Oh Yeah, and failed the 1 hour GTT :(

Grrrrr.. 3 hour next Wednesday.

Beaking Cervix, but not worried!

I should have posted this yesterday; oops!

Everything looks great - Baby Boy is 1 lb 8 oz!!!!! He would NOT let her get a pic of his face in 3d, he kept putting his hands up and boxing. When she would jiggle my stomach he would punch back with both hands, it was pretty funny!
Cervix is still long and closed BUT she noticed a tiny bit of "beaking" above the TAC. Below the TAC there is about 3.5cm of closed cervix. Above the TAC, there was almost 1 cm but it was beaked. She pushed hard at the top of my uterus and the pressure caused it to momentarily funnel, but the TAC is holding everything in, thank God!

My OB didn't want to see me for another month (and no sono) which kinda freaked me out. She said I was no longer being treated for incompetent cervix, but only monitoring for PTL, since I'm past the point of viability. I see her point, but I talked her into letting me get a cervical length check at my next appointment in a month.  :)

Also, she said hospital policy is no elective c-section before 40 weeks without one of the major issues (pre-e, eclampsia, etc). She said a cerclage is not a reason to have an elective C at 38 weeks and she would have to go to the Chief and request approval IF my TAC surgeon gives her a good enough reason. She's got a conference call with him tomorrow and he requests a 38wk c-section to prevent uterine rupture since there's so much pressure on the band. I'm totally fine with going the whole 40 weeks if I can (plus I can get an April Fool's baby, if he will stay in that long). I'm not going to think about it just yet, but enjoy the time I have now. It's all so overwhelming!

Here is a 3d of his sweet little face:

Weekly Check-in

Okay, these are getting boring... but the good news is, boring is good!  I don't really have much going on, just coasting through the end of the 2nd trimester, praying to be unscathed. 

How far along? 23w3d, a papaya!
Weight gain/loss: +6
Sleep? Tossing and turning about once an hour :(
Best moment this week?  Being able to get around and DO things!

Movement: I can see it from the outside most of the time.  Daddy is still too impatient to wait a few minutes to feel it.  I think his feelings are hurt that he doesn't react as soon as he hears Daddy's voice. I have to remind him that baby is not a circus performer and he doesn't perform on demand.  There are moments of serious movement that are quite entertaining to watch!  Movement is also getting into a pattern - anytime I wake up in the middle of the night, he gets going, and when I'm up in the morning, I feel him going crazy.  Again around mid-morning, he has another strong one.  Things will get quiet for a few hours, then around dinner time, he goes again, then once more before going to sleep.  Pretty soon he's going to wake me up in the middle of the night!

Food cravings: Peanuts in shells, peanut butter, Reese's peanut butter cups, Peanut butter granola bars... can't get enough!
What I miss? Nothing really, it will all be worth it!
What I am looking forward to? Next ultrasound on December 7th
Milestones: His lungs are starting to grow and mature!
What I'm nervous about: Nothing right now!  I take that back, I'm nervous for the glucose tolerance test tomorrow..... :(

Weekly Check-in

How far along? 22w3d, a papaya!
Weight gain/loss: +4
Sleep? Tossing and turning about once an hour :(
Best moment this week?  Being able to get around and DO things!
Movement: He's been quiet for a few days, but reassures me that he's still there by small kicks.  He must be going through a growth spurt!
Food cravings: SPICY!  We had Taco Bell twice this weekend for lunch with Fire sauce, then buffalo wings.  I think instead of me HAVING a boy, I'm turning into one...
What I miss? Nothing really, it will all be worth it!
What I am looking forward to? Next ultrasound on the 7th
Milestones: He can now taste what I eat...
What I'm nervous about: Nothing right now!

INCREDIBLY Thankful.

Not only am I pregnant, but I'm SO close to viability!!!  Not that we're expecting him ANYtime soon (he WILL be born at 38 weeks if I can do anything about it).  I'm SO SO SO SO thankful for the mobility that I have with the TAC.  I feel so NORMAL.  I think every day how scared I was to conceive again, knowing that with a vaginal cerclage that gravity would be my enemy.  Being in bed for 22 hours a day sounded fun at first, but I can't imagine being on strict bed rest the entire pregnancy.  I feel for my friends who are currently in that situation.  I know that it's temporary, but it takes a TON of energy to not go insane in the membrane. 

I put up Christmas lights yesterday, DEEP cleaned my kitchen, carried stuff, rearranged furniture, vaccuumed, took a walk, went shopping and to Taco Bell.  To most people, those don't sound like glamorous things, but when I think of the alternative, I am SO thankful that I was able to physically handle those tasks.

On a daily basis, I'm so glad I went this route with the TAC.  It was scarier at first (major abdominal surgery in the first trimester!?  insane!) but now I have this confidence that my body CAN do the right thing!

If I could outlaw the vaginal cerclage, I would.  I wish insurance companies would cover, and I wish surgeons would learn and recommend it.  I think the efforts are in place to have the medical field re-think the surgery, but it can't happen too soon to save these precious lives.

No change in cervix!!!!!!

STILL measuring 4.2 cm!!!!!!!!!!  The TAC is gorgeous and I can see it supporting my boy.  Everything is going textbook perfect so far.  I feel so blessed.

Nursery Progress

I hate traditional nurseries for the most part.  I don't like the cookie cutter cutesy bed-in-a-bag packages they sell at BRU.  I don't like clutter or knick-knacks. I hate pastels.  I dislike ornate furniture.  We're not using crib bumpers or a bed skirt or a changing table.  I'm just buying stuff that we like as we go along.  I'm spending very very little - the splurgiest thing in his room right now is the Skip Hop Hare brush set for $25.00.  Everything else was either on clearance or half off.  All the furniture is from IKEA.  We are not painting the room, either.

Now that you know where I'm coming from, here are the pics so far.  Still have a LONG way to go, but it's fun to document where it started.

You can click on any photo to make it bigger!


To the left, 2 Billy bookcases (IKEA) and a Poang chair (IKEA) and in the forefront, a total photobomber (dog butt). Curtains are from Wal-Mart (hometrend?)  The pattern is called "Cascade."

Front view of bookcases and 2 dog butts

Wall decal that will possibly go above the crib.  I loved the colors;  Keith corrected me that it's a bass and not a guitar.  Oops.

The crib ensemble - the left is a sheet and the soft blankie on the right.  That's all.  I am getting some Miracle Crib sheets and a couple of extra white ones.  These were on clearance at BRU, paid less than $15 for both.

My splurge item for the twins - a Skip Hop Hare brush and comb set.  So stinkin' cute!

I'm big on books.  We have a decent starting point but I'm hoping to fill both bookcases!  Green dot storage box from Target, I plan on getting a couple more of these.