It's short but not sweet. And I'm apologizing for any typos I miss because my hands are shaking like I have Parkinson's from all the Terbutaline I've had.
Basically, I was VERY encouraged yesterday because the Procardia they gave me yesterday quieted my uterus amazingly well. However at 4am this morning, I started contracting frequently right through it. They gave me some oral Terbutaline twice between my scheduled doses of Procardia. I continue to contract. I have had subq (in the arm) Terbutaline twice which has not helped very much either. Dr. Joe feels that if the subq Terb in my arms doesn't help, the Terb pump in my leg might not do that much better. He is talking about a low-dose of Mag Sulfate to be started later today. I'm dreading it. Literally dreading it. But hopefully a low dose will be okay and do the trick, and I might not feel so horrible on it.
I did get my second dose of Celestone yesterday at 5pm to help Dumplin's lungs. That's good. Our goal now is to make it to next Wednesday the 21st. Dr. Joe has me TENTATIVELY scheduled for a c-section that morning at 7:30am. He said we will cancel it if I'm doing great; otherwise that's the day. But, that day may come sooner if my uterus doesn't straighten up and behave.
UGGH!
I'm so frustrated and MAD at my body. I'm HATING my body in fact! I know there are plenty of you reading who have been there yourself.
There are a slew of emotions whirling around in me right now. Too many to write about, and truthfully I don't want to write about them.
As I just typed this, I got my third subq Terbutaline shot. Probably time to say goodbye before my hands shake so bad I knock the computer off my lap.
Please pray these meds work and Dumplin' holds off until next Wed. Every day he can be inside of me helps him to have a better outcome. But as always, God's will. Not our's.
Love,
Tonya
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Again, Not What I Expected
Things aren't terrible, but they're not great. Definitely not what I expected when I was admitted yesterday.
I was admitted around 1pm yesterday, and within the first 30 minutes I was on the monitor, I had 12 contractions. Granted, they weren't real contractions, but they don't even want someone to have more than 6 braxton-hicks per hour. I was well above that. From 2-3pm, I had 19 contractions; 3-4pm, 14; and 4-5pm, 7. Those numbers only got better because I was given oral Terbutaline to help them subside.
Starting at 5pm, they gave me three shots of Terbutaline in my arm. This did the trick, and my uterus was calm for a while. Dr. Joe was happy with the results. I got another oral dose at 8pm, and we waited.
I had the nurse put me back on the monitor at 2am because I was feeling more contractions. I have contracted all night. Got another three shots between 4-5am that didn't work. They have just given me some Procardia. If I don't do well on this, either because it will drop my BP too low or because it doesn't stop the contractions, Dr. Joe is talking Mag Sulfate. I've only heard horror stories about this medicine, but I'm most certainly willing to try it.
The concern, again, is that with all of these contractions, my uterus being so big and stretching so much, that it could possibly rupture. I'm extremely glad I'm here, but it's very frustrating, too. You see, these contractions are nothing new for me. I've been having them, this frequent and this strong, for weeks. But now that I'm here, they're a big deal. And I understand why. I'm just frustrated. I thought I was coming just as a precaution. What was my norm has now turned into a medical event.
I didn't sleep a wink last night between contractions, this crick in my neck, thinking about Dumplin' being born even earlier than 36 weeks, and worrying about the possibility of getting Mag today, or soon. I really want Dumplin' to make it one more week to 34 weeks. "Wimpy white boys" don't always do that great in the NICU. Dr. Joe has the same goal in mind, but he will not wait if a more serious situation arises. The main goal right now is for me to get my second dose of steroids for Dumplin' today at 5pm. These help his lungs mature a little faster.
I'm trying very hard to find the positives in this because they are always there. I'm 33 weeks today. I'm here being monitored closely. I'm here if an emergency does arise. My family is wonderfully supportive and taken care of. My baby is still alive. I believe and trust in a God who is in control and has a plan for both me and Dumplin'.
Thank you so much for your sweet comments and prayers. Internet connection here at the hospital is TERRIBLE. I've only been able to log onto my email once, on only one of my accounts. The internet connection apparently does not like Yahoo. So, if you've emailed me and haven't heard back, please don't think I'm ignoring you.
Thanks for checking in and praying for us!!!
