What We've Been Up To: Newbie3

I am very far behind on the baby updates! My brain has been so scattered lately, it's been hard to sit for an extended period and put thoughts together.

I am at 20 weeks--halfway there!

My last appointment with Dr. W was a few weeks ago, and here are the stats from it:
My bp: 120/68
Weight gain since last visit: 3 lbs
Baby's heart rate: 160

We discussed the Level 2 ultrasound I would be getting at 19 weeks, and she said we would not have the normal 20-week ultrasound in her office.

I asked about the pain in my tailbone, and she said it has to do with the position of the uterus, and the lax nature of the bony structure in my spine. Everything is stretching out for the baby!

That was pretty much the extent of the appointment. The fast heart rate started putting a little doubt in my "it has to be a boy" philosophy. Maybe...a girl?

Well, this past Thursday, we went to our Level 2 ultrasound. Of course, the main purpose was to find any medical problems that might indicate Down syndrome or other chromosomal syndromes. Within a couple of minutes, the sono tech said, "Well, I'm not looking at it closely, yet, but I can already tell you it's a boy!"

Haha! Another baby boy! What a blessing. Jon has his plate full in raising some good men! And my job isn't easy, either, trying to teach them how to treat ladies and look for godly women to be their helpmates in the future. What a responsibility, this parenting is!

But the more wonderful news of the ultrasound is that the doctor found no major health problems. All the "soft markers" that could indicate Down syndrome were non-existent, and all the major organs looked perfectly healthy. We were scheduled for a more detailed look at the baby's heart next week, because of James's medical history of a VSD, but the doctor said this baby had a "beautiful heart"--or maybe it was "beautiful ventrical septum,"--and there was no need for further study.

Prior to the ultrasound, we met with a "genetic counselor" whose main job was to explain what to expect in the ultrasound, and then to meet with us again afterward if any problems were found. He would explain the implications of what was found, the next steps or further testing recommended, and then also to handle the emotional stuff that could happen. We understand the possibility of what could happen, but God had taken care of us so far, and no reason to doubt that now, no matter what we found. Not that we would be bundles of smiles if we had found out some devastating news, but what a powerful peace we have knowing that God is in control--not my body, or the doctors, or anything else in all its imperfection. The perfect God is in control.

I have given up my pile of pillows that bolstered me up at night. They also kept me awake, and I fought with them any time I moved. So I'm going without, until I can't sleep without them.

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot! The name for little Newbie3!

Jackson Lee Norvell

We will call him Jack.

I'm not quite used to it, yet. I haven't said it enough times, I guess. But the boys can both say it, and that's good!

Jack is quite the mover and shaker! He was really wiggly during the ultrasound, and I feel him moving around all the time.

9 Weeks

Here we are at nine weeks. They say every pregnancy is different, and I have found that to be true. Well, mostly true.

Similar to 1 and 2, I have not had any morning sickness. The previous pregnancies, I have had a constant feeling of "gagginess" that required me to snack all day long. I can't really describe how I feel this time around. The gag feeling comes and goes. For example, when I started cooking dinner tonight, it made me feel gross just to smell it. This happened to me last week, as well. That time, I only picked at my dinner, but was able to eat it the next day with no problems. I am rarely hungry and get full faster than normal...and yet, I have had more snacks throughout the day. That might account for the (ahem) six pounds of weight gain...hm....

And completely UNRELATED, there is no hope of me fitting into my normal clothes. I had stashed away a couple of pairs of jeans that were a size or two larger, and those are serving me for now. But, it turns out that one of those jeans has paint on it (funny how you forget those things when it's stored away for two years), so I ended up pulling out a couple of honest-to-goodness maternity pants to make up for it. So there you go. Nine weeks in, and I've already made the plunge into maternity-wear.

Let's see, with Caleb, I made it to 16 weeks before switching. And with James, I made it 19.5 weeks! What does that say about this baby?? Granted, I haven't fully delved into it, but I'm pretty sure once everyone knows I'm pregnant, I'll be pulling out the ol' panel-topped shorts and the empire waist shirts.

As far as other pregnancy symptoms, the huge one for me this time around is FATIGUE. I remember being tired--as in, hit-by-a-Mack-truck tired--but I am TIRED. By the time the boys are in bed, it's all I can do to get myself to bed. Forget dishes, work, laundry, or even just hanging out with my hubby. Tired. I'm ready for this to go away.

Tomorrow we go for another sonogram with our favorite sonographer, Kathy. We are going to take Caleb and James with us, and that is when we will tell them. I'm super-excited about Caleb knowing. I wonder if he will laugh or cry...or if he'll understand at all when he sees the sonogram?

And of course, once Caleb knows, everyone will know! I hope that he will be excited to tell everyone, so we can tell brothers and grandparents. My Mawmaw got it out of me today, but everyone else will find out tomorrow, probably through a few Skype/Facetime dates.

That's it for now!

James in His Walker

Here comes James down the hall in his walker! This is the first time he really figured out he could move! He heads to the hall bathroom, where Caleb is. I had a feeling once he got mobile, he would follow Caleb wherever he could!

(click the image above to be directed to the video)

James: 10-month Check-up

Yesterday, Caleb and I took James for his 9-month check-up that has been rescheduled so many times, it became his 10-month check-up. Caleb is very much a part of the process, as he feels that he is doing his part as the big brother to bring his little brother to the doctor. Since we have been going monthly for RSV shots, Caleb has gotten the routine down. But I was glad to tell him that James would not be getting a shot on this visit. (As a side note, the "RSV season" has ended, and we won't be getting the shots from now on. I don't know if they'll start back up next season or not.)

The visit was very productive, as Dr. R was more congenial than usual, and answered my many questions. But first, the stats!

Weight: 16 lbs, 6 oz  -  50%
Height: 28 in  -  75%
Head circ: 41.3 cm  -  45%

So my little man has gotten some length on him! I still haven't gotten around to moving him to 9-month clothes, but mostly because he's in shorts all the time. 6-month footies would probably not fit him very well.

Questions I asked:

1. Circumcision ok? James's circumcision doesn't look like a normal circumcision to me, and Dr. R said that he has adhesions, which my mom says is scar tissue that pulls skin together where it shouldn't. Dr. R said it should break up between ages 2 and 3 years, and if not, James will undergo another circumcision. Yikes. It doesn't seem uncomfortable to James, and it's not causing blockage or any other issues, so we'll just wait it out and make that decision when necessary.
2. Belly button ok? Ever since James's surgery, his innie belly button has been an outie. That's usually a sign of a hernia, but Dr. R said that if it was a hernia, it was a very small one, and that it should close up on its own. I have noticed the outie is not as much an outie as it used to be, so hopefully that's true.
3. Chest shape ok? Jame's rib cage is a bit of a mystery to me. It's concave at the top, flares at the bottom, and has a large bump over his heart. Dr. R says that the flare at the bottom is probably a result of his heavy breathing prior to surgery; his lungs pushed his ribs out. The bump over his heart is supposedly normal, and everyone's chest over their heart is larger than the rest of the area. I do not find this to be true in the rest of our family, but whatever. As with the other questions, James's chest shape is nothing to worry about, and should right itself with time.
4. Diet into his first year? Dr. R said it should be no problem to move James to cow's milk at his first birthday. We'll still thicken it, of course, but he should transition fine from formula. He also said that baby food would be fine, if James wasn't ready for table food. I guess I knew the answers to these questions, but I still wanted to ask to make sure I was on the right track. This is just one of those instances that shows how I feel like a new mom with James!



