solofallop

no.176: she's a swimmer!

Molly is officially a swimmer! She's been taking swim lessons off and on since she was a little shy of two-years-old. She's finally put it all together and swims around like a little fish. I was so surprised last week to see her actually swimming with no help. And of course, so proud!

She loves it, and she loves to dive down and touch the bottom with her hand. She can swim! Yay!

no.175: 37.5-week check-up

38 weeks!

Everything went perfectly fine at this week's appointment. They were running behind and took a while to get to me, but other than that, everything was normal.

Appointment: 37.5-week
Blood pressure: 102/70
Weight: +1 lbs. (+17 lbs. total for the pregnancy)
Baby's heart rate: 140s/150s
Measuring: 37.5 cm.

Questions I asked, Answers dr. k. gave:

Q: Was my Group B strep test negative?
A: Yes.

Q: Since my c-section was moved to 4 p.m., can I have breakfast?
A: Yes. Just as long as you get up before 8 a.m. and eat. And nothing heavy. (Woo hoo!)

She asked if I was having contractions, and I told her I am. They aren't regular or frequent. The only time they show any signs of being regular are a couple of hours in the evening when I have 6-7 for about an hour or so, and they certainly don't hurt. She told me if they start to hurt or become more frequent to call her and she will go ahead and do the c-section. I asked if I could change my answer, and she said no. Hee. I just want this baby out!

no.174: 36-week appointment

Appointment: 36-week
Blood pressure: 120/66
Weight: +7 lbs. (+16 lbs. total for the pregnancy)*
Baby's heart rate: 180s/150s/140s**
Measuring: 37 cm.

We had some excitement at the most recent prenatal appointment! First of all, I gained 7 lbs. in 2 weeks.* How is that even possible?! I'm blaming it on an afternoon appointment with a full belly of lunch! Or water retention.

The second bit of excitement was when they checked Mia's heart rate.** It was in the 180s, and she was moving all over the place. dr. w. listened for a couple of minutes to see if it would go down, but it didn't.

I assured dr. w. that after lunch is one of the times that Mia is the squirmiest. (But really, this child squirms constantly! And oh the hiccups!) dr. w. asked what I had for lunch, and I said, "A turkey roly poly, baked chips and water." She replied, "Well, that's a good, healthy lunch!" Just to be on the safe side, dr. w. said I needed to be monitored for a while, which meant I got to sit in a comfy recliner hooked up to the fetal monitor with a buzzer to click every time Mia moved.

After about 30 minutes of wiggling around, having hiccups and kicking, she settled down and went to sleep. Her heart rate returned to the normal 150s/140s. All was well!

Want to hear her crazy heart rate with bonus hiccups? Click here! (You hear the chug, chug, chug, chug, BOOM, chug, chug, chug, chug, BOOM. The booms are the hiccups over the chugs.)

no.173: 34-week check-up

A little more than 5 weeks, and Mia Eloise will be here!

Another easy check-up today.

Appointment: 34-week
Blood pressure: 120/64
Weight: -2 lbs. (+9 lbs. total for the pregnancy)
Baby's heart rate: 140s
Measuring: 34 cm.

I didn't have any questions for the doctor today, so I don't have anything to post.

My next appointment is at 36 weeks, the day before I'm supposed to head to Nashville for a work trip. They will do the Group B strep test and check to make sure I'm not dilated. If I'm not dilated, I'm free to go to Nashville. If I am, I have to stay behind. I would really like to go, but I'm totally fine staying home too.

With Molly, I was fine with being pregnant up until the very end. I mean, I was uncomfortable, but okay with it. With Mia, I'm ready for her to be out. I am SO very uncomfortable, and I barely sleep at night. It's amazing the difference between having a breech baby (Molly) and one with her head down in my pelvic bone (Mia). Let's just say that I would take breech ANY day!

