35 Weeks

I had an appointment today, so here's a little update on our  Monday milestone:

 

35 Weeks

Maternity Clothes:  I still think she must be awfully high b/c regular jeans are still fine... sometimes I don't even feel like I need the rubber band trick going on.  I am enjoying my maternity t-shirts though (regular fits, but it's nice to have more selection now that the maternity ones don't swallow me whole). :)

Movement: Anna Reaghan has had some very active evenings.  Several times her movements were SO big and so stretching they hurt and catch me off guard.  I've had to remind her she can't push her way out of the front of my stomach.  No can do.  Thankfully, she is still head down even though she's moved so much and switched which side her back is angled toward.  The doctor said Anna Reaghan has her spine out also which is the most optimal positioning.  Please stay that way!

Sleep: With both of my pregnancies, sleep hasn't been a huge issue.  I have nights now and then of pregnancy insomnia (more this time than with Asa), and I have to move around to find a comfy spot but it doesn't take terribly long.  If I have to get up in the night for the restroom, it's usually just once and not until 5 or 6.

Preparation:  Her room is soooo close to being ready. That is VERY exciting.  Today on the way back from my appointment, I picked up what I wanted to make a bow holder for Anna Reaghan's hair clips.  I think I'm mostly done prepping her room and need to move on to Asa's birthday party.  I just have little details left for her:  washing her bedding, sterilizing pump parts and a few bottles just in case, finishing touches in her room, and making sure my pack and play plan for our bedroom will work. :)

Prayer requests:  Please pray for the transition to a family for 4 for all of us!   And the usual labor and delivery things:  quick enough (hopefully faster than Asa's), smooth, no complications, nursing goes well, going home fast, speedy recovery, that my doctor would be in town :), and especially that MY HUSBAND would be in town (he has business across the country just before I turn 37 weeks and again just before I'm 38 weeks).  In MY mind, the optimal time is 40.5-41 weeks (my mom will be here by then to wait with us and would be available for Asa--she'll come whenever I go into labor if it's before then).  But I know God's timing was perfect with Asa, so I'm *trying* to trust that it's just as perfect for Anna Reaghan's arrival. :)

Weekend Rewind

This past weekend really felt like it stretched out and was not rushed--such a nice way to spend our "whole family" days. :)

Friday:  On Friday we had a check-up for Anna Reaghan (and me).  Everything is still going fine!  Our doctor thinks Anna Reaghan is head down, which is good news. :)  We just need her to stay that way for the next few weeks! ;)  We have another appt. in 3 weeks, then we cut to 2 weeks later, then we'll be at every week.  How in the world did we get this far already?!?  I never felt like Asa's pregnancy dragged on, even during the 2 weeks we went past his due date.  But I also heard each subsequent pregnancy feels faster, and that has certainly proven true this time around!  Matt picked up some yummy Panera for dinner Friday night, and then later he got our weekly ice cream treat for dessert.  It was a tasty way to start our weekend. :)

Saturday:  Matt got up with Asa so I could relax in bed for Mother's Day weekend. :)  Then he and Asa made waffles for breakfast--yum again!  We played around the house until nap time, and then Matt went to run some errands while I sewed and played around at home.  After Asa woke up, we had lunch (I ate the leftovers of my Panera) and then went out together to run some errands.  Then it was back home to try to get Asa an afternoon nap before too long.  While Asa napped in the afternoon, Matt joined some other guys from our Sunday school class for a board game get together.  He learned 2 new games, Dominion and Agricola, that he is SUPER excited about.  I'm glad he had a good time and is continuing to get to know people. :)  Meanwhile Asa and I had dinner, I bathed him, and then I got him into bed to get good sleep before Mother's Day. ;)

Sunday:  We went to church after having some left-over pancakes (that I made with Asa Friday morning) for breakfast.  Asa did not cry when we dropped him off in the nursery (yea!  He hadn't cried in months and months and months, and then he didn't go for a few weeks because he had a cold and we were out of town and had a hard time going back again)!  We ate lunch at a little local burger place (kind of like Backyard Burgers), and then we came home for Asa's naptime.  It was rather short-lived considering that it would be his only nap of the day, but at least he rested enough to get by.  Matt ran out while Asa was asleep, and I sewed and relaxed.  We each got to talk to our moms and wish them a very happy Mother's Day--we are BLESSED!!!  After Asa woke up we took a family walk through the neighborhood--hooooooray for sunshine!!  Then Matt grilled chicken (my request) and we also had baked potatoes and fresh strawberries.  Asa (with some help from Matt) made me an awesome Mother's Day card--I love it!!

  Matt also brought me a bouquet of tulips,and my boys gave me the ruffler foot I wanted for my sewing machine.  I mean, we ARE expecting a baby girl. Ruffles just might need to become a regular thing around here now. ;)  I also got to open some cards and sweet gifts from my parents.  For dessert we made some ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies and ate them while we finished watching season 5 of Dr. Quinn.  It was nice to unwind and just hang out together.

Now we're at the start of a new week!  I'm 32 weeks officially today.  That really does seem unbelievable.  We've had another sunshiney day, so Asa and I took a walk this afternoon.  I'm so glad we've been able to get outside--he looooooooves it. :)

We hope you had a happy Mother's Day and enjoyed your weekend.  Have a blessed week!

Little Catch Up

So it's been about a week and a half since my last update.  Oops! :)  Asa and I took off to Tennessee for a quick visit with family before Anna Reaghan arrives.  Her arrival should not not be imminent, but May is the last month I'll be able to travel home and it's full of all sorts of things going on back home that wouldn't make it possible for Mom to come get me (and we're saving Matt's time off for those early days and the holidays).  She graciously came to retrieve us :), and we had FUUUN playing with cousins and one of Asa's little friends while we were in town. :)

We drove down on Thursday, and Asa was amazing in the car.  He is usually awfully easy-going for how long he is strapped to a car seat.  He's much more patient than I am--I wiggle and change positions constantly.  He never made even one sound that was remotely fussy sounding.  Incredible.  The drive took up most of Thursday, and on Friday we tried to get Asa back into some kind of routine after being thrown off in by the car trip.  We played outside a LOT and soaked up the beautiful Tennessee sunshine and spring time.  Asa and I even accidentally had some rosy cheeks by the end of the day!