James and his therapist

5. Further therapies? I've asked our developmental therapist about starting other therapies with James--speech, physical, occupational--and he has been reticent to recommend it, feeling that what he was doing was sufficient. However, Dr. R feels there's no reason to delay, and I think I agree with him. A faith-based place for special needs children, called Hope Landing, is sending me a large packet of information and forms. Once I've gone through all that, James will be evaluated, and we'll be given a recommendation as to what therapies he currently needs. As a child with DS, he will probably qualify for all of the above therapies, and we could end up going to therapy every day of the week if we chose to. However, we have been cautioned by other families with special needs to not revolve the whole family around one child, and that we don't have to accept every therapy that is offered. Choose the ones that are important for James at the time. So that will take some prayer and wisdom from us when it comes time to make those choices. Hope Landing does not send therapists to the house (unlike the developmental therapist), but it is in town and not too far. It seems like a neat place that incorporates prayer and spiritual development into its plans, plus there are some programs that allow sibling involvement as well. So, I'll probably be writing more about them later.

Little Man loves his toes!

And that's it! That was the doctor's appointment. Very informative, and we don't go back until 12 months. Before that time, James has an appointment with the genetic clinic at Children's and a follow-up appointment with the cardiology department at Children's. I think his heart doctor will be happy to see how much he has grown, and how well he is doing!

James at Nine and a Half Months

 My sweet baby James. How time has flown.

The last month or two have been an awakening for James. It was a sweet moment the first time he really looked at me and reached out his hand to play with my hair. He has been such a content baby that placing toys just out of reach have not been much of an incentive. He'll look at the toy...regard it for a few moments...then decide that things are really fine the way they are. So we all clapped when he lunged for a toy the first time.

He is eating his solid food like a champ, now. He really doesn't seem to like the Gerber Puffs. He prefers the yogurt melts, but still manages to spit them out most of the time. He just can't seem to figure out how to keep it in! I've been using mostly store-bought baby food with him, but I'm going to start incorporating more homemade food. It has more texture, and should be a good stepping stone to solid foods.

James has also gotten a lot more smiley lately. His first big smiles were five months ago in the hospital. Still, it took quite a bit of interaction and eye contact to elicit that smile. Only recently has he started to consistently and quickly respond to people with smiles. If I thought the church members weren't wrapped around his little finger already, he's got them with his smile! And his laughing...sometimes he's on his playmat all by himself just laughing! He is a joyful little boy.

He absolutely adores his brother--a constant in his little life. Caleb can always elicit attention and smiles. Their relationship is truly sweet to see. Recently we went to our outdoor high school graduation. When names were called, all the graduate's friends would whoop and holler, which scared James. He started bawling. Of course, the names kept getting called, and friends kept yelling, so there was no calming him down. Caleb was very concerned, and came in close to James. James held his arms out, and Caleb gave him a big long hug and a kiss, hoping to help him feel better. I have a feeling James will always have a protector in Caleb.

A few days ago, I brought my boys home from a long trip, and the last 30 minutes of the trip (when things are usually at their worst), Caleb was leaning as far as his carseat would allow him toward James. Caleb was laughing a silly, contrived laugh in order to make James smile. And James was certainly smiling! It was fun to see.

James loves to be upright. He has sat unsupported for a few moments by himself, but usually topples over pretty quickly. He's so close, though, and I think he will master it soon!

He's also showing signs of wanting to crawl. He tucks his knees up under him, but leaves his arms slack by his sides. We're encouraging his arms to come out by putting a ball under his belly. He'll get there! Though he is such a content boy, there are times when I know he wishes he could move as he pleases (usually when I'm bathing Caleb in the bath and James is stuck in the bouncy, watching).

At the moment, James moves by rolling. I find him well off the carpet a lot these days! Our floor is too hard for him to be flip-flopping all over the house, but he manages to find enough fun things on the rug to keep him occupied. I think his favorite find is paper. Today he eyed my grocery list through the whole store. I finally gave it to him when I only had a couple items left, and it was a gooey mess in seconds.

Big news: James started waving this last week! It's sort of an awkward arm-flap, and super cute! I love it. I wondered today if he was giving me kisses, but couldn't replicate it, so I'll have to update you on that one some other time.

Ever since he got the jumper figured out, James has been a jumping fiend. I mean, the kid was wearing skin off his toes from jumping! He didn't get blisters or anything, but we started keeping socks on his feet just for jumping. Before that point, James hadn't really put weight on his legs, so I was really happy with this progress. Well, now he won't put weight on his legs except to push off in a jump, so he got banned from the jumper. Sad. But he plays in his exersaucer and just started trying out a walker to encourage sustained standing.

I'm so proud of James. Just like Caleb did (and still does), he makes us smile so much. I love my little cuddle boy. I enjoy all the snuggles, even as I look forward to the day that he says, "Bye Mom. Gotta go play!" as he runs off to join Caleb in some mischief. I'm content to enjoy what I have now, and not worry about when the rest will happen.

James at Six Months

Our checkups coincide with the monthly RSV shots, which fall mid-month, so we don't have an official 6-month visit for another couple of weeks. However, I thought I'd go ahead and give you the general update.

I'm not sure I ever mentioned this on the blog: The doctor's office finally got a Down Syndrome growth chart, and instead of the 10th and 25th percentiles, James fell right on the 50th percentile for weight and height! That doesn't change the actual measurements, but it does confirm that he's doing just fine. At his last weigh-in (two weeks or so ago), he weighed 13 pounds!

James is becoming a "hip baby." You know, strong enough that I can set him on my hip now instead of cradling him in my arms. His head control is very good, and he loves to sit up--assisted, of course. He can grab toys and bring them to his mouth to chew on them, which is the desire of every baby's heart, I think. After James's surgery, it took awhile for him to want to go on his tummy, but lately he hasn't minded it so much. He can roll from back to tummy (and then back, sometimes), but doesn't yet know that he can go places with his rolling! Mostly he does it to get to a toy just out of reach, or just for something to do.

James is a great sleeper. He sleeps through the night, usually from about 9pm to 7am or so. He still naps several times a day, with usually one long nap in the afternoon (that coincides nicely with Caleb's nap). He still likes to be swaddled, though he's usually out of it by morning. I've tried to just not swaddle him, but he really gets to sleep easier and sleeps longer when he's all wrapped up. Sometimes getting him to sleep is as easy as cradling him with a little jiggling motion. Other times (becoming more common), he wails when it's time to go to sleep. He kicks and screams for a few minutes that feel much longer than they really are. And then he gives in and he's asleep! At some point we'll have to start some sleep-training with him. I do want him to learn how to go to sleep on his own. But when it's this easy to get him to sleep...why fix what ain't broken?

There are some signs that what's "fixed" may be breaking: The fighting sleep that I've already mentioned, and sometimes he'll wake up only a few minutes after I lay him down. When I pick him up, he falls right back to sleep. Lay him down, and he wakes up again. Hm....

