Hello All!
It has been quite a busy week at the Dunham house.... well, at the Dunham house and apartment, because we're currently between locations!
I am so excited to finally be in the new house, which is in Christiansburg, but man does moving require a lot of work. I think the most frustrating thing about it is being so limited in what I can do. Poor Matt is getting a work out with all of the heavy lifting he's had to do around the house. When I'm home alone and organizing, it's more than a little tempting to just move a box or two by myself, but I've been pretty good about resisting this urge.
The first major house project we've undertaken is, naturally, to set up Declan's room! Matt and I have both been chomping at the bit to do this, and we wasted no time! Matt has been working like a mad man to get it all painted and ready for assembly, and it looks AWESOME! We'll post some pictures next entry.
Yesterday I had my 35 week check up, which was full of fascinating revelations for me. For example, did you know that pregnancy leads to childbirth? I'm not sure why, but the reality of my fate really hit me yesterday. Perhaps because I'm apparently already starting to dilate and efface, which was shocking to me. The doctor even felt Declan's head yesterday-- weird!
If I am able to deliver naturally, I'll be the first on both sides of my family to do so. Everyone else has fallen victim to the dreaded c-section, and for some reason I kind of assumed I'd follow suit. But apparently my body is not resisting this whole labor thing so far, and I'm getting the feeling that I may not make it to my due date. Which, honestly, is okay with me, except for the fact that Matt will be six hours away for two days in two weeks. I've given Declan direct orders that he is to wait until after July 1st, but I have a feeling Declan has his own agenda.
Everything looks great, though, which we are praising the Lord for! My blood pressure was supposedly 106/68 yesterday, which I honestly find kind of doubtful, but good news nonetheless! So now begins the waiting game, I suppose... and by waiting game, I mean the 'run around and try to get everything done before Declan decides he's too cramped' game.
As always, thank you for your prayers as we enter this new phase of life! Expect pictures soon!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Single, Pregnant, and Hanging Out By The Beer
...Or married, pregnant, and waiting for my husband by the frozen pizza, but I guess life is all about perception.
There is a point in every woman's pregnancy (I'm assuming... I'm only one woman and I've only been pregnant once) when she becomes aware of just how formidable her baby bump is. Fortunately, that moment was not today for me, and so I was mostly able to laugh at the woman who actually made the above mentioned comment in Kroger. My moment was a couple of weeks ago while I was waiting to get my car inspected. The old man sitting next to me, who was emphatically shouting wrong answers to the episode of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" playing in the waiting room, told me I needed to have at least two more kids. I needed one to replace me, one to replace my husband, and one "for America." That was my moment. I will hold it near to my heart always.
Today, however, was not my moment. Matt and I finally decided to go grocery shopping (we'd made it about a month since our last visit, so I was pretty excited about this) and were nearing the homestretch of our trip: The frozen food aisle. Belatedly Matt decided it would be nice of us to feed our cat too, so he backtracked to go grab the fat cat's economy sized bag while I manned the cart.
I realized two things during his brief absence. Number one: Those women who push their kids around in the shopping carts that look like race cars should not be, under any circumstances, deterred. I was deciding whether or not I should actually grab the hot pockets I was eyeing when said woman and her daughter came barreling through. Fearing for my life, I did what any self respecting pregnant woman: I dove to the other side of the aisle. Right by the beer. (They can sell beer in grocery stores down south.)
Trailing the crazed race cart soccer mom was a woman, probably in her fifties, strolling nonchalantly down the aisle while chatting on her cell phone. No cart. No basket. She wasn't even looking at anything. I deduced that her weekly mall walking group must have excommunicated her, and so she was forced to roam the aisles of Kroger instead.
And as she passed, in a tone that was clearly not intended for whomever was on the other line of that pink smart phone, she said "single, pregnant, and hanging out by the beer." The second thing I realized was just how annoying some people could be.
I didn't even bother pulling out my signature, casually wave my left hand to expose my diamond rings move (picture John Cena's five knuckle shuffle). I didn't deem her worthy.
Not only was my back turned to the miller light behind me, but I was also holding three different types of hot pockets. (I put them all back.) Apparently I was such an advanced alcoholic that just being in close proximity to light beer was soothing. Naturally.
