Archive for August, 2016

2016
28
Aug
22:48

he just wasn’t ready

   Posted by: arcanai    in love my husband, pix, the sequel

the hubby can’t say that i haven’t tried to give him a child on his birthday.  the last one was in too big a hurry and this one is taking his time.  i did all i could do.  still, i think he had a great birthday, considering i couldn’t even throw him a proper birthday bash fitting the momentous occasion. happy birthday, my love!!!

to the next half-century!

2016
25
Aug
20:57

38 weeks

   Posted by: arcanai    in da belly, pix, the sequel

25 Aug 2016

2016
25
Aug
18:26

this is the weekend!

   Posted by: arcanai    in the sequel

dr visit went well again today.  we had the same ultrasound tech as last week but she had a student today and was, therefore, much more personable.  they both did measurements and spent a lot of time talking to us and showing us stuff. he is measuring about 6lbs 9oz so if he goes to term, he should be right around the same weight his brother was, which is very respectable.  the abdominal measurement was in the 32 percentile so that’s a relief as well.  the dr was happy with all the test results.  i checked out at 3cm, 90%, 0 station.  we told him that we were pushing for sunday so that he can be born on his daddy’s birthday.  the dr said his money is on tomorrow night but then he laughed and said “just watch, in three weeks, we’ll be inducing you.” it would be awesome for him to be born on hubby’s birthday but i’m not ready for this pregnancy to be over so i’m perfectly fine with him staying put until he’s fully baked.  mostly, i’m just glad he made it through the crazy of last weekend.  i had my doubts saturday morning when i went to bed having 7 minute contractions and woke up having 5 minute contractions.  happily, they backed off after an hour or so and we were able to enjoy all of our planned events with no drama.

2016
21
Aug
21:34

two years in the blink of an eye

   Posted by: arcanai    in pix, the turkey

i can’t believe my precious little baby boy is already two years old.  i feel like it was just yesterday that we were sharing the exciting news with all of our loved ones and now he’s this amazing boy who talks in sentences and is incredibly smart and loves everyone and looks nothing at all like a baby anymore.  since we didn’t know what might happen with the sequel, we kept his party pretty simple.  invited our closest friends over for a casual beach day and he had a great time.  i love this little boy so much!

beach boy!

my beautiful family

the birthday boy(s)

no hesitating on the cake this year!

2016
19
Aug
22:16

still baking

   Posted by: arcanai    in the sequel

the ultrasound tech we saw this week was very much lacking in bedside manner.  she had almost nothing to say to us, rushed through her scans without telling us anything she was looking at, didn’t bother with measurements even though we repeatedly expressed our concern over the abdomen, and handed us three blob-like prints as we walked out the door.  the dr, however, seemed to be pleased with whatever she put in the report and so that’s all that really matters.  i’m up to 3cm, 80%, -1.  this is our crazy weekend so he just needs to hold off until we get through the next three days.

fortunately, he made it through the first event, which was maternity photos tonight.  we met the photographer at the state park and did some sunset photos at the old pier on the beach.  i was a little concerned about the turkey since the timing of our dr appointment left him with no nap today but he did awesome (he’s such a ham!). i hope the photos come out good because i want to have some really nice reminders of my last belly.  i am going to miss being pregnant so much.

now to get through the church shower tomorrow, the turkey’s birthday party on sunday, and his checkup/shots on monday…

2016
18
Aug
20:55

37 weeks

   Posted by: arcanai    in da belly, pix, the sequel

18 Aug 2016

2016
12
Aug
22:13

someone’s way off

   Posted by: arcanai    in pix, the sequel

we had a much better dr visit today, praise the Lord! the sequel measured 5lbs 15oz and his abdominal measurement showed in the 58th percentile this week.  obviously, i don’t believe he actually went from 2% to 58% in a week and i certainly don’t think he gained a whole pound in a week either so either someone was way off or one was a little low and one was a little high and he’s actually somewhere in the middle of them.  either way, between the less alarming measurements and the strong fetal monitoring in the NST, the dr was much happier and, therefore, we were ecstatic!  i wasn’t so happy to hear that we’ll be doing an ultrasound and NST every week from here on but whatever it takes to make sure he’s doing well. not to mention, we got a great look at the little cutie pie 🙂

look at that sweet little face!

we actually went to the appointment with our bags packed, just in case, because of last week’s scare.  i was so very glad that we got to come back home and let him continue baking. of course, the dr also said that i’m already 2cm, 80% and he’s low enough that he was pushing the dr away with his head so going to term is still questionable.  his parting comment was that i’ll need to get to the hospital quick if labor does start because this one will push his way out in a hurry.  somehow, i’m not holding my breath that it’ll be that easy. lol

2016
11
Aug
20:19

respect mother nature

   Posted by: arcanai    in heartache

yesterday afternoon, a guest staying at our condo swam out in very hazardous conditions to rescue two distressed swimmers.  he saved them and never came back.  the helicopters flew a search grid behind our house until late into the night and started again first thing this morning.  around 1100, i heard it stop making passes and start hovering in one place.  i didn’t want to look.  when i finally worked up my nerve to go out to the balcony, i saw that the helicopter was hovering just west of us.  maybe a couple hundred yards over and out.  a few minutes later, rescue trucks drove up and swimmers went into the water.  it took them several minutes to swim out past the waves and as i watched them struggling, i saw the body being washed in the surf a little closer our way.  i watched the brave rescue swimmers approach and apprehend the body.  i was crying as i watched them strap the body to the rescue buoy and start the strenuous swim back in.  i cried and i prayed and i prayed and i cried.  my heart is so heavy for this man’s family.  i cannot fathom.  and i hope that they were not out there watching.  i hope that they were not in the throng of people gathered on the beach as the rescue swimmers pulled him in.

and this just four days on the heals of my hubby’s rescue of two distressed swimmers while he was out surfing this past weekend.  i begged him to never do that.  to never just run out into the water without any kind of flotation device.  it is just heartbreaking when people underestimate the power of mother nature.  i have seen the gulf at its angriest and it demands respect.  i don’t ever want to be the one seeing my husband’s body pulled onto the beach because some idiot thought the rough water looked fun.

