6 month OB appointment

I went in for my 6 month appointment, my last monthly appointment before I start seeing my OB every other week. My appointment was at 10:00 am and I got there 15 minutes ahead of time, signed in and waited to be called. I didn’t have to wait for long. The sonographer called me back to do an u/s before I was seen by my OB to see if there have been any changes since my last appointment. So she had me pull up my shirt to expose my big ‘ole belly and began the u/s. She measured ‘Lil Bean and we listened to his precious heartbeat; it was a strong 155 bpm. She took lots of measurements of his limbs, abdomen and head, and the machine calculated our baby boy to weigh approximately 3 ½ pounds! He is still definitely measuring ahead! Either that or he’s a big boy:) It was so nice to see our baby being so active, and this time I could feel all his kicks as I was seeing them! It was so amazing! This time around, I was able to see his facial features a little bit better. I got to see him smile and suck his thumb! So precious!!! She then went on to measure my cervix and look at the placenta to see if it had moved yet. My cervix was still measuring long, but the placenta has not moved any since the last u/s at my last appointment. It was still laying low and covering my cervix. The sonographer did manage to get some really good pictures for me to take home and share with Phillip, which he loved seeing! After she got all the measurements she needed, she wiped the goo off my belly, had me fix my shirt then walked me to the nurses station for my vitals to be taken. The nurse took all my vitals, which were all good. She then informed me, much to my surprise that I was going to have the colpo procedure done. So she took me to the procedure room where I was instructed to undress from the waist down, and wait for the doctor. When the doctor came in, he explained the procedure, as I was a bit taken by surprise by all this. He said that because the u/s revealed no change in my cervix and placenta that it would be best to go ahead and take a look at what was possibly causing my pap-smear to come back abnormal. He said that depending on how the cervix looked would determine whether or not he would do a biopsy. I prayed that it wouldn’t be necessary. So he started the procedure and talked me through everything he was doing and seeing. After a few minutes, he told me that he was just going to do a routine pap with no biopsy as my cervix looked normal. Thank God!!! I can’t imagine having a piece of my cervix being cut out… OUCH! After the procedure, we talked about when we can schedule the c-section. He said that since there has been no change, they do not want to schedule it any earlier than 39 weeks to give our baby boy every opportunity to develop on his own without the help of steroids, which made me happy :) Praise God for answering my prayers! He gave us a window between August 7th (Friday) and August 12th (Wednesday), but of course if labor started on it’s own before that, we would have to do an emergency c-section at that time. I hope and pray that everything goes according to plan, and not have any surprises. I want to be prepared for this! After jotting down some notes on my chart he advised me that some bleeding and cramping can be expected, but if it seems unusual to call back. He then shook my hand and gave me the check-out paper with a return appointment in 2 weeks. I went to the check-out and was given an appointment for Firday, June 5th. Overall, it was a pretty good appointment :)

Our baby shower is just around the corner!

I have been busy these past few weeks helping my sister Dana plan my baby shower. She is hosting it, but since she doesn’t get off work until late and I stay at home, I offered to help her with some things. She reserved the clubhouse where she lives as the venue, which is very nice because it has a full kitchen! We also picked out and ordered the cake. She also bought all the supplies that I needed to make the invitations, programs and party favors. I started with the invitations. I designed it how I wanted it, printed them out and got them mailed out a month ahead of the shower date! I also designed and printed the programs, which look adorable. I am now working on the party favors and prizes for the games. Phillip and I went to Babies R Us and finished our registry. He was like a kid in a candy store with the registry gun! He was scanning everything! We both had a lot of fun!

Phillip is so excited about our baby boy, so we discussed having the baby shower co-ed so he could take part and experience it also. We both decided that it would be so much fun, and we had a lot of guys that would come, so we went with the co-ed idea.

