I'm still amazed at how well Ben sleeps. He's not sleeping through the night, but he's only waking up once or twice a night, which is amazing. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he eats and goes right back to sleep in his own bed. It's fantastic. Every once in a while he fusses when I put him back in bed and I have to get up once or twice to pop a pacifier in his mouth. He even sleeps a ton during the day, which has been nice. It allows me to get quite a bit done.
I hope he continues to sleep really well for the next couple days. We're getting all packed and ready to head in separate directions: Rob leaves for South Carolina (via a stop in Tennessee) on Friday. He has to report at CHOBLC on Sunday. I'm heading to Wisconsin to spend some time with my family. We'll be there for about three weeks, which is really weird. I went on a family vacation once for four weeks, but that was in 1991. It's been a while since I was away from home for longer than a week or so, and the longest Rob and I have ever been apart was his trip to Paraguay last summer: he was gone for 10-12 days. When the boys and I come home, we'll be here without 'daddy' for another 9 weeks or so.
We're trying to prepare Nat for his separation from Daddy, but I'm not sure that he really understands. He knows Daddy is going to "soldier school" and that when Daddy is gone we're going to talk to him on the phone and 'Skype.' We've talked about what we're going to do while Daddy is gone. He and Rob talk about the fact that he's going to to be the "man of the house" while dad is gone. A friend gave us an Elmo video about parents deploying with the military, and they watched it tonight. I think it's going to be very hard for him, though, which breaks my heart. I'm praying that the time with grandparents, aunt, uncles & cousins will distract him enough for the first couple weeks and make the transition easier.
So, again, it makes me really glad that Ben sleeps as well as he does, which will make it easier for me to devote time to fun activities with Nat during the day. We're planning to visit the NEW Zoo, Bay Beach, Heritage Hill, Legion Park, Lambeau Field, and all kinds of other Green Bay and DePere local haunts. We'll check off days on the calendar and enjoy spending time with family. I'm glad that I'm only returning to work part time: it would be insane to try to go back full-time with all the changes we're juggling.
We greatly appreciate your prayers for our family during the next couple months. We will no doubt lean heavily on Jesus, and know that our family, friends, and church family will be a great support network. Thanks to all of you who are already praying and have offered your support. We love you and appreciate you so much.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Introducing Benjamin
I'd like to introduce you to our beautiful new son, Benjamin Aaron Olson, who was born on August 28th at 1:22 a.m. Ben made his (rather speedy) entrance into the world on his Grandmommie's birthday. He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. He is, of course, the most beautiful baby in the world.
We wondered what he would look like, and strangely enough, he looks quite a bit like his big brother. He has more hair than Nat did, and it is darker than Nat's was, but their facial features are very similar at this point.
Ben has been an incredibly good baby - much more contented than his big brother was. The similarities end at appearance. Nat was not a good sleeper, and he took a little while to get the hang of eating. Ben, on the other hand, is doing well with both. He is happily napping right now in his hospital bed, and he slept amazingly well last night. If this continues, we may have a baby who sleeps through the night rather early. (Nat was a year old before he slept consistently through the night.)
Nat met the baby on Tuesday morning, a few hours after he was born. (Rob's parents arrived on Monday night, and he has been staying at home with them.) Nat wasn't tremendously impressed, necessarily, but he was eager to look at the baby and knew who he was. Nat was interested in showing Ben the "Big Brother" presents the hospital gave him. He was not, however, happy to leave Mommy behind at the hospital. He cried and cried when they left. Yesterday was much better. He wanted to snuggle in the bed with me and look at the baby's toes. He announced several times that the baby was crying or the baby was screaming. He was much happier when they left yesterday.
Rob has been going back and forth between the hospital and home. He has spent the majority of the time here, since they have great food and a nice place for him to sleep in my room. He has been enjoying the baby, realizing how much he is going to miss Ben when he leaves. "You're right - I'm really going to miss him." He hadn't thought it would be difficult to leave Ben, but he's now realizing that it will be much more difficult than he initially thoug
We're overjoyed to have him here. We look forward to taking him home in just a few hours. Rob has gone home for an hour or two to shower, get the car seat, and do a little more rearranging in our room to make room for Ben's cradle. We'll keep you posted and share more pictures soon.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Waiting
It has been a while. We've been busy since we got home. Rob completed his second class of the summer, and we have been readying the house for the new baby.
Rob has worked really hard and has been really busy. He was commissioned on August 4th, and is now 2nd Lieutenant Robert Olson. Shortly after he was commissioned, he received his orders. He will be leaving on September 14th to head to South Carolina for CHOBLC. Yeah, change of plans. He will be home this winter, but gone all fall. He'll make it home for Christmas, thankfully.
In some ways, it's really good. Part of his time away coincides with my maternity leave, which makes it easier. I'll go up to Wisconsin when he leaves and spend a couple weeks with my folks. When I come home, Rob's mom will be here for October. My mom will come reprieve her at the beginning of November, and then Rob's parents will return after Thanksgiving when my parents go home. We'll have family with us the entire time, which makes it much easier. The hard thing is poor Nat will have to adjust to not only a new baby, but also Daddy being gone to "soldier school." That will be a challenge. We're working on plans to help him transition more easily, but I'm sure he'll miss his Dad.
