Pregnancy Update: 28 Weeks

Fleeting me by: above you find a more current ultrasound image of our little man. He has taken on the concept of sucking his thumb, praying that doesn't stick! I know from personal experience the expense and toll it can take, bad habit! With all three of my previous kids anxiousness and even i dare say extreme lack of patience took me over. Even with saylor, whom I had at 28 weeks! And yes i felt guilty about being so impatient, at least with her. But I really have never been good at pregnancy at all. It has been hard for me to enjoy in past experiences. BUT this time around the experience really has taken on a new role. As delivery date max {52 days from now} approaches I actually find myself reluctant to get there and full of patience. I dont feel at all ready to finish this opportunity. Every step of the way I have just been amazed at this miracle and blessing and there is little I enjoy more then just feeling him move inside of me. I will admit I am uncomfortable and in a great deal of pain, some of which i guess to be normal and some of which is likely due to my not capable of being pregnant body. I dont feel ready emotionally, physically, or even in material ways. Most of all as ready as i might be spiritually i also dont want to see that spiritual moment change, even if it changes to something just as beautiful. I suppose i am far busier this time around as well, we are as a family actually. this is making time fly!

Heat: I have never been really prego in the summer. I guess I would have been to some degree with saylor but she came 3 months early. and i just touched the summer with stock. I cant believe how much the heat makes a difference in how i feel! Frankly i have been miserably hot a great deal of moments in the last few weeks! and i wonder how people do this? really? i am pretty set on being the least amount clothed as i can and sit in front of a fan near the AC vent also blowing. I hope that gives you a good description because i am lacking an image of this said miserably hot pregnant woman partaking in this summer time activity. I am a human oven! nobody cooks in the summer ... its too hot! At least i can empathize someday i suppose.



Complications: The above chunky monkey is measuring in at about a week ahead of his schedule. Though this is a good thing it could potentially mean an earlier delivery then planned. The 36 week max recommendation includes the factor of estimated size at that time and what my uterus can hold. So in short I hope he doesn't get too carried away with bulking up! Needless to say obviously this is a mini nate, therefor a mini stock ... next is my not entirely functioning gall bladder, though it has no stones its reacting for sure and its not a pretty or painless thing. But something we have discovered i just must endure. In addition to that we had a gestational diabetes scare that resulted in lots of tests that also were quiet miserable and left me pretty sick. Nothing like throwing up at this stage! It would also explain babies size .. but as it turns out not my diagnosis! There is still a chance my placenta is partially under my scar and could result in complications but blood flow via ultrasounds indicates that its not growing together, at least for now. And from here on out we just wait and see what my body does with this experience and hope we make it to our gestational goal with realism about the potential.



Nursery: I really felt that a rocker was a necessary item this time around. I only had one with saylor and what a priceless place to be with baby! Of course i gave the one i had with saylor away years ago. I kept picturing myself in something more couch/soft/cushiony like so i knew what i wanted. But i also knew it was spendy. Thankfully a friend of mine was getting rid of her pottery barn rocker for a great deal and all it needed was a new cover. So i snatched that opp up. But then found the cover to be a frustrating endeavor. Because this model is no longer produced, either is the cover. Downeast only sells the chair with the cover not seperately. I found a chair cover at Ikea that seemed like it would fit .. but not so! And so for the first time in my limited sewing experienced life i endeavored to sew a chair cover myself! And though i am not entirely in love with the finish product, i am proud of myself. based on my experience level and know how about this type of things, its not too bad! and for now ... it will do. it will do.

TP

Just an observation. When kids are home from school for the summer more TP is needed. I did not anticipate this, it was logical to assume that there would be an increased food consumption here at the house but didnt think so much about TP. I am not sure that I have ever noticed this domestic impact in prior years. I suppose it is the result of several factors: 1. my kids are getting older and so their digestive systems require more paper usage 2. they possibly are more digestibility comfortable at home because i know they dont potty this much at school. 3. and then the obvious factor of adding more people to the "office" all day. Next year i will prepare in advance for this particular domestic need.

Nates Lumbar Shift

Our summer continues ... and i suppose the most pertinent event as of late has been Nate's back injury. Nate & Stock took off to Idaho for Western Regionals {where stock competed in 3 different wrestling styles and did fairly well but not as well as expected} only to return home with a slightly sore back that within a few days resulted in 100% immobility. Nate couldn't identify an injury or moment in which something occurred, so it was very mysterious. What it was more then that, was scary. I was terrified. Here i am in a high risk pregnancy not really at my physical peak with a husband who i rely on heavily, whom has always been a rock when it comes to health, my steady and sturdy horse suddenly paralyzed, realizing that we will soon not have my income as i take a break and that he makes money doing construction and coaching! The weight was incredible and terrifying, I have never been good at not knowing, tell me what you want me to handle and ill deal with it. Leave it a mystery and i panic! So for the first time in 13 years we took nate to the hospital, or to a doc for that matter. But not without the convincing of his doc brother, because my opinion was just not enough.

The ER is such a delightful place, we have been there all too many times. But nate has never been the patient. The table turn was really strange and surreal almost. After 6 or so hours we discovered through an MRI that nate had a shift in his lumbar spine and some swelling. The doc there was less then helpful. He loaded us up with prescriptions {that nate refused to use} and sent us on our way. During that 6 hours nate got several morphine, muscle relaxer, and anti-inflammatory shots. I took this video of him when i brought him home ...



We came home pretty defeated, realizing nate was in no condition to work and with no direction as to address this problem. so monday morning we went at a solution and ended up at a fantastic PT who gave us a ray of hope and explained what had happened to nate. A muscle in the lower part of his back was injured or aggravated by something and then pulled his lumbar over shifting is whole lower back. super duper painful. We saw him a lot last week and slowly with that and lots of stretching routines nate began to regain his mobility and strength.

I found it to be quiet a challenge to have him home and not well on top of all that my plate holds. But it caused for a great deal of reflection and appreciation for how often he has cared for me, which frankly has been a lot! and much more intense then this. We learned a bit about each other, grew closer together and were blessed. I suppose that is why this happened ultimately. A priesthood blessing veered us toward even more reflection, some strength and comfort, and definite things to conquer.

It wasnt till midweek that i realized what the likely culprit was. We had discussed and discussed all his movements prior to the immobilization, down to his diet or any change in anything he did. I looked down at our floor and saw this pair of shoes he bought in Idaho and wore for a few days prior to becoming eighty five years old and it hit me ... its the shoes!



while out shopping {yes can you imagine a bunch of wrestling dudes out shopping of all things during their down time? well they did, i would say they were getting in touch with their feminine side} nate picked up these shoes on sale for $25. he thought they werent bad looking and found the concept of toning up your jump interesting. Truth of the matter is the concept is that it changes the way you walk to strengthen specific muscles. the way you walk effects your spine! HELLO CULPRIT! i was furious!!! my husband was badly injured and $25 had turned into thousands. Ill always hate those shoes.

He is back to work this week and he says somewhere between 80-90% back to himself. I so appreciate all the concern, all the prayers, phone calls, texts, help, support, hanging with my kids, and all that. It got me through!

And i hope to update you on the remainder of us sometime next week!