Phillip’s boss, Dave, was generous enough to offer to provide the food for the shower, so we put together a menu. I’d have to say it’s very delectable! Since we are having a luncheon shower, we decided to serve Rib eye steaks, grilled chicken breasts, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy and dinner rolls for the entrée, chips, dip and salsa, crackers and cheese, a variety of soda, water, beer and sangria (homemade, and it’s delicious! Too bad I can’t have any).

I am so excited, I can hardly wait! We have been holding off until after the shower to go shopping for ‘Lil Bean. We want to wait and see what we get and don’t get so we can buy accordingly. We still have a lot of work to do with the nursery. We finally got the crib and changing table picked up; it’s in the garage and just needs to be assembled. But before we can do that, we need to paint the nursery first. My sister Dana is buying the bedding, so we will get all that at the shower. We are still waiting for the armoire to come in. There’s so much that I need to get done; I need to have a few blankets embroidered with our baby’s name, I need to re-cover my rocking chair as it does not match the nursery color and décor, I need to decorate the nursery, get everything washed…. Ahhhh, there is just so much that we still need to do. I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed. Hopefully, in the next few weeks we can get most of this done. I have a list started that way we don’t forget anything. If you can think of anything else we missed that we need to do, please feel free to comment. Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated! Thanks, and God bless!

Another trip to Labor & Delivery

Early Friday morning, May 8th, I woke up with some cramping and back pain. It wasn’t all that bad, so I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep. I managed to get a little bit of sleep on and off through the pain. When the alarm clock went off at 5 am for Phillip to get up and get ready for work, I noticed that the cramping was a bit more painful and my lower back was hurting more. I asked Phillip to massage my back to see if that would help, but it just seemed like it irritated my back more. Then I noticed that my belly was tightening up a bit when the cramping would start. I thought to myself “I hope I’m not in labor”. My mind started thinking a million and one different things. I remember my OB telling me that pre-term labor can occur with placenta previa, which I have been previously diagnosed with. I couldn’t think straight. But I did manage to call the after hours number to my Ob office, and the nice lady immediately got one of my doctors on the line with me. I explained to him what was going on, and he suggested that I head straight to the hospital and into Labor & Delivery where they could diagnose me better. So I got ready and off I went. I arrived there at 7 am. A nurse showed me right away to my room, had me change in to one of the very lovely gowns, get a urine sample and lie down on the bed where she proceeded to hook me up to the fetal monitor. She asked me all the normal, routine questions, then went to call my OB to see what course of action they wanted to take. ‘Lil Bean’s heartbeat was very strong, and he was very active. He kept kicking the monitor! It was such a relief to hear him! There weren’t many strong contractions at first, but there were definitely signs of an irritable uterus. The nurse came back in and told me that there was a lot of blood in my urine, and my OB wanted me started on an IV and a drip antibiotic, so that got done immediately. The nurse had a hard time finding a good vein – she stuck me 3 times with the IV needle, to no avail! She had to call on another nurse to come in and get it done. Finally, on the 4th try, it was a success! It was after that that the contractions started back up. Once again, my nurse had to call my OB, which luckily, was there at the hospital already making her rounds, to see how she wanted things handled. So my OB came in and checked to make sure my cervix and cercalge were still ok, which they were, thank God, and then decided that I could get a shot in the back of my arm to hopefully stop the contractions. She also said I could get Stadol to help with the pain. I gladly agreed to both, and was given both before too long. A few minutes after receiving the Stadol, I was in dream land! That stuff works wonders! My Ob also ordered an u/s on my kidneys, because of the amount of blood that was present in my urine. I was taken to get that done, and the results came back fine. No kidney problems! And the shot also worked, because the contractions started going away. I took a nap, and when I woke up, I felt a lot better than I did when I first arrived. It was around 1 pm when I was discharged and sent home with the same restrictions as I already had – bed rest with bathroom privileges and meal privileges.

So far, I have not had anymore episodes. My OB said that luckily, I was not having full-on contractions, or she might have had to keep me in the hospital for the duration of this pregnancy, which would have been AWFUL!!! Thank God that everything turned out the way it did! God is so good, and I praise Him for all that He has blessed me with. I am praying that 'Lil Bean and I remain healthy and problem free until delivery.

