37th Week!!!

Well, we are trucking through the 37th week of this pregnancy! It's definitely a bumpier part of the road than the previous weeks have been. After spending the last week on modified bed-rest, I did manage to get some good results at the doctor's office, though!

I spent Monday morning registering at the hospital to have an ultrasound in the Radiology Department. Dr. Cornett wants to continue keeping an eye on my amniotic fluid level since my blood pressure has become unstable. The good news was that everything looked great! My fluid level was perfect, and Bryson managed around a pound of growth in just one week! I know, these measurements are not accurate, but it assured me that he is, obviously growing, and is not being affected too much by my hypertension! I measured 6 lbs. 6 oz. and right on target. His head is about a week ahead, still, and his legs look like they will be long, too, measuring about a week ahead, as well!

I still wish my blood pressure had chosen to remain stable, as it has throughout the pregnancy, but I must admit, I do enjoy the weekly ultrasounds leading up to our son's arrival! Perhaps the good Lord knows that I need the reasurance that my boy is healthy and safe, and this is his way of helping me out!

I saw another doctor affiliated with my OB's practice, since my doctor is on vacation this week. She was very nice, bless her heart, but I was never more happy to get out of that office! There are just some doctor's that you connect with, and others....well...I'll leave it at that! The good news was that my week of resting seemed to pay off. I ended up with no protein in my urine for the first time in the last few weeks, although I did get a lecture about needing to drink more water. My blood pressure was okay, and somehow, my weight was down. I am convinced the nurse didn't calibrate the scale correctly because I know that I haven't lost any weight! The doctor had trouble getting my fundal height measurement, but I am thinking it's because Bryson has dropped even lower into the birth canal this week. She kept telling me, "I'm only getting 32!" I told her that Dr. Cornett never told me what my measurement was...just that he was measuring just right. I highly doubt that Bryson measured 35 1/2 weeks last week and only 32 this week. It's like she wanted some kind of explanation from me that I didn't have the answer to. Oh, well! I reminded her that I was supposed to be getting a repeat NST this week, so she went to find the machine and left it at that. Of course, Bryson fell asleep right as I was hooked up to the monitor! I finally managed to wake him up "manually" and told him that if he ever wanted to get out of that office, he needed to show some spunk! Shockingly, he listened! I was never more happy to get out of that office, but I didn't manage to get away without some handouts that the doctor insisted I read up on dealing with Preeclampsia, Toxemia and Going into Labor. Did I forget to mention, I had to keep telling her that this was my second full-term pregnancy? Literally, it took nearly a half-dozen reminders that I had another child at home that I, also, had hypertension with. She kept telling me, "Well, since this is your first..." and "Since you're a first time mom..." Oh my goodness, I wanted to SCREAM!!! I was sweet and nice, instead, and kept on reminding her.

So, now, I have to keep up with Dr. Cornett's orders to try to keep Bryson comfortable in there. My blood pressure checks at home have been all over the place. This morning, I had my highest reading, yet, at 133/95, so I am doing my best to remain calm and relaxed today. I really miss my 105/65 readings that I was getting very used to! I continue to have some minor contractions, but it's nothing that slow and steady breathing doesn't get me through. I guess we will find out more at my ultrasound and appointment with Dr. Cornett on Tuesday! Until then, I will keep doing my part for this boy of mine!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

Past due....Baby Shower Blog!

I know a couple weeks have passed by, but I couldn't go without posting about my adorable shower that my sister and mother gave me! Being that this is our second child to be born, I didn't expect a shower, but, being the wonderful people they are, our family and friends "sprinkled" us with all kinds of wonderful goodies for Bryson!

My mom hosted the shower at her house, and she was so nervous that there wouldn't be enough room for everyone. We had hoped the weather would cooperate to have everything outside, but, as usual, it was devastatingly cold out. That didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves, though! Here are a few photos showing how very nice everything turned out!

Mmmmm...my yummy cake! (Thank you, Mama!)

...and my delicious cupcakes made by my wonderful sister!

My aunt, uncle and cousins brought Bryson this adorable diaper cake!

My sister made us a very cute diaper cake as well as all of the cute decorations!

Of course, you have to have yummy snacks...

...and we were blessed with some fabulous gifts for Bryson!
It is obvious that he is a very loved little boy, already!!!

Omie made sure that he had an Aggie bib and tons of other goodies.
My parents have been so helpful in preparing for their second grandson's arrival,
and he is so lucky to have them!

I had some great helpers when it came to opening up all of those presents!

