33 Weeks 6 Days - 9th Appointment

Today I had my 9th OB appointment along with an ultrasound to check on Camden's growth since I measured small at my last office visit. He was being ornery with his hands and feet in front of his face, so no good pictures of him. He did measure right where he should have and according to the ultrasound weighs 4 pounds 12 ounces. He is head down, and what I thought was butt and feet, definitely are. I gained 2 more pounds, so am up to 24 pounds of weight gain. His heart rate was the slowest it has been at 125, but he was asleep, so not surprising to me. My fundal height was 30cm, which was 2 more than last time, but still less than the 32 to 36cm it should be. The next visit is on 01/12/10 at which time she will check me for strep B as well as do a vaginal exam - I can hardly wait!!! (UGH)

33 Weeks 5 Days

Today my parents along with my Grandmother left for Texas. I cried, quiet a bit. They have visited here several times, but have never actually stayed here at our home and I really enjoyed them being here. I have said for quiet a few years now that one of the good things about aging is the relationship between me and my parents is really good - we are more friends than anything which is really great. Yesterday my mother and I went and did a little more shopping and she bought more things for Camden, including the changing pad, another crib sheet, and sheets for the pack-n-play. It was greatly appreciated!!!

After church, we ate lunch and headed to Birmingham to spend Christmas with Shane's family (from his mom's side). We went to his Pop Pop's and did dirty Santa with his family and were able to make it home with the gifts we took - which was our plan. We had some really good team work going and were able to still our gifts at the right time so as to "freeze" them so no one else could steal them from us!! Woo Hoo!! After that, we headed to his grandmother's and celebrated Christmas with her. It was a nice day and a lot of fun was had by all.

33 Weeks 3 Days

Merry Christmas!!! It has been very nice being able to spend actual Christmas Day with my family - it has been a few years since that has happened. We had a relaxing day, opening gifts around noon and then getting supper together which consisted of a spiral cut ham, green beans, gourmet potatoes, crunchy cole slaw, and rolls. My mother made me a pecan pie, which is my favorite, since we did not have one at Thanksgiving.

As usual, we were very blessed this year. I received a Hobo wallet, which I wanted so that I could keep everything in it and throw it in the diaper bag versus carrying a purse as well as a diaper bag. I also received a new pair of tennis shoes, a digital picture frame, a book, and a few other items including money!! Camden also received a nice chunk of money, thanks to Mom and Dad - which I was told to buy things we needed for him. It was a very nice and unexpected surprise - aren't those always the best??? Everyone seemed to be very pleased with their presents which is always a good feeling. Shane received an Alabama belt, an Alabama tie, a Alabama ornament (see a trend here?) a Garmin, and a few other items.

Tomorrow Shane's parents will stop in Tuscaloosa to celebrate Christmas with us while on their way to Birmingham. They are bringing Connor so he can stay here for a week with us. We will be going to Birmingham ourselves on Sunday evening to celebrate Christmas with Shane's grandfather and aunts and uncles and also with his Maw Maw. Still lots of celebrating to do.

I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas and enjoyed their time with their families as well as remembering the real reason for the season!

33 Weeks 2 Days

My parents have been here since Sunday and it has been so nice having them here!! They have been to Tuscaloosa several times prior to this since we have lived here, but they are usually in their motor coach. So this is actually the first time they have stayed in our house, and I much prefer it!!! On Tuesday, my parents drove to Nashville to meet my aunt and uncle at which time they picked up Grandma Key (my dad's mom). I am so glad and grateful that they will all be here to celebrate Christmas.

Now, anyone that knows the Key family knows how much we love Grandma Key's chicken and dumplings. They are the best and up to this point, I can not find any that taste better!! Well tonight, after a several years wait, we got them!!! At this particular point in my pregnancy I can not seem to "put down" as much food as normal, so I was disappointed I could not eat more, but I did enjoy them!! Thanks Grandma!!!

After dinner, we watched 'A Christmas Story'. That is one of Shane's favorites, and I had not even seen it until 2 years ago. My dad had never watched it either, so we watched it and of course laughed.

As for Camden, he is growing larger and my ribs are soooo sore!! He loves to lay on the right side of my belly, so the right ribs are experiencing more pain than the left. He is still head down with his butt being located right under my sternum. His movements are much more deliberate now since he is getting stronger, and can sometimes be very uncomfortable. But, I still find it amazing to watch and feel his movements. It is so hard to believe that he is due to be here in 7 weeks. I can hardly wait to meet him!!!

32 Weeks 3 Days

As of today, I finally have all my Christmas shopping done and the gifts are wrapped and under the tree. It is a good feeling and now I can focus on the company that we will be having over the next few weeks. I am looking forward to my Mom and Dad coming on Sunday and then they will go and meet my aunt and uncle and pick up my Grandma Key. I am really excited about having them here for Christmas - so nice to have family around.

Well, I must take some time to brag on what a good friend I have. I have talked about Lorrie before in my entries, but this time she has out done herself. First of all, she has sent Camden numerous things throughout my pregnancy. Even when we weren't sure of the sex of the child, she sent girl items, just knowing it was a girl. : ) Well, yesterday a box arrived addressed to Mr. Camden Hood. Inside of this box was a ton of stuff that he needs including gowns, receiving blankets, her favorite type of fingernail clippers she used with her children, an ear thermometer, newborn pacifiers, under shirts, and a travel diaper changing station. How blessed we were to receive these wonderful items!!! It is so nice to have a great friend who will give me all sorts of advice and who I can ask questions to without her thinking I am crazy!! (or perhaps she does think I am crazy but just doesn't let on to that....)



Another thing that Lorrie has done that has been such a relief and blessing for us, has to do with when we move back to Texas. I had asked my sister a few months ago for a list of daycares that her friends have used that are supposed to be good. She sent me a list and they each had websites that I could go and get an idea of what they were like and what their curriculum consisted of. Based on what I had seen, I picked the one I liked the best and emailed them regarding our situation of not being back in Texas until July or August. Of course they had a waiting list and requested a $100 fee to just put our name on the list. When I questioned about the cost of this particular daycare, it was $210 a week. I was in shock. I know what people pay here in Tuscaloosa as well as in our home town, and last I checked it was not $210 a week. So I then checked with the second daycare on my list and they were requesting $190 a week. Well, I was at a loss of what to do. First, being on a budget and about to have a newborn, I don't have several hundred dollars to be throwing away to daycares that I have never even been to, much less talked to anyone there. Second, Shane and I know what area we would like to live in, but it really does depend on where Shane gets a job. Third, I like to have a good gut feeling about something before I jump in, and it is hard for me to get that feeling being 10 hours away from Tomball and never stepping foot in the establishments. So I emailed my trusty friend Lorrie, who lives in The Woodlands, and asked her if these costs and fees are normal for the area, and she replied that they were and to also be prepared to pay a registration fee once they accept him. Then she offered to me something that is priceless. You see, she is a stay at home mom with a child in pre-K and one who just turned 2. Next year her oldest, Garrett, will be going to Kindergarten, so she offered to keep Camden until we find a daycare that we are comfortable with once we get there. So I talked to Shane about the whole situation, and we agreed, that we would wait until we moved to start the daycare hunt. I am certain that what ever we find will have a waiting list, and Lorrie is just fine with that and will keep Camden until he is accepted. Is that just not an awesome thing - and definitely a prayer answered. One less thing for me to worry about!! Lorrie, you have helped me tremendously through this pregnancy and we appreciate you more than you know!!!!