James is eating two meals a day now, and normally taking four bottles a day instead of five. He's tried peas and green beans and seems to love them both. Introducing foods has caused him to start sticking his tongue out again--a DS thing that he'd quit in December or so. So we're back to working on that, but he's doing very well swallowing his food.

We recently added more thickener to his bottles because he had a constant rattle of fluid in his throat. I thought it was congestion (and some of it might be), but the rattle has decreased dramatically since we've increased the thickening. Though his suck muscles seem to be getting stronger, his swallow muscles do not. I remember introducing Caleb to water when he started solids. I haven't done that with James, because his fluids are about as thick as his solids. At the moment he doesn't know what he's missing, but can you imagine wanting the juicy goodness of an orange, and biting into it only to find the stickiness of a banana? As we enter the realm of table food in a few months, I'll have to be extra-aware of what James eats.

What else to report? James is very ticklish! I can tickle his sides and back, and it sends him into fits of giggles! It's not failproof, but when it happens, it doesn't fail to make me smile! He has a beautiful smile, but it has to be coaxed out of him with some good eye contact first. He loves faces, and if he can really connect with you by staring at your face while you talk to him, he'll just beam. I know he recognizes me when I pick him up from nursery, but he doesn't give me those gummy smiles that I know will come with time.

James is wearing size 3-6 month clothes. He really zoomed through 0-3 month, and I think it will be the same with 3-6 month. He's only been in them for 3 or 4 weeks now. Everything fits fine except for the sleepers; his toes have to curl up to fit into the footies! I'm hoping for a little more warm weather so he can wear some of the super-cute summer outfits before he outgrows them!

He's also still in size 1 diapers. Can you believe it! But I think he might outgrow those fairly soon, too.

James is easy-going, loves his brother, loves to be held up like he's flying, loves to touch the kitties, loves to cuddle. He's a pretty great kid all around. He's not a tiny baby any more, but he is keeping that tiny baby dependence a little longer than Caleb did, and I'm loving it.

Surgery for my baby boy

I'm sorry I haven't updated this blog enough over the past few months. Besides the picture posts I am trying to catch up on, I have had so many thoughts and updates about the boys. However, some things just don't get done, and when things get crazy, the blog is one of those things.

James has Down Syndrome. I mentioned that once, and at that point I hardly thought we'd need to mention it much more. His doctor declared him a healthy baby with no problems other than this extra chromosome floating around. However, during the first few weeks of James's life, we struggled to get him to eat, and I believe we really fought for his life. Our doctor was still sure that things would work out just fine as long as we kept doing what we were doing, but we were struggling to get even a milliliter of milk in him, at a time when he should have been taking in hundreds of milliliters. I breastfed him almost exclusively for the first week, until a weigh-in before and after a feeding revealed that he wasn't taking in any milk. At all.

When I think back on that week and realize that he hadn't been getting any kind of food, I shudder. And I thank God for a friend, Kathy, who recognized that James was in trouble. She used to be a neonatal nurse at the hospital, and she supplied me with preemie bottles and nipples, a scale, a daily check-in, and a wealth of information about how to best help James conserve his energy. He slept most of the time, never cried, and was a very lethargic baby.

Slowly...slowly...James gained weight. Our doctor felt that all was going well, and even began to doubt that James had Down Syndrome. However, we finally received the chromosome test that confirmed he indeed had DS, and our doctor referred us to a pediatrician in town (there are very few pediatricians here, so most people take their kids to a family dr.).

Our new doctor, Dr. R, is known for being pretty brusque. Very thorough, but no bedside manner. He came into the room with confidence, and began to examine little James. In the silence, Jon remarked how grateful we were that James's heart was healthy, which is uncommon among Down Syndrome kids. Dr. R looked up sharply.

"Oh James has a heart murmur. A pretty loud one."

Those words confirmed our fears. James's sleepiness, his struggle to gain weight, his hard breathing--we didn't know if that was just a typical DS baby, or if there was something more wrong. A heart murmur made sense.

We were at the Children's Hospital in Little Rock the next day.

Children's confirmed a hole in James's heart, called VSD. The hole was causing some of the chambers of his heart to have high pressure, some to have low. One of his valves wasn't closing correctly because of the hole. There was fluid building in the tissues of his lungs. His heart was working as if he were running all the time. We were sent home with diuretics and formula to add into the breastmilk.

The change in James was dramatic. We began celebrating ounce after ounce of weight gain, and then half pound after half pound. He was awake more often, and then he began to kick his legs, notice his surroundings, and even start to cry a little when he got hungry. However, his breathing was still labored and he was well below the weight he should be. The day before Thanksgiving--our most recent visit--confirmed that the hole was not closing up. The high pressure on his lungs would eventually cause long-term damage, and the aortic valve was starting to show signs of distortion. The doctor gave us strict orders to keep James away from any possibility of contracting RSV (which could land him in the hospital and cause severe damage), and he suggested we come back for surgery within 4-6 weeks. The nurse called the next week with a surgery date in two weeks. The 14th of December.

The past two weeks have been stressful. We've kept James away from infection as much as possible, learned about the surgery and the procedures surrounding it, and come to terms that our tiny baby boy was going to have open heart surgery.

Tomorrow we leave for Little Rock. Monday is a day of pre-op tests and talks with the doctors. Tuesday is the surgery. I'll do my best to keep you updated on this blog. I know so many people are praying for us. God is good, and has shown His provision for us in so many ways these last few months.

Dr. Appt: 37 Weeks

Stats:
Weight gain: .5 pound (33.5 total)
BP: 124/80
James's heart rate: good
Uterus measurement: 35 cm

The uterus has gone from 36 to 34 to 35 in the last three weeks, so Dr. W says he's just sort of floating up and down a little, but his head is firmly engaged where it should be, so that's good!

Questions we discussed:

• Sleep aids: High protein snack before bed, sleepytime tea, warm bath, heating pad on back. If at some point the early stages of labor begin but go very slowly (like they did with Caleb--two days of contractions for nothing), she'll prescribe Ambien, which she assures me will give me good sleep when I need it, but I will be awake and ready to go by the time contractions get serious.
• Nursing mechanics: I had some difficulty nursing Caleb for the first few months, so we discussed some ways to avoid that, but it sounds like it just might happen again. Dr. W said that wearing "shells" and other devices before the baby is born really doesn't help change anything, and using the shields during nursing are really my best bet.
• Tearing vs. epesiotomy: We brought this up again because when Dr. W asked me last time, I didn't really ask her opinion about it, and I wanted to know. She said that in fact the two heal just about the same way, so she didn't have a preference. There was one type of tearing that could cause some problems, but she said she could foresee if that was to happen and could avoid it with a small epesiotomy.
• Any recommendations for preparing for the Big Day? Dr. W didn't have any prep ideas, but she did say to bring a robe, slippers, and my own sanitary napkins, as most women don't like the huge ones the hospital provides.

We also talked about a couple of random things:

• Baby's equilibrium: The baby does not get dizzy in the womb because he doesn't have any muscle tone. Without muscle tone, he doesn't have the feeling of falling or being up or down.
• Placenta history: Dr. Apgar (the lady who developed the Apgar score) felt that there was too much intermingling of blood between the mother and baby, so she was the one who started cutting the cord immediately upon birth, instead of waiting until the placenta had been delivered. Doctors no longer believe Apgar's reasoning, but the tradition still remains. Dr. W will most likely allow me to hold the baby on my chest for the final stage of labor. Once the placenta is delivered, she'll let Jon cut the cord if he wants to.

