Dad's short story

Had a minute. So, I uploaded the pics. Later tonight or tomorrow, I will get Mary to help me post the details from delivery to current. The short story is:
We had a baby. Baby and Mom are recovering fine. We will all be home in time for Christmas!

Nora Katherine Miller

Nora Katherine Miller
Born December 18, 2009 at 5:51 AM
9 pounds
21 inches
& a full head of hair!

The Ankles Begin to Swell

So today was not my favorite day at the doctor. My ankles had swollen pretty badly yesterday and were not back to normal when I went in for my appointment. My weight was up 5 pounds since last Monday! They feel like it's all fluid, and they are a little bit concerned about blood pressure and fluid retention. Apparently being an old lady and having diabetes put me at increased risk for something called pregnancy-induced hypertension (or toxemia). I think they are just being cautious, but they ordered a bunch of bloodwork and urine tests today. They want me to take my blood pressure and record it each day at work. I follow up with them again next Monday (11/09), and we will see how things stand. If the swelling is better, my weight is back down and my blood pressures are all normal, we have nothing to worry about. If the labs or my blood pressures are abnormal, I may have to go on bed rest. It sounds like a nice treat, I know, but I'm pretty sure it would get really boring really quickly. My gut reaction is that this is no big deal. Everybody has swelling with pregnancy, and I have had none until now. So no worries until they tell me I have something to worry about. On a good note, my blood sugars continue to get better and better. The baby is doing great. He or she continues to be very active. All things baby look good!

Foot and Hair

Monday, October 26, 2009

31 Weeks

Once again, our little bean likes to hide from the camera. Today we were only able to get pictures of his or her foot, which measures about 2.5 inches (see top photo), and they tell us the baby has hair on his or her head. They promise us that there is evidence of this in the bottom photo. I'm not sure I'm buying it. See for yourself.

Whoa Baby!

Monday, October 26, 2009

31 Weeks

4 Navel Oranges

Ok, so they say the baby is supposed to be the size of 4 navel oranges at 31 weeks. Well, our baby is the size of Texas! Today we had another ultrasound, and the baby is estimated to weigh 5 pounds! I will say it again, 5 pounds! Some babies are born at 5 pounds, and this baby has 2 more months to go! Dr. Roussis was very encouraging about the baby's size (he or she now measures at the 95th percentile). He does not feel that this is a reflection of poorly controlled diabetes. My blood sugars continue to get better and better. My weight gain has been minimal. I had gained 11 pounds at 27 weeks but have lost 1.5 pounds since then. Don't worry, I am eating plenty, and the baby is obviously growing just fine. He thinks I am simply destined to have a big baby. Unfortunately, this puts us at higher risk of having a cesarean section, which means they might have to cut my belly open to get the baby out! I am praying that the baby does not get that big. I think they may be wrong about our due date. I am thinking the baby might actually come some time around the 1oth of December. All of the baby's measurements (weight, femur length, head and abdominal circumference) measure ahead of shcedule - at about 33 1/2 weeks. Dr. Roussis says the early ultrasounds are very accurate, and they estimate our due date as December 25th, but I am not convinced. We shall wait and see. On the bright side, we don't have to worry about having a runt! Both the baby and I are doing well. We start weekly visits next Monday, November 2. We'll keep you posted!

Breathing and Relaxation

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Breathing and Relaxation Class

Paul and I opted to attend a Breathing and Relaxation class to help us prepare for labor and delivery. There were 5 other couples there, and our due dates ranged from early November until February. Not only did all of the couples know the sex of their babies, they had also already chosen names! The class was informative and helpful. I think we may utilize some of the stress-relieving measures we were shown. I will say, however, that it is not helpful to watch a video of women, who are in labor. Watching people in pain makes me want to vomit. I think it's better to deal with what comes than to anticipate the worst. After all, women have been doing this for thousands of years, right?

