6 weeks

Our little bugaboo is 6 weeks old already!!

I also had my lovely 6 week check-up today and all is well! I got the go to get back into running and I have 8 weeks to train for the 10-miler I'm doing May 6th. I really wanted to run tonight, however it was a busy day with Thomas's re-check appointment (he still has a cough but is doing really well!!!!) and my appointment after. It was 65 and sunny here today so after Henry's nap we headed outside and I did 2 laps of our neighborhood (for those of you who've been here, that's still a pretty good workout...roughly 2 miles). Tomorrow while Henry's in school I plan to run 3 miles, most likely very slowly :)

Here's our little photo shoot we did today before daddy headed to the airport!

1 month check-up, 5 weeks old and a couple milestones...

What a week it has been! It all started Sunday night. Thomas had been a little congested, but I wasn't sure if he was getting a cold (since Henry has one) or if it was just the normal newborn congestion. Sunday night is when I knew - he started coughing and it truly broke my heart. He was happy as could be and it didn't seem to be bothering him. It selfishly worked out just because we already had his 1 month appointment Monday morning. He's a growing boy:

Weight - 9 lbs 5 oz

Height - 20 3/4 inches

almost exactly what Henry was - not that I'm comparing or anything :)

I voiced my concerns about the cough to the doctor and she examined him a little more thoroughly. He sounded great and he wasn't in any distress so she advised me just to watch him closely.

His cry was so hoarse that you couldn't (and still can't) hear him cry so I had him sleep next to me in bed. (Henry ended up leaving for Nashville Monday night, so it was just me in the king size bed so there was plenty of room!) Monday night he slept for a 6+ hour stretch so I wasn't sure if it was because he didn't feel well or just because he was getting bigger.

Into Tuesday he started feeding shorter amounts of time, but more frequently. He was still wetting diapers so I just paid close attention to him. Tuesday night he continued to worsen and this is where being a PICU nurse almost makes it worse. Since I see them when they are REALLY sick, I wasn't sure if I was overreacting or if he was really in need of another check from the doc. Wednesday morning he started to have a little trouble breathing, he was having retractions and belly breathing and he was so tired. I decided that I'd rather be safe than sorry so I called the doc. I got an appointment, called the babysitter for Henry and then called daddy to tell him what was going on. He was at the Nashville airport heading to Salt Lake City, however his plane was grounded due to landing gear failure - Awesome (sarcasm!). He decided to take his time trying to get on another flight to Utah to see what was going on here. God must have been watching over us because he couldn't get another flight to Utah in time for his meeting and ended up getting a direct flight to Philly an hour later.

We got to our appointment with the Pediatrician and they checked him out immediately. He was having labored breathing and not getting adequate oxygen at times so she sent me to the Children's Hospital. I had to drive there (40 minutes) in the pouring rain - not that it wasn't stressful enough already and I was alone. On the way there I called the attending physician from the floor I work on and he was able to pull some strings and get us through the emergency room in no time. We got the red carpet treatment our entire visit - a perk to working there! They gave Thomas an albuterol treatment to see if that would help open his lungs. It helped a bit but then they decided to give him some fluids (yes the poor little man had to get an IV) so he wouldn't get dehydrated and ordered a chest x-ray to check for a pneumonia. The x-ray was negative meaning that there was no pneumonia present - thank God! They diagnosed him with having a bronchiolitis and sent a respiratory panel which will give it a specific name and length of time - that's currently still pending.

We got to our room around 7 pm and the care we received was top notch. Henry went home to spend the night with the little guy and I stayed with Thomas. I didn't really sleep at all - which wasn't a concern of mine anyway. The docs from the ICU came up to check on him which was awesome since I know how busy they get. He started keeping his feeds down (he was coughing so much prior that he'd throw his entire feeding up). They stopped the fluids in the morning and he was back to feeding well. They watched him for the day and he improved dramatically. The illness he has peaks around 3-5 days and he was admitted on day 4 which makes total sense.

We were able to come home last night. He still has the nasty cough which is heart breaking but looks and feels so much better - he is just so much more awake and aware.

It was such a scary experience but we are blessed with how it turned out.

Thomas in the Emergency Department (5 weeks)

Getting hooked up to everything - look at that poor arm with the IV

He was on oxygen for a little while

Getting ready to go home!

Milestones:

On a positive note - he smiled his first true gummy smile at the hospital (go figure!)

He had his first hospital experience

And when we got home we gave brother Henry a bath. Daddy set him on the toilet and he went potty for the first time - YAY Henry. He clapped when he was done and we praised him as well. We'll see if it continues!

