Here I am...I believe the word you are looking for is radiant...ha!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
One week left!!!
I can't believe it is already here! Our daughter will arrive in about a week...depending on her schedule! :) We are excited, nervous...and I am definitely uncomfortable, but still enjoying it. I can't wait to see her and hold her, but each time she moves, I am a little sad it could be one of the last times I experience that with her.
Here I am...I believe the word you are looking for is radiant...ha!
Here I am...I believe the word you are looking for is radiant...ha!
30 weeks and counting
By 30 weeks, we had moved in with my parents so our home could undergo a much needed renovation...new floors. The whole process only took about 3 1/2 weeks, and mom and dad fed us every night. By the way, it is really nice to be taken care of when you are pregnant. That was almost a month of no cleaning, no cooking and living out of a suitcase makes for minimal laundry.
During this time, we lost Kyle's grandfather, who had been struggling with his health for several years. We made the trip to Waterloo/La Porte City during a small window of safe travel during the worst winter I can remember. By the time we arrived, the bad weather had set in again and we ended up staying an extra day due to blowing snow and ice.
We have definitely had a lot to get through during this pregnancy, losing two grandpas and having a brother in Iraq, but it is a constant reminder of how lucky we are to have a new life on the way.
During this time, we lost Kyle's grandfather, who had been struggling with his health for several years. We made the trip to Waterloo/La Porte City during a small window of safe travel during the worst winter I can remember. By the time we arrived, the bad weather had set in again and we ended up staying an extra day due to blowing snow and ice.
We have definitely had a lot to get through during this pregnancy, losing two grandpas and having a brother in Iraq, but it is a constant reminder of how lucky we are to have a new life on the way.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Heart Strings
New Year's Eve was the beginning of an interesting week for the Schumans. We had been invited to the wedding of a good friend and were looking forward to our low-key evening. Everything was going well, I had found an adorable black cocktail dress to wear and we toasted with our dear friends, Matt and Andrea when midnight struck.
Around 5:00 that morning I awoke to what would be the most miserable week I have ever experienced as of late. I was unreasonably cold and shivering uncontrollably...and that was just the beginning. I ended up spending almost the entire week on the couch with the flu, running a fever and aching and praying that I wasn't baking my baby. For anyone who has been pregnant and had the flu, I'm sure you would agree you look and feel like you've experienced demonic possession. Or, as my doctor told me, you are sick twice as long and twice as bad as any normal person. I had called the doctor right away, of course, and had an appointment scheduled for the next day, which was when things really took a turn.
I could barely make it to my appointment that day. When I arrived and they listened to the baby's heartbeat it was a little slow and irregular. I was put on the fetal monitor, but she wouldn't sit still for them to get a good read. I was asked to come back the next day.
Kyle accompanied me for support on Thursday. We arrived to find out that the heartbeat was then too fast and irregular. At that point the doctor told us it could be something she would outgrow, but it could mean a blocked valve that they would have to handle with surgery. They were sending us to a specialist for a better diagnosis.
None of this had to do with the fact that I was sick, but I can tell you it sure made things much harder to deal with. We had told ourselves that everything would be fine, but truthfully, we were terrified. A tiny heart is nothing to take lightly.
That night, despite being completely run down, I barely slept. We had told ourselves it could only be the best possible outcome, but our hearts were a little bit broken at the suggestion it might not be. For anyone who has ever been through anything similar, you can attest that you stop hearing anything after the mention that there could be something wrong with your baby.
I was very thankful that our appointment was scheduled right away the next morning. We were sent to the doctors at the Perinatal Center at Mercy who specialize in fetal diagnosis. After an ultrasound and heart monitoring, they determined that our little girl was going to be just fine...no blocked valve, just a skip in heartbeat here and there, which is not harmful at all. To top it all off, we got some more great pictures.
Any parent will tell you that the worry starts as soon as you find out you are pregnant, and I'm sure that this is just one of many scares we will have through the upcoming years. Still, I am not sure I have ever felt the same type of panic I experienced over the course of those few days. Just the feeling of responsibility for that tiny life alone is enough to handle. We are very fortunate that our baby is healthy and I will never forget that.
The next morning, I woke up feeling like a new person. I'm not sure if it was the relief that helped me turn the corner, or if my body was finally on the rebound, but I actually showered, put on makeup and got dressed in an outfit that did not consist of flannel pajamas and a fluffy robe. It was such a big accomplishment that I celebrated by eating a giant cheeseburger and a mountain of ice cream.*
*Disclaimer - Yes, I am being conscious about eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, too. Lay off me, I was starving.
Around 5:00 that morning I awoke to what would be the most miserable week I have ever experienced as of late. I was unreasonably cold and shivering uncontrollably...and that was just the beginning. I ended up spending almost the entire week on the couch with the flu, running a fever and aching and praying that I wasn't baking my baby. For anyone who has been pregnant and had the flu, I'm sure you would agree you look and feel like you've experienced demonic possession. Or, as my doctor told me, you are sick twice as long and twice as bad as any normal person. I had called the doctor right away, of course, and had an appointment scheduled for the next day, which was when things really took a turn.
