Working through grief

In this time of Holiday celebration and Thanksgiving, I got some bad news. I will start at the beginning so you all can understand and follow, then I will give my reflection.

Last week, my mom Cheryl asked me to drive down to Kenosha with her to be present for my sister Julia's 20 week ultrasound. What a joyful day, it was my mom's birthday and Julia was so excited to find out the gender of her baby! We got ti Julia's house early so we could talk and get Evan out of the car for a while, we had been in the car for 2 hours already and everyone needed a few minutes to stretch.
The appointment was at 1pm and we were right on time! When Julia's name was called, Cheryl, Evan and I followed her into the ultrasound room, along with her boyfriend Scott and his mom. Everything was going well, the baby was moving and had a strong heartbeat of 144 bpm. Then the u/s tech said she needed the Dr's help seeing something so she asked everyone except Scott to step out of the room. Julia started to freak out. While we were waiting in the lobby, the Dr. told Julia that her baby had no amniotic fluid. Because there was no fluid, there was no way to see the gender of the baby. She freaked out more and asked for mom. Cheryl and Scott's mom went back into the room with Julia, where they heard the upsetting news that her baby had cysts on both of it's kidneys. The Dr. referred Julia to a perinatology specialist at Froedtert Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. The specialist made an appointment for Julia on Monday.
Everyone was in shock, and no one knew quite what to say or do. Scott had to work that night, he is a truck driver, and instead of going to Chicago where he was originally supposed to go and which is only 2 hours away, he got sent to LaCrosse which is 4 hours away from the company's base in Milwaukee. Mom and I didn't want Julia to be alone so we stayed overnight with her. None of us slept well, we were all anxious and scared for Julia and her baby.
Just as Cheryl and I were getting ready to go home on Friday, Julia looked at her phone and realized the specialist from Froedtert had been trying to call her. They had an appointment opening for that day, Friday, at 2. Julia tried frantically to get ahold of Scott to find out if he would be home in time to go to the appointment with her. It turns out that since he had to go to LaCrosse instead of Chicago, he ran out of drive hours and was stuck in Tomah for 10 hours and wouldn't be able to make it back in time. Julia asked if he wanted her to go to the appointment without him, or if he wanted her to wait for him. It was really urgent for Julia to find out what was going on with her baby, so she went to the appointment with me, Evan, Cheryl, and Scott's mom.
Once we got to the hospital, we found out that it was on lock down due to the H1N1 virus, and that nobody under 18 was permitted past the front desk unless they had an appointment, so Evan and I got to sit at the front desk for 2 hours while Julia and the moms had the appointment. When I saw Julia walk down the hallway afterwards, she walked up to me and gave me a hug, and tearfully told me that her baby wasn't going to make it.
As a baby develops in the amniotic sac, it swallows and inhales the amniotic fluid. The kidneys then process and replenish the fluid that the baby swallows. It also produces surfacant in the lungs which helps them inflate and stay expanded once the baby takes its first breath. Since the baby's kidneys have cysts, they are unable to function to replenish the amniotic fluid, which means that the baby's lungs have no chance of developing since they need that fluid to produce the surfacant.
Basically, when Julia's baby is born it will live for a short time, but will slowly suffocate to death because the lungs have not been able to develop properly and will not be able to absorb oxygen to carry it through the baby's body.

The reality is that it's a hard situation for everyone. Here Julia and I are, unconventionally, sisters. We're the same age and we were excited to have babies within 6 months of each other. Mom and I had started buying things for Julia and her baby, and I had started putting away clothes that Evan had already outgrown, ready to give them to Julia for her baby. Then we get this devastating news, and everyone is counting their blessings, and we're left asking why.

I am reminded of something I read recently that I have been reflecting on. It reminds us to give thanks.

"in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Sometimes its difficult enough to remember to give thanks during the good times, when things are going well. So how are we supposed to give thanks when times are hard and nothing seems to be going right? The Bible verse says to give thanks in everything, not necessarily for everything. Bad things happen; we do not have to give thanks for them, but we can give thanks in the midst of them. Few people ever stop to ask 'Why am I so blessed? Why did I get so lucky?' - many of us assume we deserve the good things in our lives, that for whatever reason, the blessings are earned. And the bad things - that is when we question and rage and scream at God. But if we are not going to question good fortune, we have no right to question bad fortune either.

