Now we return you to our regular family blog

Now that Elijah has arrived and is a visible part of our family, he will no longer have a separate blog. This will be my last post for this Great Expectations site, and his life will be chronicled along with the rest of ours in the Our Corner blog. Thank for you for reading along on our journey for these past 8 months. It's been so fun to share all the happenings in our lives as we awaited Elijah's arrival. I hope that more than any interesting fact of development of a fetus, or sonogram update, you've grasped our gratitude at God's blessing us with this baby, whom we dreamed of and prayed for for years. He has answered our prayers in a profoundly beautiful way, and we are humbled beyond words.

Elijah's arrival - just in time for Christmas!

Here's the story of how Elijah came into the world, complete with some gory details for those of you who love that kind of thing. :-)
Our sweet boy arrived with quite a bit of drama. Dr. Mc had warned me of things that might happen due to the placenta previa, and warning signs to watch for if things went wrong. Around 8:30 on Saturday night, those signs were pretty evident as I started bleeding pretty badly and lost a good bit of the placenta. We made a few phone calls - to my friend Autumn to come over quickly, to the doctor on call, to our parents and siblings, to a couple of friends to get the word out to pray for us, and woke the kids up (who'd been asleep for all of 10-15 minutes) to rapidly get together and head to the hospital. I was nervous about Elijah's health, knowing that if the placenta had abrupted completely, he was in serious danger. I wasn't having contractions really, but just pain that had worsened some in my lower back. It had felt different all afternoon and I'd had contractions on and off, but the pain and pressure were the most noticeable. I even told James at one point I felt like I had torn a muscle or something, deep down in my abdomen. I guess that was an accurate description, since my placenta had pulled and torn away from the uterus.
We arrived at the hospital quickly, Autumn stayed with the kids in the waiting room, where my brother was already sitting. I was taken directly to a labor and delivery room, and quickly we started preparing for surgery. Dr. Ross encouraged me that we weren't in a panic, and this was not yet an emergency situation, but that we had no time to waste either. As soon as I heard Elijah's heartbeat on the monitor I was fine, and excited that we'd finally arrived at the point to have this baby. My parents got stuck in traffic on the interstate, so I didn't get to see them before we went back to the operating room. Within an hour of arriving, we were holding our sweet baby boy, and it was an amazing moment hearing his first scream as they pulled him out of his comfy spot in my womb. The dr. exclaimed as he lifted him up that he was a big boy, and indeed he was, at 8 pounds, and 11 ounces - and almost a month early!
We were in recovery soon, and able to show him to Isaac and Abigail and my parents. Though at first his blood sugar was very low, after a feeding and monitoring that first night, he was fine and didn't have to be checked anymore. He nursed right away with no problem, and our stay in the hospital was rather uneventful. We had many guests come to see us, and share in our joy and it was so neat to see how many folks have prayed for this baby with us and now can see these prayers answered. James was able to stay with me in the room most of every day and each night, which was great too.
As far as recovery, I've had normal pain, but nothing extreme, and when I had to get up and walk the first morning, it wasn't too bad. I think having several surgeries before had to help me deal with the pain as well as I did. We came on home a day early, because we were ready to all be together and have the peace of our own home, though the care in the hospital was wonderful. Tuesday night we were all together, as my parents brought the big brother and sister home from Decatur, where they'd been the whole time. They had fun there, and it was a relief to know they were well taken care of while I couldn't be there with them.
We came home to a computer with some major issues, so I've been frustrated at not being able to blog and post pictures easily, but have at least remedied the situation enough for now to get these up. Elijah is a beautiful boy, with chubby cheeks, pretty coloring, and the sweetest personality. So far, he resembles James a ton, and everyone notices that. He is super laidback, sleeps great, and cries only when needing a diaper change or hungry. Our adjustment to being a family of 5 has not been too difficult so far. It's been incredibly helpful having James home this whole first week, since he only had 2 days off with Abigail, and we're enjoying spending lots of time together as a family, before the normal routine of school and work has to begin again in another week.
Thank you all for your kind wishes, cards, gifts, and flowers, welcoming our sweet gift home just before Christmas. This has been a holiday we'll always treasure, and we praise God for giving us this son, and for protecting him from harm, and keeping him healthy and whole. We don't take that for granted, ever.

He's here!!

Wow...what a difference a few days make. I'm blogging from my bedroom with a sweet little baby boy in my lap. :-)
Our precious son was born Saturday night, via almost-emergency c-section. Things went a little crazy on us that evening, and Elijah entered the world almost a month early, yet very healthy, thanks to a God who protects and gives guidance to wonderful nurses and doctors. More details will be coming soon, but here are the initial facts:

Elijah James Vines
8 pounds, 11 ounces
20.5 inches
December 15, 2007
10:53 pm

And so the roller coaster continues....

For those of you who have followed this pregnancy and developments along the way, you may recall points where I shared significant details we'd learned. For us, there are some dates that were very important. Like, on August 7, we learned we were having a baby boy, and that I had placenta previa which was something we knew we'd have to watch. Then, on Oct. 24, Dr. McKenzie and I discussed how so far the placenta hadn't moved and there was still a 70% chance it might not and I'd have a c-section? Then, you know how on Nov. 19 I posted how great it was that the placenta had moved and our prayers had been answered? Well, add today, December 13 to the list of dates when we had to re-think things again. :-)

Today was the scheduled ultrasound and check-up to get a recent update on where the placenta is, because the last 2 weeks of spotting and all had Dr. McKenzie concerned that maybe it wasn't moved over as far as we'd hoped. Mom was in town, and that was great, to have her go along to the appointment with James and me. My sweet friend Jamie kept Isaac and Abigail, and I am so glad they were able to be with her, because it turned into 4 hours at the hospital!! The office was running behind when we got there, and it just got more backed up when Dr. McKenzie was called downstairs to deliver a baby. We did the ultrasound first, which gave us another look at our sweet boy, and pertinent information. Unfortunately, it wasn't necessarily the news we'd hoped for. Our hope was that his weight and pressure as he'd moved down lower would cause the placenta to shift on up more out of the way, since it was just marginally close anyway. However, instead it's just compressed the edge of the placenta right there, just 1 centimeter away from the edge of the cervix. The tech was concerned and repeatedly looked at it from different angles and took pictures for Dr. Mc to see. Then, we had the fun part of seeing Elijah's precious face, full lips, and profile that look so much like Abigail's. He had his little hand up by his mouth and eyes again, rubbing one eye just like Isaac does when he's tired. We saw him blink too, and it was such a cute moment! Overall, he measured a week or so ahead, though his little round belly measured at 41 weeks!! Sheesh!! Afterwards we headed out to the waiting room to wait a while longer till Dr. Mc was back upstairs. Mom, James, and I discussed what we predicted he'd say, and all thought a c-section was looking more like the plan now.

When he came in, we were all anxiously awaiting his opinion of the situation. We knew from his comments last week, that he wasn't really thrilled with my going into labor if the placenta was so close, because of the risk of the placenta separating (abrupting) and putting Elijah into danger during a vaginal delivery. He started by saying that the sonogram gave him great photos of Elijah, that he looks great, healthy, and a wonderful size. Then, he reminded us of how we have all along known that a c-section was a possibility. He said though sometimes he knows he's delivered babies and wondered why the mom had such severe bleeding, because no previa was diagnosed, and though it was hard and somewhat scary, they turned out o.k. However, he said, when he had information staring him in the face, he had to make a plan beforehand. He said he just wasn't thrilled with the placenta still being so close to the cervix, and that he knew it just meant things would be very complicated during a vaginal delivery for myself and the baby. After questions and discussion for all the reasons for and against, we all understand and agree that it's the best plan to go ahead and plan for a c-section, whether I go into labor on my own or not. If I do, then he'll still be delivered surgically, and if I haven't by the 27th, that will be our baby boy's birthday!

I think we're all fine with the news, even though it's almost humorous how we've gone back and forth with this whole subject. I have to think overall that this is a good thing - we know what we're dealing with, and that we have a smart plan to handle this the best we can to insure Elijah is born in as safe a manner as possible, with as little risk to me or him. On the 27th, he'll be 38 weeks and 2 days, which Dr. Mc said was a compromise. He'd like to wait till 39 weeks on one hand, but then said with E's size already estimated at over 7 1/2 pounds, he feels like it's safe to deliver him a little earlier to cut down on the chance of my going into labor. However, my Mom, James, and Dr. Mc (and every nurse in the office who came near us) all think I will go into labor before that date arrives. That's just the earliest he felt comfortable planning to deliver Elijah, because little white boys are known to be the most likely to have problems if they come early.

