Baby's Cells

Your Baby's Cells Stay In You For Life

During pregnancy, cells sneak across the placenta. The fetus's cells enter the mother and the mother's cells enter the baby --and stay there for life. In mothers, fetal cells often take residence in her lungs, spinal cord, skin, thyroid gland, liver, intestine, cervix, gallbladder, spleen, lymph nodes, and blood vessels. The baby's cells may also live a lifetime in Mom's heart and brain. 

-Sheryl Feldman

Here's a picture of our pretty little girl!

We tried to get a 3D/4D picture of her this morning, but her little arms and legs wouldn't leave her face long enough to get a picture.

I was amazed at watching hers eye open and close, open and close, open and close...

and her mouth kept opening and closing - she was either busy sucking and tasting or telling us a story...

and she kept sticking her little tongue out at us.

Her bladder was full and her heart rate was 132 beats per minute.

She's measuring in at around 2.5 pounds.

Mmmmmm - I can't wait to meet her!

Looooove

I just loooove cruising the country on these cool summer nights with the windows rolled down...the stars, the smells, and sleeping babies. It's all beautiful :) 

Firsts

Last night the kids got to experience decorating their own pizzas for the first time -

-and they LOVED it!!

Makayla did an awesome job loading her pizza up with cheese, pepperoni, canadian bacon, pepperoni, canadian bacon, and a little more pepperoni while Mason did an awesome job eating all of his toppings.  He couldn't get past a half cheese pizza because he was too busy filling his mouth!

Some other "firsts" for the kids this summer...

First time at swimming lessons for Mason -

-and he LOVED it!!

Mason can't get enough of the water and has no fear.  He loves to jump, splish, splash, swim, kick, go under water...he loves it all and it is always a huge fight to get him out of the pool.

Makayla is the complete opposite of Mason when it comes to the water.  She loves it just as much, but is a little bit more reserved and prefers safety over anything else.  She loves to have her floaties with her but gets a little more brave with each trip to the pool.

First time at the dentist office for Makayla -

-and she LOVED it!!

Her teeth got tickled with Cookies 'n Cream toothpaste and she got a goody bag full of prizes (because with every prize Makayla got, she had to get another for her brother Mason - so her goody bag was double the size as it should be). 

I let her go back to the dentist chair without me - all by herself - and let her get started like a big girl.  Once she was all settled in the chair and after they counted her teeth (20 teeth - 10 on top, 10 on bottom), Mason and I headed back. 

Based upon Makayla's run of luck this summer (ER visit and OR visit) and all the gum she chews, I was just praying for a good visit -

-and her visit was beyond good!  She loved it!

She kept saying "I didn't even cry!" and as I kept telling her how good she did and how brave she was, she kept saying "Dad is just going to freak out!". 

I love her!

...and even mommy experienced something for the first time this summer -

It was a first for me, the other night, when I waved to our cat in the drive-way.  

I was on the way to the sitters to pick up the kids at the end of the day and Chief was laying out in our drive-way.  I said "hey" and waved to him as I drove on by.

It was one of those moments where I sunk down in my seat with embarrassment.  As if Chief could hear, see, or understand me!  Who waves to their cat in passing?!  Obviously an exhausted pregnant woman does.  It was the first time I've ever done something like that and I hope it's the last! (it would be totally different if I wasn't in my car where Chief couldn't even see or hear me)...

Having a summer FULL of "firsts" - pizza decorating, Mason's swimming lessons, and Makayla's trip to the dentist (...even mommy's wave to Chief) are just a few of our experiences to always remember.

Bathroom Lock

All I want is a lock on the bathroom door.

Tonight, Kevin was at the shop working on some signs, the kids were laying quietly on the couch watching Diego (almost asleep I thought), and I took it as a perfect time to go upstairs and take a bath.  A hot, bubble bath - quiet, peaceful, alone.

I sneaked upstairs (because Heaven knows that if I told the kids where I was going and what I was going to do, then they would have been WIDE AWAKE trailing behind me) - turned the water on, poured in the bubbles, and filled the tub.  

