No, I am not abandoning this blog. I am simply creating a new one. I don't make resoltutions for the new year, but this year I'm setting some ongoing goals for myself. One of those goals is to become a better photographer. And to help improve my photography I am embarking on an adventure called Project 365. You can learn more about it here.So, starting tomorrow, and for every day in 2009 I will take and post at least one picture a day. (I may not post every single day, but take pictures daily and post weekly.) I hope that by the end of 2009 I will have improved my photography skills and also have some great pictures to reflect upon the year.I hope that you enjoy my new blog. You can visit it at http://gisela-365.blogspot.com/.
Well, 2008 is coming to a close. I can't believe the year is over already. This time last year Ken and I were planning on adding to our family, and today we are a family of four. We have certainly been blessed with Erik, and I can't imagine him not being a part of our family. We've also enjoyed watching Nicholas grow throughout the year.Christmas was very nice. Santa spoiled us all. Nicholas got more cars and trains than any 2 year old could imagine. Erik has some new toys, but it will be a bit before he really appreciates them. His new clothes came at the perfect time- he is now moving out of 0-3 months and into 3-6 months. (According to the pediatrician's scale he was 13 pounds 13 ounces on Monday.)Tonight we will ring in the New Year with a few friends. A low key celebration, but it will be a nice end to this year, and a welcome to 2009.So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Years 2009 from my family to yours!Gisela
Well, cold season has hit our house. Actually, this is round 2. Round 1 was the week after we brought Erik home. Nicholas had gotten a cold and shared it with Erik and Ken. Luckily, I avoided the cold, but instead I ended up back in the hospital. I think I would have rather had the cold! Anyway, last week Nicholas got another cold. (I don't know where he is getting them- we really haven't gone anywhere!) I thought originally he had strept throat or an ear infection, because he was complaining that his throat and ear hurt, and he was running a fever, but after a trip to the doctor it was confirmed that he just has a nasty head cold. And then late Saturday night both Ken and I started to feel sick. I think Ken has it worse than I do. I only feel really bad first thing in the morning and then later in the evening. Erik is slightly congested, and I hope that he doesn't get anything but the congestion. I just worry that he'll end up with RSV. My biggest symptom right now is I have no voice. It makes things interesting, especially since Nicholas doesn't want to listen to me when I do have a voice! Let's just hope this all passes quickly and we're healthy for Christmas next week!
People say that babies generally don't smile until 4-6 weeks, and anything before that is 'gas'. Well, I don't believe that. Erik has been genuinely smiling since the beginning. However, it was yesterday that I first caught his grins on camera. It makes my heart very happy.
Ok...I am a bit obsessed with baby carriers, so I had to enter this contest! One can never have too many! Win a Free Organic Embroidered Ergo Baby Carrier Hands Free System from Along for the Ride
Well, things have been quite hectic around here. On Tuesday, November 11 I started to not feel well. Slight fever and abdominal pain. I really thought I was just getting the cold that everyone else had and that the abdominal pain was from me overdoing things. Well, by Wednesday the pain had increased, and it was a sharp pain that prevented me from walking upright. And my fever was now over 101...and I rarely ever get a fever. I knew something was up, and even though I did not want to I called my OB's office. I spoke to the nurse, and after she talked to one of the doctors in the office they told me to head to the ER.
I called Ken and told him I needed him to come home from work, and after he got his mom to come watch the boys we headed to the hospital. We arrived around 4:30pm and got right in. I had a chest x-ray done and then got a CT scan. Once they got the results back they told me they were admitting me. I had a large hematoma (about 14cm x 8cm) in my pelvic cavity. The plan was to have a drainage catheter put in the next day. So I was taken to my room (on the Pediatric floor- the hospital was so full that was where they found room for me) just before midnight.
On Thursday morning I found out I was bumped off the schedule for getting my drain because there were some emergencies that came in. So it wasn't until Friday morning that I had the drain put in. At this point I was hooked up to an IV getting 3 different antibiotics and I had a lovery drain coming out of my gut. On Saturday an Infectious Disease doctor came and switched up my antibiotics based on the preliminary cltures that were drawn.
Monday afternoon I had a repeat CT scan to see how well the drain was working. Unfortunately the mass had only gone down to 12.3cm x 6.7cm. The new plan was to install a larger diameter drain on Wednesday morning. After I got the new drain I was told they would be putting in a PICC line so I could continue IV antibiotics at home. Yes...HOME! So on Thursday (11/20) I had a PICC line inserted and was finally discharged.
I have two home health nurses that visit to help care for my drain and PICC line. On Monday (11/24) I did have a repeat CT scan, but the hematoma hadn't gone down enough for the drain to be removed. So I will go back again on Monday 12/1 for a recheck and hopefully removal of the drain.