31 Weeks, 6 Days

On Saturday, Shane and I went to our first birthing class. There were probably 6 or so couples there for the class. The teacher discussed the different stages of labor, contractions, labor plans, and other odds and ends. She then showed us a video that showed 5 different ladies giving birth naturally. Shane "rested his eyes" through the part of the woman talking, (which she wasn't the most interesting speaker) but was awake for the video. We then went for a tour of the labor and delivery unit so we would all be acquainted with where we will be. All in all, it was a lot of what I already knew, but was good to have a refresher.

After our class, Shane and I went and did some Christmas shopping here in Tuscaloosa. It is not that we have too much shopping left to do, but we do have a few people to buy for that we have no idea what to get. Well, to be honest, we did not get too much accomplished at all. After church on Sunday we headed to Birmingham to try shopping again, and again, not much accomplished. So hopefully, something will get accomplished this week - I am just waiting on some good ideas....
While Shane and I were in Dick's Sporting Goods, I was trying on some shoes. As I was waiting for the salesman to bring out a pair of shoes to me, there was a woman sitting next to me also waiting for shoes. She looked at me and asked when I was due. I told her February 9th and her response was, "You are so small!" Now, how was I supposed to respond to that???? I just said "Thank you" of course after making a comment that I feel huge. But seriously, what is a person supposed to say to that. Is it really a compliment or do people think to themselves that I must not be taking care of myself and giving my child what he needs? I honestly didn't and still don't know what to think about it, but it definitely is not the first time I have heard that comment. Oh well, so long as I know I am doing everything I should be doing to give Camden everything he needs at this time, I will just have to accept their comments and keep on going!

31 Weeks, 3 Days - 8th Appointment

I am now going every two weeks to the OB doctor. I gained 2 more pounds and am up to a total of 22 lbs. Camden's heart rate today was 140 and my fundal height was 28cm, which means I am measuring a little small. So at my next visit, which is set for December 28th, she is doing an ultrasound to make sure that Camden is growing just as he should. She did not really seemed concerned since he measured just fine during his last ultrasound. I am glad I will be having that ultrasound because I am certain it is his foot kicking me in my ribs, but then I always feel something big and hard right under my sternum, which I guess is his hiney. It will just be nice to see that he is doing what he needs to do in there during these last few weeks.

While at my doctor's appointment, I asked her about traveling. My parents, as well as my Grandma Key, are coming sometime around December 20th and staying until the 26th or 27th. Shane's parents are coming to Alabama around December 26th and then heading to Georgia to celebrate Christmas with the Hoods. So I asked her about us going to Georgia and she said I would be OK to go since I was only 34 weeks. She said she just really doesn't want me to travel after 35 weeks. So, looks like a busy holiday season for us!!!

Tomorrow is our first birthing class at the hospital. That ought to be interesting!!! LOL - I will definitely do an update about that!!

31 Weeks, 2 Days

I must start with congratulating my good friends from church, Sarah and Chandler Overcash, on the birth of their baby girl, Noah Catherine. She is absolutely beautiful. Sarah was exactly nine weeks ahead of me in our pregnancies, so it has been a lot of fun (and help) comparing and contrasting our pregnancies. Now, if my birth could be as easy as hers, I am ready!!!!

Shane's last day of school this week was Tuesday. Of course he did wonderful this semester as always. I am always so proud of his grades and know that he did the right thing in going back to school. Just one more semester, and he is done. (I am not sure who is more excited about that, him or me). The one thing I hate about the time between semesters is the fact that when I leave, he is still in bed. As a rule, the past few years it has bothered me a little, only because I wish it were me laying in that bed, but now that I am pregnant, it really bothers me since I stay tired!!!! No fault of Shane's, I am just jealous, which I know is not right!! I really should not complain about this because he does the laundry, cleans house (except for dusting which is our agreement), runs errands for me as needed and other things while he is off. I know how fortunate I am and really am grateful, just need to work on showing that more!!!

A funny little story - there is one particular doctor I work with that is in his 50's. I have always gotten along with him because I will give right back to him what he dishes out. Well, I usually work on the other side of the clinic, but today had to run over to the opposite side to deliver some paperwork, which is where he works. Well, here he comes walking down the hall and stops and just rubs and rubs my belly. I find it humorous, because if you knew him, he does not seem the type at all to do that. But he informed me today that it was like his kryptonite and he gained strength when he rubbed my belly. Well after that, he got out his stethoscope and wanted to listen. I told him he wasn't going to be able to hear anything, but he said he was listening to see if he heard a "Hook 'Em Horns" in there. So he put the stethoscope on my belly and said, "No, no Hook 'Em Horns, but I think I hear a Roll Tide. And if I listen really hard, there is a little Rammer Jammer in the back ground!" Well, let me just say, I think he may have a little wax in his ears, but only time will tell us that!!! ; )

30 Weeks, 5 Days

Let me start by saying Hook 'Em Horns and Roll Tide!!! January 7th, the National Championship Game, is going to be a tough day in the Hood household. I am torn, as you could imagine. Since I went to the University of Texas, and up until I met Shane, they were the only team I really cared about. But now that I have spent 2 1/2 years in Tuscaloosa, and our money goes to that school, I feel quiet a bond to the University of Alabama. But Texas is my home and I am sure I will be wearing burnt orange that day, but I can only imagine that I will be rooting for both. Needless to say, it will be interesting!!!

On Wednesday evening I went ahead and wrapped the majority of the Christmas gifts that we have purchased. The main reason I went ahead and did it was two fold. One, the Christmas tree, which I put up on Sunday, looked bare without gifts under it, and second, Shelbe (being blind) kept getting lost under it. Now if we could just figure out what to get a few people left on our list, I would feel better about Christmas being right around the corner!!

On Saturday morning, I tried to work on the nursery, but did not get to much accomplished except that his crib bedding is washed and ready for him to sleep in it. I really need to buy some Dreft and get some of his clothes washed and put away, and then I think I will feel like I have got something accomplished. Later that day, Shane and I went with one of his school mates to Wings, a sports type bar and grill, and watched the University of Alabama beat the Florida Gators. It was nice to go to a place where every one was loud and into the game, so Shane fit right in!!! : )

How our baby is growing:

Our baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in my uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

29 Weeks 6 Days

Today I had another appointment with the ophthalmologist. My vision has remained decreased since the cold I have had and the floater that showed up over a week ago is still present in my vision. Dr. Kudirka said that there was still swelling in my eye and that the floater I have will never go away, but may settle down. But, if I look for it, it will always be there. He said, again, that only time would tell if my vision will improve. I have been trying to remain hopeful that it will improve, since it seemed to be doing so until the cold. But he did make a comment that keeps lingering in my mind. He basically said that since it is remaining swollen that it can damage the optic nerve, basically therefore causing more damage to the eye. So, once again, I hope and pray that the vision improves sooner more so than later.