So though today was not my moment, it was the moment I decided to make a t-shirt that says "Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes, I'm married. No, I'm not nursing an alcohol addiction."
Not really. It was funny though.
There is a point in every woman's pregnancy (I'm assuming... I'm only one woman and I've only been pregnant once) when she becomes aware of just how formidable her baby bump is. Fortunately, that moment was not today for me, and so I was mostly able to laugh at the woman who actually made the above mentioned comment in Kroger. My moment was a couple of weeks ago while I was waiting to get my car inspected. The old man sitting next to me, who was emphatically shouting wrong answers to the episode of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" playing in the waiting room, told me I needed to have at least two more kids. I needed one to replace me, one to replace my husband, and one "for America." That was my moment. I will hold it near to my heart always.
Today, however, was not my moment. Matt and I finally decided to go grocery shopping (we'd made it about a month since our last visit, so I was pretty excited about this) and were nearing the homestretch of our trip: The frozen food aisle. Belatedly Matt decided it would be nice of us to feed our cat too, so he backtracked to go grab the fat cat's economy sized bag while I manned the cart.
I realized two things during his brief absence. Number one: Those women who push their kids around in the shopping carts that look like race cars should not be, under any circumstances, deterred. I was deciding whether or not I should actually grab the hot pockets I was eyeing when said woman and her daughter came barreling through. Fearing for my life, I did what any self respecting pregnant woman: I dove to the other side of the aisle. Right by the beer. (They can sell beer in grocery stores down south.)
Trailing the crazed race cart soccer mom was a woman, probably in her fifties, strolling nonchalantly down the aisle while chatting on her cell phone. No cart. No basket. She wasn't even looking at anything. I deduced that her weekly mall walking group must have excommunicated her, and so she was forced to roam the aisles of Kroger instead.
And as she passed, in a tone that was clearly not intended for whomever was on the other line of that pink smart phone, she said "single, pregnant, and hanging out by the beer." The second thing I realized was just how annoying some people could be.
I didn't even bother pulling out my signature, casually wave my left hand to expose my diamond rings move (picture John Cena's five knuckle shuffle). I didn't deem her worthy.
Not only was my back turned to the miller light behind me, but I was also holding three different types of hot pockets. (I put them all back.) Apparently I was such an advanced alcoholic that just being in close proximity to light beer was soothing. Naturally.
So though today was not my moment, it was the moment I decided to make a t-shirt that says "Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes, I'm married. No, I'm not nursing an alcohol addiction."
Not really. It was funny though.
Monday, May 14, 2012
God Is Even Larger Than Declan
Happy Monday, everyone! (No, that is not always an oxymoron.)
Today I went for another check up with the specialist, and I have no other words to describe said check up but these: Praise Jesus, He is good. God is really the Great Healer.
I'll keep you in suspense a moment longer while I post adorable pictures of my highly photographed son:
I'm not sure how the image translates here (I'm useless when it comes to our home scanner and these are pictures of the ultrasound taken on my phone), but they were cute enough to post anyway!
Back to the appointment! I'll be honest, in a lot of ways I prefer meeting with the specialist to meeting with my regular doctor at times, so I was looking forward to today. These specialists are, well, specialists, and so I always feel a little more informed when I leave this office. Today was the exception in a fantastic way!
After just about passing out during the ultrasound (apparently laying on your back for long periods of time cuts of your circulation during pregnancy. Woops.), I met with the doctor. She told me that Declan looks perfect. In fact, everything looked perfect.
The unidentified mass which started all of this craziness in the first place-- the mass they'd tentatively identified as a fibroid-- apparently may not have been a fibroid at all. It seems to have completely disappeared. She said she couldn't explain it, but that it was only good news. She went on to say that the brightness on Declan's bowel had also completely resolved itself. On top of all that, apparently one of the other doctors had noted they'd spotted some sort of prominence on Declan's brain. Nobody ever mentioned this to me, praise God, because I definitely would have been worrying then. She said she couldn't find that anywhere either. She looked through all of my previous ultrasound pictures and had no idea what the doctors were even seeing, because he looked perfect. Unless it was my carefully regimented diet of cookies and milk, there is no real medical explanation for all of this.
His growth is more than right on track (he's four pounds as of today, and he's been bonding with Mommy's lungs as of late), and all of his organ scans look excellent. She said she couldn't explain how it happened, but that I officially have nothing to worry about. In fact, barring some other complication, this was my last check up with the specialist!
