Lorie and Jesse's Blog

Today I was able to get out of the house for just a little bit to attend a baby shower for Jesse and I. His co-workers from Sprint were so sweet to have a baby shower at The Ranch in Los Colinas for us. It was nice to spend some time with his old co-workers.

They had the cutest diaper cake and regular cake. It was so nice to get out of the house and socialize with adults, oh and some babies too! Heather and Talitha both brought their babies, William and Taylor….so cute! Taylor clung to Jesse the entire time. She was mesmerized by him, this is why for sure I thought we would have a girl. All the little girls go crazy over Jesse, I don’t know if it is his spiked hair or his facial hair, but they love him.

We are so excited about the new Snap and Go stroller for our carseat. I started to get nervous about just having out Bob stroller. This will be nice to keep in the car and is very light weight. The Bob can be for in the neighborhood, the lake, and longer outings. We also received diapers, wipes, and lots of little goodies that I would not have known I needed. Jesse old team is so generous and so sweet to us! I know Jesse misses seeing them all the time, but still gets to work closely with them since he is still in the business.

Needless to say it was such a great day! I enjoyed getting out of the house and spending time with lots of nice people:) At the next Sprint baby shower for Heather, Beck will get to make his appearance!

Today we made a visit to the specialist to check on Mr. Beck.  Some of what we learned today….

-His hand was once again up against his face so we left empty handed, no pics!

-He weighs 7 lbs 2 oz  (measuring 38 weeks)

-He is in the 90th percentile for his measurements

-He had the hiccups while we were watching him

-His fluid around his kidneys has gone down again!! This was a concern a couple of weeks ago, but now the last two times they have been checked they have been within range.

-He is gaining about 8 oz a week.

-My blood pressure after laying down for the sonogram for 15 minutes….138/86…..not good since I had been laying down.

Jesse and I are so happy that he is looking healthy to both of the doctors. We will get another update from our regular doctor on Monday. Until Monday, eck must stay inside since my doctor is out of town. We will be resting a lot this weekend! I am looking forward to a low key baby shower that Jesse’s work is having for me on Friday. Our bags will be packed this weekend just in case they need to be grabbed in a hurry in the near future. The only thing I have left to do is figure out how to put his name on the wall in the nursery above the crib.

Hope everyone has a nice end to their week!

-L

Jesse and I went to the doctor this morning for a new update. We went through all the consent forms for delivery and had a Group B Strep test. When we arrived at the doctor my blood pressure was 140/91 and after I layed down on my left side for literally 2 seconds she took it again….117/72. Since this is the only symptom I am exhibiting along with a trace of protein in my urine, she is going to hold off delivering him until things get worse or we reach 38 weeks.
It gets confusing because every time we go back to the doctor we get a new date for delivery. We go back to her on Monday. If my blood pressure is still the only symptom, then we will wait until the following week, 38 weeks. She is trying to keep us from having to leave him at the hospital after we have him. She knows for a fact that we won’t make it past Sept. 14th or 39 weeks.
Beck is still growing right on track which is very rare when someone like me has toxemia. We are very thankful for this, but at the same time I am getting very uncomfortable. Jesse jokes that he I have grown each day when he gets home from work.
 
For now we are playing the waiting game. We are hoping that he will come next week or the week of Labor Day because Jesse has 2 trips he has to take for work, one in Sept. and one at the beginning of October. I am starting to get antsy and sick of laying on the couch or in bed. I am enjoying reading, but there is not much else to do during the day. I can usually nap for about an hour during the day and the rest is spent with wonderful daytime television (do you sense my sarcasm??).
Tomorrow I go to the specialist for a sonogram to make sure the fluid surrounding Beck is within the correct levels and check whatever else they check that we don’t understand.

Today we…

Signed delivery consent forms…check

Disability forms signed, more $$$ ….check

Beck is head down still (and his bony (spelling??)  butt is sticking out near my belly button)…check

Mom and dad getting anxious….check

Hope everyone is doing well! We can’t wait to meet our little guy!

Week 35 appointment: Belly Monitors

My blood pressure when we first arrived at the doctor was 138/98….the doctor did not like this. I was attached to the belly monitors to measure my contractions and Beck’s heartbeat. Beck is a “textbook baby” at this point, or so the doctor says. He is doing well. Mommy on the other hand….?? we are still trying to figure that one out. After laying with the monitors on for 30 minutes my blood pressure had gone down to 138/88. This is still high, but better than when we arrived, further proving that I should be laying down the majority of the time. I have been really good at following the doctor’s orders. I have only gotten out a few  times to get food and more books!

The belly monitors are fun since you can hear the heartbeat consistently and watch to see if you are having contractions. I was having a few here and there according to the machine printout, but I couldn’t feel them.

After talking with the doctor awhile this is what we concluded…..

-she doesn’t think we will make it to the induction date of Sept. 14th.

-I am full term in one week…if the high blood pressure continues and I start swelling,etc we will be induced at week 37. Ahhh, one week and he might be here!!