With God's help, I am working through my own emotions of grief for Julia and her new baby that will never get the chances that my own new baby will get, and also remembering to give thanks for my many blessings, all the while constantly praying for a miracle...

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE

So, this is very overdue. Sorry I have kept you all in the dark and waiting for so long.

Lets see.... I think I left off with being a day late. I had my next prenatal appointment on 9/22 and had not progressed any closer to dilating on my own. I was stuck at 2 cm! My Dr. decided that induction was the way to go so she called the hospital to find out when they could get me in. At first they told her Saturday! She told them that Saturday wouldn't work, so they fit me in for the next day at 1pm. Chad and I got to St Mary's Hospital on 9/23 early so that by 1 I could be on my way to meeting my baby! We got checked in and I put on a lovely gown. The nurse explained how the induction would work, and by 2pm it was happening! I was still only 2cm dilated so I was given misoprostol, which is a tablet that is inserted onto the cervix which causes it to dilate. It can be given every 4 hours, and after it is inserted you must lie flat for an hour to make sure that it doesn't come out. I had to have 3 miso's before I started to dilate in the middle of the night, one at 2:15, another around 6:30pm and the last around 10:30pm. I was pretty much stuck in bed anyway since there were no portable fetal heartbeat monitors available, and since I was being induced, I had to have constant monitoring. I started having contractions around 2:30am or so. When I started having contractions, they came so strong and sudden that I started to vomit from the pain. I was still determined to have my baby with no epidural, so I asked for something mild to help make the contractions more bearable, and I was set up with an IV and given numorphan so that I could get a little bit of rest between them. I was in the bathtub for a while in the middle of the night, I don't know exactly when. I went back to bed for a while and rested between contractions. The next thing I knew it was morning. I got another numorphan at about 6am on 9/24, my water was broken some time after that, and around 9 am I was in so much pain from the contractions that I was begging for an epidural. My nurse was awesome, suggesting that I get into the bathtub and have one more numorphan. I was 4cm when I got into the bathtub and I stayed in there for about 2 hours. Betty sat outside the bathroom door for me and timed my contractions. At times the pain got to be so strong that it felt like I was pushing involuntarily. When I got out it was too late for the epidural because I was already 9cm. My Dr. checked me and I still had a little bit of cervix so I couldn't push yet, but within a few minutes I was having so much pressure that my Dr. checked me again and that little bit of cervix had dilated and I could start pushing during contractions. I pushed in lots of different positions, but made the best progress on my hands and knees. I pushed for about 2 hr 15 minutes and had to have oxygen because baby’s heart rate was dropping towards the end. My sister Danelle was there to help me, she held my legs while I pushed and she was definitely my biggest supporter. Chad was up by my head while I was pushing, and Betty was there with him when his knees started to shake and he felt like he was going to faint. Thank God for Betty! Just before the baby was born the Dr. asked Chad to cut the cord but the baby was so stunned from being born that it took him a while to breathe so Chad didn’t get to cut the cord. My mom gave the big announcement, "It's a boy!"

Evan Dennis Vondrum was born on 9/24/09 at 2:41 pm, weighing in at 9lb4oz and 20 inches long. He was blue when he was born so we didn't get to see him right away, and Chad was really scared. Evan broke his collarbone being born, but it is all healed. I am just about healed, I tore at the top and bottom and still have a bit of swelling. While the Dr. was putting in my stitches, in walks Denny! Then a little while later, in walks Travis! I told them to be aware that if they came into the room now they might see more of me then they ever wanted to, but they thought it was no big deal to see me laying on the bed getting stitched up, so they stayed. I really wanted to nurse Evan right away but he was still very mucousy from being born that I was told to wait to make sure that he was breathing okay. He never got the hang of latching on, so I am pumping and feeding him what I pump. He is currently eating 5oz every 3 hours.

