I'm going to go ahead and try to update everyone on what's been going on in the last few weeks with Kanaan.
On 5/31/13 we went back to Springfield to check on Kanaan's fluid level. We were hoping that his fluid levels would be improved. However, they were still at a 1. Kanaan was looking good though. Dr T. said it was up to us when I would be admitted to the hospital for the remainder of the pregnancy. I was thinking we should come right away so that if he laid on the cord we could deliver him right away instead of him passing away before we knew. After Dr T we met with Dr. B the Neonatologist. He explained that since Kanaan's fluid is so low that his lungs would be less developed than other babies born at the same gestational age with regular fluid levels so his chance of survival were much less. He advised that based on our situation and Kanaan's chances of survival it would be better if we waited until we were 26 weeks to be admitted. If he were to be born before that he would most likely not survive at all. He said that even if we were able to make it full term his lungs may still not be developed enough to allow him to survive. He said that there is still a chance that he may not make it to 26 weeks. So we decided that June 18th when we would be 26 weeks we would be admitted for monitoring. Being admitted does not mean we would deliver him right away, but that he would be monitored so that if he did lay on the cord we would be able to deliver him right away so that he wouldn't be cut off from oxygen so long.
On 6/13/13 we had our last regular doctor appointment with Dr. K. We didn't get to have another ultrasound but she did do a NST (Non Stress Test) where they hook me up to 2 monitors, one to monitor if I'm having any contractions and one to monitor Kanaan's heart rate. He looked good on the NST and we were measuring 26 weeks even though we were only 25w2d. Which means Kanaan is still growing!
On 6/18/13 we were admitted to St. John's Hospital in Springfield. They hooked me up to the monitors and did all their blood draws and added an IV. The first day and night I was on continous monitoring. During the day he stayed on well, but once I tried to sleep he kept wiggling away and the nurses had to keep coming in to reposition the monitors. I maybe got 3 hours of combined sleep.
On 6/19/13 we had an ultrasound and Kanaan weighed 2lbs 3oz, which is still a bit ahead of his gestational age. Which is good, because the low fluid can cause growth problems, plus the bigger he is the better his chances are once he's born. He also had moved from breech (head up) to transverse (lying sideways) the doctor was surprised that he had enough fluid to change positions and said that was good. However, they couldn't find the kidneys in the ultrasound. The doctor wanted me to have an MRI. The concern was that since Kanaan was growing his kidneys should be growing as well. If he didn't have any kidneys on the MRI he wouldn't make it at all once he was born, if they were there and just small then his chances would be better. I was really nervous about the MRI, I had never had one and tend to get claustrophobic. Also I've always been sensitive to loud noises. Even though the MRI was scary I got through it ok.The doctor also said that since he looked so good on the monitor, (he hadn't compressed the cord at all) that we only need monitoring twice a day. I did ask if we could do it three times a day just for my sanity that everything is ok and she said that was fine.
On 6/20/13 the doctor came in to give the MRI results. Basically they found 1 abnormally shaped kidney instead of 2 regular ones. They said he has what is called horseshoe kidney, they said that it is fairly common and most people that have it don't even know it. Although the concern is that his may not be working properly because the fluid is so low. They said he has some function because there is some fluid in the bladder, and he does have a bit of amniotic fluid. They also said that his kidney is in the front of him instead of near the back where it should be. The location isn't much of a concern, just the function. We won't know how his kidney function is until he is born, they said if it is really low they could do dialysis on him and worse case he would need a kidney transplant. Also the main concern is still that once he is born his lungs may not have had enough fluid to develop his lungs.
Today 6/24/13 they did another ultrasound to check his fluid and he has moved back to breech, and his fluid is at 2.5cm!!!! That's still really low but better than 1 and they didn't actually tell me this until today but at my last ultrasound it was at 0. YAY for improvement!!! That's higher than it's been since we found out it was low.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Baby Update!