Ben, however, will probably not really notice Dad is gone. Now we just have to get him HERE so Rob can spend a little time with his new son before he leaves. We're pretty much ready. All the little tiny clothes are washed and hanging in the closet. The blankets and sheets are washed and folded in the linen closet. We purchased a new mattress and crib sheets for the cradle tonight. I am now officially packed for the hospital - baby clothes, my stuff, and all. Now all we're waiting for is Ben to decide to show up one of these days...
The latest news was good. We had another ultrasound to check his size, and he looks right on track. I'm still measuring exactly where I should be. My weight gain continues to be minimal. We're not anticipating a huge baby. Our doctor has said, however, that he doesn't want me to get all the way to my due date. I actually don't have an appointment this week. A week from today they may try to push things along. I'm hoping Ben doesn't wait that long. It's hard to go to work every day now, not knowing if it's going to be my last day. I start things, not knowing if I'm going to be able to finish them. It's not bad, though. I've got a great boss and supportive co-workers, so I don't worry about them picking up the 'slack' while I'm gone. I just want to make sure I leave things as organized as possible for them so they only miss me in a good way!
Well, we'll see how much longer Ben keeps us waiting...
Rob has worked really hard and has been really busy. He was commissioned on August 4th, and is now 2nd Lieutenant Robert Olson. Shortly after he was commissioned, he received his orders. He will be leaving on September 14th to head to South Carolina for CHOBLC. Yeah, change of plans. He will be home this winter, but gone all fall. He'll make it home for Christmas, thankfully.
In some ways, it's really good. Part of his time away coincides with my maternity leave, which makes it easier. I'll go up to Wisconsin when he leaves and spend a couple weeks with my folks. When I come home, Rob's mom will be here for October. My mom will come reprieve her at the beginning of November, and then Rob's parents will return after Thanksgiving when my parents go home. We'll have family with us the entire time, which makes it much easier. The hard thing is poor Nat will have to adjust to not only a new baby, but also Daddy being gone to "soldier school." That will be a challenge. We're working on plans to help him transition more easily, but I'm sure he'll miss his Dad.
Ben, however, will probably not really notice Dad is gone. Now we just have to get him HERE so Rob can spend a little time with his new son before he leaves. We're pretty much ready. All the little tiny clothes are washed and hanging in the closet. The blankets and sheets are washed and folded in the linen closet. We purchased a new mattress and crib sheets for the cradle tonight. I am now officially packed for the hospital - baby clothes, my stuff, and all. Now all we're waiting for is Ben to decide to show up one of these days...
The latest news was good. We had another ultrasound to check his size, and he looks right on track. I'm still measuring exactly where I should be. My weight gain continues to be minimal. We're not anticipating a huge baby. Our doctor has said, however, that he doesn't want me to get all the way to my due date. I actually don't have an appointment this week. A week from today they may try to push things along. I'm hoping Ben doesn't wait that long. It's hard to go to work every day now, not knowing if it's going to be my last day. I start things, not knowing if I'm going to be able to finish them. It's not bad, though. I've got a great boss and supportive co-workers, so I don't worry about them picking up the 'slack' while I'm gone. I just want to make sure I leave things as organized as possible for them so they only miss me in a good way!
Well, we'll see how much longer Ben keeps us waiting...
Friday, July 6, 2007
Family Vacation
We are ending a week of family vacation with Rob's parents in eastern Tennessee. They live outside of Knoxville in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. We have all enjoyed spending the last few days with them. Nathaniel loves his Nana and Grampy (he is particularly wild about his Grampy at this point in his life), and has done all kinds of things with them this week.
We attended a Tennessee Smokies baseball game, which received mixed reviews from the two year-old. Nat was very excited to go, but when we arrived, they were singing the National Anthem and shot off fireworks, which put a significant damper on his excitement. As we left, however, Daddy bought him a little batting helmet, and he has talked about the "Mokies" and has played baseball every day since.
Nat, Grampy and Daddy went for a tractor ride up the mountain and went blackberry picking. Grampy picks large quantities of the blackberries that grow wild on their 30+ acres and makes his own blackberry wine. Nat hasn't sampled Grampy's vintner skills, but he ate the berries right off the bushes and had a great time. He has even "driven" the tractor several other times: another daily topic of conversation.
We attended a show in Pigeon Forge last night: The Black Bear Jamboree. Rob's parents purchased tickets pretty early, so we had seats at a table literally touching the stage. Nat was a bit overwhelmed when the show began, but eventually warmed up and was particularly impressed with the "cowboy" parts of the show, since he fancies himself to be a cowboy.
In keeping with that fantasy, he has also had the opportunity to pet and feed apples to the neighbors' horses. Nana had talked about calling a neighbor with a particularly gentle horse and seeing if he could "ride" (even just sit bareback) a real "ohs-wee" this week, but it looks like the cowboy may have to be content with his hobby horse, rocking horse, and the penny horsie ride at Meijer.
