27 WEEKS PREGNANT!- HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear Nevaeh,
As Grandma sits here and types this, the clock is ticking towards a new year and decade of 2010!  I remember when the calendar flipped from 1999 to 2000.......the start of a new century.....now here we are 10 years later with our first grandchild on the way!

Mommy is 27 weeks pregnant but you are still measuring ahead of schedule at 28 weeks!  According to BabyCenter.com you weigh about 2lbs. 6 oz.  and are a little over 15 inches long from head to toes! Your have hair and eyelashes. (We could see some hair at the 26 week ultrasound.....pretty cool!) Your eyesight is developing and if Mommy put a flashlight on her belly, you might "chase" it!  You are also developing billions of neurons in your brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.  11 more weeks until the induction date!  WOW!  I will never forget how cool it was to say your Mommy was 11 weeks pregnant.....now we are on the opposite end counting down the 11 weeks until we can hold you in our arms!

Here is a mold of your Mommy's foot when she was just a few weeks old!  I LOVE BABY FEET!....I can't wait to see yours and take pictures or even do a mold for your Mommy to keep for you one day!

Mommy will be here tomorrow....so I will get the 27 week belly picture up soon!

Love,
Grandma Dason

26w3d- 3D/4D Ultrasound

Courtney had a 3D/4D ultrasound.  Ultrasona is an elective 4D diagnostic ultrasound place which we highly recommend!  This place has the most up-to-date equipment for clear images....plus the diagnostic piece is done by a trained ultrasound tech!

Nevaeh is still measuring a week ahead of schedule (27 weeks).  The blood flow to and from the placenta is PERFECT (no blood clots....the blood thinner shots are working!).  The heartbeat is 158.  She weighs 2lbs. 4oz. and is 15 inches long!  Right on track!  If she were a full term baby at 40 weeks, she would probably weigh around 7 lbs. 8oz.......but since Courtney is being induced between 37-38 weeks....the tech is guessing Nevaeh will weigh in the high 5 to low 6's.......we may want to buy some preemie outfits to start off with!.......Time will tell!  Right now, the baby is breech with her head up near (and sometimes under) the rib cage......and so are her feet!  She is folded in half with her cute little butt down near Courtney's pelvis.  Today, the baby was facing towards Courtney's left with her spine to the right (picture a V starting at the center of the rib cage......spine going down the right, butt at bottom of of Courtney's stomach and then legs straight up in front of the baby's face!).....She is double jointed and will probably be flexible like her Aunt Caitlin!

Here are some pictures.....She is simply BEAUTIFUL!

In this picture I see her Mommy's face!

 

In this picture, I see her Daddy!.....And I don't just mean this by the middle finger sticking up in this picture!

 

 Ahhhh....such a cute little smile!

 

Nevaeh has her Daddy's toes!

26w2d- SPECIAL GIFT

Dear Nevaeh,
The doll in this picture was my first baby doll with the original clothes (46 years old!).  Your Great Grandma Martin saved this doll when I stopped playing with her.  I remember having this doll in your Mommy's nursery when she was born, but as time went on, she found other dolls and toys to play with.  As your Mommy grew older,  I started clearing out the toys....but not this doll!  Great Grandma Martin saved her once again for the next generation of girls to come along.....which is you!  Your Mommy has a hand written note from GG Martin which will be saved with the doll as you grow up.....hopefully you will pass this doll down to your first born baby girl one day and I pray that I am around to see this happen!

Love Grandma Dason

26w1d- PROFESSIONAL PICTURES TAKEN BY AUNT CAITLIN!

Aunt Caitlin and Mommy took time for a photo session.....these pictures are simply beautiful!

26 WEEKS PREGNANT!- MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dear Nevaeh,
Today is a special holiday...Christmas!  Jesus was a miracle baby and gift to the world....just as you are a miracle and a gift to us!  Today, your Mommy is 26 weeks pregnant, but you are measuring 27 weeks! According to BabyCenter.com, you weigh almost 2 pounds and are about 14 1/2 inches long with your legs extended. You are sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing your eyes, and with more brain tissue developing, your brain is very active now. Your lungs are still immature, but would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if you were to be born now.....Hopefully you stay put for another 12 weeks until Mommy's induction date!

