5 Months (half way through!) and boy oh boy what a BOY!

Wow, I feel like I have a lot to share! First things first, Kaydriana is getting a little brother! I knew I'd be happy with another girl or a boy, but it certainly feels like our family is whole with one of each. I'm just sad about having to buy boy colored things. Pinks, head bands, frilly things are so much fun! But, I'm sure it will grow on me. In fact, I just went to the store and bought my first items for our boy:

His name will be Lake Markuson Morris. My grandma's maiden name was Marcuson. The name is Swedish and at one point my ancestors did spell it with a K and then it changed to a C. Tim wanted the K spelling for his best friend, Mark.

So, I'll share quite a bit about the appointment Wednesday. First of all, it had snowed like crazy and the news reports were warning everyone that if you don't have to get out into the roads, Don't. My original appointment was scheduled at Swedish, which we could have walked to. But because of the snow, they closed the Issaquah offices and we were diverted to Bellevue. Freeways, hills, snow - driving. Awesome! Thankfully, Tim is a very competent snow driver and we got there safely. No way did I want to postpone confirming the gender.

Second of all, the doc was a trip! My usual experiences with U/S is a tech does the imaging and a doctor analyzes the information and then you get a call with results. Not this time. This guy was a doctor. I should have known we'd be in for a "treat" when the receptionist told us it would be a few minutes while the doctor set up his room to his specifications. No big deal, he likes things a certain way... so we go into the room and one of the first things he does is put some towels away and tells us how some well meaning person set up his room incorrectly. Ok. Then as I get seated he tells me how things are going to go.

He says, " Now, I'm going to tell you how it is when I see it. I'm not going to sugar coat things. 1% of children have congenital heart failure. Yesterday I had three devastating ultra sounds. " So now I'm totally freaked out thinking that maybe he saw something in my 12 week ultra sound and he is trying to warn me. Then he looks over to Tim and Kaydriana and says that as long as she stays quiet, she can stay in the room otherwise, Tim will have to take her out.

He then asks if I've ever been seen by him. Definitely not, but I tell him that I didn't believe so. He said, "I usually rub patients the wrong way so you probably would remember if I've ever seen you." Well, that was true!

The doc lifts up my shirt and I hear Tim trying to quietly get my attention. I look over and Kaydriana lifted up her shirt too :) Before we get any warning, he asks if we want to know the sex, we said yes and he blurts, it's a boy! I didn't even see the penis and he was already moving on to check on the heart. Which was totally healthy (no congenital heart issues, phew!) His brain was beautiful and so was his spine. I began to appreciate the doc's straight forwardness and knowledge. He enjoyed the challenge of getting good 3-D shots for us so he had me twisting and turning. I realized then that he is a lot like me- very particular and likes a challenge :)

He asked how big Kaydriana was (she was 9lbs 2oz) and he said that, "your son" (which was really cool to hear) is going to be big too. He was measuring 7 days bigger than his due date. He is in the 93 percentile for growth. I could tell we were getting towards the end of our appointment so I told him I would like to see his penis. So he tried and tried to get another shot that I could see and I never really could tell what I was looking at like I could with Kaydriana.

Then I told him there were concerns about previa. So he took a look and he said he would consider my previa to no longer be complete, but partial so there is hope that I could have a vaginal delivery. He provided us more information such as warnings and things to look for, etc and recommended that we be seen again in 9 weeks. While my first impression of him was off-puting, I decided to book my next appointment with him since I grew to appreciate his honesty.

So moving on... Here is how our 20-week old is doing: "Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel - about the size of a banana. The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds (I've gained slightly more than this). Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. "

I had an appointment with my OB last week where I verified I have low iron levels as well as low platelets. So I'm back on iron supplements and there is nothing I can do about the blood platelets. Dr. Graham isn't too worried at this point, just another thing I'll have to get tested every few weeks. If they drop further it could be a concern if I start bleeding due to the previa. If they drop really low, I may not be able to have an epidural. So basically its the same thing as the previa, wait and see and maybe it won't be an issue.

As I'm typing this, Lake is kicking like crazy and for the first time I can see his little kicks show on my belly. So cool!! I love my lil man! :)

Here are some photos:
The picture of Kaydriana is when we were in the waiting room for our appointment. She looks like a little snow bunny :) I know that she will love being a big sis! Especially as I see how much love she gives her little baby dolls!

Speaking of Kaydriana, she is talking so much! There is no way I can list all of the things she says now, but off the top of my head the newer words in vocabulary are: outside, waffle, breakfast, cracker, and cookie. She signs: milk, more, please, thank you, cracker and banana. She has more signs that we are not familiar with. She is close to signing I Love You. She also knows the movements to lots of songs and tries to sing along. Especially, when we get to the part, "E I E I Ohhh!" Love my big girl!

