A few days ago I wrote all about the issue they found during my ultrasound. Do you know what I didn't mention? We know the baby's gender!
During that first ultrasound the tech took a guess. I say she took a guess because the little trouble maker was in the fetal position. Seriously, the baby's feet were tucked right under that little bottom. There was no way to really know for sure. She did, however, shake my belly a bunch. She was trying to get the baby to wake up and move. It didn't work, but it did give her something. When she shook my belly something would flop for a second. That happened maybe 5 times!
When I went in for my first follow up ultrasound (I have another one in just over a week) we got the classic look. This time the baby was definitely cooperating. After that ultrasound there is no doubt! This baby is a boy! :)
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Every pregnancy has it's own challenges
I have never hidden the fact that I am a c-section mom. In fact, I have never gone into labor with a full term baby. With my first child the c-section was required when she was 2 weeks premature because I had no amniotic fluid left and she was breach. Has she been able to wait that last two weeks perhaps she would have flipped around but because I was low on fluid there was no waiting allowed.
Each baby since has had it's own issues. With Boog my brain started to shut down other organs to keep supplying him with what he needed. With Will I had to be placed on medications to stop my stomache from emptying itself violently anytime I put anything in there. Each time I did research on everything, constantly searching for the answers and the solutions to each problem and hoping to understand. Do you know what I had never researched? The consequences of my low amniotic fluid with Kiddo.
At the time I had no way to research it. I had no internet access and, if we are all being honest, the amount of information readily available on the web in 1999 was very limited. In the years since there has always been the thought that it would do me no good to research and frighten myself about what could have happened. For 12 years I have lived in blissfull ignorance. That ignorance is no longer allowed.
Exactly two weeks ago I had my big ultrasound. We were so excited. My mother-in-law came up to watch the boys. Kiddo was here to actually experience it. The whole world seemed wonderful.
The tech was friendly and helpful. She showed us the babies heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, etc. She kept shaking my belly to try and get us better views of the little cuties face. She explained where my placenta is attached, right on the back which is perfect for a c-section mommy. She let us listen to the heartbeat. She never once acted as though there were anything to worry about.
We all happily went to wait for the doctor. We joked about possible baby names. We talked about dinner and sun burns. We had no cares or worries. When the doctor came in he was very calm. He told us how well the baby seemed to be developing. He talked about how everything with the baby is right on track. Then he nonchalantly mentioned that my amniotic fluid is low. He told me to get plenty of rest and drink tons of water. We all smiled and I promised to do just that. We left with no worries. It's just a little water, right?
That night I finally researched the causes and consequences of low amniotic fluid. I also tried to look into how to combat it but apparently, if it isn't caused by a dehydrated mommy, there really isn't anything to be done. What I did find scared me. The list of possible causes is pretty short. I could be dehydrated, I could have a tear in my amniotic sac, I could have placental abruption or the baby could have a blockage in the poor child's digestive system. The solution for dehydration is obvious and often a tear in the sac will repair itself. Otherwise, there is no fixing the issue. The consequences are even scarier. The baby uses the amniotic fluid to exercise the lungs and the digestive system. If there isn't enough then that can cause dire consequences for those two systems.
I immediately drank two bottles of water! Over the course of the weekend I drank an entire flat of water. Every second I was awake I had a drink in my hand. I never knew rehydrating could seem so much like work. I took my job to heart though.
The next Monday I had another ultrasound. I was expecting the doctor to tell me that my fluid was completely normal now or that things were horrible. I got something a little in the middle. My fluid had gone up by 1 cm. It is still about half of what it should be but at least it went up. The doctor has me continuing to rest as much as possible and I am under orders to drink, drink, drink. He is hopeful that when I go back in two and a half weeks my fluid will have continued to climb.
I have constant prayers going up that that is the case. I am doing my best to will that to be the case. All that said I have to agree with my cousin. "Is it too much to ask to have an easy pregnancy?"
