The short version

I always hate being gone from my blog for an extended period of time.  It is so hard to get back into the swing of things.  I have this nagging guilty feeling that I need to fill you in on each and every thing that's happened since I last posted.  But I know that will take forever and if I wait until I actually take the time to sit down and write all of that, then you'll never get a new post from me. 

So here's the Reader's Digest version... (by the way, does anyone still read Reader's Digest?  I don't remember where I used to read that as a kid, maybe my mom had a subscription or something.  But I loved it.  I always loved the quirky little antedotes that people sent in.)

I went out on Short Term Disability leave at the beginning of May.  I was vomiting so often that I couldn't gain any weight in my pregnancy and was actually starting to lose weight.  I was out sick all the time.  I wasn't a reliable employee and I think it was easier for my boss if she just knew I wasn't around to be counted on. 

Besides the horrible vomiting, my pregnancy was very healthy.  But I lost quite a bit of weight.  At my lowest I was down 15 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I was on a zofran pump for awhile but it didn't help much and was more pain than benefit so I gave it up and just suffered quietly.  I had monthly check-ins at a high risk obstetrician to make sure that baby was growing okay.  Baby was fine but on the small side.  At one point baby was measuring just barely above what they consider "at-risk".  Finally at around 35 weeks I started to gain weight.  It was all water weight.  My feet were HUGE.  My ankles and calves were so swollen that they hurt.  I could feel the swelling pushing my skin outward.  I just wanted to take a pin and prick them to let the water drain out.  Of course, that's not how it works.  Once the swelling set in, I was basically done physically.  I had to spend much of the day with my legs elevated and drinking lots of water.  The only good thing about it was that I finally managed to put some weight back on. 

I made it to my scheduled c-section at 39 weeks.  The day I entered the hospital I had gained exactly two (2) pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight.  And that was approximately 17 lbs of water.

And finally, on September 3 at 12:30 pm we welcomed this little guy into the world...

Pregnancy Update - Week 17

Now that I am approaching the half-way mark it’s probably about time to give an update on this pregnancy:

Weeks: 17 weeks, 5 days

Symptoms: Vomiting.  Lots and lots of it.  Daily.  Sometimes nausea that goes along with it.  Random stomach cramps but nothing alarming.  Dry, dry skin

Medications Tried: So far just Zofran.  I’ve been on oral zofran for awhile now.  I was using a zofran pump (that I named Maggie) for a few weeks but it was more hassle than it was help so I gave it up.  For now, I’m just using the oral zofran occasionally when the nausea gets really bad.  Other than that I’ve given up on all the regular medical interventions.

Weight Gain: -4 lbs.  Normal weight gain at this point should be 3-10 lbs.  But baby is measuring right on track so it’s only me that is suffering from lack of nutrients.

Movement: I felt baby kicking for the first time yesterday.  Before that I had felt little flutters but not actual movement.  This was for real.  Very exciting!

Are we excited about this pregnancy?

I have only been telling people around me over the last week and I have been asked the above question twice already. 

I apologize in advance for the fact that I am a bit riled up about this.  I'm going to blame it on hormones. 

First of all, I can't say how "we" are feeling.  You may not be excited.  That's okay.  It's not your baby, your body or your family.  But here is how I feel.  I am THRILLED!  I feel so BLESSED to be given the gift of a new life that Mr. Brown and I will guide through the murky waters of growing up into adulthood and a relationship with our Lord.

It's a BABY for crying out loud... what's not to be excited about? 

Do people really think that because I already have two that I should feel "done"?  Or maybe because I have a girl and a boy what more could we want?  Well, I don't feel "done."  I'm not sure when I will feel that way.  But I do know that our family is not complete.  And to me, having one of each gender was never a goal.  There are joys and struggles with each.  I would have been happy with a houseful of all boys or all girls.  Having one of each doesn't make our family any more complete than just having one gender.  And that doesn't mean we were or should have been finished. 

Not that it's anyone's business but this pregnancy, while not totally expected, wasn't exactly a surprise either.  Mr. Brown and I understand how it works and we were open to the possibilities.  This baby is very much wanted and we are very much excited.

