40 Weeks

Well, August 3rd has come and gone, and Nolan has yet to make an appearance.  Went to the doctor on Tuesday, 5 Aug, where Tricia tried to strip my membranes and jump-start the process.  I was still only about 1 centimeter dilated!  She said she actually tried to break my water, but my body is just no where near ready.  Going back on Thursday for some tests, looking for a reason to induce labor. 

Blaine and I went back to see Tricia on Thursday, 7 Aug.  We were prepared just in case we would be able to induce labor, but more likely expecting to go back on Monday.  Had an ultrasound and saw little Nolan just hanging out in my belly.  They measured my amniotic fluid, which was just fine.  They then monitored Nolan's heartbeat for 20 min, and everything looked good as expected.  Nolan and I are both fine and healthy.  As there is no medical reason to start induction, we have to wait until I reach 41 weeks.  So, induction has now been scheduled for 8:30am on Monday morning.  As long as everything goes smoothly, Nolan should be here on 11 Aug!

39 Weeks

Headed to the hospital on Wednesday morning (30 July)... False Alarm!!  Evan woke me up at 6am crying that he wanted to go to the airport.  After I got him settled down and back to bed, I went back to bed myself.  As soon as I laid down I felt pain in my lower abdoment and back.  This was unlike the pains I had been feeling recently, and seemed familiar to how we started the day when Evan was born.  I tried changing positions, but nothing really helped.  Figured I'd better go ahead and get up and shower.

Started timing my contractions after I got out of the shower, and they were coming fairly regularly, approximately 5 minutes apart.  I got Blaine out of bed, and he called Grandma & Grandpa to come pick up Evan.  Got Evan ready to go, ate some breakfast, and called Tricia.  She said she would meet us at the hospital and check me out.

Got to the hospital around 8:35am.  Registered and went to triage.  Tricia had to go back to the office, so the nurse checked me at about 9:30 and I was only 1.5 centimeters dilated.  Uh oh, I knew I still had a long way to go if this was going to happen today!  The nurse talked to Tricia, and she said for me to walk around the hospital, drink some water, and get checked again.  Blaine and I walked around the hospital, back and forth to the cafeteria several times, before returning to triage at 11:00.  While we were walking I had a lot of pain in my hips, and my back was starting to hurt, but it seemed like my contractions weren't very close together.  I started wondering/fearing if I was going to be sent home.  

Around 11:30 the nurse checked me again.  She said the goal was for me to be at 4 centimeters.  Yeah, not even close.  Still only at 1.5 centimeters.  So they sent us packing.  My next regular appointment with Tricia is tomorrow (Thursday, 31 July), so as long as nothing happens tonight I'll go to my appointment tomorrow and get checked out again.

It's been just about 9 months that we've waited to meet Nolan, so what's another day or two, right?  But this waiting is driving me crazy!  Evan keeps saying that he's ready to meet his brother.  We all are, little boy.   

Had my checkup with Tricia on Thursday, 31 July.  Still no change.  Nolan tricked me on Wednesday, but it looks like my body is nowhere near ready for him to arrive.  If nothing happens over the weekend, I'll go back and see her on Tuesday, 5 Aug, and she'll try to get things jump started.  Blaine never thought I'd make it to August.  Now let's see who's birthday will be first - Nolan's or Blaine's!

38 Weeks

My most recent checkup was on Thursday, 24 July.  Same as usual.  Everything checked out just fine, and Nolan's heartbeat was still going strong.  They asked if I wanted to be checked that day to see if I was dilated, but Evan was with me.  We'll see if I make it to my next appointment next week!

37 Weeks

Everything's still moving along smoothly at this point.  Evan went to my doctor's appointment with me this week.  He was really excited to hear Nolan's heartbeat.  But, we ended up waiting so long that I broke out the iPhone just before the doctor finally came in, and by the time he heard the heartbeat he was engrossed in watching Word Girl!  I told Evan that Nolan should be here soon, and he has told me several times that he's ready to meet him.  Not long now.  Any day now...

Next appointment:  24 July. 

36 Weeks

Had my 36 week checkup on Thursday, 10 July.  Again, everything is looking good.  Nolan's heartbeat was strong, and he is slowly getting into position for delivery.  I wondered if he was starting to drop, since my hips started hurting on Tuesday.  Little man has been practicing his kickboxing lately too.  I think I'm going to be bruised on the inside from all the kicking! 