Love,
Tonya
I was admitted around 1pm yesterday, and within the first 30 minutes I was on the monitor, I had 12 contractions. Granted, they weren't real contractions, but they don't even want someone to have more than 6 braxton-hicks per hour. I was well above that. From 2-3pm, I had 19 contractions; 3-4pm, 14; and 4-5pm, 7. Those numbers only got better because I was given oral Terbutaline to help them subside.
Starting at 5pm, they gave me three shots of Terbutaline in my arm. This did the trick, and my uterus was calm for a while. Dr. Joe was happy with the results. I got another oral dose at 8pm, and we waited.
I had the nurse put me back on the monitor at 2am because I was feeling more contractions. I have contracted all night. Got another three shots between 4-5am that didn't work. They have just given me some Procardia. If I don't do well on this, either because it will drop my BP too low or because it doesn't stop the contractions, Dr. Joe is talking Mag Sulfate. I've only heard horror stories about this medicine, but I'm most certainly willing to try it.
The concern, again, is that with all of these contractions, my uterus being so big and stretching so much, that it could possibly rupture. I'm extremely glad I'm here, but it's very frustrating, too. You see, these contractions are nothing new for me. I've been having them, this frequent and this strong, for weeks. But now that I'm here, they're a big deal. And I understand why. I'm just frustrated. I thought I was coming just as a precaution. What was my norm has now turned into a medical event.
I didn't sleep a wink last night between contractions, this crick in my neck, thinking about Dumplin' being born even earlier than 36 weeks, and worrying about the possibility of getting Mag today, or soon. I really want Dumplin' to make it one more week to 34 weeks. "Wimpy white boys" don't always do that great in the NICU. Dr. Joe has the same goal in mind, but he will not wait if a more serious situation arises. The main goal right now is for me to get my second dose of steroids for Dumplin' today at 5pm. These help his lungs mature a little faster.
I'm trying very hard to find the positives in this because they are always there. I'm 33 weeks today. I'm here being monitored closely. I'm here if an emergency does arise. My family is wonderfully supportive and taken care of. My baby is still alive. I believe and trust in a God who is in control and has a plan for both me and Dumplin'.
Thank you so much for your sweet comments and prayers. Internet connection here at the hospital is TERRIBLE. I've only been able to log onto my email once, on only one of my accounts. The internet connection apparently does not like Yahoo. So, if you've emailed me and haven't heard back, please don't think I'm ignoring you.
Thanks for checking in and praying for us!!!
Love,
Tonya
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Hi Ho, Hi Ho...
...it's off to high-risk I go!
I'll be heading to the hospital today until Dumplin' arrives. This is a precautionary measure. And while I'm sad and don't look forward to staring at the same four walls, I'm so thankful to have a doctor who is conservative and on top of things.
Saturday, I took the girls to Walmart to get school supplies. Now let me just pause here and say that I never do these kinds of things early, but Jessica was persistent so off we went. And what a blessing that I have already purchased Emma Grace's uniforms for the school year, too. It's taken care of and Gib won't have to deal with it. Praise the Lord for His blessings, big and small!
Anyway, as we were casually taking our time in the store, I had the worst pain in my abdomen. It literally felt like my uterus was splitting right down the middle. It was so painful that I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. We bought what we had, and Jessica helped get everything in the car. Once I sat down I felt a bit better, but it continued to hurt. I drove the 15 minute drive home and promptly went to bed, where I stayed for about three hours. The pain subsided, and I didn't call Dr. Joe. The pain has come back once at almost the same intensity but not quite. The last couple of days, I've had twinges here and there of the pain and pulling sensation.
So, at my appointment with Dr. Joe yesterday, I thought I was in the clear. Dumplin' produced a great heart rate strip for his NST, and my cervix looked great on ultrasound.
But then I told him about the pain.
His demeanor changed, and I could see (almost hear) his wheels turning. But I wasn't prepared for what came next...
I measured 37cm yesterday which isn't too terribly big considering I'll be 33 weeks tomorrow. But I am big, Dumplin' is big and VERY active. I have LOTS and LOTS of braxton-hicks contractions (the practice ones) with some real ones mixed in. Dr. Joe is concerned with all of those things, combined with the pain I'm having in my middle uterus, that my uterus might rupture. I'm at risk for this because I have an old fashioned, classical incision on my uterus from Emma Grace being born so emergently at 25 weeks.
