Four Months and Counting...

Savannah had her four-month check-up a couple of weeks ago... (Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I've been a bit consumed with life lately!) She has been super healthy and growing like a little weed. As of December 1st, she weighed 13 pounds, 5 ounces and measured in at 24 inches... 2 whole feet! I guess we can now officially say that our home has been expanded by 2 feet! :)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with both of our families coming to our home. Savannah got to see all of her grandparents, including great-grandmother Nana Lou, her Auntie Melissa, Uncle David, and Cousin Ollie. It was wonderful to have so many members of our family at our home. We're looking forward to seeing even more family members in the next couple of weeks as we celebrate our first Christmas with Savannah.

Savannah has now started to hold onto her toys, reach out and grab them (and anything she thinks looks like fun... paper, computer screens, you know... whatever!). She, of course, LOVES to put all of these fun things into her mouth. Books, in particular, seem to be very tasty. Hmmm...

Since it has been so long, I'll post several pictures below for your viewing enjoyment. I'll try to put together another slideshow in the next couple of days, so check back! (If you're new to our blog, scroll down for more pictures, videos, and stories.)

An Update from Savannah:

This is my giraffe. Her name is Sophie. She's a very good friend. We go everywhere together. She likes it when I give her a bath with my mouth. I like it when she squeaks. The other night, Mommy and Daddy were watching the movie "Three Men and a Baby" and they spotted Sophie in the movie! I never knew she was a movie star. Pretty cool that I'm friends with someone so famous!

This is a picture of me and Daddy. We went to a Fall Festival several weeks ago. It was warm that day, so I had to wear my hat. Now, it's cold and Mommy has a different hat for me to wear. I'm not sure if hats are "in" right now, but the pink furry one that Mommy puts on me when we go out now sure does feel good against my bald spot!



One day, Daddy kept taking pictures of me in my car seat. This is a picture when I was telling him, "ENOUGH." I mean, I know I'm cute, but just how long does a photo shoot have to last?!?!

I finally gave in & let Daddy get a good shot here...


Here is one of my Christmas pictures. Mommy has taken A LOT of these. She says we have to find a cute one, but I mean, seriously! How hard can that be? Oh- we went to visit this big guy called Santa Claus the other day. That was F.U.N. stuff! He was so cuddly! Maybe we can go again sometime. Merry Christmas, everyone! Love, Savannah

Giggling Girl!

Last night, Wednesday, October 28th, was a big night in the Boyes House! Michael, Savannah, & I were sitting on the couch chatting, and Savannah started making some funny noises. Michael grabbed the video camera and what we saw next was AMAZING!!! Savannah stopped making her regular noises, and traded them in for a good string of laughter! Here's a video of her FIRST LAUGHS! (Can you believe we caught the actual "first" on video?!?!?!)

Not quite as exciting, but also very cute, is this short video of me going in to get Savannah in the morning. She's always so happy when she wakes up!

Thoughts From Savannah

Check me out... I don't mind Tummy Time so much now that I can lift myself off the ground! :) Now if I can just figure out how to crawl over to all of those coupons that Mommy left on the floor... THAT looks like FUN!

Mommy said it was cold outside, so she put my hat & mittens on me. I like being warm!

Mommy, Daddy, & I went to the Pumpkin Patch on Sunday afternoon. It was cold outside, so I decided that perhaps the best way to warm up was to poop all over my carseat on the way over there. :) It all turned out okay, though, because Mommy & Daddy had packed my Halloween Costume... I'm a Bumblebee. Every time Mommy dresses me in this, she says I'm "Cute As Can BEE" ... I don't know - is she trying to be funny?

Mommy & Daddy sometimes call me their Little Pumpkin. I figured, if that's what they're going to call me, maybe I should hang out with some other little pumpkins to see what it's like...

Here's our first Halloween Family Picture. I don't know, but I'm thinking we look pretty cool... all of us dressed in yellow & black. We're like a whole family of bumblebees! I think Mommy's into this whole "theme" thing a lot more than Daddy & I are... but we love her, so we'll go along with the game!

Such a Big Girl!

Savannah has been sleeping in her carseat (placed in the crib) for several weeks now. On Tuesday afternoon, she was throwing a fit everytime I put her in the seat to go to sleep. Michael suggested that perhaps she was ready to sleep on her back in the crib. This sent chills down my spine. She has been sleeping SO WELL - 10-11 hours each night for at least a week, and I just KNEW that we were going to have to struggle to get her to sleep anywhere but the carseat. Well, once again, Savannah has proven me wrong! The first night she slept on her back, she did get up once, but still slept a total of 9+ hours. Last night, her second night on her back, she slept from 10:30 until 8:00 ~ 9.5 hours STRAIGHT! The funny part about last night was that between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00 AM, she somehow managed to "scooch" herself down in the positioner so that her head was where her belly is supposed to be! We managed to capture a couple of pictures while she was sleeping...

This is where she's SUPPOSED to be...

After a LONG night... ;0

(Notice the position of her head!)

What, Mommy? I'm not supposed to be down here? Oops!

Big News & A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

Big news first... and then I'll share some pictures! :) We've made some big decisions lately, and Savannah has made several big strides in the past week or two. Here we go...

• I've decided to stay home with Savannah for the rest of the school year. This was an agonizing decision for me. I've been teaching (in one form or another) for 12 years, so that had become a major part of my identity. It was hard to give that up... but in the end, we decided it was definitely worth the sacrifices we'll have to make in order for me to be here with Savannah every day. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm so excited to be a STAY AT HOME MOM!!!
  
• Savannah has started to "talk" more (in other words, she's cooing and making cute little "ahhh... ooohhh..." sounds) in the past couple of weeks, and she's smiling at us a lot.


• We have an "entertainer" that is attached to Savannah's stroller. It's got little frogs and mirrors that play songs & spin around. Just this week, Savannah has figured out that if she kicks the frogs, they will spin around... a big treat for her! She loves to kick the frogs and then squeal when they move. Very cute!


• On Sunday, I put Savannah down for Tummy Time and instead of screaming (her usual reaction), she decided it was time to push herself up and look around. Here's a picture (not a great one, but all we've got for right now):

• Savannah & I went to Spartanburg for a few days last week, and while there we visited a Pumpkin Patch. We got some cute pictures, so here's a peek into our adventure:

Waiting for the Great Pumpkin...