Until he's born, whenever that is, I have been put on total bedrest. When James asked Dr. Mc to clarify what I'm allowed to do, he said, "You can get up to fix something to eat, and to take a bath." I just sat there with my mouth open, and he said he just wants to get Elijah to be as big, healthy, and far along as possible. Mom asked him what about church, or just little quick trips where all I do is go in somewhere and sit the whole time. He jokingly said, "O.k. You know how in Baptist churches you'll have the 'prayer time for the shut ins'? You're the shut in." :-)

I'm very thankful for James' being off this week, which has allowed us to get even more last minute preparation done, and for friends who are already setting up meals to help us out during this time. I'm also happy it's only two weeks at the most that we'll have to get used to Mama being limited in activity. I have friends who have spent months on bedrest, with multiple pregnancies. Really, I am dealing with NOTHING compared to that. I really know we have a great situation overall here, and after waiting this long for this baby boy to come, I am happy to oblige and do whatever we need to, to get him these last few days of growing time. Please do pray for us as James heads back to work next week, that the kids will understand my limitations, that I'll obey the doctor's orders with a cheerful attitude, and that, again, God will bring Elijah at just the right time.

36 weeks

YEA! We're in the homestretch now, in this last month of pregnancy! We're all thankful that James is home this week, and are enjoying his help with this mostly recliner-bound mama unable to do the normal errands and stuff.

Elijah seems permanently stuck on my right side, and though he's hovered there most of the pregnancy, he's become more stubborn these last days. Most of the day, he's curved over there, so snuggled down, with his bottom in the air, making my belly stick way out, so that it's noticeable to others. I look like I have some alien coming out of my belly! It would be funny if it wasn't so uncomfortable. I can usually gently rub on that area, and coax him to rearrange a little, but always goes back to the same spot. It really is funny to see.

Though Sunday was a busy day with church and then a live nativity that Abigail's preschool choir sang in, I enjoyed going to both services, just paid for it later. That afternoon, we timed several hours of contractions that were 3 minutes apart, and lasting a minute each. Then they gradually settled down before the nativity that night, spreading out and not as consistent. However, after an hour of standing there, on the way home I noticed they'd returned. They were regularly coming again, every 3 minutes, from around 7 pm until 10 pm when we finally decided to check in with the doctor. Dr. Mc was on call and we talked about everything. I wasn't too concerned it was actual labor, because they were not getting stronger, but before James went in to work at 11, he wanted to just touch base. Dr. Mc said he felt that I was o.k., that it was an encouraging sign that things might be progressing, but he thought we'd still have a little while to go. I agreed and James felt reassured, so he went on in for his last shift of the week. It was a tiring evening, but after drinking some extra water sometime after midnight, the contractions finally drifted away into nothing, thankfully. Monday was an easier day with very few contractions, just fatigue. So, though today there has been a little more activity, it's still been relatively calm and we're thankful. We're counting the days till Granddaddy returns. My Dad is in Oregon on business this week, so we keep joking that of course, this week is when Elijah will be born, because Granddaddy is across the country. Hopefully, we can have the whole family there though, when he makes his grand entrance.

35 weeks

Well, yesterday we reached the 35 week milestone, and are relieved to have done so, after last week's little adventure. I had an appointment with Dr. Mc today, which went well. I was excited to hear that something actually is going on now, and I was a whole 1 cm dilated ;-) and 50% effaced, though Elijah is still up pretty high. I asked about his thoughts on Elijah coming early, since Abi came a month before her due date, and he said there really is no way to know if he will or not. He asked how big she was, and I reminded him she was a good size to be 4 weeks early, at 6 pounds 13 ounces. He said, "Well, I'm betting Elijah left 6# 13 in the dust a long time ago." That was after measuring me (which showed 38 weeks), and based on past ultrasounds and the size Elijah feels to him, and he said he really wouldn't be worried if E. was born soon, guessing he could be around 7 1/2 pounds already. I feel the same way - though we don't really know how big he is for sure, or when he'll come, I do think we've reached a great point where I'm comfortable with him arriving whenever he's ready and God decides so.

Because of the continued spotting off and on since last Friday, and the fact that we're just not sure exactly where that annoying placenta has settled, we're going to do an ultrasound before next week's appointment to get the latest information on it. Though he is not unduly concerned, Dr. Mc said he'd feel more comfortable with knowing a little more recent update on it, since it was still so close to the cervix last time. He said that at this point, when I go into labor, he is concerned that I get to the hospital quickly, because if it's still just over a centimeter removed from the os of the cervix, there could be significant bleeding, combined with how Elijah presents and that affects things. With all the Braxton-Hicks contractions I've had lately, he said to expect continued spotting, and not to be alarmed, because it's just probably how it's going to be as E. grows and puts more pressure on the placenta, and it is actually shearing away from the lining of the uterus little bits at a time. (Doesn't that sound lovely?)

As he left, he said he'd be on call this weekend, so I told him I appreciated knowing that, and I'd go ahead and plan on seeing him then if I had my way about it. :-) Overall, it was encouraging and again a great reminder of how blessed I am to have such excellent care and concern from this wise man. He asks about the kids and James by name almost every time I see him, and though that's not really even something I'd think about if he didn't, it means so much to me that he does seem to care for our family's well-being, and not just me as another patient he sees during long work days.

To close, here are some sweet and sappy photos we took this week. I really wanted a few of me pregnant with this baby boy, and of our family of 4, before he arrives. This whole process - the 2 years of waiting to get pregnant again, and now the end of that pregnancy nearing brings bittersweet emotions, because it has been such a huge blessing and answer to prayer. At one point while I was holding this little word "hope" carved from wood, I just lost it and started crying. Poor James probably thought my hormones were to blame, and they may have factored in some. Mainly though, I was really overwhelmed thinking about how this baby is almost here that we prayed and longed for, and at times doubted we'd ever have. Holding that word in my hands, and remembering how I would sing and cry through "My Hope is in You" for so long, and realizing that hope is almost fulfilled is a pretty amazing thing. God is awesome, you know? Thanks for sharing this journey with us. I hope you're encouraged by my ramblings and details of things you may not really care about, if only because they point back to a God who answered our prayers in a beautiful way, and comforted us while we were waiting on that answer. I feel so undeserving and so grateful.

Happy Friday!

You know, all along I've said this pregnancy was nothing like when I was expecting Abigail. That fact continues to be true, as this morning I awoke to some bleeding and wondered what in the world it was. After waiting a little bit, having another episode, but still no contractions, we called the dr.'s office. They said to come on in, considering that the placenta previa was still considered marginal, and that Abigail came a month early. We got ready fairly quickly, wondering if this was a false alarm, or if Elijah was really on his way. The kids were excited and hopeful he was, and James and I were praying he wasn't yet. :-)

We spent a couple of hours at the hospital, doing the routine urine, weight, and blood pressure check first, which were all great. I was having more cramping by then, but still nothing that felt like labor as far as I could tell. I talked to a nurse, explained what had happened, and compared it to the early labor with Abigail, which was the perfectly textbook scenario of my water breaking, mucous plug passing, and then contractions beginning. She could see Elijah was still pretty active, from all the jabs and pokes he was giving, and neither of us thought he'd dropped any. I waited a little longer to see Dr. R. and then he finally came in. At first he said he wasn't planning on doing an exam, because of the placenta, but as he checked my chart and saw it had moved, he decided to go ahead and see if anything was happening. He said Elijah is still up pretty high, and that my cervix seemed to not be doing anything at that point. So, he considered sending us for monitoring in Labor and Delivery, but then opted to just have a non-stress test done in the office. He feels the bleeding was due more to the placenta, but at this point, it's just hard to say.