...and the proud Big Sis, Kaylee even got a few goodies of her own!

After the shower, we had a small barbecue down at the house for family that had come into town. I called it "Gene's Beer, Barbecue and Boy Baby Shower!" (unofficially, of course!) It gave the guys something to do while all of us ladies enjoyed ourselves at the shower! Karen happened to snap a few photos of my belly as I prepared to serve the food, as well as one of us "Proud Parents to-be-Again!"

You woudn't think he's due in the next month, huh?

...the never-changing profile! I'm just fine with that, and he's growing just fine!

Proud Parents! We can't wait to meet our little man!

I am so blessed with wonderful friends and family that have always shown us such love and continue to do so every single day! Bryson couldn't ask for a better welcome into this world, and I cannot wait to introduce him to each and everyone of you! We love you all!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

Bryson Update!

Yesterday, we had another ultrasound and checkup at 35 weeks and 3 days exactly! Bryson is doing great, and is measuring a healthy 5 lbs. 5 oz. at the moment. Aside from being face up, he seems ready to make his entrance into our lives. He spent the entire ultrasound sucking, first his fingers and then just sucking.

He is, certainly filling up the space he has in there. I still do not seem to be growing in my outward appearance, though! People look at me strangely when I tell them that I will be delivering soon.

Towards the end of our ultrasound, the tech got a second photo of Bryson looking straight at us. You can see the outline of his little round face, and it reminds me of Kaylee's when she was born! I can't wait to see if he is going to look like her!



Our boy's head is finally catching up to his body, too! This is the kind of thing a Mommy likes to hear. It's a little less than a week ahead at the moment!

My appointment that followed my ultrasound wasn't until later in the afternoon, so Kaylee and I went to Walmart to kill some time and get a few Easter items. Little did I know, my afternoon appointment wasn't going to go as smoothly as I thought!

I went into my appointment knowing that she would be checking my cervix, doing a strep swab and performing a non-stress test. As usual, the nurse starts out by weighing me and taking my blood pressure. My weight was fine (something I'm always stressing over), but my blood pressure was the highest it has been so far. I told Dr. Cornett that I'd been having some contractions over the weekend, as well, which became evident when she checked me for dilation. I am, now, between a 1 and 2. She told me that it's normal to progress further with your second without any complications just because the body has done it before, and that she wasn't overly concerned. She was concerned, however, about my blood pressure because of my history. I think the part that worries her the most is that she is going to be out of town next week for Spring Break, and she doesn't want me to have to have Bryson prematurely and without her there. I don't blame her...I want her to be there, too! She said that, at this point, they do not adjust meds to bring down the blood pressure. Instead, they start with bedrest, and if that is not successful, then the only other option is to be induced. As she's telling me this, I'm flashing back to my pregnancy with Kaylee, and I know what she is about to tell me. We start with a "modified bedrest" where I am no longer allowed to do those things that I am known to do on a regular basis like clean house and yardwork. There's no more all-day shopping trips where I am on my feet for more than a few hours at a time. In Dr. Cornett's words, "Chill out, relax and put your feet up!" If there still wasn't so much to do, I would be more than inclined to do this. Fortunately, I am a stay-at-home-mom, which does make it easier this time around! The difference is that I have a five-year-old, a bigger house and yard, and a more dependent husband than I did five years ago. I find it difficult to sit around and watch the dust settle! I know, from previous experience, though, that the doctor knows what she is talking about. I wasn't the best listener with Kaylee, and I ended up on full bedrest within a week and a half of those original orders. I'll be at 36 weeks on Friday, and 37 weeks is considered full-term in the sense that the lungs should be developed enough to survive outside the womb without assistance. Dr. Cornett would like to get me to 38 weeks to be on the safe side. That is what we did with Kaylee, and she was perfectly healthy. So, right now, that is our goal. I need to make it 2 1/2 more weeks. I still hope to go into labor without having to be induced, though. That is one thing I don't wish to relive! There will be no other choice if my blood pressure doesn't maintain or go down, though.

So, that is where we sit! I have to have an ultrasound each week, now, to have my Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI) done. Hypertension affects the amount of amniotic fluid, and if the level gets too low, there will be no other choice than to induce, then and there. They will also repeat the non-stress test again next week to make sure Bryson is handling everything without distress. Yesterday, he did just fine, aside from falling asleep! They, literally, made me eat a piece of cake to wake him up. I can honestly say, I never thought I'd be eating cake in the doctor's office! Dr. Cornett told me to bring along a coke next time to make sure he is wide awake for the test. Perhaps, he will be his father's son and able to sleep through anything!