I am in awe that tomorrow is the 30 week marker for me. Ten weeks really is not that long, and who knows if he will go to full term. I must get busy!!! When I asked Shane if he was getting anxious about it, he looked at me like I was crazy. It amazes me that men can be so very oblivious to what is about to be a life changing event. I am ready to meet him and hold him, but know that I have lots to do before that time - so hopefully he will continue to stay in the comfort of my uterus until much closer to time.

29 Weeks 5 Days

After getting to spend time with my sister and her family, they of course had to leave today. We did not really do anything exciting while they were here, but I so enjoyed the time we all got to spend together. On Thursday evening, we celebrated Christmas between our two families since we will not see one another on or near Christmas and then watched the University of Texas vs. Texas A&M football game.

Mason

Braden

On Friday, Melissa, Shawn and I went and did a little shopping while Shane, Mason and Braden stayed at the house and played video games. I was able to pick up a few Christmas presents and luckily really don't have too much more to do. We got home during the second quarter of the Alabama vs. Auburn game and they got to see Shane in his game mode. Shane did a lot of yelling during the game, which Melissa found humorous. She is already feeling sorry for Camden for future game days! : )

On Saturday, we went sightseeing and looked for different places for Melissa to take pictures of the boys for their Christmas cards. The boys looked so handsome in their Christmas outfits! We of course took a tour of the campus, and took several pictures at Bryant-Denny Stadium. That evening we went and ate Mexican food, which I found a bit humorous since Shane and I are not fond of Alabama Mexican food, but Iguana Grill is probably the closest thing to Tex-Mex.

Shawn, Mason and Braden in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium

Me, Mason and Braden in front of statue

It amazes me how fast the boys are growing up, and I am looking forward to living closer so I can be more interactive in their lives. They are absolutely wonderful boys and I truly believe that Melissa and Shawn are doing such a great job raising them!!

29 Weeks, 2 Days - Thanksgiving Day

Today, and everyday, we have so much to be thankful for. My sister, her husband, and my two nephews are here visiting for the holidays - and it has been so nice. Today I cooked my first Thanksgiving meal, and as a person who is not so great at handing out compliments to herself, I was pleased. I did not even take the time to take a picture of the festivities, but all seemed to be good. One of my pet peeves for myself when cooking is making sure everything is done and ready at the same time. I must say, I conquered my goal of having it all ready to go at the same time. Now of course the meal will never be as good as mom's, but I was not striving for that!!!

Today was the first day that I actually felt one of Camden's body parts sticking out, which Melissa and I decided was probably his knee. He was making himself present for the Thanksgiving meal! Now we must decide what we are going to do the rest of the weekend - definitely no early shopping for any of us!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and really took the time to think about all the blessings they have to truly be thankful for!

29 Weeks 1 Day

On Monday I underwent the three hour glucose tolerance test. I thought that fasting would be the hardest part of that test, but found out very early that it was ingesting the horrible glucose cocktail that they give you. My one hour test was done in my doctor's office and I had the choice of orange, lemon-lime or cola flavored. It wasn't the best stuff, but was definitely drinkable. In the lab, they gave me what was supposed to be fruit punch and I can assure you, the only resemblance to fruit punch was the color. For the 3 hour test you have to drink twice as much and I will be honest, it was rough. I drank and drank and drank and felt I would never get it down. Half way through, the lab tech gave me a straw to see if that would help. Well, I wouldn't say it helped, but I did get it all down. Since the lab is in the building I work in, I was able to go back to work and have a coworker draw my blood every hour. Kim (my wonderful coworker) actually decided we should just start an IV and draw the blood out of it so I wouldn't have to get stuck so many times. I was all for that and she did a fantastic job!!! So after the three hours was up, I just knew I would be starving to death, but by this time it was 10:45 am and I knew lunch was right around the corner, so opted not to eat something then. Within one hour, my sugar bottomed out when I was on the phone with a patient and I was sweating profusely. I thought that I was hiding the way I felt, but after I reached for a granola bar and started eating it, one of my other coworkers looked at me and gave me a peppermint and then when Kim walked up, the look on her face said it all. She made me eat a glucose tab and within 10 minutes or so I was back in action. After receiving my test results, this event all made sense!!!

So I called the doctor's office on Tuesday and she had not reviewed the results yet, so I called back on Wednesday and was told I passed. My fasting sugar was 84. The one hour was 98, two hour 91, and three hour 85. (So who knows how low it was one hour later!!) I was thrilled, but in shock. How in the heck could I have 178 on my fasting and not even get over 100 on the three hour. One of the doctor's I work with said not to be concerned, but it just seems odd to me. I will be looking forward to Dr. D explaining that one to me!! But I am so grateful and feel so blessed that I do not have gestational diabetes. I had been trying to accept the fact that I did. My husband gets irritated with me that I am negative when it comes to things like that, but what I tried to explain to him is that I would rather be prepared than be oblivious and in denial. Either way, I am still so happy!!

Today I went and saw Dr. Hogan and I told him about the decreased vision in my eye as well as the floater that appeared on Sunday and has not left. I told him that I had a chest cold and contributed the decreased vision to the coughing I was doing. He told me that MS and things like ocular neuritis, will indeed flare up with any type of viral or bacterial infection, especially like with a UTI. I told him that I had just gotten over a UTI - he did not find it surprising that I was having problems and told me once again that it would take time. I also discussed with him the concern Dr. D had with me having an epidural since she thought it caused flare ups of MS (even though I don't have it) post partum. He told me that it is not the epidural that causes the flare ups, it is just post-partum in general with all the hormones and everything the body has gone through and he saw no reason as to why I should not have an epidural if that is the route I wanted to go. So all in all, an informative visit. I am due back to see him mid-March once Camden is here.

When I got home from work today, I found that my dear husband had gone and picked up the baby bed and had it put together in Camden's room. I am very pleased with the bed, but not really certain about the color on the walls - that is another story for another time!!! He and my brother-in-law will go and pick up the dresser this Saturday and then we can really start trying to get the nursery together - thank goodness!!! I will post pictures when we have the room all together.

I am looking forward to my sister and her family coming to visit this Thanksgiving. They have not been to Alabama since we have lived here. I am a bit anxious about cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner by myself - I will let you know how that goes!!!!

How our baby is growing:

Our baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in his hardening skeleton each day.

28 Weeks 4 Days

Today was the last home game that we will be attending here at the University of Alabama. I am sad because football season is something we absolutely love and we will definitely miss going to the games as well as the atmosphere. It was an easy game for us because we played Tennessee-Chattanooga and beat them 45-0. Luckily, it was an early game so I was able to come home and work on Camden's nursery. I had Shane move everything out of the room so I could steam clean the carpet and clean the baseboards real good, and then we moved just the bed and dresser back in so that my nephews would have a place to sleep next week when they come for Thanksgiving. I feel a little bit better about the progress of his nursery, but will feel much better about it when we go and pick up his furniture next weekend and get it set up. Of course, I still have to pick out a paint color for Shane to paint an accent wall in his room, but I don't plan on getting too carried away with it since we will be moving between 3 and 5 months after he is born.

I did get some pre-Thanksgiving grocery shopping accomplished on Wednesday night. I figured I had better try to get a few things accomplished in regards to the meal so that I would not be killing myself trying to get it all done on Thanksgiving day. I am really excited about my sister and her family coming here since they have not been here to visit since we moved here. However, I am a bit concerned about our meal since my mother normally does the turkey. This will be the first time I attempt this all on my own, and since I hate to fail, I put too much pressure on myself. But, I am ready to try!! I will keep you posted on how the whole meal goes.