We've had such a full week, I'm not sure we can fit in one more fun thing. I'm ready for a vacation! Oh, wait. I guess this was vacation. *Sigh.* Back to work on Monday.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Being Approved and Being Reprieved
Rob is IN. He was approved as a chaplain candidate during the June boards. He hopes to do a practicum this fall (probably beginning in mid to late October), then hopefully attend CHOBLC (CHaplain Officers' Basic Leadership Course) in January. We're not really looking forward to him being away for almost five months out of the next year, but we are incredibly excited about the opportunity for him to move one step closer to his goal: active duty Army chaplaincy. I guess the silver lining is it will allow us to emotionally prepare for the possibility of his deployment once he goes active duty. At least this time he won't be overseas, we can be in constant contact, and no one will be shooting at him or trying to blow him up! :)
I saw my doctor on Thursday, and received good news. He expressed his shock that I had developed gestational diabetes, given my reasonable weight prior to becoming pregnant, my reasonable weight gain during pregnancy, my lack of family history, and my prior uncomplicated pregnancy with Nathaniel. He said my diabetes is very mild, and he thinks we should be able to completely control it with diet. I shared what I have learned about a diabetic diet, and he said, "Looks like you saved yourself a trip to the dietician." Basically, I'm limiting my carb intake, trying to dramatically reduce my intake of refined sugar, and trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. (Basically, eating like I SHOULD, I guess...) Because I am a dessert fiend, I had to ask about "cheating" a little bit, and he assured me that I was allowed to have an occasional treat, such as a bowl of ice cream: just not every day. I don't have to check my blood sugar at home. They may check it in the office when I go in, but he didn't think home monitoring would be worthwhile: just sensible diet changes.
Because of the gestational diabetes, although it is mild, it is very likely that the baby may grow more rapidly, which could complicate delivery. During my next regular, scheduled office visit (Friday), we're going to discuss closely monitoring Benjamin's size. If he is getting too big, the doctor may induce labor before my due date. Nathaniel was born about nine days before his due date, and he was 7 pounds 10 ounces. I would love it if the second baby was about the same size. (A co-worker told me his mother had diabetes, and he was 11 pounds 4 ounces. Yikes!)
Another fun thing that happened this week was our time with Rob's sister and her kids. Rob's sister, who lives in upstate New York, has been doing some traveling with her two children while her husband is deployed. They spent the afternoon and evening with us yesterday, and Nat LOVED seeing his cousins. Our niece is 10 (I should probably say 10 1/2), and our nephew is 7 - getting close to 8. Nat wanted to ride his bike, sword fight, dance, play with trains, and climb all over both of them. He loves his aunt and cousins (and uncle, who he missed), although he doesn't get to see them very often. It was good to spend time with them and hear about how God is working in their lives during this difficult time.
We're now looking forward to one more week of work before vacation. We plan to head to Tennessee to see Rob's parents during the week of the 4th of July. Nat is excited about getting to drive Grampy's tractor, and he often mentions fireworks. When we recently attended a baseball game, they set off a couple during the national anthem, and he was a little freaked out by the noise. He didn't cry, but often told me at random times for the next couple days, "I crying - the fireworks." Hopefully we'll be a little farther away from the fireworks on the 4th of July so he can enjoy them. Maybe we'll bring some ear plugs just in case...
I saw my doctor on Thursday, and received good news. He expressed his shock that I had developed gestational diabetes, given my reasonable weight prior to becoming pregnant, my reasonable weight gain during pregnancy, my lack of family history, and my prior uncomplicated pregnancy with Nathaniel. He said my diabetes is very mild, and he thinks we should be able to completely control it with diet. I shared what I have learned about a diabetic diet, and he said, "Looks like you saved yourself a trip to the dietician." Basically, I'm limiting my carb intake, trying to dramatically reduce my intake of refined sugar, and trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. (Basically, eating like I SHOULD, I guess...) Because I am a dessert fiend, I had to ask about "cheating" a little bit, and he assured me that I was allowed to have an occasional treat, such as a bowl of ice cream: just not every day. I don't have to check my blood sugar at home. They may check it in the office when I go in, but he didn't think home monitoring would be worthwhile: just sensible diet changes.
Because of the gestational diabetes, although it is mild, it is very likely that the baby may grow more rapidly, which could complicate delivery. During my next regular, scheduled office visit (Friday), we're going to discuss closely monitoring Benjamin's size. If he is getting too big, the doctor may induce labor before my due date. Nathaniel was born about nine days before his due date, and he was 7 pounds 10 ounces. I would love it if the second baby was about the same size. (A co-worker told me his mother had diabetes, and he was 11 pounds 4 ounces. Yikes!)
Another fun thing that happened this week was our time with Rob's sister and her kids. Rob's sister, who lives in upstate New York, has been doing some traveling with her two children while her husband is deployed. They spent the afternoon and evening with us yesterday, and Nat LOVED seeing his cousins. Our niece is 10 (I should probably say 10 1/2), and our nephew is 7 - getting close to 8. Nat wanted to ride his bike, sword fight, dance, play with trains, and climb all over both of them. He loves his aunt and cousins (and uncle, who he missed), although he doesn't get to see them very often. It was good to spend time with them and hear about how God is working in their lives during this difficult time.
