The State of the {my} Uterus

Sorry it has been cricket-quiet over here.

Let's be honest.

I am not up for doing much these days.

I am out of pizazz.

With the summer heat and intense humidity, my feet have swollen to the size of boats, and I feel like I only get about 2 hours of sleep a night.

But!

Things are moving along, and I don't expect to be pregnant much longer than a week and a half, tops!

We headed to the doctor this morning for not only a routine check-up but also for my regular non-stress test with a nice little growth scan of baby, kind of like a cherry on top of a melting, sticky ice cream obstetric sundae.

Here are the results from today's appointment:

-I am 37 weeks 3 days

-Baby is measuring a week behind but still hanging strong in the 40th percentile, so no worries there.

-Weight estimation of 6 pounds 4 ounces {which was a HUGE relief since I haven't gained weight since about week 33 or 34}...Kemry was only 6lbs 13oz, so I won't have to give birth to a bigger second baby.

-Baby is low. Like LOOOOOOOW. I feel like he might fall out any minute.

-I am measuring at a generous 1 cm, compared to last week where I was almost at a 1.

-75% effaced

-My doctor says I am a prime candidate to be induced at 39 weeks if I want. And HECK YES. I am all over that business. Get this baby OOOOOOOOUT!

-I don't think I will even make it to 39 weeks, however. Today is day 2 of timing contractions 20-30 minutes apart with intense back pain/uterine cramping in between. I think my doctor is skeptical I will make it to 39, too, as she politely informed me {with a smile and wink} that she is on call Tuesday night.

So, there you have it.

Hopefully the next post is a baby announcement!
In the mean time, tell me how in the world to deal with this back labor.
I feel like I have been hit by a truck and pulled through the streets.
Lame-o.

two really great things happened yesterday

Two.

Two really great things.

In one day.

Amazing.

Really Great Thing #1:

 Creme.
Brulee.

Donut.

Maybe the most amazing donut idea EVER?

We grabbed it from Mojo Monkey Donuts, and I am happy to report that we were sufficiently pleased.

We will be taking all who visit us there {mainly just because I really want more}.

It was almost better than really great thing number 2.

Really Great Thing #2:

Baby update, thank goodness!

Long story short:

Yes, the baby unfortunately has a congenital heart defect.

No, it isn't something that we have to be too worried about.

 Short story long:

Everything seemed fine at the appointment, until the Cardiologist walked in, of course.

She had been briefed by the ultrasound tech and shown some images from that morning's scan before she came in.

And the first thing she said was, "Do either of you have a family history of heart defects, particularly that of the aortic valve?"

We say no but immediately start sweating bullets.

She knows something is wrong, doesn't she?

They start scanning my belly again, chatting with all their medical terms.

The only other thing she asks us is, "Where are you delivering this baby?"

That got us even more nervous.

After about 5 more minutes of looking at the baby, the cardiologist turns and finally smiles.

She tells us that baby has bicuspid aortic valve, which is the most common heart abnormailty.

About 2% of the population is born with it, and most don't even know they have it.

Yes, it can be serious, but most of the time it isn't.

And it happens a lot more in males than females.

And since we already have defects with the umbilical cord and kidneys, it isn't a surprising thing to have something like this happen {since all three develop at the same time}.

They will continue with my normal bazillion check-up appointments {along with genetic counseling to make a game-plan for once he gets here} and will have to do a quick scan on the baby once he is born to make sure there isn't anything else that draws worry.

Then, he will either grow into having the defect or will just have to be monitored by regular doctors visits.

And maybe have heart surgery, but hopefully when he is 40 and off our insurance ;)

So, in summary, we have a baby with a too-small umbilical cord, funky kidneys, a crazy little heart and a tiny belly.

And he should be just perfect :)

We still have to watch his weight and growth, which is the next big concern, so I will be loading up on Big Macs and french fries, hoping he gains just a little more pudge by the time we go back in three weeks.

Bad for my waistline, but good for the baby?

Maybe? 

Who knows.

But I will look for any excuse to eat french fries.

And now here are some pictures to make your rainy, drizzly day a little better, compliments of Kemry...

{and if you have sunshine in your sky, don't even say a word...we haven't seen the sun in a week...}

{My favorite, by the way...}

PS: Am I the only one that still thinks Photo Booth is hillarious?

