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Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

Mara -- thanks so much for writing that. It is helpful. You have been an invaluable source of info about registries, strollers, BFing, you name it! THANK YOU THANK YOU!

cdt -- EEEEEEEEEE!!!!! So cute! I love him! He looks so much like my DH's baby pictures, but I just showed my DH and he doesn't think so. He doesn't know what he's talking about. When do you find out the sex of your little baby?

Noel -- what is going on with SYTYCD? Everyone is getting hurt!

China -- That's funny how you thought I was thinking of baby names. Adechike has a nice ring to it! :cheeky:

HH -- CUSTARD! :Up_to_something:

ETA: I forgot to give an update on me! I'm 18 weeks, and threw up this morning. :knockout: I haven't thrown up in probably 3.5 weeks. I seriously think my baby had a growth spurt, which caused a shot of hormones which I didn't agree with. I was feeling popcorn flutters for the past several weeks, but now I feel out and out kicks/punches and little rolls. Little tiny ones over the last 2 days, so I think he grew. :appl: I also had an increase in CF, which I always have whenever I feel stretches and pulls. Someone was asking about CF...can't remember who, but yes, it's still around and I've been told we will excrete well after delivery! :eek:

Icekid -- you are still feeling sick?!!?? Oh my stars! That's awful! I'm just nauseous at night before bed, but if I fall asleep in time, it doesn't bother me too much. I hope you aren't sick for very long in the day!
 
Here you go Lanie! Just FYI, this is a custard sauce, not a baked custard. I'd compare it to almost a creme anglaise. It's amazing over french toast and oatmeal or in trifle.

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla (use a bean if you want to get extra fancy)

Bring milk and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan. Whisk yolks in a bowl until blended, then gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return to saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens enough to coat back of a wooden spoon. Let cool to room temperature and then whisk in vanilla.

Strain through a fine sieve if there are lumps and store with saran wrap or parchment paper on top to prevent a skin from forming.
 
Thanks HH! Easy enough. I'm assuming this is an English family recipe and I'll have to try it. Our 1st anniversary is this weekend and I wanted to make him something yummy for b'fast!
 
For the french toast we use a thick cut Texas toast from the bakery and add some cinnamon into the egg mixture. Then we do fresh cut fruit on top like strawberries, blueberries and kiwi and some toasted pecans. Candied pecans if I feel extra adventurous.
 
Well we just got back from the 26 week placenta check. The bean is measuring 2lbs 6oz. The placenta has moved luckily in the safe range for a vaginal delivery. We were very excited to see our little chip again! We got a picture of him smiling :) swoon!
 
Here he is :)

Charlie26weekscropped.jpg
 
and a 26 week profile...he is so cute!

26weekprofilecropped.jpg
 
Lily is here!

I haven't had time to catch up with you all but I hope everyone is doing well. I know how we all feel about birth stories so I wanted to put up Lily's. I just got it written for my own keeping so it's very long.

Here's the gist for those who don't want to read my novel. Lily Marie was born via c-section July 14th at 11:13am weighing 9lbs 12oz and measuring 20.5"

She was flown to the Children's Hospital within a couple hours of birth for SVT (very fast paced heart). She spent 2 days in NICU and then we brought her home on meds but doing well. She is a gorgeous little girl with a full head of hair and soo sweet. We love her so much!

Now for the long version:



I went in for my scheduled c-section at 6am on Wed, July 14th. The first c-section of the day ran a bit long and DH and I waited anxiously for our turn. I was on monitors all morning and everything looked good. When they came to get me, I used the bathroom first and lost my mucous plug. I told the nurse and she laughingly said, “labor is imminent.”

I walked down to the OR while DH played with his pajama clothes and hairnet. While sitting on the table to get the spinal, I begged the anesthesiologist to not paralyze me. I had to take many deep breaths because I was starting to go into a panic attack. After the medicine was administered I lied down and got very light headed. My blood pressure went up and down for the next 15min. Finally I was being prepped and Shaun came in.

