Monday Update Part 2

I spoke to my OB today, who has given me the good news that I can still deliver at the Katy hospital as planned. I was nervous to think of going somewhere else, but it looks like I won't need to. I also found out that the baby will be evicted on May 28th if he or she doesn't arrive sooner. That would put me at just over 39 weeks. I am hoping things get moving on their own before then.

Monday Update

I went this morning for the Level 2 ultrasound. We learned that the right kidney is severely enlarged. The MFM (Maternal Fetal Medicine) doctor says that she believes it is a result of an obstruction, but the best way to know if that is the case is after the baby is born when he or she can have an ultrasound of the kidneys. Now we are just trying to figure out if we will deliver at the hospital close to us, or if we'll go to a different branch. If I don't have the baby this week, I'll likely be induced early next week, as there is no advantage to keeping the baby in longer at this point. Henry was born at 38 weeks, so maybe this little one will show up this week.

Catching Up

Blogging has taken a back seat to a busy month of visitors and baby-prepping. We had my mom, Andy's parents, and my sister visit us in the last month. It has been nice to have family in town. Henry also battled Hand-Foot-Mouth for the second time. Apparently, it is something one can get more than once. This time was really bad; he didn't eat solid food for 5 days, which is pretty unreal for our big boy who normally starts his day with a two-egg omelette, cereal bar, and milk. Forget Swine Flu, we were busy dealing with HFM for nearly a week. Henry is back to his normal self.

The weather here in Katy is already toasty. It's been in the 80's, and last week was in the 90's. As I near the end of this pregnancy, I am thankful that I won't be pregnant during the hot summer.

As far as baby news, we are very excited to meet our new little one. I am already 1 cm dilated, so we know that labor could happen at any time. Henry arrived at 38.5 weeks, so our babies like to be a bit early. My mom arrives on the 24th, so I'd be happy to hold out until then, just to make it easier with Henry.

We did find out last week that the baby has bilateral hydronephrosis, which means his/her kidneys are enlarged. I am going for a Level 2 ultrasound on Monday, and we're hoping that the problem clears on its own. The kidneys looked normal when I had my Level 2 ultrasound at 20 weeks, so this is something that has manifested later. We're trying not to worry, but, as with any issue related to the health of one's children, it is difficult not to be concerned. Luckily, we are in Houston, home of Texas Children's Hospital, which is one of the premier hospital systems in the world, so we are in good hands. We'd certainly appreciate postitive thoughts and prayers.

Momtourage

As evidenced by the start date of my blog, you all know that I had a lot of time to prepare for our move to Texas. When we were living in limbo, I found comfort in doing as much research as possible on our new home. Whether it was scouring real estate sites for new homes or figuring out how to get my Texas teacher credential, I formed a close relationship with Google. Last Spring, I learned about Meetup.com and decided to check it out. I am sure most of you are familiar with Meetup, but, in case you are not, Meetup.com is a networking site for every imaginable hobby, lifestyle and interest area. You can type in your ZIP code and "moms" or "dalmations" or "running" and find others in your area who are interested in the same thing. It was through Meetup that I found what is now affectionately known as my Momtourage. The group I joined was for moms new to the Katy area who were looking to meet other moms to hang out with, plan playdates for the kids with, and have social time with. I cannot tell you how incredibly lucky I am to have found this group.

A week after we moved, I attended my first meetup, which happened to be a mom's night out at a Mexican restaurant. Since then, we've had all sorts of events, and many of these moms are women I now consider to be my good friends. I can't imagine what my transition here would have been like without these resourceful, fun, energetic women. So, here's a shout out to all of you Momtourage girls--thank you for making my transition to TX living that much better!

Big Boy Bed

Since I posted about the nursery, I only felt it was right to also post some shots of Henry in his big boy dog-themed bed. We made the transition in January, in order to give ample transition time before the baby arrives. Henry loves his bed!

Roping a Steer

I Live in Texas

I still have these moments that creep up at odd times as I go about my daily life where I stop and remember that I live in Texas. A statement of the obvious, yes, but one that is still sort of hard for me to believe. Andy left for a short trip to Chicago today, which has me thinking about what he's seeing and doing or, rather, what I am not seeing and doing. Unlike me, he can go back, unfazed. He doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about the oddities of visiting a place where he used to live. I, on the other hand, can't get past the way the city exists both changing and unchanged, in spite of my absence. Most of the time, I am happy here. We're making friends and finding our way. But, I still don't feel like this is home. I am not sure I want it to feel like home, if that makes sense. Although, it sure would be easier if I just let it. Maybe I am a bit homesick. Maybe all this nesting I have been doing, this attempt to create a home for this new baby, highlights how I have not made the jump to calling this "house" my "home." And while I love having the space and the ease of lifestyle that living here affords me, I miss the City of Big Shoulders, the promise of Spring after a long winter, and the 1600 square feet of home I left back on Racine.