Parker: 6 Weeks Old

We had another exciting week - Parker experienced three more firsts! Attending the Lenawee County Fair, riding an elephant, and going camping!

On Wednesday night, Parker and I traveled home to my parents house - I wanted to take him to the fair on Thursday before we left for camping on Friday.

So, Aunt Becca, Uncle Kelson, and I took the little man to the fair. I had to get a fix on the wonderful fair food - funnel cakes...mmmm! While we were walking around, we came upon the "Elephant Encounter" show. We decided to sit and watch the show where we learned about the two species of elephants, Asian and African. At the end of the performance they offered elephant rides - for ALL ages. I couldn't resist! So, Becca, myself, and Parker rode Cora. Not something Parker will remember, but we've got pictures to prove it!

On Friday we left for the annual Vanderpool Reunion (my mom's side of the family) at the Circle B Campground in Angola, Indiana. We rented a lodge that housed all 9 of us very comfortably. We had a great time cooking over the campfire, going swimming, and visiting with family. We left Sunday afternoon to head for home.

Needless to say, Parker and I took Monday to recouporate from the exciting week. Jeff missed the little guy...and even me a little too!

I'm down to my last two weeks of being home with Parker before I have to return to work. We made the decision on the daycare center, Canaan Land Child Development Center (the one I spoke about in the last post where he made a nice mess), and he'll be starting there on August 19th - the same day I go back to work. I know that's going to be a very emotional day!

Have a great week!

Parker: 5 Weeks Old

What an exciting week we had! On Thursday, we went and toured a few daycare centers. Parker made a real impression on the second one where he needed to be fed and then proceeded to take a nice pooh that resulted in leaking through his shirt and pants! Talk about feeling comfortable in your surroundings!

Friday night we packed up the car, which takes a lot more room than it used to, and traveled the 3 1/2 hours to Ottawa, IL - the hometown of Jeff's parents. Jeff's family was throwing us a baby shower to celebrate Parker's birth. We stayed at Grandma Riley's new digs and are greatly appreciative for the accommodations.

Saturday was a big day for Parker as he was introduced to his family. We enjoyed brunch by the pool, opening gifts, and visiting with everyone. Parker certainly had a lot of arms to choose from for his naps and he soaked up the attention! Thank you so much to Uncle Don and Aunt Pam for hosting the party and to everyone else who helped make it a wonderful visit!

We had a fantastic weekend!

Parker: 4 Weeks Old

Well I know it's been awhile since our last update and I thought now would be an opportune time to share some new pictures with you of Parker. Today marks his 1 month old birthday - it's extremely hard to believe how quickly the time is going by! (Click on the images above for a description.)

What has changed? At his 2-week appointment he weighed 8 lbs and was 21 inches long; so, it's safe to say he's probably close to 9 lbs now. He's definitely filling out a little more now. We don't really notice it too much since we're with him every day, but looking back at the pictures from the hospital to today - there's definitely subtle differences.

Parker's proving to have some great strength in his young age. He's able to push up on your chest while holding him, he's getting quite good holding his head up and moving it from right to left, and he's finding his hands with his mouth when hungry. And look out, when he's mad, he has quite the temper and his arm and leg strength really show!

Parker and Mommy made their first short road trip last week. Our cousins from New Jersey were visiting and we wanted to introduce the new addition in person. We also visited with the grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandma (5 generations). Plus, we had a few other visits with friends and family. It was a busy day and a half, but Parker is certainly proving to be a great car rider!

Parker had his 1-month follow-up with the neurosurgeon last Thursday and we heard great news! His head circumference continues to stay on the "normal" curve and his soft spot is sunken (a good thing - no swelling). So, the doctor isn't labeling him as a hydrocephalus baby anymore. However, we'll continue to follow-up with him until at least his 1-year birthday.

Nana and Papa Dickerson are coming up to watch Parker allowing Mommy and Daddy to have a second date night - opening weekend of Harry Potter after all!

We just want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers throughout the pregnancy and after - we truly believe that they helped! We've had nothing but positive news about Parker's "condition" and hope that it continues.

We love you!

Introducing...Parker Dean Riley

Hello!