Even after all these years?

a few thoughts on this pregnancy {a mini-baby update}

They say every pregnancy is different.

And I fully believe that to be true.

 This pregnancy is 100% more difficult on my body, my emotions, and my spirit.

Of the bazillion appointments we have gone to, we have only left a handful feeling great.

All the rest have brought bad news or more little reasons to worry.

We went back to the specialist today for our second level 2 ultrasound.

Overall, baby boy is measuring a week ahead, which we were thrilled about!

He looked adorable and is so so so active.

The second kidney is still not where it should be but also doesn't really look like it is fully in his pelvis, and it seems to be functioning fine.

But, alas, his stomach is only measuring in the 15th percentile.
While they don't start to worry about lack of growth until they sink under the 10th percentile mark, we were sure hoping he wouldn't be riding that close to the line.
I don't mind being induced, but we at least want to make it to 34 weeks if we can...?
 

And then there is the whole heart drama.

It is bigger than normal?

I think?

I am so lost in medical terms and doctors trying to not freak us out to remember exactly what is wrong each time we go in.

So, alas, there might be a heart defect?

Maybe there is nothing wrong?

Regardless, we get to go to ANOTHER specialist for a fetal echocardiogram.

And I am so dreading it.

 What if there is something wrong?

What if it is serious?

What if it is nothing and we have been stressing over a simple anomaly?

The doctor today didn't really seem too concerned about anything, but it seems like no one has been "too concerned" about anything this whole time, and yet we still keep finding hiccups.

Along with all the crazy emotions that go along with this insane mess of a pregnancy, I am physically exhausted.

Kemry is so active {bless her heart}, and her terrible twos have hit full force.

My hemoglobin levels are low as well, so I get to pop iron supplements.

I have at least 19 more doctors appointments to go to in these next 12 weeks.

My hips hurt, my back hurts, my ribs hurt, my head hurts.

I have never felt so miserable in my whole life.

And yet, I also feel so blessed.

We prayed and prayed and prayed for the chance to have this little guy.

Sure, the stress is through the roof, but we are still so tickled that we get to have a newborn all over again.

We are already so in love with this dude, regardless of whether he has a heart defect, a genetic disorder, silly kidneys, or big feet like his daddy.

Maybe we won't be able to get pregnant again.

Maybe we will choose to not get pregnant again.

Maybe we will have a few more kids.

But since we don't know, we are counting our blessings because they sure are huge.

And we are pretty grateful for that.

----------------------------------------------------------

{And since this was a yucky sad pity-party, here is a look at what is going on around here in regards to our two year old who always seems to be covered from head to toe with dirt by the end of the night.}

Not pictured:

The one million squirrels that have come to stop by daily.

Seriously.

One. Million.

goodbye april, hello may

Phew.

Are you as relieved as I am that tomorrow is May 1st?

April flew by, but that didn't mean it wasn't stressful, snowy, and not my favorite month of the year.

But then I check the weather for the week and realize our beautiful 70 degree bliss will be turning back to 40 degree torture {with the chance of snow Friday?????}, which leaves me completely unmotivated to do anything productive.
We did hit up the park last week.
Kemry was terrified of everything and needed a constant chaperone on every piece of equipment, no matter how inflexible said chaperone's muscles were.

We just got back from a super quick trip down to South Dakota to celebrate my dad's birthday {while throwing in my mom's and Tyrel's as well}.

We had such a great time, but Kemry had a REALLY great time.

As in Grandma-and-Grandpa-put-a-toddler-swing-on-their-deck-just-for-her great time.

She only came off that swing to go play in her little playhouse in the grass or to go to bed {unwillingly}.

We soaked up as much good weather as we could handle, knowing we had another icky week coming at us.

In other unrelated news, I am T-Minus 15 weeks from my due date, so we are heading into full-blown baby mode.

Hospital tours, onesie washing, bottle sanitizing craziness.

And this belly is out of control.

My belly button might even pop out with this one.

Send good belly button vibes my way.

this is what relief feels like: a baby update

We have been a little on the quiet side over here.

Not much chit and chat about what curve balls and blessings life has thrown at us.

So here is an update, just for you, all of my favorite people!

