Buying more time...

Well...  we got some very good reports today!  


The first appointment was a little disappointing.  My doctor did my examination and found that I hadn't dilated at all!  She also said that although the baby had dropped, it was not low enough to cause dilation.  I just couldn't understand how I'm not dilated with all the contractions I'm having.  She could tell I was disappointed and explained that I wasn't even 37 weeks yet so not to get too discouraged.  She also said that although she normally doesn't, that she would induce me if my body started progressing towards labor.  We agreed to just wait and see what kind of call MFM made today.  So even though I was not pleased with the zero progress I had made, I was okay with the overall plan.


This afternoon, I had my ultrasound at Maternal Fetal Medicine.  The baby did wonderful.  It practiced it's breathing and moving and got a perfect 8 out of 8 score after about 5 minutes into the test.  Then I held my breath as the technician measured everything.  She told me that the baby was estimated to weigh about 5 pounds and 3 ounces!  That's almost a pound of growth in a week!  So the baby is no longer very worrisome; still on the petite side but no longer critical.  So the doctor seemed pleased.  He said they would continue to see me weekly through the end of my pregnancy.  So we are buying time one week at a time.


On the other hand, the doctor does want to take the baby around 38 to 39 weeks via cesarean section.  I was overwhelmingly disappointed.  He said it is very unlikely that I would go into labor before that time and he doesn't want to leave the baby for the full 40 weeks.  He also said that since I will be considered full term next week, that if the baby looks even a little bit worrisome at any point that they will deliver it that day.  So he advised me to have me to have my bags in my car at every appointment. 


The other very stressful news is that my doctor is out of the office my 39th week.  So unless the baby is born next week, I forgo the luxury of having my doctor, my wonderful, compassionate doctor, deliver my Sweet Pea.  


I left the office feeling so blessed by the very good news about the baby.  However, I was in a new stress over all the disappointing news.  Maybe it was the hormones, but I was a mess of tears on the phone with my husband as I left the hospital. I was so happy and disappointed all at the same time.  Don't get me wrong, the baby's health takes precedence over my simple desires!!  I guess I just wanted an all around typical pregnancy since the my last one went every way but right.  But I keep reminding myself that planned sections and different doctors are very typical... and unimportant in the grand scheme of things.


My next appointments are on Wednesday, so we bought one more week to get ready for baby.  I actually went to Babies R Us to start slowly gathering things for Sweet Pea.  Jude had a lot to share... we already have a swing, bouncer, and we are debating on whether or not to use Jude's crib and put our big boy in a different toddler bed.  But a lot of Jude's stuff has been used for nearly FOUR YEARS and would need replacing anyway- I bought a new changing pad cover today since the one we currently have looks awful.  This weekend, Lane and I are going back to Babies R Us to buy bottles, a car carrier, a double stroller, and a few other gifts for our Sweet Pea as well as a toddler bed and a couple of new mattresses for our sweet kiddos.  I'm so excited but overwhelmed- I'm the MOST indecisive person in the world and I drive myself crazy!!  I have been to the baby store and test drove every double stroller and looked at every bottle at least ten times and still don't have a decision on anything :-/  Suggestions welcome ;-) {My indecisive nature is one reason we yet to have a name for our Sweet Pea.}  


We are also planning on shampooing all the carpets and painting the children's room (another thing I can't decide on- the right color of white to paint) before next week's appointment.  


All this is so trivial, but honestly I am actually welcoming trivial activities right now.  I have been through plenty of major activities for the week.

*****************

Now for some Jude news:

He is still doing wonderful and crawling EVERYWHERE!!!  His development has just blossomed over the past few weeks. 

Tomorrow we will see his GI specialist because we think his reflux is getting worse and need to figure out something to do about it.  The reflux is making eating by mouth next to nonexistent lately..  Not very encouraging on that part.  So hopefully we will get some answers tomorrow.

It is an incredibly busy week, but I am so thankful for the path my Father has chosen for me.  Hope you all are in His path as well. 

Thank you for your prayers for today, and thank you for prayers for my friend!  The Lord hears our prayers!!

Preparing for anything...

Good Morning!  I hope everyone is having a great week so far.

Today is the day that I go back to my doctors to check on Sweet Pea's growth and weight gain.  