As for an eye update, I felt like things seem to be getting a little better, aside from the blind spot I have in my peripheral vision. I started getting a sore throat on Wednesday and by Thursday it turned into a chest cold and I have been coughing quiet a bit. Since I have been coughing, I have noticed that my vision in the right eye has seemed to become blurry again. I told Shane earlier today that I would not be surprised if the pressure from coughing has an affect on the ocular neuritis thus causing my vision to digress. Well after doing some research, what I thought was indeed true. I do have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Hogan (the neurologist) on Wednesday so will discuss it with him then, but figure once again, that time will have to heal this.

28 Weeks 3 Days - Seventh Appointment

Today I had an OB appointment as well as my glucose tolerance test. I have been dreading this particular appointment since I found I was pregnant because I was always so afraid that I was going to have gestational diabetes. My reasoning behind this, is when I was in nursing school, back in 1994, I had a problem with my sugar then and had a 3 hour glucose tolerance test. Basically the findings were that my sugar would get really high after I ate and then my natural insulin would kick in and drop my sugar really low and make me very fatigued. To make a long story short, my doctor told me then that I would probably have gestational diabetes whenever I did decide to have a child. Also, I feel like I have my age going against me.

So, I was called back and instructed to drink my orange (syrup) soda and then she obtained my weight - which I have now gained twenty pounds. Camden's heart rate was 140 bpm by doppler and my fundal height was 27cm - which is right on cue. Dr. D and I discussed pre-term labor and she ordered a follow up urine test to make sure my urinary tract infection was all gone, which I suspect it is. We also discussed if I wanted to have natural child birth or an epidural. I am not opposed to trying natural, but if I feel the need for an epidural will definitely ask. She told me that I needed to discuss with the neurologist about having an epidural. Apparently epidurals can cause people with MS to have flare ups post-partum, which she knows I don't have MS, but felt I should discuss with him this since I have an increased risk of getting it in the future. So I will ask Dr. Hogan when I see him on Wednesday. After my appointment with Dr. D, I went back to work, (since my office is the floor right below the OB doctor) and after my hour was up, I went back to the OB lab for them to check my sugar. Now, they want it to be 140 or less one hour after ingesting the syrup, and don't you know, mine was 178. I FAILED miserably!!!! So, now I will be having the three hour glucose tolerance test on Monday - which stinks since it is right before Thanksgiving. I honestly do not think I will pass it either since I failed by such a huge margin, so I am feeling a bit bummed about it all.

I must remember that Camden is moving as he should, my measurements do not appear to be large, so as for now, he is right on target with his growth. I will try to focus on the positives of all this and just do whatever it is I need to do to have a healthy baby boy.

How our baby is growing:

By this week, our baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

27 Weeks 5 Days

On Thursday I received a call from the place where I ordered my furniture, and it is in!!! Woo Hoo!! I think Shane and I decided that we would wait until the Saturday after Thanksgiving to pick it up since my sister and brother-in-law will be here and can help get it loaded and unloaded. I can hardly wait to get the nursery started!!

This weekend was so very special to me and I honestly don't think I could have asked for a better weekend. Shane and I left for Texas Friday morning, and after Shane receiving a speeding ticket in Louisiana, arrived there mid afternoon. On Saturday, two of my dear friends, Lorrie Dillon and Lisa Reeves, my sister, and my "other" mom, Pat Appel, gave me a shower in my hometown of Orange. I was so pleased to see people that I have not seen since I left Texas. Two hours was just not enough time to catch up with everyone. The hostesses did such a great job with the decorations and food. I told Lorrie (who did the decorations) that she was definitely going to have to be my party planner once we move back to Texas!!! The cake was made by my best friend from intermediate school, Jeannie, and I must say she did a great job. Everything, you could tell, was made with time and love and it all really meant so very much to me. I feel bad for not being able to spend more time with my close friends - I was looking forward to chatting!!! Camden received lots of cute clothes and I honestly feel like I can now have a baby because I have the necessities needed - a carrier, diapers, wipes, clothes, baby toiletries, and hopefully my breast milk!!

Jeannie did a great job on the cake!!

Very tasty and precious cookies.

Lorrie, Melissa, Me and Lisa

My dear co-workers who I miss so much
Amber, Angie, Carla, Me, Jane and Lisa

Me with some precious burp cloths!

27 Weeks - Third Trimester

It is soooo hard to believe that today starts my third trimester. It seems like yesterday that we found out we were pregnant, but yet so much has happened since then. Today was my last dose of Macrobid and I am finally back to my normal prenatal vitamins and other supplements. I am feeling good, aside from tiring more easily, and my vision seems to be improving. Things are clearer, although it takes a little longer for things to focus out of the right eye, and I still have the area that I am missing my vision in the upper right corner of my visual field. I am staying hopeful that my vision will continue to return and before too long will be back to normal. As for Camden, he is still in the head down position and kicks a lot, which I still love to feel!!! I am looking forward to his furniture coming in so that we can finally get started on the nursery. I have really tried to remain calm about his nursery (or lack there of) but now that this is the third trimester, I am starting to get a little antsy!!! Hopefully it will be here right around Thanksgiving - surely I can remain calm till then! : )

How our baby is growing:

This week,our baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, our baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now.

26 Weeks 5 Days

This has been a busy, but pleasant weekend. Friday, I worked until 12:00 pm and decided that I HAD to finally plant my pansies in the front flower bed. Now, I did not intentionally wait this long to do this, but we had an issue with a leak in our front yard that was keeping our flower bed very wet. Last Saturday, Shane and I dug and found the leak in the main water line going to our house, and luckily our across the street neighbor had knowledge of how to fix this type of problem and brought all the needed tools on Sunday and spent several hours fixing the leak. So I gave it a week to make sure all was well and finally got the pansies planted on Friday. Now let me just stop here and say that I have been going to the gym, mainly to do cardio, and definitely not as often as prior to pregnancy, but at least two to three times per week. It is obvious that I have not done a thing with the muscles in my legs because I suffered until probably Wednesday of last week, and then again till Monday of this week with SORE legs!!! Amazing what bending up and down to work in the yard can do to a person!! But the flower bed looks good, and I enjoyed being outside working in the yard.

Of course, Saturday was Alabama vs. LSU and we spent the majority of the day walking around the quad and then going to the game. I told Shane as we were sitting at the game that I really am going to miss going to the football games once we move back to Texas. Today, I helped give a baby shower for one of my friends who is due next month. It was so exciting to see all the precious little outfits and baby stuff that she received for her daughter. It made me even more excited for my shower this weekend!!! I can hardly wait to see all my Texas friends!!!!

26 weeks

So just when you think things are going to start looking up . . . . . something new takes place!! I woke up this morning in usual fashion and headed straight to the bathroom to tinkle, urinate, potty, or whatever other word you would like to use. I got up, turned around to flush the toilet, and noticed nothing but blood tinged water. Of course I panicked, sat back down and calmed myself down. After further review, it did not seem to be vaginal bleeding, thank the Lord. So I continued to get myself ready for the day, and before leaving, once again used the restroom, with blood noted again. After I got to work, I went ahead and went to the lab and gave a urine specimen and then when the doctor's office opened, I called them and let the nurse know the events of the morning, and that the lab results should be headed their way. Well, needless to say, it is a horrible urinary tract infection, of which I have not ever had, and so I am now on Macrobid to help cure this minor problem. Luckily, as far as symptoms, I only have a little flank pain that comes and goes and some pressure type discomfort in my lower abdomen.

