Christmas 2011

We are going to have a very, very quiet Chirstmas this year.  I have been in the hospital for most of this week.  Of course my blood pressure was high when I went to the Dr earlier this week so she sent me to the hospital for testing and ended up keeping me for 2 days longer than I had planned.  It was not fun but it was for a good cause.  But my time baking my little guy is almost up, I am officially being induced on Wednesday December 28, 2011.  We are excited and ready for this to all be over.  Hopefully Henry and I will both be 100% healthy after delivery and this journey will be over.  So this weekend we are not doing anything.  We actually have to go to the hospital on Christmas morning for a sono one last time to make sure Henry is still doing well.  My mom flies in on Monday so she will be here to help clean the house one last time and get last minute things prepared.  We are going to wait and have our BIG Christmas meal once we get home from the hospital. It will be our Christmas and Celebration meal!!!!!!  I will update the blog with pictures as soon as I have time.

Cousin LOVE

I don't have very many cousins BUT I do have one that I not only consider my cousin but one of my BFF's. I have NOT always thought of her this way though. 

Maybe one time I gave her concussion.  Truth is she probably deserved it!!!!!

If you know us, you know that we really aren't anything alike.  Ashlee is more into organic, homemade things and likes to live in foreign lands.  I on the other hand am not crafty and would prefer to live close to family more than anything(although that is currently not the case)

Ashlee is turning a BIG 32 years old today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This will be the first year that we haven't celebrated Christmas together in a while.  Although I am still unsure why her and her dad are not coming to visit me.  That's a whole other post.  Anyways HAPPY BIRTHDAY ACG, I hope you have a wonderful day and have a wonderful year.  You deserve it!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Please come visit The Van Bakel's, Andy would LOVE for you to come see him and his son!!!!!!  We LOVE you!!!!!!

Baby Henry update and my BIG brothers birthday

Well Baby Henry will NOT be making his entrance to the world this week.  I went to my regular appointment on Tuesday and had my blood drawn.  My Dr. mentioned that if my platelets came back bad that she would be inducing possibly this week and that Henry would likely have to stay in the hospital longer than me because my pediatrician does not like to send babies home younger than 36 weeks.  Well of course this kind of sent me in a panic but thankfully by the time I go back for my normal appointment Henry will be 36 weeks.  I still have my regular sono tomorrow but thankfully its just at the clinic versus going to the hospital.  I am determined to not return back to the hospital until it is time to deliver.  From the point this all started my Dr was set on me delivering at 34 weeks and I was set in my way with 36 weeks.  Well next week is the 36th week.  Will it happen???????????????????????  I want to say that I am ready but really are you ever truely ready?!?!?!?  I still have my good and bad days.  The bad days are really just not feeling good, I am at that uncomfortable stage.  My legs ache, my back hurts and maybe I'm having contractions, I don't know.  But all in all we(Henry and I) are doing PERFECT.

More exciting news..........................................  My Amazing,  and Wonderful Big Brother is having his 38 birthday today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is a little under the weather today but nothing that he can't handle.  I hope that he has an amazing day and can't wait for him to meet his first nephew but very grateful that they are not going to be sharing the same birthday.  He is an amazing father and your 3 adorable kids look up to you and LOVE you more than you will ever know.  You are such a wonderful example to all of your students and players. 

Happy Birthday Ryan Alan!!!!!!!!!!

31,32,33,34 Weeks

So maybe there were a few weeks of pictures skipped since I was not really up for getting dressed!!!!!!

Don't think my belly can get any bigger!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Size of baby: 12.75 inches and about 5 pounds

Gender: A BOY!!!!!!

 

Maternity Clothes: Yes

Weight gain: who knows or cares at this point!!!!!!

Movement: He is very active.  He loves to get up and dance when it is time to go to bed!!!!

 

 

Sleep: I must be preparing for parenthood because I cannot sleep at normal times.  Andrew is ready to go to bed and I am ready to party.  I don't sleep all day so I don't know what is going on.

Symptoms: Heart burn still although it has gotten better since starting medication.  Henry is running out of room so things are getting more and more uncomfortable.