Just over a week ago, we went in for our much anticipated ultrasound to find out the baby's gender and to make sure things are growing the way they should.

We found out we were having a boy, and we were over the moon!

After the ultrasound, I had an appointment to meet with my doctor for just the routine stuff.

She seemed happy and talked about all the great things from the ultrasound {good heartbeat, good shot of the "manhood", measuring well, etc}.

"Everything looks great..."

But then she slipped in this word:

"except..."

In true Tyrel and Vandy Murri fashion, nothing comes terribly easy for us {which we are not complaining about...there are just always big hiccups when we are on the path to a big life event. We had big hiccups with getting married {had to postpone for surgery}, grad school {lots of rejection almost two years in a row}, home buying {goodness, lets not talk about that one}}.

And for my baby-making tally-sheet:

-With Kemry, we had a great pregnancy, but she ended up in the NICU after birth.

-We lost our second baby after a minor round of secondary infertility.

-And with this little boy, we had a single umbilical artery.

In a nutshell, instead of three vessels in the umbilical cord, there are two.

Usually, there is no problem with it, so normally we wouldn't sweat it.

If there is a problem, it usually manifests in the kidneys and the heart.

And, just our luck, they could only find one kidney and couldn't measure the outflows on the heart.

My doctor downplayed it, telling me not to worry, but she did set up a level 2 ultrasound with a specialist, just to be sure.

So, for the past week, we have been stressing out a little.

Babies are born all the time with one kidney.

No big deal.
But the heart?

What if there was something wrong with the heart?

I was a mess.

 Fast forward to today, where we sat super anxiously in the perinatal office, getting ready for 90 minutes of in-depth ultrasound work.

Right away, she confirmed that there was no kidney where one should be on the left side.

Oh, but wait.

There it was.

Tucked in the pelvis.

Functioning and just fine.

{Just not where it should be}.

Baby boy looked adorable, had all his fingers and toes, no cleft lip, and was proudly waving his man-parts for us to see.

She then started to look at the heart, which we knew would take up most of the ultrasound.

But she kept making comments like, 

"I'm just not seeing what I need to see."

"It should be right in here...."

"Hmm. This part right here is confusing me."

Tyrel and I got exceptionally nervous at that point.

And then the doctor came in to give us our results.

-Two kidneys, although the silly one might cause more frequent UTIs/bladder infections/kidney infections {and there is a double collecting system in there, too, just upping those risks as well}.

-Confirmed single uterine artery

-NO heart defects.

NO HEART DEFECTS.

Cue huge sigh of relief.

There is some increased thickness to the muscle in one chamber, which could raise the chances of Down Syndrome by 1.5%, but since I am a very low risk for Down Syndrome, she said it shouldn't be a concern.

It won't affect our little champ at all.

So, while he isn't perfect, a few quirks that shouldn't affect the pregnancy or how he lives his life are the worst from today.

We will gladly take 3 tiny abnormalities over a heart problem.

As for the single uterine artery, we now just have to monitor his growth to make sure he keeps adding on the pounds. 

He was measuring a day over now in growth, so we are not worried about it.

I will have these same level 2 ultrasounds at 28 weeks, 34 weeks, and have a quick profile and non-stress test every week from number 32 until baby boy makes his amazing appearance into the world.

Earlier in the pregnancy, we had a little complication with my placenta lying low, which could cause very serious problems toward the end of preganacy/delivery.

We found out that that corrected itself, too.

No {planned} c-sections for this girl ;)

We are so very lucky and feel so very blessed.

It has just been a reminder that although things don't always work out how they "should," they usually work out regardless.

And thanks to you guys, too.

Many of you sensed something was wrong and reached out to us right away.

Y'all are keepers.

Seriously.

it's a...

boy or girl?

Tomorrow is the day! 

What will we be having?

Boy?

Girl?

Narwhal?

I think we are pretty neutral at this point.

First, we thought girl, but then Tyrel's dad said boy, and he has been 100% on the dot for 9 kids. 

Now we just don't know!

If this gives you any help in your guess, here are what the Old Wives Tales say:

We are terribly excited and still feel overwhelmingly blessed.

I'll be back to post what the results are, but due to some unexpected events, I may have to jet back to South Dakota for the week to take care of some other business.

So hold on tight!

