Last post at this blog.....

Well, I don't really see the point of updating this blog anymore....even though I did change the name of it. I'm going to keep it up though, so I have something to look back on down the road.

From now on all posts about Chase will be posted at my regular blog Miscellaneous babbling's. You can sign up there to receive an email anytime I post as well........

Thanks for reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe I forgot to post!!!!!

On Sunday, October 18th 2008 we found out we were pregnant with our second blessing, Chase!!! I can't believe it's been a year since we found out, and now have our little monkers here with us. Time is going by way too fast!!!! :(

I updated about his 4 months checkup, but I didn't update on all the new things he is doing!! He is SUCH a chatterbox! He loves to laugh out loud, especially at big brother. And he hates to be held still for any amount of time.......he tries SO hard to squirm out of your arms to get down to play! He loves to "stand" and bounce up and down. And if Tyler is anywhere near him, you might as well forget about trying to keep Chase's attention.....he wants big brother!!! He loves Tyler so much, and Tyler loves him just as much!! I am amazed at how they are together......you can really see the love they have for each other, and it just melts my heart. I'm sure as Chase and Tyler get older they'll have their differences and fight, but I hope they always remember they are brothers and never lose the love they have for each other. Chase has now rolled from belly to back and back to belly, but only rolls if he feels like it, not just because you encourage him to. He also loves to raise his little hiney up in the air when you try to put a diaper on him. He is still friends with lampy (the lamp behind the recliner) and so far still likes the ceiling fan in the playroom.......well, I haven't heard him fuss at it lately, so I assume they are still friends. I found a rattle a few weeks ago and Chase LOVES to hold and chew on it!! He actually loves to hold onto anything you give him, and things you don't give him, like mommy's hair. LOL He reaches for everything he sees and is a great little eater! He loves his fruit and a few veggies. I absolutely love how the tiniest things make him smile and laugh out loud, or how something catches his eye and he just stares at it.....I love seeing things all over again through his eyes!!

Ok, here is a recent pic......

4 months old!!

Today Chase is 4 months old!! Gosh, I look at him and still can't believe he is "only" 4 months......it really feels like he has been with us so much longer!

He had his 4 month check up today. He is now:

13 lbs 11 ozs
24.5 inches

The doctor said he really liked the pace Chase is growing at. He checked him over thoroughly and he was really pleased with him! Chase gave him some really cute toothless grins and the doctor loved it. He also said it was fine that we were giving him baby food, and that he really seemed ready for it. He was also impressed with how well he "stands" and said I will really have my hands full as he will probably be an early walker. After the doctor left it was time for the dreaded shots.....my poor baby got 2. :( He did well, though......and the nurse is SO good!! We are really lucky that she deals with the younger babies for shots. Now Chase is good to go until December!!!

Ok, here are the pics!!!

One year ago today....

Chase Robert was conceived!! Z got a pretty awesome birthday present, huh?!? ;) It's so hard to believe how fast time has gone.....my baby is almost 4 months old!!! ACK!!!

3 months old

Today my baby is 3 months old!! He is such an amazing little guy. His last weight check was a little over 12lbs and was 24" long. I'll see if I can get a weight on him today and i'll update. He just loves to smile and talk at just about anything. His best friend right now is the lamp behind the recliner. He will smile and coo and talk for a long time with that lamp. He also loves the ceiling fan in the playroom......he will just stare at that thing and not blink. I still think he loves the lamp more, though. The lamp gets his best, big open mouth smiles and he actually talks to it, where as the ceiling fan only gets stares. He has also decided that at times his fingers taste better than any bottle I make, which can make feeding him a little tricky. As I posted before, we started him on applesauce and he has done SO good with it!! We also bought some pears for him to try and he's done good with them as well. He can hold his head really good and steady now, and LOVES to blow raspberries! I remember my mom telling me I loved to do that when I was a baby as well. He does great with tummy time and when your holding him he kicks his feet like crazy, like he's trying to get down and run around like his big brother does.

Here are Chase's 3 month pics.....

My big boy!!

On Friday I broke down and bought Chase some baby applesauce, and he LOVED it!!! He only ate a very little bit, but he really did good with it. Saturday I gave him a little before his bedtime bottle and he slept all night long!!!! I thought to myself "Hey, I may be on to something!" so Sunday and Monday and I did the same thing and get this.......he slept all night long again!!! So three nights in a row of sleeping through the night.........I feel like a whole new mommy!!!