4 Months

Yesterday marked 4 months with 5 months to go in this pregnancy.
Below is my 15 week photo, 16 week photo and finally a belly shot from today (16 w/1day). I haven’t been as diligent with taking weekly photos as I was with Kaydriana so I’m trying to be better at it.
There has just been a LOT going on!

My dad passed away on December 8th. Tim and I flew down to California and his celebration of life was held on Monday 12/12 – yup my 31st birthday. I had quite a bit of anxiety flying down there, but no panic attack. I’m just so thankful that God answers my prayers with that because I know I need to remain calm for this baby.
Kaydriana stayed with Nana and Papa and while we missed her like crazy, it was nice to know she was in good hands so Tim and I could do what we needed to do while we were in CA.

Then there’s work – ugh! 10-12 hour days for the last 4 weeks. I’m just so exhausted! As I’m typing this, I have 6 hours left of work before taking 5 days off! Tonight, Tim is picking me up from work and along with Kaydriana we are going to downtown Bellevue’s snow flake lane. We hope Kaydriana enjoys the drummers, music and fake snow. If not, we won’t stay long 

Anyway, I’m really hoping that 2012 is a lot calmer and I can finally focus on enjoying this pregnancy. Because who knows, it could be my last. (Hopefully it’s not, but there are no guarantees)

So here is what “it” says about 16 weeks: Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he’s about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too.

I scheduled my 20 week appointment for my ultrasound scan. As long as the baby plays along, we’ll be able to confirm for sure that we’re having a boy. So excited!

More about Kaydriana… so she has gotten a nasty little tone in her voice and she says, “NO! pfffttthhh” – which is her blowing raspberries. I try to get her to show me what she’s not happy about or what she wants instead. Tim on the other hand is taking a different approach – not handling it quite as patiently. Is she already entering what is known as the terrible 2s? Mostly she is very sweet and funny, but these little vinegar moments are less than adorable.

Well, that’s all for now. Merry Christmas everyone!

13 weeks

Yesterday I had my 2nd trimester appointment with Dr. Graham. She eased my mind with telling me there is really nothing to be concerned about right now. I’ll have my 20 week scan the 2nd week of January and that will tell us a bit more information on how things are looking (as well as get confirmation of the sex). I’m not bleeding at this time so that is good and unless I start bleeding there are no special precautions that I have to take. I just can’t go crazy physically. I’m really trying to have faith that things will correct themselves. I don’t think I’ll be a good bed rest person. Particularly, my house, 18 month child, and husband would not make me a good bed rest person!

Some other highlights from the appointment were hearing B-Mo’s heartbeat again. Just love to hear those healthy and strong beats! I learned I can stop taking the progesterone supplements. Hallelujah!! Really hoping that the dizziness, head aches, nausea, increased heartburn and all the other wonderful side effects stop plaguing me! Day 1 – so far so good! Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep well last night so I’m so tired.
But the other highlight was that Dr. Graham says I can have 1 cup of coffee a day. But with working 10 hour days the caffeine from this morning has come and gone.
A low light was that I learned I shouldn’t use my Proactive acne system. I’m already battling acne using it, so I’m not looking forward to my skin getting worse 

13 week progress: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head -- which makes up just a third of her body size now. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce. As you start your second trimester, most of your baby's critical development will be completed and your odds of miscarriage drop considerably.

On a fun note, today I put the first braid ever in Kaydriana’s hair. Then I put a braid in my hair -I love having a girl!! 

Complications?

In my previous post I noted I thought it was a little odd that I didn’t receive any feedback regarding my U/S.
The next evening at 615pm, I received a call from Dr. Graham’s nurse that I have Complete Placenta Previa.
The way she explained it to me was that my placenta was pulling away from my uterus. My heart stopped and I waited for her to tell me that I was miscarrying. She then said that it may correct itself around the 22 week mark. She told me not to do any vigorous activities, do any heavy lifting and to not have intercourse if I was bleeding. I was stunned and couldn’t really ask anything except, “So I don’t have anything to freak out about right now?”. She said if I start to bleed to give their office a call right away.

