Whoa Baby!

This morning I had my monthly visit at the Perinatal Clinic.  This was supposed to be my last scan of Owen's kidneys and growth that would help them to determine how much longer we could wait out a natural delivery and at what point we would just induce.  I had been told that they may actually schedule an induction first thing next week and that this appointment would help them decide if it was necessary.   We met earlier this month with Owen's Urologist and found out that he will most likely have his surgery sometime within his first month of life.  They are nearly positive he has a UPJ which is just an obstruction in one of his Ureters leading from his kidney to his bladder.  He will have a couple tests to confirm this and then they will schedule the procedure.  It should be a simple surgery where they just remove the block and insert a temporary stent that will be removed 6 weeks later.  After leaving there, we really feel like the scariest part of the surgery will just be having our newborn put under anesthesia, but other than that it seems to be a "simple" procedure.  So things are going well on that end.  Today they were still able to see some tissue around the kidney which is very good since it's so severely dilated.  We wont know until some testing after surgery just how much kidney function he has lost, but the Doctor reminded us that even partial function is still good since he should have full function on the left side.

So that was all pretty much stuff I knew already.  But I did get some news that really threw me for a loop and brought on all sorts of emotional pregnant lady emotions!!  The first thing that caught me off guard is that by ultrasound (which could be off....possibly) Owen weighed in today at 10lbs 4oz.  Yep. That would be TEN. POUNDS.  So that alone was enough to scare the heck out of me and just about bring me to tears.  The Perinatologist is concerned that I may indeed have Gestational Diabetes that was undiagnosed and therefore untreated this entire time.  I had failed my first test, but passed the second one so they stopped looking into it.  This could be what has caused him to not only get so big, but apparently his growth literally spiked and he put on a bunch of weight very quickly.

So where does that put me now?? Well, the plan they have for now is that I will go in on Monday for a glucose test.  I'll have to fast starting at midnight the night before and will have my blood drawn at 8:45am when I get there.  Then I will eat breakfast, wait an hour, and then have my blood drawn at the one hour mark.  They just want to see how my body is responding to the sugar I guess.  I'm not really sure what will happen after that.  The Perinatologist has passed this on to my OB who I haven't talked with yet (except the nurse that scheduled my glucose test).  They did tell me today at the Perinatal Clinic that there was a much higher chance now that I could need a Csection because of his size, but also that either way they would recommend induction by/at 39 weeks.  They said I'm in the grey area where as of today they wont insist I have a C section, but if he gets much bigger I won have a choice.  So we may be having a baby next week sometime.  Hopefully.

I'm feeling a little more at ease as the day goes on, but this morning was rough for me.  Some people will understand this and some wont, but I was just totally overwhelmed with all these wrenches being thrown into the "birth plan" I had in my head.  I really would prefer a natural birth vs a C Section.  Ella and Noah's births were both very different, but they were also both so wonderful and special.  After having Noah without an epidural and seeing how much easier my recovery and time was with him, I was really looking forward to duplicating that with Owen.  Even though it's hard and I dread it in some ways, I was actually looking forward to when Owen makes his arrival.  It's the most difficult but yet rewarding moment and I just started feeling like I was going to be cheated of that by being forced into a csection. Especially just going by ultrasound for his weight which could be off.  Do not get me wrong:  I know some of my closest friends have had C Sections and swear by it!  I'm not trying to say that it isn't as fulfilling of a birth or anything.  It's just something that's important to me.

So for now, "my plan" (which you know how well that ever works out), is to still try for a natural delivery (except for the induction meds) and see if I can still deliver without C-section.  I'm a nervous wreck, but I have to try because I will be so upset if I don't and the measurements were somehow off. I've heard of plenty of moms delivering babies that big before without problems.  So we'll see how it goes!!

For now, you can join me in specifically praying that Owen will come on his own sometime soon so that I don't have to be induced and also pray that I am able to have a normal delivery without having to have a C Section.  I feel like I have just "gone with the flow" the whole time through all of these ups and downs.  We've just tried to take them in stride and trust whatever God's plan is.  I have to admit though, I'm getting tired and I'm ready to just have my baby here safe and sound.  This morning kind of felt like enough's enough.  We are so ready to welcome this chubby little guy into our family!  2 weeks or less either way is what I have to keep telling myself.  But it's hard when I already feel so huge and uncomfortable!

