23 March 2009

Med Board Update

Just a short update on our med board process. As some of you know my husband started the med board process with the Army waaaaaaay back in December (seems like it was years ago). We thought for sure we wouldn't be here past March with how fast this process goes lately. We ended up having the paperwork put on hold because more appointments and tests were in order. Before the hold was placed, our tentative separation date was March 31st...as in next Tuesday....oh it hurts!

So now that the appointments are complete, diagnoses in place, and paperwork in order, hubs has his dictation scheduled for this Friday the 27th. He has been told we will have the initial decision/offer from the med board anywhere from two to four weeks from then. Whew! Now we're finally making some REAL progress!

We have been searching for potential jobs online since December, just to get an idea of what is out there for hubby. Lots of potential in the area where we will be settling down (CoSpgs, CO). The Federal Gov't is well established in that area (4 Air Force bases and 1 Army base just in CoSpgs area) and hubby would be able to count his time in service toward retirement if he were to be able to land a civ federal job. Let's hope this happens! We've been looking at rental homes, apartments, etc. and can't decide what we want to do for sure yet. We may just snag an apartment and try to buy a house 6-9 months down the road. All depends on how kind Uncle Sam wants to be to us when we get the boot!

Will update again soon (hopefully)!

19 March 2009

CRP and Amniocentesis

I'm back in decision mode. I'm having to make the same decision I just got done making, except now I feel more worried than ever. I had my appointment with my OB today. Routine visit. My ultrasound report hadn't been sent over yet, so we weren't able to talk about that. However, we did talk about elevated CRP levels in my blood. CRP is C-Reactive Protein. According to my OB it can indicate an infection in my body or in the amniotic fluid, which both put me at risk for pre-term delivery. He recommended I have a consult with a specialist in "Happy Valley" which doesn't seem to happy to me anymore. He wants me to have an amniocentesis to rule out or confirm any infection that may be endangering the baby.

My immediate thought was "I'm not going to do this". I just got done deciding not to have the triple screen and other controversial tests done a few weeks ago, mainly because if they came back abnormal I wouldn't be willing to risk the AMNIOCENTESIS! Now, four weeks later, I'm faced with the same decision. Perhaps the Lord is trying to tell me something. Perhaps I need to get this test done. Perhaps my baby really is in danger or at risk for pre-term birth and that risk is so real I'm being faced with this again so I will reconsider. CRP levels don't just exist because nothing is going on. That is one fact I've found is not still under research. Something, some kind of infection or inflammation, is going on in my body. I'm so worried about my little boy baby. Its tearing me apart. I don't know what to do.

I know I need to do some praying, but I feel like this is an answer in itself, its just one that I don't want to hear. I'm so scared of the risks involved with the amniocentesis test and I don't know what I'd do if I ended up further harming the baby or miscarrying because I chose to go through with it. Then again, my OB said he's never been told of any miscarriage that has happened from any patient he's ever referred to this doctor. He did tell me to prepare for his office to be small, crowded and not typical of what I might expect, but that this doctor was highly recommended. Yikes...ok....

Please keep our little one in your prayers (as many of you already have) as we push through these next few weeks facing this test and the risks involved. I look forward to the consult with this specialist. I want to be completely informed and want to hear from him what he thinks is best as well.

17 March 2009

100 % Blue!!!!!

So we had our ultrasound yesterday morning and it is, in fact, a boy!! The ulrasound tech said he'd say 100% and to go home and "paint the room blue". Of course we were given the ever-so-famous "its a boy" picture to keep and prove to everyone that doubts that nope...there's no doubt...look right here! Baby is measuring right where he should be.

Of course the guy can't say anything if he sees something abnormal or "wrong", however he did point out a few positive things. One of the measurements he took ruled out, I think he said, over 98% of neurological disorders. Yay! He also said the heart looked good and all the fingers and toes were where they were supposed to be! Oh, and no sign of cleft palate. More yay!

I have an appt tomorrow so I'm sure if anything wasn't ideal I'll be told then. I feel good about the baby though. I am still experiencing unusual things myself, but he looked healthy and was summersaulting away from the ultrasound tech being a little stinker. Definitely one of my children!