I have an u/s on Friday, May 22 at 10 am followed by an OB check. I have a few things that I need to discuss with my OB, and hopefully, the u/s will reveal more about my placenta and about ‘Lil Bean’s development so we can go ahead and finalize a date for my c-section. I’d like to have things panned out, as I feel like I’m running out of time and still have a lot left undone. So I guess for now I just have to wait and see what my next appointment brings! Pray with me that everything works out! Thanks and God bless!

Kaleb's (Big brother-to-be) 7th birthday party!

Kaleb, the big brother-to-be, turned 7 on May 4th. We celebrated his birthday on Saturday, May 2nd at Chuck E. Cheese’s after his T-ball game. We invited all his teammates and family. We had quite the turn out! We had such a good time!

When we were planning the party, we asked Kaleb what he wanted for his birthday. His response was very interesting. He said that his birthday list was a flat screen TV, Verizon Fios for his room, a remote control car, a Wii, a laptop and an Ipod! I got to thinking, Oh boy; my son is just like me!!! So we were in a frenzy trying to figure out what to get him, since everything on his “list” was pretty pricey. And he never failed to mention his “list” to anyone who asked him what he wanted for his birthday. I have to admit, I was expecting Kaleb’s list to have Lego’s, remote control car…. you know, the typical things a 7 year old would ask for! So I got thrown for a loop when he started to rattle off his list!

After his T-ball game, we had to go home to change clothes and to pick up the cake we had ordered, and then proceeded to Chuck E. Cheese. We weren’t there long before all the guests started showing up. They had a table prepared for us in the Birthday area, so we set up camp there. We got tokens for the kids so they could go and play before the entertainment began. After the kids played for a while, the pizzas came and they brought us drinks, so the kids sat down and ate. The grown-ups pizza came, too, so we were all able to sit down and eat. After we ate, Chuck E. Cheese came out and performed, and greeted and hung out with all the birthday stars and their guests. After the show, we had Kaleb open all his presents. He got a lot of cool stuff! He racked up on cash!!! Let’s see, he got a Hummer remote control car, a Dodge Ram remote control truck, a digital camera, an Ipod, some Lego kits, we got him a Wii with some accessories, and he also got Mario Kart for Wii! He was so happy! And we all are very thankful to everyone who gave him stuff.

We stayed there for a few more hours and let the kids all play together. We finally called it a day at around 3 pm. We h ad such a good time, and Kaleb had such a great birthday party. It really meant a lot to him that his friends and family were there. We have started to think of ideas for his birthday next year. Any ideas and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

5 month OB appointment

I went for my 5 month OB appointment today at 10:00 am. As usual, first thing the nurse did was check my weight, BP and urine sample. All three were good. I gained 5 pounds since my last appointment on April 27th, bringing my total weight gain to 15 pounds to date. My BP was 90/60, a little low from where they would like to see me at, but still ok. Urine sample was good, nothing out of the ordinary, and definitely no traces of blood or proteins. So far, so good! I was then seen by one of the doctors at the practice. He listened to 'Lil Bean's heartbeat, which was strong, and he measured my fundus, which measured 24 centimeters. Typically, the fundus measures one centimeter for every week of pregnancy, so mine should be 23. The doctor is attributing my increase in size to a big baby, rather that me being furthur along than we think I am.