On Saturday Joy hosted a sweet gathering of my mom's closest friends and a few of my friends who still live in town to celebrate Anna Reaghan.  I have never seen so much PINK in my life!  I crack up and just how different this whole girl baby thing is from a boy baby... especially when it comes to clothes. :)  Everything was incredibly thoughtful and the food was delicious (Joy's strawberry cake is amazing!), but the best part was seeing sweet friends who've known me and prayed for me for so long.  I am so thankful, especially living far from home, to know we have an army of prayer warriors supporting us--even states away. :)

G-Pa played with Asa at home during the baby shower.  They played outside at the water table and got soaked! :)  One of Asa's uncles and a cousin came over to play during the shower as well, and I came home to find Asa alllll snuggled up in G-Pa's lap reading books (and in warm, dry clothes).  It was a precious sight. :)  We got the Bobe's down for a nap, and later in the evening Mimi came over (my mom's mom) for dinner on her very birthday!  What a special lady to share the spotlight of the day with me.  Our whole family party for her was on Sunday, but we still wanted to do something special on her very birthday. :)

On Sunday we got to worship at Cedar Springs and then have lunch with Brad & Joy and 2 of Asa's 4 Tennessee cousins.  Asa actually ate as soon as we got home, and he played just long enough to see his cousins when they arrived after their church service.  Then he was off to bed so he could be pleasant for the evening's birthday festivities. ;)  Before the party we hopped over to my friend Rachel's house so we could catch up and Asa and her daughter Caroline could play.  Caroline was so sweet to share everything in her playroom and Asa was mesmerized by her kazoo. :)  Before we left, we played in her backyard and the kids had a few turns climbing up and sliding down the slide and a few pushes on the swings. :)  All the fam came over that evening for yummy and fun grilled out birthday dinner in honor of my grandmother.  I couldn't believe how all the cousins have grown!

On Monday and Tuesday we had more fun cousin time.  I'm so glad we got to see ALL my family while we were in town, even though it felt like a quick trip!  All the cousins are so sweet to Asa, and he just LOVES seeing them and copies whatever they do--he definitely came home with some new tricks to show Daddy. :)

Wednesday was spent back in the car driving to Ohio.  Thankfully we had good weather, no car or road problems, and a cooperative traveler again. :)  It's been fun to show Matt all our PINK!  Mom stayed with us an extra day on this end so she wouldn't have to turn right around and drive back to TN by herself with basically no break.  We had a leisurely day on Thursday and took care of a few minor errands before Asa showed G-Ma the huge park that's just a short distance from our new house.  He loved going down the slide on the toddler playground and looking at the different structures (and giant tires) on the big kid playground, though he's not too sure of baby swings (he prefers the Fisher-Price kind that's very secure to the round baby swings at a park--those garner his "serious Asa" face).  He loooooooved being "side! side!" (outside!)  He isn't going to know what to do with himself when it warms up here in Ohio once and for all after being cooped up in the house all winter! :)

This morning we had a check-up with my doctor.  I'm 28.5 weeks along (29 on Monday).  Time is absolutely flying!  I had the glucose tolerance test.  Maybe I'm just naive, but I passed with flying colors with Asa, so I'm not anticipating a problem.  It was a quick appointment as we have been so thankful to have another smooth, complication-free pregnancy.  We have switched from appts. every 4 weeks to every 3 weeks now and will return for another appointment on May 6 (31 weeks), then one 3 weeks later (34 weeks), then 2 weeks later (36), and I think we switch to every week at 37 weeks.  I can't believe we're at the point of going more frequently!  The staff is always really friendly to Asa which I appreciate.  I mean, goodness, they're in the baby business, but I know most people don't bring their little ones with them.  They were super sweet to him today as Matt got held up at the office and couldn't meet me in time for the glucose test blood draw (he made it in time to hear Anna Reaghan's heartbeat, however ;)), so the nurses and I were working together to keep Asa occupied and distracted as he was a little clingy around all the strangers and Mommy having to do strange things. :)

That about catches you up on us!  I hope to post pictures of Anna Reaghan's room soon.  It's still a work in process as far as details, but we have her bedding in place and there are enough pieces coming together to give you a sneak peek. :)

We hope you have a wonderful weekend and a heart full of joy and worship this week as we celebrate and remember Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.

Christ is Risen!

Routine Check Up

I am SO confused on my days this week!  After last week's whirlwind of moving, Matt's weekend trip, and then his WONDERFUL extra day off yesterday, I am all turned around. :)

But thankfully I did remember that today was my monthly check up on Anna Reaghan with our doctor.  We switched to the office that is now closer to Matt's new office (his company moved to a new building a few weeks ago).  He was very excited that the new doctor's office is extremely convenient for him to get to.  It takes me about 40 minutes to get there now, but hubby out of the office for less time = hubby home sooner at the end of the day. ;)  It's a trade off I'm willing to make!  And amazingly enough, Asa did NOT fall asleep in the car on the way there or the way back!  Thank you, Lord!

Everything checked out great with Anna Reaghan.  Her heartbeat was 141 and the loudest we have heard it.  She must have been in a good position. :)  The doctor said I am measuring right on track and that she feels like just the right size--not feeling like a giant baby or a teeny tiny baby.  We're far enough along that doctors and nurses ask how big Asa was at birth for comparison, and they seem to think we're on the same track (he was 8 lbs. 3 oz. 22 inches).  My blood pressure was 105/50-something, thank you for the low blood pressure genes, Mom!

