daily dose of daniel: Our Family's 2012 Christmas Card

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Our Family's 2012 Christmas Card

This photo was tricky to come by! Both kids were not interested in sitting together or smiling. Luckily a grandmother with a cute baby stopped by the doorway to the studio and the kids lit up at the site of the baby.

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Pregnancy Timeline

July 26 - 10 pm. Labor is induced using Cytotec. IV drip begins. Requests anti-nausea IV meds and is also given an IV narcotic to help with ever increasing contractions.
July 26 - 8pm. Arrive an hour late to our inducing appointment, but with a sparkly clean house and perfect hair. Contractions are actually coming naturally at 2 minutes apart. Pain is not intense, but is uncomfortable.
July 26 - Haids at Show Me State Softball Tourney all day. Dan's team gets second place. Return home in early evening to rest, relax, clean the house, and pack the bags for the hospital.
July 26 - Official Due Date as determined by Dr. G in late November.
July 25 - Baby continues to wiggle and roll around. Mom feels exhausted and tries to ignore the contractions. People ask how long the contractions have lasted, and she replies, "They started in March. Who knows when they will lead to a baby."
July 22. Last OB appointment. Hurray! Still same effacement, position, and dialation. Experiencing mild, frequent contractions.
July 15. Healthy, normal growth, heart rate, movements. 7 lbs, 6 oz. No progression of labor, set induction date for Sunday evening, July 26, but hope for an earlier arrival.
July 8 - Full Term Healthy Baby. Lots of contractions these days. Lots of baby movement that resembles jumping or using edges of uterus as a springboard to stretch out. Baby is still in head down position with plenty of fluids. Dr. G reminds me we will schedule induction before 39 week.
July 1 - Healthy Baby at baby doc appt. Dr. Kimberly suggests waiting to make any decisions about inductions and play the "lets see how far you can go game". No dialating yet. Fluid level are at all time high, 25 units, so he's lapping in luxury!
June 27- 8 hour birthing/baby class at local hospital. Lots and lots of info!
June 26- Baby H does the practice breathing and responses appropriately during the NST. More talk of early delivery, week 38 or 39. Lots of contractions and cramping today, all signs that the pregnancy is progressing well. Other good signs: normal amount of amniotic fluid, normal movements, normal bladder and stomach sizes. Perfect heart rate accelerations and decelerations.
June 24 - Group B Strep Test done, results pending. Physical checkup shows cervix is 50% effaced (thinned out) but not dialated at all. Baby didn't do the required 30 sec of practice breathing, but did get very active and change heart rates significantly during NST (a good sign!). Baby dropped from 85 Percentile weight to 60 Percentile - currently 5 lbs, 12 oz. Should be gaining about 6- 8 oz each week.
June 24 - Doctor G tells me baby will likely be born before July 20 or else labor will be induced by this date as a precaution against an unsatisfactory placenta.
June 17 - Baby H is gaining weight at the rate of 6 oz or so each week. He is currently about 6 pounds. His foot is the same length of his dad's pinky finger (about 3 inches!) Ultrasound also detects curly hair on head, a dimpled chin, and lips that look like his father's.
June 17 - Due to swelling and slightly increased blood pressure, run tests for preeclampsia. Tests come back negative, but in the high-normal range. Will continue to monitor each week. Tests also show very low-average hematocrit levels, meaning I need more iron in my diet so I am not susceptible to anemia.
June 14 - first notice swollen, puffy feet. and pain in swollen finger joints. First tummy stretch mark appears. Sad day for pregnancy symptoms!
June 13 - Baby H's Shower at our home, prepared and provided by my sister and mother
June 10 - Ultrasound confirms he is still a boy, and that testicles have descended from abdomen. He weighs 4 pounds, 11 oz.
May 6 - Baby Shower at Bethany's work. Lots of baby reading material!
May 6 - Pass the gestational diabetes test with extremely good glucose levels. NST test and contraction monitoring goes well. Baby is active, healthy levels of fluids in and around him. Good muscle tone.
April 19 - First begin Fetal Kick Counts. Baby takes approximately 25 minutes to complete 4 distinct movements.
April 4 - Baby's movements are getting bigger, stronger. Feels like wiggling and adjusting elbows and knees.
April 1 - Regular Check up and scan. Weight: 1 lb, 7 oz. Foot length - about 2 inches. Head size in 70%tile. Normal, heathy check up. Nurse Mary remarked "You have the blood pressure of a high schooler". Perfect development.
March 20 - First start noticing contractions - usually infrequent during night, but common during day and exercise.
March 12 - Dan first feels baby's movements
March 10 - First BIG movements (kicks) felt
Late February - Baby "passes" all major tests with - negative for common birth defects.
Feb. 25 - small, bubbling movements are felt on a daily basis
Feb 15 - By now, everyone knows the "secret". Baby H is a boy!
Feb 2 - We find out gender. Debate about telling family members and friends, waiting for the Big Day to let others know, or a combination.
February 2 - 15 weeks, one day. Baby is VERY active during ultrasounds and was drinking in fluids. Heart rate 168 bpm. First trimester weight gain minimal due to dehydration and nausea. Several blood tests ordered, including AFP test, thyroid test, UTI test.
January 19 - Apparently prenatal scans and visits are still every 2 weeks! Heart rate is lower, still in high-average category. Baby is moving a lot during scans. Many genetic disorders and deformities are ruled out today!
January 5 - Pregnancy visits reduced to every four weeks. Ultrasound appoinment very positive - heart rate is 186 bpm, normal growth and development, lots of movement. NT measurements in the VERY healthy normal range.
December 23 - High risk pregnancy visits reduced to bi-weekly, rather than weekly. Ultra sound appointment very positive - both hemispheres of brain developing well. Heart rate very strong and measurements are perfect. Added "Nexium" for GERD and protection to my damaged esophagus. More blood work - but only 5 vials this time!
December 9 - Ultrasound finds baby developing perfectly. Heart rate is 169 bpm, and baby is 1.67 cm long.
December 2 - Ultrasound locates pregnancy, confirms ONE baby, records heart rate at 127 bpm! First baby photo.
November 28 - Admitted to ER to recieve IV fluids for dehyrdation associated with stomach virus
November 25 - Appt to discuss genetic disorder MTHFR. Probable cause of previous miscarriages.
November 21 - Another blood test suggests adding more Folic Acid. Increased to 5 g.
November 19 - Blood tests confirm high levels of inflammation. 1000 IU of Vitamiin D added. Thyroid hormones slightly below normal. Begin taking Synthroid.
November 18 - 15 Vials of blood drawn for testing. Ouch.
November 18 - First ultra sound. Baby still too small to see. Met our nurse, Mary, to discuss medical history. Dr. Grant recommends several blood tests as well as starting to take 1000mg of Fish Oil to support baby health
November 17 - Begin taking 0.8 mg extra of Folic Acid, 81 mg of Aspirin
November 17 - Initial conversations with Dr. Grant at Center for Maternal and Fetal Care.
Novemeber 15 - Second two pregancy tests. Last test digitally confirms
November 14 - First two pregnancy tests
November 11 - First suspect pregnancy