I got off the phone and still had to close our building down. But my director was taking forever to finish up and I started crying. I wanted to get home and tell Tim and to call my cousin and sister. I emailed my friend who is currently going through the same thing and is about 7 weeks ahead of me. After receiving her reply and talking with my cousin who apparently had it with her second, I started to calm down. I also googled information and got more information:

If you have placenta previa, it means that your placenta is lying unusually low in your uterus, next to or covering your cervix. If the placenta is still close to the cervix later in pregnancy, it can cause bleeding, which can lead to other complications and may mean that you'll need to deliver early. If you have placenta previa when it's time to deliver your baby, you'll need to have a c-section. If the placenta covers the cervix completely, it's called a complete or total previa.
Don't panic if your mid-pregnancy ultrasound shows that you have placenta previa. As your pregnancy progresses, your placenta is likely to "migrate" farther from your cervix and no longer be a problem.
If the previa does not correct itself and I start bleeding I’m looking at bed rest, blood transfusions, early scheduled C-section and other related complications. I’m trying to have faith that it will correct itself and all will be okay. I just don’t need another thing to worry about L
Thanksgiving was great until after dinner when my stomach started really bugging me. And TMI, after I got home, starting at 7pm, I had severe diarrhea all night long. Almost every hour I was out of bed going! I called my OB who thankfully was the on-call doctor and she told me to get Gatorade and Imodium. The problem with that was it was black Friday and there was no way I could get Kaydriana and I dressed, in the car and in and out with what I needed before I got sick again. Tim drove all the way from work in Woodinville to get me my supplies. It took a few more hours, but I finally stopped having to rush to the bathroom. But I was far from feeling better. I honestly don't know how I survived until Tim got home from work. I finally got to go upstairs and get some rest. But then the most painful heart burn came on and lasted over an hour. I seriously thought it hurt more than contractions because there was no position or breathing exercise that I could do to help. I just writhed around in pain and cried. I finally fell asleep sitting up. It was one of the worst days of my life!
Then to top it off I had to work today. I lost 4 lbs and probably was at a negative 1,000 calories. But I survived, ate a few small meals, picked up sons Zantac and crossing my fingers I don't feel that bad again for years to come!

2nd Trimester!!

So today I am officially 12 weeks. Yesterday I started to feel better and had chicken for the first time in over 6 weeks! My headaches are still coming around, but I blame the progesterone supplements I’m taking. I was supposed to have my OB appointment today, but they had to reschedule until next Tuesday. So for at least another week I’ll have to insert those dumb things.


Anyway, on to more exciting things! We saw the baby yesterday. The very first thing I say is, “that’s the heartbeat, right!?” The tech laughed and said, “This obviously isn’t your first child, is it?” I knew my priorities! J Then Tim and I just smiled as we saw our baby on the screen. My first thought was that he looks like a boy. In fact, there were some indications that B-Mo #2 could be a boy, but we’ll find out for sure in a couple of months. So far everything looks good. The details are fuzzy, but I thought they gave us some feedback the same visit with Kaydriana, but yesterday we didn’t get anything. I don’t take that to mean anything significant so we’ll just wait until we get the call to have my blood drawn again.

Here is how B-Mo is progressing:
The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

While most sites say you can’t feel the baby move at this point, I think I may have felt B-Mo flutter on my lower left side this morning. When I text Tim that he said it was probably gas. But this felt more like what I’d feel with Kaydriana. So I’ll just wait before getting too excited, but I still believe I felt him/her.

Kaydriana has become so much fun. She is full of so much personality and it warms my heart to see how much she is transitioned from a baby to a toddler. My dad and step-mom bought her a baby doll that she loves! Tim told me that when he picks her up from daycare she grabs two baby dolls and doesn’t want to put them down. I guess that is good practice for when her brother or sister arrives J

Her hair has grown long enough where I can put it in a ponytail. Today was the first day I put it up in a double pony. She is just so stinkin’ cute! I’m not just saying that because I’m here mommy, LOL.

We flew to see my dad and step mom and sister this weekend. My blog isn’t exactly the forum I want to share how saying good bye to my dad went so I won’t get into a lot of detail. But I was grateful that my dad and Kaydriana got to spend a bit more time together. I probably won’t be posting photos from our hospital visits, but I’ll have them to cherish. And while you can’t really see my baby bump in any of the photos, I’ll be able to tell B-Mo that Grandpa did get to meeting him/her while they were in my belly.

Tim forgot to download a video on his phone for Kaydriana so on the flight to CA she was a little squirmy. Thankfully there were two of us to try to entertain her. On the way back, she did fabulous! The best flight yet. She is quite the little traveler; 3 states in one month. And this was her 3rd time on a plane. Hopefully B-Mo does as well.

