32/33 Week Update

Yesterday we had my "almost 33 weeks" OB appointment.

Trey was 4.5 pounds (at two days shy of 33 weeks) and is doing well. His growth is on target. He's measuring somewhere between the 55th and 60th percentile in growth - so shaping up to look like a good, healthy, average baby.

They are going to start seeing me weekly beginning next week. Because of my connective tissue disease, I have an elevated risk of stillbirth in the third trimester, so we will have targeted ultrasounds to look for specific biomarkers every week from here on out to test him to make sure he is breathing okay, moving okay, etc. Basically, these tests will ensure that he's not in distress. The ultrasounds could take up to 30 minutes each time because they have to grade him on the four factors they are testing (breathing, movement, can't remember the other two at the moment...). So needless to say, they are watching the little guy closely in this final stage, and for that we are grateful. They will also moniter my amniotic fluid level to make sure that's on target as well.

And, my doc pretty much said that if all still looks good she would likely induce me at 39 weeks because waiting until 40 weeks and especially waiting until 41 weeks further increases the risk for a stillbirth, a chance she doesn't really want to take.

SO, looks like chances are good we are having a June baby and not a July baby - but we're just going to play it by ear, week to week, for now. One week is not a huge deal, and of course he could come on his own much earlier than that, but for some reason thinking "June baby" vs. "July baby" is a big change for me. I think I was in a little bit of shock leaving the doctor and had to reprocess this new date in my head. Of course, by the end of the day yesterday Robert and I were both gearing up for "T minus 6 weeks" until we get to meet our little man - if not before. That's certainly exciting, even if I have to be induced. Which, again, is not a huge deal - just not exactly what I was expecting. But we're all about being flexible these days.

If I am induced, I have a higher likelihood of needing a c-section because I didn't go into labor naturally, mainly because it's my first pregnancy. But my doctor said the more walking I do and activity I keep up in the next six weeks the better my chance of having my labor progress naturally even if they do induce - and thus less likely the c-section.

So here's to trying to keep staying active in the last seven (strike that, six) weeks! And here's to being thankful for my sweet friends Katie Crawford, Anna Kathryn Ellis, and Pam Kwena for walking the Lakeshore trail with me faithfully for the past several weeks and months and sometimes pushing me the entire 5 miles (down and back) because all that has been good for me and baby - and apparently we need to keep it up for as long as I am able. Warning: I may turn in to less of a talking "walking buddy" and more of a really good listener - primarily because I'm out of breath! And thanks to other sweet friends who have now promised to be my walking buddies.

Oh, and we did have an ultrasound yesterday with another chance to see our little man in 4D, as you can see from his little picture at the top of this post. He's still head down (hallelujah for being in the birthing position already) but had his little head tucked to the side, of course with his arms right up by his face the whole time so it was a little difficult to get a good profile shot. He's basically crammed in there. Good thing he's flexible (as evidenced by another 2D shot where you can see his toes are touching his forehead as his feet are extended straight up (knees flexed) pushing against the top of my uterus and hence my ribs, lungs, etc.).

Yep, flexibility is good because his personal quarters are about to get even tighter in the next seven... (strike that, six...) weeks as he packs on the pounds in preparation fo his big debut.

Mother's Day

What a special blessing is the gift of a mother! Robert and I are both blessed to have mothers who love the Lord and have faithfully modeled lives dedicated to Jesus for us over the years. What great examples for me as I transition to the role of mother to little Trey.

They are faithful prayer warriors (probably more so than we will ever know), servant-hearted leaders, wonderful hostesses and providers, "keepers of the family" so to speak, gospel-reminders (preaching and living out the gospel to their children and families faithfully), committed to serving the church body, great listeners, and long suffering with our fathers! For which we are all very grateful! :)

I am sure my appreciation for them will increase 100 fold once baby Trey comes and they are my lifelines for the first two weeks. I am so thankful for such family support and their willingness to take time off their jobs to serve us in this way.

But even now and in the previous months of pregenancy they have been so encouraging and supportive. Faithfully praying for Trey's salvation, sending encouraging emails, marveling at the baby God is growing in my womb and reminding us to enjoy each and every stage of the process.

