Answers to prayer

Well, since it is 6:30 A.M. and apparently my body is done sleeping for the day even though I don't need to be up for hours, I decided to update Max's blog. Yesterday I got a fantastic voice mail that really changed my day and made me start thinking about answered prayers. When we realized that we were pregnant with Max, the ordinary fears began to spark up in me about miscarriage and overall diabetic health. Throughout my journey with diabetes, I have always encountered struggles with my kidneys. If you have ever seen the movie Steel Magnolias, you probably remember that Julia Robert's character had insulin dependent diabetes and had weak kidneys so doctors advised her to not have a baby. She went against their suggestions and had one anyway leading to kidney failure and eventually her death.

I have never been told by doctors not to try to conceive because to be honest, I probably would have listened just because there is no point in having a baby just to leave that baby here with no mother. Although that is true, I've always known that my diabetes being out of control always hit me square in the kidneys. This was not surprising to me when we heard from the doctors that they were leaking protein and may cause me to have a difficult pregnancy. We heard this news in the first trimester and began to take action which included getting put on the insulin pump (I affectionately call Pumpkin) and praying like we were getting paid to.

The way that they monitor how my kidneys are doing is by collecting 24 hrs of urine and checking my creatine levels to determine kidney function. We got the results of the second trimester screening yesterday and sure enough not only were my kidneys stable in their protein leaking but actually had made improvement and my creatine levels were (as the nurse said) PERFECT. I have never heard any good news about my kidneys in over 16 years so this is by far my Thanksgiving miracle. We have so much to be thankful for this year including Max and his upcoming arrival, my health getting so much better, and just having a God who loves us and answers our prayers for peace through a difficult journey.

As Anthony snores in our bedroom and I sit up with pregnancy insomnia, I will try not to complain, be annoyed, or even grumble because after all...this is what I prayed for.

Thanks for stopping in and for your prayers

Erica & Anthony

Babies need lots of stuff!

So here we are embarking on 24 weeks tomorrow. Yes, that means I am 6 months pregnant. Since I most likely will give birth early, this starts my third trimester. Anthony and I have been doing a lot more prep work since figuring out that we are in the home stretch. Since we have been so focused on the present, we really did not see this third trimester sneak up on us. The pregnancy has seemed to fly by.

This last week we focused on a few tasks that needed to get completed in order to have a successful baby shower. Baby showers are far more necessary than I ever imagined they were. From now on, when I am invited to a baby shower there are a few things that I have decided.

1. I will either go to the baby shower or at least send a gift.

These things are the answer to all parent's needs. It is so expensive and overwhelming to shop for a new baby. They need so much more than you ever imagined when you didn't have one or were planning on becoming parents. They need so many items that add up in your pocket and in your to-do list.

2. I will use the registry list.

I have registered so far at Kohl's and Target and at both stores I was incredibly meticulous about picking things out for Max. I tried to pick clothes according to the seasons and what age he would be, toys that were appropriate for his age for bath time, and all of the necessary toiletries for his mixed skin. Yes, I am that mom. In saying that, my sister quickly told me that when she had her baby shower, no one bought from the registry! I could not believe that was true. I have been pretty good over the years at buying wedding gifts and baby gifts from the registry because I was too clueless most of the time to pick something that the baby or couple would actually need. This awed me that people do not shop from the registry. I think that we spent about an hour and a half in Target yesterday picking out things for Max and although it was fun, it would be great to see him get some of those items from people that love him in his family. I have decided that I am going to stick with what I have always done...buying from the registry. I know we did it for a reason!

3. I will talk with the parents!

I think that it would be helpful to ask the parents from now on if they used a registry and if they did, how serious they were about it. Most of the items that Anthony and I registered for were in the $0-$10 range because those are the things that add up on our budget. We are obviously happy to buy those big ticket items like crib, stroller, car seat, high chair, etc....ourselves but it would be so helpful to be able to overlook some of the smaller items like wash cloths, socks, bibs, wipes, etc... with the help of friends and family. I can now see why these baby showers are so imperative to a set of new parents. We are doing our very best to plan well but man...who knew these little miracles needed so much!??!!!

We had a great time registering last night and enjoying our dinner out to celebrate 6 months with our little Max and we will cherish this time either way. I am looking forward to my baby shower in January to get together with those that love Max, have prayed for him, and watched us yearn for him. We know that it will be a blast being able to have our first real celebration about his life.

Another thing we have been diligently working on is the nursery. We have this great room in our place right by our room that is spacious and awesome for our little guy. It has (in the past) been filled with things we wanted to go through and possibly give to Goodwill, put away in different areas, and things we just didn't feel we had a space for. It is our time to find places for these items, give the things away that are no longer necessary, and get working on making this Max's room. We have decided to go with a Jungle Animal theme for his room in light blues, browns, and light greens. I picked up a few items at Michael's to do a few projects for his room and of course he already has all of the Scentsy Buddies and a warmer of his very own for his bedroom. We are excited to do this new room in our house and make a place for him to call his own and put all of these awesome things we have acquired over the months. For sure as we make progress, pictures will be posted on this blog! :)

As far as the pregnancy goes, we are in the process of doing a new test on my kidneys for the third trimester. This is a little more detail than you all probably want but I have to collect 24 hrs of urine and give it to the hospital and then get blood work immediately after to make sure my kidneys are functioning well for the delivery and rest of the pregnancy. In the morning, we will turn in this glorious sample and also go to my OB's office to get my blood pressure checked again. I have also noticed for the last couple of days that my sugars are starting to elevate. I will be contacting Maternal Fetal Medicine in Louisville to possibly make changes on my pump that will help have tighter control over this last three months. Please continue to pray for us in these areas!

