Stubborn Little Baby

At our 36 week check up today, our little guy is still breech. The good news is that his heart rate is still good, he's measuring just fine, and all my vitals are still right on track. The frustrating news is that his chance of turning on his own now are less than 5%. We have two options. We can wait it out until week 39. Assuming I don't go into labor before then, we'd go in for our week 39 appointment and have a final ultrasound. If he's still breech, we'd go ahead and have a c-section that week. Our other option is to schedule a version this week. We'd go into the hospital for the procedure and they'd try to manually turn him. It doesn't sound like the most pleasant procedure....uncomfortable, no anesthesia, etc. It has about a 50% success rate. Complications include fetal distress, placenta abruption, and labor beginning. I'm sure they're rare but of course they have to tell you all about them! They'd do the procedure and then monitor me for an hour and then we could go home, assuming there were no complications.

I'm feeling torn as to what the right decision is. Part of me feels like, "Why mess with nature?" If he's breech, maybe it's for a reason and that's the way he's safest and meant to be delivered. However, I would really like to be able to experience labor and know what it's like to birth a baby and I'm afraid I'll feel somewhat regretful if we don't give the version a try. After all, we already didn't experience getting pregnant in the conventional way... it would be kind of nice to at least experience a conventional birth. We have some thinking, reading, and praying to do tonight in order to make the best and safest decision for baby and I.

If anyone has experienced the version or knows someone who has, I would LOVE to hear about it...positive or negative. Send the comments! I have several friends who have had C sections that assure me they're not so bad, but I don't know anyone who's experienced a version. I'm all ears, at least for the next 12 hours or so. :)

Our Pride and Joy

Is he cute or what? My students today told me he looked like a little monster when I showed them the picture. Gotta love their honesty! Yesterday was our 35 week appointment as well as our last Childbirth class. Needless to say we were looking quite forward to the day! This was by far our longest ultrasound yet and besides the moment of finding out it was a boy, I'd say it rated right up there with incredibly special moments during the pregnancy. I couldn't help but think this was probably the last time we'd ever experience such a special ultrasound, so I think I was just feeling especially thankful to truly be in the moment. When I saw this photo, my eyes immediately filled with tears. I couldn't believe the emotions I felt when I saw his little eyes open and close and his mouth move. I can't even imagine how amazing it will be when I see him in person and not on a screen. They had quite a hard time getting any good shots of him, so we were thankful for this one. It's still a little fuzzy, but hopefully you can see his right eye, nose, and mouth. His head is smushed right up next to the placenta (poor guy!) so that's why you're just seeing half a head shot. We also got to see his two little feet kicking around. They were so tiny and cute! He's measuring at 5lbs. 8oz. and is still right on track for March 9th.

The bummer part was that he is definitely breech. He must be taking after his stubborn daddy already! :) It explains that this big round lump that sticks out up by my rib is a head and not his bottom like I was hoping it might be. They seem to think that if he was going to turn he would've done it by now, but didn't seem to completely rule out the chance that he still might make a move for the head-down position. They commented several times on how much amniotic fluid I had still, so he still has some wiggle room. The ultrasound mentioned possible C-section around week 38 but I definitely think the doctor will have much more insight for us. Unfortunately though, he got called away on a delivery during our ultrasound so we didn't get to meet with him to get his opinion and feedback on how to proceed. We go back Monday though, so not too long to wait for more info. Several friends have told us that their babies didn't turn until the very end of pregnancy, so we're not giving up hope yet!

Speaking of fluid, I seem to be gaining it like crazy! I don't feel like my belly is getting that much bigger but my legs are out of control! So not attractive and I'm very thankful that it's not short season. :) My calves and ankles are so swollen. It physically hurts by the end of the day and I'm having a very hard time finding shoes or socks for that matter. I've been gaining weight rapidly, but I'm hoping it's attributed to the fluid. I'm planning on asking the doc about that on Monday as well. Surely it COULDN'T be my ravenous appetite. Ha Ha! Actually, I seem to be getting full a little quicker lately so I'm hoping that will continue to help me eat a tad less for the next few weeks.

