The Finish Line...

... is finally in sight.  Thank God!  These have officially been the L-O-N-G-E-S-T nine months of my life!!

Here's the update:  I had an appointment last week, and all is looking good!  Had another ultrasound, and Evelyn is measuring in at about five pounds now!  Lydia got to come with me (she's never been to an ultrasound appointment before), and she was honestly beaming throughout the whole scan.  It was too cute! 

My doctor told me that if I haven't gone into labor by the time I hit 39 weeks, she will plan to induce me at that time.  In her words, "we really don't need any more surprises from this little one".  Being that I will be 35 weeks on Friday, this means that at the MOST we only have four more weeks until Evelyn officially joins our family!!  I can SO do four weeks!!!  Still having contractions, but nothing too regular or painful at this point.  Blood pressure is still sneaking up, but again nothing to be overly concerned about as of yet.  Just things to keep an eye on.

We are getting settled in our new home (for those who didn't know, we moved last weekend). Although it was pretty crazy, I have to say it feels so wonderful to be getting settled here.  I have washed all of Evie's clothes and her crib is put together...  and now we're  just waiting for her to come home.  She will be sharing a bedroom with Lydia, who could not be any more excited to meet her little sister!

On a side note, Will has been pretty miserable today.  Took him to the doctor this morning and found out that he has pneumonia.  We're hoping he starts perking up and feeling better soon!

32 Weeks...

Wow... I can't believe how long it has been since I have last updated.  For those who have been checking in for news, I owe you an apology!  I honestly don't know where the last three weeks have gone.

The update:

I am now 32 weeks into this pregnancy, and am doing WELL!!  I am done with my weekly appointments (for now, at least), and have "graduated" from the high-risk clinic all together.  I have been adding some more activity into my day, which has been a great thing for my spirits. Still need to be watching my activity levels a bit, and am not supposed to be lifting at all... a little bit hard when caring for my 31-pound three year old who wants to be held by his Mama!  A newer concern at this point is the major swelling I've been experiencing in my feet over the last week or so.  My blood pressure is creeping up there, so we will be monitoring that and praying that I don't end up back on the couch (I had high BP with Will at the end of my pregnancy as well, and ended up on bedrest from 36 weeks on).  Trying to get as much done around here as I can in the meantime.

Evelyn is doing great!  I had an ultrasound yesterday, and she is now up to FOUR pounds!  Her movements are getting so strong... this little one will definitely give us a run for our money, I can tell that already.  But even so, what a true blessing she will be!

On a side note, Will had surgery on his adenoids and had new ear tubes put in on Tuesday.  He did great!  Day one was a bit miserable, day two a little better, and by yesterday he was full of energy and back to daycare.  

Thanks again to all of you who have been following this journey and who have been holding us close to your hearts in prayer.  We are blessed to have you! 

 

"Baby Girl"...

As you know if you've been following our story, Steve and I are expecting a little girl.  We found out way back at our 16 week ultrasound, and then got confirmation after our amnio.  I realized the other day that I refer to her as "baby girl" in all of my posts.  Well, she will be called "baby girl" no longer, because she officially has a name!  We would like to share it with you.  This little girl will officially be named:

"Evelyn Joyce Hafeman"

"Evelyn", or "Evie" for short, is a name that Steve and I have both fallen in love with.  It means "light", which we feel is perfect for her.  Thanks to some digging on my brother's end, we also found that it is a family name from my Father's side in the 1900's.  Being that we are big fans of family names, this is a definite bonus!

As for her middle name... "Joyce" is Steve's Grandmother's name.  She is a strong and caring woman who raised a beautiful family of four children, and we have so much respect and admiration for her.  Her faith is unwavering, and she is one of the warmest and most loving women I know.  We are honored to have our little girl carry her name.

So there you have it!  Now on with the update...

