Pray for Baby AJ

A long time ago I worked at a summer camp and met a guy named Brett and his mom Yvonne.  A couple weeks ago I sold some of my cloth diapers to a mom through a facebook group.  I didn't know at the time that she was Brett's wife and the baby was AJ.

Then one week ago Yvonne posted on facebook that her grandson, AJ, had a horrible fall and was being airlifted to Seattle with a brain bleed.

AJ is 6 months old and was born prematurely in December.  Currently he's in the hospital in Seattle under sedation while they try to allow his brain to heal.  He had surgery to reduce the pressure and they left a piece of his skull out.  Then on Sunday he had a grand mal seizure and now they aren't sure if he's been having seizures since the injury or this is new.

Today he got a PICC line installed and will need a transfusion.

This little guy needs all the prayers he can get.

Brett and Sarah are now in Seattle with AJ full time so Yvonne has set up a YouCaring site to help them with their expenses.  Every little bit helps.  You can also read updates about AJ there or on CaringBridge.

Every time I look at my girls and they smile back at me I think of AJ and how his parents are missing this smile right now.  I just pray that he makes a full recovery and they see those smiles again soon.

18 Weeks

Apparently I'm as bad with this baby as I was with Cory in taking pictures!  Here I am at 18 weeks already and this is the first belly shot.  I dug out my maternity clothes a long time ago and I think they make you show more, but still, this one is sticking out sooner than the others.  Darn stretched out stomach!

Also, a very large apology to my sister in law who is 8 weeks ahead of me and still claims no one can tell!

At least I'm not nauseous anymore and for about a week I had some energy so my house got a thorough cleaning.  I think it wore me out though because I'm back to being tired again.  Now you add in Daylight Saving Time and my boys thinking it's still summer hours and I'm in trouble!

Friday we have the ultrasound to measure and hopefully this one will cooperate so we can figure out what we're having!  And yes, for the millionth time, we would like a girl!

One other cool fact. Although we didn't get to meet this summer I have the exact same due date as my friend Stephanie!  (and it doesn't look like it by the baby tickers because my midwives moved my due date up as far as they could in case this one also comes early we would like to avoid going to the hospital if at all possible!  They can't deliver before 37 weeks and Noah was born at 37 1/2.  But I calculate my due date to be on Easter!)

Growing... Baby Number Three

Has it been a little quiet around here lately?  There's a good reason for that!  It's called complete fatigue and major nausea that comes and goes randomly.

I'm currently 12 weeks pregnant and I seriously hope the nausea gets better soon.  It wasn't nearly this bad with either of the boys (and yes, about a bajillion people have now told me "well, you must be having a girl").  I've been eating about one good meal a day and then surviving on toast and juice.  Hey, helps with the pregnancy weight gain I guess!

Sadly though I have had to break out my maternity pants already.  Part third baby, part any extra pressure makes my nausea worse and I'm already quite stylish...

I knew I was pregnant before the positive test.  It's not completely unheard of for me to be late, but very rare.  I took 4 tests, one every 3 days starting on the day I was due until I got a positive (the day after my brother's wedding!).  In the mean time the first sign I was pregnant?  The fact that my dreams suddenly got very vivid and I remembered them.  This is a hallmark of pregnancy for me.

However.  When I did finally get that (oh so faint) second line it went from being an intuitive knowledge to an "oh wow, we really are doing this again" reality.

Then the waiting for all the other lovely symptoms to kick in.  The I-can't-sleep-on-my-back at all symptom.  That started about week 7.  The getting-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-pee; also week 7.  The new one this time though? Feeling that twinge when I sit up too fast that is ligaments stretching.  I really don't remember that until about 4 months or later... 7 weeks stinks!

This baby?  Due on Easter!  And yes, within weeks of his or her brothers.  What can I say, we are teachers and we have summer vacation...

And today we heard the heartbeat for the very first time.  Yay!

This post was actually pieced together over a few weeks, but I just can't resist the fact that it fits so well with today's 5 Minute Friday theme!

This is a post prompt from The Gypsy Mama. Join in?

Sur-real-ity

We've been a little busy this week...

Noah Eugene

was born on St. Patrick's Day at 10:10 pm

after only 2 hours at the birthing center
and being 2 1/2 weeks "early"

He weighed 8lbs, 8oz
and was 20 1/4 inches long

Cory met his new brother on Thursday evening

A more excited boy I haven't seen!

He'll make a great big brother...

although he's not sure about the crying!

