Not only am I 34 weeks and feeling back to normal, but we celebrated Miss Mia's 2nd birthday today (see next blog post). So this is coming to you very late, as tomorrow I will technically be 35 weeks. I have felt so much better since the kidney stone was removed. YAY!! And the best part is I lost almost ALL the weight I gained in the hospital. So I am actually only up .5 pounds from where I was 2 weeks ago. That makes me VERY happy, as I was pretty freaked out about the 9 pounds I gained in the hospital. Baby Stocking is moving tons and actually likes to do flip flops in my belly. Josh is always astounded when he can see the baby moving from across the room. Well this will be a short update since I'm almost to 35 weeks.
Or at least that's my thought. I gained 9 pounds this week. I can only imagine, laying in bed for 3 days being pumped full of IV fluids caused some major water retention. I am feeling much better, although my upper back and neck are so sore from laying in a hospital bed for 3 days. Up until that incident and since then, I have been feeling pretty good. Today we even did our maternity shoot. I am so excited to see the pictures. I can't believe we are 33 weeks, that means 4 weeks until baby is full term. Here are the pictures of the week. Big covered belly. Look at that belly...I am wondering if looks bigger due to the fluid I am retaining
Wednesday night I started having some serious lower back pain. I assumed maybe it was from exercising the night before, but thought that was weird, since we really didn't do a lot of back. I had Josh rub it before bed, and was in so much pain I could barely crawl into bed that night. Thursday morning Josh left at 4:30am for a school in DesMoines. I got Mia up and ready for the day and then realized I was pretty sure I had a bladder infection, and that's probably why my back had been hurting. So I went to my regularly scheduled OB appointment and they confirmed that my white cells were elevated and there was blood in my urine. I filled my perscription and went back to work.
I decided to skip Stroller Strides that night because my back was not feeling any better. Mia and I ran a few errands, but I would have to stop quite a bit and breathe through the back pain. As the night progressed, the pain kept getting worse. After I put Mia to bed, I called my mom and asked her to come stay with Mia so I could go to the hospital. When I got here, they checked baby who looked great, and started me on fluids and antibiotics. They figured maybe it was a kidney infection. They also gave me some Nubain to help me sleep (it made me feel CRAZY).
On Friday, they were gearing up to send me home, when it happened. I got up to go to the bathroom and on the way back I got stuck between the bathroom and the call button. I was in pain beyond words. I have never felt something like that before. I stood stuck, sobbing in the middle of the room, praying the nurse would walk in...finally I got to the call button and by the time she came in I was in hysterics.
They got me some hot packs for my back and gave me a different pain med. Then they ordered a kidney ultrasound to check for kidney stones (which, I've never had, but do run in the family). When the ultrasound tech came in it happened again; debilitating pain and this time vomiting too. I just couldn't believe the pain. It was HORRIFIC!! They brough ultrasound up to my room and there is was. An 11mm Kidney stone. Now to put this in perspective, the tube that this is supppose to pass through is only 1mm...so my stone was over 10x larger than the area it needed to pass through. So the urologist came in and they scheduled me for surgery to put a stent in.
Immediately friends and family started praying for me and this little baby. At 9:30 this morning they decided to do my surgery, I would have to be put under general anesthesia, so that made me nervous, but it was all worth it when they woke me up from surgery and told me that they got the stone and no stent was needed. I got to see the stone and it was very big and jagged, so they are glad I didn't have to try and pass it.
Now I am just hanging out here listening to sweet baby's heartrate and hoping I can go home soon. They said they are going to keep me for a bit longer since the procedure actually caused me to start having contractions.
Well, Dr. just came in...I am free woman!! YAY!! Contractions have slowed, cervix is closed, about 40% effaced and still at -3 station (all that jargon means baby still has awhile, which is good). YAY!! So I'm headed home!!
Easter was amazing this year! What a difference a year makes. Last year with Mia was fun but searching for eggs this year was amazing. It was hilarious to hear her talk about the Easter Bunny, or as Mia would say, the Esser Bunny. We went to church Saturday night, which Mia loves and had a great time praising the Risen Lord. We are so much to be thankful for, we have been blessed beyond measure. Here is a picture of Mia last year.
