Busy Week

It's been a very busy week in the Poppet household. I have ceased researching 'stenosis of the pulmonary valve' and feel much better because of it! (Surprise, surprise). Last week's scan looked good, aside form the stenosis, and this morning, at the crack of dawn (7am!) I had this week's scan. Baby girl is very, very low making it difficult to see her sweet face, and she was also lying in a funny position which made it difficult for the sonographer to get a good picture of her heart. That said, again she looked great - passing her biophysical in just a minute or so. She's right at the 50th percentile mark for estimated weight (6 pounds 12oz), with a big tummy and and very normal sized everything else.

I've also seen Deb twice now, and both times things have looked good. Blood pressure is great, weight gain is fine, and so forth. Mind you, I did have to take both boys to Portland with me on Friday as Raf's spring break began and our nanny is out of town (terrible timing all around!).  So up we went, the boys with their Dr's kits and lots of trains, and they were actually really good boys. This past Friday my fundal height has decreased quite significantly (measuring 34 weeks rather than 37) so I was a little concerned. Deb called me that evening to say that I should monitor any potential amniotic fluid leak, just in case that was why I was measuring so small. I felt quite good and didn't worry too much about it.

Saturday, however, I think I must have overdone it because contractions were very intense, and on top of some of other symptoms things felt very off. I called the on call Dr. and they directed me to the labour and delivery ward where they monitored me for a few hours - into the wee hours of Sunday morning. She seemed fine, though, and I got home to Charlie who was ordering Rich out of the bed back into Raf's bunk bed.

It's great to be considered full term - albeit early term, but I am hoping, hoping that she stays put until at least her due date. I really do need to get through the semester. I've almost marked 120 long essays this past two weeks, I've just written my final, and the class have presentations next week (the final week of classes). I need to get my grades submitted and then she's free to arrive! If she comes sooner I'll still have to get everything finished, as I really don't want to impose more work on my long suffering colleagues who covered my classes for 3 weeks.

I went back last week and it was good to see my students, though honestly utterly exhausting and stressful contending with a few problems that arose because of my abscence. I have horrible, horrible pregnancy insomnia so, last night for example, was up with a sad Charlie until 10:30, slept between 11-2:30, but getting up 4-5 times to pee (no exaggeration) and then couldn't get back to sleep after my loo break at 2:30am. I started to doze off right as I needed to get up to get ready to head to Portland for my ultrasound before teaching. I did head home immediately after class to work on papers and my final, but I'm supposed to be going back in this evening to an awards' ceremony both to see my students and because I've been nominated for teacher of the year, which of course I won't win - but it's nice to show up as it's quite an honour to be considered.

All in all, though I haven't mentioned the disastrous state of our house(!), we're slowly getting ready. Raf, especially, is beyond excited to meet his sister, and even the lukewarm Charlie is seemingly happier about having a sister....! That said, he's all very into 'mummy', right now, so we'll see how this all pans out.

Not long to go! This week I'll be 38 weeks and when I spoke to Deb she said she'd prefer for me to have the baby closer to 40 weeks as opposed to 41-42, so we'll see how that goes. I'll be very happy to hit 40 weeks! Poor Rich is looking at the trifecta - my birthday, mother's day, and the birth of baby girl!!!

Brief Update

A little Ms. Poppet update. I will admit that it's been an abysmal week. I have literally researched my way into a nervous breakdown. I saw Deb on Friday, who has taken over my OB care, which was so helpful. First I had to pick up my records from my midwives and I felt very, very sad as I did so, but Deb is phenomenal, as is her staff who are always so nice to me and so welcoming. All my stats looks great: blood pressure, weight gain, tummy measuring just a little bit behind, etc., and Deb was pretty reassuring. I then spoke with the cardiologist and he outlined what would be involved at Maine Med (a NICU attending, a pediatric cardiologist near by or there depending on immediate availability), mentioned links to certain genetic syndromes (gah), and left me feeling rather anxious. The next morning I emailed with a sonographer friend of mine who then managed to talk me down... and then I put a research embargo on myself, and that has helped no end.

I was dreading my scan today as I was worried they'd pick up new issues and find new areas of concern on my scan. Thankfully everything looked great - except the stenosis, of course - but I left feeling somewhat relieved that nothing new had emerged. Just a few weeks to go - in fact I suppose it could be any day now. I'm back into the classroom tomorrow and honestly, while I'll love seeing my students, I'm feeling nervous about how I'll get through the coming weeks with the level of busyness. We'll see how it goes!

The Music Boys

Little Ms. Poppet Update

Things have been going fairly well (not counting sickness, preterm labor, etc!) with the little baby girl. A couple of weeks ago I had a worrisome scan which showed a possible issue with the aortic root (an issue Charlie has - though they don't think it's anything alarming for him). I had a real echocardiogram and everything looked super. At my weekly scan on Monday I heard more alarming news; this time the concern was about the pulmonary valve which showed some signs of stenosis (narrowing, which means that blood pumping to the pulmonary artery is comprised). Yesterday I saw a fetal/pediatric cardiologist for another echo and sadly the diagnosis was confirmed.