Next appointment: 17 July, starting weekly checkups now.   

35 Weeks

34 Weeks

Only 6 weeks out, and we are beach bound!  We wanted to make it to the beach this summer before it was too late, so we headed to Hilton Head Island for the weekend.  Went to the doctor the day before we left, just to make sure Nolan was doing well.  The checkup went just fine, and he's still kicking away.  In fact, when Tricia put the monitor on my belly to listen to his heart, he kicked it right off!  Next appointment: 10 July.

Evan had a blast at the beach, as expected.  We all had a great time.  Can't wait to go back next year, when Nolan can enjoy the beach too.  We'll just have to make sure Evan doesn't try to bury him in the sand! 

33 Weeks

32 Weeks

31 Weeks

30 Weeks

Had my most recent checkup on Tuesday, 27 May.  Baby boy Nolan is still doing great.  Heart sounds great.  Everything is just moving right along!  I just can't believe how fast time is going.  Only about 10 more weeks until he gets here!

29 Weeks

It's Sprinkling

On Saturday, May 17, I had a "Sprinkle" dinner hosted by Holly Pruitt.  (Just a Sprinkle, not a full shower, as this is my second child.)  A group of girls got together for dinner at my favorite restaurant, Agave, and we had a great time.  Attendees included Sharon, Holly and Lily Pruitt, Corrie Sprague, Lauren Seifried, Gina Evanzia, Hannah Graves and Kelly Rhodes.  (Also a prior celebration with Sarah Davis!)  It was extremely touching that everyone came out to celebrate with me, and their generosity is always amazing.  Thank you to all who came out to support baby Nolan and me!

28 Weeks

27 Weeks

26 Weeks

Had my latest appointment on Tuesday, 29 April.  They listened to the little guy's heart again, and it still sounds great.  The Physician Assistant I saw today measured me at 26 1/2 weeks.  Moving right along!  Also had my sugar tested for gestational diabetes.  Haven't heard back from them, so no news is good news!  

 I think we may have decided on a name at this point as well:  Nolan Blaine Pruitt.

25 Weeks

24 Weeks

Now officially in my 3rd trimester.  Can't believe how quickly time is passing.  He is going to be here before we know it.  (And I have so much to do yet!  Aaah!)

23 Weeks

22 Weeks

Had another checkup on Tuesday, April 1.  The doctor listened to the little guy's heart, still sounds great!  That was pretty much it for this visit.  At my next appointment they'll be testing my sugar to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes.  Guess it wouldn't hurt if I laid off the ice cream a little!  Next appointment:  April 29. 

Evan's getting really excited to meet his little brother.  He asks me all the time if he's ready to come out yet.  Not yet, still have a few more months to go!  Every once in a while he'll lay his head down on my belly and say he wants to lay down next to his brother.  He also likes to tell me all the things he's going to help teach his brother how to do - walk, eat, learn his ABC's, etc.  So sweet. 

21 Weeks

20 Weeks

20 weeks along now - halfway there!  Can't believe how fast time is going.  Figured it was about time to start taking pictures.  Here ya go!  I'm so much bigger at 20 weeks than I was at this point with Evan, but I guess that's just to be expected the second time around.  Been feeling a lot better lately.  Just ready for spring and some warmer weather!

18 Week Checkups

I had two appointments this week; one yesterday and one today.  Yesterday was a follow-up at Atlanta Maternal Fetal Medicine.  They did another ultrasound to make sure the baby was developing correctly, and take lots of measurements to make sure his proportions are as expected.  The ultrasound was fine, but that little bugger was so balled up you could hardly see him!  He was in the worst position possible, and was so curled up that his head was between his knees.  The technician said it was a good thing I already knew it was a boy, because otherwise she wouldn't have been able to tell me.  The technician couldn't get some of the measurements, and only got one picture of a tiny hand.  I tried moving around and lying on each side to see if he would move around a little bit, but he must have been comfortable and wasn't about to move.  It was still amazing to see just how much he has grown in the past several weeks.  I could see his whole spinal cord, arms and legs, and tiny little toes. 

I had to wait a while before the doctor came in (long enough for me to doze off for a few minutes!).  He took a look at the little guy again, and he had stretched out a little bit; just enough for him to get the rest of the measurements he needed.  This time I saw the proof that he is certainly a little boy!  He said everything looked perfect!  He checked out all of his organs, and everything was great.  Still right on schedule for a delivery date of 3 August.

