Tuesday, October 29, 2013

27 Weeks and 26 Years Old

Welcome to the third trimester! HOW IN THE WORLD DID I GET HERE SO FAST?!?!

I can't believe I only have 3 months left, the 3 busiest months of the year, too!  I'm feeling pretty great, though.  Today is day 5 of no zofran! I'm not entirely sure I wont take it today, because I've had 2 or 3 times where I felt like I needed to.  But I made some scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese to get some protein in.  Hopefully that will help.  

I had my appointment last week.  I had a bunch of questions I wanted to ask but my doctor was too into talking about  the awesome deal he had getting tickets to the NASCAR race this coming weekend.  And all the stuff he has planned with his family.  I'm bringing a piece of paper with my questions on it next time so he can see I have something to talk to him about.  

It took 20 minutes to check into my appointment because the office switched computer systems.  But I'm really thankful for it! I can now check my medical records online, along with lab results, and wellness info.  The first thing I did when I had it all set up was look into Tanner's labor and delivery.  I've always wondered what their reasoning was for my inability to give birth vaginally.  And I found my answer!  They had written down, "Pyrexia" and "DTA & POP". I know what pyrexia means.  I spiked a bad fever and probably had some sort of infection starting.  I had to do a little more research on the "DTA & POP".  It means Deep Transverse Arrest and Posterior Occipitoposterior Position".  Basically Tanner's head was not engaged correctly.  It was completely sideways.  There was a chance I could have a a special forceps used to deliver him but the likely hood of it working was very slim.  I would have ended up with a c-section anyway, even if I didn't spike a fever.  

I needed to do more research on my his head was that way.  Was it because my pelvis was too small?  THANKFULLY, no!  It was because my doctor insisted on breaking my water at a fingertip dilated.  Way too early.  So Tanner wasn't in a good position when my water broke, and his head engaged poorly.  I'm so happy I have this information.  If I am lucky enough to go into labor before my 41 week deadline there will be a lot of things done differently.  I'm planning on writing a birth plan so if I'm not mentally able to express my wishes during labor, Nick will be able to let them know.  

Anyway, back to my doctor's appointment.  Everything is doing great.  My doctor didn't tell me what the heartrate was, too busy talking. ( I even asked the lady at the desk to look at my paperwork when I was leaving so she could tell me, and he didn't write it down!) 

My blood pressure is great, as well! Still much better than this pregnant with Tanner.  It was 122/43.  I've only gained 5 pounds as well.  I'm pretty certain I was already up 25+ pounds.  I was also swelling a LOT more then, too.  I have a little pitting edema on my ankles by the end of the day but it's just nothing compared to what I dealt with last time.  And I'm so thankful!

Tomorrow I turn 26.  I may or may not have had to calculate it in my head to be sure.  It really freaks me out thinking I only have 4 years left in my twenties.  I don't even want to think about it anymore. Yikes!

Okay, time to play with the toddler! :)


Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Newborns, sleep, VBAC...

This is probably going to be a long, jumbled, rambling post.  As I was laying in bed last night unable to sleep for 2 hours (thanks pregnancy insomnia) I kept having ideas run through my head about things I wanted to write about.  Things I'm worried about, things I'm looking forward to.

It started with me freaking out a little that it's almost the end of October.  As much as I am excited to have another baby, I don't want it to happen so soon!  Time is flying by and I'm just not ready.  I really love this age and time with Tanner.  He's learning so much, talking more and more everyday, and he's simply a great little kid.  He's more than I could have ever asked for and I know I am truly blessed in so many ways.  I'm worried about splitting my time with him and the baby.  Although, in reality, it will probably be just fine.  He's a great independent player, and prefers it often.  And I know he won't remember this time.  He will only remember having a brother, and hopefully a fun playmate.

I'm also having trouble wrapping my head around having a newborn again.  I'm hoping this time Wesley sleeps better than Tanner did.  If you read my blog back when Tanner was a baby you'll remember he didn't sleep through the night until he was almost 11 months old.  An average night he would wake up 4-5 times, often 6.  But on the other hand, I know now that it will get better.  I barely remember those days.  And what I do remember is actually cherishing the time I had with him in the middle of the night.  Rocking him, nursing him, and singing sweet songs to him.  I'm thankful for that time we had.  I'm going to be even more thankful for it with Wesley, as he will be our last baby.  

