Never a dull moment

As I walk through this pregnancy, I find myself always looking over my shoulder wondering when we are going to be hit with the unexpected.  This has been a relatively smooth pregnancy -- something we are definitely not used to. 

Nothing we do is dull.  We always have a little bit of excitement added to everything we do, sometimes, not by choice.  During these exciting times we never lose sight at who is really in control.  God.  He controls every aspect of our lives.  We know this and have faith in Him.  We have asked ourselves, how will we handle bed rest this time?  There are a few that are a little more stressed than I am about it.  I know that it is something we cannot control and I have faith that God will not give us something we cannot handle.  Sometimes it is easier said than done, but ultimately you (me) have to let go and give it to Him.  Stress and worry will not change the situation. 

Take for example last Friday night.  It was late, Sweet Hubby's concerts for the weekend had been cancelled due to weather.  We were just settling in to bed when a BLARING beeping sound filled our house.  All 6 of our fire alarms were going off.  No smoke, no fire.  We opened up the doors thinking, maybe, it was our carbon monoxide detector.  Nope.  Sweet Hubby disconnected 4 of the 6 detectors.  I had Babbling Brook in my arms with one ear against my body and my hand covering her other ear.  Jaxson (our Chihuahua) was howling in his kennel.  Sweet Hubby is frantic, trying to figure out how he is going to get to the unreachable detectors.  We don't have a ladder taller than 4'.  He calls 911.  They advise us to get out of the house.  By the time I put on some warmer clothes (it was snowing out) an ambulance was pulling up.  A couple of minutes later, 6 firefighters were entering our house.  They replaced all of our batteries and connected our detectors.  BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.  I can see 3 of the men in our garage shrugging their shoulders.  Why are they still going off?  Verdict:  bad detector in the garage.  They are all on one circuit, so when one goes off, they all go off. 

Never a dull moment.

God bless,
Doni

Elvis My brain has left the building

I was telling my husband that you all probably think I am a bit scatter-brained or even ditzy at times. I'm really not. I am a planner to a T, very detailed and probably a little OCD. However, during both of my pregnancies, my brain has chosen to leave my body.

Wednesday, I took a trip to our local grocery store. While checking out, my sister called. I am a 1) female and 2) a mom, so multi-tasking is something that just comes natural. That is, until I am pregnant. I check out and place my coupon pouch with phone inside in the buggy/shopping cart. <---what do you call it? I am still talking to my sister using my bluetooth. I walk to my car, press the trunk button on the remote and cannot for the life of me figure out why it won't open! Two people in the parking lot help point me in the right direction. I was at the wrong car. Same make, model and color - different license plate and owner. All the while, I am still talking to my sister (or so I thought.) Turns out - I dropped my phone back in the store and we were disconnected shortly after leaving the store. I am sure the people around me thought I was crazy for talking and laughing to myself (can't really see my bluetooth under my hair). Oh, the joys of pregnancy!

On a medical note - so far the pregnancy is going great. We had our routine growth sonogram yesterday and should know the results within a few days. Baby Boy weighs 8 ounces and is currently on target for his growth--except his legs are a little short. Not abnormally short - just a week or so behind. Somehow it doesn't surprise me that he has short legs. Have you seen Babbling Brook? Sweet Hubby? My dad? Short legs are not uncommon in this family!

We are asking, please, to keep us in your prayers as we move further along in the pregnancy. At my growth sonogram with Babbling Brook, everything was perfect. 4 weeks later (23 weeks) I was put on bed rest for preterm labor. We are praying that this does not happen with Baby Boy.

God bless,
Doni

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from The Rivers!  We love you all so much and pray you have safe travels during this holiday season.  God bless you all! 

As Thy Days

I never wanted children - or so I thought.  When Sweet Hubby and I were first married, I told him we would start discussing children in 5-7 years.  After our first year of marriage, he asked me when I thought I might want to start trying.  I told him, "Umm, let me pray about it."  A week later, God changed my heart and I was ready.  Good thing, because 2 weeks later, I was pregnant!

The week before we found out we were pregnant, I had 2 SVT spells.  SVT is basically a really fast heartrate.  For me, it was 200-220 bpm.  I didn't think anything about it because it was normal for me to have a spell every few months.  By 7 weeks of pregnancy, I had 5 spells.

I met with a cardiologist who referred me to a wonderful electrophysiologist in Nashville.  I was put on a beta blocker in hopes to control my fast heartrate.  It worked...for 2 weeks.  My dosage was increased and it worked for another 2 weeks.  By 18 weeks of pregnancy, I had been to the ER several times and was given adenosine.  Adenosine stops your heart and then immediately restarts it, hoping that it starts back in normal rythym.  It hurts.  That's all I can say.  It flippin' hurts.  The doctor added another medication.  I had to stay 2 nights in the hospital to monitor Babbling Brook's reaction to the new med.  The meds did not affect her heart rate at all!  Praise God!

At 18 1/2 weeks, we had our routine growth scan.  Everything looked great except for the placement of the umbilical cord in the placenta.  We had to return for another sonogram in 4 weeks. 

The night before the next sonogram, I started experiencing some crampiness and told Sweet Hubby I thought I was having some Braxton-Hicks contractions.  The sonogram looked great.  The tech had one last thing to check before we could go....my cervix.  The room fell silent.  She measured and measured and measured.  I could tell by her silence that something was wrong.  My cervix was short, dilating and I was contracting.  Diagnosis: Preterm labor.  Treatment:  Medicine and IMMEDIATE bed rest.

The night before the next sonogram, Babbling Brook was not moving like she should have been. Come to find out, the medicine I was on (new med) caused my amniotic fluid to decrease to a dangerous level. The good news was my cervix lengthened, however, I had to be taken off the new med and continue bedrest.

We went back the next week and my cervix had shortened, amniotic fluid was back up and they were going to try a different medication and continue bedrest.

Next week, FINALLY - good news. Cervix was great, amniotic fluid great, heart rate great but continue bed rest.

Bed rest lasted 12 weeks. At 35 weeks, I was taken off bedrest and the medication. I still had to continue my heart meds though. At 36 1/2 weeks, Babbling Brook arrived. June 21, 2008 1:06pm 5lbs 7oz. 100% healthy! Praise God.

When I was originally put on bed rest, Sweet Hubby and I prayed for the small milestones: at 23 weeks, we prayed that she just make it to 25 weeks; at 25 weeks we prayed for her to make it to 28 weeks, 28 weeks make it to 32 weeks and finally we prayed that we were ready for her as long as we could bring her home when we were discharged. God listened and God answered.

During all of this, Sweet Hubby and I clung to Deuteronomy 33:25, "As thy days are, so shall thy strength be." Had I known what all we would have had to endure through the pregnancy, I might have said NO WAY, I can't handle that. I am so thankful that I had no clue.

God gives you strength to face today, not tomorrow or yesterday, TODAY.

Our sweet Babbling Brook last Christmas