Appt update

So I had my big long appointment on Wednesday, and a lot happened so I figured I'd better document it, just in case at some point in the future I want to remember. It started out with all the usual stuff, and amazingly I didn't gain any weight since my last appt, probably because of this heartburn and indigestion I don't feel like eating very much, but anyways it was a pleasant surprise (not that I am trying to not gain weight, I am not crazy and I know that is just part of pregnancy, but I figure the least unnecessary weight I gain the better). After all that I drank the glucose drink for the glucose tolerance test, which wasn't too horrible, I chose the fruit punch flavor and it just tasted like really sweet hawaiian punch. Then I had to wait an hour before having that test taken, so I had blood work done for the two antibody screens I was having. The first is because I am Rh negative so they have to test to make sure I hadn't developed any antibodies from that, and also as a precaution I was tested for exposure/immunity to fifths disease because there were 3 kids in our church who had it. I got good results from both those tests, I hadn't developed any Rh antibodies, and I will get a shot on Monday that will ensure I don't develop any the rest of the pregnancy; and the fifths disease results showed that I have had previous exposure to the disease and that I have immunity to it now.
After all the blood work I went back to hear the heartbeat and see the doctor. Lil Emmory was moving around like usual I could hear all the movements on the doppler thingee, and his heart was pumping away in the 150's. I honestly think I could sit there for hours just listening to that lil beat. Anways the visit with the doctor went really well, I measured right at 28 weeks, and he said my weight, blood pressure, and urine were all great. I also got to talk to him about my heartburn problem and he had me take prilosec and told me if that didn't work we would try some other prescriptions, which was such a relief to me to know that there was more I could do. I am so thankful to report that the prilosec has really made a difference, it has completely taken away the acid and ball of fire coming up my throat feeling that I would frequently experience. It hasn't changed the feeling of food being stuck in my throat and wanting to come back up rather than go down where it is supposed to, but this is probably more of a digestive issue that no acid reducer pill is going to fix, so I will continue to take the prilosec and talk to the doc about that issue at my next appt. So, back to the appt, after seeing the doc I went back out to wait until it was time to take the glucose test, which didn't end up being too long. This test is taken to test for gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that some women develop when they are pregnant and they really don't know why. If you fail the 1 hr. test in the dr's office then you are sent to a lab for an extensive three hour test, and if you fail the 3 hr test then you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Well I failed the 1 hr test, the levels in my blood were over 140, so I have to go to a lab on Wednesday morning for 3 hrs of blood work and no eating or drinking...I can't eat or drink anything after midnight on Tues. Upon initially finding out that I failed the test I was pretty upset about it, I definitely made a much bigger deal about it than it needed to be. Sure it isn't going to be any fun to have to fast for so long, I don't know why you would give a pregnant woman any kind of test where she can't eat for an extended amount of time, but I have so much to be thankful for, I got good reports on everything else, the baby is doing great and I am doing great, and even if I have gestational diabetes I'll just have to be on a special diet and exercise program, it really isn't a major complication or anything like that. So after my initial "freak out", with the help of my husband I realized that I need to not dwell on having to take this 3 hr test, but rather "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Bye-bye 2nd trimester

So today I officially (or maybe more likely unofficially) begin the 3rd trimester. Wow! In one sense I feel like I've been pregnant forever, the first 15 weeks especially went by very slow, but at the same time I can't believe there are only 3 months left before we meet our boy! I have to be honest and say that I am kind of sad about the 2nd trimester being over...I am a BIG fan of the 2nd trimester. It's funny because I couldn't wait to see the end of the first trimester, and I know I won't be able to wait to see the end of the 3rd, but the 2nd for some reason I am all sentimental about. Besides the heartburn and indigestion and some of the pain I had, the 2nd trimester has been great...the sickness went away, the energy level went way up, and I wasn't so huge that I wasn't comfortable or anything like that. I also think just the realization that my time with my boy inside of me is drawing to a close makes me just a tad bit sad...don't get me wrong I would much rather have him outside than inside, and I can't wait until I get to see him face to face, but it is definitely a special time having him growing inside me.
I also must be honest about the fact that I am not really looking forward to the 3rd trimester. I can already feel my energy level going down, down, down, and I know the discomfort is going to go up, up, up. But I know it is such a small thing to endure for what I'm going to get in three months, and completely worth it. So crazy cravings, swollen ankles, and insane nesting here I come!

Letter to Obama girls

I usually watch the Today show each morning as I eat my breakfast, I only get to catch the beginning before I have to leave for work, and they almost always start out with politics which isn't usually my favorite subject, but I watch it anyways to try and stay informed and because really there is nothing else on anyways. However when I watched one morning this past week they played something that really caught my interest, a recording of the Bush girls, Jenna and Barbara, reading a letter to the Obama girls, with their advice and reflection from their time in the White House. I was really moved by the letter, it brought tears to my eyes (which doesn't take much nowadays) and I just thought it was such a precious letter and a thoughtful gesture by the Bush girls. It also really reminded me that we need to be praying for the entire Obama family, and especially those girls as they encounter such a HUGE transition at such a young age. Here is the video in case you are interested in hearing what they had to say. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28809961#28809961

