Halfway There!

Today I am halfway there...well not technically since he is coming five weeks early but no sense in splitting hairs over it. Today marks 20 weeks into my pregnancy. Here is what I do the majority of my day...even at work if needed....

Resting...it's what I do! Everything continues to go well. I feel extremely blessed that nothing is really required of me at home. BJ takes care of everything from the cooking to the cleaning and my family is  a half a mile away if I need anything while he is working...like dinner ;)  I cannot imagine going through this pregnancy without the great support system that I have. I don't know how women without a support system do it. I am learning my limitations on what I can and can't do , if it may bring on cramps or contractions.  I haven't had a real bad night since last Wednesday and I am happy about that. I continue to take the medicine everyday to keep my uterus "calm" and I also take Tylenol and Benadryl as needed as well. I am extremely lucky and thankful to know another mom that has been through this before and went on to deliver a healthy, full term baby. She has been sharing all of her secrets with me to keep the pain at bay.

I am flat our refusing to step on the scale until next week because I really don't want to know how much weight I may have gained with the holidays, so no news  there! I return to the doctor next week for another ultrasound to look closer at the little one's heart, lip, and palate, AND confirm, for my mother's sake, that he is a BOY! She thinks I am walking around with twins in my belly...Ha! We will also plan our appointment with the Maternal Fetal Specialist that day as well. I continue to crave ANYthing beef or spicy. I can also never get enough Mexican food, however with the growing little one, my heartburn is starting to bother me some so Tums are being used quite often now.

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!! I will update next week after our next appointment.

Today's lesson...

I can longer make the walk to get food for lunch without causing cramps. Therefore, if it is not within one block of my office building, I am out of luck.

This is a story for the baby book...

I can imagine it now, "Well son, we thought that you were a girl for almost a week, sorry! We didn't mean to squash you manhood but you really shouldn't cross your legs during the ultrasound."

So we were pleasantly surprised this morning to find out that we are expecting our second son. What a blessing, and he is developing beautifully! He is also measuring on time which wonderful so hopefully another 11 pound baby is NOT in my future. All of his body parts and organs checked out great, however he was burying his face in the placenta so we couldn't get a shot of his face to check his lip and palate and we didn't get a good shot of his heart. We head back in two weeks to take another look.

Onto the doctors appointment. He continues to watch me very closely and I will now be seeing him every two weeks. He told me that I need to take it very easy and be off of my feet as much as possible. I believe he actually used the words "inactive" and "bed rest". I am just happy that I can continue to work at my job without causing harm to the baby with preterm labor and I can work from home if needed. The doctor approved of that. My blood pressure is still looking great and my weight gain is holding steady at 6 pounds, same as the last doctors' appointment. I can't really guarantee that it will stay that way after the Christmas holidays but who knows. Aside from the cramping, everything else is going well. So I will continue to take the medication to stop the cramping, take it easy and stay off of my feet as much as possible, and enjoy  this beautiful baby boy that is moving and kicking more and more everyday. Happy Holidays Everyone!!

She is a Drama Queen!!

Yep that’s right! The little one creating all this drama appears to be a girl! We should know officially on Monday when we do the more detailed ultrasound.

Now let me back up to tell you why we know what we know. On Monday night of this week I noticed that I was feeling some cramping in the lower part of my stomach and some lower back pain. It didn’t last long and it was only a few times so I didn’t think much about it. Well on Tuesday the cramping began to be more consistent and I was getting more and more uncomfortable. So that night I gave the doctor a call and he suggested that I come down to Labor and Delivery to get checked out. Cramping at 18 weeks is not a typical issue to have…but when have I ever done anything typical! Apparently my children follow suit ;) Anyways, we head down there figuring we would be checked out and then sent back home…nope. First the nurse tried to find her heartbeat and she was having difficulty. This was when I first got nervous. So off she went to find another nurse to use a Doppler to find the heartbeat and she was having difficulty as well. This was when I lost it and I all I could think was I cannot lose another one. She was eventually able to find the heartbeat but it was not registering on the Doppler so they had to manually count it and the number they came up  with was 120 beats per minute which is significantly lower than it has been but it was there and after everyone left her alone she kicked me three times. We had to have a serious talk about her behavior ;)

Continuing on, they hooked me up to the monitor to see if the cramping would show up that way and they didn’t which was good but the doctor felt I should spend the night so that they could watch me and that my doctor could take a look at me in the morning. The night was rough, I ended up needing some Ambien to help me sleep because of the cramping and in the morning my doctor decided to go ahead and start me on a medication that will keep my uterus “calm”. They checked my cervix twice and I am happy to say that I have not dilated at all which is wonderful so as of right now they are just saying that I have an “irritable uterus”. The medicine has worked great in the morning hours but the last two evenings I am still cramping so I have my feet up resting right now. 