Updater on the Tater

So Tate had his first parent-teacher conference at his school in Iowa and I'm happy to say he's doing extremely well! He's at the top of his class and his teacher went on and on about how polite and respectful and smart he is. Complete turn around from how he was doing at school here in California. I'm so happy he likes his teacher and is improving. I think he has sleep-overs every weekend with his friend Nathan because every Friday night when I call him he says he has to call me back because he's at one.

Tater is on Spring break and has been able to spend several days with my parents since this past weekend. Tate has always been a sweet, smart, loving boy and he really shows this when he is around my parents. He kind of reverts back to his comfort zone and his creativity and imagination thrive when he is with them. My mom has been updating me on his adventures while he's been there and I had to put some of them here because it just reminds me he is still the Tater I know and love.

He, of course, immediately turns on Sponge Bob Square Pants when he arrives. This has been a favorite cartoon of his for several years and he and my Dad (Grandpa) have a special thing where they eat Oreos and watch Spongey while laughing and imitating the characters. He loves the farm cats, especially Calico (Callie) and wasted no time building himself and the cat a fort out of sticks and branches out by the burn pile on the farm. The second day he was there I called to see what he was up to and he was busy watching Spongey with his feet in the bubbling foot spa. Yep, this 11 year-old boy loves to soak his feet while watching his favorite show. He was preparing to go outside and play with Grandma at that time so we didn't talk long. Monday I called him and he had just left Dairy Queen with Grandpa, they'd picked up a couple of hamburgers and were headed back home to play outside some more. He needed to make improvements to the floor of the fort so his rear end didn't get wet from the ground. Last night as my mom got home from work (I was on the phone w/her at the time) she walked in the house and saw Tater wrapped up in a blanket on the chair. She asked him why he was wrapped up (it was above 70 degrees that day) and he announced he was naked because all of his clothes were in the washing machine. I love it! Last night he and my mom sat outside until around 8pm enjoying the nice weather. Tate had a ball and was pretending he was playing volleyball. He would hit it over the roof, which was the net, and score.

I miss my son in an unbelieveable and indescribable way. However, it makes me so happy to see him being himself and enjoying his time with Grandma and Grandpa. In a way, taking a break from "life" and returning to the place he knows he can relax and be silly and do whatever it is his heart desires and have a fan club at the same time. I'm expecting some pictures from my Mom of his recent visit so I can see how much he's changed and post some here as well.

11 March 2009

Change

I think that's been the title of many of my entries before, but it fits. I'm looking out my back door at the helicopter pad just down the street. Its change of command for the post general today. Quite the big event, however I won't be going. This post is strange in that civilians don't really attend much unless it has to do with crafts or vendors or food. At our last post I went to awards ceremonies, meetings, events, etc. I miss that. Anyway, I'm looking down there wondering how our outgoing Gen feels right now knowing he's giving it all up to someone else. He's probably glad to get out of here!

Yesterday while they were rehearsing, it was noisy. Canons being shot off several times in a row...several times...singing, yelling into a very loud microphone that people weren't moving in formation correctly, etc. I was on the phone w/my mom and she asked me if I'd miss it all when I told her the canons kept scaring the crap out of me. Yes. I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss the canons and heavy artillery shaking my windows and walls and stopping my heart for brief moments. I'm going to miss the helicopters taking off and landing what seems to be right outside of my back door. I'm going to miss hearing cadence called when a formation of troops doing PT at 0630 runs past my backyard fence and wakes me up. I'll miss all of it. Now this is assuming the med board goes through. Hopefully this time next month we have an answer. Hubs last appointment is on the 24th and the paperwork takes off. I'm ready for change!!!

Oh...did my first workout this morning from the dvd I talked about in my last post. Went well, feel great! My muscles were stiff but it felt so good to workout again!

09 March 2009

Wait...weight....

So I'm going to be 18 wks prego on Wednesday (feels like I should be twice that!) and I haven't been able to do much this pregnancy due to the illness and concerns. I still have my concerns and still don't feel back to normal, but there is a big issue at hand here. My weight!!

When I was prego with Mattea I started out weighing between 145-150 (can't remember, but I was darn skinny at the time). I had worked by tail end off...seriously, had no hiney to speak of...for nearly a year and was in fabulous shape, a size 8 which is good for my height and bone structure, my hair was finally grown out from a bad haircut (another one, you say?)...anyway...so I felt really good about myself. I said "Ah, I wouldn't worry, I won't gain much weight this pregnancy, not with how active I've become". Yeah...well, I gained 50 pounds with Mattea! I nearly broke 200 lbs a week before she was delivered. I had high blood pressure and was induced 5 days early, and was in physical pain my entire pregnancy. What?! I thought being in shape was supposed to make for an easy 9 months! Well, I ended up being very sick for the first 5 months with her, as well.

