35w2d- A 100 YEAR RECORD BROKEN!

Dear Nevaeh,

As I write this, February 2010 is coming to a close, while breaking a 100 year record for snow amounts in one month.  30.1 inches of snow fell with storm after snow storm in central Ohio!  I am sooooo tired of the snow!

It brings a smile to my face to think that tomorrow is MARCH!  I have waited 9 long months for MARCH and here it is! And soon YOU will be here toooooo!-----9 MORE DAYS!

Love,
Grandma Dason

35w1d- DAYDREAMING!

Dear Nevaeh,

One week from today, G.G. Martin and I will be driving the long 7 hour trip to see your Mommy and Daddy!  We will be helping them get ready for your arrival!!!  Only 10 more days until the induction!  I stare at your ultrasound pictures all the time.  I am totally in love with you already.....You are a beautiful baby....I can't wait to kiss that cute little face of yours!  So far, you remind me of your Mommy!

By the way, yesterday was Grandpa Dason's 46th birthday.   He can't wait to hold you and SPOIL you!

Love, Grandma Dason

35 WEEKS- BARE BELLY PICTURE!

I added the 33 week belly picture for comparison.  Courtney only gained 1 lb. over the two week period....Nevaeh is packing on the weight.....just look at the difference in the belly!

 Here's a side view of the belly at 35 weeks.  Please excuse the stretch marks!!  (Darn genetics.....Courtney can blame me!)  The belly button has not popped yet!  Luckily all 17 lbs. gained so far has gone straight to the belly.  From behind, you can't tell she is pregnant!  Courtney also wanted me to point out that these are her pre-pregnancy jeans that still fit up over her bottom and around her waist!

35 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!! OMG!!!

Dear Nevaeh,

Your Mommy is 35 weeks pregnant now, but you are measuring 36 weeks!  Even though the doctor moved up your induction date by one week, I haven't changed the pregnancy ticker date, and I am not sure why?! You should still be packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. I bet you weigh over 6 lbs. to 6 1/2 lbs. by now and are more than 18 1/2 inches long! You are shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered your body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected your skin during these several months!  You are swallowing both of these substances, along with other secretions, which will result in a blackish mixture, called meconium....this will form the contents of your first bowel movement.  Speaking of this, Grandma has a confession....we are buying diapers weekly to help Mommy and Daddy out when you arrive......However, having the diapers here was simply tooooo much of a temptation.  I actually opened a pack of diapers, stared, touched and even sniffed them......yes, that's right, I actually sniffed the diapers.  Ahhh what a sweet baby smell!  Your Aunt Caitlin and Grandpa Dason think I am pathetic!  LOL!  I would rather think the waiting is getting the better of me!

You are in a head-down position and telling Mommy you are ready.....she is thinning out and has inconsistent braxton hicks contractions (more in her back!). Yesterday some of them hit the 60 mark when monitored while Mommy was in the Labor and Delivery unit for the stress test.  At the end of this week, you will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Please stay put until I get there next weekend....then you have my permission to come anytime, but I really want to be there and witness this miracle!

Mommy will send me a belly picture tomorrow!

Love, Grandma Dason

34w5d- OB AND L&D VISIT!!!

Courtney had a scheduled OB visit.  Courtney and the nurse talked right through the blood pressure tests, so no numbers to report on that.....and no weight gain this week.  Still holding at 17 lbs. total!

The OB said she was thinning out! (YEA!) and asked if the baby was moving alot....and lately she has been quiet (AGAIN)....So he sent her to  Labor and Delivery for a stress test.  The baby's heartbeat was between 130 and 140's and sure enough, as soon as the monitor was strapped on Courtney's belly, Nevaeh wanted nothing to do with it and started kicking at it.  We were all VERY happy to see her active.  She tends to have patterns of inactivity, but it is hard to tell since Courtney has an anterior placenta.  Many of the baby's moves are cushioned.  One good thing out of the visit was hearing the nurse say the baby seems VERY healthy and active!

Courtney has one more OB visit next Thursday before she is given her exact time and instructions for the induction the following Tuesday!  (YIKES!....Where has the time gone!?)