Before we left the hospital I asked if we could check the heartbeat again for my peace of mind, so the doctor ordered an ultrasound. I am happy to say that she is growing well at 8 ounces, measuring on time, showed us her private parts, and her heart rate was at 150.

Please keep our little one in your prayers as we hope that whatever this issue is will resolve quickly. I will update again on Monday after our appointment.

P.S. I am beginning to believe that she just wants some atypical drama  like her brother, so I had to reassure her that she will get plenty of attention and this is not the way to go about it!

Snowy Alabama Afternoon

This afternoon I had the great pleasure of seeing a holiday classic at a historical theatre. This is the second year that my mom and I have enjoyed the Holiday Film Series at the Alabama Theatre. Last year it was "White Christmas" and this year it was "Holiday Inn" Two great classics. If any one is interested they are showing movies all week and next weekend, including a matinee on Saturday of classic movies for children.

Coming up to the theatre while the snow was falling.

 

Some pictures from the very large tree in the lobby.

Our view from our seats. Beautiful right?!? It may not look like it but we chose seats on the third floor, high up in the theatre. Unfortunately with my current pregnancy state and a lack of  a center of balance, I had some nausea and a hot flash but I recovered quickly and we enjoyed the show. ;)

My favorite part of the show is always the well talented, organ player playing "Big Bertha". This guy is always entertaining...he is an organ player and well... I will just leave it at that. He is great and hilarious and puts on a great show!

 

Me and mom after the show.

I hope we will continue this tradition next year!

17 weeks!

Today marks 17 weeks and I had the great pleasure of having my husband home with me tonight even though it is his working week. One of the great things about being married to my husband is that he cooks and he cooks well! Here is my dinner from tonight!

 It was so pretty I had to take a picture...and it tasted as good as it looks. I have discovered while chicken does still make my stomach churn, I will eat my husband's chicken.  Go figure!


Things are still going well this week. My nausea is helped now by eating a little something instead of needing Zofran all the time. I have  been feeling a lot fluttering this week which is exciting but I think that might be due to the fact that I have needed some caffeine this week while I have been fighting a migraine. Unfortunately there is nothing, other than Tylenol which is a joke, that the doctor feels comfortable  prescribing me. So the last two evenings have been spent with me laying in my dark room for an hour or two with my ice pack.

My food cravings are still for very spicy foods and beef but I have noticed that I have finally gotten my sweet tooth back. I am unsure if that is a good thing ;) We are excited to see the little one again soon but we are still undecided on a boy name. We have two girl names but cannot agree on a boy name. I think this one is a girl but I also thought Brayden was a girl until he showed us otherwise, so I can't rely on that. Here is a picture of my 17 week baby belly.

Our Friday Night Surprise...

I know what you are thinking... no we still don't know the gender of the baby. This concerns my first baby boy. Shortly after I started working for Children's Hospital I saw that you could nominate a child's name to  be painted on the foundation of the new Children's Hospital. I know that at some point we purchased a brick in Brayden's memory that is somewhere on the Children's campus but for the life of me I don't have any idea where it might be. So I submitted his name to be placed on the foundation and that is the last I thought about it. Well I happen to be walking from the main hospital back to my office when I noticed a set of new names placed on the foundation and I saw it. Not only could I see his name but it was in his favorite color, red. I was, however, pretty bummed because there was no way I could get close enough to get a decent picture. This Friday I was surprised to see this on our front step...

16 weeks

Today is 16 weeks into my pregnancy. I went to the doctor this morning and everything continues to look very good. My blood pressure is nice and low and I have gained 6 pounds. I assume some of that weight gain is from the Thanksgiving holiday ;). I continue to crave spicy foods, really spicy foods, and red meat. I have a hard time even looking at chicken now without feeling nauseous. It's funny because I used to always prefer chicken over any other meat. Go figure!! I have started to feel some fluttering from the baby for the last few weeks and as of 14 weeks I have had to wear maternity shirts. The baby's heartbeat was going at 170 beats per minutes which seems to be his or hers average. It was a great and encouraging appointment!

We have our anatomy scan set for December 20th so I can finally pacify everyone's curiosity about the little one's gender. I am also having a metabolic profile done that day as well to check up on my kidneys. We would love to have some prayers for that morning, if you feel inclined, for our ultrasound and the checkup of my kidneys. After that we go to meet the Maternal Fetal Specialist. Weeks seem to be passing by so quickly!!!