I cannot express how thankful to the Lord I am right now. In my daily weakness, I let doubt and anxiety creep into my heart. I've found myself putting more faith in unclear indications on ultrasounds and clipped notes from busy doctors than in God's assurance to me that Declan is HIS child. The thing I repeatedly forget is, as much as I already love my precious baby boy, God loves him more. And as much as I might think he's safest in my arms, he's never left the Lord's. What tangible creatures we are; how ruled by concrete notions and logic are we. Praise the Lord for His unseen touch. Praise the Lord for the wise doctors and medical attention He's provided me and my son, and most of all, Praise the Lord for who He is.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
I'm Pretty Proud of My Husband
So, typically when I post it involves some form of baby update, but today my post has a different topic: I'm really proud of my husband, and sometimes I don't think he gets enough credit for all that he does.
On Friday I had the pleasure of watching Matt receive an award from Radford for being an outstanding student in the Secondary Mathematics department. Matt's adviser, who has been a wonderful mentor and friend to Matt, wrote some very kind words that I'd like to echo: Matt is the math teacher we all wish we'd had. I don't just say that because he's cute (although he is). Matt has a genuinely unique ability to communicate information to people-- even people who generally would not, on any planet, understand aforementioned information. (i.e me; if I can understand math, most anyone can)-- in an engaging way. I actually had a lot of fun trying out various tests/quizzes this past semester just to see how I'd do with some top notch instruction. I scored 100% on my first test. I made Matt score it and write "Good work" complete with smiley face at the top of the page. (I'm not kidding; it's hanging on our refrigerator right now.)
More than that, however, Matt actually cares about his students. All of his students. Even the students that aren't always ideally behaved. This semester I've watched Matt, on two occasions, bake cookies for all of his students; I'm pretty sure he taught five periods worth of students. I've watched him agonize over grades, scrambling to find ways to help out his students, whom he believed in from day one. I've watched him get out of bed every morning, earlier than he had to, in order to provide extra help for any students who wanted it.
And before Matt was thrust into this new situation at Salem High, I watched Matt show genuine respect for and patience with students who had not been shown that respect and patience much before. He prayed for and reached out to young men and women who had been, in all honesty, mostly swept under the rug and pushed out the door by the system. Matt does his job joyfully every day, and it's definitely not for the money.
At the end of every day Matt comes home and, somehow, still finds the energy to be my best friend. He's always been a huge help around the house, but particularly throughout our pregnancy. I couldn't ask for a more faithful and loving companion; if I did, I'd have two of him. I can't wait to watch Matt be a father. In some ways, I think he was born for this. Declan, you can't read yet (we'll work on that come July), but you couldn't have a better Dad.
So, essentially I've taken a whole blog post just to brag on my husband for a minute, but he really does deserve it. Thank you, Math Man!
On Friday I had the pleasure of watching Matt receive an award from Radford for being an outstanding student in the Secondary Mathematics department. Matt's adviser, who has been a wonderful mentor and friend to Matt, wrote some very kind words that I'd like to echo: Matt is the math teacher we all wish we'd had. I don't just say that because he's cute (although he is). Matt has a genuinely unique ability to communicate information to people-- even people who generally would not, on any planet, understand aforementioned information. (i.e me; if I can understand math, most anyone can)-- in an engaging way. I actually had a lot of fun trying out various tests/quizzes this past semester just to see how I'd do with some top notch instruction. I scored 100% on my first test. I made Matt score it and write "Good work" complete with smiley face at the top of the page. (I'm not kidding; it's hanging on our refrigerator right now.)
More than that, however, Matt actually cares about his students. All of his students. Even the students that aren't always ideally behaved. This semester I've watched Matt, on two occasions, bake cookies for all of his students; I'm pretty sure he taught five periods worth of students. I've watched him agonize over grades, scrambling to find ways to help out his students, whom he believed in from day one. I've watched him get out of bed every morning, earlier than he had to, in order to provide extra help for any students who wanted it.
And before Matt was thrust into this new situation at Salem High, I watched Matt show genuine respect for and patience with students who had not been shown that respect and patience much before. He prayed for and reached out to young men and women who had been, in all honesty, mostly swept under the rug and pushed out the door by the system. Matt does his job joyfully every day, and it's definitely not for the money.