On Wednesday 5/15/13, we went in for our mid pregnancy ultrasound and appointment. We were hoping to find out if Baby K is a boy or girl. Unfortunately we were not able to tell if we were having a boy or girl. At our doctor appointment directly after the ultrasound, the Doctor K told us that the baby had a cyst on the back of the neck, and my amniotic fluid was low. She was concerned that the combination of the two meant there was a chromosomal abnormality with the baby. She specifically mentioned Edward's Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome and Trisomy 13. She sent us to Springfield to see a specialist to get a better look, as they have a better ultrasound. At that point Andy and I were praying that the diagnosis would be Down Syndrome, as the rate of the baby surviving past birth were much better than most of the others.
On Friday 5/17/13, we went to Springfield to meet with the Genetics Counselor and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist. Mary and Alan, Andy's parents went along with us for moral support. The genetics counselor gave us an idea of what the ultrasonographer would look at for each of the syndromes and advised that to know for sure what was going on, we would need to have an amniocentesis. With the fluid levels being low we were not sure if we would have enough to do the test. The counselor stated that with Edward's syndrome, Turner Syndrome and Trisomy 13 the baby would most likely have some physical deformity, if the baby had none chances were good that the baby did not have one of those. There are also markers for Down Syndrome the ultrasound tech would look for as well. As far as Turner's syndrome, that is a syndrome that effects only girls. It is when the baby only has 1 x chromosome instead of 2. So if the baby was a boy that one is also out. She said with Edwards syndrome the baby also has problems opening their hand so if the hand is in a fist the whole hour long ultrasound then that would be of concern, but if we saw the hand open, chances would be good the baby did not have that. She even said our fluid may not be low at all, if they were not able to get a good picture. She said that if there was no fluid at all they would induce me right away and we would deliver the baby, as it would not make it. We left there feeling better about what may be going on with our baby as we had more information and questions asked.
Next we had our long ultrasound. We saw the baby's hands wide open so we knew the baby probably did not have Edwards Syndrome. Praise the Lord! We asked the tech if she had a hint of what the baby was. She said she thought she saw some boy bits, but wasn't sure. She checked again after the ultrasound was basically over and was able to get a good shot, however the shot was trying to be blocked by a tiny hand being modest. She was however able to tell that we are having a little boy!!! His name is Kanaan Lee King! The ultrasound tech also confirmed what our first ultrasound stated that he is a little bigger than average. She said he was a little over 1lb, which was good news because a lot of the syndromes and low fluid can cause smaller babies. The fact that we were having a boy eliminated Turner Syndrome and his open hands eliminated Edwards Syndrome. We really didn't know how the ultrasound came out as we aren't really sure what measurements are normal/what we were looking at and what they should look like. The ultrasound, even though it was a high resolution, it still was not very clear.
After the ultrasound our Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist (MFM) Dr. T came in and gave us the findings. She stated that Kanaan looked great and had no abnormalities or markers that would indicate a chromosomal condition. No cyst. She did say that my amniotic fluid was very low. Low amniotic fluid is called Olighydramnios It should be at 20cm and mine was at 1. She said the main causes for low fluid would be the problems with the baby's kidneys, a chromosomal abnormality, the placenta not being healthy, or that I broke my water and was leaking fluid. She said Kanaan was fine, that knocked out the first 2 options. She also said my placenta looked good and was working properly as well. That left that I may be leaking fluid. She said that since the fluid was so low it can cause major problems for Kanaan. The most dire being that he may lay on the cord and without the fluid cushioning it he could cut off his oxygen supply making his heart rate drop. If he doesn't move he could die. Also it can cause his lungs to not mature and develop correctly. Baby's in the womb drink the fluid and doing that develops their lungs. Even if Kanaan, survives the pregnancy without laying on the cord, he could have breathing problems due to his lungs not developing as well. Also he could have some muscle tightness and may need physical therapy to retrain his muscles to straighten out as he does not have as much room to move around and stretch with less fluid. She said that if I'm not leaking any fluid, it may just be a rarity, but her guess was that I am leaking it and that is why it is so low since everything else checked out. What the plan of action is that once we decide that the risk of the Kanaan having major long term effects of being born very prematurely out weigh the risk of him dying in utero before we have a chance to deliver him, we will be admitted to Springfield to be observed. Once his heart rate drops and doesn't come back up immediately they will deliver him then. At this point we are at 21w6d, they are not going to admit me now because he wouldn't make it if they had to deliver anyway. We need to get to 24 weeks in order for Kanaan to have a chance of surviving, at that point he will have a 50% chance of surviving, but will most likely have permanent life long struggles and complications due to being born so early if he does survive. She wanted me to leave work and just stay at home to rest, but said that since I sit all day and just answer the phones that I can continue to work.