Next month I'll have the glucose tolerance test.  With Asa I passed with flying colors and lots of room to spare when the numbers came in, so hopefully we're in the same position. I was thankful to find this office, like the midwives', gave me the glucola bottle to bring home with me. That way I can drink it at home (chilled + with a straw to help get it down in time) and not have to spend quite so long sitting around the office.  They had several different flavors, but since I kept the orange down last time with Asa I went for orange again.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I broached the topic of going overdue with my doctor and was pleased with her answer.  She is not one to force an induction at the due date or even 41 weeks.  She'll let me go past 41 weeks if necessary to try to give my body a chance to get things going on its own.  She doesn't think it'll come to a late induction like with Asa now that I've had a baby and my body knows the drill.  But she said if it does, inductions with subsequent babies are usually faster than with first babies (again, your body has labor/delivery muscle memory, so to speak, that should kick into gear).  And I've told Matt I want our bags packed and everything ready by the first week of June.  I can just see the Lord's sense of humor expressing itself in 2 weeks late Asa followed by an early bird little sister.  I do not want to be caught by surprise!  I'd really love to make it to our due date or even go past a little.  Our midwives had a poster in their office that, if I recall correctly, at either 37 or 38 weeks the baby's brain is 75% of the size at 40 weeks.  That's a LOT of growing the baby is still doing at the very end!  I have no qualms about July 4th coming and going without a baby in my arms, just as I had none about Asa.  I expected it then, and honestly I expect it again now.... but we're going to be prepared just in case she wants to share her brother's birth month instead of her dad's. ;)  I am also praying I am not in the hospital on Asa's birthday (June 23) if you want to pray for that with us. :)  I'd rather not be on Matt's either (July 1), but I feel like Asa already got short-changed on his first birthday because we had just moved.  It would make my mommy heart sad to think he missed out on his first TWO birthdays.  I know he won't remember though if it DOES come to that.  It will all work out. :)

So that's the latest on our little one.  She is dancing all around every day.  I still have somewhat of an unsettled although not nauseous stomach.  Definitely still have heartburn this pregnancy--from even earlier than in Asa's.  I am starting to show--we'll probably take a picture soon.  I can feel the changes in my hips and that has affected my walking gait.  But everything is progressing normally and as expected, praise the Lord!

The Countdown is On!

On Thursday we had an appointment to check up on the baby.  Everything is going great!  It amuses me to wonder about this pregnancy.... so many things are similar to my pregnancy with Asa (starting off by losing quite a few pounds once again, no appetite, etc.), and yet other things are different or more... intense (still battling some yucky nauseous days--my stomach was only slightly unsettled for a short time in the afternoon with Asa and only for a few weeks, realllly intense aversions, more energy than last time, more susceptible to headache triggers than last time).  When I wonder if this little one is a boy or a girl, I always end up with a "on one hand... but on the other hand...." conversation in my mind going back and forth, back and forth.

Matt and I have opposite guesses.  But I won't tell you yet which one of us thinks it's a boy and which thinks it's a girl.  I have added a poll on the right sidebar for you to VOTE!  Let us know if you think we're having a GIRL or a BOY!!  The big reveal (as long as the baby cooperates!!) will be February 10th!  We're hoping to be able to introduce our baby to you by name at that point, but as both names (boy/girl) are at least a little bit in flux I cannot promise that. :)

Vote! Vote! Vote!! :)

Magnificent Monday

I don't really have enough to say to fill you in on a "million things Monday," so I'll still with the usual "five" format and go from there. :)

1.  Asa is making more and more animal sounds and saying more and more words.  I think he's up over 30 words now, and he says mooo, neigh neigh, meow, meow, pants like a dog, wack wack (quack quack), and baa baa.  When prompted, he also growls for a bear, and we're working on tweet tweet for birds, buck buck for chickens, doodle doo for roosters.  And we can't leave off wooo woooo for trains. ;)

2.  Asa signed "thank you" by himself for the first time last night.  It's awfully close to blowing a kiss, and I think the 2 are somewhat intermingled in his head because he made his kissing MUAH! sound when he signed thank you.  I think our family and friends will gladly accept a blown kiss "thank you" though, don't you?

3.  I think we might be at the beginning stages of cutting eye teeth.  It's not going very smoothly. ;)  We've had some tummy trouble, uneasy sleep, fussiness, acting like his mouth hurts, and low-grade fevers.  I'm sorry he obviously feels so out of sorts and hope he gets some ease soon.

4.  We have Asa's 18 month check up on Wednesday.  We'll get to find out how much he weighs which is always exciting to me now that he's growing appropriately. :)  It's also exciting because I suspect he's crossed into the next weight range for pain reliever dosages, and I'd love to able to help him out a little more with the teething I think we're working through.

5.  We had another doctor's appointment today as well.  We drove across town so we could check in on this...

 our little baby! (head lower on the left, legs higher on the right, little blob above the middle is a hand/arm)

in the typical baby hands-by-face pose (complete with crossed ankles you don't see here).  Head on left again, abdomen on right, arms up by face

That's right, I've grown 2 feet in the last 3 months...and 2 arms 2 legs and 1 heart and 2 eyes. ;) hehe  We are expecting another baby the beginning of July!  My due date is actually the 4th of July!  Fireworks all around in this house one way or another. :)  I don't really expect to deliver on the 4th (I suspect I'll be late again; hopefully not 2 weeks again like Asa, but I'll take pretty much anything that's full term and not induced!), but you never know! :)  We had an initial check up with a doctor here and she said everything looks good, and then today we had an ultrasound.  Our first ultrasound with Asa was at 20 weeks, so it was quite amazing to see a tiny 12 week old baby wriggling all around!  We saw the spine, hands, lots of kicking and moving around.  It's crazy to think the baby is having that much of a party and I don't feel a thing!  We are amazed at God's lavish gift of life and so thankful for the way He is growing our family! :)  We definitely appreciate your prayers for this little one to grow healthy and strong, for our transition to a family of 4 (parenting 2 for Matt and me and being a brother for Asa), and for provision here where we are still trying to make friends and get connected at church.

5 on Friday

1.  Asa had his check up on Wednesday.  We tried a new pediatrician here in town (we went to one when we *first* moved here and Asa had croup.  He was nice but just not the right fit for me).... and the verdict is GOOD!  I think she's as close as we'll find to Dr. Kelly up here in Ohio without actually visiting every pediatrician in town. :)  She had a great bedside manner with Asa, completing her exam with him in my lap the whole time (check!), she did not make me feel rushed at all or stupid (check!), she was receptive to how we've handled vaccines (check!), and she was super complimentary about Asa (check check! ;) ).