2016
11
Aug
13:16

36 weeks

   Posted by: arcanai    in da belly, pix, the sequel

i feel like every week that i get to post one of these is just a huge blessing right now. praying for good news at the dr’s tomorrow.

11 Aug 2016

2016
9
Aug
22:49

Unclear

   Posted by: arcanai    in prayers needed, the turkey

the turkey had what we thought was going to be his final checkup for his ears today. he had fluid in the ears as an itty bitty so we’ve been having to see the ENT dr for the last eighteen months to monitor his hearing and make sure that he didn’t need tubes or anything. all of his checkups since he was eight months old have been good and his two year checkup was supposed to be when he would officially be cleared from the whole deal.  we went in today with confidence that it was his last trip to this dr (who we really like and we talk to at church all the time but i’d rather not see him professionally anymore).  so it was a devastating blow when his right ear completely failed the tests again and the dr found that his tonsils and adenoids are enlarged and blocking his head up.  *sigh* he gave us a nasal steroid to try for a month but is pretty sure we’ll need to do surgery to remove those pesky body parts.  i am finding this to be very difficult to deal with and i am praying frantically that he is in the 10% that improves without intervention. first, i don’t want to see my poor little guy go through a surgery. but then there’s also the terrible timing.  i’ll have a newborn and i won’t be able to be there with him.  i won’t be able to comfort him as he goes into surgery or when he comes out and if it’s a multi-night ordeal, i won’t be able to stay with him.  i’m already struggling with the fact that i’ll be apart from him for the first time when the sequel decides to arrive.  i’ve never not given him a kiss on the forehead from grampy and eskimo kisses from momma before bed.  i’ve never not tucked him back in and thanked the Lord for him before i go to bed.  i’ve never not been there to sing him awake in the morning.  and now i may have to miss all of that twice in a very short amount of time.  and let’s not even get into the purely logistical nightmare of being a one-car family with hubby and turkey in town at the hospital and me and newborn at home without a vehicle if something happens.   i understand that the whole tonsil/adenoid thing is pretty common – i never had to go through it but i know plenty of kids do – but i could really use all the prayers i can get that my sweet little turkey doesn’t have to go through this.

2016
5
Aug
13:14

35+ weeks

   Posted by: arcanai    in da belly, pix, the sequel

forgot all about my belly pic after the startling dr visit yesterday. just praying that this pregnancy continues for another five weeks.

5 Aug 2016

2016
4
Aug
22:07

hyperventilating tears

   Posted by: arcanai    in pix, prayers needed, the sequel

today was supposed to be a regular checkup.  we had an ultrasound two weeks ago and the dr had concerns about the sequel’s weight so she ordered another one for three weeks (next week).  today we saw our regular dr and, after he and the nurse both came up 5cm short on the fundal measurements, he reviewed the ultrasound and felt that we needed to do another one today rather than waiting until next week.  while the dr we saw two weeks ago told us she was concerned about the baby’s weight (3lbs 13oz) being in the 22nd percentile, i honestly wasn’t all that concerned because he only seems to be measuring a half pound less than the turkey was and he was born at a perfectly respectable 7lbs 9oz.  what she failed to tell us was that the abdominal measurement was also way under, which is what caught our dr’s attention today.  hubby naturally asked what his primary concern was and what implications there were.  as the dr left the room after explaining that a determination of growth restriction would mean that we head to the hospital and take the baby now, i completely broke down into a tearful fit of hyperventilation.

the good news is that the “emergency” ultrasound showed that the sequel is gaining weight at the right rate… he’s up to 4lbs 14oz today which is the typical 1/2lb per week.  also, we finally got to see his precious little face.

for the record, that's five ultrasounds that he has now slept right through.

they never really said anything about him dropping but it seems like the 5cm fundal difference could be due to that since the US tech had to scan through my pelvic bone just to see his head… they didn’t have to go nearly that low two weeks ago.

the not so good news is that the abdominal measurement is still in the 2.7 percentile which continues to worry my dr… and by extension, me.  it seems like the accurate weight gain should indicate that we are not in the realm of IUGR but the tiny abdomen could cause problems with crucial organ development.  so, we have another ultrasound next week.  and a non-stress test.  and i will be praying fiercely between now and then that my baby boy is okay and everything goes well.  “i trust you, God.”

2016
1
Aug
20:26

moving on

   Posted by: arcanai    in family time

my step-mom sold the house and moved north today. i’m so glad to see her away from the increasingly crazy neighbors and getting closer to family so that she’s not so lonely all the time.  i’m also so sad to know that we’re not going to get to see her when we’re down there anymore.  i’m hoping we’ll be able to talk her into coming to visit us often because it’ll be a lot harder for us to visit her.  i’d love it if we could talk her into being a snowbird but i don’t have a lot of hope in that.  the turkey loves his grammy something fierce and i hope that the sequel gets that chance too!