I can't believe my baby will be 3 months old tomorrow....and yet, it really feels like he should be older. Does that make sense?!? I mean, it really feels he's been here with us so much longer. I'll do a post tomorrow about his 3 month update......but i'll share some pics of him today!!!





Eating applesauce....

Updated the birth story again......

I was going over the paper Z had in the hospital where he kept track of things for me and I saw I had forgotten to add when the nurse placed Chase onto my chest to help keep him warm........(how in the world could I forget something like that?!?!?) Here is the updated post if you'd like to read it....

In other news, I checked Chase's length and he is now up to 24 inches long!! Way to grow, monkers!!

Wow.....

Last night, Chase went to sleep at a little after 7pm...............................and slept until 4am!!!!! That's the longest he's slept, even when he was in utero!! Even if this is a fluke, I will gladly take it...........

WOOHOO!!!!!!

2 months old!!

Well, i'm 3 days late with this post. It's so hard to believe my baby is 2 months old already, and yet at the same time it feels as though he's been with us forever! He is such a smiley little guy......and he's a total chatter-box!!! In fact, just yesterday he actually laughed out loud! It was so cute. And i've said this before, but I swear some of his babble sounds like actual words......of course we know better, but it's SO weird! He's also got some seriously strong neck muscles......he loves looking around when he's on his tummy and when i'm holding him up on my shoulder to burp him. Another thing he loves to do is pretend to walk! I hold him up and he moves his feet like he is actually trying to walk.........so funny!!!

And now, on to the pics!!!!





Lovin' the Jumperoo!! (we used it for Ty and i'm so glad we held onto it!)

Chase's 2 month check-up

I'm so sorry it's been so long since i've posted....if Chase isn't fussing for me to hold him, Tyler is asking me to play! I'll try to post updates more frequently....

Anyhoo, Chase had his 2 month check-up yesterday. We were a little worried because he needed his shots and we didn't want the nurse that gave Ty his shots to give them to Chase. (here is why we didn't want the other nurse) But we had an awesome nurse and he was such a trooper!! He got two shots, one in each leg, and he only screamed/cried for a few seconds after each. His 2 months stats are:
weight: 10 lbs
length: 21.5 inches
head: 15"

The doctor seemed really pleased with how well he is growing. I gave him some infant Tylenol before and after the appointment, but he seemed to restless after we got home yesterday. :( Hopefully today he'll be his usual happy self......now, on to the picture!!! This is by far my favorite picture right now.....I just love how Chase is looking at his big brother.....

Some new pics of Chase.....

Too cute!!!

So early Wednesday morning I was just coming back to bed after feeding Chase....I think it was a little after 3am?!? Anyhoo, Chase was still a little fussy for some reason and as I was working on getting him covered back up he cried and I swear it sounded like he said daddy!!! In fact, after he said it Z jumped and turned over right away and said "im right here, baby.....ummm, did he say daddy?!" I said it sure did sound like it!!!! He said he could have sworn he heard him say that and that's what woke him from a deep sleep! Now obviously we know he can' talk yet, but some of the sounds he is making now sound just like real words!!!

An exciting Saturday morning for Chase!!

Chase had such an exciting Saturday morning.....he took his very first shower!!! Well, he took it with Z of course! LOL He had such a great time! He didn't cry or fuss at all....in fact, he kept putting his feet back into the water. :) He also didn't cry or fuss when Z let the water run onto his head. I think Z enjoyed it just as much as Chase did, though....LOL!!! He said he remembered when he took Tyler into the shower for the first time and he didn't realize how much he missed having a little one around.

1 month old

How in the world did my baby turn 1 month old?!?!? It still feels like only yesterday I was pregnant! He is doing really good. He is still holding his head up well, and for about a minute or so at a time! He also loves his tummy time, and has started to want to take his naps on his tummy.....just like his big brother did at his age. Also with tummy time, he LOVES to push himself over with his feet! It's so cute....i'd love to get it on video some day!! He's also started cooing and making some super cute "noises" lately....and his smiles just melt my heart. Hopefully i'll catch one of those smiles on camera soon!!!

Anyhoo, here are his one month pics:




And here he is doing tummy time!

Chase's follow-up appointment

Chase had his follow up appointment this past Thursday and he did great!!! He is now up to 6lbs 11ozs and is 21 inches long!! I mentioned to the doctor about his projectile puking and he said since it doesn't happen often and he's gaining weight it's fine and he should outgrow it. Now he doesn't need to go back until he is 2 months old!!