2.  Speaking of which, Asa is doing GREAT!  He is up to 22 lbs. 2 oz. (he has gained exactly 10 lbs. since we found out about his tongue tie the end of January/beginning February!  So 10 lbs. in 8 months vs. gaining 5 lbs. his first 7 months!  Improvement?  I think yes!  He's also gained just shy of 4 lbs. (3 lbs. 14 oz.) in the last 3 months!  I love the math!  Praise the Lord!).  His height has taken longer to get on the upswing with his increased intake, but it's finally catching up as well (just short of 30").  He is more the size of your average 12 month old, but ever since he fell off the curves his size has been about 3 months "behind" his age.  He is chipping away at that difference though and slowly closing the gap.  We are SOOOO thankful!  The doctor commented on how talkative he is and said his vocabulary is already what she'd see in an 18 month old, and she noted how developed his fine motor skills are.  That was fun because every doctor has commented on that from the very beginning. :)  They gave me an infant gown to put on him while we waited.  Asa looked at me like I was crazy when I was putting it on him, and he kept tripping on it as he tried to walk around the exam room.  I couldn't help but take a picture!

3.  We also had a big morning in Wednesday (the doctor appointment was in the afternoon).  We went to our first Bible study here in Ohio!  The women's study at the church we've been attending started last week when we were visiting family out of town, so this week was our first chance to go.  We are studying Cynthia Heald's Becoming a Woman of Simplicity.  Asa was in the nursery with 3 other "under 2s."  He did GREAT!  He cried when I left (to be expected), but he was already calming when I left the nursery corridor AND he played happily the whole 2 hours!!  During church he's only in the nursery for 1 hour max (we keep him in with us for worship until the sermon begins), so this Bible study nursery was a huge step (and praise!).  I love the head nursery lady at the church.  She already knows us by name and could not be sweeter to Asa.  She even told me on Sunday that she missed him not coming last Wednesday!  The first hour of Bible study is a whole group "teaching" time, and the second hour is broken down into small, consistent (yea for getting to know people!) discussion groups.  My group had 3 other ladies in addition to the leader.  I'm definitely the youngest person in the study, and most of the ladies are old enough to be grandmothers, but that's okay!  I'm just so thankful to be there and have the opportunity to learn and make friends!

3.  I have been on a roll with dinners this week.  On Monday I made the teriyaki burgers, Tuesday was the oriental chicken salad, Wednesday was a yummy pot roast with loads left over for another dinner in the freezer, Thursday was not mind-blowing but ham and veggies is turning into an extra freezer dinner of scalloped potatoes and ham from the leftovers--yum!, tonight was homemade pepperoni and artichoke heart pizza, tomorrow is peachy pork chops, and Sunday is chicken tortilla soup.  I am racking up lots of meals for the freezer which I love. I'm hoping to always have a week's worth of dinners in the freezer this winter in case a snow storm keeps me homebound when I'm low on groceries.

4.  Matt's new video game (Halo Reach) was released this week.  He's excited to say the least. ;)

5.  I broke out my serger today!  I wanted to make some little cloth bags for storing some of Asa's toys when he's not playing with them (namely some awesome alphabet blocks Holli & Todd gave us and Asa's toy cars), and I figured the serger would make strong reinforced seams that would withstand the tugging of an active toddler. :)  Thankfully, my grandmother left the serger completely threaded for me, so all I had to do was plug it in, turn it on, and refresh myself on a couple levers and buttons.  The I was off and running (thanks for the lesson, Grandma!).  I have a dedicated craft space in our room now (I used to sew in the dining room in FL which was easy enough to keep Asa out of when needed.  Now we have a medium-sized great room Asa is in all day long... not conducive to sewing with all the needles and scissors and such spread out, much less that my sewing mess isn't great for the dinner table ambiance ;)).  Our bedrooms is huge and I have taken over the far side with Matt's blessing and encouragement. I have a bookshelf of sewing books, 2 sets of cubbies--one for sewing materials and one for misc. craft items, a desk for sewing, and a table for cutting, the serger, whatever else have you.  I am LOVING it. :)

So this is not the crafting center in our room, but it IS our new bed frame, as promised :)

10 on Friday

This week included a LOT of unpacking, necessitating the late edition of our weekly update. :)

1. Mom came up on Monday and helped me unpack All.Week.Long. She is the BEST! We got Asa's room situated first, followed by the kitchen (those were the two rooms I had most unpacked before her arrival), then the guest room/basement, living room, and finally our bedroom. Almost EVERY box is unpacked!

2. I still feel like our stuff is just at some random vacation house, but at least I'm surrounded by things that are familiar!

3. As you saw on the video from Monday, Asa L.O.V.E.S. his walking toy! LOVES! The grin of satisfaction on his face when he is walking is *priceless.* Oh my goodness, I just want to eat him up!

4. I am starting to get a mental picture of the lay of the land here.. names of the streets I will use the most and starting to get a feel for how they intersect. Thankfully we really are close to basically everything I "need," and all the shopping is quite close together as well.

5. We succeeded this week in getting me a library card--yea! The library ladies were very kind, and I am hoping Asa & I can start going to "Babies & Books" on Monday mornings this month and meet some other moms and babies at storytime!

6. Matt's car is officially all registered for Ohio.

7. Our house CLOSED! PRAISE THE LORD! It is ONLY Him! I mean, seriously, 3 weeks from the MLS relisting to close?! No repair requests from the buyers?! I have a give HUGE props to our Realtor, Craig Wilburn (PLEASE call him if you are in Gainesville; he is WONDERFUL!!!) and we are just so thankful for the Lord leading us to him, his wisdom, his honesty about the market, and his sensitivity to our situation.

8. Speaking of which, thanks to the housing market we were upside down on our mortgage. Lovely, right? When we realized just *how* upside down, there was a lot of frustration. I admit it is/was frustrating that we pay our bills in full and on time, but other people's foolish borrowing and lending practices precipitated this housing crash. However, how about this for God's provision? We really wanted to try to have a baby a year before we did, but we felt God was telling us to wait. Among MAAAANY other things God has mercifully revealed as pieces of that puzzle about WHY He had us wait, me teaching an "extra" year allowed us to save my income that year, which cushioned our savings in a way that allowed us to afford selling our home in this market. Unexpected, but surely His provision. We Are Thankful!

