Growth Ultrasound

Today, I had my regular NST, as well as a growth ultrasound.  Overall - a great visit and there were no concerns.

The ultrasound was full of good news.  Kenton is weighing in at roughly 5 pounds, 7 ounces at 35 weeks and 2 days.  My amniotic fluid levels went up from a 9 last week to a 12 this week.  When I asked about it, if it would have dropped to an 8, they would have called Dr. Branaman to let her know.  If it would have been around a 5, they probably would have induced.  Thank you, God, for answered prayers! :)  Unfortunately, he's so big and out of room, we weren't able to get any pictures of him.  I guess he we'll just have to wait for the big day!

Now if I could only get these contractions to stop ... I think my productive weekend is catching up to me!

Productive!

This has been a very productive weekend, if I do say so myself. 

Friday was Cowboy Day at Talan's school.  I tried to get some pictures in his cute costume (Thanks, Michelle!), but he was not very cooperative. 

I wish my kids posed and smiled ... Oh well!

Hunter wanted in the picture, too, but neither would cooperate.  I give up!

 Friday night, Nana came and picked up the boys for a sleepover.  While they were out, I went out to dinner with some friends from work and Aaron went out with Richard.  It was so nice to catch up with the girls and get a night out.  

We were up bright and early Saturday morning to finish tidying up our house.  My wonderful mom paid for a housecleaning company to come scrub our house down since I haven't been able to do much cleaning the last couple of weeks.  I have to say, it's so nice to no that we're not living in filth.  Thanks, Mom!  

While they were cleaning, Amanda and I went to Target to pick up some newborn diapers, baby wash, and a going home outfit for Kenton.  Amanda reminded me that we did this same thing for Hunter.  However, with Hunter, my water broke as soon as we got home from Target.  Luckily, that was not the case this time!

Once Aaron came back from the grocery store and I picked up the boys, we went over to our neighborhood group's BBQ.  It was nice to learn more about each other and sit and chat.  Unfortunately, my boys were very tired and we had to leave early.  Hopefully we can do that again soon, though.

I have one word to describe today - WOW!  We got so much done!  We went to church and then came home to start laundry.  Today, I have done a total of 7 loads of laundry as of right now, with at least 3 more to go (Those will probably be done tomorrow at this point).  I also made some homemade chewy granola bars (YUM!), and made Chicken Tetratini for dinner (and one for the freezer).  Aaron went to play football with the guys and also made an awesome lamp for Talan's Mario room.

The front of the lamp.

The back of the lamp.

I am now officially 35 weeks and 1 day along in this pregnancy.  When we originally found out that I was considered a high-risk pregnancy, my doctor's goal was for me to make it to February.  Now, I've reached the end of February (almost).  I have two more progesterone shots and then it's go time, assuming that my amniotic fluid levels do not fall too much more.

Tomorrow should be a very telling day.  I have my normal NST, as well as a growth ultrasound.  During the ultrasound, they will check the development of all of Kenton's organs, estimate his weight, and then check the amniotic fluid levels.  The levels are allowed to be anywhere from 5-25.  Last Monday, they were at a 9, which they were a little concerned about.  Let's pray that they have stayed the same or possibly have gone up.

I will keep everyone posted!

Divine Intervention

After processing the information that I would not be able to get my last progesterone shot due to insurance not paying for the nurse, I was starting to panic.  I have had two kiddos born around the 36 week mark.  They are both perfectly healthy boys, but we really want Kenton to make it into the 37 week mark, or better yet, the 38 week mark.  We want him to be as developed as much as possible, especially if he might have a fight ahead of him.

So, when I woke up at 4 AM this morning to use the restroom, I couldn't turn my brain off.  I took the time to read from my Bible and pray.  All of a sudden, I remembered that my weekly doctor's appointment one week had to be moved to a Tuesday (my shot day) rather than my normal Thursday appointment.  After looking at the calendar, I realized that the Tuesday happened to be the same Tuesday that I should receive my last shot but insurance won't cover.  Coincidence - I think not!