Sometimes we grow by leaps...

... and sometimes we grow by Browns.  This is one of the latter times.

Yes, that's right... the newest little Brown will make his or her debut in September!  We are both thrilled and terrified.

I will now take this time to answer a few questions you might be having...

Another one already?  Don't you know this isn't a race?
Yes, we do.  And in my opinion, there is no perfect spacing for children beyond the timing in which God provides them.  This is when our newest addition was needed.

How far apart will the kids be?
Allison & Peter are 14 months apart.  Peter and the new baby will be 26 months apart - just over 2 years.

Isn't 3 kids just too many?
Too many for whom?  For you... maybe.  For us... since God blessed us with this baby, I'm guessing not.  And while I know 3 kids seems like "a lot" today, it's really a very normal and reasonable sized family in my opinion.

Will you buy a different car?
Probably.  We currently have a sedan and an SUV.  While we can fit 3 carseats in them, it's not ideal.  I suspect a minivan is in our future.

Will you keep working?
Yes.  I have no intention of quiting my job when baby arrives.  Our kids are very happy in a very wonderful daycare.  I have no regrets about that.  While I may someday be a stay-at-home mom, for now, this is the path for our family.

Will you find out the gender?
I don't know yet.  Probably not.  But I may change my mind at the last minute in that ultrasound room.   And yes, I do mean "my mind" because Mr. Brown is leaving this choice up to me.

How are you feeling?
In a word - crummy.  The nausea and vomiting are as bad as ever.  But last week I met my new BFF - Maggie.  Maggie is my Zofran pump that gives me a continuous dose of anti-nausea medication directly into a small catheter in my thigh.

How far along are you?  When are you due?
I am currently 12w4d.  My due date is 9/10/10 which means I'll probably be having a scheduled c-section somewhere in the 1st week of September.

Isn't a c-section risky?
Yes, it is.  But after having one out of necessity, I am not comfortable with the risks associated with a vbac based on my particular situation.  If you have an issue with c-sections, don't have one but leave my decisions alone.

38 weeks

Just 2 weeks until my official Estimated Due Date. But even more exciting... just 6 days until the scheduled c-section! It is hard to believe that at this time next week there will be a new baby in the family.

I'm feeling pretty good today. The last week has been rough - but it's mostly just normal end-of-pregnancy discomfort along with the morning sickness. The sciatic pain is back but not nearly as intense as when I was working - thank goodness! I'm a super slow walker and it's really hard for me to get on the floor and play with Allison. I feel bad about that. Fortunately for her, her daddy has been a rockstar lately and is taking such good care of both of us.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this... he has been walking her to daycare each morning instead of driving. The mornings have been so pleasant lately and so they leave early - it takes about 12 minutes - and take a nice stroller ride to daycare. She seems to like the walk and getting to see dogs, joggers, porch-sitters, and birds. And her dad is getting extra exercise which is always a bonus. I think they are both enjoying the new routine quite a bit.

37 Week Update

It's been a bit of a crazy week pregnancy-wise. I had a checkup on Monday and my blood pressure was unusually high. I normally have very average BP (120/80) or better. But it was on the high side (140/96). My OB had me come back today for another reading to see if it was a fluke or if it really is up. No signs of pre-eclampsia (protein in urine, swelling, etc), just the high BP. This morning the first reading was again high. Waited 5 minutes and took it again and it was totally normal. Strange. So they sent me home. I have another appointment on Monday. I have a suspicion that if it is high again then that the doctor will want to deliver the baby early. It wouldn't be the worst thing ever. I am so physical ready to be done with pregnancy. But it would definitely be unexpected. So, here's hoping baby stays put until July!

Home: resting and waiting

For about 3 weeks now I have been on short-term disability and home from work. The morning sickness is still bad - actually it's getting worse. But that wasn't the main reason to stop working early. The pregnancy-induced sciatica was getting really bad. I was spending the better part of most days in pain. My left leg would randomly give out on me and I would almost fall. Add to it back contractions at least a few days a week and it was just too difficult.