9. Asa had his first "sick" doctor's appointment today. He'd had a shallow, wet cough for 2-3 days that quickly became a deep, dry, croupy cough last night. :-( I was worried how it might progress over the weekend, so we called a doctor and they kindly worked us in this afternoon. While Asa is not horrible (and thankfully the cough loosened up today, though I expect it to worsen at night again), the doctor said he is not 100% and prescribed some oral steroids to help clear up the croup. I am sorry to see my sweet boy not feeling well and hear the awful, barking cough I know so well myself from my asthma, but I cannot help but praise God we made it 11.5 months before Asa had a "sick" doctor visit! How amazing is that?! (and YEA mommy's milk!!)

10. We heard back from the metabolic geneticist, and one level of his latest round of tests (right before we moved) is still elevated. He said it suggests a B12 deficiency, so I will call him Monday to get the specifics, but in general we'll complete a month of double his B12 intake and then see where things are. He didn't sound alarmed, so I'm glad we know a hopeful "treatment." We'll be praying the increased vitamin load resolves the deficiency, but I'm thankful to have the expert involved and leading the way. :)

stay tuned for a bonus post this weekend! And I promise, I really will take pictures now that the house is coming together!

Happy weekending!

Pediatric Specialties Clinic

On Friday Asa had an appointment with a metabolic genetics specialist at a hospital in town. Just knowing he was seeing a metabolic geneticist made me nervous. Then I received their form letter instructing me we would see a genetics counselor, med students, the specialist himself, and that bringing family pictures along would be helpful in looking for traits that might make any number of disorders more easily identifiable. Thankfully, we had our little weight check with Dr. K before the specialist appointment and she reaffirmed that our visit was NOT a big deal. That is the form letter they send to everyone. Our appointment was for the specialist who has been consulting on Asa's failure to thrive lab work ups to see our little patient for himself before declaring he is fine. Whew.

It was obvious the staff are well trained in working with children; it WAS the pediatric specialties clinic at the hospital, after all. During his blood pressure check, the nurse blew bubbles to distract him and everyone had a sweet and engaging demeanor with him. A highlight was that the scale in the clinic said Asa was 17 lbs. 11.9 oz! I know scales can vary by even up to a pound, but that weight suggests Asa is maintaining his rate of gaining 5-6 oz. per week. WOO HOO!

We visited with the genetics counselor first. She drew a little family tree in Asa's file as we talked and went through our family history. The good news is that our families are blessed with great health and there was no information there that needed to be pursued as a possible cause of Asa's funky lab work. As we talked, just as has suspected for quite some time now, the consensus kept coming back to Asa's body just taking its time getting levels back to normal. And to be fair, the last labs (urine organic acids... although the serum amino acids came back NORMAL so that's a GREAT sign) that came back were conducted about a month after Asa's tongue tie was fixed, and it took 3 more weeks to get results back. That info was outdated before we even got the results! Now it's been over 6 MORE weeks.

Next the actual metabolic geneticist came in with a med student from Italy. We talked a little more about Asa's history and the events that precipitated the lab work being completed in the first place. He played with Asa while he evaluated him and again said Asa seems healthy now and is obviously eating and gaining much more appropriately. :) He ordered a repeat of the lab work (oh, joy!), but we anticipated that and EVERYONE anticipates the lab work ALL returning normal this time. Please pray with us that it does!

The clinic is aware we are moving, and it takes several weeks to receive some of the test results anyway. They suggested I call them when we are settled in Ohio. We're hoping for an "everything's great!" report. But if there IS more information to pursue as a result of these tests, they'll refer us to someone in Ohio to pick up Asa's case and get to the bottom of anything that is still abnormal.

I am very thankful for the doctors' kindness to Asa and me and to hear from such a learned person what we have been seeing all spring--Asa is doing GREAT! The lab work was not so fun to collect, as Asa is old enough now to remember the last rounds (in Feb. and March) and anticipate what was going to happen (i.e. lots of crying and trying to fight off the lab techs). But it is DONE. An added bonus was the specialist inquiring about Asa's name and getting to share about King Asa in the OT! I am amazed and humbled how something as "simple" as Asa's name has provided us countless opportunities to tell people about God!

Praise the Lord!

Today we had 2 big events. Asa had his newborn photo shoot, and we went to see the lactation consultant. Both went really well!

Asa tends to have some tummy rumbles that make him quite uncomfortable. You never know when they will strike, and they can wake him out of a sleep. He certainly sleeps well otherwise and most of the time, and he has happy awake times, too. There was just no telling how his tummy would do during the photo shoot. Sheli, the photographer, is great and so patient. She took some shots of him in his room, set up a black backdrop in the den and took some of just me with him, just Matt with him, both of us with him, and close-ups of just Asa. Then she set up an adorable "set" with an awesome basket surrounded by little boy things. She brought a bunch of her husband's hunting things, remembering that Matt likes to hunt. It also had touches of woodland creatures to reflect his room, and even a UT blanket incorporated. She showed us a shot on her camera, and it looked straight out of a magazine. I cannot WAIT to see the proofs! They should be available for viewing in a couple weeks.

Then we stuffed our faces with sandwiches so we could be on time for the lactation consultant. It was such a blessing and answer to prayer! She said my positioning of Asa, his latch, and his suck are perfect! PRAISE GOD! We had been praying the whole pregnancy that Asa would be a champ at nursing, so that I would be the only one between the two of us with a learning curve. ;) He seems to be on track for gaining an ounce each day and took in two ounces of milk during the feeding, which is just right. She said to keep using the prescription ointment I got on Monday for the cracks and that they're not infected or anything which was reassuring. It was all positive, which is such a God thing. We are using a friend's kitchen scale to track his weight now, and we'll take him back next week when, Lord willing, he's at 8 lbs. 3 oz. to be released until his 2 month check up!

Mom and I also had a mini photo shoot with Asa this afternoon to get some more shots to choose from for the birth announcements. Now it will be hard to choose--but that's a good problem, right? I'll leave you with a sneak peek...

p.s. Thank you for all the prayers! They are such a blessing to us!