As excited as I was to begin our childbirth classes, I was a little excited for them to end as well. It made for long evenings! Last night was exciting though because we went up to the Labor and Delivery floor and got a tour. The wing itself was pretty nice.....clean, quiet, private. The rooms you are in for labor and delivery are a nice size, but the room you stay in afterwards seemed pretty small! All the rooms are private, a few suites (which are just first come first serve based on availability), have a little sleeper sofa for the daddy, etc. Pretty basic....nothing elaborate, but enough to be comfortable in. They encourage you to keep the baby in your room as much as possible, but they do have a small nursery if needed. As nice as the hospital is as a whole, we were a little surprised there weren't more bells and whistles, but I think it will all be just fine in the end!

Steady Showers in Florida

Okay, well not really. We did have a couple days of rain, but nothing but sunny skies this weekend! The baby showers continue though and yesterday Mat's work hosted a beautiful one! When Mat originally told me that the girls at his work wanted to have a shower for us I was thinking a week day after work, a few people, cake and punch. That would have been nice enough within itself, but they totally went above and beyond! Yesterday we went up to the branch after it closed. The girls had arranged everything. There was a HUGE spread of delicious food along with a chocolate fountain and cake. About 15 people came including everyone at his branch along with a few other employee friends from other branches. They'd planned games and brought us so many wonderful, generous gifts. Here's the link for the pictures that we took.
http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=263607884/a=14224383_14224383/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink

After the shower, we enjoyed a date night by going to a movie. Dinner and a movie is by far our most common and favorite date. We hadn't been to a movie in about a month, and we know our weeks of escaping like that are numbered. I hope that we can keep our date nights up even after the baby comes along. I know they'll be much less frequent, but hopefully still special on occasion.

We're looking forward to Tuesday! We'll have our ultrasound to check out the baby's position as well as get an up close glimpse of him and then have our last night of childbirth class where we'll take a tour of the Labor and Delivery floor.

What ever will I wear?

Can I really be getting this big? I swear my legs look like tree trunks and my butt and thighs are getting so big that my underwear hurts! Luckily I still have casual clothes like jeans that fit me, but my work attire-especially pants are super limited. Limited like I really only have 1 pair that are semi comfortable. I ventured off to Target after work hoping to find just a couple things to help get me through the last month. No such luck! Off to Kohl's then. Again, no such luck! Pants just do not fit me! It's not pretty. Discouraged but still with a glimmer of hope, I came home to log online and check out Ann Taylor Loft. Their maternity pants have fit me perfectly throughout my pregnancy. A little on the pricier side, but they have great sales so I thought surely I could find a couple good deals. Again, no such luck! They decided to discontinue their maternity line as of January 1st. What's the world coming to I tell ya?! Too bad for all the future preggies who won't get to enjoy cute yet comfy clothes from there. And too bad for me that I might resort to wearing a toga to work! Not to even mention the Teacher of the Year banquet I have coming up in a couple weeks. I need to find a semi-formal dress to wear to that. That'll be a pretty sight! I know, I know....all good problems to have. Of course I wouldn't trade it for the world. Just had to vent after a day of feeling very fat! Yes, I would like some cheese with my "whine." Cheese?.....Hmmm, I am getting hungry! :)

34 Weeks

Only 6 weeks to go. It suddenly sounds so close and so for real! I'm finally beginning to really imagine what it's going to be like to bring my little baby home and take care of him each day. I think fear has always kept me from truly embracing it, but as we rapidly approach the safety zone, I'm letting myself relax and just go there mentally.

The 3rd trimester is catching up with me. I'm feeling big and achy with lots of charley horses, shortness of breath, jabs to the ribs, gas, and all that other fun stuff. But really all in all I feel like I can't complain! I know I've been really blessed with a smooth pregnancy and am so thankful for that. I think for only being 6 weeks away (not to mention dealing with the whole Iowa thing) I'm still feeling remarkably well! If I could just shake all this yucky sinus stuff.

This past weekend, I had a baby shower with some of my Florida girlfriends. Jenn and Sam hosted and made it such a special day for me. There were so many cute touches and the colors looked beautiful. I've been blessed to stay close with a few college girlfriends and also make some new friends since moving here...it was great to have them gathered together! Here's the link if you'd like to check out the pictures. http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=263586707/a=14224383_14224383/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink

Of course my nesting instinct took over once again and after opening presents I came home to begin organizing and sorting. I'm loving that part!!