Each baby since has had it's own issues. With Boog my brain started to shut down other organs to keep supplying him with what he needed. With Will I had to be placed on medications to stop my stomache from emptying itself violently anytime I put anything in there. Each time I did research on everything, constantly searching for the answers and the solutions to each problem and hoping to understand. Do you know what I had never researched? The consequences of my low amniotic fluid with Kiddo.
At the time I had no way to research it. I had no internet access and, if we are all being honest, the amount of information readily available on the web in 1999 was very limited. In the years since there has always been the thought that it would do me no good to research and frighten myself about what could have happened. For 12 years I have lived in blissfull ignorance. That ignorance is no longer allowed.
Exactly two weeks ago I had my big ultrasound. We were so excited. My mother-in-law came up to watch the boys. Kiddo was here to actually experience it. The whole world seemed wonderful.
The tech was friendly and helpful. She showed us the babies heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, etc. She kept shaking my belly to try and get us better views of the little cuties face. She explained where my placenta is attached, right on the back which is perfect for a c-section mommy. She let us listen to the heartbeat. She never once acted as though there were anything to worry about.
We all happily went to wait for the doctor. We joked about possible baby names. We talked about dinner and sun burns. We had no cares or worries. When the doctor came in he was very calm. He told us how well the baby seemed to be developing. He talked about how everything with the baby is right on track. Then he nonchalantly mentioned that my amniotic fluid is low. He told me to get plenty of rest and drink tons of water. We all smiled and I promised to do just that. We left with no worries. It's just a little water, right?
That night I finally researched the causes and consequences of low amniotic fluid. I also tried to look into how to combat it but apparently, if it isn't caused by a dehydrated mommy, there really isn't anything to be done. What I did find scared me. The list of possible causes is pretty short. I could be dehydrated, I could have a tear in my amniotic sac, I could have placental abruption or the baby could have a blockage in the poor child's digestive system. The solution for dehydration is obvious and often a tear in the sac will repair itself. Otherwise, there is no fixing the issue. The consequences are even scarier. The baby uses the amniotic fluid to exercise the lungs and the digestive system. If there isn't enough then that can cause dire consequences for those two systems.
I immediately drank two bottles of water! Over the course of the weekend I drank an entire flat of water. Every second I was awake I had a drink in my hand. I never knew rehydrating could seem so much like work. I took my job to heart though.
The next Monday I had another ultrasound. I was expecting the doctor to tell me that my fluid was completely normal now or that things were horrible. I got something a little in the middle. My fluid had gone up by 1 cm. It is still about half of what it should be but at least it went up. The doctor has me continuing to rest as much as possible and I am under orders to drink, drink, drink. He is hopeful that when I go back in two and a half weeks my fluid will have continued to climb.
I have constant prayers going up that that is the case. I am doing my best to will that to be the case. All that said I have to agree with my cousin. "Is it too much to ask to have an easy pregnancy?"
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
That jack-o-lantern smile!
Kiddo got her first tooth right when the books said she should. Boogie got his early, 2 months early. So imagine my surprise when the time babies usually get their first tooth came and went for little Willkins. I talked to the doctor about it. I talked to the dentist about it. I googled it. I was actually a little panicked about it, and very definitely sensitive about it. The doctor said, "no big deal." The dentist said, "It's super common." The wackjobs on google said he was brain dead. Umm yeah, OK.
At Will's one year check-up the doctor checked for any signs that his teeth were coming in. Nothing. The doctor still wasn't worried. He said give it until his 18 month checkup. That was on April 30th. Everyday I checked for signs of teeth. Nothing, nothing, nothing... Then, on May 28th, I woke up to 3 teeth poking through. Say what? One top front tooth actually protruded, the other top front tooth shined through and one bottom front tooth was a sharp little tack of a tooth corner pushed through! The very next day I checked and evidence of 6 teeth to come was there. We are still waiting for those other teeth to poke through, though I believe the other bottom front tooth has an edge protruding. But, now I wait patiently. For now I will enjoy an adorable little jack-o-lantern smile. And it is certainly adorable.
