A future Dad's frustration grows....

So we had a regular appt today with the OB and, as we had prayed for, everything is on track and normal.  The tests that Tasha went through on Monday all came back with flying colors.  Preeclampsia is not in the picture at this point and according to the doctor, "It would be a long shot."  So that is good news.

What gets my ire up is the complete lack of communication in the doctor's office.  Dr. DeJong today made it sound like Tasha's BP being around 140/90 is no big deal.  Not what we were told at all on Monday.  I seriously think that they are making this up.  He said that with chronic hypertensive patients, they allow the BP to be higher and there is no cause for concern at this time.  Do you ever wonder how many tests are performed in the medical field on a CYA basis?  Is there any wonder why they call it practicing medicine?

So at this point we continue on the path towards October 26th.  We have two more appts next week so it will be very interesting to see what the next two doctors think!

All Strapped Up

Not sure if we mentioned this, but my perinatologist (high risk doctor) advised me to buy a blood pressure cuff 2 months ago. I have to take my BP twice a day to make sure it's staying in line. Unfortunately this weekend it went out of wack. It was starting to creep up a couple of weeks ago, but as soon as I took my medication it would go down. Now it seems as though my meds aren't doing the trick. I called to let my doc know the deal and he made me come in for a checkup today. My BP read 138/92 when I was there, so they sent me over to Labor & Delivery where I had to practically be admitted to the Maternity Ward!
I had to put a gown on and lay in a bed where they strapped a contraction monitor and a baby heartrate monitor to my belly and put a blood pressure cuff on my arm. Then I had to lay in bed and be monitored for over an hour. The phlebotomist drew 4 viles of blood to do different tests, and they sent me home with a urine collection kit - I have to collect all of my potty for 24 hours and then take it back to them tomorrow.
In case any of you were wondering, I do have the best husband ever :) He came and kept me company at the hospital. As soon as he came in, the baby woke up and went crazy :) It seems to respond to his voice more and more all the time. The little thing loves his/her daddy - But not as much as I do!
I have my 36 week OB appointment on Wednesday morning, so we will find out what they want to do with me. Best case? They increase my meds to help keep my BP down. Worst case? They put me on bedrest and induce me at 37-38 weeks...

So here I am all strapped up...This was at my first Non-Stress test, not at the hospital today. I have these every week, today's was just longer and more intense. The top strap monitors contractions and the bottom one is monitoring Baby's Heartrate.

All strapped up

The 35th Week

Josh and I had a pretty awesome day yesterday...His co-workers threw us a surprise baby shower / luncheon! It was completely unexpected and so generous and sweet...He works with some really great people, and we appreciate all of them and their support!
Gifts received:
1. Noisy 4-wheeler (it's not powered, so once Melon gets old enough it will be safe for riding)
2. Super soft teddy bear
3. $100 gift card to Babies R Us
4. $60 gift card to Ohana Steakhouse (Japanese Steakhouse - Here I come volcano drink!)
5. Scentsy nightlight candle with 3 different wax scents - yummy!

So as you can see, we got a lot of great stuff:)
It's fun to see how Cooper and Fletcher react to things. Everything we have gotten that is stuffed and soft or makes jingley noices automatically gets into Cooper's mouth - he thinks it's a new toy for him! He will have to learn the difference and I'm sure he won't be happy about it...
Fletcher pretty much hates everything! He barks at the 4-wheeler and the swing and the popping vacuum cleaner from J's mom and Den - anything that makes an unfamiliar noise or motion, he completely freaks out at.
They are such funny little boys:) They are going to have a lot of adjusting to do, but J and I are committed to loving them just as much as we ever have and trying to make the transition as easy as we can on them. They are, after all, our first babies and we love them! Let's hope they love the baby.

And as the title says, we are now 35 weeks and  2 days into the pregnancy. We had our weekly OB appointment today and all was wonderful as usual. The baby's heartbeat has slowed to mid-thirties. Guess that means we're getting some chub built up! 33 days to go!!!

It's official - I'm pregnant!

Well I guess I really AM pregnant! Obviously I know I have been prego for 8 months, but I'm finally starting to have some side effects other than a 43" belly :) My back is aching, my hips are spreading and I am experiencing many of the ever-so-wonderful Braxton Hicks contractions.
I know how lucky I have been to have felt so good for 35 weeks, but I can still complain, right?

Josh and I keep thinking we got everything done too early, because now all we have to do is sit around and wait. Next time we may not be so anxious to get everything done so early!

We can finally start counting down the days. Today makes 35 days until we grow from Husband and Wife to...



I've Grown!

We had our 34 week Ultrasound and OB appointment on Friday and it all went really well.
Baby Melon weighed in at 5lbs, 3oz! That's up from 3lbs 4oz just 4 weeks ago...No wonder my back is breaking - that's a lot of weight to carry especially considering the other weight I have been carrying up front for years!
Baby is still on track to be just under 8lbs at term. The ultrasound tech said our baby has very chubby cheeks, which we are so happy about - chunker butt babies are the best! Just see for yourself how pinchable they are :) She tried to peek between the legs just for her own curiosity, but the baby wouldn't give it up - kept it's little legs sqeezed tight together

Doc DeDongdajong (that's our pet name for my OB. His name is Vaughn DeJong, pronounced DeYoung)  he said if things keep going well, we are on track to let me go to my due date or at least really close to it. They don't want to have to induce me because the chances of having a C-Section double with induction, and we don't want that!
I told him my sister already bought her plane ticket out here, and he assured us that we will have a baby by the 30th so no worries, Katie!

Take a look at the changes Baby Banta has made...and there are still 6 weeks to go!

Thanks, God...

In one hour and one minute (9:06am) I will officially be OLD:(

GO HAWKS!!

Today is a good day! We got up early and went to the Longest Yard in Valley Junction...They are a total Hawkeye bar and there's always a fun crowd. At halftime during every game they have a raffle and give away a bunch of crappy stuff and one cool thing. Last year we won the only cool thing given away at the game we were at - it was a Hawkeye Pullover jacket - everyone there was jealous of our win.
So today, they gave away a whole bunch of stuff and no luck on our part. Until...they pulled out the Hawkeye Snuggie! Who's number did they call? JB's of course! As we walked out of the bar after the game we were congratulated by a table of drunk guys. They did a slow-to-fast clap while chanting "snuggie" as we walked out of the place. It was pretty awesome and I felt like a major celebrity.

I am pretty sure Melon enjoyed the game - for sure our baby will be a Hawk fan!!

32-1/2 Week Belly

See - Warm and Hands Free!!!

What do you see?

I know you have all seen this video, but it pretty much rocks. And don't we have the cutest little baby that you have ever, EVER, seen?!!

The beginning

Who needs Facebook when you can have a running blog?! We want our family and friends to be able to keep up with our life. If we can do it, we will be able to save and share memories and milestones of our journey into Parenthood.

As of today we are Josh, Natasha, Cooper and Fletcher. By October 26th, 2010 we will be a family of 5 when Olivia or Isaac enters the world!!
Until then, we will keep you posted on my quickly expanding waistline, the growth and progress of Baby Melon and the excitement, anxiety and countless emotions we experience in the next 8weeks. Holy crap - there's only 8 weeks to go!