Halfway Prego

 I am 18 weeks and 3 days... EXACTLY half way done this pregnancy!!!!!!!! 

I feel that as a "good" Mama, I should document something about this pregnancy.  Since my stupid PEs in December I have been feeling REALLY good!  It took me about 1 month to get back to feeling like myself, without shortness of breath.  But now I am good to go!!!  I have even started light swimming exercising at the Rec Center.  I am definately showing... I'll take a pic next time Im in my swim suit... big ol belly now!! Jackson likes to talk to the baby each day and makes my belly talk back!!  Jennibelle is stil very huggy to the belly.  Jaylee, not so much.  We see if this is a boy or girl next week, and still do not have names picked out.  We're thinking Jillian or Jethro James, but Im just not sure.  I figure I'll worry about it when we find out the sex.  My twice-daily shots are going ok... I'm starting to bruise easier and as the uterus getgs bigger, I have less fat to hit... Jason got it in my muscles a few times and it is pretty painful.  The shots feel like bee stings... only 6 more months of them though :)  I've been able to feel the baby move since I was 14 weeks or so, I thought I was crazy but when I had an US, what I felt lined up with what we saw.  He/She's been very ective the past few nights.  Fun stuff!

Morgan's Tea Party

Morgan's 4th Bday...

I think she was excited.

 

 

Before her party began, she got her gift from her parents...

 

 

 

 Mandy's house looked sooo pretty... like it was mid-spring!

I thought I was a fancy professional photog taking all sorts of crazy shots.  And just like I had anticipated, they just look funny!  So, here are some of the good ones I got...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 All the girls got to make their own Tea Party Hat!!

 

 

 

Morgan's Nannies were good sports!!!

 

 

Jennibelle really got into it!!!

 

Jaylee was much older than the girls but was a great sport.

 

 

Then the girls ate little PBJs, pigs-in-blankets, and ham-n-cheeses with fruit cup and chips. They loved the idea of Teeny Tiney hot tea and hot chocolates, and I loved taking picks of the adults with the tiny tea pots. I also love Jennibelle and Morgan in this picture of Morgan saying grace.

 

 

 

 

Then... finally... the gifts!

Jennibelle was super helpful all party long... she helped serve lunch and then cleaned up the trash from the gifts, before Morgan had even finished opening it!!!

 

 

Morgna's party was so well planned and then all of the Tea Party decorations got lost in the mail, which included her candle.. whoops!  Oh well, an apple-fresh room candle didn't seem to bother her!

 

I have a lot of prettty pictures of all the girls at the party, but since I don't know them, I didn't upload their pics... if you are their Mama and want their pix, I can email them to you, or put them on FB.

After the little ladies left, the boys in the family came back to the house for another party!!

Atleast, I think this was a boy... Cole sure does make a pretty girl!

 

 

"Happy Birthday to You"... again.

 

Hello Hippie Jennibelle!!!

 

 

 

 

 



Good, Good Day!

We spent all day at Geisinger today with Jack-Jack.  It was a good, good day!!  He showed his "warrier face" during his blood draw (only one stick!), and only complained a little bit through his ultra sound. Dr Sumfest was pleased with the decrease in hydronephrosis of both kidneys, though the ureters have not shrunk at all. We asked about urodynamics and Mag 3 but he said the tests wouldnt give us any relevant info at this point. He thinks that the less invasive we are right now, the better. We don't want to kick off infections again. He said IF there are potty training issues, we can try Ditropan next year when we see him. It would help the muscles of the bladder.   Dr Muchant was very pleased with a creatnine of 0.4 and BUN 17... He went.from CKD stage 2 back

wards to stage 1!!!  His left kidney is 6 cms and is meatier (healthier) than the right. The right is 5.5cm. Last visit she told us to be prepared for transplant in the future... today, she said statistically, he's down to a 1/3 chance of needing it. WOW!!!!! Because his urine specific gravities are no longer low (his entire UA dips are WNL) he defintaely no longer has Diabetes Insipidus... the condition that we were told was life-long.  So, we follow up in a year to watch labs and recheck US. She said she doesnt care what his ultrasounds look like, as long as his function stays good. She also thinks that his eatting problems are not kidney-related. She's very happy with his growth, says to continue Pediasure or whatever it takes to keep him growing.
BTW... as I was browsing the web for new baby names, I learned that Jackson means...
"God has been gracious; has shown favor" - how fitting.

Im thinking this is going to be a good year!!!  :)

Geisinger in the AM

Tomorrow will be a LONG day and I am feeling very optimistic... which in turn makes me very worried and pessismistic.  I am expecting good news... I think this is our first trip to Geisinger where I am expecting GOOD news!!!!  Please, Lord, don't let me be way off!!!

 

I'm assuming his blood work will be good, sodium levels WNL.  I'm hoping his ultrasound will show less ureter dilation and less hydrnephrosis in general.  I'm praying that his Nephrologist changes her mind about the coloring of kidneys indicating that they won't last forever.  I'm really hoping that the surgeon says we can put off taking him to the OR until the spring... he is slightly straining agin to pee, so I'm sure there is a stricture again.  But if his ultrasound has improved, I'll push for nicer weather and less germs before we put him back under.  His belly muscles still don't connect, but he has NO issues with BMs or getting around - he's a jumping jelly bean - so hopefully, we can just sit and watch them some more. 

 

Looks like it'll be a sleeping-pill kind of night!!!

See you on the flip-side!

 

 

************

 

1. Meds - Prevacid and Flovent MDI

2. Straining... cysto in Spring

3. Urodynamics for dribbling etc...

4. Mag 3 needed for baseline?

5. Eatting issues (below)

6. rectus abdominis diastasis

7. PUV vs atresia vs Pseudo PBS

8. JB need appt? (7 yo- 4 UTIs)

9.

***********
Diet:
24-32 ozs Pediasure lately

always:
goldfish crackers, chips, pretzels
rice, spaghetti
cheese, ice cream


used to eat always:
pepperoni, sausage, eggs,

sometimes:
ground beef, chicken, steak, cookies, strawberries

absolutely refuses:
fruit, veggies, 

Morgan's Baby Shower from 2008

Yep... Mandy's Morgan is just about 4 years old, but Jaylee asked to see pictures of the big day and I had to search for pics.  The best part is WHY Jaylee was asking... She is determined that SHE is going to throw me a baby shower on April 28th.  She was asking about baby showers and when I told her that I wouldn't have a shower for my fourth kid, she became defiant and started researching Pinterest.  She now has a "secret" notebook with a guest list, theme ideas, and supplies needed.  LOVE her!!!!

 

Back to the subject.. 

 

Mandy's "theme" was about her "little pumpkin" since it was in the late fall of 2008. It was a mid-afternoon party with choclate fondue as the main attreaction. Unfortunately, the beautiful fondue fountain broke 10 mins before the guests arrived. 

Nan made the center piece for the table

 

And I made her a diaper cake gift...

The favors were cute little glittery pumpkin candles.

It was a real nice day with family and close friends.  Mandy made out too!! Even our string game was fun!