Then today I had my regular monthly checkup with my midwife, Trisha.  She listened to the baby's heartbeat, which was good and strong.  Then they drew blood to test for neural tube defects.  Quick appointment today.  Next appointment:  1 April.

I started feeling movement over this past weekend too!  First felt the little guy kicking around on Saturday night.  Seems like he's the most active late at night.  Hope that's not a sign of things to come!

Big News at 14 Weeks

Today, 4 February 2014, I had my 14 week checkup with Tricia.  No ultrasound today, only the doppler to listen to the heartbeat.  Sounds good!  Nice and strong.  Next appointment: 4 March.

While at the doctor's office I asked if they had received the results of my genetic tests.  I called Atlanta Maternal Fetal Medicine on 31 Jan, as I thought they would have had the results by then.  They should have been in, but the Atlanta "Snowpocalypse 2014" completely shut down the city for 2 days.  I was told they should be in the next day or two.

Tricia did not have the results yet, so I called again when I got home.  I was hoping to get the big news with Blaine right there, but I only got the nurse's voicemail.  I got a call back later (while at Target), and was told that I had good results - all my tests came back with very low risks for all the different tested chromosomal abnormalities.  She then asked if I wanted to know the baby's gender.  Uh, yes, please!...  It's a little boy!

I went straight home and told Evan he was going to have a little brother.  He is very happy with this news, and says he is going to let him play with his cars.  He's going to be such a good big brother.  Now I'll just have to find some way to keep my sanity with 3 boys ruling the house!  
 

Atlanta Maternal Fetal Medicine

At my first appointment, my doctor had recommended I go to Atlanta Maternal Fetal Medicine to have some genetic testing done.  This was recommended solely based on my age.  Guess that's proof that I am officially now an old lady!  (This was the same office I visited with Evan to look into a spot seen on his heart.)  My appointment was on 20 January, and they used a much more powerful ultrasound to check out the baby.  You can see so much more in the pictures below - a profile, little arms and legs, and the second picture shows the tiny feet!  They couldn't make very many measurements today, as it is still pretty early (12 weeks).  I'll need to go back in 6 weeks for a more in-depth ultrasound and measurements.  

Blood was also drawn to do some genetic testing.  I should have the results of the tests in 7-10 days, and they will even be able to tell me the baby's gender at that time.  We are anxiously waiting to make that call!

 

8 January 2014 - 2nd Ultrasound

10 weeks along now, and time for my 2nd doctor's appointment.  I had another ultrasound done today.  It was amazing to see just how much the baby has grown and changed in just the past 4 weeks.  This time I could actually see a baby in there.  I got to hear the heartbeat this time as well.  My blood was drawn today for all the usual bloodwork, and everything is going along just fine.

10 December 2013 - 1st Ultrasound

Today was my first appointment with Tricia (my midwife).  I didn't realize they were going to do an ultrasound today.  The pictures from the ultrasound are below.  I was only about 6 weeks along at this point, so they weren't able to see much yet.  All I could see was a small C-shape, but you could see something moving, and it was the heart beating!  It was still too early to hear the heartbeat, but I was able to see a waveform of the heartbeat, and it looked nice and strong.  All's well so far.  Next appointment:  8 Feb. 

28 November 2013 - first finding out

Blaine and I found out about our second miracle in waiting on Thanksgiving morning.  We had only been trying to get pregnant for one month, so I had absolutely no expectations that I was already preganant.  I had taken three pregnancy tests the previous week, all of which had been negative.  I was getting ready to go to Blaine's parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner.  I thought I might want to have a glass of wine with dinner, so it couldn't hurt to take another test just to be sure it was negative before having a drink.  Imagine my surprise when the test was postive!  Blaine was still in bed asleep at this time, so I gave the test to Evan and asked him to take it to his Daddy.  Evan took it to Blaine, but I think he was still too asleep to process what was going on.  

It was very difficult to keep the news quiet the rest of the day.  At Thanksgiving dinner Corrie and Jon announced their second baby.  I wanted to say "Me too!" so many times, but wanted to wait a while, and certainly didn't want to steal Corrie's thunder.  Of course it was the beginning of a long holiday weekend, so I had to wait until Monday to even call the doctor's office to make an appointment.  What a long weekend. 

We asked Evan several times if he would like to be a big brother, and he seems very excited to take on the job!  We'll see how this goes...