I think one of my biggest worries is going into labor before my mom gets here.  Tanner does not go to daycare, and the only person who has babysat him other than my mom just had a baby herself almost 3 weeks ago.  She will have a 2 year old and a 4 month old by the time Wesley is ready to come.  I just don't want to ask her to watch Tanner when that's a lot to take on.  And besides, whoever watches him would have to be able to stay here so he could sleep in his own bed.  And Tanner doesn't let just anyone put him to bed.  What will I do?  Hopefully I won't even have to worry about that and my mom will be here in plenty of time.  It will be such a huge relief.

One other thing.  I've talked about it before, and I get the side-eye form a lot of people who are just not informed.  I am going to attempt a VBAC (a vaginal birth after cesarean).  After Tanner's birth I really had a lot of problems coping with how everything happened.  To this day, I am still very bitter.  Also, the simple fact that I won't be able to pick Tanner up (which would mean in and out of the bath tub, changing his diaper/clothes on his table, in and out of bed, and simply holding and snuggling).  With my c-section my incision opened up and took 3 months to heal.  That is RIDICULOUS.  I just can't do that again. Most of the people who think I'm crazy for even thinking about attempting a VBAC don't realize how safe it actually is.  It's even safer than a repeat c-section (as long as the patient doesn't have a crazy medical history or any medical problems during pregnancy).   

The biggest "fear" with a VBAC is uterine rupture.  There is a 0.7-0.9% chance.  With a repeat c-section, the risk for uterine rupture is 0.4-0.5%.  There's not much difference!  My doctor informed me the last uterine rupture he had and the last one his colleague had were both on patients who never even had a c-section before.  Also, the risk of blood transfusions, hysterectomy, and death are all higher with a repeat c-section.  And given the fact that this pregnancy is already SO much different than Tanner's, there's hope that maybe this next labor will be different, too.  To me, it's worth it to try.  

As much as I would love to have a VBAC, I don't think I will be incredibly disappointed if it doesn't happen.  If I hit 41 weeks (Feb. 4) I will be having a c-section.  And that's okay. Also, if I do go into labor on my own, I will refuse all pitocin, as that can lead to more complications.  If my labor stalls, or if Wesley is sunny side up like Tanner was (the reason I never dilated), than I will be perfectly fine going into the c-section.  I will be attempting to learn some techniques from spinningbabies.com to help Wesley move into a position that is favorable for labor.  Especially if he ends up being breech.  My main reasoning as to why I will not let labor go too long, or stall for too long, if because of the risk for "infection".  I had one with Tanner and that's the reason he was not able to be in my room with me.  And the reason why I had to wait 6 hours to hold him and nurse him.  That is my driving factor to going the route I am.  It's a shame when I get jealous of seeing women nurse their brand new babies in their hospital bed, when all my memories are of me going tot he nursery and trying to learn how to nurse in a hard rocking chair with tons of people watching me.  

I'd like to say I have a lot of time to really process these things and work towards my goal but really, time is flying by.  It's almost November.  We are flying home in November.  Then it's Tanner's birthday, Christmas, Nick's birthday, and then Wesley's birthday.  So here's to taking it one day at a time...

Monday, October 21, 2013

Pinspiration: Stain Remover

This weekend we spent organizing the office a little more and we started on Wesley's room.  I got a little bit of a nesting urge on Sunday and I went through all of Tanner's baby clothes and organized them by size and pulled out the ones that had stains.  I washed everything and spot treated the stains on most of the clothes and now they're all hanging up in Wesley's closet.  

But there were 15 various sized white onesies that I knew I would have to throw out.  I tried to clean them before packing them away and nothing store bought worked. So they have been sitting in the attic with super set-in stains for almost 2 years.  But a few weeks ago I stumbled on a stain remover pin on Pinterest.  I saved it, knowing I had these onesies waiting for me.  It's a very simple mixture and I had my doubts.  But I figured I would take pictures and post about it one way or the other.  Because if it was a failure, it would be nice to let my friends and family know so if they sound this same pin, they wouldn't waste their time.  But that won't be necessary, as this mixture was AMAZING! 