Mommy, how many pictures do we have to take? I'm getting tired!

Four Generations!

Chinese Fire Drill

Last night, Michael & I had a few errands to run. It had been a busy day for Savannah, so I wasn't too surprised when she began to cry (Read: SCREAM at the top of her lungs) as we were leaving the parking lot to head home. I decided it would be best for me to get out of the front seat & move to the back to sit with her. Okay, you're going to have to get a mental picture of this... We were at the stoplight leaving a fairly busy parking lot. When the carseat is hooked up in my car, there's not as much room on the passenger's side of the backseat as on the driver's side. So in my panic to quickly get back to her & try to calm her down, I jumped out of the front seat, ran around to the driver's side of the back seat and hopped in... once I sat down & closed the door, I realized that Michael was frantically saying, "You dropped the burp cloth on the ground! You dropped the burp cloth on the ground!" I jumped BACK out of the car... ran around to the front passenger's side & grabbed the cloth. Just as I was about to run BACK around the car for the second time, I saw that the light had changed to green. I decided that it would be best at that point just to get in the passenger's side of the back seat and suck it up. It's a tight fit, but it wasn't the end of the world. As we drove off, I started to imagine what my "Chinese Fire Drill" looked like to the cars around us (there were several). My running around the car made perfect sense to me, but I'm sure the people who didn't hear Savannah's screams (which, by the way, were continuous during my "run") were a bit confused by my antics. :)

Two Month Well Visit

Savannah had her two month well visit on Tuesday... which meant the beginning of her vaccinations... three shots & one oral dose this time. We met with the doctor first, and she said everything looked great. Savannah weighed 9 pounds, 8 ounces and measured in at 22 inches. She's in the 50th percentile for length and between the 25th-50th percentile for weight. Obviously, she's not taking after her mother in those areas yet... I was always in the 90th percentile for weight and length! :)

When it came time to give Savannah the vaccinations, it was also almost time for her to eat. Knowing how much she loves to eat, I was prepared with a bottle ... as soon as she had the three shots, I grabbed her and gave her the bottle. She was a brave little soldier. She did scream bloody murder when the three needles punctured her little legs, but once she had her "Mommy Milk" she was happy again. And I'm pleased to report that Mommy didn't even cry! (I think I was just so busy trying to get her bottle to her, I didn't have time to react - and by the time I did, she was happy again!)

Savannah is moving up to Size 1 diapers (she's been in Newborns until yesterday) and is now drinking 4 ounces of milk, rather than 3, at each feeding. We're thrilled that she's growing enough to move out of the Newborn diapers... BUT the Size 1's don't have that fabulous little green line that tells us that she needs a new diaper! I guess it's time for Mommy & Daddy to grow up, too. :)

The Newest Member of the Club

I've been told I am now an official member of the "Mom Club." On Sunday, I was burping Savannah on her belly (across my legs). As I was wiping spit up away from her mouth, I noticed that my legs felt rather warm. When I picked her up, I realized she had peed all over my jeans - and the couch. Oops! Today during a session of the hiccups, I was holding Savannah & this HUGE "squirt" came pouring out - longer & more intense than usual - and before I knew it I had a 4 inch line of poop running down my new white tank top. Good times. :)

I just LOVE being a Mommy... seriously! :)

Let's Celebrate!

Savannah is excited to wish Aunt Sandi a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and Aunt Karlene & Uncle Al a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Today is also Grandparents Day! Savannah is blessed to have 4 wonderful grandparents and an amazing great-grandmother. Check out the slideshow below in honor of Savannah's grandparents. Although we aren't with them today, we hope they all have a happy Grandparents Day! We love you so much!



"Happy Grandparents Day" Slideshow - Turn up your volume!

Six Weeks with Savannah

We've made it through the first six weeks with our beautiful baby girl - and what an amazing six weeks it has been! The first couple of weeks we didn't think we'd ever sleep again, but in the last few weeks we've had several nights when Savannah slept for 8 hours in a row. The worst case scenario we've faced with sleep (lately) is that Savannah will sleep for several hours (usually at least 5), wake up around 3:30 or so, eat, and then sleep for another stretch (4 hours, usually). To only have to get up once in the middle of the night for about an hour with a six week old is NOT something I'm going to complain about!

Savannah's one month well appointment was fabulous. Her pediatrician said everything looked great and that Savannah was a healthy little girl. She weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 21 inches long. (When I was born, I was 21 inches & 9 pounds... Savannah's Mommy was a big girl!) Her weight and length are both in the 50th percentile among babies her age.

We've had several visits with Nana Daune, Papa Charlie, and Nana Lou. To say that they adore Savannah would be a HUGE understatement. :) Savannah also got to meet my Aunt Sandi, cousins Jennifer & Amber, and Jimmy & Amber's son, Luke. Unfortuntately, I didn't get to see everyone because I was with Dr. Andersen during their visit, but I hear Savannah made quite an impression! :)

This weekend, Savannah got to see her Grandma Judy & Grandpa Rod (Michael's parents) again, as well as meeting for the first time her Uncle David, Auntie Melissa, and her cousin, Ollie. Ollie wasn't quite sure what to think of Savannah ... and Savannah was so busy eating & napping that she didn't get a real good look at Ollie yet. We're hoping for some more interaction today! It's so good to have Michael's family here with us.

I'll post some pictures of our family visits soon.

Slideshow - "The First Month"

Click on the Play button below to view a slideshow of pictures from our first month with Savannah. Be sure to have your volume turned up!

First Night in the Crib

It's 3:33 a.m. and I'm sitting in our office, watching Savannah on the baby monitor. We're working on her learning to put herself to sleep - which means we get her relaxed & then put her in the crib & just let her cry it out. It's SO HARD to watch her scream, flail her arms, and kick her legs... and not go pick her up to comfort her. BUT I know that it's what's going to be best. This is the first night she's slept in the crib - but we've been working on her putting herself to sleep for a couple of days. Thank Goodness for video baby monitors. It gives me the freedom to not sit right over her while she screams - but to be able to see exactly what is going on. I could sit here all night and watch her sleep (now that she's stopped crying!)... but I need to head back to bed and get a little rest before we start over again. Being a mom is HARD!

