Wahoo 34 weeks!!

Well we made it to 34 weeks, YEAH!!! Had a Dr. appointment this morning and everything looks great. Blood Pressure and weight were great. Preston's measuring right on and his heart rate is 150's. Dr. Noorda thinks he is weighing around the 5lb mark now. I didn't get a cervical check today but will get one next week to see what all this random contracting has done. I will have my last 17-P shot next week also. Other than the I am doing so great to have made it this far speech, I was told to stay off my feet and relax in the indoors this weekend so we can get to 35 weeks. I am feeling really good about making it to next Tuesday's appointment and hopefully I will get another take home with me baby and not another NICU baby. I'll keep you posted if anything changes but for now we are celebrating each day!!

My 34 week Belly!

33 week appointment update

Well we are going to take the no news is good news approach. My Blood Pressure was 100/74 and Baby Preston is measuring spot on even though I have actually lost 1 lb this week. I was actually concerned about this as I had no weight gain the week prior. However, My Dr. says as long as I am eating (which I have been eating like a teenage boy) and baby is growing he is not concerned. He was so excited I am 33 weeks and still pregnant, he said when he first met me and read my history he didn't think I would make it this far. We did not do a cervical check as he didn't want to irritate things considering where I was last week. He also didn't do the fFN test as results past 34 weeks are not that accurate and felt it wouldn't tell us much at this point. He wants to keep me pregnant at least 2 more weeks and then he said beyond that is icing on the cake and we will just let nature take its course.

I have two more 17-P shots and then we are done. He said to keep taking it easy and keep up the fluids. If I experience contractions 10 min apart for more than an hour head straight to L&D and get checked out and we will medicate from there if we haven't reach 35 weeks yet. Other than that I see him next week and continue each week until delivery. I asked him if he thought I could make it to full term with the progress I have made already and he just sorta smiled and said its a nice thought but realistically we will be lucky to get to 35 weeks.

I am nervous, excited and overwhelmed by the thought that I could be meeting my little guy in 14 days. I know he will be fine and everything will happen as it is suppose to but I really hope these next two weeks go by quickly and smoothly, then I think I can start breathing a little easier.

My latest belly shot from today....

Baby Preston Updates...

Okay not even sure where I should start with all this because it has been so crazy. I guess I will start with the fun stuff and then go into all the Dr. appointments. We did a 3D ultrasound with Cailtyn at 26weeks and it was so amazing so, we decided to do it again with Preston but wait a few more weeks so he would be nice and chunky on the scan. I went in at 30 weeks 3 days and found that Preston was going to be rather stubborn and keep his hands up by his face. So we got a few shots and reschedule for the following week. I went in again at 31weeks but no such luck again, he was very cushy snugged into the placenta and had his hands up by his face. I decided to give it one last try and came back at 32 weeks. After laying on my right, my left, and getting on all fours to try and have gravity help him move... I still couldn't get this little guy to turn away from the placenta and move his hand. He actually turned completely around and showed us the back of his head when I was done trying all the tricks to get him to move. These were the best shots we got over those few visits... Looks like I am going to have a stubborn little boy who desperately wants to surprise me.

Thought this was so cool. He has hair and you can see it on the ultrasound!!

frowning face

That little arm that wouldn't move.

This is my 32 week belly, I know the bruises look bad but I promise they don't hurt and they are keeping me and this little guy healthy.

Okay on to the not so fun stuff,

My Dr. appointments.

Let start at my 30 week appointment, I had been having a bit of increased pressure so I told my Dr. and he decided to do a quick check and do a Fetal Fibronectin Test (for more info on the test go here http://www.ffntest.com/info/understanding_result.html ). We discovered that I was very slightly dilated less than 1cm, 50% effaced, and -2 station.

The fFN test came back negative which meant I had a 99.5% chance that I would not go into labor in the next 2 weeks. All of which was reassuring as my OB was leaving for a medical mission to Africa for 2 weeks that evening. So given all that I felt good and I continued with my trip down to PG.

I drove back up to Logan for my 31 week appointment and all was great, my blood pressure, weight gain and fetal growth looked good. I got my 17P shot and headed back down to PG for another week. This is when things got bad. The Sunday we were driving home from St. George I was in major pain, my back and hips hurt and I was experiencing irregular contractions. I spent most of the day laying down or sitting trying to get relief from the pain.

Finally it was Wednesday and time for my 32 week appointment. I went up early as I needed to do my second round of steroid shots to help Preston's lungs develop. I sat in Labor and Delivery for an hour hooked up to monitors to watch baby's heartbeat and monitor for contractions. While there I had several very small contractions, which concerned me. At my appointment I discussed with the Dr. my pains and contractions so he felt I should be checked as the pain I had felt could have been from cervical changes. Sure enough I was now fully 1 cm dilated, 70% effaced and -1 station; meaning the baby was dropping and the increased pressure and contractions was causing my cervix to start to dilate. He recommended modified bed rest and seeing my regular Dr. the following week.