This month has been quite stressful for all of us. Ken has been more than amazing- taking care of both of the kids, working, taking care of the house, and still was at the hospital every day to visit me. I don't know what I'd do without him. Nicholas has been great despite going from various relatives' houses' day after day. And Erik...well, I'm grateful he's too young to realize all that has been going on. I just wish that I didn't have to spend so much time away from him during his first month of life.
Just a fair warning...this is going to be long. And the story includes more than just Erik's birth, but the events that occured after.A bit of background- Nicholas was born 2 days before his due date, I was only in active labor for 3 hours, pushed for 10-15 minutes, and had a rather uneventful birth. My hopes were that things would go as smoothly the second time around. After all, "they" say second labors are faster than the first, so I figured it would be a piece of cake. Boy was I wrong.My due date with this pregnancy was Friday, October 17. In the weeks leading up to my "due" date I was gradually dilating with each appointment, so I figured labor couldn't be too far off. And yet each week I'd end up at the doctor again. I admit, I was pretty patient with it all- I knew my little one would arrive once they were ready. Once 41 weeks hit I was scheduled for an induction- the date chosen was Monday, October 27, 10 days after my "due" date. I had already cancelled a previously scheduled induction, but at this point I went ahead and scheduled this one. By choosing that date I knew I'd have Dr. Keen, which was one of the two doctors I preferred in my practice. (The practice has 9 OBs total, and I hadn't even met them all, but I had seen Dr. Keen several times throughout my pregnancy, including my 36 & 37 week appointments.) The entire weekend before I prayed that I would go into labor on my own. I was contracting every 3-7 minutes, but nothing strong enough to set me into active labor.On Monday, October 27 I called the hospital at 6:00am to check to make sure they had bed availability. They did, and I was set to arrive at 7:30am. I took a shower, had some breakfast, and then Ken & I dropped Nicholas off at Nana's. On the ride to the hospital we were placing our final guesses on the baby's stats. Ken said he thought it was a boy and he'd weigh 9lbs 2oz. I said girl with a weight of 8lbs 6oz. We laughed that no one who participated in the baby pool was even close to the birth day- I guess no one thought I'd go 10 days overdue!We arrived at the hospital around 8:00am and got checked it. Ken took my final belly shots. You can really see how much I popped in the last few weeks. 
Once I got changed into my gown the nurse asked some background questions and then they got my IV started with fluids and the antibiotics I needed for Group B Strep. The antibiotics would take about 4 hours, so they weren't going to start the induction until around 2:00-2:30pm. In the meantime I was hooked up to the fun monitors to watch the baby's heartrate and my contractions. I was still having regular contractions (some I was feeling, others I wasn't) about every 3-7 minutes, so Dr. Keen was optimistic that it wouldn't take much to get things going. There was concern though that the baby's heart rate wasn't accelerating like it should- it was steady for the most part, but at times it would drop, and they kept having me lay on my left side to try to get the baby to react a bit more. In the back of my head I was a bit worried, but the doctor and nurses didn't give me any reason to be concerned, so I just brushed it off. Around 12:30pm Ken went to get lunch, and shortly after that my mom had arrived. Ken went out to the waiting room to give her updates every 20 minutes or so. Around 2:45pm my doctor came in to break my water. At this point she said I was still 4cm. A little after 3:00pm they started me on pitocin, but turned it off after 5-10 minutes. The baby wasn't reacting well to it, and I was now at 5cm and contracting a lot stronger now. Sometime between 3:30 and 3:45pm my new nurse (Tara) came in and I asked for an epidural. The anesthesiologist came in shortly after 4:00pm and inserted the epidural. Right after that Dr. Keen checked me and I was at 7cm, so I was moving along nicely. It wasn't too long after that when I said to the nurse that my epidural was not working. She asked if I was feeling pain or pressure, and honestly I had no clue- I just knew I was seriously uncomfortable! Another check revealed that I was at 10cm and ready to push- it happened that fast!I remember distinctly looking at the clock on the TV and it said 4:52pm. The nurses and doctor started breaking down the bed and getting everything ready for the delivery. Ken reminded Dr. Keen and the nurses that I wanted to be the one to announce the sex of the baby to the room. I had carried this little one for ten months, and I wanted to be the one to introduce him/her to the world. So at last it was time for me to push. I remember pushing, taking a breath, and then pushing a second time. After that was when things got chaotic (and Ken has filled me in, because I didn't remember it all). Apparently on the first push the baby's heartrate dropped into the 40s, and on the second push they lost the heartrate completely. Tara (my nurse) was rolling me from side to side and then had me get up on my hands and knees to rock. At that time I remember hearing Dr. Keen say something about a c-section. I immediately started crying and saying I didn't want a c-section. I was quickly rolled down to the c-section OR and put on the table. It seemed like forever before Ken showed up. I didn't feel much, just some slight tugging, and then Dr. Keen announced that we had a baby boy, born at 5:10pm. He had a tight nuchal