Surgery started and I was still panicky and tried to keep control of my breathing. When the first cut was made, I could feel it—not sharp but definitely there. The entire surgery was very uncomfortable and painful at times. The curtain was sprayed with blood that I think happened when my water broke. The baby got stuck and the dr was yelling “push” at the nurses. Immediately I had 3 people on the top of my belly pushing down while the dr was pulling from the bottom. Shaun said my butt came off the table twice before Lily popped free. I saw my purple slimy baby over the curtain and she was already wailing. I cried tears of joy and relief that she was finally here.

DH gave me a kiss and told me I did awesome and went to cut the cord, being very careful not to see the mess on the table. Lily was brought over to me for a moment before being taken to the nursery. Her APGAR was 9 and everything was perfect.

The anesthesiologist put more meds in my spinal and the next 40 min are pretty much a blur of hearing instructions from dr to nurses. I was rolled down to recovery with pictures of Lily. I was so excited to get back up stairs and hold her.

Upon returning to my room, DH said that there was a problem. Lily’s heart rate was extremely high and no one was quite sure why. The nurse came in to try to give me some info, but even she wasn’t sure. She brought Lily to me for a few minutes and I tried my best to hold her and give her all of my love. I was still pretty numb and groggy but I needed to flood her little body with all the love I could. We found out she probably would be flown to the Children’s Hospital and she was taken from me. Shaun and I were praying that she would be okay and that she could stay at our hospital.

A pediatrician came in and started yelling the things he was trying to convert her rhythm. First they tried vagal maneuvers which was ice on her face to try to shock her little heart to beat correctly. She ended up having 2 doses of adenoseine before her rhythm converted. At this point, we knew she had to go to the Children’s Hospital. I couldn’t hold her because they wouldn’t let her out of the nursery and I was stuck in bed. Shaun went down to the nursery to look at her through the window and take pics for me.

The helicopter came and the hospital was flooded with personnel. Thankfully, the 2 nurses who had Lily in her little flight capsule brought her to me before leaving. I ripped off all of my monitors trying to get to her. I only had use of my arms and was pulling myself up as much as I could. After seeing how I was trying to crawl out of bed, they decided to take Lily out and let me hold her for a couple minutes. I loved on her for those 2 short minutes and off she went. IL's arrived with JT just in time to see Lily in the hallway on her way out. JT was excited to see her but unnerved by the monitors and everything.

JT came into my room and climbed up beside me as I cried. Shaun had already packed his bag to go down to be with her so we all said goodbye. I had one of our children with me and he would have another with him.

Il's, bro, and BFF came to my hospital. I tried to make plans for JT with IL's and told bro to tell everyone not to come to see me. I didn’t want everyone seeing me in the state I was in and I didn’t want to see everyone bring their sad faces. Everyone left except BFF and I talked and cried with her for the next several hours. DH kept me updated as to what was going on and told me Lily had an SVT (supra ventricular tachycardia). He gave me as much info as he could relay from the drs. The top part of Lily’s heart was having an electrical problem and causing the rapid heart rate. She was put on a medication to lower the heart rate and she had not had another episode of the SVT. But, they still didn’t know what, if anything, caused it or if there were any other issues.

When the nurses checked me, I asked what it would take to get released the following day. My dr came in and told me what I had to do to be released 24 hrs from surgery. I was up and in a chair as soon as I could and then was allowed to walk the next day. I walked up and down the hall, had a shower, peed and ate breakfast and lunch then they released me.

My mom came down that morning and drove me back home. Then I had IL's take JT and I down to Peoria. The drive seemed to take forever.

DH met us at the parking garage and brought me a wheel chair to take us upstairs to the NICU. We had to scrub in before allowed admittance and that 2 minutes was an eternity. Finally, DH took me through the NICU to our little girl’s bed. A wonderful nurse was holding her when I got there and she immediately handed her to me. The tears flowed and I didn’t know if they would ever stop. I was finally able to hold my baby. She had monitors and an IV and I could only go a few feet from her little bed but there was a rocking chair right there that I sat in with her. I got as much info as I could from the nurses and set up a time to see one of the drs.