I put a call into my OB office this morning to verify that they could give me my final shot at my appointment.  To my happiness, they said yes!  So, it appears that I will receive my final progesterone shot on March 6th, which hopefully get me to 37 1/2 weeks, as well as Spring Break. 

Although it is not guaranteed that I will get that far in my pregnancy, the progesterone shots will definitely help my chances.  Now, we just need to pray that my amniotic fluid levels stay up and that Kenton cooperates during my non-stress tests so they don't feel like they need to intervene.

Isn't it amazing the things that God puts into place?  This scripture is pretty much my mantra right now:

Philippians 4:6-7
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ.

Nesting and More ...

I guess some might call what I'm doing "nesting."  To me, I like the label "organizing" better.  :)  We have been undergoing so many little and big projects around the house.  I am very blessed with a fantastic hubby who is busting his booty at work and then comes home to do the same. 

We are reaching the end of our "to do" list, but there is still a lot to do.  This past weekend, Aaron fixed our air conditioning drain (there was a hole in it), moved our printer into our new bedroom "office" area, organized one of our filing cabinets, we had all of our donations picked up, made 3 freezer dinners, as well as the normal day to day things.  This week, my goal is organize our linen closet, file away and purge some papers that are taking up space, pack the hospital bag, get the baby stuff down from the attic and wash them, as well as prepare a couple more freezer meals.  This is all while we have a very busy and hectic week ahead of us.  Let's pray that everything goes smoothly and is relatively stress free.

At my NST and AFI tests yesterday, I was told that my amniotic fluid is low.  Every Monday, they measure my amniotic fluid levels to make sure everything is going okay.  With amniotic fluid, they are looking for the levels to be anywhere between 5-25.  My level yesterday was a 9.  They told me to make sure I'm drinking lots of water and taking it easy.  Kenton's heartbeat also dropped at one point during my non-stress test but rebounded quickly.  They didn't seem too alarmed by this, thank goodness.  Next Monday, I have another growth ultrasound, as well as my regular NST test.  Hopefully we will see my amniotic fluid stayed the same or has gone up, as well as find out how big this little guy is now.  I'm a little frightened to hear his head circumference ... :-/

I had my 17 P injection this morning as well.  After today, I have two more shots.  However, I found out that my insurance may not cover my last shot.  I was really looking forward to having two more shots, as weird as it sounds.  Two more shots would put me to 37 1/2 weeks before the extra progesterone would wear off.  However, because I would be getting the final shot at 36 1/2 weeks, insurance won't cover anything past 36 weeks.  This means that the extra progesterone would wear off around 36 1/2 weeks.  My nurse is going to check into this more and let me know how many shots I will officially be given.  Although I strongly dislike having to get shots, it's just become the norm and my body is pretty used to it.  I had my head set on having three more weeks until Kenton was born.  It looks like I may need to adjust my thinking. 

Yes, I'm not in control ... God is. 

The good news is that I have lots to look forward to this week.  I have decided to become a Scentsy consultant.  I am in love with the Scentsy products and this will be a great way to supplement our income.  I obviously won't be officially starting for a bit, but want to take advantage of some great deals.  Everyone be prepared to have a party soon!  :)  In addition, my fabulous mom is having a house cleaning company come do a good, deep clean of my house this Thursday.  I know this is silly, but it makes me SO happy and SO excited to know that my house will be really clean, especially knowing that Kenton may be here sooner than we anticipated.  Also, I am going out with some friends for a much needed girls' night on Friday.  I can't wait to catch up and get some adult time!

Here's to a great, productive, and relaxing week!  :)

Valentine's Day

Here's a picture bomb from Valentine's Day.  We don't usually do anything too special for Valentine's Day, but since I was home, I decided to do a little extra than the norm.

