Bacteria! Oh how you mock me.

Well, I think the title says it all.  I've had Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) in my first trimester.  Shortly after I ended up with a bad case of c-diff which put me in the hospital on leads for awhile.  Last week I was diagnosed with BV again and just yesterday my nurse called me to tell me that not only do I have BV, but I have an odd bacteria in my urinary tract. So I am now on flagyl and macrobid which are both antibiotics.

I seem to have a severe case of overpopulation of bad bacteria.  Oh, I'm an eater of yogurt. I also take probiotics but my body just can't seem to compensate for the overpopulation of the bad bacteria.  Obviously the meds are needed as both can put me in labor. So it's a matter of weighing whats more important.

NOW, since I'm taking so many antibiotics to get rid of each bacterial infection I am now succeptable to c-diff once again.  ONE issue I NEVER want again because I thought I was literally going to die from 9 hours of vomiting and the trotts all at once.  I was dehydrated, lacked potassium so I needed an IV for that, needed MORE antibiotics through IV, Saline and some other type of hydration to keep my body going when I couldn't eat.  It was a circus! Haha

I also received my weekly 17P Injection to keep me from going into preterm labor.  One injection weekly on the fourth quadrant of the butt cheek and you switch cheeks every other week.  Honestly it's a good thing because it would be downright TORCHER to have the injection in the same butt cheek each week.

Let me explain that 17P is a THICK gel-like substance that takes a pretty thick needle to transfer the medicine into the needle.  We then put a somewhat smaller needle on (but not too small because the gel wouldn't go through).  Doug as an RN knows how to numb the area before injecting so the site won't sting.  For anyone interested it's rubbing the area for 30 seconds with an alcohol pad which numbs the nerve endings and the patient doesn't feel the injection stinging.

NOW, when I heard the injections hurt I got a bit cocky because I don't feel the initial sting as Doug knows how to inject properly.  HOWEVER, what Dr.'s lacked to tell me was that the darn gel can pill in your muscles leaving you with a round rock on your butt cheek a week later.  It hurts!  In fact, the very first injection I was bed ridden because I was in so much pain.  Couple weeks after that I was trying to figure out how to turn over on either side without pain.  I have since learned that if you rub the area around REALLY hard, your less likely to pill. Also, concerning the pain...If you roll PAST the injection site onto your actual hip bone, you'll be able to sleep again. Haha

Today's injection was interesting as when Doug took the needle out, there was a surprising spurt of blood ALL OVER.  That issue hasn't happened before.  It did sting going in this time so that could be an issue too.  all in all though, I got my dose and that's all that matters.

On a more news worthy note, Amelia has started to kick MUCH harder today and more frequent too!  I find myself jumping and my eyes get bigger.  It's really an odd feeling.  Kinda makes me jump for some reason.  She's becoming quite the Karate kicker!

Well, that's all for today.  I pray you all have a lovely weekend!

Designing The Nursery

Okay, THIS is my forte!  I'm passing the time on bed rest by trying to figure out how I'm going to decorate Amelia's room.  I never imagined it'd be so much fun planning a little girls nursery.  With Jackson's it was SO easy.  No frills little boys room, but Amelia's room.  Oh goodness this will be all out girl! Haha

Now, with that being said, I'm VERY picky about colors!  I have had it with the cutesie same ol, same ol around here.  I can barely find anything NOT pink or white with frills.  Don't get me wrong. I like pink and all, but In looking for gender neutral things it's hard to find primary colors and when they are, they usually have either frills so a boy can't use them OR something boyish so a girl couldn't wear them.  So with that issue I have been picketing the pinks and pastels of the baby world.

I have some lightly used hand me downs with pink she'll wear because they ARE cute but for the most part, I want primary colors and fun kidsy colors for her to wear.  Good luck right?!

Well back to the Nursery planning.  It's taken me awhile but I've finally put something together that I think will work.

First, we put new nursery furniture on layaway.  We did it because it would come off in July and that would be my 28 wk milestone.  I absolutely NEEDED to pass wk 22 (which I have) and wk 24 (which I am now on my way to doing) before I brought home ANY furniture.  My thought is that I did not want to have to take down or put away anything if something were to happen.  I just couldn't bare the thought.  So to get the excitement going, we looked at furniture and then put it on layaway.  We came up with a crib and dresser in dark cherry:

Then we'll add a beige throw rug (almost the size of the room because I'm not a fan of the floors that were stained).

I FINALLY think I found the colors I want for Amelia's bedding. They will be done custom by BirdsHaveFlowers.  The fabrics to choose from are as follows:

I was thinking the middle top fabric with the bird will be the inner bumper, the yellow toil will be the outer bumper fabric.  The pink rose fabric on the bottom right will be the crib fitted sheet and the striped color fabric second from the top of the picture on the top right will be the dust ruffle.

This MAY change as I DO like the blue rose on the bottom left corner for sheets as well. 

Another combination would be to do the bird fabric  for the inner bumper and yellow toil for the outer bumper fabric THEN using the pink toil for the sheets and the butterfly fabric for the dust ruffle. MAYBE even using both the striped multicolor for the first half of the ruffle and the butterflies for the second half.

 I also have an idea for custom window panels but that will come MUCH later as this I'm sure will cost a pretty penny. Oh the choices I have!