Here's the weekly belly pictures....don't forget to view the belly video at the top of the blog!

 

Only two more days until we see your beautiful face on the 4D ultrasound!  Hopefully you don't hide from us!

Merry Christmas baby Vaeh!
Love Grandma Dason

25w6d- HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

 

25w5d- COUNT DOWN TICKER- 100 DAYS!

The count down ticker is at the 100 day mark and tomorrow will be double digits!  YEA! To celebrate....Grandma went shopping! LOL! 

I was hoping to find fabric to make the nursery set for the crib at our house but no luck.....thank God for TARGET.....I found the mix and match pieces at a reasonable price (less than it would cost for me to make it!.....There was a reason I went to the midnight madness sales for the twin quilt material earlier....Yes I know some of you laughed at me!....If you can't buy the fabric at 75% off, then it doesn't pay to make it!).....I wanted a neutral set for all future grandbabies to use and it had to match the taupe, brown and green bedroom......Here it is!

 

 

 

25w4d- OB APPOINTMENT

Courtney's OB appointment went well.  The blood pressure medication is still doing it's job...110/70.  The weight is up one pound in the last two weeks....total weight gain is 20 lbs.  This time he measured her belly....measuring in at 26 weeks....so baby Vaeh is growing right on schedule!  Courtney has been under the weather lately with cold/flu symptoms.  He said that if she isn't better in a couple days he will call in an antibiotic for her in the mean time, she is to take Tylenol and nausea medication.  Hopefully she feels better tomorrow for the long drive back to Ohio for the holidays!

25w3d-QUILT

Remember the fabric?

Here's the quilt for the twin bed in the baby's room!

A close up!

I still need to make the pillow shams and figure out a bed skirt ....I think it will look nice with the nursery bedding pictured below!

25w2d-MESMERIZED BY THE BELLY!

Dear Nevaeh,
Last night your Mommy, Aunt Caitlin and I were laying on the bed starring at the belly....Just waiting for you to move!  It was rather comical....3 grown women starring, and starring and starring......finally a kick, then another and another!  Oh how I wished we all lived closer together!  Six more days until I see that beautiful face of yours on the 4D cam!
Love you! Grandma Dason

CHRISTMAS PHOTOS 2009

Mommy (25 weeks pregnant) and Daddy

 

Mommy, Daddy, Alexis (4yrs. old) and Jordyn (3 yrs. old)

25 WEEK BARE BELLY PICTURE!

As the belly grows, so do the bruises from the Lovenox shots.....but worth the pain.....I know, easy for me to say....I am not the one poking myself with a needle each night before bedtime!  See how much Mommy loves you Nevaeh!? (Don't forget to watch the belly growth video at the top of this blog)

25 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!!

Dear Nevaeh,
Today, Mommy is 25 weeks pregnant.  You are measuring around 26 weeks....According to BabyCenter.com, you are about 14 inches from head to toes and weigh around 1 pound and 10 oz. The network of nerves in your ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. You should be able to hear and recognize Mommy and Daddy's voices! You are also inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of your lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when you are born and take that first gulp of air. You are also putting on more baby fat....Grandma can't wait to see that cute little face  in about 9 days during the next 4D ultrasound!!! 

I found this gestational chart while surfing the web for fetal survival ....according to this chart, you have between an 80%-90% chance of survival if you were born today......We are praying you have many more weeks in Mommy's belly!

Mommy promises to send me a bare belly picture soon!

Love,
Grandma Dason

24w6d- I FELT THE BABY KICK!

