Time marches on. It’s already been a month since my last post, I’m not sure how that happens.
In baby news, we’ve been trying since the 20 week mark to get our little one to give us a profile shot. She refuses to look at the camera. Our attempt last week at 28 weeks was reduce to a sneaky side shot that caught just her little nose and mouth:
Everything has been measuring fine, and we were able to get visual and measurements on the heart and kidneys at the 24 week attempt, as she was so good at hiding those from us on the 20 week appointment. She just refuses to let us get that profile shot. It’s like she knows. Next week we go in for the 30 week baseline appointment. My understanding is that a new baseline of measurements for baby will be taken via another ultrasound (maybe this time she’ll smile?), to begin the new regiment of more frequent doctor visits to make sure things are on track and to know better what and when to expect her arrival. This stage feels like forever, but I know from experience it won’t be long before I’m looking back wondering where the time went! I’m working hard to breathe deep daily and remember the joy is in the journey.
I’ve now been pregnant for approximately 205 days. I’m still in awe. The tummy continues to grow and she continues to be very active. So far the only pregnancy concern is elevated sugar levels. My testing this week showed my body is still doing what it needs to, it dropped 118 sugar points in one hour! However, it’s slow and it’s taking longer. Throwing this in with my high risk of first pregnancy and age it means taking a more aggressive approach to monitoring these numbers from this point on. I’m a little bummed by the results, but grateful to know what my body can and will still do. For me, this means finding a slightly more rigorous exercise routine. I told the nurse, I’m simply not a spring chicken anymore and so I’m slower! Good grief, it took 22 years to get pregnant, clearly it stands to reason other things will follow a pattern of tardiness. *giggle* Aside from this, I’ve really only dealt with the basic inconveniences of being pregnant for which I am supremely grateful. I didn’t have any morning sickness. I haven’t had any real complications. I’m now experiencing the less convenient stages of pregnancy, primarily swollen sinus and mucus glands from hormones which make sleeping a real problem without my head elevated, constant bathroom trips and swelling ankles and feet. Check these poor “cankles” out:
This is a mild case of daily ankle swelling. I’ve had worse. But seriously, how are you supposed to balance being told you have to exercise more (walking most preferred) while at the same time being told to keep your feet up?
A few months ago I was pretty freaked out about the whole labor and delivery prospects. I’ve been coming to terms with this and finding new peace. I recognize this is a medical process just like other’s I’ve already experienced. You just have to choose good doctors, trust them, and know everyone is there to help. There’s so many resources to help women be prepared these days and again I find myself counting my lucky stars I was blessed to be born when I was. I continue to feel good about the way things are and will progress. I have no reason to believe I’ll have any complications, I have a hunch (maybe it’s just a hope) that this baby will come through a normal childbirth process between early and mid June. I hope I’m right. My anxiety grows as so many friends close to my pregnancy timeline are now crossing their finish lines and sharing pictures of adorable newborns. The kids really share this anxiety as almost daily both comment on how they wish she was already here and how they can’t wait until she is.
On a downside, dad is having some more notable declines. Some of them are likely to instigate the need to make some tough decisions soon. I feel like we are probably down to the final weeks of his life. This is hard, it’s hard to watch my mom and wish I could do more to help her bear the weight of the load. Yet, at the same time I have an incredible peace of how okay it all is and will be. We knew the end game would be hard and bring with it more complications, we’ve had time to prepare for it. In addition, I know with all my heart that this change isn’t one of permanence or ending. It is merely another beginning, a necessary step for dad to continue to progress. And I know he will and it will be wonderful. When he is free from his physical prison cell, has a renewed and expanded knowledge of all things, I just know he’s going to be running at full speed. He’s going to be doing all he can to continue his progress with a renewed vigor and determination and I know it will be awesome. I don’t know what will happen in the next month, but I’ve felt since I learned about this pregnancy that his meeting this grandchild would be under spirit circumstances. I am confident he can and will do more for his family on the other side than he could have done here. Regardless of what does happen, I know that all will happen as it needs to and as hard as it is, it will be wonderful in the end. He’s had some miraculous milestones in the past two weeks!
Life is too short and too miraculous to waste a moment of it. There is beauty and wonder all around us to balance the storms and clouds. I am so grateful.
