26 Weks!

Today marks 26 weeks...only 14 more to go!

Today also marks the best news we have had in a while with this pregnancy! We had both our regular 6 month appointment and another appointment with the specialist this morning. We were supposed to hit the regular appointment and then head over to the hospital for the specialist, but my doc had an emergency and had to reschedule for later today...hence me not starting this until nearly 4pm on Wednesday! We had a wonderful, leisurely breakfast at a diner downtown and then headed over to see the specialist. The ultrasound showed that the baby is still growing well and is still right on target for her size measurements. And best of all it showed that the fluids increased again! We increased by 2 centimeters this time, not as much as I was hoping for, but still a good increase. The technician says the normal range is between 8cm and 20cm, but the doc says normal is 15. On one and a half months of bed rest we have increased from 6.2 to 11.5 and that was enough encouragement for the doc to say that we don't need to keep coming in every two weeks. He thinks the progress is indicative of a positive future and now we only have to go to the specialist once a month!!! This guy also gave me permission to do some exercises to stretch (yoga exercises) out so I won't be as sore and even gave me permission to drive myself to the pool so that I can do a full immersion soak 2-3 times a week (basically just keeping the bulging belly underwater because the tub isn't nearly deep enough to cover this thing!). I cannot tell you how excited I am to be able to get out of the house a for a couple of hours a week! Whoo hooo!!!

After that appointment we headed over to my office to pick up my personal belongings. I'm pretty much over my frustration on how my office manager called up last week basically telling me I was terminated, without using the words fired, or termination. However, I do have a problem with the way the whole thing was handled on their end and I cannot begin to tell you just how livid Ty has been over this. So we picked up my stuff and and headed for our second appointment.

It was actually better seeing my regular doc after having seen the specialist. Good news is better to have before you get not so good news. My OB wants to continue seeing me every 2 weeks so he can do non-stress tests on the baby. Basically what this amounts to is me sitting in his office for a 1/2 hour every two weeks with a fetal monitor strapped to my belly. He wants to get info on what the baby is doing and how much she is moving. I still don't feel a whole lot of movement with her, and a lot of the time I am not sure if it is her moving or gas bubbles in my intestines. I think what I feel is her, but he is worried that the smaller amounts of fluid may make it harder for her to pull a good enough punch to feel it on the outside and he just wants to make sure that she is moving. It's all just precautionary and I don't feel that there is a thing wrong with her. I am bummed that I have to go down there every 2 weeks still, but I will do whatever is required. Everything I had concerns about the two docs dismissed as normal and said not to worry. They said I should be expecting to get more tired, more easily, and to expect other changes, physical as well as emotional. So I will keep up the bed rest, but add in some yoga and some pool time and maybe just a little cleaning around the house (if I can get away with it).

So that is the Indian Hills News for now. I am off to find a maternity bathing suit so I can get to the pool as soon as possible!! Oh, and thanks to everyone who comments on the blog. I read them all and I do appreciate hearing from you all!!

Week 24

Last week we had our 24 week appointment with the specialist. She was shocked to find that baby is growing well and is on target for her June 1 due date as well as showing an increase in fluids. We went from a paltry 6.2cm of fluid just two weeks before to 9.2cm this visit!!! A 50% increase in fluids!! This is great news and if we can continue to have this sort of increase we should be at the normal and acceptable level within one month!

So my goal for now is to keep following the doc's advice and hopefully continue to see improvement. I am still going to have to see the doctor every two weeks at this point, but if we continue with improvement perhaps I won't have to increase those visits and admittance to the hospital will be out of the doctor's vocabulary until May/June!

To top the day off, we got word that I may be able to put together a show with the photos I took of the wolves in December. The place who makes our prints said that they really like the shots we sent to them to try a new mounting process. Apparently the previous work they had of mine was a huge hit at their "First Friday" opening of their new location. My work wasn't on display, it was in their processing room which happened to be open to the public for their opening and people were commenting. This interest generated enough intrigue that they started talking to Ty about having me do a display in their studio. Can you believe it? I cannot!!! Who would have thought that a gallery in one of Denver's hottest areas, The Golden Triangle, would want to hang my work?! I think it would be amazing to have my work in a real gallery and not just hanging in a restaurant showing. WHAT A DAY!!

We are starting to play around with other middle names for Lucanne. While we originally envisioned a female derivation of Christopher, we are starting to think that we need to find some derivation of "miracle" for her middle name. Any suggestions will be appreciated!

Later in the week though I got a call from my office basically saying that they had to terminate me because I wouldn't be able to return to work due to the pregnancy complications. This wasn't entirely unexpected, I cannot expect to keep a job I cannot make it to, however the timing and delivery wasn't the kindest. I cannot blame them for needing to find someone who can do what I do and I feel sorry that the person won't have the benefit of me training them. I wasn't well trained and had to learn most of the tricks of the trade on my own. I had always intended that when I went on maternity leave I would be able to train my replacement so she wouldn't have to struggle like I did. The office manager said she missed me both as a friend and as an employee and that did take some of the sting out of blow. I do feel more free now and don't stress about who is doing what at my desk. ;~)

So that is Week 24 in a nutshell. We hope you are all well and look forward to updating you all again next week when we make it in for our Week 26 appointment. Love to all!