We sat for a while watching the monitor read his movements and the irregular contractions I was having. Neither the dr. nor nurse was too concerned, and felt we were fine to go on home after that. They both said I needed to take it easy and be "a lady of leisure," which is a humorous statement to a mom of 2 at Christmas season. But, I know their point and will try to take it easy. Dr. McK saw us in the hall as we were leaving, and felt good about the results too, (he'd checked the test strip) and said for me to just not "check my brain at the door," because this also might indicate something will happen before too long. So, we're just waiting. :-) Who knows if we'll be back at the hospital in a day or 2, or if we'll still be hanging out till his due date? I'm praying he's here before the holidays, but am fine waiting till God decides he's ready. We don't want him here too early, obviously.

Today was a good trial run, and we know now the things we need to get done definitely before it's the real thing. Thanks for praying for us. We'll keep you posted if anything else happens!!

34 weeks

We're at the 34 week mark, and Elijah is doing well. He's still moving regularly, and in addition, I've had more Braxton-Hicks contractions this week than the entire pregnancy combined. Sometimes they are quite inconvenient, occurring around midnight for some reason, and though irregular, lasting longer than I wished. Afterwards, Elijah seems agitated and gets all busy, moving around. I guess they wake him up and he is complaining. :-) The sinus crud of months ago has returned with a vengeance and I'm struggling with coughing and yucky nose syptoms. right now. I'm hoping it will quickly improve, and know lots of folks are dealing with the same thing. I feel your pain. It's no fun not being able to breathe.

Thankfully, we had something fun to look forward to, despite my feeling less-than-stellar this week. Yesterday we were so blessed to have friends that James works with at Children's NICU give us a baby shower. Some of the folks we'd hoped to meet were unable to make it due to family and work commitments, but there were still several ladies there, as well as Greg, the other male nurse that works with James, and his closest friend at work. We met at the Olive Garden and enjoyed a great lunch there, visiting with nurses and respiratory therapists from his shift. We all had great cheesecake bites one of the nurses brought for dessert. Then they showered us with such amazing gifts, we were moved to tears. Many people he works with, from his shift, and even other shifts, contributed towards the presents we received. Our favorite, and the most generous, was a gift card to get the nice convertible car seat we'd hoped to save money towards and get at a later date. We were overwhelmed, since the ladies who had coordinated it had told James they wanted to get us something "big" but we were certainly not expecting more than the car seat, if they were able to do that much. They sure went above and beyond, giving us sweet outfits, diapers and wipes, toys, blankets, pacifiers, and all kinds of cute and useful baby boy items. The kids and I loved getting to visit with the people James spends so much time with, and it was so nice seeing how much his co-workers think of James and how they honored him. We're very, very thankful indeed!

33 weeks

Our little boy is 33 weeks old today. He seems to be moving less violently (no more jumping jacks), but still regularly enough that I never worry. I know he just doesn't have as much space anymore to wiggle as much as before.

The hiccups last night lasted a LONG time. What a funny thing to see my abdomen jumping in such regularity and to be able to do nothing about it. I have had difficulty sleeping for weeks already, due to just being unable to get comfortable, but last night was the first time hiccups were the culprit.

Here's my email update for this week:

"This week your baby may be anywhere between 17 to 19 inches in length and weigh more than four and a half pounds. Your baby could grow a full inch more this week alone — especially if he or she has been on the shorter side. Weight gain can range from a third more growth to a full doubling before the big debut.

The level of amniotic fluid in your uterus has reached its maximum, making it likely that you have more baby than fluid now. That's one reason why you're probably feeling lots of nudges and pushes — there's less liquid to cushion the blows.

If your uterine walls had eyes, here's what you'd see: your fetus acting more and more like a baby, with his or her eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping your baby differentiate between day and night (now if only baby can remember that difference on the outside!).

And good news! Your baby has reached an important milestone about now: The development of his or her own immune system that (along with antibodies from you) will be able to provide protection from mild infections."

Yeah, I liked that paragraph about his weight possibly increasing that much more in the next 6-7 weeks. Doubling might just be a LITTLE extreme - a 10 pound, 12 ounce baby? Sheesh, let's hope not!

A big praise I have to share is that we were so thankful to be able to get a recliner a couple of weeks ago, and it has proven to already be worth every penny spent. When I can't get comfortable in the bed, the recliner really is perfect. Heartburn and achey back and hips are much better when I'm slightly upright. We're very thankful for many friends and family members who contributed monetarily at our shower towards that wonderful chair!! I know it'll come in handy once Elijah is here and there are times he needs rocking or feeding and I am so glad there will be a place to go that is comfy, and not necessarily just my own bed. I didn't have a rocking chair or anything with Abigail, and it was so easy to fall asleep feeding her in the bed, and we got in a habit of that so that she hated her bed for a long time.

It was one of those things I really didn't want to do - co-sleeping was just not what I'd planned on, but became the pattern for us for over a year. It was more survival than anything, because of my own fatigue and her being accustomed to it, and I just didn't have the energy to work to get her used to her bed. If Elijah ends up with me in the bed some, I'm o.k. with it, but I'd prefer him to sleep in his crib if he is cooperative. So, the recliner will be a great option for me to get up and go to in the middle of the night to nurse him, instead of bringing him to my bed. I can picture us both snoozing in that chair a good bit in those first weeks/months of near-constant feedings, and that's o.k. too. At least I have another option this time. What a blessing!

Weird

This silly baby has the hiccups. He hardly ever gets them, but he has them right now. They're pretty strong too - my whole belly is vibrating. I am tired and want to sleep, but can't.

Just wanted to post this very important information, since my Overthinker friend thinks I've stopped blogging forever. :-) I'm sure she's glad I'm sharing this now.

G'night ya'll - hope you are resting peacefully!

Latest, great news!

We were thrilled today to have a sonogram to check out our baby boy, and the position of the placenta. As many of you have prayed, God answered our prayers they way we specifically requested, and it has almost resolved! YEA!!! The tech said that it is still considered a marginal previa, but with Elijah now in position with his head down, as he moves further down, that he'll probably help it totally get out of the way. This is such a great thing, meaning we should not have to do a c-section, and I can deliver him vaginally as I'd desired.

It was harder to see his face today, because he is squished down so low, and is facing up into my abdomen right now, but we were able to catch little glimpses, and see his heart beating well, his cute, round tummy, and legs, feet, hands and arms. So sweet...the kids again loved seeing their little brother, and commented on how cute he is. And, of course, we're not biased at all. :-) He is still measuring ahead, and at a pretty good size. I'll be at the 33 week tomorrow, and the tech said he is just under 5 1/2 pounds. We are tickled he's growing well, and happy to know that as of now, things look just wonderfully well.

We were waiting for a minute on the nurse to check my blood pressure and weight (both were good), and Dr. McKenzie saw us and came in to say hi. He said though they'd like the placenta a couple of centimeters away from the cervix, he was pleased and felt that the tech was right, and that it'll probably continue to shift a little. He said even if it didn't, he saw no reason we couldn't plan on a vaginal delivery. He was very happy for us, and agreed that God had answered our prayers in a terrific way.

I had my quick visit with Dr. Radbill, and the nurse who showed me to the room commented as she was putting my chart in the door, "You're not even 33 weeks and this baby is measuring 5 pounds, 6 oz.?! Wow!" [I'm getting a lot of that, and comments on how big he's going to be, when who really knows?! :-)] Dr. Radbill was pleased with the change in the placenta and my measuring, and is very encouraging that things are going well. Other than sore, swollen feet still, I have no complaints or concerns. I'll go back in two weeks for just a regular visit.

Thank you for encouraging us as we waited for this day, and for the prayers you've lifted. A caesarean would not be an awful thing, but I really had hoped to avoid yet another surgery if possible. My mom was overjoyed with the news today, especially because of the complications of that ovarian remnant possibly needing to be dealt with, my propensity for bleeding insanely, and the history I have with my blood pressure bottoming out during previous surgeries/anesthesia. We're all relieved that those things just won't have to be a concern anymore, as far as we can tell. What a wonderful bunch of praises to add to our Thanksgiving list of things to be grateful for!!

32 weeks

It is so hard to believe I'm this far along in the pregnancy, and that we're within 2 months of holding our little boy! This has been a busy week already, with vision screenings for both kids, a follow-up eye check-up for Isaac who now has glasses ordered for his far-sightedness. Today I had my regular annual eye appointment. I was actually not supposed to go until January, but since I was down to my last pair of contacts and knew that it would be hard to go with a newborn, we bumped up the appointment. Everything was fine, and I'm glad to have that out of the way. We are done with doctors for the week hopefully.