Quick Update

Just a quick update that we had some check-ups for Asa and Becca today. Asa had his 2 week check-up (how can he be 2 weeks old tomorrow??) today with Dr. G. He gained 5 more ounces in 7 days! Way to go, little guy! He has 6 ounces left until he's back at birth weight--he's gained back 2/3 of what he lost. Once he's back to 8 lbs. 3 oz. we can let him sleep at night! Woo hoo! :) We are supposed to go back next week for a weight check. Please be praying he makes that birth weight cut off--so he's growing well, so we're not asked to supplement again, and so we might all get a little more sleep. He has been fussy last night and tonight, so who knows if he'd really sleep if we let him. But he had a few stretches where he went right back to sleep after feeding. I'm pumping after I feed him--just the manual pump for now until we meet with the lactation consultant about the mastitis and a few scabs on some tears he made from pulling off--but that means we're collecting rich hindmilk that we're then feeding him later. We are calling tomorrow to try to see the lactation consultant Tuesday or Wednesday. That's a little daunting to me to be honest, but hopefully it will be someone nice like Holli was last Sunday, and I'm trying to look at it as any improvement in technique or coaching it best for Asa and me, not as though I'm not doing a good job if there's something we can improve.

Then we stopped by the midwives to see if the mastitis is improving. It's definitely not resolved. So, we're still doing warm compresses, massages, another round of antibiotic, one dose of diflucan just to make sure there's no yeast infection brewing, and a new ointment that I am loving so far. It's 10 times better than lansinoh--really richy and creamy and not sticky at all. We have laughed at how many pills I take each day now--my place at the time looks like my own little pharmacy. :) Please pray for the mastitis to clear up! I appreciate the peace of mind of having been checked out, though, and to know that there's no sign of abcess or anything. As a first-timer, it's hard to know what's normal, or at least normal for not normal (since mastitis isn't exactly par for the course). I did read that being anemic is thought to make a person more susceptible to mastitis. Lo and behold, I'm taking iron supplements because I lost quite a bit of blood during delivery and right after. It was like I was a party waiting to happen. :)

So, in short, please pray for Asa to finish gaining his weight back, that he would keep sleeping at night, for the infection to clear up, and for the lactation consultant appointment--that we could figure out how to finish healing these wounds. Nursing will be so different with no wounds and no mastitis! :) I can hardly believe it!

Stay tuned for Asa's 2 week picture tomorrow, and on Wednesday he is having his newborn photo shoot!

Lastly, we are SOOO thankful Mom is here with us this week with so much going on and Matt's first week back at work. Thanks to everyone back home for sharing her with us so graciously. There's no one like a mom, especially your own when you are a mom yourself! :)

Love,
The 3 of us :)

No later than...

...June 22 (probably). :)

We did indeed keep our 41 weeks appointment! I was realllllly hoping we wouldn't need it or we could tell them I was in labor and they could just check how far along. But, GOD is in control! And He saw fit for there to still be no progress.

Asa looked great on the ultrasound. Since my mom is in town, she got to come in and see him for that appointment, too! We saw his sweet, filled out cheeks, his hand resting under his chin, his chest rising and falling, his heart beating away, and his lips as he pursed and unpursed them. :) He got 8/8 on the biophysical profile again (my fluid was down 1 cm from last week, but that's still higher than it initially was 2 weeks ago). So, they are saying he is set and doing great. They also said he has LOOOONG legs that he has stretched way out and they're still guessing at least 8-8.8 for his weight.

As for me, I am a grand total of......... 1 cm dilated! HA! She said she could maybe count it as 1.5 cm with stretching. I am basically NOT effaced, though the cervix is medium in softness (at least it's not really firm). It's midline, so starting to become anterior, and Asa is around -2 station, so at least not alllll the way up at -4 or above. :) In my favorite birth book, The Birth Partner, it said -2 or -1 station is average and normal for a first baby before labor begins. At least something about his current status is as hoped/expected. :) We got "4 points" for cervical readiness, and they would like to see 7 points if we were miserable and wanting to induce by the end of the week. Though Matt is going crazy and I am finally feeling more and more pregnant, we are by no means miserable and we reallllllly want him to come on his own. So, he gets over the weekend for things to get started. If he's not here by Sunday night, we are scheduled to go in at midnight for an induction. We'll actually call at 10:30 PM to see if they have enough anticipated beds for us to come. They could push it to later in the morning or the next day. Basically the latest we could get pushed back is Tuesday night at midnight. We'd be top priority then because I'd be 42 weeks. Monday and Tuesday, our 2 favorite midwives are on call, so I am really thankful for that. Wednesday my least favorite is on call, so I really hope it doesn't come to THAT.

Matt was really disappointed in trying to figure out how to process where we are. I thought he'd be so glad to know an "end," but I think as much as I told him the dilation/effacement numbers can change (go from low to high) or stay steady (at a high number) and therefore don't have to mean tooooo much, he really was hoping for "bigger" news. I know he could still come on his own, and I will be praying that God would allow that. Thursday is Joy's guess for his arrival and Matt's dad's birthday--how fun would that be? And then I guessed the 20th, which would be Saturday. God can still make it happen. :) I am not at all excited about an induction, BUT I know that if that's what it comes to, God has always known that's what it would come to. It's not a surprise to Him, and He has no plan B, only plan A. I can trust that. I admit I was awake most of the night last night wondering and worrying about an induction. But this morning, through some tears and talking to Matt, Mom, and Dad, I am doing better. :)

So that's us for now. PRAY PRAY PRAY he comes on his own!!! :) Mom and I are taking Kim J's advice, and she is helping me get started on the muslin "practice" baptismal gown for Asa that I want to sew. You know the whole "right when you start a project, it will get interrupted" idea. So far, he doesn't seem interested in interrupting our industriousness. :) But we are having fun, and I am excited to know I can do this when I buy the real fabric. :)

Praises: Asa is doing GREAT and showing every sign he is ready to thrive outside the womb.

Prayer Request: for peace no matter when/how he is delivered, for a safe and smooth delivery, and if we had our choices, for it to be either be spontaneous before the induction or at least with one of our preferred midwives if induced

Love,
Becca

Whew!

Asa was breathing, moved enough (just enough.... he was sound asleep), and my fluid level was up so we are good to go on the waiting game... no one's talking induction or any complications for which we are SOOOO thankful!

