Christmas Presents

Logan Jeffrey was born (via c-section, long story) on Thursday, December 23rd, 2010. He weighed 10 pounds even and was 21 inches long.

We're completely smitten, of course.

Since then...

• My doctors put me on bed rest starting on November 18th because of extreme swelling in my legs and feet. (I had gained over 6 pounds of excess fluid in a week, and it was all pooling below my knees and in my feet.
• The following Tuesday, November 23rd, I went in for a scheduled NST and doctor's appointment. During my NST, the tech asked me if I was feeling any contractions, and I said I that I was feeling some tightening but nothing painful. She informed me that I was contracting every 6 minutes. Since (luckily) my doctor's office is actually IN the hospital where I was having my NST done, they called the doc and she came down to do a cervical exam on me. Cervix was still closed and long - no progress. She told me to just go up after my NST/AFI were done and have the nurses do my urine sample/weight/bp and I would be good to go. 
• I went up to do the urine sample/weight/bp and my bp was something like 174/100. They had me lay down and tested me again after a few minutes. It was still crazy high, so they sent me to triage. In triage, my bp went up to something crazy like 184/109. They gave me two IV doses of Labetalol and my lower bp number went down some, but they decided to admit me for 24 hours to observe my bp and have me do a 24h urine. 
• Bp was fine once I was admitted, and my 24h urine protiens came back normal, so they let me leave, just in time for a family Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving-Dinner tradition. I was super happy! They had me start taking Procardia for the BP, too. 
• Next doc appointment was Friday, December 3rd. BP was still crazy high, but instead of admitting me, they just had me up my Procardia dosage. 
• Tuesday, December 7th, I had my last growth ultrasound and Logan measured at 8lb 3oz +/- 19 oz. NST and AFI were both great. 
• Thursday, December 9th, I went in for another regular doctor's appointment. Guess what? BP was still crazy high, even after upping my Procardia. Second verse, same as the first - they sent me to triage (where my ditz nurse almost blew a vein trying to get my IV in my hand and then after she failed to get it, told me "I'm losing all my confidence in my IV skills! I haven't been able to do one in weeks!" Thanks, lady.) and then ended up admitting me for another 24H urine. They told me that if my proteins came back over 300, they would probably induce me at 37 weeks (which was yesterday).
• Proteins were fine (as usual, darn it!), so talk of inducing me went out the window. By this point, it was Friday evening and I hadn't heard from my doctor since early that morning. The Hubs and I were getting super frustrated that no one was telling us what the plan was, or even if there WAS a plan. Finally someone told me that I would be staying at least Friday night for more observation and to monitor the migraine I had developed. They also mentioned that there was a possibility that they would keep me in the hospital until I had Logan naturally or until they induced me at 39 weeks (Christmas Day). At this point, I flipped out, but really didn't have any choice in the matter. 
• Yesterday, I continued to get more and more frustrated because we hadn't heard from my doctor (still) and didn't know if I was staying through the course of the pregnancy, or if they were going to let me go home. Finally around 2pm, my doctor wanders in the room and says "I checked the schedule. How would you feel about doing an amnio on Wednesday and inducing Wednesday night or Thursday morning if his lungs are good?" Um, yes please!
• So they let me leave the hospital yesterday afternoon, and now The Hubs and I are scrambling to get as much ready as possible so that we're prepared to potentially have this kiddo out by the end of the week! (And, of course, this morning I lost my mucous plug, so now we may be having him even sooner than that! I hope not!!!)

There's your update. Of course, I'll update after we have some more definite plans, or have a baby, which ever comes first!

