31 and 1/2 weeks

Another 4 weeks have flown by. This baby is getting big as you can see :). He/she is busy on most days but takes it easy every now and then which always worries me. However, soon enough he/she is moving all over again and mama is relieved. His/her heartbeat stays anywhere between 150-158 beats per minute when checked at my OB visits. Rowen was always in the low 160's- it is fun to compare.

The last few weeks have been pretty eventful. To make a very long story short basically my carpel tunnel got really bad for a few days which resulted in very high blood pressure (from being in pain and not sleeping hardly at all) at an OB appointment about 2 weeks ago now. I have had higher blood pressure readings throughout this pregnancy already and due to my past pregnancy complications (HELLP) my doctor decided it was best to do steroid injections at 30 weeks to help develop the babies lungs in case we have an early delivery again. Well, little did we know that the steroid injections for the baby would basically take away all of my carpel tunnel pain as well as any other discomfort I was having. And of course my blood pressure went way down. I felt like superwoman for about 4 days until the steroid in my system started to wear off. I took it easy though, don't worry!

Eric and I had researched the risks of cortisone injections during pregnancy before I even became pregnant with this baby just in case it got to this point and I needed pain relief. Through our research and talking to my OB we decided to go ahead and do it. I had cortisone shots in my wrists, right into the carpel tunnel, about a week ago. So far it is seeming to work miracles. I have had no pain and can sleep very comfortably now- something that was becoming more and more difficult over the last month or so. We are hoping that by keeping the pain at bay, allowing myself less stress and more rest, that I may be able to keep my blood pressure in a reasonable range and therefore stay pregnant as long as possible! It is very scary to think of having a pre-term baby again. We were so fortunate with Rowen. He was so healthy but we know that the story may not be exaclty the same this time. Of course, I can't control everything. I know that my body may do it's own thing and pre-eclampsia or HELLP could still occur but we are feeling really positive right now.

I am seeing my OB every week now, and have been for about the last 3 weeks. I have an ultra sound every 3 weeks until baby is born to watch baby's growth in case we have to deliver early. We had our first growth ultra sound about a week and 1/2 ago. Baby is in the 74% so certainly growing just fine. We are so grateful for this news. We weren't too concerned though as I am measuring a little ahead and you can just tell by looking at me that baby is a good size. My OB said that if baby continues to grow at this rate I could have a 8-8 1/2 pound full term baby! Wouldn't that be awesome! Compared to bringing home a 5 lb. 7 oz. baby who had a hard time nursing that sounds so big and healthy to us.

We have been working hard on the baby's room over the past few weeks. It was quite the process as we had to move our office into our gym. Eric built a desk and some shelves for the office/gym, we got rid of a few large pieces of furniture and tons of junk, then Eric painted the baby's room and then finally we started to decorate. It is turning out to be really cute. I will post pics once we have a few more things completed. My mom and I have been washing baby clothes, blankets, sheets, etc, etc over the last week. We cleaned and set up all the baby stuff- pack n play, co-sleeper, swing, vibrating seat. We cleaned the car seat and boppy covers, packed my hospital bag and the baby's diaper bag. There are just a few things left to do- get gifts ready to and from baby and Rowen, and continue to try to prepare ourselves and Rowen for our precious baby. As you can see we are prepared for an early delivery if that is what happens but if not then we are going to be able to enjoy the rest of the summer without any big baby projects ahead of us :).

Rowen and I have been spoiled by Grammy all summer long so far and I am sure it won't end any time soon. She takes such amazing care of us. She always makes sure Rowen gets to play hard and that I get to rest a ton. She makes us lunch on most days and dinner on many evenings. She takes me to appointments and watches Rowen when I need to go to an appointment alone or with Eric. We couldn't survive without her help right now. She is truly loved and admired by us all.

Still no definite baby names yet. I think we have decided on a boy name but I can't say for sure because we have changed our minds so many times. The girl name is proving to be very difficult for us. I think we have it down to 2 right now that we would both be happy with so only time will tell. We both still feel that this baby is a boy but over the last few weeks I have been a little more suspicious that maybe this is a girl- just maybe. I had a really funny dream the other night about delivery and just before I could figure out the gender I woke up. My mind is playing tricks on me! It is actually really fun to guess and think about. The surprise will be incredible.

We have some plans over the next few weeks to spend time together as a family- picnics in the park, swimming at the pool, Boulder Beach, Riverfront Park, etc. I am feeling like every week I stay pregnant and healthy is a huge gift at this point. It is amazing how situations like this one puts everything into perspective. Time with Rowen and Eric as well as feeling this baby move all he or she wants is all I want right now.