34w3d- ONLY 15 MORE DAYS!

Dear Nevaeh,

You are measuring 35w4d already!  In 15 days, we will be witnessing the most wonderful miracle of all!  It takes my breath away when thinking about it!  Wishing you and your Mommy a safe and happy birthing memory!

Love, Grandma Dason

34w2d- GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS!

The good news is.....Courtney's actual weight gain to date is not 25 lbs. .....it is only 17 lbs. (Hard to believe considering her belly looks soooooo big!)

The bad news is .....Courtney original weight at the start of this pregnancy was a little bit higher than she originally remembered! 8lbs. to be exact!  Funny how the mind can deceive you! LOL! (We are blaming it on the pre-pregnancy progesterone protocol!)

We found this out after reviewing the doctor's copied notes that he sent with Courtney when she visited last week.

34w1d- KEEP SAKE QUILT!

Dear Nevaeh,
Your Grandma Barnett is a very talented grandma!  She made this for you to keep and share with your family one day.  The light pink side is your Mommy's family.  The dark pink side is your Daddy's family!

 

  

This light side is your maternal family and this is your Mommy!

  

 

The dark side is your paternal family!  This is your Grandma Barnett and Daddy!

I hope you enjoy looking at this as much as I do!  I did notice that your Great Grandma Richards is missing in the pictures.....She hates getting her picture taken and didn't give one of herself to print on this blanket!  Also missing is Great Grandma Dason who lives in India, she is 68 years old and late G. Grandpa Dason. I'll be sure to share pictures of them with you as you grow up! 

Love,

Grandma Dason

34 WEEK BARE BELLY PICTURE!

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

 

Courtney hit a vein last night while giving herself the Lovenox Shot......I think the belly looks pretty good considering it is stabbed once a day! Not as much bruising as I thought she would have.  Sometimes Courtney worries she is hitting the baby, when she gives herself the shot.  She even thinks Nevaeh purposely kicks at the spot where the needle goes in!  OUCH!

34 WEEKS PREGNANT!

Dear Nevaeh,

This post reads 34 weeks pregnant, but you on the other hand are telling us a different story.....more like 35 weeks.  In fact, your weight gain, length and mommy's belly measurements have convinced the OB that he needs to move the induction up by one whole week!  To be honest, my blood rushes to my face every time I think about it!  In a few short weeks, we will be making that 7 hour drive to witness the miracle of your birth! With the change in induction dates, your Aunt Caitlin can't be there due to finals week at her school....But we have plans to use SKYPE in the delivery room for her to "be there" as much as possible between classes.  Gotta love technology!

You don't have much room to maneuver now that you are over 18 inches long and tipping the scale over 5 1/2 pounds (Last Sunday, you were 5 lbs. 8 oz and 18.5 inches long!)  Because it's so snug in in Mommy's belly, your not doing somersaults anymore,  but you are definitely trying to bust out!  Mommy can feel you stretch out on both sides at the same time! You are now head down and face up....getting ready to make your arrival in this world. Face up may make the delivery a bit harder....I wonder if you will turn face down at the last minute.....I am guessing it is unlikely, considering you have been facing Mommy's placenta each time we've seen you on the ultrasounds.  One time you even shook your head "NO" as if to say "Forget it I am staying this way!".  Your kidneys are fully developed now, and your liver can process some waste products. Most of your basic physical development is now complete — Now you will spend the next few weeks putting on weight!

I can't wait to touch your soft skin, kiss those cute little lips, play with your hair and nibble on your toes!

Mommy will send me  bare belly pictures tomorrow! I can't wait to see that round belly of hers!

Love,
Grandma Dason

33w5d-INDUCTION DATE!!!

Courtney had her weekly OB appointment and he was very pleased with her progress.  Her blood pressure was 100/50 and she gained one more pound.  Total pregnancy weight to date is 25 lbs.  Her belly continues to measure in line with Nevaeh's ultrasounds (one week ahead) and the cervix is long and closed!