Courtney and Mike are in town.  They arrived late last night and stayed at Great Grandma Martin's house. Courtney said she thinks Nevaeh will be active around midnight when she is born.....during the car ride last night, the baby movements and kicks were the strongest they have ever been and for a long time!  Courtney could even feel her rolling over....so could Daddy!  I stopped over there this morning before going to work.....just hoping to feel the baby kick or move......NO LUCK!  The kids stopped in the school before they left town and of course I had to touch the belly!!  FINALLY NEVAEH KICKED AT MY HAND!  What a wonderful feeling!  Here are some pictures from today's visit.....Courtney will be 25 weeks tomorrow!

This picture was taken in my office at school!  I had such fun showing off my growing family!

This is a picture of my Kindergarten team and Courtney.  We have one K teacher on maternity leave....her baby is 6 weeks old now!  Pictured from L to R are Becky (36 weeks), Amy (28 weeks) and Courtney (25 weeks).

24w5d- THE BELLY IS AN OFFICIAL ARM REST!

Courtney shared that baby Vaeh's random kicks are becoming more deliberate!  Her belly is now used as an official arm rest....but not so sure the baby likes the pressure.  She deliberately kicked at Courtney's arm today about 5 or 6 times....As if to say....HEY! THIS IS MY SPACE....MOVE THAT ARM!

Courtney said she swears her belly has grown in just the last two days....nothing is fitting!  She has Christmas pictures coming up and I think she is going to have to break down and buy some maternity clothes! (I remember the conversation a few months ago when Courtney said she would be fine in her regular clothes for this pregnancy......I think she is slowing embracing the reality of a growing belly!)

24w4d- KICKS

Courtney is feeling stronger kicks.....especially in her badder!  She sent me a heartbeat video over the phone which is still between 145-150.  Courtney found the heartbeat about 2 inches above her belly button....Nevaeh continues to grow right on schedule!

24w2d-COURTNEY'S CRIB!

Dear Nevaeh,
Grandma and Grandpa Dason unpacked and put together your Mommy's crib when she was a baby!  Your Aunt Caitlin said it was ANCIENT and wrinkled her nose!  But I think it is beautiful!  I will never forget the day I packed it away.....dreaming of the day that I would unpack it and set it up again for our first grandchild.....Since Mommy hit the 24 week viability time in the pregnancy, we are feeling pretty comfortable in setting it up and planning the room.  I still need to decide if I am going to buy the nursery set or make it.  The room has green, brown and taupe in it so I plan on getting bedding along that color scheme....plus it will be neutral enough for more grandchildren in the future!!!!

Mommy will be using the matching cradle(Jennny Lind) in her bedroom when you are first born.  It warms my heart to know that you will be sleeping in the same bed and cradle that your Mommy did!

Love, Grandma Dason

24w1d-CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Courtney's braxton hicks contractions stopped yesterday after her bath and rest.  I think she over did it yesterday and the baby was telling her it was time to slow down!  Today, Nevaeh has been very active and kicking alot!  Daddy called me and bragged about seeing her kick (Just a little jealous here!)....Hopefully I will get to see her kick on Sunday when they are in town!  I CAN'T WAIT!

Today, Great Grandma Betty, Aunt Caitlin, Vickie (Caitlin's soon to be MIL) and I baked cookies for Christmas.  We Skyped Courtney and visited with her during the baking.....Courtney showed off her belly....WHAT FUN!

(Grandma Dason, Great Grandma Richards, Aunt Caitlin, and Vickie)

24 WEEKS!- VIABILITY!!!!

Dear Nevaeh,

Mommy is 24 weeks pregnant, but you should be measuring more like 25 weeks! According to BabyCenter.com from head to toes, you now measure about 13 1/2 inches long! You should also weigh around 1 lb. 8oz ! If we had a babycam on you right now, we would see a miniature newborn with some baby fat filling in the wrinkly skin!  You are also growing more hair....according to an old wives tale....the more hair the baby has, the more indigestion mommy will have......you must have a lot of hair because Mommy is suffering!

Today was the first random pregnancy due date question from a complete stranger......before, people would ask if she were pregnant.....now they just ask when she is due!