9/24 was a very busy day for the hospital, there were at least 2 other ladies who were due on my due date that were being induced the same day that I was, and there were 8 other babies born at that hospital on that day! There were 4 at Meriter also, and a home birth. Evan's birthday was definitely a popular one!

At his checkup on 9/28, Evan weighed 9lb 1oz. On 10/6 he was 9lb 7oz and 21 in. On 10/22 my big boy was 10lb 12oz and 23 inches! Evan usually is asleep for the night by 10pm and tends to sleep till about 3am or so to eat, then he goes back to sleep until about 7am or so but then goes right back to sleep until around 9. He eats, and has tummy time and back time and snuggle time. Evan naps for about 20 minutes at a time during the day, unless we are in the car a lot. He doesn't always sleep in the car though. He doesn't like to be idle in the car, and fusses if we slow down or have to stop for any reason. Evan has started to smile and coo and is mostly a good baby. Here is my favorite picture of Evan smiling so far.

I am using cloth diapers for Evan, the Bum Genius 3.0's are wonderful! I love how they look drying on the clothesline too.

We have good days and bad days, but so far I am loving my life as a mom! I will try to post future updates in a more timely manner. Until then, I hope you enjoyed the story:)

Update on yesterday's appointment

No baby yet. Chad took off work so we could go to my ultrasound appointment together. The appointment was at 1:30 and went well. Peanut only measured 8lb 6oz and the fluid around him was good, which means that he's still doing good in my belly. The good news is that there was no need to induce. The bad news is that there was no need to induce. I was so excited and looking forward to meeting my Peanut and bringing him home with me that it was devastating to find out that it wasn't going to happen that way. I spent most of the ride home sad and crying. I am feeling better today, but I am so ready to hold my baby in my arms instead of my belly.

So now we are playing the waiting game. If Peanut doesn't come on his own before next Tuesday, 22 Sept. then the Dr. will schedule me for an induction. Until then I can't sleep, am having constant sciatic nerve pain, have popping hips, sore stiff swollen hands and feet, an irritable husband who is sick of dealing with my mood swings, and a happy, healthy baby in my belly. I will let you know if anything changes before next Tuesday! Until then, we wait...

40 week update

As of today, 15September 2009, I have made it full term with my pregnancy. I just can't wait to meet my Peanut, and I may get to meet him today! I had an ultrasound Friday to check Peanut's size. He was measuring at 9lb 7oz! I had to wait until Monday to talk to my Dr. about what the results meant, and what she told me is that Peanut was measuring big, which would not be a reason for concern, but that there was low amniotic fluid, which was reason for concern. So she set me up with an appointment to be checked. I was 2cm dilated and 50% effaced, which would mean that I would need a lot of help if I were induced then, so the Dr. wanted me to have another u/s today. The u/s is scheduled for 1:30 and they will page my Dr. right away with the results, and she will decide if she wants to induce me today or wait a few days to see if I go into labor on my own.

Right now, Chad and I are making sure our bags are packed and our house and cats are taken care of in case I do get induced today, because I don't want him to have to leave to take care of anything other than me until it's time for our little family to come home from the hospital together. I know that's not realistic or rational, but I must admit that I haven't been very rational these days. The hormones made me do it.

If I don't have a baby tonight, I will come home and let you all know what the next step is. If there's no update, it most likely means that I'm having the baby, AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overdue week 39 update

I had my 39 week appt. on Thursday, it was a regular checkup and since I was past 39 wks the Dr. agreed to strip my cervix. Now if you've never heard of this or had it done, the rest of this paragraph might be too much info for you so skip to the next one. Otherwise continue reading. When you are "stripped" the Dr. takes a gloved finger and moves it around the inside of your cervix, stripping the bag of fluid that the baby is in away from the opening of your cervix. This is done to encourage stretching and dilation, but it is VERY PAINFUL! The procedure brought tears to my eyes and I did have some bleeding, which my Dr. said was a good sign. She told me that if it worked, it would do so within 24 hours. Well, it's now Sunday and I'm still pregnant. I have been losing my mucous plug over the last 3 days though, so maybe that's a good sign?