I am hoping and praying that this is a temporary setback, and with rest, the remainder of this pregnancy will go as smoothly as the last nine months have. Bryson and I had a heart to heart discussion last night, and I promised him that I would do everything in my power to help him stay in there to finish growing if he'd have the patience to wait a couple more weeks for his arrival! He gave me a few kicks to let me know that he was right there with me! I see Dr. Rickerhauser next Monday and will have my ultrasound at the hospital on Monday or Tuesday (due to Spring Break complications), and am looking forward to a clean bill of health to get us through the next week ahead! Until then, I will let you all know if anything new arises! Here's hoping that I don't have any new announcements before then!!!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

Staying Positive...

Tomorrow, I will, officially, be 34 weeks. Where has the time gone? I saw my OB yesterday for a checkup, and everything looks good for my due date of April 6th! It's so close yet so far away! I have been having some spikes in my blood pressure, which has been, otherwise, fabulous throughout this pregnancy. It may just be the excitement of the close approaching birth of our son getting me worked up. Perhaps, it's me stressing about having everything ready for him before he arrives. I can tell you what hasn't helped it - Tilson deciding to change insurance providers on their employees this year! Fortunately, the current contract isn't up until April 31st, so I am confident that we will make that date. Unfortunately, the thousands of dollars we shell out for this pregnancy are, basically, down the drain after that date. Now, I am forced to make the decision to have a necessary surgery much closer to Bryson's delivery than I had hoped.

Let me back track. I had a hernia surgery before we got pregnant with Kaylee. The hernia was caused by a tumor that I have growing inside of me. The surgeon removed the tumor (non-cancerous) and repaired the hernia, but he did say that the tumor would most probably grow back and would need to be removed again. In the past five years, that tumor did grow back...double the size it was before. We had discussed that it needed to be removed before we tried for another pregnancy, but having a baby was more important to me at the time. After I got pregnant with Bryson, that is when the tumor really started causing me pain. Of course, there is nothing that can be done until after he is delivered. Since he has changed positions, I haven't really noticed the pain, as much or at all, for that matter. My concern is, though, that we would like to have another child closely after Bryson, and I'm not sure if I can handle the pain during another pregnancy.

That puts us in our current position. I don't even know if my doctor, or the surgeon, would be willing to allow the surgery within the three week window I have to get it done under our current deductible. I know that we don't have the money lying around to meet a second deductible this year, and I could never burden my family with that type of financial stress. This is the last thing I need to be thinking about, right now, but I can't seem to get it off of my mind.

I know that I should be counting my blessings that we DO have medical insurance and that we DO have the means to pay for this child. I know everything, however unfortunate the timing, happens for a reason. Maybe, I am not meant to have the tumor removed. Maybe something bad is going to happen if I do. I've lived with it for five years...and many more prior to it's original removal. I don't think I'm in the state of mind I need to be, at the moment, to make this decision. I know that I definitely won't be AFTER Bryson is born. A colicky Kaylee nearly sent me to the nut house in the weeks after her birth!

Well, thank you for taking the time to listen to me whine and complain! I figure that this is as good of a place to do it as any! In the meantime, I am going to do my best to get this off my mind by counting my blessings that I have here with me and those coming soon! Positive thoughts are going to keep me sane in the next few weeks, and lots of love and prayers from friends and family will be needed, too!

Bryson will be here before we know it, and I am getting more and more excited about that every single day! I'll be sure to update when we know anything else!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

Baby Update...As Promised...

As promised, I am posting an updated picture of our little man! He has grown so much since the last time we got to take a peak inside and is a whopping 3 lbs. 14 oz. as of...well, a week ago! I can only assume he's grown a little since then. Size wise, he is on target for his April 6th due date, although his head is measuring about a week and a half farther along. The ultrasound tech tried to rush that measurement along so that I wouldn't see it, but I knew what I was looking for! I need to mentally prepare myself for what's coming out of me - literally. Little heads, big heads....I'm sure they all hurt, but knowing what to expect seems to calm my fears a bit! So here is our boy, in all of his glory!