Two positive notes about the day, Dr. Hogan's office called and all the additional blood test he did came back negative and today was my last day of Prednisone!!!! : )

How our baby is growing:

The network of nerves in our baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both my voice and Shane's as we chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (a cucumber) from head to heel. His testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

25 Weeks 3 Days

Today I had a follow up appointment with the ophthalmologist, Dr. Kidurka, and much to my surprise he told me that some of the swelling has gone down in the right eye. I was relieved to hear that, especially since my vision has not improved any. He reminded me that it will take time to regain the vision, but to remember that I may not regain it all. I do not have to see him again for 4 weeks. We will continue to pray for healing in that eye!!

After my appointment, I went and ate breakfast with a co-worker at a place called Rama Jama's. It is on the University of Alabama campus right by the stadium and is a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but one of those nostalgic places I needed to go before leaving Tuscaloosa. I definitely enjoyed my greasy breakfast which consisted of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, grits and a biscuit!! Sad to say, I cleaned my plate, but boy was it worth it!

25 Weeks 2 Days - Sixth Appointment

Today I had my regularly scheduled OB appointment. It did not start off too well for me with a nine pound weight gain on the scale - which of course Dr. D related to the steroids! I will definitely be looking for none at the next appointment! She measured the height of my fundus which was at 22cm. This is good because you should be within 4 cm of how ever many weeks you are. She did another ultrasound to finally get the measurements that Camden would not let us get the last two times, and according to the ultrasound, he was measuring 24weeks and 5 days, weighs about 1 pound 12 ounces and his heart rate was 148. That was a relief to me because I was a little concerned that the steroids might have had an effect on stimulating his growth. Dr. D decided we should do the 1 hour glucose tolerance test in 2 to 3 weeks once the steroids have had time to leave my system so as not to result a false positive. But since I will be headed to Texas for a baby shower in 2 weeks, I scheduled it for 3 weeks.

Also, Dr. Hogan (the neurologist) called personally today to review the optic test I had in his office Tuesday. With this test the score you obtain should only be about two points different between your two eyes, with seven being the maximum. Well, I had an eight point difference between the right and left eyes which pathologically shows the right eye to have optic neuritis. (OK, didn't we already know this?) Anyway, I was very impressed that he himself called. Again, I must say I have been very blessed with the doctors I have had during my care. They have all been extremely knowledgeable as well as have great bedside manners.

Tomorrow I have another ophthalmology appointment, which to be honest I am not looking forward to because I believe that he again will tell me there is no improvement. That is always a bit disheartening to hear. But the good news about tomorrow is I start my tapering dose of steroids, so hopefully before too long will get back to my old self!! (Got to look for the positives!!!)

25 Weeks

Today I went to see the neurologist, Dr. Hogan. He did another full neuro exam and informed me that my spinal tap results for MS were negative. He reminded me that I do still have a chance of having MS in the future and that I will have to keep a check on that. He also performed another ocular visual test where they attach these leads to your scalp and you stare at a light for a minute and it reads how your brain is reacting. He expects the left eye to be better than the right eye (obviously). He also ordered more extensive lab work to rule out any other causes for the ocular neuritis. It will be about a week or so before those test results come back. So, all in all, good news.

When I got home this evening, I finally did my Pilates for Pregnancy video. I did feel some good stretching, but I will admit, it was hard for me to do Pilates because it is sooooo slow paced and I like up beat type things. But, if it will help in the end, I guess I can do it twice a week as recommended by Dr. D!!!

How our baby is growing:

Head to heels, our baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

24 Weeks 5 Days

I finally felt a bit more productive this weekend after 'taking it easy' for the past week and a half. Of course Shane and I went to the Alabama vs. Tennessee football game, which was way too close for comfort. We were both exhausted and in bed by about 9:00 pm. We both blamed it on the sun taking the energy out of us : ) Today we went to church, ran a few errands, and then came home and washed my vehicle. Afterwards, I swept off the back porch, went and worked out, cut Shane's hair, and trimmed Zach's nails!!! It was really good to get back to the gym since it has been about three weeks, but I am hoping that I did not set myself up for being exhausted the rest of the week.

As far as an eye update, yesterday the vision in the right eye seems to have decreased a bit more. I had a visual field test when I first went to the doctor and there was a decrease in part of my visual field, but as of yesterday, I have a spot in the upper right hand corner of my visual field that is now missing. I just keep telling myself that it is a "time thing" and trying to remain patient, which I am HORRIBLE at. According to the information I have found, it can take weeks to months for this to clear up, and there is a possibility that I will not totally regain my vision. So we continue to pray for healing!!!

As far as Camden goes, he seems to be doing great!! He is a moving machine in there, and seems to stay positioned so that it is the right side of my stomach that is moving. I just love when he kicks. It puts a smile on my face every time!! I know that will change as space becomes more cramped, but for the time being it is a joy.

How our baby is growing:

Our baby is growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

24 Weeks 2 Days

Today has been an extremely discouraging day for me! I have, of course, been struggling with my vision, but have been pleased with what I thought was progression in the right eye. The gray hue has not been there, nor the points of clarity amidst fuzziness. It has just seemed out of tune. Well this morning when I woke up, I felt as though I had taken a step backwards. The same type of symptoms that I had experienced with the optic neuritis had reoccured. Now, I have tried not to get to excited about any of this, knowing that it will take time to heal, but after I had seen what I thought was improvement, I just did not expect a back step. So I debated all morning at work if I should call the ophthalmologist or not and finally, after coercing from a co-worker, I called after lunch. They asked me to go ahead and come in and let them re-exam me. Well, what I had hoped was paranoia was not. According to Dr. Kudirka, the eye really has not improved at all. He states there is still a lot of swelling in the right eye and that it really was going to take some time and not to be surprised if some days seemed better than others. Honestly, I guess I needed to hear that, but I can assure you, I was taken back. It is so frustrating to know that I have done all that is asked of me in regards to taking the steroids and then having such ill affects from them with no noticeable improvement at all. I also think part of my problem is that this Prednisone is causing me to feel depressed, which is not my "norm" at all!!! I have prayed and prayed for healing of the eye as well as protection for Camden from the medication. Apparently, I need to hand this whole-heartedly over to God and allow him to do his will and work favorably upon the situation.