Does anyone else think that "placenta" is just a grossie word? Couldn't they have named it something else? Or perhaps the object itself would mar any name. It is weird, though, how that whole part of labor is pretty much ignored by everyone...even the nuts and granola home birth people pan away at that point in the video.

In other news, James is officially full-term! If he were born today, his lungs would be developed enough to make it in the world. We made it! Whew!

We have been very blessed by two baby showers--one at our church and one by mail--so we've gotten our final baby needs put together. Our carseat is being shipped (yep, that's what you do when you live in the sticks) and should get here this next week. I've packed a bag for myself and James. Now I just need to get a "labor bag" together, though hopefully I can do most of my laboring at home this time!

There are a few more things on my "need to do" list, but if they don't happen, it's okay. Jon and I are getting more excited about holding our new tiny baby boy. We aren't as nervous as we were last time. We have a better idea of how stinking hard it is in the beginning, but we also have a very real reminder every day of how wonderful being a parent is, and we can't wait for James to join the family!

36 Weeks: Dr. Appt. and more!

Whew, these appointments are coming so close it's hard to keep up with them! Let's see if I can get you the highlights:


The stats:
Weight gain: 2.5 lbs
BP: 110/80
Baby's Heart Rate: "Just perfect"
Uterus: 34 cm

The uterus had measured in at 36 cm last week (so Dr. W tells me; I didn't get the measurement last week), which means the baby has dropped 2 cm! Hooray! I could tell something had changed based on my frequent trips to the bathroom, and sure enough, James is settled right on top of my bladder. His head is pretty set in the pelvis, so that's good! Hopefully he will stay there! Dr. W is estimating that he'll be about the same size as Caleb at birth, so around 7 lbs or so.

Questions we discussed:

• Further clarification on the "natural methods of induction." It turns out that these methods (mentioned in a previous post) will start contractions, but will most likely not start labor. The contractions will serve to start the effacement/dilation process, something that didn't happen 'til late in the game last time. So when labor does begin, we'd be ready!
• Birthing positions: It's common knowledge by now that trying to birth a baby flat on your back is not ideal. However, it's still pretty common practice. So when I asked Dr. W about different birthing positions, I was happy when she responded, "I'll use any position BUT flat on the back." She suggested a squatting position or even on all fours (I've read about it, but still not sure how that works). Something to note, though, is that an epidural effectively takes away the use of your legs, which means that an on-your-back position is almost required.
• Video and photography is allowed throughout the entire process...if I really want it....
• I found out that Dr. W will be attending the birth whether she's the doctor on call or not. This gave me a good bit of relief because I think she will be a big help, and by her admission, the other doctors in the group will probably only show up to catch the baby. She, on the other hand, will come around every 2 hours or so, day or night. She said the only time she won't come in is at the really tough part right before it's time to push (called the "transition phase"). While it seems a little odd, the reasoning is that at that moment, I will be begging her to do whatever she can to get. that. baby. out. Because I know she can. But if she's not hanging around (though she assures us she'll be close by at the nurse's station), I'm likely to be more patient and make it through that stage on my own. Interesting bit of psychology, eh?
• Dr. W said that the nurses are very open to natural deliveries and will be just as willing--if the time comes--to act quickly for an epidural or whatever is needed.

All in all I thought it was an exciting visit. Not only does James seem like he's getting ready to go, I'm looking forward to working with Dr. W...and getting to hold our tiny baby in just four short weeks!

On from there, Jon and I headed to the hospital to pre-register and get a little tour of the Women's Center. The pre-registration was long, boring and expensive. Nothing to report. I was thankful my mom was in town and keeping Caleb at home!

The labor and delivery room is huge! When Dr. W told us we could have as many people in there as we wanted, I think it's actually true! We could fit a tight 30 people in there, I'm sure.

I asked about food and the nurse said, "You mean for him (Jon)? Because you're only allowed ice chips." I left that alone. Dr. W had said, "I'll deal with the nurses" regarding that issue, so I'll let her deal with it. The nurse said they provide a birthing ball, but they only have 2, and both were in use while we were there, so if we really wanted one, to bring our own. Good to know, because I LOVED having mine last time.

And then I confirmed that I could carry James out in my arms, which I can. Some hospitals require the baby to be strapped into a baby carrier, which we're not planning on having. And that was the basic hospital visit.

Overall I'm still feeling good. I have slight swelling in my ankles if I've been on my feet all day, but it goes down with rest. Yesterday we went to an indoor/outdoor museum that wore me out. I've definitely slowed down, but I don't feel bad. I'm sleeping much worse lately (Jon says I'm snoring up a storm, which I did with the first pregnancy, as well!). I've been waking up every couple of hours with my mind buzzing about baby stuff, then I go to sleep and dream about baby stuff. I don't feel any less comfortable than I have in the last few weeks, so I think the change in my sleep patterns is more psychological than physiological. However, I might try the couch tonight and see if that helps anything. At least it'll help Jon get a better night's sleep!

Dr. Appt: 35 Weeks

Today was another doctor's appointment. I'll start going every week from here on out! It's getting exciting!

Here are the stats:
Weight gain: None this week. Holding steady at 30 pounds.
Blood pressure: 120/74
Baby's heart rate: 140 (The dr. checked it this time, so she actually gave me a number)
Uterus: Didn't take a measurement today

Though the Dr. didn't measure my uterus, she did check it out and confirm that James is in the head-down position! Hooray! She said it's very unlikely that he will move from that position, so that's good news! Babycenter says that James is about 18 inches long and 5.25 pounds. From here on out he'll just be packin' on the weight with not much more growth lengthwise.

I had a Strep test today, which is just a simple swab test of the vaginal area. If the test comes back positive, that means that James could contract strep as he passes through the birth canal, so they would put me on an antibiotic before delivery to avoid that.

My eczema is doing okay. The steroid cream is keeping the inflammation down for the most part, and the itching has become fairly minimal. My skin is starting to peel on the palms of my hands, but it's still minor right now, and hopefully it will stay that way! Dr. W said that if the eczema sticks around longer than 6 weeks after James is born, she'll send me to a dermatologist to make sure there's nothing more we can do.

We discussed labor options again today. I recently watched a documentary about hospital births vs. home births. It was very one-sided (leaning toward midwifery), but it showed me something I hadn't realized before: the Pitocin used to induce my labor with Caleb was probably what put him in distress, which resulted in a very harried (and hurried) delivery. Pitocin causes contractions to be stronger and longer, which is very hard on the baby. For some reason I hadn't put those two things together. So anyway, at today's appointment, I reiterated my desire to not be induced, and to avoid Pitocin if at all possible (many drs will prescribe pitocin to women whose labor began naturally but isn't progressing "fast enough" or whose contractions are erratic to regulate them a little more). Dr. W asked if that included using it after delivery (it's used to help the uterus contract back down and stop the flow of blood), and I said I thought that would be fine, since James would already be out.

Dr. W also asked me about the episiotomy, if I would rather the cut or to tear naturally. I had to pause about this one, because it sounds so much more in control to have a surgical cut. However, I know of several cases (including my own) where a cut has led to further tearing, excessive blood loss, or other complications. And recent studies seem to be indicating that a tear is actually faster to heal. So, I told her I'd rather the tear. Yikes! I'll have to do a little more research on the topic and make sure I'm certain about that decision.