I turned the water off and laid back to r-e-l-a-x... *ahhhhhh

2 seconds later (maybe 3) Makayla bounces into the bathroom.  She kneeled beside the tub and whispered "I'm just going to watch you relax"...I kept my eyes closed and told her to be very quiet.

Not a minute later, she declared she had to poop.  

I guess my hot, relaxing, peaceful, bubble bath is OVER.

As she was sitting on the potty, she told me that my belly is getting big.  Then she asked me why I had big veins on my boobs (sorry - I'm pregnant and she's an honest 3 year old).  I told her "...because of the baby".  She then nodded like she knew exactly what I was talking about and went on to talk about the milk in my boobs for the baby and began giving a tutorial on pumping breast milk.  It was sort of impressive.

And, of course, in the middle of her tutorial, up comes Mason into the bathroom.  As Makayla is going on about the milk, Mason is repeating "hot.  hot.  hot." and blowing on the water.  He's invaded my bath time enough to know that my water is *hot*.   

Finally, Makayla is done using the potty, and I have to get out of the tub.

A five minute bath for mommy.

Just a normal night at our house.  Just a normal visit from the kids in the bathroom.

All I want is a lock on the bathroom door.

Chalazion Surgery

I currently have three blog entries started, but today I am going to post about Makayla's surgery.  Hopefully, soon, I'll finish up the other entries and get them posted!  TIME - where does it go?! 

For weeks, now, I've been anticipating - with much anxiety - Makayla's surgery, the removal of a chalazion (cyst on her eyelid).  

- how scared is she going to be

- how much pain is she going to be in

- what is going to be going through her little mind

- can't I trade her spots

 - what if...

- ...the unknown

Makayla's procedure was fairly minor in comparison to many, but for any parent that has had to endure their child being put under anesthesia - no matter the procedure - can agree that the thought of your child being put under is scary.  Period.

Our day started out at 4:30am (Up before the birds!  Wow!)

and we had to be at the hospital by 6am.

We were registered and Makayla was dressed in little yellow "scrubs" with a princess hat by 6:15.

(She is so cute that I can't stand it!)

I worked really really hard all morning to...

 keep smiling, 

ask Makayla questions (because it keeps her busy and makes her feel smart to answer questions)

keep her informed step by step of what we were doing and what was going to happen (she gets really into the whole hospital/doctor scene),

make her laugh.

After Makayla was dressed, the anesthesiologist came in and went into detail of what was going to happen throughout the morning as to what was going to be used to keep Makayla calm and asleep.

The first step was going to be the "happy juice" - Versed.  They gave it to her about 30 minutes before she went into surgery, and let me tell you that the "happy juice" is real!  That little tiny syringe of Versed made Makayla veeeeeery happy, very loopy, and very calm.

I felt like I was taking care of a 3 year old drunk.

- She was seeing birds or butterflies (she couldn't tell what they were) and she kept trying to reach out and grab them.

- She kept repeating "Jesus" over and over again - very loudly and with a pattern.  JESUS, JESUS, JESUS.

- She was very limp, heavy, and giggly.

They say laughter is the best medicine - she had us laughing so hard that tears were rolling down our cheeks. Watching her and listening to her, I know is what got us through our morning!

The "happy juice" made her so calm and relaxed that she didn't care one bit that she was leaving us and that they were taking her off to surgery.  So off she went in her wagon, with a smile on her face, giving us a little princess wave! - 7:15am.

*The power of Versed is so strong that it erases your memory.  Makayla has no memory before surgery, during the surgery, or right after surgery.  Amazing! 

The procedure itself took about 15 minutes!  Quick and simple!
Makayla was in recovery for about an hour before we could go back to see her.  As we walked through the recovery doors, she was sitting in the lap of one of the nurses at the desk with a smile on her face.

Isn't Makayla so brave?  She's such a strong little girl!

We sat watching cartoons, drinking a Sierra Mist (Makayla's highlight of her morning), and eating cherry popsicles.

We were discharged and on the road by 9:30am, went out for donuts with sprinkles, and ended our adventure at Toys R Us for a toy.  She deserved it!

Today (the day after her surgery) her eye looks beautiful and you wouldn't have even known that she had surgery!  It's amazing how resilient kids are, as they definitely handle things so much better than adults do!