Nearly 22 weeks and another sonogram

Tomorrow marks week 22. 18 weeks left!

Yesterday we trekked into town for our follow-up with the specialist at the hospital. Basically the word was "no change" and continued bed rest for mom. By no change, she meant that the amniotic fluids have not increased. They actually have decreased a bit, but not enough for her to worry any more. She is calling it a stable environment for now, but suggested that Ty and I start considering the worst case scenario she laid out for us. She suggested that we start considering a date in which we agree to do a c-section and put the baby on medical life support until she is ready to come home. My answer to her was 40 weeks. I'm not sure she a) took me seriously, or b) believed my conviction when I assured her that through all our positive support, love, prayers, and my positive thinking and actions this baby will outdo their expectations. I hold to the firm belief that this little girl will be just as strong as her parents and family and she will continue to grow strong and healthy.

I'm pretty sure the doc walked away thinking I was a naive and silly girl for not listening to her warnings. Truth is I know the possibilities of being wrong. I know what to expect of the future if I am wrong and I appreciate her straightforwardness, but I also believe in the power of positive thinking and the strength of all your prayers. I believe in the strength of our families and I believe this child will prevail! In our efforts to try everything in our power to better the chances the docs have given us, we spoke with a spiritual healer over the weekend. She thought that this child's soul was very strong and destined for greatness. She suggested that there was similarities in this child's soul to that of Quan Yin, the Chinese Bodhisattva of Compassion or Goddess of Mercy. While I don't necessarily believe in all this healer's methods and proclamations, I do believe that she was on to something here. I feel that this child is definitely no ordinary being and deserves the faith I have in her proving the doctors wrong!

So keep your positive thoughts and prayers coming and we will keep you updated. We can expect follow up visits every two weeks and I will keep adding to this blog to let you all know what is going on.

Week 21...Or an oh, so long week.

Two weeks ago we had an ultrasound done which revealed a couple of things to us. First the good news...

A brief glimpse told us that the baby was most likely a girl developing well and true to medical standards.

And now for the not so good news...

In the ultrasound a couple of dark spots were seen in the placenta. Ty spotted them before the doctor, or at least said something long before the doctor did. These spots, commonly called placental lakes can be no big deal and are often very common. Despite the baby's apparent good growth the OB still wanted me to see a specialist over at the hospital to make certain they were nothing to worry about. The hospital has better equipment and at least two doctors that specialize in taking excellent pictures of babies. I had already been there once for the screening that determines likelihood of Downs Syndrome.

So last week, at our halfway point of the pregnancy, we went to see the specialist (cue daunting music). The utrasound concluded 100% that the baby is indeed a girl. What great, clear pictures this ultrasound can take!! Not only is it a girl, but she is developing well and is right on target with her "age" in every measurement. "So what about those spots," you ask? Well, the doctor there saw only one placental lake and after several angles and slightly painful prods with the ultrasound wand determined that it is, in fact in the placenta and not something else blocking a portion of the placenta from view. This alone isn't much to write home about. However, this is not the only thing that the doctor found. She also determined that the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby is considered low for this stage in the pregnancy. Still, not too big of a concern on it's own. Finally, she listened to my uterine arteries and discovered a wonderfully strong and healthy sound from the right side, but not such a good sound from the left. Put these three things together and you are looking at a not so encouraging picture anymore. Despite the baby meeting her targeted growth there is some concern that the lack of maternal blood through the artery may be causing the placenta to potentially not function properly, therefore causing the decrease in amniotic fluid. What does this all mean?

Well, for starters it could mean that the baby is not getting enough amniotic fluid surrounding it which could cramp her style a bit. This could lead to clubbed or webbed feet. It could mean not enough cushioning and floating room. On the more dire side, it could mean that the lack of fluids available for her to swallow could impede her lung cell growth. And most dire of all is that without the appropriate fluids, will the baby be able to survive until the safety zone of 28-32 weeks when she can be prematurely c-sectioned? Are there any real answers in medicine? No, of course not, there are no definites in this fine art of practice we heavily rely upon that we call medical care.

So the specialist's answer to all my questions and concerns is "BED REST". My personal doctor put me on bed rest and a baby aspirin a day to thin my blood to help get better blood flow. He has also okayed an increase in Iron and Magnesium supplements (suggestions from Ty and a friend who did some medical research on what hospitals and doctors do for preeclampsia). I've had many people ask to what extent is this bed rest. Well, it isn't total confinement. I can still fix my own meals and take baths or showers, but no exercise, no house work and NO work. I don't even have to be in a supine or laying position (thank heavens or my second cold of January would probably suffocate me!), which means I can sit on the couch and knit, or sit at the table and scrapbook or make cards...maybe I will actually get a head start on all of my card needs for 2008! Drivng is limited to necessity (meaning only to the doctors appointments), but I can still get out of the house as long as I am mostly off my feet, no running errands. I'm to avoid stairs as much as possible as well.