My desire is the same as it was when I was pregnant with Caleb: I would like to stay at home as long as possible, and have as natural a birth as possible. That, of course, did not happen with Caleb, since we were induced and I checked into the hospital with barely a contraction in my belly. And it really seems that it was necessary to be induced (though I just spoke with a friend who self-induced with castor oil for all three of her kids, which worked like a charm and still allowed a natural delivery...wonder if I should have tried that). But Dr. W seems very fine with the fact that I want a natural delivery, and just emphasized that I need to be very clear about it to the hospital staff.

Perhaps because of our discussion about induction and Caleb's late arrival, Dr. W gave me a handout about "natural methods for induction" and suggested I start them at 37 weeks...starting slow and ramping up to 40 weeks. The handout included things like intercourse and using a breast pump. Well I gotta tell ya, I hadn't expected that! So I probably won't be keeping you apprised of that kind of stuff, but I thought it was interesting/funny that my dr. would pass on that helpful bit of information.

I won't get cervical exams until starting at 38 weeks, which somehow seems like a long way away! Not that I'm expecting anything, but it would be nice to know if there was any progress, and now I have to wait 3 weeks to find out. Oh, well! It'll all happen soon enough, I know!

Dr. Appt: 32 1/2 Weeks

So here we are, charging through this third trimester. Our 32-week appointment got bumped back a little, so we're almost to 33 weeks.

Here are the stats:
Weight: Gained 5 pounds in 2.5 weeks. Woohoo for goin' home to Momma's cookin! Total weight gain of 30 pounds.
Uterus: Measured in at 31 cm, a gain of 3 cm in the last 2.5 weeks
Blood pressure: 112/70
Baby's heart rate: just right

Today's visit was short and sweet. I didn't really have any questions but one, and it wasn't even baby-related. I've found out that my primary care physician won't see me while I'm pregnant; in essence, my OB becomes my PCP during those 9 months. So, my question was about my hands, which had gotten all itchy and bumpy over the last few weeks. At first it was nothing, just a little spot on my thumb, but then my skin started to dry and crack, and then the bumpiness and itchiness spread to my palm and then to my other hand. I'd kind of freaked out, thinking I had some sort of athlete's foot fungus on my hands, and I was a walking disease.

But the good ol' internet assured me that what I had was a sort of eczema, called dishydrotic eczema. As with anything, the internet was pretty broad in causes and treatments, so I spent the last few days using hydrocortizone cream and taking Benadryl--both prego-approved--which at least helped the itching, though it still spread to my fingers and threatens to show up on the soles of my feet, as well.

When I showed Dr. W my hands, she immediately confirmed my diagnosis. She commented that this type of eczema is one of only two dermatological issues that arise with pregnancy (the second--and more common--being acne). She said it was purely hormonal and would probably not go away until after the baby is born, or maybe even only after I stop nursing, but until then she prescribed a stronger steroid cream.

So it turns out that my non-pregnancy-related issue was really pregnancy-related after all. I still feel a little like a walking disease, but at least it's not contagious, and the worst of it on my thumb is healing up. Hopefully the cream will keep the rest in check. I just have to endure itchiness for the next...oh...year or so. I'm really looking forward to that.

In other, much more interesting, news, I've been belated in our baby name announcement! After much deliberation, we have chosen:

James Elliot Norvell

James (Jim) Elliot was a missionary in Ecuador and died serving the Lord there. Maybe Jon will write more about the meaning behind the name sometime. As for the James/Jim question, I'm sticking with James for now, though Jon's going with Jim. We're all for solidarity!

Belly Pics, 29 Weeks

Just thought I'd let you see the 29-week belly!


I look a little perturbed in the second picture, but I really needed to blink and my eyes were starting to water and I'd been smiling for awhile while Jon zoomed or focused or did something that seemed to take way too long, even though it really didn't. But it shows my belly better than the other pic, so there ya go. :)

27 Weeks

It's been 27 weeks and I had an appointment on Wednesday. Here are the stats:

Weight: Total gain of 22 pounds
Blood pressure: Holding steady at 120/70
Uterus: Finally a concrete measurement at 27cm (she hadn't actually measured before)
Baby's heart rate: "good" was all I could get out of the nurse. Hmph. Doesn't she know I like numbers?

All of these things are "perfect" according to my doctor. "Perfect" is her favorite word. The nurse takes my blood pressure and listens to the baby's heart beat, so the first thing the doctor does when she comes in is have me lay back so she can measure my uterus. Every time I lay down, her eyes brighten and she smiles a beaming smile. "This looks just perfect. This is great!" Seriously, I feel like I've given her a great gift or something. Because I really have control over what my uterus looks like....

I got my Rhogam shot at this appointment. Because I'm Rh- and Jon's Rh+, I will have to get a Rhogam shot during every pregnancy, and after the delivery of every baby that is not negative. So that was this appointment. Bad news for me: unlike last pregnancy, the doctor does not provide the shot in the office. I have to pick it up at the pharmacy and take it to the doctor's office myself. Inconvenient, yes, but the really bad news is that prescription insurance doesn't cover it. Considering I have a high risk of miscarriage if I do not take the shot, this makes NO SENSE whatsoever. The nurse advised I check with my medical coverage and see if they would cover at least some of it.

I also had my glucose test, and the nurse did an awesome job taking the vials of blood she needed. Probably the best experience ever for me. I won't hear back from them about the test results unless I need to have further testing, so I'm going to assume everything's fine.

Questions I had:
Have I gained too much weight? Dr. W says I'm right where I should be (to quote: "perfect"). It's definitely more weight than I gained with Caleb, but who knows. I'm trying not to worry about it, but sometimes I still do.

Will I need to be monitored through the entire labor? Yes. But the good news is that the monitors are wireless. With Caleb, the monitors were attached to a printout machine with about a 10-ft cord, and I was confined to that area (bed or near the bed) except to go to the restroom or take a brief walk in the hallway. Because of the induction last time, the nurses wanted to monitor me constantly. Evidently this hospital requires constant monitoring of everyone, but at least I can move around some more. Dr. W said it was very important that I move as much as possible, and they would take the monitors off if they interfered.

Will there be a birthing ball available? Yes, as well as a large shower with a seat. Because of being hooked to the monitors last time, I didn't take advantage of the shower, and it intrigues me. I'm wondering if it'll be helpful or not.

When can I first feed my baby? What happens right after delivery is up to me. I have the option of holding my baby before the cord is even cut: the nurses would lay a towel over me, put the baby on top, then a towel on top of him. They would rub him down a little while I got to hold him.* He wouldn't nurse at this point, though. Whether I hold him before the cord is cut or not, the dr. always waits for the cord to quit pumping blood (which I read is a reaction it has when it hits the air...a water-birthed baby's cord won't stop until the baby is brought up from under the water...just a little trivia for ya). Anyway, I like this approach. Dr. K (my doctor with Caleb) had the policy of immediately cutting the cord unless the baby was a little listless, and then she would allow that last bit of blood to get pumped into the baby for an extra boost.