It's times like this that make you feel so blessed to have the love and support by friends and family in your life.

...and now that the stress and anxiety of this surgery is behind us and relief has come, I think it would be awfully nice if they had "happy juice" for moms!  This surgery was WAY harder on me than it was for Makayla!

As for Makayla - she says she wasn't scared at all!  She keeps saying over and over again that she "didn't even cry!" and she got to have soda!

...definitely an experience for all of us!

25 Weeks And A Non-Stress Test

I'm telling you - I have a wild woman in my womb!

We went for a regular doctor visit this morning - 25 weeks, 4 days.

First - Weigh - check (gained 3 pounds)

Second - Pee in a cup - check.

Third - Blood pressure - check (110/60)

Finally - Listen to baby's heartbeat - check (extremely fast)

I couldn't help it, but at the sound of baby's heartbeat, I started giggling.  I had just never heard her heartbeat so loud and so fast before!  Dr laughed and asked me what I had for breakfast.  I only had a banana, a bowl of cereal, and juice (and two bottles of water so I could pee in the cup)...but you would have thought that I had Oreos and a Mountain Dew for breakfast!

After our appointment, I made my next appointment for three weeks - one of my favorite visits to the doctor while being pregnant.  In three weeks we get to do the Glucose Test to test for gestational diabetes (I love the orange drink you get to drink for it) and do another ultrasound!

...then I headed upstairs to the OB floor at the request of doctor to do a non-stress test.  He wanted to monitor baby's heart beat for a little bit.

I laid in bed, they hooked me up (to a monitor for the heartbeat and a monitor for contractions), and watched the Olympics.  I was supposed to only be monitored for about 45 minutes, but because baby was so active and moved around so much, it was about 1.5 hours!  It was hard for them to get data with baby on the move, but doctor said that if everything looked normal from what they did have, then I could be discharged.  Thankfully, everything looked great!

*While being monitored, I learned from the nurse that a fetal heart rate of over 160 beats per minute is considered Tachycardia*

Remember those two bottles of water and a cup of juice I had before my appointment?...well, that started kicking in!!  A couple of times while being monitored, my bladder reached the maximum capacity of urine and I had to get up to use the restroom.  Whew!  

Anyway, the way things have been going for us, I should have expected that we weren't going to have an easy and normal doctor's appointment.  It's just a little nerve-wracking to have to be monitored and possibly consider there might be an issue, but I'm thankful that everything sounded and looked good and that I got to hear my baby's heartbeat and strong loud kicks for 1.5 hours this morning!

Wild In The Womb

Wrapping up our 24th week!
...and starting to have to remind myself at times to embrace every single moment of this third and last pregnancy!

From the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, I very rarely feel baby girl move.  Several times throughout the day, I will have to stop - sit down and relax - and wake baby girl up.  I have to rub my belly, get a little nudge from her, and assure myself that she's okay :)


Between working during the day and playing with a 1 year old and 3 year old in the evenings, I stay pretty active and on my feet.  I tend to the think that all of the walking and 'up and at 'em' lull baby girl to sleep.  If she does get a little active during the day, maybe I don't notice it because I'm too busy staying busy!


It's not until the late evening or when I'm laying in bed that this little baby goes WiLd in the womb!!  It's absolutely amazing and sometimes I have to get up and get busy just to lull her back to sleep! 


Books say that at 24 weeks gestation, baby is about a foot long coming in at just over 1 pound.  Imagine a one pound ear of corn or a one pound foot long hot dog having a dance party in your womb.  I know anyone who has been pregnant knows exactly what I'm talking about - it's awesome! - one of my very favorite things about being pregnant. 

You go from the little movements (fish blowing bubbles or popcorn popping) to the kicks and punches (what I'm about ready to write about) to the final stages of there being no room in your belly for baby to move (rolls and waves).


So...what does it feel like when baby girl goes wild in the womb?

Sometimes it feels like she has 6 arms and 6 legs - I can't wrap my mind around what could possibly be kicking me and punching me in so many different areas of my belly all at the same time.  It really feels like there is an octopus in my belly that has her tentacles simultaneously knocking on my insides.  Crazy!

