Appointment

My mole removal appointment went well on Tuesday. I was so nervous, I was seriously shaking. I don't know why I was so scared, because the procedure was non-painful. The nurse did have to numb the 3 areas in my stomach 3 times. For some reason, the numbing medications don't work as well on me. I have the same problems when I have dental procedures...a few doses of Novocaine. Anyway, what freaked me out was the cutting of my skin. I have 8 stitches total (2 in each area). I will have another appointment on May 1 for the removal of the stitches, and to find out the results of the biopsy. As I should, I should just pray about it, and give it to God. Easier said than done...I know it will be over a week of worry.
My prayer is that every mole is benign!!
Speaking of appointments, I will have to bring Madelyn into the Dr. this afternoon (again...second week in a row). She has a bad cough, greenish/yellow discharge, high fever, and just looks/feels miserable. Poor little girl! She sounds like she kind of holds her breath, but it is hard to know if it is worse than normal. For some reason Caleb and Maddie like to hold their breath. Anyway, I hope her appointment goes well. Not that I like to medicate my kids, but I hope the Dr. can give her something to get better. I really hope it isn't something like pneumonia. Blah!
Over the last weekend, Caleb and Madelyn went to Grandma's house. Terry and I went to a train show in Menomonie, WI. That is about a 2 hour drive from our house. It was a nice drive and pretty scenery! Unfortunately, we were both up late the night before. I had Ladies Night Out, which was and is always a great time. Terry just stayed up working on paperwork and putting together our new stroller.

I just wanted to share a few adorable pictures Terry took this weekend.

Daddy and Cole. Cole was standing on the seat~ unassisted. He loves to stand.
I think this picture is so adorable! Cole is so excited and happy to be standing there all by himself. We wish we had a full body picture to give you the full effect. (love those ears!)
The sun was very bright, so Cole's eyes are kind of closed. He still is super cute!

Update on Pregnancy

I had an appointment on Friday to check the amniotic fluids. I had an ultrasound, and according to that, the fluids were great! I was much relieved to hear that. Baby is doing great, and the heartbeat was strong. Doctor said I am dilated to a 2, and not too much had changed since Tuesday. Because of my history with low to no amniotic fluid on the due date, we are set up to go to the hospital on Tuesday morning to get the process going. Am I happy to induce? Not especially. I do wish that I could have this baby all natural, no induction, just my body naturally going into labor. I am still hoping (and praying) that I will naturally go this weekend or Monday. It is very likely!! With the ultrasound, the Technician said that the cervix is narrowing/thinning down from the inside, and that is super! I think I should clean the house tomorrow, and maybe that will help me along. Of coarse, my hubby has an agenda to help me out, too. So, hopefully we can be more natural with this labor.
What the doctor is going to do is have a pill put in to "ripen" my cervix, which will soften it. This should start the labor process. I had this done with Madelyn, and it is not a pleasant experience. It did put me into labor, and things moved rather quickly with her. I am hoping the results will be similar with this labor. (IF I don't go naturally, of coarse).
So, Tuesday morning is the start of a big day. If you can, please pray for me, and our baby. Pray that my body will go into labor on its own the next few days so we don't have to help the labor process. Please pray that the baby stays healthy, strong and is born without complications. Pray that I have the strength and rest needed for this delivery. Thanks so much! I will keep you posted as best as I can.

Baby Appointment: 37 weeks

I had my baby appointment yesterday morning. With having concerns of my amniotic fluid possibly leaking, I was anxious to see what my Doctor thought. I am so excited to be back with MY doctor, but there is a huge set back with seeing him~ I waited for an hour and a half before I even saw him! Long wait, he is a popular Doctor, but so worth the wait because he really truly cares!
He checked my stats, baby is not dropped down into the pelvic region, yet. I told him how uncomfortable I have been lately, and how hard life is. Then, I melted down and cried. I know I am emotional right now, but really my pains have been absolutely unbearable at times~ day or night! I told him how sleep is tough, laying down and getting up. That Sciatic nerve is the worst it has ever been. He said he was sorry that I was going through all that pain, and he would love to have me fitted for a special pregnancy belt thingy, but they are expensive. Yeah, for approximately $150, I could have some relief for the next few weeks. Umm, no, we have no extra money, so I just have to suck it up for the duration. Yippee! Can you sense my excitement?
The Doctor said that I am carrying this baby so differently and so low...even though it isn't "dropped" yet. I told him I was surprised that the baby hasn't dropped, because sometimes it feels like the baby could just fall out, or that he/she kicks so low sometimes. However, none of my baby's have dropped until I was in full blown labor. So, it would be kind of a shock if the baby was dropped right now.
I am not dilated and my body isn't doing any changes in preparation for delivery day, yet. I do have 3 weeks yet, so really it isn't time yet. He said he didn't think I was leaking any fluids, and that my water wasn't broken. He did want me to get an ultrasound to see if baby was in the head down position, though.
I didn't get to see much on the ultrasound, because baby is so big right now. Heartbeat was at 147 at the time of the ultrasound, and baby was head down. The amniotic sacs looked great, and the technician said the placenta and heart looked good. One great thing I got to see was a head of hair. That is so exciting. Just seeing our little baby on the screen gave me an added boost of encouragement that this pain really is worth it~ even though some days I feel like I just would rather die.
So, onto another week. The next few weeks will go rather quickly in time, but seem long with the pains and aches. SOON~ I just have to remember that blessed word.