The good news is that the cardiologist (who was super) was able to rule out that this was likely critical or severe. Blood IS flowing, and it's not flowing too quickly (apparently good signs). What is impossible to determine at this stage is whether it's moderate or mild. If it's the latter then things should be straightforward and it may not even need treating. If it's moderate then I think it's a wait and see situation.

When Charlie was 10 days old he was hospitalized for a rapid heart rate, which is how we discovered his enlarged aortic root. They did think this was a random finding, something that he may grow out of. But now we have two different valve issues on two siblings and there is a good chance that there is something genetic underlying it all. We're having Raf screened in a couple of weeks to see if he has  any structural issues going on, and then Rich and I need to be screened.

I'm very close to being 36 weeks pregnant and we learned that I'd also have to change providers and deliver at the big tertiary hospital which has a level 3 NICU. Obviously the most important thing is the safe arrival of the baby, but I am extremely disappointed to have to leave the midwifery group and the lovely birthing center where we'd planned another water birth, to have a more managed birth at the other (thought fabulous) hospital. It's a very different set-up, with residents and medical students, and is simply set up to cope with higher risk babies (which this baby now is). We're in fact super lucky to have such a great hospital close by, which is home to a pretty amazing NICU.

The other good news is that Deb, our family Dr., who also delivered Raf, has kindly agreed to take over my OB care. She spoke to the perinatologist and he didn't feel as though a high risk OB needed to oversee the actual delivery.

Anyway, very stressful and very disappointing. We're hoping that Raf's screening is clear and that there is nothing more sinister underlying these heart problems.

Easter, 2015

We had a really lovely Easter. Raf was as excited as you can be about it, and indeed he's talked about little else lately! He made some cards for the Easter Bunny - one from him and Charlie and another from his sister. 

He asked if the Easter Bunny would bring a little bunny for his sister...!

On the saturday the boys and I started to make the Easter cake. We've also been looking forward to this cake making all week! The boys would suddenly out of no where, grab our hands and in a circle jump up and down singing, 'we're going to make a cake, we're going to make a cake...' And then Raf assigned everyone jobs.

They did a very nice job sharing duties once the big day came...

And they very much enjoyed licking the bowl for a quick taste.

They were exceedingly lucky to have quite a bit left over to mop up.

In the morning we put them in the bath so we could quickly go and lay a trail of eggs. The snow has been horrendous this year so there is still plenty on the ground. So instead of heading to our usual spot we had to be a bit inventive...

And the Easter Bunny actually left their baskets inside for a change! Each boy got a little train and a few odds and ends. They were over the moon! Raf has a new engine, Duck.

And Charlie received the much coveted Bertie the Bus.

There were lots of bunny themed things in their tins. Soft bunny, sweetie bunnies, etc.

Bertie!

Even their little sister received a little something.

All the boys, including Rich, received an Easter shirt, which they were all very excited about. Charlie really likes a collar and is quite particular sometimes about what he wants to wear.

We enjoyed a nice tofurky lunch.

And after a long lie-down, I came downstairs to help the boys finish off the cake decorations.

No such thing as too many sprinkles.

Ta da!

And just when you couldn't have been more sugared up, it was bedtime and stories with new Easter books.

A really lovely Easter with the favourites.

The Yard

Given the long, snowy and cold winter in the north east - and not being winter sports people - the need for the boys to burn some energy somehow without going stir-crazy has been an on-going issue. We were lucky that in the next town an indoor play center opened just as the winter dragged on seemingly without end. Called 'The Yard' and situated in lovely old mill buildings - it has proved a blessing for a few hours each week...

Little Ms. Poppet - 34 weeks

On Monday I had my 34 week scan to check up on little ms. Poppet (as Rich calls her). Everything is looking good - measuring on track and quite average in every way except for her fairly large abdomen! This makes her estimated weight to be already close to 6 pounds. I take these scans with a massive pinch of salt when it comes to weight as the boys always were estimated to be bigger in utero  than they actually were. Still, this little one is estimated to be bigger than the boys at this stage - and indeed by an entire pound bigger than Charlie. That's my girl!

She passed her biophysical with flying colours and despite my fundal height measuring a couple of sees behind, she is thriving, and in the 62nd percentile for size. So all looking good...

Here is her foot in my rib! And believe me I can feel it. Raf thinks it's hysterical when she does this, and both the boys tell her to 'stop kicking mummy in the ribs' (whilst laughing like loons).

Unlike the boys she does not cooperate when it comes to having her picture taken, so in spite of the many scans I've had - and continue to have - there are very few photos. We managed to catch a quick picture when she turned (she was looking towards my back for the most part... that, or she has a hand over her face). Already pouting (Charlie has that mastered). She also has some tufts of hair, according to the sonographer - and we're wondering what colour the hair (and eyes) will be!

35 weeks tomorrow! Yikes.