  

Sometimes it feels like she is stretching so hard that she is going to pop right through my stomach - I know I have so much more to grow and I know my belly will double in size, but sometimes I think that if I was any bigger, she would rip my skin.  The baby stretches and extends her arms out as far as she can above her head and streeetches and reaches with her feet to touch the very opposite end of her cozy little home.  It's a "feel good" pain and completely impressive!


Sometimes it feels like she is having seizures - This one kind of freaks me out a little bit.  Sometimes there are  one hundred quick movements within 10 seconds in my womb.  What in the world is going on in there?!  I don't know whether to describe it as seizure action or baby girl just being spastic.  These movements are quick, short, and jumpy.  Cool but freaky...and still makes me smile!

Sometimes she punches or kicks so hard that she makes my entire body move - Every once in awhile my entire body will jerk at the strength of her one little punch or kick.  I can't help but say "whoa" and giggle.  


I'm in awe of what one little teeny tiny baby can do.


So...nearing the end of our 24th week and getting a kick out of all of the baby's movements!
No pun intended :)
*i just cracked myself up*

She Wiggles When She Sleeps

Earlier this week, Makayla and I headed to a pediatric ophthalmologist.  

...and to make a long story short, Makayla will be having surgery on her eye during the first week of August to have her cyst removed.  We haven't gone into any detail with Makayla about this upcoming surgery and while she's been oblivious of anything going on (being uncomfortable or in any pain from the cyst) this mommy is going to be completely worn out from worry and anxiety during this waiting period.

Anyway...

Tonight, Makayla asked her first question ever concerning this cyst on her eyelid.

Makayla:  Mommy, when will this bump be gone?

Me:  Oooh, well, the doctor is going to remove it in a couple of weeks.  You have a week of swimming lessons, then a week for the fair.  When the fair is over, the doctor will take that bump off.

Makayla:  HOW?

Me:  Well, he is going to make you go night-night.  He'll have you go to sleep and then he'll take it off while you're sleeping.  That way, when you wake up, it will be all gone!

Makayla:  WHY?  Why do I have to go to sleep?

Me:  Because when the doctor takes that bump off, it's very important that you hold super super still.  If you're sleeping then you won't move while he takes it off.  You'll be asleep.

Makayla:  But mommy, I'm little and I wiggle when I sleep.  I might wiggle (scrunching her nose up and nodding her head reassuringly)...

Me: Well, it's okay if you wiggle while you're sleeping.  The doctor will still be able to take that bump off. 

She's little, so she wiggles when she sleeps.  

She makes me smile. 

Stitches & Possible Lancing

2 weeks ago - Makayla was diagnosed with a chalazion (eyelid cyst).  We were given eye drops and instructed to apply a warm compress 4 times a day.  We are thinking the cyst was caused by a clogged oil duct.  Makayla rarely complains about it and only says it hurts her when she blinks if she hears us talking about it.

Despite her cyst, she's still a beautiful little girl and carries on with life...

8 days ago - Makayla and her cousin Kyleigh were "modeling".  They dressed up in pretty sparkly dresses and walked the run-way for us!   They decided to put on some make-up and while they were in the bathroom dolling up with the make-up, a candle holder fell on top of Makayla's foot.

I knew instantly after hearing her cry and seeing her foot that she needed stitches.  It was such a scary moment.  

Makayla's my baby and nothing hurts more in this world than to see your own baby in pain.

We headed to the Emergency Room, sparkly dress and all, where Makayla was given 3 stitches on top of her foot.  

When we arrived to the ER, they put a gel on Makayla's laceration to numb it.  It took 20 minutes to numb and while we were waiting for the gel to do it's job, Kyleigh showed up with Uncle Andy and Grandpa Curry. 

The girls colored, talked, and drank apple juice.  

When it came time for the doctor to come in to do the stitches, Kyleigh got to stay with Makayla.  By staying in the room, Kyleigh offered support and comfort for Makayla,  while at the same time, learning a valuable lesson of how to cope.