Thank you all for the kind words and prayers

1 month old already!

On Saturday - Thomas Ryan was 1 month old. I can't even believe it. In some ways it seems like it was yesterday, and in others I feel like we have a pretty good routine going and he's been here for a while. He's changing by the minute and looking more and more like Henry.

Here is a comparison - you decide!

(Thomas Ryan - 1 month old)

(Henry Lyons - 1 month old)

1 week old

Thomas 6 days old

Thomas 1 week old

We had a doctor's appointment today and this lil guy is doing great. His current weight is 6 lbs 14 oz and he's now 19 3/4 inches long. It was probably quite hard to get an exact length after birth, just because he was so scrunched up!!

He really is such a good baby - feeding every 3 hours at night and every 2-2 1/2 hours during the day. He's such a snuggle bunny too.

Little Henry is getting use to him being here, we're still working on the fact that he has to be gentle around him. He's constantly trying to share his trucks with his little brother and help out with anything I'm doing. My mom has been a huge help this week and Henry is getting spoiled!

39 week appointment

Yesterday I had my 39th week appointment (I was 38 weeks 4 days) and like a broken record - all is going well! My BP is holding strong at 96/60, I'm down yet another pound (which is typical at this point per the doc) and the baby's HR was 134. I got another lovely exam and thought he was trying to put me into labor - OUCH! I'm still at 2cm but a VERY ripe 2 - meaning my cervix is super soft and completely effaced. He said not to get discouraged by this because he had a lady in a few weeks ago who was at 6 cm at her routine visit, however they had to induce her 2 weeks later because she never progressed any further. I can't imagine walking around knowing I was 6 cm dilated.

I'm still having contractions, but still not regular. They are getting stronger as the days go by so we'll just have to wait and see. I just pray for a healthy lil baby and a safe delivery.

Stay tuned...

Almost 38 weeks!!

Yesterday was my almost 38 week appointment and another ultrasound. All is going well thus far. My weight is down another pound - however I'm blaming the stomach bug I had last week! My BP was a little high for me 120/80, but nothing off the charts. Baby's HR was 128-130 on ultrasound and doppler.

I had my ultrasound first. It's pretty neat having one this far along. Baby C had a case of the hiccups and you could see his/her belly going in and out. You could also see Baby C practicing their breathing techniques via the ribs going in and out. We didn't get any good photos since it's harder once the baby is this far along and takes up so much space. Baby was a little over 6 lbs and my fluid levels looked great. All great news.

Next I had my weekly appointment with Dr. K. I'm 2 cm dilated, still 70% effaced and the head is in position (thus the reason I'm feeling SO much pressure lately).

I've been having the cramping contractions, but nothing shorter than 8 minutes apart and then they subside over time. We've been doing A LOT of walking to help progress labor, but the baby will tell us when he/she is ready!

Here's a few pics just because...

(We visited Nana over New Year's weekend)

(Our little cheeser with his new favorite toy)

(I tried sauce for the first time last week and I seriously walked away for a minute to put something in the sink and this is what I came back to!!!!)

36 week recap/37 week update

A little behind - sounds all too familiar these days! Last Thursday I had my 36 week appointment and all was good. BP 100/70, no weight gain (but no weight loss), HR was 128 (must have been sleeping for once!). I'm still measuring like 4 weeks behind so they ordered me another ultrasound, however the Perinatologist is booked until next Wednesday the 11th so we'll just have to wait. Dr. K checked me for GBS (group B strep) and while down there checked to see if I was dilated at all. As of last week I was 1/2-1 cm.

Today was my 37 week appointment - a few days early. I've gained a pound (total weight gain - 17 lbs), BP 110/70, HR was 156-158 and measuring small...but at this point I can't imagine I'll catch up at all. Dr. K informed me that my GBS came back negative, which is one less thing to worry about! He also checked me and I'm currently 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. He said the head was down but still has a little bit to go. It's REALLY starting to sink in that this baby could be here at any moment!! This was the progress I was at with Henry at 38 weeks and had him 3 days later - YIKES!!

Henry (daddy) is down in Atlanta until Friday morning - and this is his last bit of travel until the baby arrives, so I'm just going to keep my legs crossed that this baby stays put!!

On another note: I'm really starting to get mommy guilt. I'm afraid that lil Henry is going to be so sad that some other baby is stealing his mommy away. I truly believe he senses something because he's been extra clingy to me and just cuddles with me all day! On the opposite spectrum, he's going to have a best friend to play with and I can't wait to watch them grow up together!