3 weeks

Wow, my little monkers is 3 weeks old today......how the heck did that happen?!?!? He is still doing so good, minus the sleeping at night. I'm thinking we're going to move from 2ozs. to 4 ozs. starting today and see how that works for him. He's had some issues with spitting up....well, I wouldn't call it spitting up, it's more like projectile vomiting! :( I swear it seems like he has brought up every drop of formula he's eaten the entire day. It doesn't seem to affect him at all, unless it gets all over his face. I'll mention it to the pediatrician when we see him this week. I'm also curious to see how much weight he's gained. I got on the scale last week and I *think* he's over 6lbs now! (BTW, i'm also down 23lbs and back to the weight I was before I got pregnant!) He's getting SO great at holding his head up!! And he loves doing tummy time........he's growing so fast......

And here are some pics!!!! The first is my new favorite.......

2 weeks

I can't believe my monkers is already two weeks old! The time is going by so fast.

As of yesterday he lost his cord stump!! I'm not exactly sure what happened to it......I think it got caught up in a diaper change and thrown away. At least I hope so, anyway.....either that or one of the dogs found it and ate it. ICK!!!! Now that the stump is gone we're going to do more tummy time and finally give him a real bath! He's also gotten so good at holding his little head up, especially when I try to burp him. And he is still determined to roll over at every diaper change, AND anytime I lay him on his back.....and if he can't quite roll over all the way, he is perfectly content laying on his side. He's also starting to eat more at each feeding....this morning he ate his 2 ozs, and then still acted like he was hungry! He goes back to he pediatrician next Tuesday to make sure he is gaining weight.

Now onto the pics!! (these were also posted on MySpace)

1 week old

I want to try and keep a log of Chase weekly (or until he's a month old at least), but I can't guarantee i'll be able to post on time! LOL So far i've noticed he is lifting his head SO much when i'm holding him! He loves to lift his head and look around. Also, he's rolled over several times when he's on the changing table.....i'm sure it's just the way he is laying, but he is so strong!!! I can't get over he has been with us for a whole week already....but at the same time it feels like he has always been here.

I've been doing ok, considering I haven't had hardly any sleep in months. Before Chase was born I was up peeing 10-12 times a night. Now that he is here, i'm up with him every 1.5-2 hours to change and feed him....then when I go back to bed it takes me forever to fall asleep again. :( I try to dose off when Chase is napping during the day, but that is usually impossible when Tyler is asking me to play with him or wants to play outside. So for now i'll deal with the lack of sleep.....after all, he will only be this little for a short time.

Another thing i've noticed is my hormones are super wacky still!! I knew they would be for awhile, but I wasn't this emotional when I was pregnant! LOL I mean, i'm not sad at all but I cry at the drop of a hat over silly things like commercials or tv shows. And also, I can't seem to get enough of Z. I love being around him and having him close, and that is SO the opposite of me! hehehe I've also been super "frisky" feeling lately, but I know we have to wait for the 6 week checkup...plus we have to figure out what to do about birth control until Z gets snipped. He won't be getting snipped until we get new insurance, and that may not be until this fall or early next year.

All in all, everything is going really well! I love saying "my boys" when i'm talking about Ty and Chase. :)

And now, here are some pics of my monkers......

Chase's first appointment

2:00pm- Chase had his first check-up on Monday. He did lose some weight and is now down to 5lbs 8oz. but the doctor said that is fine. They checked his length and the nurse said he was measuring 20" long. How in the world did he go from 18.5" to 20" in less than a week?!? I honestly don't know if the nurse checked his length right. It was kind of funny....when the nurse was checking his weight Chase peed on her! LOL She said he was the first patient to ever pee on her! Anyhoo, the doctor said he looked great! He said "He's definitely a keeper!" LOL We need to try and work with him with eating more and keeping him awake long enough to eat. Right now he barely finishes 2 ozs. in an hour and sometimes eats every 2 hours.

He does need to go back in two weeks to have his weight checked again to make sure he is gaining good.