We will be back!!

Aww gee.

You guys are all so sweet.

Do you know that?

You truly are :)

Thanks  for all the kind and excited comments in regards to our exciting announcement!

It should come as no surprise to you that we are beyond thrilled and feel so blessed.

So, here is all the stuff you want to know:

-We are just over 17 weeks along. It was super hard to contain our excitement at first, but we knew we also wanted to protect our hearts a little just in case things worked out like they did last time.

--We found out we were pregnant almost 1 year to-the-day since we started trying. It has certainly been the most difficult year of my life, but we have learned so much and are so thankful for the lessons we have been taught. There may or may not have been lots of crying when  I saw that positive pregnancy test.

--The morning sickness was BRUTAL. It wasn't horrible with Kemry, so I thought I might luck out. Unfortunately, I threw up least two times a day from weeks 6-11. I dropped 6 pounds and was so exhausted all the time. Poor Kemry watched a lot  of movies for a few weeks. It also made Christmas dinner and our flights to Idaho very interesting and stressful. This also explains why I only blogged a handful of times during the last 4 months.

-- I have only had an appetite for the last 2 or 3 weeks. But now, I can't stop eating. Seriously. ALL THE TIME.

-- Around 13 weeks we had a miscarriage scare, making us extra cautious about who we told and what we did. My doctor doesn't really know what caused my bleeding, but the baby looked amazing and the heartbeats have been wonderful.

-- We are due August 12th. 

-- I have been feeling the baby move for the past week.  It is really bizarre, even though I have been through it before.

-- We find out what we are having a week from Monday. Ty and I feel like it might be a girl {and all of the quirky Old Wives Tales point to a girl as well}, but my father-in-law predicts a boy. He was right about all four of his kids and all five grandkids, so we will see if he goes 10 for 10.

I think that sums it up.
We love love love you all.
Thanks for all the love, support, and prayers over the last year.
They worked :)

baaaaaby fat.

Tyrel and I were going to work-out today so I could keep chipping away those last few baby-fat pounds.

Well, that didn't happen.

I ate half-a-package of Oreos instead.

With a big, cold, yummy glass of whole milk.

Sigh.

Someday I will fit into my pre-preggers jeans.

...

But those Oreos were sure delicious :)

PS...here is a lovely little post on babble.com by one of my favorites. I think she summarizes it all pretty well, don't you agree, mommas?

productivity

I love maternity leave. I can be laaaaaaazy and not care one bit about it. Tyrel is out playing basketball, so I think I am going to eat some yummy {pregggers} candy...

...cuddle with my little Kemster...

If I use my camera, I can see my little feet. Oh how I have missed them!

....and fold the laundry

do the dishes

clean the living room

watch a movie.

All that other stuff can wait until tomorrow :)

the final countdown

I am...

38 Weeks

1 cm Dilated

100% Ready :)

definitely our daughter

When I listen to her, or him, or her, or him...or her (I think you get the point), Kemry goes hog-wild. I love it. Even if she kicks a little too hard :) I was even worried about her not moving enough today, but I these folks helped put me at ease. 

What good taste in music she has already. She is definitely our daughter :)

long time, no post

Yeah. So I am not as good at blogging as I was determined to be. I guess with the start of a new year, I can add that to my list of resolutions :)

Christmas was wonderful this year! Tyrel and I drove to Wyoming to surprise my whole family (with the exception of Lyle and Melissa who were in on the whole thing). My parents decided to come to my Grandma's to celebrate this year since it is only about 7 hours away from all of us kids (only 7...that is better than the 16 back to South Dakota). Tyrel and I really wanted to go, but we weren't sure if we could with work, the weather, and how close we are to having the baby. We pretty much told my parents that we were out for this year, but we would celebrate next year with them. After no scares on the baby end-of-things (along with an okay by my doctor), good weather reports, and a little trading of schedules with the other managers at work, we decided to go and show up on Christmas morning. We drove to Bozeman, MT after I got off work on Christmas Eve and got up at 4:30 so we could spend as much time as possible with my family. Goodness were they thrilled (as were we!) when they saw us! We only really got to spend one day with them, but it was totally worth having all of us there at one time :)

New Years isn't quite as exciting as it used to be, but we still had fun playing games with Tyrel's family until Midnight. The best part about New Years is MATERNITY LEAVE! Hallelujah! I never thought it would come! I really don't mind just hanging out (and getting paid, cough, cough) and waiting for our little girl's arrival! Ideally, Tyrel would get the next 14 weeks off with me, but I guess that isn't too practical, is it?