cord, but otherwise was ok. I remember hearing him cry and it was a sigh of relief. I told Ken to go over to where they were cleaning him off so he could be with him. He came back and showed me a few pictures he had taken, and he said that he was Erik Joseph. (We had been debating between two boy names, so we said we'd wait until the baby was born to decide.) Erik was a spitting image of his older brother.During this time I was being put back together and the nurse briefly brought Erik over to Ken so he could hold him next to me. I gave him a kiss, but I wasn't able to hold him. The nurse then took him away- I'm assuming he was taken to the nursery at this point. The surgery ended around 6:00pm and I was taken to the recovery area.Down in recovery I had two or three nurses with me and we were just sitting and talking. Tara (my L&D nurse) took her lunch break, but came back shortly and we sat and talked about Halloween, and we kept our eyes on the clock for the Phillies game. Yes, it was Game 5 of the World Series, and I knew the Phillies were going to win, and was so excited that my son was born on this day! The nurses made sure I used my PCA to manage my pain, and another nurse was feeding me ice chips. I had about 15 minutes left to go in recovery when I started sweating and feeling lightheaded. I told the nurses I wasn't feeling well, but they already knew something was up. My blood pressure had dropped to 60/30 and my heartrate was in the 160s. They increased my fluids, but it wasn't enough to get things under control. (Things get kinda fuzzy for me at this point, so some of this is my recollection, and part is what Ken told me.)I remember having several doctors come check on me- I know at one point I had a doctor on each side of me trying to insert several IV lines. I know that I had about 5-6 IVs in me, some with 4 seperate ports for them to access, plus I had a line in my artery for them to continuously monitor my blood pressure. I know I received 2 units of blood while still down in recovery, and I know I had a lot of blood drawn. The doctors didn't know yet what was wrong- they thought at one point that I may have been having an allergic reaction to the morphine, so I wasn't allowed to use my PCA. Ken was with me most of the time (I know at one point he went to talk to my mom, and he sent her home saying they needed to observe me a bit longer in recovery), but he was sitting off to the side, staying out of the way of the doctors. He later told me that at one point there were 7 doctors and 3 nurses working on me. (I do remember seeing another OB from my old practice talking with Dr. Keen.) At some point I remember a lot of the doctors stepping aside and I heard one of them say that the chaplain was there. Ken and the chaplain stood next to me and prayed.Shortly after I was taken to get a CT scan. All I could think was something was left inside me from the c-section. (I watch too much TV, I think!) Dr. Keen then told me they were checking to see if I was bleeding internally. The whole trip to get the CT scan I remember every bump in the halls they hit hurt like no tomorrow. And then I had to be moved from the bed I was on to the CT area. The pain was pretty bad, since I hadn't been allowed any pain relief for awhile. After the CT scan I was taken to the Intensive Care Unit. I don't remember how long I was in there, but I don't think it was very long. After Dr. Keen had gotten the results of the CT scan she confirmed that I was bleeding from the c-section and that I was going to be taken down to Interventional Radiology for surgery. Instead of her going back and cutting me open again, another doctor would go in through my femoral artery and be able to stop the bleeding that way. So, I was wheeled down to IR, and met Dr. O'Moore who explained the procedure to me. At this point I was a bit more coherent, but was given some sort of medication to relax me for the procedure. The surgery started around 11:00pm and ended around midnight. I was then taken back to the ICU where I had to lay completely flat for the 6 hours following the surgery. That was pure torture- I was so uncomfortable, but I did have my PCA back, so I was able to control my pain. I was also allowed to have ice chips again. Considering I hadn't eaten in 18 hours, and hadn't had a drink in about 9 hours the ice chips were pure joy.While I was being wheeled back to ICU, Dr. Keen called to the nursery to let Ken know he could wait for me in the ICU waiting room. (He had gone to the nursery to spend time with Erik and feed him while I was in surgery.) Ken met up with me in my room, and spent the night by my side. I had nurses coming in and out pretty frequently checking on my vitals, and also bringing me ice. In the morning Dr. Keen came in and explained to us everything that had happened the night before. (Although, since I was still out of it, I plan on talking with her again at my post-partum checkup.) She said that I had uterine bleeding from the c-section, and the excessive blood loss was what caused my heartrate to skyrocket and drop my blood pressure. The IR surgery was a success though, and my vitals were improving. She did order two more units of blood though because my hemoglobin count had dropped so low.Later on Tuesday afternoon it was decided to try to get me out of bed and into a chair. Because I was in ICU they could not bring Erik to see me, and if I was able to sit in a chair they were willing to wheel me down to the nursery to see him. Unfortunately, when I got into the chair my heartrate and blood pressure started going crazy again and I was forced back into bed. I was heartbroken. It had been almost 24 hours since my son was born and I had yet to hold him, to nurse him, to examine every inch of him. Ken had gone to the nursery to take pictures and video, but