My sweet best friend from high school, Julie, had her 3rd baby yesterday. Her name is Corlee and I can't wait to meet her face-to-face. She joins sister Christa and brother Canaan, and I'm sure they are all enjoying getting to know their little sister! Julie and I were so excited to go through our pregnancies together this time, since we haven't had the opportunity before. It was really special to be able to share maternity clothes, and discuss all the crazy changes we both were going through physically and emotionally, in preparation for these new little ones.

Elijah is still very active, and seems to be pressing on something giving me a good ol' case of sciatica. My left foot stays swollen all the time, and I'm struggling some with fatigue, from the lack of sleep due to my sore back/hip. This past week I've spent any moments free trying to organize his baby clothes, and make room for his things in Isaac's room. It's a little overwhelming trying to fit it all in there, but it's going to work I think. It's so sweet to handle those little outfits and choose my favorites to take to the hospital. I have packed his bag already, so will work on mine next week. Then, we'll just be waiting for the big day!!

31 weeks!

Today was another check-up, and it went well. I had gained 3 pounds these past 2 weeks, so that wasn't awful, considering all the yummy birthday and shower food I've had lately! Blood pressure was great as usual, at 116/70, so my continued swollen feet aren't really an issue to be concerned about, other than the discomfort.

Dr. R. was encouraging about Elijah's size, and surprised at how big he seemed to feel to him, based on where I am in the pregnancy. He glanced at the last ultrasound report though, which showed him in the 80-90% in all areas, so agreed that apparently our little boy is healthy and growing well! He also thinks he may have turned and be head-down now, so that's neat. I'll go in 2 weeks for the next sonogram to see if the placenta has moved any, and he was encouraging that it still could change if it hasn't already. So, I'll update you on the 19th and maybe we'll know more about whether we'll be waiting on Elijah to come on his own, or if he'll need to be delivered early by caeserean. Thank you for your continued prayers for us as we look forward to our baby boy's birthday with much anticipation!

30 weeks

Our fabulous friends gave us a baby shower/brunch today. It was overwhelmingly beautiful, with tons of good food, and precious fellowship. We received many sweet gifts and were so touched at the work that was put into making it a very special occasion as we celebrate this little boy we can't wait to meet! Numerous friends were there, including Julie, my best friend since high school, and even a former first grade student and her mom. My parents and brother came too, as well as an aunt and cousin, so that was all awesome! Here are a few pictures, with more coming later probably.

This 30th week of the pregnancy has been a nice one, with milder temperatures, and James home from work. Elijah is still moving a ton, and hangs out pretty much on the right side of my belly. Sometime it looks super weird, with the big lump that is him, being so lopsided. :-) I've felt pretty good overall, just feeling somewhat uncomfortable trying to sleep, but know it's not for much longer...and that's really been a sad realization! I have loved being pregnant again, and sharing this time with Elijah inside of me is something hard to describe. It's a relationship neither of us will ever have with another person in the same way, and is just a unique blessing. I'm so, so grateful.

29 weeks

What a nice birthday gift today has been already! I had a check-up with Dr. McK this morning and was in and out of the office in less than an hour. Elijah was cooperative and we heard that steady heartbeat, complete with kicks of enthusiasm from him. :-) It's hard to believe that at 29 weeks, our sweet Isaac was born. I'm so thankful that I'm not in labor right now. Though Isaac was a fighter and did amazingly well to be 11 weeks early, that is just too soon to enter the world, and has made his life complicated at times. We have lots to be thankful for!

Dr. McK was happy to hear Disney went so well, and we chatted for a while about that. We discussed a few other things too. One was the possibility of a c-section looking more possible (he gave me a 70% chance of having one due to the placenta not shifting yet, though it's still possible). I'm still hopeful, but not in despair or anything if we have to do surgery. Reading up on placenta previa and realizing the profuse bleeding and scary issues that happen when a mom goes into labor sure make me want to avoid that. It's so risky for the mom and baby, so I am glad we have technology to help us be aware of these situations today.

As he measured me and felt around on my belly for E, I asked him to show me how to tell what was what. He took my fingers and lightly pressed down on the top of my abdomen, and said when I felt the bouncing back, that was the head. Then, the bottom feels "doughy", and gives in a little, instead of bouncing back like the head. Right now, Elijah is still breech, which is not uncommon at this stage of the pregnancy. That explains why I felt like a foot was stabbing me last night, really low. It was! He said he can still turn to get in position, but it's harder with the placenta in the way, and with his increasing size.

A little concern is that he shared he's never had a lady get pregnant with an ovarian remnant and also have placenta previa, resulting in a c-section, so he said that will just be something he has to carefully consider if we end up going the surgical route. (Some of you may remember that this remnant was found months ago before I was pregnant, growing where my left ovary was removed 11 years ago. We left it alone, because it wasn't changing over several months that we watched it and wasn't causing any problem, so neither of us wanted to do a surgery just for it.) His word to describe the c-section with placenta previa and the additional factor of removing this remnant is "grungy." :-) He said a uterine polyp or tumor would be simpler to handle, since he obviously would be there in the uterus anyway. Getting over to the ovary area and removing that during the bleeding that happens in a normal c-section is just more complicated. Right now we can't even see it any longer during sonograms, due to Elijah's size, so don't know what exactly is going on with it. It's not a major problem, just something he wanted me to know he remembered (I'd totally forgotten about it), and that we'd talk more about it as things progress.

For now, he put me on additional iron supplements, since I was borderline anemic with my last visit's bloodwork, and plus, he said anticipating the possible surgery, he wants me to "tank up." I realize more and more every visit how much I appreciate this man for his sensitive manner, and godly wisdom. James and I both are so impressed with the care he's given us for 6 years now, and it's so nice to really trust that he is seriously praying for us, and the best way to provide care for me. It gives me a lot of peace of mind, and I can happily anticipate each visit, knowing his heart, and his attention to details. What a blessing.

I'll go back in 2 more weeks, and then the next visit after that, probably at 33 weeks will be the final ultrasound to determine the delivery plan. Thank you all for praying! God is so good.

28 weeks

It's been an exciting 28th week, as we just returned from a big family vacation. We haven' t been on a vacation in over 3 years, so really enjoyed the adventure of Walt Disney World with my parents and brother. We spent 5 days in the "happiest place on earth" and it was a really happy week. Elijah seemed to enjoy it just fine, though he didn't see any great attractions, he did respond to hearing and feeling them, with some vigorous movement at times. The return flight home really got him going. :-)

Thankfully, I was able to enjoy the trip, despite the heat that was draining on all of us, since we walked miles and miles each day. My feet, however, did not seem to enjoy it as much. The below pictures are not of an elephant, but actually my own pitiful swollen toes and ankles. They're still pretty painful, and the skin just feels stretched to its limit. Hopefully they'll return to a somewhat normal size eventually. Right now, they're pretty ugly and embarrassing, not to mention numb and achey at the same time, if that makes any sense. I am very grateful that I had hardly any back pain all week, which has been an issue for me for years, and only one hour of Braxton-Hicks contractions. I consider those major blessings and answers to prayer!

This Wednesday is my birthday and I will have a doctor's appointment that day to see how things are going. I'll update you after that! I'm looking forward to some cool weather moving in just in time for a birthday gift too. YEA!!

27 weeks, and a sonogram

We were so happy to be able to see our not-so-little pumpkin today, via the wonder of technology and sonogram. Here's a profile view of him, when his hands actually were not covering his face. He's about to move them right in front again though. :-)

After last week's appointment, Dr. McK wanted to get an updated view of the placenta and our baby boy this week. We happily complied, since we're eager to see him again, and also wanting to have recent info to take with us on our trip next week to Disney World, just in case anything crazy happened.

Libby, the wonderful tech who also did the big ultrasound in August, was there again, and took her time doing more measuring and detailed viewing. She noticed hair on his head, and loved how active he was, saying, "He hasn't stopped moving the whole time!" I laughed, and said, "No kidding!" He is a busy boy, and kept putting his hands near his mouth, and almost had a toe in there at one point. He looks so sweet and cozy. Isaac and Abigail both just loved seeing him again.

