An Abel Update {A Broken Record}

Today I went in for my 2 week checkup.  I was 29 weeks yesterday, so I'm a week or so into my 3rd trimester.  All of routine things were good; blood pressure, urine, and weight (she didn't tell me how much I had gained/lost/changed, so I assume it was good), so that was a relief.  I went straight back to ultrasound and had my fluid, placenta, and cervix checked.  The fluid was great, and so was Abel!  He's head down, butt to the left side, so I guess that explains all the weird movement I've been getting around my ribcage.  They haven't taken any official measurements on him in awhile, but the nurse said he probably weighs around 3 pounds or so.  He still had some hair, so I'm anxious to see the color when he comes out!  He kept his hands and legs in front of his face the entire time and stayed waded in a little ball, so we didn't get a good look at his face this time around (he's definitely been the most difficult of my 3 when it comes to ultrasounds).

Next she checked my placenta, which unfortunately, hadn't budged a centimeter.  That definitely wasn't the news I was hoping for, but I was expecting it.  She did some measurements on my cervix, and they were great and showed no indication of preterm labor from a cervical length standpoint (I really don't understand all that stuff actually).  She also measured how far my placenta was from the opening of my cervix, and it's only 1cm, so she said that was extremely close (placenta previa).  To top it off, Abel's head was down there too, so there's a lot going on in a very small area!

I went back to a room and saw the doctor next.  As soon as she walked in she said that I had a very "persistent placenta" and that she was calling in the "big dogs" now.  So, in a little less than two weeks I'm going to the high risk to get a closer look at everything, then I go back to her the next day.  I've seen the group she referred me to while I was in the hospital with Cooper.  One of the doctors from the group was the one who swooped in and saved the day, officially diagnosing me with preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome and ordering the emergency c-section, and I really liked her.  I have no idea if I'll see her or not, but I've heard really good things about all the other doctors in that group as well.  She didn't mention if I'd have an MRI and just a more detailed ultrasound, so I'm not really sure what to expect at that visit.  I'm extremely claustrophobic, so if they're planning an MRI it may be best that I don't know about it ahead of time.  

Dr. Sanders also warned me that if I had any bleeding/spotting AT ALL that I needed to call her immediately and get to a hospital.  She doesn't feel like I will unless I'm in labor, but she said labor absolutely cannot happen with the position my placenta is in, so I needed to be vigilant about that.  She also said that she wasn't trying to be a Debbie Downer today with my prognosis, but that we needed to face reality at this point and be prepared for whatever happens.  I asked her if the placenta still had time to attach if it wasn't already, and she said unfortunately that it did, so that stinks.  So, I'm still on all my restrictions because in her words my placenta is in a "horrible place" and am just watching for any changes that happen that would cause alarm.  I feel like my optimism just went out the window today, but I'm trying to stay positive about everything.

I asked her if traveling was ok since we're headed to Pigeon Forge tomorrow, and without me even mentioning our plans she said, "Yes, that's fine, but don't you dare go hiking in the middle of the Smokey Mountains."  I almost laughed out loud when she said that since we had been planning on that, but I told her I'd follow her orders.  She said if I overdid it hiking and started bleeding that I would be way too far out from civilization to get to a hospital fast enough, so that I needed to stay close to civilization from now until the baby comes.  

I apologize for sounding like a broken record in every pregnancy update post, but I'm not getting anything new to share really.  I wish I could say "no news is good news," but that doesn't seem to be the case right now.  I will say that I'm extremely thankful for a vigilant doctor who does so many ultrasounds and is taking every precaution she possibly can at this point for mine and Abel's safety.  Many things I've read online say that this diagnosis comes as a complete surprise to doctors during delivery because they haven't done any recent scans to check the placenta, which is a horrible scenario to be in at that point, so I'm very thankful to be in her care.  Whatever happens, at lease we'll be prepared!  As always, keep us in your prayers if you don't mind.  I'll be sure and share what news I receive at the specialist.  I'll leave you with a little picture of my man!

Monday Update

Today we're entering our second and last week of Christmas break.  Cooper has next Monday off as well, but I have to go back for a planning day before students come back.  Breaks always go fast, but at least I've got maternity leave coming up soon... I don't even want to think about how fast that pass by though!  Ok, enough rambling... here's a look back at our busy Christmas week!

