Friday, March 27, 2015

Let's have a baby soon!

Well...here's the weekly update.

We went this morning and baby boy is still measuring on the small end, but growing and looked healthy so that is a praise :)  The ultrasound looked great and it was fun to get to see him 1 more time before we really get to see him.

On to the doc.  After going over the ultrasound with us, we decided to go ahead and do a sweep and try to get my body to go in to labor on its own.  We shall see if it works soon I guess...he said if it works, it will happen within the next 48 hours, so now we just wait and see.

Due to measuring small and all, he really doesn't think it best for me to go past due date (hence the reason to go ahead and do the sweep today).  So now the game plan is to wait and see if I go in labor in the next few days or if not, we will do another sweep on Tuesday morning to give it another shot.  If that doesn't work, I am scheduled for an induction on the following Tuesday, April 7th.

So will you pray for us?  Pray that I go into labor on my own before the 7th.  I was induced with Evie and it went smooth, so I am not worried about having to be induced, except this go around will be with no epidural, and given that I think the labor might be easier if my body kick starts it instead of inducing it.  The Lord knows the day Silas is going to be born and he has got everything in control I know.  Pray I can rest in that truth.

So I guess we are officially on baby watch!  I am ready to be past the delivery part and holding our baby boy and have him here and healthy with us outside my belly.  We can't wait to meet and hold him!

I know I have been not so good at pictures on here lately, but have posted some on Facebook and instagram...that's just easier right now.  But the big camera is packed in the bag for when baby boy arrives, so more pics will come then for sure!

Friday, March 20, 2015

Baby update!

We had another appointment this morning with the Doctor and once again are thankful to be in his hands during this time and felt well cared for.  So the newest news...

The ultrasound we had done on Monday was great and baby was measuring great.  He was on the smaller end, but we know that was to be expected.  My fluid levels looked good and he looked good too :)

The doctor did say that my blood work did come back showing that my b-12 (what I get shots for once a month) was in the normal range, which is great news, but it did confirm too that my iron was low.  So I will continue on the tablets through the rest of the pregnancy and hopefully that will be all that is needed there.

The doctor does want to have another growth scan done next week and he will see me again next Friday.  With measuring small (and having IUGR previously...He hasn't called this pregnancy IUGR, but just monitoring it due to my history), he doesn't want me to go much over 40 weeks pregnant due to risks with that which I didn't completely understand.  So next week he said he would like to strip my membranes and see if we can get things going soon for labor.  If that doesn't help get labor going, then he will do it again the next week as well I believe to try again to get labor going.

So the prayer is now that I will go into labor before 40 weeks or right about then so that we don't have to talk about induction.  Will you join me in that prayer?

In news kinda connected to this, we got a call today that our shipment is here and ready to be delivered.  It should be delivered in Monday!!!!  That is a huge praise.  I have been praying that it would arrive soon so that we can unpack those things and get settled with all of that before baby boy arrives.  Plus there are any baby things we have sent from the states in that container as well, so that will be nice to have before baby boy arrives.

Yeah!!!!  So all in all today has been good news all around.  Pray for me as I continue to take care of myself these last days of pregnancy.  Pray my iron will go up and be at a stable point before delivery so there is no complication there.

Thank you for your prayers everyone.  We have felt them so much during this transition and are so so so thankful for all of them.

I will do my best to keep everyone posted with any updates as we get closer to meeting baby boy!


Saturday, March 14, 2015

Pregnancy News...

So I am now 36 weeks pregnant.  Hard to believe we are about 4 weeks away from having baby boy! I went to the Doctor at Warrington Hospital yesterday to have a "consult" since I am new here and have had IUGR in a previous pregnancy and because of my anemia as well.  The midwife wanted me to go and see him to just have him check on things.

Well...to sum up how it went...I was dehydrated, anemic, and measuring small.  UGH!

None of these things were of major concern for him or us but just something to work on and easily fixed.  Along with my b-12 shots, I now have "tablets" of iron I am taking as well 3 times a day to hopefully up my iron before baby gets here.  I am ordered to drink at least 2 liters of water each day as well.  As far as the measurements go, he wasn't too concerned seeing as we tend to have small babies, but he is having me come in on Monday for a scan to see how baby boy is doing, then I have another appointment with him on Friday.

He was a great doctor and really put us at ease that all was ok and there was nothing really to be concerned about.

Now get this part...  He asked when we came in the room what brought us to England (knowing we were from the states) and so Michael answered by saying that he was working as a minister at a church here.  The doctor lights up a bit and says "wow, that's cool".   He then goes on to tell us that he goes to an Arabic speaking church in Manchester that is reaching out to the city there and has had Muslims come in many times.  He is from Egypt and his parents still live there, who are also Coptic Christians.  We got to talk to him off and on through the appointment about his church.  It was so amazing to us.

Imagine this.  We move to a country where it is less than 5% Christian and we end up with a Christian for an OB Doc here.  God is cool...isn't he??!!