In case you haven't heard, Parker Dean Riley joined our family on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 2:39am. He weighed 7 pounds 5 1/2 ounces, was 20.1 inches long, and is adorable!

Thanks to one of my best friends Rachel Decker, we had some really nice professional photographs taken of Parker and his mommy and daddy. They turned out fantastic and really captured his little personality.

Check out the album on Snapfish and order some if you'd like!

Lots of Love!
Jeff, Serena, & Parker

1st Pregnancy: Week 36 (Week of May 7)

Well, we’re a week into the 9th month of pregnancy now. Now we’re just playing the waiting game.

I finished decorating Parker’s room this weekend - it’s so stinky cute! I find myself just walking in there or sitting in the rocker to admire it. I’ve got about three quarters of his laundry done, only 2 more loads to go, and we’ll be all set with everything for him. The only thing I haven’t touched yet are the bottles.

My next scheduled doctor’s appointment is this Friday morning. I don’t expect to find out much at this one. It’s next week’s appointments where hopefully we’ll get some answers as to how I’ll be delivery and when.

Here’s a link to an article on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week37

Here are the latest pics of Parker’s completed room (they were taken with a cell phone, so they’re a little blurry):

1st Pregnancy: Week 36 (Week of May 31)

I had two doctor’s appointments on my birthday (Tues, May 26th). One was to have me do another 1-hour glucose test - which I must have passed because I haven’t heard anything back from them. The second was with the neurosurgeon, which Jeff went with me to. Dr. Skarli told us that surgery may or may not be necessary based on the size of the ventricles after delivery and what they find on the MRI and other scans. He said that it could be just something we monitor as he grows up and as long as Parker’s meeting his developmental milestones, he’ll be fine. So, felt a little relief after that.

I had another ultrasound on May 28th where they said he’s 6 lbs 6 ounces. Everything seemed fine with him they are just watching his head size now because it was about 9cm - and if it gets to 10cm, I’m obviously going to have some problems delivering him. They scheduled the next ultrasound for June 18th (38 1/2 weeks).

I had my normal OB appointment yesterday afternoon (Wed, June 3rd), everything is fine…they’re not going to make the final decision on a c-section until the June 18th ultrasound. At this point, I’m thinking we’re going to be leaning that way…but we’ll see.

We got our washer and dryer delivered and installed on Saturday (May 30th) - so I’ve been working on getting everything washed! We’re pretty much caught up on everything we have, except some blankets and sheets. So, my plan is start washing everything of Parker’s this weekend. There’s plenty of it to do, but we should be able to fit more in one load.

I picked up the playard yesterday (Wed, June 3rd) and got that setup at the foot of our bed. We’re planning to have him be in our room for the first couple of weeks and then we’ll move him to the crib. The cats are already working on breaking it in for him…they’re really liking all of the new toys and especially the boxes that everything comes in!

I think we have everything else that we need for now…until he comes and then I’m sure we’ll think of something we’re missing! It’s hard to believe that in a little over 2 weeks Parker will be here! I’m getting excited to meet him and I think Jeff is getting there too…I have a feeling he’s going to take right to him after he sees him and he’ll be more protective then me. It’ll certainly be interesting to see!

I’m just working on decorating his room a little more now, making sure everything’s organized and has a place to be kept. Trying to keep the house somewhat clean because I know after he comes that will be the least of my worries. And our final class, car seat safety, will be on Monday. Then we’ll have the car seat installed in the vehicles and it’ll really feel like it’s time!

Here’s a link to an article on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week36

Below are our newest ultrasound photos:

1st Pregnancy: Week 34 (Week of May 17)

Went to the doctor’s yesterday (Wed, May 20th), regular OB appointment, with my ACTUAL doctor. She reviewed everything with me and we talked about the c-section vs. normal delivery. She said with everything she knows, it may be better just to do a c-section because she’d hate for me to go into labor, push for a long time, have the head get stuck, monkey around with trying to get him loose, and then decide to do an emergency c-section. She said we’d both think about it for the next couple of weeks and then when I go in for my next appointment (in 2 weeks) we’ll discuss it again.

Also, received the results on the gall bladder ultrasound. There was a polyp that they found, not a gall stone, but a small benign growth that they believe could have caused the problem. They want me to go back in postpartum and have it reexamined just to be sure everything’s alright.