After we spoke with Dr. T she sent us down to labor and delivery triage to check if my fluid is leaking. The test came back negative, so at this point I am not leaking any fluid, it just seems to be very low. Dr. K said that drinking more water and rest can help fluid levels raise, however Dr. T said it would not help. Dr T said that if the low fluid is due to the placenta it may help but if I'm leaking it won't. Well since I'm not leaking and everything I looked at online support the rest and water intake theory, I've basically put myself on "bedrest" and am drinking as much as I can to help. I figure drinking more water certainly can't hurt anything and if I were in the hospital I'd basically be on bed rest.
Andy and I have to decide when I will be admitted, at this point we have not decided. We are praying that the fluid increases on it's own and I'm able to put off being admitted for a few more weeks, if not altogether. We will probably see what the report is next time and decide then. We go back to Springfield on 5/31/13 to have another ultrasound and meet with Dr. T. We will also meet with the Neonatologist to go over what we can expect if Kanaan is born within the next few weeks. At that time we will be 23w3d, so still a few days from viability for Kanaan. I do have several pictures to add but will do that when Andy is home to run back and forth to the scanner for me. Please be praying for our sweet baby, that he be safe inside me until he can safely be born, as well as my fluid increasing so that we will not be forced to deliver him too early. Also since I'm currently working as a temporary employee, there is a good chance that once I have to be admitted I will lose my job. Kanaan's safety is our main concern, but me being 2 hours away from family and Andy and with only 1 income and a hefty hospital bill it will not be ideal.
On Friday 5/17/13, we went to Springfield to meet with the Genetics Counselor and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist. Mary and Alan, Andy's parents went along with us for moral support. The genetics counselor gave us an idea of what the ultrasonographer would look at for each of the syndromes and advised that to know for sure what was going on, we would need to have an amniocentesis. With the fluid levels being low we were not sure if we would have enough to do the test. The counselor stated that with Edward's syndrome, Turner Syndrome and Trisomy 13 the baby would most likely have some physical deformity, if the baby had none chances were good that the baby did not have one of those. There are also markers for Down Syndrome the ultrasound tech would look for as well. As far as Turner's syndrome, that is a syndrome that effects only girls. It is when the baby only has 1 x chromosome instead of 2. So if the baby was a boy that one is also out. She said with Edwards syndrome the baby also has problems opening their hand so if the hand is in a fist the whole hour long ultrasound then that would be of concern, but if we saw the hand open, chances would be good the baby did not have that. She even said our fluid may not be low at all, if they were not able to get a good picture. She said that if there was no fluid at all they would induce me right away and we would deliver the baby, as it would not make it. We left there feeling better about what may be going on with our baby as we had more information and questions asked.
Next we had our long ultrasound. We saw the baby's hands wide open so we knew the baby probably did not have Edwards Syndrome. Praise the Lord! We asked the tech if she had a hint of what the baby was. She said she thought she saw some boy bits, but wasn't sure. She checked again after the ultrasound was basically over and was able to get a good shot, however the shot was trying to be blocked by a tiny hand being modest. She was however able to tell that we are having a little boy!!! His name is Kanaan Lee King! The ultrasound tech also confirmed what our first ultrasound stated that he is a little bigger than average. She said he was a little over 1lb, which was good news because a lot of the syndromes and low fluid can cause smaller babies. The fact that we were having a boy eliminated Turner Syndrome and his open hands eliminated Edwards Syndrome. We really didn't know how the ultrasound came out as we aren't really sure what measurements are normal/what we were looking at and what they should look like. The ultrasound, even though it was a high resolution, it still was not very clear.