And then of course Robert's mom has spent countless hours of her free time (who really has "free time" when you work fulltime as a nurse/office manager and are also a fulltime wife, mother, grandmother, and daughter?) in her sewing room making Trey's bedding and drapes, monograming blankets and making cute little outfits for him. Not to even mention the dozens of phone calls, emails, and texts to me to discuss fabrics and everything else we've talked about in prepping the nursery along the way.

And my sweet mother has sacrificed her Saturday to come clean my house - all with a joyful heart! (Who does that???) - to help give it a good scrub down before baby comes. Robert was out of town this weekend visiting an old college roommate in Memphis (last man trip for a while), and it was so good to have my mom to keep me company and help me around the house. We laundered all of Trey's clothes which are now hanging so cute and pretty in his armoir and closet. Instead of cleaning, we decided to re-plant the mailbox flowerbed with some beautiful summer blooms since the warm weather had taken its toll on my pansies. They'll always be another day to clean, and I know when that day comes she'll be there to help!

I am so very thankful for our moms!! For these and so many other reasons.

And this Mother's Day I was also thankful for the opportunity to be a mother. And even though Trey's not visible, apparently it's apparent that I'm his mom. Everyone from experienced and seasoned moms and grandmothers at church to the cashier at Publix wished me a happy mother's day this year. Most of them caught me by surprise, but what a sweet gesture nonetheless. I am, technically, a mother....with a whole lot to learn!

Nesting

Disclaimer: I should have posted this at the end of April. It was saved as a draft which I found and am posting now. As an update, the nesting has gotten a little better (as in calmed down) now, but for a while there it was insane. Warning to anyone expecting: This stage really does come out of no where. All of a sudden you're a cleaning, purging, tireless machine. Might want to tie your husband and pets to the couch so you don't throw them away or donate them to the thrift store with everything else you discard in prep for baby.

I totally thought this stage would skip me entirely, but it's here. In all its crazy glory.

Let's just say that, based on the past two weekends and even some weeknights after a full day's work, they could make a reality show about me entitled something like "Adventures in Nesting..." (dun, dun, dun - imagine the scary music in your head).

The show would be like "Hoarders" in reverse, but completely as shocking and just as dangerous. I'm already a little bit of an obsessive cleaner and neat freak. But mostly it's because I just like things in order. A place for everything and everything in its place. But this is a whole new level of insanity. And it came out of no where.

I'm talking about cleaning out junk drawers and cabinets in the kitchen, going through ALL my clothes and discarding what I don't and never will wear - then going through some of Robert's, cleaning out entire closets, and making about a gazillion trips to the thrift store to donate the items we purged. I donated everything from clothes and coffee mugs (to make room in the cabinets for bottles and such after horrifyingly realizing we had no kitchen cabinet room for baby's stuff) to random wedding gifts and old laptops (we had four!).

It's amazing what you can accumulate and store that you never ever use. We should probably go through the house like this every year just to keep things under control. Though it would be even better if we had better self control and didn't buy or accumulate stuff we don't need along the way.

Ah, so much to learn.

31/32 weeks update

Wow. Time is a flyin' by. I was 32 weeks yesterday and realized I never posted an update on my 31 week appointment.

The short and sweet is that all is well and Baby Trey looks good and is growing on schedule. We are so blessed and grateful for God's goodness throughout all the stages of this pregnancy.

The Highlights (in brief):

-Trey is head down (or was last week) and in his birthing position. He's kicking up a storm - mostly to my lungs. Little buddy is getting strong, and mom's taking a beating.

-Fundal measurement was 31 cm- right on target for two days shy of 31 weeks when they took it.

-Heart rate was strong. Came through loud and clear on the doppler. Dr. Richards found it nearly immediately, and also found his head - nestled down there in my pelvis. Again, he's getting big.

-Weight gain was consistent with 28 week appointment - I'm still hovering at about 20 pounds above pre-pregnancy weight, though I suspect that is currently on the rise given the rapid weight gain he goes through in the next eight weeks (doubling weight). He's probably between 3.5 and 4 pounds right now.

-Ultrasound appointment coming next Monday (May 16) so hopefully we'll have some more pics to post on our little man as well as updates on his size and progress to date.

In other news, this post and the others I've been meaning to write for the past three weeks are delayed mostly because we've been crazy busy lately with nursery and baby prep, childbirth classes, work, volunteering, church, disaster response, etc.

I have been meaning to blog about the storms and how God has used them to teach Robert and I so much about the gospel, what it means to be Christ's hands and feet to a hurting community, how to really help, etc.