And here she is this year. Getting pictures of her is getting harder and harder the more active she gets. But I still love everytime I can catch her precious smile.
Here she is at my sister's house after the Easter Egg hunt. She is watching Grandma contently, waiting for more eggs.
Here is our family Easter picture. Mommy, baby, Mia and Daddy
This is what Mia wore while searching for Easter Egg's in the front yard. She had so much fun and couldn't run fast enough to get each egg. After she filled her basket, she wanted to sit and open each one. Then she thought she could eat whatever was in there. We decided we should go inside and play toys and mommy would empty the eggs.
Here we are on Easter Sunday at my sister's for dinner. The boys are sporting the kid's new bouncy balls. Josh, Me (32 weeks), Lindsey (24 weeks) and Auggi
Here is my 32 week belly. I gained another pound this week, and I have a feeling every week from here to the end is going to include more weight.
And here is the bare belly shot of the week. I feel like I am carrying this baby really low...but it could just be me. It is definately getting bigger by the day. Not sure where I am going to fit 8 more weeks of baby!!
I have less than 9 weeks left before we meet this little baby. I can't believe we are getting so close. The nursery is almost complete. We just need to get a matress and a rug and the nursery is done. We are getting so excited.
I am feeling great. There are some days that I forget I am even pregnant. It was so nice this week, while I was driving home with the windows down, I thought "I should go running"...then I realized at 31 weeks, I probably can't just pick up and go running! Hopefully, I will be able to back into the swing of things quickly.
Little one is moving a lot lately, you can see the baby move all the time. I think it's awesome, Josh is still semi weirded out when he sees or feels baby move.
Mia is doing great and getting closer by the day to her 2nd birthday. She now sings Happy Birthday to herself and when asked how old she will be on her birthday she says "Two". Her words are becoming more clear and she loves to tell stories and point EVERYTHING out. She also loves helping mommy set the table for dinner every night. She is such a good helper (when she's in a good mood)! She has started throwing temper tantrums which is a real treat. She screams, flops on the floor and cries uncontrollably...sometimes it takes everything we have not to laugh. But overall, she is such a joy! She is full of personality and love being with her everyday.
So here are the pictures for the week. I gained back the pound I lost last week, plus 1. YIKES!! Oh well...that's okay. Here is the picture of my belly covered, it's getting big!
And here is the naked belly. Look how round that belly is!! And one full length picture for fun. Also, a picture with my hair actually down. It's getting long!
I stole these from my friend's blog (Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Baby)and definitely thought they were worth sharing. It is amazing to me that after having Mia and being pregnant with this baby that the feelings of Infertility NEVER go away. I have been so blessed on my journey to have had Mia and to be welcoming a new baby VERY soon. Yet, when I watched these ads, my heart ached, the tears flowed and I saw myself and so many of my friends sitting on that couch having that conversation.
I have said this before, but I will say it again. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason in life. Infertility is something I wish I NEVER would have had to endure, but I realize why I did: *I became a better mother, appreciating and treasuring every moment of pregnancy (Even the vomiting), delivery and my daughter. I learned to appreciate the very thing we had worked so hard to achieve. *I made amazing friendships and strengthened other ones. I had an amazing support team, most of whom have now welcomed their own little miracles. These are the ones I laughed with, cried with and who listened to me vent at the top of my lungs. *I learned to trust God with everything I had and all that I am. I knew that only faith would get me through this time...and it did. *I learned to love a man more than I ever thought was possible. My husband, became my biggest supporter, loving me when I was completely unlovable in the midst of infertility, telling me he would love me if I could never give him a child. He reminded me how blessed we were to have each other, how love always prevails. And while the journey was not and has not been easy, we have a bond that can not be broken. We have been to the pits of hell and survived. He is my rock, my everything and the most amazing daddy and husband anyone could ask for.
Through everything I learned, and all the blessings I have been given, the reality still remains that there are those out there who are still hurting, yearning for their baby. I continue to pray for those who have not yet received their miracle, their healing in the process.
Just as a friendly reminder, if you have never experienced infertility or loss, you will never REALLY know how we feel, we can't relax, it won't just happen. Yes, we will cry and even become angry. It's not about you or your child, it's just that the hurt is sometimes unbearable. So if you know someone struggling, be supportive, let them cry and rejoice like you never have when they share the news of the blessing they will soon hold in their arms.