We're now looking forward to one more week of work before vacation. We plan to head to Tennessee to see Rob's parents during the week of the 4th of July. Nat is excited about getting to drive Grampy's tractor, and he often mentions fireworks. When we recently attended a baseball game, they set off a couple during the national anthem, and he was a little freaked out by the noise. He didn't cry, but often told me at random times for the next couple days, "I crying - the fireworks." Hopefully we'll be a little farther away from the fireworks on the 4th of July so he can enjoy them. Maybe we'll bring some ear plugs just in case...
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Happy Anniversary. No Dessert
Rob and I celebrated our anniversary this week. Usually, we celebrate by going out to dinner and I splurge and order dessert. Sometimes we even just go out for dessert, since that's my favorite part of the meal, anyway. We had a very nice anniversary, and we did go out to eat. Nathaniel ate a hot dog and applesauce (that's what he wanted, when presented with all the available options at Applebees), Rob ordered steak fajitas, and I ordered some sort of lean chicken dish with rice pilaf and a corn and black bean salsa. No dessert for me. So why does this dessert fiend pass up going out for something decadent? It begins last Thursday.
Last Thursday I had some blood drawn for testing, which is generally done again at this point in the pregnancy. I had blood drawn once earlier in the pregnancy, as well. That first test, although they drew quite a bit of blood, was a pretty simple blood test. You show up, bare your arm, and they draw several cylinders of blood. Straight forward. The routine 28-week blood test wasn't as fun. I was instructed not to eat after dinner, and in the morning, I drank a 10 ounce bottle of something that tasted like McDonald's 'orange drink' made about triple strength. I stopped by the lab an hour later (on my way to work) and had another couple cylinders of blood drawn. My first blood test, done a couple months ago, revealed that my red blood cell count was a bit low. I was encouraged to make sure I took my prenatal vitamin daily. The test last week revealed that I'm now no longer borderline anemic: I have definitely developed anemia. I guess that explains why I've been so tired. They also didn't like my blood glucose levels. Guess what that meant: more blood work.
So, again, no eating after dinner on Friday night. I was due at the lab at 8:00 Saturday morning. (What a fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning.) When I arrived, I waited in the lobby for 45 minutes, then went back to the exam room. They did a blood glucose test (a finger prick), drew a cylinder of blood, and then I had to drink another 10 ounce bottle of orange drink. This one was even more syrupy. I'm not sure I'll be drinking orange flavored anything for a while. At 9:45, I had another cylinder of blood drawn. I waited yet another hour, then had one more cylinder drawn. Finally, at 11:45, I had the final cylinder of blood drawn. Have I mentioned that I hate needles? And can I tell you how boring a lab waiting room is? Since it was Saturday, I had to wait to get my results. I called the doctor's office Monday evening and they informed me that I am not only anemic: I have also developed gestational diabetes.
Drama, drama, drama. So now I'm headed back to the doctor and apparently will be meeting with a dietician to discuss managing my new complication: diabetes. The good news is, it generally goes away after delivery. The bad news is, the baby and I are now at a significantly higher risk for developing diabetes later in life. Modifying my diet and getting more exercise will help, but no guarantees: it could come back, anyway. A friend at work had gestational diabetes, and gave me several helpful hints in the mean time. Basically, my favorite foods are now forbidden. No simple carbs. No pancakes or toaster waffles for breakfast. No potatoes. And no dessert.
I'm looking forward to meeting with the doctor tomorrow to discover whether they are going to try to manage the problem with diet, or if I have to go straight to insulin injections. (I think I mentioned how much I hate needles...) I'm hoping that cleaning up my carbs and fat intake will allow me to avoid that. At least it's only another 11-12 weeks. Maybe I'll go out for dessert after the baby comes...
Last Thursday I had some blood drawn for testing, which is generally done again at this point in the pregnancy. I had blood drawn once earlier in the pregnancy, as well. That first test, although they drew quite a bit of blood, was a pretty simple blood test. You show up, bare your arm, and they draw several cylinders of blood. Straight forward. The routine 28-week blood test wasn't as fun. I was instructed not to eat after dinner, and in the morning, I drank a 10 ounce bottle of something that tasted like McDonald's 'orange drink' made about triple strength. I stopped by the lab an hour later (on my way to work) and had another couple cylinders of blood drawn. My first blood test, done a couple months ago, revealed that my red blood cell count was a bit low. I was encouraged to make sure I took my prenatal vitamin daily. The test last week revealed that I'm now no longer borderline anemic: I have definitely developed anemia. I guess that explains why I've been so tired. They also didn't like my blood glucose levels. Guess what that meant: more blood work.