More pictures soon... I promise! :)

Slideshow: "Our Girl"

Click the "Play" button to view a slideshow of pictures from our time in the hospital. Be sure to turn on your speakers!

Isn't she beautiful? And she has hair too!

Here's a picture of Savannah and all of her beautiful dark hair. Thank you for all the emails, text messages and visits. We are so blessed to have you as friends and family.

She's Here!!!

Savannah Grace Boyes joined our family at 12:55 PM today, July 25th. What an amazing miracle! I pushed for almost 90 minutes with no major complications. Savannah weighs 7 pounds, 14 ounces and is 19 inches long. She has a head full of beautiful dark hair, long graceful fingers, and her mommy's nose. ;) (I can't wait to get a pink bow in her hair!)

Michael was a wonderful help during the labor and delivery. Having the epidural was such a blessing that allowed me the chance to rest during the time leading up to delivery and regain some of the strength I had lost during the previous 2 days of "at home" contractions.

Both sets of Savannah's grandparents and her great-grandmother (Julie's Nana Lou) were here for the day, which was a wonderful blessing for us. We are so thrilled to have had them with us for this special day.

Read below for another post about the events from the first half of labor and delivery.

After 33 hours.......

Julie's contractions continued throughout the day on Friday. However, the contractions did not become much closer than 10 to 15 minutes then would shift back to 20 to 30 minute intervals. We spoke with a nurse Friday morning who said we wouldn't go to the hospital until contractions were 5 minutes apart for two hours. However, by 11 pm Friday night other symptoms began to emerge - slight bleeding and full body shakes. Julie's mom, Daune, spoke with the nurse on call. By 11:45, we were packing up to head to the hospital. When we arrived, Julie was placed in a triage unit to assess if she was in true labor. Turns out she was and we were moved into suite #1. The nurse was amazed that Julie had dilated to 5-6 cm given such irregular contractions over 33 hours.

Once we moved to our private suite, three nurses efficiently hooked Julie up to various machines. One of our main concerns was, of course, the epidural. Thirty three hours of painful and intense contractions had left her mentally and physically exhausted. Julie enjoyed a jacuzzi bath while waiting for a platelet count result that was "above 100,000." Julie decided we should pray for positive test results. Within moments of finishing our prayer, the nurse arrived to tell us that an epidural would be possible. Around, 2:00 am, the anesthesiologist and nurse began the epidural procedure. Within 30 minutes Julie was experiencing contractions without any pain. This allowed her to sleep for several hours as her body continued to make progress.

By 7:00 am, Julie had dilated to 9 cm. The plan is to allow Julie to "labor down" as much as possible. Due to her POTS diagnosis, this will limit the amount of pushing and therefore the risk of dropping blood pressure. We are so excited to be this close to the birth of our daughter because today is also the birthday of Julie's grandmother, Nana Bernie. Who would have guessed our baby would be due on Nana Lou's birthday and born on Nana Bernie's birthday. What a blessing. We'll post another update after the birth. Stay tuned. Love to all! Julie, Michael and Soon-to-Be Savannah.

Getting Started?!?!

We went to see the OB on Thursday morning. Not much had changed at that point - I'm still 3 cm, 70-80% effaced, and minus 1 station. My blood pressure was not so good sitting up, but once they let me lie down, it was fine. Savannah did great on her Non-Stress Test, which was fabulous news. They don't seem to be worried about her at all - she seems to love "Hotel Mommy" ... and we were beginning to wonder if she'd ever want to leave!

...Until yesterday afternoon. Around 3:00, I started having contractions. At first, they were about 30 minutes apart - and I could definitely tell that I was contracting. Until yesterday, all of my contractions were mainly just pressure. I'm starting to understand the pain side of contractions now. :) Anyway, after a few contractions that were about 30 minutes apart, they dropped to 45 min. apart... then 20, and through the night I woke up about once an hour with a contraction. I was able to go back to sleep for about 30-45 min. between each contraction, except for I was awake from 3-4 am. During that time, I had 2 smaller contractions - so I'm thinking that was probably happening during the other times I was sleeping & not just waking up from the pain.

At yesterday's appointment, they scheduled me for an induction for next Wednesday (July 29) - the day after my due date. Dr. Roginsky said that she doesn't want to wait too long after my due date with all of the issues I've been having (even though things are starting to look a bit better in some areas). I kind-of doubt that we're going to make it that long, but at least we know it won't be any longer than that.

We have been praying that Savannah will decide to check out of "Hotel Mommy" on her own. Inductions are much more painful and much longer, from my understanding, and not knowing if I'll be able to have an epidural makes that a bit frightening. If the past 12 hours are any indication, we seem to be on our way toward this goal. We'll continue to post updates on the blog as we are able. Much love to all!

~Julie, Michael, & Savannah

Not Yet...

We genuinely thought that we might be headed to the hospital after today's doctor visit, but it's not time quite yet. Since my last post, we've been back to the OB twice - last Friday and again today. On Friday, Dr. Roginsky said that she wanted to see me back on Monday (today) ... assuming I didn't go into labor over the weekend. Since that clearly didn't happen, we headed back in this afternoon.

The good news was that things are looking great for baby Savannah. She passed the Non-Stress Test with flying colors. My blood pressure and other tests looked good... so we didn't have to go to the hospital to be induced.

We're at home resting - contractions have started coming a bit more regularly... every 30 minutes or so. Not much else exciting is happening. We'll post more when there's more news. :)

Getting Closer!

On my last post, I mentioned that my next appointment was scheduled for Tuesday with Dr. Morton. Well, as soon as I had posted that, it changed. Dr. Goldman (my internationally-traveling OB) called me on Friday with Thursday's lab results - my platelets had dropped back to 72, but everything else was okay. He felt comfortable with me continuing at home for the weekend, but didn't want me to wait until Tuesday to come back to the office ... I had to reschedule for Monday with a different doctor. I was a bit confused about the "rush" - but I certainly don't know enough to question his decisions.

