Evan, Aidan, Bella & Sophia » June 2006 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Fri, Jun 30, 2006 6:00 AM
I'M 30 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!!

IZABELLA:
Your baby now weighs about 3.5 lbs (1600g) and measures about 18 inches (40cm) in total and about 11.2 inches (28cm) from crown to rump.
Your baby's increasing size means that she has less room to move around in your uterus.

Your baby could already be moving into the head-down position.

Your baby's lungs are maturing and their lining, which prevents air sacs from collapsing, is growing. This lung development means that your baby would have a much greater chance of survival if he were born prematurely.

About 16 fluid ounces of blood are flowing through the wall of your uterus to the site of the placenta, though your blood never mixes with your baby's blood. It is separated by the placental barrier which is a very thin wall. Water, nutrients and waste are exchanged across this barrier at a rate of 0.3 fluid ounces per second.

Your baby swallows amniotic fluid and urinates.

Your baby's ears are sufficiently developed to hear and recognize your voice, the voices of other family members as well as familiar musical tunes.

MY BODY:
Most women have gained about 19 pounds by this point in pregnancy. The weight gain is made up of the baby, the placenta and the amniotic fluid as well as enlarged breasts, an increase in blood volume, water storage, fat and protein.

You feel your baby moving about regularly and this may cause you to feel bonded with him. You don't need to worry though if you do not already feel bonded with your baby. For some women, the baby still seems abstract when it is inside. You may bond rapidly or gradually after the birth.

Fatigue will probably continue and you may feel breathless after physical activity.

Colostrum may be leaking from your breasts. However, this does not occur for all women and in no way indicates that there will be a problem breastfeeding if colostrum is not present before birth.

You may have trouble sleeping for various reasons: it may be difficult to find a comfortable position, you may have to urinate frequently during the night, baby's activity can prevent you from sleeping and you may be feeling anxious.

Your back probably aches since the muscles and ligaments that support it have begun to relax and loosen in preparation for labor.

You may have also developed some varicose veins.

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Wed, Jun 28, 2006 8:30 AM
30 WEEK PERI APPT & BPP/NST
Today's appointments went ok. I have 1+ protein in my urine, which my Perinatology team are keeping their eye on. (Protein in urine WITH high blood pressure is a sign of pre-eclampsia/toxemia). My blood pressure is 92/60, so they are not too concerned. They did send my urine out to culture, as this is the second week in a row I have had 1+ protein show up. They told me I have had a trace show up for a long time now, but it seems to be increasing. I also gained 3 LBS in 1 WEEK! Dr. Hinton said it is probably due to fluid retention (from the high protein, etc.) EEK! My cervix is still long and tight, and my stitches are in place. Everything looks good.

Izabella received a 10/10 on her Bio Physical Profile (BPP) and Non-Stress Test (NST) combo today. She is reactive, breathing, moving, has awesome cord blood pressure and a great amount of amniotic fluid. She is as perfect as can be. Her heartrate ranged from 160-180 BPM today.

The contraction monitor did not register any contractions today, which is a good sign. I do still have about 6-7 per day, but noting back-to-back. The ones I have are PAINFUL, though (definitely not Braxton Hicks). So far, my cervix isn't changing.

7 weeks to go until my c-section! It is scheduled for 8/18/06!

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Sun, Jun 25, 2006 3:11 PM
Evan is doing so great with all his words! I can't believe what a little talker he is. He can say:

Mama
Dadda
Bye Bye
Night Night
Thank You
More
I Love You (I wub ooo)
No No No
Uh Oh

These are just the words and phrases I can THINK of (off the top of my head).

Aidan is a little shy when it comes to speaking, but we can tell he understands. He says Mama, Dadda and a few other words here and there.

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Wed, Jun 21, 2006 9:00 AM
29 WEEK PERINATOLOGY APPT & BPP/NST:
I just had my 29 week Perinatology appt. with Dr. Brady, plus my weekly Bio Physical Profile (BPP) and Non Stress Test (NST) today. Dr. Brady told me that he will be scheduling me for my c-section at 37 weeks (which is 8/18!!!!!), as long as I don't deliver earlier. That just seems SOOO close. <2 months and counting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had protein in my urine today, unfortunately. We are keeping a watch over it for now, as my blood pressure is still excellent at 100/75. (Protein in urine can be an indicator of pre-eclampsia). He said if I have protein in my urine next week, he wants to do a catheter and test more urine. :(

My cerclage stitches are still holding tight, my cervix is still tight & closed. I gained 1 lb. since last week (for a total of 24 lbs.) Dr. Brady said my weight gain was just perfect, after I complained about how fat I felt.