We have an almost identical picture of Cory with Papa
and here is about the only picture where I think they look alike

"Noah" had a present for Cory, a giant stuffed Golden Retriever which Cory promptly named Cayenne and proceeded to have "lick" everyone just like the real Cayenne does! (my parent's dog)

We had just gotten out the baby clothes and started sorting them on Tuesday night... so I did some laundry at 4am after my water broke and I was waiting for the midwife to call me back!
It was a pretty slow day and the labor didn't actually start getting hard until about 7pm, but then it was fast and furious!
We came home at 1:30am and since I wasn't expecting this for another 2 weeks it's hard to believe he's here already!
Now for the "reality check" when Cory comes home to stay tomorrow!

35 Weeks

It seems unreal that I basically have a month left. I'm not sure I'm ready for this! I have been so focused on moving and unpacking and cleaning that other than being slower than normal and more uncomfortable I'm not really thinking about being pregnant. Uh oh!

This picture was taken on Saturday before an insanely packed weekend. Probably a good thing it wasn't taken today as I'm all puffy with water weight. My midwife appointment said I'd gained 8 pounds in 2 weeks, but I'm pretty sure according to my home scale that 6 of that was this week alone. It better be water or I'm in trouble! My ankles are all swelled up too.

I don't have any pictures to compare when I was pregnant with Cory, but I might be bigger now than I was with him. At least I don't remember it being this hard to shave my legs even at the end! And it feels like my stomach is always stretching if I'm not in just a couple of positions.

I'm glad it's spring so I can have the windows open. My thermostat has gone up about 10 degrees I think, to the point that I can be hot when Brian is cold. That's a switch!

I'll hopefully post one more picture at 39 weeks... if we make it that far!

31 Weeks

Please excuse the fact that this picture was taken 2 days before 31 weeks... horror, I know! But considering I'll be living without internet for who knows how long I wanted to get this up!

Definitely sticking out a lot more this month although it doesn't seem to be slowing me down too much. The only problem now is that it seems every time I go to bend over I get a Braxton Hicks contraction and my stomach gets so hard I literally can't bend at all. Kind of annoying!
I'm still sleeping decently and with only one extra pillow. This time last round I think I was up to about 4 pillows and poor Brian was sleeping on the couch a LOT. I suppose that could still happen...

The little guy is still kicking up a storm although I think he's a bit more confined now. The midwife said he was head down at the last appointment so let's hope he stays that way!

2 months to go and I'll be plenty busy getting our new house in order!

27 Weeks

I looked at my side bar this week and the number on the baby "ticker" was less than 100. It shocked me there for a second! I knew in my head that I was almost 6 months, but thinking about it as 3 months to go... wow, I wasn't ready for that! I have a hundred and one things to do in these next couple months so I guess I'd better start making lists! Thank goodness we don't need much for this little guy considering we have all of Cory's stuff and their birthdays will most likely be just days apart!


I suppose I shouldn't be surprised how far along I am what with how much my belly is sticking out these days... but I guess since this time around I also know how much bigger it's going to get it doesn't feel so big! The little man is kicking up a storm and he really hates to be crowded. Anytime I bend over he lets me know. It helps my posture when I'm sitting since I can't slouch without getting punches to the ribs!

Other than that we're plugging along. Sleeping is going okay now that I'm back in my own bed. I'm hopeful that this will help me get over the cold that I've now had for 3 weeks as well. That was not a fun way to spend Christmas vacation. So I guess that means I should head off to bed now!

22 Weeks

You'll have to excuse the fact that I look like a zombie. This Thanksgiving weekend and just this pregnancy in general are wearing me out!

I discovered, on Thanksgiving, that I must be carrying high because I can't eat more than a snack size meal without feeling ill. I felt ill for most of the day.

Baby boy is not letting up either, kicking me all the time. He especially seems to like my bladder...

How am I going to survive the next 4 months???

Best Big Brother

Cory loves to take my old teddy bear and pretend it's a friend or baby or basically playmate. Here he's reading the bear a story...

I'm thinking he'll make a pretty good big brother!

This is the outfit he picked out for the baby on Friday after our ultrasound...

You can't really tell, but it has a work crane on the side...

18 Weeks

Hard to believe, but I'm almost half way there already. Of course I'm plenty uncomfortable sleeping so that part I believe!

I've been feeling the baby move for the past couple of weeks. That's very reassuring! Also, Cory went with me to my last midwife appointment and he got to hear the heartbeat! Way cool!

Next week we have an ultrasound so if this one wants to cooperate we'll find out if it's a boy or a girl... shall I share or keep it a secret? :)

Oh, and that funky orange and red at the bottom of my shirt is this really cool thing called the Swelly Belly that I won from my friend Grace's blog. At this point it's actually more helpful in keeping my pants up, but will help in the future so that my tummy doesn't hang out below my shirts!

13 Weeks

Some of you may know what I'm talking about... most of you probably don't (unless you've looked in my right hand sidebar)!!! This picture was taken last Sunday so technically I'm 14 weeks now... squee!

Due April 3rd, 2010!