I hope you are all doing well and I will do my best to continue to update especially since I start my maternity leave on December 21st! I am looking forward to some down time to be honest in order to get ready for my little dude!

Thanks for stopping in,

Erica & Anthony

Yes, we know...you're a boy!

Yesterday we had our 23 week ultrasound at our specialist's office and as always, it was fun and exciting to see our little Max moving around and finding new ways to aggravate the ultrasound technician. When we were there last time, they were doing the anatomy ultrasound and Max did not want to show a few parts of his heart and one portion of his spine. We were trying to get those photos yesterday and it turns out Max is shy about his heart but he has no problem letting us know OVER and OVER that he is indeed, a boy!

We were able to finish the ultrasound except for one photo of the blood going into his body from his heart. We are hoping he will cooperate in a month when we have another one. He is weighing in at 1 lb, 8 oz and the doctor feels that is exactly where he needs to be. We are so grateful for that since babies of diabetics tend to get too big too fast. So far, my blood sugars are staying in good control and Max is not in any danger.

Some things that were concerning over the last week of appointments were that my blood pressure was steadily going up. I do not struggle with high blood pressure at all but it seems that the last trimester, it is going to raise a bit. Although both of my fantastic doctors assured me that this is completely normal and I am not at any dangerous level, please keep Max and I in your prayers for the duration of the pregnancy so that we can stay as healthy as possible.

News on the delivery front: Upon talking to my doctors, it seems that the delivery could go a couple of ways in terms of location. At first, it was stated pretty clearly that I would be giving birth in Louisville. However, the new idea is that Max could be born closer to home if a couple of things go as planned. Babies of diabetic mothers tend to have under-developed lungs when coming early (by early I mean before 38 weeks). At about 38 weeks, they are more developed and can usually prevent having to be given oxygen and needing any special help. So, that being said...if Max waits a bit and comes around 38-40 weeks or beyond, we will most likely be able to have him closer to home. If he feels he needs to come a bit sooner, we will probably need to deliver in Louisville in order to have a NICU that meets those needs and the specialists that are trained more thoroughly to deal with those issues.

I am at peace either way. I know that my little guy will come when he is supposed to come and God has his hand on both of us during this stressful but exciting time. As I go into the third trimester on Monday, I am starting to get excited about new things like enjoying my baby shower, getting the nursery entirely ready for Max, and enjoying the last few months of Anthony and I being....just Anthony and I! Please continue to pray for us and help us praise God for our miracle. We appreciate all that you guys have done over the months to encourage us, pray for us, and remind us that we are going to be great parents. That never gets old to hear!

Thank you

Erica & Anthony

Quite a few updates

It's been a few weeks since I have written in here, to be specific, 15 weeks. Things have been moving right along in our pregnancy and we are happy to report, we are having a little boy! We have decided to name him Maxwell Jackson Jude Lewis. There have been numerous times of great news, including several ultrasounds where Max was doing great and measuring right on track. I have been a bit overwhelmed with trying to work a part time job at the school, tutoring part time, and being pregnant. I have extreme respect and almost awe at women who can work their entire pregnancy full time. Being diabetic has it's difficulties with being pregnant so it is a bit more work but still...in awe.

I have been seeing a specialist in Louisville since the first trimester. He is located at Maternal Fetal Specialists and his name is Dr. Thomas Tabb. He is a very caring and kind man and has really helped me understand the risks associated with diabetes. I was put on an insulin pump in August and that has really helped to give me excellent diabetic control throughout the pregnancy. In the latter part of the first trimester, we learned that my kidneys were having some difficulty functioning and may present a problem in the third trimester. I have decided to stop working at the end of December to put less stress on them and focus on preparing for the big day. They are also talking about delivering early and Max will be born in Louisville since there are risks.

Anthony and I have been diligently working toward providing all of the things that a baby needs since we have found out Mr. Max's gender. The clothes are so darn cute but they need so much that it can be overwhelming at times. Tomorrow we go for another OB appointment at our regular doctor and I think I will need to do another 24 hr Urine test in order to look at the functioning of my kidneys again. I pray that they are working well and can support my healthy boy. It turns out I am one of the unfortunate women who gets morning sickness her entire pregnancy. I was so hoping to stop the vomiting at the second trimester but at almost 6 months pregnant, NOPE!! Again, I am glad for the reminders of his health each day.

Another big landmark was on November 3rd, I was able to feel Max move/kick for the first time. That was quite an experience and Anthony can feel him move here and there as well. We are so grateful for each step of this journey and would ask you to keep us in your prayers throughout the rest of it. We are hoping to keep everyone posted on things that are going on and soon enough, there will be pictures of our little Maxwell.

We feel extremely blessed.

Erica & Anthony