So that is a little update on how things are going for me with pregnancy.  We will go on Monday to get a scan then see the doctor again on Friday and see how my levels are doing.  Pray that I won't be discouraged.   I was a bit emotional yesterday getting that report, just feeling like I haven't been doing a good job taking care of myself, but thankful too that the Lord has provided someone to help get my body on track for a good delivery hopefully.

We are still plugging away at getting settled into our home.  Our shipment should have arrived in port (wherever that is...) yesterday if it was on schedule, but we haven't heard any news about it yet.  I am hoping we will have it in our driveway in the next week or so...we shall see :)

I also had a bit of a panic with SK and her schooling situation a couple days ago.  I called the council to check on the status of her application since we hadn't heard anything yet and thought we would have already heard.  According to the girl I spoke with, there was no openings at any of the 3 schools and she would be calling that day around to schools outside of the village to find her a spot.  I am not good with just sending her to any other school where we would have to drive her outside of the village.  I was upset after that phone call, but Michael reassured me that all would be ok and God would take care of it and we just needed to trust in him about this.

The next morning, Michael calls down to Culcheth Primary School and is able to speak with the head teacher where he gets the news that there is not 1 but 2 openings in her level class and all would be fine.  She was going to call the council herself and sort it out for us.  So it looks like all will work out fine with the school stuff, I just need to trust Jesus more.  This whole moving process has been faith growing...I tell ya.  I am seeing how much faith I lack and how much I need more Jesus in my life.

So there is a little update on things over here!  Michael preaches tomorrow at church, which he is looking forward to!  "See" you guys again real soon :)


Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Random thoughts from our first few weeks...

Well...as of today, we will have been in England for 3 weeks.  It really has flown by with all the busyness of setting up home and doing all that has to be done to get settled here.  With my pregnancy brain and all, I can hardly think straight, so today I give you a random list of how things are going for us :)

*We have had sickness since being here.  First off was Evie with her GI stuff, then SK, then Michael, then Michael had a cold thing, and now I have a cold thing.  I am ready for us to have a healthy home again.

*I am learning more about what it looks like to cook here and what foods, I am used to finding easily in the states, are hard-to-find or non-existent here.  Take black beans for example.  I searched yesterday at the larger store (kinda like a Walmart) down the road in a nearby village.  No luck.  I finally found dried black beans, to which the girl checking us out made a comment that she had never seen these before and wondered what I used them for.

*Nesting is hard here.  I tire easily at 35 weeks pregnant and let me tell you...Ikea can wear a girl out.  Our crate, which we thought would be here by this week won't be here for another few weeks probably.  I just hope that it arrives before baby boy makes his arrival.

*I met with the midwife here in the village for the first time last week. It went well.  I will go soon for a consult with the OB at Warrington Hospital next week and also get to see the labor ward and such while there too hopefully.  Having a baby here will def. be different than the states.  If we have baby boy at the hospital, we will more than likely go home the same day.

*Setting up a home from scratch is a whole lot of work.  I am thankful for the help we have had and our friends here that did and are still doing so much to help us get settled and love on us.  We have also been blessed to have Emma Rose helping incredibly.  Let's just say the other night, she cooked Hungarian Goulash for dinner for us...along with a salad and roasted broccoli and some yummy bread with cheese stuff on top.  It was delicious.

*Being stuffy and pregnant is no fun.  There's nothing that you can take really to help...I have used some oils with a little success, but for the most part I just stay stuffed up.  Last night I resolved to sleeping sitting straight up on the couch in hopes of being about to not feel like my head was going to explode.

*I am slowly getting used to not having a dishwasher.  And not having a dryer.  And a tiny washing machine.  It's just an adjustment to remember to wash a small load daily, then put the clothes on the drying rack each day, which also means more ironing, which isn't my strong suit.

*We also have to adjust our way of grocery shopping.  With a fridge the size of a dorm fridge, we don't go and stock up like we were used to in the states.  Plus we live about a five minute walk to the local grocery store.  So we go just about every day to get what we need for that day, maybe the next as well.  It's kinda fun, except for the whole being 35 weeks pregnant.

*Flowers are starting to peek out all around here and I love it.  The flowers here really are amazing.

*Michael leaves for London tomorrow.  I am slightly jealous I must say.  It will be good though as he is going to Presbytery and will be able to meet and spend time with other men in this presbytery.

So I guess we are slowly getting more and more settled into life here.  I love the village life and love the church we are a part of here.  God truly has blessed us and I am excited to see what all the future holds here in growing the Lord's kingdom.  I am excited we get to be a part of it and pray the Lord will use us mightily for his purposes.

Pray for me to get better soon.  I go back to the midwife in the morning and hope that will bring more clarity into what the coming days will look like as we get close to the arrival of baby boy.  Pray for Michael to have a safe time and good fellowship in London.  Pray as we wait to hear back from the council about SK's school situation.  We covet the prayers of our friends and family.  I know the Lord is caring for us and will continue to.  Thanks friends :)

Maybe I will pull the camera out later this week or next and actually take some more pics...maybe...