Introducing Titus!

Better late than never, right?

Our fifth child, another precious boy, was born six weeks ago.

Titus Stephen Elliot was born April 3 at 2:41am weighing 8lbs 1oz.

We're all smitten!

And now, 6 weeks later, he's eating well, sleeping well (often going 5hrs straight at night), and has gained close to 5lbs!

Praise the LORD!

healthy baby, healthy momma

I am now 18 weeks pregnant.  Many of you who have been following my blog for long will know that all of my pregnancies have had fairly significant complications.  The most recent (and continued) concern is regarding the rare antibody that I received via a necessary blood transfusion when our oldest, Micah, was born.  Our last pregnancy was smooth: after only two visits to the perinatalogist he gave me the all clear and told me to stay away from doctors.  I then was able to have a wonderful home birth, free of complications.  (The pregnancy before that involved near monthly ultrasounds and bloodwork - and also resulted in a healthy home birth.)

This pregnancy is my first full pregnancy outside of the big city and with my new midwife.  When my initial bloodwork came back that I still have the antibody, we were concerned over the possibility of having to drive down to the coast to see the perinatalogist, possibly multiple times this winter.  Far from ideal.  I wasn't worried about the outcome of the tests, because all has been well for the last two pregnancies, but more just the stress and cost and safety of multiple long trips in the winter just for a brief appointment.

A couple weeks ago, we heard back from the perinatalogist (where my medical records had been sent), and given my history of healthy babies, they were able to give me the all clear -- without an appointment!  We are so relieved!  And again, praising the LORD!

So for all who may have been wondering - babe and I are healthy and doing well.  We get our first sneak peak into the womb in three weeks!  Looking forward to it.

all-clear

Yesterday I had another appointment with our perinatalogist.  He did another detailed ultrasound - probably the coolest one yet.  He showed me various parts of the brain, a very clear view of the four chambers of baby's heart, the kidneys, and even the baby's uvula at the back of his/her throat.  Amazing!

The doctor printed three great photos of the baby, "so your kids don't have to fight over one".  And best of all... he cleared me!  Because Stewart's blood work is negative (regarding the antibody), Jackson had no complications, and this baby is looking completely normal, he said I no longer need to see him.  And then he added with a grin, "stay away from doctors, okay?".

We are so pleased and so thankful.  God is good!

a thumbs-up from baby #4

I saw the perinatologist this week for my consult and ultrasound.  He is a fabulous doctor.  I actually really enjoy my appointments -- I not only get to view the entire thirty-minute ultrasound each time, but he also tells me about the baby's features, and explains the ultrasound as he goes.  Bonus on top of that - he reminds of my Grandpa A.

The result of this appointment was that all is well at this point.  Baby gave us a thumbs-up, so clearly that's a good indication.  :)  We are waiting for the dr. to locate Stewart's bloodwork which is still on file (somewhere) from the last pregnancy.  I will see him again in a month for another ultrasound, then hopefully less often after that.

Thanks for your prayers!

antibody update

I keep forgetting to update this space, but I know that there have been people checking and wondering what is up with my pregnancy so far.  So here I am.  :)

My midwives informed me that I do have the antibody (still).  This seems obvious, but I had really been praying and hoping for healing and that it would be miraculously gone.  It's not.  I have an appointment coming up this week with the perinatologist.  We would appreciate your prayers that this baby is healthy and strong and free of complications due to the antibody.  Please also pray that we would come to a reasonable arrangement for monitoring this pregnancy.  The specialist mentioned in my last pregnancy that we may be able to eliminate the regular ultrasounds by checking the bloodwork of all three children.  We're hoping to get some clarity about this option, because although getting their bloodwork isn't ideal, it may be the better option in the long run.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer!

no news is good news?

An quick update for those who are wondering.  I did my blood tests on Monday.  I checked my results online and all those listed are normal, as expected.  The antibody screen results aren't available online, so I have to wait for a call from the midwife, or maybe since it's "old news" they'll just mention it at my next appointment.  Or maybe no news is good news?  Either way, I have no actual results yet (except the standard hemoglobin, etc).

pregnancy woes, round 4

Ah yes, back to the craziness of my body being pregnant.  My pregnancy with Jackson was actually really smooth overall.  But early on in the pregnancy it was discovered that I have a rare antibody that can be potentially very dangerous for both baby and I.  My pregnancy was monitored closely - both with lots of blood tests, and many ultrasounds.  In the end I had a healthy baby with no complications.  Praise the Lord!

So, this time, I've been told that the risk of having serious complications due to the antibody are less likely, since everything was fine last time.  But my understanding is the specialist will still want to follow my pregnancy closely.  Although the end results were good, it was a very stressful pregnancy for us last time, and is likely to be uncertain again this time.

