to your blog. I started searching for easy directions on how to make my own button. I was so excited when I found A Heart for Home. There was a super easy tutorial on how to create your own button and then add it to your blog. After only 15 minutes I had created my own button! (This is where you stop reading and add my button to your blog...*not-so-subtle hint*)
My next task was to change the format of my blog. I have wanted 3 columns, but had no idea how to change the HTML to make them. I came across Three Column Blogger which is a blog specifically written to tell you how to make 3 columns in blogger. Wow! I used this tutorial to make 3 columns, and even though I know NOTHING about HTML, I was able to add another column to my blog in just 10 minutes! I am still working on getting the margins fixed (sadly, I think my left column and the main text are kind of squished and I can't seem to get it fixed!).
I then visited Shabby Blogs to get my new background and the fun little tags (the titles for things in my sidebars) to match. I am far from being done with changing my blog, but I was very happy with my progress today. I would say I met my goal...well got a good start at least...and I still have 10 days of bed rest left to keep working on it (fingers crossed I don't have to stay on bed rest!).
Thursday, December 10, 2009
An Official Diagnosis and Our Trip to L & D
It is bittersweet having this diagnosis. I am so happy that we all know and now steps were taken to hopefully prevent Baby K from being premature (aka my cerclage). But I am so sad and frustrated that if we had only known about this with Julianna, then the same steps could have been taken for her. I am so sad that she had to suffer in order to help her baby brother.
For those of you interested, here's how our trip to Labor & Delivery went on Wednesday (by the way, it was the first time I had been there since Julianna was born and that alone almost sent me into a panic). Joe and I got to L&D around 7am (we later found out we were supposed to be there at 6, but the nurse never called to tell us). So I had a rushed hour before my cerclage. Blood work, and excruciating IV was placed in my wrist and lots of questions to answer and papers to sign. Dr O. came in and said things were looking good and the cerclage itself would only take 5-7 minutes to be placed (it would have taken less, but he was going to be teaching a resident).
Then the resident came in and I felt better already. Into my room walked Dr. S (now Chief Resident in L&D), the only doctor I actually remember from Julianna's birth. He was the one who first examined me and told me I was going to have a baby that day. He is such a nice doctor. He has a very calming vibe. And he remembered Joe and I! He immediately stopped and commented that he remembered us and asked all about Julianna. I felt a little bit of relief, but was still getting more and more nervous.
At 8:14, I was taken back to the OR where I had an awful experience getting the spinal block. I had a spinal with Julianna's c-section, but from the little I remember it wasn't that bad. Apparently, for a cerclage the spinal is put in much lower in your back, and I have very tightly spaced vertebra in my lower back...oh and a slight curve to my spine. Those two things together made it very difficult to get the needle in, and it was NOT fun. Then, I waited on the table for 30 minutes because they didn't have the right suture! A problem I think should have been addressed before I had my spinal and was strapped down to the table!
Once the sutures got there, it really was like 5 minutes and it was all done. I spent the next hour in recovery, where, as my spinal wore off I could feel more and more cramping. I was given Motrin and told it was normal. Once I got back to my room, Joe and I just got to hang out for the next 4 hours until I was discharged. During that time the cramping got so bad I had to call the nurse and ask for something else for pain. Now, those of you that know me well, know I don't take drugs normally and especially when I'm pregnant, but it was really bad. Amazingly I was given Vicatin...I had no idea you could even take that while pregnant, but yep you can, and it was WONDERFUL! I was surprised that I felt really good by that evening.
If I am up to much I get more cramping, but as long as I stay off my feet and relax it goes away (I was told that could last up to a week). So for the next 2 weeks, I am on modified bed rest (no picking up Julianna or doing housework, stay off my feet as much as possible, no driving, be up no more than 15 minutes at a time, and some other restrictions). After that I have a follow-up appointment, and hopefully will be taken off bed rest.
I am very hopeful that the cerclage will keep Baby K warm and toasty in my belly for many more weeks. It has an 85-90% success rate and that is great! Thank you to everyone that sent good wishes and kept Baby K and our family in their prayers! Thank you! Thank you!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Not-So-Happy Post About My Cervix
My appointments for the last 2 months have been pretty much the same. Ultrasound to check out Baby K & the tech tells me what a cute baby I have gestating...ultrasound to check out my cervix & the tech tells me things look good and what my measurement was...then see Dr. O and he says things are good and he'll see me in 2 weeks. Today did not follow the pattern.
Today: ultrasound to check out Baby K & the tech told me I had a cute baby gestating and that he had fat feet (he really does we even got a pic of them!). Then, ultrasound to check my cervix & the tech said nothing. I could see the screen and saw that my measurement was under 2 cm. Then I saw the funneling (basically dilating from the inside out) and I knew it wasn't good. As we waited to see Dr. O, I told Joe things were not good and to expect at least bed rest.
Dr O. came into the room and didn't speak...not good...he made some funny faces too. Then he told us he wasn't happy with my cervical measurements...no kidding...I wasn't either. He said we could do nothing and my cervix could hold up with just bed rest or things could go downhill fast. There is no way of knowing. So he decided to take action.
Tomorrow morning I am getting cerclage. Sigh. I've known since before I was pregnant a cerclage was a possibility and I was OK with it (I'm not going to explain it...you can look it up if you really want to know). Now that it's happening tomorrow I'm not so sure I'm still OK with it. There are some risks, but it has a great success rate, so I am trying to be positive.
Please keep me and Baby K in your thoughts tomorrow morning! This kid really needs to stay put for at least 13 more weeks (I'd be happier with 15!).
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Recycled Crayons
1. Start with old broken crayons, I had a bazillion from my years of teaching, and choose your colors. Then peel off the wrappers (this was by far the worst part of the project! And if you were wondering, yes, you can get a paper cut from a crayon wrapper).
2. Sort the crayons into a muffin tin by color (or mix colors if you want a rainbow crayon). Instead of a regular muffin tin, I bought a silicon shaped muffin "tin".
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Dreaded Eye Appointment
HOLY CRAP! She'll start kindergarten in just over 3 years! The past 2 years have absolutely flown by! I can't believe we only have a month until she's 2. I think she has really grown up in just the last few weeks. She has become much more independent and her speech is really getting better. Potty training is still going slow (thanks to mom's lack of effort-she's ready to go), and she no longer uses her crib for naps (we took it out of her room and that was that). We're so proud of her!