Cravings: I can eat anything but still love blueberries.  I would LOVE some juice but the acid is just too much for me!!!!

 

Best moment this week:  Making it past the 34 week mark.  Making it past this point is huge.  My Dr swore I would be delivering this week.  I LOVE knowing that he is getting stronger and stronger by staying in longer. 

30 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 weeks

Size of baby: 10.75 inches and about 3 pounds

Gender: A boy

Maternity Clothes: Yes

Weight gain: around  21 pounds, if I was guessing

Movement: Moving more and more and daddy gets to feel it more and more!!!!!!

Sleep: I am getting more and more uncomfortable and having to get up more to use the bathroom

 

Symptoms: Passed my gestational diabetes test but this is when all of the excitement began. 

Cravings: I just pretty much can eat anything at anytime.

 

Best moment this week:  Knowing that my Dr is taking good care of me and Henry and watching us very closely.  Yes, not really a great moment but at least I know we are being taken care of.

29 Weeks

Better late than never, Right????????????????????????????????

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 29 weeks

Size of baby:  10.5  inches and about 2.75 pounds

Gender: A BOY!!! Henry Joseph Van Bakel

Maternity Clothes: Yes

Weight gain: ????????

Movement: I feel him more and more everyday and love it!!!!!!!

Sleep: I am still being able to sleep pretty good. 

Symptoms: Nothing really to complain about. 

Cravings: I am just hungry all the time!!

Best moment this week: Being able to hear his heartbeat.  I love hearing that he is doing Great!!!!!!

For my record

I want to be able to remember these major steps in this pregnancy so this post is mainly just for my memory.  In we ever decide to do this again I want to be able to look back and say what took place when.

It all started..........................................................

November 1- I had my glucose test scheduled.  I went in and had my blood pressure taken and the nurse said it was kind of high.  We proceeded with the glucose test and I waited the hour and saw my Dr in between the hour.  She took my BP again and we discussed my heart burn and swelling.  She stated that it might not be heart burn and might be my kidneys/liver due to preeclampsia.  So she sent me to the hospital to be hooked up to a monitor to look at Henry and have my blood work done and be able to get the results immediately.  Everything checked out so we were sent home but I had to do a 24 hour urine. 

Novemeber 11- I was scheduled for a biophysical profile(in depth sono) and non-stress test as well as a regular appointment.  Henry does well on his BPP and NST.  BUT the we saw the Dr and she said that my urine was not good and the bed rest was officially starting. And I was talked to about going into the hospital for steroid shots to help Henry's lungs.   Thankfully my parents were with me at this appointment.  But sadly BD was not there which was not fun!!!!!  I was sent home for the weekend but told to do another 24 hour urine.

November 14- My mom was suppose to be going home this day but stayed in case I had to go into the hospital. I had to turn in my urine and thankfully BD came home from his trip.

November 15- I went in for my now weekly appointment and was told that I needed to go to the hospital for steroids.  Mom and I went home and packed our bags and headed that way.  I spent Tue- Thur in the hospital.  I got my first dose of steroids at 5:30pm on Tue and then my last dose on Wed at 5:30pm and then was discharged Thur morning.  I had another BPP while in the hospital and Henry was not really cooperating so we had to schedule another one for Sat.

November 19- I went to the hospital to have another BPP and Henry did great so we were sent home.

November 20- My mom went back to TX!!!!!!!

November 22- I went back for my weekly appointment with my Dr. and everything was ok.

Novemeber 25- I went to the hospital for my BPP because my clinic was only opened half a day.  Henry did great so back home we went!!!!

November 29- Weekly appointment again, everything fine!!!!!

December 2- Weekly BPP and again Henry is a superstar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 6- Weekly appointment, sent home.

December 8- I got a call from my Dr that my platelets are dropping and instead of her office for BPP I need to go to hospital so I can get blood work done. 

December 9- I get BPP done at hospital and Henry passes in less time than he ever has and my platelets have dropped but nothing too major.  My Dr wants me to have blood work done again on Sun.

December 11- I go to hospital and have blood drawn.  My platelets increase by one.  I am sent home and told to keep weekly appointment on Tue.