At my appt. I was 1-2 cm dilated and baby's head was very low. My Dr. was concerned about Peanut being too big so she scheduled me for a growth ultrasound, and I also got a flu shot which still hurts at the injection site! I had the growth u/s on Friday and Peanut was measuring a whopping 9lb 7oz! Holy cow, I think this kid wants me to have the drugs since he's so big! Maybe once I agree to the drugs he'll decide to come? Anyway, I am hoping that due to Peanut being so big I can convince my Dr. to induce me on Tuesday, my due date.

In other news, our house is still coming together slowly, we have agreed that we will buy a bookshelf for the living room and start unpacking those boxes of books, and I have finally unpacked my teapots and hand washed them, next is to display them on the dresser in the dining room. At least until Peanut is big enough to reach them, then I will have to come up with a different place for them!

Chad and I spent the day with my parents, Chad watched baseball and football all day while I spent some nice time with my mom. I had her take a nice picture of me and Chad too.

Isn't he a sweetie?!

Well folks, that's all for now, it's late and I must head to bed and try to get some sleep before Peanut decides to make his appearance. If nothing happens, then I will post an update on Tuesday when I am officially "due".

38 week update

Not much to report this week, Chad and I are just waiting for our little Peanut to arrive. Had a Dr. checkup yesterday and I was still 1cm dilated but she did say that baby had dropped, so he's getting into place to be born.

On the home front I got a few more boxes unpacked and the bathroom is as done as it's going to get for now, we will have to do some moving around as Peanut starts needing shampoo and soap in there, but it's good for now. Pictures are up on the walls and the boxes are unpacked. Just remembered that I need to make sure the medicine box is stocked up for his arrival!

Next appointment is 9/10 and if Peanut doesn't come before then (hopefully he will!) then the Dr. will strip me and hopefully get things moving along. Appointment after that is on my due date, 9/15. Here's to hoping I go next Tuesday or Wednesday so I don't have to get stripped!

I will update more after my next appointment or after Peanut makes his arrival, whichever comes first. Come on Peanut, you want to be first! ;)

Week 37 update

A few weeks ago Chad and I went up to Betty and Denny's cabin on Castle Rock Lake. Peanut and I spent a day out on a pontoon boat. Here we are :)

I am now in week 37, yay! Which means that Peanut has, at most, 28 days left to cook in my belly. I will be so glad when I can finally hold him in my arms instead of my belly! His room is REALLY all ready, we have a fair amount of cloth diapers that are stuffed and ready to go, Pooh Bear is holding down the Exersaucer, and the bassinet is painted and ready to go. It took 2 cans of spray paint to cover that darned bassinet! I painted the outside brown. The lining is pink which is super adorable, it just means that if Peanut is a boy, he will have to live with a pink bassinet. Not that he'll even be able to tell, but still!

We are using a few disposable diapers that we'll be using in the beginning, mostly because I have heard that the Bum Genius don't tend to fit newborns very well, and because we are still looking to get a few more. If for some reason I have a hard labor, I definitely don't want to be washing diapers every day! We have all the supplies we need though, and we were fortunate to have gotten a great deal on our BG's through a local kid's resale shop. We will be using cloth wipes too, after we run out of the disposable ones we have, and I must say that even I have noticed how rough disposable wipes are on my skin compared to the cloth ones, so I can imagine how rough they must feel for a baby, having something that rough on his delicate new skin. Ouch! Aren't they adorable though? Can't wait to use them:) BTW There are pink ones since the person we bought them from had a girl, but we are planning on getting a few blue ones also which we will use no matter what gender Peanut is. A diaper is a diaper, right?!

On 8/15 Betty held a baby shower for me, and I had a great time! Delicious food and great family, what more could a girl ask for? Peanut got some great gifts too, including a Brewers onesie that Chad can't wait to put on him, and a Mickey toy from Uncle Cody. How cute are they?!