I spent a long time comparing this picture to one we have of Kaylee to see any similarities, but other than their kissy lips and little noses, they don't seem to have the same "features" at all. I'm pretty sure Bryson is taking after his daddy in the chin department. Kaylee and I have my grandmother's pronounced chin. It looks as if he's going to have that long Leonard forehead, as well, but that is hard to tell. He does have a very deep skull, so a big headed boy is definitely in my future! Obviously, these predictions are all subjective, and I could be completely wrong, but it's fun to guess! His only guarantees are dimples and little ears! We hit the genetic jackpot on those two features. Go ahead, check us out next time you see us....CRAZY little ears! It definitely makes buying sunglasses and ear pods challenging, but it's better than being able to fly with those things! Dimples...well, historically, I believe they were frowned upon, but these days, everyone seems to love our family dimples! I like 'em! I am also predicting another blue eyed baby. Gene's eyes are brown - as are both of his parents' eyes. My eyes are blue. My dad's are blue, and my mom's are brown. My mom is wishing and hoping for a brown eyed grandchild, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were her. Our blue eyed gene is some magical phenomenon, and it comes in all shades! Kaylee's are the least blue, but I attribute that to her eye surgeries that have affected her pigmentation. Still, they are blue, and I'm 90% confident Bryson's will be blue, too! I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he'll have some big ol' feet, as well! Kaylee came out with feet the size of a two month old, but with her mommy and daddy both having skis attached to our legs, it was inevitable! No matter what Bryson looks like or what features he has been blessed with, we will love our bundle of joy! We feel so blessed to have him coming into our lives, and already, I can't imagine life without him!

I do have to say, being within eight weeks of my due date is making me a bit nervous! I know, I know...I've been through it before, but have I really? With Kaylee, I didn't have to go into labor - I was induced. That, in itself, is the devil's way for women to give birth, but desperate times call for desperate measures. My blood pressure was not going to allow Miss Kaylee to stay in there a day longer! This pregnancy, I have been very healthy. Only in the past week has my blood pressure gone up the slightest bit, and it's still in the safe zone! With any luck, things will remain good, and I will get to "go into labor" naturally. This is frightening, though, since I haven't had the experience before. Where will my water break? What time of day will it happen? Will Gene be hours away at work? Will I have to drive myself to the hospital? Yes, I am probably overthinking it all, but I have a lot of unanswered questions. When my mom was pregnant with me, my dad made her go stay in town with my Oma when she got close to my due date. Of course, she was 21 with a 3 year old and a car that you couldn't always count on to make it into town. I don't have the option of staying close to town, but my 17 miles from the hospital are much faster and easier than my mom's 17 miles nearly 31 years ago. I guess that all I can do is have my bag packed and hope for the best! Most importantly, we will be meeting our son very soon, and I am looking forward to seeing our miracle as he enters into this world! Let's just make sure that's in a hospital with medical professionals!

By the way, I'd post a profile of my growing belly, but, alas, it is not growing! I have to say, I'm kind of enjoying that fact! I think my measurement at my belly-button has increased a half-inch at most in the past month, so he's doing his growing INSIDE for sure! If anything changes, I'll be sure to update! Our next, and final ultrasound will be at 36 weeks, so it won't be long now!

Until then...

Love and blessings,

Jessie

Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays!!!

I'm not sure what's in the water during April and May, but if you aren't interested in January babies, you may want to avoid it at all costs during that time! We have had birthday parties EVERY single weekend in January, including my own dear sweet child's birthday! While it definitely keeps us busy, it is such a wonderful thing to spend every weekend with our great friends and family!

The first weekend we celebrated my niece, Madison's, very first birthday! My sister did a wonderful job decking everything out in pink and frill, and I was honored to make her very first birthday cake for her. It was a great time, even if it ended up being a "share the virus" party! So many of the party go-ers ended up deathly-ill in the week after the party, and we feared the cause was food poisoning. It turns out that there was an extremely contagious virus traveling throughout the area, and we just happened to be lucky enough to catch, carry and spread it around! Everyone survived with only minor scars - mine being a small bit if contractions and dilation caused by dehydration. It wasn't the best way to start off the New Year, but it could've been worse...

The next weekend, after we all recovered, we had a double-birthday weekend! Our dear friends' son, Cole, turned six, and Kaylee got to go to his birthday party at the movie theater and watch "Chipwrecked" with him and all of his friends! Afterwards, we ventured to Gruene, Texas to celebrate my sister's 34th birthday. We had a great meal at the Gristmill to top off the evening!