I could barely make it to my appointment that day. When I arrived and they listened to the baby's heartbeat it was a little slow and irregular. I was put on the fetal monitor, but she wouldn't sit still for them to get a good read. I was asked to come back the next day.
Kyle accompanied me for support on Thursday. We arrived to find out that the heartbeat was then too fast and irregular. At that point the doctor told us it could be something she would outgrow, but it could mean a blocked valve that they would have to handle with surgery. They were sending us to a specialist for a better diagnosis.
None of this had to do with the fact that I was sick, but I can tell you it sure made things much harder to deal with. We had told ourselves that everything would be fine, but truthfully, we were terrified. A tiny heart is nothing to take lightly.
That night, despite being completely run down, I barely slept. We had told ourselves it could only be the best possible outcome, but our hearts were a little bit broken at the suggestion it might not be. For anyone who has ever been through anything similar, you can attest that you stop hearing anything after the mention that there could be something wrong with your baby.
I was very thankful that our appointment was scheduled right away the next morning. We were sent to the doctors at the Perinatal Center at Mercy who specialize in fetal diagnosis. After an ultrasound and heart monitoring, they determined that our little girl was going to be just fine...no blocked valve, just a skip in heartbeat here and there, which is not harmful at all. To top it all off, we got some more great pictures.
Any parent will tell you that the worry starts as soon as you find out you are pregnant, and I'm sure that this is just one of many scares we will have through the upcoming years. Still, I am not sure I have ever felt the same type of panic I experienced over the course of those few days. Just the feeling of responsibility for that tiny life alone is enough to handle. We are very fortunate that our baby is healthy and I will never forget that.
The next morning, I woke up feeling like a new person. I'm not sure if it was the relief that helped me turn the corner, or if my body was finally on the rebound, but I actually showered, put on makeup and got dressed in an outfit that did not consist of flannel pajamas and a fluffy robe. It was such a big accomplishment that I celebrated by eating a giant cheeseburger and a mountain of ice cream.*
*Disclaimer - Yes, I am being conscious about eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, too. Lay off me, I was starving.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Pregnancy rocks!
Welcome to the Schuman blog! It's hard to believe I only have 15 weeks left of the exciting, scary and just plain bizarre experiences that accompany growing a human in your body. It's true that I'm one of those crazy women who loves pregnancy and everything that comes with it, but in spite of my lack of unpleasant experiences I have not escaped all inconvenience. I hope you enjoy reading about the humorous side of my adventures.
- August 9, 2007 - two lines on a plastic stick change our lives forever. I smile at myself in the bathroom mirror then tackle my unsuspecting husband, who had just come inside from the garage. By the way, telling your husband that he is going to be a daddy is one of the most fun experiences you can have in life.
- 7 weeks pregnant - I was the pregnant bridesmaid at one of my best friend's weddings...and I'll admit I was looking a little chunky already. If there is a downside to not having morning sickness (and really there isn't)...it's that you are hungry...ALL of the time. No one suspected a thing until it was obvious that I had consumed 10 "vodka cranberries" and I was still standing.
- 8 weeks pregnant - This was Labor Day weekend and we had decided to tell our families. By this time, I couldn't keep my eyes open past 8:00 p.m., and bouts of surprise moodiness would creep in when I least suspected.
On that particular Monday (Labor Day), I was in charge of bringing broccoli salad to my family barbecue. Halfway through the salad making process, I ran out of mayonnaise. I immediately felt a rage brewing unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Kyle was in the garage working out, but must have sensed an unfamiliar tension building in the air because he peeked in the window to see what was going on. I was standing in the kitchen, red-faced, mayo jar in hand and came completely unhinged when he told me I needed to wait a half hour before he could run to the store for me. This would NOT DO...we ALWAYS run out of EVERYTHING I need...Do you want the salad to be RUINED?...I'll just go get it MYSELF! And then I started crying. About halfway to the grocery store, I came to the conclusion that I was being just slightly irrational. I was nicer after that epiphany and the broccoli salad turned out just fine. I should also tell you that we completely shocked our parents with the news. - 12 weeks pregnant - First Ultrasound. We saw our baby for the very first time and it became very real that we were going to bring a child into the world.
- 16 weeks pregnant- The "pregnancy stupids" set in. Over the next few weeks, I would drive past my house, put my keys in the refrigerator when unloading groceries and lose my cell phone in my own coat pocket. Simple focus became very difficult and I commented to Kyle that I thought I was getting dumber. His response, "You are. Your brain shrinks 3-5% when you're pregnant, but don't worry it's supposed to get better." Good thing he has been reading up.
- 21 weeks pregnant - A bittersweet week for us. We had another ultrasound that Friday which revealed that we were having a GIRL!!! Two days later, I lost my grandfather, whom I loved very much. It has been a difficult time for our family, especially so close to the holidays, but the news of our daughter reminds us how blessed we are.
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