I followed this link.  It seriously worked wonders.  The ingredients? Hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and blue Dawn dish soap. That's it!


15 super stained white onesies (Brought back all the memories of ow much Tanner spit up.  Poor kid)

This was the most stained onesie.  It's a little hard to see in the picture, but it was disgusting.  The stain was all down the front and on both sleeves.  


I mixed 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1/2 cup of dawn.  Then I mixed in the 1/2 cup of baking soda.  You have to mix it up pretty well because it separates rather quickly, but when it's mixed properly, it forms this wet paste.  


I spooned the mixture on all of the stains on each onesie.  And I used a little scrub toothbrush to really get the mixture into the stain.



I then let them sit for one hour before throwing them into the washer with some detergent. And out they came, perfectly white! Every single one!  PINTEREST WIN!


Wednesday, October 9, 2013

24 weeks pregnant with Wesley Ray

Since I haven't done an actual weekly pregnancy update this pregnancy I figured I would go old school and pull up the survey I used with Tanner's pregnancy, just for fun.  



How far along? 24 weeks 1 day

Due Date:  1/28/14

Total weight gain/loss:
 3 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, but surprisingly I can still wear non maternity pants!

Sleep: Getting better.  I have some nights where I will wake up and stay up for 1-2 hours for no reason at all.  Pretty annoying.

Best moment this week: Getting some energy back!

Movement: Oh yes!  It took a while to feel anything because I have an anterior placenta, but the day I started feeling kicks was the same day Nick could feel them from the outside.  He likes to kick my right side by my ribs.

Food cravings: The only thing I have really craved this pregnancy (like typical pregnant woman must-have-it-now craving) has been hot wings.  Buffalo Wild Wings, to be exact.  I've wanted hash browns a few times, but I wouldn't consider that a pregnancy craving.

Food aversions: Other than the occasional hot wing fix, I can not eat chicken. At all.  And most of the time I can't eat pork or ground beef, either.  Wesley wants to make me a vegetarian, but I don't really like veggies, either.  I just don't have much of an appetite.

Symptoms: I have had to take Zofran almost every single day since 8 weeks pregnant.  The few times I thought I would be okay without it, I've thrown up.  The majority of times I've thrown up has actually been while we were driving somewhere and I've had to have Nick pull the car over.  Embarrassing. (I actually did not have to take it today, yet.  And I'm feeling pretty good! I hope I turn a corner soon, I'm tired of relying on a pill to make me feel like a human.

I'm having some swelling, too, at the end of the day, but it's NOTHING like what I had this time with Tanner.  Here is my 23 week post with Tanner.  There are some pictures I took of my swelling.  It's was unreal!

I've finally started getting some energy again.  I'm making my to-do lists and actually doing them!  And I feel productive!  I don't know if it's pregnancy related or if it's because the weather is FINALLY nice out!  I seriously love fall time and wish it was longer in Oklahoma.  It's 80 degrees right now but it was beautiful this morning!
  
Gender:
 Baby BOY! I'm still so excited he's a boy! I'm so thankful, Tanner will have a buddy!

Labor Signs: Nothing real.  I've had Braxton Hicks everyday, but that's normal.

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but getting flatter.

What I miss: Making it through the day without taking Zofran!

What I am looking forward to: Nothing, really.  I mean, I'm excited to be pregnant and making Wesley's room and everything that comes along with that.  But I'm really enjoying each and every day that I'm pregnant.  This will be the last baby and I don't want to wish away this time.  I will never be pregnant again and I want to remember this.  And I'm really enjoying my time with Tanner.  He's so much fun right now.
  
Milestones: Viability

Tanner 22 Months

What's happened in the last month?  Well, Tanner has definitely grown.  He's getting longer and faster.  He's talking more, learning, and following directions (or not!). 