This visit to the ER was our first 'catastrophe' with kids, and although it was only 3 stitches in a foot - it was painful. 

 Painful for Makayla.  

Painful for mommy.  

Watching Makayla go through the initial pain of the candle holder dropping on her foot and watching the healing process has been so very difficult for me.  

It's been doing wonders on my heart and teaching me a few things along the way.

The first couple of days after getting the stitches, Makayla just laid on the couch - paralyzed.  She couldn't do anything and wouldn't do anything.  She had Mason fetching drinks, books, and toys for her.  She had me carrying her to the bathroom or where ever else she needed or wanted to go.  

It was a long day.  

A long day for her.  

A long day for mommy.

She would lay on the couch, exhausted and in pain with her foot elevated.  I would put an eye drop in her eye and hold a warm washcloth on her eye (since we are still tending to the cyst).  I would sit on the couch next to her and I just wanted to cry for her.  

She hurt. She was in pain.  

She didn't know how to comprehend an end to her pain.  

I was sad for her.  I was sad that she couldn't go out to run and play or swim.  I was sad that she just didn't understand.

It was a tough couple of days.

Finally, Makayla started becoming mobile and scooching around on her butt.  Not long after that, she finally started walking with her legs again - a hysterical limp that looked so uncomfortable - but hey, she was finally becoming independent again!

Today - Right before we headed to the doctor to get the stitches removed. 

Her wound isn't quite healed enough so the doctor had to apply a steri strip to help keep the skin tight to do a little bit more healing.  

We were supposed to start swimming lessons tonight, but it looks like those will have to be postponed until Makayla's little foot is healed.

...and as for her eye - 2 weeks later and the cyst is still there.  We have an appointment set up with a pediatric opthamologist in a couple of days for a consult to possibly have this cyst on her eyelid lacerated and drained. 

Trust me, it's been a hassle dealing with stitches on her foot and an eyelid cyst - and it's definitely interrupted our every day schedule (struggling to fight Makayla with washes, medicine, and compresses) , but I thank God that's all we have to deal with.  Stitches and an eyelid cyst on a 3 year old is  nothing compared to what others in this world are dealing with.  

If by chance she does have to have this cyst removed, we will just look at it as  yet another experience for us...!

“Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.” 

-Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

The Cutest Thing Ever

His baby boy blonde hair that makes me tear up every time it gets cut,

His dazzling blue eyes that are truly the window to his soul,

His kissable cheeks,

And his chin.

Oh, his chin.

He's just the cutest thing ever...

And it's not just his heavenly good looks that make him the cutest thing ever, but also his sweet little voice, his rich personality, and the way in which he carries himself - full of happiness, joy, and pure cuteness!

A couple of things that make my heart melt, because Mason's the cutest thing in the world, are when Mason gets scared of the cicadas (those noisy insects in the summer time that sing so very loudly) and when he pooped in the potty last night.

When we're out and about at night and the cicadas start up, Mason gets scared...super scared.  He takes his tiny fist and clutches it against his chest and with fear in his voice says "get you"!  He's so scared that the cicadas are going to get him and the more fearful he becomes of them and the more he repeats "get you" and nuzzles into mine or Kevin's arms, the cuter I think it is.

...and last night, Mason pooped on the potty.  For months, Mason has excitedly announced that he needs to poop and he runs to sit on the potty.  Sometimes we set him on the potty and sometimes we don't.  When we do set him on the potty, he never poops.  Well...last night he pooped!  The way our family was cheering, clapping, and war hooping, you would have thought that the boy won an Olympic gold medal!  We were all surrounded around the potty pointing his 'accomplishment' out and telling him how happy we were.  Makayla kept repeating "Good Job, Buddy!" over and over again to him.  Mason was so excited he couldn't stop looking proudly at his poo in the potty.  He would slam the lid shut and 2 seconds later, he would lift it up again and beam.  He was one proud little boy last night.  Watching him beam at the potty and his audience (mommy, daddy, sissy) surrounding him...was in fact, the cutest thing ever!

So, between Mason's blonde hair, blue eyes, kissable cheeks, his perfect little chin, and his a-m-a-z-i-n-g personality, I am one lucky mama!