A way to stay updated on the busy lives of Clayton, Reese and Wyatt, when Mommy has time!
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Making a Road in the Dirt
During my appointment today, Clayton and Reese got to hang out with Papa again. Some of it was nap time, but then it was on to snacks (peanut butter crackers and milk!) and playing outside in the dirt, which is where I found them when I got home. They were using their little bulldozer and excavator to build a road all along the east side of the house. Later, Reese told me that Papa was driving the excavator (the one he was using) and so Clayton said that Grandpa Mark was driving the bulldozer. Clayton added that they (Papa and Grandpa Mark) were working really hard, and wearing their "dirty coats." (He means "work coats").
Baby Update Thurs. Jan 29
This has been a much more relaxed Thursday than we had last week, praise God! The baby and I had another nonstress test on Monday afternoon which he passed, and then I had another ultrasound today, with lab work and an office visit with the Dr. today. The baby is still very healthy (weighs about 6 lbs or so she thought). I'm still very itchy, but the liver function tests showed a slight improvement (responding to the medication it seems). With the Cholestasis though it is still safer to have the baby delivered by 37 weeks, so we agreed to day on an induction for Monday, February 9th. Next week I will have another ultrasound on Monday, and lab work and a nonstress test on Thursday (Reese's birthday). If anything alarming comes up at either of those appointments it could turn into a "we are inducing you right now" situation, but if all goes well, it will be the Monday after Reese's birthday party. (Which we are planning on having).
Here is sort of a side view of his face, still with the arm across it though. At least he had moved his feet so they weren't up by his face today too! We got to see a lot of good movements including opening and closing his fingers. It's really fun to sneak a peak at him so often and to feel AND see just what he is doing in there.
Here is sort of a side view of his face, still with the arm across it though. At least he had moved his feet so they weren't up by his face today too! We got to see a lot of good movements including opening and closing his fingers. It's really fun to sneak a peak at him so often and to feel AND see just what he is doing in there.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Much Needed Haircuts!
The boys needed haircuts so bad that I thought I should show some before and after pictures! Just in time for Reese's 3-year old pictures on Saturday.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Baby #3, Update for Friday, Jan. 23
Today was a much better day! We had our appointment with the Maternal and Fetal Medicine specialist in Lincoln this morning. It was very reassuring to speak with a Dr. that specializes in high risk pregnancy conditions, he has seen this many times before. We had a full ultrasound just since I've never been seen there before as well as the bio-physical profile needed to check the well being of the baby. Good news, it's still a boy!
He also keeps his feet up by his face! We could see him grabbing and playing with his toes at one point, and had a heck of a time trying to get both feet and hands out of the way to see his beautiful face!
Even better news, he scored an 8 out of 8 on his biophysical profile (practice breathing, movements, flexing arms and legs, etc.) Which is much better than the 4 out of 8 he scored yesterday, resulting in most of yesterday's drama. So for now he is doing well, safe and sound, inside where he belongs.
Darrel and I talked with the Dr there and he looked at my liver function number, and he almost seemed surprised at how high it was and said that it's a moderate to severe case of ICP and he expects the bile salts level to be pretty high when we get it back next week (that's a lab test that has to be sent to the Mayo clinic it sounds like and takes about a week to get results). They will not let me carry the baby past 37 weeks. It's likely that I will have to be induced as soon as 36 weeks depending on how my liver function numbers react to the medication and the baby's well being. I'm nervous about being induced since I went into labor naturally the first two times, but it's better than any possible alternative! So Baby #3 will be here sometime between the 4th and 11th of February, depending on how things go. We will continue twice a week monitoring and hope for no more crazy days like yesterday!
He also keeps his feet up by his face! We could see him grabbing and playing with his toes at one point, and had a heck of a time trying to get both feet and hands out of the way to see his beautiful face!
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| Looks like some adorably chubby cheeks! |
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| Those are toes you see sticking out by the right side of the face there, by the way |
Darrel and I talked with the Dr there and he looked at my liver function number, and he almost seemed surprised at how high it was and said that it's a moderate to severe case of ICP and he expects the bile salts level to be pretty high when we get it back next week (that's a lab test that has to be sent to the Mayo clinic it sounds like and takes about a week to get results). They will not let me carry the baby past 37 weeks. It's likely that I will have to be induced as soon as 36 weeks depending on how my liver function numbers react to the medication and the baby's well being. I'm nervous about being induced since I went into labor naturally the first two times, but it's better than any possible alternative! So Baby #3 will be here sometime between the 4th and 11th of February, depending on how things go. We will continue twice a week monitoring and hope for no more crazy days like yesterday!