24 Weeks

Just a quick little entry to say how I am feeling. I have gained almost a pound a day of fluid and am up 6 pounds as of this morning. My legs and abdomen seem to be where the fluid is building up the most. I started wearing support hose today to try to help with the edema. This morning Dr. DiPiazza called and left a message on my voice mail reviewing some of my lab results with me from the weekend and also just really checking to see how I am doing. She was concerned about my glucose being elevated, as well as my sodium being low. She just recommended I lay off of the plain water and have Gatorade and watch the sugar intake. (Glucose being elevated is a side effect of the steroids, so we were not really surprised at the elevation.) She is the most considerate person and I am so fortunate to have her as my doctor!!! Anyway, I called back and spoke with the nurse and informed her that I checked my sugar at work this morning and it was 97 which was better than the numbers from the weekend. I also informed her of the 6 pound weight gain and the fact that I did not notice the gray hue in the right eye (the affected eye) but the fact that my vision in the left eye was blurry (which again I related to my glucose being elevated). She spoke with Dr. D and called back and had me have more lab work drawn today, which I did. When I got home, I went through my stash of contacts and found a different contact to try in the left eye which made the vision much better. It is like I told Shane, I think my left eye had been a little off prior to all of this, and then had to compensate when the right eye went bad and now that the right eye seems to be getting better it is letting the right eye do the work. Well, I have another ophthalmology appointment next week and will discuss that further with the doctor then!

23 Weeks 5 Days

Yesterday was a day of relaxing, infusions, and football. Since Dr. DiPiazza had told me that she did not want me to go to the Alabama football game, Shane invited his Uncle Ronald (who lives in Birmingham) to go with him. I was excited that they were able to share that time together, but a little more selfishly, I was excited that his Aunt Manya was going to come over and watch the game with me. Once the boys left, we decided our food agenda, which once again was a good one for me. We decided we were going to the Waffle House for a patty melt and hash browns. YUMMMM!!! I don't even know the last time I ate that, because that is not a place Shane cares to go! So we ate there and came home and watched the game on TV. We were both pleased that we were able to watch the game in the heat, versus the cold that it was outside!!

Today, my last infusion was at 10:00 am and then I was able to discontinue the darned IV. I was so excited to take that darn thing out. The home health nurse came around 11:00 am for my last blood draw and to discharge me from their services. I unfortunately had to miss church, but Shane did go. When he got home, we headed out to Target and Toys R Us to register. It really wasn't until today that I started feeling the real effects of fluid build up. Up until this time, my only real side effects from the Solu-Medrol were a slight headache all day as well as bad reflux. But today, it was harder to breath, hard to get up and down, and I felt like I was loosing my voice all day. That, in combination with what I considered was a little stress from registering, pretty much tired me out. I enjoyed picking things out for Camden, but felt at such a loss if I was really picking the right things we needed. I decided in my heart of hearts, that honestly if he has love, comfort, protection and all the basic things he needs from Shane and me, the others are things that will make our lives easier, not necessarily his. So, I put my trust in my friends that have given me great ideas as well as a few motherly instincts, and pray that the list has the main things it needs!!!

The other thing we finally decided on today was bedding. As I have said from the beginning, I like the more contemporary things, and really did not want a theme. Of course after us not agreeing on colors, I had ran across a bedding set called Cooperstown that has a baseball type theme. When my mother and I went shopping at a baby store in Houston a few weekends ago she and I actually got to see it in person and mom thought it was perfect. I myself still was not sure. But I gave Shane three different beddings to choose between, and that is what he chose. I must say, it is something I like and think it is fitting for my husband's son!!! : )

23 Weeks 3 days

During my infusions, Camden has been very active which I relate it to being steroids that we are receiving!! I have been able to feel, as well as see, Camden move for a while now, but every time I have Shane put his hand on my belly to feel him, Camden quits moving. Well, Wednesday night after my 10:00 pm infusion, he was extremely active and Shane was finally able to feel him move. I was so glad that he finally got to feel what I believe up to this point has been my favorite part of being pregnant!!

Well, as I said, Camden has been extremely active with the infusions, that is up until mid day yesterday. During our 10:00 am infusion he was extremely active and then after the 4:00 pm infusion I was working on my blog entry so did not really pay attention. But as the evening wore on, I noticed I had not felt him move. So after the 10:00 pm infusion, I was very focused on feeling his movements, which I did not feel any. So I went to bed and laid down on my back, which usually gets him to kicking also, and again no movement. I finally fell asleep, and during my 4:00 am infusion once again, no movement. I laid in bed and waited and waited and did not feel a thing. The OB office opened at 8:00 am at which time I called and was told to come in so they could check the baby. As I was in the waiting room waiting to be called back, a dear friend from church, Sarah Overcash, showed up for her OB appointment and I was so relieved to see a familiar face. Shane was taking a make up test from the one he missed Wednesday and then had class, so I did not want him to miss anymore school. It just helped to know that she was there in that office in case the news was not good. Thankfully his heartbeat was nice and strong at 150 bpm. Dr. DiPiazza was not in the office yet and I was told I could wait and see her, but for me I received all the confirmation I needed. On my drive home I received a call from Dr. DiPiazza checking on me and she recommended that I could go and buy a fetal monitor at Toys R Us or online and maybe would have more piece of mind - that I may definitely do!! She also gave me her cell phone number and was told to call if I had any questions or concerns at all. As I have said before, I just LOVE her!!!!

As of now, I still have yet to feel Camden move, little turd, but I will stay content on the fact that God is taking care of the both of us. As I said in a previous blog, prayer is so powerful and I am grateful for all the family and friends that are praying for us!!!

How our baby is growing:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, our baby can feel me dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), I can see him squirm underneath my clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that his increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as our dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

23 Weeks 2 Days - Unexpected News

I don't even know where to begin, but I will fore warn you, this will be a lengthy entry. First of all, for those of you that know me, I have HORRIBLE vision (-10.75 in right eye and -10.25 in the left). I knew ahead of time that pregnancy could change your vision and everywhere you read it insists that you do not get a new prescription during pregnancy because after birth you will return to your previous correction. A few weeks ago, I noticed a change in the vision in my right eye. It was extremely bothersome to me because I love to see crystal clear and I am right eye dominant. I have a battery of older gas permeable contact lenses and tried each of them seeing if I could see any better, to no avail. I would notice that when I would take out my contacts the right eye would seem 'dimmer' than the left, almost like a gray hue. The other thing interesting is that if I tried to focus on something far away, I could see spots of clarity amidst the fuzziness. Well, deep down I had a feeling it really just was not my vision changing due to it being in just the right eye as well as the gray hue along with spots of clarity. I did a little research and found that there are a few other issues pregnant women can have including problems with your retina and pretty much had decided that was probably my issue. So I made an appointment with an optometrist that my co-workers recommended. I usually see an ophthalmologist but knew that it would take longer to get in with them and the optometrist had after work hours which meant I didn't have to miss any work.

So, my appointment was Tuesday at 5:30 pm. I was taken back and the usual work up was done by the assistant. Then the optometrist, Dr. Bonds, came in and first tried to correct my vision without success. I was seeing 20/40 out of the right and 20/20 out of the left eye. Before looking in the back of my eyes, she mentioned that she thought it may be the same retinal problem I was thinking. After she looked in my eyes, she informed me that it was definitely not the retinal problem because the retina looked great, but instead that I had a lot of swelling in the right eye, the vessels looked very irritated and the optic nerve was swollen. She called in another optometrist and after he looked in my eyes, he seemed very concerned. He was very honest and said that they needed to do a visual field test as well as other testing. So, during the visual field test Dr. Bonds came in and asked me who my OBGYN was and if I had her phone number. I handed over that information and proceeded with the testing. Once I was taken back to the exam room she came back in and told me that they had called the OB on call as well as the neurologist at the hospital and felt that I needed to go to the Emergency Department for an MRI as well as some lab work to rule out any type of tumor or giant cell arteritis that could be causing the swelling or ocular neuritis. So I texted one of the doctors I work with, Dr. Hemstreet, and asked him to call the ED for me to try to expedite things, which he of course agreed to do. So off to Druid City Hospital Emergency Department I went.

