33 Weeks and Counting!

We have now reached week 33 of pregnancy!  Lucia measured a little over 1000 grams (2 lbs 4 oz.) at her 32 week growth check, which is more than we or the doctors ever expected!  I think she is in the first or second percentile for growth, but hey! she is still on the charts!  Chris has been making a cheesecake every week to fatten up this little baby (hopefully it's not just Mommy who is getting fat).  Amniotic fluid levels have remained constant at around 15 for the past few weeks and my placenta has moved up (no more placenta previa)!  We are still going in three times a week to be monitored, but so far she just keeps surprising us all.  I am still terrified that something will go wrong, but I do have this small glimmer of hope in the back of my mind that maybe, just maybe we'll be able to take Lucia home with us with zero or at least a relatively short NICU stay.  That might just be too good to be true, but one can always hope right?  We are just praying that she will have some major growth spurts in the following weeks.

I was able to attend church last Sunday to see Nina's first primary program.  I absolutely loved it.  Although she was terrified, Nina did so well with her one line.  She was the only Sunbeam who didn't need any help.  She said, "I love my family because they are so good to me."  After Nina said her line, Miri, who was on my lap, happily cried out, "She did it!"  We were all so proud of her.  Weston stood up on Daddy's lap for all the songs and conducted the music. After church, Chris made Nina a bright blue cake with bright yellow frosting and sprinkles to celebrate her success.       

Halloween was different this year...at least for me.  I wanted to go trick or treating with our adorable kids, but alas, I had to miss out.  Not being able to do much of anything for the past 5 months has been hard; each week feels like an eternity.  Anyways though, the kids had a blast.  Nina dressed up as Ariel...with butterfly wings.  Miri was a purple bat, Weston was a lion, and Chris was a Jedi.

We were all able to attend the Phoenix Temple Open House this past week.  Nina has been looking forward to this for a long time.  She planned out what dress she was going to wear months ago. The temple was lovely inside and out.  I got to be wheeled around in a wheelchair while holding my portable oxygen tank.  The girls could hardly contain their excitement as they walked through the rooms.  Nina's favorite room was the baptistry and Miri's was the sealing room (at least that's what they told me a few days later).  Chris and I have been so excited to have a temple less than 20 minutes away from us...but now that we are moving in two months, we will hardly have time to enjoy such a luxury.  Once we move, we will be about 2 1/2 hours away from the Nauvoo temple.

Weston has been a bit slow on picking up words, but he is such a smart boy. His first real word has been "cheese," which is something he loves to eat.  And lately, he has been saying "Dada" and pointing to Chris. He figured out this week how to get out of his bedroom.  Apparently, if he stands on his pillow pet, he is tall enough to reach the door handle and get out.  We have since taken away all pillows from his room. He is such a problem solver...just like his Daddy.    

Yay! 28 weeks!

We have been on pins and needles for the past 15 weeks wondering if Lucia would ever get this far....and she has!  Lucia has proven herself a true fighter.  She may be tiny, but she is mighty!  This week, she measured 605 grams (1 pound and 5 oz.).   The specialist was shocked with her impressive growth rate over the past two weeks (he was expecting a little under 500 grams...if she didn't stop growing altogether).   I warned Lucia over and over again that if she didn't totally amaze the doctor with how much she has grown, then they would take her out of there :)  She sure showed them!  The doctors have no explanation for the sudden improvement, other than it's a miracle.  She is only measuring 4 weeks behind now (as opposed to almost 6 weeks behind).  Fluid levels are up to a 13 and the bleed is much smaller.  The specialist said we are in uncharted territory now and have no idea what to expect in the coming weeks.  Will Lucia continue to grow at exponential rates, or will she hang on for just another week or two?  We have no idea, but we will continue to be monitored with 2 ultrasounds a week.  And I get to stay hooked up to the oxygen, and continue my pool therapy and modified bed rest.  One thing I know for sure is that she is in the Lord's hands and that the power of prayer is real.   I feel grateful and humbled this week and more hopeful than ever.  (Nina took the photo of the ultrasound picture below and Miri likes to pretend she's Mommy...hooked up to the O2)

Now for some random cuteness:
Nina was sucking on a red and white peppermint the other day.  She pulled it out of her mouth and was shocked to see that it had turned pink!  "It's a miracle!" she declared.

Miri turned 3 yesterday!  Chris made her a Rainbow Dash cake and decorated the kitchen with My Little Pony streamers, tablecloth, dishes, etc.  When Miri walked into the room, she was so excited, I thought she was going to burst into tears.  She cried out, "Oh, thank you!  Thank you so much!"  Throughout the night, she kept repeating, "Thank you!  Thank you for all!"  It was just the sweetest thing ever.