I also have a mother's day post in here somewhere and hope to get that up soon.

Praying for your husband

A dear friend shared this over email recently (something she and her husband received at a marriage conference), and it's something I've been trying to incorporate in my daily habits (not too successfully yet) as a way to faithfully pray for Robert. I wanted to post it here since it was such an encouragment to me and a great reminder of one small way to better serve and support him in my role as his wife and to lift all our cares before the Lord.

How great is my unbelief (and small my view of my sovereign King) that I don't spend more time in prayer. In the words of that great hymn Come Ye Sinners,

He is able. He is able.

He is willing. Doubt no more.

Prayers for my Husband…


Monday - You, O Lord, are faithful and gracious to my husband, fulfilling Your every promise in his life. Lift him up this day and lighten any heavy burden he is experiencing. Be his strength, his hope, his answer today. May he find favor with God and with man as he stands for truth in each circumstance he encounters knowing that You are directing his every step and are pleased. Amen


Tuesday - Lord, I thank You for the gift of my husband and for the wisdom You have instilled in him. As he seeks to serve and honor You this day, may he know how grateful I am for his love, faithfulness, care and provision. Show me how I can better support him, and help me to be a place of encouragement, safety and refuge. Amen


Wednesday - Jesus, I praise You for a spirit of unity that binds us together in our marriage. Teach me to live in complete harmony with my husband and to have the same selfless attitude that You demonstrated. I pray that in all we face, whether struggle or joy, we will be drawn closer together and that we will glorify You. May we live joyfully and abundantly in Your love each day of our lives. Amen


Thursday - Almighty God, You have given my husband every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus and You supply all his needs. I pray he always finds his true worth in You and that I will be to him a reflection of Your love. Bless him with God-given dreams and visions for the future, and help me to affirm, support and encourage that calling. Lead us forward in perfect unity of heart and mind. Amen


Friday - Holy God, my husband and marriage are a blessing from You. I celebrate all You are doing in our relationship. Help me to see my husband through Your eyes, to value him with Your heart, and to fully express my love and respect for him in ways that are meaningful. When life gets crazy, I pray we find refuge in You and one another. Fill our home with joy and laughter. May we always delight in the love you have given us. Amen


Saturday - Lord Jesus, I am thankful for a life-long covenant partner and for all You are teaching us along this journey of marriage. Each day help me to honor my husband in thought, word and deed. I pray our marriage will bring hope to others and glory to Your name as we submit ourselves to one another and You. All praise to God! Amen

Sunday - Father, as my husband worships You this day, I pray You give him a new revolution of who You are. Draw him with your Spirit and refresh his soul. Fill him up with You, God. May the power of Your Word renew his mind and encourage his heart, and may he find Sabbath rest in Your presence. Amen

Tiffin Kicking Day-Long Football Camp

Look what came through on my Living Social email this morning...

Tiffin Kicking Day-Long Football Camp

Down, set, hike! Gather your little giants, and get on the ball this summer with today's kickin' deal. For just $49, score a day-long football camp with Leigh Tiffin of Tiffin Kicking at any one of six Alabama locations (a $99 value). Load 'em in the minivan and line 'em up...

We need to sign Trey up now. He's definitely qualified.

30 Weeks

Today marks week 30 of pregnancy. It's the fourth quarter folks. Go ahead and hold up four fingers and play that Green Day song because we're in the home stretch.

30 weeks down, 10 to go.

Though according to our recent childbirth class, it may be more like 6 or 7 weeks to go, or maybe 11 or 12 weeks to go. Apparently we need to be ready and flexible because Baby Trey is on his own schedule, and we're just along for the ride.

Speaking of childbirth classes, so far we've had one in a series of five with our second tonight. And to be honest they have been much less traumatic than I expected. For this I am thankful, though they have four more opportunities (including one in less than 12 hours) to scare the heebie jeebies out of me.

Week One we pretty much went over the basics of the third trimester leading up to delivery - true vs. false labor, signs of preterm labor, how to time contractions, when to call the doctor, danger signs, etc. Mostly I was just relieved to walk into the room and find it set up like a classroom with tables, chairs, and a projector rather than a gym with mats and big round exercise balls. There were a few graphic animated video clips showing various aspects of delivery, but nothing too traumatic. The hip skeleton model with the fake baby was a little weird, especially when the instructor, a labor and delivery LPN, tried to force the baby through the hips to show us the whole process of that eventful trip through the birth canal. Let's just say it looked like things weren't quite going to fit. Most of the information was actually pretty useful and news to my virgin ears (Ha! No pun intended... Sorry. Clearly just cracked myself up.), so at least we're that much more prepared.