First I will see my regular doctor this morning.  Thank heavens she is back because I am really not in the mood for someone new at a time like this.  Her appointment will be quick and easy.  I'll just get an examination to see if I have made any progress towards delivery.  Which I PRAY I have because I've dropped significantly over the past few days and have more and more contractions everyday... so I will be a little disappointed if I haven't dilated any- I'm still aiming to have this baby next week around the 4th through the 8th when my doctor is on call!

I have a few hours after that appointment- so maybe I'll get to swing by and see my cousin who was induced very early this morning, bring my redhead home for a nap, or get some items I need for Sweet Pea from Babies R Us.

Then this afternoon, I will see my doctor at Maternal Fetal Medicine again for another ultrasound and non-stress test on the baby.  I have a peace that everything is going to be fine... right now anyway.  I'm sure I'll be very anxious walking into the clinic.  

They'll be checking first to see if the baby is still growing.  Then, they'll check to make sure it is moving well and practicing it's breathing.  These little tests will all conclude if the baby is in distress or not and if the baby should be born soon or can wait a little longer.  

Now like I said, I do feel a peace right now.  I've been praying for this baby for a long long time, and I feel in my heart that despite the baby's size, it's healthy.  Plus the baby has been just as active as ever so I feel like it's not in any distress.

Nevertheless, it would be absolutely naive of me to not prepare to hear otherwise.  For all I know the specialist will feel that the baby is in distress and decide that today is the day it will come.  So I have my bag and Sweet Pea's bag packed in the truck... just in case.

I know I don't even have to ask for prayers.  You have all been so faithful to intercede for my family.  We are so very blessed by this fact.  

That being said, what I'm about to tell you, by no means, is a denial of your prayers.  I still covet them greatly!  But this morning, when you pray, their is another family that needs your prayers much more than my family.  If you would, please lift up the Garcia family in prayer!  Kim, my dear friend and one of my redhead's biggest fans, is battling cancer for the second time.  She has been given no hope, yet she praises our Father with a fierce determination!  Right now, the cancer is bringing her a great deal of pain.  Please pray specifically that her pain be taken away, a peace and strength be given to the entire family, that the Lord will do a miracle healing in her body, and most importantly that our sweet Father's precious name is glorified through all of this!  Thank you!

I will update on Sweet Pea's status as soon as I have the chance.  Lots and lots of hugs to all of you!

Nestings, Sprinkles, and Blessings

Today has been a very, very nice day.


I woke up before the alarm went off with a need to clean.  I was so surprised by this because I taught at Vacation Bible School all week; I figured I would want to sleep in.  Instead, my poor sweet husband woke up to his pregnant wife making a "to do" list for the day.  From that moment on, I didn't stop... my need to nest was just way too strong.  


I dusted, vacuumed, wiped down window seals, mopped, steam cleaned the sofa, cleaned bathrooms, defrosted a freezer, organized, and so on and so on.  My mom came by (when I say came by, it's really a planned visit because she lives almost an hour and a half away), but I didn't even stop to sit and visit with her.  I kept mopping and talking to her all the while.  Actually I was so thankful she stopped by.  My redhead was at his limit with cartoons and was about to require some Mommy playtime, but his Maw Maw came in and played with him.  All the while, my poor husband was following behind, trying to keep up, and scratching things off the list too.  He was so sweet to just give in and let me go nuts.


Next I gathered some tiny little outfits and a couple of blankets and packed them in a diaper bag for the hospital ;-)


Then, while my mom played with Jude, I got ready for my Baby Sprinkle-- I put on my blue dress and my sweet hubby painted my toenails for me since I can't reach them these days.


I headed over to my sister-in-law's house where I was welcomed and loved on by some of the sweetest ladies I know.  


I was "sprinkled" with some cute gifts including a precious sweet pea themed baby book and a pedicure from one of my best friends, an awesome Thirty-One bag full of goodies from my girls in the church nursery, some adorable gifts from my Bible Study teacher, a cute sweet pea themed layette from a very sweet lady, the most beautiful diaper cake I have ever seen (I'll never have the heart to take it apart) made by a precious friend who is becoming more dear to my heart everyday, and an abundance of diapers, wipes, and way too generous gift cards from family and friends who love me too much! {I plan to have some pictures up soon!}


Lane, Jude, Sweet Pea, and I are incredibly blessed by all the outpouring of generosity and love!