So, yesterday (Monday), we headed to see Dr. Roginsky. My parents came up for the appointment, "just in case..." Dr. Roginsky was super-nice. She answered all of my questions (a full page!), and then explained that a few of the "factors" Dr. Goldman had been concerned with were starting to change. I had started spilling more protein - moving from a "trace" to "plus 2" level. My blood pressure was also a bit higher than she would have liked to see it (131/95). So, she sent me off to the hospital (again) for more checking... blood work and monitoring of the baby, contractions, & my blood pressure. After 3+ hours in the hospital, we learned that my platelets are "over 100" - but they couldn't get an exact count because they're too large (possibly clumping together?). A count of "over 100" is good, though. That's the minimum for having an epidural! If they fall lower than 100 on the day I go in to deliver, I'll have to go without. ((ouch!)) My blood pressure was fine the entire time I was there, so that wasn't a huge concern for them. The only thing left to check on is the protein, so I got another "pee hat" and bucket. Good times! I did learn a lot from the last time I did a 24-hour collection about the importance of being careful when removing the "hat" from the toilet seat. Splashes are NOT fun. :) So, I'll be collecting until this afternoon - will return the bucket to the doctor's office & then hopefully get results back on Wednesday.

Other exciting news from yesterday's appointment... I am now 2 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and Savannah is at "minus 1" station. According to the monitoring machine at the hospital, I'm definitely having contractions (2-3 per hour), though they're not painful yet... just the pressure & tightness. Our little girl is working hard to come join us! We'll keep you posted as more developments arise.

Want to leave us a message? Some people have asked how to leave a note on the blog... Just click on the word "COMMENT" below and it will allow you to type a note. You don't need to have an account or anything. Where it says "Comment As" you can click on Anonymous - and then just type your name in with your message so we know who you are! We'd love to hear from you!

ISRAEL?!?!

We went to my weekly OB appointment yesterday, and Dr. Goldman said that he is pleased that the bloodwork from the hospital came back okay. I do NOT have pre-eclampsia or HELLP Syndrome, which was what they were worried about. The diagnosis of Gestational Thrombocytopenia stands, but that alone is nothing that would force an early delivery. What concerns him is the fact that I have a lot of different "factors" that could change (rising blood pressure, swelling, low platelets, spilling traces of protein, etc.) - so he just wants to keep a closer eye on me. (My first thought... closer than once a week? Do you want me to move in with you, Doctor?) :)

Well, not exactly... instead, he told me that he would be headed out of town - to ISRAEL to be exact - for the next two weeks. Before I completely freaked out, he said that he would be transferring my "main care" to the doctor I saw in the hospital, Dr. Morton. I'm actually very comfortable with this, because Michael & I really liked Dr. Morton. She was so easy to talk to and was very knowledgable - she even knew about POTS! This doesn't mean that she will be the one to deliver Savannah, but she will be my primary contact until our little girl is born (or until Dr. Goldman returns from his trip to the Holy Lands...). I'll go back to see her for my next office visit on Tuesday - less than a week - to be sure things are still going well.

Dr. Goldman did give me one last "going away present" during yesterday's appointment... a "vigorous exam" (his words). He said that while it's not necessary for me to deliver right now, he wouldn't be upset if I went into labor, hence the "vigor." He told me that I'm now 1.5 cm dialated and am starting to efface... of course, after the "vigorous exam" I'm figuring I've got to be at least 4-5 cm! I'm not sure, but I think he may have been searching to see if I still have my tonsils. I could have told him an easier way to check that out! ;)

Needless to say, I've received a lot of information in the past 3 days (scroll down to other entries if you haven't had a chance to read the blog lately) - so I was a little stressed by the time we left the office. I'm doing a bit better now. I know that I just have to relax and trust that God will give me the strength to get through any kind of delivery that I need to, and that our little girl will be here soon for Michael & me to hold and love.

Unexpected Hospital Visit

Well, we certainly weren't expecting our afternoon to be as eventful as it ended up. Michael & I had gone to Spartanburg last night (Monday) so we could spend some time with my mom's massage therapist, Sandra. We found out at last week's OB appointment that I may not be able to have an epidural due to possible complications with POTS. (Epidurals can lower your blood pressure, and if this happens the only way to bring it back up so the baby gets enough blood is to give the mom epinephrine. This increases the heart rate. Both of these, lower bp and increased hr, are basically what POTS is all about...) The long and short of it is that I won't know about having an epidural until I get to the hospital and talk with the anesthesiologist on call. So, we want to be prepared for a delivery without an epidural. We spent an hour with Sandra this morning, and she showed Mom and Michael several ways that they'll be able to help me through massage during labor.

After the massage appointment, we headed to meet Dad and Nana for lunch. As we were getting ready to order, I heard my cell phone ringing - but just missed the call. It was my OB, who left a voice mail asking me to call him as soon as possible to discuss last week's lab results. Before I could dial the phone number, he was on the phone with Michael. To make a long story short, he told me that my platelet count had dropped again. A little background... I've had my platelets checked 4 times now. "Normal" is anywhere between 150-400 (thousand). My readings were 129, then 102, and then back up to 150. The 150 reading was 2 weeks ago, so Dr. Goldman decided to repeat the labs last Thursday just as a precaution (though he was pleased with the level being 150). This last reading was not as good as any of the previous ones... I was landing at 67. He said that he wanted to do more lab work to try to determine what is going on, specifically looking to be sure it wasn't pre-eclampsia. Since it would take a couple of days for him to get results from any labs drawn in the office, he sent me directly to the hospital.

Keep in mind, now, that we were still in Spartanburg when we received this call. Luckily, we had planned on heading back this afternoon anyway, so everything was packed up. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and hit the road. After 3+ hours in the hospital, we learned that my platelets had gone up to "over 100" (though we don't know the exact reading). I was discharged with a large bucket to collect "samples" for 24 hours. Knowing how often I go to the bathroom these days, I'm not sure the bucket will be large enough! :) That's my "homework" for tomorrow - and then we'll bring it with us to Thursday's appointment. The doctor from my OB Practice on call at the hospital was great. She said that everything looked great with the baby, that I hadn't done anything wrong to make this happen - it's just one of those things for some women. Assuming everything comes back okay on the 24-hour collection, the diagnosis will be Gestational Thrombocytopenia. She said this basically means that my platelet levels will continue to fluctuate during these last few weeks of my pregnancy. The kicker with this is that whenever I come to the hospital to deliver, they'll check my levels - and if they are under 100, I won't be able to have an epidural.

So, we're really going to have to prepare ourselves for labor and delivery without any pain aids. I'm sure I can do it - but would LOVE to have the option of a bit of relief! :) As my Papa Bob used to say, we're "hanging in and hanging on!"