However, with each of my pregnancies I've been diagnosed with a different, serious and somewhat rare complication.  BUT, despite the high risks (in some cases 90+%) of having these same complications again in subsequent pregnancies, I have never yet had a complication again.  Each of my pregnancies have been covered in prayer.  Each of these things (my bicornuate uterus no longer looking misshapen at the second and third ultrasounds, not having cholestasis again, coming through H1N1 seven months pregnant without complication, not having my water break early, etc) is a miracle.  We know our God is BIG and He has sovereignly taken care of us and had His hand on each pregnancy.  So we are asking Him that when I do my routine blood tests next week, this antibody will no longer be present in my body.  In human terms, that is crazy!  But it is nothing for our God.  And Him removing it from my body would be all to His glory!  He has intervened for me in the past and we are trusting Him to do it again.

Would you join us in prayer?

9 weeks

In case you haven't seen me in person to notice my growing belly, or missed my facebook announcement: We are expecting baby #4 in the fall!

This is what 9 weeks looks like - the fourth time around...

...definitely looking and feeling pregnant already!

introducing...

Jackson William Dietrich

"God is gracious"

born at home on January 29 at 10:30am

8lbs, 2oz - 22 inches

welcomed by Stewart & Charisa

big brother Micah and big sister Halle

birth story to come ... eventually.

For now, we all need some serious sleep.  (Did you hear that, Jackson?!)

make that 11 days...

I prayed for a normal pregnancy, and here I am, 11 days overdue!

It's time to start "fiddling", as my midwife says... and so here I sit, drinking a chocolate-peanut butter-castor oil smoothie for breakfast.  Yesterday she swept my membranes (no contractions resulted).  The smoothie certainly isn't delicious, but definitely could be worse.

Here's hoping for some action really soon!

8 days "overdue"

It's true.  I'm still pregnant.  I'm now 8 days "overdue".  It's such a silly term, because babies come when they are ready, not on some arbitrary date, but still.  The passing of the "due date" makes it hard to keep waiting patiently!

Today I'm going for another ultrasound.  This one is routine and simply because I am overdue.  They also will do a non-stress test (which I did every other day for 6 weeks when I was on bedrest with Halle).  As long as both results are good, I get to keep on waiting.  I'm feeling confident all is well - the midwife thinks the fluid around baby is good, and that's one of the primary things they are checking with ultrasound.  And I am still feeling baby moving lots, so I think the NST results will also be good.  Just need to go and check in and reassure our medical system that I am not a walking medical emergency because I am past my "due date".

Once again (for the third time this pregnancy) I feel like today would be a great day to have the baby, specifically because of the date.  Micah was born November 23, Halle was July 24, and so a baby born January 25 would fit nicely into the family pattern and help me keep the dates straight!  Also, it is a Friday so it would give Stewart a couple days to spend at home with our family without having to take time off work - another bonus to a January 25th baby.  Any prayers that our baby comes before midnight tonight would be very welcome.  :)

--
P.S. Both tests today went well and all results are good.  The waiting continues...

overdue at the zoo.

40 weeks + 2 days

We decided to get out of the house today, away from thoughts of the impending birth, and enjoy some time at the zoo with our kids.

 

the pond at the zoo was frozen! so rare for here.

 

So glad we went!  What a great day of family fun ... hopefully our last as a family of four!

hello, 40 weeks

Yes, today is my due date.  No, I'm not in labour.  It's already 3:30pm, so looking unlikely I'll have the baby today.  I would have really liked to have the baby today, not just because it's my due date and that's cool, but it is also my Dad's birthday.  I thought that would have been kind of special.  Oh well.  Not much I can do about it!

I am very thankful to have made it to the 40 week mark, but I have to say that I am way too much of a planner to appreciate the waiting that is involved.  I did not like being induced either time, but at least I wasn't waiting indefinitely for the baby!  I guess there are some perks to induction after all.  :)

I feel like we should plan a "yay, I made it to my due date" party, but then I'd probably just go into labour before we had it...haha.  Wait, maybe I should plan one...!  For so long all I wanted was to keep this baby inside and not be premature, and now I am so ready for he/she to be born.  I didn't really think I would make it to 37 weeks, so I have literally spent the last 3 weeks all ready for baby, each night expecting to wake up in labour.  I decided I'm done keeping my house tidy and ready for the birth.  3 weeks of keeping everything ready is enough.  That's what early labour is for, right?!

You'll hear from us shortly after the Little One is born.

39 weeks and still growing!