We got our car seat after that, and I must say it's like a baby Cadillac! It's the Graco Snug Ride 32 in Bombay from Babies R Us, and it looks so comfy I wish I could sit in it, lol! The SR32 is currently the safest infant seat on the market, since it goes rear-facing until baby reaches 32 lb/in, while most other seats only go to 25-30 lbs and 28-30 in. I am counting on Chad lugging Peanut around in this seat for a good long while, lol! Isn't it super adorable?

After we got the car seat ready, I figured we should have our hospital bags ready to go too, just in case Peanut wants so come early, which would be fine by me! I don't have any pics of my bag, but Peanut's bag is ready to go!

If Peanut is a girl she will come home in this dress with bloomers, sweater, and cute little socks:)

If Peanut is a boy he will come home in one of these onesies that say "I love Mommy" or "I love Daddy", pants, jacket if he needs it, and socks:)

Also in Peanut's diaper bag are no-scratch mittens, a few diapers, wipes, a first aid kit, thermometer, and medicine dropper. I doubt we will need it all, it's just in case!

Now for the important details: I had a Dr. appt. on 8/16 and the Dr. did an ultrasound to make sure Peanut was head down, which he was, and she did a GBS test on me and checked me. I was "a fingertip" but still long and closed. I had another appt. yesterday, 8/24 and she did another u/s to make sure Peanut was still head down, which he was. He was also partially engaged, which means that he has started descending into my pelvis to be born, but that he could still wiggle his way out of there. She did the internal check, and I was 1cm and 20% effaced, which means that I am making progress! I also don't have the GBS, which means I don't need I.V. antibiotics during labor to protect Peanut from it. Peanut is moving a lot still, but his movements aren't as random ass they used to be, since he's so squished in my belly. He gets hiccups at least every day, some days he gets them 3-4 times even! He likes to stick his butt out and make my belly lop-sided, and he likes when Chad talks to him before bed every night. Chad and I went for a walk last night after dinner, and I hope to get into a routine with him of walking every night, even after Peanut gets here, but mostly now before he gets here, since the motion of me walking can help him get his little head into position and help lock it in place for birth. I have been having lots of pain in my hips and pelvis which hopefully is my little Peanut getting ready to make his big debut! Next Dr. appt. is Wednesday 9/3 and if Peanut doesn't come sooner than that, I will let you all know how it goes! Pray for dilation and a safe, early delivery:)

33 Week check-up

I had my 33 week prenatal appointment today, and it went well. Blood pressure is still great, especially considering how swollen my poor feeties are:( Still getting stuff ready for Peanut's big debut, and as of right now I have decided that we are keeping Peanut's bedroom door closed, since I discovered that one of my bad cats puked in the crib! I definitely don't want the cats in the crib, especially after the baby comes!!!!

In other news, I have Peanut's hospital bag packed and ready to go with an adorable boy's outfit and an adorable girl's outfit. We'll see which one goes back to the store afterwards, lol!

Getting super excited for my baby shower on the 15th, I can't weait to see everyone! I haven't seen most of the family since my wedding in October! So, I am glad for the chance to see everyone. I especially can't wait for Peanut to see what a loving family he is being born into.

Depressing, I have gained 30 lbs so far this pregnancy! Hopefully that means Peanut is healthy... So far he is head down, lets hope he stays that way and the Dr. doesn't have to turn him when I am further along! I am feeling Peanut move so much now, he seems to have hiccups every day, sometimes more than once a day! Yesterday and today it was 3 times a day... Hope he gets some releif from them once he's born, poor kid!

Chad and I are registered for our Childbirth class and Hospital tour, hopefully Peanut won't come before we can attend them! I am looking forward to the childbirth class. I really want to have the baby with no drugs at all and I'm hoping I can learn some techniques to help me avoid the pain meds when I'm in labor. Looking forward to the hospital tour so I can help navigate Chad when it's time for Peanut to arrive. I can't wait, I am so ready to hold him in my arms already!

Got the birth announcements as ready as I can get them, envelopes are addressed and stamped, they are just waiting for baby to get here for a pic on the front card and some stats on the inside. I can't wait to share the good news with all our friends and family!