-The doctor is expecting my health to get worse as time progresses; however, she likes what our plan has been…keep him inside until we are full term or until we have to get him out for medical reasons.

-We will now start going to her every 2-3 days to check in.

-We are going back to the specialist for a sonogram next week to check on little Beck.

-At this point we are just being very careful since there is always a chance I can have a seizure…worst case scenario but very unpredictable.

-C-section is highly likely because of my high blood pressure.

So this is our update for this week. We go back to Dr. Walsh on Tuesday morning for another update. We know God is watching over our little man and his momma. Jesse was gone this week for 5 days….so glad he is back home for all of this:)

We have started making our last minute lists before he arrives.  We had some items to exchange and some other items to buy. This was a fun outing for me to Buy Buy Baby. My dilemma now is what size clothes to take to the hospital for him. I am taking a newborn outfit and I guess one that is 0-3 months?? Who’s to know how big he will be! Jesse put our carseat in my car today. This made Beck coming so real! I posted a pic of daddy putting the base in the car.

More to come on Tuesday!

-L

Jesse and I went to the doctor last Friday for a sonogram and doctor update. Brace yourself for a lot of info….

Me: still high blood pressure 138/81, looks like the bed for the long haul, still no severe toximia symptoms:)

Beck: 137 bpm, head down, crammed in my belly, weighs a whopping 6 lbs already (+/- 12oz), we couldn’t see his    face  because it is so tight in there, doctor pleased that he was continuing to grow so much due to the toximia, new due date due to his size….09/14/10! If he hasn’t come by the 14th she is going to get him out! Last Friday he was measuring 37 1/2 weeks and was almost to 35 weeks.

How I am dealing with all this: emotional!, I can’t go back to work, everything you have to do to be on leave is complicated, sad I am not going to start the school year, despite all this I am managing to rest but it is such an emotional time, trying to find positives in all the negatives, trying to understand why God’s plan is what it is, already looking forward to next summer when my days will be filled with Beck!

How Jesse is dealing with all this: did I say that he is ready for me to not be pregnant??!!, trying to get all his traveling for work done before Beck gets here, not worried–such a guy!

I am most excited about: meeting Beck when he is ready to come into the world!

I am nervous about: going back towork when he is going to be so young, ahhh! I am going to need a lot of support! Feeling nervous about leaving him during the day, even though he going to go to a great place.

Accomplishments: nursery is ready for Beck to arrive, we just need a few things hanging on the wall, house and mom/dad are ready for his arrival!

So that is the update. The unfortunate part of bed rest is that you have too much time to think about all these things. We would like Beck to stay in his little home for a couple more weeks, but I am so ready to spend time with him. Last night I was up until 4 am, I am supposed to be using this time to sleep! What is my body doing???

Stay tuned this week. We go back to the doctor on Friday to be hooked up to the belly monitors for half an hour. We will find out more about my health and if our date of the 14th stays the same.

Thanks for everyone’s prayers. We are feeling good these days and just trying to rest.

~L

35 weeks and the semi-finished nursery (just need a few things on the wall)

I don’t have much to update on these days. I am trying to stay positive about laying around. Jesse and I go to the doctor this Friday for a sonogram and doctor appt. We are looking forward to seeing baby Beck and hearing what the doctor has to say. At the last appt. she said we would just take it a week at a time. Things for work are getting all settled in case I can’t return. My anxiety about work is dropping which is huge! Everything will get done and I have a great substitute that will take my place when I have to leave. I did find out today that the daycare I was loving doesn’t have any openings until late January now:(  We have had to move our daycare date up since he will probably be here early. I admit to procrastinating about signing up, but we have had a lot going on here and daycare didn’t seem to be the top priority….I guess it should have been. I have been looking at alternative places today and hoping we can find something we love for Beck.  I just think God has wanted me to work a little harder on getting everything ready for this little guy. Our nursery took forever to complete, bedrest, and now the daycare fiasco. Nothing has been easy. I will just be so thankful when he arrives here and we can see his little face! All the hard work will have paid off! Until then….I have lots to figure out.

We did finally get our glider and crib all set up in the nursery and it is really starting to look like a great home for Beck. We are one step closer to being ready for him:) I think I just have some silly stuff to buy like butt paste, breast feeding attachments and all the stuff that you need but that is not that fun to buy.

Please pray that Baby Beck will continue to be healthy and stay in his little home until he is full term. We are so thankful for all the support family and friends have given us during the last couple of weeks!

Stay tuned for the next post of the nursery in progress….

~L

Ok, so I am on bed rest and I am a little bored. I can’t help but think that I have 7 weeks left until our due date (if we make it that far) and I have millions of things to do! HR doesn’t want to talk to you until you are one month away from giving birth and give you the roundabout whenever you ask questions….so frustrating!