Stay tuned for updates :)

Henry's 16 months old :)

Henry's 16 month birthday fell on my 29th birthday - so we did a little celebrating together!! We spend our morning cuddling up on the couch with books and singing - he played his Leapfrog birthday cake over and over and over for me :) After lunch we went for a car ride (while jamming to some Christmas music) and Henry had his second haircut. This little guy has so much hair - it's crazy! He was very good at his appointment amazingly (lately he seems like he has ants in his pants 24/7).

New favorites:

He loves throwing things away and he's such a neat freak. He picks up every pine needle he finds on the floor and walks over to the trash to throw it away!

He loves reading me his books and we're really working on his vocabulary. Newest saying is when you ask him what Santa says "Ho, ho, ho"

He LOVES to go up and down the stairs - we play a little game where I throw the ball up the stairs onto the landing and he chases it. It's great exercise for the lil man!

He loves to push his umbrella stroller all around the basement. He also enjoys climbing on the treadmill and pretending to run (like mommy!)

Henry still loves himself a grilled cheese. He is such a great eater - he even loves brussel sprouts just like his mama

A new thing : He will come over and rub my belly and then pretend to cry like a baby - it's hilarious. My mom brought him my old magic bottle baby doll and he imitates the noises that the bottle makes :)

He LOVES his milk! He drinks 24 oz a day and would drink more if I would let him. We're working on getting him to drink it cold - but he still prefers to have it slightly warm, whatever works!

He's been sleeping from roughly 7pm-6/6:30am. He still takes two naps, but I think I may cut it down to one soon - we'll see!

He has his first set of molars in and overall has done great with them coming in. Total teeth count is 12.

I'm sure I'm leaving out a lot, but this mama is tired and going to retire for the evening.

34 Week Ultrasound

Thursday I had another ultrasound to make sure that baby is growing. I was a little anxious going into the appointment. Amazingly enough - baby already weighs 4 lbs 6 oz and is measuring just under the 50% percentile. Such a relief!! Everything else looks great with Baby C #2. He/She was being a little stubborn and wouldn't turn over so that we could see the face clearly enough to get a 4D shot - but I can't complain because I already have two great ones.

After the ultrasound, I went to the lab to get my blood work done. I should know the results of that by my next appointment which is this coming Wednesday.

Then, after my blood work, I had an appointment to check my weight, BP, urine, and heartbeat.

Weight - I gained a pound. According to them I've now gained 15 lbs.

BP - 120/78; still a little high for me so we're watching that closely

No protein in urine

Baby's HR - 136

I'm now measuring at 28 weeks - 6 weeks behind. A little strange since last week I measured at 29 weeks. The doc was just thankful for ultrasounds, otherwise they'd be greatly concerned with the size of my tummy.

Overall I'm feeling great - no complaints really!

If I follow suit as to when I had Henry - I only have 4 weeks left - WOW!!

That's it for now - have a great weekend!

33 week status

Last Wednesday (12/7) I had my appointment with Dr. K. I had a sitter come and watch Henry (even though daddy had a home office day - he can't really be on calls and watch the lil guy at the same time) and I'm super happy I made the decision. My appt was at 9:15am and only had to wait in the waiting room for like 5 minutes. Well once I got back to the room, the patient beside me had some sort of emergent event happen, therefore I had to wait a LONG time in the room. I didn't mind really, but if I had the little guy it would have been pretty painful.

BP: 120/80 - slightly higher than normal and fairly high for me, but still in the normal range

No protein in urine

Weight: I actually lost a pound (Yikes), total pregnancy weight gain - 14 lbs

Baby's HR: 159

So an hour or so later (after many apologies from the nurse), Dr. K walked it. He measured my belly and I'm currently measuring at 29 weeks - so about 4 weeks off (he contributes it to me be thin and having a long torso). Because of this I am getting an ultrasound this Thursday, along with starting weekly appointments. So this Thursday I will have my ultrasound, get my blood work done and have an appointment. Let's just hope that the baby is just tucked away in there and hasn't stopped growing! With this news I also get to start drinking Ensure Plus - who's jealous?? I also was told to rest more (hard to do with an almost 16 month old) and lay low on the exercising.

33 week photo:

(Don't mind the mess on the bathroom floor - that's what it looks like when I let Henry play while I try and get ready :))

31 Week Status ( a little early)

So I'm actually 30 weeks 3 days as of today, but close enough to 31 weeks. I had my regular appt with Dr. S today and for the most part it was uneventful.

BP: 100/60 - still great

No protein in urine

Heart rate: The baby was super active and initially it was in the 140s then would spike to the 160s while doing some sore of gymnastics move

Measurement: I'm measuring in at 28 weeks, so still small. She was going to order another ultrasound, but I then reminded her that I just had one a little over 2 weeks ago. We came to the conclusion that if it continues to happen we will get one next time. She thinks I just have a long torso and the baby is hiding very well.