Mommy had to go to an OT conference in Nashville today and was suppose to attend a Christmas party tonight.....but the conference was enough.  By the end of the conference, Mommy started experiencing random Braxton Hicks contractions on and off for a few hours....Once she got home, she decided to take a luke warm bath and rest.....luckily the pains subsided (so far).......but if they start back up, she will go to the emergency room to make sure you are OK and to be sure that she is not going into preterm labor!  Today is one of those days that you are deciding not to move toooo much, but the home doppler shows a strong heartbeat!  The OB nurse during Monday's doctor visit reassured Mommy that during this time in the pregnancy you may move more one day than the next!

Here is a picture of Mommy's pregnancy at 24 Weeks! (Don't forget to look at the belly video at the top of the blog)

 

If you look closely at this side view....you will see the bruising from the lovenox shots on the lower part of the belly (OUCH)!

We hope you continue to stay in Mommy's belly for at least 13 more weeks!  We love you baby Vaeh!
Love, Grandma Dason

AHHHH FLOWERS!

Ahhhh Mike sent Courtney flowers!  How sweet!

23w5d- FIRST DIAPERS!

Dear Nevaeh,
Grandpa Dason went shopping and bought you your first pack of diapers!  We plan on doing this weekly to help with Mommy and Daddy's weekly grocery bill......It cost $9.00 for 36 diapers....that is about 25 cents per diaper......it sure will add up over time!  Hopefully we can buy in bulk and bring the per diaper cost down!

Love, Grandma Dason

23w4d- THE BELLY MOVES!

Courtney said she is starting to see movement from the outside.  She has been feeling the kicks for a couple weeks now.....and finally she is starting to see small movement in spots.....maybe a foot, knee, elbow or hand.....The movements aren't big enough to record yet, but it won't be long!  Courtney says that Nevaeh is also very stubborn.....she will kick 5 or 6 times in one spot and as soon as Daddy puts his hand in that spot, she will stop!  Maybe his hand is comforting???  I can't wait to feel the baby moving!

UPDATE!  Courtney just called and said she felt Nevaeh moving or kicking up high (near ribs in upper belly)....she lifted her shirt and could see her moving (large movements....not little ones)....by the time she reached for her camera, Nevaeh quit moving!  DARN!

23w3d- OB VISIT

Courtney had her OB visit today.  She gained 4 lbs. in the last 3 weeks.  So far, a total weight gain of 19 lbs. at 23w3d (baby measuring 24w4d)!  Her blood pressure is under control 110/60 (Yea!) and the glucose test for gestational diabetes came back normal!  They did find blood in her urine again for the second visit in a row, but no other signs of infection.  The doctor checked her cervix which is still long, thick and closed....so the doctor is attributing the blood to the blood thinners she is taking.  He said she is progressing nicely and is not worried!

An induction date was discussed but March is too far out on his calendar to be 100% sure.  He wants to be the doctor on call when she is induced....so he is saying this with only a 60% certainty!  So far he is looking at March 17th! (St. Patrick's Day).....This date depends on three variables:
1.  If he is on call that day......
2. If Courtney's cervix is ready for induction....
3. If baby Vaeh doesn't decide to arrive earlier!

Courtney is a planner and is trying to figure out her class schedule. The baby is due during her spring break....but with the induction..... she will have one more week of classes before Spring Break......Doc said that the worst case scenario would be a C-Section on that Wednesday with a hospital stay until Sunday and she can sit in class on Monday for finals.......Let's just pray all goes well with no C-Section!

By the way, March 17th was my original due date with Courtney 22 years ago!  How cool is that???

Next OB visit is December 21st!

23w2d- Fetal Monitoring

Now that Courtney is aware of the baby's daily movement patterns, she is equally concerned when the pattern of movement is "off"....Yesterday she waited and waited and waited for baby Nevaeh to wake up and start moving around.....so much waiting that Courtney got out the fetal doppler to listen to the heartbeat.  Sure enough, Nevaeh had a nice strong heartbeat, but was still sleeping since no movement could be detected through the doppler.  Of course, Courtney was still concerned, but I reminded her that babies do sleep a lot plus she has an anterior placenta which will cushion many of the baby's movements!  Last night, Nevaeh finally decided to wake up when Mommy laid down on her right side and had her left arm draped over her belly.  The baby started kicking at Mommy's arm........What a relief to all of us!