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| Because I better take a picture of that baby bump now before he comes out! |
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| Clayton and Reese sitting on the couch with Mommy after supper to watch a movie tonight |
Baby Branz #3 Complications/Updates
Well this third baby boy of mine is already starting to cause enough trouble to get his own really long, novel of a blog post...
It started last Tuesday (Jan. 13th) when my hands especially became very itchy. I assumed it was dry skin and upped the lotion usage but it had no effect. I ended up searching on the internet for possible causes and treatments for itchiness during pregnancy and came up with Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) which is a liver condition (caused by pregnancy hormones) that is causing bile acids to build up in my body, causing the itch. There is real danger to the baby though and in severe cases, left untreated can lead to still birth. My symptoms seemed spot on to what they described, but it seems rare, occurring in only 1% of pregnancies. But the itching is so weird, coming in "attacks," especially at night and evening and at this point I've gone through so much lotion there is really no way it can be dry skin. So I called the Dr.'s office on Thursday (can you imagine the nurses getting that message? "uhm a pregnant lady is calling because she has itchy dry skin, ridiculous"). I didn't hear back from anyone, so I called again on Friday and was told that I was fine but could take Claritin or Benedryl to help stop the itch if I wanted. I let it go thinking I would just bring it up again at my next appointment on Wednesday (Jan. 21st) if it didn't go away. Well, the itch did not go away and the Dr. was concerned enough to want to at least rule out ICP. Otherwise, the appointment went well, baby had a good hearbeat and appears to be growing on track. One of the lab tests needs to be done fasting, so I came in the next morning (Thursday Jan. 22nd) to have them run the liver function and bile salts tests.
So later that morning, I got a call from my actual Dr. (which is never a good thing I've learned) and said that liver function test numbers came back elevated (I didn't ask what the number was) and that he had been speaking to a specialist in Lincoln about it, and that combined with the itching was enough for an ICP diagnosis. He said that I needed to come in for an ultrasound that day, just to make sure baby is OK heading into the weekend, and then that I would need to be monitored/seen twice a week with a combination of nonstress tests (NST), ultrasounds and continued liver function monitoring, and also start on some medication that would help get everything under control (Ursodiol). He also said that with ICP they usually deliver the baby by 36 or 37 weeks, sooner if liver function numbers get too high or baby appears to be in distress. (I am just past 34 weeks now). The story of the day could end right here, and all that alone that would be a lot to take in. . . So I scheduled the ultrasound for the early afternoon and Darrel to come watch the kids during nap time. I run a small in-home day care (a 3 month old and a 2 year old are in my care in addition to Reese, Clayton was in preschool till noon), so I make the phone calls letting their parents know that my last day of day care needs to be tomorrow instead of Friday, February 13th like we had planned on.
The ultrasound did not go well. His heart beat was fine, but the stubborn little dude was apparently taking a nap and refused to move. Not one single time. She was able to observe him doing some practice breathing but that was only one of several things she was looking for that he needed to do to "pass." She let me go home since Darrel needed to go back to class, but assured me that the radiologist would read the results, talk to my Dr., and I'd be hearing from him later. Of course the baby moved around a fair amount once I got home. When the Dr. called back around 3:30 he said that the ultrasound results were not reassuring and that I needed to get down to the hospital for an NST. If the NST did not go well I was being sent to Lincoln that night to see the specialist - it wouldn't mean for sure delivering the baby right then and there but continued monitoring at the very least (York's hospital can only deliver if you are at least 36 weeks). If the NST went well, I would still need to go to Lincoln tomorrow (Friday) to see the specialist. So my poor daycare parents get to hear back from me again, "My last day is actually right now, please come pick up your children." :(
Clayton and Reese got to hang out with Papa while Darrel and I headed into the hospital, at about 4;30. It didn't start off too great as baby seemed to be back asleep, but after a almost half an hour of no movement, I sat up more to squish him so that he would be uncomfortable and hopefully squirm around. It worked and he passed the test, he had great heart accelerations and was determined to be fine. BUT (because that's the kind of day it was), I'd been having contractions that I felt pretty good (and registering on the monitors) that were coming regularly, about 3 min. apart. So they tried to rule out a few things that could be causing uterine irritation (like dehydration and infections, but that all came back good) and gave me a muscle relaxer (a pill) to try to calm them down. After about an hour there was still no change so they tried of a shot of Tirbutaline which finally knocked the contractions out within the half hour. To err on the side of caution they also gave me a shot of steroids to help the baby's lungs develop (I have to go back for another one in 24 hours) and finally sent me home at about 8:30.