Baby Appointment: 36 weeks

Well, my baby is growing and growing...and the scale keeps adding more numbers~ urgh!
My Doctor doesn't "measure" me at every appointment, but he said everything is going well. Heartbeat is strong and healthy. Head is down, and no dilatation....which is good, because I am just over 36 weeks. My belly is so low, though, and I feel like this baby could just fall out. I have never experienced that with my other kids. The Doctor said my belly is low, and the uterus muscles are probably very stretched out. He recommended getting a belly band. However, with the price of those, I don't think it will be an investment we can make at this time. I am sure my body (mainly my back, legs, and booty) would appreciate the lift of strains. I just keep telling myself that there are less than 4 weeks to go...less than 4 weeks. I can do it....even if painfully.
My blood pressure was a bit elevated today. Normally, my BP is 120 over 60~ or something close to that. Today it was something around the 170 over 72. I can't remember what the nurse said, but my guess is very close to what it was. So, that is a bit concerning to me. My ankles and other joints have been really swollen lately. I really feet swollen all over, but my ankles are pretty swollen. Even putting on shoes and boots is a challenge lately. I am sure it is water retention, and I need to get my feet up more. I am looking forward to getting my body back in shape, and moving about normally again. I told Terry I feel like an over stuffed penguin lately...waddling around and feeling large. Soon...I keep saying that blessed 4 letter word~ SOON!

Random thoughts

I had my 32 week appointment yesterday...back with my Doctor! It was great to be back in his care! I am thanking God that our insurance covers his facility and the hospital we want! Woo Hoo! I can't believe I am doing the every 2 week visits now! Baby is going to be here before we know it! I am looking forward to seeing that little blessing, and finding out if we have a new son or daughter.
So, I had to meet with a nurse to go over history, since I haven't been there yet with this baby. That lasted about 30-40 minutes. I don't think she normally does the history questionnaire on preggo moms this far into their pregnancy. LOL~
Oh well.
Then, she did the weight (blah,...), blood pressure (it was great) and the pee test (normal and good). She lead me down the hall to get into another room to see my Dr. As we were walking, I saw him in the hallway. I said, "Hi!!" He said, "Hi! I haven't seen you in awhile!" I think I took him off guard. I told him it had been too long. Then, he patted my belly and said, "What is this? Who were you seeing before this?" I told him that my insurance, I was on, didn't cover this clinic...now with switching it is. I also told him that I was crying to my hubby that I wanted to go back to my Dr. Then, he thanked me and said it is great to have me back. *I felt loved* :)
Sitting in the room...I began to wonder if I had been forgotten. Seriously, I think I sat for over 20 minutes! So, I opened the door. Then, the Dr. came in and apologized for the long wait. We chatted a bit with catching up on life. I told him about my arm/shoulder/neck issues. He said that I probably have a pinched nerve or disk. He suggested that I steer away from chiropractic care. He said there really isn't too much we can do at this point. I can take 2 Tylenol for pain/comfort. I could see his physical therapist, but that would be very spendy. He said if things don't improve a month or two after baby arrives, I should get a CAT scan and see what is up. Also, my options will open up greatly after I have the baby.
Then, he listened to our baby's strong heartbeat. He felt my baby (from tummy) and he said, "Baby is definitely down...are you having contractions?" I have never had him ask me this question, and I wish I would have asked him if that meant baby dropped. I told him that I have experienced contractions since about 5 months along, but nothing substantial. He said that he would love it if I could go into labor on my own with this baby, but it does concern him that I am an hour away. ~~Just some history...I was induced with Caleb and Madelyn due to low and no amniotic fluid at the end of the pregnancy. They were still born on the due date~ or near it, but I still needed a little help.~~ I would love to go into labor on my own with this baby, and that is my prayer.
I am glad all is well, and it is great to be back where I am most comfortable in care.