So, again, no eating after dinner on Friday night. I was due at the lab at 8:00 Saturday morning. (What a fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning.) When I arrived, I waited in the lobby for 45 minutes, then went back to the exam room. They did a blood glucose test (a finger prick), drew a cylinder of blood, and then I had to drink another 10 ounce bottle of orange drink. This one was even more syrupy. I'm not sure I'll be drinking orange flavored anything for a while. At 9:45, I had another cylinder of blood drawn. I waited yet another hour, then had one more cylinder drawn. Finally, at 11:45, I had the final cylinder of blood drawn. Have I mentioned that I hate needles? And can I tell you how boring a lab waiting room is? Since it was Saturday, I had to wait to get my results. I called the doctor's office Monday evening and they informed me that I am not only anemic: I have also developed gestational diabetes.
Drama, drama, drama. So now I'm headed back to the doctor and apparently will be meeting with a dietician to discuss managing my new complication: diabetes. The good news is, it generally goes away after delivery. The bad news is, the baby and I are now at a significantly higher risk for developing diabetes later in life. Modifying my diet and getting more exercise will help, but no guarantees: it could come back, anyway. A friend at work had gestational diabetes, and gave me several helpful hints in the mean time. Basically, my favorite foods are now forbidden. No simple carbs. No pancakes or toaster waffles for breakfast. No potatoes. And no dessert.
I'm looking forward to meeting with the doctor tomorrow to discover whether they are going to try to manage the problem with diet, or if I have to go straight to insulin injections. (I think I mentioned how much I hate needles...) I'm hoping that cleaning up my carbs and fat intake will allow me to avoid that. At least it's only another 11-12 weeks. Maybe I'll go out for dessert after the baby comes...
Sunday, June 3, 2007
More than Corn
Well, I guess there is more than corn in Indiana. We went to Indiana Beach this weekend (or as Nat says, 'In-ee-ana Beach') to camp with some friends from college. We drove there Friday evening, stayed up late talking around the camp fire, and played hard all day Saturday. Nathaniel had a blast "driving" amusement park vehicles and riding the kiddie rides. We tried to do the water park, but it was a little overwhelming, so we went back to the pool at the campground. We left at about 8:00 on Saturday evening, hoping Nat would fall asleep in the car on the 2-hour drive home. He had played hard outside all day, had been up a little late the previous evening, and had been swimming. Usually in situations like that, he falls asleep on a drive home from the grocery store. No such luck. He was awake until we got home around 10:20. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy to get in his bed and go to sleep.
Now that we're quickly approaching summer, we're starting to wrestle through our plans for this fall. The baby is due sometime around the end of August or beginning of September. Rob is hoping to do a practicum this fall, which will require him to be gone for about four weeks. We're trying to figure out the best four weeks for him to be gone. We'd love for him to be home for two weeks or so after the baby is born before he leaves, and we're hoping for the majority of his absence to be during my maternity leave. Only trouble is, when is that going to be? It would be so much more convenient if we could determine the baby's ETA with a greater level of certainty.
We're also trying to figure out the logistics of his attending Chaplain's Officer's Basic this winter. He hopes to attend in January. At that point, I hope to have cut back to part time at work. Although I'll (hopefully) only be working 2-3 days a week, we'll still have to find child care for those 2-3 days. I'm not crazy about sending either our 2 year-old or a 3 month-old baby to a day care facility, not to mention the expense, and neither of our families live close. If we could afford for me to quit my job, I'd do it in a second, but that's not an option at this point, since Rob is still a full-time student. Even if he could work part time, we'd lose our health care benefits through my employer, and we definitely don't want to be without health insurance at this point in our lives. We've been there and done that a couple times, and had no major health incidents, but that was before kids. Kids make the word "uninsured" a lot scarier than it used to be. At this point, we're hoping that our families will come for some extended visits during that 16 week period. Here's hoping that everyone wants to spend an extended amount of time with the new baby...
Now that we're quickly approaching summer, we're starting to wrestle through our plans for this fall. The baby is due sometime around the end of August or beginning of September. Rob is hoping to do a practicum this fall, which will require him to be gone for about four weeks. We're trying to figure out the best four weeks for him to be gone. We'd love for him to be home for two weeks or so after the baby is born before he leaves, and we're hoping for the majority of his absence to be during my maternity leave. Only trouble is, when is that going to be? It would be so much more convenient if we could determine the baby's ETA with a greater level of certainty.
We're also trying to figure out the logistics of his attending Chaplain's Officer's Basic this winter. He hopes to attend in January. At that point, I hope to have cut back to part time at work. Although I'll (hopefully) only be working 2-3 days a week, we'll still have to find child care for those 2-3 days. I'm not crazy about sending either our 2 year-old or a 3 month-old baby to a day care facility, not to mention the expense, and neither of our families live close. If we could afford for me to quit my job, I'd do it in a second, but that's not an option at this point, since Rob is still a full-time student. Even if he could work part time, we'd lose our health care benefits through my employer, and we definitely don't want to be without health insurance at this point in our lives. We've been there and done that a couple times, and had no major health incidents, but that was before kids. Kids make the word "uninsured" a lot scarier than it used to be. At this point, we're hoping that our families will come for some extended visits during that 16 week period. Here's hoping that everyone wants to spend an extended amount of time with the new baby...