So I will find out later this morning when I need to head to Lincoln to visit my specialist and we will go from there. Please pray for peace and rest (it's hard to sleep with all of this information running through my head in addition to still being pretty itchy and hyper aware of every movement, hiccup and "could that be another contraction?" that I feel), the safety of this precious baby boy and that he can stay put until 37 weeks (that's February 11, folks!), and for Clayton and Reese who are going to get shuffled around here a lot in the next few weeks and out of their normal routine; pray for their adaptability please!
It started last Tuesday (Jan. 13th) when my hands especially became very itchy. I assumed it was dry skin and upped the lotion usage but it had no effect. I ended up searching on the internet for possible causes and treatments for itchiness during pregnancy and came up with Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) which is a liver condition (caused by pregnancy hormones) that is causing bile acids to build up in my body, causing the itch. There is real danger to the baby though and in severe cases, left untreated can lead to still birth. My symptoms seemed spot on to what they described, but it seems rare, occurring in only 1% of pregnancies. But the itching is so weird, coming in "attacks," especially at night and evening and at this point I've gone through so much lotion there is really no way it can be dry skin. So I called the Dr.'s office on Thursday (can you imagine the nurses getting that message? "uhm a pregnant lady is calling because she has itchy dry skin, ridiculous"). I didn't hear back from anyone, so I called again on Friday and was told that I was fine but could take Claritin or Benedryl to help stop the itch if I wanted. I let it go thinking I would just bring it up again at my next appointment on Wednesday (Jan. 21st) if it didn't go away. Well, the itch did not go away and the Dr. was concerned enough to want to at least rule out ICP. Otherwise, the appointment went well, baby had a good hearbeat and appears to be growing on track. One of the lab tests needs to be done fasting, so I came in the next morning (Thursday Jan. 22nd) to have them run the liver function and bile salts tests.
So later that morning, I got a call from my actual Dr. (which is never a good thing I've learned) and said that liver function test numbers came back elevated (I didn't ask what the number was) and that he had been speaking to a specialist in Lincoln about it, and that combined with the itching was enough for an ICP diagnosis. He said that I needed to come in for an ultrasound that day, just to make sure baby is OK heading into the weekend, and then that I would need to be monitored/seen twice a week with a combination of nonstress tests (NST), ultrasounds and continued liver function monitoring, and also start on some medication that would help get everything under control (Ursodiol). He also said that with ICP they usually deliver the baby by 36 or 37 weeks, sooner if liver function numbers get too high or baby appears to be in distress. (I am just past 34 weeks now). The story of the day could end right here, and all that alone that would be a lot to take in. . . So I scheduled the ultrasound for the early afternoon and Darrel to come watch the kids during nap time. I run a small in-home day care (a 3 month old and a 2 year old are in my care in addition to Reese, Clayton was in preschool till noon), so I make the phone calls letting their parents know that my last day of day care needs to be tomorrow instead of Friday, February 13th like we had planned on.