Our 33 week appt./check-up is this Wednesday and I am super anxious. If I have to continue to stay on  bed rest  for the long haul, then it sounds like my Family Leave Act time begins that first day back to work on the 16th. This means less time with the baby if he stays inside closer to our due date.  AHHH! This is not how I planned things, I am a planner and I am pregnant…not a good combo! The HR lady keeps telling me I shouldn’t worry about the what-ifs, has she never been pregnant???

So now I have probably made you laugh at least once and probably bored you more times than that. Beck and I are resting. I am finding it harder and harder to catch my breath. I checked my blood pressure at the store today and it was still elevated. I am now going to the doctor tomorrow (tuesday) instead of Wed. Please keep us in your thoughts. The good news is all my blood work came back completely normal; however, it doesn’t mean I don’t have to be on bed rest…we will see! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update!

One exciting thing about this week…we get our crib and our chair has been delivered to the store and is ready to pick up:) Pictures of the nursery to come soon! We are making serious progress this week….hopefully it isn’t a sign that he is coming soon!:)

Hope everyone has a wonderful work week!

~L

Today, I was put on bed rest for a week. I went for my 32 week check-up to find my blood pressure was 130/90. This is on the verge of hypertension 140/90 or above. I hadn’t had high blood pressure at all this entire pregnancy. My doctor said that I have preeclampsia…. causes the blood vessels to constrict, resulting in high blood pressure and a reduced blood flow that can affect organs throughout the body, including the liver, kidneys, and brain. This can affect the baby by not getting enough blood to the placenta. Pretty much it has to do with high blood pressure due to stress. I wasn’t showing any of the signs that make it dangerous at this point–no swelling in the face, continuous heartburn, blurred vision. I was told to rest and they will do a 24 hour urine sample to check for a certain protein that is associated with this condition. I am hoping that this is only until next Wednesday and she will say that I just need to take it easy after that. We had a lot going on the last week or so and she said that my high blood pressure could be related, but she didn’t convince me that this was for sure the reason this is happening.

 I am trying not to think about how this affects me going back to school. I still have 2 1/2 weeks left before I am supposed to go back and can rest that entire time! So worse case scenario it they monitor me closely since I am not 37 weeks. If I was 37 weeks they might induce me. I told the doctor that I would like for him to stay inside for a bit longer! She said wow, most people want them out quicker!

 So today, day 1…Jesse stayed home today and worked. My parents brought some magazines and fruit:) I stayed on the couch watching awesome day time television and reading a book. Good thing I have a ton of thank you notes to write from my last shower–that should keep me busy for a few days. Jesse and I were supposed to go to Austin this weekend for our last hooray before Beck comes, but it will be postponed until after he arrives at this point in time. I was sad to not be able to go eat yummy Mexican food and relax at the spa, but I am not sure now is the right time to travel. So keep us in your thoughts and prayers while we rest at home! More updates next week after my 33 week appt.

Oh—and most importantly the doctor says it is good that Beck is around 5 lbs which means he is growing and is healthy! We feel good too….his kicking continues:)

One last announcement: my cousin and his wife had their baby girl, Reagan Leigh Johnson, this morning. She is healthy and was 7lbs 12oz, 19 in. We are so excited for them and can’t wait to meet Reagan. We did get to see pictures and she is adorable! Congrats to her big sis Caitlin:)

Bye for now,

L

Yesterday, we had our last appointment with the specialist. She updated us on the fluid around Beck’s kidneys. The fluid is now within the range they are looking for due to his size now. She also updated us on the how he is growing!

Week 32: he measures at week 34

Weight: 5 lbs 2 oz

Size: they say right now he is in the 90th percentile for his size

Feet: big feet

Position: head down (he has been this way for 5 weeks now, so he might not move)

He was being very shy and sleepy yesterday. Most of the time he had his hand across his eyes and face. We did manage to get one shot of him looking straight at us. You can see his eyes (not so alien-like anymore), nose, mouth and chubby little cheeks!

We have one more sonogram in about three and 1/2 weeks at 36 weeks. They are estimating him to be around 8 lbs. I go to my regular doctor tomorrow and we can add some more info after her appt. We are getting everything ready for him to arrive just in case he wants to come a little sooner than planned:) Stay tuned….

~L

This past weekend was crazy! My psuedo Aunt Julie (Patten) gave Beck and I an amazing baby shower! She is like my aunt, 2nd mom and a great friend. Her house looked beautiful and was decorated with the cutest animals and a fun diaper cake. Jesse’s family was able to come to Dallas to join the celebration of Baby Beck! I am so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends that were able to come to the shower and we received so many nice gifts for Beck to use.

Julie Patten and I

Jesse and I’s baby pics and Beck’s sonogram (many thought that the baby pics were of the same baby!)

Webb girls and Patten girls

Jesse’s good family friend, Kathy (Grandmoo), made Beck a lion quilt~ so cute!!

Aunt Angee loving on Beck

We took tons of pics and had such a wonderful time! Thanks Julie!

~L