So back to the nursing question, Dr. W said I really needed to let my pediatrician know what I wanted, and while he wouldn't be there, he would send his instructions to the nurses. So I can choose to try to nurse before the baby gets his shots or his eye goop. The advantage to this is that the baby doesn't have all these different hands poking and prodding him, and he's not got stuff in his eyes to keep him from opening them (if you ever saw our first photos of Caleb, his eyes and eyelids are all shiny because of putting the eye goop in immediately). So waiting allows the baby a little extra measure of calm to try nursing for the first time before getting jostled around by the nurses. On the other hand, Caleb did fine with it. He didn't really nurse, but he was quiet and willing to try. So I guess I find out from the nurses if it's a big nuisance for them to have to wait to do all that. If it's not, I think I'd like them to wait while we try to nurse.

I don't remember any other questions, except that we got to talking about how most of Dr. W's responses lean to the more natural methods, and I found out that she trained under a physician who performed not only the basic medical births, but also births using natural methods: water births, etc. And while Dr. W was a fan of those things, she cautioned that she would always have a birth at a hospital instead of at home, just in case of an emergency. While I see some really great advantages to home births, I also have a much greater sense of peace knowing that we're where we need to be if something were to happen.

And that's it on my side of the tummy. How about little Newbie2?

Well, he's up to 2 pounds now! That means he's doubled in weight in the last month--no wonder I've been tired! As with every update lately, he is our little jitterbug, doin' a dance all the time inside Mama's belly. Today when I laid down for a nap, I felt a definite bump up by my ribcage. Whether it was a head or rear end, we couldn't tell, but Jon gave it a little kiss anyway. We love our little boy!

*Funny note: It was at this point in the discussion with my doctor that I started beaming. "I'm going to have a little baby! And I get to hold him! This is real!!" Wow, what a cool thought. However, it was also at this point in my relaying the discussion to Jon that he got very disinterested in what I was saying. I even stopped to ask if he wanted to talk about it later. "No," he said. "I just got really sick feeling all of the sudden." The day of labor and delivery was really hard on Jon last time, and he's not looking forward to it at all! It was pretty rotten for me, too, but I can't help but forget it and remember the sweet moments with my newborn!

Potty Training: Day 5

Well aren't you just so excited that I've posted a blog every day this week? And aren't you just so lucky that it's all about poo? You really should count your blessings.

The big news today is that Caleb made it through his naptime without wetting the bed. When he woke up and I got in there, he was looking pretty uncomfortable, and only took enough time to get his cup of milk before heading to the potty. Success!

I've also confirmed that apple juice is brutal on mamas. Man, it just goes right through my son. The same amount of milk or water takes much longer to reappear, but apple juice is out in minutes. And then again a few minutes later. And then a few minutes later. I can catch it the first time, but then I'm thrown off by the second. And I'm still cleaning up that mess when Caleb's working on another. Sheesh. Juice. Whoever thought to give it to kids.

So other than that, and then one accident when we were playing outside (he was being obstinate and didn't want to sit on the potty), we did very well today. Tonight we had a youth function, so Caleb was in a diaper. I noticed he still gave off signs that he needed to go potty, but I couldn't really do anything about it, so we had to leave it at that.

And that's the basic report.

In other news (because yes, other things have happened besides potty training), Caleb is officially 18 months old, and I'm officially 25 weeks along with Newbie2. Caleb is an absolute joy. I love being around him, experiencing his sense of humor, watching his sensitivity, and playing with him. On the pregnancy front, fatigue hit me like a Mack truck today, reminiscent of the first trimester. It really hadn't hit me until the last couple of days that I'm 6 months pregnant. No wonder I groan getting up and down off the floor with Caleb! No wonder I get tired of pulling Caleb in and out of the carseat, up and down from the changing table, on and off the potty. So, I'm trying to take it a little easier...mainly by allowing Jon to do all the heavy lifting, starting the minute he gets home from work. The poor guy never gets a break, but I'm so thankful for him.

More to come!

24 Weeks

We've made it to 24 weeks in this pregnancy! I just realized yesterday that that's 6 months along! Crazy!

My belly seems to have grown in just the last couple of weeks, and I finally look like I'm pregnant. I've sort of looked it up 'til now, but given the right (or wrong) shirt, it's still been questionable. Now the bump is rounding out nicely, and it's actually starting to get in my way for normal activities like tying my shoes.

I've also taken off my wedding bands and replaced them with my aquamarine ring that Jon gave me for my birthday a few years back. The wedding bands always get tight in summer, so when I had to tug a little extra to take them off on Sunday morning, I decided to go ahead and make the switch.

For the most part, I'm feeling great! I get heartburn every once in awhile and wish there were a magic pillow to make me comfortable (and not hot!) at night.

We had a dr. appt. right before we went on vacation. I let the doctor know I would be bringing food to snack on during labor, and she said that was fine; the nurses would object, but that she would handle them. When I was pregnant with Caleb, my doctor then had said something similar, but that I should just sneak the food. So I might still be a little sneaky about it to not cause any trouble with the nurses. But really, it's ridiculous to expect me to push out a baby when I haven't eaten anything but ice chips in over 24 hours. Let's hope, though, that this labor/delivery goes much faster, and I won't really have to deal with that!

I've gained about 20 pounds so far. Last pregnancy at this point I'd only gained 10 pounds! Yikes! But I'd lost 15 right before getting pregnant this time, so I'm pretty sure much of the 20 pounds is regaining some of that weight back. Poop. But maybe inevitable. I won't worry about it until well after Newbie2 arrives.

Speaking of Newbie2, he weighs about a pound now and is almost a foot long! He kicks all the time to let me know that he's there. I'm so ready to have a name for him, but we just haven't decided yet.

More news later!

21 Weeks

At 21 weeks, Jon can now feel Newbie2 kicking! That's about the same time he felt Caleb, too. I always like the time when Jon feels the baby, because for the most part pregnancy is very one-sided, and this gives Jon a chance to be a part of it. He's certainly a part of it in other ways--dealing with my moods, tolerating my extra naps and extra helpings of food--but this is something he experiences with our baby.

By this time in our first pregnancy, we were able to call our little guy by his name, Caleb. However, we are not quite so on top of things this time. The name discussion has kind of been tabled for awhile. Neither of us feels a huge rush, and we don't have strong preferences for the names on our list. I don't feel bad about that, but I did really like having a name for Caleb. It helped me picture him better.

So Newbie2 our son shall remain, for a little while longer at least. He's 10.5 inches long now. My uterus has grown to above my belly button! I can't believe he's already so big, and that I'm halfway through the pregnancy.

Other things to note: I have very sharp pain in my tailbone when I'm sitting on hard chairs, just like I did with Caleb. Thankfully all the chairs at church are soft, except for the youth chairs, which I think were chosen more for the cool factor than the comfort factor. Not expecting any pregnant people in the youth group, I guess. I've also found it harder to stand up from sitting, and I'm starting to move like a pregnant person (hands on back or reaching for extra support), though I don't feel like I should be at that point, yet! Heartburn has also hit me. I'm not sure when that happened with Caleb, but it seemed to be later on. It hasn't been really bad, and I keep forgetting to buy Tums at the store. Maybe tomorrow.

Caleb hasn't seemed to notice my belly (any more than he noticed my belly before, because he really loves bellies). Jon thinks my belly is cool and always compliments me, which is why I love him.