Chase's birth story *EDIT*

Chase's birth/induction went SO perfectly!! I couldn't have asked for a better experience. We arrived at the hospital at 5:20am for the induction. They finally called me back to get me all registered and get the iv's started. I have to say, the IV went in SO easy! I hardly felt anything at all! Once I was all settled in, they called everyone back into the room. At 7am our OB came in to see if I was dilated anymore, but I was still at 3cm. At 7:20am they started the pitocin. By 10:30am I was contracting pretty hard but they were still kind of sporadic……I would have three good hard contractions in a row, then none for a little bit. At 11:40am the OB came in to break my water, which wasn’t bad at all…in fact, it felt good to get rid of that extra pressure! The contractions really picked up then….they felt like they were back to back with very little breaks in between. By noon I was SO ready for the epidural! The anesthesiologist came in and by 12:45pm I was feeling good. And the epi went in perfectly….no pain what so ever! They also put the catheter in a few minutes after the epidural and that was awesome as well! It felt so good to finally not have the feeling of having to pee constantly! The OB came back in and as of 1:10pm I was 4-5 cm dilated and 100% effaced. At 2:15pm I was still having some painful contractions, but only on the left side….my right leg was completely numb but the left leg was barely tingly. So the anesthesiologist came back in and added more meds to my epidural and I felt amazing!!! I actually was able to dose off for 30 minutes! A little before 3pm the nurse came back in and asked how I was feeling and I told her I felt great!! Boy did things change fast after that!!! She no sooner left when I started feeling contractions with TONS of pressure. At 3:15pm Zane buzzed the nurse and told them I was having contractions with tons of pressure and she came into the room quickly. I told her how I was feeling and she said she wanted to check my cervix. Well, when she checked my cervix she said “Ok, do me a favor….do not push! The baby is RIGHT there!” She grabbed her phone and called the nurses station and told them to get the doctor into the room STAT! Within 5 minutes the OB was in the room and we were ready for a baby!! After only 3 pushes, Chase Robert Marshall entered the world! He was so perfect in every way! I did have a 2nd degree tear, but I felt so good after delivery! And the best part of all, Tyler was in the room the whole time and saw his little brother being born! He was SO excited and amazed with everything!! When Chase came out and was crying he asked Zane’s mom why he was crying and she said all babies cry when they are born, and he gave her the biggest hug ever!! *Added info* After they got Chase cleaned up and Z left to get my dad and his dad to come in, the nurse told me they like to do skin to skin contact to help keep the baby warm and asked if I would mind doing that.....I told her I LOVE that!! When they placed him onto my chest and he looked up at me my heart melted and I just fell in love. The only thing I’m dealing with now is horrible cramping…….it is TOTALLY kicking my butt!! I swear, the contractions didn’t even hurt this bad. I’m now taking motrin and vicodin for the cramps and as long as I don’t wait too long to take them they seem to be working. I’ll be so glad when they are gone for good, though!! Also, my sugar is now right back to where it was before I was pregnant and so is my pressure!

We are all so happy to have him here with us........

**I forgot to add that I actually called the day and time Chase would be born!! (well, close to the time, anyway...LOL) Last week when we saw the OB everyone was saying he could be born any day, but I said I just had a feeling it would be Tuesday the 9th....and that was with the OB saying if I didn't go on my own I was scheduled to be induced on the 10th. On Monday we found out we were going to be induced on Tuesday instead and when we left the office I told Z I just knew Tuesday would be the day and I got quiet for a second, then said "I think he'll be born around 3:45 in the afternoon......that sounds like a good time." Boy was I close, huh!!! LOL

Hospital link for pics

Here is a link to see the pics from the hospital.

Chase pics

The password is: toolman1

Chase Robert is here!!

I am VERY proud to introduce Chase Robert!!!!



His stats are:

Born: 06.09.09
Time: 3:32pm
Weight: 5lbs 15ozs
Length: 18.5 inches long

He is such a little guy, but oh so cute!!! And he looks just like his big brother!! Tyler is so in love with him and wants to do everything for him. We came home today, and it feels SO good to be home!!! I'll get the birth story up hopefully soon.

Our last appoinment

8:00am/Dr Elders - Well, today was our official last apppoinment.....we found out today that I am being induced tomorrow instead of Wednesday!!! The ultrasound today showed Chase is still super low but the fluid level is dropping off again, so the OB said it was time to get out of dodge...LOL!! I'm also 2cm dilated still, but almost at 3 so that will work great with the induction. So, we have to be at UT hospital by 5:30am tomorrow morning......AHHHH!!!!!

The next post I make will be announcing Chase's birth!!!!!

38 weeks

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

Your baby's lanugo, the fine hair that covers the body, will probably disappear this week. The vernix, a creamy substance that protects the baby's skin, is also disappearing. This week, your baby weighs around six and a half pounds and measures 34cm crown to rump, or 18-1/2 inches head to toe.

Wow, I can't believe this will be the last pregnancy weekly update.....it actually makes me a little sad.....