Other than that, we’re just trying to go out and get some of the things we didn’t get from the showers like diapers, towels, wet wipes, etc to get everything ready because it’s really not that far away now. Tonight we have our tour of the hospital and then on June 1st we have our car seat safety class and then we’ll be done with classes.

Here’s a few links to articles on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week 34 and Week 35

1st Pregnancy: Week 33 (Week of May 10)

Everything continues to go good. Had my monthly ultrasound on Thursday, May 14th and Parker’s doing good. He’s 5lbs 10oz, which is about a 2lb increase from last month. Plus, the ultrasound technician told me that it looks like he has a good amount of hair too! Jeff and I are both getting to the point now where we just want to see the little guy - and we really don’t have much longer to go before we do!

Here’s a link to an article on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week33

Below are our newest ultrasound photos (they’re getting a little harder to make out now):

1st Pregnancy: Week 32 (Week of May 3)

I know that I’ve been slacking on keeping everyone apprised to our weekly status updates - so, I’m going to attempt to get back on track now.

Everything’s been going okay. Monday (May 4th) we had to make a trip into the ER at 4:30am because I was have back pains between my shoulder blades and tightness across my upper stomach. It had woken me from a dead sleep at 3am and I wasn’t sure if it was pre-term labor or something else. So, I called the emergency doctor’s line and the on-call doctor told me to go ahead and go into the ER - he wasn’t sure if it was contractions or a possible gall bladder problem. So, I woke Jeff up and we headed in. They hooked me up to monitors for about an 1 1/2. Parker was doing great - no contractions. So, they said it could be a possible gall bladder problem and I could wait for a room there or call my doctor and have an outpatient procedure scheduled. I opted for calling the doctor - I’d rather be uncomfortable at home than at the hospital.

So, we went home, still in pain. I tried to get some sleep but was impossible to do until the pain went away around 10 - 11am. Then I slept for the remainder of the day. Haven’t had a problem since. I went in this morning (Thurs, May 7th) for the gall bladder ultrasound and will probably get the results back next week (I had to fast for 12 hours to do that today).

Yesterday (Wed, May 6th) I had my normal OB appointment and everything looks good. He said that Parker had “popped” - meaning two weeks ago when they measured my stomach to this week he’s stretched up another 1 1/2 inches. He did a quick exam and said everything’s where it’s supposed to be (internally). I did ask again if they were planning on me having a normal labor or c-section and he said that right now they’re planning on a normal one. Unless the ultrasounds they watch show something different - they don’t see a need for a c-section…bummer!

I had my Grand Rapids baby shower last night (Wed, May 6th) - lots of fun. Just about 5 of us there, but it was nice to get to chat about each other’s experiences with kids. It’ll be fun watching the nursery fill up now!

1st Pregnancy: Week 29

This week has definitely been a busy baby week. We had another class on Wednesday night - Pointers from a Pediatrician. We learned quite a few fascinating things that I had never know. One was a technique/practice on how to train the baby to sleep through the night. We’ll definitely be giving that one a try!

Yesterday we had a few doctor’s appointments to attend. One was the monthly ultrasound checkup with the specialists and the other was a consultation with one of the hospitals neonatal doctors. From the ultrasound we got a few great new pictures. He’s now big enough to produce a nice 3D picture - so that’s really interesting to see. One of the other pics is of one of his feet - you can see why we keep saying he’s got big feet. Click on the images to view them at a larger scale.

At the specialists appointment we learned that he’s about 3 lbs 11 oz right now - no doubt we’re going to have a big boy! His heart beat was 146 bpm, very good. His head and abdominal growth is continuing to be measured as “normal.” The ventricles in his brain are still measuring around 16cm - a normal baby’s should be less than 10cm. And he was in a head down position this week.

Our second appointment was at the Neonatal Center in the hospital. We met with Dr. Knee and Julie from Child Services. We discussed Parker’s condition and what we can expect after birth from the hospital and staff. They assured us that we will have all resources and equipment needed at the hospital to treat him. Dr Knee is one of nine neonatalogists and at least one will be in the delivery room with us.