DH brought JT in to see his baby sister and he was very overwhelmed. But, he crawled up in my lap and held her and kissed her through his mask. JT was only allowed to stay for a short time and it went by quickly. MIL came in for a few minutes and then FIL. Then they took JT home with intentions of getting him back on Sat. (child visitors are only allowed an initial visit and then only on weekends).

We talked to one of the drs about Lily to find out more about what was going on. Lily was doing well and her tests were good. We were told she’d probably be released on Saturday and we were overjoyed.

We intended on staying in Peoria that night, but by the time we got to the hotel, my incision was bleeding and I was in a lot of pain. We decided to go home where I could try to get some rest.

Friday morning we had breakfast at IL's with JT and then headed down to the hospital. We stayed with Lily in the NICU and we were told that she was doing really well and hadn’t had any rhythm problems since the initial SVT.

Sis and BIL came to see Lily and just as they were leaving the nurse came to tell us that the drs wanted to see us. We went into a conference room with 3 drs and our heads spinning. They asked if we wanted to go home that night! Lily had only been in the NICU for 2 days and we were getting to take her home! We asked questions, watched videos, filled out paperwork, learned about her meds and took a CPR class over the next few hours. Then late on Friday night, DH rolled me out of the hospital with my little girl in her carseat on my lap. We buckled in for a joyous ride home.

Saturday morning, IL's brought JT home. I was sitting in bed with Lily and JT climbed right up. He held his sister and we have a picture of him looking at her with pure amazement. Finally, our family was together. Thank God.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The first few days and nights have been overwhelming. Of course we have the regular newborn baby things going on, but we also have medication to handle. Four times a day, we check Lily’s heart rate and put meds in a tiny bottle of formula and give it to her. It’s in a very small amount so that she’ll drink it all. I’ve been so afraid that I’ll sleep through my alarm at meds time and I’ve been beside myself crying and near vomiting all the time. I lost 30lbs in a week--approx 20 lbs within 24 hrs of delivery and several more since coming home. I got my staples out on Tues and the dr prescribed an antidepressant for me. Hopefully that’ll help and I can focus more on my beautiful daughter who is already changing so fast instead of being consumed with worry. Lily has a full team of cardiologists and will be seen in the middle of August. At this point, our hope and prayer is that she’ll be off of the meds with a perfect heart in 6 months to a year.

Our little Lily is gorgeous and so sweet and a great blessing to our family.

I have to go size a pic to post....
 
Oh dear Shiny, that is quite a story! Congrats on your beautiful girl (no pic yet, but I am sure she is!) and deep sympathies for all the stress her condition is causing! I hope you are able to enjoy her and that her heart issues are managable/fleeting.
 
Lily pic

Here's JT with Lily.

JT got a bike on Tues before my c-section. He was doing so well, Papa decided to raise his training wheels. He did have a helmet on but he got quite a road rash on his face. He's doing much better now!

JTandLily1ss.JPG
 
congrats shiny!
thanks so much for sharing your story. i am sending LOTS of healthy heart vibes to your beautiful daughter. the pic you posted is adorable. don't forget to take care of yourself!!!
 
oh wow Shiny, I was already getting teary reading your story because I thought it would end with no Lily, but I'm so HAPPY she's with you and your family now to love her and give her the best of everything. you are incredibly brave and I have no doubt that you will do everything in your power to get her little heart healthy again. good health is our most treasured asset and unfortunately we often end up taking it for granted.
 
Just delurking to wish all the Shiny family lighter, happy, healthy hearts. Your babies are adorable, Shiny. Best wishes in the coming days.
 
Darn hormones, I'm crying at my desk. Shiny, I'm so glad there was a happy ending to this story and you have little Lily in your arms at home. I hope the next few weeks at home with her are a dream and very easy, you've been through so much already! She's gorgeous and so is big brother.
 
oh shiny.