Tonight, Lane and I were treated to a pancake breakfast dinner by his parents.  {I have been craving pancakes for a while now.} We got some good visiting time in and some good food in our tummies.


This week, Lane and I are going to pick up a baby carrier and double stroller, along with some other goodies needed for Sweet Pea's arrival... I can't believe my baby will be here so soon.  I have actually had three contractions while typing this post!  



Speaking of the baby, I have been feeling much better and much more encouraged about the health of the baby over the past few days.  I really believe that everything is fine with the baby.  We go back to see my doctor and Maternal Fetal Medicine Tuesday and will find out if the baby is picking up on its growth.  


I know everyone is praying hard for us and I could never put into words just how much this means to us!  Please keep praying for us.  Please pray the baby picks up its growth rate! Please pray for a safe delivery without the need for a cesarian and most importantly for a healthy baby!  However, please join us in giving thanks that our Father is who He is and the His plan is PERFECT!  We want His precious name glorified through all of this!  

The other shoe finally dropped...

So today was a pretty tough day...

I debated on whether or not I should share this.  I really want this blog to be a source of encouragement; however today I am very discouraged.  Ultimately I decided that this blog is such a vessel of prayer for my family.. and we really need prayers now.

It started good with a physical therapy session with Jude where he crawled for her once again.  After he displayed his new physical ability, the therapist sang his praises and mentioned how she thought she would never see him crawl.  It was nice to hear that Jude has once again amazed someone.. only by the Grace of God.

Then I went to the maternity shop to search for a cute maternity dress to wear this weekend.  Some of my very, very sweet friends and family have insisted on throwing me a “Baby Sprinkle” this Saturday; and some of us thought it would be cute to wear pink or blue depending on what we think the baby is.  So I picked out a......  BLUE dress!  We still don’t know the baby’s gender, I am just going against the grain for all my friends that have decided to wear pink.  (Truth be told, I really liked a pink dress and would have bought it had it been in my size.)

Then I made it over to my weekly OB appointment where I had an ultrasound first thing.  This is where the day literally fell apart.  The ultrasound tech asked if I was on pins and needles, but I answered “not really; I feel pretty good today.”  I would choke on those words if I had to say them again!!

Well, as we went through the ultrasound, the baby was looking good.  Movement was good, breathing was good, position was head down... all was looking okay.  I didn’t even watch the numbers at the bottom of the screen to scrutinize over them.  Then we finished and the tech announced that the baby weighs around 4 pounds and 6 ounces.  I sat up alarmed and asked if she was sure.  I explained that the baby weighed 3 pounds and 6 ounces at the last visit... FOUR WEEKS AGO!  She then realized why I panicked- the baby should weigh over 5 pounds- and remeasured everything with the final result not changing much.

I was devastated and in shock while I waited to see the doctor... And of course this was the day I met the other doctor because my doctor is out of town.  She came in and did my exam then we talked about the VBAC where her methods are slightly different than my doctor but we talk about it long because the pressing issue was the baby size.  

She told me that the baby had fallen from around the 30th percentile to right under the 10th percentile in the past month and that she wanted me to see Maternal Fetal Medicine today!  She said that she anticipated them taking the baby this week from what happened on the ultrasound.

I won’t go into detail how upset I was, I’m sure you could imagine the thoughts running through my head.  Lane left work to be with me and we went to MFM together.

We had a wonderful doctor who took us right in despite the crowded waiting room.  The doctor had reviewed our chart and knew our history with Jude.  He said he didn’t want us to wait until the next day because he didn’t want us to lose sleep over this.

I immediately asked him the question I feared the answer to the most- “Did he think this was happening to our baby because it has a chromosome abnormality.”  He smiled, knowing the question was coming, and answered, “NO!” that the thought was not even in his mind.  He said that this was very very common.  They did another ultrasound and a non stress test on the baby.  The baby scored a perfect score and didn’t show any signs of distress.  The doctor felt great about the baby and is having us come back in week for another ultrasound.  If the baby is still struggling in the growth department we will discuss going ahead and taking the baby around 37 weeks, but the doctor would like to get to at least 38 weeks... and so would I!

We left feeling reassured, but the elephant is still in the room with us.  

