Tomorrow is the BIG DAY

I am just so excited and it seemed like this day would never come. And now it is almost here. Brady has the hiccups in utero right now (these days when doesn't he lol). I think he senses the excitement in the air, too. He's been so wild in there today almost like he knows what's about to happen. I had a nice long visit with my friend Carrie this morning and she helped me with some last minute baby clothes sorting that had to get done. We have to arrive at the hospital at 7AM tomorrow morning for pre-op stuff (IV put in, labs drawn to check platelet levels again, hook baby up to a monitor to monitor his heartbeat for awhile, meet with surgical team, meet with my OB doctor, meet with the anesthesiologist, and get stuff settled in the room I'll be staying in for my hospital stay) And then the big moment will come....he gets to come out and meet us at long last. Kevin has the camera all ready to go, bags are packed, and we are so ready to meet him. It's been an emotional day and I can only imagine the tears (happy tears) that will be flowing tomorrow. Brady Christian is almost here :)

Less than 48 hours from now...............

I'll be meeting my baby boy for the very first time, holding him, nursing him, cuddling him, and introducing him to our family. He is a very anticipated little boy and I am looking forward to all the hospital visits we will surely get. I am sad to only be pregnant for another day and a half, though. I'm still hoping to do this one more time :)

Excited to see Jolene today

My friend and old co-worker is paying me a visit today and I am really looking forward to it! She had her first baby, a boy, back in November. I visited her in the hospital and held Carson and that's when it really hit me that that would be me in a few months. I just "knew" we were having a boy before the ultrasound proved it. Actually I "knew" it was a baby boy since the moment I took the pregnancy test and watched those two beautiful lines pop up. I saved my pregnancy tests with this pregnancy. Anyhow she is coming for a visit but won't be bringing Carson:( She is gifting me with a bunch of Carson's baby clothes that he has outgrown. I can't wait to lay my eyes on all the cuteness in blue. I'm really getting used to seeing all the blue laying around even though it took awhile to adjust to it. I've had a very productive morning. Dishes have been done, laundry is washing and drying, house is vacuumed. Now I just have to tackle folding and putting away clothes. It was a good weekend overall. Got to see me mom and got the last of the baby stuff that I needed yet. But darn it I forgot to pick up some little swim trunks for Brady. I guess a trip to Target will be in my future. Perhaps on Monday (my birthday) when I am discharged from the hospital??? I've very pleased at how "on track" I am at only 10:45 in the morning. I like having those kinds of days :)

Thinking of Amy

One of my online friends is 33 weeks pregnant with fraternal twin baby girls and I just got word that her water broke tonight. Amy has been in and out of the hospital her entire pregnancy with various complications and has been on strict bedrest for most of her pregnancy. Her and her husband Jesse had a tough road on the way to parenthood. After trying unsuccessfully for over a year to become pregnant "the old fashioned way" they turned to IUI and became pregnant the first try after back to back IUI procedures which yielded twins. I'm thinking of Amy and her premature babies tonight which are going to be coming into the world quite early. Her doctors have done everything they could to keep those babies baking as long as possible. She was in the hospital when her water broke so they could get a grasp of the situation as quickly as possible. Welcome to the world Addison and Riley. I pray they will be strong and breathing on their own.

Busy busy busy

So I feel like I'm in a mad dash to get things done before Thursday. And yet it's tough to work through the pain of frequent contractions and off and on cramping. Still not much time to get these things done so I grin and bear it. Yesterday I spent the day vacuuming, dusting, doing dishes, straightening up, and doing laundry. Then Ava and I tackled the project of cleaning and washing baby items. What a good little helper she was and I am happy to say we now have two car seats, two baby swings, and a baby tub all ready to go. It was such a beautiful day outside and in the mid 80's so I opened every single window in the house and turned on every ceiling fan and let the wonderful spring breeze in. It felt so good to really open up the house and air out all the germs that have been hanging out in our house all winter. After we finished Ava conked out on the couch for a little nap and I closed my eyes for a little bit til Hannah got home from school. This weekend I plan to make Hannah's Big Sister t-shirt and get that all done. It won't be long now...................................