At the end of every day Matt comes home and, somehow, still finds the energy to be my best friend. He's always been a huge help around the house, but particularly throughout our pregnancy. I couldn't ask for a more faithful and loving companion; if I did, I'd have two of him. I can't wait to watch Matt be a father. In some ways, I think he was born for this. Declan, you can't read yet (we'll work on that come July), but you couldn't have a better Dad.
So, essentially I've taken a whole blog post just to brag on my husband for a minute, but he really does deserve it. Thank you, Math Man!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Baby Update From Virginia
Greetings, World!
Well, Matt and I are settled back at home in Virginia, and it feels pretty darn good. We've had two appointments in the past week, both of which had positive results! In fact, I'd venture to say that today was the closest I'll ever get to that long sought after "flawless appointment!"
Last Thursday I went in for my gestational diabetes test. I don't know why I wasn't anticipating this, but I was shocked by how terrible the "fruit punch" I had to drink was. It tasted horrible, but more than that it just made me feel awful! I was sick to my stomach for the next day or so. BUT, to my surprise and delight, my results came back as really good. I have admittedly taken my good health for granted the past twenty three years. The worst thing that's ever happened to me was getting my tonsils out, so this whole blood pressure thing had me pretty shaken up. It felt good to pass a medical test.
They scheduled me for another appointment today so that they could conduct an ultrasound. (Declan is destined to be photogenic.) Everything looks good! Declan is measuring over three pounds at this point, and is in the 85th percentile of largeness. I've watched the "projected due date" creep steadily from July 17th to, at this point, July 4th. That's all fine and well, Baby Boy, as long as you wait until July. Matt has been honored with the privilege of acting as best man in a wedding on June 30th, and will thus be five hours away until July.
My favorite part of the appointment today, ironically enough, was when the nurse took my blood pressure. I could feel my heart rate go up as she called me back and prepared to place that dreaded cuff around my arm. I just kept praying it would be normal, and it was! (well, pretty much normal: 126/82.) Praise God!!
The doctor told me in an ominous tone that they still saw the brightness on the bowel, and asked me why I'd declined the amniocentesis. When someone can explain to me the logic of knowingly putting my baby at risk of miscarriage for a test I couldn't change the result of anyway, then I'll have that test done. I was told the risk of miscarriage due to that test was so low I shouldn't even think about it. The risk of Declan having down syndrome, even with the brightness on the bowel, is lower than the risk of miscarriage due to the amniocentesis. I told her the specialist didn't seem concerned and I wasn't going to be either. She was perfectly nice after that and told me to stay out of the hospital. That is definitely my plan-- until July, when I will be happily accepting drugs and greeting my large and healthy baby boy :)
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers you all have been sending our way; they have truly made a difference!
Well, Matt and I are settled back at home in Virginia, and it feels pretty darn good. We've had two appointments in the past week, both of which had positive results! In fact, I'd venture to say that today was the closest I'll ever get to that long sought after "flawless appointment!"
Last Thursday I went in for my gestational diabetes test. I don't know why I wasn't anticipating this, but I was shocked by how terrible the "fruit punch" I had to drink was. It tasted horrible, but more than that it just made me feel awful! I was sick to my stomach for the next day or so. BUT, to my surprise and delight, my results came back as really good. I have admittedly taken my good health for granted the past twenty three years. The worst thing that's ever happened to me was getting my tonsils out, so this whole blood pressure thing had me pretty shaken up. It felt good to pass a medical test.
They scheduled me for another appointment today so that they could conduct an ultrasound. (Declan is destined to be photogenic.) Everything looks good! Declan is measuring over three pounds at this point, and is in the 85th percentile of largeness. I've watched the "projected due date" creep steadily from July 17th to, at this point, July 4th. That's all fine and well, Baby Boy, as long as you wait until July. Matt has been honored with the privilege of acting as best man in a wedding on June 30th, and will thus be five hours away until July.
My favorite part of the appointment today, ironically enough, was when the nurse took my blood pressure. I could feel my heart rate go up as she called me back and prepared to place that dreaded cuff around my arm. I just kept praying it would be normal, and it was! (well, pretty much normal: 126/82.) Praise God!!