I did get a baby before my actual baby comes!

I guess it is still technically in the mail, but I can't wait to start playing with it! We decided to upgrade to a DSLR since we will be taking so many pictures in the future, and we wanted them to actually turn out nice. After selling our old camera and a few other things just lying around the house (thanks ebay shoppers!), we ended up paying hardly a thing for this little guy and 3 lenses. I always said that I needed a hobby for while I was on leave, so I guess I found it!

And our actual baby is still a-kicking and growing like crazy. I love being pregnant, but my little body is sure getting a little sick of it :) I have been pretty fortunate to have such a good pregnancy, so I shouldn't complain. I sure don't like my right ribcage being bruised (it's her own little private fort), being short of breath all the time, feeling cramps and false contractions (come on...just let them be real ones...), and (oh!) the back pain! I do love (love love love), however, watching her move around (especially her little elbow...it is wicked cool to watch it stick out and slide all over my stomach), not having any stretch marks on my tummy (yet..knock on wood), sitting in her little nursery, and knowing that my little girl will be here sometime within the next 24 days! I think all of that can tide me over until she gets here :)

36.5 weeks down...less than 3.5 to go!!!

Oh, yeah. Our New Year's Resolution? To be kinder with our road rage. I didn't say that we were getting rid of our road-rage completely (...you have been warned Idaho drivers...), but we will at least not say as nasty of things about you as we witness your [mad] skills on the road :)

Maybe someone should check on us daily with this one to see how we are doing...

a little bit of frozen, snowed-in turkey time

Oh, Thanksgiving! Aren't you beautiful?

When you end up looking something like this, however...

...you aren't quite as lovely.

Cons of Thanksgiving 2010:

• My parents get snowed-in in Montana
• Tyrel's sinuses going INSANE
• Me catching the start of a cold
• Nasty, scary, icy roads
• Canceling our Thanksgiving travel plans
• Some of Tyrel's family getting snowed-out of my baby shower that Coya worked so hard on
• Bllllaaaaack Friday in retail....

Pros of Thanksgiving 2010

• My parents getting here PERIOD!
• Time spent with my whole family...which happens maybe once a year
• Only having to work 4 days this week
• NOT having to go in early on Black Friday :)
• Black Friday shopping ONLINE in the comfort of my own home
• Finishing the nursery with my mom and dad
• Also getting to spend time with Tyrel's whole family
• Having a WONDERFUL baby shower, regardless of the snow
• My parents finally getting to see the baby bump and feel/see her move around
• Eating a lot of food, watching a little Elf, cuddling in the warmth
• Getting a little spoiled ;)
• 2 extra days with my family in my cozy little apartment
• The fact this list outnumbers the cons list!

...and, finally...

• Hitting my 31 week mark! Kemry comes in T-Minus 9 weeks! 

So, while it was blistery and chilly outside, I had everything that I am thankful for right there with me the whole time...Thank you, Thanksgiving :)

baby cabbage

28 weeks down, and I now have a 15-inch long, 2 1/4 pound little one rolling in my tummy! Time is flying by, but we really don't mind :) We have nearly everything we need, minus the small things that I am sure we will get during my baby showers. My parents are also bringing out a car-full of stuff that they have found for baby. I think they have been just a little bit excited! I am really looking forward to spending time with my mom as we set up and decorate the baby's room. There is just something about having your mother around when you are pregnant! I am glad I get to spend a few days every month with her for the next 4 months or so. I am just hoping they can both make it across the 1,000 miles we live apart in time for our little bundle of joy's arrival!!!

My dad also made us a gliding rocking chair for our nursery. I am beyond thrilled to get it in Kemry's cute little room! It looks amazing, and I am so lucky to have such amazing parents who care so much about us, even when they are so far away!

Isn't it beautiful?!?

 
In other, somewhat depressing news, I have now passed Tyrel in weight. Boo. I guess it isn't too much of an accomplishment since he hardly weighs any more than I did pre-pregnancy, but at least I am moving up!