Kaylee's birthday was January 19th, which fell on a Thursday this year. She turned the big FIVE!!! That's a whole hand! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that she was my little baby girl. We celebrated her birthday twice! On her birthday, we, along with a couple of her friends and cousins, went to eat at Rainforest Cafe on the San Antonio Riverwalk and to the San Antonio Zoo, afterwards. She loved her special day - everything about it! She keeps talking about going back to eat at the Rainforest Cafe, but I told her it was for special occasions only! That weekend, we had all of our friends and family over for a big "Safari Party" that has been in the works for pretty much the entire past year. I tend to go overboard when party planning, but I just can't help myself! Perhaps, I missed my calling in life... I'm pretty sure the kids all enjoyed themselves. We had crafts to make, Pin the tail on the Zebra, a zoo animal parade, Pop a balloon to win a prize and topped it all off with a pinata full of candy! I did my best to get everyone sugared up and then sugared up some more with late night s'mores by the firepit! Kaylee got a trampoline, or as she refers to it, a "Jumpoline" for her big day, and she has been enjoying it ever since!

The Monday after her big birthday weekend, I took Kaylee to her five-year well checkup. She was beyond thrilled that she didn't have to get any shots this year! She weighed in at 44.4 pounds and topped the charts at three foot seven and a half inches tall! She grew FIVE inches this past year, which the doctor says is a LOT. She is in the 75th percentile and healthy as can be! I have a feeling she's going to always be on the top row of the class pictures!

After finding out just how healthy our girl is, the last thing we expected the morning after her checkup was for her to wake up running a terribly high fever! In her five years, I don't think her temperature has ever been over 103 degrees. For four days straight, her little body endured almost a constant temp above that! It was just a virus that had to run it's course, but it was scary to have my baby so sick. Sadly, the only place she had been was the doctor's office for the "well" checkup, so whatever she contracted - it happened there!

I, also, had Bryson's 30 week checkup last week, and he is growing wonderfully! He is right on track, my blood pressure is doing great, and we couldn't ask for a better pregnancy! I even got the great news that we get to have an ultrasound next week to see our little man again! I have been very nervous about his "size" and wanted to get some updated measurements on this boy's head. So many people keep telling me, "It'll be what it'll be!" I'd like to be prepared and "know" what to expect! I'll be sure to post his updated "pictures" as soon as I can!

We wrapped up the month of January with one last birthday party on Saturday night for our friend, Cameron. He FINALLY turned 30! He's one of the "babies" in our circle of friends. It was a nice small gathering with great food and fun! Kaylee had a blast playing with her friends, and Gene learned how to play the game "Wahoo" that I find to be very similar to one of my old favorites, "Trouble."

Because of all of the late night partying, we hadn't made it to Sunday school or church at all this New Year, so I decided to make the effort this past Sunday to get Kaylee to Sunday school - at least! She enjoyed seeing her friend, Rylie, whom she doesn't get to hang out with nearly enough!

We also "broke ground" on Bryson's nursery, so I finally feel like we are on our way to progress! Gene built a shelf I found on Pinterest, and I bought the paint, today! I can't wait to show you all the "finished" project!

So, that has been our January! It's been busy and fun, and some wonderful memories have been made!!! I'll be back, sooner, next time!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

One Trimester to Go!!!!

Well, as of tomorrow, I will be 27 weeks! That means that I am entering the final lap of this race!!! Yep...the glorious Third Trimester! I know it doesn't look like I've "grown" much from the last two photos, but there is actually an EIGHT inch difference around my midsection. I am enjoying not being too large - I have enough problems with my balance as it is! We will see how much I "grow" in the next three months. I'm sure it would be better if I would try to stand the same distance from the mirror, too, right?

So far, everything is going great! My blood pressure is still awesome, my weight - well that could be less for me, but I am "on target" according to where I should be. Bryson is constantly flipping around in there. He's so active, sometimes I worry that he doesn't like his current accomodations!

I still can't believe that I will get to meet my son in a few short months. There is still so much to do! We haven't done a thing for the nursery, and we probably won't get started on it until after January. I feel like we already have all that we need to bring him into this world. We have a carrier, bassinet and crib that was Kaylee's. We have diapers and clothes from my sister. Aside from needing some recieving blankets and burpcloths that aren't pink, I think we could manage! We have all of the love in the world ready and waiting for him when he's ready to arrive!!!

I go for my 28 week checkup next week, and then I will begin seeing the doctor every two weeks after that! I am looking forward to getting another ultrasound in February to see how big this boy is getting - more importantly, how big his HEAD is getting! Kaylee had a perfect, tiny head, and I'd like to continue with that pattern! I guess he will be what he will be, and there's not much I can do about that!

Until the next time...

Love and blessings,

Jessie