Another week has past and that means we are another week closer to meeting this precious gift from God. I can't believe I am already at the 30 week mark. That means after today I am down to single digit weeks. It's amazing. Each week has brought us closer to the ultimate gift, and we couldn't be more excited.
The nursery is almost all the way completed, just need to finish some last minute details (Rug, blinds, curtain rods hung up, and buying a crib mattress. It's so fun watching it all come together. It's hard to think sooner than later, I will be putting our baby to bed in there!
For fun, I thought I would add some comparison pictures to see how much I've grown over the last 30 weeks.
Here I am at 10 weeks
And here I am at the halfway mark...20 weeks And today, 30 weeks pregnant.
Overall, I am still feeling great. The weather has been beautiful, I've been playing outside with Mia and enjoying her more and more everyday. She has been such a blessing to our family and I can't wait to see how she is with this new baby. I think she is going to make such an amazing big sister.
On an exciting note, I lost a pound this week. That means my weight gain is about 1/2 what is was at this point in my pregnancy with Mia...that is VERY exciting to me! :) Here is a full view shot.
Yesterday, Josh and I headed to Naperville, IL to Stork Snapshots to see our little baby in 3D. We did the same thing when I was pregnant with Mia and I loved being able to see her before she actually arrived...plus I had a gift certificate.
We made sure to tell the tech right away that we did NOT want to know the gender. She agreed, but later asked if we wanted her to take pictures of the gender and save them to the CD so we would have them for later (after the baby came). I IMMEDIATELY said "NO". I knew if she did that I would look the second I got home. So still a surprise baby!
However, I have to say after the ultrasound I will be SHOCKED if it is a girl. This baby looks JUST like Mia and Josh, the lips, chin, everything is the same, but something about this baby looks like a boy.
So enjoy looking at our little baby! I think this baby is beautiful, of course, I'm probably a little partial!
Look at those lips (they are identical to Mia and Josh)
Here is a great shot of the baby's chin AKA Josh's chin
This is the one that I think SCREAMS boy. And here is a comparison with Mia's pictures on the left and Baby Stocking on the right. What do you think?
Here we are at the end of another week. Today marks 29 weeks down and 11 to go. I can't believe we are getting so close to meeting this sweet little baby. Overall I am still feeling great, besides the occasional backache. I am still working out (cardio and strength training) 3 days a week, and I added in a yoga class once a week. I think all those things have helped me continue to feel as good as I do. It's amazing how 2 pregnancies can be so different. With Mia, I was still vomiting every day, and this one I am working out, playing with Mia and feeling great.
This week has been exciting though for another reason. Mia has been using the big girl potty!! YAY!! Now, it's not consistent yet, but 3 days in a row, we have had at least one time a day of going in the potty chair. Now, THAT'S exciting. She is so funny when she goes, she stands up, looks inside and we all clap and cheer really loud. Then we say bye to the pottys and go get our potty treat (a dum-dum sucker). I am pretty excited that we are at least making progress, especially since she isn't even 2 yet. I'm not pushing anything, but we are definately starting to encourage it. The other exciting thing that will be happpening this coming week is Saturday Josh and I are heading to Naperville (Chicago area) for a 3D ultrasound of this baby. We are so excited to see what it looks like again!! We will share pictures as soon as we get them!
So here are the pictures from the week, I actually lost a 1/2 pound this week. So the weight is still looking good. Sorry for the no makeup look, it was the end of the night and I still fighting off a little bit of a cold. And a close up of the belly covered
And here is the naked belly (you made need sunglasses...it's pretty pasty white)
I found a pattern online for making a changing pad cover, and thought I would give it a try. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. I used 100% cotton flannel in two different fabrics. Here is the finish project. I love it!! I am so excited. And here is the finished project in the room. It was super easy to make (completed during one of Mia's naps) and I am looking forward to making more, especially once we find out who this baby is!
