I am going to add a quick update, and hopefully lots of pics. Things are going just wonderful. Declan is just such a blessing in our lives, and I cannot imagine my life without him. Brent is the most supportive and hands-on father. Declan has been sleeping through the nice since right about 2 months (his longest stretch has been 11.5 hours!) He typically goes to bed between 9 and 10, and depending on the day of the week, I either get him up at 6, or he sleeps until about 7...no complaints there! At his 2 month appointment, he weighed in at 12lbs, 14oz, 25 inches long...95th percentile for height!

Enjoy the pics!

Baby Declan is here!!!

So I figured I'd post the birth story here. :) Here goes!

I went back to the doctor on Wednesday, March 10th for my regular appointment. My blood pressure was still a little elevated and I was dilated to 2cm, so the doctor figured it was time to get this boy delivered. He scheduled an induction for the following morning, March 11th at 7am at the hospital. So, 7am 3/11/10, Brent and I headed into the hospital, ready to come home with our little boy. After the paperwork was filled out, the midwife came in around 8am, and explained the induction process. Basically, she used 1/4 of a little pill to start the contractions, and used this little balloon thing to help get me dilated to 3-4cm. The pill started working pretty much right away, and by 11am, I was between 3 and 4cm dilated. The midwife came back after lunch, was very happy with the progress, and said we'd let it progress on it's own for a bit, instead of having to use pitocen. At this point I could feel the contractions, but they weren't extremely painful. She came back around 3, and we discussed what to do next. We decided to have her break my water, and go from there. She called the anesthesiologist, to put him on notice that I would need the epidural probably within the next 2 hours. Once she broke my water at 3:15, she said I would start to feel stronger contractions in about 10-15 minutes...well, literally, 30 seconds after she walked out of the door, they hit, and they hit hard. The anesthesiologist showed up at 4:30, and after 2 tries, finally got the epidural going. That was probably some of the worst pain I have ever been in. It felt like lightening bolts across my back, and on the second attempt, he just happened to do it right in the middle of the worst contraction I had ever had. BUT...about 15-30 minutes later, I was feeling much better, and Brent was allowed back in the room. All we could do at that point was wait to become more dilated. I was checked every few hours, and it went to 5cm, to 7, to about 9 around 11pm. Around midnight, the midwife said I was 9 3/4cm dilated, and if I felt the need to push, I could start with smaller pushes, and go from there. Well, about 12:45am, I REALLY felt the need to push, so I was basically able to control when I pushed. The nurses, the midwife, and Brent helped coach me along, and all I knew was I wanted this to be over with! About one hour later, at 1:38am, out he came! Brent was right there with me the entire time...in fact, he held my left leg :) He was able to watch the entire thing (I left that up to him!) and he said it was just amazing to watch. The nurses cleaned him up, and he weighed in at 8lbs 5oz, and 2o inches long. My parents and his parents came in at 3am and got to meet Declan Orie-Thomas Killinger. Feeding has been going fantastic, he was a pro from the beginning. I was able to come home Sunday morning, and we've been adjusting to having this amazing baby in our lives. I did have some problems with a lot of post-pardom pain in my head, neck, and back from the epidural though, and today is the first day I haven't been on a lot of pain medication. I'm still a bit sore from it, but recovery is now going much better. We had our first appointment with the pediatrician yesterday, and Declan is doing fantastic. He's back up to 8lbs 2oz (nearly birth weight!), and the mild jaundice has all but cleared up. He sleeps 3-4 hours at a time, and feeds every 3-4 hours. I could not have asked for a happier, more pleasant baby.

So...that's his birth story. I included some pics. LOVE this little man so much!