Valentine's Glue Catchers

Valentine's Glue Catchers

Valentine's Glue Catchers

Valentine's Glue Catchers

Talan wrote his name on his Valentine's this year.  It lasted for about 3 Valentine's and then he asked me to finish them. 

Valentine's Color Matching

Valentine's - Which One is Different?

Valentine's Cutting Practice

Teacher Gifts

I got up early and made Aaron his favorite breakfast because I never make it.

 

I got a text to check outside the front door ...

Unfortunately, this was the best I could get.

I dropped Talan off at school and got roped into helping out.  Hunter didn't mind at all!

My boys being good students.

This is what Aaron came home to (plus the table set with dinner).

The boys waiting with great anticipation for the Valentine's gifts.

The each got a sandwich cutter and a coloring book.

I'm glad they get such joy out of the little things!

Plus they got a Valentine's Day coloring book to share. 

It was a great day, full of lots of family time and activities.  I'm glad we got a second to sit back and enjoy the little things that we tend to take for granted.  I love my boys (old and young)! 

It's been a while ...

I just realized that it's been a while since I updated the blog.  There's been lots of little things going on the past couple of weeks, mostly trying to prepare for Kenton's arrival.

Kenton's room is officially put together (for the most part).  It was quite the lengthy process because it was our "guest" bedroom, but really was just the dumping ground.  We have decided not to paint his room because we don't know if we are moving or not.  However, we do have his crib, dresser, and cubby system set up, as well as a few wall decorations.  All of his clothes are put away, burp cloths are ready, and baby carriers are washed and ready to wear.  My fabulous mom has purchased Kenton's car seat and it just needs to be installed.

I tried being crafty and made Kenton's name for his room.

My favorite car seat company has a new seat that goes from rear-facing, forward-facing, to a booster seat and last for 10 years.  I'm such a dork, but am super excited to put Kenton in this car seat!

We're going to use this cubby system for toys, books, and random storage.

We got a new crib for Kenton because Talan's old crib was recalled.  It is convertible, as well as has a changing table, laundry basket, and shelves built into it.

 

This changing pad won't be staying here.  It will be in our bedroom for when Kenton is bunked with us the first couple of months.  The T.V. is purely selfish on my part - I need something to do during feedings! :)

Last week, I started bi-weekly NSTs (non-stress tests) to monitor Kenton.  This consists of hooking up to monitors to see normal escalations in Kenton's heartbeat when he's active, as well as monitoring contractions (if I was having any).  This process takes at least 20 minutes, if not longer.  The first visit, Kenton cooperated and it was quick.  However, the last couple of visits, Kenton has been stubborn and did not want to wake up.  He would move around, but his heart beat would not escalate the 10-15 beats in which they are looking.  I would drink cold water and poke and prod him, but he was not interested in waking up.  I figure it has to be because he's used to being climbed over by Talan and Hunter, as well as me moving him around when he's making me uncomfortable. :)  On Mondays, I also get a quick ultrasound to check amniotic fluid levels.  So far, once we can get Kenton to wake up, he checks out perfectly and there are no concerns.

Yesterday afternoon, I started having Braxton Hicks contractions again.  They aren't regular contractions, but they are definitely happening more frequently.  This kind of has me freaking out a bit.  I know my body is just getting ready to have Kenton, but we're not ready for him to come quite yet.  As of tomorrow, I will be 34 weeks along.  I have three more progesterone injections that are supposed to help deter preterm labor, which should hopefully get me through to 37 1/2 weeks.  Let's just pray Kenton decides to stay put and cook a little longer.

Today I tried out a new chiropractor.  I've been having some back pain and headaches throughout the entire pregnancy.  This past weekend, though, I added a new gripe to my list.  Aaron and I attended the Love and Respect Conference through church.  Although it helped us gain new insight into our marriage and how each other thinks, sitting for that long without my feet being up was not good.  Ever since then, my big toes have been numb and my foot falls asleep way too easily.  The new chiropractor was very nice and even massaged one of my tendons that Kenton has been hanging out on top of.  The instant relief from the tendon pain was worth the visit alone.  