The 2D ultrasound they did last week showed Nevaeh one week ahead at that time, she weighed 4lbs. 13 oz and this last elective 3D ultrasound (about one week later) showed Nevaeh weighing in at a whopping 5lbs. 8oz.  Courtney was telling the OB that we all had a chance to guess Nevaeh's weight at the 3D ultrasound....we guessed around 5lbs and were shocked when she said 5lbs 8oz.....so was the OB!

The OB feels the baby is thriving and decided to move the induction up by one week! He is concerned that the baby may get toooooo big for Courntey's 4'10" frame, which could throw her into labor sooner.....He wants to be able to control the labor by induction since she is on blood thinners.

Her last blood thinner shot and progesterone pill will be the night of 3/7/10 (Sunday).   Sometime in the early morning hours if not the midnight before on 3/9/10, the induction will start!.......Then it is up to Nevaeh to make her appearance!  Hopefully Courtney can birth this baby versus a C-Section!    This means, Neveah will be born at 37 weeks instead of 38 weeks!  We are guessing she will weigh close to 7lbs!  I am sitting here having a hot flash as I write this......my blood is rushing.....ONLY 3 WEEKS AWAY!  OMG!!!

Oh yea....one more thing....March 9th was G. Grandpa Dason's birthday (He passed away when Courntey was about 8 weeks pregnant).....You know that saying "When a loved one passes a new one is born?"  The circle of life!? How fitting!!......... and March 10th is G. Grandma Richards' birthday!  How cool would it be to have a great grandchild born on your birthday!?  Time will tell!

33w4d- SHOPPING

 

Picking up the final baby items needed! G.G. Martin and Courtney, both needed carts! Grandma has a good reason......but Mommy????  OK  I guess those darn Braxton Hicks contractions are back! Mommy is VERY uncomfortable these days!

33w3d- MOMMY AND NEVAEH

Here's a newborn picture of Courtney.....I see some of her in Nevaeh......Time will tell....Will she look more like Mommy or Daddy or a mix of both?

33w2d 3D/4D ULTRASOUND

Nevaeh is measuring 34w4d,  18.5 inches long,  5lbs. 8oz with a heart rate at 135!  She is also head down and face up. She loves facing the placenta....just like she did at the 20 week ultrasound! At the induction, the ultrasound tech is predicting her to be around 7.5 lbs!  Wow!  (Good thing Courtney is not going to 40 weeks or the baby would be around 8.5 lbs.) We saw lots of hair!  Here are our favorite pictures:

  

  

  

  

  

  

See the ripples on the top and sides of Nevaeh's head?  That is hair!  We saw this at the 26 week ultrasound as well!  She is sooooo beautiful.  Jordyn asked when she was coming out!?  Too cute!

33 WEEKS BARE BELLY PICTURE!

The kids made the 7 hour drive safely! (THANK YOU GOD!)  Courtney packed the baby's bag, brought the car seat, medical records and her doctor's on-call phone number.....just to be on the safe side.  She shared a cute story with me....Near the end of the long drive, Mike turned up the music to stay awake and Nevaeh did a quick 180 turn in Courtney's belly towards the music.......So we know her hearing is just fine!  :-)

Here's a side view at 33 weeks.  Courtney sent me a front view, but is VERY self-conscious of sharing her belly with all the stretch marks on the front.  The side view is a much more friendly viewing pose!  She promises to send me front views, but I will keep them private out of respect for my daughter!  (One day, I will share them with Nevaeh!)

33 WEEKS PREGNANT! WOW!!

Dear Nevaeh,

Mommy can tell you are growing daily as her skin continues to stretch and accommodate you as she reaches the 33 week mark in this pregnancy! Stretch marks and constant itchiness are her new unwelcome friends! This week you might measure between 17 to 19 inches in length and weigh close to 5lbs. At your ultrasound last Tuesday, you weighed 4lbs 13 oz. , but they couldn't measure your length, because you were all balled up inside Mommy!  It will be interesting to see you during the 3D/4D ultrasound this coming Sunday....I can't wait to see your cute little round chubby checks and all that hair the ultrasound tech talked about!