I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been to have lily taken away so soon after birth. I'm sobbing from reading your story and thinking about my own experience as it is so recent and fresh. But, then the story ends with that beautiful picture of your two gorgeous children :love: :love: :love: You are a strong lady and Lily is a strong little girl. thank you so much for sharing!!
 
oh shiny.

I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been to have Lily taken away so soon after birth. I'm sitting here sobbing reading your story and thinking back on my own delivery (much smaller health concern) as it was so recent and the memories are so fresh. But, then at the end of your post is that gorgeous picture of your two beautiful children. Amazing. You are such a strong lady and Lily is most definitely a strong little girl. I hope that she has no further complications!! Thank you so much for sharing.
 
Oh, Shiny. I've been thinking of you and your family and figuring you were just too busy to post. How terrifying that must have been for you. I'm glad you all get to be together as a family and I hope your August appointment with cardiology brings you wonderful news. Lily is a doll and JT is so dang cute even if he's not so hot at bike riding. :cheeky:
 
Well ladies, it's time for belly pic Friday! Please post your most recent pic. For your viewing pleasure here is my 31.5 week picture as well as a month-by-month collage.

HH 31.5 weeks.jpg

monthly collage.JPG
 
Shiny, Thank you for sharing your story and for updating us. I was thinking of you. What a journey you and Lily have been on already. For what you have been through, it sounds like you have received truly excellent and thoughtful care. I hope that everything goes smoothly going forward. I remember I cried when you first shared that you were pregnant and cried again this morning when I read about Lily's birth. The photo of JT and Lily is just precious. What a good little man he is, and what a great big brother he is going to be!!!
 
HH, I see a big difference overall but especially since last week! I'll post when I get home as our access at work restricts us from loading files outside of our server.

We got our maternity shoot proofs back so maybe I'll use one of those. We're really happy with how they turned out and we're excited to have her back when Nolan is born which could be any day now! :naughty:

We had our 37 week check the other night. They didn't check my cervix - I forgot that I asked to wait until 38 weeks. The only reason they checked me at 36 is because I had to get the Group B Strep swab anyway. DH wanted me to ask them to check me...uh, no! His curiousity was not worth it! The doc felt my belly which was measuring right on target but said Nolan is average to *slightly big*. The slightly big part made me a little nervous but I know they're not always right and slightly big could be like 8 pounds - I'm good with that. My mother INSISTS that he'll be small - she says the doc doesn't know what she's talking about. She also told me my 6 month old nephew "got really tall" while they were away for 3 days! :bigsmile:

Oh, and my doc asked if I was having any issues and I explained that my hips felt kind of weird and she was telling me how they're pretty unstable and *soft* right now. I mentioned that my left leg feels like it's coming in and out of the socket and she responded "It probably is." :o I swear, you can tell them of the most ridiculous symptoms and they never bat an eye.

The only other thing is I've had a sudden burst of energy and motivation over the last few days. Thank goodness, because for the few weeks before that all I wanted to do was sleep!
 
YAY for nesting! It's good to know there's still hope for energy. These days I feel like I'm back in the first trimester, all I want to do is sleep!
 
Shiny- sounds like you and lily had wonderful doctors and were in great hands- so happy you and your daughter are doing well! Loads of congrats to you and your family on your beautiful baby girl!
 
Shiny -- what a great ending to a horrific experience. I lost it when you said you were ripping off the monitors to be with her. That's mama bear if I ever heard of it. I'm so glad she's doing well, and what a sweet pic of your two angels!

HH -- I'm still amazed by your 5 month pic where you have almost nothing. I agree that you look like you grew "out" more this last week!
 
SS... what a story! I am so sorry to hear about Lily's struggles, I hope she heals up right quick. Congrats momma...your kids are beautiful.