Mia is a very wiggly baby, just like her big sister. She also has hiccups all the time, just like her big sister. I'm very anxious to meet her and see what her personality is going to be! I hope she likes to sleep all the time, just like her big sister!

no.172: 32-week check-up

Another uneventful check-up, which I'm thankful for! I'm making my rounds to all the other doctors in the group. I saw dr. l. this time, and I really like her too. Since she's new in the practice, I'd never met her before.

Appointment: 32-week
Blood pressure: 112/70
Weight: +3 lbs. (+11 lbs. total for the pregnancy)
Baby's heart rate: 150s
Measuring: 32 cm.

Question I asked, Answer she gave:

Q: Do I need a flu shot?
A: Yes! We'll go ahead and get that done today.

After a shot and scheduling an appointment in 2 weeks, I was on my way in less than 30 minutes!

 

no.171: molly is 3!

I have a 3-year-old. And it blows my mind. It seems like just yesterday, I was lying on an operating table, looking over my shoulder at a big, chubby baby screaming her head off. Crazy!

Then:

And now:

(photo by Johanna!)

This was my Facebook status on her birthday, which pretty much sums her up:

Happy 3rd Birthday to my awesome, smart, silly, sassy, bossy, opinionated, sweet, loving, funny Molly Beth. You're pretty amazing, kid. And we love you to pieces!

Things she’s up to right now:

• She’s into pretending and has a great imagination. She will also play by herself for periods of time, instead of having to be entertained. Of course, she would always rather someone be playing with her.
• She loves all art projects. She’s becoming quite good at using scissors and cutting paper. She can wield a glue stick like no other!
• We continued her swim lessons throughout the summer, although she complains now and doesn’t want to go as much. She LOVES to swim, but she doesn’t like to be told what to do. Coach makes her work. She would rather float around and play. She isn’t actually swimming yet either, but she’s so very close! She can barely touch the bottom in the shallow end of the pool, and she thinks it’s the most awesome thing ever.
• She’s been in her new room for a couple of months now, and she really likes sleeping in her new bed. I love it too, because now we can cuddle up and read books together in bed. We still have a bit of decorating to do in her room, but it’s such a nice and cozy space to be.
• Her language skills surprise me every day. She makes up long, complicated stories. She will repeat stories that she’s been told. She knows all the words to multiple songs. And she makes up songs. She gets very frustrated if she’s talking and can’t remember a word. Like, throw-yourself-on-the-floor-and-scream kind of frustration. I remind her that she’s still learning new words every day, and sometimes you forget, even I forget words!
• She can easily count to 20 and say her ABCs. And she recognizes numbers 0-9 and letters. She and my mom have “school” in the morning when Molly is willing, and they practice writing letters and numbers and drawing shapes.
• We’ve started reading chapter books in the last month, and she loves it. (Charlotte’s Web was first!) It amazes me that she will sit and listen when there are no pictures! She also loves my fairy tale books from when I was a kid, which also have little to no pictures. She can sit for 1-2 hours listening and reading books. It’s definitely one of her favorite pastimes.
• She has great good manners and knows how to use them. Of course, she has her bad manners too, and she recognizes and announces when she uses them as well. In all, she’s a well-behaved kid and a joy to be around. She has her moments, but she also knows how to take some time and collect herself and try again. Very rarely is her behavior ever a problem.
• She picks out her clothes in the morning and is actually really good at matching. Given enough time, she could dress herself, but I usually help her.
• She’s potty-trained and has been for months. She still wears a pull-up at night, because she wakes up wet almost every morning. But as for the day, she’s on it! She can go all by herself too, including washing her hands when she’s done.
• She loves bugs and butterflies. She loves unicorns and fairies right now too. And dolphins.
• Her favorite television shows are Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Tinga Tinga, Bubble Guppies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Cat & the Hat Knows a lot About That and Chuggington. She likes to watch nature programs and Animal Planet a lot too.

Stats from her 3-year check-up:

Height: 38 in.
Weight: 32 lbs.
Blood pressure: 89/48

There’s so much more, I’m sure, that I’m forgetting. Like I said in my Facebook status, we just all love her to pieces! She is so excited about being a big sister and asks me daily if “Scully” can come out yet. I’m sure we will have some challenges once that actually happens, but I’m also confident that she’s going to love helping us take care of her little sister. I can’t wait to see their relationship grow!