It was a tough day, and I would be lying if I said I was this admirable pillar of faith during it all.  I try to stay positive most of the time, but today I was angry; very angry.  I am feeling better and trying to think positively but it’s pretty difficult.  I am praying that the baby is born healthy and there is no need for it to have a NICU stay!

In the meantime, despite our distress there is still a baby to get ready for.  And now we need to get ready much sooner.  I’ve pulled out Jude’s baby clothes and sorted through them.  And Lane and I have put together a list of things to do before the baby arrives.  So now we are on a mission around here.  Hopefully, we still have a couple more weeks to prepare for Sweet Pea.  

Thank you for loving and praying for our family...

A Babymoon... sort of

I have been begging my hubby to take me on a "babymoon" before Sweet Pea arrives.  But when it came down to it, I really didn't desire a trip without my Judey Jude, so we decided to make it one last little weekend vacay before the baby arrives.

I checked with my doctor last week and she advised that if I wanted to go, I needed to go NOW before she puts me on traveling restrictions.  

So we decided very last minute to travel to Biloxi.. which was a great idea... I brought my mom to babysit and got to visit my grandmother who lives on the coast.


Lane, Jude, and I spent the day on the beach.. playing in the sand, the water, and flying kites..

Isn't Jude too cute in his sunglasses his Papa (Lane) bought him!

Surprisingly, Jude LOVED the sand and water!

We bought a kite for one whole dollar and it was well worth it's cost.  Jude loved watching it.

We kept his rash guard on him the whole time for some extra SPF!  Those of you with redheads understand the extra precaution needed.

Overall, we had a wonderful time.  Then Jude went and stayed the night with his maw maws so Lane and I could have a date.  And we finished up the next day shopping at the outlet mall.  Where I caved and bought Sweet Pea a few cute outfits ;-)


Speaking of Sweet Pea, we have our first visit with the new doctor this week...  I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for her.  And I've been having contractions throughout the day for the past week so I'm anxious to see if I am making any progress towards my hoped for delivery dates (which are around the first week of July). And we get another ultrasound to find out how the baby is growing.  


The last time we did an ultrasound, the baby was measuring on the small side, so please pray that all looks well for this visit.  


Hope everyone is having a great summer...  we only have about a month left of ours before the baby excitement starts!

The Bunny Hop

For over three and a half years, you have prayed and followed Jude's milestones and accomplishments!  Y'all have gotten just as excited as we have when his hard work pays off and he meets a new goal.

Well I have some very exciting news...

I have waited for not seven, eight, or nine months, but for FORTY FOUR MONTHS to be able to say..

JUDE IS CRAWLING!!!

Just like Jude is incredibly unique, so have been the ways in which he does things.  And this is no exception.  Jude's crawling is referred to by his therapists as "bunny hopping". 

He had been doing it once or twice here or there, but tonight the light switch flipped on and he does it pretty much everywhere he needs to go.

It is really too cute.. so cute that I had to share a video of him doing it.  So, ENJOY!!

Untitled from The Mustard Seed on Vimeo.

Isn't that too cute!  We are so proud of Jude's new accomplishment.  We know he worked hard for it.. and so have we.

Does it sting a little to be able to make the announcement that my son is a crawler three years late?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!  In fact, it makes the announcement even sweeter to share!

I have a date!!!

Well, I had my 33 weeks check up this morning.  We didn't do any ultrasounds this week, so it was a quick visit.  They just checked my blood pressure and measured my belly, and everything was just PERFECT!!


Now we did discuss birth plans today!  My doctor went ahead and scheduled me for a c-section in case I don't go into labor on my own...


So unless I go into labor before, SWEET PEA WILL BE ARRIVING JULY 20th!! (That's only in 6 weeks!!!)


However, that is the "Plan B" birth plan.  The "Plan A" birth plan is to go into labor or shows signs of active labor before that date and have a successful VBAC delivery.  The doctor said that as long as the baby and my body are cooperative, she saw no problem with doing this.  There are some big risks involved, but the percentage is small.


Being "cooperative" means that the baby definitely needs to be in the vertex position, and my body needs to go into active labor naturally.  They will NOT induce for this type of delivery.  And it has to be progressive labor; they aren't going to let me labor for more than 6-8 hours.


Also my doctor is going to be out the week before my due date!  :-(  So I am seeing the doctor that will be on call that week at my next visit to get to know her... just in case.  