Anyhoo, things are going GREAT!! Chase is still as low as ever....I keep waiting to see his hand sticking out of my hoohaa and waving at me! LOL Heartburn is still going strong. I've also noticed something super weird and scary......anytime Z and I get freaky I can't catch my breath for hours and I get a horrible rattling sound in my chest and end up coughing. Last night we had some "us" time and when we were done I couldn't catch my breath at all....it was SO scary!!! :( My chest still feels tight right now......ick!!!

other than that, everything is looking good.....the next "update" i do, other than about todays appointment, will be about Chase being born!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today's appointment

3:00pm/Dr Elder - We had another good appointment today! The ultrasound went good.....Chase is measuring good and weighs about 6lbs 2oz. My pressure wasn't too bad, and i'm still dilated 2cm. We sat in the OB's office and talked about what step to do next. As long as I don't go into labor between now and Monday, I go back in and see him at 8am. They'll do another ultrasound and check my cervix again. An induction is now scheduled for 5:30am Wednesday morning! It's so hard to believe that we will be meeting Chase in less than a week. AHHHH!!!!! LOL The doctor did say Chase would be a small, but healthy baby and that's fine with me!! I can't imagine having to push out a 9-10lb baby out of my hoohaa!!! LOL

Today's appointment

8:00am/Dr. Elder - What an amazing appointment!!! The ultrasound went great......Chase is super low and engaged! The tech said he is definitely low and ready and that I have dropped majorly since Friday. His heart rate was good, 138bpm, and he was sleeping but still practicing his breathing! After the ultrasound we went into the room and the nurse checked my pressure. It was slightly up a little, but she wasn't concerned. The doctor came in and said he was impressed with how Chase looked and how low he is and said he was impressed with the pressure numbers i've been getting throughout the day. (I gave him a paper with my readings on it) He then checked my cervix and said I am 2cm dilated already and SUPER soft!!! I'm so impressed that my body is doing this on it's own!!! He said I could go back in a week and see how I do, but then said he wanted to see me again on Thursday and check my cervix again.....if i'm dilated more, they will admit me and Chase will be born on Friday!!!! If not they will definitely get things rolling next Tuesday. I told him I was feeling extra crampy this morning, but not contraction crampy and he said since this is my second baby the cramps could very well be contractions and to just be on "labor alert". When we left I was even more crampy from him checking me, so who knows what's going on down there....LOL!!! I did tell him i'd probably end up walking around 2cm dilated for awhile and he said he highly doubts it with as soft as my cervix felt and as low as Chase is......I guess now we just wait and see!!!

You know, I was never really worried about being induced, as I went through that with Tyler....but having my body start things rolling on it's own, even if I do end up still being induced, is SO awesome!!!!

37 weeks

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

Gaining one ounce per day, your baby is growing rapidly. At six pounds and measuring 33cm crown to rump, or 17 1/2 inches head to toe, this little baby is getting pretty big.

The baby may have settled down into your pelvis. While this process, called ‘lightening’ or ‘engagement,’ may make it easier to breathe and eat, you may find walking uncomfortable. Now that the baby is crowding the bladder, you will be urinating more frequently.

, we made it to 37 weeks!!! I am still in shock at how fast this pregnancy has gone. It honestly feels like just yesterday that I got my bfp! I am SO enjoying everything......i'm really going to miss the thumps and kicks and rolls I feel. And some days it really does feel like they go on all day long! The nurse had told me to make sure I was doing the "kick counts" and I told her I don't do them considering I feel Chase moving constantly and she said that was wonderful! He still gets the hiccups several times a day....in fact, just this morning he had the hiccups and Z put his head on my belly to see if he could "hear" anything and he said it felt like Chase kept kicking him in the head! I've noticed the past few days my hips have been super sore and I have even more pelvic pressure....I swear I feel like I have to pee constantly! The heartburn/acid reflux are still a daily thing, but other than that I feel really great! I'm so anxious to meet little Chase, but at the same time I am in NO hurry to evict him!

We have an early appointment tomorrow with our regular OB and they will be doing an ultrasound and an exam to determine when Chase will be coming along..........