The update on the placenta previa is that it really hasn't changed. She said the placenta is still sitting on my cervix, but it's not inhibiting Elijah's growth any. I commented on how much chubbier his cheeks looked this time, and she replied, "Uh, yeah." I glanced at her, and she smiled and said, "Yes, he's growing just fine...he weighs about 3 pounds, 8 ounces." I said, "The email updates I get said he should be just over 2 pounds!" She said, "Right. He's measuring several weeks ahead." All along we've been told he was, but didn't have any measurements or details. I'm 27 weeks, 2 days, and Elijah is measuring between 29-31 weeks in different areas. His abdominal circumference placed him in the "greater than 98 percentile" and his head was 88% and femurs measured 98%. I asked her how accurate those measurements can be, and she said they are pretty reliable, since she took them multiple times each, from different angles, and the program generates the average.

So, based on today's information, the adjusted due date based on his physical development alone is more like December 21, instead of my actual due date of January 8. We know all this is just interesting at this point, and just encourages us that he's healthy and thriving, but may help us know later on what needs to happen about delivery if the placenta stays where it is. It's still too early to know what is best regarding a c-section or not, and there is time for the placenta to move, since there are cases that it does finally resolve by the 34 week check-up. So, we're just content knowing that things are fine for now, and will wait and see.

My biggest hope is that however he's delivered, if it is safe for him, and he's developed enough, that God would allow Elijah to be born in time for our precious friends Scott, Robin, and their family to meet him while they are here from Richmond. They are coming in on the 19th of December, and leaving the 24th, so I'm just praying God knows our hearts and deep desire to visit with ALL of our kids during the holidays and that He can work it out if He sees fit! I know He cares about our little desires and this is a pretty big one, so I'm praying specifically, and trusting that He'll do what's best. Either way, we are getting very excited about seeing far-away friends, and welcoming our sweet son before too much longer!

Check out his cute self here:
Lean your head to the right, and you're seeing him at the correct angle. He's curled up, with his hands up by his face. Sweet, sweet! This is the chubby cheek picture. :-) Next are the Tubbs' toes. Look at that big toe sticking out!

3 months from today...

is Elijah's due date! Wow!

Nice to meet you, too!

Here's the transcript of a nice conversation from last night. (Name changed to protect the innocent.)

P - "Hi, I don't think we've met....I'm Penelope."
Me - "Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Jennifer."
P - "So, when is your baby due?"
Me - "January 8."
P, looking absolutely astonished - "Wow! Are you sure it's not TWINS?!"
Me, glancing at my belly - "Ummm... yes..."

No, my feelings weren't hurt, but my sweet friend Jamie tried to take up for me, since I was too shocked to say much in response. She said something about my carrying so much of the weight right in my belly, and the lady just kinda drifted away. I enjoyed sharing the story all night, because it amazed me how bold this complete stranger was. Aren't people funny? Jamie said if the lady hadn't been wearing an Auburn shirt, she would've decked her for me. :-)

2/3 of the way there!

This morning I had another great doctor appointment. I did the fun glucose test also, and the results of it were great, so I'm so happy to have that behind me. That stuff tastes awful. Dr. McK gave me an overall good report, saying my weight gain was fine and he was pleased with how I seemed to be doing. We asked if he had any concerns about our Disney trip coming up in a week and a half and he said he felt that I was doing fine, so had no qualms about our flying or the busyness of the week. He suggested that I go get a follow-up ultrasound next week to check the placenta previa since it would be good to know what we're dealing with before traveling. He doesn't expect any problems though, even if it hasn't resolved itself. If it hasn't resolved by then, we'll check it again closer to the due date, and see what we're dealing with. It was nice to be reassured, and we're really looking forward to the trip with my family.

26 weeks

It's just a baby boom in our family! My cousin Tara had her little girl, Cate, last Tuesday, and she joins Emerson and Casey who were born in August and September to my cousins Todd and Tucker and their wives. We're so excited to have all these little ones in the Tubbs/Veazey families. They are beautiful and healthy, so we are so grateful. We can hardly wait for Elijah to meet his cousins! We're under 100 days till our due date! In order above they are: Emerson, then Cate, then Casey.

Our little pumpkin is growing, and this week, the email update I get said that his eyes are really starting to open. I guess he is bored with the mostly dark environment he's in, but it's neat to think of another awesome development happening. Here's the info:

Your baby's eyes — which have been closed for the past few months (so that the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop) — are now beginning to open. What this means is that your baby is able to see what's going on now (unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting). The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Even the color your baby will be born with might not be the permanent shade; so you may be kept guessing until your baby is close to six months old.

Look what else is going on this week: Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity.

And talking about activity, at your baby's current height and weight (about nine inches tall and two pounds), and at the rate he or she is growing, your baby will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for your baby to grow. It just means your gymnast will have less room for those somersaults, cartwheels, and other Olympic feats.

25 weeks

Well, I can't believe I haven't posted in so long. The email update I received today reminded me I hadn't, when I read that my uterus is about the size of a soccer ball. That is no shock to anyone I've seen recently, since it looks like I have swallowed one, and since Elijah seems to think he's in a match with David Beckham or something, with all this kicking. :-) I sure am happy to feel it though, especially in light of other families who have never experienced the blessing of a pregnancy. I was reminded again today of the struggle many face in trying to have a baby, and thanked God again for our busy little boy.

My update also said that E's "skin is turning pinker. No, not because he's getting overheated (in fact, the amniotic fluid is perfectly climate controlled, keeping him at an always comfortable temperature), but because small blood vessels, called capillaries, are forming under the skin and filling with blood. Later this week, blood vessels will also develop in your baby's lungs, bringing them one step closer to full maturity — and one step closer to taking that first breath of fresh air. But those lungs are still very much works in progress. Though they are already beginning to develop surfactant, a substance that will help the lungs expand after the baby is born, the lungs are still too undeveloped to sufficiently send oxygen to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide when he or she exhales. In his gums, buds for permanent teeth line up behind baby teeth. He's practicing using his arms and legs (I would certainly agree!), but his skin is still loose and wrinkly, and hangs like a too-big pair of pants."

I had a weird episode today that was almost scary, until I told James and we both realized what probably had happened. I went out early this morning to water the recently planted mums and pansies, and also kept leaning over to pull up weeds. After about a half hour of this, I got very light-headed and my heart was hurting so bad, I felt like I was going to pass out. I sat down, in the yard, trying to process what was happening, and caught my breath a little. I could hear my pulse so loudly in my head it was wild! I then walked slowly on in the house, but by the time I got in there, was so faint, and hurting so bad, I jokingly (kinda) told James I thought I was about to die of a heart attack. Once I sat for just a minute, I was fine, just tired-feeling. Describing it to him and thinking about what triggered it, we both assume this is one of those vena cava issues I've heard of later in the pregnancy. With the pressure of the enlarging uterus on my organs , and my repeated bending over, I guess I was cutting off my own blood circulation, and my heart was letting me know it!

Since James had just gotten home from working all night and was going to sleep, I was so thankful I recovered quickly, and didn't pass out in the yard! :-) I told him, as I leaned over to turn off the water faucet, I just knew I was going to keel over, and a few hours later when the kids got hungry enough, they'd have found me face-first in the flowerbed. So, no more bending and weeding, from now on. I'll have to just plop down and work, I reckon...

It's been a nesting kind of week, as James and I have been working on projects around the house to ready it for putting on the market. We are just about ready, and it's crazy, but exciting too. We have no idea that it will sell in this current market, but feel that God has told us to at least try. We're assuming if it doesn't sell we'll just figure out a way to squeeze in one more little person and a whole lot of baby stuff, and if it does sell, that God is truly providing us the opportunity to move. I've even been washing up baby clothes that are hand-me-downs, or were Isaac's and had been in the attic. It's nice to just have something to handle and do, relating to Elijah, in this last few months while we are just waiting on him to arrive. Isaac and Abigail love ooh-ing and aah-ing over the sweet, tiny clothes. It's very fun to share these times of anticipation with them, and see their excitement. We can't wait to meet you, little brother!!

What was that?!