March update

Well, the month of March has finally arrived! Didn't start out the best for me though. On Tuesday, I went for my regular doctor appointment, and my blood pressure was very elevated (160/102)...they retook it after a few minutes, and it didn't go down, so the doctor sent me to the hospital for monitoring. After about 3 hours, my blood pressure was doing fine the entire time I was there, but they were concerned about some blood work, so the doctor decided to keep me for 24 hours of monitoring. Not what I anticipated! So...after a stressful 24 hours in the hospital, (bp was good except for one reading the entire time, but they were watching my blood work and a few other tests), I get told around 6:30 on Wednesday night that I can go home. Considering how the doctor had told me that morning I would most likely not be going home without a baby, I was of course, disappointed, but I've come to realize that he just isn't ready to make his appearance yet. So...since then I've been on bed rest. Not the best gig, but nothing I can do about it. I can do work from home, so I have that to do during the week, but other than that, there's not much else I'm allowed to do. Right now, I'm 38 weeks and 2 days, so we'll see what happens. Went back to the drs office for a BP check yesterday, and it was elevated again. The nurse came back about 10 minutes later, and it had gone down, so they allowed me to go home. At this point, I anticipate being sent back to the hospital every time I go in and my BP is elevated. Stressful, but not much I can do about it. I feel a bit helpless at home, but I do what I can. Hopefully my next post will have pictures of Special K!!!

February update

So far, so good. Not a whole lot to update. I now have weekly doctor appointments, weekly non-stress tests, and weekly ultrasounds (bonus, I get to see/hear him every week!) The doctor has been happy with my glucose numbers (yay!) and said that as long as I keep going the way that I am, I'm well on my way to a normal, non-complicated birth with the midwives, and not with him. My ultimate goal is to make it until March 15...for several reasons, but the most important being that my 6 weeks off is all unpaid, and with day care not being available until June 7th, that puts me exactly 12 weeks from that day, and with my 6 weeks and Brent's 6 weeks, it would work out....so pray that he stays put until at least then!

I've been feeling the Braxton Hicks contractions, but only a few times a day...usually right after lunch, and at times like right now, where I'm sitting in bed before going to sleep. They last maybe about 30 seconds each, and just feel really uncomfortable and tight, so I know that's what they are. During my first non-stress test, the tech pointed to a part of the readout, and asked if I felt that contraction...I was like..WHAT??? Totally threw me off, but she said not to worry at all, it's only the Braxton Hicks, and they are completely normal. I don't think I had any today during my test. They strap two monitors to me, one to monitor any contractions, and one to monitor his heart beat, and I'm given a little button to push every time I feel him move. They are looking to see if when he moves, if his heart beat increases like it should, which it has so far, so all is good.

Anyways, that's what's going on now. I'm getting antsy to get stuff set up and ready, but with the shower not being until the 20th, guess I'll have to wait just a little longer!

Time for bed...only 5 weeks left!!!

New pics

These pictures are from today. The tech said that they can be off weight-wise by a half a pound either way, but she figured he's weighing in at 4lbs, 10oz, which is right where he is supposed to be. She can even tell that he has hair! In one of the shots, his hand is covering his face, but this was the first time we've actually gotten to see his face. With the diabetes, starting in February, I will have ultrasounds, visits with the doctor, and non-stress tests every week, and based on the first few ultrasounds, the doctor moved my due date up to March 18th...here's hoping for a St. Patrick's day baby!

Ps...yes, we have decided on a name, and no, no one is going to find out what it is until he makes his debut :):)

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone! 2010 is going to be quite the year! Things are going well. Brent and I went and met Dr. Williams the other day, and things seem to be going pretty well. He said some of my fasting glucose numbers were too high (not much I can do about them since they are my fasting numbers), so he put me on a low dosage medication to see if that helps with my blood sugar numbers. Apparently most places go straight to insulin shots, so I'm very glad that they are trying out medication first. Since I started taking the medication (not sure if it's supposed to work this fast though), my numbers seem to have gotten a bit better, so we'll see what he thinks when I go back to see him in another 2 weeks. Special K continues to move around a lot, and gives me reminder kicks to my bladder that he's around :) He continues to be measuring where he is supposed to be, and I have another ultrasound scheduled the third week in January....keep your fingers crossed that we get a good shot of his face this time! Dr. Williams also changed my due date, based on my last few ultrasounds. So...my new date is March 18th...Eek! That's gonna be here SO quickly! I hope and pray that we are ready by then! Brent is hoping for a St. Patty Day's baby :)
On another note, I think we have just about decided on a name! But no one is going to find out until he makes his debut :)
The picture is me at 29 weeks.