Your central nervous system is maturing and your lungs are continuing to mature as well.  The level of amniotic fluid surrounding you has reached its maximum, meaning that Mommy's belly is mostly baby now! No wonder she sees many of your movements, even with an anterior placenta! You also have sleep and awake patterns with your eyes opened and closed.  You can also see light from the world through Mommy's thinning, tight skin differentiating day and night.  However, Mommy says you seem more active at night!  Hopefully your sleep and awake patterns straighten out soon after you are born!

You have also reached an important milestone about now: The development of your own immune system that (along with antibodies from Mommy) will be able to provide protection from mild infections.  If you decided to come early, Mommy can start breathing a little easier knowing that your odds of being fine are in your favor because babies born between 34 and 37 weeks (you are consistently measuring one week ahead of schedule) who have no other health problems generally do fine! But I prefer that you stay put for another month until your induction!

Mommy is starting to get self-conscious of her belly now that stretch marks have made their appearance.....I sure hope she continues to send me bare belly pictures to track both you and her growth over time......especially these precious last few weeks!  I love, love, love seeing that belly!!!!

Love,
Grandma Dason
 

32W4D ULTRASOUND AND OB VISIT

The 2D growth ultrasound and OB visit went well!!!!  The first words from the ultrasound tech was, "Wow! She has a lot of hair!"  Courtney said.....she better considering the amount of heartburn she has had throughout this pregnancy!!!! Nevaeh is consistently measuring one week ahead at 33w3d, but no change in due date. Heartbeat is 149 and she weighs a whopping 4lbs. 13oz already.....the ultrasound tech called her a little fatty......this is a far cry from the 20 week 3D skeletal baby that we saw way back when!  It is exciting to see that she is thriving and growing on a daily basis!  Here's a  2D picture of her:

Courtney's belly continues to expand (with many new friends called stretch marks on the lower belly and hip area)- and the baby continues to put on weight, but Courtney didn't gain anything this week.....holding steady at 24lbs total weight gain so far! Blood pressure is 102/60 and belly measuring on target with Nevaeh's size, which is a good sign that the amniotic fluid is at normal levels, also.....ultrasound tech didn't comment on the fluid levels....so all must be well in that department.  The cervix is 3.91 (similar to last measurement)- WOOT!

As for the exact induction date, all he will tell Courtney is that it is definitely sometime the week of St. Patrick's Day and he normally has rounds on Wednesday, which is St. Patrick's Day (3/17/10).....Hospital on-call schedules are still not out yet, but I have a feeling that since this seems to be his normal schedule in the hospital, chances are higher than the original 60% chance that he gave Courtney earlier (last November) that Courtney will be induced on 3/17/10 and then it is up to Nevaeh to make her arrival in this world.....WILL SHE BE A ST. PATTY'S BABY????

The kids are coming home this weekend since it is President's Day Weekend (YEA!)....Let's pray that the weather holds out over the weekend!  I am EXTREMELY nervous about them driving 7 hours if the weather is bad, plus the fact that Courtney will be 33 weeks pregnant! (YIKES).  She told the OB about her traveling plans and bless his heart, had her records copied and his on-call number in Courtney's and Mike's  hands before they left the office.  He is such a wonderful doctor!!!!

Here's a laugh for you....This is the second snow storm in a week.  The first one hit over the weekend with approximately 10 inches of snow and this one hit on Tuesday (another possible 8 inches of snow) closing schools......You would think I'd use this time wisely by catching up on my doctoral work, cleaning the house or even doing laundry......but NO, I am sitting here typing this, while watching TLCs baby stories and crying my eyes out when the babies are born!  What will I be like when baby Vaeh is born!  Geeeez!

32 WEEKS BARE BELLY PICTURES

                           
Courtney swears she feels the belly growing by the minute!

 

The belly button has disappeared!

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

32 WEEKS- VALENTINES DAY GIFT

Courtney just called and shared her valentines day gift with all of us.....They will be home visiting over the President's Day weekend and......They've scheduled a 3D/4D ultrasound at Ultrasona in Powell for all of us to see baby Nevaeh on February 14th at 7pm!!!! (WOOT!) We hope to get a close up of her face and then a newborn face picture to put side by side on the wall in her nursery. I am curious to see just how much her newborn picture resembles the 3D ultrasound. She will be 33 weeks pregnant and Nevaeh will most likely be measuring around 34 weeks!