Friday, May 11, 2007
Bigger Hands
After entrusting our son into God's hands, drinking at least 100 ounces of water per day, and two more ultrasounds, we have discovered that my amniotic fluid level has dramatically increased. Thankfully, I never asked how low it was. The average acceptable range is 10 to 25 centimeters. Between 5 and 10 is considered risky. Below 5 is considered dangerous. During my first ultrasound, my amniotic fluid level was measured at 6 centimeters. During my second, the level measured as 16 centimeters, and the third measured as 14 centimeters, both of which were well within the acceptable range.
The ultrasound technician told me during one of the follow-up ultrasounds that the baby's position can greatly impact the amniotic fluid level, or at least their capability to accurately measure the level. It's a somewhat subjective measurement, since it depends on their ability to locate and identify the deepest "pockets" of fluid in four quadrants of the uterus. It could be that the first measurement was inaccurate, the baby's position made it difficult to accurately read, or the amniotic levels were low but have improved. Whatever the case may be, I am definitely relieved.
Nathaniel, our two year-old, is getting more and more into the idea of having a baby. He talks quite a bit about 'Baby Ben.' If you ask him the baby's name, he'll say 'baby Ben-dim-dim.' Daddy likes that much better than his first answer about a week ago. Nathaniel, who loves the movie "Peter Pan," answered us last week that the baby's name was 'Tinkerbell.' Might have made a cute nick-name for a girl, but I think that will have to be a cute story we share at graduations, weddings, etc. in the future. I'm sure Benjamin will have a nickname or two, but 'Tinkerbell' won't be one of them!
On a totally unrelated note, but certainly related to the bigger hands in which we rest, my husband received news earlier this week that his medical evaluation to become a chaplain candidate has finally been accepted. He is one step closer to fulfilling his dream, and what we believe to be God's calling, of becoming an Army chaplain. He also graduates with his first master's degree next weekend, which is very exciting. He has already begun classes for his second master's degree, since he needs 30 more credit hours in order to qualify for active duty as a chaplain. We hope that within a little over a year, he will be finishing his required coursework and applying for active duty. I look forward to handing over the breadwinning responsibilities and trading places with him as soon as possible, and he looks forward to that, too! We are trusting that, just as He has done in the past, God will continue to direct and provide for us.
The ultrasound technician told me during one of the follow-up ultrasounds that the baby's position can greatly impact the amniotic fluid level, or at least their capability to accurately measure the level. It's a somewhat subjective measurement, since it depends on their ability to locate and identify the deepest "pockets" of fluid in four quadrants of the uterus. It could be that the first measurement was inaccurate, the baby's position made it difficult to accurately read, or the amniotic levels were low but have improved. Whatever the case may be, I am definitely relieved.
Nathaniel, our two year-old, is getting more and more into the idea of having a baby. He talks quite a bit about 'Baby Ben.' If you ask him the baby's name, he'll say 'baby Ben-dim-dim.' Daddy likes that much better than his first answer about a week ago. Nathaniel, who loves the movie "Peter Pan," answered us last week that the baby's name was 'Tinkerbell.' Might have made a cute nick-name for a girl, but I think that will have to be a cute story we share at graduations, weddings, etc. in the future. I'm sure Benjamin will have a nickname or two, but 'Tinkerbell' won't be one of them!
On a totally unrelated note, but certainly related to the bigger hands in which we rest, my husband received news earlier this week that his medical evaluation to become a chaplain candidate has finally been accepted. He is one step closer to fulfilling his dream, and what we believe to be God's calling, of becoming an Army chaplain. He also graduates with his first master's degree next weekend, which is very exciting. He has already begun classes for his second master's degree, since he needs 30 more credit hours in order to qualify for active duty as a chaplain. We hope that within a little over a year, he will be finishing his required coursework and applying for active duty. I look forward to handing over the breadwinning responsibilities and trading places with him as soon as possible, and he looks forward to that, too! We are trusting that, just as He has done in the past, God will continue to direct and provide for us.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Confessions of a recovering control-freak
I am a 30 year-old wife and mother of two. (One of the two doesn't happen to be born yet, but that's a minor detail.) My husband and I have been married for almost nine years. We've faced challenges during our lives, and have found that God is truly good. But does that make it any easier to face new challenges? Well, that's something I'm in the process of learning.
Our first child, Nathaniel, is two. He is generally healthy and is incredibly bright. (Yeah, I know - that's what we all say.) We have been truly blessed. He eats well, sleeps well (took him a while, but now he does), plays well with others, and talks very well for a two year-old. He is a delightful child, and that's an expression others have used - not just family. He also happens to have inherited his daddy's "family quirk." All families seem to have some sort of genetic quirks, whether it's poor vision, breast cancer, flat feet, diabetes, crooked teeth, high cholesterol, or any number of other maladies, great or small. Their "family quirk" happens to be febrile seizures.
I'm no doctor, but I'll tell you what I know about febrile seizures. WebMD or your pediatrician would be a better source of information, but this is a mom's version. When Nat gets sick, if he develops a high fever that climbs quickly, he is likely to have a seizure. It might last 3 minutes, it might last over 10 minutes. They are not epileptic seizures, they do not lead to other seizure disorders, and they are not related to chemical imbalances or anything like that. They are actually somewhat common among young children, from what we have read. Some kids only have one, while others may have them every time they spike a high fever in a short period of time. When that is the case, children tend to grow out of them by the time they are six to eight years old.