Dr. Joe looked around my uterus with ultrasound and saw nothing alarming, but he sure did keep feeling and poking around on my abdomen. I asked him if it felt okay, and his response was, "Yeah, it's okay." I got the feeling that something he felt was a bit off, but he didn't want to alarm me, too. I feel like if it was great he would have said so. It wasn't long after that he mentioned the hospital.
He told me that if I had called him from where I live (45 minutes from the hospital) and told him the kind of pain I was having, he would have "freaked out". He said with a uterine rupture that far away, there's no chance of saving the baby and it's very dangerous for me, too. If I was in the hospital parking lot, it would still be too far away. But if I'm on the high risk unit, "there's a fighting chance if something were to happen".
So, off to high-risk I go sometime today. I think if I had not had the girls with me yesterday, Dr, Joe might have gone ahead and admitted me. He didn't give me a specific time to be there, and I'm not in a hurry. I haven't packed. Instead, last night I spent time with my family, got the laundry caught up, and made lists of how to do things around here for Gib and the girls. Things are not perfect and exactly in order the way I would like them to be for the next few weeks, but I've had to step back and examine my priorities. And a perfectly clean, orderly house is NOT at the top. Dumplin' isn't going to know, or care, if things aren't perfect in his room. As long as he has milk, diapers and a soft place to lay his head, that's all he needs. Who cares about the rest, right?
I cried lots of tears yesterday at the thought of being away, and I know more are to come today. I was on bedrest for 12 days with Emma Grace. The days aren't so bad because of visitors that come and go, but the nights are long and lonely. My family is sad, but they understand this is the best thing to keep me and Dumplin' safe.
I was in the nursery last night (which is a TOTAL mess right now because of a mega fort the girls built) showing Jessica things that had to be washed, and I looked into the crib. There lay Grady's white gown, his hospital bands, the bag with his locks of hair, and the gown he wore during my time with him. I put my hand on the side of the crib and tearfully said to Jessica, "This is what we're trying to keep from happening again. We want an alive baby to bring home this time." She and I hugged and agreed it would all be worth it.
We would so very much appreciate your prayers. Some specifics to pray for are:
--Dumplin' stays put until his August 4th c-section date
--Dumplin's lungs will mature
--my uterus won't rupture and there will be no other complications
--peace and survival for Gib and the girls while I'm away
We rest in the fact that this is God's plan and His will for me and Dumplin' right now. Thank you so much for your prayers and support!
Love,
Tonya
I'll be heading to the hospital today until Dumplin' arrives. This is a precautionary measure. And while I'm sad and don't look forward to staring at the same four walls, I'm so thankful to have a doctor who is conservative and on top of things.
Saturday, I took the girls to Walmart to get school supplies. Now let me just pause here and say that I never do these kinds of things early, but Jessica was persistent so off we went. And what a blessing that I have already purchased Emma Grace's uniforms for the school year, too. It's taken care of and Gib won't have to deal with it. Praise the Lord for His blessings, big and small!
Anyway, as we were casually taking our time in the store, I had the worst pain in my abdomen. It literally felt like my uterus was splitting right down the middle. It was so painful that I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. We bought what we had, and Jessica helped get everything in the car. Once I sat down I felt a bit better, but it continued to hurt. I drove the 15 minute drive home and promptly went to bed, where I stayed for about three hours. The pain subsided, and I didn't call Dr. Joe. The pain has come back once at almost the same intensity but not quite. The last couple of days, I've had twinges here and there of the pain and pulling sensation.
So, at my appointment with Dr. Joe yesterday, I thought I was in the clear. Dumplin' produced a great heart rate strip for his NST, and my cervix looked great on ultrasound.
But then I told him about the pain.
His demeanor changed, and I could see (almost hear) his wheels turning. But I wasn't prepared for what came next...
I measured 37cm yesterday which isn't too terribly big considering I'll be 33 weeks tomorrow. But I am big, Dumplin' is big and VERY active. I have LOTS and LOTS of braxton-hicks contractions (the practice ones) with some real ones mixed in. Dr. Joe is concerned with all of those things, combined with the pain I'm having in my middle uterus, that my uterus might rupture. I'm at risk for this because I have an old fashioned, classical incision on my uterus from Emma Grace being born so emergently at 25 weeks.