PS... Be sure to keep scrolling down to see last week's entry with pictures of the nursery & the announcement about our little girl's name! :)

1 Down, 9 To Go...

As of today (Friday, July 3), I'm 36 weeks, 3 days pregnant. I've started visiting with my OB on a weekly basis now. At yesterday's meeting, we found out that I'm 1 cm. dilated. I was fully expecting him to say, "Nope, nothing..." - so even 1 cm was exciting to me! I do realize that I could be 1 cm for several weeks, but at least it's a start!

We've been "nesting" a lot lately - the nursery is really starting to take shape. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what things look like:

It's been so much fun getting ready for our little girl! Oh- and we finally have a name! This has been a struggle for us, for whatever reason, but once we landed on "the name" we've felt much more settled. Originally, we had thought about naming her Kennedy - but when Michael "googled" the name & discovered that it means "Helmeted Chief" or "Ugly Head" in Gaelic, we decided against that. (Both of us being middle school teachers, we knew this little-known fact would rear its "ugly head" at some point during her school years...) Anyway... several weeks ago, when I was at an appointment with Dr. Andersen, he asked if we had decided on a name. When I began to describe our struggles, he said, "You're thinking about this too much. Just close your eyes and see what name comes to you." Knowing my propensity to overthink/overplan/etc., I took his advice. The name that came to my mind is the one we eventually decided on. Ironically, it was not a name that we had picked out during our first "round" through the Baby Name book. Michael & I wanted to use a family name for the middle name, but the names we liked from our family didn't really "fit" with the first name we chose. We started brainstorming names - listing everyone in the family we could think of. I took the first initial of various family members & came up with a middle name to honor several people. So... our little girl's name will be...

Savannah Grace

We're very excited to welcome our little angel into the world! We'll keep you posted on when this finally happens!

Here are a few more pictures from the past several weeks:

Some friends from Spartanburg Methodist College threw a Baby Shower for Michael & me. Above is a picture of several members of our family - Left to Right: Jennifer (my cousin), Sandi (my aunt), Nana Lou (Julie's grandmother), Julie, Michael, Daune, & Charlie (my mom & dad).

Mom, Julie, Nana

6 Weeks To Go!

We're getting SO CLOSE to our due date... but it sure does seem like a long way away! Lots has been going on since my last post, so I'll try to hit the highlights...

• Spring Break: Back in April, Michael & I went to Hilton Head with my parents during Spring Break. It was so great to get away. I know this picture was a while ago, but it does show the "bump" at that point... :)

• Baby Showers! I've had two wonderful showers. It was so great to see so many of my friends and to be able to celebrate our little miracle with them! Here are a couple of pictures...

• Doctor Visits: I'm going to see Dr. Goldman, my Obstetrician, every 2 weeks now. At my last visit, I heard the baby's heartbeat (164 bpm), got my belly measured, & had more bloodwork. My iron is back up where it needs to be, which was fabulous news, but my platelets had been"slightly low." There's nothing that can be done for a low platelet count (vitamins, etc.), and if the count is too low when I go in for delivery, I wouldn't be able to have an epidural. Yikes! Fortunately, I just found out that despite the past 2 sets of bloodwork getting lower each time, last Thursday's set of bloodwork turned out great My platelets are back up to the "normal" level. This means I won't have to see a hematologist. Yay!!!


• Nursery Prep: We've been working to get the nursery together... and it's really starting to come together. We got it painted (by a wonderful company... good prices, very thorough, etc.). If you need a room painted, let me know & I'll give you the name of the company. We were very impressed. Anyway, it's painted in a pretty pastel green color. We picked up all of the furniture - and even got the crib put together (thanks to Michael & two of our wonderful friends from church). I'll post some pictures of this soon... just have to get the camera in there! :)


• Nesting: I've definitely been nesting lately. Michael's mom (Judy) was here for my last Baby Shower, and she was able to stay for a few days afterwards. As always, she was a tremendous help - we sanitized & disinfected all of the baby equipment (bouncy seat, swing, toys, etc.)... Judy helped wash & prep all of the baby clothes... there's so much to do, but we got a lot done in those few days after the shower. Michael has even been nesting! His nesting is more garage/yard oriented... He's been working on the yard a lot & even built a shelf in the garage with the help of some friends. Check out the pictures below. My mom & grandmother ended up coming this week to help with some other nursery stuff... and to take care of me since I can't seem to stay on my feet. That story's next...

• The Rise and "Fall" On Tuesday, Michael had Field Day at school. I didn't want him to get sunburned, so before he left I sprayed some sunscreen on him. To make a long story short, I did this on the wood floor in our kitchen/dinette area. Later on, when I put my shoes on to go to the grocery store, I slipped on the sunscreen residue and my right leg went flying out from under me. A pretty scene, I'm sure. I actually stopped to make sure I was okay & thought that I was. Since I was on my way to the store, and I thought I was okay, I stayed with my plan. I got in my car, drove to the store, and then when I went to get out of the car, I realized I wasn't so much okay... I couldn't stand up or get out of the car! I ended up getting back to the house & calling my friend Kathy who rushed over to retrieve my wheelchair & get me in the house. Mom dropped what she was doing & drove up to help me. After a visit to the chiropractor in the afternoon, I was feeling much better. However, he insisted that I stay in bed for the next 2 days to ensure that everything healed like it needed to. (I had slipped a disc out of place & given myself a bit of whiplash!) Anyway, I'm feeling fine now. It's never dull around here...
  


• Baby Classes: Michael & I went to our first class together... Infant Safety and CPR... I'll just say that I left that class sufficiently frightened that I would never be able to keep our little girl safe from all of the dangers that this world presents. Michael went to a great class called "New Daddy Boot Camp" where he learned all kinds of stuff. We've got several more classes coming up... Car Seat Safety... Breastfeeding... and the most important, Childbirth Preparation! We've got 6 more weeks until our due date. Not that I would mind our little angel coming early... but I definitely want to make it through 2 more weeks - so I can have completed the Childbirth Prep class!

Alright, this post has taken me FOREVER to write... maybe that will teach me to keep up (and not wait so long between posts next time). Maybe...