My sister-in-law just had my second nephew on Monday. The whole day I had an icky, nervous feeling. Not just because I was worried about Karen, but because it made my own impending labor/delivery very real. But when I got to see pictures of baby Seth, it made my own little Newbie2 very real as well. I can't wait to hold him, to see Caleb grow into a big brother, and to adjust to being a bit larger family.

19.5 Weeks

We're almost to the halfway point! I can't believe how quickly this first half has gone, yet Christmas (when we found out) seems so far away.

Newbie2 is about the size of a large heirloom tomato, so says my weekly update from BabyCenter. I think he must be sitting lower than Caleb, because I have to go to the bathroom all of the time, which I didn't have to do with Caleb, even at the very end! My belly is definitely growing, and I officially made the switch to maternity clothes yesterday. I've been wearing them for the past few weeks, but mostly just mixing maternity pants with non-maternity shirts. Now I'm all prego, all the time!

One thing I learned about myself during this switch is that I own 33 pairs of pants. What does that say about me? Granted, I've changed pants sizes since I've gotten married--sized up and then back down recently, and I have the pants I wear primarily when early pregnant or after delivery (an extra size larger), and then there's the pants that people have given me, and the pants that I've had since my college years and I love them. I'm a sentimental pants-owner. What can I say? But I do see a need to purge some pants once I've had Newbie2 and settled back to a normal weight. That's another year from now, or so. Maybe I can look at it more objectively by that time.

Newbie2 is still "Newbie2." No name, yet. We've got some good contenders, but I'm just not quite ready to decide, yet.

I guess I forgot to mention on here that we finally made it to our first appointment with our new doctor! Dr. W seems like a nice lady. She reminds me of Dr. K in a way, though without that "you brought my child into the world" bond. Waiting an hour in the waiting room was a little more of a challenge with a wiggly 1-yr-old, but Caleb did okay. Hopefully that wait isn't typical. The doctor didn't do a whole lot, though we did discuss my pregnancy and delivery of Caleb, and any specific thoughts and wishes I had. She seems pretty open to a natural delivery, though she insisted on a hospital gown and an IV. I asked if I could just have a hep lock, and she agreed, though she said she would require fluids once I'd been in the hospital for 12 hours. I'm okay with that. Last time they started my on fluids right off the bat (because of the induction, I think), and I was huge and swollen by the time all the cameras came out to take pictures of the brand new baby. Not that I cared at that moment, but I'd rather just drink a lot of water.

Speaking of drinking, I forgot to ask about eating during labor. Last time my nurse was set against it, but I snuck Gatorade and peanut butter crackers, anyway, something I'm thankful for since I had such a long labor time! So I'll ask about that next time, or rather inform her that I will be bringing sustenance for myself. We'll see how she takes that bit of information. :)

Otherwise, the visit was typical: blood pressure was great, uterus was where is was supposed to be, baby's heart rate was just right, and we set up an appointment for four weeks later (I think the first week of May...can't remember right now).

And that's about all I can think of right now. I've maintained about 10 pounds of total weight gain the last couple of weeks, but I've really noticed my belly growing this week, so that may be about to change! (Truth check: I weighed just now and it said I'd gained 5 pounds, so I'm discounting that one and I'll weigh again later and hopefully give a better report!)

16 Months: My Child

I feel like there's so much to say about Caleb at this age. To try to keep things short(-ish...), I'll make a list. And I'll warn you, this might turn into a brag list. Like one of those you get in a Christmas letter from a random friend and their perfect children. But, this is my blog. Skip it over if you like!

Caleb likes to:

• Sing! He's started humming this week, and puts a low "happy...happy..." in there, which is his favorite song, "If You're Happy and You Know It." He can clap, stomp, and turn around to the song.
• Read. The boy loves his "boots" (not like the shoes, but pronounced like "book" just with a "t"). He will read them over and over again. His favorites: Frog on a Log, Animals, Colors, and the If You're Happy musical book. Also a shapes book I think is hideous (bad design, bad colors, bad drawing...) but of course Caleb loves.
• Talk! He's always been a big talker, but I've kept track of more than 65 words that he now says on his own. He has a few sentences...maybe.... He says "uh" in place of "I want." So, "Uh bapple" or "uh puppy" for an apple or his puppy dog. I've heard him say "stop it," too, but he was just repeating was I was saying, so I don't think it counts.
• Have blankets. And lots of them! Some kids have stuffed toys, some kids have a favorite blankie. Caleb has 5! I thought I was in luck because I wouldn't have to worry about always keeping the one blanket clean and ready for him. But I'm getting a little worried that each blanket has become precious to him, and he needs them all. He's happiest if his crib is lined with blankets, like a mama bird lines her nest with feathers.
• Hold keys. Keys are magic to Caleb. If he wants to go outside, he stands at the door, reaches for the handle, and pleads, "Teys, teys!" When we leave the house, Caleb wants his own set of keys for the car ride. Correction: Caleb wants Mama's keys. He spots keys from a mile away, in someone's hand, stuck in a filing cabinet lock, in my purse, or in Jon's pocket.
  
• Flush. Give that boy a toilet with a handle he can easily push and he's a happy camper.
• Throw things away. I think he asks for napkins ("nanuts") just so he can go throw them away when he's done. He's not allowed to play in the trash (he's finally learning), so this is his only chance. He lingers and looks to see if there's anything interesting inside the trash can.

Caleb does not like to:

• Get his diaper changed. Jon has better luck than I do, but many times I'm in a full-out struggle to keep Caleb on his back on the changing table. I give him all kinds of distractions to keep him still long enough for the change, but sometimes even that doesn't work.
• Give things back. "Finders keepers" is his motto, especially when it comes to things he really shouldn't have: writing pens, glasses, etc. I get a little stumped about how to handle this. I ask for it back, I tell him to give it to me, and try many other verbal techniques, but end up having to wrench the coveted item away from his little hand. I'm teaching my child that if words don't work, use force. Not sure what to do about it though!
• Take naps. Some days he goes down without a peep, even pointing to his crib and asking for blankets. But others (or another nap on the same day) are hard-won or never happen. We're trying a one-nap-a-day experiment this week. I'm not sure it's the solution, though. It's 1:30, Caleb's been in his crib for at least 30 minutes, and he's still awake. Of course, he did get his leg stuck between the crib rails, which it took me awhile to realize. So we basically started over about 10 minutes ago. So I guess today is a different story than most days.
• Come inside: Like every little kid, the outdoors is a world of wonder, and coming inside almost always leads to a small tantrum.

Speaking of tantrums, Caleb has 'em. When we informed him tonight that it was time to go to bed, he balled up his fists, his face turned bright red, and the corners of his mouth dropped about three inches. He sent up a wail that should have brought us running, but only made us laugh, poor kid. Many times his tantrums come in the form of dropping face-first to the ground. I just walk away from it, and they haven't gotten too bad.

Another thing that doesn't quite fit into the list, but that I want to remember, is his new habit of wanting me to experience what he's experiencing. If he's touching all the different textures in a book, his hand will take hold of my finger and guide it over the textures so that I can feel, too. If he's pushing buttons, he'll press my finger onto the button as well.

Caleb is a precious boy. He's gentle and sweet with enough mix of independence and stubbornness to make things interesting. We enjoy parenting him very much!