Pray for Uncle Dave

My uncle has lung cancer, he found out this past summer, 2008. Since then he has undergone surgery where his entire right lung was removed, and after recovering from that has just finished chemo treatment. He will begin radiation as the next step probably in February. He recently had a CT scan of the lung area after he finished the chemo, and they found a thickening on the right side where the lung was removed. The doctors think it is probably ok, most likely scar tissue, but he is having a PET scan today that will make it clear one way or the other. I ask that as you read this you say a prayer for my uncle and his family, obviously this has been a huge trial for all of them, but their response to this has been an incredible testimony and encouragement to myself and I know everybody else around them. This is an excerpt from Dave's caringbridge journal, right after they found out about the thickening on the right side, and it exemplifies their incredible faith in God during this time, as well as what they have asked prayer for. "We will choose to Praise Him. Right Now for both of us, this is not easy news, as we wanted a totally Clean report. Yet, we Know that God Holds us in His Hands. Please pray for that wisdom, that spiritual maturity for us, and for each one of you. We pray that in All of our lives that God is Glorified!"
I just cherish this family so much, Uncle Dave and Aunt Virginia have always been very special to me, my cousin Ben and I are less than a year apart and we have always been close, and growing up I was over at their house a lot, and Dave would often take us to Mariner games and fun things like that....so many fun memories. I was able to see them when I was in Seattle for Christmas, and am so thankful for that.
Please pray that the PET scan will reveal that the thickening is scar tissue, and ultimately that no matter what the outcome that they would experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, and that the God of all comfort would be their comfort, as they trust Him with their lives.

Thankful

Just having a moment while I sit here at the computer, feeling my little sweet pea move around, realizing how incredibly blessed I am to have this precious gift from God. I am so thankful for this miracle growing inside me, although it is so hard for me to truly fathom the reality that there really is a living human being in there. Experiencing this makes me wonder, how do people who experience this same thing not believe in a Creator? The creation of a new life is truly a miracle, how can this come about any other way than what the psalmist says,

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them." Psalm 139:14-16

I am so thankful that I know the Creator of life, so thankful that I can put my trust and hope in Him. I am often overwhelmed by emotions, it is incredible to me the emotional attatchment of a mother to her child, I remember being surprised by that when I had the miscarriage, and as I sit here now I am acutely aware of it. My feelings for my boy are so strong, yet I haven't even met him yet. I know that when he is brought into this world, I will experience a whole new side to it, and I know the love I have for him will be so strong that it will be so hard to battle the fear and anxiety for his health and well-being, and ultimately his soul. Yet I am comforted by God's Word, which describes how intimately God knows my boy, and says that his days are already formed, God already knows exactly what is going to happen with his life. I don't have to worry because it is in the hands of the Creator of the universe.

Thank you God for this blessing, please help me to honor you and trust you with each day of his life, whatever your plan for him may be.

25 weeks

I am trying to get pics up of the baby shower I had in Seattle and other pics from the trip, but won't be able to get them up until my hubby can help me because I am having trouble doing it for some reason, so in the meantime, here is an update on what's been going on with the baby and pregnancy. I am 25 weeks as of yesterday, it is hard to believe that in just three short weeks I'll be in my third trimester...scary and exciting at the same time! This week baby S is 9 inches in length and weighs more than 1 1/2 pounds. The most major thing that is forming right now are air sacs lined with capillaries are developing in his lungs. His nostrils are also opening up this week enabling him to take practice breaths, and his vocal cords are functioning which lead to occasional hiccups...which I haven't felt yet. I had an appointment yesterday which was very routine, did the usual weight, blood pressure, pee in a cup thing, heard the heartbeat which is always amazing every single time, and saw the doc for a few minutes, he said everything looked great. My next appointment will be very busy and long...that is when I take the test for gestational diabetes. I'll drink the special drink and wait for an hour and then be tested to see if I have developed that, and I also have to have blood drawn because I am Rh negative so they have to check and see if I have developed any antibodies, and then when I get the results from the blood work back if they are negative I will get a shot to prevent any from developing the rest of the pregnancy. I've already had one shot for this after the miscarriage and I must say it is quite unpleasant (especially because of where they give you the shot) but totally worth it to protect my baby of course. If antibodies were to build up they would begin to attack the baby.
So all of that excitement will take place in three weeks.
I have been feeling pretty good since recovering from being sick and from the flights back from Seattle to Greenville (wont go into detail but the combination of pregnancy horomones and flying were not good). Really the biggest pregnancy discomfort I'm experiencing is the heartburn, it has started to affect my sleep, on more than one occasion I have fallen asleep and then woke up because my food is coming back up my throat and into my mouth (yes I know disgusting) and I have to sleep most of the night sitting up as much as I can. This kind of scares me because I had always heard that at the end is when the heartburn really gets bad, so I can't even imagine where I will be then! Also, I have been finding it more and more uncomfortable to bend over...and am going to stick to slip on shoes only from now on because it takes way too much effort to tie my shoes!
I am feeling the baby move even more frequently now, and I can tell he is getting bigger and stronger because those movements are much more intense than they used to be! It is still by far my favorite thing about pregnancy, even though it is not always comfortable. It is visible from the outside too, one morning Mark and I were laying in bed, and I hadn't even mentioned to him that the baby was moving it was so obvious he noticed my stomach moving on his own! It seems that recently he has been kicking and then rolling, because I will feel a sudden jerk and then a rolling movement like an earthquake in my stomach. It is the coolest thing and I love that it is something that Mark can enjoy and participate in too, since most of the things about the pregnancy only I get to experience.
Well that is what has been going on recently, hopefully I'll get those pics up soon!