Praise God!  I am now 39 weeks + 1 day pregnant -- and I've set a personal record for the longest I've ever been pregnant.  Which means I am ready for the baby to come any time now!!  Since this is my first time not being induced, I'm starting to understand why women tend to get so sick of waiting for their baby to come.  It's so out of my control!  I've been working at keeping my house tidy, laundry done, kitchen clean, schedule fairly open, etc, so I am always ready for the baby.  That alone is getting tiring and frustrating!

As you probably know, Halle was born at 35 weeks, and Micah at 39.  So this is the longest I've ever been pregnant.  I feel like my belly is almost as big as it was with Micah, but overall I've put on at least 10 lbs less this time, so I feel really healthy and still pretty comfortable in general.  I think that keeping busy chasing two kids has helped with my weight gain, as well as being much more careful about what we eat than we used to be.  (Click here to see the photo of me 38 weeks pregnant with Micah, in comparison.)

Last week I was thrown a wonderful shower -- not so much for the baby, as it was for me.  I was spoiled (blessed, really) with all sorts of wonderful gifts, from spa gift cards, to tea, to babysitting, gift cards for clothes, meals, a movie date night, etc.  I felt (and still feel) so loved!  A big thank you to everyone who was a part of it!

All in all, I am happy to still be pregnant, free from complications, and eagerly awaiting this baby's arrival.  We will keep you posted!

home free

On Friday I had my final ultrasound with the perinatalogist.  Along with the beautiful sight of precious little toes and chubby cheeks, came the wonderful news that all is well.  Both baby and I are healthy and show no signs of complications from the antibody I have.  I am now over 36 weeks pregnant, and I don't need to see the perinatalogist again.  Praise God!!!  I really want to make it to at least 37 weeks (which is this Thursday) then the baby can come anytime.  No signs of labour yet, so I don't think it will be a problem to make it to Thursday.  :)  With my medical history it seems like such a miracle that I will (probably) make it to term without complications.  I am so thrilled.  Especially when I think back to the initial diagnosis of the antibody, when we thought my care might get transferred to the women's hospital an hour away... and here I am, almost 37 weeks with a healthy baby in utero and no signs of the antibody.  Thank you, Jesus!

It's also crazy to think that technically I could be pregnant for another month!  Since Halle was born early (35 weeks) it already seems like I must be overdue... and I haven't even reached term yet (37 weeks).

I am still at risk of developing cholestasis, and will be until this baby is born.  We'd appreciate your continued prayers that I remain healthy and my liver does too.  :)

today

Today we have snow.  Our playgroup Christmas party this morning didn't happen, due to said winter wonderland outside.  But, that did give me time to finally upload pictures off my camera and thus, update you.

My kids this morning were very excited about the snow.  Micah wanted to play outside as soon as he saw the snow -- at 6:30 this morning!  (I made him wait until he had breakfast and was dressed before venturing outside.  If it was up to him, he's have been out there immediately in his PJ's!)  And Halle too, was excited, but it turns out that she prefers to enjoy it from inside the house.  I got her all bundled up to play, and once standing in the snow she was quite unimpressed.  It is the first time she's seen snow, at least that she remembers.  So I still have hope that she'll grow to enjoy it.  She'd better, because the rest of us love it!

35.5 weeks pregnant (and I look so tired!)

This past Saturday was my birthday, making me a whopping 27 years old.  :)  And tomorrow is our 4th wedding anniversary, meaning that we've managed to have (or almost have) 3 children in 4 years of marriage.  It's quite a feat, let me tell you!  Not one we'd planned, but we love our life, and are so blessed by each of our children.  They really are blessings from the Lord, each one.

(And since when did Micah reach the "cheese" smile phase?!)

Since our playgroup Christmas party didn't happen this morning, I am left with a whole pan of Salted Chocolate Pretzel Toffee.  I made it with sucanat instead of brown sugar, and part dark chocolate instead of all semi-sweet...oh my!  It is delicious and I am happy to eat it (all) but I'm quite sure that my waistline (and baby's waistline) will not be thanking me if I do.  Must be self-controlled... but oh my, you should try some and then you'd understand!  I'm such a sucker for anything sweet and salty.

And now to end, a few more photos of my adorable children.  Just because.

our happenings

I am sitting here, 34 weeks pregnant, and marvelling at this little one moving around inside of me.  Pregnancy is such an amazing thing.  For 34 weeks I have had a child growing inside me.  Starting off so incredibly small, and now weighing in around 5 lbs!  It is truly a miracle.

Also a miracle, is the simple fact that I am 34 weeks pregnant!  In my pregnancy with Halle I was induced at 34.5 weeks, and with Micah I had severe cholestasis by now.  Praise God for no complications so far!  I'm still being monitored, but all results have been very positive.