Last OB appt before baby arrives

Well I had my very last appt with my OB on Thursday. Hard to believe it's the last one. It was very routine. Only up another pound for a grand total of 27 1/2 lbs total gained the entire pregnancy. I can live with that considering I gained 40 with Ava! Blood pressure outstanding. Baby is head down still. Group B strep test was negative so no antibiotics needed during delivery :) Contracting during the appt. Nurse tried to give an estimate of his possible weight and thinks he may be 8 lbs. What the??? Last week the nurse was thinking in the 7 lb range. I guess we shall see. The most important thing is that he is healthy. That is really all that matters. I will find out the time I have to be at the hospital on Wednesday of this week. I can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight on Wednesday night. I'm not really nervous at all. Just really excited. I feel like I'm ready. My sweet baby will be here in 5 days now.

A welcome rain

After several days of sun and 70 degree weather we are seeing rain today. The rain will really help to green up the grass and encourage the flowers to start blooming. Oh how I do love spring. It's my favorite season of the year. I think I will take advantage of this rainy day to finish up some last minute things in the nursery. The nursery is ready for the most part but I still have some baby BOY clothes to hang up in the closet, a couple more packages of diapers to pick up (I hate running out of things), sweep and mop the floor, hang up some picture frames (ok have Kevin hang them up), bottles to sterilize, double check I have everything packed in my hospital bag and Brady's diaper bag, and other things I'm sure I'm forgetting at the moment.

I have to wash the car seats and rid it of the dust from it sitting in the basement for the past 4 1/2 years, wash the baby swings, wash the baby bathtub, and start sterilizing the baby toys. I need to locate replacement tubing for my breast pump (I hear there's some on Ebay for a good deal), have Kevin mount the shelf in the nursery for which I will put my small tv/dvd player to watch during those late night feedings, and bring up the bottle warmer and bottle drying rack from the basement to wash and sterilize. Boy when I look at this list there really is a lot to do yet. And I really want to try and get all this done within the next week so the week of his birth I can rest as much as possible and savor my final days of pregnancy.

Another project I will be tackling this week is making a Big Sister t-shirt for Hannah. My friend is making the graphic for me and then I'll iron it onto a plain t-shirt. It's adorable and I can't wait to surprise Hannah with it. Ava's is taken care of already as is Brady's. I just can't wait to see the girls reactions to seeing their brother for the first time. I'm sure it will be priceless and I'll have my camera ready to capture the moment. Brady's a lucky little boy to have such amazing big sisters. They've told me they can't wait to play with him. I hope they are prepared for lots of pictures because I'm going to be camera happy. So much to look forward to in the coming weeks :)

Just a whole lotta sleep

Sometimes I wish I could just sleep for the next 11 days until my c-section. I wake up never really feeling fully rested. In fact while napping yesterday I had a couple contractions and could never get quite comfortable in my bed. Then there's the constant getting up during the night to pee. Baby shifts quite a bit in my belly while I sleep so when I get up I have trouble getting my footing at first. I've almost toppled over a few times. My body is just worn out. It's hard work carrying a baby around for 9 months. Of course it will all be SO worth it in 11 days when I see his sweet little face. I'm in the home stretch now. I will just rest when I need to and enjoy those little bursts of energy when they come.

Yup....I knew it!!!

A urine culture at the clinic yesterday confirmed what I knew all along. Bladder infection again. UGH!! So I start an antibiotic today to clear it up. The whole process of giving a urine sample was quite humorous yesterday. See, when you are nine months pregnant it's hard to see anything "down there" so I had to ask Hannah and Ava if any of my pee was making it in the cup. I think the nurses were wondering why there was so much giggling coming from the bathroom :) I felt like Hannah and Ava were my "spotters" to make sure at least some pee made it into the cup. And who says pregnancy isn't humorous? Lol

Here we go again

I have started peeing blood late this afternoon. Great :( I had this very thing a couple months ago which turned out to be a bladder infection. An x-ray at that time also revealed a whole bunch of gall stones that are hanging around in my body. So I'll call my OB's office in the morning and see if they can get me in tomorrow to get checked out. Being this close to delivery I don't want to take any chances. I will likely get an antibiotic to clear the infection up.