 

27 Weeks and Counting

Today marks 27 weeks of pregnancy!  Five weeks ago, the doctor said we would be lucky if we made it to 24 weeks and a miracle if we could get to 28 weeks.  Baby Lucia has surprised us all.  She has a tiny body, but a very strong spirit!  Around 21 weeks, fluid levels began to decrease rapidly, but never dipped below 4cm.  Two weeks ago, fluid levels suddenly started rising again to 6 cm, then 8 cm, then 10 cm as of Friday!  I truly feel that all the prayers and fasting from friends and family have helped tremendously.  Thank you everyone!    According to our 26 week ultrasound, she measured 404 grams (about 14 oz).  I am sure that by next week, she will be over a pound.  The doctor has tentatively scheduled to take her out on September 30th, at 28 weeks.   We are terrified and excited at the same time.  Whatever the outcome may be, I feel blessed and honored to be the mother of such a strong, little spirit.

  

  

Illinois, here we come!

I am now entering week 23 of pregnancy.  I can't believe I have made it this far.  I believe I have felt a few of Lucia's little movements today, so I know she is still hanging in there!  The ultrasound this week revealed that she is about 230 grams (almost half a pound).  We are praying that she will make it to at least 450 grams.  The amniotic fluid is low (about 4cm), but the doctor seemed pleased that there was still fluid present. No signs of brain sparing appeared on the ultrasound, so maybe the oxygen and hydrotherapy is actually helping?  We hope!  Walking around the house with my 50 foot long oxygen cord has been a bit comical.  Poor Weston, new to the whole walking thing, keeps tripping over the cords and getting his feet caught in them.  The girls like to pick up the cord and put it up to their nose, imitating what mommy looks like. 

Thursday, Chris came home unexpectedly for lunch.  He brought us some food from a work luncheon and announced that he got the job in Illinois!  Hooray!  He applied for this job way back in April and was finally selected for the Budget Analyst position.  We are excited for a new adventure in a new place!  I am starting to feel very anxious though about the cold weather.  I have truly loved being able to wear flip flops all year long in Arizona.  I love never having to bundle the kids up to go outside.  I love never having to worry about driving in the snow or on black ice. I love not being cold.   Oh Arizona, I shall miss thee.  Yes, I get tired of your blue, cloudless skies, your 8 month long summer, your brown desert rock formations, your scorpions lurking in the dark, your rocks, rocks, and more rocks....but despite all that, I have loved it here.  I wouldn't be surprised if we decided to move back someday :)  We are all excited though for a change!  We love moving to new places!  Fortunately, we don't have to move till closer to the end of the year.  Depending on what happens with baby Lucia, I may have to stay behind for a few weeks if she is still in the NICU.  There are so many unknowns about how the next few months will play out.  We just have to take it one week at a time. 

22 Weeks - CAOS

I have now reached 22 weeks.  As I mentioned in my last post, things just keep going from bad to worse.  We had an ultrasound and consultation with the specialist last Tuesday.  He said that the baby is suffering due to CAOS (Chronic Abruption Oligohydramnios Sequence), which is highly uncommon and either results in a very premature baby or fetal death.  He said he sees this in maybe two to three patients a year.  I wish I understood more about CAOS, but basically it is characterized by large bleeding episodes, where baby appears to be fine and grow normally until suddenly amniotic fluid begins to decrease rapidly without any evidence of ruptured membranes.  At 15 weeks, the baby and fluid levels were totally fine after my huge bleed (SubChorionic Hemhorrage) at 13 weeks.  The specialist seemed very optimistic and said that unless CAOS happens, baby would be alright.  Sure enough, five weeks later, CAOS happened.  Baby isn't getting the nutrients and oxygen she needs from my placenta.  She is way behind on the growth charts.  She is in "brain sparing" mode right now, sending all that she has to her most vital organs (the brain, heart, and adrenals).  In an effort to help baby survive for a few more weeks till she can be delivered, the doctor prescribed oxygen and hydrotherapy.  So, now I am hooked up to oxygen 24/7, and I use my neighbor's pool to do hydrotherapy for 15 minutes twice a day.   We go back in on Wednesday to see how she is doing.  The doctor's goal is to get me to 24 weeks and then from there, who knows...maybe we could possibly make it to 28 weeks....which would be a miracle.  Even if we did make it to 24 weeks, Lucia is so small, not even a pound yet, that the outcome would not be good.  I am praying that she can hang on till she gets bigger and has a good chance of leading a good life, or that Heavenly Father can take her back home. I think she is such a fighter...the fact that she has hung on this long... she just might surprise us all :)  Right now, we are doing what we can to give her a chance, and leaving the rest in the Lord's hands. 