32 WEEKS- 8 MOS. PREGNANT!!!!

Dear Nevaeh,
I can not believe you will be here in 6 short weeks! Next Tuesday, Mommy will have another 2D growth ultrasound! Since you are measuring a week ahead, I am guessing you weigh a little over 4 pounds and have passed the 17-inch mark!!! You are rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and your skeleton is hardening. The bones in your skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for you to fit through the birth canal. Mommy is hoping to have a vaginal birth, unlike me....I had your Mommy via C-section because your Mommy just didn't want to be born....I guess she was really content all balled up in my belly.

Speaking of belly, I finally got to see you move your leg/foot across Mommy's belly via a video that she sent to from her phone. I love technology!!! I wonder what technology will look like when you are grown and having children of your own. When your Mommy was born, it was cool to have cordless phones and microwaves....computers were fairly new and very few people had them....They were also VERY expensive! I wish I would have documented stuff like this when she was little, but I guess I was toooo busy just trying to be a wife and new mommy! One thing that I did do very well, was hand write notes about your Mommy's growth and development on a monthly basis for the first several years of her life! I plan on keeping up this blog for you and document your growth and development in the same way. I may even compare it to your Mommy's stuff when she was a baby! When you are born, I plan on making this blog into a book. Then each year, I will print a new blog book for you to keep my memories of you. I hope you enjoy reading it and looking at the pictures one day! I know I will enjoy looking back and also love dreaming about the future of my first grandchild!


By the way, today is your G.G. Richards 65th birthday. We called and sang happy birthday to him this morning and of course the birthday song included the words Great Grandpa! He laughed and reminded me that I am going to be a Grandma! Oh how I am soooooo looking forward to this!

Courtney will be sending me the 32 week bare belly pictures tomorrow! I can't wait to see the belly and update the belly album!

Love,
Grandma Dason

31w5d- VIDEO OF BELLY AND BABY MOVING!

You need to watch closely....after Courtney presses on her belly the second time, you will see a foot move from the top of her belly to the bottom. If you don't see it the first time....watch again....it is amazing!

31w5d- NO CONTRACTIONS TODAY!

Courtney sent me a text saying she was contraction free! (Fingers crossed, here)....And Nevaeh was moving ALOT this morning.....In fact, so much that she tried to kick a glass of cold chocolate milk off of the belly  (Courtney uses her belly as a table, now! LOL!).  Last night, when Mike went to bed, he put his arms around Courtney and could feel the baby moving around then, also!.......So she just must have been in a comfortable position the other day when Courtney got nervous and pulled out the doppler to hear the heartbeat!

31w4d- OB VISIT

With the problems Courtney has had lately with the burnt arm, kidney infection and contractions, the OB appointment went surprisingly well!!!  She has to take her antibiotic for the kidney infection twice a day vs. once as a preventive med (She has been on one pill a day since the 1st trimester). Courtney gained one more pound this week....totaling 24 lbs.  Blood pressure was 100/60, so the blood pressure meds are still working!  The baby's heartbeat is good and strong and the best news is that the cervix is long and closed (Woot!).  In fact his words were, "She isn't coming anytime soon"......What a relief!!! 

Nevaeh was quiet yesterday.....so much that Courtney got out the heartbeat doppler to make sure she was OK.   With an anterior placenta, Courtney doesn't always feel the little movements and it worried her! She was going to tell her doctor about this, but just before the appointment, Nevaeh "woke up" and decided to make her presence known.  This brought a smile to our faces!

The OB schedule at the hospital is not out yet, so an exact induction date of 3/17/10 is still only a 60% chance, but he did tell Courtney to plan sometime around St. Patty's Day.  My guess is it will be scheduled sometime that week.

The 2D- growth scan ultrasound has been scheduled for next week on 2/9/10 at 2:30 with a weekly OB appointment at 3:00.  I can't wait to see how much she has grown!