So, for the last several days I have been experiencing irregular contractions and back pain but am trying very hard to remain sitting or laying down to keep this little guy in as long as possible. I meet with my Dr. tomorrow and will be 33 weeks tomorrow so I will update with the results of that appointment as soon as possible. Given all this new info we changed our plans to fly out Dave on the 13th (36weeks) to the 6th (35weeks) and have found away to extend his stay for 2 weeks so he can hopefully be here for the birth of our little man (Now you understand why the fortune cookie was scary). My goal each day is to make it through each day still pregnant... 34 weeks is my "I have to make it there" goal and 35 weeks + is a blessing at this point.

Strawberry Days Carnival

Yep you guessed it, Strawberry Days in Pleasant Grove. So we would of liked to go to the Rodeo but considering my fragile state we decided that a quick trip to the carnival just down the hill was a better idea. Plus, the kids had never been to a carnival so it was fun to see them experience it for the first time.

The first ride they wanted to go on was the Merry-go-Round. Jocelyn loved it but as you can tell from Ethan's face he was a little worried when he was so high up on the horse.

The next ride they decided to go on was a Dragon Roller coaster, now my mothers instinct said this ride was way too scary for them and I really shouldn't let them go but at the same time you really have to experience things on your own sometimes so you can learn. Look at how excited they were before the ride started..


and then it started and they both decided it was too scary. They were brave kiddos and made it through the entire ride. However, every ride after that was in the little kid place.

Caitlyn was a perfect angel during the carnival and I think she was just absorbing all the sounds, sights and smells. She was too small to go on any rides this year, but maybe next year. We took a break from the rides and grabbed a bite to eat... got to love carnival food. We took Jo to get her face painted and walked through the boutique at the recreation center.The last ride the kids did before we left was the flying saucer ride... they've been on a bit Toy Story kick so this was just icing on the cake. They were really sad to leave but mommy was done being on her feet and the crowd was starting to get huge.

Thanks to Meme and Popop for taking us all to the Carnival!!

Our Trip to St. George

On top of all the exciting activities we had planned for Jocelyn and Ethan, we decided that a trip down to St. George to visit with (Great) Grandma & Grandpa Sorensen would be fun too. Plus the weather up in central Utah was suppose to be rainy and a bit cooler so we wanted to head south and enjoy the sunshine some more.

With the Beast of the Suburban all packed up we headed down Friday afternoon after Jo's swim class. The kids love the new boat as it has a DVD player and they don"t have to sit right next to each other. I love it because it does minimize the "he's touching me" and "Jojo's kicking me" arguments. Caitlyn seems to enjoy the front facing now too, as she can watch DVDs and lounge in her car seat.

Road trip went great, we stayed at Gma & Gpa's Friday night and then Saturday we did a little bargain shopping at the St. George Kid to Kid. This is our new favorite store as we can get some really cute clothes for the girls and save tons. Mom and T got me and the kiddos a hotel room for Saturday so that we could go swimming and give Gma & Gpa Sorensen a bit of a break. We checked in at about 2pm and managed to get some swimming in before the major thunderstorms that were threatening the area all day rolled in. As you can see Ethan finally found his fins for the water again. Caitlyn took to the water just like her brother and sister, splashing mommy and Popop and yelling at all the other people in the pool.

(P.S.- sorry about the wicked Farmers tan, but how often does a pregnant women get into a swim suit to get an even tan.)

We are still trying to get this little one to walk before her brother gets here, but its likely not going to happen... C'est la vie.

After we cleaned up and the rain stopped dumping we went out to dinner at this Mongolian BBQ grill right by all the outlet stores. The food was way yummy and after some coaxing even my picky eater of the night Ethan was chowing down. Caitlyn loved it so much she was licking her plate clean.

As with any oriental style place you get fortune cookies for dessert... well we all got Evil Fortune Cookies. Mind you I am at risk for Preterm Labor/Delivery and have been planning on flying Dave home when I hit 36weeks as we had Caitlyn at 36weeks 4 days. Then to get this fortune...
was a little creepy, but it got worst when we opened Mom and Ethan's.

My Mom's said "you will be making a very exciting trip very soon that will make you very happy" and

Ethan's said "you will meet a new person soon who will become your best friend". It gets creepier when you read my baby update post.

Sunday we headed home but before we could go we stopped by the little lake just down from Gma & Gpas's to feed the ducks/geese. We had a really good time in St. George and it was fun seeing family again. Next time we do it I will be a mommy of 4!!!