That doesn't mean they're not scary: they ARE. But, at least we knew that this was a "family quirk" and we expected them. My husband had them, and his father had them. (Actually, after Nat's first one, my grandmother told my mother that she had one as a small child, as well, but only one.) In their family, it seems to be tied to the "Y" chromosome, since it is passed from father to son. It doesn't seem to pass to daughters, and daughters don't seem to pass it to their sons. Some research I read says that children who have multiple febrile seizures probably have a genetic predisposition to them. Again, it was less scary because we expected it, we researched it before he was ever born, and we know that, barring something freaky, it isn't a significant health risk. Febrile seizures are, at this point, really not a big concern. We've learned to identify potential fevers quickly and keep Nat medicated in order to avoid a seizure. He's had a few, but they are few and far between.
This past week, when we had our first ultrasound, we discovered that our second child, who was a little modest, is probably another boy. We saw the baby kicking and squirming, moving his arms and legs, and watched his little heart beat. Other than a moment of, "Well, no frilly, girly stuff this time," I was glad about having another boy. I'm thrilled that my son will have a little brother, and I have so enjoyed our first, that another one sounds like a lot of fun. The practical side of me also says, "We don't need to buy hardly anything: we've already got clothes, toys, and most of the other stuff we need." And so much of it was so cute and hardly looks worn.
On Wednesday, the doctor's office called to follow-up. I was at work, and my husband, who is a full-time grad student and stays home with our son, took the call. He called me at work to let me know that they wanted to schedule a second ultrasound in a week or two, since my amniotic fluid levels were lower than they would like to see at this point in my pregnancy.
Not being medical professionals and having had a very uncomplicated first pregnancy, we weren't sure what all that might mean, so he did a little surfing that afternoon. In his surfing, he discovered that it can be a very serious condition or an indication of other very serious conditions, depending on the severity and the situation. He passed on some watered-down versions, reassured me as much as possible, and wisely asked me not to look it up on the Internet and self-diagnose, since we don't know how serious it is. I took his advice for a day, and then my inner control-freak took over and did a little surfing of her own.
OK, again, I'm not a doctor, but here's what I discovered. (Isn't the Internet a wonderful thing? You can find EVERYTHING.) Low amniotic fluid levels are somewhat common: it happens in about 8% of pregnant women. It may not mean anything, or it can mean a host of very serious things. How serious? Well, it can mean kidney problems (including the absence of kidneys), congenital heart defects, problems with the placenta, infections... (Isn't the Internet a terrible thing? You can find WAY TOO MUCH.) Really low fluid levels can cause all kinds of complications, so they like to deliver babies as soon as possible. At this point, I'm only about 20 - 21 weeks, which means about halfway through the pregnancy. Delivery isn't really an option.
So, here comes the control-freak part. I have to wait a week until I get any answers, and that drives me crazy. I want answers right now: answers that probably no one on earth can give me to questions I probably shouldn't even ask.
"Is everything ok with the baby?" - Who can ever guarantee you that?
"What's wrong?" - Might be nothing. Might be something big.
"What can I do to fix it?" - Well, probably nothing.
"What if..." - Yeah? What if...
So, God is good. Does that make it easier? Not really. But yes. Do you know what I mean? So, I'm guessing that you, whether or not you understand my position or my faith, may have questions.
"Are you struggling?" - Uh, yeah!
"Do you really believe that God has a plan?" - Yes, absolutely.
"Do you trust God?" - Well, that's why this is my journey. I'm getting there. My faith is a work in progress, and my faith is involved in a daily (sometimes hourly) battle against my inner control-freak, but I'm working on it.
"Do you think everything is going to be OK?" - Yes.
"What is your definition of OK?" - I don't know. Whatever happens, happens. I believe God is in control and that He has a good plan for my life. As it says in Jeremiah, "Plans to give you a hope and a future."
"What does 'a hope and a future' look like?" - It may mean that nothing is wrong and that the rest of my pregnancy is a piece of cake. It may mean we have a rough couple months, the baby has to be delivered early, and we spend a lot of time and money in the NICU. It may mean that in future postings I say, 'I am a 30 year-old wife and mother of two. (One of the two is waiting for me in heaven, but that's a minor detail.)' I don't know.
Here's what I do know. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition (asking God), with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV) I'm going to trust as much as I can, be thankful for what I have, try not to worry about things I can't control, and ask God to take care of it for me, because His hands are much bigger and more capable than the hands of this recovering control-freak.
Our first child, Nathaniel, is two. He is generally healthy and is incredibly bright. (Yeah, I know - that's what we all say.) We have been truly blessed. He eats well, sleeps well (took him a while, but now he does), plays well with others, and talks very well for a two year-old. He is a delightful child, and that's an expression others have used - not just family. He also happens to have inherited his daddy's "family quirk." All families seem to have some sort of genetic quirks, whether it's poor vision, breast cancer, flat feet, diabetes, crooked teeth, high cholesterol, or any number of other maladies, great or small. Their "family quirk" happens to be febrile seizures.