Butternut Squash

Monday, October 12, 2009
29 Weeks
Butternut Squash

Another good check-up at Dr. Roussis' office. My blood sugars are improved on the insulin pump, but they are still tinkering with it. Always room for more improvement, I guess. My belly measures exactly where it should, which means the baby is growing just as expected. I had not gained any weight from the previous visit, which pleased me. They seemed to be okay with it, too. They are very concerned about my getting H1N1 ("Swine Flu"), since I work with sick children. I assure you all that I am taking every precaution. I wear gloves with every patient I see, sick or well. I also wear a mask and gown with any sick child I see. It can get pretty hot with all that garb on, but it's worth it to prevent illness. The hospital should have H1N1 vaccine soon, and I will be first in line to get it. The dietitian was pleased with how much dairy I include in my diet. She said that the baby is working to harden his or her skeleton right now and is depositing about 25o mg of calcium into his or her bones each day! We return for another check-up with an ultrasound on October 26th. After that visit, we have to be seen weekly with ultrasounds to check the baby's growth.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Right-click to download

So we finally figured out how to upload the video to the blog. The video is subtitled, so you should know what you are looking at. No, we still do not know the sex of the baby. We chose this song, because we thought it was appropriate for a baby video, regardless of the baby's gender. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we have enjoyed editing it!

Sweet Baby

Monday, September 28, 2009

27 Weeks

Here is the baby's profile. His or her foot and hand are both up near the face. It looks as if the baby is blowing bubbles (there are no bubbles, though, because there is no air in the lungs...yet).

The Thinker

Monday, September 28, 2009

27 Weeks

Here the baby's finger is posed against his or her cheek as if in deep thought. Told you we had a smart one brewing!

In Your Face!

Monday, September 28, 2009

27 Weeks

It's kind of hard to see, but the baby is sticking his or her tongue out at us in this picture. Paul said is was a sign that the baby was going to bad like his or her Mama. Not true! The dark spots are shadows from the baby's foot, which he or she had positioned over his or her face nearly the entire time. Very agile!

Head of Cauliflower

Monday, September 28, 2009

27 Weeks

Head of Cauliflower

From a rutabaga to a head of cauliflower in 2 weeks! That's what I call growth. The baby now weighs 2 pounds 12 ounces (he or she has doubled the weight from 1 month ago). Today the baby's weight measured at the 78th percentile, and Dr. Roussis was very happy with his or her growth. Everything looks normal on ultrasound. The head measures a little ahead of schedule. I figure this is either because he or she has a huge brain and is ready to enter the "Think Tank" or because he or she takes after Paul (he has a big noggin). We were able to see the baby "practice breathing" on the ultrasound today. The baby does not really breathe right now, because he or she is in a fluid-filled environment. However, babies begin to "practice breathing" in utero by moving the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. Dr. Rogers, my boss and a pediatric pulmonologist, said that it's a very good sign that the baby is doing this already (a lot of babies don't practice this early). As always, the baby prefers to keep his or her back to the camera, but we were able to get some 3D/4D shots of his or her face today (see next posting). We also got video of the baby today and will post it as soon as Paul can transfer from VHS to digital (hopefully later this week or this weekend). I started the insulin pump today. Blue Cross Blue Shield finally gave us the "OK." So far things are going really well. We have to start counting the baby's movements once per day to make sure he or she moves at least 10 times in an hour. I assure you all that he or she moves way more than that. It's like there is a gymnastics class in my belly! Our next appointment is on October 12th, and we have another ultrasound on October 26th. Starting November 2nd, we have to go every week and will have ultrasounds at each visit. Time is flying by, and the baby will be here before we know it.

Rutabaga

Monday, September 14, 2009

25 Weeks

Rutabaga

So the baby has become a rutabaga, but he or she feels more like a bowling ball. We had another uneventful day at Fort Sanders Perinatal Center. The baby is doing great, as always. My blood sugars continue to fluctuate, but I am feeling good. We will hopefully hear something soon about the insulin pump. I am actually excited to use it, because I think it will smooth things out for both of us. The baby is moving so much! Such an active little thing. I have grown accustomed to the pokes and prods, and I miss it when the baby is resting. My belly continues to grow - mostly forward. It's like carrying a basketball around all the time. I have started to notice a change in my center of gravity, and I am somewhat clumsy these days. We are having lots of fun getting ready for the wee one to come! We will have another ultrasound on September 28th, and I am going to see if they will record it on a CD-RW. If so, I will post it here so that all of you can see this little acrobat in motion.

Uncooperative Little Thing

Monday, August 31, 2009

23 Weeks

So the baby was somewhat uncooperative for the ultrasound today. The top photo is the only profile view we were able to get, and that one took some real coaxing. You can definitely see eyes, nose and mouth, though. The bottom photo is the baby's spine, and that's what she or he really wanted to show us today. It was like pulling teeth to get the baby to flip over!