Tis the season

I know that sickness looms this time of year. The only real dread I get in the winter months is the Doctor bills go up significantly. We are on new insurance right now, no co-pay, but we pay until our deductible is met. This can mean we pay a huge bill before our insurance will kick in. I haven't had to take Madelyn in yet, and I am really hoping to avoid the clinic. Madelyn is on day 3 of being sick. Poor little honey. She had a bit of a runny nose on Sunday, but I am not really counting that. Her fever started on Monday morning. So, being on day 3 with the fever, she is ready to start getting well. To top of feeling crummy, she is teething. She has the gunky nose today, and she is kind of clingy. At least she slept better last night. She did wake up at 4:30 and complained for an hour. Finally she drifted back to sleep until 7 AM. I was glad for that. 4:30 in the morning is not a happy-time-to-be-awake kind of time.
So, I am hoping she will get well very soon!
Caleb started his cold on Monday, and then on Monday night, he woke up about 11 PM throwing up in bed. EWW~ is right! I have a feeling he threw up because of the phlegm in his throat. On Tuesday morning he woke up happy, and he ate fine all day. I am glad that passed as quickly as it came! He still has a runny nose, but he is doing good despite of it.
Terry was dealing with the cold symptoms this morning. I hope it doesn't last for him. That would be miserable with working all day sniffing and blowing his nose.
So far, Nathaniel has just had slight colds and stuffiness. Currently he is doing good. He has a great immune system and he can fight things off well...but he is in public school, and he can pick up and carry a ton of germs! I am just hoping we can make it through these wintery months generally sick-free.
I am not sick, and I hope to remain healthy! :)

Ouch!

Somehow I did something terrible to my back!! I woke up on Sunday morning with a sore neck. I thought I must have slept wrong on it. So, I went through the day in pain. That night, I didn't sleep too good, but I don't sleep too well these days with being pregnant. Anyway, I was thinking it would be better by Monday morning. Not so much! Actually, Monday it was worse! The pain had moved into my upper back, and shoulder. Now it was becoming bothersome, and hurt more. So, another day of misery...but I figured I should head into the chiropractor. I was hoping that going to bed a bit early last night, and not doing too much would help. No so much~ again! This morning my pain was the worst, and it actually traveled down my arm and into my hand. My arm and hand feel numb~ with pain. So, I made the appointment, and my friend Lisa was kind to watch Caleb and Madelyn. I received treatment, got ice on it, and the Dr. adjusted my back. I didn't know my neck could crack like that! It did relieve some of the pains for about 30 minutes, but I am back in terrible pain. The Dr. said I have a pinched nerve for sure, and the sounds of my symptoms he suggests that I have a bulging disk. OUCH! He can't know FOR SURE, because I would need a cat scan or an MRI to know for sure. Since I am pregnant, that isn't an option. He said normally when this happens, a medical Dr. can prescribe a strong steroid or medication to reduce swelling and inflammation. Well, being pregnant, I can't take any of those. So, he said he will do his best to take care of me. He said he can't do as much (with being pregnant) but he will do what he can. I told him I should take precedence over the baby~because I am carrying him/her. I was kidding....

Anyway, he suggested that I come in again tomorrow morning, and get adjusted again with more treatments. He also said I should talk to my medical Dr. That is the tough thing, though. November 1 we switched insurances because of Terry's work. I will be going to my original Dr. now, but I haven't actually had an appointment with him. Since I don't have the insurance cards yet, I really can't make an appointment. So, I think I need to sit and wait...and be in pain for a bit. I am hoping these chiropractic appointments and therapy will work. I just hope I can sleep better tonight. I really wish my toe was broken instead. Back/neck/shoulder/sciatic pain is THE WORST~ and it is magnified while pregnant. GRRR....~

~Babies~ appointments, Dr.'s and a funny....

I have my Doctor's appointment in the morning to see how baby is doing. I can't believe that I am 24+ weeks along already! Wow~ this pregnancy is zooming by! I guess things are just so busy with an elementary child, a (pre)pre-schooler, and a toddler! Now we will be getting into the holiday season, and time will really fly! Before I realize it, my arms will be filled with a brand new baby! WOW~

I am really excited to start our new insurance coming the beginning of November. Once that happens, I will be going to my main OB/GYN. I really miss him. About a month ago, I was practically in tears after my last appointment. I didn't get the welcoming factor from the current OB/GYN I am seeing. This Dr. is all new to me. I didn't get the warm welcome hello...no, "How are you doing, Sarah? How is the pregnancy going? How is Terry doing? What are the kids up to these days..." Just, the statements like, "Do you have any questions or concerns? Let's listen to the heartbeat." Blah, Blah. I am so missing my Dr. (even though he is more of a drive) To me, it is worth the extra miles and gas to feel loved and appreciated. I have had my other Dr. since High School ~over 15 years ago. So, I am glad I get to go back to him...even for just the last 2 1/2 months. Since I am more than likely needing to schedule an induction at the end of my pregnancy, there is a high probability that he will be the one delivering our baby. Caleb is the only one that he delivered. Actually, Terry delivered Caleb, with our Dr. just assisting him, and telling him what he needed to do. What an amazing Dr. he is!! He is so caring, and he just knows people.