..."let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power, and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."  - D&C 123:17     

I have now made it to week 21!  Every week we go to the doctor, they give us something new to worry about.  Chris and I are starting to realize that these frequent doctor visits aren't very helpful: they just bring us down.  At this stage in the pregnancy, there is not much they can do to help with anything...all we can do is wait and see.  The latest ultrasound showed that Lucia is only measuring 17 weeks (3 weeks behind).  The ultrasound tech sounded very grim about the whole thing and had us waiting for several minutes to talk to the specialist.  After 15 minutes, she came back in and said the doctor just wants us to schedule another ultrasound in two weeks.  We were like "what!? we don't even get to talk to the doctor about this!?"  Oh well, I am sure the only advice he would give us is to just wait and see.  We are still hopeful though!  I believe Lucia might just surprise us all!  The past few days, I have felt a strong assurance that whatever happens will be for the best.  Heavenly Father sees the bigger picture.  We can trust in him.   I have been reading and re-reading Elder Uchtdorf's talk, "Grateful in Any Circumstance."
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng

Quote:

We can choose to be like the Prophet Joseph Smith, who, while a prisoner in miserable conditions in Liberty Jail, penned these inspired words: 

“Dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.”

We can choose to be grateful, no matter what.

This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer.

When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation.


I am so grateful for my family.  I am grateful for my three beautiful, healthy children.  I am grateful for a dear husband who spent over an hour today making peach cobbler for his first time...just because I had a craving.  I am grateful that my children have a daddy who does shark hairdos on them: he divides the hair into sections representing the dorsal fin on top, the pectoral fins on the side, and the caudal fin in the back.  I am grateful we live close to the city and close to a great h.ospital.  I am grateful we were inspired to move out of Cordes and closer to Chris' work.    I am grateful that I am not in any real physical pain or feeling sick all the time.  I am grateful Chris is healthy and able to take care of us all.  I am grateful for fantastic health insurance and Chris' flexible work schedule.  I am grateful for the amazing ward in which we live.  Over 30 youth from the ward have come into our home over the past month to help watch our children. Their service has been incredible.  I am grateful for sweet neighbors who check in on me frequently and bring treats and toys to the little ones.  We are surrounded by so much love and support.  The words of President Uchtdorf's talk ring true: we can be grateful in any circumstance! 

  

I will be 19 weeks pregnant in a couple days!  Almost halfway there!  I consider each new week a blessing and one step closer to having our sweet baby girl :)  This past week, I have been listening to Christmas music every morning. I have also received a few emails about Christmas clothing and toy sales!  With every Christmas song and email, I am reminded that, "Yay!!  Christmas really is just around the corner!!"  Now, given any other year, I would be mortified by Christmas songs and sales in July, but this year, Christmas time means baby time...and it's coming sooner than you think!  Bed rest will not last forever...although some days feel like an eternity.  Sometimes I almost feel like an outsider, as I am not fully participating in the minute to minute care of my children and my house.  In a way, this has been a blessing. Stepping back from it all, I am able to see how sweet my children really are.  They are so easy to love when I don't have to deal with the tantrums, or make and serve their food, or clean the house with every spare moment.  I am able to just observe the cute things they do, lie down with them, read to them, and love them!  Don't get me wrong, I certainly wouldn't want to be a less active participant in the raising of my children forever.  But for this brief moment of time, I feel it has given me a new perspective. 

The kids have been so sweet.  Baby Weston is easy going and happy.  I think he knows now that Mommy can't pick him up, so he'll come over to the couch and give me hugs and kisses every so often...or he'll just lay his head down next to mine. He is my favorite little boy in the whole world.  Daddy mentioned a few weeks ago in Family Home Evening that Mom needs more hugs and kisses from everyone.  I think Miri really took that to heart.  She comes up to me throughout the day and gives me big kisses and Nina likes to lie down next to me and cuddle.  Today, Nina told me I was the best Mom ever.  :) And Chris has been a Superdad and husband through all of this.  He takes such good care of us and the house.  I feel so blessed to have such a man. 

Okay, now for something random and funny:  Yesterday, we watched a documentary about blue whales and other sea creatures.  I said, "Wow girls, did you know that blue whales are the biggest animals on earth!?"  Miri got all excited and asked, "Bigger than you Mom?!"  I laughed and explained that yes, blue whales are even bigger than Mommy.  :) 

Both Miri and Nina really want to name the baby, Cherry.  They are so  set on it.  I think that no matter what we name her, they just might continue to call her Cherry.  

Did I ever mention that we found out it's a girl?  Well, it is!  Another emotional bundle of drama and cuteness!  Oh, how we love little girls :)