it still wasn't the same. I just wanted my baby. The rest of the day I spent sleeping a lot- I know my mom came and spent some time with me, and my in-laws had come to see Erik and came to see me, but I was asleep.Wednesday I was given another two units of blood- my hemoglobin levels were a bit over 8 at this point, so they were improving, but still not close to normal. After I received the blood we decided to attempt to get me out of bed again. My doctors told me if I could get out of bed and be able to sit in the chair for awhile without my blood pressure or heartrate going crazy they would release me to the postpartum unit. I was determined to see my little boy, so in the afternoon with the help of the nurses I got out of bed and into the recliner. My blood pressure was only slightly elevated, and my heartrate was ok. I relaxed in the recliner for several hours- it was a welcome change from the bed I had been confined to.All afternoon and early evening I kept asking when I was going to postpartum. Around 6:00pm I was given the ok, and they just had to get my room ready. I called Ken (who had gone home at this point to spend time with Nicholas) and he came back up to the hospital with my mom and Nicholas. Around 8:30pm (right at the start of the continued Phillies game) I was finally released from the ICU and brought to postpartum. I barely got settled in my new bed when they wheeled Erik in. Finally, it had been 50+ hours since he was born, and I got to hold my son for the first time.
After a few quick pictures I got to nurse Erik for the first time. That was one of the most upsetting things for me- I nursed Nicholas minutes after he was born, and for two days Erik was being fed formula. Fortunately, Erik latched on like a pro. (He was supplemented with formula for a few additional days, but by the time he was a week old he was strictly on mama's milk.) I spent this time just snuggling my little boy, kissing him, and examining every inch of him. Despite looking like his brother I noticed he does have my brown eyes and an adorable dimple in his right cheek. During this time Ken was helping to get me settled in my room, and we turned on the TV to watch the rest of the World Series. We literally turned the TV on in time to watch Brad Lidge's final pitch that won the Phillies the World Series. It was a special moment- we were finally together as a family and cheering on our team. We can't wait to tell Erik how he was born on this great day in Philadelphia sports history. If he's anything like his older brother and the rest of the family, he will be a HUGE sports fan as well.Erik and I spent the rest of the week together in postpartum. We had visits from family members, and of course Daddy and Nicholas came to visit every day. Nicholas was in love with his brother from the moment he saw him. On Saturday morning Erik and I were finally discharged from the hospital, and around noon we were headed home.My recovery is coming along. Physically I'm feeling a lot better. I'm still disappointed that I did not get the birth I had wanted. I am grateful that Erik is here safely, and that I am ok, but part of me is still sad about the birth I didn't get to have. For now I am just enjoying my beautiful baby boy, his energetic big brother, and my wonderful husband. I've been blessed with the perfect family.
Yes folks, the queen still reigns! I'd like to introduce the newest member of our family- Erik Joseph. He was born on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 5:10pm, weighing 8 pounds 7 ounces, and 20 inches long.
I will update later with the entire birth story, but I am still in the hospital for now, and most likely will not be home until Saturday. We had some complications, but Erik is perfect and I'm on the road to recovery.
Here are a few pictures of Erik and our family-
I never thought I'd be posting that I was 41 weeks pregnant. It seems like a cruel joke. It should be illegal! Ok, really it isn't that bad, but I'm ready to be done.Had a non-stress test this morning and fluid check. Baby has plenty of fluid. NST took a little longer because the bugger was sleeping. (They actually had to use a buzzer to stir him/her awake!) I'm apparently having contractions every 3-7 minutes...the nurse was surprised that I wasn't feeling them. (Out of the ones I had, I only felt one, and it was pretty mild.) So right now I just need these contractions to get stronger. My fingers are crossed this happens- I've actually felt quite a few contractions since I've left the hospital, and my lower back is starting to throb. I don't want back labor again, but at this point I just want to be holding my baby!If this bugger doesn't show by Monday I have to call for bed availability for an induction. Not what I really want, so send good thoughts that I go into labor on my own.
Yup, I'm still here. I have a stubborn baby who has decided my womb is a comfy, cozy place to be. I'm 40w3d, and I had another appointment today. BP still looks great, I think I gained a pound, urine is good. Doc came in and I told him that I was not happy to see him, that he told me last week I was gonna have the baby. He laughed. I'm now 4cm dilated, still 80% effaced. He said he thinks I'll go in the next 48 hours...I told him I wasn't going to believe it until I saw my baby! I did have to schedule a NST and fluid check for Friday morning. Hopefully I won't have to though! When I was leaving I told the girls at the front desk that I was NOT scheduling an appointment for next week, because I didn't want to see them. They all laughed...I really just hope that I don't have to see them! I'm supposed to hear back tomorrow about what day next week my induction is scheduled for, since they won't let me go past 42 weeks. Please let this baby come before then...I REALLY don't wish to be induced.
