A Date Determined
It has been determined that I will head to the hospital to be induced on the 22nd. The doctor told me not to go back to work in the meantime so until then I’ll just be resting. We’re excited to meet this little girl–Brian is almost to the point where he can’t stand it. It’s so sweet. He’s gonna be such a good dad. I can’t wait for him to be able to hold her. I’m sure she’s excited too!
Almost There
Yesterday was my last doctor’s appointment before I go in to determine what date I’ll be induced. I scheduled that appointment for next Monday as early in the day as I could so we can know as soon as possible whether I’ll be induced on the 20th or 22nd. As far as yesterday, though, normal as usual. She has a great heartbeat and is still growing and positioned as she should be. Good girl! Let’s just hope she’s this good once she’s out of the womb.
Early Arrival
She’s most definitely a girl! She weighs just over six pounds right now and should gain about a half a pound every week until she arrives. And just when will that be? ONE WEEK EARLIER!! Even though she won’t be a huge baby, the doctor still wants to move my due date up one week due to me having a little bit more fluid than normal. Not a big deal, he just wants to monitor me in a controlled environment rather than me go into labor on my own if at all possible. So, on the 19th he’ll determine whether he wants to induce on the 20th or the 22nd.
While we were getting our ultrasound the lady switched over to 3D mode so we got to see some 3D pics of Kharis. Here’s what our little girl looks like right now…
Fat Little Baby
I went to the doctor last Tuesday and, once again, everything checked out okay. She has dropped some and I’ve gained three more pounds, which puts me right at a total weight gain of 30 pounds. Pretty sure I’m not going to meet my goal of staying at or under 30 pounds of total weight gain because this little girl’s just gonna keep getting bigger at this point. Oh well! The doctor seems to thinks she’s going to be a decent sized baby because he ordered another ultrasound to determine exactly how much she weighs right now. Then, he will determine whether or not he’s going to let me go to my due date. All that happens today, actually. SCARY!! (I’m pretty excited about getting to see her again, though.)
For those who don’t know, Brian and I still aren’t 100% convinced she’s a girl. (We KNOW she’s a girl but there’s still that hint of doubt. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because we’re from the Show Me State.) Because of this I’ve done pretty much none of her laundry. So, after today we’re going to make sure and then it’ll be laundry city at the Parrish home!
27 and Counting
My appointment went well today—another quick one. She still has a good heartbeat, she’s positioned where she’s supposed to be, my belly’s the way it should be, I gained five more pounds for a grand total of 27. He’s going to see me again on the 30th (Happy Birthday grandma & me!!) and then after that I think he’ll start seeing me every week. It’s getting so close!!!!
I have a little goal/game going to see if I can stay at or under 30 pounds of total weight gain. (No worries. I’m not trying to lose weight or prevent her from growing as she should in any way.) It’s just a fun little game I decided to play. Before my appointment today I decided I would treat myself to Sonic if I was still on target. 27!! So I went to Sonic. It’s quite possible the burger, tots, and strawberry limeade I had MAY have pushed me over the edge. Oh well! It was worth it!
“…just part of the disease!”
I just got back from my 29 week appointment and everything is great!
Blood pressure…good!
Weight gain…good! (I’ve gained another five pounds. That makes 22 pounds total so far. 22! This is definitely a special day, Melanie and Ashley! For those who don’t know, my friend Melanie, sister Ashley, and me all wore the number 22 back in the good old volleyball playin’ days. I think this is significant enough to go in the baby book!)
Her heartbeat…good!
Her position in my belly…good!
And great news… there is no limit to the number of Tums I can eat in one day. Woo hoo! Gotta love the Tums. The chocolate and vanilla smoothie kind is my favorite!
I asked the doctor about some sharp pains and cramping I’ve been having (just as a precaution) and he said there’s nothing to be concerned about. I’m going to have all sorts of aches and pains in the days ahead. “One hip will go one way, the other will go another way.” “It’s all just part of the disease!” I love my doctor!
