27 weeks

Pregnancy Facts and Figures


Size of baby: Elliott Faith is the size of a head of Cauliflower, ~14-15" long.Weighing in at ~2+lbs

Total Weight Gain: ~13 lbs, give or take a pound or two, depending on the day, or time of day:)

Clothes: Maternity jeans, regular yoga or athletic pants. Combination of maternity and regular shirts. Oh, and I have started adding mens hoodies and fleeces to my wardrobe, cause we all know there is nothing more sexy than a pregnant woman in a mens clothing.:) But seriously... men's smalls fit me so much better, and are much cheaper, then comfortable/casual maternity clothes!

Gender: It's a girl! Elliott Faith Ross. Elliott is my maiden name. We will probably start out calling her either Ellie or Elle

Movement: She really must have been growing last week, therefore requiring a lot of rest, cause she wasn't as active. This week, the growth spurt seems to be over, and its time for 24/7 calestenistics!!!

Sleep: Back in touch with my one and only talent - my ability to sleep! I basically die every night!

Cravings: still, HONEY CRISP APPLES! Can NOT get enough of these yummy things!!! I am now adding natural peanut butter to these helping to increase my protein intake... more on that later. And CHEESE! With the amount of cheese I consume, coupled with the fact I am pregnant, it is a miracle constipation has not been added to my list of symptoms!

Symptoms: I have been feeling great the last three weeks! Other then Tuesday morning...

Highlight: Getting to see Ellie Faith today on our first 3D/4D ultrasound, courtesy of our doctor... just "cause":) Can't wait!!!

Lowlight: So Tuesday was an adventure. I got up after a great night's sleep, feeling like my legs and arms weighed 10 lbs apeice. Otherwise, I felt fine! Odd. I continued to the bathroom to get ready for the day, thinking my muscles were just fatigued from my work out the night before, even though it had been super easy. 10-15 minutes later I climbed into the shower, and started washing my face. Next thing I knew, I was up against the wall of the shower, with severe tunnel vision. I slid down into a fetal position and turned off the water. Great, Jared is sound asleep with the fan going... I am going to knock myself out cold, and he is going to be none the wiser. I have no idea how long I sat with my head between my knees. I attempted to get up twice, and blacked out both times. Finally, I made it out of the tub and literally crawled back to bed.
Jared: What's wrong babe, are you sick?
Me: No, I don't think so. I just passed out... three times.
Jared: WHAT?
I have definitely had positional dizzy spells during the pregnancy, but never come close to passing out. We finally made it down stairs, and he made me some breakfast. I was still very woozy, and felt like my head was floating somewhere above and to the left of my shoulders. Luckily, Ellie decided to be a little gymnast during the whole event, so I knew she was just fine. The nurse in me kept doing a head to toe assement of myself - my pulse was great, urine output was just fine, etc...I figured my blood pressure had just bottomed out for some reason... I woke up on my right side, and figured the girl in my belly had just been compressing my vena cava. But since it had never happened before I wanted the doctor or midwives to check me out. We got an appointment for later that morning. I spent the morning on the couch, with my feet prompted up, under strict orders from my husband not to venture up the stairs and to only leave the couch, slowly, to use the restroom. Jared came back after a few hours, and took me to the appointment, as I still felt in no condition to drive. Everything looked fine - blood pressure, blood sugar, and urine were all normal. Ellie's heart rate was strong... when they could keep up with all her movements. I was told to take it easy the rest of the day, and that it was probably just a drop in blood pressure and blood sugar. I just need to add even more protein to my diet, and eat before gettig in the shower, or doing anything else in mornings. I went home and slept for 3-4 hours on the couch!! I am still not feeling normal... having "mini episodes." I have my glucose tolerance test later today, so we will see what that shows. Hopefully, it will help us come up with a game plan. This always bordering on passing out is for the dogs!

Fun Fact: Part of my family is in town this weekend for my younger siblings basketball games and our college girls are throwing us our first baby shower on Sunday! So excited to see so many wonderful people this weekend - biologic family, basketball family, and college ministry family!

Medical and Anatomical Terminology gone WRONG!

I wasn't planning on doing another Rantings of  Pediatric Nurse post for a while, but two recent incidents are begging to be documented, shared, and laughed over. I will be putting peices of punctuation in between certain words/letters. For those who don't blog, or know, when you google any word or term, blogs talking about said word/term are often brought up. Especially the more racy the word. It is also a tactic used by scammers. Therefore, placing breaks, of any kind, in the word help "hide" it from random searches.