Doctor Visits, Birthdays, and a Growing Baby

This week has been busy! My appointment with Dr. Andersen, the Osteopathic Physician who does Cranial Manipulation, was on Monday. Things went very well at that appointment. It was quite different from a traditional doctor's visit. Mom went in with me, and we spent about an hour and 20 minutes with the doctor. Basically, his philosophy is that any time someone encounters any type of trauma (physical, emotional, etc.), it affects the energy in your body. If that energy is not released, it can build up and cause physical symptoms, disease, etc. Like I said in the last post, I've had several head injuries - ranging from my forceps birth to falling out of a high-chair at 4 months old to getting hit in the head with a variety of objects resulting in concussions & broken bones. Dr. Andersen said that he can definitely help me... after listening to my background, he had me lie down on a table and he started doing some work. It was in no way painful, actually very relaxing. Someone asked if it was like getting a massage... no, he wasn't "rubbing" or "massaging" me - but when he finished, I was very relaxed. I'm learning to refocus my energies on the present (concentrating on breathing, rather than on worrying about something in the past or future). He also instructed me to LET GO of all of the medical labels that doctors have given me over the years. This makes sense. If I'm going to be cured of POTS (and several other medical issues, for that matter), I've got to accept that it's possible before it can happen. I'm working on that. :)

My appointment with Dr. Goldman, my OB, was on Wednesday. It was fairly uneventful. I did have my glucose test to determine if I've got Gestational Diabetes. The drink wasn't that bad - it was just hard to keep drinking until I finished the 10 ounces (in less than 5 minutes). No results back yet, so keep your fingers crossed that it turned out okay & I won't have to go through the three-hour test! With Mom & Nana both having diabetes, my risk is slightly elevated, but I don't have any other areas that are high-risk. After the bloodwork, I saw my doctor. We listened to the baby's heartbeat, which was good and strong. I talked to him about the pains I had been having, and he said they were probably contractions... but since it's just a couple a day, it's nothing to worry about. Perhaps just a little reminder of what's yet to come!

Tuesday was my birthday (and my mom's!). She and Nana brought me back home on Tuesday, so it was great to be able to see them during the day. Tuesday night, Michael brought me out for a nice birthday dinner at Firebirds (yum!) and gave me a beautiful ring. My fingers are swollen, so I can't wear my engagement and wedding bands right now. This ring is *temporarily* taking the place of those rings. (When we went to look at rings, Michael couldn't decide which one he really liked because, in his words, "I like your original rings!" So sweet! I love my "original" rings, too... but at least now I have something on my left hand - and I love that it was my birthday gift!) It's been so nice to be home for a few days in a row! I've got several appointments coming up with Dr. Andersen, which means I'll be out of town for at least 3 days each week, starting in May (travel time to Spartanburg, then to Fletcher (in the mountains) for the appointment, and then back to Charlotte - I don't feel like traveling more than one place a day!). I hate being away from home so much, but if I can feel better as a result of these appointments, in the long-run, it's definitely worth it.

Baby Girl (we're still working on names...) is doing well. She's jumping around a lot - she's either going to be a dancer (think Lord of the Dance) or a soccer player! There are even times when I can see my belly move. Very weird, but super-cool at the same time. Right now, I'm 26 weeks along, which means she is about 14 inches and over 1.5 pounds. It's amazing to me that she's longer than a ruler! That's a whole lot of baby!!!

I Know, I Know...

What's the point of having a blog if I never write on it, right? Sorry... no real good excuses, I just haven't made the time! :) I'll try to do better... There's lots to catch up on, so I'll jump right in. Things have been going pretty well with my pregnancy. I'm getting bigger... sort of looking like Shamu, in my personal opinion. I'm at my parents' house right now, and I don't have access to any pictures, but I'll try to get Michael to post a couple from home tonight - or I can do so when I get back mid-week.

Spring Break was last week, and Michael and I were fortunate enough to accompany my parents on a trip to Hilton Head. It was beautiful. We got some good rest & relaxation time together, which was so nice. Poor Michael... whenever he comes home from work, all I want to do is "visit" and he just wants to rest! (I've been resting alone all day!) He's such a good sport about it, though. Anyway, we were able to sit by the pool a couple of times (I even had enough strength to walk from our villa down to the pool that was next to the beach. Beautiful!) We enjoyed lots of good seafood, some shopping time (some in the wheelchair, some with me walking!), and several good games of Uno! It was a great trip - we enjoyed so much being with my parents and just getting away from home.

During our week at Hilton Head, I started having some weird pains... I wasn't sure what was going on, but they didn't last too long, so I didn't worry too much. We came back home on Thursday, and since the pains were continuing, I called my doctor's office on Friday to be sure everything was okay. The nurse told me that I'm probably having contractions - but that it wasn't a big deal as long as they didn't happen more than a couple times a day. I was instructed to lay down & rest - lots of extra relaxation and fluids. Now don't get me wrong, when I was working, this would have been the best thing anyone could ever say to me... but now that I'm at home all the time, I don't have that same desire for constant resting! :) Nonetheless, we took her advice. Michael pulled out the hideaway bed in our couch so I could lay down when I was downstairs, and I took a few extra naps over the weekend. I'm doing okay now. I think I had probably just been more active than "my" normal... and that may have kicked in some of the contractions. I'll continue to take it easy & I'm sure everything will be fine. I go back to the OB on Wednesday for my next appointment (complete with the glucose test! Yummy!), so I'll talk with my doctor then. I'll post another entry after I know a little more.

In other news... we may have an answer to a HUGE prayer. Those of you who know me well know that I was diagnosed in 2001 with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). This autonomic disorder causes my blood pressure to drop very low and my heartrate to rise very high whenever I stand (or sometimes sit) too long. Before pregnancy, "too long" was defined as anywhere from 10-30 minutes of standing. By the second month of my pregnancy, POTS had kicked in and 30 seconds was "too long" for me to stand. That's why I'm out of work until delivery. Well, we've been praying for healing... but in all of the reading and research I've done since my diagnosis 8 years ago, I've never seen or heard anything about a "cure" - until now...