Izabella scored a 10/10 on her BPP/NST combo today. She is reactive, breathing, good muscle tone, good cord blood pressure, and her amnio. fluid level was good. Her heart rate baseline was around 160 BPM. Apparently she was sleeping during most of the NST, so the ante-partum Nurse came in to *buzz* her with an electronic device. Izabella got so upset that her heartrate went up to 190 BPM! It freaked me out to think they were scaring her like that, but she did end up passing the NST portion of my weekly monitoring (she is reactive).

Everything was great, except the protein in my urine.

I also got the results from my GTT! I PASSED!

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Sat, Jun 17, 2006 8:00 AM
Today, our beloved cat Szu Siu died. We are very sad about our loss. Slawek has had her for 10 years.

Yesterday she slipped out the front door, as she so often does. Both of our cats have stayed out all night (neither is declawed) and nothing happened. This time, some other animal got ahold of Szu Siu.

I looked out the window this morning and told Slawek that she was on our driveway (patially under our van). Then I noticed all of her hair on our driveway and told Slawek she looked like she was in bad shape. Slawek went out there and sure enough, she was dead. It looks like an opposum or a racoon got ahold of her and strangled her with teeth.

We are very sad to lose such a dear friend. Szu Siu always protected the boys and our home. She was very territorial over our family; we were HER family.

We will miss her tremendously...

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Fri, Jun 16, 2006 3:30 PM
Izabella is a blinking, breathing, gulping FISH!
Today I had my 1st of 4 Bio Physical Profiles. Izabella passed with flying colors.

She is responsive on the Non-Stress Test! Her baseline heartbeat is around 155 BPM and her reactive heartbeat got up to 183 BPM twice! This means she is responsive.

The Ultrasound showed she is practicing breathing, which is eactly what they were looking for. Her arterial cord blood flow was excellent, and she has several pockets of amniotic fluid. In other words, everything is great!

What was most amazing is that she opened her eye(s). We could only see 1, so I'm not sure if the other eye opened along with it. It was FREAKY. I have never seen a fetal eye open on an Ultrasound before! The sonographer said, "did you catch that? Lemme back that up." Sure enough, she opened and closed her eye. She also was gulping amnio. fluid like a little fish-face. It was totally amazing.

Izabella is also head down now (again). This morning I was lying on my left side and I felt her turn completely around. It was a very odd, pressured feeling. I told Slawek this morning, "she is head down now, I just felt her turn." Sure enough, I was right.

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Fri, Jun 16, 2006 8:00 AM
28 WEEKS
IZABELLA:
Your baby now weighs about 2.7 lbs (1.2kg), measures about 10.4 inches (26cm) from crown to rump, and is around 16.7 inches (42cm) long. She is plumper and rounder, and his head and body are beginning to be in proportion. Your baby now uses all of his senses. She can see, taste, recognize touch and the sound of your voice.
During the last trimester, your baby will receive antibodies from you through your placenta that will provide immunity from many diseases.

Your baby's adrenal glands are producing androgen-like substances. Androgens are normally male sex hormones, but in late pregnancy, when they reach the placenta they are turned into estrogen which in turn stimulates the production of prolactin in your body. Prolactin is the hormone needed for milk production. In this exchange, your baby is beginning to stimulate milk production in your breasts so that when she is born there will be food waiting for her.

YOUR BODY
Your breasts may be leaking colostrum as your baby stimulates the production of the hormone prolactin. If you are not leaking colostrum, there is no need to worry at all about having a good supply of milk to feed your baby. Not everyone will leak colostrum before birth.
Your balance may be affected by your enlarged abdomen so you should be especially careful to avoid falling.

You may be feeling pressure on your diaphragm, liver, stomach and intestines as they are displaced by your growing baby.

Your total weight gain by this point is likely between 19 and 25 lbs (8.55 and 11.25kg).
As your uterus puts pressure on your internal organs, including your bladder, you probably have to go to the bathroom more frequently.

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Thu, Jun 15, 2006 6:00 PM
Evan now says "I LOVE YOU!"

I can't believe it! Someone asked us if Evan said, "I love you" the other night and I blew it off by saying, "nooo, he can't say that yet." I told my mom the story and she looked at Evan and said, "Evan, I love you." Evan looked right back at her and said, "I wub ooooo." I looked at him next and said, "Evan, I love you." Evan said, "I wub oooo."

Ever since then we can't seem to stop saying I Love you to Evan, and he responds every time!

I love this part of being a Mom. I almost cried!

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Tue, Jun 13, 2006 10:00 AM
28 Week Ultrasound & Perinatology appt:
The Ultrasound went great. Izabella weighs approximately 2 lbs. 10 oz. She still measures over a week ahead. She is now breech, she just turned in the last few days (she has been head down for over a month). Oh well, with a c-section, it doesn't matter anyway.