When I arrived at the ED at 7:30 pm, it was jammed packed with a six hour wait. I registered at the desk and they took me directly back to a triage room where I was triaged within 5 minutes, and then back in an exam room within another 5 minutes. Talk about service. I got tickled when the registration clerk came in my room and kind of looked me up and down and asked puzzled if I was in an accident or injured. I told him no. He said, "Well I am trying to figure out why they have you as a Category 2 which is the highest acuity category you can be unless you are receiving CPR." I just chuckled and explained to him that one of the doctors I work with called ahead and talked to Dr. Posey, one of the ED docs. Thank the Lord for Dr. Hemstreet.

After being in my room about 15 minutes, Shane showed up with his backpack full of study material as well as snacks. It just so happens that my timing is impeccable because he had two tests scheduled for Wednesday, each being in his more difficult classes. I hated that he had to spend his time in the ED with me instead of studying at home. Within 30 minutes Dr. Posey came in to see me and took a history and then ordered the MRI as well as lab work. He explained to me that with optic neuritis there is a strong association with MS (multiple sclerosis). He said that this is one of the first signs and how people figure out that they have MS. They were looking for lesions on my brain as well as any type of tumor. Shortly thereafter, a very sweet RN (who is also pregnant) came in and started an IV and drew some blood. Within minutes the MRI tech came and took me to get an MRI/MRA of my head. That was a very interesting experience. It was very loud which must have startled Camden because he was very active during the whole 20 minute test. But the MRI tech was very personable and nice and I appreciated the time he took with me. I was taken back to my exam room afterwards at which time I was able to eat the snacks Shane brought me, but I didn't eat them all because I was ready to eat a good supper upon our discharge. Within 30-45 minutes Dr. Posey returned to tell me the MRI was normal. YEA!!!! But the bad news was he needed to do a spinal tap to make sure that I did not have increased intracranial pressure and also to obtain spinal fluid to send off for further testing, including an MS profile and that they wanted to admit me for further neurological testing by Dr. Lucy (a neurologist) as well as probably start me on IV steroids. Now I was not a happy camper and extremely concerned. I have worked in an ER and know all about spinal taps and that is one of the many things on my list that I never wanted to have done to me - mainly because I just don't like the idea of someone sticking something in my spinal column. I questioned him about who was going to do it and he had informed me that he would be the one to do it. Again, I was leery, but up to this point I did have a good feeling about him and appreciated his honesty with me as well as his bedside manner.

They moved us to a different exam room and within 15 minutes Dr. Posey came in with a nurse and explained the spinal tap to me and had me assume a fetal position, which I must admit is not easy with a baby in your belly. But whatever I needed to do so that he could successfully do the spinal tap with one stick, I was willing. He talked me through the whole procedure, and to be very honest, it was not bad at all!!! He was able to measure my pressure right then which was right where it should be. He told me afterwards that he was actually going to send me to radiology and let them do the procedure under fluroscopy, but knew they would not check my pressure and if you want something done right to do it yourself, so that is exactly what he did. Sounds just like my father, so once again I was reassured!! The other thing I learned while sitting and listening to the nurses in the hall, was that Dr. Posey was to leave at 11:00 pm and it was 11:15 pm when he did the procedure, so he actually stayed over to do the procedure!!! Also, as he left the room, he requested that I call him on Wednesday after 3:00 pm when he returned back to work and let him know how things had turned out. What does that tell you about him? Another point for him!! So I was told to lay flat for 40 minutes or so to let the area clot off to help prevent the dreaded headache that can occur after a spinal tap. I did just that and after about 45 minutes they came to get me to take me up to my room on the OB floor.

At about 12:00 am we ended up in the room and I was greeted by two wonderful nurses. Once again I was tickled because the RN's name was Warreen (who while she was pregnant craved seafood and always ate ice cream with shrimp on it) and the LPN was Classie. They were just great. I told them both I would be looking for them upon my return in February. They were baffled as to why I was there, thinking that I must be having problems with my pregnancy, and were intrigued that I was there due to an eye problem. Even so, they were interested and eager to learn about my diagnosis, as was the other nurses I had throughout the day. I was really concerned about Shane getting home to get some rest prior to his two big tests, but when the nurses asked him if he was staying, he talked to them like he was going to go home and let out the dogs and come back. After they left the room, I told him he had to go home and stay home because if he did what he had planned, he would be lucky to have even 2 hours sleep before his tests at 8:00 am and 10:00 am. After the nurses came in and out to get things situated and bringing me some chocolate ice cream and graham crackers (since by now I definitely missed the supper I thought I was going to eat upon discharge), I convinced Shane to go home and stay there. But bless his heart, you could tell that he did not want to leave. He probably stood there with his back pack on his back for thirty minutes before he finally left at about 1:10 am. Around 1:20 am, the OB doctor on call, Dr. Poist came by to see me and told me that the neurologist would be in to see me later that day, that it was really out of the OB realm.

I was able to sleep from about 2:00 am to 6:00 am with only a few interruptions. Warreen came in about 6:15 am and gave me a menu and told me I could order whatever I wanted from the cafe for breakfast. She was aware that I have been loving breakfast food while pregnant and recommended their omelets. So at about 6:40 am I called and ordered a bacon, cheese with tomato omelet, a biscuit with gravy and grits. It arrived within 30 minutes, and I must say was very good, especially the biscuit with gravy!!! That morning, the cardiologist I had texted, Dr. Hemstreet and Jeremy, his CRNP, came to visit, as well as another cardiologist I work for, Dr. Lewis and John, her CRNP. It meant a lot that they came by to check on me. When Dr. Hemstreet was there, he asked if I heard anything from Dr. Dipiazza and informed me he thought she may be on vacation because he had not seen her car in the parking garage in a week. Shortly after they all left, one of the other OB doctors came and checked on me so I figured that Dr. Hemstreet must be right about Dr. D.

Up to this point, I had been really doing well, but after I was left alone that morning, I had a huge meltdown. All I could think about was that somehow the steroids they wanted to put me on would affect Camden and as a mother you do everything to protect your child and now I may do something to harm my child. Luckily as I was having my meltdown, Lorrie (one of my dear friends from Houston) called and she was able to look on the internet and tell me all about ocular neuritis as well as how that and MS are related. It helped give me a grasp of the whole situation and let me really think things through so that when the neurologist showed up I could have my questions in order. Also, with the information she gave me I felt like I could be more specific with my prayers since I was really at a loss. Amazing how God works!!

Well, much to my surprise, Dr. DiPiazza showed up around 9:15 am. I was so relieved to see her because I trust her completely. She told me that they would probably want to start me on steroids which would definitely be fine at this point in my pregnancy and not to worry. She asked me how I was doing and I told her about my meltdown and she was very comforting. I could see that she too was concerned and as of yet the spinal fluid results had not yet come back, but she did know that the MRI showed no lesions which was positive. I had told her what Dr. Hemstreet said about him not seeing her vehicle and she laughed and said that she had gotten a new car - a convertible Mini Cooper!! That so fits her. She said it is very different from her hand me down Exterra she had and that her children, age 14 months and 5 years old were very close to her now in the Mini Cooper. Too funny!!!