So, this weekend, we need to finish organizing the last of the stuff from the guest bedroom, schedule Goodwill to pick up all of our donations, and pack the hospital bag, just in case.  (I'm putting this in writing so hopefully I'll get in done!)  Aaron and I are also going out on a date tomorrow night, which will probably be the last one for a while.  Let's hope we both can stay awake - we're such party animals!  Next week, my goal is to prepare a few freezer meals for us to enjoy once Kenton is here.  We'll have to see how that turns out, or if it even gets accomplished.  ;)

Bi-Weekly OB Appointment

Yesterday afternoon, we were supposed to see Dr. Branaman.  Unfortunately, she had to go out for a delivery.  So, after waiting almost an hour, we got to see Anne.

Anne listened to Kenton's heartbeat and measured my stomach to see how he was doing.  We then discussed that he dropped down and that I had been contracting last week.  Anne did the fetal fibronectin test to see if there is a possibility I will go into labor within the next two weeks. This is the same test they ran when I was at OB triage in December, which came back negative.  The test should be in on Monday probably.  She also checked my cervix to see if I have dilated any further.  The good news is that I have not dilated any more, but am starting to thin out and his head is low. 

So ... no real news from yesterday's appointment.  I need to continue to take it easy and avoid contractions, especially since he's low and I'm already thinning out.  If the fetal fibronectin test comes back positive, I will likely receive steroid shots to help develop Kenton's lungs, just in case.

I will be 32 weeks along tomorrow.  Staring next week, I have non-stress tests every Monday and Thursday, 17P injections every Tuesday, as well as bi-weekly OB appointments.  It's all becoming overwhelming trying to coordinate this crazy schedule, but it's all worth it.

I came across a realization yesterday.  God created Kenton.  He is perfect in God's plan and perfect in God's eyes.  Who am I to question that?  :)

Perinatologist and Ultrasound

Today we went for a second opinion with a perinatologist at Banner Thunderbird. 

We started off with the technician doing an ultrasound and measurements on Kenton.  Kenton is looking fabulous and measuring around 32 weeks (I'm currently 31 weeks and 4 days) and in the 50%.  However, his head is around the 80%, which I'm not overly thrilled about.  :-/  He is also weighing around 4 pounds.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, he's definitely a boy still.

The perinatologist then came in, along with a med student.  He took a good luck at Kenton's kidneys.  He did say that one of the kidneys looked to not be as developed as they would typically see at this point in pregnancy, but nothing he was too alarmed over. 

We then went back into his office and discussed Kenton's possible diagnosis in more depth.  He went over congenial nephrosis with us.  At this point, I think we're experts!  :)  He did say that Kenton is developing on track and doesn't show any signs of being sick.  They will continue to monitor us both very carefully, but he didn't see any warning signs that I would have any complications through the remainder of this pregnancy. 

Starting next week, I go for non-stress tests (NST) every Monday and Thursday for the remainder of the pregnancy.  These tests will monitor the amniotic fluid levels, as well as look for the normal accelerations in Kenton's heartbeat.  If there were to be any complications, these tests are supposed to pick them up so we can intervene quickly.  He suggested that I keep my hospital bag in the car when going to the tests so I could have it with me in case I need to be admitted or induced.  I know I'm reaching the end of this pregnancy, but am no way ready for that!  EEK!

Tomorrow I see Dr. Branaman.  We will touch base with all of the new doctor appointments I've had recently and check so see if I've dilated anymore, especially since Kenton dropped and I had contractions last week.

If I weren't already not working, I have no clue how I would work with all of these appointments every week.  This is crazy!  However, if it helps make sure Kenton is safe and healthy, then it is definitely worth the sacrifice and crazy scheduling.