Well, at long last the day has arrived. My "DUE" date. Obviously it is just an estimate, as this little one doesn't have any concept of time. However, I didn't think I'd still be pregnant at this point. I don't know why...I guess part of me assumed that since Nicholas came a few days early that this one would be here at least a few days early. Oh well...this babe obviously has other plans!Today is also my brother's 28th birthday. He's spending it in Iraq...not exactly ideal. He did call me the other night and told me not to have the baby today, he didn't want to share his birthday. At this point it doesn't look like this baby is coming today, so I think he's safe. Tomorrow is Ken's aunt's birthday, and Sunday is Ken's sister's birthday. So there is still a possibility that this babe may be sharing a birthday- or the babe might hold out until next week for their own special day. I have an appointment sometime on Monday. I'd have to look and see when it is- I just took whatever appointment they gave me, figuring I wasn't going to need it. Who knows... I may need it after all!Once I pull myself together for the day I'll try to post some updated belly pictures. My belly has reached the point where my skin is so stretched it hurts and itches. Not pleasant. And it is quite large. I don't remember being this big with Nicholas. I think it has appeared out of nowhere!
I had my 40 week appointment a few days early, but got to see my favorite doctor. I lost a pound, my BP was good, andbaby's HB was in the 150s. I'm now dilated to 3cm and 80% effaced. 3 down, 7 to go- WOOHOO! I let the doctor know I wasn't comfortable with the scheduled induction for next week (at 40w5d) and he was perfectly ok with it- said to come back in on Monday and we'll do a NST & BPP to just check on the baby, but he totally supported my decision to not be induced yet and said I can wait until the following week. Although he said he doesn't think I'll make it until this weekend, so we will see. I walked around Target last night for an hour and not one darn contraction!!! I'm 39w5d today, and that's when I had Nicholas, so I'm hoping for a repeat.
Ok, so I'm not technically 39 weeks until Friday, but my appointment was scheduled for today (38w5d). Baby was taking a nap, and did not like the fact that they were trying to check the heartbeat (140s) so s/he kicked the nurse a few times. My weight didn't change, blood pressure and urine were great. I'm now dilated to 2cm. Guess all those contractions Sunday night did something! 2 down, 8 to go!!! I saw the Physician Assistant today, and she said that she was sending my paperwork up to schedule an induction for between 40 and 41 weeks. Um...NO THANK YOU! I guess they don't realize that my baby doesn't have a calendar in there and is on his/her own schedule. I have an appontment next Tuesday (the 14th- FULL MOON!) with the doctor I really like, so I will let him know that I am refusing to be induced prior to 41 weeks- they can schedule it, but I'm not showing up. At 41 weeks we can revisit the topic, but I'm confident the baby will be here before then.Oh, and since I didn't post a picture last week here is my 38 1/2 week pic!
Another boring appointment. It's sad when I spend 25 minutes driving to my appointment, 25 minutes driving home, and I'm in and out of the office in 15-20 minutes! Granted, it is a lot better than when I was waiting 30-60 minutes in the office just to be called back.Anyway...my blood pressure is still great. I gained 1-2 pounds this week, which I fully blame Kenny for- he bought me a bag of Halloween candy knowing I can't resist! The baby's heartbeat was 150, and s/he is still head down. Doctor checked and I'm 1cm dilated and 50% effaced, and he estimates the baby is currently 6 1/2 pounds. So I'm figuring the baby will be about the same size that Nicholas was (he was 7lbs 1oz), which makes me glad that I bought some preemie clothes this time around!I go back on Wednesday for another appointment, unless of course the child decides to make an appearance before then. However, I'm 99.9% sure I'll be going to that appointment on Wednesday! My mom is coming on Tuesday and we're going to cook and freeze some meals for after I have the baby. I've already got some chili frozen, and I have plans to make baked ziti, some soup, and a bunch of homemade marinara. Other than that I'm hanging in here! I actually feel pretty darn good most of the day- only at night is when I'm really hurting. The end is in sight though, so I'm trying to enjoy these final moments.