The doctor told me in an ominous tone that they still saw the brightness on the bowel, and asked me why I'd declined the amniocentesis. When someone can explain to me the logic of knowingly putting my baby at risk of miscarriage for a test I couldn't change the result of anyway, then I'll have that test done. I was told the risk of miscarriage due to that test was so low I shouldn't even think about it. The risk of Declan having down syndrome, even with the brightness on the bowel, is lower than the risk of miscarriage due to the amniocentesis. I told her the specialist didn't seem concerned and I wasn't going to be either. She was perfectly nice after that and told me to stay out of the hospital. That is definitely my plan-- until July, when I will be happily accepting drugs and greeting my large and healthy baby boy :)
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers you all have been sending our way; they have truly made a difference!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Glory Be To God!
Greetings from Tufts Medical Center in Boston! Not exactly where I anticipated ending up over Spring Break, but I am praising God for good news and a relatively speaking positive experience!
As some of you know, I took a bit of a spill yesterday. I got up to go to the bathroom around 7 AM (and 5 AM... and 3 AM, haha), and fell down the stairs. I missed three steps entirely and landed face flat-- or as I saw it, directly on my stomach.
The worst feeling of my life so far was laying in the hallway thinking that I'd seriously hurt my baby boy. Fortunately, my mom was a few feet away at the time and was able to help me pretty quickly. I didn't sustain any injuries from the fall and was able to get up right away, but needless to say, I was completely panicked. I rushed to wake Matt up and we headed to the ER pretty quickly.
The people at Falmouth Hospital are fantastic. Seriously. I couldn't have hoped for more helpful and encouraging people. They got me back right away and confirmed that Declan's heart was still beating strong-- music to all of our ears! They sent me to the labor and delivery floor just to further confirm that he was okay.
When I got up there they hooked me up to monitors and noticed I was, in fact, having contractions. My blood pressure was also dangerously high. They continued to monitor these things for a few hours, hoping both symptoms would resolve themselves, but no such luck.
They checked a few things out and were at least able to confirm that it didn't seem my body was attempting to actually deliver Declan-- more good news. The doctor explained, however, that my blood pressure was dangerously high. I was getting readings anywhere between 160 and 170 over 110. Definitely not normal. He explained the sort of risks this could present to me, and said that if they couldn't get the levels down they may have to deliver Declan.
Declan is a big boy for his age, but he's still only 26 weeks old gestationally. His lungs are still not sure how to breathe on their own, and the doctor said that while he was seeing some signs that Declan was practicing this reflex, it wasn't for any sustained period of time.
Falmouth Hospital, though a great place, does not have an intensive neonatal care unit, and so to ensure that Declan was in the best hands possible should we need to deliver, the doctor decided to send us to Boston.
They gave me antibiotics for Declan, in case we'd have to deliver, magnesium to prevent seizures caused be high blood pressure, and a shot of steroids to beef Little Baby up-- so Declan and I are both on the juice now. I'm expecting another shot of steroids soon, haha.
Ironically enough, as soon as I got into the ambulance my blood pressure started coming down. The nurse and EMT also noticed that I was becoming dehydrated and started a fluid drip for me. This alone did wonders-- it even slowed my contractions.
Though the nurse told me she wasn't a Christian, she asked if I'd read some Psalms out loud to her, which was really cool. Sometime after that I fell asleep and was pretty much waking up in Boston.
My blood pressure continued to be high upon arrival, but has lowered tremendously! My contractions continued to slow and eventually stopped all together. Praise be to God! They monitored Declan all night, which meant that I was hooked up to this belly band type thing. Between my tossing and turning and Declan's, the nurses were in every hour begging us both to be still and stop disconnecting the monitor, haha.
With the help of some benadryl I finally got some much needed sleep, and Matt was even to catch a few winks on the hospital cot. I cannot tell you how helpful and supportive he has been. I am blessed that he is my husband.
They're holding me here until at least 5 PM to do some testing; they're checking for pre-eclampsia, which the doctor said he does not anticipate my having. We'll have more of an official diagnosis around then, and may have to stay the night again if the tests go late.