December 12- I am doing 24 hour urine AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And have my regular appointment tomorrow!!!

Still Hanging In There

Still on bedrest.  I officially start my 6th week tomorrow.  Like I have said from the beginning this has been the hardest week and it was that for sure.  I went to my weekly appointment on Tuesday with everything looking great or so I thought.  Thursday I got a call from my Dr's office stating that my blood work looked stable.  Not even 3 minutes later my phone rang again and it was my Dr and she stated that my paltelets were dropping and instead of going to her office on Friday for my sono that I needed to go the hospital so I could have blood drawn and get the results in an hour.  So Friday I go to the hospital and have the test run and am told that my platelets are still dropping but nothing too major at this point and to just make my regular scheduled appointment on Tuesday.  But wait, while the nurse is telling me this my Dr calls back and decides I need to come back on Sunday for blood work to make sure I'm still ok.  So it was a long 2 days wondering if we would be having a baby today.  Well good news of the week we are happily sitting at home.  We went this morning and had my blood work done and got to hear Henry's heartbeat and him have an episode of the hickups.  Thankfully my platelets came back 1 point better than they were on Friday.  Not sure how that happend but just thankful it did.  So here we are back at home just hoping to keep Henry baking as long as possible.  I go back on Tuesday for more blood work and have to turn in a 24 hour urine.  These test always make me super nervous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Have I mentioned how much fun being pregnant is?!?!?!?!?!?  And how often I have the thoughts of how will I ever do this again?  Lets get serious I am only getting older and that just increases your chances of problems. How could I have any more than I have already had.  I have a feeling Henry will be here before the first of the year due to my health.  I am kind of okay with this because it has been one HELL of a year with my health.  I am beyond blessed to have this little guy in our lives and know that we were given this experience to make us stronger.  Although it is hard to understand now I know that one day we will look back at this and laugh, especially after I have a few drinks!!!!!!!!!!!

We have had a good weekend of pretty much doing nothing. Well I did nothing and BD did stuff.  Yesterday he cleaned our bathroom like it has never been cleaned before.  We watched Hangover 2 which we both really liked and I really needed.  Unfortunately BD ordered some War movies a while back and got them on Friday so he has been watching them throughout the weekend and WOW they are Boring.  But regardless it was a good weekend and could be our last childless weekend!!!!!!!

Dr Update

I had my weekly appointment yesterday and again it went well.  Me and Henry both look lots better than we did 4 weeks ago.  The week that my Dr had discussed inducing me she just happens to be off so we discussed that we would make the final decision next week after I have a few more tests done.  I am continuing to have anxiety one day and not the next about having him.  I have read over and over that having Henry at 37 weeks is actually full term.  I think the main problem I am having is that I never thought I would be experiencing any of this to begin with.  I had planned on working up until the minute or day that I went into labor.  But wow I have been surprised.  Granted at this point I don't think I would change anything because my Dr was very truthful yesterday and said that things were pretty scary for a few days.  She said she thought I would have had him by now from how everything looked a few weeks ago.  She said everything would have been fine, Henry would have just been a lot smaller and fragile than I would have liked.  I have made it to 34 weeks and am very excited about that.  Things are starting to get a lot more uncomfortable.  Sleeping and getting up from sitting are not the easiest things.  I don't sleep much at night due to having to use the bathroom over and over.  Don't get me wrong I am not complaining.  I know that this has happend to us because we can handle it.  This whole pregnancy experience has been such an emotional ride.  Whoever says that pregnancy is wonderful is very lucky and should be thankful that they had an easy time. 

BD has been amazing during this whole bed rest thing.  He does periodically complain about having to do the dishes and making his lunch for the next day but for the most part he has been surviving.  I do think he is ready for it to be over.  I think he is kind of nervous about the whole hospital experience too because he does not like hopsitals.  I am kind of glad that we have had to spend some time there to kind of prepare him.
Funny story about BD:  On black Friday we had to go to the hospital for my weekly sono bacuase the clinic couldn't get me in.  We had to be there bright and early and got there a little early so we had to wait in the family waiting room.  Well there was 2 sets of grandparents to be there waiting for their grandchild to arrive.  Of course they were busy texting and calling every and anyone they knew.  Knowing BD you know this drove BD crazy.  We discussed that we will not have an audience and that it could possibly just be me and him.  Of course this made him very happy.  When we left the waiting room he said that is just ridiculous.  So  don't be surprised if we have Henry and you don't hear from us for days, just know it's all his doing and not mine. 