So after I had her I was determined to get back to that 145-150 range. I actually had plans to start studying exercise science and possibly become a personal trainer. Big dreams for a flabby, out of shape new mother. Anywhoo...I dropped down to 165 pretty quickly, within 5 months of having her and thought I was going to have no trouble at all with my weight loss. But there I was...stuck...my body refused to lose anything more. I managed to get down one more pound and found out little one number 3 was on the way! Wait! Weight! I haven't met my goal yet! I had just taken up hiking, had a half-marathon on my mind, was enjoying a new found love for weight-lifting....

So here I am, 18 weeks into my pregnancy and I'm up 10 pounds. That's 10 pounds while in my birthday suit first thing in the morning (after bathroom break). Not fully clothed at the doc's office. Think I'll get a lecture? I've heard the OB's on this post can be nasty when it comes to too much weight gain and have no problem making you feel like the model of obesity. I was so sick the first 12-14 weeks of this pregnancy I could merely exist in my home, barely maintain my composure for visitors, skimmed the surface on my calling (just enough to keep things going, basically), and was able to do absolutely nothing around my home, let alone exercise. I ate only what sounded good and that wasn't always the best thing for me, but mostly fruit, bread, broth, and the occasional treat.

So today, I was on Amazon.com and was looking at pregnancy workout dvd's. I've been taking Mattea and the dogs for a walk almost every day, but don't feel like its enough. I MUST do as much as I can while I feel good. I never know when it will start again. Its already "relapsed" once and ended again (the "illness"). I found "Gabrielle Reece: The Complete Fit and Healthy Pregnancy" and ordered it right away. She has a DVD with nine 15 minute workouts for each month of your pregnancy, including three for after delivery. Now I can handle a 15 minute workout, for sure. While Mattea is eating a snack or throwing rocks from her collection around the playroom, I can bust a move with Gabrielle and maybe maintain some sort of sense of normalcy and convince myself that I'm staying in shape. Although those extra layers of "maternal warmth" I started out with this time certainly are making me look a bit larger than I should at just about 5 months along! Wish me luck...

03 March 2009

Too many things!

I've way too many things to update about Mattea. She is doing so many things now that I haven't typed about. Her vocabulary has increased, and become much more clear, thank goodness. I put a list of her fav things to say below. Today she got her first tricycle. She loves it! She got a little bike helmet to wear, with weird looking pandas on it (only one her size), which she's not so hot on. She hasn't quite figured out the pedals yet, but loves to be pushed around. She did have her first accident already. In trying to dismount she and the trike fell forward. This brought on nap time (woo hoo!). Had to buy a new blender today. So in the spirit of amazing crushed ice, perfectly minced onions, and delicioso smoothies, I splurged and spent way too much on it. But! I'm excited to use it and will be starting out by making peanut butter cup shakes tonight! Yesterday...the big purchase was a toaster. Seems all of our appliances are finally giving out. They are, after all, over 10 years old.

My last OB appointment went well. No ultrasound, but the heartbeat sounded great. It was in the 140's, which if you're superstitious, means probably a boy due to being on the slower end of the range. Mattea's heartbeat was always in the high 150's and low 160's. I have an ultrasound scheduled for March 16th. I'll be 18 weeks, 5 days, so hopefully far enough along to tell what the baby is! The doctor will be able to take a closer look at baby and placenta and get a better idea of whether everything is where it should be.

So here are Mattea's words...

"elbow" = Elmo (her hero)

"s'go" = let's go

"kacker" = cracker

"ishies" = fishies and goldfish crackers

Mattea is also starting potty training. She has a potty chair which she goes in nearly every time we put her on it. Today she got a "potty topper" as I call it, covered in, what else, sesame street characters. You know, the seat you put on top of the "big" potty seat so they're little bums don't sink into the potty? She loves it. Too much, in fact. She's too preoccupied with talking to the characters to focus on potty time. Ah well...we're on the right track I guess.