On our way

We just got the call- Come on in! We are leaving to go have the baby! I'll write and post pics soon...hopefully. YEA!!!!!

35 weeks

I am 35 weeks and 3 days today! We've almost made it to the end. I went to the doctor today to have my induction scheduled. The plan goes like this: I am having an amniocentesis on wednesday to check her lungs. As long as her lungs are developed we will go ahead with the induction on thursday. I will actually go into the hospital wednesday evening to have a proceedure done to...since there are boys that read this I'll just say "help some things along". That takes about 12 hours to work fully so after that 12 hours they would then start the induction, probably very early thursday morning since he expects it to take most of the day. If the lungs are not quite developed enough we would then schedule the following week without doing another amnio. I am obviously hoping the lungs are developed enough.

Today Cayson, mom and I went out to Mesa to see a picture display at the temple. When we were done looking at the pictures we walked around the temple and took a few pictures. I hardly have any pregnant pictures but these ones do a pretty good job at showing me in all my pregnancy glory. As of today I am 137 lbs, I started out at 112 lbs so I think that means I'm right on track. Hopefully I'll get a few more pictures, perhaps looking slightly more prepared for picture taking!

This picture is horrible of me but see, I do have a big belly!

The week of March 17th

I'm assuming that since I haven't updated any baby news in forever that everyone is probably waiting for some news. After a few Dr's appointments and another ultrasound we are still a "go" for the week of March 17th. I am rooting for the induction to be Wednesday, March 19th but we still have another week or two before we set the day. If we go on the 19th she will be 35 weeks 5 days which is far enough along to make me feel at ease. She's also 4 lbs now! And I swear, if they change it again I may go crazy! We still don't know exactly what is wrong, we have an idea but because of 2 other abnormalities are not positive. She is a little wiggle worm though. She doesn't hold still very often but I love it! Thad and I are going over to the hospital on monday morning to tour the NICU and meet and consult with the neonatologists. Things are going very well though, just on the countdown!

Cookin' a little longer

Today we got some very good but frustrating news. Our neurologist got our last ultrasound results and decided that it would be okay to put off the delivery until 36 weeks. There has been some growth but seems to be in a stabilized hydrocephalus stage. Her right ventricle has started to grow larger than the left which is a cause for concern but they will keep a close eye on that. We've been told that 36 weeks is the longest we'll go but it could still be sooner based upon ultrasound findings. She finally turned and is head down so the plan is to induce during the week of March 17th. (Happy Birthday Cayson, you get a new sister!) Now instead of having a baby on Feb 21st I'll be going in for another ultrasound and meeting with the perinatologist. Its very frusterating dealing with so many doctors and trying to coordinate everything but I think after today they will all be doing a better job communicating with eachother. I am glad that we get to wait, for her sake but sad because I am so excited to see her. But I know that its best for her to cook a little longer just as long as its not effecting the brain situation. Until then its weekly ultrasounds, another fetal MRI, and Dr's appointments. I am excited though, I get to experience pregnancy a little longer! I love feeling her move, she's an active little thing! I could live without the backaches and heartburn though. All in all I think it was good news.

Date is set

Our delivery date was set today.....scary! My c-section is set for Thursday, February 21st. I'll be exactly 32 weeks which is 4 weeks from tomorrow. I feel like I am cheating since I'm not going the full 40 weeks, but its not by choice. If we weren't having problems we obviously wouldn't be delivering early so I guess I shouldn't feel that way. Now that we have the day set, and it is so soon, I am starting to feel sad that it is almost over. I actually like being pregnant...it does have a few very nice perks! I am very excited to see her but sad about missing the last 2 months. And I am going to miss feeling her move too. This may not be going as planned and hoped for but in 4 weeks I will have a pretty little girl and none of this will make a difference. Maybe next time??? Cayson went with me today to see the Dr. He was fascinated by hearing the heartbeat and wanted to hear it again. The Dr even put the doppler up to him so he could hear his own heartbeat. He thought it was the coolest thing and wanted to take it home with us. I wish I had a picture of his face when he heard the baby, it was priceless! That's it!

5 weeks

Here are some new pictures of Carly. She's looking like more of a little person now. I think she looks mostly like Thad right now but its hard to tell still. Please, someone tell me she looks like me too!!!! And yep, you read right. We don't have the date yet (we will schedule that on wednesday) but we are delivering at 32 weeks...that is 5 weeks away! I actually hit 32 weeks on Feb. 22nd but don't plan on scheduling the delivery until the following week. We did better this past month with the growth issue. The brain size only increased 4 mm which is good considering the previous month it increased 10 mm. Our Dr thinks she may be stabilizing but the swelling is still way above and beyond the severe point. He says that as long as the brain doesn't start pushing on the skull we have a good shot at the brain recovering but we wont know anything until she comes. We have our next ultrasound in 3 weeks, Feb 8th. He'll look at the pictures and as long as everything looks okay we'll have 2 weeks to go. SCARY!!! I am not looking to foreward to staying in the hospital for almost a week but I guess we do what we have to. The bright side for me is less stretch marks, no episiotomy (of course my other incision will be larger and probably more painful but the idea of being cut down there just makes that seem worse...), good pain drugs, no false labor or 5 trips to the hospital, and not going through 36 hours of labor. I'll put up my new due date when we find out! Thank you everyone for keeping us and Carly in your prayers. I have no doubt that we may have gotten different news if we didn't have so many people keeping us in their prayers.

This picture is my favorite...she looks like she is smiling and her cute little hand is in her face!

Neuro visit

We saw the neurosurgeon on Friday January 4th for the first time. He looked at our MRI films and brain scan images and came to the same conclusion that the other Dr's had. The swelling is pretty severe. The ventricles are over 3 times the size that they should be. At the time of the MRI there was about 10mm between her skull and the brain (in the back) which doesn't leave much room for any more growth. He feels that with the swelling being so severe that it is in her best interest to deliver early. We are talking as early as 30 weeks (4 weeks away) and probably no later than 34-36 weeks. I obviously do not want to have a baby 10 weeks early so I am hoping for as late as we can go. We will deliver at Good Sam and she should be able to stay there as long as I'm there. (at least that's what the Dr says...fingers crossed!) Then she will be transported to Phoenix Children's as long as she is stable enough. Two options, they will either place a small catheter in her head to drain fluid or draw fluid out daily with a needle to relieve pressure until she is healthy enough to have a shunt placed. Things can change since her condition is very unpredictable. We have another brain scan on friday and then see the neurosurgeon next monday to hopefully determine when we will deliver. He says they see the most growth between 25-30 weeks so this is a scary time and we are hoping that there isn't so much growth that we have to deliver before 30 weeks. At least I'm somewhat prepared to have a baby early, some people go into labor and have no idea that they will have a premie. That's it for now, hopefully I'll have some more information next week!