Dr. Joe looked around my uterus with ultrasound and saw nothing alarming, but he sure did keep feeling and poking around on my abdomen. I asked him if it felt okay, and his response was, "Yeah, it's okay." I got the feeling that something he felt was a bit off, but he didn't want to alarm me, too. I feel like if it was great he would have said so. It wasn't long after that he mentioned the hospital.
He told me that if I had called him from where I live (45 minutes from the hospital) and told him the kind of pain I was having, he would have "freaked out". He said with a uterine rupture that far away, there's no chance of saving the baby and it's very dangerous for me, too. If I was in the hospital parking lot, it would still be too far away. But if I'm on the high risk unit, "there's a fighting chance if something were to happen".
So, off to high-risk I go sometime today. I think if I had not had the girls with me yesterday, Dr, Joe might have gone ahead and admitted me. He didn't give me a specific time to be there, and I'm not in a hurry. I haven't packed. Instead, last night I spent time with my family, got the laundry caught up, and made lists of how to do things around here for Gib and the girls. Things are not perfect and exactly in order the way I would like them to be for the next few weeks, but I've had to step back and examine my priorities. And a perfectly clean, orderly house is NOT at the top. Dumplin' isn't going to know, or care, if things aren't perfect in his room. As long as he has milk, diapers and a soft place to lay his head, that's all he needs. Who cares about the rest, right?
I cried lots of tears yesterday at the thought of being away, and I know more are to come today. I was on bedrest for 12 days with Emma Grace. The days aren't so bad because of visitors that come and go, but the nights are long and lonely. My family is sad, but they understand this is the best thing to keep me and Dumplin' safe.
I was in the nursery last night (which is a TOTAL mess right now because of a mega fort the girls built) showing Jessica things that had to be washed, and I looked into the crib. There lay Grady's white gown, his hospital bands, the bag with his locks of hair, and the gown he wore during my time with him. I put my hand on the side of the crib and tearfully said to Jessica, "This is what we're trying to keep from happening again. We want an alive baby to bring home this time." She and I hugged and agreed it would all be worth it.
We would so very much appreciate your prayers. Some specifics to pray for are:
--Dumplin' stays put until his August 4th c-section date
--Dumplin's lungs will mature
--my uterus won't rupture and there will be no other complications
--peace and survival for Gib and the girls while I'm away
We rest in the fact that this is God's plan and His will for me and Dumplin' right now. Thank you so much for your prayers and support!
Love,
Tonya
Monday, July 12, 2010
Road Runners
This is, hopefully, the first of several posts to come this week. I have so much I want to write about but am limited in the time that I can sit comfortably at the computer without becoming lightheaded and dizzy.
Sigh.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in a "Tidbit" post that Jessica and Gib were going to run a 5K (3.1 miles) on July 10th. They did it, and they did GREAT! (especially Jessica!) They ran around our neighborhood in the evenings to train, and Jessica often motivated her Daddy to get out there and run.
They weren't running to beat a certain time; they were just running for fun. Emma Grace and I were there to support them and take pictures. My friend and neighbor, Jenny, also came with her boys to support them...Thanks Jenny!
Before the race.
Waiting for the "go".
My road runners as they approached the finish line. Pardon the random stranger in front of Gib.
Crossing the finish line.
Worn out but proud.
There was an awards ceremony afterwards. Here's a pic of the kids while waiting.
We were SO PROUD of Jessica...she won second place in her age group for the fastest time! The girl who beat her was only 5 minutes ahead of her and was 14 years old. Jessica ran her hardest and didn't stop once.
WAY TO GO JESS!!!
She and Daddy in their souvenir t-shirts. Picture compliments of Emma Grace. I'm so proud of her for not cutting her Daddy's head off because Buddy just had to be in the picture!
Gib wants me to run this with him and Jessica next year. We'll see what kind of shape I'm in! He is planning to run a 10K (6.2 miles) on July 31st...GO GIB!
"See" ya soon!
Love,
Tonya
Sigh.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in a "Tidbit" post that Jessica and Gib were going to run a 5K (3.1 miles) on July 10th. They did it, and they did GREAT! (especially Jessica!) They ran around our neighborhood in the evenings to train, and Jessica often motivated her Daddy to get out there and run.