Well, that's all for now.
Enjoy:)

More nursery pics and week 30 update:)

The crib, I can't wait until Peanut can sleep in it!

The closet is really full! Up on top is a bathtub, extra bedding, a humidifier, diapers, and some bigger sizes of socks and hats and such. On hangers and stacked on the yellow shelf are clothes, sized 0-6 months, I definitely need more hangers! The clothes are gender-specific but will be sorted after Peanut gets here and I know what I need to pack up. Bottom of the yellow shelf has extra books and toys, floor play mat is next to the shelf, and totes hold older sizes of clothes.


The changing table. Top shelf baskets have diapers, hats, and bibs. Lower baskets have extra blankets, more extra blankets, and extra sheets.

The dresser:) 3 drawers, all full, and a door on the right that has socks and shoes in it. Top of the dresser has books on It, and odds and ends that will either go for the car seat (hang toys) or packed until we can use them later.

Top drawer has 0-3 month clothes.

Middle drawer has 3-6 month clothes.

Bottom drawer that has 6-12 month clothes.

Now for the update: Week 30! Chad and I are doing lots of stuff together. We spent the weekend with good friends in Mineral Point, celebrated the Fourth with other friends, then went up to his parents' cabin. Went to the Mallards game last night with friends, and we are going back up to the cabin this weekend!

We are trying to do as much as we can before Peanut gets here, because we are fearing that we won't be able to do anything afterwards, lol!

How am I doing? Oh pretty good, I am back to napping almost every day, and working 3-4 days a week. Days off are spent getting the house put together, and I really am going to get the guest room set today, I really am! My feet get pretty swollen, I'm not a fan of that, but I can't really reach them so no big loss, huh? I guess it's pedicures from now on ;) Next Dr. appt. is next Monday the 13th so I will update more then.

TTFN:)

Check out the nursery!

Here it is! The first room in our house to be "done" and I am so excited, I can't wait for Peanut to get here and use the nursery! Next I will be finishing the bathroom and working on the guest/craft room so I can get working on the diaper stacker and Peanut's birth announcements, if I can make them turn out like the picture in my head they're going to be adorable! If you want to see more pics of the nursery, look me up on Facebook! They're all uploaded there, but I seem to be having trouble getting my memory card to communicate with my computer in order to upload any more pics:(

In other news, I did have to retake the glucose test, which took FOREVER! I went in last Wednesday the 24th after fasting the previous night and had a blood draw as soon as I got to the clinic, drank a stronger version of the glucose, and had to wait. They drew blood after 1, 2, and 3 hours, so four more pokes. I was excited, not! I did, however, get to catch up on my tabloid gossip and knitted a few rows of Peanut's baby blanket I'm making. I got the call from my Doc today and she told me I don't have gestational diabetes, which is a huge relief, but that my 1 hour levels were high again. Basically I need to start eating healthier than I have been, and keep with the program! Otherwise, it could mean trouble for me and Peanut when it comes closer to delivery time because he may be bigger than expected, which may mean that I have to be induced, which means drugs, and I don't want the drugs! I have read too many birth stories where being induced with Pitocin can cause contractions to be too strong and it wears the mother out too fast that she asks for the pain meds which tend to slow down labor, and birth takes longer then it would have if it had been natural. So let's pray that I don't need meds!

Last Wednesday the 24th was also Chad's 30th birthday! We hung out at his parent's house during the day, actually just Chad and Cody did while I spent the day at the clinic, then we met up with some friends at Buffalo Wild Wings and celebrated! I had to leave the party early since I had to work early the next day, but it's probably better that I did... it's not much fun being the only sober one :( Oh well, I will get to have my fun again soon...

Sunday was my nephew Tyson's second birthday and it was a very bittersweet day for me. I remember 6 years ago at my niece's second birthday, Taye and I made a video of her. Taye and Alina had a conversation that went like this:

T: Alina, how old are you?

A:I have a birthday. I blow my candles.

T: Alina, are you seven?

A: Yes, I seben.

T: Alina, are you four?

A: Yes, I four.

T: Alina, are you two?