16 Weeks: Kicks and Gender

Little Newbie2 is 16 weeks old! Well, gestationally speaking.

The biggest excitement of this week is that I felt the little guy kick for the first time! I kept waiting for the butterfly tap-tapping feeling, but felt more of a rolling instead, so I wasn't sure if I was feeling baby or not. Then, last Thursday, *thump!* a sound little kick! Hey, little guy! I've felt him a few times since then as well.

Speaking of "him," we're pretty sure we're having a boy. I know, I know, where's the drama and the polls and the guessing, right? Well, we had a sonogram at 14 weeks (yes, I've had this information for over 2 weeks), and we're pretty darn sure we've got a little boy in there. We'll have another sonogram on Wednesday and hopefully we'll confirm that.

A boy! On the way to the sonogram appointment, I had a fleeting thought, "I've been wanting a boy, but if I had a girl, it sure would be fun to get all that attention!" I know, so motherly, right? Well, I have to admit a very slight bit of disappointment that we would not be swimming in brand new pink fluffy things and reveling in the joy of bringing the first girl grandchild on either side of the family. But I felt a huge sense of relief about trying to figure out sleeping arrangements, and I'd say Newbie2, as the fourth boy in the family, is pretty well set in the way of clothes and toys. So exciting.

Of course, that brings up the naming issue. We have a girl name all picked out; we decided it when we decided on Caleb--back before we were even married! But a boy name? Nothin'. Nada. Clean slate. Since we didn't have to deal with the name game when we were pregnant with Caleb, this is new territory for us. I think we've made pretty good headway as far as narrowing things down. Jon wants a name with a good story. I like "Jack" but it doesn't come with a good story, other than it's the name of a great uncle I never met. "Jackson" on the other hand, might qualify, as he was the greatest general of the Civil War, according to my husband (whom I will never question in regards to Civil War facts). We used to laugh about naming our son "Jackson Lee." Talk about a story to tell!

To back up a few paragraphs, you might be wondering about our insurance situation and why I'm having frequent sonograms. First, the sonograms: a friend of ours at our church volunteers once every two weeks at the pregnancy crisis center here. Since she is such an infrequent volunteer, she doesn't get much of a chance to do sonograms. She wants to stay in practice--staying familiar with how to measure head circumference, calculate age, and take other measurements that are routine in a sonogram. So, she offers free sonograms to anyone pregnant in the church. We've been able to get sonograms every two weeks starting at 10 weeks. She'll stop doing them around 20 weeks, because at that point the baby is too large for her to take the measurements she would normally take for a new pregnancy. Best of all, we've been able to record every sonogram! It's been so neat to see how much Newbie2 has grown each time we go in, and to see him stretch and wiggle...and even scratch his heinie once. Yes, eventually that will make it up on the blog.

It's been such a blessing, since we have not been able to see a doctor since we've moved here. Every two weeks we check in on our little guy, see his heartbeat and how much he's grown, and we know that things are okay.

On the insurance front, we have good news! The company we'd applied with (that denied us) has an alternate plan that will work well for us. We're approved for it, and it won't be any extra cost to us. It's like we'll all be on individual plans, so the premium will go up when Newbie2 arrives, but for now we'd be paying about the same. Jon's appeal to the denial is still under consideration, so there's still a chance that we could be approved for the family plan. Either way, we have insurance! Praise God! I'd been researching midwives and bracing myself for doing this thing the old-fashioned way. I'm not particularly opposed to a home birth, but it seems like the kind of thing I need to be gung ho about for more reasons than just financial.

And how am I doing at 16 weeks? Based on my calculations, I've gained 11.5 pounds, though that seems to fluctuate some. Looking back at my progress with Caleb at 16 weeks, I'd gained 5 pounds by this point in my pregnancy. With that pregnancy, I started out about 15 pounds heavier, so I'm not sure if that factors in or not. I'd also just switched all my normal clothes for maternity at this point, whereas I'm not quite to that point this time around. I've got a couple pairs of maternity pants that I've been rotating, but the others are too big, and maternity shirts are still out of the question. Maybe in the next week or two. It'll be fun to pull out all those clothes again and see if Karen has added anything...though she's still in some of them, too! I can't believe that the two of us are sharing our stash of maternity clothes, and I've still got a huge Rubbermaid bin full! We are blessed.

Our family is blessed! I am continuously grateful for the Lord's provision in our lives!

Caleb is Growing Up!

Caleb is almost 15 months old now! He's doing so many things lately, I'll try to think of them all and list them here:

• He has over 25 words in his repertoire. The other day he pointed to the design on my paper plate and said, "Flower" just as if I'd been trying to teach him, which I hadn't. I had never pointed out a flower to him in his life.
• He is very creative, and likes to think of new (and sometimes silly) ways to do things. He lays his bread on his plate, then brings his plate to his face to try to eat the bread. It's not always successful, but he thinks it's funny.
  
• He knows what a key is and that it belongs in a doorknob.
• He can reach the doorknob, though he hasn't figured out how to turn it yet, thank goodness.
• He can follow simple commands, like "Close the door," "Go get your blanket," and "Where did you put your cup?"
• He is generally very nice to the cats, though he does get on a tear sometimes with "no no!" and "down!" to show that he is still bigger than they.
• He knows exactly where the yummy cookies are in the cupboard, and is quick to point them out when I ask what he wants for a snack.
• He is starting to be able to make simple decisions, like choosing either an apple or crackers.
• He hands me his plate when it's empty, with a simple "more" to let me know he's still hungry.
• He is perfecting his fork usage and will sometimes refuse to eat until he has a fork with which to eat. The other day we were at a Mexican food restaurant and I'd given him his spoon early to keep him occupied. That and his goldfish were not satisfying him, and I chalked it up to his need for a nap. But the minute my plate of enchiladas and beans and rice hit the table, he dove toward the beans and had a huge spoonful in his mouth before I knew what was happening! It was a messy dinner, but he was happy!
• He knows how to wipe his hands, his nose, and his mouth with a napkin, and he knows how to blow his nose. He doesn't always do it, but usually will when I ask him.
• His favorite word is "puppy," and he can identify a puppy barking all around our neighborhood. I think this is interesting because we taught him that puppies say, "woof, woof," which really doesn't sound much like real barking. But he knows it anyway. And always says, "Puppy! woof woof...."
• Caleb seems to finally be adjusting to the new nursery here. As a matter of fact, the last two times I dropped him off, he waltzed in, turned to me and said, waving, "BYE!" Makes me happy.
• And last but not least, Caleb is telling us he's poopy! Now I know that may be a weird thing to list, but I didn't think that happened until kids turned 2 or so. And today he said it while he was pooping, instead of after the fact. Is it possible that he's on his way to being ready for toilet training?? I was perfectly happy to wait on that little hurdle until after Newbie2 arrives and we're all settled back in. I'm kind of dumbfounded at this little feat of his (am I right that this is abnormal?). I don't want to miss an opportunity, so I'm going to go ahead and order him a little toilet seat and see what happens. We have to get it at some point anyway, so might as well have it on hand. If he doesn't take to it, we'll just wait awhile.

So, all this to say, we've got one pretty great kid. I love the fact that he is using words to communicate. Things like "more, milk, down, up," and even "poopy" have made our lives much easier. I can't believe how much he's accomplished in such a short little life!