In other news, my precious boy is growing up way too fast!  He is now potty-trained, as of about 2 weeks ago, and is doing really well at it.  Many times he's even woken up at night to get up and go to the potty, and so has been able to keep his pull-up dry at night for several days in a row!  I did not expect that so soon!  I'm near the end of a package of pull-ups and feeling hopeful that I might not need to buy any more.  What a milestone!  (And one that is a much bigger deal for his parents than for him!)

Almost a month ago, I completed the course to become a doula!  A doula is basically someone who is trained as a support person for women in labour.  Doula's don't do anything medical, they simply help women with various comfort measures, encouragement, etc.  I am looking forward to attending my first birth in early April, and hopefully many more after that!  My dream really is to become a midwife, but since that is many years away, we decided that being a doula would be a great way to gain experience working with labouring women.

Right now Halle is just getting over croup, which brings me to a realization about myself as a mother.  I feel much more confident in myself and my mothering skills that I did even a few months ago.  Dealing with croup in small children can be scary, but it didn't phase me the way it has in the past.  I don't think it's anything in particular that I've done or learned, just something that comes with time and experience as a mom.  I've heard other moms say the same -- they felt much more confident in their mothering with their 3rd child.
 
Speaking of third child, things are coming together as we prepare for our newest little one.  The newborn baby clothes are out of storage and just need a wash, my freezer is stocked with meals to get me through the first few weeks after help runs out post-baby, and things have been rearranged to make space for another person in our little home.  Now I just need to buy some newborn diapers and get the bassinet ready.  We're almost there!  It feels like there is much less to do the third time around!

I'm hoping to make it through Christmas with no complications and no labour, and then, that baby can come anytime!  I'll be 37 weeks right at Christmas.

That's it for us around here...
Charisa

no cholestasis yet!

This morning I received results from some blood work I had done on Wednesday.  I wondered if I had the beginning stages of cholestasis since my feet have been tingly and border-line itchy lately.  (Itchy feet is one of the main symptoms of cholestasis in pregnancy.)  Praise the LORD, all my results came back normal.  No cholestasis, just tingly mildly swollen pregnant feet.  Wonderful news!

Also, when I saw the perinatalogist a week ago, he commented that he doubted I would have cholestasis this time since I didn't have it in my pregnancy with Halle.  I believe his exact words were: "Well, I won't say that you won't get it..."

Keep praying!

all is well with baby #3

I had another ultrasound on Friday, checking out our little baby and looking for signs of complications from the crazy antibody that I have.  The perinatologist reported that everything looks good.  Baby is healthy and there are no signs of trouble yet.  He booked me for one (hopefully) final ultrasound, right before Christmas, but said that it's unlikely that anything will develop since we've made it safely this far.  I am 32.5 weeks.  Praise the Lord!

We'd appreciate your continued prayers -- for no complications from the antibody, and that I would be able to deliver a healthy baby without ever having cholestasis.  So far I don't have it, but it often shows about around this time in a pregnancy for women who have a history of it.  I am really hoping for a natural, healthy labour and delivery.  It's my dream to have this baby without being induced -- something I haven't yet experienced.  If I develop cholestasis, it is very likely I would be induced again.

A big thank you again to everyone who has prayed and is still praying for us and our baby.  We so appreciate your prayers.

a pregnancy update

What a crazy few months.

God definitely has us on a journey, and it is far from over!

baby belly at 24 weeks

After hearing from the perinatologist that the antibody I have is not going to cause complications, because Stewart is not a carrier... we have since learned otherwise.  After my standard 20 week ultrasound he requested to see me every 6 weeks.  I was confused, but agreed.  At my next ultrasound appointment with him, I asked for some clarification.  Why was I still seeing him if everything was fine?  (For more background, read here and here.)

It turns out that things are not quite that straight forward.  Ever.

I don't remember all the proper medical terms he used, but basically, although Stewart isn't a carrier of the antibody, there is still a chance (25% or less, according to my rough understanding) that the baby could be susceptible to the antibody and whatever complications that would imply (one such complication is severe fetal anemia.  eek).

At my last appointment everything looked normal.  Praise the Lord!  My next appointment is on November 23 (also Micah's birthday).  Please pray that everything continues to go well, baby grows well, and for a good report on the 23rd.

Thankfully no sign of cholestasis yet.  I thought I was getting it last week, but a blood test of my liver function showed that everything is normal.  Phew.  Once again, praise God!

I am almost 29 weeks pregnant, and really hoping for at least another 8 weeks of uncomplicated pregnancy before this baby comes!

We are so thankful for all your prayers, support, and love as we journey.