I'm no doctor, but I'll tell you what I know about febrile seizures. WebMD or your pediatrician would be a better source of information, but this is a mom's version. When Nat gets sick, if he develops a high fever that climbs quickly, he is likely to have a seizure. It might last 3 minutes, it might last over 10 minutes. They are not epileptic seizures, they do not lead to other seizure disorders, and they are not related to chemical imbalances or anything like that. They are actually somewhat common among young children, from what we have read. Some kids only have one, while others may have them every time they spike a high fever in a short period of time. When that is the case, children tend to grow out of them by the time they are six to eight years old.
That doesn't mean they're not scary: they ARE. But, at least we knew that this was a "family quirk" and we expected them. My husband had them, and his father had them. (Actually, after Nat's first one, my grandmother told my mother that she had one as a small child, as well, but only one.) In their family, it seems to be tied to the "Y" chromosome, since it is passed from father to son. It doesn't seem to pass to daughters, and daughters don't seem to pass it to their sons. Some research I read says that children who have multiple febrile seizures probably have a genetic predisposition to them. Again, it was less scary because we expected it, we researched it before he was ever born, and we know that, barring something freaky, it isn't a significant health risk. Febrile seizures are, at this point, really not a big concern. We've learned to identify potential fevers quickly and keep Nat medicated in order to avoid a seizure. He's had a few, but they are few and far between.
This past week, when we had our first ultrasound, we discovered that our second child, who was a little modest, is probably another boy. We saw the baby kicking and squirming, moving his arms and legs, and watched his little heart beat. Other than a moment of, "Well, no frilly, girly stuff this time," I was glad about having another boy. I'm thrilled that my son will have a little brother, and I have so enjoyed our first, that another one sounds like a lot of fun. The practical side of me also says, "We don't need to buy hardly anything: we've already got clothes, toys, and most of the other stuff we need." And so much of it was so cute and hardly looks worn.
On Wednesday, the doctor's office called to follow-up. I was at work, and my husband, who is a full-time grad student and stays home with our son, took the call. He called me at work to let me know that they wanted to schedule a second ultrasound in a week or two, since my amniotic fluid levels were lower than they would like to see at this point in my pregnancy.
Not being medical professionals and having had a very uncomplicated first pregnancy, we weren't sure what all that might mean, so he did a little surfing that afternoon. In his surfing, he discovered that it can be a very serious condition or an indication of other very serious conditions, depending on the severity and the situation. He passed on some watered-down versions, reassured me as much as possible, and wisely asked me not to look it up on the Internet and self-diagnose, since we don't know how serious it is. I took his advice for a day, and then my inner control-freak took over and did a little surfing of her own.
OK, again, I'm not a doctor, but here's what I discovered. (Isn't the Internet a wonderful thing? You can find EVERYTHING.) Low amniotic fluid levels are somewhat common: it happens in about 8% of pregnant women. It may not mean anything, or it can mean a host of very serious things. How serious? Well, it can mean kidney problems (including the absence of kidneys), congenital heart defects, problems with the placenta, infections... (Isn't the Internet a terrible thing? You can find WAY TOO MUCH.) Really low fluid levels can cause all kinds of complications, so they like to deliver babies as soon as possible. At this point, I'm only about 20 - 21 weeks, which means about halfway through the pregnancy. Delivery isn't really an option.
So, here comes the control-freak part. I have to wait a week until I get any answers, and that drives me crazy. I want answers right now: answers that probably no one on earth can give me to questions I probably shouldn't even ask.
"Is everything ok with the baby?" - Who can ever guarantee you that?
"What's wrong?" - Might be nothing. Might be something big.
"What can I do to fix it?" - Well, probably nothing.
"What if..." - Yeah? What if...
So, God is good. Does that make it easier? Not really. But yes. Do you know what I mean? So, I'm guessing that you, whether or not you understand my position or my faith, may have questions.
"Are you struggling?" - Uh, yeah!
"Do you really believe that God has a plan?" - Yes, absolutely.
"Do you trust God?" - Well, that's why this is my journey. I'm getting there. My faith is a work in progress, and my faith is involved in a daily (sometimes hourly) battle against my inner control-freak, but I'm working on it.
"Do you think everything is going to be OK?" - Yes.
"What is your definition of OK?" - I don't know. Whatever happens, happens. I believe God is in control and that He has a good plan for my life. As it says in Jeremiah, "Plans to give you a hope and a future."
"What does 'a hope and a future' look like?" - It may mean that nothing is wrong and that the rest of my pregnancy is a piece of cake. It may mean we have a rough couple months, the baby has to be delivered early, and we spend a lot of time and money in the NICU. It may mean that in future postings I say, 'I am a 30 year-old wife and mother of two. (One of the two is waiting for me in heaven, but that's a minor detail.)' I don't know.
Here's what I do know. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition (asking God), with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV) I'm going to trust as much as I can, be thankful for what I have, try not to worry about things I can't control, and ask God to take care of it for me, because His hands are much bigger and more capable than the hands of this recovering control-freak.
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