They weren't running to beat a certain time; they were just running for fun. Emma Grace and I were there to support them and take pictures. My friend and neighbor, Jenny, also came with her boys to support them...Thanks Jenny!
Before the race.
Waiting for the "go".
My road runners as they approached the finish line. Pardon the random stranger in front of Gib.
Crossing the finish line.
Worn out but proud.
There was an awards ceremony afterwards. Here's a pic of the kids while waiting.
We were SO PROUD of Jessica...she won second place in her age group for the fastest time! The girl who beat her was only 5 minutes ahead of her and was 14 years old. Jessica ran her hardest and didn't stop once.
WAY TO GO JESS!!!
She and Daddy in their souvenir t-shirts. Picture compliments of Emma Grace. I'm so proud of her for not cutting her Daddy's head off because Buddy just had to be in the picture!
Gib wants me to run this with him and Jessica next year. We'll see what kind of shape I'm in! He is planning to run a 10K (6.2 miles) on July 31st...GO GIB!
"See" ya soon!
Love,
Tonya
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Countdown
It's something I said I wouldn't do. When my friend, Ebe, told me how many days she had until her sweet Hannah's arrival, I remember clearly stating that I could never count down until we got really close. It would drive me crazy.
One thing I've learned in life is to "never say never". I was bored in the car pool line one day and found the calendar on my cell phone. What did I do? I counted the days until August 4th, the date of Dumplin's scheduled c-section.
104 days.
It seemed like an eternity.
What number are we at today?
28.
28 days until our baby boy is scheduled to arrive. This is, of course, our plan. God may have a different one, but I hope not. He needs every day inside of me for his lungs to mature.
Ebe had jelly beans in a bowl and each day she or her hubby would eat one. I stole that idea from her for the girls. Instead of one bowl, we have two, one for each of them. Instead of jelly beans, we used Skittles.
Here they are counting their Skittles into their bowls.
We started at 45 days.
This is what the bowls look like today, at 28.
And just for fun, I pushed the Skittles to the top portion of the bowls and added a bit of Dumplin' in the picture.
It's a bit surreal that we're down to four weeks. Jessica keeps saying she's ready to go back to school. I'm NOT ready for them to go back. It seems like they just got out. Her reason for wanting school to start back is this..."But Mommy, when school starts, [Dumplin'] will come two days later".
So, counting down we are. All of us. Even Gib.
Love,
Tonya
One thing I've learned in life is to "never say never". I was bored in the car pool line one day and found the calendar on my cell phone. What did I do? I counted the days until August 4th, the date of Dumplin's scheduled c-section.
104 days.
It seemed like an eternity.
What number are we at today?
28.
28 days until our baby boy is scheduled to arrive. This is, of course, our plan. God may have a different one, but I hope not. He needs every day inside of me for his lungs to mature.
Ebe had jelly beans in a bowl and each day she or her hubby would eat one. I stole that idea from her for the girls. Instead of one bowl, we have two, one for each of them. Instead of jelly beans, we used Skittles.
Here they are counting their Skittles into their bowls.
We started at 45 days.
This is what the bowls look like today, at 28.
And just for fun, I pushed the Skittles to the top portion of the bowls and added a bit of Dumplin' in the picture.
It's a bit surreal that we're down to four weeks. Jessica keeps saying she's ready to go back to school. I'm NOT ready for them to go back. It seems like they just got out. Her reason for wanting school to start back is this..."But Mommy, when school starts, [Dumplin'] will come two days later".
So, counting down we are. All of us. Even Gib.
Love,
Tonya
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Emma Grace's 7th Birthday in Pictures...Finally!
We brought this sweet girl home from the hospital seven years ago today, after she spent 109 days in the NICU. She was born on March 16, 2003 and came home July 3, 2003. I've been meaning, and wanting, to put her birthday pictures up from this year, and I thought this would be an appropriate day to do so. To honor her life and the miracle that she is. Never mind that I'm about 3 1/2 months late...better late than never is my motto! (If you're new to my blog, you can read her story by clicking her picture on my left side bar)
She had her party the weekend before her birthday. It was pretty simple since she got new bedding for her birthday. Here she is sleeping in her "new" bed for the first time.