Anyway...funny story from something that happened this evening. Maddie and Caleb love talking to the baby. Caleb (almost daily) says, "Hi Baby!" to my tummy. So, Maddie has picked up on this and does it, too! She also likes to pat and rub my belly when she can, too. *Sometimes she mistakes "the baby" for being up higher than my belly*~lol, so I just tell her, no...the baby is here~ with pointing to my belly. Anyway~ tonight, Terry was sitting at the computer on the chair, and Maddie toddles over to him and says sweetly, "Hi baby!" while looking at his belly. Opps! Terry said, "Is that her polite way of telling me I need to lose some weight?" Ha ha ha ~~

Maddie is growing~

I had Madelyn in for her appointment this afternoon. She is exactly #19 pounds with a dry diaper on. She is still a peanut, and probably will be most of her life. The Doctor said she seems very advanced for her age. He doesn't have any reason to believe that she may have failure to thrive, as he was thinking back at her 12 month check up. He said when kids have that, they tend to lose their motor skills, slow way down in their development process, and start showing signs of possible autism. As Madelyn toddled around the office, she was jumping/stomping on the step up to the table, jabbering non-stop, handing the Doctor her shoes/pants/shirt etc., dancing, and flashing her beautiful blue eyes at him. He said that her eyes have so much expression and curiosity. He was dazzled by her I could tell. It made me so proud to be her mom with how she was responding to him. He was impressed with me telling him about her saying a few 3 word sentences. She is a very smart girl. I can honestly say that all 3 of my kids talked early, and spoke clearly. For that, I am truly thankful.

So, happy news....Maddie is doing well. She is just my little runt. Cute little runt for sure!

Momma called the Dr. and The Dr. said,

We had a rough night with Caleb. His fever spiked up to a whooping 104.5. We gave him Tylenol, and about 15 minutes later...RALPH~ all over Terry and the couch. I think he threw up because of his high fever...but, I don't know. When this happens, I always wonder if we are suppose to give him more Tylenol because he threw up what we gave...or just wait it out. It was a scary choice, but we waited. After another bath, he was snug in his bed. Terry raised the upper part of the bed with pillows under the mattress. He kept coughing and it would bring him to choking on his phlegm. I brought Caleb into the Dr. this morning. Since Caleb has been complaining that his throat has been hurting the last few days, I was expecting Strep throat. Well, guess what the Dr. said? "It's just a virus, and it will have to run it's coarse." He did perform a Strep test, because his ears were clear and his lungs sounded clear. Caleb didn't really have much of a reaction when he performed the test. When I get that test done, I want to gag all over the Dr. I can't handle that test too well, and my little 2 year old "showed me up". So, here we are in waiting while Caleb's little body fights off this nasty virus. I really hope none of the rest of us get this...especially Maddie!

Thankful relief

Well, I was able to get out of another $50.00 co-pay to the clinic today. I brought the kids in last week for their colds, to hear..."It's a virus, it has to run it's coarse, nothing we can do...." Yadda Yadda Yadda....But, use the nebulizer as needed.

Now Caleb and Maddie have the green noses, and Caleb's cough is worse. Madelyn and Caleb are having big issues with sleeping at night. So, momma knows best, right? I diagnose them with ear infections. Symptoms? Crying, fussy, whinny, complaining of ear ache, can't sleep well at night, loss of appetite....I kindly asked the Dr. if she could just send a prescription to our pharmacy. I really didn't want to bring them in just for her to tell me that they have ear infections. I know they have ear infections, and I really didn't want to pay $50 to hear it. Last week there was fluid in Caleb's ear, but it just wasn't infected (yet). I should have just asked her for the prescription then, and just picked it up when I needed it.

Another question I have: If you have more than one child at home ,and one of your children get strep throat, why can't the Dr. give a prescription for all kids? That way, when the momma sees the signs and symptoms, then she can fill the prescription! It's not like we would just dose up our kids if they didn't need it. I am all about finding natural remedies to treat a cold, but sometimes you just need that prescription. So, I would rather have the meds available without another co-pay for a clinic visit. I guess it is just another way for them to squeeze the coins out of our pockets.

Where is my P.H.D? I think Mom's should get awarded an honorary medical degree. Most always when I bring the kids in to the clinic, I know what they have going on. I can tell the Doctor that my child has an ear infection~ strep throat~ Really, I think the momma's make the Dr.'s job 90% easier.