24 weeks and growing!!!

It's hugh, I can barely see my feet!!! I can not believe how much he and I have grown in the last few weeks. It is absolutely crazy. I'm learning that I'm going to be in big trouble in about a month and a half and on. It's already becoming a challange to get out of bed or out of the car. AND the belly already gets in the way of everything! I wouldn't change it for the world...especially if it means he is smart and I am dumb :)!!! I do want to thank God for making me all baby at this point ( I know it is liable to change). My hips and butt actually look a little small....this will probably be the only time I ever say that again ;)

Until next time....
With love,
Nicole and Dean

Way to go PANCREAS!!!

I need not work the night of and the follow two after my doctors appoinments..it causes a late blog. First off, I'm VIABLE!! 24 weeks is considered viable, meaning the baby has a chance (one I don't want to take) and the neonatologists will attempt to sustain life if delivered. Even though it is a hugh milestone in pregnancy, it's not one you want to tempt fate with. Babies this early have a very slip chance of a living a normal healthy life, if they even live at all.
Everything went well at the appointment. I had my 1hour glucola for the gestational diabetes, and everything came back normal!! YAY!!!!! For all you mom's to be or people who know mom's to be, to me, the drink is not as bad as everyone says. The hardest part is having to drink it in 5min....on an empty stomach :(. I'd like to give kudos to my pancrease for providing the insulin I need to enjoy my sweet tooth cravings!!
On the not so good side, I gained 6 pounds in 3 weeks. I imagine it was all the food we ate when Grandma and Grandpa Fassl were here, and all the sweets I craved the week before my appointment (just incase I was diabetic and wouldn't be allowed to eat it anymore:) ). I know I'm supposed to gain weight, but 6 pounds in 3 weeks was a little shocking, considering I have only gained 6 pounds since becoming pregnant. The nurse did tell me that this appointment or the next one at 28 weeks is usually the time where you see a big weight gain..Lord I hope I don't gain another 6 pounds...I'll be huge by the end of the pregnancy.
The baby's heartrate was 159 beats per minute and strong. Dr Lyman measured my stomach, to make sure he was growing properly. The measurement should me right around the number of weeks gestation you are. Since I'm 24 weeks, it should measure 24cm. Well it was right on. Dr Lyman says "He's a smart baby, he is the exact size he should be." I responded with "He better be smart because he is sucking everything out of me." I didn't realize pregnancy can make you so ditzy and forgetfull and clueless sometimes.
I go back in 4 weeks when I'm 28 weeks. I probably won't wait that long to post pictures of the growing belly, because it is growing like crazy now. Plus it is time to start getting the nursery together, so I will be taking lots of pictures of the transformation!!
Until next time..
With love,
Nicole and Dean

Calling all "hands on the belly" lovers

It's probably pretty normal, but I feel like I have a gymnast, karate master, swimmer, soccer player, aerobics instructer, and yoga instructer in my stomache! This child is off the chain (I guess he gets that from me). He is finally doing all his moves hard enough for everyone to feel, you have to be quick though. Dean finally felt him last week (thank god. I think he was starting to get a complex..plus I was probably driving him crazy b/c I kept saying come here, he is kicking). He had his hand on my stomach and all of a sudden, you would have thought Dean saw a ghost:). His mouth dropped and eyes wide open. He goes "I felt him". It was priceless!!

I included yoga instructer to the list b/c I can feel him stretching and turning in all kinds of weird positions. The other night, I was laying on the couch and all of a sudden I felt this really weird sensation..I looked down and there he was, all on my right side...the left side of my stomach was practically flat. It was the craziest looking thing. I'm loving it (most of the time, sometimes it hurts)!!

Not much else going on. I feel pretty good! I have my next doctors appoinment on Monday. I'm not really excited about getting on the scale..I'm sure I gained 5lbs with all the food we ate last week when Grandma and Grandpa Fassl were here!! Plus, I have been craving sweets this week...kinda weird, b/c I really haven't been having too many cravings. I will let you know how it goes, and of course post a picture!

Until next time...

With Love,

Nicole and Dean

Dean's in for a rude awakening!!!

Dean really has no clue what we are about to get into...I may not either for that fact, but especially Dean. We were at walmart the other day and I had a coupon for diapers (it was about to expire), so I told Dean lets go ahead and get some. He couldn't understand why I would want to buy diapers when I'm only 5 months. I told him if we buy some here and there, especially if we have a coupon, it would help out for when he comes. Again, he couldn't understand why..he says "how many diapers are we going to go through? Like 4 a day, right" He has NO IDEA...He may change 4 a day (if I'm lucky) and I may change 4 and yia yia may change 4 and.... For anyone who would like to give Dean a little friendly advice (I'll take it too), please do!!
Until next time..
With love,
Nicole

21 weeks and getting bigger!!!