At this point they’re assuming that Parker will need to go to the ICU after birth where they’ll start evaluating him. He could possibly have an ultrasound done on the head and/or a cat scan to assess the brain. Depending on what they find, he may/may not have to have surgery. He most likely will not be able to feed normally at the beginning, but they will have me begin to breastfeed so that when he can have the milk, they can give it to him via an IV.

It was suggested that I find out from my OB whether they plan to have me go into regular labor or if they want to schedule a c-section. Also, Dr. Knee suggested that we have the OB make an appointment with a nuerosurgeon to help us better understand the surgeries/procedures they may do.

At the end of our consultation, Julie gave us a tour of the 3rd floor which includes the NICU and Intermediate CU.

So, we’ve had quite an informative week. I think both Jeff and I feel a little more comfortable now knowing what to expect after birth. We have all of the faith in the world that Parker will be in good hands and that when we leave the hospital he’ll be the healthy boy he’s supposed to be.

On Monday is my next regular OB checkup - so, I’m sure we’ll go over a lot of what was discussed yesterday. Plus, I’ll be mentioning the few points Dr. Knee said I should discuss. Then we have an Infant CPR class on Tuesday night.

We’ll keep you updated! Have a great weekend!

1st Pregnancy: Week 28 - Start of 3rd Trimester

Yesterday marked the official start of my third trimester - only 12 weeks to go! It’s hard to believe we’re going to be parents in less than 3 months!

I’m definitely already starting to feel the final body changes coming on. The stretch marks are creeping up, the bladder needs to be emptied more frequently, I have problems getting up from the couch, and all of the other good stuff that’s only going to get worse as the next weeks progress. Nothing that’s making me too uncomfortable though - still manageable.

The last time we left off with a few doctors appointments coming up.

Thursday, March 19th, was the last visit with the specialists. I found out that I passed the 3 hour glucose test - thank goodness - so, hopefully I won’t have to do another one for the rest of this pregnancy. They were also testing to see if I’d developed any new infections with the bloodwork - I tested negative for all. There was one, the HSV virus, that the lab didn’t run, so I had to go back in and get my blood drawn for that.

During this ultrasound they were reviewing Parker’s growth to see how he’s developing. You’ll remember that the last visit I had, I came out of it with the impression that Parker’s head was growing too big too quickly and so was his body. My mind was put at ease in this appointment: his head circumfrence was right on the “normal” path - and his body weight was about 2 lbs 2 oz which was just above average (in the 62nd percentile - 50th being normal). The ventricals in the brain, however, still remain the same size - they haven’t shrunk and they haven’t swelled.

The doctor again advised that he’d like me to have amniocentesis done to verify what chromosomes, if any, may be causing the problem. On that day, he said that the results would take 8-10 days to process. The longer I wait to do the test, the more time it takes to receive results. He assured me that he believes there would be a very minimal chance of pre-term labor because the amount of amniotic fluid they’re extracting is so little. After talking with Jeff about it, we decided we’d wait and see how the next round of appointments go before we decide to go through with it or not.

On Tuesday, March 24th, was my regular OB Appointment. The time with the doctor was very quick - the waiting was the longest. I summarized the information I received from the specialists, she checked Parker’s heartbeat, went over some of the birth plan details, and I was on my way.

Our next set of appointments begin next week. We have a class, Pointers from a Pediatrician, on April 15th. We have an ultrasound with the specialists on April 16th. A consultation with the neo-natal doctors on April 16th. Regular OB Appointment on April 20th. And then our 6-week Birthing Classes start on April 21st. I’m sure that the rest of April is going to fly by quickly!

At some point I need to get a picture of my belly up here so you can see it’s indeed growing! We’ll continue to keep you informed as the weeks go by! Until next time…

1st Pregnancy: Week 25

It’s been a few weeks since our last update. Not much new is happening here. We officially hit the six month mark last week. It’s hard to believe that there’s only 3 short months to go before our little one is here!

This past Wednesday (03/11) was our first class - breastfeeding. It was definitely not something Jeff was looking forward to attending but once we arrived he found he was definitely not the only male there. It was a lecture type class with probably around 50 couples or so. We learned the different latch-on techniques, proper positioning, and dos and don’ts. We’ll see how much we remember when the time actually comes!