Nesting has begun to set in. On Sunday night after Nicholas fell asleep I decided to clean up the nursery a bit. See, a few weeks ago when we moved Nicholas from the nursery to his big boy room we had a lot of boxes and just STUFF in the spare room that needed to be relocated. So, they were relocated to the nursery. I moved suitcases and some boxes and some random stuff out of there, and then I decided I wanted to rearrange the furniture. And if that wasn't enough I felt that my bathroom needed to be thoroughly scrubbed from floor to ceiling. I didn't feel too bad after that, but on Monday I was paying for it with extreme exhaustion and contractions on and off for most of the day. Poor Nicholas must have known mommy didn't feel well, because he was content to just snuggle with me most of the day.The nursery still needs to be completed. There are a few boxes that are still in there, and the crib mattress needs to be raised. Although I have time, since I know the baby won't be sleeping there any time soon. My cleaning spree has continued into the kitchen, with the exception of me doing a thorough cleaning of the hardwood floor. I'm saving that, since when I cleaned the hardwood floor during my nesting period with Nicholas I went into labor the next day. Call me superstitious, but I'm not quite ready for the baby- YET! Granted, if s/he decides it is time to come, so be it, but I want at least another week or two.Tomorrow is my 38 week appointment. Nothing exciting, in my opinion. Another week gone by is all. Surprisingly, I am much more comfortable at this point with this pregnancy than I was with Nicholas. With Nicholas his butt was in my ribs and I was just very uncomfortable all the time. I'm still fairly comfortable about 90% of the time, which I feel very fortunate about. I'm able to breathe easily, no major rib pain (unless the little one moves into the wrong position for a moment), and the only real complaint is that I am getting full shortly after eating, so it seems I'm eating every 2 hours- because I am!Well, enough blabbering for now. Off to vacuum and dust while Nicholas naps!
Nothing really exciting to report. Had my 37 week checkup yesterday. No weight gain. Blood pressure was great. Urine was clear. Baby's heartbeat was an active 162. Tested positive for Group B Strep- just means I need antibiotics during delivery again. I have another appointment next Friday with an internal- that's if I don't go into labor before then. And I don't anticipate going into labor this week...I have too much to do!
On Friday I had my 36 week appointment. Lovely Group B Strep swab- get the results next week. I'm a fingertip dilated (aka- not much at all). My blood pressure was great, there was a trace amount of protein in my urine (nothing of concern), still below my pre-pregnancy weight, and baby's heartbeat was 162 bpm. I go back again next Friday unless of course something changes (which I doubt will happen!)Last night Ken & I also went to a wedding. When I was pregnant with Nicholas we only had one wedding to attend- when I was 36 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy we again had only one wedding to attend- when I was 36 weeks pregnant. It seems to be a trend. Wearing heels for me is a PITA to begin with, and being this pregnant made it even more not pleasant. I was so happy to get home and pull my shoes off!Here is a picture of me from last night...didn't think to get one of me & Ken. @@
So...I had a bit of an adventure on Monday. The morning started out fine, but right around lunch things got crazy.Start off with Nicholas having the rankest smelling diaper known to man. (Um...the kid eats apples a million times a day- seeds & all!) So I manage to clean that and my phone rings. It's my mom. I'm not even on the phone with her 5 minutes when Ken's cat starts puking (yes...when the cat is puking, he is 100% Ken's cat!). Well, vomit & I don't mix. I start gagging (and quickly hang up with my mom), and then I end up throwing up and was a complete mess. So I decided I needed to take a shower to clean up and relax. I take Nicholas up to his room, put the gate up at the top of the stairs and then locked my bedroom door so he couldn't get in there. There's just too much for him to get into, including the laundry room. I took a shower, wrapped myself in a towel, opened the door, and realized that I didn't have the key to get back in my room. So I had no clothes, and my fat 8 1/2 month pregnant butt just broke down. I called Ken crying...he could barely understand me, but he ended up coming home to let me back in the room.Needless to say, I don't plan on locking the bedroom door any time soon!
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, “surely she doesn’t mean me” - then you should probably read this twice.
1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is “Congratulations!” with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an ass.
2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father (or donor & doctor…but you know what I mean) - not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase “my baby”.
3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.
4) The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5) Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about to pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is “You look fabulous!”.
6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hotbefore the baby comes.
7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.
8. Like everything else is life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if youwill be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to “help out”. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering withbreastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are beinggiven the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
I hope this helps - it sure makes me feel better.
Well, they're still self-portraits, but here are some better 32 week belly shots taken on Saturday.
Can it really be 32 weeks already? Only 8 weeks to go (give or take)! I had another doctor's appointment today. The baby's heartbeat was 147 bpm, my blood pressure is looking good, and oh- they told me I've lost 9 pounds since my last appointment 2 weeks ago. Yes, you read that correctly. I am 8 months pregnant, and they tried to tell me I lost 8 pounds. I had to tell the nurse practitioner today that I don't think that my weight was recorded correctly the previous 2 appointments (she showed me my chart, and I remembered exactly what the scale said- and it didn't match). In reality, I did lose about 5 pounds, but my weight has fluctuated so much this pregnancy. Main thing is- baby is healthy, I am healthy, they are not concerned. (And hey...I will not complain about losing a few pounds!) My next appointment is in 2 weeks, and then another one 2 weeks following that- and at that point I'll be going weekly. WOW...it just doesn't seem possible!Here is a TERRIBLE picture of me this week. It is blurry, but it's the best I could get! I'm going to try to get another one tomorrow.