Praise Jesus for his always enough provision; He truly is the Great Healer. My son's life could not be in better hands, and I praise God for the wonderful doctors, nurses, and prayer warriors He has surrounded us with. Matt and I cannot tell you how much your prayers and support mean to us. They have truly made all the difference!
Thank you all, and we will keep you updated!
As some of you know, I took a bit of a spill yesterday. I got up to go to the bathroom around 7 AM (and 5 AM... and 3 AM, haha), and fell down the stairs. I missed three steps entirely and landed face flat-- or as I saw it, directly on my stomach.
The worst feeling of my life so far was laying in the hallway thinking that I'd seriously hurt my baby boy. Fortunately, my mom was a few feet away at the time and was able to help me pretty quickly. I didn't sustain any injuries from the fall and was able to get up right away, but needless to say, I was completely panicked. I rushed to wake Matt up and we headed to the ER pretty quickly.
The people at Falmouth Hospital are fantastic. Seriously. I couldn't have hoped for more helpful and encouraging people. They got me back right away and confirmed that Declan's heart was still beating strong-- music to all of our ears! They sent me to the labor and delivery floor just to further confirm that he was okay.
When I got up there they hooked me up to monitors and noticed I was, in fact, having contractions. My blood pressure was also dangerously high. They continued to monitor these things for a few hours, hoping both symptoms would resolve themselves, but no such luck.
They checked a few things out and were at least able to confirm that it didn't seem my body was attempting to actually deliver Declan-- more good news. The doctor explained, however, that my blood pressure was dangerously high. I was getting readings anywhere between 160 and 170 over 110. Definitely not normal. He explained the sort of risks this could present to me, and said that if they couldn't get the levels down they may have to deliver Declan.
Declan is a big boy for his age, but he's still only 26 weeks old gestationally. His lungs are still not sure how to breathe on their own, and the doctor said that while he was seeing some signs that Declan was practicing this reflex, it wasn't for any sustained period of time.
Falmouth Hospital, though a great place, does not have an intensive neonatal care unit, and so to ensure that Declan was in the best hands possible should we need to deliver, the doctor decided to send us to Boston.
They gave me antibiotics for Declan, in case we'd have to deliver, magnesium to prevent seizures caused be high blood pressure, and a shot of steroids to beef Little Baby up-- so Declan and I are both on the juice now. I'm expecting another shot of steroids soon, haha.
Ironically enough, as soon as I got into the ambulance my blood pressure started coming down. The nurse and EMT also noticed that I was becoming dehydrated and started a fluid drip for me. This alone did wonders-- it even slowed my contractions.
Though the nurse told me she wasn't a Christian, she asked if I'd read some Psalms out loud to her, which was really cool. Sometime after that I fell asleep and was pretty much waking up in Boston.
My blood pressure continued to be high upon arrival, but has lowered tremendously! My contractions continued to slow and eventually stopped all together. Praise be to God! They monitored Declan all night, which meant that I was hooked up to this belly band type thing. Between my tossing and turning and Declan's, the nurses were in every hour begging us both to be still and stop disconnecting the monitor, haha.
With the help of some benadryl I finally got some much needed sleep, and Matt was even to catch a few winks on the hospital cot. I cannot tell you how helpful and supportive he has been. I am blessed that he is my husband.
They're holding me here until at least 5 PM to do some testing; they're checking for pre-eclampsia, which the doctor said he does not anticipate my having. We'll have more of an official diagnosis around then, and may have to stay the night again if the tests go late.
Praise Jesus for his always enough provision; He truly is the Great Healer. My son's life could not be in better hands, and I praise God for the wonderful doctors, nurses, and prayer warriors He has surrounded us with. Matt and I cannot tell you how much your prayers and support mean to us. They have truly made all the difference!
Thank you all, and we will keep you updated!
Monday, April 2, 2012
I Met With The Specialist Today
Well, today was my appointment with the specialist, and I feel really at peace after meeting with him. Everybody at that office, from the receptionist to the genetic counselor, treated me so graciously and patiently. What a blessing that was! They were so nice, I didn't even mind the hour and half wait, haha!
They took an ultrasound of Baby Declan, which is always my favorite part. This kid is going to come into the world already photogenic, with all of the pictures he's had so far! He didn't want to move his head in the direction the ultrasound tech was coaxing him, despite her pleas with him. I wanted to tell her not to take it offensively; he doesn't speak English yet. She had me do jumping jacks for about five minutes, which accomplished little more than a jump start on my exercising for today.