A: Yes, I two. Two!

The party was nice, there were lots of people there and it made me glad to know that there are so many people out there that love my nephew. I ended up leaving in tears, however, after people started doing drugs in the house full of relatives and kids. The first time it happened, I made it clear to my sister that I did not approve and that it put my husband's job in jeopardy. Chad left for work, the kids wend swimming, and I hung out with my sister. The kids came back, it was time for cake and presents, and where was my sister? In the house "smokin" for about 10 minutes while the party guests looked for her so whey could get the party wrapped up and be on their way. I left before she came out and sat in my car and bawled. I mean, it's one thing if you want to participate in illegal drug use in your home when you are home by yourself. It's completely another when you choose to do it in your home when you have other people and their children in your home. It is simply unacceptable! Especially when you know that at least one of those people objects to it as strongly as my sister knows I do, and besides that being pregnant! It just shows a very strong lack of respect for your guests. If one of the party-goers wants to do it, simply tell them that they can wait until the party wraps up. It's pretty much over after cake and presents anyway, right? So that is my rant for the day, 24 hours later and I am still so mad about this! My mom tried to call me and calm the water but it didn't help. I told her that if she wants to keep her family civil and her daughters speaking as much as she says she does, she needs to talk to my sister because of how disrespectful she was to me. Okay, time to let it go.

Glucose test today

The empty bottle of orange yuck!

I originally had my 28 week glucose blood test for gestational diabetes scheduled for Wednesday, Chad's birthday. Then I got my schedule for the week and have 4 days off so I changed it for today so we wouldn't have to change or cancel any birthday festivities. I will give you some background of my pregnancy to start with.

I am one of those lucky women who didn't have morning sickness. I tend to be really phlegmmy in the mornings and sometimes I gag and throw up while brushing my teeth but that's it. So when you drink the glucose drink you have very specific instructions. You can eat before it but not after it. You must drink it all within 5 minutes and you must be at the clinic and ready for the blood draw within an hour of drinking the drink. You may only have sips of water totaling less than 8 oz. after drinking the drink. I thought to myself, "I can handle that." After I got off the phone with the lab, it was time to get in the shower and drink the drink. Everyone kept telling me how nasty it would be so I was expecting the worst. I chugged it, then my tummy started feeling funny and (TMI) I threw up in my mouth a little bit. I didn't want to have to retake the test so I had to swallow what was in my mouth, GROSS!!!! I got to the clinic and the lab tech had a hard time finding a vein so she had to draw 3 VIALS from a very small vein using a pediatric needle, she said it was the smallest she had. Needless to say, I have a nice bruise from that! I am hoping and praying that it goes well, I should know something by Thursday!

The bruise from the blood draw, ouch!

After that, I called and made an appointment for a haircut. Got done at the clinic @ 10:35, had until 2:30 to wait for the haircut. So I made an exchange at Target and browsed the baby isles like I always do. Hmmm, my bottles and such are on sale, but I passed. I am giving second thought to passing on the picture frame book ends though, I might stop and see if they're still there when we go to town tomorrow. After that I got a wave of ambition and decided to look at diaper stacker sewing patterns at Jo Anne Fabrics. Questions that I asked myself before seriously considering buying any fabric:

• Can I sew? Don't know, my guess is not really.

• Do I know how to use my sewing machine? Again, not really, and I don't have a manual for it. It can't be THAT hard, can it?!
  

• Do I really want to pay $16 for a pattern that has several items in it when I just need the one, and it's not really what I want anyway? Not really.

• Do I really think I can make a pattern out of newspaper that makes sense, serves the purpose I need, and is actually functional without tearing my hair out and throwing the fabric and sewing machine into the trash? Lets hope so!

I walked out of there with 2 and a quarter yards of brown flannel to go with the flannel DwellStudio receiving blankets I bought just for the purpose of making a diaper stacker, along with some ribbon to tie the stacker to the hanger it's going to hang on, and possibly to wrap the hanger. Also got a really cool wall decal to hang with the multi-frame that holds some of our wedding photos, it says "Just one lifetime won't be enough for us" and I can't wait to decide where I'm going to hang it!