So now I'm home. I've been getting a lot more rest and that seems to help. I'm not having contractions anymore and the back pain has really eased unless I have a physically strenuous day. My leg is still a little wonky but at least I can rest it when I need to. And I have to say that if you have to throw up 5 or more times in a day it's much better to do it in your own toilet than a semi-public one at work. I'm sure the janitors at work appreciate it too!

I don't yet have a c-section date scheduled but it still looks like it will be July 2 - just 5 weeks from today! We are lucky to have my mom coming for a few weeks to help out with Allison while we are at the hospital and to just generally make things easier those first few weeks while I'll be on restrictions from the surgery.

I had an ultrasound 2 weeks ago. I haven't gained much weight at all - 5lbs on the doctor's scale, about 2 on my home scale - so she wanted to make sure baby is growing okay. Of course, baby looks perfect - measuring right on track and looks totally healthy. I shouldn't really complain about the lack of weight gain but it's hard not to be concerned when you read the books and they say things like "you have probably gained 20-25 lbs at this point." Oh well, less to lose on the other side!

Crazy Life

So there have been no new updates lately because things have just been busy. Nothing in particular and nothing particularly interesting - just life.
We have (in no particular order):
*visited the zoo
*had Allison's new room and the office/guest room painted
*taken Allison to the doctor for a suspected ear infection (false alarm!)
*sent me to L&D to be monitored for contractions (another false alarm - just incredible, awful sciatic pain)
*celebrated our 3rd anniversary with dinner alone for the first time in months
*installed a baby gate to keep the little crawler off the stairs
*taken photos for the church directory
*gotten my haircut (just a trim, nothing drastic)

As you can see - it really hasn't been very exciting.

Allison is super excited to celebrate her birthday this weekend. It's going to be a fun-filled weekend with a birthday party for buddy Kiley, a visit from Nana, 1 year photos and her own birthday party.

Tonight I'm going to be making cupcakes for her to share with her daycare buddies tomorrow.

And just for fun.... A few pictures from the end of March of the cutie pie.

Pregnancy Update - 25 Weeks

It's been a crazy couple of weeks for me. I've posted a little of the strange symptoms I've been having but it's probably time for a complete recap.

Starting about 2.5 weeks ago I was having this intense upper abdominal pressure and feeling short of breath. The reality was that I was breathing just fine and taking in plenty of oxygen but I felt like I couldn't breath. Given the location of the pressure and the location of baby I knew it wasn't really baby pressing into my abdomen. It was happening only sporadically - not every day and not all day when it happened. It got so bad that last week I took a day off work on Tuesday to try to rest and see if it went away. Here's how the week has gone since then.

Tuesday
Took the day off to rest. The rest didn't really seem to help. I suspected that maybe anemia was causing my crazy symptoms so I bought some iron pills to try to get my iron levels up. I called the nurse at the OBs office because I wasn't feeling well at all and wondered if the problem was that I was not getting enough oxygen. She referred me to me regular doctor. I went in and they tested my pulse-oxidation (amount of oxygen in my blood) and it looked fine. They tested my lung function (also fine) and sent me for some blood work - a CBC (complete blood count) and TSH (thyroid check). One possibility the doctor mentioned was pulmonary embolism but she also said that it was very, very unlikely.

Wednesday
I felt better on Wednesday during the day and went to work. No crazy symptoms. But that afternoon I started feeling a cold coming on. And since there's been a significant amount of crud going around at work, I decided to take off on Thursday for another day of rest, orange juice, and benedryl to try to kick whatever was coming on before it got too bad.

Thursday
Stayed home with my OJ and benedryl and tried to rest. By mid-day my heart was racing - around 120 bpm while I was just lying on the couch. Now your pulse does increase in pregnancy because there's lots of extra blood. 90 is normal, 100 is fine, even 110 can be okay (according to my doc) but 120 is pretty worrisome. Called the OB and spoke to the oncall doctor. She said it was high but not concerning enough for an ER visit unless it got worse. She advised me to come in on Friday for a check-up