Shane had emailed all of his professors the night before and informed them of the situation that was going on. He emailed his 10:00 am professor (which was his second test) and asked if he could take it earlier. He never did hear from him and stayed at school till about 9:30 am waiting to take the test and when the professor never showed up, he headed to the hospital. He knew that this particular professor would not have a problem with him taking the test later. I was surprised to see him that early, but very glad he was there. We both took about an hour nap or so and finally a little before 12:00 pm the neurologist, Dr. Lucy, showed up. He asked me a battery of questions and did a very thorough neuro exam on me. He probably stayed in the room 20 minutes or so and then said he was going to go review all the tests that had been performed up to this point and then would return to talk to us about everything. While he was gone, two of my coworkers, Sonya and Cheryl, came by to visit which was nice. Not too long after they left, Dr. Lucy came back in and told me that he had reviewed all the tests and there were definitely no lesions on the MRI and the blood tests were fine. Three of the four spinal tap results had returned, which were good, but the MS profile would take about 2 weeks to receive the results. He had done further research on optic neuritis and had looked at the different studies as of how to treat it with high doses of steroids IV for four days and then oral Prednisone for two weeks thereafter. He said he had talked to Dr. D and she was in agreement with the steroids. The studies show that someone at my age has a 50% chance of developing MS within 15 years due to the optic neuritis, but there is a decreased chance with taking the steroids. He did say that he is very conservative and does not even like to give Tylenol (which I so appreciate because I am conservative in that respect also) but if I was his wife or daughter, he would recommend taking the steroids. He said that he would hate for five years down the road for MS to show up and me wonder "what if I would have taken the steroids." I questioned him about if my vision would improve and the studies show that some do and some don't, but he thought it would improve. Before leaving he told us a lot about MS and how treatment had improved so much in the past 25 years he had been practicing and if I did ever receive that diagnosis not to think that I would automatically end up in a wheel chair. He was very matter of fact and informative, which we both appreciated. He told us to think about everything he had said and he would go ahead and write the order for the steroids as well as an MRI of the neck to make sure I had no lesions since MS lesions can be in the head or neck and leave me the material he had researched about all the studies regarding treatment for this. He said that if I would like to talk to Dr. D before I decided that would be fine too. After he left, Shane and I decided to proceed with the steroids and it wasn't 15 minutes later and there was Dr. D. She was so excited that it did not appear to be MS - she was very concerned about that. She again reassured me that it was fine to take the steroids. She said the only side effect to the baby could be a cleft lip and palate, but that is completely formed by day 56, so that should not be a worry since I am well beyond that. I asked her if I could go back to work and she told me I needed to wait until Monday. I asked her if I could go to the football game on Saturday and she told me no!! UGH!!! I didn't want to miss a game. She told me that I would probably not feel well at all on this high dose of steroids and may have nausea. She said I would likely gain weight, that she had a friend who gained 15 lbs on this regimen and that my appetite would increase. Boy, everything I was so looking forward to!!! ; ) In the meantime, our pastor, Jon Quitt, and associate pastor, Jonathan Cook came by and visited and prayed with us. Amazing how news travels (via Facebook I am sure). I appreciated their visit more than they could imagine!

So they came to get me for the MRI and at that time Shane left to go take his truck home and have a friend bring him back to the hospital so he could drive me home. When I got to MRI there again was the same MRI tech from the night before, Michael Allgood, and come to find out, he is the son of one of the sweetest RNs I work with. He got his personality honestly and I was glad to see him again! After the MRI, I returned to my room and the lab tech came and drew the lab, and then my nurse came and started the Solumedrol IV as well as gave me my discharge paperwork. The case manager came in and got my infusions set up for home and before leaving the hospital I had already spoke with the home health as well as the infusion therapy nurse who would be arriving to the house upon our return to instruct me on how to give myself the infusions. Right before I left, Dr. Bonds (the optometrist) called to check and see what all they found, and I did call Dr. Posey and gave him an update. I told him that I would not get the MS profile results for 2 weeks, and he asked if I again would call him and let him know how they turned out. (At this point I have decided that I must be a freak of nature since they are all really anxious to find out the findings and end results!)

We left for home and arrived at 5:30 pm. On our drive home, Lorrie called to tell me that she stays in touch with a pathologist she worked with in the lab and his wife happened to be a Neonatologist. Now Lorrie had spent the whole day on the internet researching ocular neuritis as well as MS and was concerned about me receiving the steroids. She actually had the opportunity to talk with the neonatologist who reassured her that what they had planned was the right regimen and she had never seen any adverse effects to a baby from this. She states that I was at the best part of my pregnancy for this and if I had been closer to 32 weeks or so, they probably would not have given me the steroids. So, all things seemed to be pointing in the right direction. By 6:00 pm or so the infusion nurse showed up and I had him go ahead and move my IV from my right hand to my left forearm so that I would be able to better maneuver the infusions. I was given the orders of giving myself infusions of a high dose of Solumedrol every 6 hours through Sunday, and then I would change to Prednisone by mouth for 14 days. The nurse told me he was concerned about the high dose I was receiving due to my pregnancy, but his wife has been a neonatal nurse for 32 years and he called her and she reassured him that was the proper dosage and it would be fine, so he felt much better about it. Once again, good confirmation!!

I decided that I would put myself on a 10 and 4 regimen so that I would only have to get up once in the middle of the night to infuse myself. Since then, the infusions have gone well. I have not had any nausea or really felt bad. Although, I do think it has increased my heartburn. Also, Camden is very active after the infusions are complete, which to me is not surprising. This morning the home health nurse came to draw my blood because they have requested that my electrolytes be checked daily while I receive IV infusions and then once a week while I take the Prednisone my mouth. UGH!!! I do believe I am already tired of being stuck. At 2:30 pm today I attended an appointment they set me up with an ophthalmologist and after a full dilated exam he confirmed everything we knew and wanted me to follow up in 2 weeks. My vision did improve to 20/30!! When I asked him if my vision would return fully, he said he thought it should, but there was a chance it would not be as clear. I am also to follow up with a neurologist in 2 weeks, but it will not be Dr. Lucy because he is just a neurologist in the hospital. Since my hospitalization, I have found out that all the doctors I had were the best there is from Dr. Posey to Dr. Lucy. I must say I had an awesome experience which I was not expecting from the stories I had heard from many of my patients.

How you will find me receiving my infusions at 10 am, 4 pm, 10pm, and 4 am!

I know that God has had a hand in every bit of this and I realize even more that all of life's experiences prepare you for what will come in your future. I worked for an ophthalmologist all through nursing school and my first job out of nursing school was for an ophthalmologist who owned a surgery center and we did eye surgery. One of my greatest loves has always been eyes and I would love to work in that field again. Also, I worked in an emergency room and was very prepared for what I was in store for. I believe that all these things as well as my relationship with the doctors I work for helped me with this whole experience and am grateful for everyone that was involved in my care. I really don't think this experience could have been any better. I am also so grateful for all my friends that have been praying for us and continue to pray for me and the health of Camden. As we all know, prayer is a powerful tool!!!