I gained another 4 lbs. this month, which is right on track (1 lb. per month). That makes it a total weight gain of 23 lbs. now. EEK! My blood pressure was 108/60 (excellent). My fundus/uterus measures 29 cm (which is just 1 week ahead now). Unfortunately today, the nurse said my ketone level was extremely high (according to my urinalysis). She also said my sugars were high. She said I must be extremely dehydrated and needed to drink and eat something. I was fasting for my Glucose Tolerance Test that was also this morning! After the test, I was sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat some lunch.

Dr. Marcotte was my Perinatologist today. I asked him whether I am allowed to swim in our new pool and he said, "absolutely yes ~ as long as I am not dilated." I am checked for dilation every week now, so he will tell me if I am not allowed to swim, if that time ever comes. Dr. Marcotte said I am closed, tight and that my stitches are in place. All is well!

From now on I see my Perinatologist WEEKLY. I also have WEEKLY BioPhysical Profiles (BPP). BPPs are an ultrasound to monitor Izabella and see how she *scores* as far as breathing attemps and otherwise. Michelle, RN called me on my way home and said they actually need me to come in THIS week for a BPP. So, I'll schedule it for Friday. I will have WEEKLY BioPhysical Profiles from week 28-32; then I will have WEEKLY Non-Stress Tests & Arterial Flow Studies from week 32 until delivery. Confused? I am! I can't keep track of whether I'm coming or going!

I have my appt. with the Care Coordinator on June 21 to register for Izabella's Delivery.

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Mon, Jun 12, 2006 7:44 PM
BOTH BOYS ARE SLEEPING THRU THE NIGHT! It only took 5 nights of working with them (really, it was only Evan), but they have consistently slept thru the night ALL NIGHT for 5-6 nights now. We are PRAISING GOD. It's been 18 months now, and we are FINALLY at the point where they are both sleeping through the night (9 pm - 7:30 am). Thank God! Right in time for Izabella to arrive. Oh well, at least I'll get a few months of good-quality sleep before she is born.

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Sun, Jun 11, 2006 5:43 PM
We are having a 30 ft. pool put in! Honestly, I had planned on having a pool installed sometime within the next few years, but Slawek and I decided to go ahead. We ordered it today, but it will still take a while. We have to wait for the supplies to come in this week and then the installers will call us within the next 2 weeks to schedule installation. We were told it's usually about 3 weeks before the pool is up and working.

We are very excited and can't wait! Our kids will love having a pool to play in as they grow up. I remember having swim parties and things over the summer. I loved it myself!

We are very happy!!!

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Fri, Jun 9, 2006 7:00 AM
27 WEEKS ~ 3rd TRIMESTER FOR ME!!!!
IZABELLA:
Your baby weighs about 2.5 lbs (1.1kg) and is about 10 inches (25cm) from crown to rump and 15 inches (38 cm) long from head to toe.

At this time, the baby has tastebuds which allow it to distinguish between sweet, sour and bitter tastes.

Brain tissue and brain development increases at this time as your baby grows the folds and grooves needed for a developed brain.

Eyebrows and eyelashes are probably present and the hair on your baby's head is growing longer.

Your baby's body is filling out, getting a bit fatter as fat deposition continues, but it is still somewhat red and wrinkled.

Your baby is big enough for his presentation to be determined. That is, your caregiver can probably tell how your baby is oriented in your uterus. He may be breech (bottom down) or head first. If your baby is in a breech position now, there is no need to worry as there is still plenty of room and time for your baby to change positions.

Your baby can feel pain and respond to it in the same way as a full term baby.

MY BODY:
You are entering your third trimester now.

Most women have gained between 17 and 24 lbs (7.7 to 10.8 kg) by this time.

Your breasts may start to leak colostrum, the sticky, watery substance which comes before milk. This will be your baby's first food before your milk comes in a day or two after delivery.

You will probably visit your caregiver every two weeks from this point on. Your caregiver may perform a glucose tolerance test this week. If your early blood work revealed that you are Rh negative, your doctor may want to do an antibody test to determine if you have made antibodies to your baby's blood type to see if there is a risk of you having an immune reaction to your baby's blood. If this situation applies to you, ask your doctor for more information.

If you haven't already, you may begin to have vivid dreams about your baby. Braxton Hicks contractions will probably continue preparing your uterus for childbirth.

You may have red stretch marks on your belly and the veins on your breasts will likely have become more prominent.

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Wed, Jun 7, 2006 7:40 PM
So far so good on the sleeping situation with the boys. It honestly hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. We should have tried this MONTHS ago!!!!

Our progress so far:

Night #1 (Sat, Jun 3) ~ Evan whined and moaned for about 15 minutes and then fell asleep.

Night #2 (Sun, Jun 4) ~ BOTH boys slept thru the night!

