Full Term!

With only 14 days left of being a family of 3 we had our final growth ultrasound this week before we finally get to meet our fourth member! With the overwhelming mommy-guilt I've been feeling for journaling way more for baby number 1 than with baby number 2, I wanted to catch up on little man's progress:

Total gestation thus far: January 10th-September 26th (Yes, I've been pregnant practically all of 2014. ALL. YEAR. people!)

Estimated due date: October 17th. Scheduled a repeat C-section (first c-section was an "emergency" c--section, not elective) for October 10th after our doctor expressed concern over a greater possibility of a uterine rupture during labor/natural delivery given the pregnancies being VERY close together. He could, of course, come any day but I have a feeling he will stay put til the 10th. 

Total weight gain: 15 pounds. The baby bump is measuring just right for 37 weeks- though I only can fit into about 4 outfits... And one of those is my robe, because, yeah, I count that as an outfit now #pregnantproblems

My measurements: As of my last appointment I'm at -2, 25% effaced, and a measly 1/2cm dilated (I don't really want to explain these, but I know all my veteran mommies and nurses understand)

NSTs: (Non Stress Tests) bi-weekly, standard protocol at my OBs office for all "high-risk" pregnancies. I did the same thing with Rowan. Everything has been looking GREAT so far! 

Contractions: OH YEAH. Plenty.

Movement: Always. He is a lot "lower" than Rowan ever was so there is much less baby-feet-in-ribs discomfort which I am very grateful for :) 

Cravings: peanut butter (as always), peppermint patties (Palmer brand!), Taco Bell (we never eat fast food- like NEVER- but it's my pregnancy weakness! In fact, I think Rob "agreed" to a second baby because he knew he could get some TBell out of the pregnancy. PS their new $1 menu is off. the. hook.) PPS I also eat plenty of fruits and veggies so don't worry, Grandma... I know you're reading this! Hehe!

Baby: measuring 6 pounds 5oz (estimated), right about the 40th percentile. His AFI (fluid) measured a whopping 22.6- so, yeah, those kidneys are working like iron horses and we are THRILLED about it!

Name: Not telling this time! Both times we shared our thoughts on names it was a decision we both immediately regretted. Lesson learned- we'll be officially naming him after he's born. I will say we have it narrowed down to a handful of names and we're waiting to see what he looks like before giving him a name.

Ultrasound Pic: One (sort of) upside to having a complicated pregnancy is getting LOTS of ultrasound pictures! Here is our last one: we think he looks like a grumpy old man! Hahaha! He wasn't very cooperative (shocker! neither of my babies are) but the ultrasound tech said we for sure know he has "a lot of cheek and he's very smushed in there" ... Very technical stuff, right?! ;) the bottom pic is his foot

Well, that's all for now! More pictures coming soon ;) 

Xox

Riley 

3rd Place!

About a month or so ago I saw via Facebook that the Renal Support Network was offering an essay contest for those with chronic kidney disease.

The prompt was "talk about a healthy decision you made and how it could affect others"

I decided, on a whim, to enter as I have been looking into getting more involved with kidney disease awareness and advocacy so I thought this may be a good place to start. Also, first place prize was $500, and with a new baby on the way, I'd be lying if I said the possibility of some extra cash wasn't a motivating factor.

I spent little time on it, and as always, my essay read more like a journal entry than something more sophisticated. I wanted my message of acceptance to be very honest and real. I didn't want to talk about this disease and paint it as something that it isn't (easy) and therefor had little faith that my essay would place because I felt it was too honest.

To my surprise, I recieved a call a few weeks later from the founder of RSN congratulating me on having my essay selected for the third place award! Lori said the message of acceptance was very inspiring and important. I won $100 and lots of confidence in becoming more involved and active in CKD awareness!!! The essay was soon published on their website and the link was posted on their facebook site.

You can read my essay HERE

After reading the essays that placed first and second, I was VERY self conscious of my essay that seemed lacking compared to theirs. The other authors were so eloquent and impressive I was hoping very few people would read mine.

Thankfully, people DID read it and the message of acceptance was SO well recieved by the CKD community! I was so touched by all the "likes" and comments the facebook link received, some of them moved me to tears. Here are some samples:

I'm so JOYFUL so many could relate to my own personal story but more than that- the message of acceptance and taking good care of yourself. This lesson transcends kidney disease alone, it can be applied to literally any hardship. I'm embarrassed it took me 20 years to learn it, but so thankful the Lord was patient with me so I could learn it, live it, and share it!

I encourage all of you who are reading this to "like" RSN on Facebook to keep up with all the latest news and stories on Kidney Disease! What an encouraging and strong community! :)

Xox

Riley

Confessions of a (soon to be) Second Time Mom

In the interest of "full disclosure" this post contains some serious truths! 

No rush to finish the nursery. No stress about what to expect during labor. No enormous stockpile of formula and diapers....