Wow. At 1:30 this morning, the yardwork and busyness of the day caught up with me, as I was awakened with some serious contractions. Being so out of it with sinus medication, I initially wanted to panic, until I realized the regular, consistent contractions weren't getting worse, but did last for over 4 hours. It was a long night/morning, since I couldn't sleep from the discomfort of them, until I finally became conscious enough to remember to drink something. After a glass of OJ and some banana bread, they stopped fairly quickly. I've had some more this evening, so am drinking often to keep really well hydrated since I know that can affect things. I'm trying to be positive and remember this is just good practice for my uterus. It just doesn't feel too great. Off to bed, to try to sleep while I can!

Our baby boy has a name, and....

Elijah is his name, oh! :-) Thanks for your contributions, opinions, and solicited advice. We've liked this name for years, and debated a couple of others we liked also, but it came down to the vote of big brother and sister. They both preferred it over Elliott, our second favorite "E" name. Both have the same meaning, "The Lord (Yahweh) is my God." So, that's official! However, we don't know for sure what we'll do for the middle name, which is funny, because we had Michael and Rose chosen for Isaac and Abigail's middle names before we knew their firsts! We'll keep you posted....I know you're all at the edge of your seats.

In other exciting news, we're 23 weeks into this pregnancy, and sinus crud has hit. I'm struggling with ear pressure, congestion, watery eyes, and all that fun stuff. I did have it bad with Abi too, but much earlier and for a long time. So, I'm trying to be positive and pray this doesn't go on forever. This weekend, something seemed to shift though, as far as his position, because though I'm still feeling him move often, and strongly, there is much less discomfort. I'm hopeful the placenta relocated to its rightful spot or something!

A happy thing today was that our beautiful bedding has arrived, making Elijah's arrival seem much closer. Something about seeing his quilt in our house makes me want to nest and set things up, though it's too soon, unnecessary right now, and we have no spot for him. We're working on attempting to put the house on the market, as insane as it seems, just to see what happens. We'd love to have more room before he comes, but also know it's unlikely we can sell in this awful market right now. So, if it does, we'll assume it's ordained of God, and pack up and move on. You can pray about that if you think of us. If it doesn't sell, we think it'll be easier to stay here and be content, despite the lack of space, knowing that God didn't open that door.

Here are some pictures of the crib bedding. It's precious, and will be something that hopefully will last several years, not just those first early baby years, since it would still be appropriate for a bigger boy. The main colors are khaki, white, chambray blue, and spring green, with some red, navy, darker green, and brown in the plaid trim.

22 weeks

I had a good checkup today, and was encouraged that things seem to be measuring fine still. I've gained 4-5 pounds this last month, so that is good. As the nurse tried check the heartbeat with the Doppler, our silly boy gave her some swift kicks! She got tickled and said he sure was fiesty. I told her she just didn't know how much! :-) He is probably feeling so obvious and wiggly because he's the second baby and things are just more relaxed and easier to notice, according to Dr. R. I'll go back in a month for the fun glucose test and we'll see if anything with the placenta has changed. Please keep praying about that. Otherwise, we're doing well and looking forward to seeing him again on the next sonogram.

"Wiggle, wiggle... nudge, nudge"

This is what we say a lot around here these days, in reference to our wiggly baby boy, and because of a sweet book that Autumn gave Isaac and Abigail. It's called My Special Something, and is the story of a little girl expecting her baby brother, and how she wonders who is in her mommy's tummy, with all the commotion going on - an alligator? a kangaroo? And as the mama gets bigger, a hippopotamus? I've warned our kids to NOT say that one to me, no matter what it looks like I'm carrying inside me. :-)

We may have a name decided upon, and hopefully can reveal it soon. Abigail has made her vote clear, and is typically trying to control things by already talking to baby E and calling him by her name of choice. It's funny. She keeps telling him how cute she just knows he'll be, and Isaac is asking questions about what he'll like to do and if he'll play with him or not. I love their curiosity and interest. It makes the anticipation even greater.

I'm thankfully feeling much better this week, with a great improvement in the pressure I'd been feeling. Tonight I got a maternity belt and it already feels great, supporting my back as this belly pokes out farther and farther. I'll go next week for a 22 week check-up and am eager to maybe get a little more info on where this placenta is. Please pray it's moving where it's supposed to be!

Halfway There! (maybe)

This week was the 20 week mark. YEA! We're very happy to have gone through this first half of the standard pregnancy length so well. Though I know that nothing is guaranteed, we're praying that this baby boy hangs in there for approximately the same amount of time from this point forward. He is still super wiggly, and at times, I'm pretty uncomfortable, because of his position. At this point with Abigail, I felt her some, but nothing like with our boy. He's noticeable, literally, every hour of the day. I'm assuming that has something to do with the placenta being where it is, and at times feel concerned about the pressure and movement, but so far, think things are going all right. Ow! There was a swift kick to my bladder....

At this point, our little fellow is about 9-10 inches long, about half the length he'll probably be at birth. We also learned these fascinating facts we've been sharing with Isaac and Abigail:

• The baby can hear and recognize his mama's voice. We encourage the big kids to talk to him often so maybe he'll learn their voices too. He may even may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that baby becomes accustomed to during his development stages often are calming after birth.
• The toenails and fingernails are growing.
• The growth of hair (lanugo) on the rest of the body has started.
• The skin is getting thicker.
• His heart can now be heard with a stethoscope. Actually, James can hear it sometimes by just leaning on my belly and listening carefully, depending on the baby's position!
• Immunities are being transferred from me to our baby now. These immune cells will protect him from viruses I've already had for up to six months after birth!
• The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch are now developing in specialized areas of the brain. Production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections.

What a miracle life is, and we're constantly amazed at how we've been blessed with another little life growing inside me. Thank you Lord!

19 weeks

We're so happy to have a busy baby boy! He's wiggling and rolling and doing who knows what else inside me, because even James and the kids can feel him by putting their hands on my "mountain" of a belly (according to Abigail). :-) That comment didn't hurt my feelings, since I have still gained less than 10 pounds, but I agree with her, it is quite noticeable now.

We were happy to meet our new cousin yesterday, baby Emerson. She decided to enter the world pretty early, and is still in the hospital, but is really doing well overall. Seeing her was so exciting, and amazing - such tiny perfection. Isaac and Abigail were really impressed at how cute she was, and how very small. To try to explain to them that Isaac was about half her size when he was born really went over their heads. That is just hard for me to even imagine. He was 3 months old when we met him, and he was still only 4 pounds, 10 oz., so she's over a pound larger than he was...what a miracle life is.

We're still contemplating names, and are settled on an E name, but no specific one for certain yet - for those of you who are anxious to hear. We'll tell you soon hopefully. Someone, not naming anyone in particular, is having a hard time deciding between a few.

Our little boy is the size of a large mango. That makes me giggle for some reason. My uterus, however, is about the size of a cantaloupe. Don't you love these crazy facts? Blame it on email updates from various websites.

18 week appt. and we know what we're having!

We had a fantastic appointment today. It was my big sonogram, and my parents and brother, as well as James and the kids, were all able to be there. First, I went back alone and the tech checked all the baby's measurements and we chatted while she did those. I explained how James was more nervous this time, unlike with Abigail, since he is working in the NICU and sees so many things that can happen with babies, and can be so difficult. She said she understood he must feel like he sees too much heartache! I asked her to please give him as much detail as possible. She was happy to agree, and encourage him. She said throughout the sonogram that things looked great, and was more reassuring than with Abigail's sonogram, when she said nothing for a long 10-15 minutes! She asked if we wanted to know the sex, and I said we did, and we were thinking it was a boy, though we sure weren't picky.

Though everything looked great with the baby, we did have one concern. There is a reason I keep saying I have felt this baby so strongly, so early, compared to Abigail. My placenta is posterior right now, meaning it's under the baby, and sitting directly on my cervix. We are praying it will move as the uterus grows and shift on up, so there is no problem with delivery. However, if closer to the due date, it hasn't moved, I'll have to have a c-section at 36 weeks, since we cannot risk going into labor and the placenta delivering first. She said there was still time for it to move, especially with the baby still being small and that it's nothing to worry about.