Today's appointment

8:00am - Well, we had to have a follow-up ultrasound today to double check the fluid around Chase. (which i'm still not sure why since the fluid has been steady going up) It was only supposed to be Tyler and I at the appointment since Z was worried he would be super busy at work and didn't want to miss too many hours, so my mother in law drove us. Well, while Ty and I were waiting for the office to open the elevator opened up and there was Zane! We were so surprised!! His work is only 10 minutes away, and he really wanted to be there. Anyhoo, the ultrasound tech called us back and asked if I needed to empty my bladder before the ultrasound and I did.......the ultrasound went great! My fluid is now up to 10 and Chase's heartbeat was 151 bpm. He was sleeping, which I kind of figured he would be since he was moving so much all day yesterday and last night, but they needed him to move so they could check his movement.......well, she got him moving and he was practicing his breathing perfectly! She left the room and said the nurse would be in when she was finished with another patient. Well, the tech came back in and said I did need to leave a urine sample and have my weight and pressure checked! She kept apologizing, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. I left my urine sample and had my pressure checked and it was up a little. The nurse had me lay on my left side for a few minutes and came back to check it and it was better, so we went and got my weight.....I lost another 3 lbs since Tuesday!!! So since last Thursday, i'm down 11 lbs. She called the doctor (who was downstairs teaching a class today.....on Friday's the OB/GYN office is only open half a day for just general visits) and the doctor said she was going to come up and talk with us. Well, a few minutes later the doctor called back and said we could go since she felt she wouldn't be able to come up to see us for awhile, but I still needed to continue my bed rest and keep drinking water and keep my appointment for next Monday with our regular OB. The doctor did say the weight loss was totally normal since my pressures are coming back down and i'm not as swollen as I was. (which in all honesty, I wasn't all that swollen to begin with!!) So we're not worrying about it.

Our next appointment is Monday morning, and we are SO excited about it!! Possibly even more excited than we were at the anatomy ultrasound.....we find out when Chase will be coming!!!!!

Today's appointment

2:00pm/Dr. Egner - We had a decent appointment today. They were running late due to an emergency in the office. Anyhoo......I had lost 8 lbs since last Thursday?!?!? Very weird. The ultrasound went good! Chase is still super low and facing my back....good boy!! LOL My fluid level has gone up from 7.9 to 9, which is great. The best thing is, my mother in law got to be in the room when the ultrasound was done.......the look on her face was just priceless!! This was something so special, and i'm so glad I could share it with her. :) We saw the OB and she said my pressure readings were good, but still need to be better. Since my fluid level is still a little off, I still need to go back once again this week for a NST. Well, while I was giving my weekly blood for tests Z checked us out and the OB found out the ultrasound tech would be in on Friday so we'll be getting another ultrasound on Friday to check the fluid level. After that appointment we go back on Monday to see our regular OB and he'll do a cervix check, then we find out when Chase will be coming!!!! I'm SO excited, but scared at the same time.......

36 weeks

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

Your baby is now 32cm crown to rump, or 17 1/2 inches head to toe. He or she weighs in at a whopping five pounds, nine ounces. Even though your weight gain will slow this month, and you may even lose a pound or two during the final weeks, your baby is gaining weight rapidly, sometimes as much as a half a pound a week.

First, i'm SO sorry im late posting this!! The in-laws came into town on Sunday and we've been so busy it's crazy!!! I'll probably be a little scarce with posting while they are here, but I promise to update when it's time for Chase!!

Anyhoo, everything is still going good. I had to increase one of my pressure meds, which has wiped me OUT!!! My pressures are coming down again, though. Chase is still moving like crazy!! And he has the hiccups several times a day...I love feeling him move!! Heartburn is still kicking my butt.......blech!!!

We had an appointment today that i'll post about in a sec, and we go back again this Friday.....and then we see our regular OB on Monday to find out when Chase will be coming along!!! :D

Travel bag from OB

Here are some pics of the travel bag we got......




I love how it opens up! It has a hook so you can hang it up, and at the bottom is a zipper pouch....



And here is the can of formula and binkie....