Friday
Still feeling a little crazy so I sent Allison to daycare even though it was my "off" Friday. I went into the OB (not my usual one - it was her day off) because my heart was still really fast. At the OB my blood pressure was up (higher than normal but not alarming) and my pulse was 126 bpm. The OB referred me to a perinatologist (high-risk OB) and I saw him in the afternoon. Perinatologist wants to get a reading of my heart to see what's really going on and rule out pulmonary embolism. They did an ultrasound of baby and everything looks GREAT. Baby is measuring right on track for a July 9 due date. They also tried to look at my heart with the ultrasound (weren't able to) but found something else fun... a gallstone! Great - just another fun thing to add to the list. Fortunately, the gall ducts look good and I'm not having any gall bladder symptoms (RUQ pain) for now. But since this is my 2nd incident with the gall bladder I think it will becoming out once baby arrives. Perinatologist referred my to a cardiologist for a monitor and to a ultrasounds place for a leg ultrasound to rule out the blood clots that could cause a PE.
The one thing the Perinatologist said that made a lot of sense to me is that some women are just much more sensitive to the changes in hormones during pregnancy. I have good reason to believe that I'm one of those extrasensitive types - the unrelenting morning sickness is one good sign. My body just has a very strong reaction to pregnancy hormones.

Saturday & Sunday
I felt decent over the weekend. Strange pulse increases but nothing sustained.

Monday
Appointment with my regular OB. She said she was definitely concerned about the crazy heartrate and was glad I was seeing a cardiologist. Overall, feeling better. We discussed that there might be something going on with me that isn't really related to the pregnancy at all but that pregnancy, since it puts such an extra strain on your body, could just be exacerbating the problem to the point that I'm noticing it.

Tuesday
Met with the cardiologist and got hooked up with a Holter Monitor. I've got 5 leads attached to my chest and a monitor that records my heart activity. I have to wear it for 48 hours and keep a log of any strange symptoms I'm feeling. Of course, since I got it, I've felt relatively normal. Isn't that always the way.

That brings us to today. I'm actually feeling pretty good. I slept well without getting woken up with crazy heart activity. Even Allison slept in until 6am. Let's hope that the crazy heart stuff was just a phase and that it's all behind me now. But we'll see.

Pregnancy Update - 23 weeks

If you're reading this you probably already know that we are expecting baby #2 in July. My official due date is July 9 but for many reasons, I'll be having a scheduled (repeat) cesarean section about a week before that. Right now I'm thinking July 2, but we'll see as we get closer.

Much like last time, I have been sick daily. I hate to call in morning sickness because that isn't even close to being an accurate description. (the true name is hyperemesis gravidarum) It usually starts around 2 or 4 pm and lasts until bed time. There's no real nausea so all of the normal nausea remedies don't help. So far I have tried...
*zofran (I'll take the puking over the gastrointestinal backups any day!)
*phenergan (makes me too sleepy)
*benedryl (again with the sleepiness - not good for daytime)
*vitamin B6
*reglan
*tigan
and the latest in my ever growing home pharmacy:
*steroids - a 6 day pack that is supposed to help settle everything so maybe I can get a little break
*Zoloft - not a antiemetic (i.e. stop the puking) but may help even the mood swings that happen when you throw up 5+ times a day.

You know it's bad when your OB has to dig into her little prescription book to look up alternatives because her usuals haven't cut it. And it's really bad when she has to call up a specialist to get more options. That's how I ended up with the steroids and Zoloft. I was a little skeptical of the Zoloft (anti-depressant) at first but I'm willing to try. It's amazing how "down" you feel after a night of several visits to the bathroom. I'm only on day 2 of the new ones so we'll see how it goes. If day 1 was any indication it just might do the trick. I was down to 2 incidents yesterday instead of the usual 4-5+.

If you'd like more information on Hyperemesis Gravidarum, please visit www.helpher.org. They have a lot of really, really useful information about treatment options, how to be supportive, etc.

Aside from the sickness, the rest of the pregnancy is going fine. We had our 20 week ultrasound a few weeks ago (yes... it's still a surprise) and baby is growing right on track. It's kind of amazing given that I actually haven't gained any weight. But I hardly gained with Allison and she was no small fry at birth so I guess it's really true that babies take all they need.

I'll be back soon with updated pictures of our cutie pie!