I had my weekly testing done yesterday, and Evelyn is looking beautiful as ever! She is practicing breathing and is still moving around like crazy!  Her fluid levels still look great, and she continues to "thrive" in her environment.  As for me, I had some more bleeding again last week.  Still not sure where that is coming from or why it is happening.  Any time there is bleeding, I will need to be back on the couch for a good few days after it has stopped to help ensure that it doesn't start back up again.  In between these "episodes", though, I will be able to start adding some activity to my day.  In fact, I went to TARGET yesterday and didn't even have to drive around in the scooter.  Nothing beats an afternoon trip to Target when it comes to a mom that's been stuck on the couch for nine weeks!!  It was heaven!

Next week, another ultrasound to measure Evelyn's growth and another round of testing.  I'm 28 and half weeks now, so I have made it out of the "danger zone" of 23-28 weeks.  Not that it wouldn't be a long road if she decided to make her appearance anytime soon, but her chances of surviving (and having minimal long-term problems) are much greater after the 28-week mark.  

Thanks so much for all of the prayers and positive thoughts!  We appreciate them more than you know! 

Christmas 2008

Just thought I'd share a few (OK, more than a few) Christmas pictures from the Hafeman family!

We had a truly blessed Christmas filled with family and joy! Hope you all had the same!

Off to Church...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Had my appointment yesterday, and things went pretty well.  Baby girl still looks great... we even got to take a peek at her with a 3-D ultrasound!  It was amazing- she looks a lot like Lydia already!  Doctor said that the fluid looks great, and since it has been a week and a half since I've had any leaking of amniotic fluid, she feels pretty confident that the leak has HEALED!  Prayers have been answered!

Over one hurdle, on to another...

I spent the afternoon/evening in the hospital on Saturday because I started bleeding and cramping early that morning.  They couldn't find an obvious reason for the bleeding, but gave me a shot of something to stop the cramping.  The doctor yesterday said that because of the continued, sporadic bleeding I've experienced through this pregnancy, that she really couldn't let me off of bedrest at this point.  BUT, I asked her if I could please go to church with my family today to celebrate Christmas Eve, and she said YES!  I am also able to go shopping for small amounts of time IF someone will push me in a wheelchair.  Any takers?? :)

I will continue with weekly appointments for the next month to make sure that all continues to be well with our little one.  I'll keep you all posted.

Take Care, and I hope you all enjoy this holiday season!

Insignificant...

Someone pointed something out to me last night.  She pointed out the fact that never in this blog have I talked about the results of the amniocentesis.  I really didn't believe her, so I went back and re-read every post I've made so far.  She was right... not one single mention of it!  

Funny how things that once seemed so important seem so very insignificant as of late.  Six weeks ago, the focus of our worry shifted almost instantly from wondering whether or not this baby of ours had Down syndrome or any other chromosomal issues, to wondering whether or not this baby would SURVIVE.  The Lord has a way of shifting our focus to the things that are truly important in life, I guess.

So, for those who don't know already, the results of the amnio are that this baby girl of ours does NOT have Down syndrome or Trisomy 18.  As far as anybody can tell, she is a healthy baby in every way.  The increased nuchal fold, which started all of this worry back in September, has completely resolved.  The cyst that was present on her brain at our 19 week ultrasound has disappeared.  All is well.

Not Free Yet...

The good news... baby girl continues to look great and has plenty of amniotic fluid!  She had both of her little hands up by her mouth again and was sucking on her fingers... I'm thinking we may have a little thumb-sucker on our hands.  The doctor was encouraged when I told her that I am pretty sure that I haven't leaked any amniotic fluid for a good four days... she said that she is very hopeful that this leak has already healed or is well on its way to doing so.

However, she said that because it has been a relatively short amount of time that I've been feeling better, she would like me to remain on strict bedrest for another week.  UGH!  I was honestly thinking that she would "set me free" today, at least to resume a minimum amount of activity.   But, I will gladly rest on this couch for another seven days if it means our little girl will stay happy and safe inside my belly. :)

We have another appointment next Tuesday.  If at that point all continues to look well with baby and me, then she will allow me to begin adding small amounts of activity into my day.  Just thinking about being able to go to church with my family on Christmas Eve warms my heart beyond words.

So we wait and pray for another good appointment next week...