Night #3 (Mon, Jun 5) ~ Evan whined and moaned again for about 15 minutes and then went to sleep.

Night #4 (Tues, Jun 6) ~ This was BY FAR the worst night so far. Evan cried for a long time tonight. He woke up at his usual 2-3 am crying for milk. We toughed it out and did not go in, just as Dr. Hein advised. Evan went to sleep after 30 min.

Hopefully it continues to get easier. I almost caved tonight!

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Wed, Jun 7, 2006 11:15 AM
27 WEEK CERVICAL ULTRASOUND
Today was my very last weekly cervical ultrasound measurement. My cervix measured a whopping 4.9 cm long. This is excellent news - it means my cervix hasn't changed in length at all since I was put on bedrest. I am very happy!

Dr. Brady doesn't do cervical ultrasound measurements in the 3rd trimester, as the cervical measurements are mainly to predict delivery prior to 32 weeks gestation. A cervical length measurement of <=1.5 cm at 26 weeks or BEFORE is an indicator that delivery prior to 32 weeks is VERY probable. Since my cervix is 4.9 cm this week, it is highly unlikely I will deliver prior to 32 weeks. This is WONDERFUL news.

I graduated from Lori successfully ~ without being admitted into the hospital like the last pregnancy. (Lori is the one who noticed my cervix was <1 cm. with the boys at 25 weeks gestation, and also that I was 1 cm dilated. I was quickly admitted then). What a happy day!

We have a 3D/4D ultrasound this Saturday 6/10, which we are really excited about. We will get a really good idea of what Izabella's face looks like.

Tuesday, 6/13 I have a Level 2 Ultrasound to measure Izabella's weight at Good Sam Hospital. She is well over 2 lbs. now. I also have my Gestational Diabetes test this day, and my 28 week Perinatology appt.

Everything is looking great! Onto the 3rd Trimester.

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Mon, Jun 5, 2006 7:00 PM
We bought a 2006 Chrysler Town & Country LX tonight. We had previously looked at them and decided that this was the car for our family. The purchase was made this evening by Slawek.

The van is AWESOME. It has 3 rows of stow & go seating (all the seats collapse into the floor for hauling or you can use the stow & go compartments for storage). It has the DVD entertainment theater system, which the boys ALREADY love. It has the premium sound system and is my favorite color ~ SILVER! Most importantly, we will be able to access the 3rd row of seating. (Our Durango had a 3rd row seat, but it was totally inaccessible due to the 2 car seats for Evan and Aidan being in the 2nd row.) Our new van has the walk-thru to the back 3rd row, so we are in good shape when Izabella arrives and we have to install that 3rd car seat. Plus we have lots of extra room for additional rider(s).

We love the van! The boys tested out the DVD entertainment system by watching Baby Einstein and we could not get them out of the car. I never thought I would be a mini-van driving mom, but with 3 babies in 3 car seats ~ it's a MUST. I am very happy with our purchase. I can't wait to bring Izabella home in our new van. (See photos in the photo album entitled, "Gifts for Baby Bella.")

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Sat, Jun 3, 2006 9:30 AM
Evan & Aidan had their 18 mo. checkup today. No shots for them! WOO HOOO!!!

Evan: 23 lbs. 2 oz (20th %)~ 32" long
Aidan: 27 lbs. (50/60th %)~ 33" long

Dr. Hein was very impressed with how they are both doing, especially with their weight (considering their premature beginning). Dr. Hein talked at great length with us about the boys' poor sleep habits. He gave us some things to work on, and we are hoping and praying they work since we would like to get the boys to sleep thru the night prior to Izabella's arrival in a few months.

Everything is great - they are developmentally where they should be!

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Fri, Jun 2, 2006 7:56 AM
26 WEEKS!!!!!
YOUR BABY:
Your baby weighs more than 2 lbs (1000g), measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump (24cm) and its total length is about 15.3 inches (34cm). If your baby were born now, she would have about an 85% chance of surviving. Nonetheless, your baby still needs another 13 weeks of in utero development to be considered full term.
Your baby's eyes, no longer fused shut, are now open. Your baby's skin still has a very wrinkled appearance, but it is protected and nourished by the covering of vernix, a waxy coating that keeps the skin supple. Your baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than she will be at birth.

YOUR BODY:
The end of this week marks the end of your second trimester. Regular weight gain will continue until about the 36th week of pregnancy. Your breasts may be sore and uncomfortably heavy since they have increased in size. You can be susceptible to urinary tract infection from this stage onwards. Drinking plenty of water can help.
Your cholesterol levels may be elevated, though this is usually normal in late pregnancy as cholesterol helps build up the pregnancy hormones that are being produced by the placenta. Of those hormones, progesterone is particularly important right now as it aids breast development and the muscles of the uterus.

YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

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