Here are some pictures from today.  He's obviously really smooshed so they are harder to make out than the others.  He has his hands by his face and in his mouth every time I have an ultrasound and today they were really in the way so thats whats all over by his mouth and chin.  He was sucking on his fingers the whole time.  Sweet baby!

30 Week Update

I have some new pictures of little Owen to share with you so I wanted to get them up on the blog before they get forgotten about like the Christmas pictures I still haven't posted!  So far everything has been progressing really nicely!  I'm exactly 30 weeks today which is crazy.  In some ways it feels like I've been pregnant forever, but at times it has flown by.  Last week I had to take the three hour glucose test which was no fun.  Especially for someone who doesn't like needles. (4 blood draws!)  But praise God, I passed and it's over now.  Today I had my monthly ultrasound to check up on Owen's kidneys.  I finally got a picture of the actual kidneys to show any of you who are nerdy about this kind of stuff and want to see.  It's pretty amazing really.  It's hard to have the scans and see how much they have grown each time as a worried Mama, but thanks to the reassurance and confidence in our Doctors,  I'm really not that anxious about it.  I have a referral now to see the Urologist soon so that will be nice for us to hear from the person who will be calling the shots once he gets here.

As for Owen's overall health, he is doing great!  He's still a BIG boy.  He has once again jumped up significantly and is now in the 93% for weight.  They think he weighs about 4lbs 12 oz as of today.  Oh my.  I've been so much more uncomfortable this pregnancy and now I think I know why?!  I'm not carrying a 30 week size baby at this point!  He's measuring more like 32-33 weeks.  He has the sweetest chubby cheeks and is absolutely precious.  We are so anxious to meet him!  

Tomorrow I will see my regular OB for my appointment now that I am on an every 2 weeks schedule.  Lots of going back and forth to Madison these days!  The technician and Doctor who did my scan mentioned that my fluid levels were high so I guess my Doctor will fill me in on that tomorrow.  They didn't seem overly concerned at this point and seeing that my high risk Doctor was willing to pass it off to my OB, I'm not worried.  They said it's most likely a side effect of the kidney issue and that they would monitor it from now on.

Okay, enough "talking"...I know why you're really here...baby pictures!

Here is a picture of what Owen's kidneys look like.  The black part you see is actually the renal pelvis of the kidney and the black is because of the fluid inside it.  So the black circle down towards the bottom left is his left kidney (which is considered large itself) and the big black spot taking up most of the picture is the right kidney where the fluid is beginning to spread into the actual tissue of the kidney itself.  Each visit this gets bigger and bigger, but this was the first one where you could really see it leaking into other parts of the kidney (It used to be just a round circle). Believe it or not, it is still functioning so hopefully once he's born they can get it draining properly and it will be good as new.  They also have reminded us that heaven forbid he loose this kidney all together, he will still be fine with just the left side. Of course, we would just prefer he have both ;)  Even still, we are thankful that his left side is doing great and has actually shown some improvement!

 Here's another shot.  I'm not sure what the black shadow down the center is, but you can see the left and right sides as they are labeled.

And now for the sweetness.  Can't wait to kiss these chubby cheeks!

Owen at 30 Weeks:

Special Announcement...

Ella and Noah have something special to share with you!  I'm going to keep it simple and leave all the talking to them!



I'll post the official due date tomorrow, but in sticking with our current trend......maybe we will end up with a May 12th baby?  Then we can have May 12th, June 12th (Noah), and July 12th (Ella).  Although I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing the newest addition towards the end of April..

Tomorrow's the Day!!

Just wanted to let you know that unless Noah decides otherwise, tomorrow is the big day. At my Doctors appointment this morning she said everything looked great for an induction in the morning. My body seems to be very close to labor anyways and Noah is right where he needs to be. I'm hoping this helps tomorrow. Even though I was 6 days late with Ella, she came on her own. I'm a little scared of what to expect being induced, but my Doctor doesn't really like to let them go over 41 weeks (and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready to be DONE!). There is always the chance that we may have to head in tonight if things pick up, but otherwise we will check in sometime around 6-6:30 am. I've heard from others that they tend to drag their feet getting you settled and started so it will probably be much later in the morning before we really get going.

If anything exciting happens before then, we'll let ya know! Otherwise, Randy will be updating tomorrow :-)!!

I'm pretty excited about the date because Ella's Birthday is July 12. So if he cooperates, we will have a June 12 baby and a July 12 baby!

While you wait...