Spent some time with an old friend after that, and then it was time for my hair cut. I didn't really have any kind of style in mind. My description to my hairdresser was something like this: "I think I want it to be not bulky or sticking out behind my ears. Kind of layerish on the sides and short in the back." Susan made sense out of what I told her, and I really like the cut.

I went swimming this afternoon! It has been so hot and humid that I decided to visit my sister's swimming pool after my haircut. Took my nephew and he was adorable! He's going to be 2 on Sunday and he already thinks he can swim! The problem is that once he reaches a certain level in the pool, the buoyancy of his foam full body suit makes him float too much and he starts have difficulty regaining balance. I took him out to deeper water a few times, and his dad too. He had the best time on the pool's edge playing catch by throwing whatever toys he could find to me or his dad in the water and having us throw them back out to him. I definitely am starting to get a tan! We spent about an hour and a half at the pool, then we changed and my sister came home from work. Had spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner, and got to spend some nice time talking to my sister.

Then I headed to the grocery store before heading home. Now I'm home and it's just about bedtime!

Braxton-Hicks

I had my first contraction today! It was about 12:30 and I was laying on some pillows on my belly. I felt Peanut kicking and moving around alot, then I started to feel a cramp, almost like a tightening, that started low and moved up my whole belly. It was a very strange feeling, but exactly like my Dr. told me it would feel! I am nervous and excited to feel more, this one didn't hurt but I know they will eventually!

My nephew's 2nd birthday is next Sunday so I went and bought him a present today. I got him a few pairs of shorts with matching tshirts, and a really cute remote control robot that's made by the Parents company. I hope he likes it! I got myself a pair of gaucho's and a couple of shirts, and I finally found some MAM brand nuks that were unisex so I got those too. I love shopping for baby stuff!

Chad has some friends out tonight and they are going to check out the bar scene in downtown Poynette later tonight. Right now they are playing James Bond on N64. Old school, I know, but we still haven't gotten the Wii we were going to get ourselves for Christmas. Maybe next month...

We went out and had a really bad dinner tonight at a place in Portage, The Cottonwood. Chad's fish was pretty small, Cody's ribs were dry and my chicken alfredo tasted like tuna casserole and I couldn't eat it. Chad laughed at me and tried to convince me to give it another try, but I couldn't even swallow my first bite. Very disappointing!

Well, that's all that's new for us. Chad has the next 2 days off while I'm working both days, but we are excited to be taking in a Mallards game tomorrow night! Lets hope we don't get rained out... Should be fun as long as it's dry!

More later...

Ericka

New to blogging

I am starting this blog to keep in touch with family and friends who we might not see or be in touch with as often as we would like. We love and miss you all.

As of today, 16June09, I am 27 weeks pregnant. Chad and I are currently living in Poynette. He is working at the federal prison in Oxford, WI and I am working at McDonalds in DeForest. We are working like crazy to get our apartment set up by the time Baby Vondrum makes an appearance in September. We are due 15Sept09 and baby's gender will be a surprise on delivery day, we can't wait! Names we have picked out are Haley Jane Vondrum or Evan Dennis Vondrum. Last week we bought our nursery furniture and I had fun putting it together, NOT! It was a pain in the ass! But, it is assembled. Baby's clothes up to about 9-12 months are washed and put away. There are quite a few gender-specific items but those will be packed away after baby gets here. Nursery colors are mainly brown, red, green, light blue and yellow. Crib bedding is the DwellStudio "Circles" pattern from Target, the picture below is the stock photo from the Target.com website.
I love circles! I can't wait to upload pictures of the finished nursery, and of course pictures of the baby once it arrives! Oh! I probably should upload a picture of baby too, so you all know who I'm talking about:)

This is Baby Vondrum. Chad and I call baby Peanut, although I tend to refer to baby as "him" all too often. I think baby is a boy, I have from the beginning. We love baby so much already, and can't wait to meet him!

Well, that's all for now folks, I will update more later. Thanks for reading:)

Chad and Ericka and Baby ;)