Things are in pretty good shape for Mathew's arrival. The crib mattress arrived yesterday, his room is painted, the pack n play is set up in our bedroom, his clothes and linens are all washed and put away, and even his diaper bag is packed for the hospital. All that's really left to do are a few finishing decorating touches, install the car seat, and finish packing my bag for the hospital. I hope to accomplish those last few things in the next week or so.

One of my dear friends, Nancy, had her baby just two days ago. We work together and became friends when we both started teaching at the same time. There are five teachers at work that are pregnant and she was the first to deliver. She was followed less than 24 hours later by another teacher who also delivered her baby just a couple rooms down. I got to go visit them both yesterday and meet their precious new additions. Not that things always go according to due dates, but I'm next in line to give birth. Everyone at work is sure to remind me also! I tell them he needs to bake a few more weeks at least. :)

Everything Happens for a Reason

As much as this blog is intended to be focused on all things baby, it's hard to ignore that something else in our life has been developing in a HUGE way. Things have continued to develop with Mat's job offer in Iowa. After gathering more information and discussing things, Mat contacted the Provost on Friday with his counter-offer. They did raise his salary and came within $500 of what we were asking for relocation costs. He has accepted the offer to begin teaching in the fall of 09.

We had a special dinner Friday night to celebrate. I won't sugarcoat it, it is a bittersweet celebration for us...more so for me of course. While I am ecstatic about the job itself and what it means for our family and future, I just wish the timing was a little different. It's easier to think that if we could just wait one more year, this would come a lot easier. However, we're of course unable to predict the future. This is such a hard career to get into in the first place and if we passed up this opportunity, who's to say that anything would come along next year or if it did where it might be located.

There's been quite a mixture of tears and excitement regarding this decision. At times I've felt like it was the worst thing possible and then at times I've felt like it was absolutely what was meant to be. I am doing my best to remain faithful to God's plan for our life. I'm sure many may agree or disagree for reasons of their own, but I ask for your continued support and prayers as we know this next year will be a challenging transition for us. I can't help but remember this time last year and just how desperate I was feeling to conceive. I was so anxious for the summer to arrive and IVF to begin. As I was waiting to find out if we were pregnant or not, I can't even tell you how many times I prayed to God for a child and that if He would just grant me a child I would do my absolute best to raise a child that loves and worships Him. I've been given the greatest gift I can imagine. Will it be more difficult to adjust to life as a new mom while trying to find a new job, new house, etc. etc? Of course! I don't doubt that for a second. It scares me to death! But, I will have my child, I'll have a husband that has more time to spend with us and can contribute more as a husband and a father, and I will have God watching over us so therefore I know that we WILL get through it. It will be hard, it will be emotional, but we will persevere.

While the Iowa winters sound far from ideal, the good thing about Iowa is that it would put us within a weekend drive to both of our families and many friends. It's nice to know that we'll be able to share more time with family and that they'll be able to play a bigger part in Mathew's life during the next few years. We've also read many great things about the town, Dubuque, where Mat's job will be. It's rated very highly for young couples, raising a family, and an extremely low crime rate. It sounds like summers and fall will be beautiful and offer a fair amount of things to do and winters will be harsh. Neither of us is looking forward to the cold, but hopefully it's something that we'll adjust to or at least just grin and bear it for a few years.

We don't count on Iowa as a long term location for us. Of course you never know, but the plan is for Mat to gain some teaching experience and complete his doctorate. After both of those, he will be much more marketable and will be able to apply at many more colleges and hopefully have a little more choice as to where to go. He's already promised that I get full reign of choosing our next destination, so no fear my Florida friends-we just might be back before you know it! Because we won't have to move until the end of this summer and we obviously have a lot happening before then, we've agreed to keep the attention and focus on Mathew's arrival for now. I don't want his birth and welcoming into our family to be any less special because of us being distracted or worried about the future. In fact, Mat will now get to use the rest of his vacation time when Mathew is born, so we're already looking forward to that time together with our son.