Since I know that several of you have mentioned that you're "blog stalking" I thought you'd enjoy a new post while you wait. There is nothing to report really for baby news. We are all set and ready to go..just waiting for him to decide he's ready :)

Here is a belly shot as of today..he sure is getting big!! My muscles are feeling so achy- I know they are ready for a break from all of the extra weight!

Today we had a great day though! We started out with some breakfast at Cracker Barrel which was really yummy. Then we ended up back at the house where Ella tested out some new goodies from her Dolly.

Here she is taking a swim! I enjoyed sitting partially in the water and keeping cool, too. She loves the little slide on the pool! She just kept going down it over and over!

She also spent some time riding her new bike.
Okay, let me rephrase that one!! She spent time "riding" her bike while we all took turns pushing her!! Her feet reach the pedals, but she needs a tiny bit more length before she will be able to pedal hard enough to move it. Right now, we're just trying to get her used to it. Can't tell you how many times she asked to ride her new bike. This should be fun in the summer heat!!


Well, there's your update on us. I'm going to watch a movie with Randy and then get some rest.

Counting down the days...

Well, we are getting close to meeting little Noah! Every time I see the little counter and it says "4 days" I feel like it can't be true! I am SO excited to meet him! It's been really hard this last week not to be anxious! Especially when my body has felt so ready to go in labor, but still isn't lol. I have tried to keep really busy with small projects around the house and enjoying my time with Ella so that I won't think about it. He will come when the time is right and I know that. I'm also really excited to have my mom come into town on Sunday. Seems like everything is getting in place so we can make this big transition into a family of 4!

Just a reminder to be sure and keep an eye on the blog. Randy is planning to update often once I go into labor. It's not quite the same as being close, but it still keeps everyone included. We loved using the blog for Ella's birth. Who would have thought we'd have like 20 people up at midnight waiting for pictures. So fun. Maybe Noah will make it easier on you all and come in the early afternoon ;)

My next appointment is tomorrow and they will be doing an ultrasound to check in on little Noah as well. I'll let you know what we find out!

I need to upload some of the recent pictures of Ella. I've been slacking some since the camera is usually in the hospital bag ready to go. I had to pull it out on Saturday to get a picture of what my sweet girl did right before we were walking out the door for a baby shower. Apparently she wants a tattoo. And lots of them. She gave herself a whole "sleeve"!!



*Update from Dr.'s Apt..*

My appointment today went well. They said Noah looked great! In fact, they think he's growing to be quite a big boy..The ultrasound tech told me he was measuring at 8lbs already, but my Doctor said she thinks he is still somewhere in the 7lb range. She really doesn't think he'll hit 8 lbs. I suppose we'll see who's right soon enough! They said he has lots of fluid and everything looks great for delivery. That's good news.
Bad news is I have another appointment scheduled for next Thursday and I REALLY am hoping I'm not pregnant then!! It was such dejavu from having Ella. How encouraging to leave there having your Doctor telling you, "I'm going to call the hospital right now and book you a room for next week for your induction." Nice. But I DID go into labor on my own with Ella (6 days late!) and I've been way more uncomfortable this time. So I'm optimistic that maybe little Noah will come on his own. I have a hard time believing that the pains I've been having aren't accomplishing something.

Sneak Peak

Randy, Ella and I had the most fabulous time last night having family and maternity pictures taken with Jennifer Kent of Jennography. We HIGHLY recommend her if you're looking for natural environment, candid, pictures. Talk about an artist!! She had so many creative ideas and we are already going crazy over the ones we've seen so far. She really captured us being ourselves and not looking posed.

Here's a little sneak peak of a couple until they're ready to view :)

Memorial Day Pool Party!

Last night we went to a pool party with our small group friends from "Monday Night Lights". It was Ella's first time swimming in a "big" pool this summer. She was in the pool a ton last summer, but was still so young. It took her a little while to get used to feeling like she was going to sink, but once she got comfortable, she seemed to really like it. She stayed in for a few hours!! Her poor little toes were so wrinkly!! She started out the day with Daddy and then I decided to brave the water and give him a chance to play with the boys and not have to worry about her. We mostly sat on the steps, but she did ask here and there to go in farther.

Mommy and Dolly had a little too much fun picking out bathing suit stuff at Gymboree! Randy and I couldn't stop giggling once we had her all ready to go!

Ella in the water with Daddy!

The ball was a big hit with Ella!