A few weeks ago, Michael's mom (Judy) came to visit us. What a great help she was! She and I had lots of time while Michael was at school to visit and chat. I was telling her that I was concerned about whether or not I would need a C-Section. Shortly after my POTS diagnosis, my mom & I went to a Support Group meeting; almost everyone there was in a wheelchair - except for me. When we started talking to the women who had POTS, most of them said that their symptoms came on or got much worse after giving birth. Since then, I had read on message boards and other websites that a C-Section is sometimes recommended for women who have POTS. Judy mentioned that she had a friend from high school who is a high-risk OB. To make a long story short, Judy's friend (Carolyn) and I got in touch with each other. Carolyn found out that there is a cardiologist who works in the same hospital as she does that SPECIALIZES in POTS! This is extremely rare. Honestly, it's surprising when a doctor has even heard of POTS... much less someone who focuses on it! This cardiologist has a daughter who had been diagnosed with POTS, too. Carolyn gave me his phone number and said that he was more than willing to speak with me. Wow! So, I gave him a call...

When we talked, he explained that through his research, he has come to believe that POTS is caused by some type of head injury. (I've had several... okay, enough with the jokes!) ;) Anyway, he also said that he believes that he has found something that will CURE POTS. There's something called Cranial Manipulation. There are less than 500 doctors in the US who perform this treatment. (These are medical doctors, not chiropractors or therapists, that he was talking about. I've been to a cranial therapist before, but these dr's go through 4+ years of training, plus residencies, etc.) He had me look up a website (www.cranialacademy.com) & there are 2 doctors in NC (none in SC) who are certified in this field - one in Durham & one in Fletcher (in the mountains). Well, when I told the cardiologist where they were (about 3 hours away), he said that it probably would be too far b/c you shouldn't drive more than an hour or so after the appointment. He mentioned some medications, but obviously I would have to wait until after I deliver & finish breast feeding to use any meds. He did say, though, that he'd be happy to speak with my cardiologist here in Charlotte once the time for meds comes. He kept talking about the Cranial Manipulation, though. He mentioned his daughter who had POTS - at about the same level of symptoms as I'm having now. She went to one of these doctors & after finishing the therapy had no more symptoms for 10 years. Ten years! After that amount of time, the problems came back. She went back for more cranial work and hasn't had any problems since. Pretty amazing. But... I'm too far away. Well, when I talked to my mom she told me that the doctor in Fletcher is less than an hour from Spartanburg. SO, I'm going to give this a shot. My first appointment is on today at 1:00.

This post has already gotten WAY too long... I'll write more in the next couple of days once I know what's happnening with the cranial manipulation & the contractions. :) So much excitement!

Love to all! ~Julie, Michael, & Jr. :)

It's Getting HOT in Here!

While it is terribly exciting for me to be able to take 2+ naps in one day, I've been trying to branch out a bit on what I do during my time at home. I'm learning to cross-stitch, which is lots of fun... when I get it right. ;) A friend from school, Barbara, gave me a baby blanket that has patterns to cross-stitch little animals. It's the cutest thing! So far, I've stitched a duck. I'll try to take a picture & post it later today.

I've also been able to meet some friends and go out for lunch a couple of times. It's so nice to get out of the house, but I know to expect that when I get home, it will be time for a "long winter's nap." Yesterday, I went to school - had lunch with Michael & his team, visited with a group of students who have been writing to me (Donna's class... she & her kids are so awesome!), and even read to some kids for Read Across America Day - Dr. Seuss's birthday!

One of my not-so-smart choices has been to sit outside for a couple of hours on Tuesday afternoon. It has been absolutely beautiful around here... upper 70's and lower 80's!!! So, I decided to bring my thank-you notes outside and write there. I just propped up my feet & went to town. The breeze was blowing, sun shining down on me... I couldn't have asked for anything more. Except, perhaps, some sunscreen! Yep, Pregnancy Brain strikes again! After my afternoon in the sun, I came back inside to find that my legs, chest, and about 1/2 of my face are a lovely shade of RED... nope, not even pink will describe this! I've been suffering for my brain failure for the past 2 days. When I went to school yesterday, everyone I saw asked why it looked like I had been to the beach... nope, just the back patio! Good times.

Several people have asked if I'm showing... uh, yeah. Definitely. (Please ignore the huge pile of unfinished laundry in the photo below.) In the latest Baby Bump picture (below), you may even be able to see my new "coloring" if you look closely - although the sun was on my right side, and I'm facing left in this picture. I'm hoping the heat that I feel is not radiating up to our little girl. If it is, I'm sure she's saying, "It's getting HOT in here!"

It's A.....

We've got lots to update about! We had our 19-week ultrasound today and found out that everything is looking great for our little one!!!

We asked the technician to put a "girl" or "boy" card that I had prepared inside of an envelope. Our plan was to go to dinner at Firebird's and open the card then. I kept my eyes closed while the ultrasound was in the girl/boy area ... but Michael didn't do so well on this task! On the way to dinner he said, "I think it's a girl... but I don't really know what I was looking at, or if it was zoomed in or out." It turns out he was right. We were thrilled to see this card when we opened the envelope:

We called our parents & my grandmother. I had sent everyone 2 envelopes - one with pink ribbons & one with blue ribbons. When we called, we said, "Open Envelope #2" and waited for the gleeful squeals. Tomorrow, all of our baby girl's grandparents & her great grandmother will be able to wear their PINK ribbons to let everyone know that they're having a granddaughter!

Last week, I (Julie) felt the baby kick for the first time. What an incredible feeling. I do believe we've got a mover & shaker on our hands! It will still be a while before Michael can feel any kicks, but every time she moves, I say, "Baby's Kicking!" just to let him (or anyone else standing nearby) know. :)

Some more pictures of our little girl:

<-- Face profile of our little angel!

Look at the arrow for proof that we're having a GIRL! -->

<-- She's trying to suck her thumb in this picture. Perhaps taking a break from the aerobics!

You'll have to look carefully, but you can see her left hand waving at us.

"Hi, Mom & Dad!"