In other news- Nicholas has a new baby cousin! Ken's brother & his wife welcomed a beautiful baby boy to the world yesterday. Michael Harry Jr. was born at 12:46p weighing 7 pounds 9 ounces and 20" long. I think he's absolutely adorable, and Ken and I think he resembles Nicholas as a newborn. Not surprising- Ken & Michael look a lot alike! Baby Michael (as Nicholas calls him) has more hair and it is darker! We wonder if our new little one will come out looking like his/her big brother & cousin!Here is a picture of Baby Michael-
When you're 7.5 months pregnant (or heck...if you're pregnant at ALL) please do not try to do a split. It will hurt like no one's business and you will look like a fool!So this afternoon Ken and I decided to go out and hit up a few stores to do some shopping, since we don't have Nicholas for a few days. As we're leaving Best Buy it is drizzling outside- no big deal. Except for the fact I'm wearing flip flops, hit a slippery patch, and proceed to do a split in the middle of the parking lot right in front of the store where people are driving and walking all around me. I was so far down on the ground and my legs were so far apart I had to get Ken to help me up. I think I pulled every darn muscle in my left butt cheek. A bit painful, not something I recommend. At least I was laughing at myself. I manage to do stupid crap like this all the time.But please remember...leave gymnastic stunts to the Olympians, and do not attempt while pregnant!
Yes, I have hit the 30 week mark. 75% through this pregnancy. It has seriously flown by SO fast! I think having Nicholas around has kept me occupied. Not to mention our summers are so busy that I always have something to look forward to, and I don't just think about the baby's arrival! Oh, and the fact that we still have so much to do before s/he arrives!!!Yesterday was my 30 week appointment. I'm now going every 2 weeks, and at 36 weeks I'll start my weekly appointments. Still no real weight gain- I believe I'm 11 or 12 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight. My blood pressure is still looking great, and the baby's heartbeat was around 140. Ken and Nicholas went with me and Nicholas had the biggest smile on his face when he heard the heartbeat. It melted my heart! He seems really excited for his new sibling. And if you ask him, it's a baby sister in my belly! I still have no gut feeling or mother's intuition, but I'll go with Nicholas' guess and say it is a girl.I've got some shopping done for the baby, and I've gone through what gender neutral clothes I have left from Nicholas. In fact I'm washing them all this weekend! I have bought some cute boy outfits and cute girl outfits, and figure what we don't use I can return/exchange, sell, or give away.Still no name(s) yet for the Pumpkin. We have a few ideas we're tossing around, but nothing that I would call the perfect name yet. I think I need to meet this little one first before naming him/her.That's about all for now. Once I have Ken take a picture of me I will update. But who knows when that may be! ***8/11/08 Here's the updated pics. Sel-portraits so not great, but you get the idea!
Here is a picture of Nicholas from a trip to Ocean City a few weeks ago- 
Ok, so I've been slacking on taking pictures of my growing belly. Here are some from when I was 23 weeks (June 20). Pardon the bad pictures, but this was in our condo in FL. 
This Friday I will be 27 weeks, and officially in my 3rd trimester! I will try to get more pics as well. Ken, Nicholas, and I are now all thinking this baby is a girl. Yes, I've finally admitted it. I would love for Nicholas to have a baby brother, but will also be thrilled to have a little girl. We're still having a lot of trouble deciding on a name though!
Ok, we are finally home from vacation and trying to get settled back into our normally scheduled programming! Vacation was fun, but like always by the end I am ready to get home. This will probably be a long update, so bear with me!We left on Saturday, June 14 for Walt Disney World. Being the bargain hunter I am, I was determined to find the cheapest flight available for us. Well, that turned out to be flying on JetBlue, but we had to fly out of Newark. No big deal...it really isn't all that far. So, the plan was to drive to Hamilton, take the train (NJ Transit) to Newark and fly out from there. The trip up went smoothly, and we had a nice flight to Orlando. BTW...if you havent' flown on JetBlue I HIGHLY recommend them. Spacious seats, yummy snacks (heck- even Dunkin Donuts coffee), and every seat has its own TV with 48 live channels! A 2 hour flight goes by quickly when you watch 2 episodes of Law & Order!Here is Nicholas waiting for the train. He was VERY excited, and loved both the train & plane rides. 