This first story was a lengthy voicemail left, which we nurses greatly enjoyed listening to over and over again when we needed a little light hearted pick me up. Some of the content is a little edgy, but the fact that patient being talked about is not even a toddler yet, makes it somehow "ok" in my min.:)

Message:
Uh, yeah, this here is "So and So's" grandma, and I's callin for my grandson, cause, well, my daughter, she just don't know how to talk to you people, and since I's been doing it for 20+ years, I can, so that's why I'm calling. I can't believe I'm gonna say this, cause I never talk this a way, but I don't knows any other ways to put it. His willy.whacker. just ain't right. Its all red, and well... it grows and gets hard. And his... oh I just don't know how to say this... but... well... his ka.hu.nas are all red, and swollen, and look like theys about to pop right on open, like a ballon. And they change sizes too! And now that we have been watching, we think he might, but surely he couldn't, be, getting well... an O. Anyways, ifin yous don't mind giving us a call back, we surely would be appreciatin' it. Thank ya kindly.

Ok, well ma'am, no wonder your daughter "don't know how to talk to us folks." Evidently her parents didn't use, or no how to use, proper anatomical terminology, which can make things feel very shameful to talk about, and very uncomfortable, if you don't know the correct vocab to use.

Story number two.

An adolescent girl comes in with a long  list of symptoms and ashot record that is all over the charts - looks like she has received too many of certain vaccines, and not enough of the vaccines required to  be in school. Obviously, we did not have complete or correct documentation. The mom insists that the only place her daughter has ever received vaccines was our office, and we obviously, "don't understand right doc-u-men-ation!" With the help of the Health Dept we were able to determine the child, in fact, had received very few of her vaccines from us, but from various local health departments and health clinics. Of course, once I show mom this documentation, she miraculously remembers these encounters. Turns out, the child only needs to complete her HPV series (Human Papilloma Virus). Keep in mind, she has already started the series, but had not yet completed it.Before, we could get on to giving the patient the shot, and getting her well on her way, she and mom remember symptom number 127 they forgot to mention: bad ti.tt.ies. I really don't know how to respond to this, so I just sort of look back at them with a raised eyebrown expression.
Mom: she need to go see a ti.tt.y. specialist cause she all the time complaining about how her t.i.ts be hurting her. I thinks she crazy.
Evenutally, we decide, yes, we can infact to send her to a breast specialist.
Moving on to the shot. I get the shot ready, and walk into the room to find the child completely clothed in the 10 different layers she came dressed in. This visit had already taken way longer then it should have, and my HCG seemed particularly high that day, so I was more then slightly frustrated that I was going to have to wait for this slow moving, but quick talking, patient to undress the top half of her body, so I could give her shot in the arm.
Me: Ok, sweetie, I know you just got redressed, but like I said earlier, I am going to need to take all those jackets and shirts off so I can give you your shot. Mom, here is the information on the HPV shot we talked about earlier.
Patient: Why I gotta take my shirts off?
Me: Because if I give your short through your clothes, I can't clean your skin, so the site will probably get infected, and the needle will be dulled by the clothes, and will hurt more when I stick the needle into the skin.
Mom: why got to take her shirts off though
Me: for all the reasons I just stated. I know its inconvenient, but I will be really quick, I promise.
Mom: but why does her shirt have to come off?
Me: Again, so I can can clean off her arm, before giving her the shot.
Mom: whoa whoa whoa, I think you better be explaining whats exactly you are about to give her,young lady.
oh for the love... how many times do I have to go over this
Me: Remember, we talked about the HPV shot series she has already started, but hasn't completed. It protects against the Human Papilloma Virus, which is one the leading causes of cer.vi.cal cancer and gen.it.al worts. You know, the commercial about "wanting to be ONE LESS, o-n-e- l-e-s-s?"
Mom: Oh I know what is for, but I still don't know why she has to take off her shirt to get it, if she is going to get it in her c.oo.ch.ie.

I am really not sure how my chin didn't fall to the floor, or how I did not just die laughing. I think I was so over this whole exchange by this point my composer kept itself.