Today I went in for my glucose tolerance test. Luckily, after one sick, nasty little drink, an hour of waiting, one vial of blood, and a flu shot, I passed with flying colors. I was dreading having to go in again for the three-hour test, but now I don't have to worry about it (thank heavens). I also have no guilt diving into our heaping bowl of post-Halloween candy...bring on the sweets :)

sugar and spice, and everything nice...

All throughout high school and college, I was extremely diligent about keeping an embarrassingly detailed journal. The other night, Tyrel and I read through all the entries that mentioned him (he had no idea that I was writing about him the whole time!), and I realized that I haven't been very good about keeping notes about being pregnant. Although this does not make up for 5 1/2 months of detailed entries, this will have to do :)

• I found out I was pregnant at 5:45 am on a Friday morning (4 weeks and 1 day along). I wasn't really expecting a positive test, so I had to get my glasses out to double check that I was really seeing those two little blue lines. I snuggled back up to Tyrel, who was sleeping like the angel he is, and whispered that I was pregnant. It took him a moment to realize what I had said, but by the end of the day, we were both on cloud nine!
• The wonderful gift of morning sickness manifest itself when I was about 6 weeks along and lasted for another 5 weeks. While I was 100% nauseous ALL DAY LONG, I only threw up 3 times. The first came while Tyrel and I were out to eat at a pizza restaurant, where I luckily made it to the bathroom with my hand over my mouth. The second came after eating nectarines...Tyrel was on his way out the door to play basketball when it happened, and, not knowing how to help me, came into the bathroom and flushed the toilet for me and said goodbye. The third time was at 2:00 in the morning, as I went flying toward the garbage can by our window and said goodbye to my yummy mac and cheese (which also came out my nose.). There were a few times that I probably should have just let it all come out, but I was sure I could be a big girl and not spew all over our brand new car :)
• I started feeling the baby move at about 18 weeks, which was one of the best moments so far. Now she never stops moving! She likes to kick, punch, and roll when I sit down for breakfast, if I ever get a break at work, and between 9:30 and 11:30 at night...which unfortunately now keeps me awake. It is a good thing it is still cute to me! It is pretty much the best feeling ever!
• While most people find themselves buying clothing right away, our first purchase was the crib and bedding.
• Tyrel was 100% positive we were having a boy while I was pretty wishy-washy about who was in my tummy.
• Picking out names was fun but sort of stressful...we now have Whit, Tate, and Claire on the backburners for our next few. Despite the kindness of the recommendations, Simba and Meriwether were not added to our list.
• Although no one has touched my belly unexpectedly yet, every single person comments on how small I still look. I guess that is flattering, right?
• Kemry is tentatively joining us on January 27th of 2011, but I secretly wouldn't mind if she came a little early to get me out of work :)
• I have gained about 13 pounds so far...yikes. I have been the same weight since high school, so this little bump on my tummy is certainly a change for me. I love the excuse to eat all the time and how comfy my maternity pants are, but I am avoiding maternity shirts for as long as I can. For some reason, I just can't bring myself to buy any.
• I find myself craving pickles, cookie dough ice cream, Oreos, tootsie pops, and Mexican food. My favorite thing to eat, however, is a bag of grapes with some slices of cheddar cheese. I also can't get enough of ice cold water.
• I can't handle alfredo sauce, thick ranch, most meat, and Pita Pit. They all make me want to puke as I am typing this. Also, I couldn't stand bread for the 5 weeks I was sick. Now I can't get enough of cinnamon toast.
• Give me an epidural. No questions asked. My biggest fear is that I will not get to the hospital in time to get drugged up!
• The funniest thing is watching my belly button change. It is totally going to pop out soon. No stretch marks yet, but I do have that cute little line running down my belly :)
• Even though Tyrel was bummed that we are not having a little boy for him to watch sports with, Kemry already has 4 Boston Celtics onesies waiting for her!
• Tyrel had a few nice dreams about our precious little girl. I, however, have only had one dream...and our child turned out to be Chucky, the evil doll. In my dream, we just loved our Chucky so, so much, even though he wanted to, well, kill us...the best part of the dream was when we put him to bed...I sang him a lullaby as I chained a lid on his crib. Tender, yes?

24 Weeks...