Weight gain: I'm up 14 lbs

(Might be a little too much so skip if need be)

Symptoms: I thought I lost my mucus plug yesterday. It wasn't as drastic as it was with Henry, and it wasn't blood tinged so I was questioning it. I mentioned it to the doc so she checked my cervix and it's still closed - thankfully!! I've been having some mild cramping along with some BH contractions. I've also been having quite a bit of pressure down yonder - especially the days I run longer than normal.

Exercise: That leads us into this topic. Running is getting a lot harder for me this time around. I ran strong until 36 weeks last time, but now I'm only able to run 2 miles at a time and then walk some. I guess it's better than nothing.

Cravings: Nada except the need to drink water continuously which then causes me to have to use the restroom frequently

Aversions: I continue to have a hard time eating meat and I'm experiencing a lot of nausea lately - I think it's due to the baby's position

Sleep: I have some good nights, however lately I've been waking at 3ish and then continue to wake every 1/2 hour - frustrating!

This past weekend we went to the Poconos - the PA 'mountains.' They aren't really mountains, but exaggerated hills. We are looking to sell our beach house and possibly look into a 'mountain' house that could be used year round with a lake and skiing. They had a promotion to come look at property - so we took advantage of it and got away for the weekend. My parents came to our house to watch the lil guy on Saturday morning and we came home early Sunday afternoon. It's only a 2 hour drive away - so it's pretty convenient. We stopped at the outlets on the way up to grab some baby necessities at the Carter outlet and did some other Christmas shopping. Other than that we just enjoyed our relaxing afternoon/evening together. We were in bed by 9:30pm, but hey why not?!?

We took a couple of photos from our outdoor patio:

(Side View of Baby C #2)

(Front View of Baby C #2)

Now it's time to get back to getting the house ready for our 2nd Annual Turkey Day festivities. Enjoy the holiday :)

28 week status

I had my 28 week appointment today, and since Dr. K was on call I went to another doc in the practice. What was planned to be an uneventful appointment, turned around on me. I arrived at 9:45am, left my sample and was called back immediately - which is always a plus.

No protein in the urine - great thing for my history!

BP: remained golden - 110s/60s

Weight gain: Thus far I've gained 11 lbs

I then went into the exam room and baby C's heartrate was in the 140s and he/she was kicking like crazy - the nurse and I were laughing

Once the nurse left, I heard she and the doctor chatting outside the room about platelets...yes there were other patients but I was almost sure they were talking about me. Dr. S came into the room and then asked me when I had HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes and Low Platelets) syndrome last time. I then explained to her that it was at 38 weeks 3 days, my day of delivery. I've been trying to get my medical records from my prior practice for 22 weeks now, very frustrating!! She then explained to me that my platelets were low at 128 (normal is 150-400) and that I would need to get them rechecked at 34 weeks and at that point we'll keep an extra close eye on them. Remember, most anesthesiologists won't administer an epidural with platelets below 100. Not that I'm banking on that this time around, since last time I wasn't allowed with a platelet count of 60, just if I have to get induced again it's something to think about. Good thing from this news: The blood work was from my gestational diabetes test; which I passed!

Dr. S then proceeded to measure my belly. I measured at 25 weeks (which is exactly the same time I measured small last time around) so I am scheduled for an ultrasound this coming Friday morning. She assumes that it's just how I carry, but we're going to be on the safe side and check.

I could use a couple extra prayers and I will keep you all posted with my news this Friday.

Keep cooking Baby C!!

24 week status

Last Wednesday I had my 24 week checkup with Dr. K and all is going well so far!

::

BP: My blood pressure is cooperating thus far and averaging 90-100/60! Remember - when I was in labor my bp sky rocketed to 190s/110s - which is far too high and critical for baby.

Weight: So far I've gained 9 lbs (that was prior to going to New Orleans!!)

Aversions: Meat is still very hard for me to eat

Cravings: I get the occasional craving for sweets, but nothing crazy. It doesn't helped that my mom had oatmeal chocolate chips cookies waiting for me upon our return from New Orleans - just what I needed

Symptoms/Complaints: I'm having a lot of pressure in my legs, it's hard to explain but I just try my best to keep them elevated as much as possible with a 1 year old running around :) Other than that I'm feeling great

Movement: Lots of it!!

Due Date: January 27, 2012

It's a: SURPRISE!!

I'm getting a little bump, nothing huge yet!