Mango

Monday, August 31, 2009

23 weeks

Mango

Sorry for the delay in updates. We have been crazy busy around here! So this was the day we had the fetal echocardiogram (baby's heart ultrasound). Survey says . . . everything is totally normal! Yay! It's very cool to know that your baby has a perfectly normal heart even though no one suspects anything different. We also got to see the baby hiccup on the ultrasound. I don't think I can feel her/him do it, but we could definitely see it. It was aggravating to the ultrasound tech, because it made it harder for her to get the pictures she wanted. I thought it was hilarious. Speaking of feeling the baby, we definitely know he or she is in there. The baby is very active, and I feel movement throughout the day but mostly at night. As you have seen from Paul's postings, he can feel and even see the movements from the outside. It is truly amazing. The baby now weighs 1 pound 6 ounces, which blows me away. I see patients every day, who weighed less than that at birth! This baby is going to stay put, though. We think he or she is very comfortable in there. We continue to grow more and more excited. We go back on September 14th for a regular check-up, and we have yet another ultrasound on September 28th, so we will keep you updated. The third trimester is just around the corner. Time is going so fast.

Banana

Monday, August 10, 2009

20 Weeks

Banana

So now the baby is the length of a banana, which somehow seems smaller than a bell pepper. It is longer, though, I guess. Our appointment today was uneventful. My blood sugars are still a little erratic (high every morning with some lows in the afternoons). This is frustrating to them and to me. They recommended an insulin pump today. I have used one before (aboout 7 or 8 years ago). They are much improved, and I am not opposed. We just need to make sure our insurance will cover it. They are very expensive. Otherwise, things are good. Heartbeat is still great. Measurements are all normal. We both seem to be doing what we are supposed to be doing, namely growing. I will not be posting belly pictures, as I find them frightening. But for those of you, who will see me in the next few weeks, you will definitely notice a change. We go back to the doctor on August 31st for the repeat ultrasound and fetal echocardiogram, so more pictures to come.

Bell Pepper

Monday, July 27, 2009
18 Weeks
Bell Pepper

So I have already updated as to the findings at our doctor's appointment today, but I wanted to continue the tradition of comparing our baby to a food item. According to those who measure babies in utero, our baby is now a bell pepper. This is a bit strange to me, as I am kind of partial to bell peppers (and all other yummy fresh vegetables and fruits) right now. I now think about the baby when I eat some of these things that I love. I comfort myself with the knowledge that, given the opportunity, I would not eat my baby.

Baby Feet

Monday, July 27, 2009
18 Weeks

This is ridiculous! I mean, look at those little feet. Tell me you don't want to nibble on those little piggies.

Baby Legs

Monday, July 27, 2009
18 Weeks

I thought this was very cool. You can actually see the bones of the legs, and you can see little toes! The baby was definitely moving those legs today, but I still don't feel anything.

All The Parts

Monday, July 27, 2009
18 weeks

We are very happy to say that all went well at Dr. Roussis' office today. We had "the biggie ultrasound," and everything looked great. The baby weighs about 10 ounces now and is growing bigger every day. They were able to visualize everything on the ultrasound. The brain is developing on target. We were able to see the nose and lips (no cleft lip for those who were nervous). We got to see the belly. They said that the baby is swallowing well, because they were able to visualize the stomach within the abdomen. The umbilical cord, which is currently connected to the placenta, has 3 vessels (2 arteries and 1 vein) just as it should. The baby has 2 kidneys, which is excellent. Although you can live with 1 kidney, it is always better to have two. We saw the legs, feet, arms, hands and spine. All looked totally normal. They were able to visualize the heart but could not see everything they wanted to see. So we have a more detailed ultrasound and a fetal echocardiogram (ultrasound of the baby's heart) in 5 weeks. We could have determined the sex of the baby today if we had been interested. Of course, you all know that Paul and I want to be surprised. I am uncertain whether or not the ultrasonographer now knows if the Miller Bean is a girl or a boy. We did not see anything telling while viewing the ultrasound, and if she knows, she respectfully kept it a secret. Dr. Roussis was pleased, which, in turn, is pleasing to us. This picture gives the best profile image. I am also going to post some of the baby's legs and feet!