Christmas updates

Well, we have an interesting December. I went for my glucose testing, and it turns out that I do in fact have gestational diabetes. That one threw me off, as I have been feeling fine and have no symptoms, but as I learn more about it, it's getting better. I have an appointment with a diabetic counselor this coming Wednesday, so I'll learn more...just in time for Christmas, I know! From what I have been reading, I will most likely have to start checking my blood sugar 4 times a day, but hopefully this is something that can be controlled with diet alone. Once I get it under control, the midwife told me that I won't be at any higher risk for any of the complications than someone who does not have GD...so that's my motivation to make this work! I have still been feeling fine, and Special K keeps reminding me that he's around. I went for my last appointment with the midwife this week...from now on, I'll be attached to an actual doctor, not just a midwife. I hadn't met with this one before, but she was super nice. She took my measurements, and he's measuring exactly where he's supposed to be. She was able to tell me that his head is down (which is fine, he still has time to move around), and that he was sticking his butt out at her :) Great!

But anyways, overall, things are still going well. I'm getting over a cold...I've had it for about a week now, and I HATE being sick, so I hope it will be completely gone by Christmas. I'll now be seeing the doctor every 2 weeks...I can't believe I only have 13 weeks left to go!

Hugs,
Kristen and Special K :)

December update

I had my follow-up ultrasound yesterday, and so far, things seem to be progressing nicely. The ultrasound tech couldn't tell me much, but she did say that she can tell that my placenta moved...just wasn't sure if it was enough, and that they may continue to monitor it. I got a call later in the day and they told me that it's looking good, and that things should be fine by delivery. So THANK YOU to EVERYONE who said a prayer for us, each one was and continues to be greatly appreciated. I only got two pictures, and neither was very good though. Unfortunately, he decided to be VERY stubborn and would not turn and face the front. He kept his back to us, no matter how she had me move, shift, cough, whatever...I hope this isn't a sign of things to come!

Next regular appointment is December 17th, but I have my glucose test on the 12th...fun stuff, let me tell you! But it's still super exciting. I can feel him move around and kick every day. I think sometimes I can even feel him roll over. Brent's been able to feel him kick a few times too, so that's really fun.

Still not decided on a name yet...but don't worry, once we do decide, no one will know until he makes his debut! :):)

Hugs,
Kristen and Special K :)

Registries!

Brent and I tackled the daunting task of creating baby registries this weekend. What a process! There are SO many choices, and it got overwhelming at points! However, I think we accomplished what we set out to do. Our registries can be viewed at:
www.babiesrus.com
www.babydepot.com

Both places offer both online and in-store options, which is nice. Plus, I can edit them online if needed.

Thanks to everyone for all of the love and support we've received so far. I have my next doctor appointment this coming Thursday, and another ultrasound scheduled for December 1st. After the last ultrasound, the midwife called with a few concerns. She said that my placenta was "low lying," which, for now, is not something to be TOO concerned about. In the reading I found, 90-95% of low lying placentas correct themselves in time. If I still have the problem at 28+ weeks, then that could mean either bed rest for me, or other precautions. For now though, I have to keep telling myself that most of them correct themselves, and there isn't anything I can do about it to make it any better. I'll post updates after the next ultrasound to see if it has moved or not.
Hugs!

It's a....

BOY!!! I had my 20 week ultrasound scheduled for today. Well, the doctors office called me this morning to tell me that the ultrasound tech went home sick. I asked if there was anything we could do, and they said they'd call the hospital to see if they could get me in. Well, they did, and I was sooo relieved! We got there (we being myself, Brent, mom, Brent's mom, and my dad), and for a bit it was just Brent, the tech and I. He spent the first 20 minutes or so doing measurements and such, but at one point he just asked, "so do you want to know what your having?" I looked at the screen, and we could both tell it was a boy! Mom and Wendy were allowed to come in then (dad opted to wait in the lobby), and we had a lot of laughs with the tech, and got some good pics. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get any 3D pics, but there was someone else waiting, and since they had to squeeze me in today, I wasn't going to complain about it. My next appointment is November 19th, so I should have more updates then.