His Story

Thursday was the day that I got the chance to truly honor and share the story of my beautiful baby boy. This was the second time that I have been honored to be apart of a parent panel sharing our journey with other Early Intervention professionals and fellow parents. I have been able to meet some wonderful ladies with children in early intervention all the way up to high school. We had a great, large, and responsive crowd. The presentation started with each parent sharing their story and I had to go last. Pregnant, hormonal lady. Bad idea!! By then most of the parents on the panel had shed some tears. I made it through telling Brayden's story until the last picture that was shown of him. That picture was taken two days before he died. Many tears were shed but I felt I honored him well. After everyone shared their story we got a chance to answer questions and offer advice to the many service providers and parents in attendance. I felt honored to been apart of an elite group that is chosen to love and parent a child with special needs. At the end, we were each asked to give some advice to other parents with child with special needs. With myself being in a different place than most of the parents on the panel I said this, " Love your child, Don't think about what your child can't do or won't be able to do just love them for who they are." I am glad that I was given the chance to  be apart of Brayden's life and a chance to love him.

Below is all the wonderful parents on  the panel. Some I have met before or have known a long time, and some I was able to hear their story and get to know them for the first time. What a great group of people that have come to honor their babies.

14 weeks, 6 days

As I am heading into my 15th week, things are going pretty well. I had a doctors appointment this past week and everything is looking good. They were having trouble finding the little one's heartbeat which was very stressful but the doctor was able to find it. The baby's heartbeat is holding steady at 175 beats per minute! I don't think Brayden's heartbeat was ever that high, mid 150's tops! At this point I have only gained three pounds and my blood pressure has been nice and low. If things continue to go this well, I can see us waiting until 35 weeks to deliver this baby. Right now it is a toss up between 34 or 35 weeks. Unfortunately the nausea has come back so I have been a bit discourage about that, but I am telling myself that it won't last forever. I continue to crave anything spicy! I am also craving ground beef and I feel bad that my poor husband's diet has now been limited to tacos and hamburgers. So if anyone has some good recipes using ground beef, please humor the pregnant lady and send it to me! My husband will truly thank you ;) I go back  in about a week to do some basic, non-invasive genetic testing and a normal checkup. I update then!

13 weeks

Today I am 13 weeks and so thankful that it appears that the nausea is becoming a memory. So far I have only put on one pound and my blood pressure has been nice and low. My belly is popping out a little as you can kind of see in the picture below, and my food cravings have been anything involving red meat and jalapenos. It's crazy, I know! I am headed to the doctor next week for a routine exam and  then hopefully we will set a date for our anatomy ultrasound! I can't wait to see this little one dancing again!!!

Baby Update

We had another ultrasound this week and the baby looks great! He or she is quite the wiggle worm! Here is a profile shot of the face. If you look close enough you can see that he or she is sticking his tongue out. The baby's heart rate was 170 this time, and it is measuring right on schedule. Aside from the nausea, everything is going really well. I have not gained any weight which is good and my blood pressure has  been nice and low. Next Tuesday I will be officially 12 weeks and I can stop taking the progesterone supplements. Woo Hoo!!!! Hopefully that will help clear up some of the nausea but if not, I still have my Zofran. My doctor is seeing me every three weeks so our next visit will be without an ultrasound but hopefully we will get to see our little one again soon!!

It's Official...

I am wearing maternity pants.

I was really hoping...and expecting!...to stay out of maternity pants until at least 12 weeks. I guess Mr. 10 pound Brayden stretched my stomach muscles like taffy. I am learning to love my maternity pants even if they did arrive earlier that I really wanted, but I can be sure that I don't plan to need maternity shirts until at least 16 weeks.

Apparently my love for control and planning means nothing to this baby. He or she is making their own plan. Like mother, like child! ;)

Military Mail

It makes me nervous....enough said.

Remembering Him

Last year's post

Today I remembered him...
My son, Brayden.

Brayden,
I remember your blond curls and soft skin...
I remember your scrunched up toes and long fingers
I remember how you used to grunt at me and blow your own nose
I remember how you tried to pull your button out on a daily basis
I remember the time that you were in the hospital and you looked at me with one tear rolling down your face
I remember how everyone fell in love with you as soon as they met you and I remember how you could talk anyone into holding you for hours.
I remember singing to you our favorite songs




I remember tracing your face with my fingers while you slept and your birthmark across your right eyelid
I remember laying with you in my bed waiting for your daddy to get home
I remember going to the hospital to have dinner with your daddy and when he picked you up, you would relax and melt into his arms like you had been waiting all day to see him

I remember your singing in the middle of the night

But most of all I remember when you would wake up each day and look at me like you were looking into my soul, and your eyes looked at peace with the world. These are only a few things that I remember about you. There are so many...to many to write.

Brayden Anthony Campbell

October 15th

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is coming this Friday, October 15th. I invite everyone to light a candle at 7:00pm if you have ever lost a baby or know and have been touched by a baby that left to soon. I am pulling out my ribbon and candle to remember my son. I think of him everyday and I am in awe when I think of how many people he has touched during his short  time of this earth.

