Time goes by quickly

It was only a year ago that Bryan and I were dealing with the devasting news of Nicolas and his diagnosis of Trisomy 18.  Not a day passes where I don't think of him with tears welling up in my eyes.  I continue to grow in so many ways.  Sparks of creativity and powerful writing pushed me to redefine who I thought I was. Even with my accomplishments (finished my Masters, ran a half marathon, got my probabationary black belt), those accomplishments do not fill the void that Nicolas filled in my heart.

Nine months ago we said goodbye, but only for this lifetime.

Now to share the ultra fantastic news...no not another baby...BUT something else amazing. We were selected as a finalist for the Cub Plenty for Twenty contest.  See announcement below.

What can you make with $20? Plenty!

Finalists Announced, We Made It!

Recently Cub Foods advertised a contest to challenge their customers to see what they could make for less than twenty dollars.  The grand prize -- a year’s worth of groceries from Cub Foods.  Who could pass up that opportunity? I certainly could not.

Here is a link to our video 5 Great Dips & Homemade Chips

Cub Plenty for Twenty: 5 Great Dips and Home Made Chips

Limit: one vote per day per Facebook account.  So come back and vote for us daily!

Watching the Cub Foods commercial I thought myself how hard can that be.  I set out to conquer the Plenty for Twenty challenge.  With my daughter, Noelle, at my side, we prepared Five Great Dips: Black Bean and Roasted Pepper, Quick Queso, Tomato Salsa, Spicy Chipotle, and Guacamole accompanied with baked tortilla chips and a refreshing Cran-Rasberry Spritzer all for $19.61.  Plenty of food for your hungry football fans!

Cub Foods is leaving it up to the public to vote on Facebook for their favorite entry.  Public voting starts Friday, September 30^th at 11AM and ends the following Friday, October 7^th.  With lots of luck and maybe a little help, we have a chance to win the grand prize.  Remember to vote daily!

Challenge yourself…see what you can do with just twenty dollars.

27 week ultrasound

Nicolas laying on side of mommy resting

This morning I had another ultrasound check to see how Nicolas is doing and how much more amniotic fluid I am taking on.  I think this ultrasound was one of the more positive experiences we have had.  Overall, Nicolas is looking good. He has grown quite a bit since his last measurements.  He weighs 1lb 12oz and is in the 21st percentile for his age. I am very pleased about those results because he was only in the 16th percentile in October. He has put on 13oz in 4 weeks. 

Look at that cute foot. Not actual size. Note measurement in corner.

The tech commented on his long fingers which I assume he gets from me because my fingers are longer than Bryan's fingers.  And no I don't have man hands!  More importantly his hands were not clenched although some of his fingers cross over.  I will be curious if he inherited the crooked pinky finger like what both girls and I have.  His feet also seem to be good sized at 5.49cm which is basically 2 inches.  I measured it out on a post it note to see how big they are.  No wonder why I am feeling those thumps so strongly.  He also managed to be positioned with his head up right under the right side of my ribs. He must of been practicing his taekwondo techniques yesterday because I was constantly getting bump in the ribs.  His legs and feet are on the complete opposite side (bottom left) and were stretched out and feet were crossed as if he were unwinding on the couch. I always though babies were curled up in a ball in the belly.  He is growing quite nicely.  No new things to report and actually the cysts on his brain no longer exists and went away as they do for many babies.  The tech may have also seen a very very tiny stomach.

Nicolas foot measures 5.49 cm.  Check it out on this post it note.

Crossed feet with legs stretched out.
Who does this remind you of?

I have only managed to increase my amniotic fluid by 1cm which is not bad at all.  I am over the normal limits which range from 9 - 22cm and am currently at 26cm.  Nothing to be alarmed about yet.  The doctor was surprised and impressed with my ability to workout.  The doctor had also asked how we knew he was at T18 baby because she thought although he had some issues such as the possible TE fistula and the VSD that he really looked good.  Lots of positive comments radiating from the tech and doctor.  I think Bryan and I left feeling a little awed at this point.  We know Nicolas has Trisomy 18, but feel as though he is still on the better scale of T18 babies.  If he was a "normal" baby, these issues would not be considered all that bad.  Serious, but certainly not fatal. It hurts my brain to think about these things.

Another beautiful profile shot.
His little face is filling out.

I feel as Nicolas's mom that I am doing everything possible to get him here safely.  I think that the extra care received from my chiropractor with the prenatal supplements and other vitamins is helping Nicolas continue to grow and not fall off the charts.  The next 12 weeks or so will be truly interesting to watch to see how his growth continues.  I am not expected back for another ultrasound for another 4 weeks.  We meet next week with Abbott's OB staff and get to meet the neonatalogist.  I am hoping for a better experience than the last visit with a neo doc.  I should also be getting scheduled for an MRI soon to further investigate the stomach issue.  Of course, Nicolas will need to sit still and play nice for the doctors. He did a great job today.  Very calm considering how busy he was yesterday (ALL DAY). I thought babies were supposed to sleep 20 plus hours a day. 

 



I plan on contacting Bella Angel Imaging to schedule another 3D/4D ultrasound of our little guy.  He has grown so much it would be fun to see his face now that he has filled out more.  We are gifted with one more of these awesome experiences and I want to time it perfectly so it won't seem like forever before we get to see his darling face in person.

Just Because...

