33 Weeks

I am 33 weeks along as of yesterday and still feeling well(ish). I can't complain too much, but there are definitely discomforts here and there. For starters, there's Wyatt's movements. I think he may have gotten ahold of a switch blade somewhere, because his kicks and stretches are downright painful at times! And because I'm carrying him pretty low, I sometimes get a heaviness on my bladder that can feel pretty intense if he moves just right. Oh, and did I mention my lovely varicose veins? I have a few at the top of my right leg. Luckily clothing conceals them, but they are still pretty frightening! Just another wonderful symptom of pregnancy. My OB said it's fairly common and they should go away after delivery. SHOULD?! Between those and my sluggish pace of walking, I'm thinking all I need are a pair of orthopedic shoes and a girdle and my transition into a geriatric patient will be complete (I'm seriously considering the girdle for after delivery...).

Now that I've shared my aches and pains with you (and possibly grossed you out), I'll leave you with today's pic. I am actually wearing the same dress that I wore in my 33 week pic with Ethan. I've posted both, as I think it's interesting to see the difference in my belly between the two.

With Ethan:

Today:

Wishing you a great week.

Love,
Ashley

32 Weeks

Today I had my 32 week appointment, which consisted of an ultrasound and visit with my OB. Wyatt looked healthy with a steady heartbeat of 150bpm. He is currently estimated to be 4lb 4oz, and is in the 37th percentile. I was a little confused by this, as I thought this weight was closer to the 50th percentile or above (depending on what book or website I've read). I was only 6lb 11oz at birth and Keith was 7lb 3oz, so I suppose this could mean we will have a baby in that weight range. Though these ultrasound measurements are just an estimate, so I guess we'll have to wait and see how big he ends up being! The tech also pointed out a white "ring" around his head that she said was hair, which was neat to see. Hopefully that means he'll have a decent amount when he's born!

The good news is it appears I no longer have a placenta previa. Wyatt's head (not sure if it was all of part of it) is currently positioned in between my placenta and cervix. Because of that, the tech couldn't give us an exact measurement of the distance between the two, but the fact that his head is there indicates there's a pretty good amount of space. So it looks like a vaginal delivery will definitely be possible.


The visit with my OB was pretty short and sweet again. My belly measured 33cm, which is right on track. My next appointment will be in 2 weeks, on August 8th.

Here's the latest belly pic:

Love,
Ashley

Swaddles and Forceps and Poo...Oh My!

I am 31 weeks today and what an informative week it has been! On Wednesday we participated in a class through our hospital called BabySense. This focused on the ins and outs of newborn care. Everything from bathing and diapering to swaddling and feeding were covered. We both found it very worthwhile since our experience with infants is limited. I know many people say a lot of what goes into caring for a newborn is instinct, but I guess I'm sort of type-A and wanted to get as much information beforehand as I could. All and all it was a great class and we feel like we came away from it with a new wealth of tips and insight.

Today we had our 8 hour Prepared Childbirth class. You may recall that I missed the boat on this last time since Ethan came early. I decided to get it done as early as possible this time! Although I've already experienced labor and delivery once before, the circumstances surrounding it were not exactly normal. I mostly wanted to take this class to get information regarding pain management options (since I progressed too quickly from 6cm to 10cm last time), and tour the Labor and Delivery rooms. I'm still a little on the fence when it comes to the subject of an epidural. I made it through without one last time, and the worst of it was the laboring pains. What I'm afraid of now is the fact that a 7lb (or whatever size) baby may feel much different when being delivered than a 3lb baby did. I had basically no pain when I pushed with Ethan, and I'm not so sure that would be the case this time around. Right now I'm of the mindset that I'll go into it and try to labor as long as possible without any meds, and make the decision when I'm in the "optimal" window of time (which we learned was 4-6cm). But who knows how I'll feel by then! Again, this class offered us a lot of information. Though there were some things I could have lived without knowing. I'm not so sure I needed to see the needles they use for the epidural....that might have been better left to my imagination!

I'll leave you with the latest belly pic from today. It's crazy to think that now we're counting down in single digit weeks!

Love,
Ashley

30 Week Appt

I had another OB checkup yesterday, which was pretty short and sweet. Wyatt's heartbeat was 145 bpm and I was measuring around 32 cm. My next appointment is in another 2 weeks, on July 25th. At that one we'll do another ultrasound to check on my placenta. I asked her what it was measuring from the ultrasound 2 weeks ago, and at that point it was roughly 2.7cm from my cervix. When I asked what the general cut-off or "safe" measurement is for a vaginal delivery, she said something to the effect of 3 cm. Therefore, she thought where it was already lying would be enough to try for it. It's starting to make me nervous though, as I fear that there will be heavy bleeding when I go into labor/delivery. I would hope that my OB wouldn't recommend a vaginal delivery if this were a serious risk, but I'm going to bring it up at my next visit.

So that's the latest news for now. Until July 25th we will continue to pray that my placenta moves to 3 cm (and hopefully just a little past that for good measure). If you would join us in this prayer, we would appreciate it!


Love,
Ashley

30 Weeks/ Shower # 2

Last weekend we went home to Omaha for the holiday weekend. On Saturday three of my close friends hosted a baby shower for Wyatt and me. It was a blast! I don’t get to see these gals nearly enough since we’re all spread out across the country. My cousins from Denver also came into town for the shower, which was really nice. Wyatt and I are very blessed to have such wonderful family and friends to celebrate with.

Today I have hit the 30 week mark…crazy!! I’m still feeling well, but Wyatt’s movements have gotten stronger, which at times cause me some discomfort. I tend to squirm and gasp at these hard pokes, causing Keith to have a mini heart attack each time. I’m pretty sure that by the time I actually have labor pains and make the same sounds, he probably won’t notice anymore. :)

Here are some pics from the shower as well as the bump:

Love,
Ashley

1 Year

It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since Ethan was born. I have to say that today hasn't been as hard on me as one might imagine. In fact, I've had a pretty good day overall. I think it helped that I was extremely busy at work and didn't have time to think about anything besides what I was doing. That's not to say that it's not still painful for me; believe me, it is. I still cry from time to time. I just haven't today. That's the thing about grief - it's a sneaky little devil. It hits you when you least expect it, and leaves you alone when you anticipate it. Grief doesn't care what the date is, because it will strike when it wants to. So while I may not be upset at this moment, that doesn't mean I won't feel bad tomorrow, or the next day, or 6 months from now. I’m just grateful that today has been a positive one for me.

What also has helped us is the gift that we are anxiously awaiting. Though you can never replace a loss, I think when something new comes along it helps you to move forward and heal. This pregnancy has definitely brought a renewed sense of peace and happiness to me that was missing after Ethan. I'll never forget him or completely get over his loss, but I know there's a new chapter being written in our lives. And I'm really looking forward to it.

So today Keith and I remember our beloved first son and wish him a Happy 1st Birthday in Heaven.

We love you, Ethan.


Love,
Ashley