On a positive note the appt with the specialist about my dangerously low platelets today went well. She drew my blood again and the number came back as 115,000 which is certainly low but not critical as they had thought. She cleared me for surgery but plans to check my platelets once more right before surgery just to be sure the number hasn't gone down any more. Also, she does not think I will need a platelet transfusion at this time. What a relief :)

An unexpected pregnancy complication

Yesterday I received a call from my OB's office about my labs that were drawn on Monday of this week. Apparently my platelet counts are dangerously low:( So much so that they are referring me to a specialist today in Hematology and Oncology to review this and decide what course of action to take. I have always had a low platelet count my entire life; my whole family has this condition. It is never an issue except during pregnancy. I really do not know what any of this means for my baby or myself. All I know is that I bleed more than most people. Like if I cut myself shaving my legs or something I bleed a lot because my blood does not clot very fast. I guess I will find out this morning what types of concerns they have about this and what we are going to do, if anything. I really hate not knowing but the important thing is my OB is on top of this and referring me to someone who will know what to do. I hope the news is good today.

I am very thankful to be FULL TERM as of yesterday. My doctor has reassured me that if I don't make it til the 30th my baby boy is ready to go and is fully developed and this includes his lungs. I was very happy to hear that. Now he just has to hang around in my tummy for 14 more days. Come on Brady....you can do it. Please don't decide to come until we evict you

37 week OB appt

I had a long appointment on Monday of this week. It started with labs being drawn to check my hemoglobin levels and check my platelet count as I have a history of low platelets. My doctor appt went well. I am up only 1 1/2 more lbs in 2 weeks which pleases me greatly. I got a surprise ultrasound to get a peek at our little guy. She checked his position and he is head down and was sucking his thumb; maybe we have another little Ava on our hands lol) He looked great and she thinks he's going to be a little peanut since he still has quite a bit of room to move around in there; she's guessing in the 7 lb range. I had the Strep B swab test but I won't get into details on that one :) Blood pressure was great and his heartbeat was 148 bpm. All in all a great appointment.

Next up was my anesthesia consult. I met with an overly perky woman who went over what to expect before, during, and after my c-section. The surgery will be early in the morning and I am not allowed to eat or drink after midnight the night before. The process of getting my son out will only take about 15 minutes but it's the time it takes to put me back together so to speak that takes the longest (about 45 minutes) I'll be in recovery for about 2 hours where they will monitor Brady and I and I'll get to nurse him as quickly as possible after delivery. So as of right now I'll be admitted to the hospital on the morning of April 30 and discharged on May 4 which happens to be my 34th birthday. What a great birthday present for me this year!! Only 1 more doctor appt next Thursday and then the next week I get to finally meet my baby boy at long last. I can't wait!!

Hmmmm......I wonder if I'll make it

I have been having cramping all day off and on. It kind of feels like period cramping (I know..TMI) It's not really painful but it IS uncomfortable. Pair that with braxton hicks contractions and I'm not feelin so hot. I don't know...maybe Brady will be making a debut earlier than the 30th of this month. I keep having long talks with him telling him to stay in and bake a little longer. Heck, I've even been having his sisters have little talks with him telling him to stay in but I don't know. All I know is I am super glad I see my doctor tomorrow so I can get an idea of what (if anything) is going on. I'll be officially full term on Wednesday of this week. That is reassuring IF he decides he wants out. I'm going to continue to have little motherly talks with him and hopefully he'll listen. Good thing the hospital bags and his diaper bag is packed just in case.

Won't be long now

As I sit here typing this I am cramping and having braxton hicks contractions. BUT it's been this way for several weeks now. Brady will be here in 19 days from today. Holy crap!!! 19 days is not alot of time. And yet, time seems to be going by so slowly. I am ready for him in most ways but in some I am not. As uncomfortable as I am I will miss my baby belly. I actually noticed tonight that I have a bruise up near my ribs from one of his "kick the crap out of mom" sessions. LOL I'm pretty sure he's running out of room in there. I have my next doctor appt this Monday and it's a rather lengthly one. It is my second to last appt before he's HERE!!! What a wonderful 34th birthday gift I will receive this year....a precious baby boy. I feel so blessed.

To my love Kevin

Can you believe we'll be welcoming our 3rd child in 28 days? It's incredible how fast the past 8 months have gone. I'm so excited to meet our first baby boy. To see his precious face, his little wrinkly feet, feel his soft skin, hear his sweet cry. To watch our beautiful daughters meet their little brother for the first time and give him kisses and snuggles. To experience your parents meeting their 8th grandchild and watch their expressions as if they were meeting their first grandchild for the very first time...tears of joy,smiles, and such love for a little boy their son created with his wife. To see my mom and dad meet their 4th grandchild and first grandson...how special that will be. To spend those first precious moments alone together with our newborn son just staring at him and loving him and cuddling him.