An *interesting* appointment yesterday

**BE WARNED!! THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG POST!!

2:30pm/NP - So yesterday we had a follow-up appointment with a NST since my pressure was slightly up on Tuesday. I also had to turn in a 24 hour urine test. Well, Wednesday evening I checked my pressure at home and it was way too high....200/110. So I layed on my left side for 15 minutes and rechecked it and it did come down some, but not enough. The doctor had told us a few weeks ago we would probably end up increasing one of the pressure meds I was on, so I decided to just go ahead and start Wednesday night. Well, after I left a pee sample they checked my pressure and it was still up a little. While I was sitting there when the nurse checked my pressure the nurse practitioner walked pasted and asked how everything was. The nurse said my pressure was up a little, and I told her about the readings I had the night before and that I increased one of the pills. They then checked my weight and I was down one pound from Tuesday?!? Anyhoo, they hooked me up to do the NST and while that was going the doctor came in and asked me about headaches or vision issues. Well, I had been having some headaches on and off for the past few weeks, but it really felt more like sinus pressure/issues than anything, especially since my nose was also a little stuffy. I also told her my vision gets blurry if I spend some time on the computer, but after i'm off of the computer for 10-15 minutes it clears right up. Well, she said she wanted to call our regular OB to talk with him while we sat there a little longer. After a few minutes she came back in and said they wanted me to go to labor and delivery and have Chase monitored while they put a rush on my 24 hour urine test and some blood work I had to give before I left. She said the NST showed Chase was just fine and the pee sample I left when we got there had no protein in it, but because of my vision and headaches I need to be monitored. Ummm, but the vision and headache had nothing to do with my pressure! So, they drew blood and we had to wait a few minuted while the NP called the hospital to get them ready for us. One good thing about the visit, I got a free travel bag with a formula sample, a binkie and some awesome coupons in it!! We get over to L&D and get papers signed and get hooked up to the monitor for another NST and had an automatic blood pressure cuff hooked up. Eventually the OB on call came in and talked to us and asked me about the headaches and vision issues. I told her what I told the NP, that I felt they didn't have anything to do with my pressure. We talked a few minutes and she checked my feet and my reflexes and they seemed fine. She said the pressure readings they were getting were really good, but because of the headaches and vision issues I mentioned, I would need to be put on bed rest until Chase is born.....AND, he could possibly be born next week!!!! She said the blood work came back just fine but they were waiting on the 24 hour urine results to come back, but she had to do a c-section and once she was done with that she would come back and check my cervix and let us know how the urine test came out. Almost 4 hours later a nurse finally came in and said we could go home.......ummm, WTH?!?!? She said the urine came back with slight protein in it, which is actually normal at this stage of pregnancy and wasn't a cause for concern. Hmmm, then maybe I was right about the headaches and vision issues not being a pressure issue?!?!? *sigh* So, i'm still on bed rest until Chase comes along, but it's sort of modified. I can get up to use the bathroom and can cook meals, but no shopping or overdoing things with cleaning. I don't mind not being able to shop, since after i've walked around for a little while I start to hurt and get tons of pressure.....but the cleaning thing is going to be rough, since we have company coming next week and this house still needs tons of cleaning done!!! :(

To be totally honest, I really think they jumped the gun with the pressure issue and I don't think he;ll be here next week. (although i'm packing my hospital bag to be safe! LOL) They said the extra pill I took should have lowered my pressure but it had been less than 24 hours since I started it! And I knew since I had no protein in my urine the headaches and blurry vision were just from sinus and computer use. I've checked my pressures several times today and one reading was a little high, but the rest were perfect! I'll stick with the bed rest, of course and I know they are just making sure Chase and I are safe, but hearing them say he may come next week because of my pressure scred the crap out of me!!!LOL I really am lucky to have such great doctors taking care of us, though.....

We have to go back to L&D for a NST tomorrow morning, then we have our regular OB appointment next Tuesday........and then our company comes in on Wednesday! AHHH!!!!

Yesterday's appointment

2:30pm/Dr. Egner - Well, it was an ok appointment. The ultrasound went well. Chase is still way down low and was sleeping! LOL The tech tried to get him to move more but he was too busy sleeping......and it's funny, because right before the ultrasound he was thumping and kicking in the waiting room LOL After the ultrasound the doctor came in to see us. (We had to see a different OB) My pressure was up a little, but not too awful. She mentioned about doing a GBS test, but I told her Dr. Elder, our regular OB, already said since I was GBS positive with Ty he would just treat me as positive this time. He told us that last week, and I didn't have any problem with that. Well, the OB checked my chart and saw where Dr. Elder wrote that down so she seemed ok with that. She then said she was a little concerned with the level of amniotic fluid I have......I think she said it was 7.9 and anything below 5 is cause for concern and since I have chronic high blood pressure she was slightly concerned and wanted me to come back again this week for a NST, even though we already have an appointment scheduled for next Tuesday. The only thing that is bugging me about that is my regular OB knows about the fluid levels and never said he was concerned about it, so I wasn't worried about it either. And in all honesty, I trust him completely!! I know for a fact that if he was worried he would have said something to me about it. I really like the OB we saw yesterday, but part of me feels she may be a little too aggressive with things. She also asked me to do another 24 hour urine test, and I had some blood drawn. She did say I could increase my water intake and that may help with the fluid levels, so i'll work on that more starting today.

So, all in all it was an ok appointment. I'm a little disappointed we have to go back again this week, mainly because Z has to take us and that means he'll miss more time from work. After tomorrow's appointment we go back again next Tuesday.