This past Friday (03/13) I went in to the Lab for my 3 hour glucose test. I couldn’t consume anything after midnight and until the test was complete. I went in around 8am and left shortly after 11am. I should have the results this week sometime. Tomorrow (Thurs, 03/19) is my follow-up ultrasound with the specialists. They’ll measure how much Parker’s grown since our last visit and hopefully will go over the glucose test results if I don’t hear about them today.

He’s still a very active little boy…and he’s definitley on his own little schedule. It’s about the same time frames every day that I feel him moving around. His movements are almost getting strong enough to where you can feel them from the outside of my belly.

We ended up changing our minds on the bedding set for Parker. We wanted something a little more colorful - so we picked out Fisher Price’s Rainforest theme. They have a ton of matching accessories to go with it too. We picked up the bedding set and mattress from Wal-Mart yesterday and got it all setup. Super cute! The room feels a little more like a nursery now. And of course, the cats are loving it too! Attached are a few pictures of the set.

Here’s a link to the 6-month article on what happened with the baby and I: 6 months

Here’s a link to this week’s article on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week 25

1st Pregnancy: Week 22

This morning was my monthly OB appointment at the regular doctor’s office. I met with #4 (Dr. Knudson) of the 8 possible doctors that could deliver Parker.

We finally have everyone on the same page for the due date. It originally was June 20th, now it is June 29th. So, every Monday is when my weeks change - making today officially the start of Week 22.

According to the fundal height, Parker’s size matches that of a 26 week baby - so I guess this confirms what the specialists said and he’s bigger than he’s supposed to be at this age. He had a heart beat of 145 bpm, which is still good. Plus, I’ve been feeling a lot more wiggling around in my tummy - so, I know he’s alive and “kicking.”

I scheduled my next regular OB appointment for Tuesday, March 24th. This will be with #5 (Dr. Leery) of the possible 8 doctors.

I’ll be taking the 3 hour glucose test one morning this week, I just haven’t figured out which one yet. I have to fast and then they’ll draw my blood 4 times within 3 hours. Not something I’m looking forward to - but you’ll do anything for your kids, right?

I guess that’s all there is to report from this doctor’s visit. Continue to keep Parker in your thoughts and prayers!

Parker Update

The week of February 9th I received a call from one of the doctor’s stating that there were a few concerning things that they found on the 20 week ultrasound. There were two things that they noticed that they wanted to take a closer look at, so they were sending me to the specialists for a more detailed ultrasound.

I was told that these findings weren’t anything that I had to absolutely worry about right now. They just wanted to take extra precautions and make sure everything was fine. The first thing they noticed was that there was excess fluid in one of the ventricles of the brain. The second thing they noticed was that there was only 1 artery and 1 vein running through the umbilical cord - the normal is 2 arteries and 1 vein - so we’re missing an artery.

On Thursday (02/19) was my appointment with the specialists (these are the same people that performed the down syndrome and spina bifida tests). In regards to the first thing they found, they’re diagnosing Parker with hydrocephalus. This could cause brain damage, birth defects, spina bifida, or it could be a chance event. They’re not sure if only having 2 nerves instead of 3 in the umbilical cord is related to this problem.

I was reassured by my doctor’s office and the specialists that many babies are born without any problems when they have an umbillical cord only having 2 nerves. Typically, if there are problems, they are found in the heart, spine, and kidneys. They checked these three things yesterday and found that nothing appeared wrong. His heart beat was 150 bpm, which is normal and spine development looked good.

They other thing that caused a little concern for them was that with their measurements, Parker’s approximate weight is 1 pound 4 ounces - which is large for his age. Which they consider him only 21 weeks and 4 days, unlike my doctor’s office that considers him 22 weeks and 6 days. Along with that, they noticed his head is shaped more like a circle than an oval. Which is a common factor in hydrocephalus because of the pressure on the brain.

They gave me some documentation to read on the hydrocephalus and of course it was written at their level, not a patient’s level. So, Friday morning, I went on WebMD and found the following article that explains the condition in terms we can all understand: http://children.webmd.com/tc/congenital-hydrocephalus-topic-overview

They gave me three options at the end of the appointment.