After the ultrasound our Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist (MFM) Dr. T came in and gave us the findings. She stated that Kanaan looked great and had no abnormalities or markers that would indicate a chromosomal condition. No cyst. She did say that my amniotic fluid was very low. Low amniotic fluid is called Olighydramnios It should be at 20cm and mine was at 1. She said the main causes for low fluid would be the problems with the baby's kidneys, a chromosomal abnormality, the placenta not being healthy, or that I broke my water and was leaking fluid. She said Kanaan was fine, that knocked out the first 2 options. She also said my placenta looked good and was working properly as well. That left that I may be leaking fluid. She said that since the fluid was so low it can cause major problems for Kanaan. The most dire being that he may lay on the cord and without the fluid cushioning it he could cut off his oxygen supply making his heart rate drop. If he doesn't move he could die. Also it can cause his lungs to not mature and develop correctly. Baby's in the womb drink the fluid and doing that develops their lungs. Even if Kanaan, survives the pregnancy without laying on the cord, he could have breathing problems due to his lungs not developing as well. Also he could have some muscle tightness and may need physical therapy to retrain his muscles to straighten out as he does not have as much room to move around and stretch with less fluid. She said that if I'm not leaking any fluid, it may just be a rarity, but her guess was that I am leaking it and that is why it is so low since everything else checked out. What the plan of action is that once we decide that the risk of the Kanaan having major long term effects of being born very prematurely out weigh the risk of him dying in utero before we have a chance to deliver him, we will be admitted to Springfield to be observed. Once his heart rate drops and doesn't come back up immediately they will deliver him then. At this point we are at 21w6d, they are not going to admit me now because he wouldn't make it if they had to deliver anyway. We need to get to 24 weeks in order for Kanaan to have a chance of surviving, at that point he will have a 50% chance of surviving, but will most likely have permanent life long struggles and complications due to being born so early if he does survive. She wanted me to leave work and just stay at home to rest, but said that since I sit all day and just answer the phones that I can continue to work.
After we spoke with Dr. T she sent us down to labor and delivery triage to check if my fluid is leaking. The test came back negative, so at this point I am not leaking any fluid, it just seems to be very low. Dr. K said that drinking more water and rest can help fluid levels raise, however Dr. T said it would not help. Dr T said that if the low fluid is due to the placenta it may help but if I'm leaking it won't. Well since I'm not leaking and everything I looked at online support the rest and water intake theory, I've basically put myself on "bedrest" and am drinking as much as I can to help. I figure drinking more water certainly can't hurt anything and if I were in the hospital I'd basically be on bed rest.
Andy and I have to decide when I will be admitted, at this point we have not decided. We are praying that the fluid increases on it's own and I'm able to put off being admitted for a few more weeks, if not altogether. We will probably see what the report is next time and decide then. We go back to Springfield on 5/31/13 to have another ultrasound and meet with Dr. T. We will also meet with the Neonatologist to go over what we can expect if Kanaan is born within the next few weeks. At that time we will be 23w3d, so still a few days from viability for Kanaan. I do have several pictures to add but will do that when Andy is home to run back and forth to the scanner for me. Please be praying for our sweet baby, that he be safe inside me until he can safely be born, as well as my fluid increasing so that we will not be forced to deliver him too early. Also since I'm currently working as a temporary employee, there is a good chance that once I have to be admitted I will lose my job. Kanaan's safety is our main concern, but me being 2 hours away from family and Andy and with only 1 income and a hefty hospital bill it will not be ideal.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Baby Update!
Wow! It has been so long since I've blogged, so much for my blogging more goal.
Anyway I thought I'd do a much needed baby update. So I have not been taking weekly pictures. There really wasn't much change at all in the beginning and even now there isn't enough to do weekly pictures. I did the 6wk pic and then not again until 16wks and 20wks. I'll probably keep doing the pics every 4 weeks, maybe switching to weekly closer to the end, we'll see.