We're not too hopeful, but I'm still holding out for a slight chance that something else could come up locally. Mat has applied with USF-Lakeland as a finance professor. Because it's such a large school the applicant pool is sure to be much larger, but you never know. Being offered the same job but not having to move would be ideal in so many ways. I'm continuing to pray over it, and am not giving up hope, but trying to be realistic at the same time....remembering that everything happens for a reason.

In spite of all the drama regarding this decision, I am extremely proud of Mat. He always does amazingly well at interviewing and seems to have impressed so many at Loras College. Of course I think "Professor Keyes" has a nice ring to it as well! I know he's often daydreamed of what it might be like to even have a chance at a job like this, much less actually get the job. I know it will be an adjustment for him to learn the ropes of college teaching, but I think he'll do very well at it!

I'm not exactly sure what the future will hold as far as my job goes. I'll be praying that the right opportunity arises. Dubuque, Iowa is very close to both Illinois and Wisconsin so there are many school districts for me to look into. I've found a college job myself at a nearby university in Illinois that I plan on applying for. It sounds really interesting to me and I have the qualifications needed so you never know! If we could just sell our house here I could consider staying home with Mathew for a little while, but I'm not too optimistic about that working out.

A lot is left to be determined. We really don't know where we'll live, where I'll work, etc. It's going to take a leap of faith. It's doing a number on my maternal nesting instinct right now and that is frustrating. For now though I'm remembering that it's at least 6 months away from when we'd move and only 6 weeks away from when our son will arrive. I have a feeling when I hold that little baby in my arms, the rest of the issues will seem far less concerning.

So, if you're still awake and reading this after my much needed Iowa venting-thank you. We know so many of you have prayed for us. We've been met with tears of joy, tears of sadness, a mixture of both and everything in between and we fully understand. It's bittersweet, but after all, the title of this blog is "Our Winding Road," for a reason. Mat and I have never been ones to stay content in one place for an extremely long amount of time. We do both enjoy trying new things and see where life leads us. Moving is hard on a marriage and making a move like this will no doubt probably the hardest one yet. But I feel extremely blessed that even though we might not always see eye to eye, we're always able to communicate and come out closer in the end. Mat knows that this is really hard for me right now and he's doing his best to let me know how appreciative he is. He agrees that I can make his "Honey Do List" much longer once we are living in Iowa. :)

Accomplishments and Decisions

Accomplishment #1-Mat was offered the teaching job in Iowa!!!! What a huge feat....to land the job at the very first college he ever even interviewed at. I'm beyond proud of him.

Accomplishment #2-we've reached 33 weeks of pregnancy and baby boy Keyes still seems to be doing quite well!

Obviously accomplishment # 1 leaves us with a HUGE decision to make. The job was offered yesterday. The salary and relocation expenses were a little less than we were hoping for. Mat's gathering advice from other professors and we're working on getting quotes on moving companies, just to see exactly how much we would need to make this happen and then he's going to call them back with a sort of a "counter-offer" I guess you could say. Please continue to pray that God would guide us and keep us close during this time. It's very emotional and stressful for many reasons! Sleeping seems to have taken the back burner as my mind races about the thoughts of relocating with a little one. I'm trying to keep my eyes focused on the real prize-a son that will be joining our family shortly!

Accomplishment 2 leaves me quite proud as well. I know we still have a little ways to go, but it's quickly approaching. We had an appointment yesterday and all was well. Except for the fact that I am just extremely hot and can't seem to get cool, I'm feeling pretty good. I got a little nervous when it took the doctor trying about four different spots to find the baby's heartbeat. That had never happened before, and I think probably made my heart race, but then I heard the glorious sound. It was beating really fast too so I'm guessing he was awake and on the move. He seems to still be sitting sideways, so we're hoping before our next appointment that he turns. The doctor said he wouldn't be concerned about it until then. That next appointment we'll have an ultrasound so they'll get a good look at his position.

I'm off to meet with a pediatrician. I have one appointment today and one tomorrow. I gathered some recommendations through friends and colleagues and am meeting with them both to see if one seems like a good fit! Doctors make me nervous and I never really enjoy going to them, so it's kind of nice knowing I'm going to these two appointments and I'll be the one asking the questions! :)