Our little one weighed 10 oz. and has a foot about 3 cm long. Though still measuring a week ahead, at this point, we will not change the due date since that isn't a significant issue right now. She quickly finished all her measuring, thankfully, since my bladder was so full! She brought the family in, and quickly got to the point. She said, "O.k., I'm going to show you what we're looking at, and what the baby is right here." The big flat screen really made it even clearer to see details and it was precious seeing a glimpse of that sweet face. She pointed out a shin, a little bottom, and then there, as clear as can be, the distinctive anatomy I'd seen right when she started speaking. We all cheered and were so happy. Abigail just giggled and giggled. Isaac said, " I knew it!" As I've thought all along, our third little one is a boy!! We're so thrilled and feel extremely blessed. He's just beautiful!!

Our sweet boy cooperated the entire time, and the tech went to great lengths to point out brain ventricles, heart chambers, a perfectly formed diaphragm, limbs, intestines, organs in the right place, facial features, etc. Each detail had significance to my sweet husband, who has seen babies with complications in all those areas, and it was really a blessing that she was so eager to clearly show us so many tiny parts. We saw him keep putting his hand to his mouth, almost sucking a thumb, or blowing a kiss, as my Mom said, and other endearing moments that made the kids just squeal at how real it all was. What a special time to share with them!

We got a DVD of the whole thing, plus numerous pictures, then I had a quick appointment with the doctor. Dr. A. was encouraging as well, saying that we are not too concerned at this point about the placenta, and that hopefully, we will see a change at the next ultrasound. He said it can be serious, but isn't yet - there's just plenty of time. I'm just thankful we have technology to be aware of the situation, so we're not surprised later on, in a dangerous way.

We celebrated with a delicious lunch with the whole family at Diane's restaurant and she was excited we'd chosen her restaurant for our special occasion. I even received beautiful roses from her, as a spur of the moment gift! She treated Isaac and Abigail to a kitchen tour, and I, of course, had to tag along to see everything. It was so great to see how efficiently it runs. I have to admit, I didn't miss the cake baking and icing making at all when I saw tons of freshly baked layers cooling on racks, and the huge mixing bowl of icing. :-)

Afterwards, we visited with James' parents, and were able to share our DVD with Pop and Granny and show them our little boy. They were so tickled to see him, since Granny had not been well and wasn't up to a trip to the doctor's office. Yet another example of why we're thankful for today's technology! After visits to see James' sister at work and another to a dear friend's to show off our pictures, we finally made it home this evening. We're all worn out, but in a good way. It was an emotional, happy day for us. Praise God for His amazing blessing!

17 weeks and...

I have poison oak. Yuck. That great day of yard work somehow exposed me to the evils of that highly contagious (to me) vegetation. There has been a little more break out today all down one arm, but the main affected area is my face - it's on my forehead, left cheek, along my jawline, and around my right eye. Yesterday was the hardest day, with my eye nearly swollen shut, and the itchiness was extreme. Thankfully, James found some great Poison Ivy Wash on the recommendation of a pharmacist that has helped alleviate the symptoms. Today I'm itchy, but not feeling like I'll go crazy, like I was yesterday. This sensitivity developed after I had Abigail, and now I am highly susceptible to getting a good case if I'm anywhere around the stuff. I don't know when I was, but it's somewhere in our yard I guess.

Besides the skin affliction, I'm feeling very good. I'm noticing our little onion-sized baby move often, daily, and can hardly believe I'm feeling him/her this soon. It's very exciting and causes us to anticipate even more seeing our little one next week at the "big" ultrasound. A friend suggested I just show her the pictures, and let her see if she can tell whether the baby is a boy or girl, so I may post the pictures first, and see if ya'll can figure it out, before I reveal the answer!

16 week newsflash

I'm 90% sure I've been feeling a "quickening" this week, on several different occasions. It's so amazing to feel this tiny little person wiggling around in me, fluttering here and there. When I got our doppler out last night, I put the probe on my belly before I even turned it on. When I hit the power button, immediately, we could hear that fast little chugging sound! James spun around with his eyes wide, and said, "How did you know right where to put it?! You have never found it that quickly!" I said I knew right where the baby was, because I had felt him or her moving right there off and on during the day. What a blessing!

15 weeks

Our little baby is now the size of an orange! I'm feeling well, and am anxiously awaiting the day I feel him or her move. Hopefully it won't be long.

Several folks have asked if we have names picked out, and though we've tossed a lot around, we're not settled on anything really. I think it's just too hard to go there till we know if we're looking at naming a he or she! We do know it'll begin with a vowel, since for some reason, that's our theme...Isaac, Abigail... Feel free to throw any suggestions into the hat!

14 week appointment

Today I had a check-up with Dr. McKenzie. The nurse found the heartbeat right away and it was loud and wonderfully strong-sounding. Dr. McKenzie was happy all my labs from last time came back great - no anemia, protein, or other abnormality. I've gained 2 pounds during the first trimester, and he felt everything looked and seemed perfect. He could feel my uterus "pooching" in my abdomen, and said I'd probably be feeling the baby moving soon. We have an appointment set up for August 7 to find out what this baby is, so are super excited about that. Just four more weeks of wondering!

One third of the way down, 6 months to go!

Yippee!! I'm entering my second trimester this week! What a nice thing to be able to say.

I guess after some losses among our family and friends the past few weeks, I'm feeling a little introspective. Not melancholy really, just still pondering the whole 'His ways are not ours' thing. We are continually so thankful that God has blessed us with this pregnancy, and that we've made it this far. I have too many dear friends who have lost babies, and the shock and pain they've experienced just overwhelm me to even think about. We haven't taken a day of this pregnancy for granted, and I have tried hard to say how grateful I am, even on days I haven't felt so great physically. Emotionally, I am constantly amazed at how our request has been answered, yet others who I love and pray for so much, are still longing for a baby of their own. It's another example of His blessing us beyond our understanding, and not necessarily having anything to do with what we deserve.

Just this past week, my cousin's sweet wife who is expecting their first baby this fall, was in a car accident. It could've been one of those horrible, rolled vehicle stories you read about in the newspaper the next day, but this one had a happy ending. Though very scary and dramatic, after a day of being in the hospital, both Julie and baby Emerson are all right. We prayed a whole lot during that 24 hours, I promise you. We're more thankful than we can say that God chose to answer our prayers by preserving their lives and health.

Just peachy - week 13!!!

Yea - the last week of the first trimester. I'm so excited and amazed at how quickly these first few months have gone by. Except for when it was dragging by because I was so green around the gills and wanted to never see or smell or look at food again. Other than that, it's flown by.

Our little baby is the size of a peach now, another food to add to Abi's list to remember. My email update said today that the faintness and dizzy spells I've had since this weekend are to be expected, which is encouraging since I thought I was going bonkers. Apparently as the uterus is moving upwards and expanding into my abdomen, this is a common phenomenon. I don't remember it happening with Abigail, but that doesn't mean it didn't necessarily.

Hope you all have a wonderful 4th! Happy Birthday America!

Development at 12 weeks

I love these updates I subscribe to that keep me posted on what is happening with our "kiwi-sized" little one. Abigail loves to go through the foods our baby's resembled at different points - first a grain of rice, then a small bean, then an olive, then an egg, and now a kiwi. :-) This week it said:

Your baby's skin is sensitive and will respond to stimulation or touch. If you could touch its face, it will open its mouth, in what is known as the rooting reflex. The newly formed muscles are still weak. The gall bladder, pancreas, and thyroid are nearly complete.

Isn't that awesome?! I just love it.

12 weeks!

And hormones are a-ragin'! :-( Actually, I've been feeling great emotionally, then today was just a hard one. Not sure if it can all be blamed on pregnancy or not, but talking it out to my sweet Mom and a couple of friends helped. Crying over everything, and feeling like a worthless parent and friend were the main issues today. It's almost humorous, except at the moment it's happening, it's pretty discouraging. I'm happy that so far this pregnancy has been moving along pretty swiftly, and has been routine in most ways. I'm focusing on being thankful for the ups AND downs!

Maybe we've turned a corner...

News Flash - I haven't been sick since last Thursday. Then, last night, I only awoke once to go to the restroom, and didn't even need a snack. AND, today I didn't even take a nap. I'm praying that all this points to the fact that maybe the hardest part of the all-day sickness and fatigue are over. YEA! I'm so thankful.

What to Expect - 11 weeks

I just think it's amazing how rapidly our tiny baby is growing, and here are details. We're so thankful that we've been able to find the heartbeat nightly since last week, at home. The kids just love hearing it, and Abigail gets down to my belly and says, "Hey! It's Abigail. I'm your big sister!"