Time to Rest - and Learn

I went to see a variety of doctors on Monday. For those of you not well versed in my medical history, I have a condition called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome - or POTS. Basically, when I stand up for too long, my circulation doesn't work so well... blood pools at my feet and my heart races in order to get the blood flowing again so I don't pass out. I was diagnosed with this back in 2ooo, so it's nothing new to me. Many times, I don't even notice the tachycardia (fast heart rate) or other symptoms. However, during the past 5 weeks or so, it has come back with a vengeance. Three weeks ago, I called my cardiologist to let him know what was happening - and that I was pregnant. We had discussed the impact of pregnancy on POTS before Michael and I conceived, so I knew this was a possibility. I also knew that his stance was "no meds during pregnancy." I hadn't been on medication for this for several years, so I wasn't too concerned. During the phone call to my doctor, he said that he was very sorry, but that there was nothing to do except drink lots of fluids and eat extra salt. (I know... most people are shocked to hear a doctor recommend extra salt - but it helps increase circulation!) Anyway, when I went to see the cardiologist on Moday, I was shocked to hear his advice: stop working immediately - and until the baby is delivered. Obviously, I was in complete shock - and had a very hard time dealing with this at first. I had expected to have to go out of work, but not until several months from now. He explained that the reason my heart is racing every time I stand is that blood flow is inadequate getting to my heart, and therefore to the baby. The medications that are available to help with my condition (POTS - Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) are not good for use during pregnancy due to causing issues with low birth weights, issues with the placenta, etc. He said that after I stop working, if I am still having problems at home that are unbearable, we can talk about medication - but he's still reluctant with that. Later in the afternoon, I went to my 3 month appointment with the OB. Honestly, I was hoping that he would say, "Don't worry about it. You can keep working." That, however, was not the case. He agreed with my cardiologist.

Those of you who know me well will not be shocked to hear that this "announcement" greatly upset the "planning" side of me. :) I will say, however, that even in the past 3 days, I have learned many amazing things about myself and the people around me...

• My friends have stepped up to the plate in more ways than I can imagine. My friend from school, Maria, had already been bringing meals to us for two weeks - a huge blessing.


• Our friend Kathy from our Small Group at church came over with her 3 daughters on Wednesday and ironed all of our clothes and cleaned the bathrooms.


• Already this week, our friends Heidi & Pauline (both from our Small Group) brought two delicious dinners over for us.


• Some friends (Paula, Carolyn, & Brita) from school are sending dinner home with Michael.


• Members of our small group are organizing so much help for us - everything from grocery shopping to cooking meals to helping us clean the house.


• Friends have kept me busy with emails, text messages, and phone calls this week. (One of my biggest fears about this time at home is that I'll lose touch with friends... they're not letting that happen.)


• My mom and grandmother came up to go with me to the cardiologist on Monday. (We weren't expecting such big news, were we Mom?!) I've been talking with them each day this week, and they are helping to keep me calm and POSITIVE. :)


• Michael has continued to show me what it means to truly love someone and put them before yourself. He has done all of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, ETC. for the past 2+ months... in addition to all that is encompassed in teaching. I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband.

So what have I learned so far?

• I've learned that while I would like to be able to handle the day-to-day activities of life, I can't right now. I can't stand up long enough to make a sandwich. I can't walk up the stairs more than once a day. I can't walk to the mailbox. YET. ...But every day I pray for the strength to be able to do a little more. Yesterday, I was able to make a couple of phone calls to friends. (I didn't feel well enough to do that the day before.) Today, I have felt like I could sit up. (That wasn't such a great idea yesterday.) Today, I was able to update our blog.


• I've learned that humility is a quality that I need some help with - but I'm working on it. I never thought I could allow someone else to come into our home when it wasn't "spic and span" - but we've had more visitors come by to drop off food or help us clean in the past 3 days than we've had for several weeks or months. I lived through it - and despite my embarassment of things not looking "perfect" - no one has seemed to even blink.


• I've learned that NO MATTER WHAT, the people who love us most - our friends and family - are there for Michael and I when we need them the most... and without us even having to ask.

And, what about our baby, you may be asking? The baby is doing great. We got to hear Baby Boyes's heartbeat on Monday afternoon - it was pumping right along at 158 beats per minute (ironically, about the same pace as mine after I stand for 30 seconds or so!). The baby is about the size of an apple right now - 4 inches from crown to rump - and weighs about 2.5 ounces. :) Our next appointment is on March 3rd - when we'll be having an "anatomy" ultrasound ... and will be able to find out if Baby Boyes is a BOY or GIRL... Stay tuned! We can't wait!!!

Movin' On Up!

It's official. I'm now in maternity clothes! It depends on what I'm wearing, but at times, you can definitely see the "bump" - very cool! I haven't actually gained much weight (especially when you consider what I lost the first couple of months), but I suppose this means I'll be "moving up" a weight class soon. The goal is to not weigh more than Michael by the end of this! :)

Video & Pics of a Kumquat

When this was taken, the baby was the size of a kumquat, so that has become the latest nickname around our house. You'll be able to see (hopefully) the heartbeat, arms, legs, head, & umbilical cord in this video. A still picture is below. It's amazing how human a kumquat can look! Surreal... that's Michael's fancy word for it. :)

Ultrasound #2

Michael & I went to see Dr. Goldman, my OBGYN, this afternoon for another check-up.

I felt it was important to first exhibit for every nurse and doctor who happened to be standing around (not just my own) exactly how brain-dead I am. The nurse weighed me, and then asked me to go to the bathroom to give a "sample." Of course, as soon as I walked into the bathroom, I promptly forgot to pee in the cup - (yup, I actually zoned out on the reason I was in there until I had flushed the toilet!). After that, luckily, everything was UPhill!

We had another ultrasound - and this time it didn't just look like a tiny grain of rice! We were able to see actual baby body parts... legs, arms, head, umbilical cord, and a heart! It was amazing to see the tiny heart beating. Michael took video footage with our new "Cannon Baby Cam" as he dubbed it. :) We're going to try to post the video and copies of the pictures from the ultrasound in the next couple of days. Be sure to check back!

Another piece of exciting news came at today's appointment. I should first mention that today would have been my grandfather, Bob's, 92nd birthday. The doctor told us that our official Due Date is July 28th - that will be my Nana Lou's birthday! I was so excited that we learned this upcoming SPECIAL date on Bob's birthday. The only issue, as my dad pointed out, was that if we have a girl, we'll have to name her after my grandmothers... "Bernie Lou Boyes" ... YIKES! I don't think we'll be taking that route! :)

Michael & I are doing well. I'm finally starting to feel somewhat back to normal - the nausea and tiredness continue, but aren't as severe as they were. My doctor actually said it was good that I had been sick... my thoughts were similar to a comment made by Rachel on a "Friends" episode... "No uterus... No opinion." Hopefully I'll be back to my old self really soon. Tomorrow I'll be 11 weeks along - so the end of the first trimester is in sight!