I'm sure the new doctor is fantastic, but we have been through a lot with Jude and this baby with my doctor, so having her deliver our baby would be an honor!


With all this info, I have a few prayer requests..


1.  Please pray that I can go into active and progressive labor before the section date, if that is His will.


2.  Please pray that I go into labor either the first or third week of July so that my doctor can deliver our baby.


Until then, I'm going to be walking and packing Jude around and doing any and all of those old wives tales we've heard to help activate labor.  If you have any suggestions, I'll gladly try them! ;-)


We are so excited that we will be meeting Sweet Pea soon!  I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by.  In fact, I need to get off the computer and on to some cleaning and nesting for the new baby.. it will be here so soon!


XOXO,
Angel

Beatin' the Heat

Wow!! Has it been HOT the past few days or what? If you are a fellow Louisianan, I am only preaching to the choir.  But to those of you not from here, let me tell ya, the heat index is already in the 100's here!  That's a little hotter than normal for early June in Louisiana.  And we are in the middle of the second driest year Louisiana has had since they started keeping record of our precipitation.  YEP!! It's hot here!


The problem is that the heat, a three year old who loves the outdoors, and his eight month pregnant Mama are not the best summer time combination.


Never fear!  Mama found a way to let her redhead play outside while they both beat the heat...

Santa brought this little water playground to our home this past Christmas, and we've been waiting for the Jude's surgery to pass so he can play in it.

I know you are thinking, "A water toy is an awful Christmas present," but when Santa found it at Target for the price above, he couldn't pass it up!

And there was just enough room in it for his very pregnant mommy to cool off with him.  We had so much fun playing in the water; however, I limited our playtime to about 40 minutes... My redhead can only take so much sun at a time...

And Jude is back in full swing from his surgery Tuesday.  His nose, eyes, and ears are much clearer now.  But we are sticking to our guns on the "no-water-without-earmolds policy"..  You can see the his bright green ear molds made just for him in the picture above.

We may have only played for about 40 minutes, but it made for a great nap time! 

It was a wonderful day!  Can't wait to go play again!  How are y'all beatin' the heat this summer?

Appliqué Crazy

Yesterday, while Jude was sleeping and I had read everything I brought with me to the hospital, I decided to browse through some applique websites.  I found quite a few precious patterns to add to my growing collection of cuteness!

So today, being as excited as I am about them, I decided to display my collection (so far) in case anyone is interested in a top or burp cloth for any holiday or special occasion coming up!  And yes I have already downloaded some for the fall and winter- with a new baby on the way, it's never too early to start on the cute holiday wardrobe ;-)

Appliqué Fonts

Appliqué Patterns

I just can't wait to see Jude and Sweet Pea wearing some of these!  Or, if Sweet Pea is a boy, to see Jude and Sweet Pea in some matching outfits!  I already have plans for matching seersucker Jon Jons with the baseball glove appliquéd on the front of them!!  (Even if Sweet Pea is a girl, I'm sure that she and Jude will be wearing some coordinating outfits ;-)

Let me know if you see anything you like!  I'll be posting these on The Mustard Seed Boutique's Facebook page later on today!


**If you are or will be interested in any LSU or any other team themed appliqués for the upcoming football season, let me know soon because I don't know how much free time I'll have once the baby gets here at the end of July.  I might not be able to make anything the entire month of August!  Right now, I only have a few sports themed appliqués, but I will be adding more if there is enough interest!  

Waiting for the Papers...

Happy First Day of June, everyone!  June is going to be an exciting month for our family.  This will be our last whole month together as a little family of three.  And there is lots to do before the baby comes in July!  I'm sure it will all be done... as soon as we can get home- which is what this post is about...


Jude had a pretty much uneventful night.  And Lane went back to work this morning since everything was looking so good.  Four doctors have come in to see him this morning, including his regular pediatrician and his ENT.  One by one, they said that they were discharging Jude.  Now that they have all come to see him and have all discharged him, we are just waiting for the nurse to come remove his IV and give us our formal discharge papers.  


So I am hoping that will happen soon- we've been waiting for about an hour now- so we can get home and get back to our routine.  


Thanks everyone for praying for Jude and our family!  He is doing wonderful and is back to his very playful self.  Which is another reason I hope the papers come soon; there is only so much fun to be had in a hospital room ;-)


I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far!
Angel