Click here to see pictures from her 3rd birthday party!

no.170: 24-, 28-, 29- and 30-week check-ups

(28-week baby belly)

Wow! Am I ever behind. If I don't get these written down, they will be lost forever! Here goes:

***

My 24-week check-up included my gestational diabetes test. I have to say, this was probably the worst prenatal appointment I've had to date. First of all, the appointment was at 8 a.m., which come to find out means that my nurse isn't there yet, and more importantly, neither is my phlebotomist.

You have to drink the sugary sweet drink an hour before your appointment, and there is a 15-minute window when they can take your blood. When I only had about 8 minutes left in that 15-minute window, I had to go find the nurse and tell her that I needed to get my blood drawn. She should have been on top of that, as I told her as soon as I got there what time the draw needed to be. Well, she then proceeds to stick me not once or twice, but FOUR times. She was finally able to get a vein in the top of my right hand. Needless to say, I was pretty much in tears by the time I finally got away from her. (She was also terrible at taking my blood pressure, and it was completely wrong. dr. k. took it again and it was fine.*)

The actual appointment was quick and to the point. I did complain to dr. k. about the nurse. I also told her had I known that my regular nurse and phlebotomist wasn't there until later, I would have gladly made the appointment later. We talked again about the likelihood of me failing the 1-hour test and having to come back for the 3-hour again. I was prepared for that, but then my nurse called the next day and I had passed the 1-hour! Yay!

Appointment: 24-week
Blood pressure #1: 128/88*
Blood pressure #2: 100/70
Weight: +4 lbs. (+4 lbs. total for the pregnancy)
Baby's heart rate: 140s

***

I don't remember much of anything about my 28-week check-up. I did see one of the other doctors in the practice to begin making my rounds to see everyone for this pregnancy. The chances of going into labor and one of the other doctors performing my c-section aren't very high, but they still want you to make your rounds. dr. w. is my second favorite in the group.

Question I asked, Answer dr. w. gave:

Q: I'm having pelvic pain all the time and hip pain during the night. Is that normal?
A: Yes. All normal. I can heal you in about 12 weeks!

Appointment: 28-week
Blood pressure: 110/78
Weight: +7 lbs. (+11 lbs. total for the pregnancy)
Baby's heart rate: 140s
Measuring: 28 cm.

***

You aren't supposed to have a 29-week appointment, but I was feeling really bad at work one morning and ended up having to go in that afternoon. I was dizzy, my chest was tight, my belly was tight, I had cramps and pelvic pain, just overall feeling bad. I thought it might be due to dehydration, and that's what it ended up being. I drank lots of water, and I felt amazingly better later in the evening. Imagine that. Drink water!

Appointment: 29-week
Blood pressure: 112/60
Weight: +0 lb. (+11 lbs. total for the pregnancy)
Baby's heart rate: 140s-150s

***

My 30-week appointment was super quick. I was in and out in about 20 minutes.

Questions I asked, Answers dr. k. gave:

Q: Would sitting on an exercise ball at work help with some of the pelvic pain I'm having?
A: It might help a little. You will probably have to alternate between the ball and your chair because the ball might make your back hurt. You can order a maternity belt and that might help some too. (I ordered one, we'll see!)

Q: I have a work trip in October, and I will be 36 weeks. Is a 4-hour car trip to Nashville okay?
A: It should be fine. Let's talk closer to 36 weeks, and I will check your cervix and make sure you aren't going into labor or anything right before you go.

Q: My hips are super painful at night, and I'm barely sleeping. Can I sleep propped up on my back?
A: As long as you aren't having any shortness of breath or headaches when you're on your back, it's fine.

Appointment: 30-week
Blood pressure: 100/60
Weight: -3 lbs. (+8 lbs. total for the pregnancy)
Baby's heart rate: 140s-150s
Measuring: 30 cm.