Later in the night, Randy and I were completely surprised, when they brought out cake and presents for Noah!! They called it a "Baby Sprinkle" lol and it was perfect. He got some really cute new outfits and a handmade baby sling that will be perfect for carrying him around! Ella also got two new dresses that are really cute. I think she enjoyed finding presents that were for her, too! When we got home last night, she "helped" (almost more work for me!) me put all of his new stuff in his closet and dresser. I love hearing her say over and over again that his stuff is "so cute!" (sounds like, "Toe Coot!") Thank you to all of our dear friends who planned and brought us stuff. We love you very much!!

Ella helping to open gifts :)

Seeing if it will "fit" Noah- Look at that BIG belly lol!

Little shoes!

Ella showing Daddy her present with bumble bees on it!


Hazel helping Ella to try on one of her new dresses!

How cute?!?

Come soon, Noah!!

My Belly Buddies!

I'm just loving this picture taken this morning at church of our baby bumps. Cessie (on the far right) goes in on Tuesday for her scheduled C-Section and then we will begin working our way to the left as all of these babies make their appearance this summer. It's been so much fun sharing this time together and I can't wait to get pics of all the little babies together!!

Home Sweet Home..

Oh my! I think we have had our share of "drama" for the summer. Hoping that we're done now!!
Last night on the way to small group, another driver wasn't paying attention and hit our van. Thankfully, Randy is a much more alert driver than myself and he anticipated that the man wasn't going to stop and began trying to move us out of the way. There were no other cars coming in the left lane, so he moved us as far to the left as he could, but unfortunately this guy was literally not looking at all and still plowed right into us. It was right on Ella and my side which was pretty scary. The van is actually in pretty good shape considering, although we will have to have the doors fixed. Because the main impact was right on my side a friend suggested I give my Doctor a call. Dr. Ferguson decided that she wanted me to head to the hospital and spend the night being monitored just to be safe. They also did an ultrasound to check for any tearing or damage to my uterus, placenta, all that good stuff.
Thankfully, the baby and his little home looked great. I've been having regular contractions about every 10-20 minutes since then, but given my history with Ella (she was a week late), they decided to let me go on home and go about life until they pick up some. They are regular, but they still don't feel strong enough to me.
Overall, everyone in the Strickland house is doing well. Randy and Ella had no problems from the accident and are playing in the backyard as I type this..think I'll go play, too! :-)

Here are a couple of pics from the night...

Ella has decided that she's found a way to "hide" from pictures when she doesn't want to be in one..here we are when we were about to head home..

And the baby bump, all strapped up with monitors...needless to say, I didn't get ANY sleep last night!!Thanks for your prayers..looks like the countdown says 2 weeks and 5 days left! I guess we'll see!

Mother's Day 2009

First off, we want to wish all of the Mother's out there a wonderful Mother's Day!! We love you all very much :-)!!

With that said, thought I would share a couple of pics from my Mother's Day.

Randy did such a great job at making my day extra special! Before we left for church, he and Ella gave me a gift card to go sometime before the baby comes to get a Pre-Natal Massage and a Pedicure!! I was so excited and surprised!!

Then we drove all the way across town to Dunkin' Donuts because I have been really wanting them, but don't ever want to drive over that way and get some.

Already at this point a VERY happy Mommy!

At church we enjoyed a really cool service. It turned out that we weren't having a typical church service. Instead they had set up a bunch of stations that had things to do as a family.

First, we sat down at a table with a laptop and recorded a special message to Ella. It was so sweet and we really enjoyed making a video to tell her how much we love her and all the things we hope are in store for her.

Then Randy and Ella got to go to a different section of computers and record a special message to me :)! I can't wait until they burn them to DVDs so I can see it. How special.

After that, we followed through several curtained off stations that led us through the story of Jesus' death. At the last station we were able to take communion and thank Him for all he has done for us.

One of my favorite stations was one were you could write letters to women or people who you wanted to encourage or thank for ways they've touched your life.

We were also excited because a member of our church, Lindsay, was there taking family pictures courtesy of Say Cheese. How fun is that for a Mother's Day church service!!

Ella has been a little sick lately, so she was a real trooper hanging in there with all of the excitment!

After church, we went to Chilli's for lunch and it was sooo yummy!

Now at home, I am enjoying just being lazy and hanging out. Tonight we are going to watch the movie Bride Wars.

This has been a perfect Mother's Day! Thank you so much Randy and "Boo Boo"- I love you both SO much!!!

Baby Noah @ 36 Weeks!

Me and my sweet Ella. I am so proud and happy to be your Mommy!!