32 weeks 3 days

I'm well into the 30s now and it's pretty exciting!  My doctor started seeing me every two weeks basically since my surgery and every time we meet he is so excited to see that I'm still holding strong!  Just a few more weeks and we'll be even more relieved!

32 weeks 3 days!

I had my checkup today and everything looked great with one exception.  The protein levels in my urine have been creeping up since about 26 weeks and today they were high enough to warrant a 24-hour urine collection.  This means preeclampsia could be our next problem.  (I called it...I really did.  I knew this was going to happen over a month ago.)  But honestly, it may not be anything to worry about quite yet because my blood pressure is fine.  I normally have super low blood pressure, so I suppose that could make it harder to catch because what's normal for everyone else would be high for me.  But with no swelling or debilitating headaches (although I have started getting a few super mild headaches in the last few weeks), I'm feeling optimistic.  Mostly I'm just relieved to be past 32 weeks, because I could handle having my baby at any point now.  Of course, I'm still holding out for a 9-pounder, so I'm really hoping this doesn't put a kink in my plans!  We'll just have to see what the labs say.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, would ya?

More generic pregnancy updates:

I seem to be recovering well from my gallbladder removal.  I was told that the internal stitches will take two months to dissolve, so that should happen in the next few weeks.  As for now, they appear to be trying to make their way out through my skin instead of just dissolving like good little stitches are supposed to do.  My incisions are getting more red, tender, and swollen, although they don't appear to be infected at all.  My OB told me not to be surprised if my skin opens up and a few stitches come out.  Sounds fine by me.  I'll just be glad to have that part over with.

We decided to be proactive about my heartburn.  Since I was feeling the pain and then treating it with zantac and tums every single day, my OB was on board with me taking generic prevacid to stop the pain before it starts.  It's made a world of difference, I tell you.  It even seems to help with the debilitating pain I sometimes feel where my gallbladder used to reside.  I don't know what's up with that, but I'm hoping it goes away after the baby comes and my organs aren't all squished up under my ribs.

I think I've developed a bit of sleep apnea.  Sometimes I wake in the night, gasping for air.  It's a strange sensation, for sure.  My doctor's not too concerned about it, especially since we're getting so close to the finish line.  I can live with it for another eight weeks.

My weight has been weird.  I gained at least 8 pounds of IV fluids during my hospital stay, and then I lost 16 pounds, putting me 8 pounds below where I was when I was admitted to the hospital.  It has taken the last 6 weeks to gain that 8 pounds back.  So as of yesterday I have gained 16 pounds total during this pregnancy.  It's definitely less than my first two pregnancies (where I gained 15 pounds by 27 weeks with each), but if I gain the expected one pound per week from here on out, that'll put me right at 24 pounds when I deliver, which is just right.  My weight was completely stagnant for a while after my surgery, so I was worried about how the baby was going to grow, but we're all caught up now.  :)

The baby is measuring just right, around 32-33 weeks.

I have another ultrasound to look at the heart at 34 weeks to check on the echogenic foci (is that the plural of focus? because there are three...).  After that, I'll see my doc every week.

I wake up once every single night to use the bathroom, usually around 3-4AM.

My aching right hip keeps me tossing and turning all night.

I've been pulling abdominal muscles, which doesn't feel that great.  It literally leaves me unable to do anything but sit on the couch for a few days, but then it seems to go away.

I'm still feeling pretty good otherwise, which is awesome.  You might be able to count my hankerin' for fresh fruit as a craving.  Jimmy John's sandwiches are also on my "gosh that sounds so good" list.  I had a dream about Jimmy John's and fruit the other night.  It was amazing.  I'm loving apple slices and peanut butter.  Hot chocolate chip cookies.  Yum.  Goldfish crackers.  Ikea meatballs.  That's about it.  ;)

Here are all my recent belly shots!:

28w1d

29 weeks

30 weeks

Today, at 32w3d.

My insanely adorable baby boy with chubby cheeks and squishy lips and a button nose at 29 weeks.

No Doubt, It's Necessary

At times I've questioned whether we did all we could do before resorting to the feeding tube for Caleb...would we make the same choice if we knew then what we know now?  Then I see Caleb come down with a simple little stomach virus (or a cold, or any other virus) and his GI system completely shuts down to where he can hardly digest anything without throwing up.  He NEEDS that feeding pump to deliver a continuous slow drip of formula (or pedialyte) to keep him from needing an IV for hydration and blood sugar.  I can't count how many hospitalizations we've avoided because of his tube!  And that's to say nothing about being able to give him the calories he needs (and can't get on his own) to grow and thrive on a daily basis.  It's true, I'm pretty glad to have that little life-saving piece of silicone in his abdomen!

The things bouncing around inside of my head....

If I were to die tomorrow, Nate would certainly win an award for best single father.  But one thing that I'm just not sure he could handle is switching an entire child's wardrobe up a size.  What an ordeal!

Speaking of switching a child's wardrobe up a size, it's unfortunate that Caleb wore size 18m clothes during the summer and Russ will be wearing size 24m clothes this summer.  I'm just not sure how it's going to go having a baby in June when my other two were born in the winter!  I don't want to have to buy more clothes.  We have a ton already!

Is it normal to have pain in your rib cage, right where the gallbladder used to be, a month post-op?  I don't know.

The other day on a preschool field trip, at the museum where they were giving a live animal show, the presenter asked the kids to tell her magical words (like Abra Kadabra).  Caleb piped up and said, "Expecto Patronum!  Wingardium Leviosa!"  Oh, Caleb.  You are so awesome.  :D

Caleb noticed his feet falling asleep for the first time a few days ago.  He described the feeling as "glitter."

Whenever Russ is sad, he asks for Dolly.  A Dolly snuggle always makes him feel better.

Whenever I try to get Russ dressed, he tells me, "But I want to wear pajamas all the days!"  Seriously, how can I argue with that?  I feel the same way, bud.  So we both pretty much wear pajamas on days that we don't have to leave the house.  I like to use the excuse that maternity clothes make my incision hurt (it's true!  Honestly!).  His excuse is that he's an independent 3-year-old.  So don't judge if you stop by unannounced.  ;)

Speaking of Russ getting dressed, he's super picky about his clothes.  He only wants to wear "soft things."

Russ is like a mini Caleb when he's sleep deprived.  Wild and crazy.  You don't want to be in our house on days like that.  If it's a zoo on normal days, just wait until Russ only gets 8 hours of sleep and refuses to take a nap!

I had a dream the other night that I gave birth--to two baby goats.  One boy and one girl.  I was pretty upset about it because the doctor had told me that I was having two girls (but never said anything about them being animals...apparently that doesn't matter to my subconscious as much as gender does).