***

And that's how the past four appointments have gone! I'm writing this at 31-weeks, and I'm a bit in denial that a baby is coming in 9 weeks. This pregnancy has flown by, and I'm sure the next 9 weeks will be a blur as well. We are all super excited to meet her though, so I'm okay with it going by quickly (especially since I know I'll be able to sleep better once she gets here!).

Next appointment: 32 weeks!

no.169: feeling good at 22 weeks

I'll start this post out by saying "knock on wood." Because with 18 more weeks to go, anything can happen. But up until this point, it's pretty unbelievable how different pregnancies can be.

The first month or so, I was nauseous off and on. As long as I snacked often, I was fine. Eventually that went away completely. That is 100% different from my pregnancy with Molly, when I threw up multiple times a day and only ate saltine crackers and chicken & stars soup up until the 12-week mark. And even that didn't stay down.

I've been tired off and on. If only I could take a 2-hour nap every day, I would be golden! Most nights, I'm asleep by 9 p.m.

One thing that isn't all that different is my food cravings. This baby, much like her big sister, likes Taqueria (and most any Mexican food), ribs, steak, sub sandwiches, egg & cheese biscuits, iced green tea lattes and pizza. Typically, I'm not a fan of eggs or ribs or steak. But when pregnant? It seems like I am. Baby wants protein!

Only four short months to go, and I know they will fly by. Pretty soon, I will be juggling two little girls, and I'm pretty excited about that.

no.168: mountain time

On Sunday, we headed up to the mountains for a day trip. We didn't have much in mind, other than stopping at our "secret spot" (right after Helen but before heading over the mountain to Hiawassee). This is a spot that I've been going to since I was younger than Molly. I've always loved it there. It's just a little spot where you can play in the creek and throw rocks and take a little break.

Molly enjoyed it just as much as I used to. She could barely believe her ears when we told her she could actually throw rocks. She was beyond excited.

My family has always spent lots of time in the Hiawassee area. My Uncle David had a cabin up there, and my Grandmother had a camper that we used to spend summers upon summers hanging out and running around Eagle Mountain Trout Farm.

Although it isn't Eagle Mountain Trout Farm anymore, and it's no longer a working trout farm, we went up there to have our picnic lunch. The old guy who owns the place now was happy to have us stay for a while. He gave Molly a bag of fish food to throw to the remaining few trout and the carp in the big pond.

Molly was a great mountain traveler and didn't complain at all about all the time we spent in the car. She wasn't even interested in watching movies, saying that she'd rather look out the window and see everything. She's pretty awesome.

no.167: another little girl! (and 20-week check-up)

What a fun morning! We got to see Scully and we found out that she's most definitely a girl!

Every ultrasound is just so amazing. I could lay there forever and look at the baby. Finding out the sex was just a small portion of the scan. They measured all of her pieces and parts to make sure they were all in the right place and growing correctly. Everything from her brain to her femur to her kidneys and heart and toes all looked perfect. It's such a relief to know that everything up until this point is looking good!

I was very surprised that it was a girl. I was 99% sure that it was a boy! Everyone pretty much thought it was a boy, other than Hanna and Molly. Doug was looking forward to balancing out some of the estrogen in our house, but alas, he just gets more. We are all very excited, including Doug!, and also very prepared for a girl since we have everything of Molly's safely packed away. We also don't have to redecorate the nursery or worry with a decision about circumcision. Everything is much easier this way, and I'm really happy that Molly will have a baby sister. Yay for sisters!

Now we just have to figure out a name. We can't call her Scully forever!

After the perinatal visit, I had my check-up with dr. k.

Appointment: 20-week
Blood pressure: 117/70
Weight: -1 lb. (+0 lbs. total for the pregnancy)
Baby's heart rate: 166
Baby's weight: 12 oz. (measured perfect at 20w1d)

We waited for almost an hour on dr. k. And then we saw her for maybe 3 minutes? She asked the normal questions: spotting (no), cramps (no), feeling the baby (yes). Since we didn't have any questions for her, it was quick!

Next appointment: July 25 (glucose test. yuck!)