To be honest, I was a little on the fence about the value of attending childbirth classes at all. It just seems like with some things in life it just might be best to remain in the dark on the details until you have to know (ignorance is bliss, right?). And even then, in the case of childbirth, to just let the doctors and nurses tell you what to do when you need to do it. I'm not all about being an expect on labor and delivery since I plan to have a room full of them and go through it at most three times during my lifetime, but then again this is coming from the girl whose birth plan is one word - epidural. In the end, I say to each her own, and more power to you, but I am glad we decided to do the classes.

I may change my tune after tonight. On the docket for Week Two is the stages of labor (with the scary labor video, or so I've been warned) and medical interventions (if that is code for "drugs," yes please). But if we survive that we get the tour of UAB's brand spankin' new Women & Infants Center including the L&D rooms, postpartum rooms, and newborn nursery.

I actually can't wait for Robert to see this. Working in development at UAB, we've given this tour to donors dozens of times. I've been at UAB four years now, and though I wasn't around for the groundbreaking I was here for much of the fundraising for this space, as well as the dedication and grand-opening. We've done hardhat tours, post opening tours,donor signage, and everything in between. I'm so proud of our facilities, especially the RNICU. This first-class facility for women and infant services now truly matches the first-class care that's always been at UAB. That's our little catch phrase, but it really is true. I wouldn't be delivering at UAB if I didn't think so.

As familiar as I am with this space on a professional level, I'll probably be paying a little more attention this time around since we'll be calling the WIC home for a few days come early July. More details on Week Two classes to come, pending I'm not so scarred from the video that I can recall them.

New pregnancy symptoms at 30 weeks:

-I'd say the first is a general slowness. Things just aren't happening as quickly these days, probably because of the second new symptom...

-Heaviness. Baby is getting bigger. So am I. Though I'm still staying active and keeping up the best I can with my walks and other exercise, my pace is definitely off. Again, I think the massive tummy poking out front is to blame. It's also the reason for the third new symptom...

-Clumsiness. Basically, I've turned into a klutz. Believe it or not, this is actually new territory for me. It's got to be due to the fact that with all that weight out front my balance is completely off. I've almost tripped trying to step out of pants oh, about a dozen times and actually find myself running into my office furniture (desk, bookshelf, credenza) while at work when I'm getting up from my desk. I'm not making sudden, swift movements (lets be honest, nothing is sudden and swift these days). I'm just trying to move normally, but somehow I manage to do it leaning or falling over. It's the weirdest thing.

-And then there are the basics - insomnia, heartburn, an almost ever-present need to use the bathroom...just par for the course. Oh, and trying oh so hard to remember to do those darn kegels. I heard the 5-5-5 rule was good. Five times in a row, for five seconds each, once every hour for five hours each day.

In all seriousness, I'm actually very grateful to still be working full time and feeling fairly well for the most part, keeping active and staying up on most of my activities. God has been good to us and continues to bless this pregnancy, and for that we are thankful and blessed.

On the nursery front, my mother-in-law is making wonderful progress on Trey's bedding. I get so excited every time she texts me a pic of her handiwork in progress - the bumpers or skirt or monogram. They'll be in town the weekend of May 20-22 along with Robert's sisters, so I'll post pics of the finished product then or shortly thereafter once we've got everything in place.

Still waiting on the rocker and hoping it comes in the next three to four weeks. Ordered the rug for the nursery last night along with the chandelier. Am close to finalizing the artwork and need to paint a few pieces of furniture, but for the most part we're on the home stretch with nursery prep too.

It's the fourth quarter folks. Here's hoping this one doesn't go into overtime.

P.S. - The journalist in me decided to just bite the bullet and include the 30 week photo at the top of this post...with the following disclaimer: Holy Moly I'm huge!!!! Everyday people at the office or around town say nice things like "you look so good" or "what a cute baby bump" or "you're so little." But now that I see this photo that Robert took I'm beginning to think they're fudging the truth. I'm ginormous. Where on earth did that belly come from?