She invited her best friends from school, and of course Sidney, to her party. She requested very simple pink and green cupcakes since those were the colors of her new bedding. We played musical chairs and hot potato with individual bags of Skittles. Gib also blew up 50-something balloons, and we wrote the letters of the alphabet on them. I divided the girls into two teams and the first to spell "Emma Grace" with the balloons won.
The day of her actual birthday, March 16th, started with cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
I took cupcakes and Cheetos Cheese Puffs and read "Albert the Bear" to her class.
She had her BFF from school, Caroline, over to play that afternoon.
She requested steak, mashed potatoes and broccoli for her birthday dinner. But at the last minute she changed her vegetable to green beans. Since it was her birthday, I obliged and went back to the store to appease her. But only because it was her birthday!
Sad thing was, though, I guess she played too hard and wore herself out that day. When she sat down for dinner, she had such a bad headache that she couldn't eat. I gave her medicine and she got comfy on the sofa. She fell asleep shortly after and didn't even have dinner on her birthday. It broke my heart for her. She ended up sleeping all night, and I saved her plate for the next night. We didn't get to sing or anything. :( Luckily she had been sung to at school earlier in the day.
I had bought Peanut Butter M&M's to put a candle in for her to blow out on her birthday. We were cupcaked out! We did it the next night.
And so was her 7th birthday. She says she wants a slumber party next year. I'm not so sure about that!
Love,
Tonya
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Not So Little at 31 Weeks
Well, it appears that Mama T isn't the only one who is big!
I had a growth scan yesterday for Dumplin' since I measured 39cm last Thursday when I was only 30 weeks pregnant. I went back Monday (since I'm going three times a week now) and I only measured 34 1/2 cm. Dr. Joe is the only one who measures me, so I know it's accurate and not variation between practitioners. He said the difference was probably due to baby positioning. Makes sense to me.
I drove down and had lunch with the nurses and ultrasound (u/s) tech before my 1:45 appointment. The u/s tech thought I was about 35 weeks pregnant when she saw me. :) I enjoyed lunch but I couldn't wait to get into the u/s room and measure Dumplin'!
She got some really good measurements of his head, abdomen, and femur. Immediately when she saw his head, she said he has LOTS of hair. Can't wait to see! (Well, yes I can but you know what I mean!) After plugging in the measurements, she pulled up the screen that calculates the numbers.
OH MY GOSH!
Her measurements estimate that Dumplin weighs a whopping 5 pounds, 3 ounces already!
I was shocked! I had a feeling he was big based on how I feel and how big I am. But I had no idea he could be that big already.
I did make sure to clarify that the estimate could be a pound off either way... She confirmed that to be true but also said that she got some really good measurements and feels pretty sure that he weighs about 5 pounds.
He will probably be our biggest baby yet.
After the u/s, I had to see Dr. Joe. My uterus did not behave very well Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I woke up around 1:30am having contractions. Real ones, complete with cramping, backache and a distorted uterus because it was so tight. I got up, started drinking water and moving around some. It scared the stew out of me! Not just for the contractions, but also because I have a classical incision from Emma Grace that could rupture if I go into labor. Gib got up to check on me, and I told him I would call Dr. Joe if they didn't stop soon. Thankfully, they slowed down a considerable amount, and I was able to go back to sleep around 5am.
Dr. Joe checked my cervix yesterday, and it is still long and thick, measuring about 6.2 which is great! I'm so thankful. Dumplin' needs every day inside of me to help his lungs mature. I came home with a prescription for Brethine in case that happens again. It makes me feel better to be armed with something to take and try on my own first. I had to take it very occasionally with Grady, and I suspect the same for the remainder of this pregnancy, too.
Just to be sure, I will have my blood sugar checked again tomorrow to be certain that I don't have gestational diabetes. I passed the first one but barely. I asked Dr. Joe if we could check again, thinking that might be why Dumplin' is so big. He obliged and said that was a good idea. They will take a fasting blood sugar this time, too. Hopefully I'll pass because I hate the thought of having to give up my Breyer's chocolate ice cream and Reese's Klondike bars. YUM! But I'll do it for Dumplin' if I need to!