Blogging: The Lazy Way

Long Pregnancy Survey!! Created by jenbrat13 and taken 4182 times on Bzoink
About the mommy!
Name:	Anna
Age:	28
First child?:	Yes
About the daddy!
Name:	Jack
Age:	31
First child?:	Yes
Finding out!!
What day did u find out?:	April 21, 2010
How did u feel when u found out?:	Excited, Nervous
Who was with u?:	Just me.
Who was the first peson u told?:	Jack, about 1 minute later.
How did they react?:	He was incredulous.
How did the daddy react?:	See above.
Telling the grandparents!
How did ur parents react?:	Very excited.
How did his parents react?:	Very excited.
Are they helping with baby names?:	Other than his middle name being after my dad, no.
Have they bought anything for the baby yet?:	Yes.
How often do they call to check on u?:	We all talk about weekly.
About the pregnancy!
When was ur first appointment?:	April 23, 2010
When is ur due date?:	January 1, 2011
How far along r u?:	30w5d
Pre-pregnancy weight?:	Not telling.
Weight now?:	I've gained about 13 pounds.
Have u had an unltrasound?:	Tons.
Have u heard the heartbeat?:	Tons.
What was the heartbeat?:	He varies, but usually between 140-155.
Sex of the baby!
What do u want?:	It's a boy.
What does the daddy want?:	It's a boy.
What do u think u r having?:	It's a boy.
Have u had ur big ultrasound yet?:	Yes, it's a boy.
If so, what r u having?:	It's a boy.
Are u happy with what u r having?:	Yes.
About the birth!
Do u know what u r taking with u?:	Clothes, toiletries, a coming home outfit for Logan.
Who is going to be with u?:	Jack and my BFF Samantha.
Are u going to videotape it?:	No, but Samantha will take pictures.
Natural or medicated?:	Medicated.
Do u think u will need a c-section?:	I hope not, but there is a high possibility.
Will u cry with u hold ur baby for the first time?:	Probably.
Do u know what u will say to the baby when u first hold him/her?:	Happy Birthday!
Are u scared about the labor?:	Not really. He has to come out somehow.
Names!!
Do u have a name picked out?:	Logan Jeffrey
Girl names...:	Leah Rene, but it's a boy.
Boy names...:	Logan Jeffrey. Taylor Jeffrey was an option for a bit.
Is ur baby going to be named after someone?:	My dad.
Other random questions!!
Where was ur baby conceived?:	At home.
Have you felt the baby move?:	Tons.
What race will your baby have? From you and daddy?:	Caucasian.
Do you have stretch marks?:	Yes.
What was your first symptom?:	Heartburn.
What religion will the baby know? And from what side?:	The baby will make his own decisions as he gets older.
What music or interests do you want the baby to know?:	Varied interests in many different genres.
Will ur baby have godparents?:	No.
Who will the god mommy be?:	N/A
Who will the god daddy be?:	N/A
What is the baby's room theme?:	There's no real theme. His bedding is rocket ships.
What was the first thing u bought for the baby?:	A monkey safety blanket.
Are u ready to be a mommy?:	I guess I have to be. But I think so.
You've been totally Bzoink*d! Take This Survey Search Surveys Create a Survey

Compare and Contrast

Here is "The Bump" at 24w2d, and then 5 weeks later, at 28w5. Wowza.

The Magically Appearing Face...

28w3d

We had another growth ultrasound today, and our first Non-Stress Test. At the GU, Mr. Man was measuring at about 3 lb. 5 oz., which is about a pound and a half gain in 4 weeks - good news! He's on track with his weight and hasn't grown too big just yet. The Non-Stress Test went fine as well, with Logan giving the nurse 3 accelerations in about 1/2 an hour. All systems are go, so far!

Over the past week or so, he's grown to the point where his feet are gauging me in my right ribs, which is always fun. I've been feeling him move around A LOT lately, and I really enjoy it. It's so reassuring to know that he's still doing well in there.

I have my second attempt at a Fetal Echo this Friday, so he'd better cooperate this time! I also have to do my 28 Week Labs at that point too. Bah! Then, Monday, which happens to be The Hubs' and my 2nd wedding anniversary, we're taking one of the three classes we're signed up for - Infant Care and Safety. Next Tuesday, I have another NST, and next Wednesday I have my bi-weekly check-up. Lots going on in Baby Land.

The baby's room is still in the process of getting cleaned out, but we've definitely made progress. Now there's only one corner of the room being taken up by The Hubs' miscellaneous gark. Everything "baby" has made its way into another corner of the room, and it's just sitting there waiting for all the awesome stuff we're sure to get at our FOUR baby showers!

Speaking of which, the first of four is happening this Saturday. The BFF is throwing it for me, and it's sure to be amazing. I can't wait! Then, next weekend is the one for my Step-Mom's family, and the week after that is my work shower. Finally, on November 13th, The Hubs' mom is throwing me one for that side of the family. I can't wait to see everyone and celebrate Mr. Man's Immenent Arrival!

And with that, I'll leave you with a picture of kiddo's face, taken at today's ultrasound:

MFN says he has my lips. LOL

25w4d

It's starting to hit me. There's a very good chance that this baby could come around 37 weeks, which means less than 12 weeks until our lives change. Less than 12 weeks. Holy reality check, Batman.

Kiddo is still doing well, as far as I know. I think he went through a growth spurt these past couple of weeks, because I've noticed a lot of big changes. For one, I'm feeling him move ALL. THE. TIME. and everywhere around my belly now. Last Saturday, The Hubs actually got to feel him kick for the first time, which was exciting. The Hubs, of course, would have been much more excited if the ONE time he actually felt something hadn't come after about 300 times of me saying "There!" and "That was a big one, you didn't feel it?!" and him feeling nothing.

It's getting to be very entertaining to watch my belly dance. It's really easy to see if I have a t-shirt on or something, when Mr. Man is on the move, my t-shirt will just "jump" out of nowhere. It's quite entertaining, and something that I didn't think I'd be able to experience quite so early, being overweight and all.

I've felt a more pronounced "heaviness" in my belly over the past week or two, which makes me think that he's gaining weight like a champ in there. The round ligament pains are so. not. fun., and I get to experience them every single morning when I wake up, and at random times throughout the day. Imagine if you will, a bowling ball being held in place by rubber bands. Except, the rubber bands are two belly muscles. Every time the bowling ball moves or you shift positions, those rubber bands get stretched to their limits. How do you think those rubber bands feel? Yeah...