I had my first OB appointment on 3/5/13, which happened to be my mom's birthday. Everything went well and we got another ultrasound to check the baby's heartbeat. This time we even got to take home pictures! The baby's heartrate was 162bpm and it was just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig. Here is what Baby Center had to say about the baby's development at our first appointment.
My second OB appointment was on 4/2/13. Andy's sister's birthday! This appointment was pretty uneventful, no pictures or ultrasound, but we did hear the heartbeat on the doppler. The heartbeat was 156bpm. I was 15 weeks and the baby was about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighed in at about 2 1/2 ounces about the size of an apple.
I felt the baby move for the first time on 4/27/13, I was 18w4d. I'm definitely feeling it more often now but still not really strong or constant. I know it will come though.
I'm currently 20 weeks, halfway there! The baby is now the as long as a banana and is 6 1/2 inches long and 10 1/2 oz.
Now on to the belly pictures!
Anyway I thought I'd do a much needed baby update. So I have not been taking weekly pictures. There really wasn't much change at all in the beginning and even now there isn't enough to do weekly pictures. I did the 6wk pic and then not again until 16wks and 20wks. I'll probably keep doing the pics every 4 weeks, maybe switching to weekly closer to the end, we'll see.
I had my first OB appointment on 3/5/13, which happened to be my mom's birthday. Everything went well and we got another ultrasound to check the baby's heartbeat. This time we even got to take home pictures! The baby's heartrate was 162bpm and it was just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig. Here is what Baby Center had to say about the baby's development at our first appointment.
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| A profile pic of our little peanut! The oval on the left is the head, and the oval on the right the belly. If you look close to where the head and belly meet the bright area on the baby near the facing the top of the pic is the mouth and nose. Baby is lying on it's back looking up in this pic. |
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| This is a close up of the heart and heartbeat. |
I felt the baby move for the first time on 4/27/13, I was 18w4d. I'm definitely feeling it more often now but still not really strong or constant. I know it will come though.
I'm currently 20 weeks, halfway there! The baby is now the as long as a banana and is 6 1/2 inches long and 10 1/2 oz.
Now on to the belly pictures!
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| 16 Weeks |
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| 20 Weeks |
Sunday, February 10, 2013
6 Weeks! (1/29/13)
This week the baby is the size of pea. This week I had some sharp pains on my side and went to the ER. Thankfully everything was fine, and we got to see the baby and hear it's heartbeat. The heartbeat was 126bpm. I didn't get a picture this week, but there is no change in my appearance as of yet. The nausea has officially started, it comes and goes though.
Friday, January 25, 2013
5 Weeks (1/22/13)
This week Baby K is the size of an appleseed! I'm still feeling mild cramps, and a sore chest. I've started having to go to the bathroom more frequently, no nausea though! Everything seems to be going along well. I can't wait until we get to see what our little one looks like! I found a cute large cream colored teddy bear to take the baby's monthly pictures with. No change in my belly pic this week, but I'm going to continue to take them for documentation sake.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
4 Weeks! (1/15/13)
Today we found out our family is growing by 2 little feet! Baby K is the size of a poppy seed this week. I've been feeling ok overall, only a few waves of nausea and a sore chest. I've had some mild cramping that started at 3weeks along, which made me wonder what was going on in there. We had been doing the Natural Family Planning method and I had been taking my basal body temperature each morning before I got up. My temp didn't drop after ovulation as it usually did and just kept getting higher, which was unlike my usual cycles, so I started to suspect right away. I was supposed to "start" Monday and we decided to wait until Tuesday morning to test if I hadn't seen "Aunt Flo" by then. I ended up taking 3 different tests over a few days to "make sure". We are very excited and so are our families! We are due September 24th two days after our anniversary. I hope the baby doesn't come on our anniversary, just so it can have it's own day.
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| This is the official test we took Tuesday morning that told us Baby K was coming! |
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| I took this one Tuesday night. I was just curious to see if the second line would show up in the evening. It sure did! |
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| I took this test Sunday just because I was being neurotic and freaking out that something was wrong. The test line popped up even before the control line. |
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| Here is my 4 week belly shot. No difference yet. Please excuse my messy hair. It was the end of the day and we had been all over announcing the big news. |
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Goals for 2013!