....Just anxiously awaiting his arrival. Dreaming of holding him for the first time. Enjoying every kick and movement. Wincing through every Braxton Hicks contraction. Spoiling our daughter with her last four weeks of our complete, undivided attention.

HA! While all that is true we still have a to-do list as long as my arm. At this point we've done so much the past two weekends I'm now at a point where I think we could be "ok" if he were to arrive this very second. We went through all of Rowan's old clothes, bottles, blankets and pulled out all that could be repurposed for a boy (thankfully we had a good amount of gender-neutral items!). The bottles are all organized and washed, clothes, hats, bibs, blankets and pacifiers washed and put away, pack n plays up and ready to go, baby swing washed and ready, both car seats installed, both kids' memory books and boxes up-to-date, hospital bags packed, Rowan's care plan (for while I'm recovering) typed, vehicles cleaned, 2 boxes of diapers purchased, closets organized, post pregnancy meals planned (and ready to be made and frozen for quick suppers) and shopping lists made, baby books out for a quick "refresher", pre baby pedicure booked, preregistered at the birthing center, read over infant CPR class notes from last time, etc etc etc. 

If you can believe it, that was only half of our to-do list so we still have plenty to do. But we got most of the absolute necessities out of the way.

Last time at this point we had two GIANT baby registries, two baby showers, a diaper party, 2 classes at the hospital, 5 books between the two of us to try to prepare as best we could to be first time parents. She was our first- it was just us three, alone, all the way in VA and we had to figure out how to care for her together; it was a huge challenge but looking back it was such a sweet, sweet, time and I'm thankful we could be our own little family :)

This time we have one small little registry on Amazon because he IS the first boy, ya know! :) and we had a virtual "baby sprinkle" that my sister arranged but for the most part the last third of this pregnancy has (thankfully) been smooth sailing while I try to figure out how to manage a growing toddler and third trimester fatigue.

This pregnancy has been easier and more difficult than the first in so many ways. With his initial health scare for pretty much the entire second trimester, I was really pushed to my spiritual and emotional limits; Rob and I were so. incredibly. scared. We feared the worst, of course. But since he has been cleared from MFM he has been the easiest little babe to carry around. I am definitely not as big, uncomfortable or tired as I was with Rowan. But, with Rowan I definitely had more time to relax because I obviously didn't already have a child at home to take care of. However I was working up until the day after her due date so it's not like I was just at home eating Bon-bons.... Not that there is anything wrong with that! I wish that's what I was doing. 

Maybe I'm just used to being pregnant. After all, I've been pregnant 19 of the 26 months we've married and that accounts for over half of Rowan's life so maybe pregnant is my new normal.

& I'm okay with it. It's a real honor and privilege. And it's pretty easy for me, against the odds, thank the Lord!

While we do kind of feel like old "pros" at parenting and thought this time around we would feel more "been there, done that" but we have a whole new list of worries. The reality of the challenge of two babies under 2 (more like 2 babies under 18 months-- ok ok actually more like 2 babies under 16
 months) is becoming more and more daunting by the day. Especially because I explicitly remember
thinking "how do people do this with other children?" when Ro was about 3 weeks old. I guess we're about to find out! 2 separate meal, nap, play, sleep schedules on top of recovering AND being a day's drive away from our families (ie no assistance) is a little scary. BUT the excitement, joy, and blessing of children born close together outweighs the worries- and that's the honest truth!

So any mommies of two under two or just more than one child in general please feel free to share any and all advice!

Xo
Riley

Rowan's Playlist

Now that our daily routine is in for a little mix-up with the pending arrival of baby boy, I wanted to journal our days while they are just mommy-daughter quality time. But set it to music!

We listen to music mostly all day everyday- but different music for different times of day. I can pretty much tell what time it is by what song is playing.

Wake Up: we mostly listen to Sam Cooke, Classical Piano, & Traditional Worship Hymns (think be thou my vision & come thou fount...nothing contemporary). Some days I need a little something to get me going if I'm a little slow getting breakfasts and Rob's lunch together and need a 'pump-up' so I use my Pop and Hip Hop Power Workout Pandora station.

Morning Play Session: Disney Radio, Sound of Music soundtrack, sing alongs, etc.

Daily Errands: I have two CDs in my little civic- Elvis Presely "The Essentails" & Gavin DeGraw's "Chariot". So unless we are listening to NPR, we are listening to one of those.

Nap time: She falls asleep to Spirit FM playing very softly on her radio

Afternoon Play Session: This time of day I tend to drag a little bit so we need a little energy. Our go-to jams are Annie Lennox "walking on broken glass" and Queen "don't stop me now" (yes, Queen.. Judge me). 

Dinner: Sam Cooke or Phil Collins Radio, typically. 

Evening: this is a wild card-- anything goes.

Bed Time: She typically falls asleep to Piano lullabies, Notre Dame Lullabies CD or Spirt FM's "Delilah". Her favorite lullabies are "Edelweiss", "Come thou fount", and "Be thou my vision"

Then Rob and I listen to the sweet sweet sound of silence ;)

Xo

Riley