The ultrasound did not go well. His heart beat was fine, but the stubborn little dude was apparently taking a nap and refused to move. Not one single time. She was able to observe him doing some practice breathing but that was only one of several things she was looking for that he needed to do to "pass." She let me go home since Darrel needed to go back to class, but assured me that the radiologist would read the results, talk to my Dr., and I'd be hearing from him later. Of course the baby moved around a fair amount once I got home. When the Dr. called back around 3:30 he said that the ultrasound results were not reassuring and that I needed to get down to the hospital for an NST. If the NST did not go well I was being sent to Lincoln that night to see the specialist - it wouldn't mean for sure delivering the baby right then and there but continued monitoring at the very least (York's hospital can only deliver if you are at least 36 weeks). If the NST went well, I would still need to go to Lincoln tomorrow (Friday) to see the specialist. So my poor daycare parents get to hear back from me again, "My last day is actually right now, please come pick up your children." :(
Clayton and Reese got to hang out with Papa while Darrel and I headed into the hospital, at about 4;30. It didn't start off too great as baby seemed to be back asleep, but after a almost half an hour of no movement, I sat up more to squish him so that he would be uncomfortable and hopefully squirm around. It worked and he passed the test, he had great heart accelerations and was determined to be fine. BUT (because that's the kind of day it was), I'd been having contractions that I felt pretty good (and registering on the monitors) that were coming regularly, about 3 min. apart. So they tried to rule out a few things that could be causing uterine irritation (like dehydration and infections, but that all came back good) and gave me a muscle relaxer (a pill) to try to calm them down. After about an hour there was still no change so they tried of a shot of Tirbutaline which finally knocked the contractions out within the half hour. To err on the side of caution they also gave me a shot of steroids to help the baby's lungs develop (I have to go back for another one in 24 hours) and finally sent me home at about 8:30.
So I will find out later this morning when I need to head to Lincoln to visit my specialist and we will go from there. Please pray for peace and rest (it's hard to sleep with all of this information running through my head in addition to still being pretty itchy and hyper aware of every movement, hiccup and "could that be another contraction?" that I feel), the safety of this precious baby boy and that he can stay put until 37 weeks (that's February 11, folks!), and for Clayton and Reese who are going to get shuffled around here a lot in the next few weeks and out of their normal routine; pray for their adaptability please!
Monday, January 19, 2015
January Warm Up
We enjoyed a family outing to the PARK yesterday afternoon. How bizarre for January. Normally when I take the boys to the park during the summer, it's abandoned, but yesterday afternoon there were several other families enjoying the sunshine and fair weather. What a treat!
The boys love to watch the train from the park (Miller Park) and would sit on top of the slide together to watch. Then when the train was over, they slid down, usually side by side. They got to go down One More Time before it was time to go and Daddy even joined in!
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Monday, January 12, 2015
Fireplace at Grandma and Papa's house
Clayton and Reese just love to "get a fire goin' " when they are at Papa and Grandma's house! They even help start it, haul in more fire wood and help (watch an adult) "stoke the fire."
(pictures taken January 4th, 2015)
(pictures taken January 4th, 2015)
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Children's Museum Timehop
I have an App on my iPhone (called Timehop) that shows me old pictures from that day, 1 year, 2 years, etc. ago. I even linked it to my computer so it shows me pictures from sometimes 8 years ago that are long forgotten! It updates everyday, and the picture on the left was one that it pulled up for me from two years ago which was an awesome coincidence since I had already planned on taking Reese to the Children's Museum this morning anyway! We hadn't been there in forever (I'm thinking late summer, maybe) so he had a blast! Mostly he played with the trains, a little in the Diner/Store area with the toy food, and several trips down the slide.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Clayton's 1st Wrestling Practice
Clayton had his first Little Kids Wrestling practice tonight! He will practice twice a week (On Mondays and Thursdays) at 6:15 though all of January, and part of February. We are getting to be a busy little family!
He was so excited to go, and did well Daddy said! (He stayed of course and helped run the practice). They ran, and did somersaults and cartwheels, and worked on "stance" and talked about take downs and sprawls. Clayton liked the sprawls the best!
For this year at least we will just have him go to practices and not any competitions. We think he's just a little too little for that right now.
Here he is (in his XXXS sized) singlet! Showing mommy his stance and his muscles!
He was so excited to go, and did well Daddy said! (He stayed of course and helped run the practice). They ran, and did somersaults and cartwheels, and worked on "stance" and talked about take downs and sprawls. Clayton liked the sprawls the best!
For this year at least we will just have him go to practices and not any competitions. We think he's just a little too little for that right now.
Here he is (in his XXXS sized) singlet! Showing mommy his stance and his muscles!
Morning Coffee
Sunday Morning coffee with Reese!
After I made a cup of coffee for myself and plopped on the couch to enjoy it, Reese pulled out his kitchen set and the toy coffee pot (and made all the noisy noises my espresso maker makes!), he came to join me on the couch with his little cup too! The first one spilled, so he did have to go make another one before we could take this picture!! What a little sweetheart!
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