The Babies for Now

Here is some new pictures of the babies of our family.  They only have a few weeks longer on their throne.  I hope they are ready to welcome our guy into the family!!!!!!!

Cal at Grandma and Grandad's for Thanksgiving!!!!

Cole and Crim at Thanksgiving!!!

Ryan and his kids in Wichita Falls for a basketball tournament

Crimson being a BIG girl at the hotel

Crim on her first Bus ride.

Coleman and Santa

Calaway and Santa

Thanksgiving Morning

Crimson at a friends birthday party!!!!!

It's the Little Things

Who would have ever thought that having a baby and of course being on bedrest would make me have such a different perspective of life.  Who would have ever thought that you could be so bored while being on bedrest.  I am officially starting my 4th week today and it is getting harder and harder.  But to help my attitude better I did just do some research on Preeclampsia and about the only way the ensure that Henry and I both stay healthy is to do NOTHING!!!!  So nothing is what I will do.  During the week I seem to do absolutely nothing and on the weekends I probably do a little more but nothing too much.  This weekend I did get to get out and go to Target.  But to say it was fun would be a lie.  BD was not so sure about me driving a cart and did NOT let me look around at all.  We literally got what we went for and that was it.  It was a very short trip and not as exciting as I had planned on it being.  From what I could tell they had gotten some really cute new clothes in but that's all I could tell as we zoomed by.  The rest of the weekend was really good though.  On the way home from Target we stopped by RedBox and rented Bridesmaids.  It was cute but not near as funny as we had thought it would be.  Then on Sunday we watched football and ate pizza.  I also got to bake a chocolate cake.  I have been craving chocolate cake for weeks and BD would not let me bake one.  Well yesterday we made a deal and I finally got my cake.  It is delicious.  I am not usually a chocolate person so I am blaming it all on Henry. 

Tomorrow is another Dr's appointment.  I hoping my appointments continue to go well so we can deliver our baby boy the week after Christmas.  Everyone say a prayer for us!!!!!!

December

I cannot believe that it is December!!!!!!!!!!!!  I guess that's what happens when you spend most of November laying around. 

We had a Dr's appointment on Tuesday and things went great.  She actually could not believe that I looked as good as I did.  She said she was very convinced that I would be having a baby next week from how bad I looked when this all began.  I told her from the beginning that I was NOT delivering him before 36 weeks and as of right now that is going to happen.  As of right now we are going to induce at 37 weeks.  I am hoping that this will be December 27 so that Henry's grandma can make it.  And that way she gets to spend Christmas with my dad and brothers family.  It is crazy to think that it is only 4 weeks away.  I think we are ready.  Last night we checked Henry's bag to make sure we had everything that we think we need and of course my bag is packed, his dad's bag is another story!!!!!  I talked with the lady that is making his bedding and it should be done before Christmas so hopefully my mom can bring that with her when she comes.  His last decoration for his room came in late last night so his dad will get to hang that up this weekend. 

BD of course has an estate sale this weekend that he is going to.  We had made a deal that he would let me go to Target this weekend as long as I would ride in a cart.  Well of course I agreed but then last night he said that if it snowed I couldn't go anywhere.  Well of course it snowed last night, not really snow but a dusting so I can't wait for him to get home and find out if I get to go or not.  I sure hope I get too.  There is nothing we need its just a trip to get me out of the house besides for a Dr appointment. 

I have weekly sono's on Friday's.  I am praying that everything continues to look good and I get to carry this little guy as long as I can!!!!!  As much as we can't wait to meet him we want him to be a healthy little guy!!!!!  This sure has been an adventure we never expected!!!!!!!!!