Then comes the corner where there will be a small table with the lamp I bought when I found out I was pregnant:

I haven't gotten the table yet and will look for that at an antique store.  Where next to the table will be a glider to rock my little girl to sleep as she nurses:

I also found some wall decals that would fit perfectly in the room custom made by Gorgeous Wall Art:

Above the crib will be wooden letter's with Amelia's name, The two corner walls that come together on the opposite side of the room will have HUGE photographs of Amelia from infancy, to toddler and then   first day of school milestone so that when someone walks in the room they see those beautiful miraculous milestones.  I will be comforted reading her stories under those beautiful pictures that will remind me each day the gift we've been given. It'll never be taken for granted that's for sure!

Again, things can ALWAYS change, but this is what I've dreamt up so far.  Dreaming is fun!

Introducing Our Little Amelia's Profile

So this is the little girl who's been kicking me lately.  Bless her little heart!  She hasn't been the easiest to get a picture of, but when we do, it's treasured!  I'm looking forward to seeing her face to face in October.  Stay in there little girl!  Momma wants you safe and sound until it's time.  I love you forever & always! <3

Milestone passed and 6 more days to Viability Week!

I surpassed that dreaded milestone!  22wks was when we lost Jackson.  Here we are 23wks 1day with Amelia and I feel her moving. It feels delightful and hopeful all at the same time.  Viability week comes next Sunday and I can't tell you how excited I am.  Looking forward to passing wk 28, 36 and going all the way to October.

I celebrated by buying the Diaper Covers for the newborn cloth diapers I have.  Next month is wk 28 and we'll be FINALLY bringing the nursery furniture home and setting up shortly thereafter!  It's getting quite exciting now as I feel Amelia move and kick around.  Even when she nails me hard in the bladder I feel happy.

On another note, I just found out from a my friend Viv that there has been another couple of earthquakes in her direction.  My other blog friend Rachel lives there as well.  I would appreciate it if anyone reading this would keep them all in your prayers.  It's hard enough picking up the pieces after one, but as earth quakes keep happening, buildings keep falling and lives keep being lost and/or hurt I'm sure we all know it can really take it's toll on those trying to recover.  Many prayers sent to my dear friends!

Houston, we have a kicker!

The past few days I've been having fun with Amelia kicking.  It's the most blessed feeling to experience.  I love her every minute I feel her.

Yesterday we spent 4 hours at the Perinatal Center.  Wasn't my favorite time of the day spent waiting and while we had to leave because Doug would have been REALLY late for work, I at least got to hear her heart beating. She kicked the nurse again too. Kinda funny to hear.

I still can't feel kicks all the hard yet.  I can't wait for Doug to feel them, but the past two days I've been feeling more and more kicks.  ESPECIALLY in the bladder which sends me to the bathroom of course.  She makes me smile.  So far she's up doing this from 10pm until around 4am.  Since I'm on Dougs schedule we get to bed around 2am.  It seems as though she's on momma's night owl schedule.  We'll see how long that lasts though.   I seem to have a plan in place for feeding time and we all know just how that tends to work out.  So I'm keeping an open mind because I'm SURE she'll let us know when she actually gets here when she wants to eat.

Doug gave me another 17P injection yesterday as well.  I'm having more intense nausea, a headache and last weeks injection site feels like a HUGE rock on my bum cheek.  It's painful to sleep on but I try to roll past the lump in my bum to the safer hip bone area.  I'm also finding I'm TIRED today.  I slept well last night and even slept in.  Wake up a few hours and now I'm ready for a nap again.  I'm in my second trimester so I'm unsure if this is a side effect from the progesterone injection or if its just a down day.  Whatever the case, I'm told to relax and enjoy it before baby comes.  I'll be taking a nap shortly.

Sunday starts the milestone week to get past.  Yup, 22 weeks tomorrow.  Thursday was the day I gave birth to Jackson last pregnancy.  Things are looking good to pass this milestone though.  I haven't lost my mucus plug like last time, the BV has been taken care of this time around, I'm on 17P injections to stop preterm labor and finally had the stitch put in a few weeks ago.  So far there's nothing to report.  No news is good news.  Once I pass this milestone I'll move toward 24wks which is viability, after that another 4 weeks will be a celebration, 6 wks after that will have me extatic and anything after 37wks will have me down right partying!  Watch Out!

Lately I've been putting things on a Registry list for the Baby Shower.  It's pretty odd for me as I don't like being the center of attention.  I suppose if I look at it as AMELIA being the guest of honor then it will be less odd for me.  I'm one of those women who LOVES to plan and put on a party but not one in whom likes to be the center of it. Haha  My husband, mother, mother in law and a couple women from the church are helping to put one combined shower together.  Not knowing WHEN I'd go into labor and knowing that I'm on bed rest, I think having too many will be WAY to hard to do. So I suppose a combined will be fun.  I'm honored and I'm sure Amelia is as well.

That's all for now. I'm so tired I think I need to nap for awhile.

Love to you all!

Here's A Great Tool For Family Worship Time At Home

For a long time Doug and I have been excited about having kids and teaching them.  1st and foremost is we wanted to start a family worship time. We want God to be the center of our lives and home.  So what better way to share the gospel with our children and teach them how to memorize scriptures than to do it with song.

Seeds Family Worship is an excellent opportunity to do that.

Second, while things "could" change in the future (we know we have time before actual school takes place with Amelia and are actually looking forward to taking our time and just enjoying time with her) we've hoped for 10 years that we would be able to homeschool our children.  Doug of course has taken the reigns on this and I had no idea that once he found out about Amelia he had started DIVING IN again on this project and has decided to go with the "Classical Homeschooling" ideal of learning.

Looking at it has me excited too.  Though I know we have awhile until she actually gets there, it will be fun to encourage learning as she grows at any stage for whatever age she is.