23 WEEKS PREGNANT!

Dear Nevaeh,
Your Mommy is 23 weeks pregnant today!  One more week to viability....but you on the other hand are already measuring 24 weeks!  According to BabyCenter.com, you should have gained about 4 oz. since last week, which puts you around 1 lb 4oz!  You should also be about a foot long (12 inches)!  You are probably still long and lean but putting a little baby fat on your bones as the days go by.  Your brain is also growing quickly now, and your taste buds are continuing to develop. Your lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help your air sacs inflate once you are born. 

Mommy has been noticing a pattern of your movement for quite some time now.  She has also noticed that you are more active one day with large movements while resting the next with small flutters and rolls.....yet usually at the same time frame of each day.  It is recommended that she start tracking kick counts at 24 weeks since she is a high risk pregnancy.  This means she will focus on your movements the same time each day and track how long it takes to move, kick, flutter or roll 10 times.  Once she tracks the 10th movement of yours, she will record the amount of time it took.  The goal of kick tracking is to see a trend in your movement over time.  If Mommy sees the trend line go down drastically or if you do not move 10 times within a two hour period, something might be wrong ....which means she goes to the emergency room for monitoring......Let's just hope this scare never happens! 

Here's the 23 week bare belly pictures!

 

Don't forget to look at the belly video at the top of this blog!

Love, Grandma Dason

22w6d-BIRTHDAY

Dear Nevaeh,
Today is December 3rd, 2009.....my 46th birthday!  I am excited and sad at the same time.....sad because I am at home sick!  Sick on my birthday!! (Just a cold, so I am not worried about HINI).....happy because I have been counting down the days to this day on the calendar.  I kept telling myself that if all was well with Mommy's pregnancy, we would start buying diapers for you with our weekly grocery items....Your Great Grandma and Grandpa Richards did this for me when I was pregnant with Mommy!  I want to keep up the tradition!  The time has finally arrived!  Yea!!!!

In about 9 hours, Mommy will be 23 weeks pregnant.....but you should be measuring more like 24 weeks!  I have wanted to write that number for some time now!!!!  I was watching the news last night and Children's Hospitial in Columbus reported a higher success rate with premature babies born at 22 weeks.....of course with a lot of medical intervention!  We are praying that you stay in Mommy's belly for about 14 more weeks!

Since I am at home all day, I have been passing the time away by watching the  Baby Story on TLC (I should be writing my paper for my doctoral class.....but chose the TV over course work!)  I get excited and anxious while watching these shows......I even caught myself holding my breath during the birth of a baby on the TV.......God help me when it is my baby having you, my granddaughter.....if I hold my breath tooooo long, I might pass out!  LOL!

Mommy has an OB appointment on Monday.  She has to take the glucose test for gestational diabetes.  I have a feeling it will turn out negative, since mommy has no signs of this problem so far.  Courtney is also hoping to pinpoint a due date since she will be induced.  Pinpointing a due date is important for two reasons.....the first reason is to plan her last few undergraduate classes around the birth (4 more classes).  Mommy will be an OTA when she graduates! Daddy will have a few more classes until he graduates with a criminal justice degree while still in the ARMY.  I am very proud of both of them for planning ahead to ensure that you have a wonderful life!  A second reason for pinpointing a due date is to plan around everyone's work schedule ....especially since most of the grandparents live about 7 hours away!  IT IS MY GOAL TO BE THERE WHEN YOU ARE BORN!

We love you!
Grandma Dason

22w5d- CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT!

Dear Nevaeh,
Here's an ornament that your Grandma and Grandpa Baker gave your Mommy and Daddy for their tree this Christmas.  It is their first personalized ornament with you on it.  It is an ornament of a boy and pregnant girl.  Your name is written on the girl's belly!  How cute!

Love, Grandma Dason