Mom arrives tomorrow and my favorite midwife is on call all weekend, so we'd LOVE (and I will be praying) for him to arrive anytime between tomorrow and Sunday. A midwife we really like is on call Monday, too, so that would work. :) Then our next favorite is on call on Wednesday. I think I'll be talking to Asa a lot this weekend to convince him it's time! :)

Most of all, we're so thankful everything checked out okay so he can have some more time to decide on his own he's ready. We are SO thankful to be back home and not at the hospital beginning an induction! Praise the Lord! :)

June 10

came and went. :) I'm honestly not surprised and not worried by it. Matt, on the other hand, texted me 5-6 times throughout the day asking if I was having contractions. :) He is so ready to meet his little man! :)

Today we have the biophysical profile at 3, followed by an appointment with the midwives. We're taking our bags just in case, but hoping we won't need them (in other words, hoping everything is okay to give him a few more days to decide on his own to come!).

My mom is driving down tomorrow (or sooner if something happens), and it's so nice to know she'll be here tomorrow either way. Either to meet Asa or to help pass the time while we wait to meet Asa. :)

I'm really holding up fine. It's funny that you get "past" your due date and everyone gives advice on how to get labor started. Whereas I'm totally calm about it--it's only 1 day late! I am NOT going walking (it's been suggested by many) in 90+ degree FL summer heat by myself (don't think Asa--or the doctors--would appreciate the dehydration either), so that's out unless/until Mom is here to go walking at the mall with me (since Matt is at work). I'm really okay with it. I thought he would be late, so really he's still on time according to what I expected. :)

We'll let you know as anything develops! For now, we're just taking it all in stride and trying to stay cool. :)

39+ weeks

We have made it less than a week until the due date! How amazing is that?! :)

Today we had a regular appointment plus a growth scan. Apparently Asa's decided to jump on the family growth track, as he's gained (all approximations which are notoriously known for being off in the 3rd trimester) over 2 pounds in 3 weeks! He is now estimated at a whopping 8 lbs. 8 oz. (which is what I weighed at birth). He was 6 lbs. 3 oz. at our last ultrasound at 36 weeks. It's interesting though, the breakdown of measurements leads me to believe the weight is distributed over some long legs (measuring over 2 weeks "ahead" at 41 weeks 2 days) more than over a big belly. ;) His abdomen measures much closer to average than his legs do. :) The ultrasound tech also sounded SHOCKED (seriously! which surprised me, because you know they see ALL sorts of babies) at how much/how long his hair was. Her jaw dropped open--I'm not kidding! :) So we have a long, hairy baby, just as we suspected. :)

Here he is sleeping (you are looking at his face, face on). He slept the entire ultrasound.

(chin on the left, forehead on the right, closed eyes, little nose, and sweet mouth in between)

I lost 4 lbs. since last week. Who knows what that's about. Probably a mix of his rapid growth and random factors, like maybe I was wearing jeans last week. They're not worried--he's obviously growing! :) My blood pressure was still low, but my normal (110/64). We go back next Thursday (the day AFTER our due date) for another check-up if he's not here, and they'll do a biophysical profile. I've read that's common if the baby becomes overdue, and my amniotic fluid is on the low side of normal. It decreased 0.4 cm since last week, so I think they want to know if that is a trend (in which case, it looks like we'd be scheduling an induction sooner than later) or just normal fluctuations. I have been trying to drink 2 liters of water every day, but Matt and I have now made it our goal for the first liter to be done by noon and the 2nd liter to be done by 4, so anything I have during the evening is even extra fluid (the amniotic fluid level is determined by the efficiency of the placenta, my fluid intake, and his urine output), like icing on the cake. I appreciate that they are not worried, but they keep close tabs on things. :)

I also had a handful of questions, and I was SUPER DUPER glad about one of them (actually, all of them had the answers I hoped to hear)! I can wear my contacts during labor! Of course, I'd have to take them out if we ended up in a c-section situation, but I am really thankful I can at least start out with my contacts. Silly, but it's the little things, you know?

We'll certainly keep you posted! He seems awfully snug in there, but we know that can change in the blink of an eye. :)

Seeing is Believing

So, I really thought I could tell Asa was growing by leaps and bounds lately, but seeing how much BIGGER he was on the computer screen during the ultrasound solidified that assumption. :)

He is estimated at 6 lbs. 3 oz. right now, which the tech is great (and, ahem, he's supposed to gain about an ounce/day or 1/2 lb./week right now, which would put him right at 8 lbs. 3 oz. on our due date... just as I guessed, only I guessed he'll be late, but anyway, something I guessed sounds at least kind of right!). The midwife said his head, abdomen, and femur average out to the 50th percentile! The tech even asked, "Why did they send you for a growth scan?" Since everything is SO normal, they'll do one again at 39 weeks instead of 38. No cause for concern about his size right now. :)

Everyone says he clearly has my nose now, and his lips look SO full! I know you're mostly seeing bone structure, but his jawline almost makes him look like he has clown lips (don't tell Asa I said that). :)

His heart rate was in the 150s and strong, and I just might have been right about my fundal height seeming the same as 2 weeks ago because it turns out I LOST 5 pounds the last 2 weeks! I just can't keep up with this little guy (and Matt says I've been overdoing it, to boot). We had take out almost every night my last week of working because I was getting home so late and exhausted. I thought for SURE I would have gained at LEAST the "normal" 1 lb./week at this point if not more due to all that non-home-cooked food. Crazy.

My blood pressure was 110/62, I have had NO swelling since I stopped working, and they said everything is "perfect" still. I also found out that if everything is going fine, they'll let us go over til about 41 weeks 5 days (if anyone needs that info to make a fully-informed guess--SEE THE LAST POST!). If I get to 41 weeks, they'll do one more ultrasound to check the placenta, and if everything is fine (it's not deteriorating), they'll let me go a few more days.

He is head down and facing the back/side, so he's in perfect position. Actually, he had one hand up by his face and his other hand back along his side (they described it as a superman pose). :) But he's all set in the right position.

We have a consultation with our first-choice pediatrician on Tuesday, and then we go back next Wednesday for our 37 week appointment. This time next week, we'll officially be full-term!