Not that I am fond of photographs while I am working out.....but I had to include this one from yesterday.  Still working out at Crossfit (http://www.crossfittc.com/) and Taekwondo (http://www.wta4u.com/). 

Trying to stay as strong and fit as possible.  I am in the black outfit with the 45lb bar over my head. I was doing a pushup on the bar sitting on the squat rack then a clean to a push press. We had to do 77 reps.  I did them all. Oh and I rowed over 1700 meters as a warm up.  I am over 25 weeks pregnant!!! Ms. Bishop in the blue is also pregnant. I think she is around 17 weeks. 

My plan is to continue my slightly modified workouts until the doctors tell me I can't. That will be a very sad day!!! I love my workouts.

Week 23 update

Some weeks can be good even when they are bad. I guess that is how it goes. Personally my week has been hell at work. The amount of stress I was feeling was ridiculous along with anticipation for my regular OB appointment and our cardiac consult just added to it.  Work is still stressful, however, yesterday I think I breathed my first sigh of relief in a long time about the pregnancy.

At my Wednesday OB appointment, I had a great discussion with my OB about my health and care of the pregnancy.  She is fully supportive of me as her patient and feels that the pregnancy is going well and the baby (Nicolas) is also doing well. His heart rate was a steady 138. My blood pressure is excellent and all other signs point to a healthy pregnancy. All very good things for both me and Nicolas.

Yesterday, Bryan and I had the cardiac consultation with the MN Perinatal Physicians and Dr. Sutton. The ultrasound tech started off by looking in general at Nicolas. He has definitely grown since the last time we saw him on the screen.  She also didn't find anything new that we were not aware of.  We have images of his little feet and were able to see both hands.  One was clenched in a typical T18 manner, but the other was not.  The cysts on the brain still exist, but everyone has assured us that they are very normal for any baby.

Dr. Sutton greeted us and started to review Nicolas' heart.  They were concentrating on his VSD (Ventricular septal defect).  A VSD is one or more holes in the wall that separates the right and left ventricles of the heart. Ventricular septal defect is one of the most common congenital (present from birth) heart defects. It may occur by itself or with other congenital diseases. With Trsiomy 18 (T18) babies, this is quite common.  Dr. Sutton examined the VSD and found that the hole is relatively small on the scale of things and should not cause any complications for Nicolas. He said it would not likely require surgery, but we will only know definitely when he is born and can be examined further.  The size was estimated to be somewhere around 2-3mm.  If 0 is the smallest and they can see the defects much larger (7-8mm), I feel pretty good about things.  Dr. Sutton said that most of the issues we may face will be around respiratory or breathing issues and possible need for intervention at birth.  He indicated we will still have many tough decisions to make as parents. Bryan and I were introduced to a perinatologist, Dr. Calvin.  He also warmly welcomed us and helped clarify some of the findings.  Again, we felt he brought good news indicating that on the scale of difficulties or issues that may effect Nicolas, they not as bad as what has been seen with other T18 babies. Dr. Calvin was very supportive of our decision to continue with the pregnancy and to give Nicolas every chance he deserves.

As the pregnancy progresses things will change, but I am confident that we are getting the support for myself and for Nicolas.  We have the start of a plan which for now is to proceed as if things are normal.  For me that is a great relief because I can concentrate on other things for the time being rather than squeezing in doctor appointments in on a weekly basis.  I will be checked in 4 weeks and we will have another level II ultrasound in about 6 weeks to check Nicolas' growth. Nicolas, without doubt, will be small.  We know that.  We just want to make sure that I can continue to grow him and bring him as close to term as possible.  Currently he weighs 15 oz. I was happy because he has almost doubled in size since the previous ultrasound in September. 

We will continue to say our prayers and be very thankful for what God has given us. Nicolas is truly a gift.  Even in utero he continues to let his presence be known.  He gave the ultrasound tech a run for her money because he couldn't sit still. Hmmmmm who does that sound like....maybe some older sisters....He sometimes rolls around rampant at night or gives me some gentle nudging in the morning to get me going. I am hopeful we will get a 3D/4D ultrasound soon so others can experience what an incredible baby he is.

Even though we don't have any appointments until mid-November, I will continue to post other types of updates.  We are organizing a prayer shower for November 14th at the church and will be getting invites together very soon.

We are thankful for all of the continued thoughts and prayers for our family.     

With much love ~Natalie

It's the little things

Last night I had another craniosacral therapy session with my chiropractor. I have done a few of these in the past, but not while pregnant.  What amazed me about the session was how the energy in your body truly can be felt and moved.  Not only did I receive the benefit of the therapy, but so did Nicolas.  During my session I found he was extremely responsive to the energy and would actually follow it in my body.  As the energy went up my abdomen, he to move upwards. My hand would hover a few inches above my belly and Nicolas would be right underneath it.  I think I should note that Nicolas tends to hang out very low and usually on the left side.  Yesterday was the first time I felt him travel to other places within his comfy home. I have been told that craniosacral therapy is very good for babies and children with Trisomy 18 so I am hopeful that Nicolas will reap the benefits in utero.  He is very much a part of our family and makes his presence known to us every day.

As a family we are starting to read children's books to him.  Now that the Noelle & Jena are older they are able to read some of their favorite books like The Napping House, Are you my mother?, and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb.  Nicolas seemed to like the chatter, and I enjoyed re-reading them to my kids as well.

I also had several great conversations yesterday about the care for both me and Nicolas.  More on that later.