My love you are so good to me and show me daily just how much you love me. We have built a beautiful life together that has been further enhanced by our 3 wonderful children. I am so glad you are my husband, my lover, my best friend. I may not always be the easiest person to be with (especially during pregnancies with cravings, mood swings, and lack of energy) but my heart has always been in the right spot. With you. I love you

Oh how I LOVE my girls

Have I mentioned lately how deeply in love I am with my daughters? Oh how they enhance my life and make me smile. Everyday they continue to do things that amaze me. Some days I look at them and think "how did I get so lucky to get such amazing healthy beautiful daughters?" God has blessed me in so many ways and just looking at my two little miracles each day is proof of that.

Hannah, oh my beautiful Hannah, where do I start? At 6 1/2 years old you are becoming quite a young lady. I love watching you practice reading books to me. And to think it wasn't that long ago that I was reading books to you. My how time flies and you are growing up so fast. Spelling out words, practicing your drawing, writing your letters and numbers and now words. Seems like just yesterday I was rocking you in the rocking chair singing lullabyes to you. You will always be my little girl.

Ava, my darling little Avabella. You make mama laugh on a daily basis with the things you say and especially with your little "butt shake" that you do. I love your imagination and how you go on and on about your "spider family that lives in a big city on the web." I'm not sure I'll ever understand quite what you are talking about but if it's real to you than it's real to me. You have the cutest little laugh and I love putting your hair in pig tails. I could just pinch your chubby cheeks all day long (and secretly hope your baby brother has your cheeks, too). It's incredible the special bond you have with your sister and I hope it only grows stronger with time.

So many fun things my girls have to look forward to. Ava starts swimming lessons next week and is SO excited she can hardly contain herself. Hannah will be taking swimming lessons this summer as part of summer school. The biggest thing in our house these days is the "countdown" to baby brother's arrival. With each passing day their excitement grows. And while there are going to be lots of changes ahead for my daughter's I also want to continue to keep their lives as normal as possible as well. I want them to do activities that are still just for them as they are separate beings from their baby brother. And of course we continue to prep them on all the things happening with the baby but they can see for themselves as mama's tummy continues to grow by the day.

Life is good :)

35 weeks and counting...........

I had my 35 weeks OB appt yesterday and it was uneventful and quick. Only up 1 lb in 2 weeks which I am just fine with. Blood pressure great at 110/60. I'm measuring at 35 1/2 weeks. His heartbeat was 141 bpm. My doctor seems to think this little guy in only going to be in the 7 lb range. This would be quite different from Ava who was 8 lbs 8 oz. I guess we shall see. I didn't see my regular nurse which kinda sucked but oh well. What ya gonna do. My doctor is on vacation all next week so they were squeezing in quite a few of us pregnant ladies making for a shorter appt than usual. My appetite has dropped off considerably in the past few weeks. I guess this is pretty normal as the baby grows it pushes against the stomach and makes me feel fuller faster. Braxton hicks contractions continue to pick up more and more and I've been pretty crampy. Also, getting lovely acid reflux at night. Brady was a wild one in the womb yesterday....holy cow. Just all over the place kicking and squirming and rolling. He must be running out of room. Hard to believe I only have 30 more days of feeling him moving around inside me. I mean I am super excited to meet him but will miss my baby belly. I have always LOVED pregnancy. It's such a beautiful thing.

My next appt is in two weeks where I will have blood drawn, get my first cervical check to see if I've dilated at all, have my Group B strep swab, and have my anesthesia consult. I am hoping we can figure out a way to keep my extreme nausea under control during my recovery in the hospital from my c-section. For whatever reason I get extremely nauseous both during surgery and in the days after. Maybe some new drugs have come out in the past 4 years that help more with nausea. I guess we will see. It's no fun to spend my entire hospital stay nauseous and on the verge of throwing up.

So that's my update. Still hoping Brady stays in til my c-section on April 30 but I am reassured to know that he'll be full term in 2 weeks. If he does decide to make an early appearance he should be in good shape and all systems should be ready to go. I'd like him to hang out with me a few more weeks, though. You hear that Brady? Stay in mama's nice warm tummy :)