I would like to say that I can write a post on Friday but with my current crazy hormonal state and the upcoming anniversary in November, I am not sure that that is going to happen. At the very least I will post a picture of his candle burning and I invite others to do the same.

Every child, no matter how old, makes an impact on this world.

www.october15th.com

I never thought I would see the day ....

when a doctor would tell me that I wasn't eating enough. Me?!?! The person that literally surgically altered her stomach because she was eating to much!!

Allow me to rewind a day. Yesterday I was having some dizzy spells. I am that person that automatically jumps to the worst case scenario so I call  my mom, and my mom successfully peels me off the ceiling. What can I say? I tend overreact just a little.  So fast forward to today. The dizzy spells came back today and they were bothering me so much that every few minutes I was grabbing  onto the armchair during my staff meeting because the room was moving. I surely wasn't imagining that so I call the doctor. The verdict? I am not eating enough. I don't want to eat. Even with taking Zofran every 8 hours, food makes my already churning stomach churn more.

Just to be clear, my lap band doctor removed all the fluid of my lap band so I can eat properly but apparently my serving sizes are still smaller than normal and I really shouldn't have cut out my two snacks during  the day. What can I say? I don't want to eat!

Oh the things I have to learn being a pregnant lady with a lap band. Tomorrow I must make every effort to eat at least 5 times. Wish me luck!!

Changes

I am changing the blog around again. I am just not happy with it. So try not to get used to the green...it may not be staying. ;)

As Promised...

The details!
The picture on the previous post is our little one at 8 weeks. He or she has a strong heartbeat of 176 beats per minute, and is due on May 17th. We are very excited!!

I have been getting a lot of questions about how this pregnancy and birth is going to go so if you have any other questions that I don't answer on this post, feel free to email me.

First off... I am most definitely high risk. Not only because of what happened with Brayden but because they cannot be sure of what happened with him and me on that day. I posted that this Little One will be coming early April because we plan to deliver him or her at 34 or 35 weeks. All tests will be done a month ahead of time such as the non stress tests, and I will also get a steroid shot for the baby's lungs at 28 weeks in case we need to deliver even earlier. Hopefully that will not be the case. I will be doing a lot of blood pressure checks and checking my own self for early signs of issues and I am pretty sure I am not going to be left alone once my third trimester starts. BJ does not like the fact that I will have to be alone with him working evenings every other week, so we may have to enlist the help of my lovely family members to stay with me on those evenings. I will also be having a repeat C-section. I asked about having a VBAC but apparently someone that has previously had a stroke, going through labor and then pushing includes way to many risks to me and the baby. So a repeat C-section it is.

So far  this pregnancy has already proved to be very different than Brayden's. First off, at this point in my pregnancy with Brayden, I was on bed rest. I am thankful that I have not had the same issues. However, early on in  this pregnancy my lab work discovered that my progesterone levels were to low so I am now taking supplements. Because of those supplements I have discovered a new level of pregnancy sickness. So not fun! So far we have had two ultrasounds and we are going back in for another one at 11 weeks. This child is going to have so many pictures before it is born.

 So check back frequently for updates. Now since the news is broken to everyone I actually have something to write about!

Surprise!!!

We are excited to announce our new little blessing joining us in early April!!

Details to follow, I promise...

Sunday Drive

Today was such a beautiful day! I woke up with a great burst of energy and knew that I could not stay in the house all day. So off we went! First Hubby and I went to lunch and then we plugged up the GPS to find local attractions to visit. Hubby has never been to Ruffner Mountain, so we went there first. We didn't do any hiking because I wore the wrong shoes but we did enjoy walking around and taking in the beauty of the day.

Next we decided to head down 75 and wound up in Oneonta. On the outskirts of Oneonta, while driving on a very quiet road, we came across a great find. The Horton Mill Bridge. We explored it for awhile and hope to head back there one day and explore the hiking trails more.

                             What a great Sunday!!                              

My Handy Husband

My Handy Husband made a farmhouse table for us! Check it out! It will seat up to six and we will be replacing the chairs with two benches and two chairs.

A Stormy Saturday with Friends

This weekend we enjoyed spending some time with our friends, Jennifer and Michael. They brought their daughter over to our new house and I can proudly say now that little Sarah does likes me AND she does talk!! We had a great time together and we got to try out our new camera. Here are some of the better shots. We are still learning but I am happy that we got a few good shots.

The New York Yankees Storm the South!!

Two weeks after moving into our new house, we were happy to host our first BBQ for my Aunt Elizabeth and my cousin, Little Elizabeth. I had great time when they were down her and I hoped they enjoyed their visit too.
The most common phrase while they were down here was...

"You know if we see a run over animal (aka roadkill) on the side of the road we are going to have to stop."

I truly have no words to explain that....

  I miss you guys and hopefully sometime in the future I can bring some southern charm to an area near you!