I really think he's at a great age for tot school.  We haven't had "tot school" for a month because ever since we find out Tanner is going to have a baby brother we've been organizing baby clothes and buying some new things for Wesley.  So the office where tot school is set up has been a storage room, packed so full we couldn't walk to the other side of the room.  But now that our guest room has been done away with, it is now Wesley's room. And all of the baby clothes/toys/and decorations have been moved to Wesley's room.  The office has a floor now, and I just need to organize it a little bit more and tot school will be up and running again.  We have done a few tot school type things but nothing with a theme and I haven't taken any pictures.  I think I will start out with a rainbow review theme and go on from there.  Maybe shapes and letters.  


He did not put the colors in the right spots, I did that for the picture. He will do it occasionally, though!
Tanner transferred to his big boy bed last weekend.  He's done amazingly well with it, too. The last two days he has gotten out of bed at nap time but i put him back once and he typically stays.  Today was a little different, only because he needed to poop.  Once he pooped and I changed his diaper, he stayed in bed.  He's so cute, too.  I will lay him down and then say good night to his monkey and his frog, and kiss them.  And then I say the same thing to Tanner and kiss him.  Lately he has been making me kiss his sleep sheep, too.  I guess it's my fault for not thinking about it! It's an animal he sleeps with, too! 


First morning waking up in his big boy bed
Speaking of poop, Tanner isn't anywhere near ready to potty train, but he will tell me when he is pooping, and sometimes he will tell me when he is peeing.  And when he is in the bath tub or shower and pees, he says, "pee pee! YAY!!!".  I think that's a good start.  

Tanner has quite a few words, and is putting two word sentences together.  He still has a lot of words he uses for everyday things that only we understand.  "Awhy" means "a car", "mo mo" means "balloon"...We are working on repeating the correct words whenever he says them, but I'm not worried.  He use to say bubble wrong, but he changed it on his own and says it correct, now.  

Some of his favorite things are still pretty much the same as they have been but more intense.  He loves little Hotwheels cars.  I had a box put away of dozens of them from when nick collected them.  Sometime when we were making Tanner's big boy room last weekend he found the box.  So he has been playing with those non stop.  He still likes balls, but not as much as cars.  Oh, and bubbles and balloons!  Those are fun.  





He is still obsessed with Daddy, though.  When he asks about him during the week, I tell him, "Daddy is at work" and Tanner will say, "AT!" (Which is his word for airplane). I use to tell him all the time that Daddy was at work, flying airplanes.  And now he remembers.  


At work with Daddy
In Daddy's Airplane



Trying to do push ups with Daddy. (And yes, they're twins.  Nick likes to dress each other the same on the weekends) Last week, he sat next to Nick and stuck his toes under the couch to do sit ups with him, too!
Here are a few other pictures I've taken this past month.

Hanging out with his best friend, Lucas

He looks like such a big boy in his jeans
The boy love bubbles!


A couple of my favorite's from our trip to the pumpkin patch last night. He's growing into such a handsome little boy!


Disappointed

I've tried to start this post 3 times today but every time I sit down at the computer Tanner climbs into my lap and starts to bang on the keyboard. So now it's nap time and I'm writing. 

I'm disappointed in myself.  I seem to say this every time I write a new post, but I don't seem to do anything to change it.  I'm such a bad blogger.  There have been a handful of times where I'm awake in the middle of the night (thanks pregnancy insomnia!) and I think about something I really want to blog about.  Most of the time it's something I want to write down to remember about Tanner.  And by the time I wake up for the day I either forget or just don't feel up to blogging.  

I've gone through several of my old posts that I wrote while pregnant with Tanner to compare that pregnancy and this one.  And I am SO happy I did that! But now I'm missing things and forgetting things because I'm not writing them down somewhere where I can read it again years down the road.  

I've kind of pinpointed where my lack of blogging really started.  Yes, it slowed down when Tanner was born but it really came to a halt once I got regnant again.  This pregnancy is so different than my last.  I'm just NOW getting some energy back and I'm 24 weeks!  Once Tanner was in bed all I wanted to do was relax and not do anything at all.  It's hard chasing a toddler around while being pregnant, completely exhausted, and nauseous for months at a time.  But that is slowly changing.  Finally!

I"m going to write a couple more posts after this one.  An update on Tanner and a pregnancy update.