Holy cow!

Finally a good profile picture! 26w6d!

My first of the every two week appointments was today and HOLY COW this boy gained almost 1 full pound in 2 weeks! Last visit at 24w6d he was at 1 lb 14 oz today at 26w6d he is at 2 lbs 11oz! That is 1 ounce a day!!!! So much for thinking that I will be having a small baby when induced at 35-36 weeks. At this rate he will be around 7 lbs by that point! Baby Boy is doing excellent and the ultrasound tech could see him "breathing" today, which she indicated was a very good sign!!!! My OB also talked about tentitive induction being the first week of November. TIME IS FLYING! Before I know it I will be holding him in my arms!

Look at those long legs!

"Yes, Mom this is what is always kicking you!"

Baby Kappell giving the thumbs up to the camara and to tell us Mommy passed her gestational diabetes test!

Frontal view of baby Kappell's face with his mouth open. We were trying to get him to move during the ultrasound to give us a profile picture. His mouth was actually moving and he was telling us to quit poking him!

Everything is going great! This last visit to the doctor was cut short because he had to deliver someone else's baby via c-section right away, but no concerns and Baby Kappell is measuring right on target and on Friday, August 20th he was at an estimated weight of 1 lb 14 oz! And is at the 59th percentile for 24w6d!

I also saw Dr. Soto the pulmonologist last week and he is happy with how things are going and in his words, "We are ahead in the game!" All the additional precautions medicine wise are working and I am not showing any indicators that my PH is acting up! GOOD NEWS!

It's been awhile...

Since my last post...no new decent pictures to post...Baby BOY Kappell was NOT cooperating at the my appointment on Friday and the ultrasound tech did not get any good pictures. He had his backside to us the whole time and after many different attempts to make him move he decided to stay put. Good thing the last visit they got the pictures they needed. The one photo that he was NOT shy about was his "goods." And it is still a boy...I had to make sure! Everything else is going great. I am feeling better and only have a vomiting episode about once a week now instead of multiple times a day! My belly is finally looking like a pregnant belly! And I can feel him kick from the outside now and he sure lets me know he is in there. Eric still hasn't been able to feel the kicking but he is usually at work when he is most active. And last Friday his estimated weight was 1 pound! I am hoping to get the nursery together in the next couple weeks. I have some touch up painting to do, the carpets need to be cleaned and then the furniture can be delivered. I ordered furniture from The Lullabye Shop in Appleton and was told that it would be 8-10weeks before it came in and I got a call this last Saturday 2.5 weeks after I placed the order and it is already here! I went and paid the balance today and am supposed to call them when I am ready for delivery! I am getting excited about putting his room together!

It's a...

BOY! All my thinking pink and it's really been BLUE the whole time! So now the fun can begin...I have had the nursery all planned in my head for either sex and since it's already painted a robin egg blue color at least I don't have to worry about that!

No mistaking it below that we have a little boy!!

The OB is pleased with my progress thus far. Baby Boy is growing ahead of schedule this last visit, almost a whole week! No talk though of pushing the due date sooner though. Everything looked GREAT on the ultrasound and the doctor said that, "The glass is full!" In which me meant that both Mom and baby are doing great. My morning sickness is not completely gone, but I am only taking the Zofran in the morning now instead of 3x a day. He also stated that I am half way there...when I think about that it's really kinda scary that to think in less than 20 weeks I will have a little baby. When I asked the doctor if 36 weeks is still the goal, he said yes and actually anywhere from 34-36 weeks is prime. It will all depend on me and what my pulmonary hypertension decides to do. The critical point starts at 28 weeks, this is when the circulatory system is at it's peak and my heart will be working it's hardest. If things are going to get difficult it will start then. He also stated when Dr. Soto my pulmonologist says it's time to go, it's time. I am hoping though that it will be closer to 36 weeks rather than 34 so the chances of the baby having to spend time in the NICU will be less. So if I can make it to 36 weeks, that means that today is my official half way point since I am 18 weeks today! I am starting to feel the activity in my belly more now and Eric is extremely anxious to feel him kick! He unfortunately has a few more weeks before that can happen, until then only Mom gets to feel his presence!

An itchy mess...

So why is it that people never tell you about the constant itching during pregnancy?? OMG! It is terrible. The itching really started last Thursday June 24. The worst is that the palms of my hands and the bottoms of my feet itch but I really do itch EVERYWHERE! I have went through so much lotion in the last few days! I even called the OB office on Saturday and spoke to the on call doctor who freaked me out and said I needed to go to the ER to make sure everything was ok. He stated that the itching could be related to the pregnancy or just something else...So now this makes trip #2 to the ER. And guess what, the same ER doctor that took care of me the first time was my same doctor this time. They looked me over and took blood for labwork and everything appeared normal. He stated that some people just itch and it can be common if you are carrying a BOY! Research shows that up to 70% of cases of severe itching during pregnancy occurs when you are carrying a BOY, something to deal with the male fetal DNA reacting with the mother's skin...So I get to take benadyrl for the itching and the only cure is delivery so I have another 20+ weeks of itchiness! So this coming Friday July 2nd is the big gender determination ultrasound!!! We will see if the itching theory is proven again...

Was that what I think it was????

So sitting here on the computer I felt was I think would be the baby moving!! I felt some "fluttering" or "butterflies" at 15w4d! So exciting and it was definitely like nothing I have ever felt so it had to be the baby!! My last doctor visit was on June 10th (14w5d) and everything looks GREAT! Baby is growing right on target to the exact day even. My next visit is July 2nd. On the other end of doctors, I went and saw my Pulmonologist last week also and there hasn't been any change with my Pulmonary Hypertension since the last visit 6 weeks ago! He did however want me to restart my Remodulin therapy. So as of Sunday morning, I am now hooked up to my small pump that delivers remodulin 24/7. Dr. Soto is trying to be proactive now rather than later having to be reactive if my pulmonary hypertension flares up. I am on the smallest dose now and will increase once a week until further notice. So far, so good with this medication. However since it is such a small dose I really didn't expect to feel anything. The medication is the same as before when I was on it but the machine and the delivery method are a little different but nothing I can't handle. It will be interesting though as my belly gets bigger because this medicine is delivered via a small catheter under the belly skin.

One down, two to go!!

Trimesters that is!! Today I officially entered my second trimester!!! The zofran I have been taking for my vomiting issue is my new best friend and really is a MIRACLE drug. I still faithfully take it 3x a day because I have tried skipping a dose to see what happens and my stomach gets upset yet...hopefully in the next couple weeks I will be able to ween off of it. I have two doctor appointments this week. One with my pulmonologist Dr. Soto and the other with my OB (can't wait to see my little one again, being high risk does have ONE advantage...I get an ultrasound every time I see my OB!!) It is so amazing seeing the transformation that happens in just a few short weeks. And maybe this week the baby will be showing it's boy or girl parts...I know it's early but one can wish!!