Thanking God for all the blessings we have, especially our growing family. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Photo catch up

I should have posted the photo of BMo#2 in my last post, but I forgot. Its a photo I took from my phone, so I apologize it's blury. But really not much to see, just a little blob I'm in love with :)

Yesterday Tim text me to say that daycare had Kaydriana sit on the big girl potty. Apparently she just squirmed, but we got excited and bought her a potty chair. I decided that each morning as I potty, I'll have her sit on her potty too. I haven't learned how potty training works yet, but I figured I'll try the "monkey see, monkey do" method for now. She loves playing with her toilet. Not sure thats a good thing.

I thought I was pretty funny at the grocery store last week when my nausea really kicked in. To me, my basket clearly pointed out that I'm in the early stages of pregnancy.

And my last photo of the day: Me trying on maternity clothes. No, I don't need them right now, but to be honest I remembered how sick I was with wearing the same maternity clothes over and over and the idea of getting them out of storage and putting them up in my closet? ugh! So I had a little fun with putting on the baby bump and trying on things that I hope I don't hate two months into wearing them.

Family of Four!

I’ve been dying to finally post on my blog what’s going on. Now that I’ve told my friends, family, co-workers and FB, I can finally blog about B-Mo #2!!
Here is where it all began… well okay I won’t start at the beginning, because you obviously don’t need those details… but I knew I was pregnant the moment there was implantation.

Kaydriana and I were camping in CA the last full weekend of September. Saturday the 24th I had what I thought (hoped) was implantation spotting since aunt flow was not due for another week. Googling it, it was the perfect timing and color for what is typically implantation spotting. But I was under a lot of stress so I was trying to not get too excited, after all I didn’t have that with Kaydriana.
On the way home, I only took ½ Xanax because I thought that if I was really going to be pregnant, Xanax is not good, but I HAD to have something flying by myself with Kaydriana.

I already had pregnancy tests in my bathroom, but didn’t want to test too early for fear I would get a false negative. I’m so frugal that I didn’t want to have to go buy more tests later. I waited until Tuesday morning… 4.5 days before my “missed” period. And it was POSITIVE! The ironic thing was, that morning I weighed myself and I was at the lowest weight I had been in over 5 years! I took a picture that morning to “show off my thinness” but really it was so that I could have a good “day I found out” photo.

During lunch I went to the party store to see if I could find a big sister pin. I found one that blinks! When I got home from work I had Kaydriana come over to the closet with me while I quickly pinned her. Then I took her hand in hand and we walked over to daddy who was laying on the floor next to her toy box. He was looking at the pin and it took him a few moments before he got a grin on his face and said, “Already!?” I said yes and told him that “things” work!

The funny thing about this is that Tim kept telling me that he wanted to wait until he got a permanent job and I kept telling him that I wanted Kaydriana to have a sibling close in age. When he got back from Hawaii (yes, I let him go by himself) something changed in him. He even mentioned something in front of our neighbor about ready to start trying… and then there were things he wouldn’t do that were a clear indication to me that he was ready to start trying. I’m not on birth control (which he knew) and I won’t go into details but it was clear he was trying to make a baby ;) I didn’t want to question him because I didn’t want him to change his mind. I realize that sounds a bit immature, but when we tried for months to get pregnant with Kaydriana, he felt a lot of pressure and I was stressed, so I didn’t want to make it a big deal. Internally I was giddy!!

Of course we’re happy, our family is happy, but there is some trepidation about how we’re going to afford two kids at this point. When Tim’s current seasonal position ends in January he is going to go to a month long class to get his CDL again. This will help him be a strong applicant when applying for jobs. Definitely trusting God will take care of us, even if that means making some major sacrifices.

So since we found out the news I was in a minor accident. Baby is fine, but the stress of dealing with the insurance crap, my back pain, and now hearing my car might get totaled is a bit too much to handle on top of me feeling nauseas, my stressful job and the concerns I have with my dad’s health.

Some of the fun facts about this pregnancy so far is I got to see our baby on October 14th. So far so good with the exception of having to take progesterone supplements to keep my uterus strong. B-Mo #2 looked like a tiny blob. I couldn’t see the heart beat, but Dr. Graham could. We might be delivering less than I mile from my house now that the new Swedish labor/delivery just opened and my OB sees patients there and in Bellevue. Seriously I could see my house from the exam room!

As I mentioned above I’ve been having nausea along with fatigue. I can’t tell if it’s worse than when I was pregnant with Kaydriana, but I know it’s harder because I don’t get as much rest. Our little girl likes to wake up early! I’m about 7.5 weeks now with a due date of 6/6. I really wanted a June baby! And according to WTE B-Mo #2 is about ½ an inch long and the size of a raspberry. I have my next ultrasound November 22nd. I can’t wait to see our little baby again!