1. I could have a 3-hour glucose test done, which would check for diabetes (causes the baby to grow at a faster rate), and any new infections.
2. I could come back for a follow-up ultrasound in a month at which time they would check the rate of growth and examine everything again.
3. I could have the amniocentesis test done which would check for any chromosome problems. This test is where they take a long needle and extract fluid from the placenta. The problem with this test is it could result in a miscarriage. But because I’m 21 weeks (according to them), it wouldn’t result in a miscarriage but in preterm birth. And because I’m only 21 weeks along, there’s a 0 chance of survival if the baby is delivered. So, this option is not something we will risk - especially since it doesn’t fix anything, it just eliminates a possible cause.

I have agreed to do both option 1 and 2. Sometime this week I’ll get option 1 done. And my next ultrasound is scheduled for March 19th.

According to the article above, there’s nothing that can really be done until after he’s born. At which time they can better evaluate him and provide us with some treatment options. However, there’s still a chance that he’ll be born without any problems too.

So, now that you have an abundant amount of information, we ask that you continue to keep Parker in your thoughts and prayers. Please try not to worry to much - there’s not much we can do right now other than try and find the cause. Plus, I need to keep my nerves and stress levels low so that they do not affect Parker too.

We’re confident that we’ll get through this, just like we have other hardships. And we’ll be a closer family for it. After all, what’s life without a few challenges along the way?

1st Pregnancy: Week 21

Well, we had an exciting week picking out and crafting things for Parker. Plus, I got to get an extra sneak peak at our little one on Thursday. The ultrasound technician had some problems with the video that they took of Parker, so they needed me to come back in on Thursday to redo. Nothing was wrong with either of us, the camera just didn’t get a clear enough picture. So, below you’ll see a few new pictures of Parker.

I did a little crafting on Friday night. Knowing now what we’re having allowed me to create the custom wall art above Parker’s crib. I hand cut each of the letters out of foam and decorated the white canvases with orange, green, and navy ribbon. Even Jeff thought they turned out cute!

You’ll notice the little lion stuffed animal in the picture below also. This is the theme we decided to go with for Parker’s room - “Sweet Safari.” So, the lion is his first stuffed animal. The decision was made after about 4 hours of registering for his paraphernalia on Saturday afternoon. We went to Babies ‘R Us and Target and registered for all of the cute little things he’ll need. After about the 3rd hour, both Jeff and I felt a little overwhelmed and exhausted. Who knew there would be so much stuff for a little guy?

The crib bedding we both love is from Babies ‘R Us (most items are available at Toys ‘R Us too), as well as the stroller, car seat, play yard, swing, and a few fun toys. The high chair, clothing, bottles, and other small items are on our Target registry. You can now view both of them online. You can always search for either of them in store or online by Serena Riley or by Jeff Riley.

Babies ‘R Us (Registry #63053939): http://www.toysrus.com/ControllerServlet?target=viewDetails&registryNumber=63053939

Target (Registry #014201400000474): https://www.target.com/registry/baby/2FL3P0J3IUM7D

Here’s a link to this week’s article on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week 21

1st Pregnancy: Week 20

Happy Monday!

Well, this morning was the big 20 week ultrasound appointment and… IT’S A BOY!!! So, little Parker Dean Riley will join us around June 20th. According to his measurements today, he weighs around 10 ounces, and he had a heart rate of 143 bpm. He’s right on target for size for his age. We have several pictures of our little on today and they’re included below.

Both of us are extremely excited to know who to expect and to be able to finally call the baby by his name. We cannot wait to start picking out the rest of the decor for his room now.

The ultrasound tech will be sending all of the images and video taken today over to the radiologist. This person will study everything and give a report back to our doctor. So, at our next visit (Mon, Feb 23rd), we should have the resuls back.

Here’s a link to this week’s article on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week 20

Have a great week - we definitely will!

1st Pregnancy: Week 19

Another week has passed…we’re getting closer to the 1/2 way point!