Patient: wait whoa NO I ain't getting no shot in my c.oo.ch.ie. Na uh!
Me: No ma'am (to the mom), we give immunizations in the arm or the legs, And honey (to the patient) even if your mom would let you have a shot down here, I wouldn't give it, so we are good - arm is the only option for you and me today.
Mom: Well, I'll be! What do you know - you get a shot in the arm to prevent something bad in the c.oo.ch.ie. Aint' that just something!

Never dull moment, I tell ya! ;-)

Fall Retreat 2011

We recently embarked on our 4th fall retreat with the Christian Student Fellowship. Actually, Jared and I have both been on several more of these retreats - me as a child when alum family members were speakers, and Jared as a student himself. This was our 4th retreat together, as husband and wife. It was also probably my last for a wee bit... not sure how well a less then one year old would, or her mommy, would handle the primitive set up.:)

The setting is gorgeous, if extremely primitive. No cell or internet service. Hot water is a little hit or miss. Water from the faucet takes a few minutes to run the brown out. Spiders in the showers are to be expected. And you should always take a look in the toilet seat prior to sitting down.:)

The coldest night of year always seems to hit while we are there, which is perfect for bonfires and hot cocoa or cider at night.

I was a wee bit nervous about how pregnancy and the retreat would get along together. There is usually very little sleep, very late nights, early mornings,  crazy eating times and habits, and lumpy mattresses. I wasn't able to play as much, or as hard, as in previous years, but I felt great, for the most part. I hit a wall the last night, near midnight around the campfire - and it was off to bed for me! Both nights I fell asleep with all the lights on and the girls laughing, talking, and goofing off... and slept like a baby! Sunday found me sore and exhausted, but the four hour nap the hubs and I immediately took upon returning home, pretty much took care of the exhaustion. I don't think Jared got more then 4-6 hours of sleep either night, and played hard outside all day and night... couldn't let those college students show him up.

Here is a recap in pictures!

There were icebreakers Friday Night

Devotionals, worship, and fellowship

Skits:)

The annual "Hit the golfball into/over the lake" event

An afternoon of Ultimate Frisbee and Football

Canoeing

Bonfires

And all around good ol' gaming and hanging out

It was a great time with some great students and friends!

Not sure I will be there next year, but this was definitely one of my favorite retreats so far!

25 and 26 weeks

my mom took these pictures, of various family member's hands, feeling Ellie's kicks and punches

I have been awful about keeping up with changes and taking pictures these past two weeks! I have taken a ton of pictures at several events, but I was always behind the lens, and don't have any good belly shots. 

Pregnancy Facts and Figures:

Size of baby: Elliott Faith is the size of a an English Cucumber, ~14-15" long.Weighing in at ~ 1 2/3-2lbs

Total Weight Gain: haven't been keeping up with my weekly weigh-ins as regularly as I had been. I think I am up 12 lbs.

Clothes: Maternity jeans, regular yoga or athletic pants. Combination of maternity and regular shirts.

Gender: It's a girl! Elliott Faith Ross. We will probably start out calling her either Ellie or Elle

Movement: She has definitely been growing a TON these past two weeks, so her movements are more cramped but have a lot more oomph behind them! :)

Sleep: Back in touch with my one and only talent - my ability to sleep!

Cravings: still, HONEY CRISP APPLES! Can NOT get enough of these yummy things!!! And CHEESE!

Symptoms: Weeks 24-26 have been my best so far. I think mainly I am just getting used to the stretching ligaments, pulling muscles, and exhaustion... its becoming my new normal.

Highlight and Lowlight: This one is combined this post. Week 26 brought the biggest growth spurt yet! I swear my abdomen doubled in size from Monday-Friday. A fact my co-workers have confirmed. There is no denying I am definitely pregnant now, no matter what I wear. I am still carrying her really low, and by the end of the day, there is so much  pressure down there, all I want to do is curl up in a ball. At least, she isn't up under my ribs, making it hard to breathe... yet. Also, I was ran a few errands this week, and every time was asked if my due date was November-Decemberish? Ha! Nope, end of January, and I am just hoping she is here by Valentine's day! Which of course then brings the inevitable comment, "you sure there is just one in there?"

Fun Fact: We back to the doctor this week for my glucose tolerance test (ok that part is NOT so fun) but we also get a little 3D/4D ultrasound sneak peek,  just cause... my new doctor, midwives,  and their staff are just that awesome !:) My mom might even be in town for the preview! Oh, and next weekend, our college students are hosting our first baby shower!