Also, my mom is driving down RIGHT NOW to visit and we have our church baby shower on Saturday. :) We are looking forward to a fun weekend! I'm hoping to sew the curtains for Asa's room while Mom is here (or at least get the fabric cut), so stay tuned for FINAL pictures of Asa's nursery (until we add the little guy himself). :)

Quick Post

Just an update to let you know our 34 week appointment was GREAT! My blood pressure is still low (110 over 60-something), I'm just now officially back to pre-pregnancy weight (I never realized you could leave the hospital with your baby and weighing less than before you got pregnant, but that's the most likely scenario at this point!). We are SO thankful to God that this has been such a smooth and "easy" pregnancy. I'm starting to feel like my stomach is awfully cramped quarters for our little guy, and I've noticed I'm really slowing down physically. But my goodness, I can't imagine it being much less eventful than it has been. I measure exactly 34 weeks on the dot (they measure the "fundal height" of the uterus, and it was 34 cm on the dot--it's been ON THE NOSE or a fraction under at every appointment since they started measuring it). I honestly don't feel like I stick out in front as much as other women this far along (though I do realize I'm sticking out more than I did), so it always surprises me that I measure right on. Today the midwife said it's because of my height---it's all just stretched out more vertically. The centimeters are there, but they are not as prominent. Because my weight gain has been, well, not really existant, they are estimating he will be long (I wonder where they got that impression??) and about the size I was when I was born (8 lbs. 8 oz.). The midwife tried to size him up through my stomach today and said, "Yup, I think he'll be right around 8." She said it'll be a long 8, not a big 8. :) hehe That's all great news, and so is that we will SEE him again on May 13! That is our next appointment (36 weeks) and we'll have an ultrasound that day to estimate just how big he is. That's also our last "2 week" appointment. From that point on, it's every week! How did we get to this point already??

Lastly, we checked with our first choice pediatrician, and she IS accepting new patients (praise the Lord!). We will meet with her in May also for a consultation just to make sure we feel comfortable with her and talk over a few things (like vaccine schedules--which we know from other patients she is amenable to stretching out). Now we just need to install the car seat (not quite yet though), and we'll have all the bases covered.

Alright, I need to go put more grades in the computer. Three days left..... (please pray for us and for my class!). :)

Love,
Becca

Big and Hairy

Those two words about sum up our monthly appointment with the midwives today.

Thankfully, they didn't use those words to describe me. ;) They were talking about Asa! We had a follow-up ultrasound today, because his positioning last time didn't allow them to measure his spine, observe all 4 chambers of the heart close-up, or see him face-on to check for cleft palate. They checked all of those things today, and everything is great! :) They also told us he's estimated at 1 lb. 13 oz. already. He's already almost TWO POUNDS!! No wonder random strangers are starting to notice my little baby bump. :) The tech also commented about him having quite the hair on his head. I noticed the top of his head looked fuzzy and had heard that's how hair shows up on ultrasound. Before I could even ask she commented on it... the top of his head looks quite fuzzy. :) He's still head down. While that could change of course, we are thankful he's still in the "right position" so far. :) Lastly, Asa is definitely still all boy. ;)

We go back in 4 weeks exactly. Then I think we'll be moving to appointments every 2 weeks. I have to do the glucose test sometime before I go back. Last time I passed with flying colors, so hopefully everything's still the same. :)

In other news, Matt has been a BUSY BEAVER painting Asa's room! He put Kilz up on all the walls and painted the base color--2 nights in a row! We finally settled on colors. They are two shades of a nice, warm caramel color. Of the 4 walls in the room, one will be a solid wall of the lighter caramel color (and I'm painting a tree mural on it later... but no, I didn't copy Brad and Joy! I didn't know they were doing that in our niece's room), the other 3 will have vertical stripes of the two colors. I LOVE the way it looks so far. It's just such a nice, rich color without being too dark. And this Friday Mom drives down with Asa's furniture--his crib and changing table! I just can't quite imagine the feeling of seeing everything in place in the room with his bedding and furniture. Exciting but surreal!

I will be sure to post pictures of the nursery as it progresses. :) Stay tuned!

Last Chance!!!

This is your last chance to vote for Baby Kubo (we hope)!

In the left sidebar, you have an option to vote whether you think Baby K is a boy or a girl. There are 10 votes so far. If you can't figure out the voting option, you can always leave a comment on this post, too. ;)

Our appointment is at 4:00 tomorrow. It's a regular checkup + ultrasound appointment. I do not expect us to leave the office until after 5, but we'll call/update the blog ASAP!

Also, be on the look-out for Baby K's name tomorrow.... as long as he or she cooperates. :)

Hip hip hooray--just one more day!

Love,
Us

15 Weeks 5 Days

Today was our third appointment with the midwives. We loved today's midwife, so that's two in a row we have loved--praise the Lord! :)

It was very quick, even more in-and-out than the last time. I've lost 2 more pounds (only been sick once this whole time!), my blood pressure was 110/68 (thanks, Mom, for the great blood pressure!), and everything is going smoothly--praise the Lord!

After the midwife met us in her office, she pulled out the doppler to find the heart. At first she couldn't find it (Matt remained calm, I started to freak out in my head but knew this happens a LOT). She said the doppler she was using is their worst one and went to get the "best" one instead. When she came back, instant heart beat (WHEW! THANK YOU, LORD!). The heart rate was up to 158 beats per minute (she held it for me to see so I could tell Matt) compared to 145 bpm last time. :) Even though she said she pays no mind to the old wives' tale about heart rate and the baby's sex, she said her gut feeling is "girl." Hmmmmmm... we're still convinced it's a boy.

And guess what...... we'll hopefully find out who's right on January 19!! Mark your calendars! Our next appointment is January 19th at 4:00! I am still hoping we might sneak a free ultrasound at the community college in before that, and maybe get a sneak peek at the baby's sex. But January 19th is the big day!

We'll keep you posted! Thank you for your prayers for a strong, healthy heartbeat (and she found it up higher today... which makes sense, but it's so amazing to think of the baby getting bigger and being up higher and higher in my stomach!). I know the next 4 weeks (less than 30 days--hooray!!) will fly (I hope)! We're still deciding on a fun way to announce the sex (hopefully), but we'll be SURE to let you know after we find out. :)

Have a very merry Christmas!!