Week 11: The Budding Acrobat Takes on Yoga
Slightly more than two inches long now and weighing about a third of an ounce, your fetus is growing by leaps and bounds. And so is his or her head, which is equal in length to the rest of the body (don't worry — all fetuses are top-heavy).

On the crown of that large head (and over the rest of the body), hair follicles are forming. Fingernail and toenail beds begin to develop this week and by next week, the nails themselves will start to grow (so don't forget to add a baby nail clipper to your to-buy list).

Your baby's body is straightening and his or her torso is lengthening (sounds like a yoga pose, doesn't it?). Other poses your baby can assume now: stretches, somersaults, and forward rolls. And while you can't tell this baby's gender by its cover yet, testes are developing if it's a boy and ovaries if it's a girl.

Beautiful Baby

If you look closely, you can see features of our sweet baby's face - even nose, mouth, ears and eyes. The arms and legs were very visible on the video, but harder to distinguish here. You can click on the photo for a closer look. We praise God for this little blessing!

10 week update

Finally! After days of feeling particularly yucky, I've returned to the land of the living today! Tuesday James and I went for my 10 week check up. We were so thrilled to hear our little one's heartbeat, which is a precious "chugga chugga" sound! Dr. McK felt like things are going really well. He again told us how thrilled he is, and how meaningful it is to see us reach this point, after journeying with us for years to get here. He mentioned how Scripture says God delights in blessing His children, and that it's even sweeter to hear the beating heart of this baby after longing for him/her for so long.

Because of some spotting I've had for a week, he wanted to rule out any hematoma or other problem, so we were able to see the baby again, this time on the big plasma sonogram screen! That tiny baby was wiggling arms and legs everywhere. It was thrilling to see how active he/she is, and how much detail in growth has happened in just a few weeks. There were no problems seen at all, and the tech said our baby was just beautiful! Of course, since he/she's only the size of an olive, it's hard to see much detail, but we still agreed! It was also interesting that the baby measured 11 weeks, 2 days, which is a week farther along than I am. So, we'll see if that changes or hold steady.

Last night we were able to hear the heartbeat ourselves, with the doppler James bought off of eBay. Tonight we found it again (after lots of trying) and Isaac and Abigail heard it, as well as grandparents via telephone! :-) Yea for technology!

9 weeks today!

This was taken from "What to Expect" today. Fun info!!

Would you believe your baby is having his or her first graduation already? Yes, it's true: Your scholar-to-be has ended his or her embryonic stage and is entering the fetal period now (good-bye embryo, hello fetus). Your fetus is now about one inch long, the size of a medium green olive (but no martinis, please). The head has straightened out and is more fully developed, the ears are much more prominent, and some new organs (the liver, spleen, and gallbladder) are forming. Your fetus is also making spontaneous movements of his or her arms and legs now that minuscule muscles are beginning to develop, though you won't feel your tiny dancer for at least another two months.

A Beautiful Sight

Today was our first visit with Dr. M, and of course, as soon as he walked in the room, smiling, and shaking his head, I burst into tears. It was just a precious moment that we never thought would come. He was so genuinely happy and said it was an understatement to say he was just thrilled for us when he started seeing results for my bloodwork come to his desk. I'm officially 6 weeks, 6 days, due on January 8, 2008. Nice, even numbers for my Mom. :-) It was a good visit, with a bonus! I wasn't sure we'd have an ultrasound, but he did do one, and it was amazing to see that tiny little "grain of rice" with his or her heart beating so strongly! Here's our little one's first photograph! Please pray for this tiny baby as it grows, that it will be strong and healthy.

A Little Background, Part 2

The struggle to become pregnant the 2nd time really caught me off guard. Soon after Abigail was born, people asked, "Well, do you want another one?" I usually answered, "Maybe." We really did want more children, but weren't sure if we would since James was in nursing school while Abigail was tiny, and it was such a hard few years that babies were way down on our list of priorities. We were just trying to emotionally and financially survive. Plus, if there would be any kind of difficulty like before, I knew I just couldn't arrange for 2 children to be taken care of while I spent countless days at the fertility clinic, trying to have another baby. I just knew I personally couldn't do it and felt it would be neglectful of the babies I had been given.

Part of my hesitation too, was that I was increasingly concerned about Isaac's education, and wasn't totally satisfied with the public school system he was in. Though his teachers themselves had been awesome in the preschool program he'd been in, kindergarten was a hard year. We loved his teacher, but really felt he was lost in the class. With many kids of varied abilities, and not enough attention for each one, I just knew that God was calling me to consider our options. I had said for years I didn't think I could homeschool, because I wasn't qualified to teach a child that may have learning delays, and even though I'd been a teacher, I just couldn't do better than the teachers in public school. This concern added to my hesitation to even consider having another baby. I thought if I'd end up spending lots of extra time working with Isaac after school all the time, it just wouldn't make sense to spread my attention thinner by having more children. The only logical option, to give him the attention he needed, was to homeschool. But, I had no confidence I could do it, until a friend finally said, "Since God gave you Isaac, he must think you're qualified to be his mom. Who knows him better than his mom?!" I just sat there stunned, realizing she was right. I felt convicted and excited too. James had been encouraging me, saying the same thing really, but when Mindy spoke it, I just knew it was the right thing.

So, before we even started homeschooling, I had a really clear peace from God that He would give us another baby. It wasn't necessarily a dream, but almost like He spoke out loud to me one day, that I was being obedient and because of that, my hopes for another baby would be realized. It was just a sweet, peaceful time. I wasn't anxious, but just comforted, and looked forward to that happening.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen quickly. After Abigail, I guess I thought I was cured from infertility. However, there were more problems with the dreaded e. word, and I had surgery in December of 2005 to remove more endometriosis and a uterine polyp. By May 2006, after a year with no success, we began Clomid again. This time, I set the parameters, and chose not to go back to the ART clinic, but just let Dr. McKenzie advise us. I knew we wouldn't do anything drastic, nor did we desire a long effort at getting pregnant on multiple medications. Dr. McKenzie recommended a 6 month period of Clomid, at the lowest dose, to just regulate my cycles and hopefully optimize the chances that more eggs would be released, and so that's what we did. We had to take a break in the middle of it, because of another polyp that returned and because of large cysts one month. By December, I was very disappointed, but knew that we were done. I had no peace whatsoever that we were to continue any further treatment, and though James supported me either way, Dr. McKenzie was in agreement that we'd done all we needed to for the time being. At the end of that time, a follow-up ultrasound showed that tissue was forming where the left ovary had been removed 10 years early. That wasn't a huge cause for concern, but also confirmed to me we needed to just leave things alone. Dr. M. said he'd see me back in August, unless I came in sooner pregnant. He was so compassionate and sensitive throughout that time, and knew our desire hadn't lessened at all and prayed with us numerous times.

After a few more months of hoping that maybe we'd finally achieve a pregnancy, I really hit bottom emotionally in April. I think knowing that May was around the corner, and it would be 2 years since we'd started trying this time, really just haunted me. I also felt like somehow I'd just missed God's plan. I'd been so confident that He'd spoken to me about this other baby that wasn't appearing, and it just hurt and shamed me, really. Finally, I broke down one night and told James I finally accepted that I must've been wrong, and that it was going to be o.k. I longed for a baby so deeply, and it hurt terribly, every single day, but that I needed to just move on. I had 2 children to be thankful for, both miracles in themselves, and I just needed to remember that. He was very kind and loving, and hurt with me. I think the toll on the spouse is a significant one when a couple struggles like this, and many people really don't realize how much they have to share the burden and endure during hormonal and trying times! Anyway, there was a huge relief in saying that and I even shared with a few friends who had been praying for us, how I'd realized this and God was comforting me despite my disappointment. It was a freeing thing, really.

Of course, this was LAST April. As in, one month ago - the month I got pregnant. Is God totally amazing or what?! Several people have said, attempting to be encouraging, that I finally just relaxed. Or, that I surrendered my plan, and God blessed me for it. I don't know if it's either of those, or both, but think mainly it was just finally God's perfect timing. I am not going to analyze it too much, since it doesn't matter. I am just incredibly thankful and awestruck at His goodness.