So, we arrive in Orlando, and get to the condo when Ken's parents and sister were already. (His youngest sister & her fiance were flying in the next day). We got somewhat settled in and then headed out to dinner. That night Nicholas didn't get to bed until 11:00- about 3 hours past schedule. Poor kid caught a second wind and just couldn't settle down!On Sunday once everyone had arrived we headed to the Magic Kingdom. Poor Nicholas was asleep when we arrived! It was naptime, and not even Walt Disney World was going to stop him from taking that nap! It was HOT & HUMID- something I knew to expect, but still wasn't ready for! Immediately when we got inside the Magic Kingdom I bought Nicholas his first pair of Mickey Ears and got his name embroidered on them. Isn't he just a cute model?
We hit some rides (It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion, can't remember what else!) and then the traditional afternoon thundershowers came. I took cover with Nicholas and we got to see Woody & Jessie and some other Toy Story characters, while Ken went with his siblings to ride Splash Mountain. The rain eventually stopped and we ended up getting on the carousel, or as Nicholas would say, the cows! We then went back to the condo, cleaned up, and headed to Universal Studios to have dinner at Bubba Gumps for Father's Day.Monday morning was our early morning- we had breakfast at Chef Mickey's at 7:00am. At first Nicholas wasn't too sure of the characters, but then he really got into it. I'd say his favorite was definitely Donald Duck. He got some kisses from Minnie Mouse, but wasn't too thrilled.
After breakfast it was back to the Magic Kingdom. This day we took the train (which made for a VERY happy Nicholas) over to Toontown. They had a fun little play area where Nicholas could burn off energy, and then Nicholas went with Daddy and Nana on Goofy's Barnstormer- a fun little roller coaster! Nicholas sat with Daddy in the first car, and despite holding on for dear life he loved it, and cried when it was time to get off!
We hit some more rides: I took him on the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway- a big hit, and we also rode on the Mad Tea Party and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. By this time it was close to noon and we headed back to the condo. Nicholas needed to catch up on sleep and took a 3 hour nap (which mommy was more than happy to join him in!) After a quick dinner at the condo we headed back to the Magic Kingdom for the Spectro Magic Parade (very cool) and fireworks. This was Nicholas' first time seeing fireworks, and despite being a little bit afraid he really liked them. Now he tells you the fireworks go BOOM!Tuesday was our day at EPCOT. We rode Spashship Earth, Innoventions, and Journey Into Imagination before heading over to Germany's Biergarten for lunch. Biergarten was super yummy (I think it was my favorite meal of the week) with lots of traditional German food. I definitely ate like I was eating for two! Here is a picture of Nicholas after lunch- notice how he's pushing his stroller full of everyone else's stuff! lol
After lunch we checked out the Nemo ride, and then walked around the little aquarium area they had. Nicholas was so fascinated with all the fish- we've decided we definitely need to plan a trip to the aquarium with him this summer!
It was back to the condo- Ken took Nicholas in the pool, I took a nap. We had some snacks and went back to watch the fireworks at EPCOT. I wish I would have explored more of the countries at EPCOT, but I guess that just means I'll have to go back another time!Wednesday was our day at Disney Hollywood Studios. Personally, it is my least favorite park. I was also feeling VERY sick this day- the heat and all the walking caught up with me, and I had an awful headache (which I think was just high blood pressure.) Anyway, when we first arrived it was lunchtime and we had a character meal at Playhouse Disney at Hollywood & Vines. Nicholas had a blast and was in love with June from Little Einsteins. After lunch we split up and I took Nicholas to see the Playhouse Disney show, which he loved, and after that he proceeded to pass out. I took the opportunity to take shelter in the shade under some cover- just in time for the afternoon's thunderstorm. Shortly after we left the park and I took a well-needed nap.
Thursday was our day at Animal Kingdom- my first time in this park. It had a lot of shade, which was nice. We went on a safari, which Nicholas loved...he pointed out all the giraffes and elephants. We also saw the Little Nemo musical, which was cool (to see, and to be in the air conditioning)- even Nicholas sat through the entire 35 minute performance. That night we went to the Spirit of Aloha luau dinner at the Polynesian. Nicholas was loving the hula dancers- I will have to upload video of him doing the hula!Friday was our last day in Florida, so Ken & I decided to take Nicholas back to the Magic Kingdom to ride his favorite rides- the carousel, Dumbo, and the carousel a few more times! We had to leave the park fairly early, but we did have a good time.
Our trip home was- eventful. The flight home was pretty smooth, although Nicholas was fussy at points. We landed, got our luggage, and headed to the train station. Where we proceeded to get on the wrong train line coming home. We got on the shore line instead of the line to Trenton. So we had to back track and switch trains twice, and that delayed us about 90 minutes. Poor Nicholas was strapped in his stroller and didn't fall asleep until 11:00pm, and we didn't get home until about 1:30am. We were very glad to see our bed!Overall the trip was a blast, and we're already planning for another vacation in the fall of 2010 once the new baby is 2!
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