On Tuesday (01/20), I received a call from the genetics counselor in regards to the testing we had done for Down Syndrome and Spina Bifada. She had great news for us, the blood work in accordance with the previous blood sample and ultrasound have reduced our chances even more. Here are the results:

* With the ultrasound, blood test 1, and blood test 2 results, the chances of developing DS are: 1/3800
* Having an extra copy of chromosome #18 (trizone): 1/10000
* Baby’s chance of developing spina bifada: 1/6000

On Friday (01/23) I had my regularly scheduled OB appointment and everything seems to be developing great. This was the first appointment that I had gained weight, so I know the little one’s definitely getting bigger. My blood pressure readings continue to be good - 119/72. The baby’s fundal growth (from pelvic bone to uterus) is right on track - currently it’s about an 1 1/2 inches below my belly button. The baby’s heart rate is at 140 beats per minute. And the results from my last glucose test are great (87 - anything below 130 is good).

One of the exciting parts of the appointment was when I got to schedule the 20-week ultrasound. It will be next Monday (02/02) - and as long as the baby is cooperating, we should leave the appointment knowing what name we’re going to call Baby Riley. WAHOO! The only problem is, the last couple of ultrasounds, it didn’t always want to cooperate…so we’ll see how this one goes!

Here’s a link to this week’s article on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week 19

Have a fantastic week!

1st Pregnancy: Week 18

Happy Monday!

Well, this weekend proved to be another busy and exciting time. I finally broke down and had to purchase a few maternity tops - the belly’s starting to pop and I needed some shirts long enough to cover it. Plus, we found a great deal on some baby furniture for the nursery. We purchased a brand new sleigh crib and changing table in cherry toned wood. The changing table came pre-assembled and the crib took us less than 5 minutes to setup with only 8 screws to attach.

Of course, this meant that I needed to rearrange the room once more to get everything organized perfectly. I think I’ve got it set…for now. We still are looking for a nice big armoire and/or dresser to complete the ensemble. I’ve attached pictures below of the new furniture and layout (they were taken with my cell phone - so they’re a little grainy).

This week Friday (01/23) is our next scheduled doctor’s appointment. I’m expecting to schedule our 20 week ultrasound at this appointment. So, hopefully in a week or two we’ll be able to share with you what we’re having! After that, I’m sure I’ll be going crazy with the decorating!

Here’s a link to this week’s article on what’s happening with the baby and I: Week 18

1st Pregnancy: Week 17 - Part II

As promised…

Here are some pictures of the new “nursery” that Jeff took with his phone - so they’re a little fuzzy. You’ll remember that before this office/bedroom was a bright teal (as seen here) - now two of the walls are tan and the third wall is a tan/cream stripe. We’re hoping to get dark brown furniture, so it will go nicely with the browns.

On the “nursery1″ picture, where you see the privacy screen is where we plan on putting a dresser/wardrobe. In the “nursery2″ picture, where you see the two blue chairs is where we’ll put the changing table and where the computer chair is I’d like to have a rocker/glider. And in the “nursery3″ picture, where the red chair is where we’ll put the crib.

I’ve also attached a “mock-up” picture from the paint website that resembles the colors a little more closely. The darker wall color in the picture is what the majority of the room is done in. The lighter color is the other stripe color. After we find out what we’re having we’ll accent everything with the either a raspberry or slate blue color.

Enjoy!

1st Pregnancy: Week 17 - Part I

Hey everyone,

Well, we’re into month 4 now! Saturday was the 17-week mark. Not too much to report this week. We painted and re-organized the soon-to-be nursery this weekend. And let me tell you, I’ve got some sore muscles! But, at least that parts done now and all we have to do is fill it with the baby paraphernalia! I’m sure in the next couple of weekends or so, we’ll start to enroll in the baby registries at local stores - I’m thinking Babies ‘R Us and Target will be the two right now.

I’ll try and get some pictures of the new nursery colors and layout soon. We’re still keeping one of our desks and the tv and game consoles in there for now. We’ll see if that has too change. However, we still have room for a crib, dresser, changing table, and rocker. So, we maybe able to keep it as a multi-functional room.

Our next regular doctor’s appointment is on Friday, January 23rd. This is just the routine check - at which time we’ll be scheduling the big 20-week ultrasound. This is the ultrasound where they inspect the baby from head to toes to make sure everything is functioning and growing properly. It’s also the appointment where we’ll find out whether we’ll be having a Baby Girl or Baby Boy Riley!

Anyways, here’s the link to see what’s to expect from Week 16.

We love you all!
Jeff & Serena