HH... I think you have popped more this week. Another week or two and you can take some belly shots! :D
 
Well SS, that's one way to make a whole lotta women cry....tell THAT story to a bunch of hormonal preggos!!! :naughty:

In all seriousness, I am so glad to hear that sweet Lily is home with you and doing so well!!! I'm so sorry that her first hours were so scary. I know you're working hard to take care of her right now - don't forget to let someone take care of you too! :) HUGE congrats on your precious little princess....I absolutely LOVE the pic of her with her proud big bro. :appl:
 
Shiny- Wow, what a story. So glad you got a happy ending. That pic of your kids together is precious. Welcome to the world Lily! :appl: She sounds like a fighter! ;))

HH- Love your expression in your last bump photo.
 
ChinaCat said:
Shiny- Wow, what a story. So glad you got a happy ending. That pic of your kids together is precious. Welcome to the world Lily! :appl: She sounds like a fighter! ;))

HH- Love your expression in your last bump photo.
Click to expand...

LOL! I told myself I needed to try to look up for the picture this morning so I didn't look asleep. Sadly what I got was a bad case of crazy eyes!
 
16w1d

SS - wow what an ordeal! I'm so happy Lily is home. She is so beautiful! I'll be wishing for no further complications for your brave little girl.

HH - you look great!! I also see that you popped a little from last week. If you want I can show you a comparison of my 32w shot vs 37 weeks..hehehe...you'll see how much more you really are going to grow :bigsmile:

Pupp - so close!! How are you feeling? Are you getting excited/nervous??

Hello to everyone else, hope you are doing well :wavey:

AFM - I started feeling the baby this week :love: Such a great feeling. My lower back is killing me today though, not sure why. I had my 16w check up this week all seems good. I was happy that I seem to be gaining slower this time than last. I hope that continues :))

Here's my 16 week shot. Like I said a few days ago, just thick in the middle not a real preggo belly yet.

DSC_0934111.jpg
 
:wavey: Hi ladies!

Back from vacation. It was wonderful, except for the HORRIBLE bed in the hotel room. It was a good time, but I'm so glad to be home, where my nice cushy bed is!

I'm gonna have to read back on what all I missed. Glad to see everyone seems to be doing well and LOOKING GOOD!!

Shiny - Your post brought me to tears, too! I'm so glad that Lily is home with you now! What a frightening experience... She's gorgeous, and I wish her all the dust in the world to be off the meds asap. Thanks for sharing your story.

I've been feeling flutters for a few weeks now. They were always quick and fleeting. But last night, I felt a definite "Hey, I'm here!" poke, it almost felt like a little head-butt from inside. Very, very cool and exciting... It happened about 3 times over a 20 minute period, as I lay still on the couch hoping it'd happen again ::)

HH - I agree, you're definitely popping more this week! Awesome! (even with googly eyes!)

Cdt. - You're teeny! Glad to see I'm not alone! hehe You look fabulous!!

18w5d today, and here's my pic. I can't believe I'm almost halfway through! Still no real belly yet - I was kinda getting worried. Having so many people say "you can't be 4 months along" gets unnerving! But the headbutts reassured me a ton last night. Less than two weeks til we find out the sex!

18w5dlynnie.jpg
 
18w6d

Alli - I am horribly inept when looking at u/s pics. can you tell me what we're looking at in your first 3D pic? I go for my 3D/4D u/s end of August.

Lanie - I haven't watched this week's SYTYCD yet. am taking DH to get his eyes checked out tomorrow to find out if he can have them corrected with a laser operation so I will watch it while he's busy.

puppmom - thanks for the belly buds recommendation. I will definitely get them. can you buy them in a store or do you have to order them on-line?

HOU - wanted to say earlier but forgot: I still swear by the yoghurt that makes you go to the loo. it keeps me regular and I don't get clogged up.

Lynnie & cdt - thanks for making me look humungous. ;))

here are my pics from this week. my SIL asks why I keep sending her headless pics, so the last one is to prove that yes I do have a head.

noelwr18wcollage.JPG
 
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