Leave it to Will to do things in his own way and time! :)
At Will's one year check-up the doctor checked for any signs that his teeth were coming in. Nothing. The doctor still wasn't worried. He said give it until his 18 month checkup. That was on April 30th. Everyday I checked for signs of teeth. Nothing, nothing, nothing... Then, on May 28th, I woke up to 3 teeth poking through. Say what? One top front tooth actually protruded, the other top front tooth shined through and one bottom front tooth was a sharp little tack of a tooth corner pushed through! The very next day I checked and evidence of 6 teeth to come was there. We are still waiting for those other teeth to poke through, though I believe the other bottom front tooth has an edge protruding. But, now I wait patiently. For now I will enjoy an adorable little jack-o-lantern smile. And it is certainly adorable.
Leave it to Will to do things in his own way and time! :)
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Watermelon Baby
There are so many things that my children do daily that make me think to myself, "Please never forget this!" And then there are things that I know that if I ever forget them it will be because I have gone completely batty. One of those things occurred the other day when I discovered just how much Will loves watermelon.
When we were visiting my grandparents a few weeks ago he had watermelon for the first time and really seemed to love it. He ate it as his entire dinner twice in one week! And loved that he had that option. He just smiled and smiled at every piece placed in front of him. So, when we came home I knew that I should be sure to pick up a watermelon at the store.
Oh my, how his love of watermelon has grown! He started out eating more watermelon than even I ate, only possibly being equaled by his sister! Finally, he seemed to slow down. Surely he was done, we thought.
Then he wanted another piece. We handed him a piece and watched as he pulled at it until it was a hundred little pieces. Hubby wanted to call him done but somehow I knew he had a plan. "Just wait", I said. Carefully Will picked up each piece and pressed it between thumb and pointer finger. When all the juice was out then he would pop the piece in his mouth. He did that to every tiny piece. Hubby refused to let him have any more watermelon at that point. Will gave him the cute pouty face about it so Hubby escaped to the kitchen. As soon as Hubby was out of sight Will grinned at me. He scrunched himself down in his highchair, leaned forward and began to lap up the watermelon juice from his high chair tray with his tongue. He resembled a puppy on a very hot day. He slurped and lapped, lapped and slurped until he couldn't get any more with his mommy giggled and laughing all the while. The next morning he happily repeated the routine.
I have a feeling that if I made watermelon an option at every meal he would eat it at every meal. The whole house is in agreement that we are going to have to keep watermelon in the house as long as it is in season. And I am of the firm mindset that I have to keep that watermelon baby smile safely preserved in my memory!
When we were visiting my grandparents a few weeks ago he had watermelon for the first time and really seemed to love it. He ate it as his entire dinner twice in one week! And loved that he had that option. He just smiled and smiled at every piece placed in front of him. So, when we came home I knew that I should be sure to pick up a watermelon at the store.
Oh my, how his love of watermelon has grown! He started out eating more watermelon than even I ate, only possibly being equaled by his sister! Finally, he seemed to slow down. Surely he was done, we thought.
Then he wanted another piece. We handed him a piece and watched as he pulled at it until it was a hundred little pieces. Hubby wanted to call him done but somehow I knew he had a plan. "Just wait", I said. Carefully Will picked up each piece and pressed it between thumb and pointer finger. When all the juice was out then he would pop the piece in his mouth. He did that to every tiny piece. Hubby refused to let him have any more watermelon at that point. Will gave him the cute pouty face about it so Hubby escaped to the kitchen. As soon as Hubby was out of sight Will grinned at me. He scrunched himself down in his highchair, leaned forward and began to lap up the watermelon juice from his high chair tray with his tongue. He resembled a puppy on a very hot day. He slurped and lapped, lapped and slurped until he couldn't get any more with his mommy giggled and laughing all the while. The next morning he happily repeated the routine.
I have a feeling that if I made watermelon an option at every meal he would eat it at every meal. The whole house is in agreement that we are going to have to keep watermelon in the house as long as it is in season. And I am of the firm mindset that I have to keep that watermelon baby smile safely preserved in my memory!
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