Sorry it has been a while since my last blog. I have been busy getting back into the swing of work after being off for a week. I went to the doctor last monday and got a pretty good bill of health. He increased my daily medication to every 6 hours instead of every 8 ( this is the medication to calm down the contractions) and added a weekly shot of progesterone. The progesterone will also help with contractions..after all, it's the hormone of pregnacny!! They also measured my cervix and it's within normal limits...thank goodness. I go back in 3 weeks (from the last appointment), I will be 24 weeks...yay VIABILITY!!!! This is the appointment they check for gestational diabetes by doing a test called 1 hour glucola. I have to drink this really thick orange sugary drink and then they will draw my blood an hour later. Hopefully, my body will produce enough insulin to handle all that glucose. If it doesn't, I will have to do a repeat test called a 3 hour glucola. I will update you on how delicious/gross the drink is and the results after the next appoinment!

Well, here's my next belly picture...21 weeks and 3 days. I got a lot of responses from my last picture about not looking as big in person as I did in the picture. So, I'm not really sure what you guys will think about this one. I almost think I look smaller in this picture than the last...who knows, maybe it's the angle. Regardless, I'm growing and enjoying it!



Grandma and Grandpa Fassl are coming to visit on Monday for the week, I'm really excited. We'll take lots of pictures (maybe I can even get a few of daddy in them) and I'll update you on the week.

Until next time....
With Love,
Nicole and Dean

PS. for everyone who is wondering, no names yet! We'll let you know!

I figured it out, thanks to Uncle Jeff!!

Yay!!!! As it turns out, I have been uploading the picture right for a while...my computer just sucks. None the less, here's my big belly (althought, everyone says I'm small). This picture was taken the same day as my doctors appointment for my ultrasound. In it, I'm 18 weeks and 3 day...as of today I'm 20 weeks and 2 days. We'll continue to take pictures before all doctors appointments, and now that I know what I'm doing, I'll post them on time.

I want to thank all of you for your prayers and concerns in response to our trip to L&D. I probably didn't make it clear in the blog that everything is OK. Lord knows if it wasn't ok I wouldn't just put it in a blog. I'll try to be a little more.......can't think of the word....next time!

Until next time...

With love,

Nicole and Dean

20wks and a trip 2 LD

So, on Sunday I just wasn't feeling "good", but I wasn't really sure what was wrong. Since Saturday night I couldn't stop going to the bathroom and all day on Sunday. It was like every 15-30 minutes (obnoxious). Not only that, but I felt like the baby kept balling up in my side. You would think as a L&D nurse I would know what that ment. Anyway, a little while later it went away, so I thought nothing of it. Later on that night, it all started over. This time, it wasn't just the baby balling up in one side...it was my whole stomach. I thought, surely it couldn't be contractions....I'm only 20 weeks. It was about 1:00am. I called up at work and talked to one of my coworkers, who happened to be pregnant. She too started contracting at 21 weeks. We talked for about a half hour and she finally convinced me to call the doctor. Wasn't really wanting to do that because it was 1:40 in the morning by this point and we just thought it was a UTI. Well, I broke down and called him (thank god it was my doctor). He too initially thought it was a UTI ( which can cause contractions (ctx)) and was getting ready to call in a script. Well, I happened to have another ctx while on the phone with him, he decided I needed to just go into the hospital. So, 2:15 in the morning I was on the way to Richland...as a patient. What a whole new perspective of L&D. It was the normal routine as if I was working, only I was in the bed...getting everything done to me. Turns out, I was indeed ctxing...but no UTI. The baby was very active and his heartrate was in the 150's, thank goodness something positive! After a whole bag of IV fluids and some medication that makes you feel like you want to climb the wall, the ctxs went away. After all that, my doctor showed up, did his little thing, and sent me home with 3 scripts. Good news is, my cervix was closed!! That was the best news I heard all night. Oh yeah, he also put me on bedrest for the rest of the week. Which means no work for me until Saturday. Holy crap, what am I going to do???? I guess I will just take advantage of it. I just continue to pray to God everyday and thank him today that everything was OK!!
I still can't figure out how to upload pictures. I have a great picture of my belly from when I was 18 weeks. Just tried again and I can't figure it out. If anyonw knows how, Please let me know.
Until next time...
With love,
Nicole and Dean