35 weeks

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

While we will tell you that your baby weighs five pounds this week and measures 31cm crown to rump, or 16-1/2 inches long, this is only an estimate. In general, babies gain half a pound per week from this point on. You may notice that your baby has day-to-day active and resting patterns. This is because the uterus is growing thinner, which allows light to enter and influence baby's rhythms.

Wow....35 weeks already!! Symptoms are still not too bad. The acid reflux/heartburn are still kicking my butt at times, but I switched to Tums Smooth Dissovle yesterday and what a HUGE difference!!! I'm still feeling some hooha pressure since Chase is so low. And he's still getting the hiccups several times every day....I love it!!

We have a doctor's appointment this Tuesday....after that only two more to go!!! EEK!!!

So sweet......plus a small whine.....

For the past week or so, Chase has had the hiccups almost every day and usually several times a day at that! (just like his big brother did in-utero! ) Well, last night when we went to bed I had turned over to get comfortable when I felt Chase start his hiccups. I immediately put my hand on my tummy and they felt so strong!! Well, I asked Z if he was still awake but he didn't answer at first.....so I nudged him and asked him to turn over and give me his hand. I placed it right where the hiccups felt the strongest and I asked if he felt that and he said "Yep, his hiccups!" It was the first time Z had ever felt any hiccups before, and he got such a big kick out of it.

On to my whine. Last night was such a rough night!!! My whole belly ached and felt SO heavy....and I had TONS of pressure in the hoo-haa area. I peed my usual 10-12 times last night, but each time I got up it took every effort I had just to get out of bed. I assume Chase has dropped even further, which is amazing considering he was already super low the last ultrasound we had.....in fact, the tech said she could barely get a look at his face because he was so low and facing my back. I know him being low is a good thing, but I SO didn't expect it to happen at only 34/35 weeks!!

34 week pic

It's been awhile since i've posted a preggo pic so here is my 34 week picture........

Today's appointment

2:00pm/Dr. Elder - We had a GREAT appointment!!! Chase is doing really good, and is SO low.....even lower than before!!! The ultrasound tech said he is all ready to come out with as low as he is! hehehehe He is also facing my back and still has a little hand up near his face....little stinker! I kind of figured he was really low with all the pressure i've been feeling. He is also still super active!! In fact, as i'm typing this he has the hiccups....LOL!!! My pressure was great; 140/80. My weight hasn't changed since last week, which amazes me with as much as I feel like i've been eating. And the best part of today's appointment......we scheduled our LAST 3 appointments!!! EEK!!!!! We see two different OB's the next two Tuesday's, then on June 1st we see our regular OB and he'll check my cervix and if it's doable, we'll schedule our induction!

After our appointment we went to the UT OB office to pick up some insulin, which should be the last time we need it!!! We also went to labor and delivery to register for the hospital, but found out we needed to go to regular hospital admission. It wasn't a wasted visit to L&D, though...we got to see one of the labor rooms! It was so exciting and really made it sink in that Chase will be here SO soon!!!

Our next appointment is next Tuesday.............:)

34 weeks

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

Your baby, weighing in at four pounds and 11 oz, and measuring 30cm crown to rump or 16 inches, urinates nearly a pint a day. In fact, the urine, along with sweat and other fluids from the baby, help to make up the amniotic fluid. This amniotic fluid completely replenishes itself every three hours.

Wow......if all goes as planned, Chase will be here in about 4 weeks! How is that possible?!? I SO can't wait to meet him, but i'm really enjoying this pregnancy....even with the bleeding scare last week! I love feeling his little rolls and kicks and when he has the hiccups........I love resting my hand on my tummy and feeling all of that from the outside........i'm going to miss all of it.

As for symptoms/issues, i've noticed i'm waddling alot more now....or so I was told! Ahh, I don't mind it one bit. The heartburn is still around, and the acid reflux at night is back. UGH!!! I've also noticed I have a TON of pressure super low, mainly because Chase is so low down. I've noticed I have some swelling going on with my feet, but I rest them at night and by morning the swelling is gone. It can really hurt some days, though!! I'm still getting out of breath really bad, and from barely doing anything but that is from my one blood pressure med, so I know that will go away once Chase is born and I go back on my regular meds. All in all, this pregnancy has been so great.

We see the regular OB tomorrow afternoon for our weekly ultrasound/check-up.

So I caved

I wasn't going to set up the bassinet playard my sister sent, but I just couldn't wait to see what it looked like set up!!! So, I caved last night......I just LOVE it!!!!


The little animals hanging are adorable lil' hippos....



Ty loved it, too!!