I've noticed a lot more swelling lately too. It's not so bad in my hands, but my feet are starting to look like tree trunks. It's not pretty. What? You want evidence? You're evil.

Paint it green and call me Shrek

I'm getting more and more concerned that they're going to put me on bed rest. I have no idea what my blood pressure is, but since they're so worried about it, I feel like they're just going to say 'better safe than sorry' and throw me on bed rest at 28 weeks.

I really don't want to be on bed rest. Especially without cable TV.

I have my next monthly check-up appointment this Friday, so we'll see what Dr. H. says. It's been so long since I saw her, that I'm really interested to see what her take is on everything that the other million doctors in between have said. I'm hoping she's on the same page with the last Dr. about inducing, and I'm hoping that she'll agree with inducing sooner rather than later.

I also have some questions for her which deal with my own ignorance. Dr. H. is Muslim, which is perfectly fine by me, I couldn't care less what religion she practices. She's an amazing woman and an incredibly capable doctor. However, I am wondering about her take on my whole wanting to have Logan before Christmas thing. Obviously, Christmas isn't a factor to her, but I don't know if there are Muslim holidays around the same time that might be. We have also decided to have Mr. Man circumcised, and I am interested to find out if there are any religious constraints on her end that would prevent her from performing that procedure. These all might be completely silly questions that have no effect on my labor and delivery, but I'm curious.

I also want to know how concerned she is with my blood pressure. I'm stressed about that, which is funny, since I've NEVER in my life had high blood pressure. Pre-eclampsia is SCARY for pregnant women. A high school friend of mine just had her baby at 28 weeks because of severe Pre-E. I so don't want my rising blood pressure to be an indicator of that.

On another note, preparations-wise, we've been TOTAL slackers. The Hubs was studying for his Cisco Certification for a while, so he was busy with that, and I've just been tired and lazy. I'll have to take a picture of the current state of the "nursery", which is currently used as The Black Hole of Useless Items, and The Hubs' Office. Suffice it to say that we've got A LOT of work to do.

We scheduled our classes with the hospital, though. I've chosen (whether to my benefit or detriment, we'll see) to forego the "usual" classes like Childbirth and Breastfeeding. The Childbirth class, because I feel pretty confident in my internet and book research as to the process of what happens, and I've also had several moms tell me that once you're actually in labor, you forget anything you learned anyway. Plus, the doctors and nurses are there to guide you through the process as you go, so it's not like you'll be stranded in the stirrups all by yourself. I'm not taking a Breastfeeding class because {1} the hospital has certified Lactation Consultants that come visit you in your room anyway, and {2} the plan* is that I will breastfeed only until my milk comes in, and then I will exclusively pump. Maybe one day, I'll write a post that delves deep into all of the reasons for that decision, but today is not that day.

At any rate, we are taking an Infant Care and Safety class on our two-year wedding anniversary, October 18th. We signed up for it mostly for The Hubs' own piece of mind. I feel like it's stuff that will come naturally, but he's a researcher. So, we're doing it for him, and if I come out of it with useful info, then great! From the hospital website: "This informal three-and-a half hour class will provide expectant parents with practical, hands-on information about how to care for mom and infant, and safety topics. The first two hours will be spent covering what moms should expect after delivery and the care infants will need once at home. Expectant parents will learn hands-on how to bathe, diaper, dress, hold, comfort, and feed an infant. A pediatrician will also be covering medical concerns and answering questions. The last hour will be devoted to safety where expectant parents will learn hands-on about car seat safety and home safety."

We're also taking an Infant CPR class, which I think should be a requirement before you're allowed to take your child home. And, we're taking a Happiest Baby on the Block seminar. I asked around to a bunch of mothers to find out what their thoughts on HBOB were, and not a single one had anything bad to say about it. I kept hearing phrases such as "lifesaver" and "couldn't have made it through without it", so we decided to go ahead and sign up for the seminar. I'm hoping it's as helpful as these moms have made it sound.

And, on another another note, my three baby showers have been scheduled and invites sent out for two so far. (And, yes, I said three. I'm very lucky.) The BFF is throwing me a "friends-only" space themed shower on October 16th, my Step-Mom's family is throwing me a shower on October 24th, and my MIL is throwing me a shower on November 13th. I'm incredibly grateful that so many people want to come together to celebrate Logan and to help us prepare. I'll (of course) post recaps of all the showers.

And, I guess that's it. I'll leave you with a belly pic, as I just realized that I haven't posted any pictures of myself on this blog...

25 week bump

Until next time, friends! :-)


* From this point on, any time you see me type the word "plan", please realize that it is always intended to be in quotation marks because I realize that no matter what my "plan" is, my body and my baby may have a completely different idea in mind. In no way are my "plans" set in stone, but they are more of a guideline as to how I would like to do things. We shall see.