We discussed alot of concerns that I had, and I'm very happy with the responses that I got. First, we discussed my placenta previa condition. I have an u/s scheduled for May 24th followed by another Dr. appointment to discuss the results. As of today, my placenta has not moved and is still completely covering my cervix. The doctors are not expecting it to move, but still want to monitor it along with my cervix and cerclage. We then discussed when would be the best time to perform the colposcopy. Given this new diagnosis, partnered with my cerclage, he recommended we wait until the next u/s to decide what the best course of action will be. Third thing we touched base on is when the cerclage will be removed. The best time for this procedure to be done is between 36 and 37 weeks. So we will schedule this when we get closer to that time. I asked him if it would be safe for me to travel, since Phillip and I have 2 round trip airfare tickets to Las Vegas and a 3 day 2 night stay at the MGM Grand. He said that it would be safe for me to go since it's not that long of a trip, but not to travel after the 7th month. So Phillip and I will be planning our babymoon soon! I am sooo excited, I can't wait!!! And last, but not the least, we discussed when we can schedule the c-section. My doctors are all very optimistic that everything will go fine, since my cerclage will probably prevent my cervix from dilating, and being on bed rest will help prevent any pre-term labor, it would be in 'Lil Bean's best interest to wait until 39 weeks to do the c-section. So as it stands, it looks like 'Lil Bean will be making his grand entrance on August 12th, 2009! It's good to know what we can expect and when we can expect things.

There are a million and one things that I need to take care of before our baby arrives. I need to get the nursery ready, finish up my registries, help my sister plan my baby shower (which we are planning on having on Saturday, July 11th, 2009), finish buying the things I don't get at my shower, and the list goes on! I'm sure there's a bunch of things that I'm forgetting, but hopefully I will remember them before I have my little baby boy!

So for now, please go visit my baby registries. I am registered at Babies 'R Us and at the Baby Depot at Burlington Coat Factory. Look me up by my name, Anita Delemos. Let me know if I'm forgetting something. Any input is helpful and greatly appreciated! Thanks for checking in and I will update again soon! God bless :)

The innocence of a child

I just wanted to share with you all a conversation I had with my 6 year-old son, Kaleb. His innocence made my heart melt!

I had set up an appointment on Good Friday at Studio One for Kaleb’s Easter pictures to be taken. So earlier that day, I took him shopping to pick out an outfit for this occaassion. While we were in the store, we picked out 2 pastel colored shirts and a nice pair of shorts. After we were done shopping for him, I took him to the infant section to let him pick out a couple of outfits for his baby brother. As we were looking at all the nice baby clothes, Kaleb asked me a question and it just took me by surprise. Here is the conversation as it unfolded:

Kaleb: “Mom, do you think the baby is gonna live?”
Me: “Of course I do. Why, you don’t?”
Kaleb: “No I don’t. You just never know what God has in store for any of us.”

So we looked at a few more outfits, and he starts to make his selection. He picked out a very cute sleeper, and then started to look for another one. And the conversation continued...

Kaleb: “Well mom, do you think the baby will live after he is born?”
Me: “I sure do hope so, honey. I pray every single day for that.”
Kaleb: “How do you know that he’s healthy and perfect?”Me: “Well, remember the pictures I showed you of the baby?”
Kaleb: “Aha. What about them?”
Me: “When the doctor did the ultrasound, she looked over the baby to make sure he was perfect and not sick. She measured his arm and leg bones, his stomach; she looked at his heart, his kidneys, his head, his brain and everything else she could see to make sure he was perfectly healthy. That is how the doctors find out if there is something wrong with the baby before birth. She even took those pictures I showed you.”
Kaleb: “Oh. So the doctors already know that he’s perfect?”
Me: “Yes, son. And Mommy knows, too. The doctors are taking very good care of both baby and I. So don’t you worry about a thing, ok?”
Kaleb: “Ok, mom. Oh look, here’s the perfect little sleeper for him, it can keep his tiny feet warm and cozy!”

So off we went to the register to check out. It just broke my heart to hear him ask those questions with such a worried tone in his voice. I did the best I could to reassure him without lying to him. He accepted my answers and explanations and seemed content. The innocence of children truly amazes me!

Here are the two sleepers Kaleb picked out for his baby brother:

More u/s pictures

Here are some more neat u/s pictutes of our baby boy:

Our baby boy's hands and feet!

Precious hand with all 5 fingers!