A Blast From the Past
My most recent appointment was last Thursday. This was a long one. I did my Glucose Tolerance test. Basically, I went in and had five minutes to drink a bottle of really thick, sugary juice, did my normal check-up with the doctor, and then sat in the waiting room and waited and waited for the sugar to make its way through me. I had my choice between orange and fruit punch so I decided to go with fruit punch. My reasoning—lately orangy stuff (really anything acidic) hasn’t been doing so well with me. So I figured maybe the fruit punch would be a little less painful. I was wrong. But it wasn’t too horrible. My friend Melanie’s description of this concoction was perfect! It tasted like one of those little juice drinks you drink when you’re little at like daycare or VBS or something. They come in little plastic bottles, there are like a hundred in a box, they’ve got the little aluminum top you peel off, and how they fall into the juice category is a mystery. Do you know what I’m talking about? It was a trip down memory lane right there in the doctor’s office. And I assume since I haven’t heard anything yet, everything is great.
The baby is right where she should be in my belly, her heartbeat is good, and she’s still kicking away. Good job Charis, Karis, Caris, Kharis! Still no final decision on the spelling of her name but it shouldn’t be too much longer. Thanks for all the help!
Our Baby Has A Y Chromosome Deficiency
Don’t be alarmed by the title. That just means today we found out our baby is a girl. We didn’t have a preference on whether the baby was a boy or a girl but just that he/she was healthy. Well, we went in for an ultrasound today and it told us that both the baby is very healthy and that she’s a girl. We couldn’t be more excited. Now to determine a name…
Here are some pictures of the ultrasound. My only questions is: At what stage in the pregnancy does the baby get some color?
A profile shot
Is she sucking her thumb?
She's got big feet like her daddy.
A lot of backbone. (She gets that from her mom.)
That's a girl alright.
Another Appointment
I had another appointment last Thursday. Not too eventful but I got to hear the heartbeat again so that was a definite plus. It took a tiny bit longer to find the baby this time because he/she kept moving around. So cute! It won’t be too much longer before I’ll start feeling our little “critter” (as the doctor so lovingly referred to the baby) and all that movement. But, he said the baby is growing and the heartbeat is good.
As far as I know I’m still sick. After this weekend I’m going to try it without my little miracle pills again and see if there has been any progress. Why this weekend? Well we’ve got a fair and a ballgame to go to!! We’re heading back to Missouri to see the fam and I certainly don’t want to be a party pooper. There are corn dogs, hot dogs, and nachos to be eaten! And Brian’s mom is making peach cobbler and my mom is making cucumbers in vinegar and fried zucchini. (Both per my request.) Yum!! I still may get sick but it won’t be because of the baby. I think I’ll take the chance! J
“There’s Your Nausea-maker!”
We went to the doctor yesterday for a brief, but especially eventful appointment. As we entered the doctor’s office my body decided it was time for its daily offering before the “great white throne” as Brian refers to it. So I headed for the bathroom and Brian headed to the check-in desk. Once in the office I was graciously given a Sprite, escorted into a room, the doctor pulled out some fancy looking stethoscope, and then these words were spoken… “There’s your nausea-maker!” It was a heartbeat! OUR baby’s heartbeat! So sweet. And just as sweet was when Brian got up out of his chair to come closer to listen. He’s so excited and I love it! Only two more appointments and our little “nausea-maker” will be given a name. We can’t wait!
About
On Monday, May 26, 2008, we took a home pregnancy test and found out that we were great with child (before that we were just plain great). Who knew that peeing on a stick could bring such joy? We even took a picture of the stick but we’ll spare everyone that image. One week later an ultrasound confirmed that Katie did indeed have a little baby growing inside of her belly.
Well, nine months went by in a flash and our little girl is finally here. On Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 4:50 in the afternoon, Kharis Grace Parrish entered the world. She is absolutely perfect. We are so grateful to our Father in heaven who has blessed us by giving us the stewardship of this little girl. We invite everyone to check in from time to time and watch as Kharis grows and as Katie and I try to handle all of this. I am sure our attempt at being parents will be entertaining and sometimes just plain laughable. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