Appt 10/22

So I had my most recent appointment on 10/22. Things are still looking great. I'm slowly gaining back the weight I lost during the first trimester (but still haven't broken above that yet!) so I'm pretty happy about that :) I only got to hear the heartbeat for a few seconds because the midwife was having trouble getting a good reading. Apparently the baby decided this was a good time to kick around and move, causing the doppler to go nuts. BUT...I have been feeling those "butterflies" fluttering and such...what an odd but amazing feeling.
We have our "big" ultrasound scheduled for November 5th. That's the one, where, if we want, we can find out the sex. We still aren't sure if we want to find out, but I guess we'll know soon enough! I've still been having headaches, but not as often. The midwife told me to try having some caffiene, so I've been drinking coffee that's half regular, half decaf...so far, so good! Haven't had a headache since. That's really my only complaint so far, so I'm extremely happy about that.

More to come soon! Hopefully we'll get some really good pics at the next ultrasound!
~Kristen and Special K :)

Just about 15 weeks along...

9/24 doctors appointment

I guess I shouldn't say "dr appointment" because for now, I just see the midwives. All went well today though! All of my blood work came back normal, and she was happy with my blood pressure and everything. I got to hear the heart beat today! Took her all of about 3 seconds to find it, then that lovely lub dub greeted me. Heart rate was going strong at 150bpm...she said anywhere between 125 and 175 is good...I said I can handle being right in the middle! Overall, she was very happy with how things are progressing...which made me very happy!
The next regular appointment is October 22nd, and 2 weeks after that we'll schedule the 20 week ultrasound...that's the gender predictor one!
Feeling better overall...still pretty tired, but not as much. Nausea has pretty much gone away. I still have a few foods I can't go near, but I'm slowly getting my appetite back too, which makes me happy.
I'll try to take some pictures soon and post the "bump"...if you want to call it that...I just feel very fat right about now! :):)

HUGS!

1 down, 2 to go

So today marks the end of the first trimester/beginning of the second trimester. Woo-hoo! So far, so good (as far as I know!). I go back to the doctor 9/24, and plan on asking when I'll be having another ultrasound. I got some bloodwork done yesterday (she took 7 vials!), so I should get the results of that when I go back. Most of my pants don't fit anymore, yet I'm still down almost 9 pounds...so odd how that works out. I don't feel as if I'm "showing" yet, but I know that will come in all good time.
Short update for today...time to get stuff ready for a big yard sale next week. Gotta get rid of some of this old junk!
~Kristen

So...this is my first shot at the whole blog thing, so be patient with me. :) I decided to create this blog because I have a lot of distant friends/relatives that will now be able to follow our journey through this website. I will try to update it as often as I can, especially when we learn more about our "Special K."
I think to begin with, I'll go back to the start of everything. Brent and I actually found out that I was pregnant on July 10th. So for those of you that just very recently found out, don't feel bad! We told next to no one until after the first ultrasound (see pics above). At that appointment, all was looking great. Baby had a strong heart beat of 162 bpm, and it was just dancing around like crazy! Yesterday marked the 12 week mark, so one more week and I'm out of the first trimester. Honestly though, I can't complain. I haven't gotten sick (knock on wood), the nausea, although annoying at times, was bearable, and I've just been extremely tired lately. Other than that though, I've been feeling pretty good.
I don't have another ultrasound scheduled just yet, but I do have another dr appointment on September 24th. We are well on our way to March 23, 2010!!
Here's a bit of interesting information for you. With a due date of March 23, that puts me 3 days before I turn 29 (on the 26th). My mom had me 1 day before she turned 29. So yes, my birthday is the 26th, my mom's is the 27th, and I have several friends and relatives who all have birthdays during that same week. Gotta love March!
I guess that's about it for now. I'll update as often as I can, so check back often! As time progresses, I will put the ever famous "belly" pics up as well...not much to show yet, although stretchy pants have become my best friends!

Love to all,
Kristen