I thought I'd share my goals for 2013. I'm sure I will think of more things to do but this is what I've come up with so far. Some of them are things that won't take much time and some are things that will be ongoing. I will try to update either monthly or quaterly on my progress.
- Read the Bible all the way through
- Create and stick to a cleaning schedule
- Start and continue couponing
- sew an apron
- compile and maintain a household notebook
- make vanilla extract
- make a pumpkin pie from a pumpkin
- make liquid soap
- switch to all or at least 90% homemade cleaners
- make a wreath
- make and use only homemade salad dressing
- get into a workout routine
- make bath salts
- make tortillas
- make a skirt
- do one pinterest activity per week
- make wedding photo books
- decorate for "each" holiday
- lose 10% of my body weight
Homemade Beeswax Lotion Update!
My skin has been so dry this winter. Well actually it is every winter, but I used the last of my homemade beeswax lotion and misplaced my beeswax in the move. I haven't had a chance to make a sugar scrub again and my skin has been suffering terribly. I finally ordered more beeswax online and it came in Wednesday. I received some essential oils for Christmas and also ordered more along with the wax. I made a new batch of lotion as soon as I opened my packages. In this batch I made it as directed in my original post and added a mix of lavender and tea tree essential oils to it, both are supposed to be very beneficial to your skin. I typically do not like lavender scented things but the lavender essential oil smells different and good, I think because it is more natural than the perfumy lavender. The tea tree oil is a kind of odd smell and pretty much covers up the lavender smell. I slathered it on the night I made it and, like every time I make it, I was amazed in the difference in my skin when I woke up the next day. Has anyone else tried it?
Monday, December 31, 2012
2012 Recap
Wow what a year of changes! Last year at this time I would never have dreamed I'd be where I am today, but I wouldn't change it for anything.
JANUARY
JANUARY
- Dumped by the 2nd guy I'd been talking to in two weeks.
- Decided I wasn't looking anymore.
- Concentrated on improving myself.
- Told by 3 different people to join Christian Mingle within a week or so.
- Saw Christian Mingle commercial and decided to give it a try, even though I was pretty sure it would be a waste of time.
- Met Andy the night I joined and instantly hit it off.
- We started dating the next week.
- Sprained my ankle when Andrew and I went to St. Louis to a Boyce Avenue Concert.
- Started My Fitness Pal
- Drank my last soda on April 9
- Lost my job at Robert Morris University
- Grandma's 80th Birthday Party
- Dog sitting Duke while Grandma had her Kidney Removed
- Started temporary job at Blue Cross Blue Sheild
- Got engaged!!!!!
- Quit working at Carthage Public Library
- Job at BCBS ended
- First Bridal shower. (Andrew's Family)
- Started working at Gem City Chiropractic
- Second bridal shower. (My family and friends)
- Third bridal shower (My church family)
- I turned 27! (the same age as my mom when she married my dad)
- Got MARRIED!!!
- Andy turns 32!
- Our First Thanksgiving as a couple.
- Our First Christmas as a couple
Friday, November 2, 2012
Halloween 2012
This year for Halloween Pogo was a giraffe. His favorite toy is a tiny yellow giraffe named "Jeffers", so when I saw the giraffe costume at Petco I had to buy it. It was a little big for him and he didn't like to wear the hood. When he had the hood on he couldn't see forward only down. We were in the kitchen and he had the hood down and ended up walking right into Andrew's leg. It was so funny. We laughed and laughed. Now on to the pictures.
Friday, October 12, 2012
A new blog name and an update!
Hi all! It has been so long since my last post! I will try to keep up better now that I'm MARRIED! Things are beginning to settle down and hopefully I'll be able to post more frequently. I'll try to upload some engagement photos soon and then eventually wedding photos. We are still trying to get all the wedding photos uploaded. Also I decided on The King Kronicles for the new blog name! Well I better get supper started.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
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