I hate when Dumplin' gets the hiccups! I used to think they were so fun, but now I freak out everytime he has them. I read somewhere a correlation between hiccups and stillbirth. I don't know details, but it scares the stew out of me! Oh, how I miss the innocence of pregnancy...
With only 34 days left, I really need to get on the ball about a car seat and getting the room ready. But it's very overwhelming to me. I have to pack Grady's things away, and I don't want to. I know that each momento and card I pick up will bring a slew of emotions back to me. I'm so excited for Dumplin's arrival, and I want to get things ready for him. But it feels like saying goodbye to Grady all over again...
Sigh.
That's about all for now. I have a pedicure appointment today at 11 and the girls are getting haircuts while we're there. Emma Grace wants a lot cut off of hers; Jessica not so much. If I can remember, I'll take pictures to post.
Love,
Tonya
I had a growth scan yesterday for Dumplin' since I measured 39cm last Thursday when I was only 30 weeks pregnant. I went back Monday (since I'm going three times a week now) and I only measured 34 1/2 cm. Dr. Joe is the only one who measures me, so I know it's accurate and not variation between practitioners. He said the difference was probably due to baby positioning. Makes sense to me.
I drove down and had lunch with the nurses and ultrasound (u/s) tech before my 1:45 appointment. The u/s tech thought I was about 35 weeks pregnant when she saw me. :) I enjoyed lunch but I couldn't wait to get into the u/s room and measure Dumplin'!
She got some really good measurements of his head, abdomen, and femur. Immediately when she saw his head, she said he has LOTS of hair. Can't wait to see! (Well, yes I can but you know what I mean!) After plugging in the measurements, she pulled up the screen that calculates the numbers.
OH MY GOSH!
Her measurements estimate that Dumplin weighs a whopping 5 pounds, 3 ounces already!
I was shocked! I had a feeling he was big based on how I feel and how big I am. But I had no idea he could be that big already.
I did make sure to clarify that the estimate could be a pound off either way... She confirmed that to be true but also said that she got some really good measurements and feels pretty sure that he weighs about 5 pounds.
He will probably be our biggest baby yet.
After the u/s, I had to see Dr. Joe. My uterus did not behave very well Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I woke up around 1:30am having contractions. Real ones, complete with cramping, backache and a distorted uterus because it was so tight. I got up, started drinking water and moving around some. It scared the stew out of me! Not just for the contractions, but also because I have a classical incision from Emma Grace that could rupture if I go into labor. Gib got up to check on me, and I told him I would call Dr. Joe if they didn't stop soon. Thankfully, they slowed down a considerable amount, and I was able to go back to sleep around 5am.
Dr. Joe checked my cervix yesterday, and it is still long and thick, measuring about 6.2 which is great! I'm so thankful. Dumplin' needs every day inside of me to help his lungs mature. I came home with a prescription for Brethine in case that happens again. It makes me feel better to be armed with something to take and try on my own first. I had to take it very occasionally with Grady, and I suspect the same for the remainder of this pregnancy, too.
Just to be sure, I will have my blood sugar checked again tomorrow to be certain that I don't have gestational diabetes. I passed the first one but barely. I asked Dr. Joe if we could check again, thinking that might be why Dumplin' is so big. He obliged and said that was a good idea. They will take a fasting blood sugar this time, too. Hopefully I'll pass because I hate the thought of having to give up my Breyer's chocolate ice cream and Reese's Klondike bars. YUM! But I'll do it for Dumplin' if I need to!
I hate when Dumplin' gets the hiccups! I used to think they were so fun, but now I freak out everytime he has them. I read somewhere a correlation between hiccups and stillbirth. I don't know details, but it scares the stew out of me! Oh, how I miss the innocence of pregnancy...
With only 34 days left, I really need to get on the ball about a car seat and getting the room ready. But it's very overwhelming to me. I have to pack Grady's things away, and I don't want to. I know that each momento and card I pick up will bring a slew of emotions back to me. I'm so excited for Dumplin's arrival, and I want to get things ready for him. But it feels like saying goodbye to Grady all over again...
Sigh.
That's about all for now. I have a pedicure appointment today at 11 and the girls are getting haircuts while we're there. Emma Grace wants a lot cut off of hers; Jessica not so much. If I can remember, I'll take pictures to post.
Love,
Tonya
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