• Cooper has been sick since last Wednesday.  We went to the doctor almost immediately when he woke up sick that day since it was so close to Christmas, but his strep test came back negative, so they said it was just a virus.  He's been pretty pitiful every day since then, so if his fever goes back up today, which I'm sure it will, I'm calling the doctor back and seeing what we need to do.  I hate he's spent the majority of the holiday and break so sick.  He enjoyed Christmas though, and has had a great time playing with all his toys, so it didn't slow him down too much in that department.
• Clark is as wild and feisty as ever.  The terrible threes have hit him like a ton of bricks the past few weeks, and most of the time it's all I can do to control him at all.  When he's not being a threenager, he can still be pretty sweet and funny.  We're still potty training, and he's doing pretty well for the most part.  He's still scared of going #2 in the potty, but we're getting there.  Most days he doesn't have accidents, and then out of nowhere he'll have one where he didn't even attempt to tell us he had to go.  I guess that's to be expected though.  
• We got the boys bunk beds for Christmas, and so far they're really loving them.  The bottom is a full and the top is a twin, so for now we have them both sleeping on the bottom.  They're both begging to move to the top, but we're holding off on that as long as we can.  The first couple of nights they woke each other up when they got up in the middle of the night (yes, at least one of them almost always wakes up in the middle of the night still... Abel shouldn't be that big of a shock to my system), but that's getting better.  Clark likes to talk and keep Cooper awake, but we're working on that too.  Clark's even napping in there, which I thought would never happen, so I'm very pleased!  I was afraid the new bed, new toys, and moving Clark into that room would overwhelm the space, but that little room has come together nicely.  It doesn't feel too crowded, and we've fit everything in there without having to have another major purge!
• Abel's room is pretty much cleared out, and I've bought all the decor for it, so now I've just got to pick out some paint and get busy!  Once I get it painted it should come together quickly, so I need to get on the ball.  I'm getting his name decal for the big window I'm putting in there today, and I just ordered some gold vinyl triangles to put on one wall, so I think it'll be cute.  It's definitely aztec/Indian themed, complete with a teepee waiting to be put up, but almost all the decor I got has black and gold in it.  It'll look more luxe than I had ever planned, but I think it'll be pretty.  
• I've hit the uncomfortable stage of this pregnancy, and I know it's just going to go downhill from here.  I'm not sleeping well, I've started waddling a bit, I've kept a cold since Thanksgiving (and a ringing ear since that's worse in pregnancy), and as Andy told me yesterday, I just look pregnant now.  I definitely feel pregnant too.  I'll be 29 weeks tomorrow, so I know there's not a ton of time left, so I'm really going to try and savor it.  Abel moves like crazy, and each day his jabs grow more painful... just like his brothers were!  I go back to the doctor on Wednesday, so I'll know more about what's happening then.
• Thanks to Christmas break, I've been able to get to the Y a lot more this week.  It's so nice working out there instead of in our neighborhood.  I don't have to carry pepper spray for crazy dogs, worry about getting hit by a car, or brave whatever crazy weather we're having.  I'm pretty limited on what I can do due to my pregnancy issues, so I only do the elliptical, but the more I progress in this pregnancy, that's plenty of a workout for me.  Plus, I get to watch Scandal when I workout there, so that's a huge plus!  We're hoping to get there more now that Andy's busy season has slowed down a bit at work, but we also know that it's going to be packed for a month or so with people joining for their New Year's resolutions.  We know it'll back way off in February though.
• We're heading to Pigeon Forge with some friends at the end of the week to ring in the New Year, and I can't wait!  We're taking the boys with us, so I'm really looking forward to getting out of the house and having a change of scenery.  We plan on doing all the touristy/expensive things Pigeon Forge has to offer, plus shopping, good eating, and I even suggested hiking as long as it was a very low-key trail.  It's actually going to feel like winter by the time we go up there, so I'm excited about that too.  I'm sick of this 70+ degree weather and rain. 
• I'm still debating on what to get with my Christmas money.  I've had my eye on a new camera for awhile, but now that I have the money, I just can't seem to pull the trigger and buy it.  I don't know why - I know I'd get my money's worth out of it and use it all the time.  If I don't get that, I'll just dwindle my money away on stuff I don't need.  The only other thing I've got my eye on is an Apple Watch, which I don't need.  

Alright, sorry this was so long!  I'm sure I'll have an update on Wednesday after I go to the doctor, and pictures of our upcoming trip soon!

Christmas 2015

We had a great Christmas in the Smithson household.  We started our celebrations Christmas Eve with Andy's family, then did our family and my side on Christmas.  The boys got more gifts than they could ever play with, but they loved them all.  Andy me got some Hunter boots, a new camera lens, and some other odds and ends, so I racked up!  Andy's continuing with tradition and returning half of what I bought him, but I should've expected that.  From our families we got money, so I've got my eye on a new camera if I can pull the trigger.  Anyways, I know gifts aren't the true meaning of Christmas, so despite all the gifts the boys received, we tried to really teach them that Christmas is all about Jesus' birthday and the gift of a savior that God gave us.

I had all of our Christmas stuff down by 10am yesterday because I'm a scrooge when it comes to post-Christmas decorations, and the boys are already asking when it'll be Christmas again.  They are also asking why Abel isn't here yet because I've told them all along he'll be here after Christmas, so they're getting anxious!  Anyways, here's some pictures of our celebrations!