So I sit here, take my vitamins and aspirin, drink mounds of water and await the next appointment (1/28/08) in hopes of better news. Meanwhile, both Ty and I will continue to accept the mountains prayers, well wishing, and positive thoughts and generous offers for companionship, help, shopping trips, etc. from family and the friends we have made within the fire department as well as all our other friends. We'll keep up the positive thoughts and do uttmost our best to bring forth a very desired and anticipated little beauty into this world and hopefully on her own schedule!

Merry Christmas

Well, its two days after Christmas and "The BIG Announcement" to my family. Mom seemed genuinely surprised, which is absolutely what I was going for. All seems to be going well, with one little exception...I really hate not being able to do things that I was able to do just a few short months ago. Sleep seems almost impossible. I cannot seem to get comfortable no matter what I try. The belly is starting to bulge out now, not that anyone can see yet, but it is definitely taking on the shape of a pregnant belly.

We had our Down's Syndrome test a few weeks back and the results were excellent. Despite being in the "at risk" age group, I slid right into the normal range for the chances of Down's or its next of kin which they also tested. Every ultrasound we have take has shown good progress in the growth and health of Little Lucan(ne). We are very much looking forward to finding out whether it will be a boy or a girl and will hopefully know on January 3. It's a little early (only 18 weeks), but we are still hopeful that we will be able to tell. Just as soon as we find out we will let everyone know.

Now that the cat is out of the bag I feel that I can finally share some of my plans for the baby's room. The "green room" that was originally the nursery for the previous owners will be painted/stenciled with a magical/fairytale/camelot/celtic theme, regardless of the sex of the baby. I have the stencils already for the castle walls, Sugar Plum Dragon Head, a Unicorn Head, suits of Armor and gargoyles. Once I get the skim coating done on the walls I will be able to start stenciling and then I can see if I need to add anything else. I'm very excited to get started!! If only someone could get this snow to stop so I can open the windows up to do the skim coating! :)

That's all for now. More after the doc's appointment next week!

Nothing is easy...

Today has already been a really hard day for me. But in spite of it all, this unborn child is already such a gift that just the promise of its arrival helps me move on. I am very blessed.

A couple of weeks ago, Karna was told she could go off the prometrium. The result has been fantastic, she has been doing great, with the notable exception of yesterday and the day and night before it. From Tuesday afternoon until this morning, she's had a hard time keeping anything down. She's a bit shaky today, but I think it has passed. I don't think was the baby, I think it was the Colorado River Trout she had for dinner Monday night, but I could be wrong. Other than that, and her beginning to feel the pangs of growth and stretching, she's doing great!

I will try to do better with this little column, I hope to hear from you all soon. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

With much Love,
Ty

Dodging a Bullet - Because I'm an Idiot

Let me preface this post with some advice to all - DON'T use the Internet as THE source for ANYTHING!!

So last week I was watching the creepy spinning fetus to the right here and I clicked on the little thing to see what was going on with it. It is a very cool website, it will tell you what is growing this week and what Mom is going through and what Dad has to deal with. I like it a lot. But last week there was a red bubble about miscarriage (queue the Dragnet music).

It said, "The signs of the beginnings of a miscarriage are loss of blood, cramps in your abdomen and pain in your lower back."

So over the weekend I heard Karna say that her back was hurting. On Sunday she was having some pretty bad cramps. My idiot brain says "OH S#!T, 2 out of 3!!!" and without mentioning it to Karna, I have been thinking she's on the edge of a miscarriage and I was STRESSED about it all week.

So we went to her 10 week appointment today and I am praying for the heartbeat so I can breathe again. The Doc started with the sound only ultrasound device - it's for hearing the heartbeat - nothing - now I am really panicking. Karna noticed the look on my face and asked me what was going on, but I just half smiled and we all went to the room with the visual ultrasound. He immediately found the kid, but it took a few seconds to get a good angle on the heart. More freaking suspense and tension, but then I saw it (even before the Doc) - the pulsing cloud of white light on the monitor - WHEW!! I smiled and damn near cried.

The baby is doing great! It has knees already and kicked a couple of times. It had a heart beat of 158 BPM and it was moving around a lot.

What my mind failed to grasp here was that ALL pregnant women have back pain. And ALL pregnant women have stomach cramps. What a frigging moron I can be. But its because this child is very much wanted and welcome in our lives.

Next is the diagnostic ultrasound and blood test - this will tell us about birth defects like Down's Syndrome and such. If it's good, we'll know immediately. If it's questionable, there will be more tests.

This one is on my birthday, can you guess how I'll be doing until then? Better than the last couple of days to be sure, but I think I won't relax with this kid until...well probably until it's an adult...actually not, I'll relax when I'm dead.

The reality is this is a pretty cool ride to be on, today was a thrill after the car climbed to the top of the track over the last few days and started plunging down when I saw the heart beating.

I love Karna, and I love this child. I am damn near giddy with anticipation to meet it and hold it and love it and teach it and watch it grow and make mistakes and succeed.

Just keep that heart beating kid, I'll see you in a few months. Then we'll have some really great times - you, your mother and me.

Love to all,
Ty