An Angel Face, If I Ever Saw One---

Please excuse the shadows making a scary skeletal baby, but here is Sugar cube at 35 weeks and 2 days!

A complete angel face:) This momma can see what the picture doesn't show, lol.

Today was our growth ultrasound. I was a tad nervous going in; wanting to make sure everything was fine...Like I said, I wasn't too worried that her growth had stunted, but you never really know! Turns out, this momma was right! Baby girl weighed in at a healthy 6.25 lbs putting her in the 85th percentile for her age! Wow. Out of one hundred babies, she out weighs 85 of them!

The ultrasound tech said that mothers with high blood pressure tend to have small nibblets, but our little one is definitely eating her veggies:) So proud of her ♥

My family is trying to decide who she looks like the most---It's kinda hard to tell with a 2D sonogram but I DEFINITELY see R's eye bone structure and very possibly his nose. That could be a close one though because he and I both have very similar noses...Take a look---

Scary huh! As for her cute as a button pouty mouth, I think the shape is mine but she got the pouty'ness from her papa...She's going to love him if he also gives her those thick and long eyelashes of his.

So in short. Baby "G" doesn't seem to be affected by this whole preeclampsia bit, just her mom. Lets pray it stays that way!

 A quick, "thank you all" for your kind and encouraging comments on my last post. It really lifted my spirits and helped bring the positive me back:) Y'all ROCK my socks!

In closing, because it's getting late and I starving---I'm in complete love with our daughter already but after today's ultrasound, I cannot WAIT to meet her, hold her and tell her how absolutely perfect and beautiful she is ♥

4 weeks or less Baby girl! 

Positive Comments And Energy Appreciated!

35 weeks yesterday!

And there's nothing flattering about this post or picture---Just warning you!
But it was either this grunge look with no makeup, or no belly update at all:)

However, we are getting close, ya know! I'm down to a few pair of pants I can still wear and most of my shirts have taken on the pooh'bear effect...

This is where the bad stuff comes in though---Kinda hating on my body this week!

Tuesday I had my midwife appointment where I really had it socked to me...Not only am I nearing 200 lbs at a HUGE 188 so far, they finally (without saying it) diagnosed me with preeclampsia after my 24 hour urine count came back with a whooping 299; a 300 is the threshold, lol...

What scares me is, over the course of a week, I went from a 0 in my fluids to a 299...I know the doc said it could increase at an alarming rate, but dang!

  I really wanted to cry looking at that scale but after hearing the other bit of news...I think my eyes DID water up...I was trying to hold it together though for my husband and all the on-lookers...

I'll most likely be kicked out of the midwife program too, now, because they don't deal with complicated pregnancies--- So yeah--- Hit me again Ike!

Annnnnnnnnnd---- being induced at 39 weeks is a definite; if not earlier should the headaches, spotty vision, swelling, high bp, excessive weight gain and proteins in my fluids increase...Yeah, don't you just love all the side effects!!! I guess I can take SOME comfort though, that all this weight is partly due to the disease...At least a pound or two anyhow, haha!

I don't mean to sound like a Debbie downer but I just really want this to be over---I'm ready to meet Sugar cube, have my body back so it can start healing and just be off this roller coaster ride in general...

Oh yes, I almost forgot! I now have a few stretch marks:(

Some of my Facebook friends might remember this photo.

Pretty nasty huh!

I got this baby the week I found out I was pregnant. I had slammed into a door at work, trying to shut the alarm off before sirens started screaming...It never really healed right and actually scared...Well apparently scar tissue isn't as stretchy as unmarred skin because it went from a scar to small stretch marks...Sigh...Oh well, it could be worse!

My husbands been pretty awesome though. He allowed me to have a good cry after all this, took me to dinner and just stayed close to snuggle and even mixed in some pretty nice and encouraging words.

But now for some good news! I have a growth ultrasound tomorrow!!! Preeclampsia babies tend to stop growing after a time (not always though) and so we're getting an extra ultrasound to make sure she's still eating her veggies:)

I can't wait!

I'm not too concerned that she has stopped growing or that she's even the slightest bit tiny. She feels HUGE in there...But hopefully they'll give me some updated photos of her to post. Her last debut was at 22 weeks, so I'm assuming she'll look more like a baby now;)

I promise that next weeks update will be more upbeat and informative about baby girl. However, thanks for allowing me to vent, lol! I think I've done pretty good so far but this week just got the better of me! Pregnancy hormones or not...

I'm off to enjoy this sunny day and exercise my overly hyper Piper girl---

 

Progression...

Unlike this beautiful photo---

via

Turns out, progression isn't always a good thing!!

Yet another L&D visit last night.

I feel like my body's done so well this entire pregnancy only to be failing me right now...Boo! 

G.I Joe's Wife , a fellow blogger used this similar sentence after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes yesterday; I can totally relate!

After dinner was served and put away last night,  I went upstairs only to be met with spotty vision. It was so weird! Like bright fire embers floating all around me then softly dimming out;  a lot like miniature fireflies...I've NEVER seen spots like that before--- ever!
If I hadn't of been so freaked out I would have thought they were beautiful. LOL!

Spots in my vision and headaches are something the doctors keep telling me to watch out for in the progression of preeclampsia. So I was a tad hysterical because I had the headache and no matter how much I blinked or diverted my eyes, the spots didn't improve.

I called L&D right away and they pulled me in because of the nasty head pounding and vision issues.  After a fluid sample, my fear was confirmed. The results came back with slightly elevated proteins.

GASP!

 I so didn't want to hear that but I was glad that I followed my gut and went in...

Score #1 for the home team though---Baby "G" was doing awesome!! BIG SMILE! When you go in, they hook you up to a sensor that monitors her heartbeat as well as my contractions.
She was just HANGING OUT;  chillaxin really--- Not showing any signs of stress even though I was contracting quite a bit.

R thinks she might have his even temperament. He doesn't get bent out of shape over most things which is something I LOVE about that man. I would be over the MOON if baby girl had this as well.

Okay, lets get back on track! I've been instructed not to spas out just yet. As long as my blood work stays the same, baby girl has plenty of fluid around her, my symptoms do not worsen, etc I'll be able to carry her until 39 weeks; just as long as the environment stays safe for Mom and Baby.

SOOOOO this means I will definitely have my membranes stripped around week 36 to help progress labor. The midwife on duty told me that the stripping would be SO EASY at this point...Guess that's a good thing? I understood it to mean, not as painful. HAHA!

I really feel like Sugar cube is getting ready to appear anyhow. I've been contracting SO MUCH! Maybe due to the progressing preeclampsia as that does throw you into preterm labor.

Please just pray that we go into labor without being induced...I'm SO SCARED OF THAT!

As for my guilt with all this, the midwife gave me some words of wisdom that really took the pressure off. She said that first time moms are more prone to developing this disease and that doctors cannot give a reason why.

I asked her what I might be doing wrong at home and what I could do better. She said "nothing." Preeclampsia cannot be avoided if it's going to develop. It doesn't matter what you do...I was prepared to go on bed rest to help with the high BP but apparently a high BP is just a symptom and not a driving force for the disease.

So this is completely out of my control and in the big guys hands...I'm somewhat of a controlling person, in my  own life--- However, I can be okay with this...Some things cannot be controlled and this is obviously one of them...

Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks!!

I'm off to start ANOTHER 24 hour fluid count. Oh joy---