So today marked a very special day for many reasons. Today marked my 29th birthday. I can't believe this is the last birthday I will spend in my 20's. Wow!! Looking back, I never realized this is where I would be in life. I can't believe that as I celebrate my 29th birthday, this is the year that I will have been with Josh 8 years, married for 6 years and shortly after my 29th birthday I will become a mom to 2 precious children. I just can't believe how blessed I have been during my lifetime. I continue to be amazed. This birthday was special for me for another reason too. My niece and nephew (my sister's twins) celebrated their first birthday today. It is so amazing to be able to share this time with them. We have started a sort of tradition on "our" birthdays. We are going to take a picture of the 3 of us on our birthdays to celebrate the very special bond that we have.
Here are me and the twins on my 28th birthday and their "birth" day.
Auggi on the left and Milli on the right
And here we are today, me celebrating my 29th birthday and the twins celebrating their 1st. Auggi on the left, Milli on the right
The twins had a birthday party at Jungle Bungle and because my sister is so sweet, she got me my very own cake and sang happy birthday to me! It was great. I am so blessed to have such an awesome family!
This week had some serious effects on my weight! I'm going to blame the birthday dinner, trivia night snacks and other food that I've induldged in this week for the 3 pound weight gain. I know I shouldn't be concerned...and I'm not really, I just don't want to see anymore 3 pound weight gains in a week! This past week I also had my glucose test and I PASSED!! YAY!!! Baby is measuring great and the heartbeat continues to be around 147. I am still feeling great and continue to work out with my Stroller Strides girls 3 days a week and teaching dance 1 day a week. We also put up the crib and dresser this week. Josh finished painting the room and installed the new closet system. It is becoming more and more real that this baby is coming soon. I can't believe it. Here are the pictures from this week. I decided to actually include one with my face!! haha!!
Here are the ultrasound pictures that I had done a couple weeks ago. It was so amazing to see this little baby and it was crazy to see how much this baby looks like Mia. Here are some of the pictures for you to enjoy.
Profile with the arm in front of the face
Another profile picture with the hand in front of the face...this is how Mia use to sleep too!
A front view of the face...look at those cheeks and Mia and Josh's chin!
Look at those little toes. Mia has the same little gap between her big toe and the rest of her toes.
27 weeks down, 13 to go. I can't believe we are in the 3rd trimester already. That means we are getting closer by the day to meeting this little baby and giving it a name. YAY!!! I am still feeling great. There are days that I suppose forget I am pregnant, that is, until I go and try to find something to wear!! haha! My clothes are getting tighter, but honestly, I am feeling great. I credit that to still working out 3 times a week. I am doing Stroller Strides 3 days a week, and now I have added a Yoga class with Stroller Strides on Saturday mornings. I am still teaching dance 1 night a week and still chasing and playing with a 22 month old! So all in all, I feel wonderful.
I also had the blessing of seeing the baby this week via ultrasound (pics to come soon). A local radiology clinic needed to do a 2nd trimester scan, and a friend suggested me, so I got to go see the baby. It was AMAZING!! I love being able to see the baby move around. I'll write more when I post the pictures.
Well, I gained another pound this week, it was probably all the cookies Mia and I made this week!! Oh well! :) Here are the pictures of the week.
The bare belly! And just for fun, here is a view from the front.
So one of the ideas I had for when I have my maternity pictures done is to let Mia paint on my belly. However, Mia HATES being dirty and so I figured it would probably be a no-go. So I decided to buy some finger paints and see what she would do. Here is how the evening progressed. She started by only using one finger, dipping it carefully in a color and then making a small dot on the paper... This was followed by mommy showing her how to make a snake and some serious giggles...
Then she realized how funny it was to paint on her own belly AND the paper... And it was even more funny to get to paint mommy's baby... Here she is looking at the paint she put on mommy's baby... And we finished with lots of giggles, messy bellys, messy hands and a bath! It was so much fun to see her do this and I am really hoping we can get a cute professional picture of the event as well.
Our daughter, Amelia Rae was born 4-22-08 at 10:51pm weighing 7lb 15oz and was 20in long!
We celebrated the birth of our son, Roman William on 5-12-10 at 10:25am weighing 7lbs, 11oz and 20 inches long.
We are so blessed!
I am married to my best friend, Josh on October 16th, 2004. I love God and thank Him for the abundant blessings He has provided me with. We also have a Rhodesian Ridgeback she is 100% our baby and we love her so much!