After she gave up on whatever measurement she was trying to get, I met with the genetic counselor. She is the nicest woman in the world, and was really patient in her explanations to me. She essentially said that everything on the ultrasound looked good today. Baby Declan is almost three pounds, which is big for his age. She told me that more times than not, brightness on a bowel resolves itself and turns out to be nothing. She explained that it can be indicative of a chromosomal disorder, such as Down Syndrome, but it seemed like a silly thing for the other doctor to highlight to me, since it usually ended up being nothing. She also said that it can be an indicator of about four other things, all of which are pretty unlikely. She did say that as it is an abnormality, they would probably want to keep seeing me throughout the pregnancy.
Next I met with the doctor who diagnosed my fibroid. He essentially told me the same thing as the genetic counselor. However, he said that they did see the brightness on the bowel today. I'm not sure if he was mistaken or if it was the genetic counselor, but it didn't seem like a big deal either way. He said that, as the genetic counselor told me, there's a good chance this is nothing. He wanted to run a few blood tests to rule out certain infections and meet with me again in six weeks. He also said that they'd probably keep meeting with me throughout the pregnancy just to make sure everything was going smoothly, but that Declan looks great. As long as the baby looks healthy and is growing at a good rate (he is, trust me), they're not really worried about it.
So, essentially I got the same news as last time from an entirely different perspective. Maybe these doctors are just used to seeing abnormalities, and so they know when something is serious and when it's not, but they definitely put my mind at ease today. They said that yes, this could be an indicator of Down Syndrome, but that it was pretty unlikely-- especially since Declan has shown great prenatal development. All in all, it was a very encouraging appointment!
In other news, Matt and I will be heading up North for Easter/Spring Break to visit with family. We're really looking forward to that, as it will probably be the last time we head up before the baby is born. Time is flying! God has blessed us in countless ways this past year, and we're filled with His joy upon entering into this next phase of life!
They took an ultrasound of Baby Declan, which is always my favorite part. This kid is going to come into the world already photogenic, with all of the pictures he's had so far! He didn't want to move his head in the direction the ultrasound tech was coaxing him, despite her pleas with him. I wanted to tell her not to take it offensively; he doesn't speak English yet. She had me do jumping jacks for about five minutes, which accomplished little more than a jump start on my exercising for today.
After she gave up on whatever measurement she was trying to get, I met with the genetic counselor. She is the nicest woman in the world, and was really patient in her explanations to me. She essentially said that everything on the ultrasound looked good today. Baby Declan is almost three pounds, which is big for his age. She told me that more times than not, brightness on a bowel resolves itself and turns out to be nothing. She explained that it can be indicative of a chromosomal disorder, such as Down Syndrome, but it seemed like a silly thing for the other doctor to highlight to me, since it usually ended up being nothing. She also said that it can be an indicator of about four other things, all of which are pretty unlikely. She did say that as it is an abnormality, they would probably want to keep seeing me throughout the pregnancy.
Next I met with the doctor who diagnosed my fibroid. He essentially told me the same thing as the genetic counselor. However, he said that they did see the brightness on the bowel today. I'm not sure if he was mistaken or if it was the genetic counselor, but it didn't seem like a big deal either way. He said that, as the genetic counselor told me, there's a good chance this is nothing. He wanted to run a few blood tests to rule out certain infections and meet with me again in six weeks. He also said that they'd probably keep meeting with me throughout the pregnancy just to make sure everything was going smoothly, but that Declan looks great. As long as the baby looks healthy and is growing at a good rate (he is, trust me), they're not really worried about it.
So, essentially I got the same news as last time from an entirely different perspective. Maybe these doctors are just used to seeing abnormalities, and so they know when something is serious and when it's not, but they definitely put my mind at ease today. They said that yes, this could be an indicator of Down Syndrome, but that it was pretty unlikely-- especially since Declan has shown great prenatal development. All in all, it was a very encouraging appointment!
In other news, Matt and I will be heading up North for Easter/Spring Break to visit with family. We're really looking forward to that, as it will probably be the last time we head up before the baby is born. Time is flying! God has blessed us in countless ways this past year, and we're filled with His joy upon entering into this next phase of life!
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